Rescue Operation
“Yes. Seeing how hard Ari-nim is working, I thought it might be all right to move up the dungeon practical training schedule.”
The Hunter Instructor spoke in a tone that subtly flattered her.
He went on to give a plausible-sounding explanation, one that was carefully polished enough to seem true.
The dungeon Han Jihyun and her team had entered not long ago had, in fact, been the very dungeon Ari was supposed to practice in for the final stage of her training.
It had originally been assigned to the vanguard scouting party, but given how quickly she was learning, they figured there was no need to wait for a report; she could join them and continue from there.
That way, she’d gain both forward-team and rear-team experience at once. A win-win, wasn’t it?
There was also a quiet intention tucked into it all: rescue Han Jihyun safely, avoid arousing the suspicion of the calamity-class gate boss, and, if possible, even let her shine in the process.
Listening carefully, Ari gave a small nod.
Either way, moving up the schedule is good.
She understood the government’s position that she should learn common sense during the immigrant processing period.
Still, the process was boring. That was just a fact.
“But what about the other lecture schedules?”
“If Ari-nim agrees, everyone has already said it’s fine.”
“Oh. You’re quick at handling things.”
Ari brought both hands together in front of her chest and gave a tiny, adorable round of applause with her fingertips.
The Hunter Instructor scratched his cheek with his index finger, looking a little awkward.
“Shall I explain the rest while we’re on the way?”
“Sure!”
Ari didn’t have any equipment of her own, so all she had to do was get moving in body only.
So the two of them left the Research Institute in a prepared car and continued talking as they went.
“In the previous lecture, I explained hunter and dungeon ranks.”
They started at E-grade, the lowest rank, and went up to A-grade at the top, with S-grade as the out-of-spec rank.
“The dungeon we’re heading to now is a B-grade dungeon. Its mana stability is 73 percent.”
“Anything under 70 percent was a special dungeon, so by the rules this is a normal dungeon, right?”
“That’s right. You studied hard.”
At the Hunter Instructor’s praise, Ari smiled faintly.
“But you said this was practical training. Doesn’t that mean I get to claim the reward after clearing it?”
“Of course. We’ll pay you properly through the management office, exactly as you learned.”
“Ah. That’s a relief.”
Then she made a thoughtful expression, as if mulling something over.
After a moment, when Ari opened her mouth again, there was unmistakable enthusiasm in her voice.
“We’re suddenly joining the vanguard team, right?”
“...Ah, yes. That’s correct.”
What on earth is she about to say?
The Hunter Instructor’s face stiffened with tension as he waited for what came next.
Tilted her head, Ari asked another question. Her long silver hair slid softly over to one side.
“And since this is practical training, you’ll be the one evaluating me, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
She’s not going to get angry and say someone like me doesn’t have the right to evaluate her, is she...?
Watching that innocent, pretty face was certainly easy on the eyes.
But once he thought about what it was attached to, he no longer had the luxury of focusing on that.
Then Ari’s eyes sparkled as she declared, “I’ll work hard!”
“......”
It was such a simple thing to say, and yet somehow it sounded so reassuring. So why did it feel this unsettling?
The Hunter Instructor only nodded in response. That was the end of the conversation, because Ari pressed her lips together in a smile and turned toward the window.
Looking at the back of her neat little head, the man adjusted his glasses.
At the same time, he found himself caught in a strange and complicated mood.
For the first time in his career as a hunter instructor, he wanted to tell a student not to work too hard.
And at the same time, there was a selfish part of him that wanted to see the strength of a calamity-class gate boss, something he had only ever encountered in documents, with his own eyes.
I wonder what it’ll be like...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Haa... haah...”
“Hek, heeh...”
The lightly armed hunters collapsed to the floor with heavy thuds.
On both sides of them, thick walls of tangled vines towered up toward the sky.
Thankfully, the vines grew more sparsely overhead, letting in enough light to brighten their field of vision.
It was a maze-themed dungeon.
There were so many different kinds of these dungeons that people had even started saying they needed a more systematic classification.
Some were full of vicious traps, some forced you to fight monsters roaming the interior, and in severe cases, there were even floors layered on top of that.
The scale of the spaces varied wildly as well.
“Goddammit. Why did it have to be that one thing we lost?”
“We kept saying the marking equipment and directional detection artifact were the most important things...”
The hunters’ muttered complaints drew their eyes toward one woman.
At once, the small-framed woman shrank in on herself.
She hadn’t even caught the words, but it was obvious they were cursing her out.
I didn’t exactly want this to happen...
The problem had started when traps and monster appearances happened at the same time.
They were already surrounded, monsters closing in from both front and back.
She had only just reached C-grade not long ago, so she still hadn’t shaken off her rookie awkwardness. In the confusion, she’d dropped their equipment into a trap. It was smashed to pieces before anyone could stop it.
The reason they had even survived this long was thanks to Han Jihyun’s support.
