I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 239: Stand by the Child

A soft, round ball of white fur.

It had the distinct softness characteristic of beast-kin fur.

Though it came from a person's body, it wasn't damp or unpleasant.

Without any strange smell, I could easily pick it up.

'It's all mine.'

Levinas had white fur like me, but it felt slightly different.

I could easily distinguish it with my unique eyesight.

What was this?

Was Saebyeok only grooming me?

I stared blankly at the hairball Saebyeok had spit out.

Then Saebyeok, who had come down from behind Levinas, started licking my ears.

"Saebyeok, are you only licking me?"

"Yes."

"Why...?"

"Levinas is a rabbit and Gyeoul is a cat."

Rabbit and cat.

Was there some kind of species thing going on?

I glanced up at Saebyeok, who looked oddly proud for some reason.

'What's really going on?'

Saebyeok and Levinas were close enough to be called best friends.

You could see how much they relied on each other.

So they weren't discriminating, but what was it then?

As I wondered to myself, Levinas poked the hairball in my hand.

"The Dark King laid an egg!"

"Egg...?"

"Yes! Won't this grow into a baby cat?!"

An egg.

So innocent.

Just as I was about to tell Levinas the truth, Master picked up the hairball in my hand.

"Would you like to keep the hairball?"

"...No."

Master's answer was delayed.

It felt like he was contemplating whether to keep Saebyeok's hairball or not.

Of course, I knew Master wouldn't consider such a thing.

"...Here."

Squish squish-

Master kneaded the hairball a few times and gave it back.

The returned hairball had changed a lot.

A small cat doll made of clumped fur.

It had ears, and eyes that I didn't know when they were attached.

"Wow."

Master's handiwork was impressive.

My tail wagged at the sight of the cat that looked similar to Seol.

Levinas, who was nearby, was also expressing joy by hopping.

"It's a baby! The Dark King and King's baby!"

"Uh, yeah...?"

Something sounded off.

I decided to let it slide since Levinas said it without knowing.

"I'm jealous... Levinas wants one too..."

"Do you really want one?"

"Yes...! Can't the Dark King spit out just one more...?!"

"Um... That might be difficult. Levinas, you can have this one."

"Wha...!"

Levinas received the cat doll with sparkling eyes.

I could tell how happy Levinas was by the rabbit ears that had perked up timidly.

"It's Levinas' treasure!"

Levinas hopped around excitedly, then went downstairs through the emergency staircase.

It seemed quite urgent.

"Master, I'm going to check on Levinas. Thank you for making the doll."

"Alright, bring me another hairball if you get one."

Would I get another one?

I thought as I looked at Saebyeok, who was still licking my ears.

Maybe I'd get another one soon.

---

---

We followed Levinas down to the house.

As it happened, Sophia and Yeoreum had returned home.

"Shark! Shark!"

Levinas bounced around in front of Sophia, who was sitting in the massage chair.

Only Sophia's eyeballs moved left and right as she leaned back in the chair.

"What's the matter?"

"The Dark King and King had a baby!"

"...Is that so?"

Despite the surprising statement, Sophia didn't even flinch.

Rather, it was Yeoreum nearby who reacted.

"Le-Levinas, what do you mean?"

"Heheh."

With a smug expression, Levinas took out the doll from inside her clothes.

She held it out proudly with a 'ta-da!'

"That's..."

"A baby!"

A cat doll made from a hairball.

The gazes of both Yeoreum and Sophia fixed on the doll.

"...Is that made by clumping a hairball?"

"Yes!"

Levinas held up the cat doll close to the lamp.

Levinas' eyes sparkled at the glittering cat doll.

"But does Gyeoul cough up hairballs too? I've never seen her groom herself?"

Yeoreum looked at me.

Her eyebrows were raised, as if very surprised.

"It wasn't me, Saebyeok coughed it up."

"Ah, Saebyeok... Saebyeok does lick Gyeoul a lot."

"Yes. Saebyeok licks me a lot."

I wondered if it was some feline grooming instinct, as she would lick my ears and tail whenever she had the chance.

To be honest, I liked being licked too.

Instincts were truly mysterious.

"Hehe, you were surprised weren't you?"

"Yeah. Gyeoul and Saebyeok..."

Just as Yeoreum was about to say something, Sophia tapped Yeoreum's head with her cane.

Sophia became a stern adult and scolded Yeoreum.

"What are you saying in front of the children?"

"Ri-right."

I'm sorry.

Yeoreum apologized while scratching her head.

Then she turned her gaze towards Levinas.

More precisely, towards the cat doll in her hands.

"Levinas, have you named the baby?"

"Yes! The baby's name is Dongdong!"

Dongdong, Dongdong.

Levinas hugged the doll tightly as if handling a real baby.

Yeoreum cleared her throat beside Levinas.

"Why is the name Dongdong?"

