Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: War Preparations
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"Did you finish crying?"
"...Yeah."
"Alright, then blow your nose."
I held a tissue up to Lily, but she shook her head vigorously.
"I'm not a kid."
Anyone could see she was just a child trying to act all grown up.
"Lily's a grown-up, huh? Sorry, sis made a mistake."
"Sniff... It's soft."
She put on a sulky face at first, but eventually let me do it.
I wasn't sure if I was accommodating her or if she was being considerate of me.
"This is called tissue."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Purchase Complete] Rustle.
"Here."
"Whoa, it's a huge candy."
I handed Lily a giant lollipop, and her eyes went wide.
"Eat that while we go shopping."
"What's shopping?"
"Let's head to your bedroom first."
Lily's house had a combined kitchen and living room, with the master bedroom being the only other space. By my eye for one-room apartments, it felt close to 15 pyeong—pretty big for a kid living alone.
"Here?"
"Yeah, this is where I sleep."
Following her lead to the master bedroom, there was something that vaguely resembled a bed.
"In winter, cold air rises from the floor, so you gotta sleep high up."
"Hmm."
It was a roughly hewn wooden plank piled with unidentified straw, then covered by a thin wool blanket.
"You sleep up there?"
"Yeah. Spread grass on it, and it's all fluffy. But if you don't change it often, it rots and stinks."
Lily loved fluffy things like crazy.
"Can I throw this out?"
At my question, Lily met my eyes.
No more hesitation like before—she nodded.
"Bury those precious memories in your heart, and let's make new ones together."
"Hee hee."
I stroked Lily's silly grin and pulled out my watch.
"This is a pocket watch. Grandpa Kamar gave it to me."
"It sparkles."
"I'm stacking precious memories in it too."
Lily stared at the watch, then slowly nodded.
"Alright, let's get started."
First priority for the fluffy fanatic Lily: toss the bed in front of me.
I grabbed the bed and flung open my sub-space wide.
"Whoa, that's dirty."
Along with Lily's sharp remark, I could see various items scattered in the colorless space.
I'd crammed everything visible in prep for the tutorial, making it messy. After getting supplies from Grandpa Herman, it went from messy to total chaos.
"Stuff I think of just pops out, so no need to clean up, right?"
"Still messy."
My excuse drew cold stares from Lily, her trust in me visibly dropping in real time.
Yet she kept happily licking her candy.
"Gotta reclaim my dignity."
Crash.
I chucked Lily's bed into the sub-space and opened the shop.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Shop Opened] Purchase complete—a massive bed frame appeared before me.
Family-sized for the fluffy maniac Lily.
Plus extra-thick double mattress.
"Whoaaa..."
"Lily, take off your shoes and hop on."
"Okay!"
Lily climbed up and started bouncing wildly.
"It's a cloud!"
"You a cloud too?"
"Wheee!"
"Pffft. Right?"
While Lily bounced excitedly, I surveyed the room and swapped things out one by one.
New desk, curtains to block morning sun, cooking tools for the food-loving Lily.
Chuck the old stuff into sub-space, plop down the new—it went faster than expected.
"Ahh."
I stretched my sore back, then bent down to see rotten wooden floorboards. Looking up, the roof had crudely patched wood where rain had leaked through.
Checking around, there were rotten spots everywhere.
"Gotta fix the roof first."
"Roof?"
Lily, fiddling with the stationery set I'd given her, looked up at the ceiling.
"It leaks. Wood's all rotten."
"Just scrape the rotten parts; it's fine."
"No way. Draw your pictures and play."
Leaving Lily inside, I stepped out to a surprisingly tall house.
"Can I make it?"
I rolled my legs on the ground a few times, crouched, and kicked off—my body soared right to the roof.
—Thud! Crack.
"Eek! Sis?"
I pulled my foot out from between rotten boards; Lily peered through the hole with wide eyes.
"Uh... Sorry. First time jumping. I'll fix it quick."
"Be careful, don't get hurt."
"Mhm."
Lily seemed reassured and went back to doodling in her notebook.
Sitting in her chair, humming and swinging her legs—she looked happy now, no trace of tears.
Turning back, the rotten, split roof stared me down.
Despite heavy rains here, just wood planks patched on—explains the state.
"Lily."
"Yeah!"
Calling toward the hole I'd made, she answered right away.
"Why?"
"No tin roof right now? I'll patch with wood planks for now."
"What's a tin roof?"
"Hmm, how to explain... You know the chief's sword? Like a roof made of iron."
"Iron roof? Iron's super rare."
"Doesn't it rain a lot in your village? Wood roofs are a pain to maintain."
"Is that so? But everyone builds with wood."
Kid questions came flooding like an infinite barrage.
Looking at distant houses per Lily's words, one roof gleamed.
Probably coated with sap or something to prevent rot—local wisdom from living here.
"Gonna be kinda noisy."
"Okay, that's fine."
Surveying the roof again, I sighed.
Wish there was waterproofing sheet or something; shop doesn't sell it yet, apparently.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Plywood Purchased] I slapped plywood over the roof hastily and started hammering—the whole thing reverberated.
Pry off rotten bits, cover with plywood.
The shack didn't even have proper framing to begin with. Still, couldn't say it was better than before.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
I'd only glimpsed carpentry helping day laborers.
Proud carpenter uncles would've flipped if they saw—"That's not how it's done!"
"Damn it."
Day laborers under carpenters got chewed out nonstop for grunt work. Never taught a skill—that's the life.
No reason to teach, or their own reasons stacked up, but now hammering away, it felt oddly resentful.
"I. Did. Grunt work. For those. Bastards. Months."
—Thud!
"Eek! Sis!!"
"Th-that's the chimney, yeah?"
White dust piled on Lily's drawing notebook; she shot me a glare.
"Sis, don't do it dangerously. Can't you use magic like before?"
"Magic?"
"Yeah. You're a witch."
"Witch?"
"Witch. Right?"
The knights before called me witch or whatever, and now Lily too, spouting nonsense.
"Sis tamed Boulder, terror of monsters, and beat human knights with magic."
I gave the bear honey, headbutted humans—she's got it all wrong.
"Village grown-ups always said witches are disasters themselves. But sis isn't."
"Why not me?"
"Sis gives me candy, clothes, and now a house. So good witch."
"Hmm."
Through the hole from my landing, Lily's trusting gaze hit me full force.
—Thud! Thud!
Last hammer sealed our chat hole—conversation cut off.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ <Tutorial: Residence Setting Complete> Finished to no-leak standards, hopped down, entered the room—Lily still doodling, feet kicking excitedly.
I snuck up behind her.
"Rawr! Witch here to eat Lily!"
"Eek!"
Hugging the diligently drawing Lily from behind, I chomped her soft, squishy cheek.
"Aang."
"Ahahat. Sis, that tickles."
Warm and squishy.
Reaction reminded me of a baby in footie pajamas, even if the feel differed.
"Lily. Sis has to go."
Lily, giggling at my play, widened her eyes.
"Again?"
"Yeah. Be right back."
"..."
From Lily's view, she felt nothing.
When I returned post-return and said I'd been back, her vibe was like "What'll you say this time?"
Still, she made the world's saddest face.
"Last time I poofed back before you blinked. Instant, right?"
"Still... Can't you not go?"
Thinking it's another goodbye? Tears beaded in her sparkling lime-green eyes.
"This time too, back before you blink."
Habit now? She naturally reached arms out.
Mwah.
Lifting Lily, her warm, soft lips smacked against my cheek.
"Eeng? Dare eat a witch? Lily's the witch!"
"Kyahaha."
Not sure if kiss or bite, her cheeks flushed red from my attack.
Meanwhile, timer ticked in my head.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ <Returning in 22 seconds> <Returning in 21 seconds> "Lily, sing that song from before?"
Wiping her wet cheek with her sleeve, Lily slowly opened her mouth.
No words—just her song flowed out.
『Ah— Ah─♪』
Same as before, but laced with sorrow and desperate longing.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ <Tutorial: Residence Setting> <Clear!> <Returning> <Reward: Shop Unlocked> Just in case, I'd put Hermes' Sneakers on Lily—safety covered.
Eyes closed, savoring her song, time flew mercilessly fast.
Gonna be busy back home.
Musing on generators and appliances for Lily's place while enjoying the tune, the world flipped.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ <Tutorial Finale: Final Battle> <Proceed to the tutorial's final chapter?> <Insufficient power for final battle> <Safety not guaranteed> <Proceed?> Bouncing sounds, a shimmering window before me.
Awaiting my permission.
"Nah, next time."
My will conveyed, it slid away.
Bouncing grew louder simultaneously.
Pop.
"Mmph!"
Peeled off the warm fluffball on my face—Baekseol wriggled.
"Fluffball."
"You're late!"
Baekseol was suddenly mad.
During the boat party, I'd peeled him off Dennis like gum to save him from drowning.
Never angry since.
"Late for what?"
Sky still had a huge moon shining bright.
But Baekseol fussing like this meant time had passed.
"How long was I gone?"
"A bit."
"A bit?"
"Time flowed that shouldn't have. What'd you do in there?"
Lazy from living with me, he barely spoke long except begging food—today extra nagging.
"Can't a little time pass?"
"I saw!"
"What're you on about."
Super pissed, tiny Baekseol on my palm stomped hind legs.
Rabbits stomp when mad, I think? No clue why though.
"Got it. Don't be mad."
Buried face in stomping Baekseol's belly, rubbing— he burst laughing instantly.
"Tickles!"
"Fluffball, want ramen?"
Ears perked right up.
"Yeah!"
"I'll dip in broth."
"Yeah!!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Warm sunlight caressed my face, birds chirped.
Sleepy.
What this foreshadowing?
Checked watch—knew.
"Screwed."
—Fsssh, fsssh.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ <Han Ga-eul has started broadcasting> — [⚔️ Han Boss] !!!!!!!!!! — [⚔️ Ship10, Shut Up] Why upload now, you brat!!!! "Hoo— My babies, you good? Good morning."
— [⚔️ LOLOL Good morning?] Really wanna die? — [⚔️ Bangjang-ryeon House] Sending 50 clocks, exactly on point Viewers noisy as ever today.
Buzzing deliciously, like folks craving spicy food.
— [⚔️ Bangjang Bangjang] "What."
— [⚔️ Bangjang News] Out "What again."
— [⚔️ BangjangBangjang] "No why."
— [⚔️ Rekka Punk] Uploaded vid sniping Bangjang "What's that now."
— [⚔️ Panic Field] Reaction speed not hackless impossible, explanation "His fingers just fat?"
Just one day passed—why so much chatter, chirping like baby birds.
— [⚔️ BangjangBangjang] "Wanna die? Stop calling."
— [⚔️ Hurricane Blue Leader] Says Bangjang is her type "What's that."
— [⚔️ Idol Group LOL] Real don't know? Caveman? "Don't know, punk. Talking hurricane crap, I'll fold that waist."
— [⚔️ Ah Crazy Bitch] — [⚔️ Run Hurricane] — [⚔️ LOLOLOL Today Crazy Confirmed] — [⚔️ FML Screwed] "So rootless. Why Blue leader? Insane? Where's Red?"
— [⚔️ LOL Not That] Group name Hurricane Blue — [⚔️ LOL Dunno Who] Coming in hordes, Ga-eul guard! — [⚔️ Sigh Damn] Bangjang-ryeon should've sewn that mouth shut ages ago — [⚔️ War!]