GILF Hunter

Airi sat at her desk, quietly peering into a magic book.

On the desk lay not only the magic book but also numerous reference documents and memos.

Dizzying magical terminology and formulas were making her head throb.

These were things that didn’t suit the image of a black mage Airi had imagined at all.

...This isn’t what I imagined when I was told to learn black magic. Why am I studying like this?

Airi’s mind went blank.

’....’

As Airi stared quietly at the book with hollow eyes, Ellen, who was sitting across from her, asked.

’Is there something you don’t understand?’

’Hick, a... no.’

’Is that so? That’s good. If you’ve understood it, shall we try practicing it directly next time?’

’Eh.... T-That much is still...’

Airi, who had answered reflexively, shook her head with a flustered expression.

The difficulty of the studies was one thing, but the biggest problem was having a teacher attached to her side helping her study.

Ellen, the relic researcher she had met during the last dungeon expedition.

That person had been invited by Ian and was teaching Airi black magic every day.

’Fine. Then tell me if you hit a stumbling block.’

’Yes...’

Ellen was a very diligent instructor. To the point where Airi felt burdened.

Above all, the biggest issue was that this lesson couldn’t be just drifted through to pass the time.

This class was scheduled to continue until Airi completely mastered the black magic assigned as a task by Ian.

Eventually, Airi glanced at Ellen and said in a small voice.

’Well, could you explain it one more time...’

’Then let’s do it again.’

The magic she was currently learning was a complex black magic several stages beyond the magic she had been using until now.

On her own, it was difficult to even understand what was written.

It was a magic located in the middle of the magic book, a place she hadn’t looked at again since flipping through it once when she first received the book because it was so complicated.

But of all things, those were the very magics Ian told her to learn, saying they were necessary for this invasion.

To Airi, who had been secretly proud of using basic black magic until now, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Airi had struggled to study alone for about a week at first.

Finally, when Airi told Ian she didn’t think she could learn it on her own, the black magic instructor Ian assigned to her was Ellen.

’Now, shall we start from here? Initially, the vitality of a natural state...’

At Airi’s request, Ellen began explaining the structure of the magic from the beginning again.

Strictly speaking, Ellen wasn’t an expert in black magic, but she had enough skill to sufficiently teach magic of this level.

Most importantly, among the people Ian knew, this was the only person he could entrust with a black magic lecture. Finding a mage to teach black magic was a major obstacle in itself.

’The vitality whose nature has been transformed in that way follows the spell installed here...’

While Ellen’s explanation was in full swing, the sound of the lounge door opening was heard.

Turning her gaze slightly toward the door, Airi spotted Ian and raised her head.

’Ah, Captain...’

’You’ve come. Captain Ian.’

’Hello. Is the lesson going well?’

When Ian asked, Ellen nodded.

’I think she’s mastered about half of it now.’

’....’

It was a response based on Airi’s story that she seemed to understand about half.

Hearing the conversation from the side, Airi quietly avoided their gaze.

Ian looked over the teaching materials spread out on the desk once and then asked Ellen.

’How much is left for today’s lesson?’

’Do you have business with Miss Airi? Today’s time is almost up. We can wrap it up at this point.’

’No. I have something to discuss with you, Miss Ellen.’

’With me?’

To Ellen, who asked back curiously, Ian said.

’If you have time, would you like to go see the statue? I plan to offer a sacrifice today.’

’Is that true!’

Ellen, who pushed back her chair with a clattering sound, nodded with a smile.

Ian was planning to offer a sacrifice to the statue today to receive a blessing.

Since the condition for entrusting Ellen with the lessons was allowing her to directly see and research the statue at the base, he intended to show her that scene.

’Ah! Let’s stop the lesson here for today. Miss Airi, would you like to come see as well?’

’Ah... no.’

Seeing Ellen’s momentum completely change, Airi shook her head with an awkward expression.

Usually, she was a gentlemanly person with a very calm atmosphere. But as soon as relics were mentioned, she turned into a middle-aged woman making such a fuss.

Airi packed her study materials and returned to her room, and Ian and Ellen went down together to the first floor where the statue was.

’You said you found the statue in a goblin den, right?’

