Chick 226

226

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“Waaah!”

As she organized her reviews while eating milk shaved ice with Wooju and Nayeon, Groo stroked her chin.

So, the design is important if adults are going to use it.

Unlike drone-like devices, things that require direct attachment and use would clearly be inconvenient for adults.

Up until now, she’d been modifying ready-made toys.

Especially with the carrot knife that had a debuff—if she could make it in a form that adults could use, it would be good to distribute them to teams.

If until now the toys had been fit for ages two to four—

‘Now, for ages five and up!’

To think she could finally use toys for ages five and older.

‘Groo, you’ve become a grown-up…’

Feeling once again how much she’d grown, Groo wiped her nose.

“The grade is S, huh…”

The items she made could reach S-rank, but no matter how much she tried, the skill-enhancement syrup struggled to surpass C-rank.

“Hmm…”

Thanks to the Critaito Reactor, energy efficiency had improved greatly and making higher-ranked items had become easier, but it still wasn’t enough to call her work exceptional.

After all, S-rank was within reach if you were a first-class artisan…

Of course, the options and functions differed, so the rank itself wasn’t always the most important thing—

‘Still, Groo wants to make an S+ series!’

If she couldn’t at least do that, her older sisters and brothers wouldn’t want her items.

‘So the answer is endless training, after all.’

As Groo continued to ponder with her arms crossed, Wooju and Nayeon tilted their heads in curiosity.

“Eat your shaved ice first, Groo.”

Nayeon pulled the bowl closer to her.

“Bii—”

At that, Mephisto opened its mouth wide, clamoring to be fed.

Groo scooped up a generous spoonful and, feeding it to Mephisto atop her head, watched as Mephisto stuffed both cheeks and vibrated, winking in delight.

As laughter broke out at the table at the sight, someone approached them.

A woman, her bucket hat pulled low, lowered her mask and smiled.

“I’m not late, am I?”

“We just got here, too.”

At Nayeon’s reply, Iromi sat down in the empty seat and let out a chuckle.

“Those two little kids together are just too cute.”

“Right?”

When Nayeon echoed this, Groo giggled, but Wooju frowned at being called a “kid.”

“Come to think of it, Jjang-Nayeon, I heard your ranking went up. Why aren’t you bragging about it?”

“Ahahaha, well. It wasn’t really me, it was all thanks to Groo.”

“Eh? Is Groo that good at Hunter work?”

“Yes, she is.”

It was Wooju who answered in Nayeon’s place.

“So that little kid goes into the dungeon with you and fights?”

“No, she makes things for me so I can fight well.”

“Wow… So, she’s a child prodigy engineer or something?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Something like that.”

“Heavens! That’s truly amazing, little one!”

Iromi squeezed Groo’s cheeks between both hands, exclaiming in delight.

“Oooh—”

Groo puffed her mouth like a fish, and Wooju quietly pulled Iromi’s hands away.

“Noona, Groo feels uncomfortable.”

“…!”

Iromi gasped, looking back and forth between Groo and Wooju, then gave Nayeon an admonishing pat. Nayeon burst into giggles.

Wooju, realizing why they were acting this way, blushed deeply.

“So cute.”

“So, so cute.”

Resting their chins on their hands, Iromi and Nayeon gazed on at Groo and Wooju without end.

Groo was a little puzzled, but Mephisto atop her head shot a glare at Wooju.

Wooju, her head gradually bowing under those gazes, trembled and finally spoke up.

“I think I’ll be heading out now…”

“Okay, okay. We’ll stop now. We older girls didn’t pick up on the mood.”

Iromi smacked Nayeon on the shoulder, and Nayeon nodded.

“Right, Wooju. Stay a bit longer.”

“Yeah, stay a bit longer.”

“…”

When even Groo joined Nayeon in urging her, Wooju clamped her lips tight.

“Mm…”

Iromi chuckled gently and changed the subject.

“By the way, On Ijo the Hunter? Wasn’t he a genius like Groo? I heard he was something of a craft specialist.”

On Ijo.

At the familiar name, Groo perked up her ears.

“Uh-huh. He was.”

Nayeon answered with a slightly awkward smile.

At this, Iromi lowered her voice.

“What’s wrong? Did I say something I shouldn’t?”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just that, inside the guild, we don’t really talk about On Ijo. It’s kind of an unspoken rule, so it just feels awkward.”

“Ahh—yeah, I can see why…”

Since he had family… Iromi, her face shadowed with sympathy, nodded knowingly.

Ordinary people still talked about him now and then as the genius and hero Korea produced, not realizing that On Joorim was his bereaved family.

“Hey, Jjang-Nayeon. You know our old agency boss? An Sanghyeon.”

Iromi shifted topics deftly.

“President An? Why?”

“He can’t sleep these days. They say he’s possessed by a ghost. His eyes are red from searching for a famous shaman.”

“A ghost?”

“I knew it! Living that badly would get you possessed, seriously!”

Groo watched as Iromi burst out laughing in satisfaction, stuffing a spoonful of sweet shaved ice in her mouth.

As she let the sweetness melt on her tongue, Groo turned her gaze to the wide storefront window.

Suddenly, she recalled On Suhyeong pointing to On Ijo’s banner and saying, “That’s your uncle.”

‘Uncle…’

What kind of person was he?

Just as Nayeon said, mentioning On Ijo was something like an unspoken rule.

Groo, too, had unconsciously avoided talking about her uncle. She knew it was a sensitive subject.

But now, Groo was On Groo. Now, she belonged to the family. Maybe it’s okay to want to know about her uncle?

Of course, she didn’t have the courage to ask her grandfather or father directly.

‘Hmmm…’

Groo, having lost her appetite, put down her spoon and rested her chin on her hand.

It was at that moment.

The spoon Groo had just set down suddenly lifted its head ever so slightly.

Nayeon and Iromi were deep in conversation, and Groo was looking outside—so only Wooju and Mephisto noticed.

“…?”

“Pit?”

What’s this?

They had no idea why the spoon was raising itself, and both gaped.

As though mocking them, the spoon straightened itself upright.

“What?!”

“Piiit-?!”

Startled, Wooju half-rose from her seat…

“What’s wrong?”

But as Groo turned around, the spoon had returned to normal.

“No, it’s nothing…”

Wooju shook her head.

“Hmm?”

What is going on? Wooju struggled to erase her bewildered expression as she glanced at Mephisto.

Mephisto, too, had his triangular mouth opened rhombus-wide, meeting Wooju’s gaze.

“…”
“…”
They spoke in silence, communicating by look.

It meant they hadn’t seen wrong.

Then, what on earth was that?

“Pii…”

Mephisto furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin with a wing.

It was clear that the thing which had just raised the spoon was Groo’s power.

But Groo didn’t seem the least aware that she had done anything.

If that was so…perhaps she’d grown so rapidly that she’d lost control of her own strength.

Meanwhile, as Groo looked again out the window, Mephisto and Wooju whipped their heads and focused intently on the spoon.

“…”
“…”
Tense as could be, they watched, but the spoon didn’t rise again.

Only then did the two breathe a sigh of relief.