Chapter 99
To clear the dungeon, one must appease the dead.
Finding out what the dead want is the most crucial task right now.
'They hold deep grudges...'
A dungeon that remained hidden, not showing itself for years.
It meant they had been waiting all this long time, enduring in silence, to make their grievances known.
Most grudge-holding dungeons did this.
After hiding for months or years, they seized the opportunity to make their injustice known by creating a dungeon like this.
"Maybe it's no coincidence that I ended up here..."
After all, they were Gyeoul's guardians.
It surely can't be just a coincidence.
Feeling frustrated, Yeoreum took out her smartphone.
───
Jung Yu-na: "Hey, Yeoreum, I'll be playing at the playground with the kids."
───
After exiting the dungeon, Yeoreum saw the text message and headed to the playground where the kids were likely to be.
What expression should she wear when she sees Gyeoul?
Should she smile as if nothing happened?
Pfft.
As she sighed, Yeoreum's ears caught the familiar sound of a child's scream.
"Arghhhh."
"...!"
It was Gyeoul's scream.
Why would she scream like that? She's not one to do so easily.
Before she could finish her thought, Yeoreum ran towards the source of the noise.
"Wahhh."
In the middle of the playground.
Gyeoul was running away from someone, her arms raised.
Before even seeing who it was, Yeoreum positioned herself in front of Gyeoul.
"Gyeoul, hide behind me!"
"What...?"
"I'll protect you...!"
Yeoreum drew her sword from her waist and looked towards the swings.
There, her friend, Jung Yu-na, was screaming just like Gyeoul.
"Waaaaaah."
Someone was chasing after Jung Yu-na.
They followed her in a cute, toddling manner.
"Oh."
It was Levinas.
They were just playing?
Yeoreum forgot to sheathe her sword, standing awkwardly in place.
"There!"
Levinas, who was chasing Jung Yu-na, suddenly changed direction and charged towards Yeoreum.
Turning around with both arms stretched out, it was almost like seeing a cute mummy.
"Ah."
This isn't the time to just watch.
Levinas could get cut by the sword if she keeps charging like this.
Yeoreum threw her sword into an empty area, as Levinas was moving too fast for her to put it back in its scabbard.
Even though she had vowed to take good care of her sword as a swordsman, honestly, the kids were more important than the sword.
"I caught you, Yeoreum!"
As she threw the sword, Levinas embraced Yeoreum tightly.
Were they just playing tag after all?
Yeoreum raised her hand with an exaggerated gesture.
It was a pose similar to Gyeoul's when she was running away.
"Sob...! I got caught...!"
"Hehe, if you get caught, you have to hug the person!"
"Huh, is that a rule?"
"Yes! Hug me quick!"
If those are the rules, there's no helping it.
Yeoreum tightly hugged Levinas.
But she didn't forget to check on Gyeoul's condition while doing so.
Curious, Gyeoul ears and tail perked up, reaching out her hand towards the sword.
"Gyeoul, you'll cut your hand, so don't touch it, okay?"
"Okay."
Following Yeoreum's caution, Gyeoul withdrew her hand.
She lay down like a cat, only scanning the blade with her eyes.
'Is she fascinated by the weapon?'
Her posture was cute, like a cat kneading dough.
With a slight chuckle, Yeoreum approached Gyeoul with the rest of the group that had come out of the dungeon.
"Gyeoul, are you interested in swords?"
"No, I prefer bows."
"Ah... I see."
Encia's ears and tail drooped down.
Encia, who wielded a sword, was disappointed that her king showed no interest in swords.
"It's a weapon given by Encia."
"Oh, is that so?"
Encia's tail wagged energetically as if nothing had happened.
Gyeoul watched and mimicked Encia's tail wagging.
"Yes, but have you already cleared the dungeon?"
"No, we haven't finished yet."
Yeoreum spoke on behalf of the group.
"You came out even though you hadn't finished?"
"Yeah. Some dungeons are like that."
Yeoreum stroked Gyeoul's head with an awkward smile, haunted by Gyeoul's past.
"Dungeons are really fascinating."
"Yeah. I plan to go back to the guild to find out the conditions for clearing the dungeon. Do you want to stay and play more, Gyeoul?"
"No, I want to go back with you."
"Okay. Shall we go back together then?"
"Yes."
The moment Gyeoul got up, Levinas grabbed her tail.
It was an invitation to play tail-catching.
Gyeoul grabbed the tail of Argo, who was nearby.
The lizard-like texture of the tail was cold and felt nice, though she felt a bit sorry for Argo, who tried not to wag it.
<+>
That afternoon.
When I returned home, I sat on a bench and waited for Levinas.
