The guild members boarded two separate planes.

One was bound for Norway, the other for Australia.

“Bye-bye!”

“Have a safe trip.”

The children and I pressed against the airport windows, waving at the planes about to take off.

The guild members on board waved back at us.

Jung Yu-na, despite not having a window seat, stretched across to say goodbye.

“The plane’s moving!”

“Plane go.”

Whirr-!

The planes carrying our guild members raced down the runway.

They tilted their noses up and began to soar into the sky.

The massive planes shrank to tiny dots, disappearing above the clouds.

We only stopped waving once the planes had completely vanished from sight.

“……”

My favorite people had all left at once.

Even though I knew they’d return, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss.

My ears and tail drooped.

As I stared blankly at the sky where our guild members had gone, Yeoreum gently gripped my drooping ears and perked them up.

“Gyeoul, they’ll all be back soon, so let’s not be too gloomy, okay?”

“Okay…”

I agreed, but I couldn’t shake off the dejected feeling.

Yeoreum hugged me tightly.

The soft warmth made me feel a little better.

“Gyeoul, shall we go home and prepare a party?”

“A party?”

“Yeah. Our guild members are going to work hard, so shouldn’t we do something for them?”

“Oh…! You’re right…!”

They’d left to protect others.

Rather than feeling down, I should focus on how to comfort them when they return.

I forced my drooping ears and tail to perk up.

“Let’s go home and plan the party together.”

“Okay. But don’t you want to look at the planes a bit more?”

“The planes…?”

I looked at the backs of the children still glued to the window.

They seemed fascinated by the planes taking off and landing, their heads moving left and right as they followed each aircraft.

“Wha! Levinas’s plane flew away!”

“Gaeul’s too.”

“No! Gaeul’s puppy plane is still there!”

“Huh?”

Gaeul tilted her head, looking at her plane that hadn’t taken off yet.

Levinas patted Gaeul’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry! It’ll fly soon!”

“Huh.”

The children tapped on the window, cheering for Gaeul’s plane.

Seeing them so happy made me smile.

“Can we watch the planes a little longer?”

“Of course.”

As Yeoreum let go of me, I immediately stuck to the airport window with the children to watch the planes.

“King! Levinas might become a plane rider in the future!”

“A rider?”

“Yeah! Driving is scary! So I’ll just be a rider!”

“I see… But won’t riding be scary too? It goes really high up.”

“That’s why I’ll ride with everyone!”

Levinas squeezed between me and Yeoreum.

She started giggling as she wedged herself in the middle of us.

“If I’m squeezed in between like this, it won’t be scary, right?”

“Yeah. It wouldn’t be scary at all like that.”

She’d rather be sandwiched between family than have a window seat.

It was so typical of Levinas, I loved it.

“Gaeul plane.”

“Yeah. Gaeul’s plane is leaving now.”

“Master plane.”

“Yeah. Saebyeok’s plane is going too.”

We watched the planes for a long time, until we’d seen everyone’s planes fly away. Then we left the airport.

I thought we’d just take a car home, but there were reporters crowded at the park entrance.

“Ms. Han Yeoreum, could we have a word?”

“There are concerns about this expedition.”

Reporters swarmed around us with microphones.

Yeoreum gave them an awkward smile.

She didn’t seem able to ignore them outright like our Master.

“After thorough discussions with our guild members, we concluded it was possible. I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

“Even with you and Choi Jinhyuk not going?”

“Yes, of course.”

We need to get going now.

Yeoreum pushed past the reporters.

The children and I followed her in a line like a train.

I was at the very back, and-

“Ms. Han Yeoreum?”

The attention was becoming uncomfortable.

I just wanted to go home quickly.

As I was thinking this, a shocking question came from behind.

“Who will act as guild master while Yeomyeong Guild’s master is away?”

“Uh…”

I had received the emblem from the Master, but I knew I wasn’t really the acting master.

Even so, I felt an inexplicable pressure.

Should I do something?

I cautiously turned around.

Numerous reporters were watching us with cameras and microphones.

After hesitating, I just waved at them.

The only thing I could do was believe in our guild members.

**

Back home, I pondered over the celebration party.

They’d be tired on the day they return, so maybe we should have the party the next day?

