The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Ring-ring—  
The sound of the phone echoed through the spacious room.  

I hesitated, unsure if I should answer it.  

Should I really be the one picking this up?  

As I debated, the ringing stopped, leaving behind a momentary silence.  

"Whew…"  

I sighed in relief. At least it ended quickly. But just as I started to relax, the phone began ringing again, as persistent as before.  

Ring-ring—  
Was it something urgent? The continuous ringing made it clear I couldn’t ignore it twice in a row.  

If I didn’t answer, someone might question why I let it ring when I was clearly sitting right here.  

"This is something the master entrusted to me…"  

I didn’t understand why I was chosen for this in the first place, but I knew I couldn’t avoid it. Taking a deep breath, I picked up the receiver.  

"Hello…"  

Because of the way my ears were positioned on top of my head, I couldn’t hold the phone like a regular person. Instead, I held it in both hands, simply listening. My hearing was good enough to catch every word, even from a distance.  

"Hello? Is this… Gyeoul?"  

"Yes!"  

The voice was familiar, sparking a wave of relief and excitement that made my tail wag.  

"I thought so! Do you know who this is?"  

"You’re the master of the Holy Guild, right?"  

"You remembered! That makes me so happy."  

Through the phone, I could hear the soft laughter of Chae Jooyeon. Even her faint exhale was clear to my sharp ears.  

"We picked up empty bottles together, so of course I’d remember."  

"That was fun, wasn’t it?"  

"It really was."  

We exchanged lighthearted greetings, asking about meals and general well-being. The casual small talk eased the lingering tension I had felt moments ago.  

"Gyeoul, is the master not there right now?"  

"No, he’s out."  

"Oh, so you’re alone in the master’s office?"  

"Yes. I’m sorry I didn’t answer earlier. I wasn’t sure if I should."  

Given the same number, it must have been her calling earlier. I felt uneasy about ignoring her calls, even unintentionally.  

"It’s fine. You were just being cautious, right? That’s good."  

"Yes…"  

"The master must trust you if he left you in charge. Don’t worry too much and just answer the phone if it rings."  

"Okay…"  

But why did the master trust me with this? It seemed like Jooyeon might know something, but she didn’t elaborate.  

"Oh! If someone strange calls, you hang up immediately, alright?"  

"Like phone scammers?"  

"Exactly. You’re smart enough to recognize them, right?"  

"I think I can tell."  

I knew a thing or two about scammers from my previous life. Though I wasn’t familiar with how they operated in this world, it wouldn’t hurt to ask others for advice later.  

"Alright, I’ll let you go. The master must be busy, but let’s pick up bottles again sometime, okay?"  

"Yes, let’s do that!"  

"Take care, Gyeoul."  

"You too, Master."  

Click—  
The call ended, and I carefully set the receiver down. Surprisingly, answering the master’s calls wasn’t as daunting as I’d feared. Maybe it was easier because it was someone I knew.  

For now, I’d just let people know the master wasn’t available. That should suffice.  

As I wondered when the next call might come, the sound of the elevator broke my thoughts.  

Vrrr—  
The doors opened, and a group of people entered the hallway. Though the walls blocked my view, my sharp ears picked up everything.  

"Hello. Is the master inside?"  

"The master is unavailable, but there is an acting master in his place," one of the guards explained.  

"An acting master? Since when did we have one?"  

"Just for today… It’s a temporary arrangement."  

The guard’s vague explanation only sparked murmurs of confusion among the group. Their words made my ears and tail droop instinctively.  

This wasn’t really an important position—it was just the master’s joke. But they didn’t know that.  

"Who could it be?"  

"I don’t know. The master isn’t the type to do something like this without consulting anyone."  

"Shouldn’t the acting master be chosen from within our ranks?"  

The murmurs carried a tone of discontent, and my heart pounded nervously. I wanted to crawl into a hole.  

Who was I to be acting master? It felt like an outsider stealing a spot that belonged to someone else.  

Right now, all I could hope for was Midsummer’s support. She was the only one I could rely on.  

"Can we go in and check?"  

"Yes, you may enter. You’ll recognize the person immediately."  

"…Alright, then. Excuse us."  

Knock, knock—  
Someone tapped on the door, but I couldn’t bring myself to respond. My ears flattened, and my tail drooped as I stared at the door in silence.  

"No answer?"  

"You can go in. It seems they’re overwhelmed by visitors."  

"…The acting master, overwhelmed?"  

"…I can’t say more. Matters involving the master require caution, even with an acting position."  

"Understood. Sorry about that."  

The door creaked open, and a man stepped in. Though his expression initially showed irritation, it softened the moment his eyes landed on me.  

"Uh…?"  

"Who is it?"  

From behind the door, Midsummer peeked in. When she saw me, her eyes widened in surprise, and she rushed over.  

"Gyeoul! What are you doing here?"  

"The master told me to stay here…"  

"Wow, really? This is impressive! Even I’ve never sat in this chair."  

The master’s chair, the ultimate symbol of power in Yeomyeong Guild. It was a seat reserved for the strongest in the nation—possibly the world.  

"I… I’m sorry…"  

I hurriedly stood up, but Midsummer gently pushed me back into the chair.  

"It’s fine. Stay seated."  

"But I don’t think I deserve to…"  

Half-sitting, half-standing, I glanced nervously at everyone in the room. Even if it was just a joke, giving the acting position to someone outside the core leadership was bound to cause resentment.  

"Wait… the acting master is Gyeoul?"  

"If it’s Gyeoul, that’s fine. She’s one of us."  

"I thought they handed the role to an outsider!"  

"She gives us buffs for cheap, free fortifiers, and has done so much for our guild. No one deserves it more than her."  

The discontent melted away, replaced by warm smiles.  

"Sit down, Gyeoul."  

"Y-Yes…"  

Relieved that they weren’t angry, I cautiously returned to the chair.  

---

"Master Gyeoul, please approve this dungeon permit."  

"An approval…? From me?"  

"Yes. To enter dungeons above Level 5, we need the guild master’s authorization."  

"I… I see."  

Wasn’t this something the actual master should handle? I fidgeted with the edge of the document, unsure.  

"It’s mostly a formality. You can do it. As long as it’s not reckless, it’s rarely denied."  

"Are you sure this won’t cause any problems?"  

"None at all. Any mishap in the dungeon is on the adventurers, not the one granting the permit. You know that, right?"  

"Yes."  

Adventurers bore all the risks, so even government officials approving permits weren’t held responsible.  

"Go ahead, Master Gyeoul. Please approve it."  

"Okay…"  

Trusting Hanyeoreum, I wrote my name in place of a signature.  

*Han Gyeoul*  

It was the first time I’d used the name given to me in a formal capacity.  

The feeling was strange—both good and bittersweet. My tail swayed, reflecting my mixed emotions.  

This name, Han Gyeoul… I hadn’t liked it at first.  

Like this experience, I had been unsure at the start, but it seemed to end on a positive note.