058 – Nymphs Eating Apple Pie! #2
Box.
It was a wooden chest that looked like it had been hidden by pirates.
It was locked with a bronze padlock that looked quite antique.
“I think I can open this.”
Swoosh-.
Ari picked up a clip from the stack of papers she was holding.
She straightened and bent the clip in various ways and inserted it into the lock. With a clatter, the lock opened with a pop.
“Wow, amazing.”
Did Ari have such a skill?
If you have good instincts, you can do all sorts of things.
“Hey, you could show a bit more admiration.”
“Ooooh, that’s really amazing!”
As I praised her, Ari laughed as if she was shy.
Creeeak-.
The box finally opened.
I was curious about what kind of treasure this stump was guarding.
Soon, that curiosity was satisfied.
Inside the box were a collection of random items, including a black comb, a white flower-shaped pin, and a doll that looked as if it had been carved from wood.
The doll depicted two people.
A man and a woman holding hands.
Soon, Inoi showed the most interest in this wooden doll.
“It’s a very fine talisman…! A talisman that wishes fortune to those embarking on long journeys…! Owning this… greatly increases the probability of encountering a cool breeze…!”
A talisman that increases the probability of encountering a cool breeze.
If Inoi was saying it, it must be true.
It would surely be a good item to have in various ways during the summer.
“Looking at this comb…! It’s very nymph-like and splendid…! It’s made from a palm tree that has lived for a very long time….”
Swoosh-.
Illinois picked up the comb.
Some strands of hair were tangled in it, likely belonging to the owner of the chest.
The hair sparkled beautifully gold when it caught the light.
Swoosh-.
But it was only for a moment, and it was blown away and disappeared in the cool breeze.
“If we’re talking about this comb…! It’s a comb infused with a nymph’s blessing…! Its effect is that it makes it very easy to fry eggs… a completely useless effect…! But I still like it…! This Illinois, frying eggs out of sheer will…!”
Swoosh-.
This time, Coris picked up the flower-shaped hairpin.
“What a very pretty flower pin…! I think it would suit me very well…!”
Swoosh-.
Coris was already wearing the hairpin as if it belonged to her.
It did suit her well, but I felt a bit awkward.
The nymphs seemed to each be very fond of the items they held, but the ‘ownership’ of this box was quite complicated.
There were many of us, after all.
The F-class recruits had also contributed quite a bit.
However, the calm recruit leader spoke up.
“Please take it. If it weren’t for the nymphs, we wouldn’t have discovered this treasure, and it was the seniors who took down the trees.”
Is that really okay?
It felt like too good of a story for the nymphs, and I felt slightly guilty.
I’m an adult, and the recruits are still kids, after all.
But I couldn’t just treat them as kids.
“You guys fought really well.”
I thought they would easily run away, yet these guys protected the nymphs.
That fact brought back memories from ten years ago, and I felt a deep sense of impression.
These guys were definitely going to grow up big.
Perhaps there would even be some who would catch up to me.
I should also step up my game.
Swoosh-.
At that moment, Inoi took something out from inside the box.
It was a round bread.
Should I call it a pie?
“Ahhh! This must be a pie made from golden apples…! It’s bound to be very delicious when we all share it…!”
A pie made from golden apples?
That name stirred my curiosity.
But could we really eat something that had been inside that old box?
I had no idea how long that food had been there.
“Well, I think it’s fine? It hasn’t gone bad.”
But then Yu Ara said something intriguing.
For the pie taken from that suspicious box to be edible without any issues?
Could that even be possible?
I looked at the box.
“That box seems special. It might be more of a treasure than the things inside it. Maybe it greatly extends the preservation time of what’s inside….”
“This Inoi will cut the pie so that everyone can have a piece…!”
Swoosh swoosh-.
Inoi cut the golden apple pie into pieces equal to the number of people present.
The outside was crunchy while the inside was fluffy, with reasonably large pieces of apple inside.
The taste—
It was very refreshing and sweet.
