I Became the Weakest Summon of the Genius Summoner

Chapter 20. Encounter with a Mage

"If only I didn't have to mingle with other hunters today, the Goblin Dungeon wouldn't be a big problem. I'll have to think about the next dungeon in advance too. Hmm— I guess heading to the Big Boar Dungeon should be fine. It's a safe bet."

Fortunately, she thought the same as I did.

"Actually, I'd like to head to the 'Fire Monkey' dungeon right away, but there's no need to push it. Besides, it would be too challenging to go alone. It would make more sense to challenge it after sufficiently growing in the Big Boar Dungeon."

"Clack-clack-clack-!"

'After the Big Boar, it would be better to head to the Corrupted Ant Forest than the Fire Monkey... hmm...'

Because Fire Monkeys roamed in large groups, a party was essential for that dungeon.

Thus, it was understandably a bit awkward for me.

'If we grow slowly and increase her summons in the Corrupted Ant Forest, we should be able to clear the Fire Monkey Dungeon without party members. But I can't let Yeon-hee keep going solo in dungeons forever. Gaining experience in team play is also important.'

While sitting across from Yeon-hee and sorting out my thoughts, she got up, sat next to me, put the pillow she was holding on my thigh, and lay down.

"Tak—"

"Is that lowering your chin just once something you do when you're embarrassed? Pfft— Ilwol, you're really funny."

With her head resting on my leg, she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"I just... remembered lying on my mom's lap like this when I was a kid."

For a while, only the sound of Woof-woof gnawing on the bone echoed through the studio.

Soon, sensing the unusual atmosphere, Woof-woof grabbed the bone and snuggled into her arms.

Yeon-hee gently stroked Woof-woof's fur, white like soft eyes, and without realizing it, I stroked Yeon-hee's hair.

ㅡ!!

Startled by my touch, she turned her head, which had been leaning to the side, back to the ceiling and looked up at me.

We gazed at each other for a long time like that, and my hand kept stroking her hair. If anyone else saw us, it would be a ridiculously funny sight.

A girl having her hair stroked by a skeleton and a mole cricket having its fur stroked by the girl.

'Even I find this scene absurd. But... it's not bad.'

I was sure she agreed with this sentiment. Judging by how her eyes, despite her initial reaction, slowly began to close.

Soon, she fell into a gentle sleep, her breathing light, and Woof-woof finally finished all its bones and spat out two magical stones from its tail.

- Squeak...

Even after spitting out the mana stones, Yeon-hee made no response, deep in her sleep, so Woof-woof swallowed its whimper as if feeling a bit miffed.

I gestured to Woof-woof, who hovered near her face, seemingly at a loss.

'Shoo-shoo- Go back to your place without waking her.'

Grr—

Woof-woof gave me a dissatisfied glance.

Not long after, it seemed that Yeon-hee's magic power had run out, and Woof-woof transformed into small particles of light and was sucked into a portal.

'It's good that at least I have these bones.'

Even after more than two hours of lending her my legs, I felt no numbness, which was not an entirely unmerited advantage compared to humans.

I lowered my gaze to closely take in her well-crafted, jewel-like face.

'A pretty and pitiful child...'

My lifesaver and a hero who risked her life to save many people.

'May you have sweet dreams...'

* * *

The next day, we headed to the Goblin Dungeon as usual.

I briefly considered whether Yeon-hee should rest for a day, but considering that a hunter, who was consistently present daily, suddenly taking a break might draw suspicion, we decided to leave the house.

Two hours after entering the dungeon.

After barely managing to take down six goblins and carving out some bones to feed Woof-woof.

'Three, no, four people.'

Yeon-hee also seemed to have noticed as she relocated to a spot with an easy retreat.

"Whoa-whoa- we're not bad people."

"Says the person who might be bad."

"Jinkyung, could you please shut your mouth for a moment?"

Two of the four, a man and a woman, approached us and playfully commented.

"Are you the summoner, Lee Yeon-hee?"

Pushing the bickering duo aside, a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties took a step forward and spoke to Yeon-hee.

"...... Please let me know what you want."

