episode_0417

The sky was perfectly clear, and the sunlight smiled warmly on a perfect weekend morning. The weather across the Rustrum Archipelago was unusually mild today, and the sky was spotless.

The peace of an autumn weekend seemed to settle evenly over the entire city.

“Alright, kids! Wake up! It’s morning, time to get up!”

After gently waking the children who were still in the lingering embrace of sleep, I served them simple toast and fried eggs at the table.

The hungry children, perhaps finding it insufficient, began subtly glancing at me. Unlike Ariel, I had only occasionally seen the other children’s faces in the hospital room, so these small moments still felt a bit unfamiliar. Sensing her friends’ gazes, Ariel cautiously spoke.

“Um… Unnie, can we have something else to eat? Like cereal or something…”

“No, you can’t!”

The cheerful voice of Unit 15332 abruptly cut off the child’s hopeful request. Of course, it was out of the question. Normally, I would have provided a hearty breakfast, but today, there was a clear reason not to.

[Because it would be a big problem if they ate too much and got motion sickness in the sky!]

“Alright, everyone! Hurry up and wash, change your clothes, and follow me!”

I urged the children on, leading them toward the building’s rooftop. Above the penthouse, as I opened the door through the emergency stairs, a dazzling blue sky unfolded before our eyes. The children, who had followed me without knowing why, saw the gigantic black object proudly positioned in the middle of the rooftop and collectively gasped.

“Violet Unnie! That’s…!”

Thump-thump-thump!

Before the children could even finish their sentences, the helicopter’s massive rotors began to fiercely spin with a roaring sound. I didn’t give the bewildered children any chance to ask more questions and quickly pushed them into the aircraft. When they came to their senses, the children were already seated, awkwardly wearing headsets, looking around with eyes mixed with wonder and unease.

“I-is this a real helicopter?”

A boy with dark skin asked in a trembling voice. Who was it, his name was probably Lucas. Honestly, other than Ariel, I hadn’t paid much detailed attention to the other children.

“Of course! Our clan, Helios, specially lent it to us!”

“Oh? Helios is that super famous clan, isn’t it!”

“Now that you mention it, this house we’re staying in is also said to belong to that clan…”

Only then did the children vaguely begin to realize what kind of special experience they were having. I pulled the controls with practiced ease, and the helicopter, leaving its heavy noise behind, smoothly rose into the sky.

“Whoa-aaaaaah!”

The children’s cheers and joyous screams burst out, mingling together. The helicopter flew swiftly south, leaving the central district’s concrete jungle behind. This was why I had specifically brought the children to the central district and had them sleep there the night before. It was because there was a fast and fun way to get to our destination.

[Flying is the best, after all! The joy of soaring through the sky!]

[This is the privilege of chosen children!]

Who could have imagined going straight to an amusement park by helicopter in the morning? They quickly forgot their initial surprise and bewilderment, and excitedly screamed as they watched the scenery unfold outside the window. Everyone was excited, but the boys, in particular, showed clear signs of being even more thrilled.

“Wow! Awesome! It’s flying! We’re really flying! In a helicopter!”

“Noona! How do you know how to fly a helicopter?”

The child, whom I remembered as Ian, asked with sparkling eyes.

“Huh? Of course, I learned! If you also study hard and join a good clan after entering Aegis Academy, you’ll all be able to drive things like this as a basic skill!”

“Whoa-aaaaaah!”

It was a blatant lie carelessly thrown out, but the fervent excitement of the children in the back seats was fully conveyed. It couldn’t be helped. These children had no idea what it was truly like to fight for their lives against demonic beasts or to engage in bloody battles against wicked villains. They only held the image of successful heroes as depicted in media or heroic tales, heroes who were cool, extraordinary, and well-off.

[But there’s no need to shatter that illusion now!]

[Today must absolutely be a fun and happy day! Because it’s these children’s precious day!]

So, for today, I decided to fully indulge these sparkling dreams and illusions.

“If I also enroll in the academy later and train hard, can I drive things like this?”

Ariel asked with a voice full of expectation.

“Only a helicopter? You can drive armored vehicles too! And you can excitedly ride jet bikes!”

“Wow! Noona, you can ride all of those?”

“Of course! I’ll definitely show you if I get the chance later!”

Once again, a thunderous roar erupted from the back seats. As the children’s chatter and laughter filled the cabin, an hour passed. The helicopter smoothly landed in a wide open field near the amusement park, our destination. While some people nearby stared with bewildered expressions at the sudden appearance of the helicopter, I rushed out of the cockpit, opened the door, and quickly ushered the children out.

