I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild

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The mackerel thrashed violently in my grasp.

It slipped away once, but I caught it again mid-air with my extraordinary reflexes.

It kept struggling.

I had to do something about it.

After pondering for a moment, I picked up a nearby stone and struck the mackerel's head with it.

Thud-!

With a violent noise, the mackerel stopped its movements.

Blood trickled from its slightly opened mouth, staining it red.

"What is?"

"Nothing."

Sophia, leaning on her cane, returned to the tent.

I followed Sophia, still clutching the mackerel.

For some reason, the woman who introduced herself as Jung Yu-na followed me.

"……."

What does she plan to do by following me?

While sneaking glances at her, I unintentionally rubbed the mackerel against my cheek like a teddy bear.

The damp, slimy sensation felt odd.

"Oh dear, this little one."

Sophia grabbed my hand and pulled it away.

As the mackerel slid down, a fishy liquid smeared on my face.

It was a mysterious smell that stimulated the appetite.

"Who hugs a mackerel like that?"

"I'm, I'm sorry…"

It was my first time seeing such a large fish in this life, so maybe I got a bit too excited.

"Oh dear. How to deal with this fishy smell."

Sophia took out a tissue from somewhere and began wiping my face.

I wanted to do it myself, but since my hands were occupied with holding the mackerel, I had no choice but to stay still.

'This is strange.'

It's just a mackerel, after all.

Why does it feel so precious?

Lost in this puzzling thought and staring at the mackerel, Sophia spoke up.

"So, what do you plan to do today?"

"Uh, I was thinking of picking up a few pieces of furniture for the housewarming."

"Hmm… Then after getting the furniture, if there's time left, let's do some mana training."

"Ah…! Yes…!"

Mana training.

That's been my lifelong desire.

I nodded my head at an incredible speed.

Completely forgetting that Jung Yu-na was right beside me.

"Hey, kids…?"

"Yes…?!"

At the woman's call, Sophia and I simultaneously turned our heads.

Jung Yu-na, shedding her usual fierceness, seemed uncharacteristically hesitant.

"Um, should I help too…?"

"Together?"

"Yeah. It might be dangerous for the kids alone, and the furniture could be heavy…"

"Uh…"

I wanted to refuse, but I was too scared of Jung Yu-na to do so.

In my indecision, holding the mackerel, I just fiddled with my fingers, and suddenly Sophia raised her cane high into the air.

"This rascal. Who would think I'm a child."

"That's right. Sophia is not a child, she's a grandma…"

Well done.

Scold her more.

Inwardly cheering for Sophia in that moment.

"Thwack."

Sophia struck the top of my head with her cane.

She must have controlled her strength well, as I felt no pain.

"Cough."

It was only after being hit on the head that I remembered Sophia's admonition not to call her 'grandma.'

I couldn't argue since it was clearly my fault.

All I could do was rub my head with a sense of injustice.

"Do as you please, follow or not."

Sophia grumbled and sat down on a nearby chair.

She seemed upset about being called a grandma, occasionally poking the ground with her cane.

I watched her and decided.

First, I needed to eat the mackerel.

---

---

Walking with Sophia and Jung Yu-na, I savored the taste of the mackerel I had just eaten.

'Was fish always this delicious…?'

The taste of the mackerel, my first in almost eight years, was shockingly good.

It was simply cooked over a fire without salt or oil, yet the flavor was incredible.

The taste of mackerel still seemed to swim around my mouth.

Perhaps, like my improved sight and hearing, my sense of taste had enhanced too.

I resolved to check this later, just when Jung Yu-na tapped my shoulder.

"Is this the right way?"

"Yes…"

"It's strange. There aren't any furniture stores around here."

In the middle of an apartment complex with dozens of buildings, Jung Yu-na looked around.

Despite usable furniture lying around the nearby recycling area, she didn't notice.

"There's plenty of furniture here."

"This? At the recycling area?"

"Yes. Everything here is free."

Free, and thus fiercely competitive.

I hurried towards the recycling area.

There was a good-looking bookshelf nearby, but since I had no books, I decided not to take it.

The rule of this recycling area was to leave things for those who truly needed them.

