As I was about to check who was entering through the door, Sophia pulled me behind Yeoreum to hide.
Yeoreum, Sophia, and I ended up standing in a line like a train, with the strongest person at the front.
Hiding behind Yeoreum with only my face peeking out to the side, Levinas, who had been hopping around alone, ran behind me to hide.
"What kind of formation is this?!"
"…Stay quiet, it's dangerous."
"—!"
Levinas clamped her mouth shut at Sophia's reprimand, though she seemed to lose none of her energy, hopping to peek over my shoulder.
"Yeoreum."
Through the wide-open door, two men appeared.
One middle-aged man was holding another man, beaten to a pulp.
Levinas gasped in horror at the sight of the battered man.
"Uh? Is that the Master?"
"The Master?"
What did they mean by Master?
As I blinked in confusion, the man referred to as 'Master' pushed the nearly dead man to an unseen spot beside the door.
Perhaps he did it out of consideration for the frightened Levinas.
"A thief broke in. He even used an invisibility skill to steal the crops."
"Yes. It seems they thought the buff was from Gyeoul's crops."
"Buff?"
"Yes. So…"
Yeoreum explained everything to the man called Master – from catching the fake thief to attempting to find the real one.
The Master nodded as he heard the entire story.
"…I see."
The Master's gaze shifted to where the beaten man lay, out of sight from inside the container.
"It doesn't seem like the work of an individual…"
"Is that so?"
"Yes, they even planned it around the time to catch the Black Dragon. If it weren't for the buff shortening the record, we might not have caught them."
The Master's gaze turned to me.
Seeing a dangerous person who had beaten someone to a pulp, I unwittingly looked down.
"You, you shouldn't just beat people up…"
"Huh?"
"Beating people up like that is wrong…"
What kind of person does that?
As I snuck a glance at the person called Master, he shrugged nonchalantly.
"…In this world, this is just a light scolding."
"Master—!"
At Yeoreum's loud voice, the man called Master scratched the back of his head.
He silently rummaged in his pocket and then pulled out a chunk of chocolate.
"Here. Have this."
"Wow!"
Levinas, who had been hiding behind me, darted forward at the sight of the chocolate.
Rushing out just for chocolate – it was a situation ripe for kidnapping.
I quickly grabbed the back of Levinas' neck, but the recoil sent her tumbling backwards.
Thud—!
"Ouch!"
A loud sound, as if her head had cracked open, echoed.
Pained, Levinas grimaced.
"Sorry, sorry."
This is serious.
At least a concussion, I thought.
I hurried to check on Levinas, but she just got up as if nothing had happened.
"To attack me by surprise, how cowardly!"
Was she protected by magic, or was it the lightness typical of a young beast-kin?
Levinas seemed fine, surprisingly.
"Sorry. But you shouldn't just accept chocolates from strangers..."
"Why not?!"
"Well..."
"Cough."
Did my words bother him?
The middle-aged man coughed and looked at Yeoreum, his expression somewhat displeased.
"Gyeoul, it's okay. He's our guild master."
"The guild master?"
"Yes. He's the boss of the Daybreak Guild."
"…Gasp!"
The head of the Daybreak Guild.
Just the title was enough to make one respectful.
"Nice to meet you, sir."
I raised my hands to my stomach and bowed respectfully.
But for some reason, the master's brow furrowed slightly.
"Sir...?"
Perhaps he didn't like being called 'sir'?
I hesitated, trying to think of another title.
"President... Elder...?"
"Just call me uncle."
"…Uncle?"
Wasn't that a rather disrespectful way to address the master of a guild?
As I hesitated and tried to gauge his reaction, Levinas, who had been rubbing her head, suddenly ran towards the master.
"Uncle! Give Levinas the chocolate!"
Hop.
Kang Jinhyuk handed the chocolate to Levinas, who hopped over like a rabbit.
His gaze lingered on me and Sophia.
"The three of you... share it."
"…Did you just say 'three'?"
"I misspoke."
"Hmm..."
The master spoke politely to Sophia which was unusual.
Perhaps they already knew each other.
