Shining Gold (3)
Serpina turned the question back on Heerin. “Go play?”
Serpina’s gaze lingered on the girl’s hands. Cardboard scraps from assembling the house in the yard still clung to the backs of them. For one fleeting moment she wondered if Heerin was actually suggesting they build another cardboard house together, but the ridiculous idea vanished as quickly as it had appeared. No matter how young Heerin was, her idea of fun couldn’t possibly be limited to cardboard crafts. If anything, this was the exact age when kids came up with the most wildly creative ways to play.
“Yeah! Let’s go play!” Heerin repeated, as if making sure she’d been heard, then fetched her smartphone. “Umm… it should be here somewhere…” After scrolling for a moment she found the photo of the flyer and held it up. It showed a cozy-looking pension right beside the sea.
“Dad said we should go on a trip this time! The sea! We’re going to the sea!”
“The sea? Not bad.”
It was still a little early to call it full summer, but they weren’t leaving the very next day either. Factoring in prep time, it was the perfect moment for a seaside getaway.
Heerin’s father was the restaurant worker she’d seen at ML Mart before. During the parent observation day at school, Serpina had given him a quiet word—treat your daughter a little better. The fact that Heerin was now this excited about a family trip suggested the man had taken the advice to heart.
Still, one thing didn’t quite add up.
“But why invite me?” Trips like this were usually for family only, weren’t they? Serpina knew Heerin was fond of her, but being casually included in a family vacation felt like a stretch. Had the girl even asked her parents first?
“Mom and Dad actually said it was a great idea!”
“They did?”
“Yeah! They said I’d be able to enjoy the trip with total peace of mind!”
“Ah. That kind of peace of mind.”
Heerin’s father had seen Serpina fight once. It was back when she’d dealt with that pack of werewolves throwing their weight around at the restaurant. To Serpina it hadn’t even counted as a fight—just swatting away some annoying flies—but even that display had been enough to show the man she was no ordinary mage.
If someone like her came along, safety would be all but guaranteed. Travel on this mana-rich Earth was more dangerous than most people realized. Magic beasts roamed the wilds, and unregistered mages were always causing trouble. Of course, compared to the medieval fantasy world of Myursel, public safety here was incomparably better. The Alliance also moved quickly on bounties and requests, so the odds of running into serious trouble were practically zero.
Still, car accidents didn’t only happen to people who wanted them. No matter how low the probability, someone always drew the short straw. Better to prepare while you could.
“Oh, but Dad told me a bunch of times—if Sister doesn’t want to go, I’m not allowed to throw a tantrum. When have I ever thrown a tantrum? Hmph.” Heerin puffed her cheeks out in indignation.
Serpina let out a small laugh and reached over to ruffle the girl’s hair soothingly. She could guess what the father was really worried about. He didn’t want anyone thinking he was using the “let’s all play together” excuse to get a powerful mage as a free bodyguard.
“Fine. If nothing comes up, I’ll go.”
“Really?! You said you’d come! It’s a promise!”
“I didn’t say it was a promise. I said if nothing comes up.”
“But Sister never has anything to do, right?”
“You little brat.”
“Abubububu…”
Serpina grabbed the bold child’s head and spun it around playfully. Heerin made ridiculous noises but still giggled the whole time.
That night, Serpina told Ayoung and Narel, who had come over again, what had happened.
“So that’s how it is.”
“Whoa! The sea?” Ayoung’s eyes sparkled so brightly it looked like pure white sand was already reflected in them.
“Could… I come along too?”
“Why not? There’s no reason you couldn’t.”
“But it’s supposed to be a family trip, right? You have a close relationship with that kid, Senior, but I don’t really…”
“If I say I’m bringing you, what can they possibly do about it?”
“Ah.” Ayoung had a sudden realization.
At the end of the day, Serpina was the one doing the favor by going along. In terms of status, Serpina held all the cards. Her value as a guard was beyond question, and Heerin clearly wanted to play with her. The only real concern was whether the rented pension was big enough for everyone. If not, they could simply rent a second one.
“Then I’m definitely going! Wow, how many years has it been since I last saw the ocean? I think the last time was middle school! I need to buy a swimsuit right away!”
Ayoung cheered with pure excitement. Her enthusiasm over swimsuits, barbecue, and diets was every bit as strong as Heerin’s, even though the younger girl was still in elementary school.
Watching her, Narel gave a bitter smile.
“I’m sorry. It looks like I won’t be able to join you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I can’t leave the Alliance headquarters empty for too long. By those dates I’ll need to be back at the main branch.”
In her heart she wanted to simply move the entire headquarters to Korea so they could all stay together. But that wasn’t something that could be done overnight. More importantly, the World Tree—the most vital existence for high elves and elves alike—stood on the American continent.
“The World Tree? There’s a World Tree on Earth too?”
“Yes. We brought a seed with us when we came. It hasn’t even been a thousand years since it sprouted, and the mana here isn’t nearly as abundant as it was in Myursel, so I’m hesitant to leave its side for long.”
The largest jungle on the American continent. That was where the young World Tree was growing. Just as the saying went—to hide a tree, hide it in a forest—the excessively green jungle provided the perfect conditions. The brutal struggle for survival inside that jungle posed no threat to the World Tree. Even though its origin was another world, a World Tree was a World Tree. All unintelligent plants and animals were naturally friendly toward it, and no intelligent being that invaded could overcome the elves’ nature magic within that vast green sea.
Well… there was now one existence capable of blowing the entire World Tree and its surrounding nature away in one go. It was an enormous relief that this particular existence happened to be friendly toward both the World Tree and Narel.
“So I’m afraid I won’t be able to travel with you this time.”
“It’s a shame, but if that’s the situation, it can’t be helped. Let’s go together next time.”
Ayoung’s eyes turned sulky as she watched the two of them casually making plans for another trip.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing. I was just thinking… Senior gets noticeably softer when you talk to the Lord.”
“Jealous? Then give me something like that too.” Serpina pointed toward her room full of gold.
Ayoung’s mouth snapped shut. She immediately pulled out her phone to check the current price of gold, her expression growing increasingly stunned. No matter how you looked at it, buying even a single gold coin on her salary seemed impossible.
Serpina patted the younger woman’s shoulder with a light laugh. “I was joking. I’ve known Narel a lot longer, so it’s only natural we’re closer.”
“That’s true. No matter how much a dragon loves gold, there’s no way you’d like me just because of it.”
“……”
“…Benefactor?”
At any rate, Ayoung’s participation and Narel’s absence were now decided.
…….
The trip was set. The traveling party was set. So what came next?
Preparation, of course.
Naturally, Serpina did not spend the remaining days diligently packing clothes, emergency funds, or snacks. Instead, she decided to pour every ounce of her effort into one single task: securing the house.
One day Negin showed up with the dead eyes of someone who had been worked half to death.
“…Serpina.”
“Negin? What’s wrong?”
“What the hell is that?”
Negin pointed at the yard. There stood a statue so bizarre it looked like some avant-garde sculpture that belonged in front of a skyscraper.
“It’s a golem.”
“A golem? That thing?”
“Yep.”
Negin sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead. “Rumors are spreading like wildfire that it moves every night. Its appearance is so grotesque that people remember its features in vivid detail. It’s still just a rumor for now, but get rid of it. Quickly.”
“Can’t do that.”
“Why not this time?”
“I need it to protect my gold. A guardian is absolutely necessary.”
“Guardian…? Ah…”
After meeting Serpina, Negin had scraped together what little free time she had to read a few dragon novels. She remembered the guardians that protected a dragon’s lair. Sometimes they were golems the dragon had created, sometimes members of other races. On rare occasions a dragon would even use goblins or other monsters, usually granting them increased intelligence through magic.
Thanks to that knowledge, Negin understood what Serpina was talking about. She had already heard from Narel exactly what kind of treasures were stored in this house.
“Even so, it won’t work. Use something else. Or at least make it smaller. That thing is way too conspicuous.”
“Hmm. But I don’t really trust half-hearted guardians…”
“For just a few days, the Alliance can lend you some security personnel. The Lord specifically told us to accommodate you as much as possible.”
“Really?”
Serpina thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “No, that won’t do. I still can’t trust them. What if they steal even one gold coin?”
“Ugh……”
Negin’s voice trailed off. She hadn’t thought Serpina was this obsessive. To suspect security guards she’d never even met… Still, at least the object of her obsession was gold. That was easy to understand and, in its own way, almost endearing. In a world full of mages with all kinds of perverse fixations, being obsessed with gold was practically cute.
“If you’re that set on it, there’s no point in me arguing. Do whatever you want. Just try not to let it stand out too much, okay?”
“Got it. I already know that staying unnoticed is the best security. I’ll think of something better.”
There were only a few days left until the trip. Serpina focused all her attention on securing the perfect guardian.