# Chapter 38
Chapter 38
The Ranking Tournament.
One of the major events for the Duke Judias family is that anyone, regardless of age, must attend if they've summoned a Divine Beast.
The Ranking Tournament held only once a year, is where Divine Beasts battle, and their overall performance is evaluated and ranked.
"You don't have to participate if you don't want to, Bunny."
Kiriel, explaining the event, patted Bunny's head as she sat on his lap.
"Why not?
Bunny has to win first place so Daddy can be the biggest king."
"Even if you don't win first place, I'm already the biggest king."
Bunny, who had learned that 'big king' meant something amazing, blinked and nodded in agreement at Kiriel's response.
"Will you be an even bigger king?"
"I'm already the biggest king."
Bunny blinked again, still doubtful.
While she understood what it meant to be big, being the "biggest" made no sense to her.
"That's a lie."
"It's not a lie."
Kiriel chuckled softly and gently rubbed Bunny's cheek.
Children are straightforward.
One touch, one pat on the head, and Bunny’s face would light up, turning red with happiness, always smiling widely.
‘Is this why people raise kids?’
Thanks to energetic Bunny and Allen, Kiriel had been waking up on time lately, having breakfast with the children, and sometimes even eating dinner with them.
"Are you going to sell food again today?"
"Yes!"
"Why do you sell food?"
"Bunny has to do everything by herself.
You never know what will happen in life, so Bunny has to prepare."
Kiriel’s eyes widened slightly, then softened at Bunny's words.
Perhaps because she had to handle many things on her own, Bunny was always trying to do everything by herself.
"How’s your reading going?"
"Good.
I memorized eight letters."
"Want some help?"
"Bunny’s a genius, so I can do it all by myself."
Heh.
Bunny grinned and proudly gave a thumbs-up.
She was independent, which was admirable because she didn’t rely on Kiriel much.
But on the flip side, it also made her seem like she didn’t know how to lean on others.
"Bunny."
"Yes."
"If you ever don't know something, ask me anytime.
If you're ever struggling, just tell me."
Bunny blinked, then smiled brightly and nodded.
"But you always wear the same clothes."
"The director at the orphanage gave me these.
They’re Bunny’s favorite, number one clothes."
Her cheeks puffed up in pride as if asking, ‘Aren't they pretty?’ Kiriel felt an odd twinge in his heart.
There are better things out there, so why is she satisfied with that?
Now that he thought about it, Bunny rarely asked for anything from him, except for that time when she asked him to punish a knight.
"......"
Kiriel reached out and patted Bunny's head a couple of times.
"Bunny, shall we go shopping?"
"Huh, even Bunny?"
"Yeah, your brother will come too."
Bunny gave a thumbs-up.
"Okay.
I'll call Allen!
I’ll bring Magomy and the elephant too!"
"Elephant?"
"Yes.
Bunny’s treasure chest!"
Kiriel paused, remembering the elephant-shaped piggy bank.
He hesitated, then shook his head slightly while looking at her.
"No need to bring the elephant.
I’ll buy it for you.
I'm your dad, after all."
Bunny blinked twice, then shouted, “Oh!” and nodded enthusiastically.
"Okay!"
As soon as Allen heard the news, he rushed back home after finishing his lessons.
It was the first outing the three of them would take together.
* * *
Ding—
The first place they arrived at was a large, towering building on a fancy street.
The two-story building was a boutique, famous even among the noble’s shopping streets.
"Welcome, Lord Kiriel of Judias."
As soon as they entered, a line of clerks bowed in unison.
‘Wow!’
Sparkle, sparkle!
So many people!
So many clothes!
Bunny's eyes widened slightly.
Allen, also visiting such a place for the first time, stared wide-eyed just like Bunny, his mouth open in awe.
"Wow..."
"Wow..."
When Kiriel put Bunny down, she ran around the marble floor, circling the room excitedly.
"Daddy, there are so many clothes!"
"Yes, it’s a boutique.
Pick whatever you want, Bunny."
"Okay!"
"Allen, you too.
I should have taken care of this earlier.
Sorry."
"...It's...
It's fine."
Allen blinked, his face flushing a bit, and shook his head at Kiriel’s words.
Bunny wandered between the racks of clothes and peeked at the price tags.
Suddenly, she froze in place.
A conversation with Luriel flashed through Bunny's mind.
"Luri, what’s expensive and what’s cheap?"
"Hmm, if there are more than five zeros, it’s expensive.
Six zeros mean it's super expensive."
"What happens if it’s super expensive?"
"Hmm.
The household could go bankrupt."
Bunny began counting the zeros from the end of the price tag.
"One, two, four, fiiiive… six… seven?!"
Bunny's eyes widened.
Five zeros were a lot, six zeros meant super expensive.
‘So what does seven zeros mean?’
Expensive enough to ruin the world?!
Luriel didn’t tell me what seven zeros meant!
‘Daddy's shop will go bankrupt!’
If Daddy's shop goes bankrupt, we’ll become beggars.
If Daddy becomes a beggar...
Bunny will become one too?!
Bunny's eyes widened in horror.
Bunny quietly tiptoed back to Kiriel and grabbed his leg.
When Kiriel looked down, Bunny tugged on his coat.
"Why?"
As Kiriel knelt down to meet her eyes, Bunny whispered in his ear.
"There are seven zeros, Daddy.
Your shop will go bankrupt."
"Shop...?
I don't run a shop."
"Huh?"
Bunny blinked.
Weird?
If there's no shop, where does the money come from?
Luriel said that super-strong dads all have big shops that pour out money like fountains.
"If you don't have a shop, how do you pay?
I don't want Daddy to be in debt.
Scary people will chase you..."
Kiriel froze for a moment at Bunny's words.
Sometimes, the child said things that didn’t make sense.
Yet, there were days when the fragments of the past hidden in her words bothered him.
"Daddy has a lot of money.
I earned plenty long ago.
I could buy everything here if I wanted to."
Kiriel smiled at Bunny as he kept eye contact.
Bunny’s eyes widened.
"So, buy whatever you want.
As much as you want.
Even without a shop, I have lots of money."
With his soft laugh, Bunny’s eyes grew even wider.
"Now, go on."
"Okay!"
That day, all the clothes Bunny glanced at were delivered to the Duke's mansion.
"Rich Daddy!"
"Yes."
That day, Bunny's trust in Kiriel deepened even more.
* * *
"Goodbye!
We hope you'll visit us again!"
After a long shopping trip, Bunny, nestled in Kiriel’s arms, heard the clerks’ loud goodbyes and perked up her ears.
Suddenly, Bunny looked around.
"Bunny?
What’s wrong?"
At Kiriel's question, Bunny blinked a few times.
"Zing."
A strange gaze.
Bunny tilted her head and scanned the surroundings, but there was nothing.
"Shall we go get chocolate now?"
Gasp.
Choco!
"Yes!"
Bunny responded energetically.
As their carriage moved away, a man in the crowd of clerks subtly lifted his hat, a sinister smile creeping across his face.
“To think he'd arrive while I was on a long mission.”
The man’s grin widened menacingly, and his eyes glowed red from under the brim of his hat.
"Oh, King of Hell."
Then, the man disappeared into the deep shadow that had fallen over him.