Chapter 129

As I contemplated how to mentally fortify this friend, several hours slipped by. In that time, we had captured only a single Laskrin.

We descended to have lunch beneath the pre-established shooting position.

“What’s this? Students? A guest has arrived.”

By noon, the hunting ground was already filled with other hunter teams. I was worried because of their fierce expressions, but fortunately, they didn’t spare even a glance at the corpse of the Laskrin we had flagged first.

“To be honest, I thought they’d try to take it from us. This is a pleasant surprise.”

Granite muttered while sharpening the wide blade of his poleaxe. Irene happened to be passing by and overheard him.

“Pleasant surprise?”

“Oh, it was just you, Irene. I was talking to myself… I was just worried they might dismiss us as students and take it anyway.”

She shook her head. Irene had just returned from a brief reconnaissance with Radio Violet 6.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Taking prey caught first is one of the big taboos among hunters. This industry is surprisingly small. While it might go unnoticed once or twice, if it happens repeatedly, rumors spread quickly, and people will shun them. There’s also the risk of a duel breaking out.”

Then Irene gave a light tap on the black box attached to her and my clothes.

“More than anything, nowadays it’s standard to carry portable recording devices. We analyze how individuals from the clan attacked and how to distribute credit, and we can’t catch someone stealing prey?”

“I see…”

I was intrigued by Irene’s explanation. So this world prevents exploitation in such a manner? Although strength is valued, there still exists a form of order within it.

We laid out our meal around the anti-air position we had set up on the hill. Today’s lunch consisted of freshly bought lasagna, French fries, salad, and large genetically modified chicken legs.

“By the way, how was everyone coordinating?”

While we ate the warm lunch delivered through our inventory, Irene spoke up again.

“It feels like we’re all just syncing up with that one guy, but what else can we do? But can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

Lucian seemed to hesitate before looking around, lost in thought. His gaze was fixed solely on the Violets. Now that I think of it, he appeared confused about who to address among them.

“You can talk to anyone!”

“Jeez… That’s confusing. Okay, I’ll just say it. Is this chicken leg for real? It looks more like a turkey leg.”

“Eh?”

He picked up one chicken leg and placed it on his plate. It had been bought from the market, but it wasn’t chicken. Looking closely, I noticed the packaging distinctly said “turkey leg.” It was my first time seeing a turkey, and I found it fascinating.

“Well, it’s tasty.”

Kalia took a bite out of one leg. Everyone except for Levi responded positively. He was eyeing me, picking at his lunch.

Several hours later, we resumed battle with monsters in a less crowded spot. Everyone seemed busy hunting flying dragons, leaving us with nothing to catch.

“The magazine has changed?”

Interestingly, the form of the ballista that Levi was holding had partly changed. Instead of a large rectangular magazine filled with massive bolts, it now had a cylindrical shape.

“…Earlier, it was a bombardment type, so it wasn’t very helpful. I switched out the ammo…”

“Did it have that function?”

Surprisingly, Levi’s ballista could shoot bolts of various types with just a few adjustments.

Normally, it fired standard large steel bolts, but with some modifications, he could launch different bolts as needed. While it reduced the firepower, he could alternatively shoot rapidly with a large magazine filled with medium bolts.

“So, it can be anything from a machine gun to a cannon depending on the needs?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s right.”

We were impressed. It wasn’t just a relic weapon.

We noticed a new group of Spartoi coming our way due to the noise.

“What about trying to shoot that?”

Levi hesitated, then pulled the trigger. The bowstring of the ballista rattled back and forth. Bolts rained down like a storm. However, they flew in random directions. Looking over, I saw him trembling, his head down, continually pulling the trigger.

“Hey, what’s wrong! Aim!”

It was only after Lucian yelled in frustration that he finally raised his head. Instantly, the shooting stopped. The remaining monsters were dealt with by me and another team member.

“Levi? Are you hurt?”

After the battle, Irene, with her arms crossed, calmly asked.

“I-I’m sorry. It’s not that, it’s just not working well…”

Kalia, who had been quiet, finally spoke up.

“Um, are you perhaps unwilling to do this?”

“Not at all!”

The one most actively expressing frustration was Lucian. He seemed irritated and started to point fingers.

