Off to Grandfather's House!
I had already graduated. Dad had retired from the school, and we were now heading to a massive estate in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do.
It was my maternal grandfather's house—and the place where we would now be living.
This is private property. Unauthorized entry is prohibited and may result in legal punishment.
“Whoa, that’s pretty intense.”
“Yeah, you really can’t miss that sign.”
The moment we stepped inside, we were greeted by a huge warning sign written in blood-red letters that looked like they might drip at any second.
«Vrrrrrr—»
Before we knew it, a golf cart had pulled up beside us and was gesturing for us to follow.
“I guess it wants us to follow it?”
“Probably?”
“Do they have dedicated staff managing this place?”
“I doubt it?”
“Why?”
“Maybe one of my maternal uncles? The way he was glaring at Dad like he wanted to eat him alive…”
“…”
Just what crime had Dad committed? I definitely needed to hear the full story of how Mom and Dad started dating later.
“Dad?”
“What is it?”
“Was this place always like this?”
“I suppose so?”
“Whoa…”
Grandfather had built it when he was still young, so maybe the land hadn’t been that expensive back then?
The lawn stretched out so enormously that I thought we’d arrived at a golf course.
“Wow. How much do you think the lawn maintenance costs?”
“They probably need several people just to manage it, right?”
As expected, both Dad and I were ordinary citizens at heart.
The first thing that came to mind was how much a house like this would cost.
“Just how rich is Grandfather, anyway?”
“Hey. Have you ever seen your mom ask about the price of something she’s buying?”
“Aha!”
Dad really was a learned man.
That was the perfect example of a wise answer to a foolish question.
I should’ve realized it just from watching Mom’s daily life.
“Come to think of it, even the apartment we used to live in wasn’t actually Dad’s house, was it?”
“Ugh… Isn’t that a bit too harsh…? My heart hurts.”
I was just stating a fact. Why was he getting all teary-eyed?
I had countless ways to make money, you know?
I’ll earn tons of money for you, Dad~
After walking along the yard—or should I call it the house grounds?—the enormous lawn eventually gave way to a bamboo forest.
For a moment I thought the straight, upright stalks perfectly matched Grandfather’s upright personality.
At the end of the winding path stood a stylish modern hanok.
“Wow~”
“You liked that house even when you were little? You said you didn’t remember it, but it looks like you still do.”
“Yeah. It feels really nice.”
There was something solid and weighty about it that reminded me of a golem.
I had a good feeling about this!
Following the cart, we arrived at an underground garage.
“Huh? The garage is more modest than I expected.”
“Grandfather has always driven domestic cars, you know?”
“Ah. That makes it even better.”
I’d half-expected flashy red or yellow low-slung sports cars, but instead there were rows of sensible domestic sedans and compact cars.
There were even a few light cars. It was completely different from the rich-family garages you saw in dramas.
The cart stopped in one of the spots.
“Brother-in-law, you’ve arrived safely.”
“Nice to see you, hyung-nim.”
“Let’s put the awkwardness of the past behind us and get along well from now on.”
“Yes. Thank you. And I’m sorry.”
“No need. I was too young back then too.”
While the two of them talked, I got out of the cart a little later. The atmosphere seemed surprisingly warm?
“Um… Hello. I’m Ian.”
“…”
He was definitely a relative, but I couldn’t remember his face or name at all.
I should’ve memorized the family photos and names from the company homepage before coming. What a shame.
“M-maternal uncle? I’m sorry. I was so young that I don’t remember.”
“This… !#$! Thief !#$!”
For some reason, after I greeted him, my uncle started glaring at Dad again.
Oof, that’s hot…
“H-hyung-nim?”
“Hmph! Come inside.”
This was strange. Weren’t they supposed to be reconciling?
Dolmaeng-i Unit 1! Let’s head inside too!
«Vrrrr—»
There was a slight motor sound, but that was part of a golem’s charm, wasn’t it?
And when we entered the house…
Starting with Grandfather,
three maternal uncles and their families.
When our family joined them, it became an enormous clan of twenty people.
“…”
“…”
Despite so many people gathered in one place, the room was deathly silent.
