I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 170: Soap Bubbles

"Um, you know..."

Gyeoul tugged at the hem of her clothes.

The seams of the old clothes began to fray.

They were clothes filled with memories of the past.

But now, they didn't seem so precious.

More important people had come into her life.

The family who reached out to her when she was useless.

They were far more precious than some old clothes.

They were her sanctuary, a place she could call home.

Just thinking about them made her smile, yet here she was, considering returning to her hometown.

Was this really the right thing to do?

Feeling bittersweet, Gyeoul looked down at the torn hem of her clothes.

"...Actually, I'm like Sophia."

"Like Sophia?"

"Yes... I came from another world..."

"Really?"

Yeoreum neither looked surprised nor agitated.

She just nodded as if it made sense.

It was all an act to reassure Gyeoul.

"Aren't you surprised?"

"No. It's pretty common here."

Of course, it was the first time a survivor from a destroyed world had arrived.

Yeoreum placed her hand on Gyeoul's head.

"...I thought you might be a little surprised or disappointed."

"Why would I be disappointed?"

"Because we've become family, yet I want to go back."

So she was worried about appearing ungrateful.

It was the kind of worry a kind child like Gyeoul would have.

"Gyeoul, it's natural to want to go back to your original world."

"But..."

"You know Sophia wants to return to her original world too, right? But she still treats you like family."

"Yes..."

"They are completely different issues. You don't need to mix them up."

How much pain had this small child been holding alone?

Yeoreum decided to ease Gyeoul's burden, even just a little.

"Gyeoul, you don't know our rule yet, do you?"

"Rule?"

"Yes. When someone returns to their original world, we wish them well."

We remember the joy of meeting rather than the sorrow of parting.

It was a rule created in a world filled with many farewells.

"If I go back to my original world, is there no chance we'll meet again?"

"Well... I'll find a way."

"A way?"

"Yes. There's no method right now, but I'll find one. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I trust you."

Since giving her trust to Yeoreum, she had never doubted her.

Yeoreum had always solved any hardship that came their way.

Gyeoul's drooping tail began to regain its vitality.

"Hehe, so all your worries are gone now?"

"Yes, they're all gone."

Swish, swish.

Gyeoul's wagging tail tickled Yeoreum's hand during their hug.

That's right.

This was how Gyeoul should be.

Yeoreum smiled.

"Someday, I'll introduce you to my family and friends from my world."

"Uh, okay..."

Yeoreum's heart sank.

The child's friends and family were already...

'No, we can save them.'

This was something to tell her later.

She couldn't reveal the truth to a child who had just eased her worries.

Gyeoul had endured so much pain until now.

Even if it was for a short while, she needed peace of mind.

Someday, she'd tell her.

About the destroyed world and the chance to save it.

Yeoreum, having finished her thoughts, handed a freshly made snack to Gyeoul.

"Gyeoul, do you want to take this and share it with the kids?"

"Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome."

Thump, thump, thump.

Gyeoul's steps were light as she ran towards the kids.

She walked proudly, like a little kitten.

---

---

After eating the snack, I went to the park with the kids.

What should I play with the kids today?

As always, I sat on the bench and looked around.

Just then, from a distance, Levinas came running toward me, waving her hand.

"King!"

"Huh?"

"There's something amazing over there...!"

Thump, thump, thump—

Seeing Levinas stomping her feet made me smile.

I carried Saebyeok on my back and followed Levinas to the place she pointed out.

"That..."

"It's a wizard...!"

In the middle of the park, there was a man performing.

He wasn't a wizard; it was just a bubble performance.

Whoosh—!

As he swung his cane, bubbles spread out in all directions.

There were forty-two giant bubbles, each the size of my fist.

"Wow..."

Levinas's eyes sparkled.

Saebyeok, who I thought was sleeping, jumped off my back.

Kids going crazy over bubbles was a universal thing.

I chuckled while watching the performance.

Pop!

Saebyeok punched a bubble that flew close to her nose.

It was like a cat's punch.

Pop!

The bubble burst with a faint sound.

