TLTS~16

Chapter 16

However, he couldn’t just help out for nothing.

Even an L-Rank Awakened meets his match when faced with the status of a minor.

“You need permission from your mother and father.”

A child’s greatest enemy: guardian consent forms.

But Choi Deok-gyu wasn’t the kind of man to be stopped by such a thing.
He immediately went and got permission from her adoptive parents. Very confidently.

– Okay. When kindergarten ends, Uncle and Teacher Kim Myeong-ja will come to pick you up.

When it was time to go home,
a huge man was standing in front of the kindergarten’s main gate, greeting them with wok-lid-sized palms.
His body was completely stiff, and a strange tension was evident on his face.
The white suit looked better on him than one might have thought.

“Captain Choi Deok-gyu. Teacher Kim Myeong-ja. It’s good to see you.”

Kim Myeong-ja tightly hugged Chaeri, whom she was seeing for the first time in a long while.
Kim Myeong-ja, who was always strict at the orphanage, was much more affectionate outside.
“Lee Chaeri. Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“And Teacher Kim Myeong-ja, have you been well?”
“Is she still a super manly man?”
“Yes.”

Under the gentle, stroking touch, Chaeri melted softly.
Ah, this feels kinda nice.

“Shall we go to a restaurant?”
“Uh. Let’s go eat pork cutlet and tteokbokki.”
“Excellent.”

But something felt off.
They both couldn’t look directly at each other.
The awkwardness was so palpable you could almost smell it.

*This.* It’s time for the Legend Hyung-nim to step in.

“Shall Lee Chaeri pay?”

Kim Myeong-ja and Choi Deok-gyu burst out laughing simultaneously.

“Lee Chaeri, you’re quite the character.”

Unfortunately, the two of them failed to recognize Lee Chaeri’s true worth.

***

**30 years ago.**

Kim Myeong-ja had declared the breakup of their engagement to Choi Deok-gyu.
She left because she loved him. To protect him, to avoid ruining his future.
She had even deliberately given him the fake wedding invitation his mother had made.
Back then, she believed it was the right thing to do. She thought their connection ended there.

But today. A child reconnected the two of them.
That child’s name was Lee Chaeri.

‘Oh, it’s warm.’

And she looked to her right.
But Choi Deok-gyu still had an awkward expression.

*Sigh.* “Captain. What should we do?”
“Uh, um.”

Choi Deok-gyu ultimately couldn’t hold Chaeri’s hand.
“Is Lee Chaeri’s hand dirty?”
“No, it’s not that……”

He was afraid he might break it if he held it.
He was sincere.

That concern was proven correct immediately.
“Give it here. I’ll cut it for you.”
The pork cutlet knife Chaeri handed over shattered with a *crack!* in an instant.
Seeing that, even Lee Chaeri stiffened a little.

‘……I better not hold the Guild Master’s hand.’

Although he had gained control over his strength in daily life, the moment Kim Myeong-ja was before him was different.
When his emotions wavered, his physical strength wavered along with them.

“Teacher Kim Myeong-ja. Captain Choi Deok-gyu. When will you get married?”

*Crash!* The table shattered.
But Lee Chaeri didn’t even bat an eye.
Legend Hyung-nim isn’t surprised by such things.
The people around them just sighed and moved on.
Their looks said things like, ‘Who failed to control their strength this time?’

Choi Deok-gyu bowed his head a hundred times to the owner and promised compensation.

“Lee Chaeri will contribute congratulatory money too.”

Kim Myeong-ja went *Ahem!*, cleared her throat, and then asked.
“Chaeri, do you want Teacher and the Mister to get married?”
“Of course.”

They were fated to do so anyway.
For 30 years, neither of the two had ever forgotten the other.
A love that couldn’t be realized in the novel because Kim Myeong-ja was killed.
But with the appearance of the Legendary Hyung-nim, things could be different now.

“Why do you want us to?”
“Does love need a reason?”

“What?”

Chaeri put a piece of pork cutlet that Kim Myeong-ja had cut up for her into her mouth.
Mmm, delicious.

Separate from the taste, the awkwardness between the two persisted.
Both their faces were red.
Maybe it was even more so because they were both, excluding each other, lifelong singles.

“Love can’t be explained by logic. It’s just like that originally.”
“……”
“It’s delicious. Let’s come here again next time.”
“Sh-shall we?”

If someone doesn’t help these two, they’ll just stay in the ‘some’ stage forever and that’ll be it.
So, she decided.

“Lee Chaeri will make a group chat and invite you.”
“Thank you!”

The help of a 4-year-old was tremendous.
She had to climb the Tower *and* help the (semi-)lifelong singles with their romance business.
An L-Rank child’s day is always busy.
Gotta climb the Tower, gotta get people dating.

***

And in the evening. The cooldown had finally ended.
It was time to call Davith again.

“Lee Chaeri calls you, Davith.”

There was something she absolutely had to do after calling Davith.
She spoke to Davith, who had appeared with his always kind eyes.

“Davith.”
“Yes, Chaeri. Have you been well?”

Even though it was a simple greeting, her heart felt ticklish.
Davith was still like a spring breeze.

“Davith. I have an important request.”

***

Seeing Chaeri’s serious expression, Davith also stopped smiling. And he quietly pointed out a very important fact.

“Chaeri, you don’t have to request things from me.”
“Huh?”
“Command me.”

For a moment, Chaeri felt a bit strange.
His tone was gentle, but she didn’t like what he said.
“I don’t wanna.”
“……”
“Lee Chaeri likes Davith.”

She doesn’t give commands to someone she likes.
Normally, you make requests.
You ask, you hope, you wait.

“So, Lee Chaeri doesn’t want to command Davith.”

Davith was momentarily speechless.
Being commanded by his card owner was a completely natural thing.
If not for that, he was merely a being trapped inside a card.
His body, his voice, his life—all were borrowed.

But Chaeri was different. From the very beginning, everything was different.

“What is Chaeri’s request?”
“I need guardian consent.”
“What kind of consent?”
“Checking my balance……”

Chaeri felt a little embarrassed.
It made her feel like a real child who couldn’t even check her system account balance by herself.

[Do you consent to the ward’s ‘Account Balance Check’?]

He consented, of course.

He then looked fondly at Chaeri, who was checking her account balance with wide, round eyes.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand……”

Her small, chubby fingers moved busily.
Each and every one of those fingers was so adorable.

‘Is this the taste of being a guardian?!’

The taste of being a guardian.
Davith was learning the name of that feeling for the first time now.

But then Chaeri suddenly frowned.
Davith reacted swiftly.

“Chaeri. Is something wrong?”
“I can’t make withdrawals.”
“……Ah.”

The balance was a whopping 5 billion.
But that was just a number.
If she couldn’t use it, it was the same as having nothing.

“Rich, but not rich.”

*Thud.*

She leaned back against the bed and sat on the floor.
Even as an L-Rank Awakened, she was still a minor who couldn’t even create a system account yet.
Moreover, she was an ‘Authentic Power-Hider’—no, just ‘Authentic’—who wasn’t even officially registered.

“Don’t worry, Chaeri.”
I’m earning money.
Much more than Chaeri thinks.

But he couldn’t say that.
Because it still fell far short of the standard for an Empire-rank hero.

“You’ll be able to register as an Awakened soon.”
“But Lee Chaeri is a Power-Hiding Authentic, no, just an Authentic?”
“I will help. I’ve even set up a meeting with the Director of the National Intelligence Service.”
“The Director of the NIS?”
“Yes. It’s a meeting with the Seoul Guild Master as well.”

Chaeri blinked.
She knew Davith was competent, but already meeting with the NIS Director?

“Are we meeting Captain Choi Deok-gyu?”
“You know the Seoul Guild Master?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know him?”
“Teacher Kim Myeong-ja’s boyfriend.”

At the unexpected word, Davith let out a light laugh, *Pshik*.
“Does the Seoul Guild Master treat Chaeri well?”
“Yes. He even cut my pork cutlet. And bought me tteokbokki. He’s a kind mister.”
“I see.”

Davith smiled quietly.
He went out to eat with Chaeri?
“I haven’t even gotten to do that yet.”

Chaeri flinched in surprise.
Did a cold wind just blow just now?
She glanced over; the window was closed.

‘Must have imagined it.’

For some reason, it felt a little cold.

But then, as Davith’s touch reached her, her heart grew warm again.
It was always like spring.

“Chaeri. Please wait just a little while.”

Soon, whether it’s creating a fake ID or Awakened registration, things like that won’t even be a problem.
He was already excited at the thought of hearing the words, ‘Davith is the best’.

***

[Entering the Tower (Seoul) Floor 6.]

Floors 1 through 9 were the tutorial section.
For an Empire-rank hero like Davith, it was just a stroll.

[Challenge Quest: Defeat the White Wolves.]
[Clear condition: Defeat 10.]

It was a familiar process by now.
A warm challenge, starting with Davith’s kind words.
“Can you close your eyes and count to 10 for me?”

[Kids Safe Filter is being applied.]

Davith charged towards the cute wolves, the kind you’d see in a picture book.
*Pyoong pyoong!*
Starlight showered down! *Chwarururur!*
White butterflies fluttered! *Pol pol!*

[You have cleared the Tower (Seoul) Floor 6.]
[Clear Rank: L (Legend)]

It was an L-Rank clear.