What kind of repayment would be appropriate?

After much deliberation, the decision was made: selling fish-shaped bread at the guild.

At first, the idea seemed dubious. How could running a fish-shaped bread stall be considered proper repayment? But it only took a single day to realize just how impactful the decision was.

Business is booming…

Yoon Chae-rin’s food cart didn’t just sell fish-shaped bread; it also offered a variety of other snacks, like walnut pastries and takoyaki.

To complement the snacks, a small café space was set up within the guild, and it became an instant hit. Lines of people queued up for the treats, and it wasn’t long before I understood why.

“King!”

Levinas ran up to me, holding a paper bag that smelled of freshly baked bread. Peeking inside, I noticed something peculiar—it wasn’t filled with fish-shaped bread, but pastries shaped like rabbits and cats.

“These aren’t fish-shaped?”

“Nope! Rabbits and cats!”

Crunch.

Levinas eagerly bit into the ear of a cat-shaped pastry, and my own ears twitched involuntarily at the sight.

“Is it good?”

“It’s sooo tasty!”

Levinas offered me the bag, urging me to try one. I picked out a rabbit-shaped pastry, its long ears particularly charming.

“Is this supposed to be Levinas bread?”

“Yup! And that’s King Gyeoul bread!”

Pastries modeled after me and Levinas? Did that mean there was one for Saebyeok as well?

Just as I was about to imagine a dignified cat-shaped pastry and take a bite, Levinas suddenly started running circles around me at an incredible speed.

“Levinas?”

His pace was astonishing. Being a horned rabbit beastkin, he was naturally quick, but this was on another level. If I had to quantify it, he seemed about 1.5 times faster than usual.

“Woohoo! Levinas is as fast as a police car!”

After whizzing around me several times, Levinas finally came to a halt, panting heavily but looking immensely satisfied.

“Why are you so fast all of a sudden?”

“This bread makes you faster!”

“Bread…?”

“Yup! But you have to eat it with tea!”

So, eating bread with tea granted some kind of buff? That had to be my doing—it seemed like one of the effects of my abilities. Unfortunately, I couldn’t use my buffs on myself.

Why, though…

There had to be a reason, but nothing came to mind. I decided to discuss it with Sophia later.

Still, this buff could be great for business.

If the bread really enhanced speed, people might pay a premium for it.

Curious about how things were going, I decided to visit the guild café with Levinas.

“Whoa…”

When we arrived, the line was incredibly long, filled mostly with adventurers I recognized from around the guild. Among them were Ensia and Argo.

“Ensia, Argo.”

“Gyeoul.”

“Captain!”

I approached them, and Levinas hopped onto Argo’s shoulder, while the snow fox in Ensia’s arms leapt into mine with a cheerful “Meow!”

As I stroked the fox, I looked up at Ensia.

“Ensia, why is the line so long here?”

“It’s likely due to the new buff. People are eager to experience its effects.”

“Ah…”

So the adventurers were testing the buff to see if it would be useful in the field.

Already knowing what it did, I leaned closer to Ensia and Argo to share the details quietly.

“The buff increases movement speed.”

“We’d heard rumors about that, but…”

“It seems to boost speed by about fifty percent.”

“F-Fifty percent?”

Ensia’s tail stiffened in surprise, and Argo let out an audible gasp. Their reactions confirmed how significant the buff was.

Too bad I can’t benefit from it myself.

If only I could grow stronger through the buffs too… My shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Maybe I shouldn’t enter the café.

It was already so busy that stepping inside would only cause more disruption. Having seen enough, I decided to head back home.

“Ensia, is it okay if I head home now?”

“Of course. Should I keep the fox here or…?”

“I’ll take her with me.”

“Understood.”

Ensia handed me a small package wrapped in plastic. The scent of jerky wafted from it—clearly a treat for the fox. The smell was oddly appetizing, even to me.

“Hmm…”

Why did a cat treat smell so good to me? I shook off the thought and placed the fox on my head.

“Meow!”

The fox nipped gently at my ear.

For some reason, my ears seemed to be getting bitten a lot today—even if it was just this one time.

***

Levinas and I returned home, the faint hum of the massage chair reaching us as we stepped into the living room.

“Sophia…?”

To my surprise, it wasn’t Sophia sitting in the chair, but Saebyeok. Sophia stood beside her, lips curled downward in a visible pout.

“Saebyeok, it’s time to let someone else have a turn,” Sophia said.