Saebyeok played by popping the bubbles that came her way.

Levinas seemed to take it as a game too, popping bubbles like Saebyeok.

"Hey there, kids, come over here for a moment?"

Seeing the children enjoying the performance, the man making the bubbles gestured for us to come closer.

Since he didn't point out anyone specifically, I pushed Levinas forward.

Saebyeok was there too, but she would have given way to Levinas anyway.

"Levinas, you should go."

"Can Levinas go?!"

Levinas hesitated and looked at Saebyeok.

Saebyeok, with her usual expressionless face, wagged her tail as an answer.

For beast-kin, it was a better way to communicate than words.

"Got it...!"

Gulp—

Swallowing her nervousness, Levinas approached him.

She approached with her fists clenched, moving cutely, though she tried to seem grand.

People watching the performance also smiled warmly.

"Hey, horned rabbit friend, want to stand here?"

"Okay..."

Levinas climbed onto the larger bubble cane, which was taller than she was.

As he quickly lifted the cane, a giant bubble trapped Levinas.

"Uh...!"

Levinas's eyes widened.

She poked the bubble with her fingers, but it didn't pop easily.

Was there something different about the bubbles in this world?

Just as I was about to observe with my beast-kin eyes, Levinas's face turned pale.

"King! Levinas is being eaten! King!"

Thump, thump, thump—

Levinas pounded on the bubble.

The bubble didn't pop but stretched instead.

"Wow."

The bubbles in a world with magic were indeed different.

Being "eaten" by a bubble was a thing only a pure child could say.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"She's laughing...! Is it because of the bubbles that she can't hear Levinas's voice...?!"

Levinas stomped her feet.

It seemed I should comfort her.

"Levinas, it's just a game, so don't be too scared."

"R-really...?!"

With that reassurance, Levinas regained her composure.

It showed how much she trusted me.

"The rabbit friend seems really scared."

The performer pricked the bubble with a needle.

With a clear sound, the bubble that had trapped Levinas burst.

Clap, clap, clap—

The people in the park clapped for Levinas.

It was applause for both the performer and the brave Levinas.

"Here, this is a participation gift."

"What is this?!"

"A bubble cane. You can make bubbles just like these with it."

"Wow!"

Levinas politely accepted the bubble cane.

Levinas didn't forget to bow deeply.

---

---

After the bubble show ended, I returned to the bench with the kids.

Levinas didn't sit down but wandered nearby.

"Ahem."

With the bubble cane hanging around her neck, Levinas walked around the park.

I knew exactly what she wanted to show off.

"Levinas, that bubble cane looks great."

"Yes! Levinas is now a bubble wizard...!"

"Wow, that's amazing."

I didn't hold back my admiration for Levinas.

Feeling pleased, Levinas shrugged her shoulders.

"Blow some bubbles."

Saebyeok crouched down next to Levinas.

She must have wanted to play the bubble-popping game again because she found it fun.

Saebyeok was very much like a real cat.

"Okay!"

Levinas twisted open the bubble cane's cap.

She placed the small cane in front of her mouth and blew hard.

"Fwooo."

A sound like a baby elephant's came from her puffed-up cheeks.

She clearly didn't know how to blow bubbles properly.

"Levinas, you need to blow gently, like 'hoo'."

"Hoo?"

Levinas softly blew a gentle breath.

Instead of many small bubbles, a single giant bubble emerged.

"Huh...?"

The bubble kept getting bigger.

It was so large it dwarfed my body several times over.

Hadn't this surpassed the limits of physics?

Was it possible because this world had magic?

As I questioned this, the bubble floated towards me.

"...?!"

The bubble didn't pop when it collided with me.

Instead, it engulfed my entire body.

"Wow! Levinas blew a really big one!"

Levinas jumped with excitement.

The bubble floated up gently.

With me inside it.

"Uh, what...?"

How was this bubble lifting a person?

As I reached for the soap film, I realized something.

Levinas's mana was enveloping the bubble.

My body floated higher and higher.

Towards the sky.

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