Jurim really was a good guardian. He was someone who did more than provide food, clothing, and shelter—he made Geuru’s heart fill up with pom-poms.
So Geuru wanted to behave even better. He didn’t want to become a tiring child.
‘I don’t want to make him regret bringing Geuru along.’
Naturally, that was why the route ended up being planned around the toy exhibition hall.
‘Let’s be filial!’
By giving Jurim both rest time and treasure!
Geuru found the building with the exhibition hall and pointed at it.
“Hewe! The Maze Palace!”
*
“All little sauruses who want to participate in the treasure hunt, please line up here!”
A staff member in a cowboy hat waved both hands glitteringly.
“If you collect five stamps, you can receive treasure-saurus! There are also treasures hidden here and there, so everywhere! Carefully! You must look-saurus.”
Was this place one where they just stuck “saurus” onto everything?
While Jurim was learning a thing or two about children’s ideals, Geuru clung to his trench coat.
“Guild Mastew, Geuru’s bag, pwease.”
Jurim took off Geuru’s bag, which he had been carrying in his place, and handed it down.
Geuru put on the bulging backpack and stood there with great dignity.
“Then, I’ll be back!”
Then he scurried off to register.
Was there something he wanted to find that badly?
Jurim followed at a leisurely pace behind the toddling child.
The children who arrived one after another were either lining up or talking with the adults as they waited for the program to begin.
‘Lots of competitors.’
Hmm! With his chin wrinkled like a walnut, Geuru hopped once and pulled up the straps of his backpack, firming his resolve.
‘But Geuru is S-rank.’
For perfect preparation, he had even packed his backpack until it was stuffed full.
‘Let’s go!’
But before long, that wish was shattered mercilessly……
“Oh my, how pretty. What’s your name, little friend?”
“I’m Han Geuru!”
“Wow, I see-saurus!”
The staff member in the cowboy hat greeted him, fluttering both hands. Then, after looking Geuru up and down, she asked.
“How old might our friend Geuru be? The children’s group only accepts children from five to ten years old~”
‘Five… years old?’
Whoosh—!
Geuru’s expectations scattered at once like a sandcastle hit by a tidal wave.
‘Why?’
‘Geuru has to sleep a lot more before turning five……’
Discrimination against four-year-olds……
His mouth jutted out in sorrow. His heart hurt as if it were being torn apart, but there was no way around it. With his shoulders drooping, Geuru turned away, holding the straps of his backpack and lowering his head.
‘Geuru, disappointed in the world after four years……’
Jurim glanced once at Geuru, who had his lips pushed out like a duck and the corners of his mouth trembling—
“……He turns five this year.”
And calmly lied for him, turning his body forward again.
“His birthday is late, so he’s a little on the small side.”
“Ah, I see! Then our pretty Geuru can stand in that line over there, and you’ll depart in ten minutes~”
Geuru’s face brightened immediately.
“Yees!”
When the child’s expression relaxed completely, Jurim let out a small sigh of relief.
Geuru, who had been hurrying off to line up, suddenly came screeching to a stop.
Jurim, who had been watching, looked puzzled, and the child spun around and ran back to him.
“……?”
Geuru hugged Jurim’s leg tightly. Now fairly used to being hugged, Jurim smiled faintly.
“A grand bow of gratitude—”
“Forbidden.”
Jurim put strength into his arms to stop Geuru from doing anything foolish.
The child struggled for a bit, then gave up on the grand bow and instead offered a proper, docile farewell.
“I’ll be back.”
“Don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yees.”
“Follow the teacher leading you.”
“Yees.”
“If you lose the teacher?”
“Call.”
“Good.”
Hehe! Geuru smiled bashfully and ran off to line up.
Jurim watched until he got into line, in case he tripped while running, then turned his head toward several security guards passing by.
‘Awakened?’
It was an age where Awakened were no longer rare, but Awakened agents at a mere children’s experience center?
The security was excessive enough to feel unpleasant. As if some VIP were coming.
‘Hmm……’
Well, it didn’t matter.
After leaving an emergency contact number as Han Geuru’s guardian, he moved along according to the staff’s guidance telling the parents to proceed to the waiting room.
*
The staff member leading Children’s Group 1 fluttered both hands as he guided the children to the first-floor exhibition hall.
The children followed after him like a flock of chicks.
The exhibits were arranged by era, and the first floor was lined with crude wooden toys and old miniatures.
The staff member made a round of the first floor with the children, then checked his watch.
“From now on, we’ll have fifteen minutes to look for treasure!”
He held up a round capsule.
“Inside capsules that look like this, there will be either a toy or a dud slip, so let’s search carefully! The bathroom is over there, and teacher will be at the entrance to the exhibition hall. If anything is difficult, please tell teacher.”
“Yees!”
The children answered in one voice.
Beside them, children from another group were listening to their guide’s precautions.
“Where should we look first?”
“Let’s go to the maze ball pit first.”
The children who had come with friends were happily planning their routes, and the children who had come alone quickly scattered.
‘Hmph, foolish children.’
Geuru looked at the children and curled his lips in a sneer.
‘I can’t just rummage anywhere and pull out a dud.’
Geuru had the ultimate item.
[Detective Magnifying Glass!]
It allowed him to find the item he wanted to search for more easily.
With this, he would be able to find the “real” one. According to the blog, the real toy had a low-grade magic stone embedded in it.
Geuru equipped the magnifying glass and moved while scanning the first floor.
‘It won’t be just anywhere.’
No sooner had he thought that—
Light began to shine from beyond the corridor wall.
‘The wall?’
When Geuru fidgeted with the glowing spot, the wall slid open. His heart began to pound.
‘It’s a secret wall!’
As expected, they hadn’t hidden it somewhere easy.
But Geuru wouldn’t be fooled!
Grinning broadly, Geuru opened the wall and found a small box-shaped space. And inside it was a black, opaque capsule.
This must be it, right? Surely they wouldn’t hide it like this and make it a dud…… Just as Geuru was about to pick up the capsule.
Grab!
“Eh?”
A chubby hand seized the capsule.
Geuru creakily turned his head.
A boy about elementary school age, who looked like a toad, was snorting through his nose.
“Geuru found that.”
When he said it primly, the boy slanted one corner of his mouth upward.
“I grabbed it first, though?”
“Whaat?”
Geuru’s face crumpled.
“Geuru found it first, so it’s Geuru’s!”
“So what?”
“……!”
Faced with this unreasonable behavior he had never heard in his life, Geuru froze in shock.
So what? That was what he should be saying.
“Give it!”
Geuru flailed his hands to snatch the capsule back.
But the delinquent toad swatted Geuru’s hand away and looked him up and down.
“Mad, huh? But you can’t do anything, huh? You little chickpea.”
Geuru’s mouth fell open at the insulting nickname.
Ch-chickpea?
“But! Geuru really found it first!”
“Teacher! I found treasure! Me!”
Ding—!
Having gotten the jump on him, the boy left with his gang, giggling.
Geuru stamped his feet in frustration, but the delinquent toad had already shown the treasure to his guide and even received confirmation.
‘He’s mean!’
Geuru’s face turned as red as a tomato, and his cheeks puffed up roundly.
He wanted to go right over and kick him in the shin, but……
Geuru looked between his own tiny feet and the delinquent toad’s sturdy-looking legs, then clenched both fists tight.
He was big, and just from the look of him, his stats seemed higher than Geuru’s too.
‘So frustrating…… I should have raised my Strength.’
Then he could have knocked him down in one blow…… Trembling, Geuru let the sorrow of his fists flow away.