How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

I wandered through back alleys, going around and around, climbing up and down stairs, and walking up hills.

Just when I started to suspect that Yggdrasil might be trying to mess with us, I spotted a shabby blacksmith shop in a very secluded area, a place where sunlight barely seemed to shine through the walls.

…Is this the right place?

I approached the blacksmith’s door and knocked.

“Is anyone there?”

Silence followed. However, I could hear something being hammered from inside.

After a moment’s hesitation, I knocked more forcefully.

“Is anyone there!”

Then a loud voice came from inside.

“Yes, you little brat!”

The gruff voice sounded like it wasn’t too welcoming to customers.

“I’m busy! If you have business, come in; if not, turn around and leave!”

I sensed that dealing with this meister wouldn’t be easy, given the curt reply.

“I’m coming in!”

I boldly opened the old door, which creaked and groaned as it reluctantly swung open.

“Um, I was introduced by Yggdrasil!”

A muscular woman with brown skin stopped hammering and turned her head towards me.

“Huh? Oh, you’re the one that guy mentioned? What? I thought you’d be more of a nobody!”

Well, I am a person, aren’t I? What did she think I was?

“I’m sure you know who I am. Then you must know how I accept commissions?”

Actually, I don’t. All I know is that this person is a great meister.

As I swallowed nervously, a serious air enveloped the meister.

“What’s your name?”

“Gang Nahyun.”

“Got it. What’s the job assigned to you by the system?”

“I’m a sniper.”

“I see. Then, what do you want a weapon for?”

What? That’s too easy of a question. I decided to just answer honestly.

“To protect my loved ones.”

If I grow stronger, I can certainly protect not only my precious people but also the things that are important to them.

The meister, who had been staring at me silently, chuckled softly.

“That’s a pretty mundane answer.”

Did I say something wrong?

“But there’s no falsehood in that answer, so it’s not bad.”

She chuckled and guided me to a table.

“Nowadays, even those mundane answers can’t be properly delivered by many people running around.”

She roughly pulled out a chair from the table piled with various blueprints and junk, then patted the seat.

“Sit down. What do you need?”

Um… I’m not sure what, but is this a pass? I cautiously sat in the chair.

“…I need a long-range sniper rifle and some guns that can cover mid-range.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve made guns. It’s the first time since I made equipment for that guy during the Savior days.”

“Savior?”

“Huh? You didn’t know? I’m Mikkel, the blacksmith of the international raid team, Savior.”

I bit my tongue to suppress my gaping mouth in shock.

I knew they’d introduce me to a great craftsman, but isn’t this a bit too much of a big shot?

Well, at least I won’t have to worry about the quality of the weapons. After all, the blacksmith of Savior is the one who made legendary weapons.

Even after all these years since Savior disbanded, she still looks young, so she must be a traitor of a different race or a half-blood like Yggdrasil.

More importantly, if she’s the blacksmith of Savior… I wonder if she can fix that sword?

The image of the old sword that Dumdum always carries around popped into my head.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I carefully opened my mouth.

“Um, if that’s the case, could you perhaps fix the broken ‘Blue Twilight’?”

I knew it was a presumptuous request.

But the image of Dumdum’s sad face as he gently caressed the broken sword kept lingering in my mind.

I decided that this would be the gift I promised to give Dumdum.

“…‘Blue Twilight.’ What a nostalgic name.”

Mikkel slowly closed her eyes, opened them, and then smiled widely.

“Alright. Bring it to me. But I’ll only fix it if its owner pleases me.”

That was essentially a sign of approval.

I was half-convinced that Dumdum wouldn’t fail to impress this person.

Just as you comforted me, I hope I can send comfort to you too. That’s what I thought.

***

“Hmm… The magical attribute is neutral. You’re planning to equip it with a GAH filter, right?”

“…Ah, yes. I’d like it if I could use multi-attribute magic.”

“Alright, then do you have any design in mind?”

“Just make it sturdy, please.”

“Don’t worry. That’s one thing I’m confident about!”

As a skilled craftsman, Mikkel started asking various questions and seemed to be coming up with some estimates.

“Hmm… The barrel should be made from mithril-based metal for better durability. By the way, you’re not planning to change weapons anytime soon, are you?”