"Well, it's not a long talk. We've found a medium-sized settlement. Would you be interested in joining us?"

'A medium-sized settlement equates to around fifty goblins, huh?'

From our perspective, who only found six goblins in two hours, it was a tempting offer.

Moreover, battling a large group, even if it's medium-sized, always yielded extra experience compared to usual, making it beneficial just to participate.

Of course, surviving would be crucial. But would Yeon-hee accept this proposal after yesterday's encounter with strangers?

"...... Let's do it. But place us in the rear support."

"Haha, I was going to request that. I heard you shoot arrows quite well. We have enough front-liners, but we're short on rear support."

Yeon-hee indeed had the resolve of a seasoned hunter. Seeing her accept without much hesitation made me feel proud.

Among the four before us, the two men were obvious front-liners, and, strictly speaking, the woman who was called Jinkyung and the now-talking woman were middle-rankers.

Classes like melee critical hitters or thieves, or guides like me, usually position themselves in the middle rank.

But there wouldn't be a guide in such a low-level dungeon, and judging by the weapons of the two women in front of us, they seemed like melee dealers for sure.

"My name is Helen. The other three— just call them Miscellaneous 1, 2, and 3."

"Who's miscellaneous, unni~ Stop using that ridiculous alias already?"

"It's my style, so no objections, please. If you hate it, feel free to leave our party."

"I intend to stick around, though?"

Judging from their conversation, they seemed like a closely-knit team. However, we weren't easygoing enough to naturally blend into such a group.

Yeon-hee already seemed to be tense, hunching her shoulders, so I took a step forward, firmly gripping my club and assuming a stance.

"Oh? Is that the summoner's creature I heard about?"

"Just a skeleton soldier, isn't it? But it's pretty bulky for a skeleton soldier."

"If you fought it, it'd beat you."

"Give me a break."

"What are you saying in front of new people! Get a grip, you all!"

After fake coughing a few times with her fist to her mouth, Helen, the lady using the alias, spoke again.

"It's about fifteen minutes from here. We've already spoken with other teams on the outskirts. And there won't be a Centurion, right? We defeated it recently. Depending on your contribution, there might be loot distribution too."

'What loot can you get from goblins? They're probably busy taking care of the main team.'

The woman named Helen winked at Yeon-hee and gestured for us to follow.

She hesitated for a moment, but when I started to move forward, Yeon-hee also tightened her grip on her bow and walked alongside me.

'Though their words were a bit playful, they didn't seem to harbor any ill intent. Honestly, it's child's play at that level.'

The nature of a hunter's job meant many used rough language, but the team before me appeared to be still pristine and fresh.

At least by my standards, they were, though Yeon-hee seemed on edge, her breathing growing slightly ragged.

Maintaining about a 10-meter distance, we followed them for about 15 minutes. Soon, a goblin settlement near a small pond came into view.

"It easily surpasses fifty goblins..."

Nod—

As Helen mentioned, the hunters who were clumsily trying to hide were visible.

Twenty F-rank. When Yeon-hee joined, it became twenty-one.

Handling over fifty goblins with this number wasn't going to be easy. Yet, the faces of the newly met hunters seemed entirely relaxed.

'Far better than last time.'

Unlike the hunters who caused a large-scale accident with over ten deaths, this group exuded a different vibe.

I knew that this atmosphere didn't arise merely from people being cocky but rather from the presence of those with reliable arms or experience.

Despite being in a seemingly tranquil situation, having included Yeon-hee suggested that there was someone in the group keen on various contingencies.

'Not bad...'

Since there was no chance the loot would come our way, we were only interested in gaining experience and leaving quickly, akin to the large-scale battle last time.

(I've never seen this many tanks...)

Yeon-hee whispered in my ear.

'It's rare to have only one ranged dealer among twenty.'

However, if that one person is a mage, the story changes.

'A wand of green... a nature type. There's a reason the hunters seemed confident.'

Nature-type had more varieties than other types, so it wasn't clear precisely what abilities they had.

But given the confident air among them, it was likely.

'A binding type, I reckon.'