Chapter 5
A new life, and this is what I get?! I said I needed bread, not a family! I even said in advance that I didn’t need a family! And now they say it’s because of my “inner desires”! Inner desires my foot!
“Huff… huff!”
I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion, but if I stopped, that crazy old man would catch me. So I kept running, looking straight ahead with all my strength.
Neighhh!
“Watch out!”
Along with a horse’s cry, the coachman’s shout rang out. A two-horse carriage was rushing toward me—straight at me—and it was right there in front of me. Too close to dodge.
Ugh, what the heck is this!
I instinctively clutched my arms to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut. I managed to keep hold of my all-purpose pouch, but the capsule machine slipped from my grasp.
Thunk! Thunk!
“Child!”
The crazy old man’s voice shouted behind me. Then, all at once, the world went silent, as an ice-cold wind swept through.
“…Huh?”
It didn’t hurt.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and cracked my eyes open. I’d thought I was a goner, but in that brief moment, everything around me had become covered in snow and ice.
The horses, rearing up on their front legs, were frozen solid, as was the carriage, and even the coachman yelling at me was frozen stiff.
“H-how did this…?”
It was like an ice kingdom. Even people far away were staring, wide-eyed at the scene.
I stumbled backward, eyes fixed on the frozen front hooves of the horses—and my legs gave out.
“My dear, my daughter, are you alright?”
Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed me. Thanks to that, I wasn’t trampled, but the crazy old man had caught me.
I looked up and saw that same white-haired lunatic staring at me.
Well, whatever. I was alive.
“…Was that you, mister?”
“Well, I… I didn’t want my little girl—my daughter—to get hurt.”
“I told you I’m not your daughter…”
I mumbled dazedly, but then his golden eyes shimmered and tears began to pour down his face.
And at the same time—rumble!—thunder roared in the sky.
Aaagh! Why is he crying now?! And what’s with the thunder all of a sudden?!
“W-why are you crying?”
“The thought of losing my daughter the moment I found her… it terrified me.”
I stared at him strangely, and he quickly wiped his tears away, though his golden eyes were still wet.
No, seriously, I don’t need a dad. I don’t need a family…
Rumble.
“S-sorry. But you kept chasing me… Ah, please don’t cry!”
When he wiped his tears again, the sky cleared up instantly.
Coincidence?
The frozen scene around us began slowly returning to normal. People started gathering, murmuring loudly, all eyes on us.
“Oh my, a father saved his daughter.”
“That was close.”
“Wait… isn’t that the White Duk—…?”
The strange white-haired man was kneeling on one knee in front of me, holding my arms, looking like he was about to cry again.
The murmuring crowd grew larger.
“Ugh… L-let’s just go somewhere else first!”
I needed to get out of here.
I quickly grabbed the fallen capsule machine from the ground—thankfully, no one else seemed interested in it—and with one arm hugging it tight, I grabbed the strange man’s hand with my other and pulled him away from the crowd.
We barely managed to escape the gathering crowd.
The problem was, the distance between me and this man had shrunk even more—because now we were sitting side by side on a bench.
“…”
But I didn’t have the energy to run anymore.
I was hungry… and exhausted.
This wasn’t the new life I had in mind. I must have been scammed by that Mafius or Masterpiece or whatever his name was.
My short legs dangled off the bench, not touching the ground, and I could feel him glancing at me from the side again and again.
I tried not to meet his gaze, sneaking a peek—only to accidentally lock eyes with him. And then he suddenly smiled brightly.
Why is he smiling like that?!
I quickly turned my head away and bit my lip.
What in the world was going on?
How had such a huge man come out of that tiny capsule? Even if you folded him up, there’s no way he’d fit back in.
And what if he was forced to come out because of me? What if he didn’t even want to?
That would be even worse.
My thoughts inevitably turned pessimistic.
Which part of my “inner self” supposedly wanted a family? I never needed one. I’d survived just fine without one before. Even in this “better life,” keeping someone around who might betray me was a bad idea.
The only one I could trust in this world was myself. I’d already learned that countless times the hard way.
I told Mafius I didn’t need a family, but he clearly didn’t listen.
