Levinas's TV Ambition
Just how many cups of tea had they drunk? Han Yeoreum followed Sofia out with the children in tow. The news that a broadcasting crew had come to film made the kids' eyes sparkle.
"Shark! Does Shark get to be on TV too?!"
"No, I don't."
"Really...?!" Levinas voiced her disappointment. She looked genuinely upset that she wouldn't appear on the broadcast. Sofia must have noticed Levinas's disappointment, because she cleared her throat with a soft cough.
"I am merely here to supervise."
"Supervise?! Supervise what?!"
"I watch from a distance to make sure the filming doesn't inconvenience the citizens or disturb the park."
"Whoa!" Levinas's ears shot straight up. Han Yeoreum couldn't tell what exactly had startled her.
"Levinas, what's wrong?"
"Wow! It's supervision! Supervision!"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Only amazing people get on TV! And we're supervising those amazing people!"
"Ah..." So appearing on television was a big deal to Levinas. Now Han Yeoreum understood why she was so shocked.
"Sofia, what exactly are they filming?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I heard it's either a documentary about adventurers or a drama."
"Oh, then our guild is definitely number one."
They were undisputedly the best in the country and easily ranked among the top guilds worldwide. Han Yeoreum hadn't seen the exact statistics, but she trusted what Han Yeoreum had told her.
"You really care about the guild."
"Yes. Because Sofia is part of it."
"Ahem. Well then, let us be on our way."
Sofia's cheeks flushed as she strode ahead, her steps surprisingly quick despite the cane she leaned on.
"Sofia, wait for us!"
Han Yeoreum and the children hurried after her. The whole way there, Levinas busied herself with grooming. She combed her ears with both hands like a rabbit or straightened the carrot badge pinned to her chest. Han Yeoreum knew exactly why she was making such a fuss over her appearance.
"Levinas, you look even prettier now."
"Yeah! If I look pretty, maybe they'll let me on TV!"
At Levinas's words, Saebyeok let out a sharp gasp. She rose onto her tiptoes and began licking Han Yeoreum's ear. It was the first time anything like this had happened, yet her instincts told her immediately what Saebyeok was doing: grooming her fur.
She might have found the saliva unpleasant, but her beastkin instincts kept her calm and still.
"Saebyeok, why the sudden grooming?"
"Because Winter has to be the prettiest."
"Hmm... I'm not planning to go on TV, so it's fine."
"But it's TV?"
"Yeah. I don't really watch television anyway."
Even after Han Yeoreum assured her it was okay, Saebyeok continued grooming. Maybe she simply enjoyed the act itself.
"King! King!"
Levinas, still in the middle of her own grooming, tapped Han Yeoreum's shoulder. She looked frantic.
"What's wrong?"
"Do you have any face powder?! Should Levinas put some on too?!"
"No, Levinas, you're pretty without makeup."
"Okay! Then I won't!"
Levinas abandoned the idea of makeup without a shred of doubt. Han Yeoreum was touched by how readily she trusted her.
"Levinas, do you really want to be on TV that badly?"
"Yeah! Levinas would be happy forever if she could just appear on TV!"
"If you stay pretty, they might let you on."
"Pretty...! Got it...!"
Levinas was already adorable just standing still. Han Yeoreum wondered how much cuter she would look if she tried to act pretty. Like the other children, she headed toward the filming site with growing anticipation.
**
Even though it was still morning, the filming location was bustling. Cameras, microphones, and unfamiliar broadcasting equipment had been set up throughout the park.
"Whoa."
It was the first time Han Yeoreum had properly seen a filming set, even counting her past life. Her tail perked up with curiosity.
"Sit quietly on the bench and just watch. Don't get in the adults' way, all right?"
"Okay."
After answering in unison with the children, Han Yeoreum sat down on a nearby bench. Saebyeok was still grooming her ear. Since she seemed to enjoy it, Han Yeoreum decided not to stop her. She sat still and glanced at Levinas beside her.
"Levinas...?"
"......!"
Levinas looked strange. Her body was rigid, nothing like her usual self.
"Levinas, what's wrong?"
"Wah, King, Levinas is all wrong...!"
"Wrong?"
"Yeah...! My body won't listen...! King, you go on TV instead...!"
Levinas grabbed Han Yeoreum's tail and began licking it. Saebyeok had her ear, Levinas had her tail. Caught between their grooming, Han Yeoreum could only stare straight ahead, unsure what to do.
"Um... let's just wait a little longer. Maybe the nerves will settle with time."
"Yeah...!"
They sat quietly, watching the crew prepare. For some reason, neither child showed any sign of stopping their grooming.
It's going to smell like spit...
Han Yeoreum sniffed experimentally. She had expected a sour scent, but to her surprise, there was no smell at all. Was that a beastkin thing? Just as she sighed in relief, a middle-aged man with a sparse beard approached them.
