Chapter 97
All the sleeping children had disappeared. The only living beings left in the room were the dragons and Mangmung.
Choryeon slapped her cheeks to wake herself up.
"Ouch, it stings!"
Choryeon gently rubbed her reddened cheeks with her palm. Holding back tears from the sting, she looked at Suryeon.
"So, Suryeon, what's going on here? All our kindergarten friends have disappeared."
"I'm not sure exactly. But I think I know who did this."
"Who?"
"The Pied Piper."
Suryeon explained the contents of the fairy tale. About the man who disappeared with the children by playing a flute.
Hearing this explanation, Choryeon nodded somewhat seriously.
"Hmm, there are certainly similarities between the fairy tale and our current situation."
"That's why it's interesting. As far as I know, fairy tales are supposed to be fictional stories. But now, something exactly like a fairy tale is happening."
Curiosity activated!
Suryeon's eyes were full of expectation. Seeing those eyes, Choryeon shook her head and thought to herself.
'Sigh, Suryeon is at it again. She's going to cause trouble again.'
Shake, shake-
Choryeon turned her head as if there was no hope. Perhaps because of this,
"...You're annoying me."
"Ouch!"
Suryeon lightly flicked Choryeon's forehead. Choryeon rubbed her forehead and shouted loudly.
"What are you doing, Suryeon! How dare you touch a pacifist! If you keep acting like this, I won't stay quiet!"
"Shut up and wake up Hwaryeon sleeping on the sofa over there. I'm going to analyze this white smoke."
Filled with magic power, the white smoke floated in the air. Suryeon decided to inhale the gas directly to analyze what kind of residual energy it was.
"Really, treating me like this just because I'm the youngest! I'm upset!"
"Woof woof-!"
"Let's go together, Mangmung!"
Choryeon approached Hwaryeon, who was snoring on the sofa, with Mangmung. Hwaryeon was still deep in sleep, unaware of the situation.
"Snore... Mmm... Eat you all... So young... Tender meat..."
"Hwaryeon! What are you saying?!"
"So full... Hehehe..."
"Eek...! Could it be that Hwaryeon ate all our kindergarten friends!?"
Choryeon stepped back in shock. Then, she calmly thought about Hwaryeon's words.
'...It's Hwaryeon who tried to eat Mangmung. She could definitely eat our kindergarten friends too!'
The Pied Piper isn't the culprit! Actually, Hwaryeon is the culprit!
Choryeon came to this conclusion and carefully moved away. Then, she approached Suryeon, who seemed deep in thought, waving her arms.
"Emergency! Emergency!"
"What?"
"I think Hwaryeon ate all our kindergarten friends! She even confessed! Suryeon!"
"...?"
Frown-
Suryeon frowned at Choryeon's statement.
"Is this the time for jokes? Besides, I don't like jokes much."
"It's not a joke! I'm telling you, Hwaryeon really ate them all!"
"...We'll get the answer if we ask her directly."
Sigh-
I don't really care if Hwaryeon eats humans. I'm just curious about the Pied Piper.
Feeling annoyed, Suryeon shook Hwaryeon sleeping on the sofa.
"Hwaryeon, wake up."
"Delicious meat... Uh, huh...? What...? Who dares to wake me from my sleep...?"
"Hwaryeon. Just answer this one thing. Did you eat all the humans?"
"Are you kidding me!?"
Snap-!
Hwaryeon got a bit angry at the absurd question.
"Why would I eat humans! They don't even look tasty! I don't eat meat that looks tough!"
"Then you don't know where the humans went either?"
"What, where did everyone go? Is kindergarten over already?"
"Sigh, I guess I'll have to explain from the beginning."
Suryeon explained everything that had happened so far. Hwaryeon, who had been listening silently, nodded and said.
"So you're saying my underlings were kidnapped?"
"Yes, that's right. They were kidnapped."
"Then I can't just sit here!"
Jump-!
Hwaryeon quickly got up. And stretching her arm towards the door, she shouted.
"Hmph, disappearing without permission, those underlings of mine! The boss has no choice but to step in! Everyone follow me! Let's go!"
Pitter-patter-
Hwaryeon started running towards the outside. Choryeon also ran out following Hwaryeon.
"Let's go together, Hwaryeon! We must find our kindergarten friends!"
"Let's go! Let's go! Forward march!"
Hwaryeon and Choryeon started running excitedly. Suryeon sighed watching these immature children.
"To think they're dragons too. I'm too embarrassed to lift my head."
These are my older and younger sisters? It's embarrassing that we're family.
Thinking this, Suryeon stepped into the hallway.
When she reached the entrance to go outside, she found Hwaryeon and Choryeon poking Gu Bong-gu who had collapsed on the floor.
"Is that alive?"
Poke poke-
At Suryeon's question, Hwaryeon poked Bong-gu's side. Bong-gu's waist curved like a bow.
"It's alive."
"Oh, it's alive! But it doesn't want to wake up!"
Poke poke- Poke poke-
Hwaryeon eagerly poked Bong-gu's body with her finger. However, Bong-gu just twitched his body. He didn't seem to want to get up.
