Chapter 48
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Is This Your First Time Seeing a Saintess Who Uses Magic Well? 48
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The morning after tomorrow.
Sihyun, who usually rose at dawn anyway, leisurely began getting ready to head out.
She pulled out the new clothes that had arrived yesterday.
"Same-day delivery really is great."
"Right?"
Siyun, lounging on the sofa, let out a massive yawn and chimed in.
In the meantime, Sihyun finished changing and stood in front of the mirror, checking herself out.
She could feel the snug compression from the black leggings hugging her legs.
The gray loose-fit sweatshirt draped down to her hips, minimizing any exposure.
Sihyun had never been big on dressing up, so even this outfit felt refreshingly new to her.
Siyun, watching from the side, gave a small smile.
"You look good in anything, so even the no-makeup, no-effort look shines on you."
"R-Really...?"
Sihyun's face flushed at her little sister's sudden compliment.
It was a bit embarrassing, but not in a bad way.
"I might come home late today, so if I don't text, just go ahead and eat dinner without me if it gets late."
"Got it!"
After exchanging goodbyes with her sister, Sihyun stepped out the front door with light footsteps.
She took public transport to the meeting spot with Areum.
They planned to grab a light bite together before the Wings Guild van arrived to pick them up.
Sihyun arrived at the cafe a little early.
She spotted Areum, who had gotten there first and was waiting.
Areum, pacing in front of the cafe, noticed her too.
Sihyun greeted her warmly first.
"Hey. You're early."
"Ah, h-hello, Professor!"
"Um..."
Sihyun gave an awkward smile and scratched her cheek at Areum's greeting.
Being called "Professor" in a loud voice in a place totally unrelated to the academy felt strangely embarrassing.
"Shall we go in?"
"Y-Yes!"
She was already aware of the stares around them, and now it made her even more self-conscious.
She quickly ducked inside the shop.
After finding a decent seat,
Sihyun crossed her ankles casually as she sat, then glanced down at her legs.
The unfamiliar tightness of the leggings was bothering her.
She lightly rubbed her thighs together, feeling the texture, then looked up again.
"Picked out what you want?"
"I-I'll have this one!"
They each ordered sandwiches to their taste.
The two started eating while chatting about this and that.
"Oh, I haven't finished that novel you recommended yet. It's a long one."
"I-Is that so...?"
"Yeah. But it's so intriguing, it's fun."
"Right..."
Sihyun took a bite of her sandwich and gazed steadily at Areum.
Areum had always been a bit timid, but today it seemed especially bad.
Did she do something wrong?
Sihyun tilted her head, staring at Areum's stiff posture.
Unable to figure it out, she finally asked directly.
"Areum."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Is something worrying you?"
"Uh, w-well..."
At Sihyun's question, Areum's eyes darted everywhere.
Finally, she bowed her head deeply and forced the words out.
"Th-The dungeon..."
"Yeah."
Areum peeked up at Sihyun, gauging her reaction.
Then she sank back into thought.
Watching her, Sihyun rubbed her chin, lost in contemplation.
Dungeon, dungeon. Was she scared because they were suddenly heading to a C-Rank one?
She had no intention of having Areum fight—just observe and learn.
...But thinking about it again, as an E-Rank newbie, it was plenty scary for her.
Maybe she'd been too focused on her own efficiency?
It probably would have been better to start with E or D-Rank dungeon tours.
Sihyun felt a pang of guilt toward Areum in her heart.
"Areum."
"P-Professor!"
They both called out at the same time.
Sihyun gave a small smile and gestured for Areum to go first.
Areum hesitated but mustered her courage again.
"Ab-About the r-rank..."
"Yeah, the rank."
As expected, the sudden C-Rank dungeon seemed to be the issue.
Sihyun decided to apologize once Areum finished speaking.
"T-Today's dungeon... Isn't it too high for you...? The p-professor's only D-Rank too..."
"...Ah."
Oh my goodness! It was about that!
Sihyun's eyes widened round.
She'd thought Areum was scared of the dungeon itself.
That was probably true too, but it wasn't the main point.
The other people in the dungeon would all be strangers.
And the one she trusted most was Sihyun, but she was only a D-Rank hunter.
That's why Areum had been trembling!
Feeling sorry, Sihyun gently stroked the back of Areum's shaking hand.
"A-Areum?"
"Y-Yes..."
Sihyun pondered briefly. How much to reveal?
Telling her everything to ease her worries might backfire.
This time, she might feel intimidated by Sihyun herself instead of the dungeon.
Having sorted her thoughts, Sihyun slowly spoke.
"Actually, I'm C-Rank, but I haven't taken the promotion exam yet."
"Wh-What...? Really?"
"You know professors are busy. I didn't think it was urgent."
"I-I see...!"
She borrowed the excuse the Wings Guild guys had used before.
Areum's expression brightened in an instant.
Gazing at her, Sihyun gave a wry smile.
Somehow, it felt like the lies were piling up day by day.
Someday, when they got closer, there'd be chances to talk openly.
She'd worry about the future when it came.
Sihyun did her best to reassure Areum.
Her efforts paid off—Areum's rigid posture gradually relaxed.
