Chapter 190 – First Clash (5)

“It’s been normalized.”

With a look of disbelief, the Hunter gazing at the monitor touched his forehead and murmured,

“Recover quickly. Check for the deceased.”

It might not be something to say to the bereaved, but truly, only minimal damage remained in the city. Of course, even this was a significant blow. For a while, the city would tremble with anxiety, fearing subsequent acts of terror.

And at some point, the bereaved families would stage a protest.

Claiming the Hunter Association mishandled the situation. Demanding compensation, and urging the government and the association to expedite relief plans.

Of course, it was not for them to decide. It was a problem to be solved by someone higher up. Civilians might not be aware, but… even this level of damage was considered relatively well-contained.

They could only see the immediate harm. It wasn’t that they were wrong, it was simply the reality of the situation. And yet,

“… Who on earth were they?”

The man who donned the robe back then.
He had seen the face, but it was entirely unfamiliar to him.
If he had been a hunter possessing such formidable magic, he would have already become renowned worldwide.
Although there are masters who conceal their identities… it was rare for such beings to emerge abruptly out of barren, parched lands.

And to appear so suddenly during such trying times.
He had vanquished the Ents and confronted the Flower.

He had wondered if the man might visit this place again, but in the end, he never came.

– Squeak.

The door opens, and a woman enters.
White hair and full-body latex.
With dignified steps, she surveys her surroundings and narrows her eyes.

White Peach.

Naturally, she had returned to Korea as quickly as possible, but the incident had long since been resolved.

* * * * * * * *

Upon removing my mask, I entered the dormitory and shed my robe.

Still wearing my blood-stained t-shirt, I stepped out of the room to find the two women I had encountered earlier sitting silently at the table.

“Whimper…”

Shiba nestled in Azalea’s embrace, her face buried sadly in her chest. At the sound of the door, she perked up her ears and gazed at me with wide, round eyes.

“Ah… Dad.”

She hesitated for a moment, then, unable to resist, left Azalea’s arms and dashed towards me.

“…Whimper.”

Shiba clung to my leg, weeping. I wanted to comfort her, but my clothes were soaked in blood, making it difficult to do anything.

“…Blood, blood! Seriously… What have you been doing? Are you okay?”

Frantically, Azalea soaked a towel in water and brought it to my face. As I took the towel, I pointed at Shin Hye-young, who still remained seated at the table.

“…Her.”

She stared blankly at the peach tea in front of her, and then, noticing me, tried to offer a warm smile.

“Oh, hello. How’s your…?”
“I’m fine.”

Ah…
Nodding at my words, she tried to speak with enthusiasm.

“Th-thank you. I just got a little absent-minded…”
“It’s understandable. Have you calmed down?”
“Of course!… I mean, yes.”

Could the sight she had witnessed be that shocking?
Maybe she’s reconsidering her opinion of the director.

A truly kind and gentle person, sometimes encountered. She couldn’t forget the scene she had seen, her memory holding it close.
Azalea had already shaken off the shock.

“Shiba, come here. Don’t bother Daddy.”
“Peep, peep!”

Tears welled up and fell from her blurry eyes.
I wiped her tears with my unblemished hand, gently rubbed her cheeks, and stroked her head.
Only then did Shiba seem to calm down a little.

“…I feel like I’ve grown much closer to Shiba too. But I guess I’m still uneasy without my dad around.”
“Hehe, really?”

Oddly, it feels good when it shouldn’t.
I placed my hand on the crying Shiba’s forehead. A subtle heat seemed to indicate blood rushing to her head.

Our daughter must have been quite startled.
…Perhaps I should reconsider sending her back to kindergarten.
The number of people opposing me is bound to increase over time.
And my responsibilities will continue to grow.
Although this time things were resolved cleanly, there’s no guarantee that Shiba won’t experience such events again in the future.

Frankly, she could even be kidnapped.
And so, the thought suddenly occurred to me:

‘…If Shiba truly seems to be struggling…’

Being a father brings me joy.
But being by a father’s side could also bring misfortune.

In that case, for a while, and somewhere far away,
maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to entrust her to someone like Azalea, or someone similar, until all this is over.
After all, Shiba needs a taste of an ordinary life too.

It’s too much for a child like this to have their father vanish forever and be exposed to such danger.

【 The World Tree of Purity gazes at you with anxiety. 】

Upon observing the World Tree of Purity’s reaction, my sunken spirit suddenly lifted.

‘This damn situation. Come to think of it, if only you had done something properly, none of this would have happened.’

【 The World Tree of Purity falls silent. 】

‘A truly worthless creature in this world.’

【 The World Tree of Purity enters the room, weeping. 】

In short, that’s the crux of it.

Because I’m a first-time father. There are many aspects to consider, but I’m uncertain which is the best choice.

There was no father figure for me to observe and learn from. My mother, too, had many awkward moments when it came to expressing love.

Killing someone is easy… It’s strange. I, too, have changed considerably.

“…You.”
“Huh?”

Did Azalea harbor the same thoughts as me? She gazed at me with a somewhat resolute expression.

“Shiba… I’m starting to think that sending them to an external kindergarten isn’t the best idea.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
“Well, that’s why-“

Azalea, with her arms wrapped around Shiba, lets her eyes dart about.

“Do you remember what I mentioned last time?”

Ah… that’s right.
The proposal to live together?

Azalea nodded in response to my question.

“Since things have turned out this way… let’s live together. I think it would be more comforting.”

