Chapter 407: Special Episode - 8 Years Later (2)
“…Huh?”
Princess Charlotte Frontera Magentano, a six-year-old girl, tilted her head in confusion.
Her still-sleepy eyes wandered through the air.
There, floating before her, was a system message.
“Mythical Beast Random Summon?”
It was a term she had never encountered before.
She found it curious.
From a very young age, even as a baby, strange words and sounds had occasionally popped up before her eyes.
They often mentioned things like earning RP because someone liked her or felt affection toward her.
But she had never paid much attention to those occurrences.
There were far more interesting and fun things in the world, after all.
She simply assumed that everyone else experienced the same thing.
It all felt so natural.
However, tonight felt… different.
“…A mythical beast?”
Charlotte’s drowsiness quickly faded.
She had woken up to use the bathroom, but now her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she examined the message.
[Would you like to proceed with the Random Summon?]
[YES / NO]
Drawn in by the message, Charlotte instinctively chose “YES.”
Nothing else even crossed her mind.
She didn’t care how much RP she had saved up or how much was needed for the random summon.
None of that mattered to her.
Soon, the result of her selection appeared.
**Ding!**
[Mythical Beast Random Summon in progress.]
With that notification, 50 RP was consumed.
At the same time, a small change began to manifest about five steps away from her, on the floor of her bedroom.
**Shaa-!**
A pale light carved itself into the rug.
The light formed a complex shape—a magic circle glowing with an air of mystery.
*‘Wow, this is amazing.’*
Charlotte’s small mouth gaped open in awe.
She didn’t understand what was happening, but her heart raced with excitement.
And then finally…
**Zzzt!**
With a light crackle, something sprang up from the magic circle.
It flew toward her and landed softly in her arms.
“Luluung!”
“…Huh?”
It had a small, round bottom.
Relatively large back legs.
Arms and hands that were adorably tiny.
A plump tail, and shiny black eyes on a round face.
It even had a cute little pouch on its belly.
It was… a baby kangaroo?
“Are you… a baby kangaroo?”
“Luluung!”
“Are you really?”
“Lululuung! Luluung!”
“…You’re happy because you’re in the world for the first time?”
“Luluung!”
“I’m happy too!”
The little baby kangaroo, which gazed up at her with its round eyes, quickly made Charlotte feel attached to it.
At the same time, she felt a deep sense of joy.
She had done it.
Like her father, she had summoned a mythical beast.
Her very own mythical beast, her first friend.
“Eee! Kyahaha!”
Overjoyed, Charlotte bounced up and down in place.
In her arms, the baby kangaroo—Lulung—laughed along with her, even brighter.
But then, Charlotte paused and looked down at Lulung.
“By the way, where’s your mom? Did you come here alone?”
“Luluung! Lululuung!”
“You don’t have one?”
“Lululuung!”
“You don’t miss her?”
“Luluung!”
“You’re saying I’m your friend, your mom, and your family now?”
“Lung!”
Lulung nodded enthusiastically.
Then, it reached into its pouch and fished something out.
“Luluung!”
“…Huh?”
What Lulung handed to her was a small, crumpled piece of paper.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Luluung!”
“You want me to open it?”
“Lung!”
“…Okay.”
She unfolded the note.
Tiny, cramped handwriting filled the paper.
Fortunately, as a princess, Charlotte had already learned to read.
“Umm, so… this is… Lulung’s user manual?”
“Luluung!”
Lulung’s round eyes sparkled, as if urging her to read it quickly.
Charlotte eagerly turned her attention back to the note.
—
[**Lulung’s User Manual**]
– **Lulung is a cute kangaroo. Please care for him with love.**
– **Lulung will offer absolute loyalty to you, the summoner. mythical beasts are lifelong companions and part of your family. Please don’t abandon them.**
– **Lulung can change size by eating two types of sunflower seeds.**
– **Red Sunflower Seeds**: Make Lulung grow large. Max duration of growth = 12 hours.
