The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

"Winter, how do you even think of things like that?"

"You figured out the rules and flaws all at once!"

"Uh, um, that wasn’t my idea..."

The adults' compliments were so embarrassing.

I kept insisting that I hadn’t come up with the rules, but for some reason, no one believed me.

"Ugh..."

I was mentally exhausted. It was more tiring than coming back from a dungeon.

I just wanted to go home and rest today.

"Sir."

I ran toward the master who stood a little way off.

When I reached him, he placed his hand on top of my head.

"You’re tired, so go home and rest for today."

"Yes."

I hadn’t even said anything yet.

The master noticed my fatigue in an instant.

Even in this tired state, my tail wagged just a little.

Before heading upstairs, I walked over to Cha Joo-yeon and Mokhwa Baek to say goodbye.

"Master, I’m really tired, so I think I’ll head home and rest."

"Mm. That’s probably because of the sparring. Exhaustion is dangerous, so make sure you rest well at home, okay?"

"Yes. Let’s meet again soon."

"Sure."

After saying my goodbyes to the people who had been kind to me, I went upstairs to our home.

In the living room, I spotted Levinas and Saebyeok watching TV.

"Huh?"

Not animation this time? They were watching a variety show.

After taking a quick shower, I sat down next to them.

"What are you watching?"

"School!"

"School?"

The program showed celebrities experiencing school life.

It must’ve been entertaining, judging by how focused Saebyeok was on the TV.

"Your Majesty! Levinas wants to see a school too!"

"You want to attend school?"

"No! Not attend—just visit!"

"Oh, just a tour..."

We’d seen a high school once before, but the timing hadn’t been ideal.

It was during the tail end of a festival, so we hadn’t really experienced a normal school.

"Your Majesty, can’t we go to a school?"

"Well... we could probably visit one, I guess."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. But I’m too tired today. Can we go tomorrow instead?"

"Okay! Tomorrow we’ll go see a school!"

A school!

Levinas jumped up from her seat and ran to her treasure box, where she kept all her precious belongings.

She pulled out an old bag.

It was one I had handed down to her, saying it would be good for collecting empty bottles.

"A bag?"

"Yep! You need a bag to go to school!"

Levinas started putting her toys inside the bag.

She added her animal king cards, a doll, and even her favorite snack—carrots.

"Levinas, you should also pack a book."

Saebyeok slipped a picture book into Levinas’s bag.

Saebyeok really took good care of her younger sibling.

"How do I look?!"

Levinas slung the bag over her shoulders and grabbed the straps with both hands.

She looked like a kid her age ready for elementary school.

Honestly, she already looked like one even without the bag.

"You look just like a student."

"Heheh."

Levinas put the bag down and grabbed my hand and Saebyeok’s, dragging us toward the bedroom.

"Let’s go to bed early!"

"Already...?"

"Yeah! The sooner we sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come!"

She was clearly eager to visit a school as soon as possible.

I understood the sentiment, but it wasn’t bedtime yet.

"Levinas, let’s wait a little longer before going to bed."

"Aren’t you sleepy yet?"

"Not really. I’m tired, but not enough to sleep just yet."

"Hmm..."

Levinas stared at me thoughtfully before suddenly lying down on the bed.

She patted the space beside her, motioning for me to join her.

"If you lie down now, you won’t fall asleep."

"It’s fine! If Levinas is here, you’ll fall asleep!"

"Uh, okay..."

I doubted it, but since she wanted me to, I lay down next to her.

If I didn’t, there was no reason to refuse her simple request.

She’d probably get bored and give up soon enough when she saw I wasn’t asleep.

At least, that’s what I thought—until she started patting my stomach.

"Sleep tight, sleep tight."

Was this... a lullaby?

There’s no way this would actually—

—work.

Before I knew it, my eyes felt heavy.

The gentle rhythm of Levinas patting my stomach, combined with her soft humming, started to lull me into a strange sense of calm.

"Your Majesty," she whispered, "you’re not asleep yet, are you?"

"...Not yet," I mumbled, but my voice was already slurred with drowsiness.@@novelbin@@

"Levinas said you would. See? Levinas is always right!"

A small giggle escaped her, and I could feel her pride radiating even in the dark room.

Despite everything, I couldn’t help but smile.

"Alright, alright, you win," I muttered, closing my eyes fully this time.

Maybe resting early wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

***

"Huh?"

When I opened my eyes, it was already the next morning.

I glanced to my sides and saw the kids still sound asleep, their soft breaths barely audible.

"What in the world..."

When did I even fall asleep?

I retraced my memories. I had gone to the bedroom with Levinas, and then...

"A lullaby?"

Could it be? Did I actually fall asleep because of a lullaby?

My face flushed with embarrassment, but I quickly shook off the feeling.

"It must’ve been magic," I told myself.

Levinas must’ve accidentally cast some sort of sleep spell in her eagerness to go to the school.

There was no other explanation for how I could’ve slept for so long—over fourteen hours, no less.

It was an impressive spell, even if unintentional.

Though it was forced, Levinas hadn’t meant any harm. She probably didn’t even realize she’d done it.

There was no need to scold her for it.

"Alright, time to get up," I muttered, stretching my arms forward from my prone position.

Careful not to wake the kids, I got out of bed and made my way to the living room.

"Oh my, Gyeoul, you’re up already?"

"Yes."

"You fell asleep before I even got home last night."

