I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 124: Puppet Costume

I was amusing myself by tossing a hat onto Levinas's ears.

The annoyed Levinas was so cute that I played for a long time.

"I'm sorry about the hat, Levinas...!"

When I saw Levinas dejectedly on her knees, I thought it was time to stop.

Kwon Arin, with her hand in her pocket, approached us.

"What are you guys up to?"

"I was trying to put a hat on Levinas."

"It doesn't seem to stay on, does it?"

"Yes."

I tried one last time to put the hat on Levinas's head.

I had thought the drooping ears of the despairing beast-kin would hold the hat, but as always, it just flew off.

"Why can't Levinas wear the hat...! Levinas must be cursed by the hat!"

Thump thump.

Levinas punched the paved road with her fist, softly enough not to hurt.

It seemed like a good time to tell her the truth.

I crouched next to Levinas, still holding the hat.

"It's because of your ears, Levinas."

"Ears...?"

"Yes. Your ears keep knocking the hat off."

I pointed to my own ears and demonstrated by artificially manipulating them to bounce repeatedly.

Thanks to my familiarity with my body, I could do this.

"Are Levinas's ears too bouncy, knocking off the hat?"

"Yes. It's not that the hat dislikes Levinas."

Levinas, with eyes wide like a horned rabbit, pressed down on her ears.

Pop-

The pressed rabbit ear sprang up as soon as she released her hand.

"Can you believe it...! It was Levinas's ears that hated the hat...!"

As Levinas realized the truth, her face was filled with despair.

Next to her, Kwon Arin squatted down.

"Maybe we could just make holes in the hat?"

"Holes?"

"Yes. Just cut out holes for the ears, like tail holes in clothes."

Kwon Arin pointed at the tail at my lower back.

The tail gently swayed at being pointed out.

"So, could Levinas wear a hat then...?"

"She should be able to, right? Can I see the hat?"

When Kwon Arin reached for the hat, I quickly stopped her.

It belonged to someone else, so we couldn't just cut holes in it recklessly.

"This hat fell from the sky. We need to find its owner."

"Yeah. It's my training partner's hat. It blew away in the wind."

"Training partner?"

Someone was standing shyly not far from the bench we were on.

A woman with a noticeably red face.

'Is she the owner of the hat?'

Using my keen sense of smell, I sniffed the hat.

The woman and the hat had a similar shampoo smell.

"Can you find the owner by smell...?"

"Yes. I have a good nose."

"That's amazing."

While sniffing the hat, Kwon Arin turned to look at the woman she called partner.

She seemed embarrassed by everyone's stares as her eyes rolled back and forth.

"Hey, can we cut holes in this hat? I'll buy you a new one later."

"Uh, sure. It would be an honor... hehe."

An honor, huh.

What did she mean by that?

I wasn't sure, but the shyly smiling woman clearly meant no harm.

"Is it settled? Did you get permission?"

"Yes."

"Then..."

Thrust thrust-

Without hesitation, Kwon Arin pierced the hat with a sword.

I wondered if it was okay to be so casual, but she surprisingly pierced exactly through the needed parts for Levinas's ears.

The fabric was slightly frayed, but it wasn't too bad.

"Give me Levinas's head."

"Okay! Bringing Levinas's head!"

Levinas handed over her head to Kwon Arin.

She passed it by bending forward and placing it on her stomach.

"Just lift it a little."

"Okay!"

Kwon Arin pulled Levinas's ears through the holes in the hat.

The ears that popped through the hat perked up.

"How is it?"

"Wow...! The hat isn't running away...!"

"Because you pushed the ears through."

"Wow!"

Levinas bounced up and down like a horned rabbit.

Everyone smiled at the sight of a child genuinely rejoicing.

Kwon Arin did, and so did someone watching us from afar.

I felt fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

---

---

"Ahem."

Wearing her hat, Levinas confidently squared her shoulders and walked forward.

She walked all the way to the guild's cafe, which was selling dandelion tea.

Thump, thump -

As I watched Levinas's swaying figure from behind, my gaze shifted to one side of the cafe.

Saebyeok was already there waiting, her attention fixed on a large doll costume.

"What are you doing, Saebyeok?"

"This doll looks like Gyeoul."

It was a white cat doll.

The tail part did look quite like mine.

"Why a doll?"

"They made it for cafe promotion. But I borrowed it for a bit."

"The doll?"

"Yes. Let's use the doll to promote our vegetable sales too."

Promotion using a doll costume.

Even without it, the vegetables would have sold, but I didn't mention this.

I didn't want to undermine Saebyeok's efforts for us.

"Then I'll wear the doll costume. Do Saebyeok and Levinas want to sell the vegetables?"

"Sounds good."

"Levinas likes it too!"

Saebyeok and Levinas nodded their heads.

I led them to a cafe table.

We were there to make promotional posters.

───

♥ Tasty☆ Vegetables◆ for sale☆

★ Carrots▽ available♡□

□ Fresh cabbage!!!!

＼(^ㅡ^)／

───

We used crayons to write promotional slogans on paper provided by the cafe.

I only provided the overall framework, and left the writing and drawing to the kids.

The content wasn't immediately clear due to all the emoticons, but the kids had worked hard on it.

There was no reason to change it.

"King, what do you think?"

"It's really well done."

Levinas beamed a bright smile at my thumbs up.

I was glad I could give her such diverse experiences.

"Today, we'll sell vegetables as much as the Boss Horned Rabbit!"

"Yes. Let's work hard."

Now that we had made the promotional poster, it was time for the real action.

I alternated my gaze between Saebyeok and Levinas and said,

"I'll wear the costume."

"King will?"

"Yes."

I knew being a mascot was tough work.

I couldn't let the kids take on such a hard task.

"I'll go around and gather people. Can you two manage the sales?"

"Wow, it's tough without King, but Levinas will try her best...!"

Levinas seemed determined.

Feeling a sense of pride, I picked up the doll costume.

'It's a bit big.'

It was made for women, but I managed to fit into it despite being short.

The problem was that the eye and breathing holes were positioned too high, so I couldn't see ahead.

Of course, not being able to see didn't seem too dangerous.

I could distinguish everything by sound and smell alone.

"King, the cat outfit looks great!"

"Really?"

To Levinas, it wasn't just cute, but cool.

Feeling awkward, I tried to scratch my cheek, but couldn't because of the doll costume.

'Hmm.'

I'd have to scratch my cheek later.

First, I needed to promote.

I took the poster the kids had made and waddled outside.

The awkwardness of the doll costume made me waddle.

---

---

After returning home, Yeoreum took a brief rest.

She stretched out in a chair and picked up a pre-made cup of coffee.

'I wonder what the kids are up to.'

Sipping her coffee while peering through the window at the park, Yeoreum spotted something out of place near the pond.

Someone in a cat costume was surrounded by several children.

A mischievous child kicked the person wearing the cat costume.

'What is that?'

Yeoreum focused mana into her eyes.

Using her enhanced vision, she noticed the poster in the hands of the person in the cat costume.

───

♥ Tasty☆ Vegetables◆ for sale☆

★ Carrots▽ available♡□

□ Fresh cabbage!!!!

＼(^ㅡ^)／

───

Were they promoting a vegetable store?

Promotions and peddling are strictly forbidden to ensure the citizens' peaceful rest.

Such an inconsiderate person for breaking the rules.

Yeoreum's brow furrowed as her relaxation time was disturbed.

"Haah..."

Everyone must be busy, so I guess I'll have to go down myself?

Yeoreum took the elevator down to the park.

'Where could they be?'

Thump-! Thump-!

Following the sound of attacks, Yeoreum's gaze turned.

Far off, she saw a cat being kicked by a mischievous boy.

"Wahaha!"

It was a boy from the group of kids, messing around.

The person in the cat costume didn't speak but only frantically waved their hands.

"Stop that."

Yeoreum placed her hand on the boy's head.

Startled, the boy jumped back, stuck out his tongue, and ran off.

Those mean kids.

Pfft.

Yeoreum sighed and approached the person in the cat costume.

"Excuse me, are you okay?"

The person in the cat costume, perhaps startled by the bullying from the children, did not respond.

Yeoreum gave them a moment to collect themselves before getting to the point.

"You can't promote here. It's a nuisance in a place where people come to relax."

Yeoreum expressed her displeasure while looking at the eyeholes in the costume.

However, the inside seemed empty; no one was visible.

"......?"

Why isn't there anyone inside?

Is it someone short?

Yeoreum peered inside through the eyeholes and saw...

'What's that?'

Sagging white ears.

The owner of the ears looked up.

The pure eyes of a child were trembling.

"I'm, I'm sorry... I won't do it again..."

"Gyeoul...?"

Why was Gyeoul wearing the costume?

More importantly, what had she said to Gyeoul?

Shocked, Yeoreum froze.

She stood as still as a statue, unable to move.

---

5/5 Enjoy the chappy!

Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates.