Porter of the Hero Party

I wished I had a room of spirit and time that only I could use. While others lived 24 hours a day, I wanted to live 48 hours all by myself. It was the kind of thing possible only in comics.

But by chance, I learned a way to make that dream come true in reality.

"Man, that movie was fun. But that spinning top at the end—it meant he couldn't escape the lucid dream in the end, right?"

"Lucid dream……."

"Huh? What's up?"

"That's it! Exactly!"

People don't actually live all 24 hours of the day.

Statistics show that on average, people spend 8 hours a day sleeping. That's a third of their lives wasted in slumber. In other words, if I could make use of the time others squander on sleep, I'd gain 8 extra hours compared to everyone else.

That's why I started researching lucid dreams.

Maybe lots of people had the same idea as me. Methods for inducing lucid dreams were already well-theorized: MILD, DILD, WILD, and so on. I scoured various resources to find what worked for me.

The first time I succeeded in lucid dreaming, I got so excited that I woke right up. I regretted it immensely. But once I'd succeeded once, it got much easier afterward. Eventually, I could enter lucidity without any special techniques.

The more I practiced lucid dreaming, the clearer my dreams became.

Before long, they were so vivid and intricate that I could barely distinguish them from reality.

What dream should I have tonight? Turn into a TS beauty? Or dive into a fantasy novel? That wuxia movie I watched recently was pretty fun too. Man, I can't wait.

In dreams, I could be anything.

I could be a knight slaying dragons, the Heavenly Demon from a wuxia tale, or even a silver-haired, frail TS beauty. Things I could only experience in fiction became as real as reality itself in my lucid dreams.

And it didn't interfere with real life at all.

In fact, satisfying my desires in dreams let me focus even more on reality. To ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠craft richer, more detailed dreams, I had to gather plenty of data from waking life anyway.

Alright. Tonight, let's go ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with fantasy.

Hero... I'd done that too many times.

How about being the porter for a hero party? That could be fun.

"Oppa. I think I was a hero in my past life."

"......Huh?"

Just what nonsense was Han Haneul spouting now? It had been a year since I started working as the manager for this quirky S-class hunter, but I still struggled to get used to her personality. Especially when she blurted out something so random like this.

"Lately, I've been having the same dream every night."

"Mm-hmm."

"It was incredibly vivid. In the dream, I was a hero chosen by the Holy Sword."

"Haha......"

What a ridiculous dream. Probably fell asleep reading some fantasy novel with that plot.

But I couldn't say that outright—who knew what craziness she'd pull next? So I just gave an awkward laugh and nodded. Listening to her dream talk was way easier than suiting up in reinforce gear and following her into a Gate.

"The feel of the Holy Sword in my hand, the sensation of drawing out sword aura, the breathing when swinging the blade— I remember it all."

"But Haneul, you're a mage......?"

"Exactly."

"What a wild dream."

An Awakener's class is fixed the moment they awaken.

And they can only use skills fitting that class. Mages cast things like Fireball or Magic Missile. The truly talented might modify skills or even create new ones.

But a mage using sword aura? Impossible.

Still, it was just a dream. No need to apply real-world logic. Dreams can make anything possible, after all.

"Even after waking up, I couldn't shake the sensation."

"Must've been really memorable."

"Yeah. So I grabbed a kitchen knife at home and practiced."

"Huh?"

......Isn't that dangerous? Was she too immersed in the dream? I hoped this wouldn't end up on the news as "S-class hunter goes on knife rampage." Was I too tired lately? Should I recommend a psychiatrist?

My charge's eccentricity was making my head spin. How was I supposed to report this to the guild?

"And oppa, check this out."

"Huh?"

Haneul pulled a small multitool from her pocket. The kind people call a MacGyver knife. Why carry that around? But that natural question vanished amid the shocking sight that followed.

"It worked. Sword aura."

"Wha?"

A sharp, brilliant blue glow—the hallmark skill of a swordsman-class Awakener, manifesting fiercely from a tiny multitool. It defied all common sense.

"Y-you, y-you had a second awakening?! Dual class?!"

"No. I just manifested sword aura using the mana I already had. No skills involved."

"What? No, that doesn't......"

"I told you. I was a hero in my past life."

Haneul stated it matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious.

Wait, seriously? That past-life talk was real? A hero? Why? How? Suddenly?

"It's just sword aura now, but someday... sword gang should be possible too."

