Crunch, crunch—

The carrots Levinas grew always tasted amazing. Even someone who disliked carrots would probably enjoy them.

“These are homegrown carrots. They’re really delicious.”

“Wow, then I’ll give it a try!”

Kim Ah-young opened her mouth wide, making an “ah” sound. Was she asking to be fed? Just as I moved to place a carrot in her mouth, someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

“Ah-young, you can’t do that.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“You shouldn’t take food from a kid.”

“N-no, Gyeoul was offering it to me…”

The two girls began a tug-of-war for reasons I couldn’t understand. Startled, Levinas quickly pulled a fresh carrot from her bag and rushed over.

“H-here’s a new carrot! You can eat this one!”

“Tch…”

Clicking her tongue, Kim Ah-young accepted the new carrot from Levinas. Crunch. She took a bite, and her eyes widened.

“Wow, this is really good!”

“Good? A carrot?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t taste like an ordinary carrot at all!”

“Is it that good?”

The students began passing around the carrot, each taking a bite. Crunching away, they all let out exclamations of surprise.

“Whoa.”

“This doesn’t even taste like a carrot!”

Perhaps because they were students, their reactions were dramatic. Their loud praises visibly boosted Levinas’s spirits.

“Hehe. This carrot was grown by Levinas!”

“Wow, that’s incredible!”

Clap, clap, clap—

Kim Ah-young clapped lightly and rummaged through her eco bag. She pulled out some drawing paper and canvas paints.

“Since you gave me a carrot, here’s a gift for you.”

“Painting supplies!”

Levinas hopped off the platform and onto my lap. Saebyeok, who had been napping while curled up on the desk, shifted slightly to make room. Just enough space to set down the drawing paper.

“Can I draw with this?”

“Of course, as much as you like.”

Getting Kim Ah-young’s permission, Levinas grabbed a paintbrush.

Swish, swish—

She began coloring the blank paper with her unique palette.

“Ah-young, what about your class today?”

“I’ll just get scolded. What else can I do?”

Scolded? Don’t tell me she handed over her art class materials to Levinas. I looked up at Kim Ah-young in confusion just as the classroom door slid open.

Clatter—

A middle-aged man wearing glasses entered. Judging by his age, he was probably the art teacher.

“What’s all this commotion?”

“Teacher, there are kids here!”

“Kids…?”

The art teacher’s eyes met mine, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

“What are you all doing here?”

“Uh, we’re here for a… field trip.”

I thought the guild had informed the school in advance, but it seemed not all the teachers were aware.

“Hey, kid, sorry, but we’re about to start class.”

“S-sorry… We’ll leave…”

I picked up Saebyeok and cradled her in my arms. I also tapped Levinas on the shoulder, signaling her to get up. As we moved to leave, voices of protest erupted around us.

“Ah! Teacher!”

“Sir, you’re so heartless!”

“…Focus on class, you brats.”

The art teacher stroked his beard and approached us, picking up some paint from a nearby shelf.

“Sorry for kicking you out. Today’s a graded assignment, so I don’t have a choice.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine…”

If it was for grades, we couldn’t argue. Just as I stood up to leave, he handed us some paints.

“Here, take this as a parting gift.”

“A gift? Really?”

“Is it okay?”

“Yep! Earlier, Levinas traded carrots for paints!”

Levinas showed the paint to the art teacher. His eyes shifted to the label on the paints.

“…Give that back to Ah-young and take this instead.”

“Okay! Got it!”

Watching Levinas take the new paints, I suddenly remembered something I was supposed to do.

A scholarship.

The guild had asked me to deliver it if I met a teacher. I pulled an envelope from my pocket.

“Excuse me, I was told to give this to a teacher.”

“To me?”

“No, to any teacher we ran into.”

“Hm…”

The teacher accepted the scholarship envelope. With the task complete, I decided we should leave before we disrupted the class any further.

“We’ll be going now.”

Holding Saebyeok, I stepped out of the art room. Levinas trailed behind me.

“Ahhh.”

“Nooo.”

From inside the classroom, I could hear the disappointed voices of the students. Regrettable, but we decided to explore other parts of the school.

***

The Dawnbreak Guild’s territory generally boasted high property values,
indicating it was a well-off area. As a result, the school grounds were expansive, with plenty to see.

We wandered around, checking out the parking lot full of cars and the flower beds in bloom. While sniffing the fragrant flowers with my heightened sense of smell, a ladybug landed on my nose.

“W-wow…”

Startled, I instinctively pulled my neck back like a turtle and stepped backward. It wasn’t that I was afraid of the ladybug—it was just a reflex.

It reminded me of a squirrel’s reaction to a cat clinging to its face. Watching it shrink back and awkwardly retreat had been amusing. Thinking back now, I realized I wasn’t in a position to laugh at others.

“Here.”

