– Am I seeing through your eyes right now, Mister?
“Yes. Can you save him?”
– From here?
“He needs a heal. Can you cast it?”
– I’ll try.
“Just imagine he’s right in front of you.”
He felt a warmth on his wrist.
Audrey’s heal was coming.
Kang Gyeol extended his hand towards the hunter leaning against the portal.
A gentle light enveloped his wrist and flew towards the hunter.
The hunter’s body was enveloped in a sphere of light and shimmered.
The man holding his shoulder shouted.
“My son opened his eyes!”
Color returned to the young hunter’s face. His lips also regained their vitality.
The man helped his son lie down on the dungeon floor.
– think it worked.
“Good job.”
Audrey’s breathing was a little ragged. Her stamina was probably still too low to send a heal from such a long distance.
– When are you coming back?
“Why?”
– Satin is acting strange.
Kang Gyeol focused and opened Audrey’s vision. Satin was curled up in bed, covered with a blanket.
– She keeps asking for you, Mister.
“It’s because we’ve never been apart before.”
– What should I do?
“She can’t be attached to me forever. From today, she’ll be sleeping with you.”
– With me?
“Yeah. Tell her now. That she’ll be sleeping with you from now on.”
– That’s… I think it would be better if you told her yourself. Satin isn’t scared right now.
“Then?”
– She’s sad.
Sad? The more you indulge a child’s tantrums, the more they throw them.
The elf shook her head and walked towards the portal.
“I’ve never seen such a strange human. He’s good at fighting, talks to people from far away, and even receives and casts heals from a long distance. Is he the reincarnation of a legendary archmage?”
The elf squatted in front of the portal and looked back at him.
“What’s your name?”
A Devil King’s daughter, an otherworld princess, and now an elf had crossed over. Was Earth a world where anyone could just cross over? It would be a sight to see if a dragon crossed over next.
“I asked for your name.”
“How rude. Get lost. Don’t come back.”
“Tell me your name.”
“It’s Kang Gyeol. Even if I tell you, you…”
“Really? Are you really Kang Gyeol?”
The elf’s lips curled into a grin.
“Did you happen to feed a dwarf who came here a while ago? Are you the restaurant owner he was talking about?”
“There are many restaurant owners.”
“Is there another handsome human in his late twenties named Kang Gyeol who can calmly sit down a battle-crazed warrior dwarf, feed him, and send him on his way?”
“Just go already. You’re annoying.”
“That dwarf warrior retired and opened a barbecue restaurant. And it’s doing well. He said you inspired him.”
“Are you not leaving?”
“The kingdom lost a warrior because of you. We’ll hold you responsible for that later. Kang Gyeol? I’ll be back!”
The elf entered the portal in a squatting position. Her red hair swayed and swept the dungeon floor.
“If you were going to dig, you should have dug it bigger. You call that a portal?”
The elf raised her middle finger and disappeared beyond the portal.
– So that’s what an elf looks like. It’s my first time seeing one in person.
Click.
He closed his vision connected to Audrey.
The Ether chain transmitted not only Audrey’s senses but also her abilities. Her usefulness had increased. Now he could be free from the time he had been tied to the little girl for the past ten years.
He couldn’t be away from Satin because he didn’t know when the Devil King would come. When he was anxious at first, he had even taken her to the bathroom.
As his senses expanded, he had been able to keep a little distance, but at most, it was a few meters.
Audrey was now an antenna that protected Satin.
A base station. At times, she would be a hunting dog that pounced on a runaway sheep.
“Thank you.”
The man helped his son up and bowed his head.
“I’m so grateful, I don’t know what to say… Thank you so much.”
The son glanced at the portal.
“That elf saved me. She sacrificed herself to protect me. She chose to be captured and become a slave.”
“Hey, young man.”
“That beautiful and noble elf sacrificed everything for me.”
“I don’t think so.”
The son approached him and grabbed his arm.
“Boss. I want to see that elf again. She said she would come back, right? Please call me then!”
“What for?”
“I have to repay her kindness.”
The man patted his son’s shoulder.
“Shouldn’t you be repaying your kindness to the boss here?”
“Of course, I’ll repay the boss too. But she’s really pretty. They say elves are older than they look. Is that true? She didn’t look a day over twenty. How old do you think she is?”
Time flows relatively depending on the dimension. If it was the kingdom where the elf lived, it would flow at least five times faster.
Then she would be about a hundred years old? But that was a meaningless calculation. The moment she crossed over to this world, her physical age would be governed by this world.
“If she looks twenty, then she’s probably twenty. Are you going to continue being a hunter?”
“Of course! I’m going to become a great hunter like you, boss.”
I remembered his name.
Was it Hojun? As before, he was a promising young man. His core was solid, and his expression was quite bright.
In a dungeon, mental strength was as important as physical strength.
The opponents were monsters that spewed Mana. It was difficult to handle them properly with a weak mind and emotions.
If he had stopped the Devil King’s descent with Satin, all that was left were the dungeons and gates. If he could raise competent hunters, he might be able to end the chaos in the world.
Should I start?
“This dungeon is quite useful. Want to train here?”
“That would be great! But this place is…”
Kang Gyeol approached the man who was still rolling on the ground.
“One. If a portal opens, you have to report it to the Hunter Management Agency. You broke that rule.”
