Chick 236
by Cristae236
‘Vicious little scoundrels.’
Yet even such a disjointed compromise would soon come to an end. In the end, the film company would be the first to throw in the towel.
When it came to dungeon raids, ordinary people were inevitably left on the sidelines.
“But Groo, is all the work finished?”
At the manager’s question, Groo turned to see the adults nodding their heads. It meant the grownups would handle things from here, so the children were now free to play.
“Yes!”
“Then shall we go to the set together? You promised to visit today, right?”
“Yes! I want to go!”
“Where did you put your bag? Let’s tell the adults before we leave.”
“Yes!”
Groo scampered off, struggling with her bag, only for On Suhyeong to step forward and take it from her.
Even though his assistants insisted they would carry it, he shook his head.
“Grandpa, can I go to Wooju’s place and come back?”
“Alone? Isn’t it dangerous to go by yourself?”
Ever since discovering Groo was an S-rank Hunter, On Suhyeong had become even more worried; wanting to assign someone to watch over her, he broached the subject.
But Groo, however she saw it—
“I’m not going alone!”
With that, Groo grabbed her bag and dashed off to the restroom.
And then she returned, not alone, but bringing along a boy of her own age.
“Groo is going with her friend.”
Friend?
On Suhyeong and Bailach exchanged glances.
“…….”
“…….”
When Bailach grinned, baring his sharp shark-like teeth, his pupils morphed into stars.
“……?”
If anything, it raised a question of whether we should be letting our granddaughter walk around with something like that.
“……Really, a friend?”
When asked, Groo leaned in and whispered confidingly.
“I’m raising him.”
“…….”
He shouldn’t have asked.
Well, anything dangerous, Joorim would have sorted out—he shouldn’t have worried.
Feigning ignorance of what he’d just heard, On Suhyeong offered Groo a gentle smile, carefully avoiding Bailach’s gaze.
“Then be safe and have fun.”
“Yes!”
Groo grabbed Bailach’s hand and ran off to join Wooju.
Behind them trailed Mephisto, who didn’t bother to fly but trudged after them, head hung low and shoulders drooped.
Watching this, Bailach frowned.
Several times, Mephisto was nearly stepped on by the bustling crew, but simply dodged each time, never opening his wings.
No matter what, the little fledgling would not fly.
It wasn’t as though its wings were suddenly injured—after all, it had flown all it liked earlier that morning.
The only thing that had changed was that it now took on a human form.
‘That thing… could it be…’
Bailach considered mentioning to Groo that the creature was refusing to fly, but eventually clamped his mouth shut.
This wasn’t his business. It was only the concern of that incorrigible scoundrel.
Besides, they weren’t even that close to begin with.
Just then, as Groo gathered her things and spotted Mephisto, she scooped him up onto her head.
Mephisto, eyes brimming with unshed tears, settled atop Groo’s head, looking as though he might burst into tears at any moment.
Whether he was simply exhausted from dodging people or delighted that Groo had found and picked him up, it was hard to say.
He certainly looked pitiable.
“Mephi, are your wings hurting?”
Groo asked anxiously, and Mephisto spread his wings wide, shaking his head.
“Then why did you walk over?”
“Pip. Pipip.” (I’m fine. I can walk.)
Yet the tip of his beak quivered as though holding back a sob.
But Groo, failing to understand, only looked more confused, while Bailach turned his head away, as if he found it all distasteful.
‘What a fool.’
Enough. He shouldn’t care.
Bailach had far more serious things to worry about than that creature.
Bailach, Groo, and Wooju sat lined up in the very back seat of the van.
Groo, perched with Mephisto on her head, and Wooju were occupied with a push pop fidget toy, pressing its round bubbles like popping bubble wrap.
What could possibly be so entertaining about poking that thing?
The laughter of the three children grated on Bailach, who furrowed his brow.
It seemed he alone was conscious of the gravity of the situation.
Clearly displeased, Bailach turned to Groo and asked nonchalantly,
“Is it true they haven’t been able to film Zombie City 2?”
“Yes, they say so.”
“What happens if they can’t clear the dungeon?”
“Will they not be able to film? Wooju, what happens?”
“We won’t necessarily be unable to film, but it could get delayed for a long time.”
“That’s what he says~”
“What?!”
Unlike the shocked Bailach, the children eagerly returned to pressing their push pop toy.
Unable to contain himself, Bailach slapped his palm against the seat in front with a resounding thud.
“……?”
“Master. Let us enter the dungeon ourselves. If the guild cannot do it, we shall clear it in their place.”
“Eh? Us? No way.”
Groo, most uncharacteristically, flatly refused.
Because—
“Groo would become a criminal…”
In truth, she already was.
She just hadn’t been caught yet…
But even in the face of his master’s resolute refusal, Bailach could not give up.
No, giving up was not an option.
Casting a glance at Wooju, who wore a puzzled expression, Bailach steeled himself.
Seo Wooju must film Eat City 2 without trouble!
Seo Wooju, being devoured by zombies—just imagining it made Bailach’s mouth water. Even just watching would bring a satisfying vicarious thrill.
To make that dream a reality, he first needed to gently coax his little master.
He pondered what Groo currently valued most, and then spoke up.
“Let’s practice opening the cradle!”
“Practice…?”
To bait Groo, Bailach waggled the lure from his metaphorical fishing rod.
“Yes, practice. To handle it skillfully in the field, you need to train hard in advance. Think of the hero of Zombie Hunter.”
“That’s true, but…”
Groo stroked her chin in thought.
Training was certainly needed. But hadn’t she also learned not to raid dungeons at will?
Within her mind, the scales tipped back and forth—‘Go to the dungeon’ and ‘Do not go.’
Sensing Groo’s hesitation, Bailach pressed the point.
“Don’t you hear them calling, Master?”
“…Hear what?”
Bailach grasped Groo’s shoulders and stared into her eyes.
“The wishes of the guild that’s struggling with the raid… the call for justice.”
“J-justice…!”
“Yes!”
The weight of justice tipped the scales in favor of ‘going to the dungeon.’
They tilted, but—
“But… I might become a criminal…”
For a law-abiding kindergartener, being a criminal was… unacceptable.
In that moment, Bailach delivered the finishing blow.
“One who embraces evil for the sake of ultimate justice. In ‘Zombie Hunter,’ they call them a ‘dark hero.’”
Thump!
At Bailach’s words, Groo’s heart leapt.
“A dark hero?”
“That’s right. Like the protagonist of Zombie Hunter who, though stigmatized as a zombie, upholds justice as a hunter. That is the dark hero.”
Dark! Hero!
The words Groo loved most landed on the scales—thud, thud.
To Groo, Bailach’s honeyed words rang utterly true.
“Pipip!”
Mephisto, thinking on Groo’s level, immediately sided with Bailach, crying out for justice.
Yes, it was not right for a Supreme Hunter to simply watch while a guild suffered.
Besides…
‘Groo could turn in Master’s villainous father.’
Handing over a colossal villain—surely they’d overlook one or two of Groo’s little transgressions in exchange?
With trembling hands charged by anticipation, Groo opened her status window.
Her level was stuck at a mere 40.
“…….”
She let out a snort. Resolving herself, Groo dumped all her accumulated Filial Piety Points into her magic stat.
Name: On Groo
Level: LV. 40
Title: ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ (View Restricted)
Strength: 2
Stamina: 2 (+14)
Agility: 2
Defense: 2 (+88)
Magic: 162
[Not enough Filial Piety Points to raise status further!]
[Filial Piety Points: 350]
‘Already out of Filial Piety Points!’
Once any stat reaches over 100, the cost to raise that stat increases more than fivefold.
Thus, she was able to increase her stats less than she’d hoped.
‘But I can feel the power…’
Groo sensed the surge of magic newly awakened in her body.
Her magic stat was now 162.
In terms of magic alone, she already surpassed top-tier A-rank magic hunters.
Normally, even magic hunters didn’t focus all their points in magic like this.
Without basic strength or stamina, one couldn’t survive a risky raid.
Boosting attack power also required strength and stamina.
But for Groo, longing and justice stood in for brute force and endurance.
“Bai, Mephi. Today, we’ll eat yogurt in the dungeon.”
Groo leapt to her feet, delivering a heroic line as her skirt twirled.
Today, the strawberry flavor would taste even richer.
Just then—
The manager glanced in the rearview mirror and called out.
“Groo, don’t stand in the car. You’ll get hurt!”
“Okay…”
Groo sat back down, hands primly atop her knees, lips jutting forward as embarrassment colored her face. She locked eyes with Wooju, who stared back in confusion.
Groo’s eyes blazed anew.
“Wooju, I have something to do when we arrive. Wait for me, okay?”
“Uh, okay.”
Groo placed a hand on Wooju’s shoulder.
“I’ll make sure you get to film, Wooju. Don’t worry.”
“…Okay.”
A shiver ran through Wooju as if charged with electricity, and he nodded, almost entranced.