Sofia's Wild Instinct
I came down the mountain with Sofia the troublemaker. The moment I decided to shake the water off, my body moved on its own. Shake, shake, shake—my body swayed side to side like a cat flinging water from its fur. It was a beastkin instinct that only surfaced when I was soaked through.
"Sofia, were you always that fast?"
"Only in the water, dear."
"Ah..."
So she really was a shark in the water. I studied Sofia once we left the valley. She looked vibrant, full of life in a way that made her seem like an ordinary teenage girl.
"You're not using your cane anymore?"
"No. Once the water dries, I'll have to lean on it again."
"You can't use your strength outside the water, then."
"Normally we don't even come out of the water at all."
Perhaps because the shark's wild nature had awakened, pride colored Sofia's voice. According to her, all fish beastkin disliked leaving the water.
"Fish beastkin... do they die if they come out of the water?"
"They might last half a day."
"Ah... huh?"
Sofia had stayed out of the water this whole time. Most would perish, yet she only grew weaker. Maybe she was far more extraordinary than I had imagined.
"Sofia, you're amazing."
I looked at her with genuine respect. Normally she would have grown flustered, but now she only radiated confidence. Her actions were rough and her tone fierce, yet she was still Sofia. There was no reason to feel any distance between us.
"They're coming down soon."
"Who—"
Before I could finish, footsteps echoed from above. One heavy, one light—two people.
"Winter!"
Choi Jinhyuk and Kwon Arin pushed through the overgrown path. Leaves clung to their clothes, but their eyes were fixed on me.
"Are you all right? You were moving so fast."
"Ah..."
They must have seen me descending with Sofia. I had been so focused on speed that I never noticed anyone nearby.
"I'm fine. Sofia gave me a ride."
"Sofia did...?"
Both of them stared at her. Seeing Sofia, who usually avoided water, playing in it must have felt strange. The atmosphere around her had shifted too.
"I'm glad nothing happened."
Kwon Arin only waved her hand, even though she clearly had questions. Her thoughtfulness seemed to grow with each passing day.
"You came down because of me for nothing. I'm sorry."
"As long as you're safe, it's fine."
Her hand rose above my head. Shake, shake, shake—she gently tousled the water from my hair and ears. With my eyes half-closed against the swaying strands, I glanced back at Sofia.
"Sofia, I'll carry you up."
"Are you speaking to me, Winter?"
"Yes. It'll be hard for you once the water dries."
I turned and offered my back. I wanted to return even a little of what she had given me. Perhaps this was something like the quiet affection between parent and child.
"I usually ride the currents... hmm..."
After a brief hesitation, Sofia climbed onto my back. The Sofia without her wild nature would have refused. But with water still clinging to her, she accepted the offer without protest.
"The path is steep. Put me down if it gets difficult."
"All right."
The beastkin body let me climb while carrying Sofia. Technique mattered more than raw strength. Even on the steep slope, my balance held steady. The more I experienced it, the more astonishing those physical abilities seemed.
"Um, Winter...?"
"Yes?"
Sofia poked my back with a finger. The touch felt fragile. This was Sofia with her wild nature faded. Looking down, I saw the water had already dried.
"You can put me down now..."
Ahem. At her cough I realized she was embarrassed. What exactly was this wild nature that could rewrite someone's personality so completely? If I were influenced by it, would I become like her? I pictured myself turning fierce. It didn't seem frightening at all.
"Sofia, you can't walk without your cane."
"I can manage with mana."
"Hmm..."
Asking someone who was already unwell to walk up a mountain on their own felt wrong. There wasn't far to go, so I kept climbing.
"I'll put you down after a little more."
"Y-you rascal..."
Thump, thump. She tapped my head with her fist. It didn't hurt, but the complaint was clear.
"S-sorry. If you don't like it, I'll put you down right now."
"It's not that I dislike it. It's just..."
"Just?"
I perked my ears and waited. Before Sofia could answer, children's voices rang out from above.
"Winter!"
Levinas leapt down the slope, Saebyeok racing after her. They must have been worried. My tail wagged with joy at the sight of them.
"Winter, do you have a bomb?!"
"A bomb?"
"Yeah! It went boom!"
It had been so fast that an explosion effect had appeared. Typical Levinas imagination.
