Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Pied Piper (2)
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The children who had been sleeping were all gone.
The only living creatures left in the room were the dragons and Mangmung.
Choryeon lightly tapped her cheeks to wake herself up.
“Ow, that stings!”
Choryeon gently rubbed her reddened cheeks with her palm.
Holding back the tears threatening to spill from the stinging pain, she looked at Suryeon.
“So, Suryeon sis. What the heck is going on here? All our kindergarten friends are gone.”
“I don’t know exactly. But I think I know who did this.”
“Who?”
“The Pied Piper.”
Suryeon explained the contents of the fairy tale.
About the man who played the flute and took the children away.
Hearing that explanation, Choryeon nodded seriously in her own way.
“Hmm, yeah. There are definitely some similarities between the fairy tale and what’s happening now.”
“That’s why it’s so intriguing. As far as I know, fairy tales are supposed to be fictional stories. But something exactly like what’s in the fairy tale is happening.”
Curiosity sparked!
Suryeon’s eyes were filled with eager anticipation.
Seeing those eyes, Choryeon shook her head and thought to herself.
‘Sigh, Suryeon sis is at it again. She’s gonna cause trouble for sure.’
She shook her head side to side.
Perhaps because of that.
“…You’re pissed.”
“Ow!”
Suryeon lightly flicked Choryeon’s forehead.
Choryeon rubbed her forehead and yelled loudly.
“What are you doing, Suryeon sis! Touching a pacifist like that! If you keep acting like this, I won’t hold back either!”
“Shut up and go wake Hwaryeon sis on the sofa. I’m going to analyze this white smoke.”
Infused with mana.
The white smoke floating in the air.
Suryeon decided to inhale the gas directly and analyze what kind of residual energy it was.
“Seriously, treating the youngest like this! I’m upset!”
“Mang-mang-!”
“Let’s go together, Mangmung!”
Choryeon headed to Hwaryeon, who was snoring on the sofa, with Mangmung in tow.
Hwaryeon was still deep in sleep, oblivious to the situation.
“Urp... Uh... You guys... Drink... When young... Meat so tender...”
“Hwaryeon sis! What are you even saying!?”
“So full... Kehehe...”
“Eek...! Did Hwaryeon sis eat all our kindergarten friends!?”
Choryeon jumped back in shock.
Then, she calmly thought about Hwaryeon’s words.
‘...Hwaryeon sis who tried to eat Mangmung. She could totally eat the kindergarten kids too!’
The Pied Piper isn’t the culprit!
Hwaryeon sis is the real culprit!
Reaching that conclusion, Choryeon cautiously backed away from the spot.
She waved her arms as she approached Suryeon, who seemed lost in deep thought.
“Emergency! Emergency!”
“What?”
“Hwaryeon sis ate all the kindergarten kids! She even confessed! Suryeon sis!”
“...?”
Suryeon furrowed her brows at Choryeon’s statement.
“Is this the time for jokes? And I don’t like jokes anyway.”
“It’s not a joke! I’m serious! Hwaryeon sis really ate them all!”
“...We can just ask her directly and find out.”
Sigh.
She didn’t really care if Hwaryeon ate humans or not.
She was just curious about the Pied Piper.
Feeling annoyed, Suryeon shook Hwaryeon, who was lying on the sofa asleep.
“Hwaryeon sis, wake up.”
“Tasty meat... Uh, huh...? What...? Who dares wake me from my sleep...?”
“Hwaryeon sis. Just answer this one thing. Did you eat all the humans?”
“What!?”
Crack!
Hwaryeon got a little heated at the ridiculous claim.
“Why would I eat humans! They look tasteless! I don’t eat meat that looks tough at first glance!”
“Then you don’t know where the humans went either?”
“What? Where’d they all go? Is kindergarten over already?”
“Sigh, guess I have to explain from the beginning.”
Suryeon explained everything that had happened so far.
Hwaryeon, who had been listening silently, nodded and said.
“So my minions got kidnapped?”
“Yeah, that’s right. They were kidnapped.”
“Then I can’t just sit around!”
Whoosh!
Hwaryeon jumped up from her spot in an instant.
She stretched her arm toward the door and shouted.
“Hmph, disappearing without my permission as my minions! Looks like the boss has to step in! Everyone, follow me! Let’s go!”
Thud thud thud thud—
Hwaryeon started running toward the outside.
Choryeon followed right behind her.
“Let’s go, Hwaryeon sis! We have to find our kindergarten friends no matter what!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go! Forward march!”
Hwaryeon and Choryeon ran off excitedly.
Suryeon let out a sigh watching her immature siblings.
“To think they’re dragons like me. It’s so embarrassing I can’t even lift my head.”
My sisters and little sister?
Having them as family is embarrassing.
Thinking that, Suryeon stepped out into the hallway.
When she reached the entrance to go outside completely, she spotted Hwaryeon and Choryeon poking at Gu Bong-gu, who was collapsed on the floor.
“Is that thing alive?”
Poke poke.
At Suryeon’s question, Hwaryeon poked Gu Bong-gu’s side.
Gu Bong-gu’s waist bent like a bow.
“It’s alive.”
“Hey, it’s alive! But it’s not waking up!”
Poke poke—poke poke—
Hwaryeon poked Gu Bong-gu’s body enthusiastically with her finger.
