Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Angel Phobia
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"Huh?"
What the hell was this situation? My brain couldn't keep up.
I was getting discharged tomorrow, so I'd been scarfing down instant ramen like a madman. Who knew ramen could taste this good? I was in the middle of thanking the heavens for providing it.
But what was this?
I looked at the little kid in front of me.
Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Just from the features, she looked like a pint-sized Raphael.
But she was a bit different. She had the looks to become a beauty someday, but not quite on Raphael's level. Still cute, though.
Kids are cute. Same principle as cats.
"What? Did you forget your mom?"
The kid holding mine and Raphael's hands nodded.
Her tiny, reed-thin fingers gripped ours tight, like she was afraid we'd slip away.
A lost kid, huh? You scared the crap out of me.
Wait a sec. How did she even get in here? I glanced at the hospital room door.
It was firmly shut. Never opened once. If she'd come through the door, Raphael and Lachesis would've noticed first thing.
As I puzzled over it, the kid let go of Raphael's hand and toddled over to me with quick little steps.
Then she spread her arms wide and looked up.
What, you want me to pick you up or something?
[....]
"...."
We just stared at each other. No way she wanted a hug, right? If so, I'd keep pretending not to notice.
"She wants you to pick her up."
"Figured. No thanks."
No way. I don't like kids much, and I'm a patient anyway. Raphael shot me a dirty look, but no meant no.
As I ignored the stares from both blondes, a voice piped up from below.
[Daddy. Don't you like me?]
"Daddy?"
[Yeah. Daddy.]
What the hell? I pointed at myself and asked if she meant "daddy" again. The answer was a firm yes.
She nodded with a bright smile. I felt a headache coming on.
She's gotta be lost, right? Kids that age don't know many words, so they just call anyone that.
"Did you lose your parents? This hospital's pretty big."
Yeah, she must've gotten lost. Justitia's hospital rooms are too damn spacious.
The kid shook her head at my question. Not a casual shake, either—she was shaking it desperately.
Something felt off. I quickly looked to Raphael.
She shrugged like she had no idea either.
[I didn't get lost.]
With that, she toddled back, grabbed Raphael's hand, and dragged her over before taking mine again.
I met Raphael's eyes in bewilderment, and the kid continued.
[Mommy and daddy.]
"What?"
[Levatein's mommy and daddy!!]
Ah. Neck pain.
"Seong-hoon! You made her with someone else and now you're dumping the blame on me!!"
Just shut up already.
I tried to piece the situation together as best I could. My brain had frozen solid trying to process it, but I forced it to work.
Of course it was hard. At 25, I was suddenly a dad.
"So, you're Levatein?"
[Yeah!!]
She sat on the edge of my bed, kicking her feet happily as she answered. What the hell was going on?
Levatein was a weapon.
It resonated with its owner and all, but it didn't have a sense of self. Just a chain reaction from mana. That's how it was treated.
Yet here was this kid claiming to be Levatein, acting with her own will and calling me daddy.
To top it off, Lachesis, who'd been watching from behind, chimed in with something like, [That kid popped out of thin air, nyang.]
Calls herself Levatein and popped out of nowhere.
Fine, I'd play along. I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo of the blonde girl with the camera.
Click!
A cheerful sound and a floating window appeared. Enough to make me doubt my eyes.
"Oh my god."
It was real. The real Levatein. I clutched my throbbing head and examined her closely.
No matter how I looked, she was human. Sure, thanks to 「Shapeshifting (EX)」, but did this even make sense?
I'd only stored Levatein in my [Inventory] about a week ago.
Could it grow like this in a week? I was confident the answer was no.
Ego weapons couldn't speak from the moment they were created. Same as living beings. They learn by going through countless battlefields after birth.
That's how ego weapons are born. The ones that communicate with and sync with their owners have rolled in battlefields for at least ten years.
So what was this? Speaking at a toddler level after just a week.
"Isn't it fine if she's Levatein? The fire that saved us from that ogre, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. But..."
Raphael suddenly jumped up amid the unresolved chaos. She scooped up the sitting Levatein.
"Levatein. I'm not your mom. Call me big sis."
[Mommy!]
"If he's daddy, then I'm not mommy."
[Mommy. Don't you like daddy?]
