The Magical Hunter Girl Decorates the Dungeon! - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Magic Hunter Girl Decorates a Dungeon! Episode 19
Kang Junsu.
A child the same age as Shin Iji, male, human.
He is not a Hunter, so he cannot be a comrade.
He is not cute, so he does not suit a magic girl either.
In other words, he is useless.
‘Then why does he follow Iji around without knowing his place!’
One would think he’d learned shame, having owed her a debt in the Desert Dungeon without lifting a finger.
But afterwards he showed up at school, popped out after classes…….
Utterly vexing.
‘Doesn’t Iji find him inconvenient? Why doesn’t she brush him off?’
Today they had quite the long conversation…….
Grimoire 1803 was trapped in the bag, unable to hear the exchange properly.
She could only guess that the conversation had ended well, judging by how briskly Iji walked home.
‘Iji is clever, so she must have handled it well on her own, right?’
After hoping that whatever she’d done had pried Kang Junsu away.
Grimoire 1803 found a book from the vast shelves.
‘Let me start by looking at the area where Iji lives.’
[Seoul City]
Within the pages, the image of the human world unfolded in dizzying detail.
‘Now. Where could Jin Siheon’s soul be?’
Finding a dungeon in this vast land and tracking Jin Siheon’s traces was a task so difficult that even the phrase “eyes straining” fell short. Plainly speaking, it was like searching for a needle in a desert.
Yet Grimoire 1803 concentrated until her eyes burned red.
Shin Iji.
An EX-rank Contractor found only by chance—she deserved one’s very best effort.
‘Usually EX-rank Awakeners are claimed by other Grimoires the moment they’re discovered.’
……In truth, when Iji awakened, her abilities lay undeveloped and she was far too young, so others likely overlooked her entirely.
‘I chose and contracted with her with the utmost cold calculation—purely as an investment.’
Absolutely! Certainly not!
It was NOT because, just as an elder Grimoire might say, I felt joy at finding a young Awakener like myself and rushed over!
‘My choice was sound. ……Besides, that little one gives her all every single time.’
As a senior in this world, I cannot betray that dedication!
Grimoire 1803 held her eyes wide open and endured.
Around the time she’d narrowed down several dungeons that emanated an energy similar to that disagreeable man’s.
A Paper Airplane with writing on it flew into her field of vision.
Grimoire! Hey! ……He could just call out in his mind, apparently, but
what’s this? Excuse me—
you wrinkled book!
“Ha…….”
Grimoire 1803 furrowed her brow.
It was a message from Jin Siheon, bound to her through magic.
Ungrateful, foul-tempered, and even claiming Iji’s first comrade title for himself.
She felt a twinge of regret about her resolve to do her absolute best for Iji.
Nevertheless, she opened a connection with Jin Siheon.

* * *
These days, Hyun Ji mostly worked evening shifts (3 PM to 11 PM), so Iji saw her face only in the mornings.
It was nice in its own way.
She could start her day with her sister’s smile.
‘Especially today!’
“Sister, this! It’s a gift!”
She could witness her very best smile!
Hyun Ji accepted the gift with joy, though a little confusion showed on her face.
“I’m really grateful. But… what’s special about today?”
‘The grandmothers in the neighborhood said you buy your parents new underwear with your first paycheck.’
It wasn’t underwear, but Iji was delighted to have earned money for the first time, so she’d bought her sister a new Ribbon Hair Net that she could wear at the hospital.
Of course, she couldn’t confess to earning money as a Hunter, so Iji offered the second reason instead.
“It’s not any special day. I just wanted to.”
“Hm?”
“This way, you’ll have a day when your hair looks pretty!”
“Iji……! Wait, let me go fix my hair right now!”
The wording seemed a bit off, but in any case, the new Ribbon Hair Net suited Hyun Ji beautifully.
Hyun Ji murmured to herself as she looked in the mirror.
“Wearing something this fine to a shabby hospital…….”
Iji’s eyes went wide. Her sister’s workplace always looked so elegant to her!
“Shabby? Is your hospital a thatched cottage?”
“Sometimes it looks that way when you look with the eyes of the heart.”
“Then I need to start a revolution.”
It was the most progressive-sounding word Iji knew. Her sister nodded in satisfaction.
Just before heading to school, her sister said something as if remembering.
“Iji. A call came about dungeon counseling.”
“Counseling?”
“The day the dungeon opened up, I applied for psychological counseling for survivors. It’s my turn now.”
“I see.”
