I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 218: Pheromones

I approached Saebyeok and rubbed my ear against her cheek.

I rubbed it all over, as if spreading butter evenly.

I wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but it felt like I was attaching a tracking device to Saebyeok.

It seemed like I'd be able to find her even if she was on the opposite side of the world.

"Gi-Gyeoul, what are you doing?"

Yeoreum stammered, apparently finding it strange that I was rubbing my ear on the children's cheeks.

She also appeared fidgety, wringing her hands.

"When I rub my ear, something comes off."

"What comes off?"

"I'm not sure. It's like the scent of magic rubs off, and once I put it on someone, I feel like I could find them anywhere."

"Don't tell me that's..."

Don't tell me?

I looked up at Yeoreum, who seemed to know something.

But Sophia spoke up before Yeoreum could.

"It's a magic pheromone. An ability that only certain beast-kin can use."

"R-Really? Is it a rare ability?"

"Quite rare. It's a leadership..."

Sophia trailed off, closing her mouth.

She seemed quite pleased to be explaining the ability.

"Leadership?"

"...You don't need to know yet. Just understand that you have talent as a beast-kin."

Talent as a beast-kin, huh.

I felt happy to receive the praise.

"I copied what Levinas was doing, and it worked."

"No, it's a different ability from Levinas'. It's not time to explain yet, so just know that."

"Okay."

There must have been a reason Sophia wasn't explaining further.

I decided not to be too curious about it.

For now, I was going to test out my newly acquired ability.

"Hey! Can you find Levinas wherever she hides? Wanna play hide-and-seek?!"

As if on cue, Levinas suggested playing hide-and-seek.

It was a good opportunity to confirm my ability.

"Yeah. I can find you no matter where you hide."

"Then I'm gonna hide! Come out in one minute!"

"Alright."

Levinas ran out of the house.

I guessed she was planning to hide in the park.

I counted to one minute in my head while rubbing my ear against Sophia's cheek.

"Ahem..." Sophia's face turned red.

She didn't seem to particularly dislike it, though.

"Sophia, this is all good, but the way to use the ability is a bit embarrassing."

"What's embarrassing about it?"

"It feels like I'm acting cute or something."

"Don't you... do that every day anyway...?"

"M-Me?"

I did express affection to my family every day.

But I'd never acted cutesy like a child.

Was Sophia misunderstanding something?

Before I could express my doubts, Yeoreum beside me started shaking my body vigorously.

"Gyeoul, what about me?! What about your sister?!"

"Wh-What?"

"You have to rub your ear on me too! Right?!"

"Ah... I'll do it after we play hide-and-seek."

The promise to play hide-and-seek came first, after all.

It was better to keep the order, even for the kids waiting outside.

I got down from Sophia's lap and ran towards the entrance.

"Gy-Gyeoul! Gyeoul!" Yeoreum called my name and followed behind me.

She looked quite desperate.

"Wh-What is it?"

"It's my turn after hide-and-seek, right?"

"Yeah."

She wanted me to use my tracking ability on her too, huh.

It's a dangerous world in many ways, after all.

I was grateful that she was so concerned about me.

---

---

Yeoreum and I slipped out of the guild building together.

Even from a distance, the scent of the magic pheromone I'd left on the children hadn't faded.

It seemed to be an ability unaffected by distance.

"Found Saebyeok."

There was a box in the middle of the park.

I could smell the pheromone I'd left on Saebyeok coming from inside.

When I opened the box flaps, Saebyeok peeked out.

"You found me."

Despite being found, Saebyeok's tail wagged rapidly.

It was nice to have someone find you.

"Saebyeok hid in a box again."

"Yeah. I like boxes."

"Actually, so do I."

Liking boxes is the fate of felines, after all.

Forming a bond with Saebyeok, I moved towards Levinas.

Levinas was hiding, lying down in the carrot boat on the pond.

"Found Levinas."

"You caught me!"

Levinas giggled as she stood up in the boat.

As the boat rocked, Levinas' body swayed too.

Yeoreum steadied the trembling Levinas.

"So it really is a tracking ability, huh? You came straight here without even looking around."

"Yeah. I could feel that she was here."

"That's amazing."

Yeoreum exclaimed in admiration and moved to a nearby bench.

She sat down and patted her thigh.

"It's my turn now, right?"

"Oh, yes."

I sat on Yeoreum's lap.

Levinas and Saebyeok followed suit.

"King! Let's play something else!"

"I'll do this first."

"Okay! Got it!"

Levinas and Saebyeok ran around nearby.

Taking advantage of the free moment, I rubbed my ear against Yeoreum's cheek.

"Heh, hehehehe."

"...?"

Yeoreum made a strange laughing sound.

I guessed my fluffy ear was making her quite ticklish.

I didn't pay it much mind and kept rubbing.

