The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

The shelter was set up, and the tent was pitched on top of it.  
Thanks to everyone working together, we managed to finish earlier than expected.  

"Hmm..."  

My arms weren’t sore, and I wasn’t out of breath.  
Even though the work had been tough, I felt no discomfort—only joy.  
This unfamiliar feeling, so different from what I knew, made it hard to fully enjoy the moment.  

"Gyeoul, are you feeling unwell?"  

My worries must have shown on my face. Midsummer knelt down to meet my eyes, gently stroking my cheek with her familiar soft touch.  

"No, I’m not in pain at all."  

"Really? You didn’t look so good. If something’s wrong, make sure to tell me, okay?"  

"Okay."  

My overthinking had made others worry about me.  
Getting lost in these thoughts during such a happy moment felt like a burden on everyone.  

Clap clap—  
I lightly slapped my cheeks to shake off my concerns and stepped into the tent, determined to put unnecessary thoughts aside for later.  

"Wow!"  

Levinas was running around inside the tent, her excitement radiating.  
Her pure joy over something as simple as a tent was truly heartwarming.  

"Your Majesty! It’s a secret base!"  

"Yes, a very big secret base. Do you want to be the leader, Levinas?"  

"No! The leader is Your Majesty!"  

Levinas rejected the idea firmly.  
To refuse a role that most kids would love—it was unexpected. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.  

"Don’t you want to be the leader, Levinas?"  

"I like being the leader! But I like Your Majesty more! Your Majesty as the leader is even better!"  

Her sweet words always made me feel good.  
Just as always, my tail wagged freely without any resistance.  

"Alright. I like you too, Levinas."  

I smiled warmly at her. Just then, someone tugged lightly at my sleeve.  
When I turned around, Saebyeok stood there with her usual blank expression.  
Even without words, I could tell what she wanted.  

"I like you too, Saebyeok."  

"..."  

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.  
Even though she didn’t say much, I could feel her emotions clearly.  

"Alright, little ones, come outside," Midsummer called.  
Together with the others, I stepped out of the tent. We all took a seat in the clearing in front of it.  

"What’s going on?"  

"We’re getting ready to eat."  

"Oh! Then I’ll show you what to do."  

"Sure. Is there anything specific we need to prepare?"  

Everyone turned their attention to me.  
Even though it wasn’t anything extraordinary, I suddenly felt a strange sense of responsibility.  

"When you’re outdoors, securing food is the most important thing."  

"Securing food... yourself?"  

Jeong Yuna, who had been quietly listening, paled.  
For someone who had always lived a luxurious life, the thought of finding food herself must have been completely foreign.  

"In the wild, if you don’t find food, you go hungry. Even one day without food can really take a toll."  

"That... um..."  

Jeong Yuna seemed like she wanted to say something, but she just kept opening and closing her mouth.  
Before she could finish, Argo stomped the ground with such force that dust flew into the air.  

"Hunting! Survival! Leader!"  

Argo, who had a wild and primal side, seemed extremely excited.  
Usually, his speech was simple, but now he could only manage to string words together.  

"What do you usually eat, Gyeoul?"  

Jeong Yuna gripped the staff she had resting on her lap.  
Levinas, watching her, took the staff and moved it to the side before climbing onto her lap. Her innocent, smiling face as she looked up at me was simply adorable.  

"It depends on the situation, but usually, I catch minnows."  

"Minnows?"  

"Yes. And on lucky days, I might find animal carcasses—like squirrels or deer."  

"Carcasses?! Isn’t that dangerous?"  

Jeong Yuna’s eyes went wide with shock.  
Sophia sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead. Somewhere, someone let out another sigh.  
They were all probably worried that I might have eaten something rotten.  
I decided to reassure them.  

"I never ate anything rotten. There are specific carcasses that are safe to eat."  

"You... you can tell which ones are safe?"  

Jeong Yuna’s voice was filled with concern.  
It seemed she couldn’t fully accept what I was saying.  

"You learn naturally as you go."  

"Naturally learn..."  

Jeong Yuna pulled Levinas closer into a tight hug. She even covered Levinas’s long ears as though shielding her. Then, lifting her gaze to me, she spoke again.  

"Gyeoul."  

"Yes?"  

"Actually, Jinhyuk and Arin are bringing food. They’ll be joining us soon."  

"Oh... I thought we had to gather everything ourselves."  

Camping had its levels of difficulty, after all. There were some camps where you didn’t need to forage for food, just like this one.  

"We’ll probably just need to start a fire and set the table."  

"Alright. But can’t we just use magic to light the fire?"  

"Hanyeoreum said not to use magic while camping."  

"I see."  

Magic, while incredibly convenient, could ruin the charm and atmosphere of camping if overused.  

"Gyeoul, do you know how to start a fire?"  

"Um... I usually rely on magic, so I didn’t bring a lighter..."  

"Oh no, what do we do?"  

Jeong Yuna glanced at Midsummer, likely thinking about asking if magic could be an exception.  

"But I do know how to start a fire without a lighter."  

As long as you had friction, it was possible to start a fire.  
I had done it a few times before when my lighter had run out of fuel.  

"How do you start a fire without a lighter?"  

"I’ll show you."  

I picked up a stick of the right length, along with a flat piece of wood and some dry straw.  

"Friction...?"  

"Yes. It looks difficult, but it’s actually quite simple."  

Starting a fire with friction—a primitive method.  
It wasn’t hard once you knew how.  

"Have you done this before?"  

"Yes, a few times."  

"Well... since it’s camping, I guess trying it this way is a good idea."  

Jeong Yuna nodded hesitantly.  
Back then, it had been a miserable and exhausting task.  
Now, knowing it could help everyone, it filled me with pride.  

Scrape, scrape—  
Gyeoul rotated the stick between her palms at a speed that surprised even Hanyeoreum and Jeong Yuna, both top-level adventurers.  

"If she grows at this rate, she might even surpass the master in speed someday," they thought.  
Those who considered themselves Gyeoul’s protectors felt a warm sense of pride.  
Everyone except the children.  

"Our Gyeoul is amazing."  
That warm feeling lasted only a moment before everyone grew anxious, watching her tired expression.  

"Haah... haah..."  

Gyeoul’s ears drooped, and her tail trembled with exhaustion.  
Even so, she kept going, panting as she worked to ignite the fire.  

"Gyeoul, should I take over?"  

Midsummer crouched beside her but refrained from interfering, worried about disrupting her focus.  

"Just... a little more... It’s not about strength—it’s a skill..."  

"I see..."  

She regretted not just suggesting they use magic earlier.  
Still, amidst her concern, she saw a faint joy in Gyeoul’s determination.  

Starting a fire through friction was a skill practically useless in modern society.  
But here, Gyeoul was using that seemingly worthless skill to help everyone.  
It was only natural for her to feel proud, knowing that her past hardships hadn’t been in vain.  

At this moment, stopping her wasn’t the right choice. Encouragement was.  

"Gyeoul, you’re incredible. Even I can’t do this. Sophia, can you?"  

"…My frail body wouldn’t allow it."  

"Wow, so Gyeoul’s the only one who can do it?"  

Midsummer clapped enthusiastically, and Jeong Yuna chimed in.  

"Survival skills like this are essential for adventurers. Gyeoul already knows so much."  

"Honestly, I should learn from her."  

The women’s praises made Gyeoul’s ears and tail perk up.  
Her hands moved even faster, becoming a blur that Jeong Yuna’s non-magical eyes could barely follow.  

And then, it happened.  
A spark appeared in the dry straw.  

Carefully, Gyeoul transferred the ember to the prepared firewood.  

Fwoosh—  
With a few gentle breaths, the fire grew.  
She added it to the campfire she had set up earlier, and soon flames were flickering brightly.  

"Wow! Your Majesty! Amazing!"  

"That’s incredible," Saebyeok said, settling down by the fire like a cat.  
A mat beneath her kept her clean as she lay near the warmth.  

"As expected of you, Gyeoul. Beastfolk have an unmatched natural instinct."  

"It’s just lighting a fire with wood..."  

"You shouldn’t dismiss it as a trivial skill. It’s the foundation of survival instincts, an essential trait for beastfolk."  

"Exactly! Leader!"  

Encya and Argo’s enthusiastic compliments made Gyeoul’s face flush.  
"It’s really not a big deal," she mumbled softly, but her tail wagged happily.  

"Hmm..."  

Something still felt strange.  
Usually, starting a fire would leave her completely exhausted, but now she felt energized, almost invigorated.  

She knew the reason.  
It was because her family was here with her.  

It was an unfamiliar sensation, one she couldn’t quite adjust to.  

"Gyeoul, you’ve looked uneasy for a while now," Hanyeoreum observed.  

"Yes... It’s just the situation feels strange."  

"What’s so strange about it?"  

Sophia patted the chair beside her. Without hesitation, Gyeoul sat next to her.  

The chair was small, so the two had to sit close, their bodies pressed together.  

"This should be incredibly difficult, but since everyone’s here, it’s been fun instead. I understand why, but it’s hard to accept."  

"That’s..."  

Sophia, her face close enough for their noses to almost touch, gave a soft laugh.  

"Sophia?"  

She placed a hand on Gyeoul’s shoulder and patted it gently.  

Though her hand was small, it felt larger and more comforting than anything else in the world.  

Gyeoul wanted to ask why, but she stayed quiet, unwilling to tarnish the warmth of Sophia’s touch with negative thoughts.  

______________________

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars and likes of the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!