"You really are…"

Tsk.

Sophia clicked her tongue and approached me.

She seemed to have something to say, but for some reason, she didn't speak.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll look around for something useful myself."

"Okay. Please let me know if you see a good pot."

"Sure…"

Sophia shuffled off into the furniture.

As if to fill her absence, Jung Yu-na came close to me.

"Hey, should I buy you a new piece of furniture?"

"Oh, no. There's plenty of useful furniture here. No need to buy new ones."

There were good furniture pieces scattered around the recycling area, yet she suggested buying new ones.

Her bourgeois attitude wasn't very helpful.

'This is how the rich are.'

Jung Yu-na wouldn't be of much help.

I left her behind and followed Sophia.

It seemed like today was a day for just the two of us.

---

---

Jung Yu-na stood a little away, watching over the two beast-kin children.

Although she knew one was an elder, Jung Yu-na still regarded her as a child.

The small and cute figure simply did not seem like an elder.

Of course, knowing her age, she planned to treat her with the respect due to an elder.

'Really pitiful.'

One child was dressed shabbily, and the other seemed to have difficulty moving, leaning on a cane.

Anyone could see these were children in need of help, shopping at a recycling area.

It was a situation that would evoke pity even from those unaware of the circumstances.

"How about this chest of drawers? It's neat and has pretty decorations."

"The doors are made of glass, so no. They'll break easily."

"Oh ho."

Jung Yu-na just watched the two beast-kin girls choosing furniture, seemingly lost in thought.

She wanted to help, but having never used second-hand items before, she didn't know what was better.

'They all just look old to me…'

One desk had a broken leg.

A chair had its backrest and armrests shattered.

How could she possibly help in this situation?

Not knowing the way, but Jung Yu-na decided to approach the two children.

"Hey, kids…"

Just as Jung Yu-na reached out to the two children.

"Wow!"

Gyeoul exclaimed in amazement.

Her eyes sparkled as she lifted a large box in front of her.

It looked like the kind of box used to pack refrigerators or air conditioners.

Why was she so happy about a mere box?

Jung Yu-na rolled her eyes in confusion when Gyeoul blurted out something shocking.

"This kind of box is perfect for a bed."

"Ah."

A box bed.

Even Jung Yu-na, who lived a life of luxury, had heard of it.

Homeless people use boxes as beds to avoid freezing to death.

"Is there nothing for me?"

"No. There's only one box."

"…Then yield it to me. My back is bad, so I want to sleep somewhere nice."

Sophia grasped the edge of the box with her small hand.

Gyeoul looked down at Sophia's hand with a puzzled expression.

"But I found this…"

"Oh dear, my body is aching, please let me have it this time."

"This, this is really valuable…? It's the biggest box in the world…"

"Oh, my poor body… My back is aching…"

The two beast-kin children struggled over a single box.

A pitiful reason - they both wanted a better bed to sleep on.

"Ah…"

I really want to cry.

As Jung Yu-na, with a tearful face, clutched her head.

"Cough!"

Someone cleared their throat from behind.

"Huh…?"

Everyone turned around.

There stood a middle-aged man, holding a thick mattress.

Startled by the man's approach, Gyeoul stepped aside, followed by Sophia and Jung Yu-na.

"Cough!"

The middle-aged man glanced at the three of them, then set the mattress down in a corner of the recycling area.

It was a plush mattress, incomparable to a mere box.

"Gasp!"

Is he throwing that away?!

As Gyeoul clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture, Jung Yu-na made a startling discovery.

The mattress discarded by the middle-aged man was a recently developed, latest model.

Jung Yu-na, with her fondness for luxury, recognized it at a glance.

'Mister…!'

Did he give away the mattress out of pity for the children fighting over a box?

Forgetting her usual proud demeanor, Jung Yu-na bowed her head towards him.

However, the middle-aged man left without any acknowledgment.

'Wow.'

That's a real elder.

Jung Yu-na thought while watching his retreating figure.

If the item was 'thrown away' rather than given, maybe the children would accept it.

It seemed she needed to look around her house for furniture that was no longer needed.

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2/5 Enjoy the chappy!