Among all the apple desserts I’ve tried, it was the richest in flavor and completely delicious.
“It’s a very nymph-friendly tasty treat…! The flavor of that golden apple is truly flavorfully delightful just by making it into a pie…!”
Indeed.
I’ve eaten apples before, and they were absolutely terrible.
Could something that went through such a mysterious cooking process taste this good?
“That means anyone has the potential to change drastically if they put in the effort.”
#
After going through various processes, the nymphs’ training came to an end.
Looking back now, I came to Nonsan with a light heart, but so much had happened.
“It was really fun…! I didn’t know the military could be this enjoyable…! I want to come back again…!”
“This Coris, really likes that frozen food I had at the PX…! Frozen… It’s such a Coris-friendly word…!”
“That Illinois hasn’t forgotten the desire for fried eggs…! I scribbled in my letter of the heart to fry eggs instead of boiled ones…! And the training was too easy…! From now on, please make the training more intense, better, faster, and stronger…!”
The letter of the heart that Illinois wrote was retrieved by me.
No one would have noticed, but in doing so, I saved many people who might have suffered.
It was the completion of a world where no one would get hurt.
Anyway, the nymphs’ training had ended.
The nymphs received military caps as proof of completing their training, and they all looked very pleased wearing their hats.
Bark bark…!
Kkungkkungi seemed to be in a good mood thinking about going home.
Instructor Jo Gyu-hee was sad.
“Bark bark, see you again next time!”
Bark bark…!
Kkungkkungi certainly was quite popular wherever he went.
It must be because of his stripes.
Should I consider putting stripes on my suit too?
“Senior, you’ve been quite busy and frantic, right? So how was it? Did teaching the kids bring back any memories?”
Yu Ara asked me about the training.
Lost deep in thought for a moment, I shook my head.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s really right for me to become an instructor again. I realized that after teaching you guys. Unlike when I taught you, everything’s already established with an infrastructure, so I probably wouldn’t be necessary.”
Most importantly, they said instructors had to wake up at 6 am and work until 10 pm.
On nights with nighttime training, they even had to stay up all night?
That’s just too stringent a lifestyle.
I can’t do that anymore.
Of course, I swallowed those words just to put on a front.
“That’s a shame. So are you going to cover the inscription procedure costs yourself?”
“I’ll have to think about that a lot.”
300 million.
That was a hefty sum.
But if someone were to ask me if it was completely impossible for me to gather that amount now…
I’d say it wouldn’t be.
It would have been impossible before I met Inoi.
But now I’ve changed.
With that feeling, we boarded the train.
On the way home.
I was very tired but felt good.
It would be perfect to wash up clean and lie on my bed while sipping a cold cola.
Before that, should I search my name on the internet?
“Title: I saw Kkungkkungi in Nonsan today, lol he was so cute
Content: I also saw Kkungkkungi’s trainer Haildo, but he was just so-so.”
“Title: Nymphs are so cuteㅠㅠㅠ
Content: The nymphs are kind, sniffㅠㅠㅠ I want to see them again.”
No.
The internet is all just about nymphs and Kkungkkungi.
Did I leave a bit of an impact on the juniors?
As I was thinking that, I saw Inoi grinning.
“This box is an amazing item…! If you put a golden apple inside this box, it will surely extend its storage period greatly…!”
Indeed.
This time the nymphs had acquired the box.
And the treasures inside it too.
I suddenly became curious.
What will happen to the tree demon stumps that were guarding the box now?
“I’ve heard that the stumps have decided to sign a labor contract and work together with the soldiers…!”
“Really?”
“That Illinois was the one to give them the contract…!”
Oh, I see.
Humans and demons making contracts and working together.
The world has changed a lot from ten years ago.
And even more so from twenty years ago.
#
“Didn’t you go down to be an instructor? Why did you just come back up?”
When I arrived home, Seo Ye-rim was already waiting.
I felt like an explanation would be a long one, so I simply said, “Just because.”
