Chapter 51

< For Now, a Date (2) >

"It's too much of a burden to add a person just for me. I don't want to cause any trouble."

But more than that, I don't want to run into Sung Hyun-je, the guild master of Se-seong. That guy himself is creepy, but more importantly, my current state is the problem. Since Yu-hyun also said I seemed a bit off, there's a high chance Sung Hyun-je would notice something different too.

It would be fine if I just used a wall lizard and got rid of it, but there's no reason to walk up to a dangerous guy on my own.

"No burden at all! Not at all!"

Kang So-young looked at me with her eyes full of sincerity. Her big eyes are really beautiful. Her face is like a personification of the word "lovable." She then said with a genuinely sincere voice,

"It's for the person who will raise my child!"

...I heard this nonsense before. I didn't expect to hear it again.

"Talking like that isn't right. Other people might misunderstand."

"It's fine. Everyone says that."

What... "Everyone, says...?"

Kang So-young nodded cutely.

"Yes. Hyun-ah unnie, the guild master of Breaker, said that a few times, and it spread quickly."

Damn, Moon Hyun! What the hell did you do! I told you not to talk behind my back, and you went around talking behind mine! It's even more frustrating that it's not entirely false.

"Still, wouldn't it be better to use terms like 'familiar' or 'monster' instead of 'child'?"

"That sounds too cold. Most importantly, a top-tier familiar is a partner you'll spend your whole life with, someone hard to replace. I'll really take good care of it, with all the love, as if it were my own child. My heart is already racing. How adorable will my little dragon be?"

She even blushed slightly. I can understand her feelings, but still... still...

"There's no need to feel burdened at all! In fact, you can ask for more! Is there anything you need? I have quite a bit of money saved up, you know."

She's an A-rank hunter of a large guild, so of course she has a lot of money, but if I really asked for something, I'd end up being a bad guy who takes advantage of a child. She's eleven years younger than me, no, six years younger. Anyway, she's not even twenty. I don't really need anything.

"No, it's fine. I don't need anything."

"Then I'll just help you with a garden walk for now."

"No, but I can't trouble you with something like this."

"Don't worry. Everyone will welcome it, not find it troublesome. If you're concerned, I'll get the guild master's permission."

She immediately took out her phone. Hmm... Well, since Yu-hyun won't allow it, it's fine.

"Actually, I do want to go to the park and Peace."

Meeting Sung Hyun-je now is still dangerous. Next time, Peace.

"Yes, guild master! Yes, yes."

Meanwhile, Kang So-young was on the phone with Sung Hyun-je, and the atmosphere was much friendlier than expected.

"The guild master said you can come anytime! He'll even send someone right away."

Ah, yes. Still, there's one more gate to pass. I smiled at Kang So-young and took out my phone.

"Then I'll ask for permission from Ha-yeon, the guild master. I can't just leave here because I want to."

"Of course, you should."

Seeing her bright smile, I felt a bit guilty. My brother wouldn't allow it. When I called, Yu-hyun answered immediately. I briefly explained the situation and asked,

"Is it too early to go out? It's fine if you say no. I understand."

Come on, just say no.

[It's a bit early, but if you're okay with it, you can go.]

...What? Hold on.

"Um, it's a visit to another guild? You're saying it's okay to go?"

[MKC is definitely out of the question, and Breaker or Hanshin are also risky, but Se-seong is fine.]

My brother said it was okay again. What's going on? This isn't the Yu-hyun I know. Did I dial the wrong number?

[It felt like I was confining you too much, so go out and get some fresh air. It's well-maintained there.]

...This doesn't seem like my brother. He didn't use to be like this. Why is he suddenly changing? I trusted you. Damn, now I can't say I don't want to go.

I glanced at Kang So-young, who mouthed, "Is it okay?" with an innocent smile. Ugh.

"Are you not worried or anxious at all?"

[Well... Hmm. No, it's fine. You must be feeling stifled. It'll be much safer than other places, so don't worry. I'll send a couple of people to escort you. Take it easy.]

"Uh... Okay..."

The call ended. My brother betrayed my trust. My head feels numb.

'Is Se-seong that trustworthy?'

Or is it because of Kang So-young? Could my brother have developed a crush on her? Is he trying to impress her by letting me go? No way.

"I'm really glad you got permission! I'll prepare to leave right away."

Seeing her genuinely happy, I thought my brother might have fallen for her. Not just my brother, but any man would like her. Of course, I don't know if she really has feelings for me, but where there's smoke, there's fire.

It's fine. I just need to be careful. They seem to suit each other. I thought she might be lonely living alone in that big house. Just get together and get married quickly. The mixed-race kids would be cute. I heard mixed-race kids are often cute and beautiful. I hope she looks like Yu-hyun.

"Yes, I'll do my best."

And my brother too.

"We've arrived~."

Kang So-young said cheerfully. Se-seong's rooftop garden was on the 15th floor of the new second building, connected to the main building. When Kang So-young opened the glass door, a breeze mixed with the scent of grass flowed in.

How long has it been since I came to a park like this?

'I can't even remember.'

There were dungeons with forest or grassland environments, but it's different from this. A light-hearted walk. I definitely didn't have the leisure for that.

...No, it was just an excuse. I could have done it if I wanted. How much time does it take to go to a nearby park once? Besides, I could have taken a walk just by leaving the house without going to a park.

