Chapter 99: The Pied Piper (4)

The children were being led somewhere by the white smoke. Even without consciousness, they walked straight towards their destination.

Hwaryeon frowned as she watched the children staggering after the smoke.

"Ugh, what is that? It looks totally gross."

The children drooled as they chased the smoke. Perhaps because they had lost their freedom and were moving according to someone else's will, Hwaryeon found the sight quite unpleasant.

"Hmph, they look completely stupid! Being controlled by another being! You guys are total failures as humans!"

Huff-!

Hwaryeon yelled and overtook the children who had become like dolls. The expression on Hwaryeon's face as she ran towards the source of the smoke wasn't very good.

"I don't like this! How dare they control my underlings as they please?! Without my permission! They're my underlings!"

Frown-

Hwaryeon scowled deeply and ran down the corridor filled with smoke.

"Annoying humans getting in the way?! Dragon Jet Kick!"

"Ugh-!"

She dealt with the humans patrolling the corridor one by one. Hwaryeon shouted as she threw a punch at a man blocking her way.

"Dragon Punch!"

"Gah- H-How can a kid have such strength..."

"I'm not a kid! You stupid human! Dragon Double Punch!"

"Argh-!"

And so, after dealing with all the humans blocking her way, Hwaryeon finally arrived in front of a room where white smoke was pouring out from between the tightly closed doors.

"Is this the place! The place calling me!"

Hwaryeon crossed her arms and observed the door carefully with a solemn expression.

"Hmm, it's an ordinary door! What's inside that's making all this smoke come out?"

Tilt-

Hwaryeon stared at the door intently, observing it. But that didn't last long. A massive vibration was felt from the path she had cleared.

Thump thump thump-!

"W-What! Why are they suddenly running! They're coming this way!?"

"Uuugh..."

"Eek!"

Hwaryeon's underlings charging through the white smoke. Hwaryeon was startled and quickly put her hand on the doorknob.

Creak-!

"Don't come! You idiots!"

Slam-!

Hwaryeon quickly closed the door seeing the children running towards her. Then she leaned her back against the iron door, catching her breath.

"Phew, why are they suddenly running like crazy! They scared me!"

But she didn't have long to catch her breath.

Bang bang bang-!

"Aaah!"

The children who had chased her pounded on the iron door. Hwaryeon desperately blocked the door and shouted loudly.

"You mere humans, why are you so persistent!! So annoying!!"

Heave ho-

Hwaryeon barely managed to block the door trying to open and locked the locking mechanism on the door.

Only then could Hwaryeon finally find some stability.

"Sigh, if it was going to be like this, I shouldn't have come in! I like fighting, but I can't hit those guys!"

Thud-

Hwaryeon sat down on the floor to catch her breath for a moment. And leaning her back against the wall, she lifted her head and looked ahead.

There was a machine like an exhaust pipe spewing out white smoke.

"What's that?"

Perk-

Hwaryeon walked towards the machine, looking like a curious cat. She circled around the machine and came to one conclusion.

"Hmm, it seems this strange smoke is coming out from here! I should just break it, right?"

Whoosh-

Hwaryeon raised her fist high to break the machine. And,

"Hiyah!"

Just as she was about to bring down that small fist,

"Who's that beside me!?"

Feeling a sudden presence appear beside her, she immediately withdrew her fist.

'If I had brought it down, I would've sent my arm to a new era!'

Huff-!

Hwaryeon turned her head towards the direction where she felt the magical reaction.

'Is that a robot...?!'

A form similar to robots she had seen in cartoons on TV. Confirming the magic power contained in that robot, Hwaryeon had to wipe the smile off her face. Even for a dragon, the magic power that robot contained was…

"I hate to admit it, but if I'm not careful, even I could be in trouble!?"

Even to Hwaryeon, a Red Dragon, it didn't look good.

"Ha, it's been a while since my blood boiled!"

Growl-!

Hwaryeon sharpened her claws and prepared for battle, facing the robot she liked.

***

I arrived at the location Suryeon had sent by text.

"Hah... This is exhausting..."

I felt like I was going to die from being out of breath from running.

Anyway. Fortunately, I was able to meet Suryeon at that location. Suryeon grumbled quietly as she watched me panting.

"Dad, you're late. I got tired waiting for you."

"Hah... This... is as fast as I could come... Suryeon..."

"In that case, I'll let it slide, Dad. Consider yourself lucky."

Suryeon clicked her tongue and reached out her hand to me, saying.

"Let's go, Dad. Hwaryeon and that one are waiting inside."

"Hah... Not 'that one'... Choryeon... Call her by name..."

"That's my freedom, Dad. Let's hurry."

"Sigh, you stubborn girl."

