Chapter 127: Even the Absolute Being Is a First-Time Dad
Absolute Dad 127
The day of the Snow White Kindergarten's parent-invited arts festival.
"What time is it...?"
Lee Soo-bin woke up early in the morning, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and immediately checked the time on her phone.
5:00 AM.
The sun hadn't even risen yet, but Soo-bin headed straight to the kitchen.
"Let's see..."
She planned to pack lunchboxes.
"How many people...?"
She counted on her fingers the number of family members who would be attending the festival today.
"Better make plenty."
Just as she opened the fridge and began pulling out various ingredients—
"Madam, are you already preparing breakfast?"
Crabsley appeared without a sound, startling her.
"Ah! You scared me!" she exclaimed before lowering her voice. "Yes, I'm packing lunchboxes..."
Crabsley's interest seemed piqued. "Oh? Lunchboxes, you say?"
After a quiet "Yes, lunchboxes," Soo-bin rolled up the sleeves of her long-sleeved shirt and added,
"I heard there's a pretty big 'Lakeside Park' inside Seol's kindergarten."
"Is that so?"
"After the festival, I thought we could all go for a little outing together."
The park, centered around a lake, had walking trails stretching over 3 kilometers—an enormous space.
Not only were there all kinds of trees and flowers, but she'd also heard that beneficial plants harvested from beyond the Gates thrived there.
"We could take a stroll, enjoy the breeze, find a spot to sit, chat, and share the lunchboxes..."
Crabsley clapped his hands together with anticipation.
"Indeed, it already sounds like a delightful time."
"Right?"
"In that case, allow me to assist."
Having an extra pair of hands would make preparing the lunchboxes much easier and faster.
"I'd really appreciate that."
She then asked, "Could you start by washing the vegetables?"
And so, the two of them stood side by side in the kitchen, beginning to prepare various dishes—from gimbap to sandwiches...
"Madam."
Crabsley, who had stealthily snatched a piece of gimbap and popped it into his mouth, suddenly froze mid-chew.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard, patting his chest in surprise.
"My apologies, Madam."
"Hm?"
"It looked far too delicious..."
Soo-bin chuckled, tilting her head curiously.
"Does it suit your taste?"
Crabsley paused, as if searching for the right words, before snapping his fingers in realization.
"It is, without exaggeration, absolutely divine."
Soo-bin blinked, momentarily stunned by Crabsley's Korean slang upgrade.
"Feel free to eat as much as you like."
"Y-You honor me too much..."
She then asked, "By the way, what kind of food does Kang-jun like?"
"Hm?"
"He eats whatever's given to him without complaint, but..."
It was a question that had been nagging at her lately.
"I don't actually know what his favorite food is. Now that I think about it, he's never once asked for anything specific."
A brief silence followed.
"In truth, His Majesty reached a state long ago where he no longer requires sustenance like food or water."
"...What?"
"For ages now, he has felt neither hunger nor thirst. He survives without relying on such things."
It was all true.
"Of course, that doesn't mean he can't taste food. But for His Majesty, eating is more of... a habitual act."
Crabsley's gaze drifted toward the firmly shut door—the bedroom shared by Kang-jun and Seol.
"From what I've observed while serving him, His Majesty has a certain... fixation on maintaining 'humanity.'"
"A... what?"
"It seems that fixation only grew stronger after he ascended to heights that could rival even the gods."
Crabsley trailed off before murmuring, "For example..."
He picked up another piece of gimbap, staring at it intently before continuing.
"Eating despite feeling no hunger, or retiring to bed each night and closing his eyes even though he doesn't need sleep..."
A tinge of bitterness seeped into his voice.
"It's an obsession with humanity."
In the past, Soo-bin might have dismissed such words as absurd.
But now, they unsettled her.
"At their core, they are the same."
Crabsley explained matter-of-factly.
"One could classify eating and sleeping as acts necessary for survival."
"Right..."
"If His Majesty's driving force for survival is his humanity, then these acts are for survival."
It was a hardship existing in a realm she couldn't comprehend.
And so...
Her heart ached inexplicably.
"Um, sir."
When Crabsley responded with a quiet, "Yes, Madam?" Soo-bin licked her lips and asked another question.
"Is Kang-jun really that strong?"
"Heh, is there any doubt?"
"I'm curious how strong."
She pressed further.
"If you were to compare him to 'S-rank Hunters'..."
Crabsley couldn't hide his bewilderment. "Huh...?"
After a moment, he found an appropriate analogy.
"If they are like dazzling 'stars'..."
"Yes."
"Then His Majesty is the cosmos itself, encompassing all those stars."
Finishing his words, Crabsley recalled an encounter from a few days prior—with Jung Yoon-chan, Korea's top-ranked S-rank Hunter—and added,
"I briefly crossed paths with Jung Yoon-chan, the Hunter known as the strongest in the nation..."
He trailed off, popping another piece of gimbap into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully before continuing.
"Even if he were to face Iriel—who was considered the weakest among the five Grand Ministers overseeing the core departments of the Anux Imperial Palace in terms of combat prowess..."
Gulp.
After swallowing, he added quietly,
"I doubt he could last more than a few exchanges."
Soo-bin's eyes widened.
"Gyu-ri?!"
From Soo-bin's perspective, Seo Gyu-ri was just a young woman who loved taking selfies and was obsessed with social media.
That same Seo Gyu-ri...
Could overwhelm Jung Yoon-chan, a Hunter renowned worldwide and acknowledged as the strongest in the country?
Wait, then...
Does that mean Sir Choi Dol-soi—who once held the title of Grand Duke—is even stronger than Iriel, who could overpower the nation's top Hunter?
Why is someone like that working at a GU convenience store...?
Soo-bin took a deep breath before spreading rice evenly on another sheet of seaweed.
"That's... hard to believe."
Crabsley nodded several times.
"Comparing such individuals to His Majesty is like comparing the sun to a thin candle."
Though their Q&A session had ended...
Her questions about her brother only grew deeper.
"Ooh, pork cutlet gimbap—divine deliciousness..."
And her doubts extended not just to Sir Choi Dol-soi, who had become family thanks to Kang-jun, but also to Seo Gyu-ri.
Could it really be true...?
Based on her experiences so far, it likely was.
But still...
It was all too surreal to accept easily.
The lobby of the kindergarten's annex building, where the Snow White Art Hall was located, was packed to the brim.
A literal sea of people.
Parents, relatives, and even reporters from various media outlets had gathered in one place.
All because...
Several S-rank Hunters had posted about the event on their personal social media the night before.
"I'm really looking forward to the play 'Little Heroes,' performed by the children of the Love Class at Snow White Kindergarten's arts festival tomorrow."
#SnowWhiteKindergarten #ArtsFestivalPlay
Starting with Jung Yoon-chan, Korea's top-ranked S-rank Hunter...
"Before watching my beloved niece's performance tomorrow, I humbly annihilated 100 sets of full-body exercises like a true man. P.S.: Anyone who bullies my niece won't get off easy."
#ManlyForwardMomentum #BlueFlameHeart #GymLife #FitnessGram
Go Du-yeol also posted a shirtless selfie alongside a message about the Snow White Kindergarten's festival...
"Niece, just do your best like you practiced. Solitude guild members are required to attend."
#StayCalm #YouCanDoIt
Kang Sung-hyun, Korea's 5th-ranked S-rank Hunter and master of the prestigious Solitude guild...
"Finally, my niece's performance tomorrow ♥"
#ChildrensPlayLittleHeroes #GuaranteedFun
Even Yoon Hee-soo, who rarely engaged in social media, made a post—her uncharacteristically warm tone sparking major buzz.
"Yoon Hee-soo Hunter used a 'heart'..."
"Hunter-nim, please scold me instead."
"Wait, who's the niece?"
"Other Hunters mentioned it too."
"Wow, the aunt and uncles are on another level..."
With figures more influential than most celebrities or athletes fueling the hype...
"It was truly an honor to serve as an advisory member for the children's play 'Little Heroes' at Snow White Kindergarten's arts festival."
#DontUnderestimateChildrensPlays #PinnacleOfModernTheatre #MorePreciousThanAnyExperience
Even Oh Min-seok, director of the legendary theater troupe Masterpiece Workshop, joined in, further amplifying the excitement.
As a result...
News coverage about the festival poured down like a summer storm across every online outlet.
[Exclusive: Why Snow White Kindergarten's Parent-Invited Arts Festival Became the Talk of the Town]
[The Mystery Sparked by S-Rank Hunters' Niece Love—Just Who Is This Niece?]
[Living Legend of Theater, Director Oh Min-seok, Declares: "I Can Confidently Say No Performance Will Match This One."]
Finally entering the Snow White Art Hall on the top floor of the annex, Soo-bin couldn't help but murmur,
"Wow..."
"There are so many people..."
Kang-jun quietly agreed. "Yeah."
Just then, murmurs spread throughout the venue as S-rank Hunters began appearing.
"Whoa, it's my first time seeing them in person..."
"This is insane..."
"Gotta take a picture first..."
Soo-bin was just as stunned.
"Kang-jun, those are top-ranked Hunters..."
His response was indifferent.
"They're late."
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
The Hunters scanned the crowd as if searching for someone—
"Huh?"
Soo-bin briefly wondered if they were looking at her—
Bow.
As if on cue, they all bowed deeply at a perfect 90-degree angle... and stayed like that.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
They showed no sign of straightening up.
"Who are they bowing to?"
"No idea."
"Is some VIP here?"
Only after several seconds did they finally rise.
Soo-bin turned her gaze to her brother sitting beside her—
Flick.
—just in time to see Kang-jun shooing them away like flies.
Her mind reeled.
No way...
Were they bowing to him?
Then...
The conversation she'd had with Crabsley while packing lunchboxes resurfaced.
"If they are like dazzling 'stars'..."
What came next?
"Then His Majesty is the cosmos itself, encompassing all those stars."
Suddenly, all the lights in the venue dimmed, plunging the hall into darkness—
A famous actor's voice echoed as the emcee for the event.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the arts festival will now begin..."
Even in the pitch-black darkness, Soo-bin kept staring at Kang-jun.
"Hey."
"Mm?"
"Here."
He handed her the professional-grade, hundred-million-won camera he'd bought to film Seol's performance.
"I forgot how to turn it on..."
For some reason, her questions about Kang-jun only deepened with time.
"Give it here, I'll show you again."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. This is the power button, see?"
Another memory flashed through her mind.
"From what I've observed, His Majesty has a fixation on maintaining 'humanity.'"
What kind of life had her brother lived beyond the Gate?
What kind of time had he endured to become someone who didn't need sleep...
Or food, or water?
"Eating despite feeling no hunger, or retiring to bed each night even though he doesn't need sleep..."
How much hardship had he faced...
That he now went through the motions of living like a human?
"It's an obsession with humanity."
His wealth, power, and strength were astonishing, but...
More than anything...
What Soo-bin felt wasn't awe.
It was sorrow.
A deepening ache in her heart.
"Kang-jun."
If he was fixated on humanity...
Didn't that mean he had become something other than human?
"Yeah?"
But what did it matter?
"Hm?"
Silence lingered in the darkness.
"No matter what anyone says, you're my little brother."
Soo-bin forced a smile.
"The innocent little brother I carried on my back."
Her words, simple yet profound, finally drew a smile from Kang-jun.
"I know."
And with that, the long-awaited arts festival began.