Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Moon's Status Upgrade
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“ฅ(៸៸> ᗜ < ៸៸)ฅ”
“Is that a greeting?”
“W-Well, who knows. I’ve never seen a sea otter before?”
“Cute…”
Moon, I’m sorry. But I told you over and over not to come out.
Unable to resist the siren call of the ocean, Moon had slipped outside at some point and surrendered itself to the waves.
“But do we even have sea otters in Korea… this close to the beach?”
“S-Since there aren’t any people, maybe it’s a nice place to live?”
“For something like that, it sure seems used to humans.”
Cheon I-ryeong’s eyes sparkled as she drew closer, but Moon showed no sign of fleeing, just staring up with wide eyes. I frantically gestured for it to hide from behind her, but all I got was its signature vacant look.
“Iroha-nim, are you all right? Where did this animal come from…?”
Yeon So-ah, who’d been riding the waves nearby, floated over on her board with telekinesis and eyed Moon warily.
“It’s fine. Doesn’t seem dangerous.”
I signaled My dog doesn’t bite!, but honestly, that face alone was enough to drop anyone’s guard. Meanwhile, Cheon I-ryeong approached as if entranced and boldly reached out a hand.
“(˶˃ᆺ˂˶)”
“So cute!”
Moon grabbed Cheon I-ryeong’s hand rubbing its belly with both paws, clearly delighted. Seeing them like that, Yeon So-ah relaxed her guard and sat down on her board. That thing looks seriously convenient.
“Want some ramen? I’ll get it ready since you’ll be cold coming out of the water.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Yeon So-ah’s eyes lit up at the mention of ramen. Sharp features aside, she’s a ramen fan? Her back looked oddly excited as she surfboarded back to shore.
“You little cutie— wanna play with big sis? Should I just kidnap you?”
Meanwhile, Cheon I-ryeong treated Moon like a puppy, tickling it all over.
Then Moon flinched in surprise at some touch and raised a paw.
“Kyaa?!”
A massive wave surged up suddenly, knocking Cheon I-ryeong’s tube over. Her flailing legs snagged the half-slipped tube, flinging it far away.
“Puhah! T-Tube! Glub, cough—”
Uh oh?! Panicking, I tried dragging her back to the surface, but my puny strength wasn’t enough. At this rate, I’d get pulled under too.
The tube was already swept far off by the waves, and Lee Jae-hoon was belatedly swimming over after noticing the commotion…
Yeon So-ah’s gone too…
It’d take too long to fetch the tube— disaster would strike in the meantime.
“Moon! Float her up!”
At my shout, Moon reached out toward the sea.
The water bubbled like it was boiling, and Cheon I-ryeong rose into the air. Streams of water shot up like fountains, continuously supporting her body.
Yeon So-ah swooped in late and helped her onto the board, staring in confusion at the subsiding streams and Moon.
“This… the animal did it?”
“Cough, kek—”
“Haa… I’ll explain once we’re out.”
The situation had spiraled too far to hide anymore.
Not the full truth, but enough to make it believable. With a sigh, I climbed onto Yeon So-ah’s board and patted the back of the water-spewing Cheon I-ryeong.
“Cough, thank you… Iroha-yang. Cough!”
“You shouldn’t touch wild animals so recklessly.”
Not exactly a wild animal, but whatever.
Once back on land, they watched over Cheon I-ryeong until she recovered, then all eyes turned to me.
Aware of its mistake, Moon floated guiltily nearby peeking at me. I hugged it tight and fielded the barrage of questions.
“Moon’s my spirit. Somehow… I ended up able to handle one.”
“A spirit? Iroha-yang, you have dual classes?!”
“My god, those rumored dual classes actually exist…”
“If word gets out, it’ll be pandemonium.”
Not quite dual classes… but that explanation felt easier somehow. What if I said I healed with a paintbrush, cast magic, and drew spirits? How would their looks change?
I glossed it over vaguely and smiled awkwardly, pinching Moon in my arms. What’re you gonna do about this!
Moon jolted in surprise, and Cheon I-ryeong swiftly snatched it up.
“So, to sum up, this sea otter is Iroha-yang’s water spirit, and you’ve been keeping it secret?”
“Yeah, roughly…”
“Two cute things…”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Anyway, smart to keep it hidden. Power like that wouldn’t stop at recruitment attempts… Better not reveal it if possible.”