I needed someone who could protect Shiba when I wasn’t around.
Kindergarten was, after all, intended for educational purposes.
It’s regrettable that they won’t develop social skills, but… it couldn’t be helped.

* * * * * * * *

A week has passed.

Somehow, things had led to this. Evidently, Azalea must have been contemplating this plan for several days already.

Before I even had the chance to mention it, she had already chosen the best house and even prepared my application to move out of the dormitory.

“Sign, sign! All you have to do is sign.”
“…Why are you so excited?”
“I don’t know. Hehe.”

It wasn’t just my imagination that her face was brimming with excitement.

There were plenty of houses near the academy, so there was no need to go far to find one. The El Academy itself had more of an academy city character than a purely educational one. Many people lived in the area for the convenience stores or to run simple businesses. Naturally, there were numerous houses and vacant rooms available.

And so, I ended up leaving the dormitory. I moved into a new place with Shiba and Azalea.

“Anyway, once the Forest Keeper Selection is over, we’ll be going far away.”
“It’s not far off now… That’s why we need to move sooner.”

At the time of day when the sun was at its peak, Azalea, who walked with excited steps and crossed arms, held back a smile.

The radiant pink hair was a stark contrast to the lifeless locks she had when she took psychotropic medications in the past.

Could one’s appearance change according to their mood or condition?

Like pristine white jade, her youthful skin gleamed, almost as childlike as Shiba’s. She hadn’t even applied the ubiquitous sunscreen, yet her skin was so flawless.

“Here we are.”

The house we arrived at was neither too large nor too small. It had three rooms, a kitchen, a living room, and separate toilet and bathroom – a suitable home for the middle class. Upon entering, the furniture had already been moved in; all that remained was to bring in our clothes and luggage.

“We’ll move out the dormitory stuff tomorrow… Oh right, we need to rescue Shiba-sensei as well.”

“Oh, true.”

More enthusiastic than anyone, Azalea clapped her hands before patting my shoulder with a laugh. I wondered what kind of furniture she would choose. The image of a newlywed woman, affectionately joined at the hip with her partner, sprang to mind.

Now twenty years old, could it be possible to exude such maternal energy?

“Shiba… I should head to Harvard, right?”
“Ha-bard?”

Shiba tilted her head. In essence, she needed someone to teach her language and proper manners.

“Hehe.”

Azalea chuckled as she observed the parent and child, then clapped her hands once more. At that moment, a woman emerged from outside the door. She wore casual attire, a stark contrast to the kindergarten apron Azalea always saw her in. The woman, whose stockings were particularly noticeable, looked at Azalea awkwardly and lowered her head.

“Ah, hello… Father Shiba.”

Teacher Shiba.
Why was this person, who used to work at the kindergarten, here?

As Azalea glanced at her, the woman shrugged her shoulders and gently stroked Shiba.

“…I hired her. That kindergarten, you see. They said it couldn’t be rebuilt since it was a private institution.”
“Oh, really? I thought she would go to another kindergarten.”

Despite this, the woman’s face seemed much brighter than before. A week had already passed… Had she attended the funeral for the bereaved family and returned?

It’s comforting to see emotions settling down somewhat.

Hye-young brushed the back of her hair and laughed awkwardly, as if she still couldn’t believe this very moment.

“Originally… a friend recommended another place, so I was planning to go there… her wife.”
“Her wife? Ah, I see…”

Azalea must have made a rather enticing proposal. But it was a significant decision. After all, El Academy is overseas – a place where she knew neither family nor friends.

“But it’s still overseas. Did you just accept it?”
“Well, they offered a house… and a generous salary, hehe. Plus, I wanted to see Shiba.”

Hye-young gazed at Shiba with honey-dripping eyes.

So, a high salary was the sole reason for coming abroad.

“You.”

-Whisper whisper.

Azalea shared various employment details with me. They were offering a house, an ample salary, and proper insurance and severance pay arrangements.

“It’s worth considering.”

It wasn’t a bad arrangement for me.
Furthermore, meeting with Shiba was the best perk for an employee.
Somehow, Hye-young had joined us as well.
She found a room nearby, living on her own while commuting to my place for work.
There were plenty of other Koreans in the area, so she could make friends if she wanted to.

‘…When I think about it, the students here would make the best husbands.’

Perhaps this could be a turning point in her life.
Of course, Hye-young was more focused on petting Shiba and cooing at her cuteness.

In any case, she could return to the kindergarten once her contract ended.
She seemed like she would be great at handling household chores too.

I extended my hand to Hye-young for a handshake.

“Let me know if there’s anything you’re not comfortable with… It might seem like I’m showing off with my money, but if you’re ever short on cash, just tell me.”
“Hehe, it’s okay.”
“Feel free to speak casually… I’m older, but it doesn’t matter.”
“Should I call you Mr. Lee Si-heon?”

Was that comfortable enough?
It would do.

After exchanging polite greetings, a rumbling sound emerged from Shiba’s stomach. Almost simultaneously, smiles appeared on the three faces.

“Let’s go get something to eat.”

The location of the house was incredible, with a plethora of shops and restaurants in the vicinity. So much so, that one could dine out for an entire week and still have different menu options each time.

However, on moving day, there was a classic choice: black bean noodles with sweet and sour pork. We left our new home, engaged in casual chatter, and made our way to the Chinese restaurant. Shiba was particularly fond of sweet and sour pork.

“Beep!”