Wham-!

When the ball hit Gyeoul’s solar plexus, her ears and tail shot straight up.

The hit must have hurt badly, as she silently gasped before hurriedly climbing down from the machine.

Her rushed descent showed just how much pain she was in.

“…!”

Wide eyes and a trembling tail.

She must have been very startled, as her raised tail wouldn’t come down.

“King, are you okay…?”

“Master…!”

“Uh, um…”

Even as the children approached, Gyeoul couldn’t calm down.

Looking around restlessly, Gyeoul faced the endurance machine.

“Gr-grr…”

Gyeoul bared her teeth timidly at the machine.

Since she was rubbing her sore stomach, she couldn’t show her claws.

It was an instinctive response to a threatening presence.

“I-I don’t think I should do this…”

Muttering to herself, Gyeoul slowly backed away.

She was so startled that every movement relied on instinct.

“This might be too tough for Gyeoul right now. Right?”

“Even I find this machine difficult.”

“Y-yes…”

Gyeoul nodded at the adventurers’ words of comfort while nervously glancing at the machine.

Though it wasn’t alive, it still frightened her.

“Gyeoul, should we take a break?”

“Yeah…”

Saebyeok took the dejected Gyeoul to the park.

Gyeoul still seemed shocked, keeping her eyes wide open throughout the walk.

After arriving at the park with everyone, Gyeoul took a short rest.

Sophia, who had come to the park after work, watched this scene.

Gyeoul’s discouraged state didn’t look good.

“…Why do you look like that?”

“Ah… I was just taking a break.”

“You don’t seem well?”

Drooping tail and blank eyes.

Sophia could tell something had happened to Gyeoul.

“Well…”

“Master got hit!”

While Gyeoul hesitated, Gaeul threw a punch into the air.

It was a clumsy punch swung randomly.

“…Who hit you?”

“A machine did… I was doing endurance training.”

“Must have hurt quite a bit.”

“Yes. It wasn’t just the pain, something felt strange. Like I’m scared of getting hit… I never liked getting hit before, but today felt different somehow.”

It felt different from when Kwon Arin hit her face.

That was an accident, and though her nose bled, it hadn’t hurt terribly.

Knowing Kwon Arin’s usual affection, she hadn’t felt particularly afraid.

But the machine’s emotionless attacks were very different.

It hurt and scared her enough to make her cower.

“You say strange things.”

“Me?”

“Yes, who in this world isn’t afraid of getting hit?”

“Oh…”

Really?

Was getting hit supposed to be scary?

Gyeoul tilted her head.

“Hmm…”

Sophia could understand Gyeoul perfectly.

For a child who was used to being hit.

Even if getting hit hurt and scared her, she had to force herself to ignore it.

She couldn’t survive if she became frightened after every hit.

That Gyeoul was gradually becoming a normal child while living with everyone.

Most normal children were afraid of getting hit.

The previously abnormal Gyeoul must have felt a disconnect here.

Wondering why she suddenly became afraid of getting hit.

Though it seemed strange, it was actually a positive sign that Gyeoul was becoming a normal child.

Knowing this, Sophia gave Gyeoul a gentle smile.

“I’m scared of getting hit too. So don’t worry too much.”

“You’re scared too, Sophia?”

“Yes, it’s perfectly normal.”

“…I see.”

Gyeoul nodded.

She showed an expression of relief.

“I thought I might have become a coward.”

“You haven’t become a coward, you’ve become normal.”

“N-normal…”

Normal person.

Those words struck deep in Gyeoul’s heart.

It was what she had longed for most when living in a tent at Yeomyeong Guild.

-A normal life like others.

She hadn’t thought about it lately, being too happy living with family.

But she had finally achieved a normal life.

Gyeoul’s tail swayed gently.

**

I walked through the park with the children.

In a peaceful state without worries.

“Hehe.”

Levinas walking beside me laughed.

It was a playful giggle.

“What is it?”

“King is still a child!”

“Why am I a child?”

“Sometimes you don’t know obvious things!”

“Hmm…”

That was certainly true.

Having lived alone for so long, my knowledge was at a child’s level in many areas.

Even Sophia had once told me I lacked common sense.

