181 – Troubleshooter (1)
The sky is blue, the birds are singing, and the grass is growing.
There is no reason why I am saying such useless things. That’s because I have nothing to do.
Although I receive consistent training from Rod, it doesn’t mean I receive it every day. He should have some personal time too.
So, when I have free time like today, I tend to stay in the dormitory and do nothing.
Even if we went out, there was nothing to do and we could eat inside. Instead, I need to get out today.
‘Usk meat is all gone.’
All the Usk meat piled up was used up. I guess I need to go grocery shopping.
When I’m with friends, I eat at a restaurant, but not usually.
It is a sin not to cook with great skill.
Plus, it tastes better than most restaurant food, so it’s better to cook it yourself.
‘It’s definitely meat.’
I wrote down the necessary ingredients in my notebook. There are enough seasonings, but there are no main ingredients.
You can just go to the butcher and buy meat. I never got tired of eating meat.
‘I have to eat pork belly today.’
In this world, thanks to the development of the slaughter industry, meat parts are classified in detail.
Not only was there pork belly, but there were also parts I had never seen before. Instead, it was difficult to distinguish them because the names were different.
But since I often visit the butcher shop, the man kindly explained it to me.
Now that he is a regular, he knows my face. Sometimes, the service was generous.
‘I just wish the oven worked properly.’
I felt regretful as I went out. Ovens are installed in each dormitory.
However, because science is not yet developed, it is difficult to control the temperature.
Last time, the temperature was adjusted incorrectly and the dormitory almost caught fire.
After that incident, I don’t use the oven and just cook normally. I learned that scientific development is ambiguous.
‘I have to finish the shopping and go to Jane.’
Or maybe I should eat meat with Jane. It seemed like he didn’t even eat properly and was so focused on research.
How far has Jane’s invention progressed? I walked forward with some anticipation.
Thanks to my recent wandering around, there were no eyes focused on me. This means that people have gradually adapted.
I also didn’t pay much attention to the gaze itself. The most important thing is lunch today.
[Closed today.]
“Eek.”
But the butcher shop was closed. I was discouraged when I saw the sign hanging at the entrance to the door.
This place is usually open every day, but it’s closed. I feel like my desire to eat pork belly is collapsing.
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Now that things are like this, I think we have no choice but to resolve the issue at the restaurant. Skipping meals is an absolute no-no.
‘There’s nothing I’m particularly attracted to.’
I wonder if there is a place like a Korean restaurant where you can grill your own meat, but there is no place like that.
I thought it would be better to settle down at the buffet for now. I turned away with regret.
“Hello!”
“?”
As soon as I turned my back, a voice reached my ears. A voice came from below, not from in front.
When I lowered my head, I saw a kid looking up at me. A boy with black hair and bright eyes.
This is an image that would appear in a children’s cartoon that I often watched in the past. Most people who don’t know the character call him Potato Head.
“Did you come to buy meat too?”
“······?”
Mister? Are you looking at my face and calling me uncle?
I blinked when I first heard the name “Uncle.” Could it be that he grew a beard in the meantime?
It was around this time that I found myself stuttering my chin without realizing it. The kid looked behind me and gave a similar reaction to me.
“Eh. We’re closed today. Dad said we should eat meat.”
“······How old are you?”
“Me? 5 Years old!”
I don’t know who it is, but I can’t believe I’m asking a child who is only 5 years old to run errands. Even though he looks bright, he is not a child.
But this kid. It feels like I’ve seen him somewhere before. In particular, he had raven hair and his appearance reminded me of someone.
As I was watching closely, I heard a familiar voice from ahead.
“Dawn! I told you not to go alone!”
The man presumed to be the child’s father came rushing over. It looks like the child came on his own terms.
As soon as I made eye contact with the child’s father, I thought, “Huh?” He opened his eyes slightly wide. The same goes for the child’s father.
“Huh? Sivar student?”
“Instructor?”
It was Marlboro. I was told he looked like someone, but it was this person.
The child named Dawn also had black hair, so the impression was very similar. If Dunn grows up, he’ll be just like Marlboro.
Marlboro was surprised to see me for a moment and caught Dawn as she tried to run away. And then he smiled brightly and lifted it up.
“Gotcha! Where is this guy going again?”
“Let go! I’m going to run more!”
No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t escape Marlboro’s thick arms.
Anyway, looking at it like this, Marlboro is quite big. In particular, it is wide on the sides, like an actor.
“Son?”
“Oh, that’s right. His name is Dawn. He’s my son. He’s a 5-year-old troublemaker. If you distract him, he keeps running around.”
“I’m bored. I don’t want to stay home.”
“So Mommy has a hard time every day. Do you know how surprised she was when she heard that she went into the forest the other day?”
“I wanted to catch a rhinoceros beetle.”
A struggling father and an innocent child. This is exactly what a typical rich person looks like.
When I was feeling strange after seeing that, I looked at the butcher shop where Marlboro was closed.
“Oh my. It’s closed today. I guess I have no choice but to eat out.”
“Wow! Dining out!”
“Um, that won’t work. Let’s eat at home.”
“Eh. I don’t like it. I’m going to eat out! I’m going to eat out!”
Dawn grabbed Marlboro and started hugging it. Marlboro just chuckled.
It seems like he’s just playing around, but there’s no way Dawn, who’s just a child, would know that. It really is a harmonious father-son relationship.