“Alright, kids! Everyone, be careful! Come this way quickly!”

“Wh-where is this…?”

“Are we already there?”

“Yep! Hurry, let’s go!”

Actually, I had landed the helicopter just anywhere without thinking. We had to leave quickly before security guards or the police arrived. I took the children’s hands and hurried out of the open field. A moment later, the sound of the helicopter taking off again was heard from the direction we had left.

“Huh? Unnie, why is that helicopter flying away again?”

A girl named Hana asked, tilting her head. I casually brushed her off.

“Oh, that one’s state-of-the-art, so it has an unmanned automatic return function!”

In truth, another Violet unit was piloting it back, but there was no need to explain that. The children let out short gasps of “Oh.” Ariel, who knew me to some extent, gave me a subtle look, but soon giggled and clung to my side.

“Alright, then, off to the amusement park for real!”

After transferring the children to the van that had been parked nearby the day before, it took less than 10 minutes to arrive at the vast amusement park parking lot. The entrance was already bustling with countless people and vehicles. It would be a challenging day for those who came to play here today.

Of course, this level of crowd posed no problem at all. Because there was a perfect plan prepared for such a situation.

[Our genius collective intelligence has already devised all the strategies!]

[Plus, we have tons of money!]

At the entrance, we joined two people who were already waiting. Daphne spotted us and waved brightly. Unusually, a large backpack was slung over her shoulder, unlike usual. She probably packed a lot of snacks or emergency supplies for the children. Next to her, Lucian, who had been leaning casually against a wall near the entrance, spotted us and slowly straightened up. The children, seeing him, happily shouted “Lucian Hyung!” and approached him familiarly.

“Lucian Hyung! We came by helicopter! It’s super fast! Have you ridden one too?”

“Violet Noona specially gave us a helicopter ride this morning!”

Lucian looked at me with an expression of disbelief, or perhaps exasperation.

“…Did you really fly here in a helicopter from the central district?”

“Yep! The kids loved it. Kids! Wasn’t it fun?”

As I raised both arms high and shouted to the children, they responded joyfully in unison.

“Yesss!”

Seeing the children completely open up to me in just an hour or two, he wore an expression mixed with surprise and admiration.

“Hah… To get close so quickly. Unexpected.”

While he muttered something to himself, Daphne, who had been quietly observing the situation nearby, approached and cautiously spoke. A hint of bewilderment and concern was etched on her face.

“By the way, Violet, we’ve arrived at the amusement park… Is it right for us to just stand here like this?”

“Huh? Why? Is there a problem?”

“Look over there.”

Where her gaze pointed, an endless long line stretched out. The amusement park’s ticket booths and entrance gates were already swarming with people. Since it was a weekend combined with a popular autumn festival, such a large crowd had gathered despite it being early morning, not long after opening.

“Shouldn’t we stand in that line over there? I mean, Violet told us to wait, so we’re waiting, but…”

“Ah, that! Daphne. Have you already forgotten who I am?”

I demonstratively patted my chest. Of course, I had anticipated this situation and prepared in advance. I, like a magician, from thin air, pulled out ten dazzling bands. Bands with golden borders, embedded with sparkling identification chips, and looking especially unique.

Daphne let out a soft gasp.

“Oh my, it’s the Wonderland Infinity Pass!”

“Hmph. If we’re going to play, we should do it properly, without holding back! And I have tons of money, you know.”

The funds accumulated through assassination quests and Violet-style tactical asset acquisition — which the wicked clan members of the Academy City called looting and destruction — were enough to indulge in this much luxury for the children today. Thus, what we held in our hands was this, the ‘Wonderland Infinity Pass’. The effect of this magical ticket was simple. It allowed them to casually ignore long waiting lines, and enter any ride or facility with top priority. Various other benefits were a bonus.

[I absolutely loathe waiting!]

I put a band on each of the children and my two friends, and immediately headed for the VIP-exclusive entrance. Casually passing by the long lines of countless parents and children, and young couples, we stood neatly before the VIP gate without any wait. Of course, being a VIP didn’t mean all procedures were exempted.

“We’ll have a brief bag inspection.”

A uniformed security guard was inspecting people in front. Beside the gate, a scanner resembling an airport security checkpoint and a luggage storage counter were set up. It was a procedure to prevent the entry of weapons or dangerous items commonly carried by Awakened hunters. People, as if accustomed to it, handed over their entire sheathed swords and received a claim check. While waiting, Daphne, who saw this, suddenly pointed to her large backpack and cautiously asked me.

“Um… Violet, I’ll just go hide this bag for a moment. It’s a bit… difficult to leave it here.”

