Promotion Ceremony
The silence lingered in the promotion ceremony meeting room. It was all because of Winter's shocking remark.
"Since my hands have been broken so many times, it's fine if I can't use them for a while."
Winter spoke calmly, as if it were nothing at all. Where should I even begin to untangle this twisted sense of normalcy? Han Yeoreum couldn't find a single foothold to start from.
"Um... Winter, how did your hands end up broken so often?"
"My body was weak."
"Uh, right... Of course..."
Having lived a life harsher than most adults without a drop of mana, it was no wonder her hands broke frequently. Not just her wrists—her entire body must have suffered breaks in countless places. Han Yeoreum knew that much.
'She probably couldn't even go to a regular hospital without medical insurance.'
How had she treated her injuries without access to healing magic, potions, or proper medical care? Unable to hide her unease, Han Yeoreum asked, "Winter, what did you do when you got hurt?"
"I just wrapped it with bandages."
"Ah..."
Those yellowish bandages back in Winter's tent. Had she really covered her wounds with those filthy strips of cloth? Han Yeoreum found herself biting her lip without realizing it.
'How much must it have hurt?'
Did she simply wait for her body to heal on its own, with no medical help whatsoever? Han Yeoreum, who received minor cuts and scrapes in dungeons, knew exactly how excruciating a broken bone could be. She cast healing magic the moment she got even the smallest scratch, yet Winter had endured everything with nothing but a single bandage. Days or even weeks of that pain, completely alone. How crushing it must have felt to break an arm with no one to turn to.
Her chest tightening, Han Yeoreum reached out and grabbed Winter's wrist.
"Winter, having a broken hand is never something to brush off as okay."
"Why...?"
Winter tilted her head, genuinely confused. The sight made Han Yeoreum's face go pale.
"...Then why do you think it's okay for your hand to break, Winter?"
"Because everyone says it is."
Winter couldn't understand Han Yeoreum's reaction. This was a world where even a gaping hole in the stomach could be casually regenerated. In a place like that, broken limbs were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Complaining about the pain only earned you cold stares.
"It's not okay at all..."
Muttering under her breath, Han Yeoreum squeezed her eyes shut. She knew exactly why Winter spoke that way. Of course she did. Winter was the child who had been mocked for making a fuss even after her stomach was pierced through. It was only natural that a child raised in those circumstances would have her sense of normalcy warped. How on earth was she supposed to explain this? Han Yeoreum let out a long sigh at the tangled mess that was Winter's understanding of the world.
'Of all things, she had to compare herself to adventurers.'
Most adventurers were already prepared to endure physical pain. Some even prided themselves on never showing it. That was why so many of them carried a certain bravado—the habit of pretending injuries didn't hurt. All of it stemmed from the reassuring knowledge that "as long as you get treated afterward, it's fine." But Winter was different. She wasn't a proper adventurer, and her frail body had to risk death over the smallest wounds. She was still just a single-digit-aged child. With such an enormous gap between them, comparing herself to adult adventurers had completely inverted her sense of what was normal.
"Winter, a broken arm hurts incredibly badly."
"Isn't it just like a little scratch...?"
"Not at all... Even I would cry from the pain if my arm broke..."
"Huh?"
People in this world also considered broken arms painful? Winter's eyes widened in surprise.
"Winter, a broken arm is incredibly painful. You absolutely cannot just endure it and say it's fine. You have to ask the people around you for help, okay?"
"Yes... It actually hurt a lot, but everyone said it was okay, so I held it in."
"Uh, yeah."
An eight-year-old child enduring that kind of agony. What kind of mental fortitude did that take? Ugh. Han Yeoreum and everyone else in the meeting room let out quiet groans. It was then that Levinas spoke up.
"W-why do you both keep saying such scary things..."
Levinas trembled all over, tears welling in her eyes.
"Ah, sorry."
"Levinas might die if her arm breaks...! It would hurt so much I'd be crying even after I died...!"
"Yeah. Sorry. I'll stop now."
Winter gently wiped the corners of Levinas's eyes with the back of her hand. At that warm touch, Levinas's downturned lips slowly curved upward again.
'We said too many frightening things in front of the kids.'
Conversations like this were better saved for when only adults were around. Winter kept apologizing to the children.
