The Ice King's Resolve
Lee Mina lifted her face from the pillow with a soft groan. A strange unease had settled over her, the kind that comes from oversleeping when your alarm should have gone off for work. The bed felt far too soft, her body far too limp and heavy.
Right. We're still at the resort.
Her sluggish mind finally recalled falling asleep here the night before. She had considered heading straight home, but the unexpectedly fierce battle had left her utterly exhausted. Her mana hadn't fully recovered either. If Lee Jun hadn't grabbed her sword along with the core, she would have been in even worse shape.
Even when she had cleared an A-grade gate with Hanshin's team, she had burned through her mana until it ran dry, but she hadn't felt this completely drained. Then again, the opponent had been on another level. There was simply no comparison.
I've never had to dump that much mana at once, even against an A-grade gate.
Hunters valued sustained mana efficiency over raw burst power. Gates, regardless of rank, always turned into prolonged fights. That approach had always been enough to handle monsters. Yesterday's situation, where she had to pour out nearly half her mana in one go, had been completely abnormal. If they hadn't done so against the Ice King, they would never have won.
"S-rank really is so far away," she murmured.
She had never desperately wanted to become an S-rank hunter before, but after experiencing the gap firsthand yesterday, her motivation had plummeted even further. The Ice King had been on the verge of death, without any mana, and still nearly overwhelmed them. She couldn't even imagine how much stronger she would need to become to reach the level of the S-rank hunter who had actually defeated it.
As she lay sprawled on the plush bed, a sudden thought struck her.
"Ah! Mr. Seok-jun!"
She bolted upright, remembering the group that might be waiting for her. He had offered to take her home last night. She grabbed her smartphone and checked the time.
"It's already nine o'clock?!"
Clearing her throat, she dialed his number.
"Mina? Are you awake?"
"Ah, yes, yes. I overslept a bit..."
"That's perfectly understandable after yesterday. I'll be waiting for you at the café on the first floor."
She had trailed off apologetically, but Seok-jun simply said what he needed to and ended the call.
He doesn't sound angry, does he?
Deciding she needed to get to him as quickly as possible, Mina noticed the mirror in the room.
"I should wash up first."
She was only wearing a single dress shirt. Exhausted the night before, she had stripped off her uncomfortable clothes and collapsed straight into bed. Unlike in the village, her luggage was intact, so she had spare gear. Still, when she saw her messy hair floating around her head like a halo in the sunlight, she let out a sigh. It wasn't just her imagination; her hair really was in worse shape than usual.
Mina quickly showered, combed out her bedhead, and dressed neatly. By the time she finished, the clock already read ten, making her even more anxious.
"Mr. Seok-jun! Have you been waiting long?"
She hurried to the resort café with her bags. There he was, sitting alone by the window, sipping coffee as warm morning sunlight poured over him. When she approached with quick steps, he looked up.
"I haven't been waiting that long."
"Ugh, that still means you were waiting, doesn't it?"
"It's not exactly a bad thing, is it?"
Seok-jun lifted his steaming mug and asked, "Would you like a cup as well, Mina?"
"I'd love one, but if I order now it'll take too long..."
Her words were cut off.
"One Americano and two avocado sandwiches."
A waitress had already appeared beside them, holding a tray with an identical mug and two sandwiches. Mina glanced at the smiling waitress, then back at Seok-jun.
"Would you like syrup or sugar?"
"Just a moment."
At his casual response, Mina carefully picked up the mug. The coffee wasn't freshly brewed, but it was still warm enough to gently heat her hands. She took a small sip.
"Ugh, it's bitter!"
It tasted stronger than what she usually drank at her regular café. She quickly stirred in the packet of sugar he handed her. It was still bitter, but alternating sips with the avocado sandwich made it bearable. The crisp lettuce and smoked sausage paired with the avocado's clean, buttery-yet-light flavor. Between bites, she asked him,
"By the way, where are Mr. Jun and Yeeun?"
She had assumed they would be waiting if they were ready to leave. In response, Seok-jun pointed outside to the terrace.
"They already ate breakfast and are out there having the time of their lives."
Even from a distance, the two figures were unmistakable, especially with so few people around. A child riding on someone wearing full plate armor like a sled would stand out anywhere. Mina couldn't help but marvel at Lee Jun's stamina. After yesterday's battle, he still had enough energy to play with a child.
"Oh right! The bill..."
"I've already taken care of it."
"Tch, next time it's on me."
After finishing their early breakfast, they headed to the parking lot behind the resort.
"This is your car, Mr. Seok-jun?"
Mina stared up at the massive vehicle. It looked like a four-seater truck, but...