"Here to watch?"
"Yes... We'll stay out of the way."
"Thanks for letting us use the park."
Thanks for letting us use it? He spoke as if the park belonged to them.
"Excuse me, what are you filming?"
"A documentary! We're showing the real lives of adventurers without holding anything back."
A documentary. If they weren't using professional actors, then Levinas might actually have a chance to appear. Han Yeoreum decided to help her nervous friend.
"Levinas here is an adventurer too. She's even cleared a Level 1 Dungeon."
"Whoa! That's impressive!"
The middle-aged man laughed heartily. Han Yeoreum could tell he had a friendly personality.
"Levinas, say hello."
"Ah, h-hello... sir..."
"Sir...?"
Levinas was acting like a shy young lady. Han Yeoreum's eyes widened at the unfamiliar sight.
"Haha, the horned rabbit friend wants to be on TV, huh?"
"Um... I'm sorry."
"It's fine. If there's a chance, I'll put you in."
"Hup...!"
Both Levinas's and Han Yeoreum's ears shot up at the same time. Even Saebyeok stopped grooming.
"We won't be a bother, will we?"
"Not at all. You kids are adventurers too, right?"
"Yes. That's right."
"Then there's no problem. Filming adventurers is our job."
He shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Han Yeoreum's tail wagged at the thought of granting Levinas's wish.
"Thank you...!"
"Yeah, see you later."
The middle-aged man waved and walked away, hands in his pockets. There was something cool about the way he ambled off.
"Levinas, he said he'll let you be on TV."
Han Yeoreum turned to Levinas sitting beside her. Levinas was holding Han Yeoreum's tail with both hands. No wonder it hadn't been wagging freely. She twitched the captured tail, tickling Levinas's nose.
"T-TV...! Levinas is the Heroic Horned Rabbit now...!"
"If you're the Heroic Horned Rabbit, does that make you the Animal King?"
"Yeah...!"
The Heroic Horned Rabbit. The strongest character in the Animal King animation and the hope of the weak horned rabbits in the story. To Levinas, who was also a horned rabbit, he was nothing short of an idol. Han Yeoreum hoped with all her heart that Levinas would get to appear on TV.
**
After the first shoot wrapped, they had a short break. Han Yeoreum brewed dandelion tea for Sofia, who had been working nonstop.
"Sofia, have some tea."
"Thank you. Will you share it with the others as well?"
"Yes. I will."
Thanks to Levinas's plant-growing ability, they had more than enough dandelion tea. Han Yeoreum poured a full kettle and distributed it to the roughly twenty staff members.
"Here, have some tea."
"Hm? What kind of tea is this?"
"Dandelion tea."
She handed a paper cup full of tea to the middle-aged man. He took a sip, and his eyes lit up with surprise.
"Wow, this is delicious. It almost feels like it's giving me energy...?"
"I grew and roasted the dandelions myself."
"Oh... homemade? Mind if I have a little more?"
"Of course. We have plenty. Drink as much as you like."
Han Yeoreum refilled his empty cup. She poured for the other staff members too, and the tea proved so popular that she had to empty the kettle several times.
"What the...? I only got three hours of sleep last night, but I'm not tired at all."
"I feel full of energy."
A few staff members who noticed the change clenched and unclenched their fists. Their strength had increased, and their stamina had improved. It wasn't just their imagination—every single staff member was experiencing the same effect.
"Don't tell me it's because of the tea...?"
One quick-witted staff member stared down at his empty paper cup. Everyone whose physical abilities had improved had one thing in common: they had all drunk Han Yeoreum's tea.
"Tea...? Does the tea have some kind of effect?"
The middle-aged man looked down at Han Yeoreum. He held out his paper cup, which he'd already emptied nearly five times.
"Yes. The tea I brewed has a buff on it."
"A b-buff? What kind of buff?"
"Um, I heard it makes you stronger."
"R-really?"
The middle-aged man, director Jang Yeong-cheol, looked down at his own hands. At this rate, even he, who wasn't an adventurer, felt like he could clear a Level 1 Dungeon. The problem was the price of the buff. Buffers were rare, and most buffs commanded high prices. Even a beginner's buff given at a novice hunting ground cost tens of thousands of won. But a buff from an adventurer of the Yeomyeong Guild...?
Wouldn't one cup of this tea easily exceed several hundred thousand won? It might even be worth over a million.
Jang Yeong-cheol's hands trembled as he called for the lighting director.
"Ji-seok, how many cups of this did we drink...?"
"I don't know... If we count all the kids, it must be over a hundred cups..."
"Damn..."
A million-won tea, a hundred cups of it. He was ruined. Jang Yeong-cheol stared up at the sky with hollow eyes. The sky above Yeomyeong Park was remarkably clear.