I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 196: My Money Was Stolen

Crunch crunch-

Levinas' homegrown carrots were always delicious, no matter when you ate them.

I was sure even carrot-haters would enjoy these.

"These are really tasty since I grew them myself."

"Wow, can I try one?"

Kim Ayeong opened her mouth wide with an "Ah."

Was she asking me to feed her?

As I was about to place the carrot in her mouth, someone grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"Ayeong, you shouldn't do that."

"How can you take food from a child?"

"Ah, no, Gyeoul was offering it to me..."

The two female students began an odd tug-of-war.

Startled, Levinas quickly pulled out a fresh carrot from her bag and rushed over.

"H-here's a new carrot! Eat this one!"

"Tch..."

Kim Ayeong clicked her tongue and took the new carrot from Levinas.

Crunch, she took a bite and her eyes widened.

"Wow, this really is delicious!"

"A carrot that's tasty?"

"Yeah. It's nothing like a normal carrot."

"Is it that good?"

The students passed around a single carrot, taking turns to taste it.

They crunched away, each exclaiming in amazement.

"Whoa."

"How is this a carrot?!"

Being students, their reactions were quite animated.

Their enthusiastic exclamations made Levinas' shoulders rise with pride.

"Ahem. These are carrots Levinas grew!"

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Clap clap clap-

Kim Ayeong gave a light applause as she rummaged through her bag.

She pulled out drawing paper and canvas paints.

"Since you gave me a carrot, I'll give you this as a gift."

"Time to draw!"

Levinas climbed down from the platform and sat on my thigh.

Saebyeok, who had been curled up asleep on the desk, shifted slightly to make room.

Just enough to set down the drawing paper.

"Can I use this to draw?"

"Sure. As much as you want."

With Kim Ayeong's permission, Levinas picked up a brush.

Swish swish-

She began coloring the white paper with her chosen colors.

"Ayeong, what about your class today?"

"I'll just get scolded, what else?"

Scolded?

Don't tell me she gave her art class materials to Levinas.

As I looked up at Kim Ayeong bewilderedly, it happened.

Screech-

The classroom door opened and someone entered.

"Why's it so chaotic in here?"

It was a middle-aged man wearing glasses.

Judging by his age, he was clearly the art teacher.

"Teacher, there are kids here."

"Kids...?"

My eyes met with the art teacher's.

His eyebrows twitched subtly back and forth.

"What are you all doing here?"

"W-we're on a field trip..."

I'd heard the guild had notified the school in advance.

It seemed not all teachers were aware.

"Little one, I'm sorry but class needs to start now."

"S-sorry... We'll leave..."

I picked up Saebyeok in my arms.

I also patted Levinas' shoulder, signaling it was time to go.

This prompted protests from the surrounding students.

"Ah! Teacher!"

"Sir, you're so cold-hearted!"

"...Focus on the lesson, you rascals."

The art teacher stroked his chin beard as he approached us.

He picked up some paint from a nearby locker.

"Sorry for chasing you out, but it's a performance evaluation today so I had no choice."

"Y-yes..."

If it's related to grades, then it can't be helped.

Just as I stood up, he handed us the paint.

"This is an apology gift."

"We don't need a gift!"

"You don't?"

"Nope! Levinas already traded carrots for paint earlier!"

Levinas showed the paint to the art teacher.

His gaze shifted to the name written on the paint.

"...Give that back to Ayeong and take this instead."

"Okay! Got it!"

As I watched Levinas receive the paint, I remembered.

I had something to give him too.

'The scholarship.'

I was told to give it when I met a teacher.

I pulled out an envelope from my pocket.

"Um, I was told to give this when I met a teacher."

"To me?"

"No, to any teacher I met."

"Hmm...?"

He took the scholarship envelope.

Having accomplished our goal, we decided to leave before disrupting the exam.

"We'll be going now."

I left the art room with Saebyeok in my arms.

Levinas followed close behind, pattering along.

"Aww."

"No fair."

We could hear the students inside the art room expressing their disappointment.

Though regrettable, we decided to go explore other places.

---

---

The Yeomyeong Guild area generally had high land prices.

It meant it was a wealthy neighborhood.

As a result, the school was quite spacious and had many sights to see.

We went to look at cars in the parking lot and flowers in the garden.

As I was smelling the flower fragrance with my keen sense of smell, a ladybug flew up onto my nose.

"W-whoa..."

I tucked my head in like a turtle and stepped back.

It wasn't out of fear for the ladybug, but an instinctive reaction.

I once saw a squirrel laugh at a cat that clung to its face.