Looking around slowly, I occasionally tilted my head to look at the sky. What shape are the clouds today? How lush have the street trees become with summer? I could read the posters on the walls and watch the ants crawling between the paving stones.

'Well, I can't do that now, even if I want to.'

I can't even walk around lightly on my own. I should just make something like this in my own building.

The rooftop garden was spacious. It was open but lined with tall trees around the edges to minimize the feeling of being on a rooftop. The walking paths were well-made, and there were neatly arranged flower beds, various sculptures, fountains, and a small greenhouse.

And there wasn't a single person in sight.

"No one is here."

"To make it comfortable for you, we control the entry. There are a few people monitoring, though. Someone could intrude from the air, you know?"

It's not like I'm a target for concentrated fire, and who would do that in broad daylight? But they're thorough.

"Peace, look. It's a lawn."

*Roar*

I put Peace down on the grass, but the young flame-horned lizard didn't run around. Instead, it immediately clung to my leg. The weather is nice, the sun is good, and the scenery is beautiful, so why isn't it interested?

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

*Chirp*

"Look, a butterfly is flying."

It ignored the fluttering yellow butterfly. At this point, I started to worry. Is the trauma more serious than I thought? Are there animal psychologists?

"What should we do, our Peace?"

Squatting down, I reached out to stroke its neck, and it grabbed my arm with its front paws. It felt unusually clingy, like it didn't want to be separated from me.

'Is it not because of the kidnapping but because it was suddenly separated from me?'

It was suddenly taken and locked in a cage for a long time. Being sensitive enough to detect emotional skills, it might have felt the surrounding situation even while sleeping.

"It won't happen again."

I don't know how much it understands, but I tried to comfort it.

"Look, see the sister over there? You can tell how strong she is, right? She'll protect you."

"Right, Peace. I'm here, so it's okay."

Kang So-young chimed in at the right moment. She then bent down and gave me a slight hug. Peace tensed up and bristled.

*Growl!*

"It's okay, Peace. She's a good person. She won't hurt you."

"Right, we get along well. Look."

Then she kissed my cheek. No, this is a bit awkward... Is it because she's foreign and has more physical contact?

*Huh?*

Peace, still clinging to us, tilted its head.

"You can play without worrying. She'll protect you. It's okay."

The red fur at the tip of its ear twitched. Finally, Peace, which had been clinging to me, slowly looked around. Since the dungeon where flame-horned lizards appear is a volcanic area, this green scenery must be new to it.

*Crunch*

Its small front paws scratched the grass. The cut grass scattered in all directions. It sniffed the grass scent and then turned around to look up at me again.

"Do you like it?"

*Chirp!*

It jumped up and started exploring the surroundings. It didn't seem to want to go far, but I thought it would be fine soon.

"I think it's okay to let go now."

I said to Kang So-young, who was still hugging me. Since there are monitors, I'd like her to keep a proper distance.

"Shall I help you up?"

"I'm fine."

Can't I handle my own body? Relatively, I might look like a chick that's about to die, but...

We walked along the path in the direction Peace wanted to go. It leaped into a hydrangea bed, and soon the light purple petals started flying everywhere. The flower bed was destroyed in an instant.

"That's-"

"It's fine!"

Kang So-young said with a bright smile as soon as I opened my mouth.

"Don't worry. It's no problem even if the whole place is uprooted. The landscaping can be redone."

Indeed, the large guild has a broad perspective. Peace is so excited, and once the gratitude skill effect ends, we should come here often.

"May I ask how long it takes for a top-tier familiar to grow, if it's not too much trouble? I didn't get the details."

Kang So-young asked cautiously.

"It varies by monster, so I can't say exactly. It depends on the species and rank. The training also makes a difference. If it's a dragon from an S-rank dungeon, it would be around level 2 or 3?"

If only one appears, it would be level 2, but if a nest appears, it would most likely be a group. Kang So-young nodded at my words.

"Yes. It's a level 3 wyvern. It's a thorn-winged dragon, which has good health and defense and excellent overall stats for a wyvern."

Wyverns are relatively weak among dragons, but their excellent flying ability makes them more useful as familiars.

"It has three large thorns on its wings, which are really cute."

"Really?"

Did she just say cute? Thorns as big as her arms?

"It also has scale-like thorns at the tip of its tail, which can be shot out! They're a bit smaller than my forearm and coated with paralyzing poison. It's even cuter because it has four legs, front and back. It's sturdy, and the scales are hard. The scales are black and shiny, like a string of black jewels, really beautiful."

Well, honestly, all I can think of is a terrifying giant lizard with wings and thorns. A fierce, black dragon with thorns sticking out. Her taste is a bit unique.

"Ever since the first raid, I've wanted to tame it. It feels like walking on clouds every day since I learned the monster taming skill. Ah, really- can I hug it one more time?"

"No."

No wonder she seemed so excited from the start. If she's this excited now, once the familiar is fully grown, just saying "I love you" would immediately trigger the keyword.

But I don't know how the keyword effect will manifest, so it's better not to. I don't want to end up being called "dad" or "mom" by my sister-in-law. I need to be careful with my words.

I was considering bringing up Yu-hyun when,

[The Weakness Sense skill sends a warning!]

The premonition skill, which had triggered several times on the way here, activated again. Who is it this time... Damn, it's an S-rank. Why are you coming here when you're so busy?

< For Now, a Date (2) > End

ⓒ Geunseo