I turned to the man who kept glancing at me.
“…Were you summoned because of me?”
“Hm?”
“Did Mafius tell you to come here and be my dad? To watch me? See how I’m doing?”
He tilted his head.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t need a dad. I can do fine without being watched. So you can go back to where you were.”
“…”
And then tears welled in his eyes again and rolled down his cheeks.
Rumble!
Right on cue, the sky roared.
There’s no way this is just coincidence.
“Aaagh, why are you crying again?!”
I waved my arms frantically. I was starting to think the thunder only happened when he cried.
“It feels like… my daughter really doesn’t like her father.”
“I-I don’t dislike you.”
“Really?”
His golden eyes sparkled suddenly, and I could almost see a tail wagging behind him.
“I don’t dislike you. It’s just… you’re not actually my dad. We only just met.”
“…No.”
And somehow, I could almost see that invisible tail droop.
Fearing storm clouds might gather, I quickly added,
“I’ve never had a family before. And I don’t even know your name.”
“Amoter White.”
I was just trying to stress that we were strangers, but Mr. Tears here just blurted out his name.
And his name was White. Weird.
“Okay, Mr. White. But until a moment ago, I didn’t know your name. And you don’t know mine, right?”
“Ion.”
“What? H-how do you know that?”
I stared at him, eyes wide.
“Ion Sarnia White. You’re my daughter, so of course I know.”
Eh?! My name got longer?!
And then Mafius’s voice rang in my head.
[Ah, I forgot to tell you earlier. I’ll now transmit your basic information. Ion Sarnia, female, 7 years old, height 117 cm, weight 19.2 kg, residence undetermined, notable update: a family member has been added.]
My mind went blank at the rapid-fire explanation.
[And you now have your first family member! So your name has changed to Ion Sarnia White. Please adjust to your original form. Summoning a person instead of an object as your first pull—that’s impressive.]
“…”
I told you I didn’t need a family… And you’re just fine with the fact a person came out instead of an item?!
‘I don’t need a family!’ I shouted in my head, afraid he might vanish if I said it out loud.
[You don’t need a family? Ah, I see, you’re just not used to it yet! Don’t worry—you can use him as a tool if you like.]
…What?
He said it so casually I almost agreed.
A person… as a tool?
[Ah, right. When the god is watching over the world, your biological information may be adjusted to avoid detection, so keep that in mind.]
“What the heck…”
Why are you telling me to use a person as a tool?!
‘How can you even say that? A tool?!’
[Hm? Ah! Did you misunderstand? I only meant you shouldn’t feel pressured. Think of it casually. Since you’ve already got a ‘family,’ after all. Haha! Well then, see you again.]
And he cut off on his own.
…Unbelievable.
Is this for real? Who just gives someone a family without asking?
This is a complete scam.
And what was that about “adjusting biological information”?
Once the voice vanished, my mind went quiet, and the self-proclaimed dad was still sitting beside me.
Every time our eyes met, he gave me a bright smile—but who knew when he’d cry again.
My head was still a mess.
Amoter White. Ion Sarnia White.
I pressed my hands to my forehead.
A family… seriously?
“My dear, does your head hurt? Want Daddy to take a look?”
The so-called dad jumped up from the bench, knelt down, and looked at me with concern.
I stared back blankly.
“N-no, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“My head’s just… troubled.”
“My daughter even knows how to use such grown-up phrases. Impressive.”
“…”
Seriously, what am I going to do?
It wasn’t like I didn’t understand what “family” meant. I’d seen warm, happy families—and I’d also seen family become a weakness.
There was a time I’d wished I could have one, too. But then people who claimed they wanted to be my family turned out to be bait from the Holy See to drag me away… or scum who tried to sell me off. That was when my illusions about family shattered.
I knew what it was in theory, but having never actually had one, of course… this situation didn’t feel natural to me.
Grrrrowl.
“…”
For now, I was too hungry. I needed to find a place to stay and get food first.
I quietly stood up, leaving Amoter White sitting there. He immediately stood as well—towering over me when he did.
I hesitated, glancing back at him.
I should at least tell him I’m going.
Definitely not because I was bothered by what Mafius had said about him being a “tool.”
