“Hey…!”
While Florene was throwing a tantrum to be included in the hunting party, two figures popped out from the crowd gathered to see them off.
“Could you take Florene with the hunting party…?”
“Please. If possible, let us join as well.”
The speakers were Dwight and Marin.
Having just witnessed the commotion caused by Florene, I muttered reluctantly at Dwight’s words.
“Wait… if I didn’t mishear that, they just asked to be included too, right?”
“Yes, it seems they came with that intention.”
Sylvia replied with a light smile as if it was no big deal, but I felt a headache coming on.
Florene was always such a troublemaker, so I could overlook her wild behavior because it was just typical Florene.
But having Dwight and Marin—who were usually so rational—acting this way was quite alarming.
So I tried to tell myself, ‘No, I must have misheard,’ and shifted my gaze away from reality, but it was no use.
The sight of the two carrying backpacks clearly showed they meant business about joining the hunting party.
Just then, Ms. Martina, who was in charge of this hunting party’s formation, stepped forward with an expression of disbelief and let out a deep sigh.
“Ugh, what are you guys doing right now?”
Muttering in disbelief, Ms. Martina looked around at Florene, Marin, and Dwight, then hardened her expression and muttered coldly.
“It seems like that Dolos miss is something to be handled by family, so I was staying quiet… But who gave you the right to ask to join the hunting party? Do you think hunting witches is a joke?”
Ms. Martina looked genuinely angry.
She had every right to be mad.
She was the final decision-maker in forming this hunting party.
The composition of the hunting party had already been settled after numerous discussions and ponderings. From her perspective, this sudden action was nothing short of disrespect.
Moreover, the fact that it was initiated by a much younger student made it even worse.
However, despite Ms. Martina’s anger, Dwight seemed unfazed as he said.
“I don’t think this is a joke. I understand how dangerous this is.”
“…Really? Then you’re aware of that and still acting like this? Sigh, fine. Then at least explain why you’re doing this so I can understand.”
Seeing Dwight’s serious demeanor seemed to soften Ms. Martina’s stance a bit.
Well, since it’s Dwight, he probably wasn’t out here causing trouble like Florene.
So I relaxed a bit and continued to watch their conversation until Dwight suddenly dropped a bomb.
“To be honest, I’m here because I’m dissatisfied with the selection.”
“…Huh?”
Dwight just detonated a bomb.
What the… crazy guy…
Did he just say to my face that he wasn’t satisfied with how I handled things?
I was gaping in shock at Dwight’s outrageous statement, and I saw Ms. Martina’s expression twist in disbelief.
She looked ready to knock Dwight’s block off any second.
Is this really going to blow up?
As I was anxiously observing this, thankfully, Ms. Martina seemed to be holding something back as she asked Dwight in a trembling voice.
“…So, you’re saying you came here because you’re dissatisfied with my selection for the hunting party? And you’re asking to be included…? So, are you saying it’s strange that I didn’t pick people like you for the hunting party?”
“Yes, I think it’s strange.”
“What could possibly be strange about it? Didn’t I just say that hunting is no joke?”
And at that question, when Dwight nodded and agreed, Ms. Martina shouted angrily.
But against her rage, Dwight replied with an endlessly serious face.
“As I said earlier, I don’t see this as a joke. And it’s precisely because I don’t see it as a joke that I’m expressing my dissatisfaction.”
With such a bold statement from him, Ms. Martina was momentarily at a loss for words, and Dwight seized the opportunity to continue speaking.
“This hunt is something that absolutely cannot fail. If that’s the case, when selecting the hunting party, it would make sense to prioritize who will be most helpful above all else, right?”
Since that made sense, Ms. Martina just nodded without giving a response.
Then Dwight continued.
“However, you didn’t do that. That’s what I’m dissatisfied about.”
With that kind of blaming tone, Ms. Martina looked taken aback.
“What do you mean by that? I formed the hunting party with the optimal selection.”
“No, if you really considered who would be the most helpful, you should have chosen regardless of age. But you didn’t do that. The fact that we weren’t even in consideration proves that.”
“…Are you saying that you’re better than the other heroes who were chosen for the hunting party?”
“At least, if you had given it some thought, we would have easily been in consideration.”
With that confident statement, Ms. Martina scoffed and muttered.
“Hah, I just prioritized experience.”
“Having experience is certainly a good thing, but it isn’t everything. For example, take Sylvia or Scarlet over there; or look at Captain Yoon Si-woo. If Captain Yoon Si-woo were all right, you would have naturally included him in the hunting party. If only individual abilities were considered, it wouldn’t be strange for us to join the hunting party at all. That’s what I’m trying to convey.”
Mentioning Yoon Si-woo as his comparison might have been a bit arrogant, but there was no doubt that Dwight was one of the few reasonably decent people in this world.
He was a character who appeared as a rival to Yoon Si-woo in the original story, after all.
And as Dwight said, sometimes overwhelming talent surpasses experience.
The fact that the leads in the original story, Yoon Si-woo, Sylvia, Dwight, Marin, and Florene, could perform exceptionally well despite their lack of experience was precisely because of this reason.
Since it was said by someone with such talent, his words carried enough persuasion.
And as if to say there was more, Dwight added earnestly to Martina.
“This is something that relates to everyone’s future. Regardless of age, we are also heroes. I believe we can be a significant help. Please consider this seriously for the sake of the people.”
The argument that it wasn’t for personal reasons but for a greater cause.
I could see Ms. Martina’s face contorting in response to that comment.
It was evident that her expression was filled with frustration from not being able to argue back because he was so right.
After watching Dwight in silence for a moment, Ms. Martina finally let out a deep sigh and spoke.
“…Alright, I’ll admit that you joining the hunting party would be beneficial. Even I recognize that you are an outstanding mage.”
Ms. Martina said this as if she had no choice but to acknowledge him.
Since they were both mages, she would know Dwight’s capabilities well enough.
Having said that, Ms. Martina turned her gaze towards Florene.
Florene was staring blankly at Dwight and Marin as if wondering, ‘Why are you here?’
Despite two robust men struggling to pull her arm, she didn’t budge an inch.
Seeing that, Ms. Martina clicked her tongue in annoyance and muttered.
“…That lady can pull her weight just fine.”
With that, Ms. Martina hesitated for a moment before slowly turning her head towards Marin, who was quietly standing next to Dwight.
Her head was turning in a way that made it clear this was awkward for her.
But ultimately, when her eyes met Marin’s, she briefly sealed her lips and then murmured in a choked voice.
“…But, you can’t.”
“Aren’t we going to the seaside this time?”
Marin replied with a bright smile.
Without any further explanation, her intentions were crystal clear.
Marin was a super-powered individual who inherited abilities from both her parents.
Her father Lucas’s power to manipulate chilliness and her mother Natalia’s power to control water.
Being someone who could manipulate water, Marin was implying she would definitely be of help at the seaside.
However, knowing that, Ms. Martina still shook her head firmly.
“…Still can’t. I absolutely can’t allow it.”
Then Marin said, as if she understood Ms. Martina’s stance, in a gentle voice.
“Is it because I’m my mom’s daughter?”
At those words, Ms. Martina’s shoulders flinched.
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