Though we had planned to go to the dungeon, people suggested taking a day off would be nice, so I decided to rest.
Where did Levinas go, anyway?
She said she was bringing something.
As I idly swung my feet back and forth from boredom, I saw Levinas running towards me from a distance, waving something.
"King!"
What Levinas held in her hand was Sophia's cane.
The thought of Sophia living without her cane brought a wave of embarrassment.
"Levinas, you shouldn't have taken that..."
"Why not?"
"Without it, Sophia can't walk, can she?"
"Eh?"
Her expression was as if she was hearing it for the first time.
Could it be that Levinas didn't know why the elderly use canes to walk?
She had lived in the forest and was still naive about the world.
In such cases, it's best to explain things properly.
"People use a cane to walk when they can't put strength into their legs."
"Is that so...?"
Levinas then leaned on the cane and suddenly let her legs go limp.
Without any resistance, she immediately fell forward.
"Le, Levinas...!"
She actually tried what I explained right away.
I had underestimated the child's curiosity.
I quickly crouched beside Levinas to check on her.
"Ooh... The king lied to Levinas..."
She was covered in dirt but didn't seem to have any serious injuries.
I wiped away the tears forming in Levinas's eyes.
"I didn't lie. You were supposed to relax just one leg, but you relaxed both and fell."
"Just one?"
"Yes. Can I have the cane?"
Teaching basic knowledge is also an adult's responsibility.
I took the cane from Levinas and walked around with it on the ground, just like Sophia.
"Wow! Just like a shark! The King has become a shark!"
"Yes. When you can't put strength into your leg, you walk like this, using the cane."
Tap- Tap-
Fascinated by the sight of me using the cane, Levinas's eyes lit up.
She ran towards me without even dusting herself off.
"King, let's play shark!"
"Shark play?"
"Yes. It's a game where we imitate sharks!"
Imitating the movements of Sophia, who has mobility issues.
Isn't that quite offensive?
After much thought, I eventually agreed.
It's not like Levinas meant to mock Sophia.
She probably just wanted to mimic the actions of someone she liked.
"Okay, but who will play the role of Sophia?"
"Since the King is better at it, you go first!"
"Alright."
Imitating Sophia, then.
I guess I just need to mimic her actions and way of speaking.
I decided to imitate Sophia's mannerisms as I had observed them.
"Ow, ow..."
I patted my back and leaned on the cane, moving forward.
My goal was the bench where I had been sitting just moments ago.
"Wow! A real shark! It's a shark! Where are you going?!"
"Ah, my knees hurt so I'm going to rest."
I moved slowly towards the bench.
Levinas carefully followed beside me.
"Shark, let's get along well with Levinas from now on?"
"..."
What does she mean by 'from now on'?
Is Levinas still harboring a grudge against Sophia in her heart?
I silently nodded towards Levinas.
"Are Levinas and the shark now friends?"
"No, that's wrong."
"Aren't Levinas and the shark friends...?"
Anxiety surfaced in Levinas's eyes.
I stroked Levinas's head to comfort her.
"Levinas and Sophia were friends from the start. Saying 'now friends' sounds odd."
"So, even though Levinas was mean, we were still friends?"
"Yes, of course."
A smile blossomed on Levinas's face, previously filled with anxiety, like a bud blooming into a full flower.
Indeed, Levinas looks best when she smiles.
While I was chuckling and stroking her head, Sophia approached us with Yoo Sang-ah's support from a distance.
"You little ones."
"Shark!"
Levinas ran towards Sophia and hugged her.
Sophia, with her fist raised, sighed deeply and then stroked Levinas's head.
"Why did you take the cane, you little rascal?"
"I wanted to play with the shark's favorite thing!"
"…How did you come to think that it was my favorite thing?"
"I thought there must be something fun about it since the shark carries it around every day."
It was a cute thought that Levinas would have.
I couldn't help but giggle.
"Gyeoul, you're in trouble too."
"Yes…"
Right.
I was also playing with Sophia's cane.
I respectfully placed my hands in front of my stomach.
"Don't misunderstand; it's merely something I need to carry around."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, what I love the most is…"
"What you love the most is…?"
Levinas and I perked up our ears simultaneously.
However, Sophia just cleared her throat and said nothing more.
"So, what were you doing with the cane?"
"We were playing 'Sophia.'"
"Sophia play?"
This time, Sophia and Yoo Sang-ah expressed their curiosity.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I scratched my neck.
"We just like Sophia so much, we were imitating someone we admire…"
"Ahem… Well, let's see you do it."
She wanted to see me imitate her?
I was frozen in my spot for a while.
Imitating in front of the person herself was quite embarrassing.
<+>
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