Thinking about it now, I realized I wasn't in a position to judge.

"Here."

Saebyeok removed the ladybug stuck to my nose.

When she opened her hand, the ladybug flew far away.

At the edge of its fluttering wings was Levinas' back.

"Levinas, what are you doing over there?"

"Shh...! Come... here...!"

Levinas motioned for us to come over while keeping her voice down.

It was a tiny conversation that only beast-kin with good hearing could pick up.

"What is it?"

We followed Levinas to a deserted alley.

There we saw a group of students.

About six students had surrounded one small female student.

The clear malice in the air indicated this was bullying.

I felt an inexplicable sense of kinship with the terrified female student.

"You were secretly looking at Doyun earlier, weren't you?"

"N-no, I didn't..."

The small-framed girl waved her hands in denial.

Her reddened eyes looked like they might burst into tears at any moment.

"Didn't I say you'd be fined if you looked at me? Hand over 50,000 won."

Good grief.

50,000 won just for looking at someone once.

This was nothing short of robbery.

Should I go call a teacher?

But don't they usually turn a blind eye to this kind of thing?

Knowing the bitter taste of society, I hesitated.

And in that brief moment, an incident erupted.

Smack-!

A large female student slapped the frightened girl across the face.

Hard enough to make her head jerk to the side.

"Wha...!"

Saebyeok covered Levinas' eyes as she startled in shock.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator and her group were chuckling carelessly.

"Hey, let's go smoke."

"Got any cigarettes? I'm all out."

"I'll give you one, pay me back later."

They bully someone and then just leave among themselves.

I was going to step in if they hit her more, but if they're leaving, I had no choice but to stay quiet.

"Yoon Chaerin, come to our classroom after school ends."

"O-okay..."

The girl called Yoon Chaerin nodded repeatedly.

Pleased by Chaerin's submissive attitude, they patted her head and left.

"School is scary..."

Levinas' body trembled violently.

Her strength drained, she dropped the carrot she had been clutching tightly.

Onto a snack wrapper rolling on the ground.

Crinkle-

Startled by the faint noise, Chaerin whirled around to face us.

Seeing our rigid postures, she hung her head low.

"...Sorry you had to see that."

She looked so pitiful.

Levinas ran towards her, holding out a carrot.

It was a different kind from the one that fell on the ground.

"Eat this! It's an energizing carrot!"

"......"

Chaerin didn't take the offered carrot.

Knowing the mindset of someone being bullied, I couldn't even begin to find the right words to say.

"Um..."

Should I offer comfort, or try to provide more concrete help?

As I hesitated and stepped towards her, it happened.

"Hey, have you seen my phone?"

The large girl who had slapped Chaerin's cheek was walking towards us.

---

---

Jung Yeongho was an art teacher at Yeomyeong High School.

Known for being rather rigid and old-fashioned.

Having finished the performance evaluation, he finally took out the envelope the child had given him.

'I wonder what they gave me?'

Though curious about the contents, the students' evaluations took priority.

He only opened the paper envelope after finishing the students' performance evaluations.

"...A scholarship?"

It was a notice of support funds from the Yeomyeong Guild.

The amount was a staggering 1 billion won.

Of course, it wasn't given all at once, but support was support.

"What in the world."

With 1 billion won, even creating and presenting a plaque of appreciation would be insufficient.

And they just casually dropped this off and left?

Jung Yeongho quickly stood up.

To find the children who might still be at school.

Just as he arrived at the parking lot, Kim Ayeong, a student who had been doing the art evaluation, came running with an urgent look.

"Teacher! Something terrible happened! Over there, the kids!"

"Kids?"

"Yes! Gyeoul, the beast-kin children! Hurry!"

Jung Yeongho followed behind Kim Ayeong as she ran in a rush.

Upon arriving at the scene, Jung Yeongho witnessed a shocking sight.

A student extorting money from three young beast-kin children.

"Th-this is all I have..."

Gyeoul held out her hands.

On top were two 1,000 won bills and a few coins.

'This is insane.'

Jung Yeongho clenched the notice in his hand so tightly it crumpled.

He knew exactly why the Yeomyeong Guild had handed over such a large sum.

-Treat the kids well.

That was surely the intent.

To put it bluntly, it was also a warning to never lay a hand on the children.

School was a place full of reckless minors who didn't know how scary the world could be.

That's why they sent such a large amount as a warning.

If this warning was ignored and the children were harmed?

'...We're finished.'

Jung Yeongho trudged towards them.

He hoped it would end with just clothes being taken off.

Thinking such thoughts as he approached.

---

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