Chapter 2: Survival instinct(2)
In that sense, it made perfect sense that the girl in front of me was a bounty hunter.
If only she hadn’t shown up at my door to hand over a bounty.
“How did you find me here?”
“Those guys were my targets.”
“So, since I took them out, you collected the bounty for me?”
“Something like that.”
“Alright, thanks.”
It felt like I’d suddenly come into a big chunk of pocket money.
I thanked her and closed the door.
Just as I was about to flop onto the bed, the doorbell rang again.
Ding-dong.
The cheerful chime forced me to open the door again.
The same girl stood there, waiting in the same posture as before.
“What now?”
“I brought it because you didn’t collect the bounty.”
I was already holding the envelope of bounty money she’d just given me.
It didn’t look like she was carrying another envelope with more cash.
I shook the money envelope in my hand and said to the girl,
“I just took it.”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…”
“What.”
Slam.
I closed the door again.
Immediately, the doorbell rang once more.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
The bell rang more insistently than before, and I opened the door in frustration.
Her gray eyes were still alternating between me and the envelope.
“I brought it because you didn’t collect the bounty.”
“I know.”
“Yes.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…?”
After a long silence, I clicked my tongue and scratched my head.
At this point, I was starting to understand what this bounty hunter wanted.
She’d lost her prey right in front of her and had to hand over the entire bounty to its rightful claimant.
I didn’t know the details, but her pockets probably weren’t exactly overflowing.
Even when returning a lost wallet, isn’t it only fair to get a little reward?
In short, she wanted compensation for her goodwill.
“Well, since you brought me a nice sum, how about I treat you to a meal?”
“Yes. Sounds good.”
“…Wait here. I’ll change and be right out.”
I couldn’t exactly go out in a bathrobe.
With an inward sigh, I closed the room’s door.
It seemed I’d picked the right answer, as the doorbell didn’t ring again this time.
When it comes to late-night spots, the only place nearby was a 24-hour fast-food joint.
Naturally, the meal I’d treat my uninvited guest to was decided: burgers.
Of course, I didn’t pick some cheap menu.
The girl, upon entering the fast-food place, asked me to order a 20-credit set menu, claiming she’d eat it all herself.
Licking my lips at the luxurious menu I hadn’t even tried yet, I ordered a simple 5-credit set menu to fill my stomach.
When the burgers arrived on a tray, the girl and I took seats at a suitable table.
“Thanks for today. I didn’t even know those guys had a bounty on them.”
“It’s fine. I’m getting a free meal out of it.”
“You seem pretty serious about bounty hunting. What’s your name?”
“Cynel Cloverbloom. Not exactly famous, unfortunately.”
With that, Cynel unwrapped her burger and took a big bite.
From the moment the food arrived, her gray eyes no longer lingered on me.
It seemed her claim of eating the whole set menu wasn’t an empty boast—her speed was impressive.
“You eat well. Do you always have such a big appetite?”
“My magic burns a lot of calories. If I don’t stock up when I can, it gets rough later.”
“So, you’re a magician, huh?”
It wasn’t easy for a lone girl to take up bounty hunting.
It’s a job that assumes combat as a given.
Unless she was a magician, she probably wouldn’t have made that choice so easily.
“Yeah. Not at a high level, though.”
“Being a bounty hunter must be tough. You seem pretty confident in a fight.”
“I usually don’t have issues there. The problem lies elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
“I keep losing my targets.”
Somehow, I felt like I knew why.