The man gritted his teeth and looked at him.
“Two. You attacked a fellow hunter in a dungeon. Three. You threatened an intelligent life form that came from another world. And you know that elves are guaranteed their status by the state, don’t you?”
“What do you want?”
“You’re not just a hunter. You blocked the entrance after you came in. Who are you?”
The son glared at the man.
“He’s the owner of this dungeon.”
“I thought so. This will be easy.”
Kang Gyeol grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.
“I’ll let you go if you hand over the ownership. What will it be? Go to jail and lose your hunter’s license, or give up one dungeon and end it?”
“I’ll give it to you.”
He was a man who made quick decisions. It was also an easy decision.
He turned the man to face the father.
“How about you take over the dungeon as compensation for damages? This dungeon is good enough to be used as a hunter training ground, so it should be quite profitable.”
“I will do as you say.”
“Do you want to run it? While you’re training.”
The son nodded his head with an excited expression.
“Yes! I’ll do my best.”
It was a dungeon where a level change was possible. He had to see how far it could go, but the important thing was that it was possible.
“Do you know a lawyer?”
“I am a lawyer. I’ll take care of it and report back to you.”
The man pursed his lips and looked at him.
Things that were meant to be flowed smoothly like this.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Kang Gyeol left the three of them and drove away.
He drove east on the highway until the end.
He checked Satin’s demonic energy.
The demonic energy was transmitted to his wrist through the Ether. He lightly clenched his fist. He could feel Satin’s breathing was unstable. She didn’t seem to be in pain.
It had been a long time since he had driven alone.
He had lived for ten years with Satin on his back. He had returned from the demon world at seventeen and was now twenty-seven.
He opened the car’s sunroof. He drove slowly, not speeding up. The wind blew from the river.
It was a moment of rest, however brief.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He returned to the restaurant and went upstairs.
Satin was lying in bed, covered with a blanket. Audrey was sitting next to her, looking at her anxiously.
“Satin.”
The blanket twitched, but there was no answer.
“Show me your face.”
Still no response.
“Is that you, Satin?”
“Mister, you’re mean!”
Satin threw off the blanket and sat up.
“What’s so mean?”
“You said you’d be back soon!”
“I am back soon.”
“Next time, I’m going with you!”
“Let’s move your bed. You’re sleeping with unnie from today.”
“Mister!”
“Our Satin is ten years old now. She’s not a baby anymore.”
“Satin is a baby. I’m scared without you, mister.”
“No.”
“I’m going to sleep with you, mister!”
“You’re going to wash yourself from now on too.”
“You’re going to wash me, mister!”
“I’m going to the dungeon alone too.”
“Mister!”
She burst into tears. She sobbed sorrowfully.
It was something that had to happen.
He should have done it earlier, but there was no way. He couldn’t leave the child alone, in case the Devil King came.
“From now on, Audrey unnie will take care of you. You’ll sleep with her. And study with her.”
Audrey looked at him with a ‘Me?’ expression.
Kang Gyeol looked at Satin’s face and frowned.
“If you don’t go downstairs and make toast, then it’s my turn to be angry.”
Satin shook her head, with a runny nose.
“No. I’m angry.”
“Our Satin came running because she wanted to eat toast, and you’re not going to make it? What should I do?”
Kang Gyeol glanced at Audrey.
“Do you know how to make toast?”
Satin quickly got up.
“Two are enough?”
“Five. Let’s all eat.”
“I’m going to make two! You can eat alone, mister!”
“Should I? Alright, two.”
Satin wiped her tears with the back of her hand and went downstairs.
The sound of her stomping on the wooden stairs was loud.
Satin shouted from downstairs.
“Mister, you’re really mean!”
Audrey smiled gently as she made the bed.
“She’s a pretty child. She seems to have a good heart.”
How could a Devil King’s daughter have a good heart? It was because he had raised her well.
“Do I have to take care of that child? Is that the condition for you to treat me?”
Audrey looked at his face with calm eyes.
“The treatment is free. Taking care of that child is for the food.”
“But I eat very little.”
“Then eat a lot.”
“I should. Taking care of a child is never easy.”
“You said she’s a good child. What’s so hard about it?”
“I feel something from Satin.”
“What?”
“When I eat the food she makes, the flow of Ether becomes intense. I thought it was because of the demonic energy, but I don’t think that’s all.”
Did she feel Satin’s blood? That couldn’t be.
“I’m fine now, but Satin will continue to grow. I don’t know if I can handle it.”
“The treatment will be over before then. You’ll go back.”
Satin’s demonic energy wasn’t pure demonic energy.
There was one more.
“You’ve been raising Satin for ten years, right?”
“Yes.”
“You were seventeen then? A child raised a child. That’s amazing.”
Satin shouted from downstairs again.
“Toast is ready! Come down!”
Audrey answered, “Should I go too, unnie?”
“……I’ll make one more.”
“You’re going to eat too, right?”
“……I’ll make two more.”
Audrey covered her mouth and laughed.
“Satin is so cute.”
He went downstairs, and the sweet smell of toast filled the restaurant.
Satin’s sugar toast was amazing.
If rice comforted the body and soul, then sugar toast lifted the spirits like a dream. It felt like flying to the happiest moment of your life in a dream.
“Let’s go down.”
Audrey smiled brightly and stood up.
“Yes, mister.”