"To think a day like this would come for me..."

Yeoreum squeezed her eyes shut.

I poked the space between her eyebrows with my fingertip.

"Um..."

"Hm?"

"I'm done. Can we go play now?"

"A-Already? Shouldn't you do it more thoroughly?"

Yeoreum seemed anxious.

Was she worried about me?

She was trying to get me to leave lots of pheromones.

"Isn't this enough?"

"No! You need to do it more thoroughly! Do it on my face, and my hands, and my tummy too!"

"Um, okay..."

Since Yeoreum always put my safety first.

I decided to do as she wanted.

As I was rubbing my ear all over her body for quite some time, Yu-na and Jinhyuk approached us.

"Wh-What's this? When did you start getting that kind of thing from Gyeoul?" Yu-na asked.

"It's me, of course." Yeoreum flashed a V-sign at Yu-na.

For some reason, Yu-na looked crestfallen.

"I've developed a new ability."

"...The ability to act cute? Have you gotten even cuter?"

"N-No. It's a tracking ability. If I leave pheromones like this, I can find them even if they're far away."

"Oh...! Then will you do it for me too?"

Yu-na plopped down next to us.

As she reached out to me with a bright smile, Yeoreum stopped her.

"Yu-na, I'm doing it right now."

"Isn't it about time you shared?"

Yeoreum grabbed my right arm, and Yu-na grabbed my left.

They pulled on my arms, each claiming it was their turn.

"I've only had ten minutes, for real."

"Ten minutes is plenty."

My arms, held by the two women, stretched left and right.

They were controlling their strength, so it didn't hurt, but it was just a step away from being dangerous.

"Ugh..."

I had to get out of this somehow.

As I thought that, the beast-kin instinct sleeping within me began to stir.

The so-called wild nature.

Given the situation with my arms being stretched, I couldn't control the wild nature.

Unable to resist my instincts, I howled like a threatening beast.

Baring my white fangs.

"Gr-Grrr..."

The wild nature I expected to be fierce was just pitiful.

I clamped my mouth shut in embarrassment.

Still, my wild display seemed to have an effect, as the two women stopped pulling.

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence fell.

At that moment, Jinhyuk lightly flicked both women on the head.

Thwack-

"Ah!"

Thwack-

"Ow!"

The two women clutched their heads.

Though Jinhyuk hadn't used much force, he was strong.

Wait, was he going to hit me too?

For threatening my family?

I squeezed my eyes shut, but no flick came.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jinhyuk looked down at the two women with slightly furrowed brows.

Realizing they'd made a mistake, the two women scratched their heads without making excuses.

Right where they'd been flicked.

"S-Sorry."

"Gyeoul, are your arms okay? You were growling..."

Yeoreum and Yu-na apologized to me.

I gave them a sheepish grin.

"I'm fine. I was just startled."

"That's a relief. Sis always gets like this when it comes to Gyeoul. She shouldn't be so greedy."

Yeoreum placed me in Yu-na's arms.

She apologized once more, saying she was sorry.

"Ahem. So it's my turn now?"

Yu-na tapped her cheek.

She wanted me to rub it right away.

'What's going on, really.'

Was applying this tracking ability so important?

I supposed it could be, given how dangerous this world is...

As I pondered this, I spent about ten minutes rubbing my ear all over Yu-na's body.

Jinhyuk, who had been staring at me the whole time, asked a question.

"By the way, how long does this last once applied?"

"Hmm... For now, it washes off when you shower."

"For now? You mean it can get stronger?"

"Yeah. Seems like it."

I'd never been taught, but I instinctively knew.

This was an ability that could be strengthened further.

Hearing my answer, Yeoreum clasped her hands together so hard it made a clapping sound.

Her eyes were sparkling.

"Th-Then we need to practice regularly?"

"...I guess so?"

"Ooh...!"

She seemed delighted that the ability could be strengthened.

I was grateful she was so happy for me, even though it wasn't her own ability.

As I smiled at Yeoreum, Yu-na stood up.

"U-Um, I just realized I haven't showered after training?"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. I should shower and then do this again, right?"

"Okay. Let's do that then."

"Sh-Should we?!"

As Yu-na looked towards the guild building, Jinhyuk muttered quietly.

"...You're a wizard, you don't even sweat during training."

"What was that?"

"...Nothing."

Hehehe.

Yu-na ran towards the guild building.

Yeoreum chased after her.

"Me too! I haven't showered either!"

The two disappeared from sight incredibly quickly.

Only Jinhyuk and I were left.

"...From now on, you should keep the marking brief."

"Why?"

"The kids are getting spoiled."

"Ah... okay."

I wasn't sure why, but I understood why we should do that.

Just looking at how strange those two had become made it clear.

I decided to keep it short from now on.

---

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