Chapter 69: Party (4)

On the way to Chungseong Guild.

Though Samgak District sat at the center of the three major guilds, it was quite a distance for normal people without Awakened abilities to walk.

Even adults would find it difficult, let alone kindergarteners.

“Hahaha, never thought I’d do something like this as a day trip.”

Money and power made anything possible.

After the parents made a few phone calls, enormous limousine buses appeared one after another without even a minute’s wait.

They’d boldly chartered buses just for this brief party.

As children gathered in small groups to board with their friends.

Naturally, Gyeonwoo and Pureumi drew the most attention.

“Hey, want to ride with us? I have Malang Cow candy to share!”

“Huh? Come with us! I have a Nintendo!”

Their previous wariness of Gyeonwoo had completely vanished.

Though still a bit awkward, the children found the courage to approach.

“Oh, is it really okay if I go with you…?”

This was a first for her.

Since becoming friends with Mia by chance at the cult until now.

Most who showed interest in Gyeonwoo had been much older adults.

Even then, thinking back…

They were all just greedy for my ability, weren’t they?

But these young children couldn’t be after an ability they didn’t even know existed.

Then… why approach someone like me who has nothing else to offer…?

“Noooo! Mama’s going with Pureumi!”

Pureumi even rushed over to cling to Gyeonwoo, afraid the other children might steal her.

“Won’t you get motion sickness playing games on the bus?”

“So you’re just gonna boringly eat candy?”

“Ugh, uhhh…”

Gyeonwoo’s eyes spun in confusion, unable to decide what to do.

“Should we help?”

“Leave them be. It’s nice seeing the kids play so energetically.”

“I never expected such a little one to come up with that idea. An ice slide.”

“Mm. No wonder Guild Master Lee Sunghwan keeps hovering around her. She’s quite thoughtful.”

It was a heartwarming sight that brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

And this happiness wasn’t felt by just the parents.

The birth rate had plummeted after the Gates appeared.

Living in fear of villains or Gates appearing anywhere, anytime.

Though better than the early days, countless Awakened still died – incomparable to the past.

Though no one showed it, most citizens found happiness hard to come by in this reality.

Yet in their routinely mundane lives.

“M-me…? I’m causing conflict…?!”

“Hey! You’re making our Gyeonwoo flustered!”

Gyeonwoo’s blue hair barely stayed still as she fidgeted anxiously.

“Huh? Since when were you so close to her, Nara!”

“Hmph, jealous? Gyeonwoo asked me to be her friend herself!”

“You go with Jingyu!”

“I’ll do what I want~”

The children bickered childishly without a care in the world.

“Is Mama confused?”

“U-uhhh…”

“They said hit confused people to fix them!”

Pureumi went even further, mindlessly grabbing Gyeonwoo’s collar and shaking her.

“Pfft, seeing this makes having kids not seem so bad.”

Even passing citizens stopped to watch the children, entranced.

Everyone had become happy – except one person dragged away for overreaching.

Their bright smiles bloomed like a well-tended spring flower garden.

By this point, even the flustered Gyeonwoo started coming to her senses.

Why would everyone…

I’m nothing without granting wishes.

Isn’t this all thanks to the sisters and Guild Master staying by my side?

That thought put her at ease.

This moment felt like when she first left the cult to walk in the green mountains.

Like when she believed the surface world was all happiness, searching for sunflower fields.

It was both bewildering and indescribably moving.

“Children, we should get going. Sweetie, is there anyone specific you want to ride with?”

Gyeonwoo answered Han Dayeon’s question confidently:

“Um, you can call me by name again.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

It started with being called by her precious name ‘Han Gyeonwoo’ given by her parents.

“Then who would Gyeonwoo like to go with?”

“Well, first Pureumi and Nara…”

“Hmph, of course.”

Her rising courage reminded her of another unresolved matter.

“Guild Master Jang Jin-yu!”

No one had expected that name.

“Huh…? Me?”

Even Guild Master Jang Jin-yu gaped in surprise.

He’d expected her to want to ride comfortably with her friends or family.

Why me of all people?

Seeing his clearly puzzled expression, Gyeonwoo proudly explained her reason:

“You still haven’t apologized for spreading rumors!”

Quite a bold reason.

Who knew she was still hung up on that?