– **Blue Sunflower Seeds**: Return Lulung to a small size. Feed them to Lulung before exceeding the 12-hour growth period. If Lulung doesn’t eat a blue seed within 12 hours, he will return to his small form automatically, but he’ll be exhausted and unable to grow again for 24 hours.
– **The set of two-colored sunflower seeds can be purchased for 1 RP.**
– **Lulung can use various skills while in his large form.**
—
<**Lulung’s Skill List**>
– **Great Leap (Lv. 1)**
– **Power Hug (Lv. 1)**
– **Double Kick (Lv. 1)**
– **Healing Pouch (Lv. 1)**
—
*‘Whoa…’*
Charlotte marveled at the note.
She wasn’t entirely sure what all these “skills” were, but she could tell they were something special.
*‘So, this means…’*
She opened the small pouch that came with the note.
Inside were ten red and ten blue sunflower seeds.
The colors and patterns were so intriguing that she couldn’t resist trying one.
“Hmm, chomp chomp… Yuck! Ptui!”
…They didn’t taste good.
Charlotte wiped her mouth and looked at Lulung.
“Lulung?”
“Luluung?”
“If you eat this, you’ll get bigger?”
“Luluung!”
“Really? How big?”
“Lululuung!”
“Super big?”
“Luluung!”
Lulung stretched his tiny arms wide, proudly displaying his confidence.
“Wow.”
He must really grow a lot.
*‘Will he get as big as Uncle Ppodong?’*
That would be more than enough, she thought.
Charlotte picked up a red sunflower seed.
“Alright, Lulung, want to try eating this?”
“Luluung! Lululuung!”
“You want me to step back?”
“Lulung!”
“How far?”
“Lululuung!”
“Over there?”
“Lung!”
Charlotte handed the red sunflower seed to Lulung and scampered to the spot he had pointed to.
Her heart raced with excitement as she watched him intently.
Lulung gobbled up the red sunflower seed.
“Lung! Chomp chomp.”
And then…
**BOOM-!**
Lulung grew.
A full 12 meters tall.
*‘Wow, wow!’*
The expansion of Lulung caused chaos in the room.
The floor buckled under his enormous feet.
The bed was pushed aside and broken to pieces by his massive rear end.
The ceiling crumbled under his towering head and shoulders.
No furniture survived the chaos.
**Crash! Crack! Smash!**
The princess’s bedroom—once filled with heirloom furniture handed down through generations of royal daughters—was now a disaster zone. The rocking chair, the plush sofa, the elegant art desk, even the silver candelabras and chandeliers—all were reduced to rubble.
In the blink of an eye, Charlotte’s bedroom had transformed into a scene of total destruction.
But in the midst of it all, Charlotte remained completely unharmed.
Before any debris or shards could touch her, Lulung’s enormous hands had shielded her.
“Wow! Wow!”
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled even more brightly.
Now, she clutched a blue sunflower seed in her tiny hand.
“Let’s try this one next!”
“Lulung!”
The 12-meter-tall Lulung opened his enormous mouth.
She tossed the small blue sunflower seed into his mouth.
“Lululuung! Chomp chomp!”
Its effects were immediate.
**Pop!**
The enormous form disappeared.
Once again, Lulung shrank down to his adorable 10-centimeter size.
Charlotte’s face lit up in pure delight.
The wrecked state of her bedroom didn’t even register in the eyes of the six-year-old girl.
“Let’s try again!”
This time, she reached for another red sunflower seed.
“Lululuung! Chomp chomp.”
**BOOM!**
Once more, Lulung grew to 12 meters, causing even more destruction as heirlooms were smashed and scattered.
Meanwhile, the royal guards stationed outside her door had long since been in a panic.
They had been in chaos ever since Lulung first grew.
“Princess! Princess, are you alright?”
“Please, answer us, Princess!”
“The door won’t open!”
“Push harder!”
Unfortunately, the shattered remains of the bed and other furniture had blocked the exit.
From the other side of the barricade, the frantic cries of the royal guards echoed.