Sihyun inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
After filling their stomachs lightly, the two climbed into the Wings Guild van that had come to pick them up.
As the van headed toward the gate location,
Areum fidgeted, shifting her hips until she was right up against Sihyun.
She cautiously hugged Sihyun's arm.
Sihyun turned to look at Areum, feeling the soft, plush sensation on her arm.
'Hmm...'
She could see Areum tensing up again.
Maybe because everyone else was a stranger, and all guys?
Sihyun thought it might be good to have a quick round of introductions.
"Everyone."
"Yes?"
At the sound of her soft voice, everyone except the driver turned to Sihyun.
Sihyun cleared her throat lightly and continued.
"This is Areum, the student joining us today."
"H-Hello..."
Areum greeted them in a tiny voice.
The men's gazes shifted from Sihyun to Areum.
The most striking feature was her large glasses.
Her thick bangs covered her forehead.
With her face half-hidden against Sihyun's arm, that was all that showed.
Even so, her undeniable beauty brightened the dull van interior.
With two beauties on board, the Wings Guild guys felt like the air had cleared, lifting their moods.
"Areum, these are all Wings Guild hunters. In order—"
Sihyun proceeded to introduce the men.
Now a bit calmer, Areum finally recognized them.
They were the people from the Monster Studies lecture videos.
After introductions and greetings all around,
Sihyun tilted her head and said,
"Jihan-ssi, you're here today too?"
"Feel free to speak casually!"
Jihan grinned and went on.
"I heard it's a large dungeon today. Wanted to help out before heading out on my business trip."
"...Business trip?"
"Yeah, you know? The reason we agreed to hit a large dungeon today."
"Dayoung just said, 'Perfect timing!'"
At Sihyun's response, Jihan glanced at Hankyeol next to him.
It wasn't exactly a secret, but not something to blab about casually either.
Hankyeol nodded, and Jihan continued.
"You've heard most of us in Wings Guild came from the same large guild, right?"
"Ah, yes. I heard that."
"Speak casually, seriously. Anyway! Those bastards—er, those guys are super stingy."
Jihan caught himself mid-curse and corrected.
"They don't touch E or D-Rank dungeons. But if we apply for a C-Rank near Seoul, they sniff it out like ghosts and snag the reservation."
"...Is that allowed?"
"The higher the dungeon rank, the more the Bureau assigns it to reliable parties."
"Ah..."
She'd heard about this before.
Jia had once complained that a large guild had beaten her to an A-Rank dungeon.
Sihyun nodded, and Hankyeol and Jihan took turns explaining.
"This is better thanks to the Bureau mediating."
"They poke just enough to annoy us without taking everything."
"I see..."
So that's why their requests sometimes had last-minute date or time changes.
Sihyun understood the Wings Guild's situation.
"They don't mess with out-of-town ones?"
"Yeah. Probably too much hassle for them."
They were total thugs.
Sihyun's expression soured in disgust.
Then, as if to lighten the mood, Hankyeol smiled and said,
"No need to worry that much! Who do you think our Master is?"
"B-Rank production hunter Moon Dayoung!"
Jihan piped up with a grin.
Hankyeol nodded and continued.
"Master has plenty of connections, and the Bureau pays at least minimal attention, so they can only nitpick."
"And if our Master hits A-Rank? Those guys will freak out."
"Heh, I'm really looking forward to that."
"Right? I'm more excited for Master to reach A-Rank than me hitting B-Rank!"
"Hahaha!"
Jihan shrugged dramatically, and all the men burst into laughter.
The van's atmosphere warmed up again.
Areum, starting to get used to it, peeked out and listened in.
Curious, she pulled out her phone and searched for production hunters.
'Not as rare as supports, but still super few...'
The highest in Korea was A-Rank.
But so few you could count them on one hand, all elderly.
Ages where retirement wouldn't surprise anyone.
It made sense why B-Rank production hunters got attention.
Next, Areum tried to search for the large guild Wings Guild was connected to.
She wondered what had led to this situation.
Might even be in the news.
But just as her fingers moved, the van stopped.
"We're here!"
"Let's go?"
"...Y-Yes!"
She could look it up later.
As soon as she got out, Areum stuck right back to Sihyun.
Up close, a pleasant fragrance wafted from Professor Jeong Sihyun.
Somehow, smelling it made her feel safe.
Of course, she'd let go if the professor seemed uncomfortable.
Until then, she planned to cling tight with their arms linked.
A C-Rank dungeon was that scary.
Sihyun looked awkwardly at Areum's head.
She scratched her nape once and followed the men.
"Sihyun-ssi, today's the last one. Thanks for all your hard work!"
"Please take care of us today too!"
"Hehe, likewise."
Sihyun smiled lightly at their hearty voices.
The group reached the gate and met another group of men already there.
As they approached, the apparent leader gave a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you. How about quick self-intros before we start?"
The man introduced his party first.
All melee hunters: himself B-Rank, one other C-Rank, two D-Ranks. Total of four.
The unique thing: all their jobs were 'Thief'.
Aware of it, he gave a wry smile.
"Thieves don't get invited to parties much. So we made our own fixed party."
It was a plausible reason, and the Wings Guild folks all nodded.