Chick 241

241

Gulp!

The baby bird’s throat convulsed in a great wave.

“……”

“……”

Joorim furrowed her brow, and Mephisto glanced sideways.

Then, as if making up his mind, Mephisto cautiously opened his mouth in a diamond shape.

‘Of course it must be empty.’

After all, he’d swallowed the boss….

Joorim pressed her fingers to her brow, feeling dizzy.

Her daughter’s pet had once eaten dungeon cores, and now it had gone so far as to shrink a boss and swallow it whole.

These creatures—aren’t their mishaps getting a little out of hand?

She’d always worried her young daughter might end up in danger, but it seemed more and more like it was her daughter who was becoming the true danger.

At that moment, Groo looked into Mephisto’s empty mouth and gasped in astonishment.

“It’s, it’s empty!”

…Why are you the one surprised?

“Ppi, ppiit!”

Startled by Groo’s reaction, Mephisto also panicked, quickly covering his mouth and shaking his head.

Watching this, Joorim grew even dizzier.

Apparently, pulling off the perfect crime was a bit too much to ask from a five-year-old.

Meanwhile, Wooju sent Groo a warning glance, telling her not to look surprised.

Only then did Groo realize she was supposed to be deceiving Joorim, so she stumbled and read her response like a textbook.

“Um. Of course it’s empty… There’s nothing at all.”

Joorim thought Groo’s acting had improved lately, but it seemed all to be the result of painstaking practice with Wooju.

“Haa…”

Joorim let out a long sigh.

At the sight, Groo clutched Mephisto to her chest and gazed up at him with tense lips pressed together.

Her large, downturned eyes met his gaze exactly.

Joorim, on the verge of scolding her, instead closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. Then, with unexpected tenderness, he smoothed Groo’s hair.

Groo relaxed a little at this, a wide, silly smile spreading across her face.

He should have told her not to wander the dungeon alone, since it was dangerous….

But no, things had gone so much the other way that telling her not to go because it was dangerous didn’t really make sense anymore.

‘Is it because of that SSS-rank?’

Monsters submit to strength.

If she was really SSS-rank, commanding an AAA-rank boss would be a simple matter.

She really did drag in all manner of things.

Had any of this actually posed a real threat to Groo, he would have resorted to strict discipline, but everything seemed to resolve itself so smoothly each time that he hesitated, worried that speaking out might only make her rebellious.

‘Why is this five-year-old so impossible?’

Suddenly angry, Joorim pinched Groo’s cheek.

“Uuu—”

“From now on, always stick with that one.”

“Even in the bathroom?”

“Yeah. Even the bathroom.”

He didn’t like that she was raising a monster, but if that creature meant Groo would be safer, then so be it.

Letting them stick together at all times made him feel a little more at ease.

Joorim released Groo’s cheek.

“Answer me.”

“Okay!”

Groo beamed brightly, thinking she’d completely fooled her father.

But far from that, this would only attach even more monitoring features to his troublesome daughter’s watch….

Yet it was Wooju who actually seemed most surprised at their exchange.

“T-the bathroom?”

“Yes.”

“But sir, Groo’s a girl.”

Seeing Wooju’s confusion, Joorim smirked.

He caught on to what Wooju was thinking and teased him.

“I know. But you went with her just now, didn’t you?”

“Well, that was…”

“So from now on, when she goes to the bathroom, Groo will go with you. That’s that.”

Trying to team up with Groo to fool me, you rascal.

Wooju’s jaw dropped in shock, while Joorim, smiling slyly, ruffled Wooju’s hair before saying,

“Anyway, you get it. I’ll go get the car, so stay here and play with Wooju.”

As Joorim turned away, Groo’s eyes widened in delight.

We got away with it!

Joorim glanced back and caught sight of Groo grinning with mischievous triumph, and quickly turned his head forward again.

As Joorim disappeared from view, Groo bounced on her feet.

“Mephi, we did it! Dad hasn’t found out a thing!”

“Ppipit!”

“Yay!”

Mephisto and Groo bumped fists.

Just as they were basking in victory, laughing and giggling together, Groo’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“Ppi?”

“But Mephi… did you really eat the octopus boss?”

Nod…

Mephisto hesitated, then nodded once.

He was worried Groo might think he was a barbarian.

He hadn’t meant to eat it, but when On Joorim applied the pressure, he’d gotten confused and ended up swallowing it before he realized it.

“Ppii…”

Mephisto’s eyes widened into misty ovals.

“Mephi, what if you get a stomachache…?”

“Ppi ppi—”

Mephisto shook his head urgently.

That wouldn’t happen. His belly was filled with the joy of sharing this moment with Groo, along with the magical energy he’d absorbed from the boss he’d swallowed.

In fact, it hadn’t tasted so bad either.

Burp. Mephisto let out a satisfied belch and tapped his belly.

“Ppipippi.”

Pleased that Groo was worried about him, Mephisto spread his wings wide, showed off his body with a little twirl, and wagged his tail.

“Thank goodness!”

Stealthily kicking back the encroaching Lukshifer with his foot, Mephisto leaned in and nuzzled Groo’s cheek, chirping happily.

He yearned to eat just a little more of things like that, thinking he might gain even greater strength, but he held back.

Meanwhile, Wooju glanced sidelong at Bailach.

Joorim’s mischievous insistence that Groo take Bailach with her to the bathroom still echoed in his mind.

When Wooju kept staring at him, Bailach raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

Wooju asked quietly in response,

“Can’t you go to the bathroom by yourself?”

“What?”

With an expression that said, ‘What’s this prey going on about now?’ Bailach gaped in astonishment.

“I just don’t think it’s right for you to go with Groo.”

Bailach’s face flushed with indignation as he shouted,

“I’m not going! No way I’m going with her!”

“But the man said to go together.”

“I don’t care! I’m definitely not going with her!”

Bailach clenched his fists and shook his head vehemently.

“All right. I’ll trust you.”

Seemingly satisfied, Wooju moved to stand beside Groo.

Bailach’s fists trembled with frustration.

Trust him? Of all the cheek!

What kind of masters are they supposed to be, these insufferable children?

Maybe it was time to cast aside all this familiar nonsense!