“Jihyun... thank you so much for earlier...”
The woman sniffled as she offered her thanks.
Han Jihyun gently patted her back.
“It’s nothing. I made mistakes all the time when I’d just reached C-grade too.”
She smiled bitterly as she comforted the new hunter.
Of course, inside, she was swallowing her own bitterness.
They had managed to hold on only because they’d brought camping supplies in advance.
But they’d completely lost their sense of direction in the maze, and the meager provisions they’d had were already gone.
They should have turned back the moment they lost the key equipment, instead of hesitating.
But the person who’d just been blaming others had gone, “Based on experience, we’ve come quite far, so let’s push a little farther,” and persuaded them to keep going.
Then, just as they had done that, a trap sprang out of nowhere and blocked the way back.
One streak of bad luck piled on top of another until they ended up like this.
They’d tried to find another route back or locate an exit somehow, but it wasn’t easy.
Hoo—Han Jihyun couldn’t hold it in any longer and let out a long sigh.
Why does it feel like I’ve had such terrible luck lately?
She really did try to live decently.
Apparently the world didn’t take that into account.
“Getting support is probably impossible, right?”
“It’s a maze dungeon, after all... I’m not sure whether we can hold out until then.”
Ah, no. Had she been too honest?
Han Jihyun shut her mouth at once. She could see the C-grade woman lowering her head miserably.
Hey, I’m just as much in the mood to cry as you are...
Afraid she might start sniffing too, Han Jihyun lifted her head and looked up at the sky.
Beyond the thick vines, a clear blue sky was visible, with bright white clouds drifting lazily across it.
Ah, I want to see the fairy.
The weather had been just like this when they’d gone for a walk together.
At the sudden thought, Han Jihyun let out a light laugh.
Who would have thought she’d ever have a day when she’d think that?
Was Ari listening to a lecture back at the Research Institute right about now?
Rescue... I probably can’t expect that.
With that thought, Han Jihyun pushed herself to her feet.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Because the heavy footsteps of some enormous monster were shaking the ground.
Considering the characteristics of a maze-themed dungeon, it might be a field boss guarding the area.
It was not a good opponent to fight in their current condition, when they were already exhausted to the bone.
The government hunters exchanged glances and quickly shifted position.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The car moved along the quiet road.
Ari looked out the window, taking in the scenery as it flowed past like a panorama.
Abandoned houses and broken building remains that carried no trace of human warmth. A sign that must once have belonged to a shop hung half-detached, swaying limply.
Beyond that, in an empty lot overrun with weeds, a car sat overturned and abandoned. It had almost been swallowed by the grass.
The surroundings grew increasingly desolate and bleak.
Without taking her eyes off it, Ari asked, “Is this an area where no one lives?”
“It’s a densely packed zone where gates appear often.”
The answer came from the back at once.
Ari took her eyes off the window and turned around, and the Hunter Instructor added another explanation.
“It’s not that no one lives here at all. Some older folks remain because it’s their hometown where they were born and raised, and some people are willing to take the risk because the housing prices are dirt cheap. Usually, lower-ranked hunters live here with their families.”
His voice was calm and flat, as though he had already seen all of this countless times.
Ari gave a small nod and turned back to the view outside.
It felt different from when she’d gone walking around the city.
So Earth wasn’t all peace and comfort after all.
And with that, they arrived near the gate that was their destination.
After getting out of the car, Ari watched as the men who had followed in another vehicle got out as well.
There weren’t many of them, but it looked like they planned to enter the gate with her.
They were carefully checking their gear and belongings.
Watching with interest, Ari asked, “What’s that for?”
“That’s the marking equipment and the directional detection artifact. If you don’t want to get stranded in a maze-type dungeon, they’re essential.”
The Hunter Instructor standing beside her answered in her place. Ari asked again.
“This is a practical lesson, though. Shouldn’t I be learning to use them myself?”
“Ahem. Gate clearing is usually done by a team rather than by one person alone. So today, Ari-nim, you can show them your qualities as a leader by communicating with those people.”
“Oh, a leader!”
It was a word with a strangely sweet ring to it.
Ari lightly touched her lips with her fingertips.
Then she followed the group and stepped into the inexplicable shimmer.
For a moment she looked around in wonder at the scenery that had changed in an instant, and then she found herself standing before a thick wall of tangled vines so dense she couldn’t see the other side.
“This is why it’s called a maze, right?”
“That’s right. The material and shape differ from dungeon to dungeon, but because of the walls, you have to follow the fixed branching paths. That’s why it’s called a maze theme.”
“The vanguard team must have gone that way too?”
“Yes. Let’s start by following those who went ahead, as befits the rear team.”
“Hmm...”
“What is it?”
“Do we really have to do it that way?”
“...Pardon?”
“Jihyun is part of the vanguard team, right? I can track a mana signature I know, so let’s just go in a straight line.”
“????”