“Hey! If you feel like this, then go back to the lodging! What have you been doing while everyone else fought? You’re completely useless!”

When Levi bowed his head weakly, Daphne stepped in from behind.

“I don’t think we need to be so hard on him. I don’t think he’s acting out of malice; can we give him a moment? I’ll talk to him.”

Hmm, Daphne’s words seemed right. Upon reflection, I realized that understanding the reason for his behavior was crucial to help him overcome his mental block. Naturally, that required a conversation.

After others stepped back, Daphne approached with a gentle demeanor.

“Mr. Schneider? No, Levi. I don’t think you’re acting out of malice. But since you haven’t fought properly even once, there must be a clear reason behind it. May I ask what that is?”

Levi, initially silent out of fear, slowly opened up as he calmed down. As he stumbled through his explanation, we quietly listened. In a long detailed summary of his past, he shared:

“Actually, um, when I was young, I was attacked by a monster… I-I almost died…”

“And so, seeing monsters still scares you, right?”

Daphne gazed at him with sympathetic eyes.

“Oh dear…”

“But if that’s the case, why did you come to the academy? You’re scared of monsters, yet you want to be a hunter?”

I curiously questioned. The moment I said that, Levi’s face turned to one of sorrow.

“W-Well… I want to defeat monsters… Even though it scares me, I don’t want others to go through the terrifying things that I did.”

She stroked her weapon weakly.

“And… I thought I could manage if I just had this…”

“This ballista?”

“This was actually my grandfather’s weapon… No one could use it, but one day, when I caught something, it gleamed, and I could finally use it. I thought it would give me courage…”

Levi gave a weak smile. Aha, so that’s why she carries that large ballista around every day.

“But, when it comes time to actually do something, the trigger just won’t pull. It works fine at the shooting range, but…”

“Well, that’s not really helpful, is it?”

“Yeah, I-I know… I’m useless…”

I fell silent. After all this talk, I couldn’t find a clear solution to remedy this timid girl’s psyche. Should I just give up on her like this?

*

After much thought, I decided against it. Our Violets don’t give up on team members.

While Daphne was stepping back, I brought Levi to a serious place saying I had something to say. I don’t know much about psychology, but I know that to change someone’s behavior, you must change their existing mindset.

First, I didn’t know how to heal his trauma. However, I had to ensure he could actively engage in this harsh world.

“This place…”

As he anxiously looked around, I summoned several Violets to surround him.

“Eek!”

“Levi! Listen carefully. Attack is the best defense.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Repeat after me: Attack is the best defense!”

“A-Attack is… the best… defense!”

As Levi mirrored my statements, I pondered. If I continually insert one proposition into his ear, wouldn’t he internalize it without noticing?

Moreover, since we had assigned one Radio Violet to each team member, I could have Levi surrounded by Violets for over 24 hours.

After a while, I asked how he felt psychologically.

“How’s it going?”

“Um… I-I don’t know.”

Is that so? It seems unrealistic that someone could change that quickly. Plus, the phrase “attack is the best defense” felt too simple and common. I needed a more intense and convincing phrase.

After some deliberation with the Violets, I came up with a firm and aggressive statement.

“Levi, from now on, you’ll repeat what I say. Ready?”

“Uh, okay…”

I recited the phrase I had just thought of.

“My weapon exists for attack, not defense. Now repeat after me!”

“My weapon… exists for attack, not defense…”

Levi recited the phrase multiple times as instructed. While he pondered over the sentence, another Violet started persuading him beside him.

“Levi, how do you want to use that ballista?”

“This?”

The girl’s black eyes seemed to dart around, avoiding the answer. I waited patiently for her to provide a response.

“This ballista… was used by my grandfather. He was a hunter, you see. So, I also want to be a hunter and protect others.”

I nodded, then asked again.

“That weapon exists to protect others, right? But how do you protect others?”

“…By killing the enemies?”

The three Violets nearby shook their heads. The term “kill” has its negative connotations.

To change a person’s mindset, using different words is helpful. Negative words create negative views, while positive words foster positive perspectives.

I attempted one strategy to trigger a shift in thinking.

