<The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family, Chapter 34>
To be honest, I didn’t think much of this incident.
Have I not seen a few bad guys before?
Just as there is light, there are shadows; a world without evil people does not exist.
I simply received a mission and entered the Gate, and coincidentally, there was trash there. It was just that there were villains, as they are called here.
It was no different from stepping in dog poop.
To me, this incident was nothing more or less than that.
But perhaps it was different in the eyes of others.
“Villains at the Level 3 Gate in Gangwon Province!”
Confirmed casualties: 47. Families in mourning.
What has the government been doing until it escalated to this level? Outrage continues.
Police spokesperson: “Villains are groups that threaten the safety of citizens. A thorough investigation will commence.”
I, who had no memory of it, didn’t know that these villains are classified as absolute evil in this society.
They are brutal guys involved in various violent crimes such as assault, threats, m*rder, and human trafficking.
The police, responsible for the safety of citizens, have ‘villain extermination’ as their main duty, which says it all.
With such villain organizations hiding throughout our society, isn’t it unsettling?
The insecurity that ordinary citizens feel about villains was beyond what I had imagined, and as a result, newspapers, articles, and TV were making such a fuss about it.
But you know, I raided this villain’s hideout?
I cleared out the villains and their elixirs without leaving a single trace.
Naturally, our Mrs. Kim Yeon-hee found out about this.
“Ugh! I can’t live like this!!”
She slapped me on the back.
Really hard.
“Are you crazy? Do you think you can take them on alone?!”
“Ah! Ah! Junwoo and Mary were there too… it hurts!”
“You should feel pain! I hit you to make sure you do! You could have escaped! If you had just ignored it and called your mom, she would have handled it for you.”
“I thought it would trouble mom… so I just…”
“Shut up!”
Mrs. Kim Yeon-hee, unusually excited, continued her scolding for quite a while. My back was so red from the hits that it seemed to be baked in the summer heat.
But her health seemed quite good.
Of course, it didn’t hurt at all. In fact, seeing how fierce her hand was made me secretly glad that she was healthy.
Anyway, after calming down, my mother immediately began to take care of the situation.
Transforming into Kim Yeon-hee, representative of the world’s top 5 agents, Optimum.
“Chief, this is Kim Yeon-hee. How have you been? It’s been a while. The reason I’m calling is about the situation in Gangwon…”
“Chief, this is Kim Yeon-hee. Haha. Yes, I’ve been well. Regarding the Gangwon villain incident, yes, yes. My son is involved…”
“Mayor, this is Kim Yeon-hee. I’m worried because a major incident has occurred, so I contacted you. Oh my?! Is that so? My son…?”
“Dear [insert name], this is Kim Yeon-hee.”
A monotonous repertoire, but the effect was definite.
My mother wanted my name to be completely excluded from this incident. From a young age, she believed that getting involved with villains would only lead to trouble.
I protested, saying it was fine, that Kim Yeon-hee’s son isn’t weak enough to fall prey to such trash.
What followed was a torrent of scolding and slaps on the back.
“From now on, whenever something happens, call your mom before the police. Got it? If you had just called me before handing over those guys you caught to the police, it would have been easily resolved.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ugh, seriously… the eldest son is off chasing bounties for pocket money, and the daughter is slaughtering villains as if possessed, and now you too.”
“Hmph.”
“Don’t get cocky. I’m not praising you. Anyway, this is all Park Geon’s fault. He should be setting a good example as a father, but he’s off playing the righteous crusader, so what are the kids supposed to learn? You’re dead meat when he gets back.”
By the way, Park Geon is my father.
A man of loyalty who lives and dies by it. He cannot bear injustice and is weak against the weak while strong against the strong; a romantic man of this era.
…This is what I found in a web search.
He is a father whose good deeds never cease, but according to my mother, he was no more than a fool.
“A ‘man of loyalty’? A romantic? That’s hilarious. It’s just nice-sounding words; how is that any different from being a fool?”
“As if my father could be a fool…”
“He is a fool. Mom is right.”
“Yes…”
Thus, my mother smoothly erased all information about me and my two friends from this incident.
It was truly the clean and efficient work of the representative of Optimum, representing Korea.
And so, I returned to my daily life.
So what am I doing now…
*
I came to eat.
With the kids.
At a buffet.
“Wow, is this a buffet? Amazing. It’s incredible.”