Well, it would have been stranger if they hadn't known each other at this point.
'But this is serious.'
Levinas lacks common sense.
She would follow someone just for chocolate.
Even if Sophia and Levinas were from hostile factions, it seemed I needed to educate the young girl.
✧✧✧✧✧
Sophia and the master left to talk privately, leaving Levinas, Yeoreum, and me in the container.
Humming a tune, Levinas handed me three chocolates.
In contrast, she held five chocolates in her hand.
"Levinas got the chocolates, so Levinas will eat five!"
The chocolates weren't a big deal.
I didn't mind Levinas eating more, but I was still worried about her.
"Being greedy might make your friends dislike you."
"Levinas doesn't have friends, so it's okay!"
No friends.
It was sad, but then I realized that I too didn't have any friends.
Of course, my current situation was special.
As someone who had friends before, I felt I could at least give some advice.
"...Maybe you don't have friends because you're greedy?"
"Eh...?"
Levinas blinked and looked down at the chocolates in her hand, then cautiously turned to me.
"If I'm not greedy, will I make friends...? How many friends does the king have...?!
"Well, that's..."
I had no friends on this Earth, unlike my original world.
Unable to answer easily and just fiddling with my fingers, Yeoreum poked my shoulder.
"Gyeoul, you and I are friends."
"Is, is that okay...?"
"Yes, of course."
We were friends.
I hadn't realized we could be friends.
A bit surprised, but in front of Levinas, I tried to appear confident.
"See, see...? I have friends."
"…Just one?"
"Ye, yes."
Just one seemed too few.
As I hesitated and watched Levinas' reaction, she suddenly opened her mouth wide in astonishment.
"Wo–wow, that's amazing. Levinas doesn't even have one friend..."
"Kuk."
Yeoreum, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly clutched her chest.
She grimaced as if in pain.
"Are you hurt...?"
"No, no, I'm fine. Keep talking."
"Okay..."
Her expression was a mix of pain and sadness.
Puzzled, I decided to continue talking with Levinas as Yeoreum suggested.
"If I'm not greedy, can Levinas make friends...?"
"Yes. Of course."
Levinas looked down at her chocolates and then handed me another one.
I waved my hand, gesturing towards Yeoreum beside me.
"Not me."
"Oh, got it!"
Levinas handed the chocolate to Yeoreum.
"Wow, thank you."
"Gasp—!"
Levinas' eyes sparkled at the thanks, tears welling up in her eyes.
"This is the first time Levinas has ever been thanked in her life!"
"...."
To hear thanks for the first time in her life.
What kind of life had Levinas lived?
I looked at her with pity and then realized something.
I, too, had heard a thank you for the first time in this life through Yeoreum.
The first time was when she thanked me for establishing a connection with the beast-kin.
Realizing this, my mind went blank with shock.
"Wow, usually it's really hard to be thanked by someone."
"Really?!"
"Ye–yes. I also heard it for the first time in almost eight years..."
It's hard, right?
I glanced at Yeoreum, who had her eyes tightly shut.
"Ugh…"
She looked like she was enduring some pain.
As it continued, I started to worry.
"Are you sure you're okay...?"
"Ye–yes. I'm fine, so don't worry."
Claiming to be fine while making such a face.
It was strange, but since she said so.
I turned my attention away from the pained Yeoreum to look at Levinas.
Then I saw Levinas clasping her hands together as if praying.
"Eight years! The king really is amazing! Levinas' first word of thanks was when she turned ten!"
"Ye–yes. But Levinas can do it too. Shall I teach you?"
Levinas is still only ten years old.
As I reminded myself of her age, Levinas suddenly trembled.
"Bu–but Levinas shouldn't side with the king..."
"You don't need to take sides. I just want to teach you."
"Th–then—!"
Levinas jumped up from her spot, excitedly.
It was a sign of agreement.
I had been worried about her naivety, but now I could teach her.
I sighed with relief inwardly.
I decided to start by teaching her to eat before the food spoiled.
It looked like Levinas wanted to save her chocolate.
✱✱✱
Daybreak Park, due to its large size, was often a stage for various incidents.
