GILF Hunter

Chapter 428: 428 Acquaintances?

A few days ago, simple construction work on the mercenary group’s warehouse building next to the base was completed.

In a vacant room where Elena and Louise’s private workshops were located, a new tenant moved in.

Mika stared blankly at the nameplate with her name on it, then quietly opened the door and entered the lab.

A spacious room that was still empty except for basic equipment.

It was Mika’s new lab.

’Fufu....’

Looking around the lab, Mika smiled with a proud face.

Although the interior was still hollow, there was a gratifying feeling that came with the name ’private lab.’

After securing the mandragora a while ago, it was a dedicated lab she received by asking Ian to start her research in earnest.

She hadn’t been very interested in research until now, but having a lab like this made her feel like her motivation was surging.

’Excuse me....’

’Ah! Come in, Airi!’

A very timid voice calling Mika was heard from behind.

It was a very small voice that was barely audible, but thanks to becoming quite familiar with it, Mika could immediately tell who was there.

Mika took the waiting Airi inside the lab.

’Look, this is our lab.’

’Ou... our?’

Mika was the one who applied for it, but strictly speaking, there was a co-researcher who would use the lab together.

It was Airi, of course.

Since Airi was the only one who knew the secret of this research.

At the mention of a lab, Airi spoke with a slightly flustered face. Since her magic skills weren’t that great yet, she had never even thought about something like research.

’I-I’m doing research too?’

’We have to do it together. We’re accomplices!’

Airi’s expression became even more subtle. It was an expression that made it sound like they were plotting something bad together.

When Airi didn’t seem particularly keen, Mika pointed to a wall of the lab and said.

’Look. There are so many gifts people sent you. Shouldn’t we use them all, if only out of consideration for their sincerity?’

’Does it look like it increased even more than last time...?’

’They’re still coming.’

Even though it was a newly established workshop, a significant number of boxes were piled up on one wall. They were all materials Airi had received as gifts.

Ian had said they could use the materials in the warehouse, but with this many materials, it seemed they wouldn’t need to use the warehouse’s stock for a while.

Mika looked at the high-stacked materials and fell into deep thought.

Once you become a celebrity, you can gather this much wealth just by receiving gifts....

It would have cost a lot of money to buy such items directly, but for this amount to come in as gifts. She had only heard of the power of fame, but this was the first time she actually felt its influence.

It was natural for Mika to think about what it would be like if she became a celebrity like this too.

If she wanted to have popularity like Airi, what would she have to do? Should she pull off something incredible during an invasion like Airi did?

’....’

Mika had no clue what she should do if she were to do something like that.

Should she wrap the entire city with a barrier or something?

She didn’t think she’d be able to do something like that.

Mika, who was pondering such things, stopped her useless thoughts and shook her head.

Well, if push comes to shove, she has Airi, so she won’t have to worry about materials. She’d just have to go to a few more parties.

’....’

Airi felt a strange sensation and looked at Mika with a suspicious gaze.

The senses honed through her life as a mercenary were sending Airi a tingling warning.

’...Hmm? What’s wrong?’

’A... nothing.’

When Mika, feeling Airi’s gaze, asked, Airi quickly turned her head and shook it.

She shouldn’t suspect a comrade without any evidence.... Thinking that, Airi brushed away her useless suspicions.

After briefly organizing the materials in the boxes together, Mika and Airi gathered in front of the table.

On the table sat a luxurious wooden box decorated elaborately with gold leaf. The box alone looked like it could fetch a price similar to jewelry.

But usually, such boxes contained something even more expensive. Mika opened the lid of the box very carefully.

Looking down at the mandragora contained in the luxurious wooden box, Mika swallowed hard.

It was her first time seeing such an expensive research material with her own eyes. Moreover, this wasn’t just for looking; it was a material Mika had to use directly from now on.

Airi, who was looking at it with her, asked with a nervous face.

’Now, what kind of research are you going to do with this?’

’I don’t know....’

’E...?’

Airi looked at Mika with a flustered expression, but Mika couldn’t help it either.

’It’s not that I absolutely needed the mandragora, I just hadn’t decided on anything yet, but I heard a rumor that one came on the market.... I thought it would be helpful if I got it first....’

’....’