Hard to argue against being called a child.

I scratched my cheek with a sheepish laugh.

“Yeah, I’m totally a child.”

“Yeah! But don’t worry about being a child! You have me!”

“Thanks. That’s really reassuring.”

Ahem.

Levinas puffed out her chest.

She looked quite reliable.

“Gyeoul, me too.”

“Yeah. Saebyeok is really reliable too. Just like an adult.”

The expressionless Saebyeok’s tail wagged quickly.

She looked quite pleased.

“Gaeul too?”

“No! Gaeul puppy is still a baby!”

“Whine!”

“But you’re reliable even as a baby!”

Gaeul’s eyes went wide.

Then she smiled brightly and started wagging her tail.

“That’s right. Gaeul is really reliable too.”

She could handle monsters in dungeons well and even clear ghost dungeons.

Incredibly capable for her age.

“Master! Master!”

Happy, Gaeul hopped around us.

Then she pointed toward the water playground.

It seemed she wanted to play there.

“Okay. Should we play there today?”

“Yeah!”

I ran toward the water playground with the children.

We decided to end the day normally playing at the playground.

**

Gyeoul and the children went down the slide.

The children laughed with delight, finding the slide so fun.

“Hmm.”

Jeffrey watched the children playing while concealing his presence.

Thanks to the presence-concealing item from Jung Yu-na and his own abilities, he could avoid detection even by Gyeoul’s keen senses.

Just seeing the children playing like children made him feel good.

As Jeffrey smiled contentedly,

a voice came from the radio on his chest.

-Did you find them?

“No, not yet…”

Just as he was about to answer that he hadn’t found them yet,

Jeffrey spotted a suspicious person approaching the children.

“…Found one.”

Though they tried to act normal, they couldn’t fool Jeffrey’s senses.

Their distinct dark aura clearly marked them as Lotus remnants.

‘Disgusting bastards.’

Over the past few days, Yeomyeong Guild and Jeffrey had nearly wiped out the Lotus organization.

Only a few escaped remnants remained.

Jeffrey was guarding the children in case of possible incidents.

These revolting people always came seeking revenge.

He stayed hidden because the children didn’t need to know about this incident.

“They’re heading toward the kids.”

-Can you handle it without the children noticing?

“Of course.”

As the Lotus remnant reached into their clothes while approaching the children,

Jeffrey flew at them with lightning speed.

Swoosh-!

Despite the concealment item and Jeffrey’s special skills, Gyeoul detected the slight movement.

“Huh?”

Something seemed to fly by quickly.

Turning her head, Gyeoul spotted Jeffrey standing alone.

“It’s been a while.”

“Jeffrey!”

Gyeoul ran toward Jeffrey.

Behind her gently swaying tail, another tiny but fast movement was felt.

Swoosh-!

“Huh?”

Gyeoul stopped running toward Jeffrey and looked back.

She only saw the children playing happily in the pool.

Something definitely passed by though.

What was it?

After looking around and seeing no one, Gyeoul turned back to Jeffrey.

“What’s wrong?”

“I thought I saw something flying by quickly.”

“Hmm… Could be fatigue. I don’t see anything.”

“Oh… really?”

It had been a tiring day.

Gyeoul didn’t think much of it.

“Your sensitive ears might tire you out quickly.”

Jeffrey pressed Gyeoul’s ears.

He massaged the cotton-like ears gently.

“Hehe.”

That feels nice.

As Gyeoul relaxed completely,

Swoosh-!

Someone in the park vanished without a trace.

Gyeoul, enjoying her ear massage, didn’t notice.

‘Yeomyeong’s guild members are strong too.’

While massaging Gyeoul’s ears, Jeffrey looked toward where the Lotus remnant had been.

A male Yeomyeong Guild member stood there as if nothing had happened.

“What are you looking at?”

Gyeoul followed Jeffrey’s gaze.

The guild member who had done endurance training stood in the middle of the park.

He was the impressive man who had endured level five training for dozens of minutes.

Hello.

Gyeoul waved at him.

He smiled with his eyes and waved back at Gyeoul.

All the children saw from Yeomyeong today were smiles.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep