A Bizarre Adventure (1)
YasaengGrill
(Photo of Ppareumbo wearing a Chaeyu uniform)
(Photo of Wonmo wearing a Chaeyu uniform)
(Photo of the two animals standing side by side)
As of today, I officially declare that Ppareumbo and Wonmo are now fans of Chaemesh United.
└Ppareumbo looks so fucking pissed lololol
└Wonmo just has this totally confused look lol so huge and cute lmao
└Why do they suit it so well lololol
└Did ChangguPrincess give you kids' sizes too?
└YasaengGrill Yeah, I tried putting them on since I couldn't wear them myself. If they hate it, I'll just take 'em off.
└Aah... the whole world is Chaeyu...
└StarlightPrincess Should I raise an owlbear too? They're so cute...!
└YasaengGrill Just feed 'em well and they're good. And they're seriously cute.
└StarlightPrincess I'd name one I raise Hellin.
"Heh heh heh."
Mephisto's princess, Kairin, let out a satisfied chuckle as she looked at the post YasaengGrill had uploaded. She usually kept up a high-and-mighty attitude, but that was just her public face. In the Gallery, where she could show all her emotions freely, she wasn't all that different from anyone else.
"They are cute. Look at those chubby bodies."
Even she couldn't resist something adorable. In fact, almost no one badmouthed Wonmo. Talk smack about Wonmo? You'd better brace yourself for every insult in the book. There were even users clamoring for YasaengGrill to post pics of Wonmo instead.
'This should take care of outfit worries for a while.'
The reason she'd given YasaengGrill the uniforms was simple. She had a ton of them lying around—enough to trip over—and she was personally interested in him. Having lived as a princess and endured all sorts of sweet-talk and flattery, she could easily tell truth from lies.
'It's been a while since someone made me feel their sincerity just through words.'
There were plenty of reasons Kairin liked YasaengGrill. For one, he genuinely rooted for Chaeyu, the team she supported, and his attitude of trying to repay her somehow was impressive. Especially when she'd said no need to repay her—he'd gotten all fidgety like a puppy desperate to pee. Every little word and action left a good impression on her.
Even in the anonymity-guaranteed Gallery, YasaengGrill was polite and well-mannered.
'Is it because he knows he'd be in danger if he didn't win her favor?'
Maybe. If he ever escaped the Four Seasons Forest, he might clam up and ghost her. But that was fine. At least while he was stuck in the forest, he'd remain on good terms with her.
'Still, it's weird. Is he really from another world?'
Separately from that, she couldn't help being curious about him. YasaengGrill had once said he came from another world. She'd dismissed it as a gimmick at the time, and so had everyone else. Plus, he knew a ton about sports, which reinforced the gimmick theory. But his proposal had been downright astonishing.
'A tournament not based on home teams, but by players' home regions. And only every four years?'
The event he'd mentioned—the World Cup—nagged at her. He'd described it like it actually existed. She had no choice but to pay attention.
'Pride in representing your region. The honor of defeating those reps. The rarity of holding it just once every four years. All those elements are pure gold.'
There had once been a proposal in Mephisto for something similar: teams by race competing in a global sports event. It got a decent response but fell through for various reasons. The physical differences between races were one thing, but the pressure was insane. The competition was murderous, and even if you broke through, politics got involved. It was a poisoned chalice if there ever was one, so it fizzled out.
'Humans would love it too.'
Humans had rock-bottom lows but sky-high peaks. That applied to sports as well, and plenty of them were playing pro now. Human transfers to Mephisto teams were common and often dominated. But their short lifespans meant peak performance was brief. Unavoidable. Still, that short burst swept all the awards, chipping away at demon pride day by day. Recently, they'd even lost to human teams in inter-nation club matches.
Demons and elves burned long and steady; humans burned short and fierce.
'Is he really from another world?'
She'd brushed it off as nonsense at first, but the suspicious bits kept piling up. Using the Gallery in the chaotic forest, knowing all sorts of trivia...
'Even if he is, it doesn't change that he's a Chaeyu fan.'
Suspicions piled on suspicions, but Kairin shut them down quick. She wanted deeper chats with him, but survival came first. Losing a fellow Chaeyu fan pointlessly would hurt.
'I wish the Medes family knew about him too.'
If the Medes family backed YasaengGrill fully, his survival odds would skyrocket, and the ad potential would be huge. But they only cared about profits, not some guy like him.
'I'd love to pressure them, but... ugh, politics.'
Kairin shook her head. Sports were feather-light fun for fans. But the deeper you dug, the messier and dirtier it got. So she chose to enjoy it instead. Even then, Chaeyu games made her blood boil—but that was universal. Getting pissed when your team sucked was common to all nations, all races.
