The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Yeoreum froze in place.

She stood still, without any movement, like a statue.

Was there suddenly a problem with her body?

With anxious thoughts swirling in her head, she urgently grabbed the hem of Yeoreum’s clothes.

“Are you okay…?”

“Ah, yes. I was just a bit startled by Gyeoul’s roar.”

“Startled?”

“Yes. My heart almost stopped just now.”

Her heart almost stopped.

But everyone else was fine, so it was incomprehensible why Yeoreum, a top adventurer, reacted like that.

Did her wildness get enhanced through practice?

It was strange, but since Yeoreum said so.

I should be careful in the future.

“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

“Ah, no! I want you to keep doing it…?!”

“Keep doing it? But just now…”

Didn’t she say her heart almost stopped?

There was no need for her to seek out danger intentionally.

“That, that’s because once you experience it, your resistance gets really high.”

“Really?”

“Uh, yes. And to me, what happened just now was a coincidence. If you shoot an arrow a hundred, a thousand times, one of them is bound to hit, right?”

“Um…”

So, her wildness burst out by chance after practicing a hundred, a thousand times.

I got what she was trying to say.

“Wouldn’t it be better for Gyeoul to practice with people rather than a mirror?”

“Yes, that would be better.”

“Yes. So, continue to roar at me. I’ve experienced it once, so it’s fine.”

Definitely.

People are better than mirrors.

I nodded towards Yeoreum.

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

“Yes!”

Hehe.

Yeoreum showed a kind smile.

It was a smile that looked happy.

“By the way, we shouldn’t do this with other people, right?”

“Other people?”

“Yes. If my wildness bursts out by chance like just now, it might be dangerous.”

Yeoreum stroked her chin at my question.

She was deep in thought.

“Um… Maybe it’s okay to do it with people close to Gyeoul?”

“People close to me?”

“Yes. People who know that Gyeoul’s wildness won’t hurt them.”

“Ah.”

Just like when I faced Encia’s wildness.

Although Encia’s wildness was frightening, I believed she wouldn’t harm me.

It was okay to do it with close people, as she said.

“Yes. I’ll do it with close people. But first, I need to go to the dungeon.”

“Yes. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Yes.”

I waved at Yeoreum and then left the training room.

For some reason, as I was leaving, the people in the training room started murmuring.

“Hey, Yeoreum! What do you mean only close people?”

“Ooh, don’t monopolize.”

What do they mean don’t monopolize?

Is Yeoreum monopolizing something?

With questions in her head, she grabbed her bow and headed to the dungeon.

She had to earn money, even if she was training.

<+>

That afternoon, after returning from hunting, I sat on a bench near a pond, practicing my wildness.

Sophia, sitting beside me, was fine, but Levinas was shivering.

It wasn’t because of my wildness, but simply because Levinas was very fearful.

“Wow, King, Levinas is really scared…”

“Sorry…”

Levinas hid her face against my back and the bench.

Even though I was the one who scared her, the fact that she still sought comfort through me made me feel guilty.

“Sophia, am I doing this right?”

“Yes, you’re doing well enough, so don’t be hasty. Unlike a bow, this power isn’t something you can master quickly.”

“Ah… How much longer do I need to practice?”

“At least ten years.”

Ten years.

That was longer than the time I had lived in this world.

My eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s a very long time.”

“It’s more than twice your age.”

“Twice my age?”

The time I had lived wasn’t quite double that.

Had I never told Sophia my age?

In my confusion, I only looked at Sophia and then realized.

She might have been calculating only the time I had lived as a beast-kin.

Indeed, as a beast-kin, I couldn’t complain about being treated like a child.

I knew nothing about the beast-kin.

“Again, don’t be too hasty. It’s remarkable to handle wildness before even becoming an adult.”

“Is it remarkable?”

“Yes, no beast-kin has ever fully mastered their wildness before becoming an adult.”

“I see…”

Even if I trained for another ten years, in beast-kin years, I would only be about ten years old.

Of course, I was older in reality, but at least by beast-kin standards.

I could see why Sophia was telling me not to be hasty.

“And you have talent.”

“Talent? I have talent?”

“Haven’t you lived a long time in the wild?”

“Ah!”

The wild.