“Break it down!”
**Thwack! Smash! Crash!**
Swords hacked and broke through the door and the pile of debris.
The guards, all skilled warriors of at least intermediate Sword Expert rank, quickly reduced the blockade to splinters.
At that moment, Charlotte’s face turned pale.
“…I’m in big trouble.”
The guards burst into the room.
For the first time, Charlotte saw the disaster that her bedroom had become.
“Lulung, what do we do? I think I’m going to get scolded.”
“Luluung?”
“Can we run away?”
“Lulung!”
The giant Lulung nodded enthusiastically.
Could they escape? Of course.
In fact, it would be a piece of cake.
“Lululuung! Luluung!”
With great care, Lulung scooped up the little princess in his massive hands.
He tucked her into the pouch on his belly.
*Poof!*
Charlotte slipped comfortably into the warm pouch.
Its softness enveloped her senses, and a new message appeared in her mind.
**Ding.**
[You have entered Lulung’s Healing Pouch.]
[The conditions for Lulung’s skill ‘Healing Pouch’ have been met.]
[Skill activated automatically.]
—
**Healing Pouch**
– While inside Lulung’s pouch, you will recover from most injuries and fatigue 20 times faster than usual. The pouch’s softness guarantees a restful sleep. This pouch is particularly useful for Swordmasters with chronic insomnia.
—
**Thud!**
While Charlotte read the new message, Lulung leaped through the room.
Smashing through debris and rubble, the 12-meter kangaroo tore through the outer wall of the fifth floor and leapt into the night sky.
Down in the royal garden, the royal guards patrolling the area witnessed an unforgettable sight.
**THOOM!**
With a ground-shaking crash, the giant kangaroo landed in the garden.
A tremendous impact, followed by another as Lulung leapt again.
**BOOM!**
“What… What is that?”
“The princess has been kidnapped!”
“Stop it! Catch them!”
“Where—what are we supposed to grab?!”
The once-peaceful and elegant royal garden had vanished.
In its place was a chaotic scene of destruction, with the 12-meter kangaroo bounding around, uprooting trees and boulders with each leap, and the desperate shouts of the guards.
Inside the royal bedroom, Lloyd and Queen Alicia woke with a start, alarmed by the commotion.
“What on earth is all this noise?”
Queen Alicia, looking out the window, was baffled.
Lloyd was equally dumbfounded.
“Well, um, that seems to be… a mythical beast?”
“A mythical beast? Like Sir Ppodong or Lady Bangul?”
“Yes.”
“How can you tell?”
“The giant kangaroo just shouted ‘Lulung,’ and I understood what it said.”
“That kangaroo? What did it say?”
“Well, uh, it said…”
“Tell me. Now.”
“It said it was having fun playing with its new owner… and that its owner, Charlotte, is the best.”
“…”
“So, uh… I guess that means…”
“Our daughter summoned that kangaroo?”
“That seems to be the case?”
“Are you running a fever?”
“No, I’m not?”
“Or have you been sneaking drinks behind my back?”
“I haven’t?”
“Well, at least Charlotte isn’t in danger?”
“Instead, it seems the royal guards are in danger?”
“…”
Lloyd and Alicia sighed deeply as they gazed out at the garden.
Uprooted trees and boulders were strewn everywhere.
Bounding joyfully around the garden was the enormous kangaroo.
Peeking out of the kangaroo’s pouch was their daughter, Charlotte.
The guards were scrambling around like ants in the chaos.
It was clear that this had to be stopped.
The couple exchanged glances, then quickly changed out of their pajamas into regular clothes.
“Hurry, carry me.”
“Got it.”
At Alicia’s command, Lloyd jumped into her arms.
Like a princess, Alicia carried him as they leaped out the window.
**Swoosh! Tap!**
With the grace of a cat, Alicia swiftly landed and dashed toward the kangaroo.
As they approached, Lloyd shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Hey! Kangaroo! Stop!”
“…Lulung?”