“No. I’d like to keep using it even after I debut as a Hunter, if possible.”

“Alright. In that case, I’ll equip it with an S-rank filter to ensure it can handle stronger output and magic conversion.”

“Thank you.”

After concluding the order with Mikkel, I stepped outside the blacksmith shop.

With my pace quickening, I headed toward a familiar place—our orphanage.

The thought of visiting my family after a long time made my already light steps feel even lighter.

How long has it been? It’s the first time since I enrolled in the Guardian Academy. A pleasant sense of anticipation and refreshment enveloped me.

Before long, I saw the familiar sight of the orphanage in the distance.

The current orphanage building was given by the black merchant as a reward for a deal. Its neat and tidy appearance ensured that at least the orphaned children wouldn’t suffer from drafts.

With exciting steps, I ran towards it, but I stopped in front of the gate.

My teacher was conversing with a suspicious-looking person in a robe.

Who could it be?

I frowned at their dubious appearance. They weren’t a scammer or a cult, were they?

Just then, I heard my teacher say something.

“Thank you for showing your willingness to sponsor us. It will be a great help.”

A sponsor? That’s rare.

Just as I thought this, a low, rough voice that I felt I had heard somewhere echoed.

“There aren’t many orphanages that support mixed-race orphans. Teacher, you’re really doing a service to society.”

“No, it’s not. All children are precious regardless of their background.”

A chill crept down my spine before my rational mind could process it. My already healed stomach ached again.

That voice… it was definitely from that person who suddenly barged in during the midterm exam…!

A sense of dread surged up, accompanied by goosebumps.

“Teacher!”

I rushed over and stood in front of my teacher.

“Nahyun?”

“Um?”

My teacher looked at me with surprise in her eyes as I blocked her path without greeting, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.

The two people in robes paused for a moment as they looked at me.

One of them, judging by the silhouette of the ears on the robe and the faint shadow of a tail below, seemed to be a beastkin or a hybrid. The other one… is that a human?

What on earth is going on here? Are they here to harm me? To threaten me?

My mind spun in confusion. My teeth clenched.

These people are ‘Wild Hunters.’

They’re a villainous organization that appears in stories, luring mixed-race individuals to become their companions and committing crimes.

And this place is an orphanage with a particularly high number of mixed-race children. So it’s an extremely dangerous situation.

I quickly drew a gun from my inventory and pointed it at the two of them while blocking my teacher.

“Nahyun, what’s going on?!”

“Teacher, step back!”

My teacher looked bewildered, but she obediently stepped back as I instructed.

I kept my guard up and maintained a sharp stance against them until my teacher was out of a certain radius.

This is just a small orphanage. It’s not a place where people can recklessly kill and harm others.

It’s my precious home!

“What’s your purpose for coming here? Have you been investigating me?”

“You were at the gym that time… so you’re from this place.”

“Answer me!”

The man stared at me intently without responding to my furious demand.

“If you’ve lived in this orphanage, then you’re at least not the kind of person who discriminates against hybrids.”

“What?”

As I frowned at that statement, the other man opened his mouth.

“A crisis is just an opportunity, isn’t it? Since we’re at it, why not use this girl? We need a spy to infiltrate the academy, after all.”

“That’s true. Since she’s from here, it would be easy for her to make contact with us as sponsors.”

“And since she’s a pure human, she won’t raise any suspicion. So, let’s give it a shot.”

The man who smiled slyly made a motion to grab something from within his robe.

As soon as he threw something into the air, an ominous, pitch-black magical energy poured down on me.

It was fast—too fast to react.

I gripped my gun again, but soon my hands began to tingle, making it hard to even tell if I was holding my weapon properly.

The suffocating magical energy weighed my body down, making me feel sluggish.

My vision became a chaotic swirl, gradually darkening. I could feel the black magic engulfing me.

I tried to shoot at them through my hazy vision, but my senses dulled, and I couldn’t tell if the bullets even fired.

“Ugh…!”

I bit my lips, but soon even the pain faded away.

Through my numbed senses, I faintly felt one of the men approaching me.

Damn it, I have to protect my family…!

I gathered as much magical energy as I could.