Chapter 13
“Gasp.. There’s something over there..!”
“Yeah, looks like it. Do you think Minyum can handle it?”
“Hmm.. I think I can do it..?”
At my question, Minyum nodded. For now, there were fewer goblins than the eight Suri had taken down. It looked like there were about five.
Minyum was about the same size as the goblins, so I wasn't sure if she'd be okay. Still, I'd already received the mana stone..?
I don't know how the hair dryer would come into play, but she was carrying a sword too.
“Alright, Minyum. Move out..!”
ㅡClack!
The moment I gave the order, Minyum burst out of the brush with her sword out front and charged at the goblins.
“Kirrk!?”
“Keryaak!!”
She wasn't unbelievably fast, but at least she was faster than a healthy, unawakened adult man. Minyum ran with a mechanical footstep sound and thrust her blade straight at the goblin.
ㅡCrack!
“Uh, what?!”
“Oh.”
Suri was made of rare metal, but Minyum's body wasn't. It was made of just a little aluminum and the plastic that had formed the hair dryer's outer shell.
In other words... the sword Minyum was holding was actually plastic.
“M, Minyum! Come back!”
I tried to call Minyum back with the Command skill, but her fighting spirit was still burning.
ㅡWooooong..!!
A powerful gust burst from Minyum's calves, and she drove a wind-propelled kick straight into the goblin's head.
ㅡThud!!
The light goblin took Minyum's kick to the head and went flying, rolling away in a tumble.
It was a blow strong enough to cave in one side of its head. Even after that, she didn't stop, and after repeatedly unleashing kicks and Minyum's wind-powered flurry of blows, the result was...
“O, ooo..!”
ㅡClack!
Her fist, shoulder, and shin armor were all cracked in places, but Minyum stood alone and raised her fist high.
“G, good job, Minyum!!!”
She'd put up a good fight against five goblins. And this was Minyum, made from eleven aluminum cans, a broken hair dryer, and one low-grade mana stone!
Compared to Suri, the scale of money spent was on a different level. For an achievement that probably cost less than 100,000 won all told, it was excellent!
“Uo... oooo....”
It looked like she'd gotten used to using her ability, because she unfolded some sort of mechanical booster from her back and slowly flew over here.
“W, whoa... that's amazing.”
“How did you add that wind function? Can Suri do something like that too?”
At Han Dohi's question, I thought for a moment. Maybe Minyum's booster function was because of the hair dryer?
“Minyum was made by turning a hair dryer into a golem and fusing it together. Originally it was made from eleven soda cans—not beer cans.... I added the hair dryer to that.”
“Aha, I get it. I understand now. So that black color was the hair dryer’s color?”
“That’s right. Hehe....”
Minyum had a lot of injuries all over her body, but right now the joy of winning the fight seemed to matter more.
“Come here! I’ll heal you!”
Just like I’d done with Dangdang last time, when I healed Minyum, a bit of mana drained out and the broken armor and sword were restored to their original state.
“I think durability is the problem. Even if it isn't rare metal, it'd be good to combine things made out of ordinary metal.”
“Yeah. I guess the problem was that it was plastic.”
Honestly, she fought incredibly well. Minyum's hard-fought win over the goblins was entirely a materials issue. Especially that booster kick—it was seriously cool.
If I just added something like stainless steel, she'd become insanely strong.
“Well, I think I have a rough idea of how strong Eve is. And if you invest just a little more money, she'll definitely grow stronger, right?”
“Must be nice. Healers have a hard time growing.”
“Hehehe....”
Still, healer types can make several million won with a click. I envy healers too.
Anyway, the gate raid went on for about another hour after that. We did meet a few people along the way.
ㅡHoly crap, that thing is adorable.
ㅡSeriously. How does it look like that.
Maybe because of my appearance, there weren't any real problems. Aside from the fact that I was a little embarrassed, that is.
* * * * *
“Hey, good work. Work hard and, uh, train Minyum properly. She seemed to fight pretty well.”
“Yes! I will!”
“But Eve, why are you speaking so politely to me?”
After dinner, once we got back to my neighborhood in Han Dohi's car, she asked as I got out and saw me off.
“Huh..!? Ah, no, um... because you're... unnie..?”
“You used casual speech in chat, didn't you? I'm fine with casual speech.”
“Uh, uuh....”
Han Dohi chuckled at my dazed face and got back into the car. Then, through the passenger-side window as it rolled down, I saw Kim Chaea and Han Dohi.
“See you later, Eve~! You saved unnie's phone number properly, right?”
“Ah... yes! Dangdang probably....”
“Alright, alright, get home safe. It's cold! Hurry inside!”
“Y-yes.. Drive safely....”