"It's Dongdong because it's the Dark King and King combined!"

"Dong... as in dawn and dong as in Gyeoul?[1]"

"That's right!"

Goodness.

Levinas knew Chinese characters.

Everyone's eyes widened except for Levinas.

"Dongdong, that's a really pretty name."

"Right?!"

Hehe.

Levinas rubbed her face against Dongdong's cheek.

Watching this, Yeoreum put her hand on Levinas' shoulder.

"Hey, can big sis play with Dongdong too?"

Hehe.

At the awkward smile, Levinas stopped.

She took a few steps back and glared at Yeoreum with wary eyes.

"You want Dongdong...?"

"A-ahem..."

She didn't deny it.

Levinas' eyes narrowed fiercely, but then returned to their usual expression.

"Then Yeoreum can have it!"

"Really...? You're giving it to me?"

"Yes! But you have to give it back when Levinas wants to play?!"

"O-of course! I'll cherish it so much!"

Yeoreum, who received the doll, showed a bright smile.

Seeing this, Levinas also smiled innocently.

"Dongdong is still a baby, so you have to take good care of it?"

"Yes. I'll take care of it like I take care of Gyeoul."

Me, all of a sudden?

Yeoreum did take good care of me, but a baby needed to be handled even more delicately than me, right?

I tilted my head in confusion, but for some reason Levinas seemed satisfied.

"It's a promise!"

"Yeah. Promise."

Yeoreum and Levinas linked their pinkies.

And then.

Beep beep-

Yeoreum's smartphone started ringing.

"Hello?"

A phone call?

I weakened my hearing using magic so as not to eavesdrop on the content.

Thanks to that, I could only hear Yeoreum's voice.

"Yes... Gyeoul?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. They're asking if they can talk to Gyeoul?"

Who could it be?

There was no one who would call me.

I received the smartphone from Yeoreum.

My ears were on top of my head, but since my hearing was good, I didn't need to bring it close.

"Hello."

"Hello."

A middle-aged man's voice.

He was very polite.

I became suspicious at the unfamiliar voice.

"Yes, but who is this?"

"This is Kim Hyun-chul, the general affairs director of the Monster Academic Association."

Monster Academic Association.

It was an association I'd never heard of before.

I didn't know what a general affairs director did either.

"Yes... What can I do for you, Director?"

"I heard that the guild is holding quite a large seminar this time. And that Gyeoul is in charge of it."

"Me?"

Wait, a seminar?

It wasn't such a grand thing, was it?

It was just a simple lecture, right?

My eyeballs rolled around as I couldn't understand the situation.

"Our association would like to ask for permission to participate."

"Well... Can I ask Master and get back to you?"

"Uh... Master told us to get permission from Gyeoul?"

"Huh...?"

What in the world was this about?

I found myself looking up at the ceiling.

It seemed I needed to meet Master upstairs.

---

---

Kim Hyun-chul, the general affairs director of the Monster Academic Association.

He was biting his nails, showing his nervousness.

'Something is happening.'

Rumors spread that the top intellectuals in the country had started forming a community.

Kim Hyun-chul was able to confirm who belonged to the community through his connections.

And he couldn't help but be shocked.

'A gathering of pioneers...!'

Those who stood at the pinnacle of each field.

It was a gathering of those who had no more heights to reach and had begun to forge their own paths.

It was undoubtedly a gathering of the country's top intellectuals.

Rumors spread that they were giving lectures, presentations, and even preparing a seminar.

At the center of the gathering was Kang Jinho of the Yeomyeong Guild.

He was a man with more than enough ability to make it happen.

'We need to make connections quickly.'

Anyone pursuing knowledge would understand how glorious this gathering was.

Famous overseas academic societies would also express their intention to participate.

Kim Hyun-chul used all his connections to contact Kang Jinho.

More precisely, his executive secretary.

"Gyeoul is in charge of that."

"Gy-Gyeoul?"

Gyeoul.

The beast-kin child living in the Yeomyeong Guild.

That adorable child was in charge of all this?

'That can't be...'

The Gyeoul that Kim Hyun-chul knew was a young child ignorant of the ways of the world.

A pure and lovable child loved by many.

'The real purpose is...'

Kim Hyun-chul thought as he tapped on his desk.

The Yeomyeong Guild's real purpose was to empower the child.

Anyone who wasn't a fool could see that fact.

'If you want to make connections, side with the child.'

Well, that much...

He could do that as long as he could participate in the community.

Many others would do the same.

Kim Hyun-chul decided to bow his head to the child in order to join the gathering.

---

[1. raei: many korean words have roots in chinese characters. An older, more traditional synonym of Saebyeok's name does indeed have dong(동) in it but uh I couldn't find one for Gyeoul. Saebyeok's name means Dawn btw. The more traditional word I found was '동녘' (dongnyeok) meaning east/dawn.

Me no actual kr knowledge/background so...]

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