"Technically, it's a company-owned pickup truck."
"It doesn't look like any pickup I've ever seen..."
It was larger than most pickups, painted pitch black, with a huge squared-off hood and an exterior that leaned closer to a luxury sedan. If someone turned a pickup truck into a high-end luxury vehicle, this was probably what it would look like. In the bed, secured with chains, was Seok-jun's motorcycle, which Mina had seen a few times before.
"I'm so tired!"
"Me too!"
Unfortunately, Lee Jun and Yeeun had already opened the rear door and climbed in, declaring they couldn't hold out any longer. There was no time to admire the exterior further.
"Hop in, Mina. You can put the dog and your luggage in the bed."
"Ah, okay."
Feeling strangely nervous, Mina brushed off her shoes and climbed inside. Lee Jun and Yeeun, who had boarded first, were already fast asleep in the back seat.
"They must have been really exhausted."
"They heard we were heading back and went wild playing from the crack of dawn. It's only natural."
Even getting up in the morning had been a struggle for her. While she was still marveling at their stamina, Seok-jun started the engine. As the car glided quietly down the road, drowsiness crept over Mina again, but she fought it off and spoke to the man driving.
"What will happen to the Ice King's core?"
She remembered the police officers who had come to collect it shortly after they returned to the resort. They had probably wanted to verify it belonged to the Ice King and secure it as evidence. Seok-jun had handed it over without protest.
"Legally, the core belongs to the hunter who defeated the monster that owned it. Once it's done serving as evidence, they'll contact the rightful owner."
"If they decide to keep their mouths shut, there are ways around it."
"That's not what I meant."
Still, her curiosity was satisfied. She recalled the moment they had given the core to the police. For some reason, the core had seemed to reject anyone but them.
Seok-jun's nullification ability explained why it didn't affect him, but neither she nor Lee Jun had felt anything when touching it. The moment a police officer grabbed it, his hand had frozen solid, forcing Lee Jun to move it himself.
"I'm not entirely sure, but it seems the Ice King's will remained stronger than expected."
"I suppose that's it, then."
Either way, it felt like the Ice King had acknowledged that they were the ones who defeated it. For a king, it was a very kingly personality.
By the time familiar streets came into view, Seok-jun spoke again.
"This job will be paid out as a first-class request, roughly three days' worth. If you'd like the detailed breakdown, contact me right away."
Mina listened to his final explanation, then gathered Pom and her luggage before getting out in front of her house.
"See you next time."
It felt good to be home, but a pang of reluctance remained. She kept waving until the large vehicle disappeared from sight.
"Looks like tomorrow is the assembly day."
She checked her smartphone for any missed calls and realized tomorrow was the weekly assembly. They had already gathered a few days ago, but this was the standard meeting to gather hunters who had completed requests or had free time, unless it fell right after a holiday. Most team members would probably be absent, busy with their assigned requests. She actually thought that was for the best.
After all, they were the ones who had sent her, who was supposed to work as part of a team, on a personal mission that wasn't even gate clearing. Meeting Seok-jun had been nice, but she resolved that this time she would finally get a normal assignment.
The next day, with her mana mostly recovered and her condition decent, she arrived at the office with a hint of anticipation.
"Oh? Mina?"
"Manager Oh."
Mina met Manager Oh's surprised gaze. Looking around, most seats were empty, but for better or worse, her team was present. There was no excuse about scheduling conflicts now. Feeling their stares, she turned back to Manager Oh.
"What about the request? I heard it was supposed to be long-term."
"It was resolved."
"Just a moment."
He checked his computer briefly.
"It's true. And the amount that came in is much higher than expected."
The increased payment was probably because she had soloed the Freeze Golem. The real problems had come afterward, but she had heard those subsequent events were being treated as a personal request to her rather than to Hanshin.
"Wait here. I'll send it up and check."
Mina watched him work, waiting for whatever news would come back. She soon noticed something strange. As time passed, Manager Oh's expression grew increasingly bizarre. He glanced up at her again.
"Um, Mina? There's a response from upstairs..."
She had a bad feeling, but she tried to calm herself, telling herself it couldn't be that again this time.
"It says it's another personal assignment..."
At Manager Oh's words, something inside Mina's head finally snapped. When she smiled, he looked slightly relieved, apparently not realizing she wasn't actually smiling.
What she did next was simple.
"Here, sir. Please take this."
Mina held out an envelope she had carefully kept in her bag with both hands.
"Mina? This is..."
Manager Oh read the writing on the envelope, finally understanding the situation. He looked up at her.
"It's my letter of resignation."
Mina was smiling brightly.