Chapter…03

                                          The Hidden Strong Child Is Looking for Dad – Episode 3

Tia sat with her back against the wall, hugging her knees tightly with both arms.

And she stared straight back at the little stone that had been watching her for a while, refusing to back down.

At first, she had been scared—but the longer she looked, the more certain she became.

‘…It’s Tanipang.’

It transformed. It used magic.

It looked a bit different, but it was definitely a Tanipang.

Gaining courage, Tia scooted forward slightly.

With wide, sparkling eyes, she began to examine the stone closely.

‘It’s black from head to toe.’

Her heart pounded.

Maybe what her dad said about coming from another world was true.

What if her dad really was a holy knight—and had a fairy with him?

What if that fairy was the stone in front of her, and it came to save her dad?

“Black…pang…”

At her dreamy murmur, the stone tilted its head.

That was when Tia suddenly made her plea.

“Please save him!”

The child crawled closer on her knees and clasped her hands desperately.

“Mr. Blackpang! Please save my dad!”

[Do you want me to save him?]

At first, she didn’t believe it.

Even Tia knew that dead people couldn’t be brought back to life.

But that was for ordinary people—what about a fairy?

‘I can save Dad.’

Doubt turned into certainty, and certainty into hope.

Her sorrowful heart felt as though it had sprouted wings and soared.

But just as she waited eagerly for an answer—

[If you want to save your father…]

The fairy stood up lightly and stared at her.

[You’ll have to leave this place behind. Are you okay with that?]

Tia’s expression went blank.

What exactly did “this place” mean?

The room where she lived with her dad?

This alley?

…Did it mean she couldn’t go back to kindergarten?

[Everything. You’ll have to abandon all the time you lived here.]

As if reading her thoughts, the fairy clarified.

Tia’s face darkened.

“Everything” meant both the good and the bad.

It meant leaving behind the grandma in room 107, the lady in 203, and all the happy memories she shared with her dad here.

As she hesitated, unable to answer, the fairy stepped closer.

[But if you want, I’ll return it to you.]

“……”

[The place you were born. Where you originally belonged. Where that man is still alive.]

Tia took a small breath.

It was difficult, but one thing was certain.

The most important person in her life had always been her dad.

That had never changed.

“…I’ll go.”

The moment she nodded—

As if it had been waiting, all the streetlights illuminating the alley flickered out.

A gust of wind rattled the window of room 106.

The neatly folded blankets, the crayon drawings on the wall—

Even the two differently sized toothbrushes in the cup trembled faintly.

When the streetlights came back on, room 106 was empty.

As if no one had ever lived there.

“Mm…”

Tia opened her eyes on something soft and fluffy, like cotton candy.

Then she jolted awake in surprise.

‘This isn’t cotton candy!’

She was lying on a soft, cozy bed.

Only then did she come to her senses.

“…Dad.”

Her heart raced as she remembered what had happened before she fell asleep.

Just then, a strange voice spoke from beside her.

“You’re awake.”

Startled, Tia jumped up.

A boy she had never seen before was standing next to the bed.

But as she pulled the blanket up to hide, she noticed something familiar about him and tilted her head.

“Blackpang…?”

Jet-black hair like the night sky.

Eyes that sparkled like jewels, and slightly pointed ears peeking through his hair.

When the boy shook his head, the ears disappeared—but Tia was sure.

“Blackpang! You can turn into a person!”

The boy’s expression immediately turned awkward.

He spoke in a flat tone.

“Me?”

“Huh?”

“You mean the ‘Blackpang’ you’ve been calling is me?”

Tia tilted her head.

She thought he was smart since he used magic and said he’d save her dad…

But maybe he was like the kids at kindergarten who always got names wrong.

“Yeah! Because you’re a fairy—”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not Blackpang.”

Tia gasped and shut her mouth.

No wonder he looked uncomfortable—she must have misunderstood.

Well…

She had never seen a Tanipang that could transform into a human and bring the dead back to life.

‘Blackpang—no, Blackie—must be an even more amazing fairy. Like something from legends…’

Wait—could he be a Puppetmon instead?

Legend-grade Puppetmon could even time travel.

‘That must be it.’

Tia looked around cautiously.

She had definitely been at home before falling asleep—but now the environment had changed.

That meant she had teleported.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary room with a large bed and soft bedding, but…

‘It’s a tent.’

The flapping fabric above made it clear.

“Blackie, what kind of tent is this?”

“Black… whatever.”

For some reason, he let out a deep sigh.

Crossing his arms, he answered,

“Your dad’s hometown. You said you wanted to come.”

“…Dad’s hometown?”

“Yeah.”

Tia’s eyes slowly widened.

“My hometown, Talocium, is a beautiful country. It was even prettier before magic stones started appearing… Anyway, it’s way bigger than here, and the air is nice…”

Whenever her dad talked about his hometown, his eyes sparkled.

Tia had heard those stories so many times that she knew a lot about Talocium.

“The problem is—even I couldn’t bring your dad back to life.”

But the boy’s next words shattered her thoughts.

Tia stared at him, tense.

‘He couldn’t bring Dad back?’

Then… did that mean her dad wasn’t saved?

Did she come to his hometown alone—without him?

She was shocked, her body stiffening—

“So I came to the past.”

—but the next words made everything loosen again.

Tia blinked.

“To the past…?”

“Yeah. If we turn back time, everything is solved.”

Tia frowned deeply.

She thought as hard as she could.

Time going back.

Tia from the future coming into the past—

“Then there are two of me?”

The boy burst out laughing.

Then he walked to the tent entrance and opened it.

“Good guess, but wrong. This is long before you were even born.”

Tia stared, mouth open.

A forest.

Outside the tent was a forest she had never seen before in her life.

As if mesmerized, she stepped forward, taking in the dawn-lit scenery.

Tall conifer trees reaching toward the sky.

Small plants, vines, and dew-covered moss in between…

“In this world, you won’t be born for another seven years.”

Birds began to chirp.

“Even if you meet your dad, he won’t know who you are.”

Tears slowly welled up in Tia’s eyes.

“You might not even meet him. This place is bigger than you think.”

“I can find him!”

Tia turned around.

Her eyes were teary, but her face was bright with a smile.

“If Dad is alive, I can find him!”

It didn’t matter if he didn’t recognize her.

It didn’t matter if he treated her coldly as a stranger.

As long as she could see him again—see him alive and healthy—

Taking a deep breath, Tia rolled her eyes in thought.

‘Dad said he was the strongest, most powerful holy knight.’

And Tia, who always listened carefully to his bedtime stories, knew—

“Let’s go, Blackie!”

—that the Imperial Holy Knights’ headquarters was in the capital.

But it didn’t take long for Tia to realize something.

Life wasn’t that easy.

“Pant… pant… what…”

She felt like she had walked for a long time.

But when she turned around, the tent was still visible in the distance.

“Why have I only come this far…?”

Beside her, Blackie let out a deep sigh.