“Oh, um. Well then let’s arrange the buses that way. Should we leave before it gets later?”

“What? Noona, I don’t get a choice?”

“Are you planning to ignore our Gyeonwoo and go alone?”

“…Wow, I really got myself into trouble here.”

In the end, despite having plenty of seats, their bus departed with just a few people.

It was a disappointing outcome for the children who had competed to ride with her.

But the atmosphere inside the bus was even more intense.

Ahem.

Gyeonwoo cleared her throat, creating a tense mood.

Sitting in the front with arms crossed, she glared intensely at Guild Master Jang Jin-yu.

“This is like a proper parliamentary hearing.”

What a boldly surprising child every time he saw her.

Even his sibling Jingyu, who normally jumped at anything involving his brother, nervously read the room and took a different bus.

Naturally.

“Bad things are still bad! Do you know how much the Guild Master suffered because of your strange rumors?”

“Yeah! They said bad guys get punished!”

Even Han Dayeon and Jang Nara didn’t dare interfere with this atmosphere.

They sat far back, rustling open snacks brought by the limousine bus driver.

“Hey, how can you eat at a time like this?!”

“Just answer Gyeonwoo’s questions and don’t mind us.”

“Ah, shit.”

They began thoroughly enjoying this moment no one else would ever witness.

“I really got myself into trouble here…”

“Crime is crime even without getting caught!”

Well, if he wanted to, escaping this situation wouldn’t be difficult.

Though in terms of raw power, no one in Korea could match Guild Master Lee Sunghwan.

Conversely, having developed from a major corporation into a guild, his financial power was unmatched by any guild or company domestically.

Since this wasn’t actually a serious fight, no one would say anything if he ignored it, but.

“And… you’re not a bad person either, right…?”

Those jewel-like yellow eyes.

Meeting such an innocent gaze made it impossible to dislike her.

That’s why he was even more curious.

According to Guild Master Lee Sunghwan, she had an equivalent exchange ability in that small body.

And the district chief and cult members had exploited that power for their own gain.

If something similar had happened to me?

I would have personally frozen and shattered the perpetrators’ entire bodies.

And if anyone dared blame me after that.

I would have cleanly erased those powerless bastards who only blamed others.

But Gyeonwoo was different.

Though she could have denied any wrongdoing, she stepped forward to admit her fault.

She even worked to make the children who avoided her happy.

And finally achieved an unexpected reconciliation.

It was like a fairy tale happy ending.

How… could someone act like that?

All humans are born evil.

Even Guild Master Jang Jin-yu, who thought his own dead parents were selfish.

“Well, it’s not as serious as you think.”

“Hehe. Thank you!”

Would you have reached the same conclusion in my situation?

Or would you have thought the same as me?

Unable to contain his curiosity, he quietly began speaking.

Though knowing this story would be hard to hear for an innocent child.

Especially one who followed Guild Master Lee Sunghwan like a parent, he spoke without a single lie.

“Did you know your brother killed countless villains?”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu added in a deliberately mischievous tone, thinking Gyeonwoo too innocent.

“Probably no one in Korea has killed more people than him? He was famous for bad nicknames like human yaksha or grim reaper, since he killed more people than villains.”

He’s not as clean as you think.

He’s barely human – even that district chief who just caused trouble would seem innocent in comparison.

How will you react learning this?

Will you fear and hate him as a criminal, a bad person?

Or will you defend and comfort him again, saying his heart is good?

However, unlike what he thought, Gyeonwoo had already experienced all sorts of hardships unfitting for her age.

Despite his deliberately chilling tone, she raised both arms with a “Ding!”

“…?”

Huh, what’s this? Was she too shocked?

“That’s our uncle alright!”

“……??”

“Such decisiveness in killing demons without hesitation! That’s how the surface world became safer!”

“…W-what?”

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu scratched his ear, lips twitching.

Wondering if he’d heard wrong.

He couldn’t respond as Gyeonwoo bounced excitedly like she’d heard great news.

And adding to that.

“Yeah! Demons gotta be killed!”

“Right? Why are there strange rumors about such amazing deeds?”

As Pureumi and Gyeonwoo continued their carefree conversation.

What’s with these kids.

Guild Master Jang Jin-yu completely lost his grip on reality.