Not recruitment, then what— kidnapping…? Seeing how Minister Jin lavished gifts on me, it didn’t seem impossible.
“But if something like this happens again, won’t it come out? It’s fine now, but if it occurs in front of others, that’d be trouble.”
“As Yeon So-ah-nim says, we definitely need to be more careful.”
Their concerns deepened my own worries. Moon’s instincts were strong— who knew when it’d cause trouble again?
“Hmm, then why not just make it a divine beast?”
“…Divine beast?”
“Divine beast? Like a unicorn or dragon?”
Confused reactions popped up, but Cheon I-ryeong ignored them, stroking Moon’s squishy paw with conviction.
“It was an injured divine beast that Iroha-yang healed! Grateful, this water divine beast now follows her around… Keep it hidden for now, and if it slips, just say something like that?”
Isn’t that too contrived? Divine beasts in fantasy? Wait, it is fantasy. People spew fire and fly around— why not divine beasts?
“Not a bad idea…”
“Easier to swallow than dual classes.”
Amid the nods, Moon’s status got upgraded from spirit to divine beast! No idea why a divine beast follower seemed more plausible than a spirit user, but the mood settled into reluctant acceptance.
“Things are sorted, so let’s eat and pack up?”
At Yeon So-ah’s words as she unpacked the purchases, I glanced at the sea. The sun now hung on the horizon, staining it crimson.
Not sure where she’d gone, but she laid out cup ramen, kimbap, tteokbokki, and more. Her hands moved busily, excitedly.
Poured water into the cup ramen, snacked on spicy-sweet tteokbokki and kimbap while waiting. Three minutes. The agonizing wait passed, and we popped open the steaming ramen. As if on cue, everyone slurped the broth first.
“Fuu…”
“Ah, so good—”
Kuh, nothing beats cup ramen after water fun.
Starved from play and the one fiasco, we inhaled the food with slurps. Chilled bodies warmed by hot broth, empty stomachs filled— worldly bliss.
If only every day were like today. Minus the incident.
“Shall we head back now?”
Under the long-stretched sunset, we neatly packed our stuff into the car. A day that felt both endless and fleeting, fun to the end. Regretful, but no lingering— we piled in.
…Ugh, sleepy…
Drowsiness crashed over me like a wave. I leaned against the seatback and closed my eyes. At some point in that dreamlike haze, something warm enveloped my head. A gentle breeze-like touch swept my hair.
“Uung…”
“…Should’ve ridden in the back…”
“Iroha-nim…”
Whispering voices faded as consciousness fully cut out.
Woke from a short nap to find ourselves at my house.
“…H-How long was I out…?”
“Not long at all. We just arrived.”
“…Doesn’t feel right…”
Blinking around blearily, I spotted the three suppressing grins. Sigh, must’ve slept a ton.
The surroundings were dim too— deep night. Did they seriously wait without waking me?
“Why didn’t you wake me? Ugh, so embarrassing…”
“We really just got here. More traffic than expected.”
“Yeah, yeah, no worries— go rest up. You worked hard today.”
“I’ll let you know if any schedules pop up, so get some real sleep, Iroha-nim.”
I eyed the trio speaking in unison, then scooped up Moon— who’d returned to me from Cheon I-ryeong’s arms— and got out. I bowed back at their bows, headed inside, and finally heard the engine start as the car pulled away.
Ugh, hope I didn’t drool…
This young body’s especially vulnerable to fatigue. Strength and stamina both too low.
I entered the house with Moon and flopped straight onto the bed, still exhausted. But that half-sleep in the car left me tired yet strangely awake.
“Uuum—”
Not sleepy— maybe ponder the mana fruit?
I pulled the large, grape-like mana fruit from the drawer and examined it closely. No sudden insights, but I pictured pots or a little garden anyway.
Sand for a pot? But that intense heat… Heater nearby?
My imaginings escalated to a full greenhouse in the yard with a stove inside. Then I scrapped it.
Too overkill.
Greenhouse in the house yard?
Leaning blankly against the bedhead, my gaze drifted to the landscape painting on the wall.
“…Huh.”
Landscape painting?
#
Cheon I-ryeong’s Camera #2, #3
Yeon So-ah, snapped as practice on the way to photograph Iroha.
A selfie in the gap when no one was around.