No, adventurers have great stamina, so the same day might be fine?

“Hmm…”

I wondered if we could have lots of fish at the party.

As I was walking around the park with my arms crossed, I heard a sound.

Thud thud thud thud-

It sounded like a tiny helicopter flying somewhere.

It had to be a very small helicopter.

‘What’s that?’

I looked up in the direction of the sound.

A drone about the size of my head was flying through the sky, and it even had a camera attached.

Whoever was controlling the drone must have spotted me through the camera, because it started wobbling from side to side as if dancing.

Its unsteady movements suggested the pilot wasn’t very skilled.

“…?”

Surely the guild wouldn’t allow drones to fly here because of security concerns.

I picked up a small rock from nearby.

I was ready to knock the drone down if necessary.

When I aimed the rock at the drone, it started wobbling away.

It was fleeing towards my tent.

“S-stop…”

I chased after the drone, rock in hand.

Just as I was about to throw the stone-

Thud!

The wobbling drone crashed into a tree.

“Eek!”

At the same time, I heard Levinas scream from inside the tent.

“Levinas?”

Did something happen to Levinas?

I rushed into the tent.

Inside, Levinas was wearing opaque goggles, her ears standing straight up.

She seemed startled, her body frozen stiff.

“Levinas, what’s wrong?”

“It crashed…!”

“Crashed?”

Levinas was holding a controller in her hands.

The drone had been Levinas all along.

“You were controlling that?”

“Yeah!”

“Where did you get it?”

“Yeoreum gave it to me! She said it’s used for dungeon exploration!”

“I see.”

And here I thought it was some stranger flying it.

Just as I was sighing in relief, Levinas handed me the goggles and controller.

“Want to try it, King?!”

“Sure. Sounds fun.”

I put on the goggles Levinas gave me.

Amazingly, I could see the drone’s view.

It must be thanks to the camera attached to the drone.

‘The controls are simple.’

Up and down.

Left and right.

After quickly learning the basics, I flew the drone around the park.

It almost felt like I was flying through the sky myself.

“Wow.”

This is pretty fun.

Excited, I flew quickly around the park.

That’s when I spotted Saebyeok and Gaeul coming our way.

“…!”

Saebyeok’s tail shot straight up when she saw the drone.

It looked like her feline hunting instincts had kicked in.

Gaeul next to her wagged her tail, her eyes wide.

A small, moving, flying machine.

The children were bound to love it.

I made the drone wobble left and right in front of them.

“Plane!”

Gaeul pointed at the drone.

The drone couldn’t pick up sound, but my beast-kin ears could catch the children’s voices from far away.

“Plaaane.”

Gaeul came running with her hands outstretched, panting.

Her slightly protruding tongue showed she was in a good mood.

I should play with them for a bit.

As I was flying around, dodging Gaeul’s pursuit-

Thwack!

With a collision sound, the drone started falling to the ground.

“…!”

It felt like I was falling myself.

My startled ears and tail shot straight up.

I understood why Levinas had screamed earlier.

‘What happened?’

There was nothing to collide with.

As I stood frozen in shock, Saebyeok’s face appeared on the drone camera.

She looked quite satisfied.

‘Ah, I see.’

Saebyeok must have snatched it.

I’d been so focused on avoiding Gaeul that I’d forgotten about Saebyeok.

‘That’s too bad.’

I thought I could fly around more.

Just as I was clicking my tongue in disappointment, Gaeul’s face appeared on the camera.

Slurp-

Gaeul started licking the drone with her tongue out.

She was licking the camera directly, so all I could see was Gaeul’s pink tongue filling the screen.

“Ah.”

It felt like a giant tongue was licking me.

Even though I knew it wasn’t really licking me, I could feel the sensation on my face and tail.

“Wow…”

Was it just psychological?

She was clearly only licking the camera, but it felt so real.

I focused on the licking sensation, then tried closing my eyes.

I thought I wouldn’t feel it if I couldn’t see it, but surprisingly, I could still sense it.

“Huh?”

Why can I still feel it?

Confused, I took off the goggles.

That’s when I saw Levinas licking my cheek.

“Meow meow.”

Behind me, Seol was licking my tail.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep