The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Together with Kwon Arin, I ventured into a mid-level dungeon.  

We only took down a few monsters as a trial run, so our earnings weren’t substantial.  

"Sophia, look at this."  

At the trading post, I showed Sophia the mana stones we had collected from the dungeon monsters. I wanted to show her how much I had grown.  

"These are mana stones from orcs."  

"Yes. They were at least five times my size."  

I stretched out my arms wide, mimicking the size of the orcs we had defeated, trying to boast about the feat.  

I knew it was childish and immature behavior, but I couldn’t help myself in front of Sophia.  

Sophia, who gave me so much love and care, always made me feel this way. What did it matter if I acted like a child in moments like this? After all, she probably saw everyone in the world as children.  

"Impressive. Were you not scared?"  

"No. I went with a party."  

I glanced over at Kwon Arin, who was standing behind me, just as Levinas burst into the trading post.  

"Sharky! I brought a dad!"  

"A dad?"  

"Yes! Sharky is the mom, so you two should get married!"  

Levinas dragged forward the sleeve of someone’s shirt. A young man stood in front of us, his pupils trembling as he took in the situation.  

"And who might you be?" Sophia asked.  

"Uh… well…"  

Before he could stammer out an answer, Levinas shouted dramatically.  

"He’s the one who’s going to marry Sophia!"  

"No! That’s not true!"  

The young man frantically waved his hands in denial, his heartbeat practically audible.  

"Oh dear…"  

Sophia sighed and gestured for Levinas to come closer. When Levinas stepped forward, Sophia lightly tapped her head with her staff.  

Thump, thump.  

Levinas’s springy rabbit ears bounced back against the staff. Judging by her confused expression, it seemed unintentional.  

"Huh?"  

Levinas tilted her head up. Sophia looked down at her staff. Both of them stared at each other in confusion, making for a comical sight.  

"Your ears are… remarkably elastic," Sophia remarked.  

"Of course! Horned rabbits have amazing ears!"  

Levinas’s innocent enthusiasm brought a smile to Sophia’s lips, her earlier annoyance completely gone.  

"Levinas, were you longing for a father figure?"  

"Um… nope! I don’t miss having a dad at all! I have lots of family now!"  

Levinas shook her head firmly. If her father had been around to hear that, it might have broken his heart.  

"Then, you don’t really need a dad, do you?"  

"Well… maybe not, but doesn’t a normal family have a dad too?"  

A normal family.  

Levinas’s innocent question caught in my throat. What could I possibly say to a child who had lost her father at such a young age?  

I looked to Sophia, hoping she might have an answer.  

"Normal families are nice, but aren’t we a special family?"  

"Special…?"  

"Yes, a very special family."  

"That’s right! We’re the most special family in the world!"  

Levinas let go of the man’s sleeve. The young man, who had been temporarily cast as her potential father, let out a sigh of relief.  

"I’m sorry," Sophia said, addressing the young man. "She lost her parents at a young age, and…"  

"I see."  

The man offered a slightly awkward smile. Despite being dragged here against his will, he didn’t seem angry.  

"Let me apologize formally."  

"It’s fine. Honestly, it was pretty amusing."  

He chuckled warmly, just as a female clerk approached. She was someone I had seen frequently at the trading post.  

"You must have been startled. Here, have a coffee to calm your nerves."  

"Coffee?"  

"Yes. Thank you for being so kind to the children, even in such an awkward situation."  

There was a hint of admiration in her eyes as she spoke. The young man scratched the back of his head, clearly flustered.  

"They’re just kids. It’s not like they meant any harm."  

"Still, it’s not easy to stay composed in situations like this."  

Between the two of them, a budding romantic atmosphere began to unfold.  

What was this?  

Why did this suddenly feel like a romance novel?  

I tilted my head, observing them curiously. Beside me, Kwon Arin let out a deep sigh.  

"A new couple is born…"  

Her expression was dark, and instead of celebrating, she seemed almost bitter.  

I knew why she felt that way, but it wasn’t something I could fix.  

---

Back home, Levinas sat at the table and pulled out a sheet of paper.  

It was a family chart she had drawn earlier.  

So that’s why she brought a "dad" earlier? It was all part of her game.  

Curious, I leaned over to examine the chart.  

Sophia was the mom.  

Saebyeok was the eldest sister, Levinas was the second sister, and I was the youngest.  

Wait, why was I the youngest?  

Shouldn’t I be the eldest?  

Just as I was about to voice my thoughts, Midsummer walked in, carrying Saebyeok in her arms.  

"Hey, kids, your big sister’s home."  

Midsummer smiled warmly and sat down near us. Levinas, startled, tugged at her arm.  

"You need to wash your hands and feet first!"  

"Uh… adults don’t really need to…"  

"What? Really?"  

"Sorry… I lied."  

After washing up with Saebyeok, Midsummer returned and noticed the chart Levinas had drawn.  

Midsummer’s designated role? "Little Mom."  

"So I’m a mom?"  

"Yup!"  

Satisfied with her role, Midsummer chuckled. Even Saebyeok seemed happy with her place on the chart.  

The only one displeased was me.  

"Wait, why am I the youngest?"  

"Because you’re the baby, Gyeoul! You’re the smallest and the cutest!"  

"Uh…?"  

Something felt off, but since it was just a game, I decided not to argue.  

"So, you’ve been playing family all day?"  

"Yeah! And this morning we played hypnosis!"  

"Hypnosis?"  

Midsummer tilted her head, clearly puzzled by the concept.  

"Want me to show you?"  

Levinas pulled out a coin tied to a string from the toy box.  

"A coin?"  

"Yeah! But it’s not real hypnosis. We just pretend to be hypnotized!"  

"Oh… so that’s what hypnosis is about?"  

"Yup! When you’re hypnotized, you have to do whatever someone tells you!"  

Levinas dangled the coin in front of Midsummer’s face, her tone turning mischievous.  

"Kiss!"  

"Ah! My body is moving on its own!"  

Midsummer playfully planted kisses on our cheeks, making both Saebyeok’s and my tails wag furiously with joy.  

"How was that?"  

"That’s a really fun game!"  

"Right?!"  

Levinas then turned to me, the coin swaying before my eyes.  

"Gyeoul, you’re a baby now! Act like a baby!"  

"A… baby?"  

What kind of command was that?  

Before I could fully process it, Midsummer giggled and patted my head.  

"You’re already a baby, Gyeoul."  

"Yeah! How can a baby turn into an even bigger baby?"  

What were they talking about?  

Just as I was about to protest, my vision blurred, and the swaying coin seemed to take control of my mind.  

Who was I?  

What was I?  

Ah!  

That’s right! I’m…!  

Levinas’s magic activated out of nowhere, catching everyone off guard.  

The command to "become a baby" made Gyeoul’s subconscious falter for a moment.  

There was no data on how to be a baby.  

In this life, the youngest person Gyeoul had ever interacted with was Levinas. In her past life, she had encountered babies, but who knew if babies in this world were the same?  

She needed to pull together the closest possible match.  

As Gyeoul’s mind worked through this puzzle, her gaze fell on Levinas, who was still waving the coin.  

*Is Levinas a baby?*  

Not completely, but her actions were undeniably cute and baby-like.  

Gyeoul’s subconscious decided: she would become Levinas.  

*I am the strongest horned rabbit… no, feline beastfolk!*  

The moment she made the decision, the world around her seemed to shift. The mental keywords she imprinted on herself—"overflowing confidence" and "capable of anything"—enhanced her resolve.  

Gyeoul scanned her surroundings.  

Saebyeok’s tail, swaying lazily from side to side as she lay on the table, caught her eye.  

*Why wouldn’t you bite the tail of someone you like?*  

At least, Levinas would.  

Gyeoul grabbed Saebyeok’s swinging tail and bit down.  

Nom nom nom—  

"Nyah!"  

Saebyeok yelped in surprise, leaping up like a startled cat. The bite hadn’t hurt much, but it had been a bit of a shock.  

The normally gentle Gyeoul suddenly biting her tail?  

Saebyeok wasn’t the only one stunned.  

"G-Gyeoul?"  

"Yep!"  

Her voice wasn’t its usual soft, delicate tone. Instead, it was strong, energetic, and full of mischief—just like Levinas’s.  

*Could this be…?*  

Midsummer turned her gaze toward Levinas.  

The coin she was holding was faintly glowing with mana.  

"My goodness."  

It was a hypnosis spell.  

Normally, a spell of this level would have been easy to resist, but this was Levinas and Gyeoul.  

Neither of them would suspect the other, which made the hypnosis surprisingly effective.  

"It’s time to play Animal King!"  

Gyeoul declared boldly, her voice and mannerisms a perfect mimicry of Levinas’s.  

Midsummer blinked.  

The way Gyeoul spoke, the way she moved—it was as if Levinas had been cloned.  

*So Gyeoul’s idea of a baby… is Levinas?*  

But now came the real question: how were they supposed to break the hypnosis?  

Before Midsummer could come up with a solution, Gyeoul ran toward her and threw herself into her arms.  

"Play Animal King for me!"  

"Uh… okay…"  

*I really need to break the hypnosis.*  

Midsummer hesitated, then sighed.  

*But maybe… it wouldn’t hurt to indulge her a little first.*  

With a conflicted smile, she decided to enjoy the moment for just a bit longer.