From drinking in alcohol-prohibited areas to exhibiting excessive displays of affection.
It attracted its fair share of unsavory individuals, much to the dismay of park-goers.
But today, a section of the park was unusually quiet.
Not even the soft chatter of couples or families could be heard.
With so many people around, why was it so?
Choi Jin-hyuk, patrolling the park for a break, realized that people's attention was focused intently on one spot.
'That's...'
Gyeoul, who had recently become a topic of discussion in the area, was sitting on a bench.
Right next to Gyeoul was the newly arrived horned rabbit child.
No approaching.
No filming.
No initiating conversation out of curiosity.
Park visitors had created their own set of rules to protect the children.
Though one of them was not a child but an elder.
But why was everyone's attention focused today?
Choi Jin-hyuk, curious, moved behind Gyeoul and soon found the reason.
The horned rabbit girl, with the innocent voice typical of a child, had blurted out something.
"I should eat all the food when I have it?!"
She spoke loud enough for everyone around to hear, as if it didn't matter.
This allowed everyone to clearly hear Gyeoul's quiet response.
"Yeah. Last time, the red bean bread was so delicious that I saved it for a month. But then, it got moldy, and I had to throw it all away."
"Really?! Couldn't you just eat the parts without mold?!"
"No, you can't eat it if it gets moldy. I was so hungry once that I ate only the non-moldy parts, and I thought I was going to die that day."
The child, clad in shabby clothes, made such a shocking statement.
A middle-aged man drinking water choked in surprise, coughing violently.
"What a shame! I wanted to save the precious chocolate as much as possible!"
"Precious?"
"Yeah! Chocolate is a snack only for high-ranking people!"
"Oh, is that so...?"
What kind of chocolate is it that only the high-ranking can eat?
Choi Jin-hyuk, careful not to be noticed, glanced at the chocolate in the child's hand.
It was just ordinary chocolate, worth about five thousand won at the nearby supermarket.
"But Levinas once ate chocolate only once, years ago! This is just the second time, isn't it amazing?!"
Ahem.
Levinas, with her hand above her waist, puffed out her chest proudly.
The citizens felt a pang of sympathy for the child, boasting as she did.
"It's the same for me. This is only my second time too."
"What?! For Levinas, eating chocolate is one of the greatest experiences in life! The king has already done it all..."
"Uh, yeah."
The conversation between the two children was heart-wrenchingly sweet.
Sigh.
Somewhere, a sensitive woman wiped her tears.
"Then, has the king ever tried yogurt?!"
"Yo—yogurt?"
"Yeah! Levinas gets yogurt as a snack once a month!"
Levinas, closing her eyes as if savoring the taste of yogurt, was lost in a blissful expression.
Gyeoul watched her face and slowly shook her head.
At least in this life, she had no memory of ever trying yogurt.
"I haven't had yogurt yet."
"Is that so!"
Was it because of her one victory?
Levinas showed a triumphant expression.
"It's okay! Yogurt is really hard to get!"
"That much...?"
"Yes! It's like a reward given only to those who work to death for a month! You haven't worked to death yet, have you, king?"
Because she's the king.
There's no need for her to work to death when she has subordinates.
Confident, Levinas leaned toward Gyeoul, closing the distance between them on the bench.
"Ye–yes. I've fainted from working too hard, but never to death..."
"Hahaha! The king has lived a privileged life!"
"Is, is that so...?"
Fainting from exhaustion is quite common in modern society.
Gyeoul nodded in understanding.
"Yes! But Levinas worked hard so the adults wouldn't beat her!"
"I'm a bit envious of that. I got hit sometimes."
"You, you were hit...?"
"Yes. Once I got kicked and couldn't breathe, I thought I was going to die."
What kind of conversation were these two young children having?
Choi Jin-hyuk and the nearby citizens were enveloped in a stunned silence.
'She was kicked...?'
Violence was prohibited in areas under the guild's watch.
Surely, she must have been hit somewhere out of sight.
Choi Jin-hyuk consoling himself with a quickly conjured excuse, clenched his fist.
He realized no excuse was valid in this situation.
"Ha..."
He had intended to exchange light greetings since he was here.
But he ended up hearing about the child's wounds.
Wounds that had begun due to his own negligence.
What should he do now?
As Choi Jin-hyuk lingered near the children, a middle-aged couple approached him.
It was the man who had choked on his water earlier and his wife.
"Are you from Daybreak Guild?"
"Yes, yes... I am, but..."
"Come here for a moment."
"No, no, it's not what you think..."
Choi Jin-hyuk knew why the couple had called him.
They were concerned about the children.
Being children from Daybreak Park, it was inevitable for the guild to be under suspicion.
"Those beast-kin kids sitting on the bench, they live in that shabby container, right?"
"Well, yes, but that's not..."
It was definitely not what we wanted.
Even as Choi Jin-hyuk struggled to explain to the middle-aged couple, the children's conversation continued.
"Wow, the king has also had a tough life..."
"Yeah. But I'm okay now. I have a decent home."
Gyeoul pointed to the container.
The used container, its paint peeling and rusting in places, sported patches of orange.
"It's amazing... Levinas is still sleeping on the streets..."
"I used to do that too. If you work hard like me, you'll have a decent home too."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'll teach you all sorts of things."
The thought of living well like a king filled Levinas with joy.
Just then, as she hopped around like a horned rabbit, Sophia approached them, leaning on her cane.
"Gyeoul, can we talk for a moment?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"It's about sleeping arrangements."
Sleeping arrangements?
Gyeoul glanced around, puzzled.
"It's not the season for dragonflies yet."
"I'm talking about beds. Beds."
"Oh."
That kind of sleeping arrangement.
Gyeoul scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.
"It seems we need to find another mattress..."
"Mattresses are hard to find. I'll just sleep in the box."
"...Are you sure?"
"Yes. Sophia, you have difficulty moving, and Levinas is still young."
Huh?
Isn't Gyeoul the youngest?
Sophia tilted her head but didn't voice her thoughts, knowing too well how mentally mature a child who has lived a hard life can be.
"Hmm... No. I'll buy a mattress myself."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I have nowhere else to spend my money anyway."
"Wow!"
Perhaps Gyeoul preferred a mattress over a box too.
She clapped her hands in joy.
"I'll get ready to go out. Just wait a moment."
"Okay..."
Gyeoul watched as Sophia headed back to the container, her ears perking up at a familiar sound.
Turning around, she saw Choi Jin-hyuk trudging after an elderly couple.
'His parents?'
It seemed only parents could suppress the aura of a great adventurer like Choi Jin-hyuk.
Gyeoul watched Choi Jin-hyuk's retreating figure with a tinge of envy.
✧✧✧✧✧
Before Sophia returned from her outing, Gyeoul planned to teach Levinas something simple.
At least enough so she could do as much as her.
She felt elated with her newfound life goal, her tail wagging uncontrollably.
'This is nice.'
Teaching a child was an important task, contributing to society.
She remembered the feeling she had when she first bought her container and got up from the bench.
"First of all..."
What should she teach her first?
She briefly thought of horned rabbit hunting but quickly abandoned the idea, realizing Levinas was a horned rabbit herself.
It would be too much to teach hunting to young Levinas.
She'd have to start with the very basics.
"Levinas, have you ever earned money yourself?"
"No! Only adults can earn money!"
"Huh? Didn't you say you've worked before?"
"Yes! But I was paid in yogurt instead of money!"
Oh.
Hadn't she mentioned receiving only one yogurt per month?
Was that all her labor was worth?
As these questions arose, Gyeoul heard the sound of a woman sobbing nearby.
There must be some trouble.
Well, the park was a place where many people came and went.
She decided not to concern herself with it.
"Then I'll teach you how to earn money."
"Earn money? Even though I'm not an adult?"
"Yes. There's money lying around here."
"Really?!"
Levinas, her eyes wide as if a horned rabbit, looked around.
However, her gaze failed to notice the empty bottles scattered around.
"Hmm..."
Perhaps she was still a novice in homelessness.
She resolved to teach her quickly about the greatness of empty bottles.
<+>
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