"Um... I said the meeting would take an hour, but I guess I should just let you go."
"Really?"
Winter's tail, which had been perked up, began swaying happily from side to side. In contrast, Saebyeok's tail drooped with clear disappointment. They were such adorable children. To think these precious kids had endured that kind of pain. Han Yeoreum offered them a sad smile. It seemed the bad joke had gone far enough.
The next day.
I woke up early and headed out to the park. With Levinas's help, I tended the vegetable garden, then caught fish in the pond with Saebyeok. After working for a good while, I sat down on a bench to rest. Today I should harvest the cabbages. Just as I made that resolution, Han Yeoreum appeared in the distance, waving and walking toward us. My tail and Saebyeok's tail swayed at the same time.
"Kids, do you have a moment?"
She probably had something to say to Levinas and Saebyeok. I nodded on their behalf.
"Yes. We have time. We were just resting."
"Then would you come with big sis for a bit?"
"Okay."
We followed Han Yeoreum to the guild building. Quite a crowd had gathered in the first-floor lobby.
'What's going on?'
All the familiar guild members were there. Was there some kind of event today? While I was glancing around in confusion, Han Yeoreum walked toward the center of the group.
"Yeoreum! What's this about?!"
"There's a promotion ceremony today."
"Promotion ceremony?!"
"Yeah. We cleared a Level 1 Dungeon yesterday. Now we're moving up from beginner adventurers to Level 1 adventurers."
"Whoa!"
Levinas's ears shot straight up. Mine did the same.
"Does that mean we're becoming official adventurers?"
"Yep. Want to go see the Guild Master over there?"
"Yes...!"
Were we really going to be recognized as proper adventurers today? I ran toward the Guild Master along with everyone else.
"You're here."
"Yes."
"If you're here, take your badge."
The Guild Master skipped any unnecessary speeches. He simply pinned the badge onto my chest without fanfare. It was a circle with a single wavy line inside—one that would become a sun once all the lines were drawn. The more lines, the higher the rank. It was the signature badge of the Yeomyeong Guild.
"Wow."
"Winter's already a Level 1 adventurer?"
Clap clap clap. The applause from everyone around made my shoulders straighten. I probably looked a little dignified too. It felt both proud and embarrassing at the same time. Hehe—I ended up grinning like an idiot.
"Saebyeok gets one too."
"Yeah."
Saebyeok received the same badge as me. Now it was Levinas's turn. When the Guild Master approached, she stood at attention with sparkling eyes and perfect posture.
"Hmm... Levinas still isn't quite ready to become a Level 1 adventurer."
"L-Levinas doesn't get a badge...?"
"Well, that's right."
"......"
Levinas's face darkened. The realization that she was the only one left out seemed to hit her hard—she stood frozen in place without moving an inch.
"Levinas needs a bit more time."
"I-is that so..."
"Yeah."
At the Guild Master's firm reply, Levinas's shoulders slumped. It was heartbreaking that she had to be sad on such a happy day.
"Ugh..."
Levinas's gaze drifted to the badges pinned on my and Saebyeok's chests. Feeling her envious stare, I found myself looking down at the floor.
"Sorry..."
It would have been wonderful if Levinas could have received one too. But there was nothing I could do to help her right now. The promotion was decided by the Guild Master, not me. How was I supposed to comfort her when she looked so lost? While I was worrying, the Guild Master started rummaging through his pocket.
"Instead, I'll give you a different badge."
"A different badge...?"
"Yeah."
What he pulled out was a carrot-shaped badge. Inside the circle was nothing but a single carrot—no wavy lines at all.
"Whoa...!"
Levinas's eyes went wide like a horned rabbit. Her sparkling gaze locked onto the carrot badge.
"It's the beginner adventurer badge. We just made it this time."
"You made it for Levinas?!"
"Yeah."
"Heh...!"
Stomp stomp stomp. Unable to contain her joy, Levinas stomped her feet with abandon. The Guild Master skillfully pinned the badge onto her trembling chest.
"Wow! Levinas got a badge too! It's the coolest badge in the whole world!"
"Yeah. Way cooler than mine."
"R-really? What do I do if Levinas's badge is cooler?"
Hehe. Levinas gave me the same apologetic look I'd worn earlier. I was just glad she liked her badge so much.