“Hyung, look! That’s pork cutlet!! I want to eat pork cutlet!”
“Here, here! Sweet and sour pork. Hyung, can I eat that?”
“Hey, uncle, don’t you have kimbap? Sushi? Isn’t sushi just kimbap?”
“Look. You just put what you want on the plate like this. You can eat as much as you want, so don’t be greedy; just eat enough.”
“Yes!!”
The reason for this sudden buffet visit is that there’s a story behind it.
Because of those d*mn villains, entering the Gate has been prohibited for a while.
As I thought about what to do with my suddenly free weekend, I decided to visit the orphanage. The children’s faces came to mind.
Thanks to visiting them whenever I had the chance, the kids were running towards me with big smiles.
They looked so adorable.
It felt healing.
In the meantime, I read them storybooks and helped out with the chores at the orphanage, and then came the problem: lunchtime.
While we were heading to the dining area on the first floor, Hyun-ji, with her princess-like ice hair, casually mentioned, “Hyung, have you been to a buffet?”
“A buffet all of a sudden?”
“Well, you see…”
Here’s the story.
Kim Hyun-ji, who just entered the first grade, has a classmate who is having a birthday party at a buffet. As the kids gathered around making a fuss, Hyun-ji, not knowing what a buffet was, felt sad as she couldn’t join the conversation.
Indeed, the difference between having guardians or not is most apparent at Hyun-ji’s age.
Entering elementary school at eight years old.
When stepping into a new world called school, whether you like it or not, you become acutely aware of the differences between yourself and other children.
Children who haven’t reached this age yet expressed pure curiosity, asking, “What’s a buffet? It must be a restaurant. Sounds delicious.” Meanwhile, the kids who have already experienced it looked at Hyun-ji with pity.
They might have seen themselves in her. Everyday experiences that were normal for their classmates felt so distant to them, having no parents.
It was heartbreaking.
In Hyun-ji’s anxiousness, I saw myself back in the days when I used to rummage through trash cans.
I couldn’t hold back. It wasn’t like it was that expensive.
Was I lacking money or ability?
Just worrying about such things was petty.
“Get dressed. Today’s lunch is a buffet.”
That’s why I brought all the kids from the orphanage to the buffet.
I brought the food into the room.
The kids were happily eating in the lively atmosphere. Just watching them made me feel full.
My mother’s prediction that the kids would need a room to eat without feeling self-conscious was accurate.
“My God, is this heaven? So delicious! I’m so happy!”
“Wow, look at the shrimp! It’s huge!”
“Meat! I love meat! Look, I can eat this in one bite. Nom!”
“Hey, be quiet while you eat.”
“Behe~ Jeong-in noona is nagging again.”
“Right! We’re the only ones here!”
“Hyung, I love it here. I want to eat here every day. Is a buffet always this tasty?”
“Sort of, but this buffet is among the most expensive ones. It’s probably the most expensive in our country.”
“Really? Wow…”
“Thank Ki-hyuk for that.”
“Thank you, thank you!”
In the midst of their unexpectedly gratefulness, I waved my hands and told them to eat up.
The kids were excited by the food they wouldn’t usually see. The older students helped the younger ones as they ate among them.
How sweet of them; I’ll have to give them meal vouchers when we leave.
Whether it’s expensive or not doesn’t matter. My bank balance has been dwindling as I constantly head towards the Gate anyway. If it’s a cost for those smiles, I’m willing to pay any amount.
“Then I will too.”
Finally, time to eat seriously.
I picked up the utensils.
First, the carbohydrates.
I cleared out a plate full of sushi. The empty space on the plate appeared quickly after being covered in sushi.
Protein, here I come.
I slurped down a plate piled high with raw meat like it was noodles, leaving no decorative greens behind.
“This place is fun.”
I read on a blog that their raw meat is famous; the chewy texture and just the right amount of seasoning confirm that this place is a meat lover’s paradise.
I thought I’d have one more plate when I shifted my chopsticks for a third plate… when I suddenly felt something odd?
Looking around, the kids were staring at me with wide, shining eyes.
With their mouths wide open too.
“Wow!”
“Hyung, you’re eating so well.”
“It feels like I’m watching an eating show.”
“Tall Hyung, do I have to eat like you to grow taller?”
Instead of answering, I gave them a thumbs up.
Then the boys all focused on their plates, saying, “I want to grow too.”
And just like that, I cleared the first round in small victories.
