Elianna slumped forward on her cluttered desk, her head propped on her hand as she stared at the reports that seemed to multiply each time she blinked.
"Uggh! I'm too tired. I wanna retire and marry a rich man. This world is so expensive," I muttered, barely lifting my head off my desk as I let out a deep, exhausted sigh.
The stack of reports looming in front of me was the size of a small mountain, each one stamped with urgent, red-ink symbols that the hunters at the association loved using. I was starting to think they went out of their way to make the paperwork more dramatic. My fingers ached from flipping pages, marking down complaints, and logging the endless dungeon incidents. Today was only Tuesday, and yet, it already felt like the longest week of my life. She could practically feel the weight of the entire Hunter Association on her shoulders. If there was an award for the most burnt-out employee, she'd win without a doubt.
Across from me, Kara, my only friend and co-survivor in this bureaucratic nightmare, chuckled. "You? Marry a rich guy? Keep dreaming, Eli."
Elianna pushed herself upright, narrowing her eyes at Kara with a dramatic pout. "What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm not wifey material?"
"I mean... You're pretty but have you looked around here? No one's rich unless you marry an old rich guy or come from a wealthy family. And those types aren't exactly hanging around here in our Hunter Association. Unless a hunter? Some of them are rich.
I scoffed. "Please, Kara. Those hunters are as self-centered as they come. I'd sooner marry a monster than one of those guys. I face them every day here. I'd rather marry one of the office guys."
"Hey, you can't stereotype them. If you want a younger guy who's rich, he's probably a top-50 ranked hunter—but let's be real, you're more likely to marry that stack of dungeon reports than a ranked hunter with that attitude."
Kara tossed her a teasing grin before getting back to her own work.
Elianna shot her a look of mock indignation, but deep down, she knew Kara had a point. Here at the Hunter Association, she was just another paper-pusher, filing reports and managing complaints. Not exactly the kind of glamorous lifestyle she'd dreamed of when she first landed this job.
"So you're interested in them regardless of their arrogant attitude? We deal with them here every day, and you still like them?"
"A bit," Kara said, leaning on her chin thoughtfully. "You know, I saw on social media that there's a dating program called *Hunter Girlfriend*. It's the one where they set you up with a hunter. How about we try it?"
"Nu-uh, you can do it yourself," I answered quickly.
"How are you ever going to find love if you're not even a little sociable? You don't even update your social media! If I had your face and body, I'd be posting all over the place—maybe I'd even become an influencer."
"I don't like them. They act so superior, like they're special just because they're hunters. They look down on us since they're the ones protecting us." Elianna scoffed.
Kara narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are you like that? Is there something in your past that made you this way?"
Elianna blinked, caught off guard by the question.
I was about to answer Kara when -
"Hey!" A loud voice called out, snapping me from our conversation. I looked up to see a hunter standing by the reception desk, wearing an annoyed expression
"Another one? Give me a break," Kara groaned, muttering under her breath. We played rock-paper-scissors, and whoever lost the game would have to handle it.
And Elianna lost.
"You guys still haven't update my rank and pay me for my last sword. I swear, I've submitted the paperwork like ten times by now!"
I groaned internally but managed a strained smile. "Let me check on that for you," I replied, forcing a polite tone. This was the fifth time he'd asked about his payment reimbursement, and each time, it had been filed under "Pending" due to his own sloppy and incorrect paperwork. But there was no telling a hunter that. In their eyes, the administrative staff at the Hunter Association were like the lesser beings that merely existed to serve their needs.
As I sifted through files, I spotted the request. Sure enough, it was still flagged for correction. I turned back to him, careful to keep my voice neutral. "I'm seeing that it's still marked incomplete. You need to fill in the—"
"Are you kidding me?" he cut me off, throwing his hands up in frustration. "This is ridiculous. I'm out there risking my life, and you're telling me I have to fill out more paperwork? Unbelievable."
The irritation simmered in my stomach, but I swallowed it down. "I'm sorry, sir but we can't process it if the report you submitted is incorrect and incomplete but -
"So you're telling me that it's my fault?? That's your job here." He said angrily.
I breathed calmly and said. "Yes, sir and I'll make sure to remind the finance department to expedite your request once the paperwork's complete."
After a few more grumbles, he finally left, and I slumped back into my chair. Kara was laughing under her breath, making no attempt to hide her amusement. "I swear, you're a saint for putting up with these guys."
I shot her a glare. "If I didn't have rent to pay, I'd be out of here so fast…"
"Elianna, Kara," another voice called from across the office. This time, it was our supervisor, Mr. Han, his sharp gaze pinning us both to our seats. "I know you're both busy, but I need you two to pull up the last month's dungeon incident reports. We have an inspection from the top brass coming in tomorrow morning. I want everything perfect."
I groaned audibly this time, not bothering to hide my dismay. The last thing I wanted was to be here until midnight sorting dungeon incidents, but the look in Mr. Han's eyes made it clear we didn't have a choice.
"Got it," I replied, trying to muster a smile. He gave us a nod and turned to walk away, but before he could, I called after him. "Hey, Mr. Han, if I finish all this, will you let me take an extra coffee break tomorrow?"
Mr. Han raised an eyebrow but smirked, the tiniest glimmer of amusement breaking his usual stern expression. "You manage to get all that done, Elianna, and I'll let you take the day of tommorrow"
Kara and I exchanged glances, both of us equally shocked at his offer. For Mr. Han, a day off was practically unheard of. The promise of a break was like a tiny spark of hope at the end of this dark, mundane tunnel.
"Well," Kara said, nudging me with a grin. "Looks like we're pulling an all-nighter."
I sighed, staring at the mountain of paperwork that lay ahead. "At least I'll have my rich husband fantasy to keep me going," I muttered, earning another laugh from her.
As we worked, I thought about the top-ranked hunters whose names graced many of the reports in front of me. They led glamorous lives, always battling the most dangerous monsters, with the world cheering them on. Some even had fans, sponsorships, and endorsements. Yet here I was, stuck with the fallout from their adventures, the one cleaning up the mess they left behind.
"I swear, if I ever meet the No.1 ranked hunter, I'll make him file his own paperwork," I muttered to myself.
Kara chuckled. "You'd have a hard time catching his attention. Those guys don't even know we exist."
But I was too lost in my own thoughts to reply. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment, just imagining how life would be if I wasn't buried in reports. Maybe if I were a hunter, life would be different. Maybe then, people would look up to me, instead of seeing me as just another invisible worker at the association.
But that was just wishful thinking. I knew who I was, and I knew where I belonged: right here, behind this desk, filing paperwork for heroes who would never know my name.