Meanwhile, the village merchants cast curious gazes at the snow leopard, the squirrel, and even the baby squirrel—an odd, peculiar combination.
“What a wondrous family.”
“They’re both males, though. Which one’s the mother?”
“That one, I’d say. He looks all coy, and his hair color’s similar to the baby’s.”
“Ah. Then the snow leopard must be the father.”
It took only an instant for an absurd rumor to spread through the small market.
*
“Squeeeak!” (Good heavens!)
“Squeak squeak?” (There’s this much left?)
It seemed they hadn’t expected them to buy so many daily necessities with that money.
The squirrels fussed over the group.
Today’s success was entirely thanks to Serhi, but Geuru cleared his throat with an ahem.
“Ahh, this much is more than enough if you leave it to a king.”
Geuru was not the type to refuse taking credit.
“Squeak!”
“Squeak!”
The squirrels’ eyes sparkled brightly.
As Geuru showed off a king’s dignity before the squirrels, Siwon chuckled, and Serhi shook his head.
That was when it happened.
Ding!
[Achievement: Praised Great Flying Squirrel! (Special) achieved!]
The acorns you use will not be consumed!
(Special titles are maintained only inside the dungeon.)
“Gasp!”
Geuru sucked in a breath in shock.
He had actually achieved such a trivial achievement?
‘Inside the dungeon, my acorns are infinite…….’
He might be a little like a web novel protagonist.
Feeling subtly better thanks to the “the cup is half full” strategy, Geuru hugged Siwon and Serhi in turn.
Siwon hugged him back, and Serhi hesitated a little before patting him once on the back.
*
It was the fifth day since they had planted the acorn.
Serhi lightly clenched and unclenched his fist. Perhaps because of the farm’s peacefulness, his recovery was smoother than usual.
‘Three days now—no, maybe two…….’
Serhi, who had been counting the days as he came out of the house, stopped in front of the farm.
“Ahh, thish is called a suppwinkle-cooler. If you install it, it waters things all by itself.”
Geuru had been rubbing his nose beside the makeshift sprinkler he had built since morning.
It had four watering cans attached in a cross shape, but whatever he had done to it, it was moving automatically and watering the field.
“Squeak!”
“Squeak!”
The squirrels kneeling in front of it paid their respects before the baby flying squirrel.
‘A cult?’
At the sight that looked like a flying squirrel cult leader and squirrel believers, Serhi rubbed his eyes.
‘Putting that aside, where did he get that thing?’
Come to think of it, the mini excavator standing over there also seemed to be that little guy’s doing.
‘Is it some kind of special king squirrel skill?’
In RP dungeons, skills were restricted, but special skills sometimes appeared according to the role one had taken on. He knew the Brom Guild was having quite a hard time because of that too.
Even if he didn’t look it, the kid was supposedly a king squirrel, so maybe he had gained something. Something like “Evolution of Farm Tools (Special).”
When the squirrels moved to install the sprinkler, Geuru approached the tree and checked the information window.
[Oak Tree]
[Condition: Excellent]
[Satisfied]
[Lifespan: 5/30]
The oak tree was growing sturdily by the day, and now it reached up to the end of Geuru’s chin.
“At this rate, I think acorns will come out soon.”
“It’ll probably have to grow bigger. About this much?”
Serhi raised his hand above his own head.
But Geuru shook his head.
“Nuh-uh, this one only grows this big. Even when it’s all grown, it’s about this much.”
Geuru waved his hand above his own head.
“It’s small.”
“Looks like it doesn’t grow very big.”
Following Serhi, Siwon, who had come outside at some point, said.
Geuru replied sulkily.
“It’s not small.”
“Sure. Let’s say that.”
Serhi shrugged indifferently.
“That’s worse!”
Revenge! Geuru thumped Serhi with both fists.
Siwon said he would get hurt and grabbed Geuru’s arms to stop him.
“Serhi, apologize.”
“Master Ajusshi said it too.”
“Ah, you caught me.”
As an apology, Siwon gave him a ride on his shoulders.
It was Geuru’s first time riding on someone’s shoulders, so he trembled, saying it was too high, and Siwon walked slowly so Geuru wouldn’t be scared.
They reached an agreement that Serhi would keep carrying Geuru on his back on the way to the market.
It was a day filled with warm sunlight.
*
It was only natural that the three of them became in charge of shopping.
As they showed their faces often, the merchants sometimes added extras for them, and today they even handed over candy, telling them to feed it to Geuru.
“It’s reassuring to have a snow leopard with us.”
“Snow leopard! Reassuring!”
Siwon and Geuru praised Serhi with bright smiles.
“If you know that, don’t wander off on your own. And don’t try to buy just anything.”
Serhi crossed his arms and turned his head away, his tail swaying left and right. Somehow, the motion of his tail looked proud, so Siwon laughed quietly in his throat.
That was when they were leaving after finishing their shopping for the day.
An old turtle beastman who looked good-natured chuckled and patted Serhi on the shoulder.
“What a reliable young head of the household you are.”
What fresh nonsense was this now? Serhi scowled fiercely.
“Who’s the head of the household?”
“You’re the father. That one over there is the mother.”
“I’m the mother?”
Siwon pointed at himself.
“Daddy, Mommy?”
Geuru opened his mouth blankly.
Serhi was so dumbfounded that his mouth opened and closed wordlessly.
A snow leopard, a squirrel, and a flying squirrel.
A Gnosis and a Gnosis hunter.
Was that all? There were only two men on this side, and it wasn’t as if they were a squirrel’s snow leopard son and flying squirrel daughter either.
‘Snow leopard dad, squirrel mom?’
Weren’t they a little too open-minded?
“Put on some prejudice, will you? What about us looks like a family?”
“Then you’re noooot?”
As if he couldn’t believe this, Serhi raised his tail straight up and shoved it before the old man’s eyes.
“Old man, do you not have eyes? I’m a man and a snow leopard.”
“That’s why you’re the father.”
“Then why am I the mother?”
Jin Siwon cut in.
“Well, even if you’re male, you can become a father or a mother.”
“What kind of dogshit is that?”
When Serhi asked back as if he truly couldn’t understand, the turtle beastman said,
“Dogshit? I’m a turtle, you know. If not, then fine. What a temper……”
The old turtle beastman kept clearing his throat.
“Ahem, hmm! The three of you looked so harmonious that I thought you were a family! I mean, who told you to go around stuck together like a family?”
“It’s because you people are scammers who try to fleece squirrels the moment you see them!”
“Enough!”
The turtle elder, apparently having a guilty conscience, raised his hand and rolled his eyes. Then he soon changed the subject.
“There’s a rumor that the wolf beastmen have left their territory, so everyone, be careful~ They say they’re utterly brutal people, you see~ I’ll be going now~”
Leaving only those words behind, he vanished at tremendous speed. It seemed he had been afraid because the snow leopard was in a bad mood.
Geuru curled his tail and stroked his chin.
“Fam’ly.”
Strange. Could we look like a family?
Were beastmen somehow different? Thinking that, Geuru turned around. Then he spotted Siwon and his ears and tail shot upright.
“Kkieek!”
“……?”
Serhi lifted his head as he looked at the flying squirrel’s tail standing straight up. Why was he suddenly startled?
But soon, at the sight that entered his vision, he too was startled, and his ears and tail stood straight up.
“Why are you crying!”
Tears were falling nonstop from Jin Siwon’s eyes.
As if puzzled by the gazes directed at him, he blinked……
“Ah.”
Only then did he realize he was crying, and he wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.