Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! Episode 017
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I had been waiting only for this day.
The beginning of a long journey that would eventually lead to buying a house for my sister!
As much as I had prepared for it, the transaction went as smoothly as flowing water.
Even after passing through several hands, the item I quickly got my hands on was…….
[What is this round thing? A badge?]
“It’s a self-defense tool!”
It looked similar to the pull-string buzzers that kids sometimes get as gifts when they enter elementary school.
“Here, if you pull the string!”
[If you pull it?]
“Everyone wants to go home.”
[……Do you not have a product manual?]
Instead of a manual, Iji showed the post from the secondhand trading app.
Transaction Complete
(Hunter Equipment) Self-Defense Emergency Escape Buzzer (D-Rank)
When used, animals (including humans) within a 1m radius will want to return to their nests and lie down.
Manufactured from the grudge of a Giant Frog-Turtle Bear (D+) suffering from insomnia right before hibernation.
H-KC (Hunter KC) certified.
Disadvantages
Also affects allies other than the user.
Does not work on "God-Saeng-ers" (people living their best lives).
Magic efficiency grade 5. Use only if your mana pool is 30 or higher.
[Is this a good item……? What is a "God-Saeng-er"?]
“I think it’s someone who wakes up at 5 a.m. to exercise and study English?”
[So, creatures that dislike getting enough sleep. Such beings are rare, so it should be quite useful.]
Even Grimoire acknowledged it as a good item!
‘Since I’m weak, I should start by collecting self-defense tools.’
Next time, I’ll buy equipment that increases my defense.
Iji promised herself the next trade and tucked the remaining cash deep into the inner pocket of her bag.
Except for exactly ten thousand won.
“Hehe…….”
Iji always carried only one-thousand-won bills.
Because anything I needed or liked could be bought for three thousand won at most.
But now that I had a whole ten-thousand-won bill!
It was time to fulfill a small wish.
[Is there something you want to buy?]
“Yes! Grimoire, please go inside for a moment!”
After making up my mind, now that I had a large sum of money.
Iji headed alone to the bustling street in front of the subway station.
My destination was a large fancy shop I had seen before.
‘Wow…… there are so many people and so many things!’
Is it already time for middle and high school students to get out of school?
There were not only kids my age but also middle and high school girls and boys swarming the place.
The problem was that there were even more incredibly pretty things that made my eyes spin.
‘This must be a thousand times bigger than the unmanned stationery store.’
The even bigger problem was—
‘They even have keychains! Two whole rows!’
At the local unmanned stationery store, I’d only seen one or two knock-off keychains!
In front of the official character keychain corner, my feet felt as if they were glued to the floor.
Some older girls passing by chuckled.
“You’re going to stare a hole through that keychain. Hey, just ask your mom to buy it for you.”
“I came alone.”
“Oh, so you’re just looking because you don’t have any money?”
Iji almost shouted, ‘No, I have money!’ but held it back.
That’s right. I don’t have money to spend on keychains.
‘Grimoire, please give me the strength to endure!’
After trying hard to ignore the pretty eyes of the Bunny Princess.
Iji left the store, opened her bag, and whispered.
“I bought it.”
Inside the bag, Grimoire peered into the paper shopping bag.
[It’s a ribbon. ……Perhaps because it’s dark, it looks black.]
“It is black.”
[Hmm? It doesn’t seem like an item that suits a magical girl.]
“It’s for my sister. It’s a hairnet for nurses.”
My sister is still using the ribbon hairnet she bought when she first started her job.
It’s already been four years since she started working. Now, the ribbon is half-detached from the net and dangling.
‘I’ll change it to a pretty hairnet this time!’
Since it was under ten thousand won, my sister wouldn’t suspect, ‘How did you buy something so expensive?’
Grimoire was also impressed.
[Hoho…… A choice for your family. How wonderful.]
“Yes!”
I had thought about buying a rice cake skewer with the remaining money.
But hearing the praise made me feel so full that I thought it would be fine to just head straight home.
However, on the way back home, clutching my bag tightly.
In a secluded alleyway where yellow school shuttles and fish-shaped bun vendors were rare, a voice was heard.
“Hey, kid over there.”
Kid? Where is there a kid?
As I looked around, a sharper voice followed.
“Who else would I be calling a kid?”
“Yes……?”
“You. Come here for a second.”
Under the shade created by a large illegally parked truck.
Some older students who looked like upperclassmen were beckoning to Iji.
“You’re the kid who was looking at keychains at Art-Cox earlier, right? What did you buy?”
“Ah…… I didn’t buy anything.”
I had a bad feeling. Iji stepped back, denying it first.
But before I could even take a few steps back, another upperclassman blocked my path from behind.