Seo Ye-rim didn’t ask any further.
“Then I’ll be taking the nymphs with me?”
“Owner of the house…! I want to come and play again next time…!”
“It was a very funny time…!”
The nymphs were now taken home by Seo Ye-rim.
For the past few days, it had been quite lively, but with the nymphs gone, it had become a bit quieter.
“Muhuhu, this Inoi…! I’m going to make loads of apple pies…! Then all the nymph sisters from around the world will surely come to meet Inoi…!”
Of course, Inoi still seemed to be overflowing with energy.
Was that the result of the training?
“This Inoi thinks that if I become famous in this vast world, perhaps my master will hear my name and come to find me…!”
Inoi’s dream was to become famous and find her master.
I decided to support her.
“Inoi, you’ll need to work hard from now on.”
“That’s right…! With that in mind, I’ll give this doll to the owner of the house…! I hope the owner also keeps pushing forward…! The owner has to gather a lot of money too…!”
“That’s true. How do I gather it? What if a large sum just falls from the sky?”
I received the wooden doll from Inoi.
Holding it in my hand, I felt a refreshing breeze lightly brush against my nape.
It tickled.
And I also felt the sensation of ants crawling on my back.
“This isn’t just a feeling; it’s real ants. Ahn Ahn, is that you?”
—Zzzi-.
Zzzi?
That sounds different from the cry I knew?
Swoosh-.
As I reached back with my hand, I caught something unusual.
It was an incredibly beautiful ant, shining in silver.
It looked just like Ahn Ahn, but it shimmered as if it were wearing armor!
“What are you? Who are you?”
Where did Ahn Ahn go, and who is this guy?
Soon, Inoi was greatly surprised.
“Ahh! That’s a type of honey ant…! Looking at the magnificent horn, it must be a soldier ant for sure…! If it’s that size, it’s not just a soldier, it’s a knight ant…!”
A knight ant of the honey ant, huh?
What an impressive creature.
—Zzzi-.
Soon, Ahn Ahn appeared at my room’s door.
It looked like it was cleaning my room, as it carried a towel drenched in moisture on its horn.
—Zzzi-!
With Ahn Ahn’s appearance, the knight ant I was holding started to struggle, and as I released it onto the floor, it lay flat in front of Ahn Ahn.
Is the hierarchy already established? It looked as though it was saying, “Your Majesty! I present my respects!”
—Zzzi, zzi, zzzi-.
While I was enjoying this bizarre scene, Ahn Ahn gave me a message.
Moving its front legs and horns around excitedly, it seemed to be explaining something grand.
“Is that so? That happened? What a significant matter.”
“I’m curious about what Inoi is saying…!”
“Honestly, I don’t know what it’s saying either.”
“Is that so…!”
Perhaps while we were away, the knight ant appeared and became friends with the emperor ant Ahn Ahn—it feels like that might be the case?
From Inoi to Kkungkkungi, Ahn Ahn, and Bang Bang to this bizarre knight ant.
Things keep appearing from somewhere.
—Zzzi, zzzi, zzzi-.
The knight ant spoke to me.
It grabbed my ankle and tried to pull me somewhere. Although I couldn’t understand it, it seemed to be saying, “Human! Follow me!”
Curious about what was going on, I followed the knight ant even though it was late and I should be in bed.
And in my backyard.
In the area behind the abandoned paddy field, I discovered a hole that was deeply dug, like a sinkhole!
“What is this? Ahn Ahn, did you dig this hole? To dig such a hole in a place where even CCTVs can’t reach! Seo Ye-rim is definitely going to say something about this!”
—Zzzi—.
Ahn Ahn shook its head vigorously.
Soon, I heard a strange sound from inside the pit.
—Zzzi-.
—Zzzi-zzzi-.
Clatter, clatter-.
Strange sounds began to come from the black hole, and soon something started to push its way out from inside.
The creatures that appeared were all pitch black and looked just like Ahn Ahn!
“What on earth is happening!”