‘Later, that relationship…’
I quickly shook my head. There is no need to think about that tragedy now.
There is no need for it all, the devil is the culprit. If you remember this straight, nothing like that will happen.
“Okay, okay. Then, where should we eat?”
“Um… First of all, can’t that guy eat it too?”
“What?”
Why am I suddenly calling you? Just as Marlboro was embarrassed, I was also quite embarrassed.
Let alone calling him uncle, I just met him for the first time. I know I’m very fickle, but I never thought it would end up like this.
Marlboro looked at me as Dawn pointed and she asked with a puzzled expression.
“That uncle… No, no. Why bro?”
“I want to play together.”
“Hmm? Suddenly?”
“Yes.”
What on earth did I do that we want to play together? I blinked.
Marlboro must have thought this as a surprise as he looked at Dawn and then shifted his gaze to me.
There is no provision in the academy regulations that states that you cannot become friends with instructors in private. There is no similar law.
Everyone tolerates this because instructors cannot be politically free anyway. That’s why sometimes strange rumors go around.
But I’m okay. I am a person from the wild with no background or connections. Therefore, there are no problems as I become close with the instructors.
“Um… I don’t know if it’ll be okay.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know which of the two will cause an accident.”
No. Anyway, isn’t it a bit too much to say that I am inferior to a child?
What’s even more hurtful is that Marlboro wasn’t joking but really said that.
I felt a little unfair, but since I had karma, I couldn’t really make an excuse. Just have to accept it.
“Is it okay? I can’t help it if you say no.”
“I’m going to play! I’m going to play with that guy!”
“······I’ll play.”
At that time, I also had nothing to do. In addition, events related to Marlboro’s son, Dawn, must also be fulfilled.
It would be convenient to think of it as part of preventing future tragedies. Since this is a tragedy that goes beyond Grace, I plan to stop it at all costs.
‘There was an event where people disappeared while playing together, right?’
That’s roughly what I remember. He goes into the forest of chaos on his own accord and disappears.
Entry to the Forest of Chaos is still prohibited, so that doesn’t happen. However, children are originally prohibited from entering the forest.
Dawn will go into the forest looking for some kind of dog hole. All you have to do is quietly follow behind and protect him.
“Thank you. Dawn won’t be in danger, but… Just don’t cause accidents, okay? And don’t play strange games.”
“Strange game?”
“Um…If I had to compare it to flying on a catapult? Just don’t do anything similar to that.”
No matter how much I do, I would never do something like that to a child. What on earth are you looking at me for?
After that, I spent time eating with the Marlboro family. Considering the amount of food, we settled on a buffet.
“Oh, Sivar, how are you and Luna these days?”
“······Luna?”
“Yes. There’s been a strange rumor going around these days. Did you see Luna coming out of your dorm? That was after the freshman banquet.”
“Is there any problem?”
I looked at Marlboro with an expression like, “What’s wrong with that?” Marlboro looked at me blankly and she giggled.
Afterwards, he patted me on the back and opened his mouth in a tone telling me not to worry.
“Okay. It looks like you don’t know that yet. That’s good.”
“··· ···”
“If the regulations are followed, it is normal to impose penalty points… But sometimes it is overlooked. Let’s find out who spread such a rumor.”
I didn’t know what it was, but I answered that I would understand. Honestly, from my perspective, it feels like I’m playing drums and janggu.
Is it close to the eye of a typhoon? Actually, Luna and I are living without paying attention, but for her, the outside world is the problem.
Still, it seems like it would be difficult to completely get her attention. Since she has reached the ears of the instructors, the students will also know.
Moreover, other people are more likely to have a seizure than me. It’s quiet for now, but it’ll be interesting to see when Grace returns.
‘I should eat popcorn.’
Now let’s just tear off the ribs. With my stomach full and full, I went out with the Marlboros.
“Dun. You have to listen carefully to what he says… Um…”
Marlboro tried to emphasize it to Dunn but ended up not doing it. She looks like she can’t be trusted at all.
How on earth is my impression so ingrained that I can’t trust even such trivial things? I’m starting to feel a little sad.
“Anyway, don’t get into trouble and listen carefully. If anything happens, find that brother first, okay?”
“Yes!”
“Yes, yes. Sibar, you shouldn’t get into trouble either.”
“··· ···”
I just nodded. Anyone who sees you will think you are raising two children.
Marlboro left after emphasizing this several times. As she left, she kept looking back worriedly.
When Marlboro’s appearance was completely hidden, Dawn grabbed my pants and asked.
“Uncle. What should we play?”
“······Brother.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not uncle. It’s older brother.”
I don’t know anything else, but I need to change the title. Dawn tilted her head at my request and nodded.
“Okay, bro. What should we play?”
“Um…”
That’s right. What should I do to play? Is there anything that might interest Dawn?
As I was pondering over and over again, an interesting thought suddenly occurred to me.
Whatever a child would like the most, regardless of the era. It contains the romance of a man rather than a child.
“Do you want to go see the robot?”
“Robot?”
“Yes, the steel doll. It moves. It can fly in the sky, right?”
“Oh! Let’s go see it! I want to see it!”
“Yes.”
I held Dawn’s hand and headed to Jane’s workshop.
Until now, I had no idea, but Marlboro’s worries were unfounded.