Chapter Yurian's Rampage
A black sedan drove along the coastal road.
Jurim, sitting in the back seat, was propping his chin and yawning when he glanced at the child seated on his lap.
The child was completely focused on the tablet Jurim held.
A smile spread across the small, pale face, and the cheeks plumped up happily.
Having carefully watched a satisfying ten-minute-long video, Geuru pushed the screen with her index finger.
The tablet scrolled up.
The screen was filled with similar thumbnails featuring flashy letters in yellow, red, and sky-blue.
“Watch this?”
“Peep peep!”
As Geuru, carefully choosing, pointed at one video, Mephisto sitting on her head nodded.
[Korea's First S+-Class K-Drone Appears!]
Reading the large letters on the thumbnail, Jurim rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression.
These days, Geuru and Mephisto's hobby was watching YouTube with Jurim.
[K-Drone Development Too Fast for World Countries to Keep Up With, Shaking]
[World S-Ranks at a Loss for Words at the Jjapsso S+ Reveal]
[The Reason America Is Clinging to Korea's Hem These Days: K-Drone Mephisto Series]
[When Korea Revealed 'This,' the World Was Shocked! (Fire-Breathing Chick Thumbnail)]
Geuru's YouTube algorithm was filled with thumbnails along the lines of "When an S+-Class K-Drone Appeared, America Wailed, Japan Kneeled, and China Trembled."
“……Ha.”
It had been a week since the contract between the government and the Mephisto Series mk.3 was finalized.
That had been Jurim's concern these days.
The fact that their kid had fallen into so-called "patriotic high" YouTube. Good Lord.
*
Unaware of Jurim's complicated expression, Geuru swung her legs back and forth as if happy.
It had already been a week since the rental contract for the Mephisto Series mk.3 was completed.
As though creating an S+-Class was not something only one person could take pride in, all sorts of media outlets were pouring out stories about the Mephisto Series.
Geuru smiled with the corners of her mouth lifted into a broad grin.
Perhaps because the praise pouring onto the Mephisto Series made her smile every time.
Even while setting the condition that she wouldn't watch videos alone without an adult, Jurim didn't interfere much.
Geuru pressed herself even closer to that Jurim and rubbed her cheek against him.
Jurim chuckled inwardly and swept her bangs back with his hand.
'Dad looks happy too.'
Geuru glanced at Jurim with sparkling eyes.
A handsome, dignified face looked back at her as if she were utterly lovely.
It had been a week since she opened Dad's 'G' folder.
A corner of her heart still ached sharply at the thought that she might not be able to meet her mom and dad even if she wanted to now.
'But still.'
Geuru burrowed deeper into Jurim's embrace.
Even if she didn't have a real mom and dad.
Geuru whispered into his ear.
"If Dad is here, Geuru is happy."
At the sudden confession, Jurim looked down at Geuru with a slightly surprised face, then smiled softly.
Soon, their foreheads touched with a light bump.
"Still, you only get one hour of YouTube a day."
"Eeeeeeh~!"
As Geuru threw a tantrum, Jurim laughed and chomped down on her soft, mochi-like cheek in one bite.
Geuru let out a shriek, when suddenly a rustling sound of shaking leaves was heard.
'Oh, this sound?'
Geuru opened her quest window.
[Guardian Quest]
[Attachment is very important nourishment for a growing child. Because attachment allows a child to grow into a stable and strong Supreme Being. Cherish formed bonds and build more bonds to gather sufficient attachment points!]
[Reward: Unlocking the sealed 'Title']
Beneath the quest window, a young sapling was growing.
The leaves that had numbered merely three had grown to about fifty, and the trunk had shot up about three spans.
It was now to the extent that it could be called a proper adolescent sapling.
The reason for the tree's such rapid growth was actually thanks to registering Sheya and Chyuen as new Guardians.
Because registering new Guardians had injected a large amount of attachment points all at once.
'If it grows from an adolescent into an adult tree now, will the title open?'
Thump-thump.
Although the tree had grown considerably, the title remained locked.
What kind of title could it be, hidden away so tightly?
Name: On Geuru
Title: ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ (Unable to view)
'Supremely amazing Supreme Geuru, super cool?'
It…… made sense!
Geuru puffed air through her nose with huffing sounds, thinking that her title might really be this.
If she registered more new Guardians, she would probably be able to unlock the title…….
Wasn't there a new S-Rank without disqualifying factors to be a Guardian?
However, since S-Ranks themselves were extremely rare, she had been incredibly lucky until now. She didn't know if meeting any more would be difficult.
It was while Geuru was worrying.
The sedan had smoothly reduced its speed.
"We have arrived, Guild Leader On."
As the agent who had been acting as the driver looked back, Jurim nodded briefly, got out of the car, and lifted Geuru into his arms.
At the same time, click-click, flashes poured down.
'Eh?!'
Surrounded by reporters, Geuru got a little frightened and clung tightly to Jurim's embrace.
As if telling her not to be afraid, Jurim gently patted her small back.
"This way, please."
Following the agent's guidance, they entered an aircraft carrier (a large warship that carries aircraft) that was anchored.
The eyes of Geuru, who had her mouth hanging wide open, began to sparkle.
Dudududu—
As a helicopter flew overhead with a whoosh, wind blew in.
Geuru scrunched her eyes at the fierce wind, then soon exclaimed at the countless fighter jets that entered her sight.
A floating iron fortress.
Geuru, having boarded the aircraft carrier, pointed at one fighter jet and grabbed Jurim's collar.
"Dad! Look at that! F-30 Specter!"
"Mhm."
Jurim, his collar grabbed, looked at the fighter jet Geuru pointed at with hazy eyes and responded.
Geuru breathed heavily.
To think she would see a real sixth-generation fighter jet in person, not a toy!
Her heart thumped and her fingertips tingled.
The reason she had accepted the invitation to this Mephisto mk.3 demonstration was entirely because it was a chance to see an aircraft carrier and fighter jets in person.
'Amazing! Huge! Geuru wants to make one too!'
While Geuru was imagining building a massive aircraft carrier, Minister of National Defense Jo Seong-ran approached and extended her hand.
"Guild Leader On, it's a pleasure. Was your trip here uncomfortable?"
It was a respectful and courteous attitude.
Her gaze briefly reached Geuru. She was probably recalling the chick-class raid incident that had led to the dismissal of the Presidential Office Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff Kim Hong-gyun, who had tried to raid and use Geuru's kindergarten class, was currently removed from his position and under investigation.
"I am On Jurim of Hyeonak. Thanks to you, I arrived comfortably."
Jurim put Geuru down and shook her hand, exchanging brief greetings.
Geuru clung to Jurim's leg and rolled her eyes around, sightseeing the warship.
'Geuru's drone must be somewhere around here, right?'
Because the aircraft carrier Kim Jwa-jin (KDDX-S6) was the place where the official first demonstration of the 'Mephisto Series mk.3 (S+)' would take place.
The new S+-Class was a matter of utmost interest not only domestically but also abroad.
Because of that, on the deck, about 2,000 prominent figures including ministers and vice-ministers from various countries were gathered in groups of threes and fives, conversing.
Then, people who spotted Jurim entering behind the Minister of National Defense began surging toward him.
"Guild Leader On."
"Pleasure to meet you."
They couldn't miss this rare opportunity to meet On Jurim.
With Jurim being welcomed here and there, Geuru was distracted, her eyes rolling about.
The backpack Geuru was wearing opened slightly, and the noses of a hamster and a Maltese peeked out, twitching as they sniffed.
'This smell is…….'
Beillark stiffened his expression with foreboding.