How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

What does it mean that a better weapon is coming? The Meister craftsman mentioned in the original work won’t return until the second semester after going on an official academy mission.

Ah, could it be that he knows a different craftsman? Is it finally possible for me to benefit from the scoundrel’s gaming knowledge?

I secretly hoped so.

After failing to provoke me, Sinbaran glared at the scoundrel and stomped away.

“Yuhan… you’re not planning to buy him something again, are you? You shouldn’t just give things away recklessly!”

I firmly drew the line, pretending to be worried about the scoundrel. If he was planning to buy something from the weapon shop, there was really no need. Just introduce me to the Meister.

The scoundrel shrugged. It had been a while since I’d seen that confident and relaxed expression. It was so refreshing that I almost felt glad.

“It’s not that. I’m just… using a bribe.”

The next day, the scoundrel showed up at school holding a fancy dessert box.

What’s he thinking?

I thought he knew well enough about Iggdrasil’s trap. Is he really planning to bribe her and make himself a target for concentrated care?

…No, it’s impossible for the scoundrel to be abandoned by Iggdrasil.

Let’s think differently.

Iggdrasil provides training for those who offer bribes. This is the basic premise of the rumors.

However…

“Right. Iggdrasil is usually generous with those who give her bribes.”

The scoundrel must have said that she would provide “conveniences.”

If that “convenience” also applies to areas outside of training…

If this is true, the benefits Iggdrasil could provide wouldn’t just be short-sighted perks like reducing training intensity but could potentially connect to the vast resources she possesses as the strongest hunter.

If I ask nicely, she might introduce me to at least one Meister she knows. After all, isn’t she a living legend?

I turned on the meta system, hoping to grasp the scoundrel’s thoughts through the part of his appearance.

[Current Metapoints: 13,030] …Ignoring the incredibly fast accumulation of meta points for a moment.

085 “Soon, you’ll have a better weapon than yours.”

I blocked Sinbaran, who was picking a fight for no reason. I was annoyed watching him bully Kang Nahyun, who had merely had her weapon break during battle.

But now that I had gained some trust from Iggdrasil, if I used “that means,” I could obtain a new weapon.

Iggdrasil’s bribes are, in fact, an Easter egg element within the game.

When there’s no trust, it acts as a trap, but once I build some level of trust with her, I could actually gain help.

After lightly provoking her, Sinbaran stomped away.

“Yuhan… you’re not planning to buy him something again, are you? You shouldn’t just give things away recklessly!”

“It’s not that. I’m just… using a bribe.”

I wasn’t planning to buy anything again; I intended to serve as a bridge to introduce me to a Meister that wouldn’t cost any money. The best Meister, at that.

Using a small bribe, of course.

I checked Nahyun’s status with Insight.

[Status] – Level: 25

– Strength: E

– Agility: C

– Endurance: C-

– Mana: C

– Mana Attribute: None

[Skills Held] – Passive: Inventory Lv. 2

– Passive: Clairvoyance Lv. 2

– Passive: Bullseye Lv. 2

– Active: Mana Bullet Lv. 10

With these specs at level 25, if I were to compare them to a gacha game, she’d be a five-star character. She truly is a growth-type character with endless potential.

Then, shouldn’t she at least have a weapon made by the best Meister that matches her high potential?

I smiled to myself.

– Strength: E

– Agility: C

– Endurance: C-

– Mana: C

– Mana Attribute: None

[Skills Held] – Passive: Inventory Lv. 2

– Passive: Clairvoyance Lv. 2

– Passive: Bullseye Lv. 2

– Active: Mana Bullet Lv. 10

With these specs at level 25, if I were to compare them to a gacha game, she’d be a five-star character. She truly is a growth-type character with endless potential.

Then, shouldn’t she at least have a weapon made by the best Meister that matches her high potential?

I smiled to myself.

***

I also checked the reader responses for a moment.

c_head profile ㅇㅇ
Oh, Nahyun finally got a new weapon!

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I came because I heard there’s a pure love story at the academy. Is this the place?

point profile ㅇㅇ
There’s still a possibility for a harem;;

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This is totally a proposal… um, um!

point profile ㅇㅇ
These days, it’s more common to give guns instead of rings~

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The stocks for Lee Hana are going to skyrocket.

point profile ㅇㅇ
That stock got delisted, you know.

point profile ㅇㅇ
Honestly, once the protagonist starts developing feelings for one female character, the game is over.

Not yet! Don’t say such terrible things! Someday, you’ll definitely switch to an attractive new heroine! It will happen for sure!

Oh dear, I got excited without even realizing it.

I took a deep breath and watched as Iggdrasil kicked open the door and entered today as well.

Anyway, this is the strategy. After all, a game nerd is still a nerd. They definitely have a much richer knowledge of this world than I do, having only read novels.