Heading into the second round with a fresh vibe, I lifted a new plate, including raw meat, opened the door, and…
Huh? There’s a doll sitting in my place?
“Spring?”
“Samsong.”
A girl with skin as flawless as white jade.
Eyes that seemed like they held gemstones.
A doll-like girl, gathering all the beauty of the world.
Park Bom.
A gift of Spring.
“Why did Bom come?”
“Bom wants to sit on Uncle’s lap.”
The youngest member of the orphanage, Spring.
Contrary to her bright appearance that matches her name, she had a cold demeanor like an icy winter.
Like the other children here, Spring also had a story, but to others who didn’t know, she seemed somewhat problematic for avoiding contact with others.
Yet strangely enough, it was this Spring who stuck to me particularly well.
I don’t know why.
From our first meeting, she followed me around just like a baby duck following its mother.
“Uncle, eat a lot.”
“Uncle usually eats this much.”
“If you eat a lot, you’ll become a pig. Oink, oink.”
“Then from today, I’m a pig. Oink, oink, oink~.”
I didn’t dislike Spring.
No, I liked her.
I liked her a lot.
She reminded me of the only child I had cared for in my previous life.
“Sofia. So. Phi. A. Can I call you Uncle?”
“I won! Remember our promise? I’ll grant your wish! Hmm… I don’t have one right now… I’ll make a wish later.”
“Uncle, I’ll make a wish. You have to be happy. It’s for Sofia too…”
She was a kind child. Perhaps she was the reason I started to like children.
So she was precious, and I wanted to protect her.
In the end, I couldn’t protect her.
“Uncle, your expression is bad. Are you sad? Hurt?”
“I’m hurt, because of Spring.”
“…Because of Spring?”
“Yeah, my heart hurts~.”
“Gyaaa~.”
When I hugged her and swayed her, she burst into laughter.
“Spring smiling is amazing.”
“Indeed. She’s completely different when she’s with us.”
“Spring really likes you, Hyung.”
“Children’s eyes are always pretty accurate. They recognize the real value in this body.”
At my playful words, the older students chuckled and teased me, saying, “What are you talking about?”
“Are you all doing okay? Is school life fine? Are the teachers giving you the side-eye?”
“Eh, it’s okay.”
“Rumor has it that our orphanage is sponsored by Optimum. Who would dare touch Optimum?”
“That’s right. We’re quite lucky.”
“Lucky, my foot. If anything happens, just tell me. Speaking of which, I gave gifts to the kids, so you should get something too. Just say it.”
“Eh, Hyung, don’t do that again.”
“Forget it. It’s really okay. We ate together, after all.”
“I heard it’s super expensive here; we’ve had a great meal.”
Every single response was quite mature.
Kids from middle school to those about to leave the orphanage at eighteen.
Though it’s still an age where they can be immature in a typical family, in this orphanage, they’ve become older siblings serving as guardians.
Did they mature because they wanted to?
Probably not.
Like weeds growing in the fields, they’ve toughened up through the storms of reality.
So every time I go to the orphanage, I ask, “Is there anything you need?” but they always adamantly say no.
But today was different.
I’m a man who follows through when I say I will.
“I refuse to take no for an answer. Tell me what you need. I made a lot of money this time, so I must buy something for you.”
“Really… we’re fine.”
“There’s nothing you need. Really. I mean it.”
“That’s right; the director even gives us allowances.”
“If you keep turning me down, I’ll decide what to do. I saw a department store on the way here; how about we hit it today?”
“Really, there’s nothing…”
“You’re just wasting money.”
When the kids desperately shook their heads, an unexpected voice spoke up.
“Bom.”
“Hmm? What did you say, Spring?”
“Bom. Uncle, we need phones.”
Spring, who was chewing on some tteokbokki I had cleaned for her, announced.
Phones…?
Now that I think about it, the phones they have… are all worn out. Very few have even those old phones.
“Spring says we need phones.”
“That’s… It’s hard to keep in touch with the kids.”
“…With all the strange people around lately, we feel uneasy. I did think it would be nice to have a phone.”
“Haha~.”
What little brats. How dare they lie to an adult.
Not good. They need a solid lesson.
“Let’s go.”
That day, every child in the Hope Orphanage got their own phone.
Kids smiling brightly while holding their phones.
This is enough. What more is needed?
Their smiles are the best healing for me.
