Chapter: 186. Family Service (4)
In a corner of the shopping mall, there was an exhibition.
It goes without saying, but I couldn’t find a single visitor no matter how hard I looked.
No wonder, though—it’s not like this was a famous artist’s exhibition; it’s just a simple college student exhibit, and it was after dinner time.
Even the exhibition staff, who should have been guiding the audience, glanced at us with little interest and then returned to their own tasks.
Honestly, if I were in that woman’s position, I’d probably do the same.
If three young women came to the exhibition, it wouldn’t be all that impressive, especially if two of them looked really young.
“Abstract art!”
Our adorable Linshua didn’t seem to care about such treatment and dashed towards the canvas with a unique talent for admiring it in a small voice.
But abstract art… honestly, I don’t get it.
It’s all just colors and lines; a black line here, a white one there, a red one, and a blue one too.
Honestly, if you handed me a brush, I bet I could paint something like that.
Looking at the pieces hanging on the wall, there was nothing that really resonated with me, aside from just different colors.
Of course, for Linshua, it might be different. She tilted her head while pondering the “core attack” in front of the artwork.
Anyone familiar with art would see something else, I guess.
Since I wasn’t interested, I simply didn’t know.
Seeing Linshua’s head tilt to the right, it seemed she’d be quiet for at least a couple of minutes.
It looked like at least one art piece had stimulated her artistic spirit.
If she really didn’t care, she’d have just skimmed the exhibition and immediately gotten bored, clinging to me.
Well then, I might as well pass the time.
The seating wasn’t that comfortable for an exhibition, but the quiet and cozy white space was good for calming my jittery mind.
As I stared blankly at the ceiling lights, enjoying a leisurely heaven, the tranquility ended with the light sound of someone sitting beside me.
“What are you doing?”
I heard the familiar voice of the Thunder God.
I sluggishly opened my mouth.
“Counting dust.”
That’s something I’d never say under normal circumstances.
“Must be tired?”
“Not really.”
“Not physically, but mentally.”
“Not really.”
In reality, mentally I was a bit tired, but it’s not like I could say that to the very people causing the fatigue.
“Stop pretending you’re fine; Linshua isn’t listening, so you can be honest.”
At those words, I stopped counting dust and looked at Linshua.
In the meantime, her head was now tilted to the left.
Linshua was still echoing with her thoughts.
So, I guess it’s okay to be honest.
“I am a bit tired… but I can handle it better than when the students are around.”
No sooner had I finished that sentence than—bang!
With a small popping sound, an impact struck my back.
It wasn’t painful, but it was surprising enough.
“Then at times like these, you have to at least show some courtesy!”
The instigator of the surprise attack was, of course, the Divine One.
If you only listened to her words, it sounded like she was angry. However, there was no trace of such emotions flowing in.
Instead, her face held a slight smirk.
She was probably enjoying teasing me.
“You told me to be honest. I already know there’s no benefit in reacting seriously to your little pranks.”
In response, the Thunder God seemed to feel she’d had enough fun.
Taking a seat and crossing her legs, she opened her mouth bluntly.
“I understand. Linshua is so lively; it’s no surprise you’d end up tired.”
She said this while resting her chin on one hand, staring intently at Linshua.
“I was a bit surprised when I heard she was a monster, but a child is still a child, I guess. If you see her every day, you can’t help but wonder where all that energy comes from.”
Hmm. It’s an action of Linshua I don’t know about. This is kind of interesting.
“What do you mean?”
“Just, suddenly came to mind. Like, messing around with Jiho, creating something like a dog. Or when I’m asked to make something and she escapes out of boredom, so I have to bring her back. Or on the way to sleep, she grabs me and asks for a story. If she gets permission to go out, she always dashes around and disappears as soon as I take my eyes off her.”
The Divine One listed her complaints one by one, tranquil in her smile, as if she wasn’t genuinely annoyed.
“I guess having a kid feels like this.”
A child.
That’s a heavy topic.
The Thunder God was definitely permanently infertile, beyond just her physical structure.
Not just her, but many ancient heroes shared the same fate.
Except for Prohibition; she has an entirely different reason.
For a moment, I thought about that and checked the Divine One’s face, but unlike mine, she didn’t seem to have said those words after any particular contemplation, as her expression didn’t change much.
How would I describe the Thunder God’s expression?
It looked like that of an older sister watching her younger brother.
Such warmth lingered on the Divine One’s face as she looked at Linshua.
Could I say this warmth?
“Divine One.”
“Do you remember what I said on the sandy beach?”
“How could I forget? I remember everything—every word, every tone.”
“Then do you still think the same way?”
“What thought?”
“That my sense of justice is wrong, and that I’d expose it no matter what.”
I know that’s a rather violent question, enough to shatter this warm atmosphere.
“Yeah. It’s the same.”
However, there was no emotion in the Thunder God’s voice.
As if it were a mere fact.
“I still have every intention of revealing it. It’s just that Linshua is holding me back on that front.”
Is that so?
