Chapter 75 : Rat Fire Play (3)

Emila’s movements were truly mesmerizing.

The flames, burning in rainbow colors, shone brilliantly in the same ashen purple hue as her hair.

Under the full moon, Emila’s tin can painted an even more dazzling full moon in the air.

Along with that, she displayed various intricate techniques with her hands.

Her hands moved here and there, while her right foot and front leg moved elegantly.

Her steps were crisp and precise, while her arms traced smooth, flowing curves.

The harmony between the two blended beautifully, enough to call her a true dancer.

Her figure, illuminated by the moonlight, and the way her clothes fluttered in the wind…

Even the gentle purple glow of the fire swirling around her…

The four of us were left speechless, completely captivated by her dance.

— Whoosh!!

As her performance came to an end, the fire from the tin can was thrown back, igniting a pile of straw, reflecting the sweat on Emila’s face.

“…Wow…”

— Clap, clap, clap.

Grandfather clapped, unable to hide his admiration.

I, too, shared his sentiments and clapped enthusiastically.

Even Yuri, her rival, was applauding in awe.

[GM showers her with endless praise, calling her the true Saint of the Moon.]

‘What a biased person… no, a biased god.’

[GM denies any favoritism with a straight face.]

…Honestly, it was a bit annoying how the so-called god kept whispering through the status window in the middle of the performance.

Regardless, Emila’s acrobatics were at a level that could only be called veteran.

I unconsciously felt the urge to toss about 50,000 won into her tin can.

“…I admit it. I lost, Emila.”

“…Hmph, this is the experience I’ve gained from rolling tin cans in the slums for decades…”

If only her tragic backstory wasn’t so pitiful, she would have looked really cool.

Even considering the god’s favoritism and her unfortunate circumstances, Emila had clearly beaten Yuri in pure skill.

Well, Yuri’s only experience with sports in her previous life was taking taekwondo lessons with me.

How could she possibly beat a real half-dragon?

Since Yuri accepted her defeat without complaint, I handed Emila the “Minho’s Admiration Award.”

Not that it was much of an award—just a piece of paper with messy Dragonic script scrawled on it.

Yet, receiving even that humble award made Emila look like she owned the world.

Yuri looked a little disappointed, so I gave her a consolation prize—a tight hug and a finger-heart encouragement award.

I was a little worried that Emila might ask for the same treatment…

Thankfully, she was satisfied with just a hug.

“…Hey, don’t you think the finger heart is better than the paper?”

“…Yuri, you’re still too young to understand.”

When Yuri smiled smugly at Emila, Emila gave her an affectionate, amused smile in return.

“If I just cast a preservation spell on this paper, I can keep it forever…!!”

“…!!”

“But your heart? Minho will probably give me another one tomorrow.”

“…
…Gasp.”

I had no idea what they were fighting so childishly over.

For reference, Yuri is 34 years old, and Emila is several hundred years old.

Even though dragons are considered adults at 20…

…

“…Honey, aren’t they just adorable?”

“…I envy their future spouses.”

Seeing Grandfather and Grandmother’s reactions, I realized that while dragons might legally be considered adults at 20, that didn’t necessarily mean much in dragon society.

“Grandmother, Grandfather, they’re already adults, though?”

“Wouldn’t they have to be at least a thousand years old?”

Of course.

Their standards are completely different from humans’.

According to Grandmother, the age of 20 became the general standard for graduation from the academy.

But traditionally, dragons don’t leave their parents or have children until they’re at least a thousand years old.

I still don’t quite understand how dragons perceive time.

It seems like Yuri has really started to regress because everyone keeps treating her like a baby.

Lately, she’s been acting more and more like her younger self.

She’s becoming childish.

Emila, on the other hand, has always had a bit of a youthful air about her, probably because she was kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured as a child.

But she’s not quite the same as when I first met her—she doesn’t feel like a little kid anymore.

Maybe because she now has two younger siblings to look after, she’s started acting more mature.

About the same level as me.

I guess I’ve also become a little childish ever since I accepted that I’m still a baby.

But I’m still pretty mature, right?

“My little puppy is the youngest one here, and yet you’re the most curious?”

“…Huh?”

“Oh, you~”

Grandmother laughed and tugged at my cheeks.

It didn’t hurt, but it felt weird.

‘…Should I have acted more grown-up?’

Just as I was wondering if I really seemed that much like a baby,

Grandfather and my sisters started cleaning up the area where they had been playing.

We loaded the chairs and the small stage we brought back onto the cart and waited for the fire to die down.

“All done,” Grandfather said, flashing us a big grin.

“Shall we have some sweet potatoes with Grandmother when we get home?”

“…Sounds good..!!”

Yuri and I hesitated to answer, but Emila beamed with excitement.

‘…Grandmother, I’m not really hungry. I’ll just have one or two.’

“Sure, sure, I got it.”

Grandmother smiled slyly when I said I’d only have a couple.

It was the kind of smile that seemed to say, “Do you really think you can escape me?”