“Want to come along? I hear they give good advice.”
Iji thought for a moment.
‘But I’m not a victim.’
She’d only had good experiences in the Desert Dungeon.
‘But maybe later, something difficult might happen in a dungeon.’
It wouldn’t hurt to learn ahead of time.
In fact, she’d already thought of a use for it.
‘I can cheer up Uncle Siheon!’
“Got it! Let me check my schedule and tell you!”
“Right, you’re in second year, so you’re busy.”
Hyun Ji suppressed a laugh, then hesitated before speaking.
“Shin Iji. Is everything really okay?”
“Hm?”
“……You’re not out late at night lately, are you?”
Hic.
Iji’s breath caught.
“Some of the neighborhood aunties said they’ve seen you after dark. Not just once or twice either, they said.”
“It was just twice!”
The rumor had gotten blown out of proportion. It was unfair.
In any case, she’d missed her chance to deny it. Iji carefully watched her sister’s expression as she opened her mouth.
“It’s just…… I wasn’t scared of that dungeon at all.”
“Mm.”
“The boy who got trapped in the dungeon with me—I talked about the dungeon with Junsu.”
“Oh, that tall boy?”
Good. Her sister remembered him.
Iji nodded vigorously.
“I was really fine! But he must have had a really hard time. He sat down right after we went in.”
“Oh my.”
“I helped him up. Later he thanked me and said he’d repay the debt, and kept following me.”
“Wow, he’s got a strong sense of loyalty.”
“He does basketball, so he must be loyal! He goes to basketball classes—you know, he takes that bongo van the coach drives! But I saw him before going to academy, so that’s why we met late!”
As she poured out everything she could remember, her sister’s expression seemed to shift gradually from ‘suspicious’ to ‘is that so……?’
“I think I have seen a basketball shuttle van around the neighborhood.”
“Right!”
“It’s good you’ve made a new friend, but don’t stay out too late.”
“Okay, I will!”
‘……Wait.’
A new friend?
‘He’s not a friend yet.’
But once again, she’d missed the chance to correct that.
Her sister continued.
“By the way, it would be nice if Junsu got counseling too. Since you both went through the dungeon together. Want to ask him?”
“Sure! He’s my friend!”
She answered cheerfully, but internally, sirens wailed.
This was an emergency.
‘Would someone who couldn’t even remember my name want to be close to me?’

* * *
It was strange.
Today it was harder than usual to talk to Kang Junsu.
Whenever Iji tried to approach, Junsu would jump up like a ghost and shout.
“Someone grab the ball!”
Iji’s delicate greeting was drowned out in the boys’ rough voices.
Even when the teacher scolded him, Junsu remained firm. Only the game changed.
‘……Maybe I won’t be able to go to counseling together.’
After failing to talk to him even after school.
Iji called out to Grimoire.
Grimoire opened a half-closed eye.
[You used to summon me whenever you had a spare moment, but today you’re later than usual.]
“I was a bit busy.”
[What could a child possibly be busy with? I am aware that the pressure of study intensifies for Korean minors after age fourteen.]
“Learning to make friends is also learning for a child.”
[Ha, so you were busy. Did you succeed?]
“I didn’t…… Junsu kept running off to play.”
[……Junsu?]
“You know, the boy who went to the dungeon with me.”
Grimoire made a face like someone biting into ginger while eating kimchi.
Well, at least she remembered.
[I recall. The small boy who got dragged along rather than accompanying you to the dungeon.]
“That’s right! Since we went through hardship together, my sister thought it would be good if we were friends.”
[Doubtful. What if that boy was deliberately avoiding you?]
“What?”
[The way he kept running off to play was unusual.]
“No way…….”
[There is no need to force friendship with a rude boy. ……Not when someone is continuously listening and waiting.]
The rest was too muffled as Grimoire muttered to herself. In any case, it didn’t sound like anything good.
‘Grimoire is kind of stubborn, isn’t she.’
How old even was she?
Iji didn’t ask further and changed the subject.
“School’s done, so I have nothing to do today! Now I’m going to trade Mana Stones.”
[Very well…….]
“How is Uncle Siheon?”
[…….]
A second crunch of ginger.
Grimoire spoke with the air of someone retrieving homework they’d been putting off.
[He’s doing fine. Though I just remembered—he said he wanted to see your face in the dungeon.]
“Oh? What for?”
[I don’t know either. Go see him after your trade.]
They say rabbits grow lonely.
‘Is Uncle lonely?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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