“Levi, listen closely. From now on, when thinking about combat, don’t think ‘kill’; instead think ‘make disappear’ or ‘clear away’. How does that sound?”

“Make disappear…?”

“Exactly! Just like if there’s trash at home, you clear it away. Don’t think of it as something dying in front of you. It’s not a living thing. Think of it as ‘clearing away’ or ‘making disappear’.”

Choosing appropriate words will ease the mental burden of violence. In this way, the multiple Violets surrounded him, fervently discussing during our break. After dinner, when we chattered until nightfall, changes began to manifest.

“Is that so…?”

Initially occupied with caution, Levi began to show signs of agreement gradually.

“We’re not killing monsters; we’re clearing them away!”

“We’re clearing away monsters…?”

“Monsters are the enemy of humanity; they’re just trash. They lack rights!”

I hesitated for a moment, almost about to remark that “even human enemies don’t have rights, so dispose them.” If I stated that far, it might have a counterproductive effect. Such remarks would still be too extreme for this naive girl to accept.

“Alright, repeat after me. We clear away enemies.”

“W-We clear away… enemies.”

“Good job!”

“Uh-huh…”

The lessons continued into the next day. While waiting for the Laskrin’s appearance for a request, I continually clung to Levi.

Within the newly made position, a Violet struggled to pull back the loading handle of a large-caliber sniper rifle. The heavy and sharp metallic noise followed by the soft sound of thick automatic shell casings being loaded into the chamber.

“You’re helping us clear away the trash of the world. See over there?”

I pointed towards the team members resting outside the sandbags of the shooting position.

“All you have to do is pull the trigger once. You won’t even need to put yourself in as much danger as the people below. Is this a hard thing or an easy thing?”

“…It’s an easy thing.”

“Exactly! With just the flick of a finger, we can clear away monsters and help our teammates!”

The Radio Violet whispered into Levi’s ear.

“Can you really not manage this simple task? I believe in you!”

“N-No, I can do it! But… I feel a bit dizzy…”

Perhaps it was because we had whispered about attacks and defenses all day long, but Levi was starting to feel dizzy.

It seemed our attempts hadn’t been much help.

*

Feeling hopeless, I was about to give up when a new Laskrin appeared beyond the milky sky.

“Everyone, combat readiness!”

“Uh, why does this one look bigger…?”

We shot a flare into the sky like yesterday. As the flares soared, the monsters’ focus turned towards the ground.

Again, the anti-air positions opened fire, and Lucian prepared his magic. Following that, we’d injure its wings to draw it down and then catch it with Daphne’s shield before attacking.

Everything proceeded smoothly. The monster was unfortunately larger than expected, just about to break through Daphne’s protective barrier with sheer force!

– Crash!

“Ah!”

While Daphne was caught off guard, the Laskrin flapped its wings again, soaring high.

Lucian’s magic and Kalia’s bombardment hit the beast, and our gunfire followed. A shot from one of our sniper rifles cleanly pierced the monster’s wing, while a rocket launcher slammed into its body.

– Groooh!

The monster writhed in pain. However, this wasn’t enough to bring it down. It suddenly soared up again, emitting frantic acid breaths in all directions.

“Everyone, spread out! Shields!”

“Wagh!”

When a creature with tank-like durability flew around, there was no immediate way to take it down. Taken by surprise, the Violet Command Center braced itself for a prolonged battle. Urgently, squad-level troops were summoned, and chaotic arguments ensued.

“It’s no good; deploy the flight squad urgently! Release V-1 rockets!”

“What will we do with a powered hang glider that only reaches 70 km/h? Rockets aren’t for anti-air!”

“Let’s use portable guided bombs! If we pile on the explosives, that thing will certainly die!”

While arguments rippled through the ranks, the Radio Violet suddenly directed her gaze towards Levi. The frightened girl was burying her head into the ground.

“Ah, I… don’t want to! I’m going to die…”

“What do you mean ‘die’? You’re not going to die.”

“That tooth! Those eyes! No! No way…”

Could it be a remnant of a past memory? I lifted her up.

“Listen carefully, you’re not going to die! I’ll do everything to save you and get you out!”

“Ah, ugh…”

I met her gaze and shouted.

“But I won’t just sit here and take things! So stand up! Whether you run away or fight is your choice!”

