129 – A Precious Treasure for Someone! #6
When Xiao Xiao appeared, Yu Ari’s tension reached its peak.
‘Those Chinese guys are definitely targeting my senior!’
She thought that she might have to face Xiao Xiao herself.
However, facing an S-ranker would mean revealing her own status as an S-ranker, and that would disclose that she belonged to the Patriot team.
If Yu Ari’s identity was discovered…
Haildo might have to accept a ‘mission’ from the government, using the connections with the Patriot team as an excuse.
‘My senior should shine like the sun. Someone like a black agent doesn’t suit him! He should be praised by everyone and receive more love and attention!’
Yu Ari hesitated in many ways, not wanting Haildo to have to do anything that no one would recognize, but even more so, she hated the idea of losing Haildo to China.
‘I guess I have to step up…’
But then Haildo awakened Argos to confront Xiao Xiao.
In that situation, Yu Ari felt chills run down her spine.
‘If you think calmly, it’s a strategy anyone could come up with, but the ability to make the quickest judgment in the most critical moment shows incredible determination…!’
Xiao Xiao was entangled, facing the giant.
In such a situation, Xiao Xiao couldn’t let go of her obsession with Haildo.
“…Haildo! Do you not remember me at all even after seeing this candy…!? We held hands before—Gah! This giant! Go away! Now is not the time to deal with you!”
—Krah!
“Wait, why are my tears….”
Haildo’s condition was not good.
For some reason, he hesitated, as though his feet were glued to the ground.
Yu Ari thought that Haildo had been affected by Xiao Xiao’s scheme or poison.
‘I need to get my senior out of here quickly!’
Pop-!
Yu Ari pulled on Haildo’s hand.
“Senior, we need to follow the plan! Let’s get out of here! Hurry! If we stay like this, people are going to get hurt and everything will fail! We need to get out! Quickly!”
Soon, Lee Jin-A shouted as well.
“Now’s the time! Let’s go! Let’s escape!”
Grab-.
The two women wrapped their arms around Haildo’s and pulled him along, unable to resist.
“Wait—. Just a moment—.”
Nonetheless, Haildo kept looking back as if he had forgotten something, but the rescue squad of shining squirrels took advantage of the clash between the giant and Xiao Xiao to finally escape the tower.
They boarded the helicopter and flew out of the typhoon, heading directly over the vast Pacific Ocean.
No one was injured, and their mission was a success.
Everyone had collected plenty of loot.
“Muhuhuh, that Illinois now becomes Berry Rich Nymph by selling these rocks…! I’m Kaiser Illinois…! Totally Tony Montana…!”
“Is everyone okay? Senior, are you alright?”
Yu Ari checked on people’s well-being and, aside from a few who were slightly tingling from paralysis poison, everyone seemed to be fine.
In fact, they all appeared to be in good condition.
“Feels like my mana has increased significantly. Is it just me?”
Clenching and releasing her fist, Lee Jin-A said.
Lee Joon-Hun also took out a small ring of wisdom from his pocket.
“I think my magical energy has stabilized a bit too? Maybe it’s because I absorbed mana from the largest T-rank fissure, but I feel like my old strength is coming back! My ‘Third Hand’ has returned…!”
Lee Joon-Hun easily unraveled the ring of wisdom using telekinesis.
It was a sign that his magical power, which had fluctuated between B and A-rank, had definitely reached A-rank.
Swoosh-.
Haildo also placed his hand on his heartland.
Thump, thump, feeling his heartbeat and the mana spreading through his body.
Soon, Haildo said, as if something was bothering him.
“By the way, didn’t Xiao Xiao try to say something to me at the end? Is it just my imagination…? It felt like she knew me quite well… like someone I had known for a long time….”
Haildo appeared to be lost in thought.
Ari said to him.
“Senior, you’re world-famous, you know? The stories about ‘Squirrel Haildo’ are quite popular in various countries’ communities! You probably read something about it online!”
“Is that so….”
With that thought, the helicopter safely arrived at Lee Joon-Hun’s basement.
Evening had arrived.
Lee Joon-Hun felt incredibly grateful towards Haildo.
“Haildo, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to rescue Shining Squirrel. It’s all thanks to you. The self-destruct code has been deactivated! I don’t even know how to repay you…!”
Born as the third generation of a conglomerate, Lee Joon-Hun had never felt such gratitude towards anyone.
He had never lacked anything.
Moreover, it was striking and moving for him that Haildo risked his life for Shining Squirrel, who might look like an AI drone to others.
Against Lee Joon-Hun, Haildo stroked Shining Squirrel, which was lying on his palm, and said.
“Shining is a cute squirrel. And she really likes and follows you, Lee Joon-Hun. I can tell when I see a Squirrel now. So don’t lose her again.”
That was the end of Haildo’s words.
He neither demanded a reward nor flaunted his help.
Haildo departed, leaving Lee Joon-Hun with Shining Squirrel.
“Haildo… that guy….”
Clack.
At that moment, high-heeled footsteps could be heard.
In the darkness, black eyes shone.
“Joon-Hun, Senior Haildo is a kind and considerate person. Even if you had announced from the beginning that you were going to rescue Shining Squirrel, he would have gladly heard you out.”
Swoosh, pop-.