Isn’t my choice wise? I made the right connections. I enjoyed a little self-congratulation.

For the record, it seems that modern firearms like guns do not drop in dungeons. So, they can only be purchased from weapon shops or Meisters, and they tend to be relatively expensive.

Moreover, as you reach the Meister level, the structure of guns becomes much more complicated, requiring a lot of care in terms of durability.

This is the point where connections become necessary.

That’s why it costs more money than other jobs. When I first awakened as a sniper, I was completely at a loss.

Still, thanks to my strategic planning, I believe I’m navigating through things quite well now. I’ve made quite a bit of money, and the scoundrel is actively helping me with weapons.

Riding on the protagonist bus is truly comfortable.

The scoundrel, seemingly not planning to offer a bribe right now, quietly placed the dessert box under the desk. Will he eventually come out with it later?

I gave him a worried look as he hid the dessert.

Could it be that Yuhan is struggling and thinking about giving up training? This is the pure-hearted heroine concept, worrying for him.

Now that I think about it, I need to settle the accumulated appearance parts later.

Due to the overly productive training I’ve had lately, there was hardly any time to check the meta system. Now I realize it’s piled up to 40 chapters.

Today, I’ve decided to take a good look at it while in the dormitory.

After making up my mind, I walked along the line heading to the morning class.

After class ended, during lunchtime, the scoundrel dragged me to find Iggdrasil, holding the dessert box he had prepared in advance.

Iggdrasil, who greeted us with a bright smile, froze her expression upon seeing the dessert box in the scoundrel’s hand.

“Are you trying to give up?”

“No. I’m here to ask for help.”

The scoundrel replied while offering the dessert box.

“I’m going to give you a bribe, so please provide some convenience.”

Just as disappointment flickered across Iggdrasil’s face—

“I’m not going to ask you to lower the training intensity.”

The scoundrel’s flat voice continued.

“Please introduce us to the world’s greatest Meister.”

Upon hearing that, Iggdrasil’s eyes widened, and she let out a hearty laugh.

“Ha ha ha! You’re the first this year! How do you manage to keep appearing with such shameless requests every year?”

“The one who deliberately spread the rumor that bribes will get you some convenience is you, isn’t it, Teacher?”

The scoundrel continued with a cheeky grin. In moments like this, his old cunningness would resurface a bit.

“So please help us. That Meister, surely he can make firearms too, right?”

Eventually, after Iggdrasil’s hearty laughter, she promised to introduce the craftsman while the scoundrel scratched his neck.

“This should solve your broken equipment problem.”

“Impressive, Yuhan! You really are a great negotiator!”

I used the “Wow, you’re amazing, ○○-kun!” technique after a long time. The scoundrel turned his gaze slightly away, looking embarrassed.

“Maybe the teacher will introduce a Meister who won’t ask for money, but if they do, I can pitch in.”

Could it be that they might not even charge money? That would be fantastic!

I swallowed hard and asked, “If they do charge, how much are we talking about…?”

“That person’s fees aren’t a joke, so if they ask for money, it’ll probably be around… 10 billion in a lump sum? Since making guns is complicated, the price might go up even more.”

“Huh…”

Are you kidding me…?

No matter how much I try to live without a conscience, I can’t possibly be so devoid of it to accept such a huge amount from the scoundrel!

“Yuhan, if we have to pay for the weapon, could you lend me some money…? I’ll pay you back little by little.”

“What… do you really need to? It’s not urgent money, so you can take your time paying it back. Or you don’t have to pay it back at all…”

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This guy has no sense of money at all! This is what being rich means!

For a moment, I felt anger at the bourgeoisie’s lack of financial awareness.

“I’ll definitely pay you back.”

“Uh… okay.”

When I firmly grasped the scoundrel’s hand and articulated each word, only then did he agree.

Once I become a Hunter and work hard, I should be able to pay it back. Rather than carrying the weight of debt in my heart, it’s better to secure a bit of future income as collateral.

It might be different if it were a reward for my labor, like after clearing a gate and splitting the money, but if I take on debt, it could create a perfect hierarchical relationship.

Of course, I’m currently voluntarily maintaining a subservient position. For the scoundrel, I’d probably be an unexpected bonus, a service product.

However, the difference between belonging to him voluntarily and being bound by debt is entirely different.

***

A few days later.

I checked the map I received from Iggdrasil and walked through the shopping district.

This was none other than the “Street of Craftsmen.”

As the description said, craftsmen who make Meister weapons were residing here, and the sounds of hammering could be heard along with smoke rising here and there.

I glanced at the expensive-looking Meister weapons visible through the glass windows and continued walking. What’s the point of looking? I can’t afford them anyway.

Since I already submitted my outing request, I had plenty of time until tonight.

After stopping by the forge, I could visit our orphanage for the first time in a while before heading back.

I strolled leisurely…