However, Gu Bong-gu only twitched.
He showed no sign of getting up.
Looking down at him, Suryeon murmured quietly.
“As expected, the only reliable adult is Dad.”
Dad really is the best.
Thinking that, Suryeon left the kindergarten.
She pointed at a boy walking far ahead and said.
“If we follow that kid, we’ll find out where the others are.”
“Huh? Who’s that?”
“Gu Jin-gu or something. That’s the name, I think. He must’ve inhaled that smoke and ended up like that.”
Gu Min-gu walked as if entranced after breathing in the smoke.
The dragons and Mangmung slowly followed behind Min-gu.
To resolve this incident.
“How dare you take my minions without permission! I won’t let you get away with it!”
And.
“The Pied Piper. This should be fun.”
To satisfy her curiosity.
“Saving our friends is great and all... but I’m feeling a bit uneasy...”
“Mang...”
Choryeon just watched her sisters’ bold charge with worry, hugging Mangmung tightly.
***
Min-gu staggered along like a sleepwalker suffering from somnambulism.
Deeper into the heart of 09 District, even deeper.
Perhaps because of that.
“...Hold on.”
Suryeon paused the tailing and stopped walking for a moment.
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, wetting her pale cheeks.
‘Haa, I can’t go any deeper.’
Memories from that time resurfaced.
Memories of humans full of malice chasing after her.
Suryeon wiped the cold sweat for a moment and said to Hwaryeon and Choryeon.
“I’m curious what’s going on, but I’m not going any further.”
Hwaryeon sneered at her.
“What, are you scared! Afraid, huh!? Coward! Coward!”
“...No, I’ll wait here for Dad.”
“Dad? How’s Dad supposed to know to come here?”
“I took Gu Bong-gu’s smartphone earlier. I can just call.”
Suryeon pulled Gu Bong-gu’s old smartphone from her padding pocket.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon looked at each other.
“When did she steal that? Did you see?”
“No, I didn’t see either.”
“...I didn’t steal it. I just borrowed it.”
Anyway.
Suryeon stayed at the entrance to the anthill.
Only Hwaryeon and Choryeon decided to pursue Min-gu even deeper.
“He’s getting away! We’re going ahead!”
“Yeah, I’ll grab Dad’s hand and catch up quick. Wait for us.”
See you soon.
Suryeon gave a small wave to the departing Hwaryeon.
Resuming the tailing, Choryeon muttered to herself quietly.
“...Do we really need to hold Dad’s hand? I’m not sure.”
“Mang...”
“Oh, that wasn’t for you, Mangmung. Sorry. You don’t need to be scared.”
“Mang...”
Fleece!
Mangmung fled back into Choryeon’s padding.
Leaving Suryeon at the entrance, they followed the sleepy Min-gu to find two burly men guarding the entrance to an old building.
Seeing Min-gu, the two men grinned and said.
“What’s this? Another kid? We should take that one too.”
“A kindergarten with so many kids in this day and age. Must be pretty lucrative.”
Clack!
One burly man grabbed Min-gu by the scruff of the neck and dragged him into the basement of the old building.
Hwaryeon and Choryeon peeked out from the alley to watch the situation.
“That guy looks like a total pig! How much does he even eat!?”
“Sh, shh! Be quiet, Hwaryeon sis! We’ll get caught!”
“Hmph, caught or not, I don’t care!”
Worried about Hwaryeon, Choryeon kept glancing around nervously.
Now one burly man had disappeared into the basement completely, leaving just one to guard the entrance.
Hwaryeon eyed him and licked her lips.
“Sluurp, I could take that one!”
“B-but...! Shouldn’t we wait for Dad...?”
“Maybe?”
“Yeah, I think it’s better to wait for Dad and go in together. Relying on Dad will make everything work out—”
“Argh, I can’t wait anymore! Here I come—!”
“Ahh...”
Choryeon tried to grab Hwaryeon.
But Hwaryeon shot out first, too fast.
Hwaryeon strode out confidently toward the burly man.
The burly man snorted at Hwaryeon.
“Heh, what’s this? Another one? Prime quality too.”
“Hey, what are you doing here! Spill it!”
“Why isn’t this one passing out? Could she be an Awakener?”
“Hey! Why’d you take my minions!”
“If she’s an Awakener, even better.”
Slurp.
The man walked boldly toward Hwaryeon.
Without even imagining he could be the one hurt.
The burly man reached out his brutish hand toward Hwaryeon and said.
“You’ll make good material. No pain either. Consider yourself lucky.”
“Hmph, what’re you on about!”
As the man’s hand came out.
“Dragon Punch!”
“Gah—!!”
Hwaryeon’s fist slammed into the burly man’s gut.
The man flew far back from Hwaryeon’s punch and collapsed.
Thud.
Hwaryeon looked down at him, snorted, and said.
“Hmph, why’d you rush in like that! Come on, Choryeon, let’s go in!”
“Y-yes...”
And so Hwaryeon knocked the man out and headed into the basement.
Unaware of what might await below.
“Something smells off!”
Even to a dragon, the basement atmosphere felt seriously bad.
‘Dad... I miss you...’
Sob sob.
Choryeon could only shed tears inwardly as she was dragged along by Hwaryeon’s impulsiveness.