“Where are you going, kid? Is someone going to eat you?”
“N-no.”
“But you could get eaten if you lie. I saw you standing at the checkout counter, you know?”
“…….”
“Show us the change you have left. We’re just checking to see if you got your change back correctly. Really.”
The upperclassmen by the utility pole giggled.
Iji hugged her bag tightly.
“I got it correctly. You don’t need to see it.”
“Oh, really?”
“Don’t come any closer.”
“Dae-gae-ae-jae mae-sae-ae~”
“Th-that’s childish. Even first graders don’t use wordplay like that.”
The expressions of the upperclassmen who were giggling behind me hardened instantly.
“What did you just say?”
“Hey, seriously, come here.”
The students approached step by step.
Gauging the distance, Iji grabbed the buzzer I had bought earlier.
‘They said if I have MP, I can use it even outside the dungeon.’
I didn’t want to use it on ordinary people.
But…….
“Whether you have money or not, we’re going to make you cry.”
To people who want to make others cry……!
However, just before I could pull the buzzer.
Someone’s voice cut in between them.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
The upperclassmen turned their heads toward the voice of the uninvited guest, all wearing bewildered expressions.
“Hey, do you know him?”
“Is he from our school?”
Only Iji knew the name of that uninvited guest.
It was Junseo.
I barely swallowed the name that was about to pop out.
Meanwhile, Junseo walked over with heavy steps and stood in front of the upperclassmen.
“I asked what you’re doing.”
“……Who are you?”
“Just someone passing by.”
“Then keep passing by.”
“Since when did we know each other that you’re talking down to me?”
Junseo’s tone also became sharply clipped.
However, the group of upperclassmen didn’t seem to think that Junseo, who was at eye level with them, could be young. They looked flustered because Junseo stood in front of Iji without hesitation.
“What, who are you? Are you from our school?”
“Let her go.”
“Why are you giving orders? Want to try 3-on-1?”
The group of upperclassmen looked like they really wanted to try.
Junseo is in danger.
No matter how good Junseo is at sports, with his bare hands…….
‘……Huh?’
Junseo slowly raised his right hand.
He was holding a basketball.
Getting hit by that would hurt quite a bit.
One female student stepped back reflexively. The male student flinched in surprise, then shrugged his shoulders, trying to act tough…….
At the same time that guy said, “Hit me.”
Junseo threw the basketball.
“Hit m— Eek!”
The basketball passed by the male student’s face in an instant.
The moment the male student’s terrified expression quickly transformed into a mocking one.
The emergency bell attached to the utility pole that had been hit by the ball rang—
And a vivid adult voice was heard.
[This is the situation room. Please speak.]
The upperclassmen were flustered.
“What is this! No, excuse me! Nothing is really happen—”
“What are you talking about! Just get out of here!”
The female student pulled the male student by his collar.
The upperclassmen scrambled out of the alleyway. I could even hear a yelp from afar, as if someone had tripped while running.
The voice over the emergency bell became a little sharper.
[Hello?]
Junseo spoke into the speaker.
“The bullies ran away. Thank you.”
[Oh my, that’s a relief. Are you hurt anywhere?]
“No.”
[I’ll send a patrol to that street, student.]
The communication cut off.
Junseo turned to Iji, holding the basketball, and asked.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay…… but what about you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Not that! Why did you jump in so dangerously?”
If this were school, a teacher might have come running if something happened.
But this is the street.
It would take a while for the police to arrive.
Junseo replied.
“You helped me in the dungeon.”
“That’s obvious! Because I’m a Hunter…… momma.”
“…….”
“I’m fine outside the dungeon, too. I’m strong.”
I even had the self-defense tool for Hunters in my hand.
Since I’ll continue to get stronger step by step, I’ll be even more okay.
Truly.
“So…… even if I look like a pushover, you don’t have to help me.”
I didn’t want to put a kid who wasn’t even my friend in danger again.
At that moment, Junseo shook his head.
“You’re not a pushover! I know. You’re a Garlic Bread, so of course you could wipe them all out!”
“Then why did you run over?”
Junseo hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I heard you from the alley earlier, your voice…… was trembling a lot.”
“Ah…….”
Junseo wasn’t teasing Iji. The voice that followed was the core of the matter.
“You didn’t want to fight, did you?”
……That was true.
It wasn’t just fighting; I hated even the tense situations.
I wanted to run away.
I had only endured because I thought a Hunter should face adversity wisely.
While Iji was wondering how to answer.
Junseo continued without hesitation.
“No matter how strong you are, if you don’t want to fight, it’s better not to fight.”
“…….”
“If you have to fight someone…… you can leave it to me.”
‘……Eh?’
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