’Well, it’s better than having nothing! Let’s start by looking for magic related to mandragoras.’

Mika said with an embarrassed laugh.

Since she had pleaded that she absolutely needed it, Airi thought there was some important use for it....

Airi, who had gone through such trouble to get the mandragora, felt a bit mistreated, but in any case, it was as she said. It was a bit better than having to research in a situation where there was nothing at all.

While the two were talking with the mandragora between them, someone knocked on the door of the lab.

Mika quickly closed the lid of the mandragora box again.

’Who is it?’

’It’s us.’

Mika opened the door to the lab.

The visitors were Louise and Elena, neighbors from the workshops who used the same building.

They were already part of the same mercenary group, but they could be called neighbors who had set up workshops in the same building. They had brought gifts to celebrate her getting a lab.

’It’s still completely empty.’

’Pardon? I’ve set up all the equipment.’

’That’s just the basic equipment. It’s far from enough to do proper research.’

Hearing Louise’s words, Elena nodded as if she agreed.

It was a sentiment that Mika and Airi, who hadn’t even started proper research yet, could not understand at all.

Louise, who put down the potions she brought as a gift, asked Mika with a face dying of curiosity.

’Is the research topic still a secret?’

’Th... that’s right.’

She was very interested in what kind of research Mika would do, so it was a pity it was a secret.

In Louise’s experience, mages like Mika tended to either cause a major accident or make a great discovery.

’If you ever need our help, feel free to come find us at any time.’

Elena said that, and then spoke to Airi as if she had remembered a trivial thing she had forgotten.

’Ah, right. I sent letters to your acquaintances that Miss Airi opened a lab. Everyone was curious about your news.’

’Pardon? Elena’s acquaintances?’

’Miss Airi’s acquaintances.’

’...?’

Airi tilted her head with a dazed face.

’My acquaintances...?’

’The people you greeted at the party.’

At Elena’s explanation, Airi’s mouth fell open.

Those are... my acquaintances...?

To think that’s how acquaintances were made.

While Airi shuddered at the workings of human relationships whose principles she could not understand at all, Elena continued.

’Fufu. They said they would send gifts separately, so let’s give a return gift later. I think it would be good to have a tea time together.’

Airi, attacked by unidentified acquaintances, collapsed.

＊　＊　＊

Late at night, someone was collapsed in front of the dormitory.

’....’

Tanya, who had come out after hearing a suspicious sound from outside, discovered someone collapsed in front of the door and approached cautiously.

At first glance, it almost looked like a corpse.

Tanya approached the collapsed person, leaned over, poked them with a finger, and asked.

’Are you okay? Rin?’

’Ap....’

The collapsed Rin slowly raised her head, looked up at Tanya, and muttered.

’Apple juice....’

’....’

It was the return of Rin, who had been dragged to the Labyrinth.

’Haah....’

Rin, who had finally regained her strength and come up to the lounge, sat in front of Ian.

Rin slumped in the chair with a face that looked as if her soul had left her body.

’Did you adapt a bit?’

’I think it went well. Since Freya said I passed....’

At Ian’s question, Rin replied with a tired face.

To be precise, Freya had said she had become passable, but it practically meant the same thing. If she hadn’t liked it, she would probably still be in the Labyrinth....

Rin, who was recalling the events in the Labyrinth, snapped her head up as if she had remembered something.

’That’s too much.... To sell me off like that!’

’You signed it yourself.’

’You said I only needed to write my name!’

’You have to look at the contents of the documents carefully.’

In any case, it was a Labyrinth training that she had been dragged to almost like a kidnapping, but the effect was certain. She was surprised by her own abilities after finishing the adaptation.

She had doubted it, but to think she could go to the Labyrinth so easily.

...More than that, Rin was more puzzled by Freya.

She was fine since she had gained such an ability, but Freya wouldn’t have anything like that, yet she wandered around the Labyrinth as if it were nothing.

Rin didn’t think she would be able to go around like that no matter how accustomed she became to the Labyrinth.

Rin, who emptied her glass, put down the empty cup and asked Ian.

’By the way, nothing happened while I was away, right?’

’What kind of thing? Nothing much...’

’It’s a big problem!’

’....’

’....’

Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking urgently on the door was heard from the first floor.

It was a big problem.