A great realization dawned on me at Sophia’s words.

The day I first met Encia and Argo flashed before my eyes like a lantern slide.

‘I was said to be wild.’

Being wild due to living a long time in the wild.

Conversely, it meant that living in the wild could nurture one’s wildness.

“Sophia! I’ve realized something!”

“…What is it?”

“The way to nurture wildness!”

Perhaps, like a barbarian, no, like an animal living in the wild, I could nurture my wildness.

Sophia and other beast-kin had told me as much.

I would live even more harshly in the wild than before.

Everything was for the future me.

“I’m not sure what it is, but give it a try. Even if you fail, it’ll be an experience.”

“Yes!”

I hurriedly ran towards the container.

I needed to prepare a few things to live in the wild.

<+>

After finishing her training with Kwon Arin, Yeoreum could only open her mouth in astonishment in front of Gyeoul.

“Wow…”

Gyeoul’s clothes, which were already worn and torn from usual wear, looked even more tattered.

She resembled a primitive person seen in cartoons.

That primitive person being Gyeoul made it quite cute, though.

“Gyeoul, why are your clothes like that?”

“I’m trying to cultivate my wildness.”

“Wildness…?”

“Yes. If I live in the wild, I can cultivate my wildness.”

She remembered Sophia saying something like that.

Yeoreum’s head turned towards Sophia.

“Sophia…?”

“Hm… It’s not incorrect, but I didn’t know Gyeoul would take it this far.”

“Is it possible?”

“…It is possible.”

That such a foolish method was possible.

Then, it was hard to say not to do it.

There were no parents in the world who would hinder their child’s growth.

“Gyeoul, so what will you do?”

“I’ll try living without a home.”

“Without a home…?”

“Yes.”

Thump-! Thump-!

Gyeoul started digging the ground with a planting spade.

Levinas, who wanted to play with the dirt, helped Gyeoul by her side.

“Levinas is good at digging too!”

Levinas dug a burrow with her bare hands like a rabbit.

Her speed was fast, even faster than Gyeoul.

“Why are you digging?”

“I’ll sleep in this burrow.”

“Oh my, in the world.”

She brought her all the way to the guild building, only for her to say she wanted to live outside again.

And not just in a container or under a tent, but in a dirt burrow.

Yeoreum was so shocked that she grabbed her own head.

“Levinas likes the burrow too! Can Levinas sleep underground too?”

“Yes. Then we need to dig the burrow a bit bigger.”

“Don’t worry! Levinas is a genius at digging!”

Thump thump thump-!

Watching Levinas dig, Yeoreum closed her eyes.

Certainly, Gyeoul’s appearance was truly wild.

There might be nothing better for raising the wildness of a beast-kin, but the desire to stop her was real too.

“Gyeoul, you’ll eat with me, right?”

“Well, I was planning to catch and eat…”

“Catch and eat…?”

“Yes. For a while, I’ll live exactly like a beast. I thought I was lacking in beastly aspects compared to other beast-kins because I’ve lived as a human.”

The idea of living more like a beast because she felt she lacked beastly aspects was absurd.

Gyeoul had lived more wildly than any other beast-kin in the world.

Even Sophia was surprised to see that.

‘Encia and Argo were right.’

More wild than a beast-kin could be the best candidate for the king.

At the time, she thought the not-so-smart Encia and Argo had made a wrong judgment, but at this level, even Sophia had to acknowledge it.

Gyeoul could surpass any king in history.

‘Being of human origin, she’s smart and even has an exceptional wildness.’

In addition to that, she had a kind heart.

For a child not even ten years old to be like this.

Sophia nodded in satisfaction.

Thinking our child was the best didn’t feel bad.

“Sophia, you shouldn’t be so pleased.”

“Sorry about that.”

Sophia scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

How did she end up becoming such a doting figure?

Clearing her throat, Sophia saw Yeoreum crossing her arms in dissatisfaction.

“So what do we do now?”

“Let’s just leave her be for now.”

“Leave her be?”

“Yes, I don’t want to interfere with the child’s earnest efforts. It’s not like it’s the wrong approach.”

That was true.

Yeoreum sighed deeply.

She was worried about Gyeoul and also concerned about what people in the park would say.