Before Lee Joon-Hun could raise a telekinetic shield, a knife whizzed by, grazing his arm.
Dangling-.
While Lee Joon-Hun stared at the knife embedded in the marble wall, Yu Ari spoke.
“But, Joon-Hun, if you put Senior in danger again by acting on your own—.”
“……”
That was the end of their conversation.
Yet, Lee Joon-Hun couldn’t say a word until he sensed Yu Ari’s presence fade away.
Had it been about five minutes that he froze like that?
—Kkeong. Kkeong!
Shining Squirrel climbed up Lee Joon-Hun’s leg.
Only then did he melt away like ice on a spring day.
“Shining, I’m glad you’re safe.”
—Kkeong. Kkeong!
Lee Joon-Hun reflected on Haildo, who saved Shining.
And he reminisced about the information he had independently investigated.
‘Haildo, do you know? That none of this is a coincidence…! That you’re a magnet attracting dangerous women…!’
Lee Joon-Hun decided to wish for Haildo’s future luck.
If one day he had to face a threat even greater than a storm and asked for help, he vowed to lend him a hand just as Haildo had done to save Shining Squirrel.
# # #
“Are you telling me that the stone brought by Kaiser Illinois is a regular hard stone and not some mana something-or-other…? What is this nymph-hating situation…! I’m going to sue these disgusting rocks for fraud…! Call a lawyer for me…!”
It turned out that the stones Illinois had brought were just shiny stones and not Mana Hydrolite.
The stone that Lee Jin-A had put in her pocket was the same.
“Guaah…! The reign of Kaiser Illinois has come to an end in less than a day…! Illinois is completely ruined! It’s totally VIVA LA VIDA…!”
Kaiser Illinois had simply become Illinois again.
His dream of making a fortune and living like an emperor was over.
But there had been some gains.
Swoosh-.
I took a small stone out of my pocket.
“This is that Mana Hydrolite.”
It was a stone I had kept as a souvenir in my pocket.
That was the only raw gem I had.
It was a stroke of luck for me.
“It’s not enough to make equipment for me, so I’ll have to match it for Kkungkkungi or Bang Bang. Especially since Bang Bang was active in this trip. It might be nice to make accessories for Kalilnoi as well.”
In any case, it would be a priority to equip the animals rather than myself.
If my animal partners grew stronger, I would soon become stronger too!
Inoi also placed a transparent glass bottle neatly by the sunny window, smiling mischievously.
“I hope the storm grows stout…! No nymph could raise a storm as a pet…! I, Inoi, shall become the first nymph…!”
Inoi seemed pleased by the thought of raising a storm.
Then Inoi said to me.
“Owner…! You seem quite anxious…!”
“Oh-. I just wondered if the Chinese team is okay.”
I recalled Xiao Xiao, who had fought the giant Argos.
Soon beside me, Ari, who was checking on Kkungkkungi’s condition, spoke.
“Those Chinese will not reveal that they encountered us. Otherwise, China would receive great international condemnation. So you don’t need to worry.”
Even if Korea was penalized for being disqualified from the T-rank abyss exploration, it was a country where T-rank fissures opened frequently, so the damage would be minimal.
However, China would miss the rare opportunity they had to conduct a T-rank exploration.
It seemed that the fact that they had encountered us would not be made public.
But—.
What I was worried about wasn’t that.
Xiao Xiao.
She definitely seemed to know me.
The candy—.
And the tears that suddenly fell…!
Everything bothered me.
# # #
Weekend.
I went down to my hometown for the first time in a while.
Haire opened the door wide.
“Oppa! Did Inoi come too? What about Kkungkkungi? Where’s Bang Bang and Ahn Ahn? What about Guangguang? Oh, was it Miong instead of Guangguang? What about Kalilnoi? Did you bring them all!? Where are you guys!”
My younger sister seemed to want to see the nymphs and animals more than me, her older brother.
But today, I came alone.
“Haire, where’s mom?”
“She’ll be back soon!”
As Haire said, mom returned shortly.
I stopped rummaging through my old room and asked my mom.
“Mom, do you know Xiao Xiao?”
“I don’t know. Is that the name of a Chinese restaurant? I don’t remember any such restaurant.”
“Then what about candy? It’s a round candy. Do you know anything? It seemed like an old candy that was sold at a stationery store a long time ago. It looks like this.”
Swoosh-swoosh-.
I drew a picture on a sketchbook.
A round candy.
“……!”
Mom trembled as if she had received a big shock from the drawing.
Then she looked around cautiously and whispered just enough for me to hear.
“Haildo, are you… recalling your memories…?”
“Recalling memories? What do you mean?”
“…….”
Mom shut her mouth and went into the inner room.
Then, she opened a locked drawer that was tightly closed and took out an old, worn pencil case.
It was a beige pencil case I had never seen before.
But my name was written on it in crooked letters: “3-1 Haildo.” That was definitely my old handwriting.
Creak-.
As I opened the zipper of the pencil case, there was a note inside.
“☆Birthday Party Invitation★
You are already invited!
To So So Hee’s birthday party!”
“This is….”
I felt as if many memories were rushing back.
As the memories burst in my head like fireworks, my third-grade elementary school days played back in front of me.
—Look over there! Haildo is holding hands with a girl!
—They say Haildo held hands with So So Hee!