“Okay! Got it!”

I nodded readily without even asking why.

Daphne went back to a secluded area. The large backpack vanished without a trace in Daphne’s hand. Lucian asked Daphne.

“What was that, Daphne? What did you even put in that bag?”

“Oh, it’s just some self-defense equipment I brought just in case. Things are so volatile these days…”

Daphne avoided Lucian’s gaze and awkwardly laughed, making excuses. I pretended not to know, whistled, and led the way.

After passing through the security checkpoint and a short corridor, it was Wonderland. The whole world seemed to be bathed in golden and orange hues, as autumn leaves, giant pumpkin models, comically expressive scarecrows, and characters in cute autumn animal costumes, all splendidly decorated for the ‘Wonderland Autumn Festival’, welcomed us.

“Alright! Let’s have some exciting fun now!”

I cheered along with the seven children and energetically ran deeper into the park, where exciting adventures awaited.

“…So, eight kids, after all.”

“Indeed. I’ll have to do my best.”

I seemed to hear some muttering from behind, but decided to lightly ignore it.

***

The collective intelligence asserted that Daphne’s concerns were unfounded. And rightly so, the notorious clone killer was known to operate only during the dark hours of night. Even the Arsite side was confident that such an entity would find it difficult to operate under sunlight. And the Violet Network had already completed several thorough preparations in case of unexpected variables.

[Alright! Let’s GO-O-O!]

[Whoa-aaaaah!]

Immediately after the group of 10 passed through the entrance, a small wave-like movement subtly followed behind them, entering the passageway unnoticed. Using their faint presence, akin to an Apostle’s reality manipulation, as an invisibility cloak, the group of little Violets passed through the ticket check and security checkpoints without any suspicion. The little Violets were soon captivated by the colorful and splendid scenery unfolding before their eyes.

[Looks fun! I want to ride that!]

[I’m going to take pictures! And I need to eat ice cream!]

If anyone in the amusement park possessed powerful and clear clairvoyance, they would have surely marvelled at such a wondrous and adorable sight. The sight of small, doll-like girls, identical down to the last detail, weaving and running through the crowd was truly impressive. Their open mouths and how they curiously observed their surroundings with clear, red eyes would have made anyone smile.

Of course, the problem was that the little Violets weren’t here to play.

[Hey! What are you doing? What about surveillance and patrols?]

[We *are* doing it! This is also amusement park surveillance and security!]

She declared proudly, placing her tiny fist on her hip.

[Oh? Is that so?]

The questioning Violet’s eyes widened.

[Plus, it’s free! Nobody will know if we just ride in empty seats!]

Little Violet Unit 5663’s answer was illogical, but it was also strangely plausible. After all, it was true that they were widely dispersed throughout this park. In some ways, it was even more efficient than finding empty spaces to bury dormant Violets. Then another little Violet offered an opinion with a cunning smile.

[Well, for more secretive and thorough surveillance, we can just make our subordinates do it! Come out!]

The little Violets quietly moved to the restrooms or less crowded areas in the back, and extended their small hands forward. Red magic swirled and surged from their fingertips. Subsequently, like water gushing forth, tiny mice appeared throughout the amusement park.

[Alright, kids! Go around and appropriately monitor for any suspicious characters. Understood?]

[Understood! Squeak!]

The mice all replied, wagging their tails. In an instant, Violets and mice spread throughout the park. For the amusement park’s hygiene managers and pest control companies, it was nothing short of a tragedy.

***

Utilizing their base infiltration and reconnaissance skills from the Luminous Era, the V-Mice stealthily spread throughout the amusement park. The weather was filled with the warmth of autumn, bathed in gentle sunlight, and everywhere in the park, elaborate decorations and loud music continuously resounded. The surroundings brimmed with vitality from the countless footsteps and laughter of people. The V-Mice moved about, their small black eyes sparkling with excitement in this wonderful and colorful scenery.

[Squeak? Something smells delicious here!]

[Stop, front paws! That’s something thrown in the trash! We are cultured animals! We don’t eat things like that!]

Although there were minor incidents, the animals cautiously, using ornamental shrubs, pillars, and various decorations as cover, patrolled their surroundings with sharp eyes. Not a sound came from their tiny paws, and their tails and whiskers detected surrounding energies like radar.

Then, the mice’s attention collectively converged on one spot.

[Gasp! Look over there!]