Suryeon looked down at Bong-gu and quietly muttered.
"As expected, Dad is the only adult we can rely on."
Dad really is the best.
Thinking this, Suryeon left the kindergarten. Then, pointing at a boy walking in the distance, she said.
"If we follow him, we'll know where the kids are."
"Huh? Who's that?"
"Gu Jin-gu or something. That's probably his name. He seems to have become like that from inhaling the smoke earlier."
Gu Mingu, walking somewhere as if entranced after inhaling the smoke. The dragons and Mangmung started slowly following Mingu to solve this incident.
"How dare they take my underlings as they please! I won't let this slide!"
And.
"The Pied Piper. This should be interesting."
To satisfy their curiosity.
"It's good to save our friends, but... I'm a bit worried..."
"Woof woof..."
Choryeon just watched her sisters' confident behavior and anxiously hugged Mangmung.
***
Mingu walked, staggering like a sleepwalker. Deep into the center of District 09, deeper and deeper. Perhaps because of this,
"...Wait."
Suryeon stopped following for a moment and halted her steps. Cold sweat was running down her white cheeks from her forehead.
'Sigh, I can't go in any further.'
The memories of that time come back. Memories of humans full of malice chasing after her resurface. Suryeon wiped away her cold sweat for a moment and said to Hwaryeon and Choryeon.
"I'm curious about what happened, but I won't go in any further."
To this, Hwaryeon sneered and said.
"What, you're chickening out! You're scared, right!? Coward! Coward!"
"...No, I'll wait for Dad here."
"Dad? How would Dad know to come here?"
"I brought Gu Bong-gu's smartphone earlier. We can call him."
Swish-
Suryeon took out Gu Bong-gu's old smartphone from her padding pocket. Hwaryeon and Choryeon looked at each other.
"When did she steal that? Did you see?"
"No, I didn't see either."
"...I didn't steal it. I just borrowed it."
Anyway. Suryeon decided to stay at the entrance of the ant cave. Only Hwaryeon and Choryeon decided to follow Mingu deeper.
"He's getting away! We're going ahead!"
"Okay, I'll come quickly holding Dad's hand. Wait for us."
See you soon.
Suryeon waved her hand slightly at the departing Hwaryeon. As they started following again, Choryeon muttered quietly to herself.
"...Do we really need to hold Father's hand? I'm not sure..."
"Woof woof..."
"Ah, I wasn't talking to you, Mangmung. Sorry. Don't be scared."
"Woof..."
Whoosh-!
Mangmung retreated back into Choryeon's padding. Leaving Suryeon at the entrance, they followed the sleep-drunk Mingu and found two big men guarding the entrance of an old building.
The two men saw Mingu and grinned, saying.
"What, there was one more kid? We should take him too."
"To think there was a kindergarten with so many kids these days. The income must be quite nice."
Grab-!
The big man grabbed Mingu by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the basement of the old building. Hwaryeon and Choryeon peeked their faces out from the alley and watched the situation.
"He's totally like a pig! How much did he eat!?"
"Qu-Quiet, Hwaryeon! We'll get caught at this rate!"
"Hmph, I don't care if we get caught or not!"
Glance-
Choryeon kept glancing around anxiously, worried about Hwaryeon. With one of the big guys completely disappearing into the basement, only one was left guarding the entrance.
Hwaryeon looked at him and licked her lips.
"Hmm, I could beat someone like him!"
"B-But...! Shouldn't we wait for Father...?"
"Should we?"
"Yes, I think it would be better to go in together after waiting for Father. If we rely on Father, everything will work out-"
"Agh, I can't wait! Come on-!"
"Oh no..."
Choryeon tried to hold Hwaryeon back, but Hwaryeon was too quick to jump out. Hwaryeon walked up to the big guy confidently. The big guy snorted when he saw Hwaryeon.
"Heh, what's this? There's one more? And a high-quality one at that."
"Hey, you! What are you doing here! Tell me now!"
"Why isn't this one unconscious? Could she be an awakened one?"
"Hey! Why did you take my underlings!"
"If she's an awakened one, that's even better."
Slurp-
The man walked confidently towards Hwaryeon, not even imagining that he might be in danger.
The big man reached out his rough hand towards Hwaryeon and said.
"You'll make good material. There won't be any pain. Consider yourself lucky."
"Hmph, what are you talking about!"
As the man's hand came out,
"Dragon Punch!"
"Ugh-!!"
Hwaryeon's fist struck the big man's abdomen hard. The man was hit by Hwaryeon's fist and flew far away, collapsing.
Thud-
Hwaryeon looked down at the man and sneered.
"Hmph, why are you picking a fight! Let's go, Choryeon, let's go in!"
"Y-Yes..."
So Hwaryeon knocked down the man and went down to the basement, not knowing what might happen down there.
"Something smells bad here!"
Even to a dragon's senses, the atmosphere in the basement was quite unpleasant.
'Father... I miss you...'
Sob sob-
Choryeon could only cry inside as she was dragged along by Hwaryeon's recklessness.