'Please don't lose without a fight. Score at least one goal, damn it.'
She thought of the match coming up soon. The opponent was that loathsome Leor. The gap between rising powerhouse Leor and plummeting Chaeyu was vast. But soccer always had surprises, so she clung to a sliver of hope.
'Gotta say I'm going into mental cultivation retreat in two days.'
One perk of sports obsession: no need for separate mental training. Watching was the training. With that in mind, Kairin started walking.
"Hm?"
"Ah."
Walking the corridor, she bumped right into someone. Blue demon skin, reverse pupils, horns on the head. And a face handsome enough to call stunning.
"My greetings, Father."
Kairin bowed politely with full etiquette. Asmode, the demon king infamous across the lands. Her father and Mephisto's king.
"Yes, Kairin. Nothing amiss?"
"What trouble would I have? Same routine every day."
"I see. Where to?"
"Preparing for mental cultivation retreat in two days."
I'm watching Chaeyu in two days. Kairin's inner voice.
Asmode nodded at her words, then spoke in his stiff tone.
"You've had more mental cultivation days lately. Something on your mind?"
"Trivial compared to bearing Mephisto's burdens daily, Father."
Chaeyu sucks so bad I'm dying inside. Kairin screamed internally again.
Asmode nodded and offered comfort.
"Don't push too hard. You're my daughter first. Need help, just say."
"Thank you. But..."
Kairin eyed his face. Things must be going well—his expression was relaxed. Back in the day, his perpetual scowl had been terrifying. He'd been as busy with cultivation as she was now.
"Have you attained enlightenment, Father? Fewer cultivation days lately."
"Indeed. Good tidings for Mephisto and all—peace of mind."
"I see."
Jealous. So jealous. One rotted inside daily; the other enlightened. No sense of unfairness, though. The shares were hers—Chaeyu fandom was the crime.
No pointless venting.
"Then grow well."
"Thank you, Father. And you?"
"Training in two days too. Might be the most important yet."
"You'll get great results, Father."
"Thanks for the well-wishes. I'll be off."
Asmode patted her shoulder and passed. Kairin watched his back, then walked on.
'If they lose again this time...'
Horrifying just to imagine. The Gallery would flood with mockery. And worst, YasaengGrill. Would he get disillusioned by Chaeyu's trash play? She pictured other high-nics, especially KingLeor, slyly tempting him.
└KingLeor Sir, how about cheering for our Leor instead? I'll send a uniform
└YasaengGrill Thanks. Actually, I've been a Leor fan forever.
└KingLeor Say it. Chaeyu is?
└YasaengGrill Perfect mid-table material?
└KingLeor Perfect!
'Not on my watch!'
How to keep YasaengGrill a Chaeyu fan? Kairin pondered inwardly, face blank. Even royals were just fans in the end.
'I'll watch for any flip-flopping.'
A test for YasaengGrill, unbeknownst to him.
*****
'What? Something feels off.'
I glanced around. Trees everywhere. Maybe a beast lurking? But Ppareumbo showed no reaction, so probably nothing.
'Let's check. How'd it turn out?'
More important: the tripod I'd made inspired by StarlightPrincess's post. Time to see if the meat hanging from it had smoked fully. Quickest was 1-2 hours, longest 10. Time was life, so I'd cranked the heat.
"Whoa, look at that color."
Color was A+. Smoky hue, and the smell was divine. Ripped a piece to check inside—perfectly golden, even the innards. But taste was king.
Plenty of day left till dinner—one bite wouldn't hurt.
"Nom."
I chomped the smoked tiger meat. Carnivores usually had gamey smells, but smoking killed it. Or maybe I just ate anything.
Taste was solid. Juicy, great texture.
"Nngh...! Ptoo! Ptui!"
But insanely salty. Brined before smoking—unavoidable.
'Wonmo couldn't handle this.'
Raw was better for her. I hung the finished smokes deeper in the cave—cooler than outside.
'Cook the rest too.'
Still tons to smoke. Busy day. By the time I finished, night had fallen.
Dinner: fresh smoked goods. One chunk would do.
"Wonmo, dinner time."
"Kyuu!"
Wonmo's eyes sparkled at mealtime, trotting over. In her kids' uniform, her cuteness was otherworldly. Made me wanna squeeze her tight. Now I got why people dressed up pets.
'Ppareumbo though...'
Ppareumbo hated it, so off it came. If not, claws would've shredded it.
Anyway, fulfilling day. Tomorrow: crabs for the dwarf, scouting around.
'Bit by bit like this, I'll find a clue, right?'
With faint hope, I drifted off. Blissfully unaware of tomorrow's chaos.