“That guy! It’s him!”
“I knew it would be like this!”
“We should’ve pulled that thing out back then!”
I didn’t know the details, but the hostility directed at Dad was no joke.
“Dad…”
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“The uncles are really scary. Can’t we just leave?”
To be honest, I was thinking we could leave, stay in a monthly rental or a hotel for a while, and then I’d earn money to buy us a house.
There was no need to live among people who clearly disliked us, right? We hadn’t even lived together from the beginning.
“No! What are you saying!”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“We can’t let you take anything else from us!”
“That’s right!”
“If you’re leaving, go alone!”
I hadn’t expected the reaction to be this big.
The mood was basically just kicking Dad out. What on earth was going on?
“You, Mr. Lee! I really wanted to get along well now, but how could you not visit even once when you have not only Heesu but also a daughter like this!”
“No matter how upset you are, how could you let the child not even know her uncles’ faces or names!”
I had just discovered something that gave me goosebumps.
When I glanced around, there were exactly twenty people in the living room.
Only five of them were female.
Grandmother had passed away early. That left three aunts, Mom, and me.
‘Is this also the victory of genetics?’
‘So that’s what I mean by the victory of genetics, you idiot.’
“I cannot understand. I am not an idiot.”
As expected from a robot, it felt a little different from the heavy presence of a golem.
How should I put it? It felt… cute? Why was it even calculating something so pointless!
“Hello, Ian. I’m your eldest uncle. My name is…”
“I’m the second.”
“Welcome, dear.”
The family was incredibly friendly toward me.
This confirmed it. This household was a den of daughter-lovers.
There were way too many men.
They’d already lost Mom, and Dad was the one who brought the only daughter into this huge family. No wonder everyone’s hostility was focused on him. It was his destiny.
There was nothing to be done. Just grit your teeth and endure it, Dad!!!
Because there were so many people, the self-introductions took quite a long time.
“N-nice to meet you. I’m the oldest cousin…”
Did cousins really need to blush while introducing themselves? What a fun family.
“Nice to meet everyone! I’m Ian. Please take care of me!”
I finished with a deep bow, hands neatly folded at my waist.
“Oh!!!”
“We finally have one in our house!”
“I can brag to my friends!”
“Should we take her to the next gathering?”
“Yes! Let’s invite her to the birthday party too!”
But… I was a little worried. There were so many people?
Would I even have time to make golems and train in magic?
“Hahaha!”
“Ohohoho!”
That evening, the dinner where the entire extended family gathered was said to be full of energy for the first time in a long while.
Even though we all lived in one house, everyone was so busy that it was rare for everyone to gather like this. Interesting, right?
And the very next day, I learned that this family’s obsession with daughters was on another level.
For example, I was just trying to go to the convenience store to buy a cola and get some fresh air.
“Ian? Where are you going?”
“Where to?”
“Let’s go together!”
“I was just about to head out too.”
My cousins suddenly appeared from who-knows-where and lined up beside and behind me.
It felt like an elite warrior party escorting the hero.
Excuse me, since when was a convenience store a Demon King’s castle or a dungeon?
“Aren’t you all supposed to be at work?”
“Nah, I took vacation days.”
“I straight-up submitted my resignation. I’m taking a break for a while.”
“Huh? I did too?”
What were these people saying? Their company jobs weren’t a joke, right?
Would these people even be alive to see tomorrow?
“Ah, so that’s why.”
“What is it?”
“Isn’t that Grandfather over there?”
“Oh?”
“Hmm. From the look on his face, it seems like someone’s legs are about to get broken.”
Submitting a resignation at a family company? What kind of reason did they even write on those forms?
Judging by Grandfather’s expression, this wasn’t going to end nicely.
“You brats! Get over here right now!”
“Hwaaa!”
“Eek!”
The entire party was wiped out in a single roar from the raid boss.
You should’ve been grinding levels like usual, guys.
“Let’s run for now!”
“But I wrote ‘personal reasons’ on my resignation!”
“I just used vacation days~”
“I’m from HR. Who the hell approved those?”
“Huh?”
Watching my cousins talk with confused faces, I started to worry a little about Grandfather’s company.
