PLML 33

Posted by Zahid, Released on August 2, 2025

CHAPTER 33

Jaina followed Asins to the monster training facility, with Levan quietly trailing behind them.

As they approached the entrance, knights raised their spears to block the path.

“Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. Please present your access permit.”

Considering this was a facility where monsters were bred and trained, tight security was only natural.

Asins frowned at the knight who blocked him and voiced his displeasure.

“Do you even know who I am?”

‘There it is again. The classic, “Do you know who I am?”’

Jaina leaned in and whispered into Asins’s ear.

“Asins, did you forget to bring an access permit or something?”

“Yeah.”

“Then do you at least have ID?”

“Nope. I snuck out in the first place—why would I have something like that?”

“Excuse me?”

‘You snuck out, and now you want to stroll into a royal facility with zero effort to hide your identity?’

Jaina was dumbfounded.

Asins was about to speak again, seemingly unaware of the issue. It was obvious things would escalate if this continued.

Jaina gave an awkward smile and gently tugged on Asins’s arm.

“Sorry, my little brother’s still a bit immature. Please excuse us.”

Asins tried to shake her off, offended by the implication. But it was pointless—his skinny arm was no match for Jaina’s strength.

Jaina dragged Asins into a quiet alley not far from the training center.

“Let go!”

After checking that no one was around, Jaina finally released him. Asins glared at her, brows furrowed in frustration for being dragged around.

“I’m sorry for pulling you like that, Lord Asins. But there were too many eyes on us. I had no choice.”

“What nonsense is that?”

“Lord Asins, let me ask you something. Is it okay if the royal family finds out we came here?”

“Of course not.”

“Then shouldn’t we have at least disguised ourselves before coming?”

Asins responded proudly.

“I’ll make sure no one talks. So what’s the problem?”

‘Oh, sure. If Lord Asins says to keep quiet, obviously no one will say a word. Must be nice having that much pride.’

Could someone really have this much pride?

Jaina had a realization: Asins wasn’t just childlike in appearance—his thinking was also immature.

He had this baseless confidence that everything would go his way just because he said so.

As a genius mage and the master of the Mage Tower who’d lived for centuries and been endlessly praised, it wasn’t too surprising he didn’t care for things like compromise or realism.

‘No point explaining—it’ll go right over his head.’

“Lord Asins, can you use magic to change your appearance?”

“Of course. There’s no magic I can’t use.”

“Then let’s change how we look before going to the training center.”

Asins tilted his head and asked,

“Why should I bother doing something so annoying?”

“Because you just said we can’t let the royal family know we’re here.”

“That’s true.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to hide our identities?”

“Still annoying.”

His blatant response left Jaina speechless. There was no reasoning with him.

‘Right. I’m dealing with an elementary schooler.’

Jaina recalled all the hours she spent watching N-Tube videos in her past life.

“Our Little Elementary Schooler Has Changed.”

It was a show about rehabilitating kids who were impossible to reason with.

The kids on that show weren’t much different from the misbehaving dogs on “Dogs Aren’t Bad.” In fact, sometimes she thought, “Wouldn’t a dog be easier to handle?”

To talk to a child, the adult had to meet them at their level.

‘But I can’t treat him too much like a child either. He’s a mentally immature old man, after all.’

In dating sims, Jaina could never stand one specific character type: the ones who looked like kids but acted like cranky old men—just like Asins.

These characters hated having their pride injured, but if you pandered to them too much, they’d do reckless things and create chaos—just like Asins had done.

If you tried to scold them, they’d push back even harder, acting like they didn’t understand what the problem was. Needless to say, it tanked your affection score.

‘But who am I?’

Jaina, who had cleared the notoriously difficult dating sim “Love Is So Hard!” with no walkthroughs.

She began drawing on her memories of those videos and games to think of a way to persuade Asins.

“Lord Asins, what would happen if the royal family found out we came here?”

“That bastard Perus wouldn’t sit still, that’s for sure.”

