I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 159: Let's Go Camping

Preparing for camping required some effort.

Since we had many camping tools, there was no need to buy anything new.

We used the tent next to the container and took a few more stored tents. They were big enough to comfortably sleep more than ten people.

'Cooking utensils...'

Though old, we had pots and dishes that were still useful.

We packed them neatly into the cart.

It wasn't the old, worn-out cart from before, so even when packed tightly, it rolled smoothly.

"All set."

"All set?!"

"Yes! Carrots and chocolate!"

Levinas had finished her preparations, and Saebyeok grabbed the cart handle.

Ready to depart, we waited for the others.

"Um..."

Someone approached us.

It was a young woman who often visited the park.

"Yes?"

"Are you leaving...?"

Her shoulders slumped, showing how much she would miss us.

Was something wrong?

Hesitantly, I nodded.

"Yes... We're leaving..."

"So, you're not coming back?"

Did she think we were leaving for good?

It was surprising to see someone I barely knew expressing such regret.

Maybe an invisible bond had formed among the people of the park.

"We'll be back tomorrow. We're going camping."

"Oh...! Camping? I thought you were going somewhere else."

Phew.

The woman placed her hand on her chest and sighed in relief.

"We're not going anywhere else. This is my home."

"Okay. Have fun."

"Yes."

Visibly relieved, the woman returned to her group.

"They're not leaving!" she shouted, but I could hear it all.

Her friends squealed in excitement.

What's going on?

Had I formed a bond without realizing it?

Just as my tail made a question mark, Yeoreum approached us.

"Gyeoul, are you taking the cart?"

Yeoreum's gaze was fixed on the cart.

The rest of the family was with her.

"Yes, it's for camping."

"Camping...? It's kind of similar."

"Similar?"

It sounded like she meant it wasn't exactly camping.

The question mark tail I had pointed at the woman now pointed at Yeoreum.

"Yes. It's just that the camping I know is a bit different."

"Is it...?"

"But everyone enjoys camping in their own way. Your way isn't wrong."

"Oh..."

There were various ways and equipment for camping.

I understood what Yeoreum was trying to say.

"I'm looking forward to Gyeoul's way."

"Boss! Me too!"

Encia and Argo wagged their tails.

Encia's tail swayed gently, while Argo's swung vigorously.

The two beast-kin showed their anticipation in their own ways.

"Okay. I'll do my best."

Yeoreum stopped me from grabbing the cart.

She intended to pull it herself.

"I'll pull the cart. Do you want to ride in the empty space?"

"No, I'll walk beside it."

"Okay. What about Saebyeok and Levinas?"

In response to Yeoreum's question, Levinas giggled and reached out to Argo.

Argo lifted Levinas onto one shoulder.

"Levinas wants to ride here!"

"Let me ride too."

Saebyeok climbed onto Argo's other shoulder.

Encia watched them intently and then extended her hand to me.

"Gyeoul. Excuse me."

"Uh...?"

Encia gently lifted me.

I felt myself rise and then settle on Encia's shoulders.

I was forced to ride on her shoulders.

"How is it?"

"Um, well..."

Encia's tail wagged rapidly.

It lightly tapped my tail, which was drooping in embarrassment.

My tail swayed back and forth like a pendulum.

"Perhaps I was too forward. I got excited thinking about camping with the family."

"No, it's okay."

If Encia was genuinely happy, I didn't mind.

Since I was small, I decided to stay on her shoulders for the day.

"...Encia, please pull the cart. I want to carry Gyeoul on my shoulders too."

Yeoreum, holding the cart, looked enviously.

Encia, who usually did things for people, avoided her gaze this time.

"...I'm sorry."

"Argo, then..."

"No!"

"Ugh..."

Yeoreum's lips drooped.

She trudged along, pulling the cart without any issues.

Do people in this world like carrying others?

If the opportunity arises, I'll try it later.

As I finished my brief thought, Encia started following Yeoreum.

The camping trip began.

I pondered what to do from atop Encia's shoulders.

First, we needed to dig the ground.

---

---

We traveled to the mountain where I used to live.

Even on the steep slope, Encia maintained her balance well.

I held tightly to Encia's ears as handles, worried about falling.

Beast-kin ears were soft and pleasant to grip.

I fidgeted with Encia's wolf ears with both hands.

Her unique ears quivered.

