Chapter: Yurian’s Rampage

The black sedan drove along the road beside the sea.

Jurim, seated in the back, propped his chin on his hand and yawned, then cast a glance at the child sitting on his lap.

The child was focused on the tablet Jurim was holding.

......Meanwhile, with the government sealing the contract for Korea’s first S+-grade Mephisto Series mk.3, fervent reactions are flooding in from nations around the world.......

A small white face blossomed into a smile, cheeks puffing up.

Looking satisfied, Guru carefully watched the ten-minute-long video, then swiped the screen with her forefinger.

The tablet scrolled upward.

The screen was filled with near-identical thumbnails splashed with flashy yellow, red, and sky-blue letters.

“Dis one watch?”

“Ppi-ppi!”

As Guru, absorbed in choosing, pointed sharply at one video, Mephisto, perched on her head, nodded.

[First Ever S+-Grade K-Drone Appears in Korea!]

Reading the large letters on the thumbnail, Jurim rubbed his forehead with a troubled look.

Lately, Guru and Mephisto’s hobby had been watching YouTube together with him.

[The world says it can’t keep up with the speed of K-Drone development ㄷㄷ]

[World S-Ranks speechless at Jjapso’s S+ reveal]

[The reason America is clinging to Korea’s coattails these days: K-Drone Mephisto Series]

[The moment Korea pulled ‘this’ out, the world was shocked! (Thumbnail: fire-breathing chick)]

Guru’s YouTube algorithm was overflowing with thumbnails screaming, ‘When S+-grade K-Drone appeared, America wept, Japan kneeled, and China trembled.’

“......Ha.”

A week had passed since the government sealed the contract for Mephisto Series mk.3.

And these days, this was Jurim’s headache.

That his kid had fallen into what people called ‘nationalist-pump YouTube.’ My god.

***

Oblivious to Jurim’s complicated expression, Guru swung her legs back and forth happily.

It had already been a week since the lease contract for Mephisto Series mk.3 was completed.

As if no one else was allowed to be proud of making an S+-grade, every media outlet was overflowing with stories about the Mephisto Series.

Guru’s mouth curved upward in a wide grin.

Was it because all the praise poured onto the Mephisto Series always made her laugh?

Even though Jurim had laid down the condition, ‘No watching videos alone without an adult,’ he didn’t interfere much.

Guru, in turn, pressed her body even closer to him and rubbed her cheek against his.

Jurim laughed low in his throat, brushing her bangs back with his hand.

'Daddy wooks happy too.'

With sparkling eyes, Guru stole a glance at Jurim.

That tall, handsome face was looking back at her as though she was adorable.

It had been a week since she opened Daddy’s ‘G’ folder.

Even if I wanted to meet Mama and Daddy now, maybe I can’t anymore, she still felt a dull ache in a corner of her heart.

'But still.'

Guru burrowed deeper into his arms.

Even if her real Mama and Daddy were gone—

Guru whispered right into his ear.

“Gwuu ish happy as wong Oppaw is hewe.”

At the sudden confession, Jurim looked at her, startled, then smiled softly.

Their foreheads soon touched, bumping lightly.

“But still, YouTube time is one hour a day.”

“Eeeeiiiing~!”

When Guru whined, Jurim laughed and playfully bit her mochi-like cheek.

Guru shrieked “Gyaaaak,” but just then came the faint rustle of leaves brushing together.

'Eh, dat sound is...?'

Guru opened her quest window.

[Caregiver Quest]

[For a growing child, attachment is a very important nutrient. Attachment helps children grow into stable and strong sovereigns. Treasure the bonds you’ve formed, and build more connections to gather enough attachment index!]

[Reward: Unlock previously locked ‘Title’]

Below the quest window, a young sapling had grown.

What once had only three leaves now bore fifty, and its trunk had risen nearly the height of three handspans.

It could now rightly be called a teenage sapling.

In truth, this sudden growth was thanks to registering Sheir and Chuen as new caregivers.

Because registering new caregivers had pumped in a surge of attachment all at once.

'So once ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) it grows from a teenager tree into an adult tree, the title will open?'

Thump-thump.

Though the tree had grown well, the title remained unopened.

Just what kind of title was it, to be hidden away so tightly?

Name: On Guru

Title: ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ (unviewable)

'Gwate Supew Gwuu Shiny Awesum?!'

It made sense... it did!

Guru huffed out snorts through her nose, convinced her title might really be something like that.

Maybe if she registered more new caregivers, the title would unlock...

Wasn’t there any new S-Rank without disqualification as a caregiver?

But since S-Ranks themselves were so rare, she’d already been incredibly lucky. Meeting more might be impossible.

As Guru was worrying, the sedan gently slowed.

“We have arrived, Guildmastuh On.”

When the agent playing driver turned back, Jurim nodded briefly, then got out carrying Guru in his arms.

At that moment, click-click flashes poured in.

'Eh?!'

Startled by the reporters surrounding them, Guru clutched tightly to Jurim’s chest.

He patted her small back reassuringly, as if to say there was no need to be scared.

“This way, please.”

Following the agent’s lead, they entered the aircraft carrier (a large warship that carried planes).

Guru’s mouth fell open, eyes beginning to sparkle.

Dudududu—

As a helicopter lifted off overhead, wind blasted across them.

Guru squinted against the gust, then cried out in awe at the sight of so many fighter jets.

A floating iron fortress.

Standing on the aircraft carrier, Guru grabbed Jurim’s collar and pointed at one fighter jet.

“Oppaw! Wook! F-30 Spectuh!”

“Mm.”

Jurim, his collar yanked, gave a vague reply as he glanced at the jet she pointed to.

Guru panted heavily.

To think she would see, not a toy, but an actual sixth-generation fighter jet in the flesh!

Her chest thumped wildly, fingertips tingling.

The whole reason she had agreed to come to the Mephisto mk.3 demonstration was this chance to see the carrier and the jets in person.

'Amaaaazing! Sooo big! Gwuu wanna make one too!'

While she was imagining building her own giant carrier, Defense Minister Jo Seongran approached and extended her hand.

“Guildmastuh On, a pleasure. I trust your trip wasn’t too troublesome?”

Her manner was polite and formal.

Her gaze brushed briefly over Guru. She was likely recalling the Chick Class raid incident that had toppled the President’s Chief Secretary.

Kwon Honggyun, the Chief Secretary who had schemed to exploit Guru’s kindergarten class, had since been dismissed and was under investigation.

“I’m On Jurim of Hyeonak. Thanks to you, we arrived comfortably.”

Jurim set Guru down, clasped her hand, and exchanged simple greetings.

Guru clung to his leg, eyes rolling curiously as she looked around the vessel.

'Somewhere here, Gwuu’s dwone must be, wight?'

The aircraft carrier Kim Jwajin (KDDX-S6) was the site of the official first demonstration of the ‘Mephisto Series mk.3 (S+).’

This new S+-grade was a hot topic not only domestically, but abroad as well.

Which was why on the deck, nearly two thousand high-ranking figures, including ministers from various countries, were gathered in clusters, chatting.

Just then, as they spotted Jurim entering alongside the Defense Minister, people swarmed toward him.

“Guildmastuh On.”

“An honor to meet you.”

No one would want to miss such a rare chance to meet On Jurim himself.

As welcomes poured in from all sides, Guru, her eyes spinning, was distracted—

When suddenly, her backpack cracked open a little, and the noses of a hamster and a Maltese poked out, twitching as they sniffed the air.

'Dis scent is....'

Veilach’s expression froze, turning cold.