Ch#19
More shocked than Veil was Tiye.
“Wh-what, wh-what is this?!”
At the sudden outbreak of blood, Tiye jumped up from her seat in a fright.
Right then, something appeared before her eyes.
A small, pitch-black body.
Glowing red eyes.
“K-Kkamangi?!”
The little creature before her eyes was unmistakably Kkamangi!
[You told me to wake up quick, but this is what you show me?]
But the long-awaited Kkamangi grumbled in a dissatisfied voice right away.
[Can't even handle a lowly subordinate like this and you wanna lead a mercenary corps...?]
Tiye stared at Kkamangi, too shocked to even breathe.
Tiye wasn't the only one.
Everyone in the inn gawked at Kkamangi with wide eyes.
Then Veil's voice rang out.
“Hey... squirt, you.”
Veil remained frozen in place, still holding his dripping hand up in the air.
“Did you just... have your summon attack me?”
Tiye's eyes went wide in shock.
“T-Tiye didn't do that!”
Tiye swore she hadn't even known Kkamangi had woken up!
“Veil, stop it.”
For some reason, Uncle Basto hurriedly approached Veil then.
He pressed cloth to the injured hand and said,
“Nordix told us. Tiye just awakened her power not long ago, so it's hard for her to control. The wound isn't deep anyway. Don't do anything you'll regret.”
“No, even so!”
“You'll lose.”
Veil shut his mouth.
Kkamangi beside Tiye smirked crookedly as if he'd been waiting.
Tiye grabbed Kkamangi at the sight.
Kkamangi looked at her like *what's this?*, but after glancing once at Veil's bleeding hand, Tiye said sternly,
“Kkamangi, you... to the Room of Truth with Tiye.”
Then she bolted up to the second floor.
* * *
The room, just her and Kkamangi.
Tiye groaned, clutching her forehead.
Her mind replayed Hyunah from Quail Class, whom she'd once hurt.
‘Teacher! Hyunah pushed me and scraped my knee! Waaah—!’
Hanbit Kindergarten in Jongno-gu had a very, very important rule.
‘Never hurt your friends!’
If it was a mistake, you'd get just one Sad Sticker and could leave the Room of Truth.
But if it was on purpose?
That changed things.
“Kkamangi, you... made Veil oppa bleed, what're we gonna do?”
Tiye was dead serious, but Kkamangi looked bored.
Sprawled on the floor staring only at Tiye.
“Who told you to sit like that when Tiye's talking to you?”
[My business.]
“……!”
A massive shock swept through Tiye's head.
‘N-Normally when teacher scolds you, you say you're sorry...?’
The punishment was so scary, after all.
Kids who hurt friends on purpose had to stay in the Room of Truth for a whole ten minutes.
Sitting on the Thinking Chair reflecting, teacher would come in and give two Sad Stickers.
Getting Sad Stickers alone while everyone else got Good Job Stickers...
Tiye steeled her heart.
Then, imitating the teacher, she stared seriously at Kkamangi.
“No matter what! You can't hurt people.”
[You bit that guy too.]
Tiye's cheeks flushed red.
‘Oops. Come to think of it.’
Veil oppa had been mean, so she'd bitten his hand without thinking.
“B-but, not hard...?”
But Kkamangi just snorted.
Tiye's face fell a bit.
It was then, amid the silence in the room.
[Still, you did well.]
Kkamangi spoke.
Tiye startled and looked at him.
[Did well. Biting that guy, everything else too. Honestly didn't think you'd pull off this much alone.]
Tiye asked timidly.
“......Really?”
Kkamangi stared at her with red eyes.
[Yeah. Came all the way to the gate without me—honestly impressive. Thought you'd do nothing alone.]
“......”
[Truth is, I'm the pathetic one. Sleeping this long just from twisting the timeline a bit.]
Tiye waved her hands quickly.
“No! What you did was amazing! You said you turned dimensions back then? Turning dimensions is super hard, you...”
[Not that I used a lot of power. I'm just weak.]
Tiye shut her mouth.
Kkamangi stared silently at the ceiling.
His face looked somehow weary and complicated.
As Tiye hesitantly reached out a hand, Kkamangi turned his gaze back to her.
[So you should keep doing what you're doing.]
“Huh?”
[Hide your identity. And, while you're at it, hide mine too.]
“K-Kkamangi's identity too?”
Kkamangi nodded.
[Yeah. Seems like everyone thinks I'm just your summon—let them keep misunderstanding.]
Tiye's eyes widened, then her heart started thumping.
“Okay!”
Kkamangi was Tiye's friend.
And somehow, Kkamangi seemed to have complicated circumstances.
‘Tiye has to protect him now!’
If he's Tiye's powerful summon, Kkamangi can move through this world more comfortably.
Tiye scooted over to Kkamangi, wiggling her butt.
“Kkamangi, don't worry! That you're a legend Puppetmon, I'll keep secret......”
“I'm Lucarion.”
Sunlight poured through the window then.
Blinded for a moment, she blinked, and the black-haired boy from the first day sat before her.
Tiye's lips parted slightly.
‘Six... no, seven years old.’
She hadn't noticed the first day, but now Kkamangi looked around the age of Quail Class's older siblings.
Kkamangi spoke again.
“My name. It's Lucarion.”
“......Lucarion.”
Tiye unwittingly repeated the name.
Staring into Kkamangi's eyes...
Jongno-gu came to mind.
That night when pouring rain soaked her heart.
Opening Dad's Relics Box then, Tiye had thought it felt like falling alone into a cold pool.
Eyes, heart, ten fingers all numb—if there was a deep cave, she'd hide there forever.
But then Kkamangi—no, Lucarion—had appeared.
“Lucarion......”
Brought her to this world, gave her a chance to see Dad again.
“Lucarion!”
Tiye hugged the boy before her without thinking.
“Thank you, Lucarion!”
The proper thank-you she hadn't said the first day.
Lucarion stayed still in her embrace.
Tears and snot might get on him, so Tiye pulled away quickly.
Then grabbed his hand and hehe'd.
“Really thankful for helping Tiye......”
Lucarion stared at her in surprise.
“Tomorrow we go into the Capital! They said official mercenary corps can enter!”
“......Yeah?”
“Yeah! Dad's a Holy Knight, so we'll find him quick in the Capital!”
Lucarion nodded.
“Once we find Dad, Tiye'll repay the favor! If you're tired anytime, come rest in my bag! And from now on, you're my summon, so better to call you Kkamangi in front of people, right?”
“That's kinda......”
“Kkamangi's the best after all!”
“......Why ask then?”
“Kkamangi! Let's go!”
Lucarion reluctantly let himself be dragged by her hand.
By the door, he shifted back to young dragon form.
Her small hand gripped his front paw in his view.
His ruby eyes calmed.
‘......As expected.’
Through their touching skin, something poured into Lucarion's body.
It was the power filling Astie's body.
Still woefully insufficient, but...
Lucarion's eyes gleamed watching Tiye's fluffy swaying hair.
‘It really was you.’
Now he was completely certain.
That day.
The one who woke him was definitely Astie.