It sounded like a conversation between idiots?
‘At least I have my Dolmaeng-i, right?’
“Yes. I will protect you.”
The initially stiff atmosphere had simply been due to nervousness.
Since there were no girls in the family, they were just awkward.
“You idiots! Stop right there while I’m still asking nicely!”
Our Grandfather was surprisingly energetic. The friend who looked a bit frail was about to get caught soon?
But was there any point in running? They’d get caught once they went back inside the house anyway.
I watched Grandfather and my cousins running around the yard for exercise, then left the house.
“Hmm? Who are you?”
“I was ordered to follow you whenever you go out. Just think of me as a regular bodyguard.”
“Heh? Thank you.”
Even a bodyguard appearing out of nowhere the moment I passed through the gate—this level of protection was excessive.
‘Dolmaeng-i, how big is the output difference between inside the house and outside?’
“If I run at 100% inside a Gate, it would be around 22.23% here. In combat mode, operating time would be less than one minute. Additional energy storage space is required.”
In that case, wouldn’t Dolmaeng-i be a better escort? I needed to find a way to secure some Mana Stones first.
I’d asked Grandfather to contact the government through his connections, but he said all the Mana Stones circulating on the market were illegal goods.
They came from places like the black market.
When a boss was defeated inside a Gate and a Mana Stone dropped, government agencies immediately collected it.
The very act of obtaining one was inherently criminal.
Therefore, trying to sell a Mana Stone directly was basically the same as admitting you were half a criminal.
You simply picked up a Mana Stone from a Gate, yet you’d be labeled a villain.
Maybe it was a good thing that I’d been so distracted after catching those hobgoblins that I didn’t bother picking up the Mana Stone?
After walking quite a distance while thinking, I finally found a convenience store in a residential area packed with villas.
Getting snacks sure is hard~
«Ding-a-ling—»
“Welco…”
The part-timer froze the moment we walked in.
The bodyguard uncle did look a bit intimidating, but he hadn’t done anything yet. Was the service spirit lacking, my friend?
You shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, you know?
“Uncle, pick something too.”
“I’m fine.”
“Choose something. I won’t feel comfortable otherwise.”
“Then… thank you.”
Looking at him properly, the bodyguard uncle seemed like a decent guy.
His angular face made him look a bit like a golem.
I rummaged through the fridge and grabbed my favorite zero cola. The uncle picked up a pack of gum.
“Huh? Gum?”
“Drinks or food would make me need to use the bathroom.”
“It’s fine. This robot may be small, but it’s strong.”
“Hahaha. Still, isn’t it a bit too small?”
“This human is estimated to have no eyes. For Ian-nim’s safety, may I recommend an eye exam? In terms of combat performance, I can subdue him within five seconds.”
Dolmaeng-i’s complaint that only I could hear.
Sometimes I got confused. Did it have emotions, or was it just analyzing the situation?
“Dolmaeng-i says it can subdue you within five seconds, Uncle.”
“Huh? This tiny thing?”
Was he incredulous? Or just dumbfounded?
The bodyguard stared at Dolmaeng-i, and Dolmaeng-i stared back at the bodyguard.
“Pffft.”
For some reason, it looked cute and funny.
«Click—»
I need to save this~
I took a photo and went to pay when—
“I’m a fan! Please give me an autograph! Can I take a photo too?”
“Excuse me?”
The part-timer said something strange.
This friend’s eyesight must not be very good either. Such a shame for a young person.
“Aren’t you an idol? A rookie? What’s the group name! I’ll be your fan starting today!”
“I’m not?”
“Huh? With a bodyguard and looks this pretty…”
“Just ring me up, please.”
“But I’m sure…”
“…”
How ridiculous. Part of me wanted to ask which group and which member, but there was no need to argue.
We probably wouldn’t see each other again anyway.
Today I had just come out for a walk while thinking about what to do from now on.
I should’ve just walked around the yard instead of coming this far.
Still, I had set a goal.
I would create magic items to earn seed money, gather materials for golems, enter Gates, and collect Mana Stones.
It would be nice to make about a hundred thousand golems!