"Pfft."

Jung Yu-na, who was following us, burst into laughter.

She covered her mouth with her staff and laughed for a long time.

"Why...?"

"Sorry, you two were so cute with your tails wagging in sync. The speed was exactly the same!"

"It wasn't intentional, but we matched the pace naturally."

"Really?"

Jung Yu-na, coming closer, grabbed my tail and released it when it was out of sync with Encia's movements.

Our tails gradually synchronized again.

It wasn't intentional; it just happened naturally.

"Oh?"

Jung Yu-na expressed her surprise, while Yeoreum licked her lips for some reason.

She was carrying the cart on her head and climbing the slope effortlessly.

"We're almost there."

After the slope, we reached flat ground.

Yeoreum carefully set the cart down.

"It's over there."

"Okay."

We pushed through the forest for another minute before arriving at a large clearing.

The sound of the flowing stream was familiar.

Although it wasn't a place with good memories, I felt a strange sense of longing.

The soot around the old campfire was still there.

The garden was overgrown with weeds.

"This is the first time I've seen where you lived, Gyeoul."

Sophia, who had been in the cart, looked around curiously.

She had hesitated to come because of the climb, but since there was space in the cart, she made it.

"Yes. I used to live with a tent here."

"...I see. You worked hard."

Sophia patted my head.

For no reason, Yeoreum, who was nearby, patted me as well.

"Boss, let's rest for a while?"

"Yes, let's rest."

When I lived here, there was no concept of rest.

My life had improved significantly.

Reflecting on the past, I grabbed the trowel from the cart.

"Gyeoul, aren't you going to rest?"

"No, I didn't walk much. I'll just dig the ground."

"Shall I help you?"

"No, it's okay."

Shaking my head to say it was fine, I chose a spot to pitch the tent.

The first task was to dig the ground.

---

---

Thump!

Gyeoul dug into the soil with the trowel.

Perhaps due to mana, it was much easier than before.

"King! Are you playing a digging game?!"

Digging games.

Levinas hopped over to Gyeoul's side.

Saebyeok and Sophia followed behind.

"Yes. But it's not a game."

"If it's not a game, why are you digging the ground?!"

"Because we need to build a shelter."

A shelter.

Levinas had seen one at Gyeoul's tent house before.

Thinking of the shelter, Levinas started digging with her hands.

"King, shouldn't we pitch the tent first?!"

"You have to build the shelter first and then pitch the tent on top."

"Why?!"

"There are many dangerous creatures in the mountains. You never know when they might come, so building a shelter is the most important thing."

"Really?!"

Sophia crossed her arms at Gyeoul's explanation.

Most safety rules come from dreadful experiences.

What kind of experiences had Gyeoul gone through to prioritize a shelter?

Sophia could only imagine.

"Has the shelter ever been helpful to you?"

"Yes, many times."

"...I see."

Sophia thrust her staff into the ground.

She dug deeply, infusing mana and emotion into each thrust.

"King! But Levinas wants to set up the tent right next to the stream!"

Levinas pointed to the stream, but Gyeoul firmly refused.

"Not next to the stream."

"Why not?!"

"If it rains and the stream rises, everything will be washed away. The water rises in an instant."

"Wha!"

That was a story from experience.

She must have been washed away at least once.

The only things to be washed away would have been the old tent and the dented pots, but that was all Gyeoul had.

How did it feel for a child to lose everything?

Just thinking about it was heartbreaking.

"King, have you ever been washed away?!"

"No, I barely managed to escape. I woke up because my back was getting wet."

"Wow! That's lucky!"

"Yeah, really lucky."

Even if a child's actions seemed strange, there was always a reason behind them.

Gyeoul had made rules to survive.

And those rules had kept her alive until now.

She had survived well without any adult's help.

Sophia was about to place her hand on Gyeoul's head.

"Hmm?"

Gyeoul looked puzzled.

She blinked, looking down at the ground.

"What's wrong?"

"The ground is already dug up. It usually takes an hour."

"It's because we dug together."

"Yes... I suppose so."

Doing the same work as before didn't feel hard.

It was actually fun.

Before, it was difficult digging with a sharp stone instead of a trowel.

Was it because everyone was together?

Gyeoul stared at the dug-up ground for a long time.

Although she felt happy, her heart was unsettled for some reason.

---

5/5 Enjoy the chappy!

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