"Sorry. I was really tired."

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I walked over to Midsummer, who naturally scooped me into her arms.

"No need to apologize. If you’re tired, you should rest. Overworking yourself is bad for your health."

Midsummer rubbed her cheek against mine while steadily walking toward the corner of the living room, where a bag was sitting.

"You’re going to school today, right?"

"Yes, you heard?"

"Yep. Saebyeok told me yesterday."

"Ah, I see."

I nodded as she handed me the bag.

"You know you have to bring a bag to school, right? I already packed everything you’ll need, so make sure to take it with you."

"Okay, I will."

"I’ve already informed the school that you’ll be visiting. If anything happens, go straight to a teacher nearby and ask for help, alright?"

"Yes."

As always, Midsummer was overflowing with concern.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful for how much she cared about us.

"Time to wake the kids," I thought.

Schools start early, so it was about time to get them up.

Naturally, I decided to wake Saebyeok first since she was always the hardest to rouse in the mornings.

***

In the end, Saebyeok couldn’t wake up.

So, I ended up carrying her on my back.

"Your Majesty, is it heavy?"

"A little..."

With Saebyeok on my back and the bag Midsummer had prepared strapped to my stomach, it was a bit heavy. Not unbearable, but still a noticeable weight.

"Levinas can carry the bag for you!"

"It’s okay. I need the exercise anyway."

"Okay..."

Under Levinas’s concerned gaze, we made our way to the school.

The moment we reached the playground, Levinas’s face lit up as if she had completely forgotten her earlier worries.

"A school!"

Levinas’s attention was immediately drawn to the field. A group of boys was playing a rough game that resembled soccer.

Thud! Bang!

The game was intense, almost to the point where it looked more like a fight than a sport.

It felt more like watching American football with all the body contact.

"Wow..."

A sport that combined aggressive physical clashes with delicate ball control. It was a game perfectly suited to this world.

"Your Majesty! They’re playing with a ball!"

Levinas’s gaze followed the ball rolling across the field, her eyes gleaming with a predator-like intensity.

It should’ve been intimidating, but on her, it was just adorable.

"Levinas?"

Why was she making that face all of a sudden?

Before I could figure it out, Levinas bolted toward the ball.

"Yaaaaaah!"

Thud thud thud thud!

Levinas charged ahead, her focus solely on the ball.

I hurried after her, but with Saebyeok on my back and the bag weighing me down, I couldn’t catch up quickly enough.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

"Huh?"

The boys who had been roughhousing paused and turned to watch Levinas.

Concerned that she might get hurt, they awkwardly stopped mid-scuffle, their tangled bodies freezing in place.

Their faces seemed to say, What the heck?

"Take this!"

The abandoned ball rolled across the ground.

Levinas reached it and kicked it with all her might.

Thunk!

Despite her best effort, the ball didn’t travel far.

Unfazed, Levinas chased after it, kicking it again and again as it rolled across the field.

"Take that!"

Thunk thunk!

Levinas dashed around the field, dribbling the ball clumsily but enthusiastically.

The boys pretended to block her path but ultimately stepped aside, letting her play.

"Ugh... She’s fast..."

"Yeah, super fast..."

Some of them even dramatically tumbled or fell over as if defeated by her.

They were kindly humoring her sudden intrusion.

"Your Majesty! This is where everyone plays ball together!"

"Ah..."

Levinas must’ve assumed it was a free-for-all game since so many people were playing.

Given that she didn’t know the rules, her misunderstanding was understandable.

"Your Majesty! Catch this!"

Before I could tell her to stop, Levinas kicked the ball toward me.

Her pass wasn’t very accurate, and the ball rolled off in another direction instead of toward me.

I naturally followed the ball with my gaze.

It stopped at the feet of one of the boys.

"Huh."

Our eyes met.

The boy holding the ball looked startled, his pupils darting nervously side to side.

"Wow, you stole the ball?"

"Seriously? Against an elementary schooler?"

"A high schooler who takes a ball from a kid? What a legend."

The other boys teased him playfully, clearly just joking around.

I was relieved they weren’t angry about Levinas interrupting their game.

This neighborhood really was full of kind people.

"Uh, no, it just rolled over to me..."

The boy scratched his cheek awkwardly and rolled the ball back toward me.

His pass was so precise that the ball stopped right at my feet.

"Uh..."

Now what?

Unsure of what to do, I turned to Levinas.

She shouted at me with a determined look.

"Your Majesty! The goal!"

"Wait, no..."

We shouldn’t be doing this here!

But before I could explain, one of the boys who had passed me the ball spoke up.

"You need to kick it into the goal. Want to give it a try?"

"Uh, okay..."

How did I end up in this situation?

With Saebyeok still on my back, I awkwardly kicked the ball toward the goal.

It was a weak kick, lacking any real force.

The ball rolled slowly and was easily stopped by the goalkeeper.

As expected, it didn’t go in.

"Hehe..."

I scratched my head awkwardly and turned to the boys to apologize for intruding on their game.

But for some reason, their expressions didn’t seem all that forgiving.

"Why didn’t you just..."

"That’s ridiculous."

Their faces were deadly serious, filled with a terrifying intensity that sent a chill down my spine.

It felt as though their very presence radiated a lethal aura.

Was it because I didn’t score?

Maybe they were just competitive. Boys did tend to take games very seriously, after all.