“Exactly. You’re the great Master of the Mage Tower, so someone like Perus wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you. But… I’m not like you. I don’t have your kind of power.”

Jaina deliberately let her shoulders sag and wore a dark expression.

As childish as Asins was, he still had a sense of responsibility as the older one. If she showed fear, he wouldn’t insist on his own way.

As expected, he responded exactly as she hoped.

“That’s why I said I’d protect you, didn’t I?”

“Yes, but Lord Asins, if Perus realizes you’re with me, he might try to target me when you’re not around.”

“…That bastard would absolutely do that.”

“Perus hasn’t shown his full hand yet. So I think we should keep you—our trump card—as hidden as possible. What do you think, Lord Asins?”

When making a child do something they didn’t want to, it was better to ask them:

“How do we do this?”

Rather than just ordering them.

Jaina made sure to pose it as a question.

“Hmm…”

Asins sighed meaningfully instead of answering, gazing at her. His narrow golden eyes seemed to pierce through her thoughts, and Jaina flinched slightly. But she soon smiled innocently and waited for his answer.

“You’re a clever little thing.”

Asins chuckled.

“Fine. It’s annoying, but I’ll go along with you.”

Using Asins’s magic, both Jaina and Asins changed their appearances.

Asins’s hair, once a deep violet like the early night sky, transformed into a soft, sprouting green. His childlike form matured into that of a healthy man in his twenties. His golden eyes darkened, like ink had been stirred into them.

‘Surprisingly, it suits him.’

Asins, now with his long hair tied neatly back, looked down at Jaina.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait—what about Levan?”

Jaina gestured to Levan, who stood quietly like a shadow.

“Oh, right. That guy.”

Asins glanced at him and handed over a leather robe.

“No one’s going to care enough to notice the bodyguard.”

Levan pulled the robe over himself.

‘Well, he’s not exactly flashy-looking anyway.’

Seeing his perfectly average face, Jaina nodded.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

Just as Jaina was about to set off with a light heart, Asins held out his hand. She blinked at it, confused. Asins gave her a warm, brotherly smile.

“Just in case we get separated, we should hold hands.”

“…What?”

“Right now, I’m your big brother, remember?”

‘Yeah, sure… in theory.’

Jaina gave a forced smile and waved her hands.

“Holding hands would be inconvenient for you, I think, uh… Brother.”

She had a point—Asins would have to bend over awkwardly to match her current height.

“True. Oh well.”

Just as Jaina sighed in relief at seeing him retract his hand, Asins suddenly lifted her by the waist.

“Wah!”

Her body floated up into the air.

With one arm under her and the other around her, Asins held her close.

“Wait, Lord Asins—!”

His golden eyes—now curved like a crescent moon—locked with hers in the dim light.

“Not ‘Lord Asins.’ You should say, ‘Brother Arthur,’ right? Nia.”

Jaina tried to push his face away with both hands, but it was no use.

“Let’s go, Nia.”

Asins played the perfect doting big brother. Jaina could only scream internally.

‘This is NOT what I meant when I said I wanted a disguise!’

“Please present your access permit.”

Just like before, the knights stopped them. Asins handed over a forged permit. The seal was a bit off in shape and placement, but not enough for the knight to notice.

“All set. For safety reasons, you may not carry weapons. We’ll hold your sword for you.”

The knight took Levan’s sword and opened the gate.

Despite Levan’s shady look with his hood pulled low, no one seemed interested in him. Thanks to that, they entered the building without issue.

“Put me down now.”

Asins gave her a gentle, brotherly look.

“No can do. It’s dangerous in here, Nia.”

“I can walk on my own, you know?”

“Sigh… fine.”

He reluctantly set her down.

‘There’s no need to keep acting when no one’s around. Is he… enjoying this?’

Jaina grumbled inwardly as she walked.

The hallway was quiet. Rust and mold here and there made it seem like the place wasn’t very well maintained.