Chick 228

228

“It’s a test ground some lunatic built by capturing the emperor.”

“Lunatic…?”

“Pip-pip—!”

Mephisto protested, scolding Bailach for using such rough language in front of Groo, and Kazuki, curious, roughly tousled Bailach’s head.

“Careful, careful with your words.”

“….”

Bailach bared his teeth at Kazuki, but Kazuki just grinned and ruffled his hair even more.

“A crazy person made it?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

Whether out of annoyance or just being unwilling to explain, Bailach closed his mouth.

“Mephi, do you know?”

“Pipi—”

Mephi tilted his head in confusion.

“Aww, you don’t know. Mephi doesn’t know much, does he…”

“Pit!?”

“…You are now entering Liberation Village First Dungeon, a recreation of the Tower’s first floor…”

At that moment, the docent explained, “It was originally planned as five locations, but only four opened due to certain circumstances.”

Groo’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

The fifth would never open.

Because Groo was cultivating potatoes there…

She’d thought it felt more like a beautifully landscaped park—but apparently, they’d once planned something grand for it.

If it had been intended for this sort of use, the loss would be immense. Would they be all right?

Resolved to grow more potatoes to help make up for any loss, Groo was just about to thank Grandpa with another emoji when—

“They say it’s the Tower, but it’s just like any other dungeon.”

A boy about elementary school age crossed his arms and muttered in a disgruntled tone.

The docent, guiding the exhibition, smiled and replied,

“The Tower was a kind of dungeon, after all. You seem to know a lot about dungeons, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do! I’ve watched all the dungeon documentaries and visited this experience center like a hundred times.”

Puffing up with pride, the boy answered, and the docent clapped, praising him.

“That’s nothing…”

The boy shrugged and turned away.

Suddenly, he locked eyes with a doll-like, beautiful girl.

He blinked at her big, black eyes, then saw her laugh radiantly while whispering with a man he guessed was her uncle.

He realized he wasn’t the only one stealing glances at the girl and her companion.

They attracted the kind of attention beautiful or handsome people always did.

…

Listening in on their conversation, the boy learned the girl’s name was “Groo.”

Groo… She’d be even prettier without that strange alien hat.

Just then, the white baby bird perched on Groo’s head stared at him warily.

Feeling unsettled by the look, the boy turned away.

But they weren’t the only ones getting attention.

There was one more person.

His pale almond hair and eyes shone golden in the light.

When the boy looked at the man, he flashed a bright smile. Pretty dimples deepened in his cheeks.

Even the way he moved was graceful—he bent over, talking quietly to someone beside him.

Just as the boy was about to peek over his shoulder to see who the handsome man was talking to—

“This is the Hall of Heroes. If you get your booklet stamped here, you’ll receive a photo card.”

Along the circular wall stood specimens of dungeon creatures, like those they had seen on the first floor.

Photo cards!

The boy hurried to get one for himself.

Strangely, when he tried to remember the man’s face, it was foggy and blurred, like mist.

Was he really that unmemorable?

But the thought didn’t last, for his attention was caught by the immense hologram before him.

In the center of the enormous exhibition hall named the Hall of Heroes, a beam of light shone down.

Beneath it, On Joorim kneeled on one knee, breathing hard and wiping sweat from her jaw.

Groo and Kazuki stared, mouths agape.

It looked like a portion of old training footage, but it was so meticulously rendered that it felt as if young Joorim was truly right there, moving before them.

“Dad looks young!”

“Young On-jjang!”

Groo and Kazuki quickly pulled out their phones, snapping pictures of hologram Joorim.

Imagining showing those photos to Joorim later, the two aliens exchanged sly, cackling grins.

Just as Kazuki was about to send the pictures—

Someone appeared in the hologram, approaching On Joorim and handing her a towel.

It was On Ijo.

“Wow!”

“On Ijo!”

Excited exclamations emerged throughout the crowd at On Ijo’s appearance. Some foreigners even chanted his name aloud.

The undisputed hero of the 100th floor.

While everyone else looked exhausted from their training, On Ijo’s gentle, warm gaze remained unchanged.

He had the look of someone who would never show weakness.

