Round 277

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The accident, or rather the incident, was handled swiftly.  

The arrival of Nathan, the head of the intelligence agency, meant that intelligence agents had also arrived.  

In the end, the case was handed over to the agency, and I, along with the children, Katrina, and Nathan, moved to a different location.  

“I will head straight to the treatment facility.”  

I nodded.  

But why is Katrina coming along?  

As I glanced at Katrina, who had ended up joining us, she cautiously spoke.  

“Are you upset by any chance?”  

“Pardon? Upset about what?”  

“Since you’ve experienced something unpleasant, I wondered if you might be feeling upset…”  

Uncharacteristically, Katrina seemed to be gauging my reaction. Come to think of it, ever since she met my children, she seemed a bit cautious.  

‘Well, if I were in her shoes, I would be too.’  

After all, they were members of the Seven Deadly Sins.  

And I, who wielded such beings as if they were my limbs, was technically their master. It wasn’t incorrect, but I could see why she might feel overwhelmed.  

“I’m fine.”  

– It’s been a while since I got to stretch my body.  

“It was electrifying!”  

“Hehe.”  

The kids didn’t seem to have any negative reactions.  

They seemed to think of it all as a game.  

“By the way, we’ve met again so soon after parting.”  

“Yes. This place never seems to have a quiet day, does it?”  

Despite her words, wasn’t she the one enjoying the lively atmosphere the most?  

Even today, she appeared in an extravagant and dazzling outfit, one that was hard to understand.  

Either way, we headed straight to the treatment facility.  

As soon as we arrived, I spotted Emily, who had come out to greet us from a distance.  

“It’s Emily!”  

“Wow! Kids, hurry over!”  

At Emily’s cheerful greeting, Ara, Cheong, and Ras dashed toward her.  

Even though it hadn’t been long since they last met, their overly dramatic reunion was adorable.  

“Mr. Kyu-seong, about the treatment…”  

Nathan asked nervously.  

At the same time, Katrina looked at me with a curious expression.  

“It’s a bit ambiguous to call it a treatment, and I can’t guarantee the success rate.”  

“Ah…”  

“But there’s absolutely no side effect, so no need to worry. Let’s see.”  

I took out a strawberry from Bokkeum.  

A mere strawberry? Not quite.  

It was a golden strawberry.  

‘Though it isn’t golden in color, we’ve been calling it the golden strawberry for a while now.’  

The impact of the golden carrot was so strong that the strawberry’s name had naturally followed suit.  

Technically, it should probably be called a star crop.  

But that doesn’t matter.  

“What is this?”  

“It’s a newly harvested crop. Feeding this to Emily might heal her.”  

Nathan carefully examined the strawberry I handed over.  

Katrina, too, stared intently from the side.  

“!!”  

Katrina gasped, visibly shocked.  

As an Awakener, she must have checked the item’s effects and been startled.  

“H-how is it? Is it really such an extraordinary item?”  

Katrina silently read the description before looking at me with wide eyes.  

“You’re just giving this away?”  

“Excuse me? Oh, it’s not exactly a gift. We made a deal—she did me a favor, and I’m giving this in return.”  

“What kind of deal could possibly involve an item like this?”  

Even the Great Witch was reacting like this, leaving Nathan visibly anxious.  

After repeated urging, Katrina finally explained the item’s effects, leaving Nathan with his jaw practically on the floor.  

“W-what, how is this even possible…”  

To me, it was a crop I occasionally acquired with some luck, but for others, it was an item they might not encounter even once in a lifetime.  

Though their reactions were somewhat understandable, I couldn’t help but feel burdened.  

“Anyway, we’re going to attempt treatment with this. But honestly, calling it treatment is a bit much—it’s just something to eat.”  

“Are you aiming for the healing and recovery effects listed here?”  

“Uh, yeah, that’s part of it.”  

I brushed off the question and approached Emily with the strawberry in hand.  

I didn’t mention the plan to force an awakening, unsure of how they might react.  

“Hello, Uncle!”  

