The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Jeong Yuna placed a coin on the tip of my nose.  
Naturally, I lifted my head slightly to keep it from falling.  

My body instinctively assumed a cat-like posture to maintain balance, and my lips stuck out just a bit.  
Every time, I couldn’t help but marvel at the physical abilities of beastfolk.  

"Does this mean Gyeoul will grant my wish now?"  

She pressed her finger lightly against my lips as if it were a button, and the coin fell into the tub below.  

"Actually, I can’t grant wishes… I just listen to them…"  

"Oh, just listen? But my wish is something Gyeoul can definitely do."  

Something I could do? Was it a request of some kind?  
As I picked up the fallen coin from the tub, I asked,  

"What’s your wish?"  

"For Gyeoul to give me a big hug."  

"A hug?"  

"Yeah. I’m heading into a dungeon tomorrow, and I want to draw some energy from you first."  

Hugs within a family were known to provide emotional comfort.  
It was natural to seek reassurance before venturing into danger.  

"But I’m all wet. Won’t that be a problem?"  

My loose clothing clung to me because of the water. If I hugged her like this, Jeong Yuna would definitely get wet too.  

"It’s fine. I don’t care if I get wet if it means hugging Gyeoul."  

"Um… okay then…"  

I handed the coin back to her, but she raised an eyebrow instead of taking it.  

"What’s this for?"  

"You don’t need a wish for a hug. I can do that anytime."  

"Oh, really?"  

"Yes. We can’t put a price on hugs between us."  

We weren’t strangers, after all.  
Affection wasn’t something to be bought or sold.  

"Ah… Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight. We’re family, after all."  

Family.  
Hearing that word from Jeong Yuna for the first time made me smile.  
It felt good knowing she considered me family.  

"Yes. Since we’re family, hugs are something we can share whenever we want."  

I leaned forward and slipped the coin into her pocket. At that moment, Jeong Yuna suddenly wrapped her arms around me tightly.  

"Really, why are you so adorable?"  

My face was pressed into her soft embrace, and the warmth of her hands on my back was comforting.  

Drip, drip—  
My wet tail wagged enthusiastically, likely sprinkling water onto Levinas and Saebyeok nearby.  

Sorry about that.  
But I can’t stop it.  
Since they’re beastfolk too, I hoped they’d understand.  

As I mentally apologized, the strength of her hug increased.  
I felt like one of Levinas’ plush toys, firmly squeezed but still soft and comforting.  

"Hmm… Fully recharged!"  

Jeong Yuna loosened her embrace slightly and then rubbed her cheek against mine.  
For a moment, I thought her cheek was especially soft, but then I realized it was my own.  

"Oops, maybe I hugged you too hard?"  

She stepped back and placed a hand on my head.  
That’s when I noticed her now-drenched clothes.  

"What about your clothes?"  

"This much? A little magic will fix it."  

Oh.  
Right. She could use magic.  
For some reason, I felt a twinge of envy.  

"I wish I could use magic too."  

"Why not? You can learn it."  

"Beastfolk can’t usually learn magic unless they’re exceptional. Our bodies are just built differently…"  

It wasn’t unheard of for beastfolk to use magic.  
Levinas was a prime example.  
I glanced over at her reflexively.  

"Do you need to learn it? I’m here, after all."  

You’re here?  
What did that mean?  
I blinked, confused by her words.  

"If you ever need magic, just tell me. I’ll use any spell for you."  

"R-really?"  

"Of course. We’re family, right? That’s what family does."  

"Ah…"  

In that case, I’d have to do something for her in return.  
Even if all I could offer was a hug.  

It felt a little unfair on her end.  
Feeling guilty, I scratched the back of my head just as Levinas jumped into the tub with a splash.  

"Levinas too!"  

"Levinas too?"  

"Yeah! Hug Levinas too!"  

Levinas poked her head out of the tub next to me, mimicking my cat-like posture.  
My wagging tail lightly tapped her back.  

"Of course, I’ll use magic for Levinas too."  

"No! Not magic, a hug!"  

"Oh, a hug?"  

Jeong Yuna laughed and spread her arms wide.  
Instead of hugging just Levinas, she pulled both of us into her embrace.  

"Hehehe."  

Levinas giggled from within her arms, and Saebyeok, not wanting to be left out, ran over to join us.  
Jeong Yuna had enough room to hug all three of us at once.  

"Ah, now the dungeon doesn’t seem so scary."  

"Still, be careful out there."  

"Thanks. I need to finish preparing, so I’ll be going now."  

Jeong Yuna waved as she left, walking away with light steps.  
I watched her retreating figure for a while before turning to the kids.  

"Now…"  

I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before Han Yeoreum came running toward us, shouting my name.  

"G-Gyeoul!"  

Even for an experienced adventurer, she looked out of breath as she approached.  
Her body lacked any trace of magic. Maybe she had been training to fight without it.  

"What’s going on?"  

"I-I heard… huff… if I come here, I’ll get a hug…"  

Panting, Midsummer seemed completely exhausted from running without magic.  

"Um… sure."  

I hugged her along with the kids.  
Her expression shifted to one of satisfaction as if she had just recharged her energy.  

"I was in the middle of training, so I’ll head back now. See you later?"  

"Okay…"  

After that, many people stopped by the fountain.  
Almost everyone I knew came at least once.  

Some asked for hugs, others wanted their heads patted.  
Even the guild master showed up late and wished for chocolate.  

Of course, I didn’t take a single coin.  
Their requests were too simple to charge for.  
While it meant Levinas didn’t make any money, she still giggled cheerfully.  

"The next fountain will be Dark Wang-ie!"  

"…Okay."  

Saebyeok stepped into the tub and flicked her tail, splashing water impressively far.  

"What an amazing fountain!"  

Levinas scooped up water with her hands and joined in, spraying it farther than expected.  
The kids’ laughter filled the air, and I couldn’t help but join in.  

---

After cleaning up the fountain, I sat on a nearby bench.  
Saebyeok approached me, lying halfway on my lap with her belly resting on my thighs while her legs stayed on the bench.  

Pat, pat—  
I gently patted her back.  
She purred softly, then glanced toward where the fountain had been and spoke.  

"…It’s hard to make money with a fountain."  

"Yeah, but you learned a lot, didn’t you?"  

"Mm. It was educational."  

"Then that’s good enough."  

I had known from the start that a makeshift fountain like that wouldn’t attract coins.  
But it was an opportunity for the kids to try something and learn from it.  

Planning and attempting a small business, even if it failed, was a valuable experience for them.  

"Let’s try something else next time."  

"…Okay."  

Saebyeok’s dark tail curled up in front of me.  
For no reason, I grabbed it, only to see Levinas running toward us from afar.  

"Wang-ie! Something big happened!"  

She held a shiny card in her hand, one symbolizing the highest grade.  

"Wow, it’s a ten-star card!"  

"Yeah! It’s the Demon King Eagle card!"  

Ta-da—  
Levinas proudly showed the card, though her expression didn’t seem as thrilled as it should have been.  
It must have something to do with the "big thing" she mentioned.  

"Why is it a big deal? That’s a great card!"  

"Someone got an even better card than Levinas!"  

"An even better card?"  

"Yeah…! They got the Warrior Horned Rabbit card…"  

The Warrior Horned Rabbit card.  
I had heard of it before from Levinas.  
It was only a two-star card, far below the ten-star Demon King Eagle card.  

But Levinas didn’t care about star ratings.  
She valued cards based on affection, not performance.  

"You must have been jealous."  

"Yeah! So Levinas asked to trade for it!"  

"…But they didn’t agree?"  

"Nope…! They said I’d have to trade two ten-star cards for it…!"  

What kind of person was that?  
Even Saebyeok, who rarely showed emotion, scowled deeply.  

"What do we do?! Levinas can’t give up her Everyone’s Friend card…!"  

The Everyone’s Friend card.  

A card featuring every kind of animal, it was Levinas’ most treasured possession.  
I had even heard rumors of it being worth a fortune.  

Did that person know Levinas had the card and try to take advantage of her?  
The idea of someone exploiting a child made me angry, even though I rarely got upset.  

"Hmm… Let’s go talk to them together."  

"Wang-ie, be careful! They’re a tough opponent!"  

"That bad…?"  

"Yeah…! They’re a scary person…! Always picking fights for no reason…!"  

Someone in the park bothering Levinas?  
Who would do such a thing?  

My fists clenched instinctively.  
I wasn’t planning on starting a fight, but I was determined to tell them to stop harassing her.  

"Where are they?"  

"Over there!"  

Following Levinas’ lead, I headed to where the owner of the Warrior Horned Rabbit card was.  
When we arrived, I recognized the boy.  

Though I didn’t know his name, I remembered his voice and presence from when I had worn a costume.  
He had been a mischievous troublemaker who attacked everything in sight.