’There was a goblin priest. Items to be used as sacrifices were also gathered.’

Listening to Ian’s story, Ellen nodded with an interested face.

’It seems even goblins received blessings. Depending on the statue, there are gods who do not bestow blessings upon different races. This is information that will be a great help in finding out which god it is.’

It might be important information for researchers like Ellen, but for Ian, he wasn’t particularly interested in which god it was. As long as he could properly receive the blessing effects.

Ellen, who was serious about researching such things, had even offered to buy the statue for a large sum of money, but he had refused.

Ian and Ellen opened the door to the room where the statue was and entered.

The room, where an altar had been made for the statue, looked like a small shrine.

’The sculpting style is a form I’m seeing for the first time...’

Ellen quickly pulled out a notebook and sketched the appearance of the statue.

The crude-looking statue made it hard to even discern the face or gender, but items known as statues were mostly like that. Marble statues in temples were the exceptions.

’Ah, is that the sacrifice to be offered today?’

’Yes. It’s a magic book.’

The sacrifice to be offered was the cheapest magic book available in a shop.

This was to offer a ’trait acquisition item’ to the statue to receive a trait-related blessing.

’It’s a peculiar sacrifice...’

Usually, sacrifices involved offering items related to faith.

Since statues weren’t very common items, the concept of receiving a desired blessing by using the type of item offered as a sacrifice didn’t seem to exist at all yet.

Ellen marveled at the quite unusual sacrifice and wrote down notes.

Ian placed the magic book on the altar.

The magic book placed on the altar disappeared with a faint light, and the statue began to glow.

Ellen, seeing the blessing of the statue before her eyes, stared at the statue without even blinking, as if determined not to miss a single scene.

The light emanating from the statue instantly spread throughout the building.

’So this is a blessing...’

Ellen looked up at it with a blank expression.

’By any chance, would it be okay if I stay here for a while to investigate what effects the blessing has?’

’Yes. Provided you look after Airi’s studies a bit more. I’ll provide a room for you.’

’Don’t worry about Miss Airi. I will make sure she can use that magic within this month.’

Ellen nodded with a confident expression.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You have received a blessing.

- Increase in trait experience gain rate within the base.

- Reduced stamina consumption for training and study schedules.

- Remaining blessing duration: 30 days

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ian checked the blessing effects and closed the message window.

Since Airi’s progress seemed a bit slow, the goal was to have her study as much as possible for a month.

High-rank, high-grade traits had negligible gains from training so it was meaningless, but it would be quite helpful in developing Airi’s beginner black magic.

However, it was a waste to use a blessing for Airi alone.

While Ian was mentally planning a one-month training schedule for the rest of the members to make the most of the blessing.

The sound of someone knocking urgently on the door was heard.

When a staff member opened the door, a messenger wearing the guild’s insignia rushed inside and searched for Ian.

’Captain Ian! It’s an emergency call!’

It was urgent news from the guild after a long time.

’It’s an emergency incident! The shop is in serious trouble!’

And interestingly, along with the guild messenger, a person who seemed completely unrelated also ran in.

It was Louise, who should have been at the shop at this time.

’Come out for a moment. There’s an urgent matter.’

As Louise pushed past the messenger, the guild messenger said in panic.

’W-Wait a minute... the guild’s request comes first...’

’What are you talking about! The Captain is also the representative of our shop. Solving a business crisis comes first! If there are personal property matters, they are pushed to second priority!’

The messenger shut his mouth in bewilderment.

’...Was that so? You know the regulations well.’

’This is the same for any guild. It’s a headache if you forcibly call out wealthy guild members and then they demand compensation saying they suffered losses.’

He wondered if the mercenary guild might be different, but seeing the messenger remain quiet, it seemed things weren’t much different here either.

Of course, it would be a different story if it were a mandatory summons issued during a real city emergency.

Ian saw the expression of the messenger looking at him as if asking for help, nodded to him, and then calmed Louise for a moment.

’Wait a minute, Miss Louise. Seeing as you both came at the same time, I think it might be because of the same matter.’

’The same matter...?’

Louise, who barely calmed down after hearing Ian’s words, met eyes with the messenger.