It was terrifying.

“Ay, where’s El? Why is she taking so long?”

“Dear, do you see El anywhere?”

Grandfather, who had gone to look for Mom, grumbled as he returned.

“Nope, not a trace.”

It seemed like Mom and Dad had gone a little farther than expected.

“Should we just head home first? The kids look tired…”

Just as Grandmother spoke with a concerned expression—

“Mom, I’m heeere…”

From the distance, Mom appeared, walking toward us.

Her face was glowing, and behind her, Dad trudged along, looking strangely drained.

“Hehehe…”

Mom’s voice sounded oddly weak.

“Minho, do you want to go to Mommy?”

Grandmother handed me over to Mom.

At the same time, she whispered something to her.

“…Think about your husband’s condition for once.”

“…Albirt is… strong…”

“Oh, you.”

Because my hearing was better than Grandmother expected, I overheard everything.

So, I was right.

I couldn’t help but chuckle, my lips twitching with amusement.

Mom tilted her head, not understanding why I was laughing, but then she smiled along with me.

Then, all of a sudden, she asked,

“Minho, would you like to have a younger sibling?”

Ah, so that’s what this was about!

Mom and Dad must’ve spent all that time trying to make a sibling for me.

But… what do I do?

“…No.”

“Huh? What?! Why?”

For now, I really don’t want a younger sibling.

If a younger sibling were born, everyone’s attention would shift to them.

And that… would probably make me feel left out, which I don’t like.

Besides, I haven’t even been alive for a full year yet—I don’t want to lose attention to a younger sibling so soon.

“Okay! Then, I don’t want one either,” the youngest chimed in.

“O-Oh, I see.”

Mom seemed troubled, as if she had really wanted a second child.

“Yes, for now, I like being the youngest.”

“Hmmm~ Alright!”

Mom nodded with a smile.

“But if you ever change your mind, just let me know, okay?”

She said playfully, flashing a mischievous grin at Dad beside her.

Dad, completely flustered, stammered, “E-El!” while his face turned bright red.

It was so amusing that I giggled to myself.

The chirping of grasshoppers filled the peaceful countryside evening.

Dad pulled the cart with a smile, while Mom, Yuri, and I admired the stars and moon.

Meanwhile, Grandma, Grandpa, and Emila chattered noisily about what to have for our late-night snack.

It was the very picture of peace.

I leaned into Mom’s embrace.

That’s when the Milky Way came into view.

‘…Beautiful.’

I murmured softly, and Yuri and Mom lifted their gazes to the sky as well.

“…Yeah, it really is beautiful,” Yuri agreed.

“Just like my daughters?”

Mom giggled.

Yuri and I smiled at her.

It was peaceful.

I wished these happy days would last forever.

Dear God, please… In this life, just this once…

Please don’t take anything away from me.

Not my parents, not my adoptive parents.

Not my legs, not my love.

Not my sweet memories, not even the painful ones.

As I gazed at the moon and stars, I prayed in silence.

[The King acknowledges your wish.]

[The GM asks, “Didn’t I already tell you?”]

Before I could process the GM’s words, new handwriting started to appear on my status window.

[May your new life be filled with blessings.]

It was the same message I had seen before I became Minho.

“…Hehe.”

Seeing that message again, I let out a satisfied laugh.

“Minho?”

“What’s so funny all of a sudden?”

Mom tilted her head in confusion, and Yuri smirked as she asked.

I looked at them both and didn’t bother holding back my laughter.

“I’m just happy.”

Hearing my words, the two of them stared at me blankly for a moment—then, they smiled warmly.

Yuri, who knew about my past, looked somewhat emotional.

Anyway, that night, we all gathered in the yard to roast sweet potatoes together.

And the next day…

“You’re leaving already?”

“We have to! The kids’ entrance ceremony is coming up~”

“Oh, dear… You’ve got a lot on your plate.”

At the crack of dawn, we climbed into the carriage.

Through my still-sleepy eyes, I saw my sisters dressed in beautiful school uniforms, looking slightly nervous.

Once they enrolled in the academy, they wouldn’t be able to leave except during holidays.

That’s why Dad had adjusted his busy schedule to make this rushed trip possible.

“…Why didn’t you tell me?”

I had only learned about their enrollment yesterday.

The shock had kept me from sleeping well.

The thought of not seeing them often anymore made me unbearably sad.

“S-Sorry! We didn’t want to make you sad, Minho…”

“…Sorry.”

Yuri and Emila both awkwardly smiled as they repeated the same apology from yesterday.

My eyes stung again.

“…Hing.”

As I struggled to hold back my tears, Mom gently patted my head.

“If you send them off with a smile, they’ll feel better, right, Minho?”

“…Okaaay.”

Swallowing my tears, I bid farewell to Grandma and Grandpa.

Then, the carriage set off.

As it rolled through the dawn, our family talked about visiting again during the next break, sharing hopeful words for the future.

And just like that, our fun days in the countryside came to an end.