‘Heh.’
Now I could see hope of victory!
It was while Gru was sending the message with pride.
Vellark glanced somewhere before turning his head back.
*
[Blue 159:148 Red]
“It’s lunchtime for the kindergarten! Lemme show you the Grutping lunchbox Auntie packed.”
Gru, feeling lighthearted, tapped the sturdy lunch bag.
Grutping was a character from the Tinyping series that Gru had imagined and created, and Yeongran had modeled a special lunchbox after Gru’s crude drawing.
“Beep beep beep!”
While Mephisto cheered, Vellark pretended not to hear and subtly averted his eyes.
*A gaze.*
There were many people taking pictures of Gru, who had gradually become a celebrity, and up until just now, two S-rank hunters from Hyunak had followed them but….
This wasn’t a gaze directed at a child.
*They’re looking at me.*
It was a gaze that had persistently followed Vellark since he rolled the ball.
The opponent had been following while completely erasing their presence since earlier.
*What’s their goal?*
If they were targeting his lord, it would be best to eliminate them, but since they were watching him, it was difficult to act.
Since outsiders’ visits were permitted, there were many hunters around.
He couldn’t take the risk of drawing their attention by killing someone over a trivial matter.
Then, the presence suddenly vanished.
‘…?!’
*They can hide their presence to this extent?*
A master beyond expectations.
Vellark was pulled by Gru toward the garden patch, remaining on high alert.
At that moment.
The presence suddenly approached.
*Here they come!*
Vellark checked his surroundings keenly, like a cat with its fur standing on end.
*Should I dodge? Or—*
But soon.
*Grab!*
Vellark’s wrist was caught by a thick, calloused hand.
At the same time, Vellark’s magic power was drawn out and analyzed by the opponent.
*Too late.*
Just as he looked up at the person holding him after what happened in an instant.
The middle-aged man who met his gaze rounded his eyes.
[“To think a monster would be in a place like this, in such a form.”]
Gru, Vellark, and Mephisto all froze at the Japanese they couldn’t understand at all.
But there was one word they could understand.
*Monster.*
He had definitely grabbed Vellark’s wrist and called him a monster.
*This is bad.*
He had figured out that Vellark was a monster.
*What should I do?*
In a flash, a story Gru had heard from Dad crossed her mind.
“Don’t go around telling just anyone that he’s a monster.”
International police called Interpol had taken over the Jeju Island incident, and he had said they might chase after them if they found out Vellark was missing during the investigation.
International police = foreigner = Japanese!
Vellark would be arrested by the police!
*Snatch!*
Gru snatched the man’s wrist.
Then he looked at Gru with quite a surprised face.
“He is my friend! Best friend! No monster!”
She tried appealing that they were friends, but the opponent had a face that said he had no idea.
But Gru knew one method that worked in times like this.
Gru took out a prettily wrapped steamed potato from the lunch bag and said cunningly:
“Dis potato is delicious! Present for you.”
It was a bribe, plain and simple.
*
An unexpected lunch guest had appeared.
*There are plenty of lunchboxes, though.*
It was thanks to asking them to pack a lot of lunchboxes thinking Wooju and Wooju’s dad would come.
Gru sat on the mat and glanced at the Interpol detective (probably).
Amakusa Reiji was eating the potato while looking at the green potato field.
[“The potato field scenery is nice. I thought I’d be eating while smelling blood today too.”]
“Good good.”
Seeing that she answered without understanding a word he was saying, Reiji burst into a chuckle.
He himself didn’t know why he had been dragged here.
Was it because he was amazed by the child’s nerve in grabbing his hand?
Because an ordinary child would have instinctively felt fear toward him.
Well, seeing her call a top-class monster her friend, it didn’t feel so strange that she wouldn’t find him scary.
He smiled smoothly and spoke kindly.
[“I feel sorry for the little girl. I had no reason to kill Koreans, so I had no need to learn Korean.”]
The child rolled her big eyes round and round.
“Yes. Good.”
It had been the same answer since earlier, but Reiji found this absurd conversation quite pleasant.
A strange joy of being able to connect despite the other person not understanding his words.
“Is that boy SSS?”
Reiji attempted to communicate in simple English.
Vellark sent Gru a look asking if it was okay to speak.
“Yeees.”
Gru, who had been munching on the steamed potato and gulped it down, nodded and answered.
“SSS. But good boy.”
At the sight of her continuously appealing for Vellark, saying he was a good boy, Reiji burst into loud laughter.
If he was SSS, there was a place that came to mind.
After the Jeju Island deal went wrong last time, rumors had circulated that an SSS-rank monster had disappeared, causing quite a stir.
Taking into account that it was humanoid, that must be the monster that escaped from Jeju Island.
The prohibitions that should surely be wrapped all around its body were nowhere to be seen, and moreover, how it ended up beside such a baby.
There was much to be curious about, but Reiji simply scooped up the lunchbox with chopsticks.
“Mmm, really tastes great.”
When he offered praise after savoring the character lunchbox, Gru giggled.
Because advanced communication beyond “yes” and “good” was impossible between them.
When Gru placed some imitation crab meat on his lunchbox telling him to eat more, Reiji moved his side dishes over and they shared the lunchbox amicably.
Beside them, the SSS-rank monster was munching on the lunchbox while keeping Reiji heavily in check.
Reiji, meeting eyes with Vellark, curved his eyes into a smile.
*Hmm.*
It didn’t seem like he was trying to harm the child, and perhaps this scary monster was just playing friends with her because she was cute.
*I don’t see the child’s parents.*
Were they not present?
Suddenly, with a feeling of pity, Reiji thought of his own child.
*When was the last time I saw him….*
While recalling his son’s face, which was now becoming blurry, Gru sprang to her feet.
“Ah, Gru has to go to the sports day….”
“…?”
“Uhm… sports day!”
Gru mimicked running.
Reiji put a question mark over his head and observed what the child was doing.
Gru mimicked running hard, then panted and spread both arms wide.
“Goal! Goaaal!”
Meaning she had reached the finish line.
Then she wiped her forehead as if exhausted and pointed at the sky.
In the sky, the scores of the Blue team and Red team were written in hologram.
“Blue win!”
Reiji nodded.
“Aha! ok, ok. 行かなきゃいけないんだね (meaning you have to go).”
He smiled and patted Gru’s head.
[“How nice it would be if our son had been as cute as this little girl.”]
Gru nodded, thinking he was praising her tremendous acting.
“Thank you. You good too!”
“Hahaha!”
Reiji laughed loudly once more.
Gru smiled back brightly.
He seemed like a nice man.
Because he ate the lunchbox deliciously, and even though he knew Vellark was a monster, he didn’t seem to be on guard.
Even though he had figured out that Vellark was SSS-rank… hmm?
He isn’t afraid of an SSS-rank monster?
*Mister, are you actually strong?*
Since no notification popped up saying caregiver registration was possible, was he A-rank?
At that level, would one not be afraid of an SSS-rank monster?
Just as Gru tilted her head at the continuing questions.
Vellark subtly tugged Gru’s sleeve toward himself.
*Right!*
Now wasn’t the time to build intimacy.
Gru glanced at Vellark and then looked up at the man.
“He is my friend….”
Then Reiji put his index finger to his lips and made a “shh” gesture.
[“Let’s keep today’s events our little secret.”]
Reiji added “secret” so that Gru could understand easily.
Then Gru brightened and sang “thank you, thank you” while busily walking around Reiji.
“Thank you, you are my friend too!”
[“Are you going to be my friend?”]
“Yes, yes. Good.”
Reiji gazed at the child with affectionate eyes.
It was truly inexplicable, but children had a special quality that made you love them helplessly.
[“Since the little girl shared a delicious lunchbox and even became my friend, it would only be right to repay the favor.”]
“Good good.”
[“I’ll help you when you’re in trouble, little girl. You can ask me for anything. I could bring you the most expensive toy in the world, or I could kill the person you hate the most in the world. How about it?”]
Gru blinked her eyes at his question.
There was only one answer Gru could give, having understood nothing at all.
“Yes, good!”