Feeling a bit bitter, I was about to take a steel bar to chew on when she said,
“Actually, I can think of various indirect methods. Linshua’s contract isn’t that strong.”
The Divine One started listing her “core attacks” with a slightly raised tone.
Even though I hadn’t even asked.
“But I wouldn’t actually do it. Hmm, how to put it… a victor’s right? That’s how I feel.”
Was the Divine One the type to think like one of those muscle brutes?
I briefly questioned and glanced at the Thunder God. Then she gazed back at me.
With a faint smile.
“Even so, don’t let your guard down. If Linshua faints or if you go completely berserk, I’ll be more than ready to expose everything.”
It was a hostile suggestion, but there was still no malice in her voice.
“What allowed me to save you was leaving behind a touchy issue for the distant future. Or should I put it this way?”
Hee hee.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she began to elaborate.
“I’ll be with you till the end, whether your sense of justice is right or wrong. Critiquing and opposing you while ensuring you can walk your path straight ahead, like a hostile signpost.”
As she spoke, the Divine One sniggered again but suddenly began to blush profusely.
“Oh, um, it’s not like I mean it in any particular way. You know? That one American comic that Linshua was reading. Arch-Enemy? Umm… it feels slightly different… this isn’t it… ”
And then she clumsily acted out various movements as if to express the sound flustered.
Waving her hands and feet, flushing her face, contorting her body,
I watched for a few minutes and then spoke up.
“Yeah. I’ll definitely count on you. For when it matters.”
Just like the Librarian had for me, I hoped the Thunder God could be that pillar for me as well.
After the exhibition, on the way back, I called out to Linshua, who was bouncing around with the square object wrapped in cloth.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Yeah! It’s a pretty painting!”
Sure, I can’t see it, but if it makes Linshua happy, that’s what matters.
“Is it by a famous artist?”
“Hmm? Ah, nah! A nobody!”
So she bought it just because she liked the painting?
Then again, considering the price and the fact that they just gave it away right there, it’s definitely not from any renowned artist.
“But I think they’ll be famous! In about 15 years!”
Fifteen years, huh? That’s not really a short time.
If Linshua says it like this, I hope whoever it is keeps painting for those fifteen years.
“So, was it—enjoyable?”
“Yeah! It was really fun! Dad was great, and Thunder God Unni was great too!”
“Then I’m glad to hear that.”
We chatted happily as we walked down the dimly lit street.
How long did we walk?
A fork in the road appeared.
To be precise, it wasn’t exactly a fork, but rather a place where we had to part ways.
The corner of a building—there was the alley leading to the Korean branch of the organization.
The back alley, already dark, was now soaked in the night’s darkness, becoming a pitch-black place where you could barely see a foot ahead.
And I stared intently into that darkness and spoke up.
“Time to go?”
“Uh? Already?”
Linshua seemed disappointed, glancing back and forth between me and the alley for the first time.
“Yeah… I wish I could stay a little longer.”
Given how dark it was, I’m sure Linshua is aware that there’s not much to do anyway.
Yet, is it simply her desire to stay with me? Linshua began to grumble.
It couldn’t be helped.
I thought this and slowly lifted my heels. Then I ruffled Linshua’s hair, who was taller than me.
“We can see each other again later, right? Now that we have a contract, we can meet a lot more often than before.”
“Yeah… is that so?”
Linshua seemed to understand my words, smiling as she stepped away from me.
“Then Dad, this is my gift!”
The lively Linshua took out the “core attack” from her arms and offered it to me.
“Huh? The core attack?”
I naturally reached out and accepted the item that Linshua offered.
What I received was a small accessory.
Composed of a sturdy leather string and a black bead, it was an utterly ordinary wrist ornament.
The only standout feature was that there was a yellow light inside the black bead.
“I made it! When I think of Dad!”
Hmm. It lacks a bit in style for something Linshua made.
Wasn’t Linshua’s taste usually something softer?
I mulled that over for a moment, but then I thought, what does it matter?
I slipped the accessory onto my wrist.
“Yeah. It suits you!”
“Really?”
I couldn’t really tell, but after turning my wrist once to check in the light, I still wasn’t sure.
“Don’t forget to wear it while you sleep, Dad!”
Isn’t it going to be a hassle to wear while sleeping?
If I keep fighting so violently, I might break it someday.
But then again, I shouldn’t say that out loud.
“Okay then.”
To soothe my daughter, I made an impossible promise.
“Alright! Dad! Today was fun! Tomorrow, let’s…”
The moment Linshua heard the promise, she took a step back and dashed down the alley.
Before long, she vanished into the black darkness.
“Then I’ll head off as well.”
The Divine One waved and vanished into the darkness.
And time passed.
I beat the students up… no, I trained them hard.
Handled various small tasks.
Visited the Librarian again.
Such rest continued for about two weeks.
Finally, I received a message from Al-Shel.
“Come to our office in two days, in the morning.”
“Got it.”
Such a simple notification through the phone.
For someone heading to the Otherworld, it was an unusually straightforward conversation.
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