Outside, I could see the Violet Squad running around, opening fire. It seemed like it would take ages to deal with such a small crossbow. Not even the rockets would hit.

As I attempted to step outside the position, I noticed Levi, who had been trembling, suddenly froze. Upon meeting my eyes, she began muttering determinedly to herself.

“Attack is the best defense; my weapon exists for attack, not defense… Monsters are the enemy, enemies are trash. There are no rights…”

I stared blankly at her. What was this transformation all about? It came abruptly!

“I-I can do it!”

With her head down, the girl suddenly lifted it high. Without hesitation, Levi grasped the ballista. The Radio Violet looked at her in surprise.

“I’ll clear away the trash!”

In that moment, bolts flew through the air with a fierce whistling sound. One of the thick beams of light pierced through the Laskrin’s body, soaring into the sky.

– Groooh!

The unexpected shock caused the monster to plummet to the ground.

“Disappear!”

As the fallen Laskrin hit the ground, bolts struck it again. A huge hole became visible even from a distance.

“Vanish! Clear away! Disappear!”

The prepared large bolt fell, and Levi quickly adjusted the internal mechanism of the ballista. With a screech, parts of the ballista twisted.

The girl anxiously attached the new magazine as if a parched person were burying their nose into a pool of water. The square magazine dropped to the ground, and a cylindrical magazine filled with medium bolts clicked into place.

The magically powered bowstring propelled bolts rapidly, spraying forth like machine gun fire.

“Groooh!”

The monster that had dropped to the ground thrashed around, but could not escape the downpour of shots. Bolts pelted against its massive frame, making more and more holes.

“Get away from the team! Go away! Clear out!”

As the ammo for the magazine ran dry, the Violet Squad and team members charged toward the fallen monster. Like ants dismantling prey, we dealt with the monster as if it were evil.

Levi, who witnessed the whole scene, broke out in a cold sweat and blinked in disbelief.

“I-I cleared it away! Violet… how…?”

I couldn’t help but smile widely.

“Great job!”

Suddenly, a radio transmission came in.

-Irene to Levi. Well done. It was a bit wild, but thanks to you, we caught it!

The Radio Violet repeated this, then turned her gaze back to Levi.

She was trembling again, but everyone could tell this time it wasn’t out of fear. This tremor was fueled by the excitement of victory. Adrenaline surged through her body like a high-speed train racing through her veins.

The subtle nudges I provided led to such swift changes I hadn’t anticipated. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic result.

This girl had gained insight in a remarkably short time. I couldn’t be prouder; she hadn’t forgotten the lessons taught to her.

“I did it, right? Aha… I cleared it away!”

“Absolutely! Let’s high-five!”

For a moment, her tone shifted. The stutter in her speech had disappeared, replaced by an excited and rapid-fire delivery. The Radio Violet rejoiced in her friend’s growth and initiated a high-five.

Feeling a bit hesitant at first, Levi ultimately nodded as if she had realized something and slapped her palm against mine.

In her once-gloomy eyes, I could see a spark of life beginning to flicker. The warmth of a fiercely burning flame radiated within her.

When we returned down to our team members, Levi instinctively recoiled. She thought she’d receive scorn. However, contrary to her expectations, the situation unfolded differently.

“Well done!”

“Hey! Imagine if you’d done this during the last dungeon, how much better would it have been?”

Surrounded by praise, I briefly caught a glimpse of fire once more lighting in Levi’s eyes. However, the flame quickly extinguished, reverting her to her usual timid self.

“Th-Thank you…”

Unsure about why she felt embarrassed, Levi grasped her ballista, trapped in indecision. Yet, something still seemed different from yesterday.

For some reason, I started to like Levi more and more. At this rate, we would likely work together harmoniously moving forward.

Levi might just become a next-generation asset fitting for our Violet Squad.

Now, only one mission was left for the Violets.

I saw Granite approaching the corpse of the monster hesitantly.

“How should I change that guy’s personality? He’s not nearly as bad as Levi, but it’s a shame about his size.”

“That’s challenging.”

We had to change that simple-minded country bumpkin.

It would be best to corrupt him into something as savage as his weapon. That was our goal.

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