For the first time, Lulung hesitated.
A human voice, but somehow… familiar?
Aside from his young owner, Charlotte, this was the first time he had felt such a connection to a voice.
“Lululung?”
Lulung’s head turned.
Charlotte, who had been hiding in the pouch, peeked out.
“…Dad?”
“Yes! It’s Mom and Dad!”
“Eek.”
Charlotte quickly ducked back into the pouch.
Lloyd’s voice grew even more desperate.
“Sweetheart! It’s time to stop playing and go to bed!”
“…”
“I promise I won’t scold you! Really! I promise!”
“…Promise?”
She peeked out again, looking down at them with wide eyes.
Both her mother and father were standing below.
And neither of them looked angry.
Lloyd called out again.
“Of course! I promise!”
“Really?”
“Really!”
“But you always say it wasn’t a real promise afterward.”
“Then I’ll promise too.”
Queen Alicia joined in.
“Really?”
With her mother’s promise, Charlotte’s suspicions finally faded.
She looked up at Lulung.
“Lulung!”
“Lulung?”
“That’s my mom and dad!”
“Luluung!”
“Now, let’s eat this!”
She tossed a blue sunflower seed into Lulung’s mouth.
**Pop.**
With a small sound, Lulung shrank back to his tiny form.
As Charlotte fell through the air, Lloyd caught her.
“Gotcha.”
“Kyah!”
“Kyah? Are you seriously laughing right now?”
“…You said you wouldn’t scold me.”
“Well, I mean, I did say that.”
Lloyd chuckled, glancing at his wife.
Alicia shook her head, exasperated but amused.
“Tch.”
In the end, Lloyd could only click his tongue.
But his first concern was for his daughter.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Mm! I’m fine.”
“And nothing feels sore or bruised?”
“Nope! All good.”
“Alright then, how did you summon Lulung?”
“Random summon!”
“…What?”
Lloyd’s eyes widened in shock.
A random summon?
That should only be possible for him.
But could it be…?
“You did the random summon? All by yourself?”
“Yup!”
“Do you see strange messages and letters floating in front of you?”
“Yup yup!”
“…”
It was true.
Her response confirmed everything.
“I even have RP!”
“RP… too?”
“Yup! I’ve had it ever since I was a baby.”
“How much?”
“53!”
“Haha, hahaha.”
Lloyd couldn’t help but laugh.
It was astonishing.
Adorable, even.
But that was only part of the story.
“Well, 53 and… there are also some zeros.”
“Zeros? Like the number zero?”
“Yup!”
“How many zeros?”
Lloyd felt his disbelief growing.
The more he listened, the more he understood.
From birth, his daughter had been seeing system messages and accumulating RP, just like him.
*‘But she never showed any signs of it. Or rather… it’s not that she was hiding it, it’s just that, for her, the system messages and RP were such natural parts of her life. She’s had them since birth, so she probably thought everyone experienced the same thing.’*
Perhaps his daughter had grown up assuming that everyone had these abilities, much like how everyone breathes air or drinks water.
But still… how much RP did she have?
“If you have zeros after the 53, how many?”
“Hmm… One, two, three, four!”
“Four…?”
“Yup!”
“Hold on. So you have… 530,000?”
“Yep!”
“…”
What was this overwhelming feeling?
Like standing on the edge of a vast universe.
Or perhaps, like thinking you had won a small lottery prize, only to realize you were standing next to the grand prize winner.
“I… see. Um, for now…”
“Yes?”
“I’ll teach you how to use RP properly.”
“Okay!”
“So, let’s go to bed for now, alright?”
“But I don’t have a bed. My room went ‘boom.’”
“That’s fine.”
Lloyd smiled warmly.
He hugged his daughter tightly and turned to embrace his wife.
“You can sleep with Mom and Dad.”
It was time for them all to rest.
And somehow, it felt like that’s how things would always be.
In that moment, as Lloyd looked around at his family, he couldn’t help but smile brightly.
“Right?”