"......Sword gang? Like what S-class hunter Han Taesung uses?"

"Yes. That sword gang."

"No way!"

A mage using sword aura was already incredible. But sword gang? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That was on another level— a technique only a handful of top rankers could achieve by surpassing their class skill limits.

Yet Haneul's calm voice brimmed with conviction. She clearly believed she could do it.

"I've already got a feel for it. A few more dreams, and... I'm sure I can."

"I-if that's really possible, it'll turn the entire hunter industry upside down! An S-class in both magic and swordsmanship—a dual class!"

"Not dual class. I only awakened once."

"To everyone else, it'll look the same!"

"True. Fair enough."

Seeing her nod so nonchalantly made my stomach churn. Didn't she realize how insane this was?

"Anyway, I won't announce it publicly."

"Why?!"

"If people know I can use sword aura, they'll make a huge fuss like you are, oppa. I'm already annoyed enough as an S-class. I don't want them yapping about 'world's first' this and that."

"W-well, sure, but......"

"Plus, it's comfy casting magic safely from the rear."

"Then why tell me......?"

"To brag."

"Huh?"

"I wanted to brag, but you're the only one I can tell. If I tell the guild master, he'll blab everywhere."

"B-but I could report to the guild master too?"

"You won't if I ask you not to, right? Your lips are sealed, oppa."

"......"

I was a little touched. My charge trusted me this much.

"Haneul. I'll keep it secret, I swear......!"

"Yeah. So, oppa."

"Yes?!"

"I experimented, and I have to sleep at a specific time to have that dream. But with the guild's overseas expedition coming up, the time difference means I won't be able to."

"R-right."

"So, talk to the guild for me. Say I'm not going overseas."

"Huh?"

"If I say no reason, the guild master will flip out. So, oppa, say I caught a cold and can't go."

"An S-class hunter with a cold?!"

"Please, oppa."

Ugh. After seeing that sword aura myself, I couldn't refuse.

The overseas expedition was important, sure... but this could lead to sword gang? And honestly, Haneul didn't have to go—the guild master was S-class too. He could handle it.

Yeah. I'd take her side this time.

If she really masters sword gang... it'll rewrite hunter history. She said it'd stay secret, but not forever. Eventually, it'll come out, and the guild master will understand.

"Got it! Leave it to your oppa! I'll make sure the guild master goes on the expedition instead!"

"Sweet. Thanks, oppa."

Sigh. But what excuse to use?

A cold? No way he'd buy that...

"I'm counting on you, oppa."

"Mm-hmm!"

Eh, whatever.

A few hours of nagging would be fine.

Continuing a dream from where I left off.

It was trickier than it sounds, but I had no trouble with it. In the dream, I was the porter for the hero party. Why a porter? Because it's my fantasy. Sometimes, you just want to be the one supporting a shining hero from the sidelines.

"Porter. Dozed off for a sec? Puhuh."

"Ah. Hero."

I stared blankly at the campfire.

Crackle, crackle. Focusing on the dancing flames sharpened the dream bit by bit. It was night, crickets chirping, and we were camping. I fleshed out the scene by recalling what we'd been doing.

I turned toward the voice.

S-class hunter Han Haneul.

The genius I'd seen on the news a few times gazed at me with concern. The campfire flickered in her pitch-black eyes. Why was the hero Haneul? Blame my lack of imagination. I often based dream characters on celebrities. An S-class hunter was basically celebrity-level anyway.

And Haneul was that beautiful.

"Sorry. I should be standing watch properly."

"Hehe. It's fine. Aren't you underestimating a hero's senses? You'd notice monsters even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in your sleep, so rest easy."

"Still, I have to do this much. I'm the porter, after all."

"You're always so diligent......"

Her voice carried a bubbly affection. Her beaming smile was stunning. If I reached out right now, she'd blush redder than the fire and melt into my arms.

But I never confessed my love to her.

If this were just for venting desires, I'd have graduated from that years ago. Conjuring media beauties for cheap thrills left me empty. Pure happiness doesn't satisfy anymore. These days, I craved dreams that lingered with a poignant ache.

"Porter. We'll reach the Demon King's Castle soon."

"......Hey, Hero. After we defeat the Demon King, us—"

"Shh."

"Hero...?"

"Puhuk. No fun spoiling it early, right? Save it for after we beat the Demon King. Properly. Got it?"

"......Yeah."

Anyone familiar with these tropes would guess it immediately.

This was a death flag.