"Well... I don't dislike him? But it's not like I like him or anything. Even if you like Levatein now, you'll get annoyed soon enough."
The two burst into giggles like it was the funniest thing. They actually looked like mother and daughter now.
"Teaching her good stuff."
I left Raphael playing with Levatein hoisted high and decided to summon the likely culprit.
I opened [Inventory].
"Benia."
[....]
"I know you're awake."
[Why.]
It was you, right? No way Levatein opened [Inventory] herself and came out. And where would she learn human speech stuck in that storage?
[It was fun, so I stopped... When I get out later, I'll take responsibility and raise her.]
"Nice to see you admit it right away. But 'sorry' doesn't cut it."
I grinned. Truth be told, Benia had done something good. Something helpful to me, even.
Growing an ego weapon that fast wasn't something just anyone could do. I should be the one bowing in gratitude.
But.
That's that, and this is this.
Sure, I owed her for fixing my circuits before, but public and private were separate, right?
When else would I get to boss around a dragon?
"From now on, engrave what I say into runes. Then I'll let it slide."
[....Got it.]
"And when you come out later, you raise Levatein too."
[....Got it.]
I roughly explained what to engrave for Benia and looked up. Levatein, meeting my eyes, beamed and waved.
"Levatein."
[Yeah! Daddy!]
"She's mommy. I'm just big bro."
"Isn't it the opposite? Seong-hoon, you're the heavy one—take responsibility!!"
"Angels are better at this stuff."
"That's angel phobia."
You could use a little hate.
She was Levatein either way. I roughly understood what happened, and her becoming an ego weapon meant this high-performance weapon was even more versatile now.
Good for her sis, good for her bro-in-law. Not so good for me, so big bro it was.
As if mocking my thoughts, Levatein spoke up.
[Daddy is daddy!!]
"And me?"
[Mommy is mommy!!]
This was insane. For real.
I got discharged.
Back at the dorm, I was exhausted without having done a thing. Like, really exhausted.
One reason.
This damn blonde #2 in front of me. Wondering if it was okay to say that to her face, but whatever.
She was a pain in the ass.
I'd made a deal with Levatein.
When going out, stay in bracelet form, not human.
I'd asked her to go into [Inventory], but she flat-out refused, so no choice.
A bracelet was already generous. She'd insisted on human form, and soothing her had been a nightmare.
Result: this.
[Hehehehe.]
Beats me what was so funny. I'd said I'd grant her a wish when we got home, and she whined for a hug, so here I was holding her.
Why the hell was she like this with me? And why was I daddy to begin with?
I'd been a pure virgin who hadn't even held a girl's hand until 25.
I couldn't make sense of it.
"Kids seem to like you."
"I hate kids."
[Daddy don't like me?]
Yeah. Hate 'em. But weapon form? Love it.
So nothing I could do. Hated kids, but her weapon form's performance was on another level.
I couldn't bring myself to nod, so I shook my head side to side.
Levatein laughed and rubbed her face against my chest.
Was this the sorrow of parenting? Couldn't she just cling to Raphael?
I had stuff to do. Hadn't even properly checked my [Status] yet.
Didn't even know my mana attribute.
With no choice, I lifted Levatein up to free both hands.
[Eek!]
She yelped in surprise at first, but once settled on my shoulders, she seemed to like it. She grabbed my hair and giggled.
Ow, that hurts. Damn it.
Raphael turned at the sound, her mouth agape in shock.
"No way. I barely ever give piggyback rides, and you do it?! Unfair!!"
"What ride? It's just once."
"That's what makes it unfair!!" she protested.
I ignored the angel and opened [Status].
Would've checked at the hospital, but couldn't test anything I got there. So I waited till home.
What was my mana attribute?
My heart pounded, but before the blue window appeared, the TV Raphael had on blasted a voice.
—Recently, unsavory incidents have plagued Justitia.
—In response, board chair and grand archmage Rozarene has!!
—Decided to completely isolate Justitia from the outside!!
—From a week after midterms end until summer break.
—So, all you villain bastards watching this broadcast.
—If you know who I am, abandon whatever plans you had?
—That's it!!
"What the fuck is that?"
[Fuck?]
Raphael strode over at my slipped curse.
Then she smacked my mouth.
"No bad words in front of the kid!!"
Ah.
Parenting was fucking exhausting.
Shit.