For now, all I can think of her as is a self-proclaimed unnie. I mean, she's younger than me, right? Sure, she's a little taller than me now? (20 cm) Her face even looks a little younger than mine? She treated me to dinner, too? And she was the guardian accompanying a minor on the gate raid? Even if I was there to learn?
Anyway, I'm an adult. A seriously huge adult, at that. I probably have more customer-service experience, too. Do you think four years as a convenience-store clerk is a joke???
Money-wise, though, she probably earned more than I did....
“Uuu....”
As I walked along thinking this and that, the sun had set and the dark alleyway felt a little scary. Minyum was behind me, and Dangdang was following too. Suri was probably watching from above as well, but... this place was just too eerie.
“When on earth are they going to fix this streetlight..!”
I hated that streetlight that flickered every day. At least they escorted me all the way home.
After walking up the stairs with Minyum to room 404, I threw myself onto the mattress. The hardest part of clearing the gate was walking around. The wind kept blowing through the gaps in my skirt, so it was super distracting.
“Right, you guys! Come here!”
ㅡWhoosh!
Once I opened the window, Suri perched on the windowsill. It had even dared to cancel my order without saying a word and order weird clothes.
“How could you do this to me?! I was so good to you!”
The white sweatshirt and black pants I'd bought from Musinsa had vanished somewhere, and it had gone and ordered clothes and underwear in bulk from a children's clothing brand I'd never even heard of.
Children's clothing! I've lived 500 years longer than you guys. How could you do something this cruel to me?
“Here, return the ones I haven't worn! I'm not wearing these!”
The clothes I'd had no choice but to wear out were okay. I couldn't return those now. But there were still plenty of clothes I hadn't worn yet.
“Suri! Look at me!”
ㅡKiit..
Suri wasn't looking at me, just staring blankly somewhere else. Minyum was only scratching her head, and Dangdang was spinning around and around. Is this really a princess? Why are you so undignified!
“And Dangdang! Who told you to verify my identity on your own!”
I grabbed the spinning Dangdang and pinched and stretched its cheeks. Of course, since it was metal, they didn't actually stretch; it just felt that way.
ㅡBeep!
[Account balance : 876,132]
Even after buying 500,000 won worth of clothes, I still had this much money left. Dangdang gets a pass.
“Okay, Dangdang, go play. Suri, you come here!”
At my call, Suri came pitter-pattering over on its short little legs.
“You ordered this! You little punk!”
As I held Suri's wings and stretched them out and folded them back in, Suri stared at me and puffed its feathers up with a snap.
“What's with you! What did you do that was so great!”
In response to my question, Suri immediately extended an arm and pointed at Dangdang.
“Dangdang what? What did it do?”
ㅡKiiit
“You saved me too? I mean, yeah, that's true. Okay, Suri, you're off the hook. Minyum, come here!”
The next one was Minyum. The moment I called her, she marched right over and blasted warm air at me.
“Mmm, so warm....”
Sitting in a chilly room while basking in warm air felt like my irritation was melting away. The tension I'd been carrying all day loosened all at once, and my body felt like it was sagging as fatigue rolled in.
“Hmm... fine. I'll let it slide just for today.”
They were all competent, so it couldn't be helped. In the end, I couldn't even scold them properly, and the lecture session was over.
But I would remember what happened today..! Even the stockings I'd flat-out refused ended up being put on once I stepped outside into the cold.
Maybe because they were expensive, they were warm. Yeah..
After I carelessly tossed my clothes onto the floor, Minyum, with her larger body and five fingers, neatly folded them and placed them on top of the dresser.
Then she went into the bathroom and turned on the warm water, and before long she tapped me while I was lying on the mattress.
“Huh? You want me to bathe? It's okay, I'll do it later.”
ㅡClack!
Apparently Minyum and Suri had different ideas. One kept pecking at me from the side with its beak, and Minyum kept grabbing my arm and pulling.
“Ugh... I said I'm tired right now....”
In the end, I shoved myself into the tub full of warm water. It's annoying when you're told to wash, but once you're bathing, it's comfortable and nice.
After I got out of the bath, I saw that Suri had opened all the packaging for the pajamas it ordered on its own and had already cut off every tag.
What on earth is this stupid baby-pink pajama set? Is this some North Korean infiltrator's scheme to ruin my dignity?
“Hehehe... it's so soft.”
But I decided to let it slide this time, so there was nothing I could do.
Still, there won't be a next time. I'm seriously mad.
“Ugh... I need to post on the gallery....”
My body was warm and toasty. Minyum dried my hair too, and I ate a ton of delicious food, so I'm full.
“I shouldn't fall asleep now....”
Who am I? The ruler of the dawn gallery. The king of the night-shift convenience-store part-timer who sleeps by day and wakes by night.
“Ugh... the Class-0 Owl Demon King....”
Current time: 9:47 PM.
Eve falls asleep here.