“Just a little longer…”

Saebyeok, typically so composed and stoic, had a rare, relaxed expression. Meanwhile, Sophia’s eyes burned with a fiery intensity, her obsession with the massage chair on full display.

“How much longer do you plan to sit there?”

“All day…”

Saebyeok let out a contented sigh, her tension melting away. Sophia’s eyebrow twitched in frustration.

“If that’s the case, I’ll have to use force to get you off.”

“Force…?”

Saebyeok’s eyes narrowed slightly, her sharp gaze making Sophia’s tail flick nervously.

“Y-you may be stronger than me, but…”

“Then why don’t you just get off? We’re family, after all. No need to fight.”

“…You’ve made me feel ashamed.”

Saebyeok sighed deeply as she rose from the chair, her cheeks faintly flushed.

“Sophia.”

I approached her with a cheerful bounce in my step.

Thud, thud, thud—

The motion of the chair jostled her small frame slightly as she settled into the seat.

“You seem deep in thought,” I said.

“Yes… something has been on my mind.”

“What is it?”

“Why can’t I use the buffs I create myself?”

“Ah…”

Sophia pressed the massage chair’s stop button, her demeanor suddenly serious.

“I’ve wondered about that myself,” she said thoughtfully.

“Did you figure anything out?”

“Perhaps it’s akin to granting blessings,” she replied.

“Granting blessings?”

That didn’t seem to fit my position. I wasn’t exactly someone who could bestow blessings on others. As I tilted my head in confusion, the snow fox perched on top of me clung tightly to avoid falling.

“How could I possibly grant blessings?”

“Providing delicious food and a healthy body—those are blessings, are they not? And blessings are not something one can grant oneself.”

“Ah… I see what you mean, but aren’t blessings usually something given by those of higher status, like kings or gods?”

“Perhaps Levinas calling you a king all the time has made you one,” Sophia teased with a mischievous grin. Her expression suggested she was hiding something.

“No way. How could I possibly be a king?”

“Don’t dismiss the idea so quickly. You never know what life has in store.”

Sophia placed her hand on my head. My tail wagged instinctively, but I quickly realized she wasn’t petting me—she was stroking the snow fox instead.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

“Um…”

I fidgeted slightly, stealing glances at Sophia. Finally, her hand moved to my head, ruffling my hair gently.

“Do you really enjoy having your head patted that much?”

“It’s not the head pats themselves—it’s that it’s Sophia doing it.”

“Oh… is that so?”

Sophia cleared her throat awkwardly, lifting the snow fox into her arms. The fox mewed softly, snuggling against her affectionately.

“Do we have any treats left for her?”

“Just one piece of jerky.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“I’ll go buy more.”

I decided to pick up some extra cat supplies while I was at it—maybe some dried anchovies too. Since the others were likely watching cartoons, I planned to go alone.

“Are you heading out right away?”

“Yes, I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright, be careful. Always raise your hand when crossing the street.”

“Got it.”

Being small, I knew it was important to make myself visible to drivers. With a nod, I headed toward the front door.

I decided to visit the large supermarket I frequented. It always had everything I needed.

***

Rumble, rumble—

Sophia was still indulging in the massage chair when Midsummer and Jung Yuna walked into the living room.

“Sophia, have you seen Gyeoul? She’s not around,” Midsummer asked.

“She went out to buy treats for Sori.”

“Ah, I see.”

Not watching cartoons and instead heading to the store? Such diligence.

Gyeoul is smart—she’ll be careful crossing the streets, right?

While Midsummer was lost in her thoughts, Jung Yuna’s face suddenly turned pale.

“Sophia, she didn’t go to the big supermarket, did she?”

“She did mention going there. Why? Is there a problem?”

It’s just a supermarket—what could be the issue? Both Sophia and Midsummer looked puzzled.

“Right now, they’re holding an event there…”

“What kind of event?”

“Well, uh… it’s a zombie festival.”

Zombie.

The word made Midsummer blink in disbelief. Zombies were something Gyeoul absolutely shouldn’t encounter under any circumstances.

“A zombie festival?”

“Y-yeah… it’s an event with people dressed as zombies. You run around avoiding them, and they give out prizes and stuff…”

“Incredible.”

Without another word, Midsummer dashed out of the building at an astonishing speed. Not a single person seemed to notice her departure.

“Sophia, when exactly did Gyeoul leave?”

“…Quite a while ago.”

What was taking so long with her shopping? Was it the zombies?

Sophia closed her eyes tightly and let out a long, weary sigh.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep