A Warm Applause and an Unexpected Card
If the fire circus had been dazzling and left a powerful impression, the ice circus was something else entirely.
The ceiling wasn't open here. Instead, colorful lights filled the entire circus tent, bathing everything in a soft glow.
Among the ice that bloomed in midair were flowers, but there were also crystals that blossomed along the walls like frost on glass. Those icy formations caught the multicolored lights and scattered their brilliance into every corner that would normally have remained in shadow.
The basic structure of the performance was similar. An orc appeared once again, and just like before, a different illusion unfolded for Jungwoo and Seia.
If she hadn't been given that blue magic stone, she probably would have felt quite cold.
The final act of the ice circus came to an end.
It wouldn't have been this way normally, but today was different.
After the performance ended, cheers and applause erupted. And of course, leading that chorus was Seia.
The performers looked somewhat dazed. They knew exactly what kind of place this was, and the lineup of performers changed frequently because of it. To them, this circus troupe was nothing more than a temporary stopover—a stepping stone to join a better guild or some other organization.
They didn't put on such earnest displays because the audience had paid to watch. They performed because the people in those seats could become their future employers.
Yet today felt completely different.
They had never thought of the circus as a responsibility or anything meaningful, so they had never felt any sense of accomplishment here. The spectators who came weren't here simply to enjoy a show either. They were more like interviewers attending an open audition.
And yet the applause and cheers pouring down from those very people brought a striking wave of pride and satisfaction, even though the performers knew exactly why it was happening.
“...Thank you.”
The ringmaster felt the same way. Normally, he only received job offers or referral fees from the hunters who visited for various reasons. A reaction like this had never happened since the circus was founded.
For the performers and their leader, standing on the now-empty stage and looking down at the audience, what shone brightest wasn't the ice crystals reflecting the colorful lights.
It was the little girl clapping with the brightest, most innocent smile of all.
It really was strange. This wasn't the first time a child had come, after all.
Seia had been the first to start clapping and the last to stop. When everyone else's applause had finally died down, she carefully handed the blue magic stone back to the man sitting behind her.
“I didn't lose it.”
“Good job, kiddo. How was the circus?”
“It was cozy! It felt like being in bed!”
“Oh? Cozy, you say.”
The man looked genuinely intrigued. Even with the blue magic stone that partially blocked the cold, for a child her age to find a place filled with ice and frost cozy was remarkable.
“Then what about the fire one?”
“Umm...”
Seia fell into thought at the question. What had the fire circus felt like? Her pondering continued, but no clear answer came.
Even though it was time for the black market to open now that the circus had ended, the man patiently waited for her response.
“Um, boss. About the market...”
“What's the rush? Can't you see I'm talking?”
“Ah, yes. Sorry.”
“Go down first and buy the things we planned on. I'll be right behind you.”
“Understood.”
“Now then, what about the fire circus?”
While the man was briefly distracted by the conversation, Seia finally reached her conclusion. The thoughtful expression on her face melted into a bright smile.
“I don't really remember.”
“You don't?”
Most children would have been enchanted by the dazzling spectacle of the fire circus. It was an unexpected answer, but not a surprising one.
“Yeah. But if I see it one more time, I think I'll know!”
“Hmm?”
Having said that, Seia glanced slyly at her dad. Jungwoo, who had been listening nearby, understood exactly what she meant. She was saying they should come again next time.
“Well now, what a clever little one you are.”
While talking to him, she had sneakily slipped in a request to her father to return. It was far cuter—and far more effective—than throwing a tantrum.
“Daddy.”
“Y-yes?”
“The uncle asked Seia what the fire magic felt like!”
“I know. Daddy heard everything.”
“But Seia doesn't remember!”
Look at that confident little face. It was obvious she was lying, but this level of cuteness could be forgiven. Besides, Seia already knew her dad wasn't easily fooled by her fibs.
“Haha. So?”
“But Seia wants to give the uncle an answer.”
“And?”
“So we have to watch it again!”
It was a perfectly logical reason. She wanted to answer the nice uncle who had lent her the blue magic stone, but since she couldn't remember, she couldn't give him one. Therefore, they simply had to watch it again!
“Haha! If it were me, I'd be back here tomorrow.”
The man burst into hearty laughter, not bothering to hide how amused he was. What kind of child could state exactly what she wanted so cleverly—and so adorably?
“Haha... I suppose so. Looks like we'll have to come back again someday.”
At Jungwoo's reply, the man stopped smiling for a moment, then pulled something else from his pocket.
“Take this for now.”
“This is...”
“It's a mercenary group, not a guild?”
“Similar to a guild, but a little different.”
While guilds received subjugation rights from the association and cleared gates, mercenary groups lent manpower to those guilds. They also took on a variety of other requests.
Why would the leader of such a group hand his card to Jungwoo?
As Jungwoo stared at the card in confusion, Jeong Do-seon's next words cleared up the mystery.
“I may not look it, but I'm fairly well-known in these circles. Haha. And you can just show that card when you want to watch the circus again.”
“The card?”
“I'm something of a regular here. Two seats—no, looking at her, the little one still seems small enough to need to be held. One seat should be more than enough.”
Unless they were sitting in the very front row like today, Seia would have to watch the show from Jungwoo's arms. Just like she had during the fire circus. And even if that weren't the case, if any sparks flew or ice crystals came hurtling toward them, Jungwoo would have to protect her. Though the chances of that were low.
“Ah...”
Should he accept it? Or should he refuse?
It wasn't an easy decision to make. And Jeong Do-seon had already figured out what kind of person Jungwoo was from the way he had hesitated to accept the blue magic stone.
“Do you know what I learned fastest while living as a mercenary?”
“I'm not sure.”
“How to tell what you should accept and what you shouldn't. That's the most important thing.”
There would be no problem if Jungwoo used this card to watch the circus a few times for free. But what Jungwoo was wary of was something else.
He was afraid of getting used to it. Afraid that accepting favors with no strings attached would become a habit.
If Jungwoo had come to the circus alone, would he have accepted such kindness? No. Everything was only possible because Seia was with him.
If he kept accepting things one by one, wouldn't he eventually become someone who used his daughter to seek out favors without even realizing it?
It wasn't that Jungwoo disliked receiving such kindness.
Yeah... I can't keep refusing everything forever.
The candies and snacks other people offered. And now this card from the mercenary called Jeong Do-seon. In absolute value, there was an enormous difference between them, but when you considered the people giving them, the gap wasn't that big. They were all things that could be obtained just by showing a card.
“...All right. Thank you.”
“Good. I'll have to hear about it later too, won't I?”
Jeong Do-seon shifted his gaze from Jungwoo to Seia and gave her a kind smile.
“I'm curious what you thought of the fire circus.”
“Haha. So am I. We'll get an answer next time, right? Seia, don't forget next time, okay?”
“Umm... I don't know!”
At Seia's completely transparent reply, both Jungwoo and Jeong Do-seon burst out laughing at the same time.
“Looks like I'll be late if I stay any longer. I'll be going now.”
“Yes. Thank you. Please get home safely.”
“Bye-bye!”
“See you next time, kiddo.”
Jeong Do-seon stood up with a casual air, gently ruffled Seia's hair as if by accident, and left.
“Heh heh, Jeong Do-seon. Quite an unexpected person.”
“Do you know him?”
The staff member who had been quietly listening to their conversation couldn't take his eyes off the seat Jeong Do-seon had just vacated. Among mercenaries, he was considered quite powerful. After all, he was an A-class hunter.
But what was even more surprising was Jeong Do-seon's usual behavior. In the back alleys—places even deeper and darker were called the underworld. And one of the people who could be called a leader of that world was none other than Jeong Do-seon.
His nickname was Snake, which didn't match his rugged appearance at all. Though his looks suited a bear or tiger better, the reason for the nickname was simple. He was cunning, vicious, and possessed the skill to back up that cowardice.
A favor with no strings attached from someone like that? It wasn't something just anyone could receive easily.
Seia must have really caught his eye.
That smile and laughter from Jeong Do-seon, of all people.
“We're just acquaintances. As far as I know, he doesn't hand out his card easily. Most people already know who he is before he even offers it.”
“And yet he gave one to you.”
“She must have really taken his fancy. Well, how could anyone not like such a cute and spirited child?”
“Haha. Thank you.”
Jungwoo hadn't said anything in response, but at the words “cute and spirited,” Seia, still in his arms, wriggled with delight. He let out a small chuckle, stroked her hair, and then stood up as well.
It was time to head home.
“Thank you, sir. Thanks to you, we got to see something wonderful.”
“Heh heh, not at all. It's been a while since I've watched it myself, and it was quite entertaining. Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. It's past Seia's bedtime.”
Looking at Seia snug in his arms, her breathing had become steady and her face was buried against him. She was clearly fighting off sleep. She'd been so excited earlier—how was she already nodding off?
“Oh dear, you'd better head home quickly. You'll have to run the restaurant tomorrow too.”
“Yes. We'll be going now. Thank you again.”
“I'll bring the staff next time too.”
After exchanging farewells, they were about to head home when a call came from Park Geon-su.
“Hello?”
–This is Park Geon-su. Is now a good time to talk?
“Yes, of course.”
–Someone will come in person tomorrow regarding the lunchboxes.
“Ah, thank you.”
–They'll probably call before they arrive.
“Thank you for taking care of everything.”
–Not at all. Please continue to make those delicious, heartfelt meals in the future as well.
“Of course. You're always welcome.”
Knowing that tomorrow would be another good day, today ended on the highest note possible.
“We should get going before it gets any later.”
As the father and daughter headed home, there were eyes watching them. Or rather, many pairs of eyes.