Even through the hologram, that sense of calm and inexplicable distance reached out, comforting everyone who looked on.

Groo glanced sidelong at Kazuki, who had canceled sending the pictures, and quietly asked,

“Do you think… Dad is still very sad?”

“…Hmm.”

Kazuki thought carefully before answering in a slow voice.

“Groo-chan, some kinds of sadness never disappear.”

Groo, who had an inkling what that meant, nodded.

Kazuki smiled bittersweetly and straightened the ribbon at Groo’s chin.

“But you know. Those kinds of sadness can fester, all locked up inside.”

“So what do you do?”

“It just hurts more.”

Groo, face full of concern, pressed her hands tightly over her chest.

Had her uncle been left to rot away, locked up in her father’s heart?

“So you don’t have to wait for the sadness to go away. Instead of hiding it and letting it hurt more, let’s take it out and handle it gently.”

So it won’t hurt… Groo repeated the words and nodded.

“You can do that, can’t you, Groo-chan?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then let’s go get your photo card, shall we?”

“Yes!”

Kazuki and Groo left the side of the hologram.

Most people were absorbed in the hologram, so the line was short, and Groo was able to get her booklet stamped and collect a photo card.

Meanwhile, Kazuki kept giving up her spot to children, so she was gradually pushed to the back of the line.

“Ah, I’ll be there in a bit.”

Kazuki called, a little embarrassed as she was nudged further back.

“Yes!”

Groo replied loudly and slipped away to a quieter spot.

‘Please, let it be the shining, sparkling one!’

She opened the paper case and took a deep breath before checking her card.

But her lips quickly pouted in disappointment.

“This one’s not so great…”

Just then, a voice interrupted her from behind.

“Why? Don’t you think this one’s cuter?”

“No, it isn’t. The eyes aren’t shining and sparkling.”

“Ah, I know what you mean. But this one’s got that sleepy look in the eyes—it’s cute.”

He’d always had that sleepy look… But Dad wasn’t ever the cute type. He was the cool type.

Groo looked up.

She met gentle, almond-colored eyes.

“Then how about this: want to trade your card with me?”

The man held up a photo card with the exact shining, sparkling eyes Groo wanted.

And at the same moment—

Ding!

[Chk—Registered as caregiver—Kzzzt—Chk—Caregiver—Chk—]

Ding!

[Chk—Registered as caregiver—Kzzzt—Chk—Caregiver—Chk—]

Ding!

[Chk—Registered as caregiver—Kzzzt—Chk—Caregiver—Chk—]

Huh?

What’s happening?! Groo blinked her large eyes again and again.

Ding!

[Chk—Registered as caregiver—Kzzzt—Chk—Caregiver—Chk—]

Aaaah!

Groo’s system had broken!

What happened when the system broke?

Stats? Skills? Did that mean…?

‘Am I going to become useless…?’

For a moment, terror swept over her, the fear of being reduced instantly to a non-functional state.

‘No!’

She was so frightened, her panic was obvious.

“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to trade,” the man said gently.

Groo shook her head.

It wasn’t that—just that something even more important had happened…

As her face turned pale, Mephisto called for Bailach.

“Pii—!”

Bailach nodded, took Groo by the hand.

“We should go.”

“Huh?”

“Come with me.”

“Pip-pip—”

Bailach and Mephisto urged Groo along.

Why were they suddenly in such a rush?

Did they know Groo’s system was broken?

Groo, about to follow Bailach, glanced at her flashing, malfunctioning system window—then suddenly looked up at the man.

He seemed to be studying her closely, and when their eyes met, he gave an awkward smile. His dimples deepened prettily.

Seeing him, Groo felt a strange tickle in her head.

As if a memory was about to surface but wouldn’t quite come.

Next to him, holograms of On Ijo and On Joorim were moving busily.

On Ijo cradled On Joorim’s head, wiping the sweat-soaked back of her hair with a towel.

Joorim looked annoyed, but more at ease than before. Her eyes had that same sleepy look as on the photo card.

On Ijo, meanwhile, gazed at her with quiet affection.

Groo lifted her eyes again and parted her lips.

“Uncle?”