"Finally, level 900! By tomorrow or the day after, I'll definitely hit Rank 4!"
Rega was buzzing with excitement as he wrapped up his hunt for the day. He actually had plenty of time left before his mother's curfew, but he chose to call it early so he could sell his magic crystals to Mawar.
"Ugh! Where were you yesterday?! I didn't see you at the exchange," Mawar scolded him the moment he arrived.
"Ahem, time was tight yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to drop off the crystals I'd gathered."
"I see. Well, I'm just glad you're okay." Mawar let out a sigh of relief, her concern clearly genuine.
Rega felt a warmth in his chest. It was rare to find someone who truly cared about his well-being, outside of his family and closest friends. Though they were technically just professional acquaintances, he could feel Mawar's sincerity.
"So, how many Blue Goblin crystals are you selling this time? Since you've been hoarding them for two days, I wouldn't be surprised if you have ten thousand."
Rega gave a wry smile and shook his head helplessly.
"Stop flattering me. I only brought three thousand five hundred this time."
"Hm? That's even less than usual. Are you having some kind of trouble?"
"No, I'm just puzzled why the number of Red Goblins on the third floor has decreased so drastically. There were still plenty left when I was there yesterday."
"Eh?" Mawar's lips pressed into a thin line as she stared at Rega with wide eyes. "What did you say? Red Goblins?"
Rega nodded gently. "Is there a problem?"
"... Answer me honestly. Were the ones you hunted yesterday Red Goblins?"
"Yeah, I killed quite a lot of them."
"I see... So that 'strange incident' the conquest squad reported to the local Hunter Association was actually your doing?"
"...?" Rega tilted his head, unable to grasp her meaning.
Mawar took a deep breath and explained everything to him. As she spoke, Rega's body began to tremble. His face turned pale, and his heart hammered against his ribs harder than ever before.
"... I'm sorry. I had no idea my actions would cause such an uproar." Rega hung his head dejectedly in front of Mawar.
Mawar offered a beautiful smile and gave him a playful wink.
"It's okay. I'm sure the higher-ups will actually be thrilled once they find out you were the one who slaughtered those Red Goblins."
"Why's that?"
Mawar sighed wistfully, her voice turning calm.
"It's been a very long time since our local association had a promising rookie. They'll be ecstatic to hear about you."
Rega bit his lip and pleaded in a small voice.
"Please, don't report this to your superiors. I'm begging you."
"Eh? I can't do that. I could get fired for withholding information like this from management." Mawar looked troubled as she responded.
Rega went silent. This was the first time he had truly understood the harsh consequences of workplace protocols. He hated being the center of attention, especially while he was still relatively weak, but he also didn't want to cause trouble for others—especially Mawar, who greeted him warmly every day.
"If you want to keep it low-profile, I can try... but I have to at least report this to the Association's Branch Head. Would that be alright?"
Rega looked at her.
"And you won't get fired if you do that?"
"I won't. As long as the Branch Head knows, I'll be safe. Thank you for worrying about me."
Mawar beamed at him, looking captivatingly beautiful.
For a moment, Rega was entranced—until the image of a cheerful little girl flashed in his mind, snapping him out of his daze.
"Ahem!"
A deliberate, loud cough suddenly startled them both.
Looking back, they realized a line of other hunters had formed, all waiting to sell their magic crystals. It seemed they had just arrived, so they likely hadn't overheard the core of the conversation.
Mawar quickly tallied Rega's haul and finalized the payment.
Rega left immediately without much small talk; the glares from the hunters behind him were far too sharp to ignore.
It seemed they weren't just annoyed by the wait, but also irritated by how intimately Rega was chatting with Mawar. Though the two weren't actually in a relationship, their closeness was certainly questionable—to an outsider, they looked like more than coworkers, but not quite a couple.
To be continued...