Chapter 34: Meeting the Parents? (3)

I’m back.

A simple greeting, but could any words better express the girl’s feelings?

After her parents died and she was passed to relatives, it was a greeting she’d never shared even when was gradually handed over to the cult.

She reflexively blurted it out upon seeing the monks, choking up without realizing.

“Our little one is back!!”

Monk Haein, who had been sweeping the floor with flexing muscles, welcomed her with open arms.

“Hmm, your hair’s a mess.”

Monk Doyun, looking haggard, immediately tied up the girl’s hair that had been messed up by the wind.

“Child! Our child, did you eat well while you were out?”

“Now, now, Jinseong. There’s an order to things.”

Even Monk Muae and Monk Jinseong, the second and third eldest at Wonhyo Temple, forgot their dignity and came running.

Monk Jamyeong and the Guild Master, who had entered with the girl, quietly stepped back.

Everyone looked happy.

Worries about Gates, the temple’s gradually worsening finances.

Such trivial concerns seemed completely forgotten as they looked at each other with genuine smiles.

“Oh my, look how red your skin is. We should have bought you some sunscreen.”

“Hehe… I wasn’t outside for that long.”

It wasn’t just the monks.

“Hey, kiddo. So did you have fun today?”

“Yes! We went to a place called Gyeongbokgung…!”

The girl’s cheeks flushed red and her eyes crinkled as she smiled like a puppy wagging its tail to greet family.

She chattered away excitedly about how fun her outing had been.

How amazing Gyeongbokgung Palace was.

How kind the Guild Master had been.

Even how she’d experienced virtual reality at the Chungseong Guild building.

What an idyllic scene.

“You look happy.”

Monk Jamyeong burst into hearty laughter too.

It was the right choice to trust the Guild Master and let the girl go out.

Always stuck in the temple, unable to spend even a penny frivolously, there was nothing he could do for her.

Though he knew he should let go of his desires, he couldn’t help feeling regretful.

Around that time.

“Hello, Monk.”

“We’re here!”

Finally, the sisters arrived at the temple with all the gifts.

They seemed to have gotten bags from somewhere, as their inventories weren’t enough, and were shouldering heavy luggage.

Monk Jamyeong’s eyes widened.

“Hmm? You two came all this way?”

It was an unexpected visit.

Given their connection to Chungseong Guild, they were certainly well acquainted.

But the sisters he knew weren’t the type to willingly endure such inconvenience.

Well, they were children who had lost their parents and been hurt, so it was understandable.

Meeting them once or twice a year for greetings was considered frequent.

However, instead of answering the monk’s question, the sisters just unloaded their heavy luggage.

Thud!

All sorts of items began spilling out of the bag they set down on the main hall floor.

At first, it was daily necessities like lotion, soap, and detergent.

Then came an assortment of foods from their inventory: cakes, drinks, puddings, tanghulu, fruits, and more.

“Oh! No, what is all this!”

Even the monks who had been focused on the girl were shocked and exclaimed.

This was more than you’d see at a market.

Even for Awakened, it couldn’t have been easy to carry all this up the mountainside.

“My. Why did you suddenly bring so many gifts? We can’t accept this.”

No matter how much they needed to raise the girl, the monks were still proper Buddhists.

For those who should distance themselves from greed, such luxury was unacceptable.

Monk Jamyeong stepped forward with a stern expression, but

“We didn’t buy these. The little one is giving them as gifts to the monks.”

“Hmm? The child bought them?”

The Guild Master’s words made Monk Jamyeong flinch.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the girl.

How could that child, who had been wandering the mountains with nowhere to live, have this much money?

In fact, the girl firmly believed all these gifts were her ‘job payment’.

“Y-yes, I bought them!”

Fearing the monks might return the gifts, she rushed to block Monk Jamyeong’s path.

Her small frame was less than half the size of the sturdy monk.

She had to look up to barely meet his eyes.

“Child, lying is bad.”

Could the Guild Master have tricked this innocent child?

Despite Monk Jamyeong’s sharp gaze, the girl stood firm.

After all, she knew that deception was a sin.

“I earned this fairly through work!”

The girl began, and then…

Quietly-

She lowered her head, her cheeks flushing red at the attention focused on her.

“Um… ah…”

This is too embarrassing to say myself…

It’s just a small repayment compared to what I’ve received.

Won’t it seem like I’m arrogantly bragging?

She fidgeted with her fingers, glancing around nervously for a moment.

“It’s alright, child. Speak freely.”

Monk Jamyeong’s voice was still kind.

[Oh come on! We have a lot to talk about, so hurry up and finish!]

Urged on by Mia’s voice, she mumbled in a whisper:

“…I-I felt like I’d been receiving too much. When I ate delicious things outside, I thought of the monks. H-happiness is meant to be shared with everyone, right?”

The girl ended up with even her nape and ear tips turning bright red.

“…I see. That’s right.”

Happiness is meant to be shared.

The Dhammapada says: For one’s own happiness, one should always wish for the happiness of others.

The Jataka Tales show Shakyamuni practicing sacrifice and compassion by sharing his wealth with those around him.

This too ultimately meant that the happiness of others was one’s own happiness.

“Our child is so thoughtful… what are we to do…”

Tears welled up at the sight of the girl, who had been sent out to have fun, still thinking of the monks.

Who could dislike such a kind child?

To be honest, he had been endlessly worried about sending her outside, fearing she might be scammed or suffer hardships.

Monk Jamyeong silently stroked the girl’s head and answered:

“Alright. We can’t just leave what our child bought untouched. Would you choose one for me?”

“…Yes!”

Unlike the young monks who had recently joined the temple, the older ones had never even been to a cafe, let alone tried drinks beyond rice water, sikhye, barley tea, or green tea.

“This was the most delicious…”

Of all things, the girl brought lemonade, which was challenging for someone with such a plain palate.

A slice of lemon floating on the bright yellow liquid.

Monk Jamyeong’s eyes trembled as he looked down at the drink.

-“Monk, you don’t have to force yourself.”

The Guild Master, knowing his usual tastes, couldn’t hide his concern.

Nevertheless, Monk Jamyeong chuckled and took the drink the girl offered.

Poke-

He inserted the straw without hesitation and took a sip.

From the first sip, his tongue tingled with a sourness that reached his brain and spine.

My gums hurt…

My teeth are sensitive for the first time since becoming an Awakened!

Though his eyes widened and saliva flowed at the taste, the monk’s outward appearance remained calm.

“It’s… delicious.”

“Right? So everyone hurry and eat! Eating a variety like this is how you stay healthy! You all keep eating poisonous mushrooms, that’s why your hair’s falling out.”

Monk Jamyeong’s sacrifice.

And the girl’s words, filled with some tremendous misunderstanding, prompted the other monks who had been hesitating to start eating snacks and drinks.

It was an unexpected festival.

“Ah! D-don’t eat that! There are bugs in it!”

“What?!”

There was occasional commotion, but

Anyone present would have given the same answer if asked.

They were happy.

They were having fun.

They wished they could keep living like this without worries.

And so… they hoped this scarred child could forget her wounds and stand up again.

Just as the girl thought of the monks, the monks’ minds were filled with concern for the girl.

As boisterous voices spread across the mountainside,

“Monk, may I have a word with you?”

The Guild Master carefully arranged a meeting, sensing the atmosphere had noticeably relaxed.

“Ahem… Did something happen outside?”

Monk Jamyeong coughed belatedly, still reeling from the lemonade shock.

The Guild Master pretended not to notice and got to the point.

“It’s about the child’s future.”

Even in this happy atmosphere, it was a tense moment for the Guild Master too.

“What do you think about… entrusting the child to our guild?”

Monk Jamyeong and all the monks loved and cherished the girl.

Telling such people that they wanted to raise the child as an Awakened and take her to the guild was not an easy task.

If this had been before the Gates appeared, it would have been like saying they wanted to take an orphan and raise her as a mercenary. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been strange if Monk Jamyeong had gotten angry.

He had left the sisters behind in case the conversation went wrong and he needed to call the girl over.

“…I see. So you were thinking the same thing.”

Instead, Monk Jamyeong just let out a bitter sigh, as if he had expected this.

“Eek! B-bug eggs!”

“Now, now! Didn’t I say not to waste food?”

“Blackmail is bad…!”

“What blackmail? I’m just asking you to try it. Say ‘ah’.”

Despite the commotion inside, the atmosphere outside was completely different.

Monk Jamyeong stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the star-filled sky as he spoke softly.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen the child so happy. That must mean her experience outside was very fun.”

The girl’s age was unknown.

But judging by her appearance, she was at most around ten years old.

It was an age when she should be experiencing various things with people in the city, not stuck in a temple eating wild vegetables and playing in the mountains and fields.

Above all, the Guild Master could provide countless things that he couldn’t.

Even if it seemed materialistic, it couldn’t be helped.

Already, there were more items in the girl’s room that the Guild Master had given her than things he had provided.

“Moreover… we’re reaching our limit. The contamination is slowly reaching this area. The temple environment is no longer safe for the child to stay.”

With that, Monk Jamyeong resolved to give up his meager desires, thinking solely of the girl’s well-being.

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