"Yeah. I set off a bomb."
"Huk! You're okay even after a bomb exploded?!"
"Yeah. It's a bomb that doesn't hurt."
"Wow..."
Levinas's eyes sparkled. Saebyeok approached beside her, tail swaying, gaze locked on the envelope in Choi Jinhyuk's hand.
"Food."
Growl— Saebyeok's stomach rumbled. She looked starving.
"Yeah. Let's go up and eat."
A day spent only playing and eating. I never thought such a life would be mine. Just as Han Yeoreum once said, simply resting wasn't so bad.
After eating together, we sat and talked. I stayed quiet, listening. Han Yeoreum and Kwon Arin carried most of the conversation.
"Arin, how's guild life?"
"It's not bad, but they really put us through every kind of training."
Phew. Kwon Arin let out a long sigh, frustration clear in the sound.
"What kind of training?"
"...Troublemaker response training."
"Ah, that. I did it too, sis."
Troublemaker response training. I could picture it. I'd experienced plenty of difficult people myself.
"They scheduled it for next week and told me to play the troublemaker."
"You, Arin?"
"Yes. They said I look like I have the worst personality..."
"Uh... um..."
Han Yeoreum patted Kwon Arin's shoulder. At the comforting touch, Kwon Arin hung her head.
"Well, I know my personality is bad too..."
"R-recently it's gotten much better..."
The mood grew heavy. To lighten it, I moved closer to Han Yeoreum and sat down.
"Um, what exactly is troublemaker response training?"
"It's learning how to handle difficult people. Troublemaker adventurers can be dangerous in all sorts of ways."
"Ah... so you were assigned the troublemaker role?"
"Yeah. Because Arin has a sharp vibe."
Though her personality is good, Han Yeoreum added silently.
"Sis, it's unfair. I get angry easily, but I can't actually act like a troublemaker."
Kwon Arin grumbled and tossed a nearby branch into the fire. Even with her short temper, she had never been the one to start a fight. She had every reason to feel wronged.
"Can I help?"
"You, Winter?"
"Yes. I know troublemakers pretty well."
Living in this world, I'd met all kinds of people. Before joining the Yeomyeong Guild, most had been strict with me. Even a handful of the things I'd heard were enough to paint a vivid picture of an enormous troublemaker.
"Even if you try, it won't make me angry."
Kwon Arin chuckled and tugged at her cheek. Honestly, I wouldn't have believed it either. I always looked so passive.
"I might do surprisingly well?"
"Really?"
"Yes. I've seen plenty of troublemakers."
I recalled the ones I'd encountered in this life. Because I went around dirty, most of their complaints had been about cleanliness. Once, simply returning a lost wallet earned me curses and the wallet thrown back in my face. That had actually been mild. Some people picked fights on purpose.
'Looking back, there really were a lot...'
I mixed every memory together. The result was a troublemaker so unpleasant anyone would freeze on the spot.
"Then shall we try? If you're good, I might learn something."
"Yes, sounds good."
The experiences I'd once hated were proving useful now. No experience was ever truly meaningless. With a light heart, I gathered the trash left from our meal—receipts, plastic bags, and leftover food scraps.
"You're really going to do it?"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
Next to Kwon Arin's chuckling face, I hurled the crumpled trash. Thanks to my long-range specialization, it flew right past her cheek.
"Hey...!"
She should have shouted, but my voice came out small. Even so, Kwon Arin widened her eyes in surprise.
"......?"
She blinked, mouth hanging open. Han Yeoreum beside her wore the same stunned expression. Not wanting to go too far, I decided on one more line and then stop.
"Where does a beggar get the nerve to talk to me...! Eat this...!"
I threw the food waste at her feet. Feeling guilty, I immediately picked it up again. Dirt clung to it, but it could still be washed and eaten.
"W-Winter...? Just now, that was...?"
Han Yeoreum spoke in place of the frozen Kwon Arin. She looked shocked, her outstretched hand half-clenched.
"I'm sorry. The troublemaker I remembered acted like that."
"Uh, yeah... Did Winter perhaps..."
"Yes?"
"Did you experience that yourself..."
Han Yeoreum trailed off, unable to finish. Maybe I had gone a little too far, even if I only wanted to be helpful.