Saebyeok plucked the ladybug off my nose. When she opened her hand, it flew away, its wings carrying it toward Levinas, who stood in the distance.

“Levinas, what are you doing over there?”

“Psst…! Over there…!”

Levinas motioned for us to come closer, her voice hushed. Only those with beastkin hearing could catch her whisper.

“What’s going on?”

We followed Levinas to a deserted alleyway. There, a group of students surrounded a small, frail-looking girl.

Six students, to be exact, had encircled her, their hostility unmistakable. It was bullying, plain and simple. Seeing the terrified girl struck a chord in me, a feeling of empathy that I couldn’t quite place.

“You were spying on Do-yoon earlier, weren’t you?”

“N-no, I wasn’t… I didn’t…”

The petite girl frantically shook her head, her reddened eyes brimming with tears.

“I told you there’s a fine if you even look at me. Pay up. Fifty thousand won.”

Unbelievable. Fifty thousand won just for looking? That was daylight robbery.

Should I fetch a teacher? But in cases like this, wouldn’t the teachers just turn a blind eye? My awareness of how harsh the world could be left me hesitating.

And in that brief moment of indecision, things escalated.

Smack!

The largest girl in the group slapped the frail student hard enough to snap her head to the side.

“Gasp!”

Levinas flinched, startled, as Saebyeok quickly covered her eyes. Meanwhile, the bully and her group laughed carelessly, as if nothing had happened.

“Hey, let’s go smoke.”

“Got any cigarettes? I’m out.”

“I’ll lend you one. Pay me back later.”

They tormented someone and then casually moved on, laughing amongst themselves. If they’d stayed to hurt her more, I would’ve intervened, but since they were leaving, there was little else I could do.

“Yoon Chae-rin, come to our classroom after school.”

“O-okay…”

The girl, apparently named Yoon Chae-rin, nodded repeatedly, not resisting at all. Seemingly satisfied with her compliance, the bully tapped her head lightly before walking away.

“School is scary…”

Levinas’s body trembled visibly. Her grip loosened, and the carrot she’d been holding dropped to the ground, rolling onto a discarded snack bag.

Rustle.

The soft noise made Yoon Chae-rin jump and glance in our direction. Seeing us frozen in place, her shoulders slumped as she lowered her head.

“…Sorry you had to see that.”

Her voice was dejected, her figure pitiful. Levinas, moved by her plight, grabbed another carrot—a fresh one—and ran toward her.

“Here, eat this! It’s a carrot that gives you energy!”

“…”

Yoon Chae-rin didn’t reach for the carrot. Knowing what it felt like to be in her shoes, I hesitated, unsure of what to say or do.

“Uh, um…”

Should I try to comfort her? Offer tangible help? As I wavered, taking a step toward her, a voice interrupted me.

“Hey, have you seen my phone?”

The large girl who had slapped Yoon Chae-rin earlier was now walking toward us.

***

Jung Young-ho was an art teacher at Dawnbreak High School, often referred to as rigid and old-fashioned.

After finishing the performance evaluation for his students, he finally retrieved the envelope the child had handed him earlier.

“What could this be?”

Curious about its contents, he resisted the urge to open it until after the students had completed their evaluations. Only then did he carefully tear open the paper envelope.

“…Scholarship?”

Inside was a notice about a support fund provided by the Dawnbreak Guild. The amount? A staggering one billion won. Of course, it wasn’t a lump sum, but the fact that it was a grant was enough to leave anyone speechless.

“What in the world…”

A billion won warranted a formal ceremony, even a plaque of gratitude. And yet, the child had just casually left it behind and walked away.

Jung Young-ho quickly got to his feet, determined to find the kids who might still be on campus.

As he reached the parking lot, he spotted Kim Ah-young, one of his students from the art evaluation, running toward him in a panic.

“Teacher! Something terrible happened! Over there!”

“Over there? What happened?”

“It’s the beastkin kids! Gyeoul and the others! Hurry!”

Following the urgency in her voice, Jung Young-ho ran after Kim Ah-young. When they arrived, the sight before him was shocking.

A student was extorting money from the three young beastkin children.

“T-this is all I have…”

Gyeoul extended her small hands forward. In her palms were two 1,000-won bills and a few coins.

“This is insane,” Jung Young-ho muttered, clutching the notice in his hand so tightly it crumpled.

He knew exactly why the Dawnbreak Guild had sent such a significant amount.

“Treat the kids well.”

That’s what the message behind the scholarship clearly implied. It was a warning: under no circumstances should anyone mess with these children.

Schools were often filled with students who didn’t yet understand the weight of their actions or the dangers of the world. That was precisely why the guild had sent such a large sum as both a gesture and a deterrent.

And if that warning was ignored?

“…They’re doomed,” Jung Young-ho thought grimly.

He trudged toward the scene, gripping the crumpled notice tightly. He could only hope the consequences would stop at losing his job. A faint sense of dread loomed as he approached.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep