Chapter 19: I Want to See the City (2)

If we want to see the city and its people, the bustling downtown area would be the best place to go.

The amusement park tickets he had his secretaries prepare…

‘I’ll tell those hard-working folks to go enjoy themselves.’

Not wanting to waste the VVIP free pass tickets, he handed them over to the head secretary.

From now on, he planned to focus on taking care of the girl.

“Oh! Um, can these little ones come with us too?” the girl asked.

Looking down, he saw the girl’s bluish hair.

What did she want to bring along?

“…Sparrows? Are you raising them?”

Three plump sparrows were perched on the girl’s palm.

Chirping and preening themselves leisurely, they seemed quite accustomed to being with humans.

“Hmm… Am I raising them? I’m not sure. They just followed me here.”

The girl stared at the sparrows, tilting her head.

As if on cue, the sparrows who had been busy preening also tilted their heads in unison.

“Huh.”

It was quite adorable how the little girl kept calling the sparrows “little ones.”

Whatever it was, animals mimicking humans wasn’t exactly normal.

Could she have the ability to communicate with animals in addition to her power of creation?

For one person to awaken three abilities simultaneously was unprecedented.

Seeing the Guild Master’s serious expression, the girl sat down dejectedly.

“Ah… I guess it would be troublesome for you…”

She was about to put the sparrow family down on the ground when-

Cheep!

The sparrows angrily clung to her hands.

“No, it’s fine if they come along.”

The Guild Master, having made up his mind, pulled out a small bag from thin air with a pop.

He had used an inventory ring, something most hunters could only dream of.

The girl, oblivious to this fact, gasped in amazement.

“A miracle! Guild Master, you have the power of wishes too!”

Her reaction was less surprise and more like the joy of meeting a long-lost friend.

Before he could respond, the girl put her hands on her hips and scolded him.

“But Guild Master, you shouldn’t waste wishes like that!”

Mm-hmm!

The Guild Master didn’t receive training like me, so I should help him!

However, in her eagerness, the sparrows nearly got squashed in her grip. They chirped angrily as they settled on top of the bag.

“…I see.”

This chaotic situation was utterly foreign to someone who usually preferred a quiet and calm environment.

“You understand, right? Wishes shine brightest when used for others. And taking care of your body is essential, of course.”

Cheep cheep-! Cheep!

The sparrows interrupted, as if trying to disrupt the girl’s lecture.

“Shh! It’s rude to interrupt when adults are talking!”

Cheeeep-!

The scene looked as if they were actually communicating, causing the Guild Master to unconsciously rub his forehead.

Ah…

So this is why they say not everyone can raise children.

Realizing this new fact and fearing the girl might start nagging again, he quickly explained,

“It’s not like that. It’s called an ‘inventory’ – I just stored the item somewhere else and took it out.”

“Oh…”

Finally realizing she had gotten carried away, the girl lowered her head glumly.

This was quite perplexing – he wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.

He broke out in a cold sweat.

The Guild Master hurriedly handed the bag he had taken out to the girl.

“It’s a gift for you.”

It had been quite difficult to obtain this item.

Not because it was expensive or rare, but because his secretaries’ opinions had been evenly split.

“A girl around ten years old? Of course, it should be a Kurumi character bag!”

“Come on, Kurumi is so outdated. Kids these days are more mature and don’t like that stuff.”

A character bag shaped like a cat wearing a cloak.

And a small, modest casual bag in light pink.

After much deliberation, the Guild Master had chosen the character bag.

The reason was simple.

‘A child raised in the cult probably lacks sensitivity.’

He hoped this small gesture might provide some of the childhood joy she had missed out on in the cult.

Perhaps thanks to this thoughtfulness-

“Is… is this really for me? Why…?”

The girl’s mouth fell open.

She unconsciously reached out to hug the bag, then hesitated and clenched her fist.

She clearly liked it.

So why was she still being so cautious?

“Um… What should I give you in return?”

Despite being told it was a gift, she couldn’t readily accept it.

How difficult must her life have been to react this way to someone’s kindness?

The Guild Master gritted his teeth, trying to appear nonchalant as he gave the excuse he had prepared.

“Yes, it’s yours. It’s a reward for attending all your lectures diligently.”

A gift for attending lectures well?

Thump!

The girl raised both arms.

Cheep cheep-!

She didn’t even notice the sparrows landing on her palms as they left the bag.

If only she had known, she would have studied harder at the cult too!

Then she might have received more gifts like this!

“The sparrows might fall out, so put them inside the bag.”

“…Okay!”

The girl beamed as she hugged the bag.

Sniff sniff, it had a peculiar, sticky smell that was hard to describe.

It was a strangely addictive scent.

“Hehe…”

The Guild Master didn’t rush her.

She had definitely mentioned the power of ‘wishes’ earlier.

It seemed her ability to create objects wasn’t ‘creation’ but ‘wishes.’

Moreover, judging by how she spoke, it seemed there was some kind of cost involved.

‘If it’s an ability that can create anything, is that why those bastards at the cult wanted her?’

He could easily guess why the girl had been held captive by the cult.

Though he still couldn’t figure out how she had managed to escape.

“Alright, if you want to come along, get in here.”

Cheep cheep!

“You don’t want to? Is it too cramped? Oh! You’re feeling claustrophobic, right?”

Cheeeep!

“Hmm… How about if we leave the zipper slightly open? You need to go in here if you want to come with me. The Guild Master looks troubled.”

Even while the Guild Master was lost in serious thought, the girl remained innocent.

After what seemed like an intense negotiation with the sparrows-

“There! This should do it, right?”

Cheep cheep!

In the end, the sparrow family only agreed to enter the bag after receiving fresh rice grains from the girl.

Finally, they were ready to depart.

The Guild Master already felt drained, and they hadn’t even started yet.

Hiding his fatigue, he took the girl’s hand and asked,

“Are you afraid of heights?”

The girl, who had just shouldered her bag with a grunt, shook her head as if it were no big deal.

“As long as I don’t die, falling is fine.”

It was a chilling answer, but at least it was fortunate.

Since the girl wasn’t afraid of heights, he could show her even better views.

“Hold on tight. If you get scared, just tell me.”

“Okay!”

The Guild Master, preparing for any situation, wrapped the girl’s hand once with his telekinesis before fully activating his ability.

As they started walking along the mountain path-

“Eek!”

The bodies of the Guild Master and the girl slowly began to rise into the air.

It was a strange sensation, like swimming through the air, that made their whole bodies tingle.

As the girl shivered, the sparrow family peeked their heads out of the bag.

Cheeeep-!

A series of chirps erupted.

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll handle the flying, so just relax and enjoy the view.”

“…W-wow, Guild Master, you really are an angel!”

The Guild Master ignored the girl’s nonsense and concentrated on using his telekinesis.

Honestly, this was no easy feat even for an S-class Awakened like himself.

Flying alone was simple, but carrying another person required ten times the effort.

Moreover, he had to block the wind to prevent the girl from being buffeted by strong gusts.

Thanks to this stability, the girl quickly grew accustomed to the sensation of flying.

Higher and higher they rose.

The girl burst into laughter as the gentle breeze caressed her body.

The scenery of Bukhansan Mountain spread out below felt oddly familiar.

“Ah! There! Is that our temple?”

“Yes, it is.”

Having risen high enough, even the temple they had left behind looked like a miniature toy.

When walking around inside, it had seemed so vast.

But now, with people looking smaller than ants, she realized how small it actually was.

And those shiny spots must be the monks’ heads, right?

“Would they hear me if I said hello?”

“I don’t think so.”

She had wanted to show off to the monks who always called her ‘little one’ or ‘child’ despite her being grown up.

If they could see her flying like this, they’d be so amazed!

“Ah,” the girl let out a short sigh.

But instead of complaining, she quickly resigned herself and focused on looking around.

She was clearly used to giving up.

“This is amazing, Guild Master! What’s that over there?”

“That’s… a hanok village. Probably.”

“What’s a hanok?”

“It’s a traditional Korean style of building.”

“If they’re made of wood, what about mold? Do mushrooms grow there too? Oh! Our ancestors must have pursued an eco-friendly lifestyle where they could pick mushrooms right in their homes!”

This unexpected nonsense caused the Guild Master and the girl to drop a few inches towards the ground.

His concentration had momentarily slipped.

“Hehehe! This! Do this again!”

There was no need to worry about the girl being startled.

She was enjoying it so much that she seemed to have forgotten all about the hanok she had just been talking about.

“Oh! Guild Master! Why do all those buildings look the same? Is there an Awakened who can copy buildings?”

She excitedly pointed at an unidentified apartment complex, raising her voice.

And the girl’s chatter didn’t stop there.

“Look, they’re growing trees on the rooftop over there! Everyone must really love mushrooms!”

She was clearly having a great time.

The problem was that at this point, the Guild Master’s ears were starting to hurt.

It was nice to see the poor child so happy, but…

“Ah! That cross! It’s the heretics’ headquarters!”

“Oh! Is that place taken over by Monk Jamyeong?”

“Wow! There are so many students! They’re all smiling! The ground really is a happy place!”

He abandoned his original plan to tour around the Han River and Namsan Mountain.

Not just because of the concentration issue, but also because it would be better to see things up close rather than from afar.

This absolutely wasn’t an excuse because his ears hurt or because the situation was too chaotic.

By the time they landed, the Guild Master looked 10 years older than when they had left the temple, haggard and worn out. He hastily increased his speed and landed with the girl at the entrance of Gyeongbokgung Palace.

As the girl had said, it was a place where they could see people living their lives and their happy moments together.

There were also plenty of good restaurants nearby where he planned to treat her to delicious food she might not have had before.

“Guild Master? Is this the place?”

“Yes. From here on, we’ll walk.”

“Hehe… Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity…!”

Seeing her bright smile, the Guild Master couldn’t help but smile back.

Surprisingly, he had completely forgotten his initial resolve to gather information from the girl.

—