All the mice collectively looked in the direction pointed by one’s tiny front paw. In one part of the spacious amusement park, near the attractions, various large and small decorations were displayed, forming a photo zone. These were specially installed by Rainbow Wonderland for their autumn event. The surroundings were decorated here and there with golden glowing pumpkins, scarecrows made of old cloth, and swaying wheat fields, while between the flowerbeds and gardens, various animal character sculptures, charmingly deformed to evoke childlike wonder, were scattered in colorful hues.

But among them, something else entirely captured the mice’s gaze.

[It’s a mouse!]

The V-Mice exclaimed in voices filled with surprise.

What they saw was a large mouse character, standing majestically among pumpkins and other animals. The figure, the size of an elementary school student, wore shining silver armor and a helmet adorned with red feathers, and stood proudly with a sword extended forward, its mouth open as if shouting something. Its gleaming front teeth shone quite distinctly in the sunlight.

That sight left a deep impression on the young hearts of the V-Mice. Their whiskers trembled slightly, and their tails twitched.

[How cool! A mouse knight…]

[I just asked the boss, and they said it’s a popular character in this park. A mascot… or so they say?]

The mice then saw something even more interesting. Various mouse character merchandise sold at souvenir shops and stalls. Children happily smiling and walking with their parents, tightly hugging mouse knight dolls.

Suddenly, in the mice’s small heads, a strange realization surged like lightning.

[That’s right, humans must definitely like mice! Squeak!]

[It’s not “must definitely,” it *is* a fact! Even the people at the lab like us!]

The mice recalled their past memories. Even the people at the Violet lab gave them sweet treats every day and played with them excitedly, didn’t they? How wonderful that gentle touch was when it stroked their little heads.

[Bluebell at the joint lab was like that too! They said they’d decorate her with ribbons and brush her!]

Another memory, transferred, circulated through the animal network. Under pale lighting, figures resembling a brown-haired woman with strangely mechanized arms and eyes were smiling brightly and clapping as they watched Bluebell the mouse. In exchange for a little bit of charm, their comrade was surrounded by piles of various treats.

These short-sighted V-Mice inwardly fell into an absurd conviction. Their tiny eyes sparkling with anticipation.

[Should we go closer? They’ll stroke us! Because we’re cute! We’re going to be the popular stars of Wonderland!]

[Yes, let’s not just talk! We are mouse knights!]

The brave mice raised their tails high with determination.

The other animals in the animal network, belatedly sensing something amiss, let out a chorus of protests trying to dissuade them.

It was too late. But the mice were already intoxicated by their own decision.

[Hmph! We’ll show them the victory of our adorable cuteness!]

Pushing out their tiny chests proudly, the V-Mice took a step toward their moment of destiny.

Filled with anticipation, a small mouse with shimmering silver-gray fur cautiously approached a child who was sitting on a bench, happily licking ice cream. Stealthily climbing onto the bench without making a sound, just as it was about to flaunt its cuteness.

The child sitting next to it instantly turned pale. Their eyes widened and their mouth dropped open—

“Kyaaah! A mouse! Mom!”

A sharp scream shook a corner of the park. A startled parent rushed to the source of the sound, swinging their bag and mercilessly chasing away the V-Mouse. Similar situations occurred simultaneously throughout the amusement park. To teenagers sitting in resting areas, to people chatting in open-air cafes, and to couples taking photos. Their reactions were all the same.

“Ugh, how unlucky! What is this! Why is there a filthy rat here!”

“Gross! Go away!”

The mice’s hopes, which had been so inflated with anticipation, shattered into pieces. As they hesitated and turned to run, people’s reactions grew even more intense. The screams and commotion grew, and soon people angrily protested to the Wonderland staff.

“Why are there mice in the restaurant! Refund us immediately!”

“You people! How do you manage hygiene that mice are swarming around! How much did we pay to get in here!”

“We apologize! We are truly sorry!”

Faced with the sudden deluge of customer complaints, the Wonderland management felt as if struck by lightning, sweating profusely and urgently taking action. The mice, evading the brooms and chasing staff, hastily hid beneath flowerbeds and behind air vents.

[That’s strange! Why do people dislike us?]

[But we’re cute mice!]

When they urgently focused their minds to ask their master, what came back were rebukes and scolding.

[Ugh! Mice! I told you to be on patrol, why did you reveal yourselves!]

Since it was clearly true that they had disobeyed orders, the mice had nothing to say. Mouse Raspberry gazed weakly into the air. A blurry figure, shimmering like a heat haze, appeared before its eyes. A dignified man in a trench coat stood with his arms crossed.

“General Raix! People hate us! Why is that?”

The legendary hero, in response to this naive mouse’s question, only let out a deep sigh.

“Haa, you foolish squeakers…”