“Oh… uncle…”  

Though her words made me frown slightly, she wasn’t wrong.  

I handed the strawberry to Emily.  

“Is this the medicine?”  

“Well, it’s a strawberry that could work as medicine.”  

“Wow, it smells amazing!”  

Her Korean was remarkably fluent, almost like a native speaker.  

Emily took the strawberry with a hint of nervousness, steadying her breathing.  

Watching her, Ara and Cheong began cheering enthusiastically by her side.  

“You can be healed, Emily!”  

“Emily! Hang in there!”  

Bolstered by the spirited cheers of the little ones, Emily took a bite of the strawberry.  

Juice began to flow, filling the air with the rich aroma of strawberries.  

“Gulp.”  

Everyone watching began swallowing their saliva unconsciously.  

Ara even had a trail of drool but quickly wiped it away, pretending nothing had happened.  

‘Well, there’s plenty to go around…’  

I had initially packed only ten but decided to bring a hundred just in case.  

With so many on hand, I immediately shared them with the waiting crowd.  

“It feels awkward to eat alone, so let’s all have some!”  

“Y-you’re giving us such a precious item just like that?”  

Nathan and Katrina stared at me in shock and disbelief.  

Meanwhile, the kids and Emily were fully engrossed in eating their strawberries.  

“If you don’t eat quickly, the kids might target yours.”  

“What?!”  

Nathan and Katrina immediately grabbed strawberries and started eating.  

Watching them, I joined in and had one with Bokkeum.  

“Ah!”  

Calling this taste heavenly would not be an exaggeration.  

The explosion of juices and flavors, a harmonious blend of sweet, tangy, and tropical richness, enveloped me entirely.  

It felt like fireworks were going off in my head.  

“Gulp, gulp.”  

As I relished the strawberry, savoring the never-ending stream of juice, I glanced over to see Nathan and Katrina with dazed expressions.  

“Strawberry! A strawberry waterfall!”  

“Hahaha! Hahahahaha!”  

… Watching them like this was slightly unsettling.  

They seemed like people who had consumed something forbidden.  

Thankfully, Emily remained more composed in comparison, savoring her strawberry with a bright smile.  

She gently swayed her head at Ara, Cheong, and Ras, radiating joy as she nibbled on the strawberry.  

When everyone had finished their strawberries, I asked Emily.  

“Do you see anything? Like a message about awakening.”  

“No, I don’t see anything.”  

Ah, it didn’t work.  

But there’s no need to worry.  

I still have over 90 strawberries left.  

Of course, she wouldn’t be able to eat them all at once, but that’s okay.  

I handed Emily another strawberry.  

She immediately started eating it with delight.  

“Are you trying to induce forced awakening?”  

Hearing our conversation, Nathan asked with a startled expression.  

He didn’t seem like the same person who had been rambling about strawberry waterfalls moments ago.  

“That’s correct.”  

“Do you really think this will heal Emily?”  

“Well, we’ll see.”  

I couldn’t be certain myself.  

I could only trust what Cheong had told me.  

Unfortunately, even after eating the second strawberry, Emily failed to awaken.  

The strawberries were larger than expected, so eating two of them left Emily with a noticeably full stomach.  

“Let’s keep eating the strawberries for a few more days while we’re here.”  

Hmm, was I being too forceful about it?  

I was slightly worried, but Emily seemed overjoyed.  

“Do you have more of those strawberries? I love them!”  

“I’m glad you like them.”  

“Yes! Honestly, I almost don’t want to awaken if it means I get to keep eating these!”  

Emily, that’s… a bit much…  

Still, her cheerful response calmed my nerves.  

Considering she must have been hopeful for the treatment, I thought she’d be more disappointed that the first attempt failed.  

She was truly a kind and resilient child.  

‘Maybe she takes after her father.’  

Thinking of Kyler, it seemed plausible.  

Her bright personality likely came from her mother.  

And so, we stayed for several more days, feeding Emily strawberries regularly.  

Even though it felt slightly excessive to keep feeding her until she was full, Emily seemed genuinely happy every time she ate one.  