Swish-

I took Suryeon's offered hand and went inside. She wouldn't say it out loud, but Suryeon seemed scared of this alley.

'She's probably trying to hold my hand and waiting for me here because she's scared.'

Even now, if you look. Suryeon is holding my hand tightly with her tiny hand more than ever.

"Where on earth did those stupid dragons go..."

Suryeon walked, holding my hand and trying her best to shake off her fear. I was proud of her trying to overcome her trauma, so I decided not to tease her this time.

'I want to tease her, but it's not the situation for that.'

The situation might be much worse than I thought. I need to prioritize my children's safety and take responsibility for the kindergarten children's safety.

So, Suryeon and I left the dark alley, came out to an open road, and arrived at a shabby building.

There were already big men unconscious there.

"Looks like they've had quite a fight."

"Yeah, especially Hwaryeon seems to have gone wild. Judging by that human who flew far away."

"...Indeed."

I didn't know humans could become one with the wall like that. I learned new information.

"They probably all went down. Let's go, Suryeon."

"Okay, Dad."

Tap tap-

Suryeon and I carefully went down to the basement. And as we walked through the wide underground corridor, we looked around to find the children.

"Suryeon."

"What, Dad."

"Do you sense any presence?"

"No, I don't. It's quiet. But I smell something."

"What kind of smell?"

"The smell of Mangmung's paw pads."

Does she mean Mangmung's puppy smell? That smell is certainly easy to remember.

Suryeon pulled my hand and jumped forward, saying.

"This way, Dad. Just follow me."

"Okay, Suryeon. It might be strange to say this here, but you're really reliable."

"...Save the praise for later, Dad."

Huff-

Suryeon turned her head forward and ran hard with her ears reddened.

As we walked through the corridor following Suryeon, past the chaos Hwaryeon had caused,

"Tch, found them. There's Mangmung and Choryeon."

Suryeon gestured towards Choryeon standing in the distance. I approached Choryeon, who was quietly facing the wall, and called out.

"Choryeon!"

"Oh, Father? When did you arrive?"

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm very healthy, Father."

Swish-

Choryeon said this and turned towards me. Then, I saw the person hidden behind Choryeon and I couldn't help but be surprised.

'...W-What is this?'

A man who had lost consciousness and collapsed. What on earth had Choryeon been doing to that man?

I pointed at the man in a strange state and asked Choryeon.

"...Choryeon."

"Yes, Father."

"What exactly were you doing to this person?"

"Umm..."

Choryeon thought for a moment, then answered with a bright smile.

"I was making a vegetable human!"

"...By sticking flowers into an unconscious person?"

"Yes!"

Choryeon smiling brightly like the flowers stuck in that man. The unconscious man was covered in flowers all over his body by Choryeon.

"Fortunately, he seems to be breathing..."

"Hehe..."

"Choryeon, can I ask why you committed this cri- I mean, why you did this?"

"Hmm, about that!"

Hug-!

Choryeon hugged Mangmung who was guarding her feet and answered.

"Mangmung and I couldn't fight! So we had to go with Hwaryeon, but Hwaryeon suddenly ran off alone, so we had no choice but to wait for Father in place!"

"Hmm, and then?"

"While waiting for Father... I was bored... so I thought I'd do something! I turned that human into a vegetable human! Like drawing a picture!"

"A picture..."

Hmm. Looking closely, it seemed she had paid attention to the color scheme in her flower arrangement, just like a picture.

I patted Choryeon's head and said.

"As expected, you have a great sense of art, Choryeon."

"Hehe, thank you! Father!"

"You did well waiting quietly until I came."

I should praise what needs to be praised. I patted Choryeon's head and gave her praise.

After a moment,

"Ahem, Dad. I don't think this is the time for this. I'm worried Hwaryeon might be in danger."

Suryeon cleared her throat and started worrying about Hwaryeon. I agreed with her point, so I took my hand off Choryeon's head.

"You're right. As Suryeon says, this isn't the time."

"..."

Maybe she felt bad about being interrupted. Choryeon glared at Suryeon intently, but it wasn't the time for us to be having a battle of nerves.

"Let's find Hwaryeon. We need to solve this white smoke problem too. Mangmung!"

"Woof woof!"

"Guide us to where Hwaryeon is!"

"Woof woof!"

Pitter-patter-

As soon as I finished speaking, Mangmung jumped into the white smoke. Seeing this, the dragons and I followed behind Mangmung.

"Let's go, kids!"

To find Hwaryeon, the last puzzle piece of our family. We ran down the long corridor following the white smoke like that.

"...Somehow I feel like I smell blood."

"...That's right. I sense some huge magical power ahead."

"..."

As I listened to Suryeon and Choryeon's words.

Gulp-

I swallowed the saliva that had formed from anxiety and tension and quickened my pace.