“Can the other kids eat some too?”  

At Emily’s request, we ended up having a strawberry party with everyone.  

Did I think it was wasteful?  

Not at all!  

We grew these for ourselves in the first place, so why would it feel like a waste?  

If we had extra crops, my motto was to share them for fair compensation.  

If we didn’t?  

Then we’d just eat them all!  

By the fifth day, we had almost finished the large supply of strawberries. I started wondering if I’d need to go back to the dungeon for more.  

“Whoa?”  

Emily, who was eating a strawberry, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.  

“What, could it be?”  

“I’ve awakened! Wow, this is amazing!”  

At last, Emily successfully awakened!  

We all cheered with joy.  

“Yeah! How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?”  

“No! Really, I don’t feel any pain! What is this? Wow, it’s amazing! This is what it feels like to not hurt!”  

“Emily is healed! Congratulations!”  

“Emily is better now! I’m so happy!”  

-Sniffle. I-I do not cry over things like this!  

As everyone sincerely celebrated, Emily suddenly began to tear up.  

“Waaaah!”  

“Emily! Are you in pain?”  

“No, sniff, no! I’m not in pain!”  

Emily answered through her tears.  

How much must she have suffered until now?  

She had endured it all without showing her struggles, and I couldn’t help but feel proud of her.  

“Oh! We need to share this great news!”  

While the kids and I had stayed at the treatment center for the past five days, Nathan and Katrina had returned to their duties right away.  

I quickly contacted Nathan to inform him of Emily’s successful awakening.  

-Is that true?! I’ll be there immediately!  

And, in less than an hour, Nathan arrived.  

By then, Emily had calmed down significantly and greeted Nathan with a bright smile.  

“Uncle!”  

“Emily! Are you really no longer in pain?!”  

“Yes! I don’t hurt at all now!”  

Emily jumped up and down as she spoke, though the faint traces of tears still lingered on her face.  

“Ah! Thank you! Oh, thank you, God! No, no. Mr. Kyu-seong! Thank you so much!”  

Seeing Nathan so overwhelmed was a bit refreshing.  

The usually composed head of the intelligence agency showing such intense emotions was almost unthinkable—except for when he had eaten the strawberries.  

Chuckling at the thought, I waved my hand dismissively.  

“It’s nothing. We were just lucky. But you should still run some tests to confirm if she’s fully recovered.”  

“Even though it’s just intuition, I’m confident! Emily must be completely healed!”  

“That’s right! I can feel it! I’ve been sick since I was born, but now I know for sure—I’m not in pain anymore!”  

Watching the two of them so excited, I still advised a thorough examination.  

Meanwhile, Ara tugged on my sleeve.  

“Huh? What’s up?”  

“Kyler has arrived.”  

Kyler? Where?  

I looked around but couldn’t see him anywhere.  

Ara must have sensed his presence nearby, hiding.  

“Oh, by the way, Emily…”  

“Yes!”  

“What’s your awakened ability?”  

“Oh! Let me check!”  

Emily, beaming with excitement, eagerly inspected her newfound ability.  

Moments later, she exclaimed with a bright smile.  

“Sword Master!”  

…What?  

Sword Master?  

What does that even mean?  

The name alone hinted at an extraordinary ability.  

If taken literally, it means “Master of the Sword.”  

It wasn’t just the ability itself that intrigued me—the rank?  

Nathan’s expression stiffened as well.  

Until now, we had only been focused on her recovery; it never occurred to us that Emily’s awakened ability could be something this monumental.  

“Uh? I think someone is hiding over there,” Emily said suddenly, pointing toward a seemingly empty spot.  

But there was no one visible.  

“It’s Kyler!”  

“Kyler? Who’s that?”  

Emily tilted her head in confusion.  

Meanwhile, Nathan and I froze in shock.  

Did she just sense Kyler’s presence?  

Kyler—a Level 9 Awakened, deliberately concealing himself?  

‘H-how…?’  

What rank had Emily awakened to?  

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