I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 329: Fire!

After finishing our magic games, we all went outside.

We headed to Levinas's favorite water playground for some swimming.

"King, want to ride the slide together?"

"Yeah, let's go."

"Then you sit in front."

I held Levinas's hand as we climbed up the slide.

It was the kind where you landed in water after sliding down a decent length.

"Levinas, you need to hold onto my waist tightly, okay?"

"Got it!"

As I sat down on the slide, Levinas sat close behind me.

Just as we were about to slide down, I noticed Encia below with her arms outstretched.

"Encia, what are you doing there?"

"Waiting to catch you."

Encia waited for us while wagging her tail.

She held her arms out as if determined to catch us.

That's nice of her.

The slide wasn't dangerous equipment - there was no need for this much protection.

I was about to tell Encia it was fine when Levinas behind me started bouncing up and down.

"Wolf lady, will you hug us when we come down?!"

"Yes, I'll give you a big hug."

Ah.

So she was offering hugs when we got down.

That's different then.

My gently swaying tail tickled Levinas's chin behind me.

"King! Let's go!"

Just as we were about to head down at Levinas's signal, Gaeul came swimming toward us.

If we went down now, we might hit her.

"Master!"

Gaeul climbed onto the slide platform after swimming over.

She started trying to climb up the slide toward us, apparently wanting to join.

After taking two steps up, she slid right back down.

"Huh?"

Gaeul stared at the slide with round eyes.

She looked up and down the slope, then made what seemed like a determined face.

"Gaeul, this-"

Before I could finish speaking, Gaeul started running up the slide.

She was even faster than before.

Pitter-patter-!

Thanks to the beast-kin's quick feet, she made it quite high.

However, the slide was even slicker than usual due to the pool water.

"Masterrr!"

Gaeul slid back down after making it two-thirds of the way up.

Her eyebrows drooped lower the further she slid from us.

She grabbed the slide with one hand to keep from falling.

Her other hand reached out to us as if asking for help.

Unfortunately, we couldn't help her from our position above.

We could only watch as she slid down.

Two failures.

But Gaeul wasn't one to give up after just two tries.

This time, she started climbing slowly while holding onto the slide.

"Gaeul, you can use the stairs over there."

Saebyeok, who had been swimming in the pool, pointed to the stairs behind the slide.

Though I expected her to gasp in surprise, Gaeul just shook her head.

Maybe climbing up the slide itself was part of her game.

"Gaeul, just a little more."

"You can do it!"

Levinas and I cheered for Gaeul as she climbed up holding the slide.

Heave-ho, she climbed step by step until she finally made it into my arms.

"Master!"

Her tail wagged rapidly in my embrace.

My tail also wagged quickly after witnessing Gaeul's journey and effort.

"Gaeul, you're amazing."

Pat pat.

As I patted Gaeul's back while holding her, Levinas's hand suddenly shot out beside me.

"Let's go down together, all three of us!"

Whoosh-

We slid down together.

Encia, who had been waiting below, hugged us tightly as promised.

"Gaeul is quite the determined one."

"Yes, our Gaeul never gives up."

Just as we were praising Gaeul with Encia, we heard sirens in the distance.

What's that?

I perked up my ears toward the sound.

"Gyeoul, what's wrong?"

"Ah... I hear sirens."

"Sirens?"

After a few seconds, Encia and the children must have heard them too, as they all raised their ears.

Several overlapping wee-woo sounds rang out.

"It's police cars!"

"Um... those aren't police cars, they're ambulances and fire trucks."

"Really?!"

We all ran to the street together.

We caught sight of ambulances and fire trucks passing by.

"Must be a big accident."

"R-really...?"

Levinas watched the passing fire trucks with worried eyes.

Then, as if making some decision, she started running after the firefighters.

"Levinas!"

Was she trying to go to the accident site?

That could be dangerous for her.

I chased after Levinas while looking back.

Gaeul reflexively followed us, and Encia came along carrying the slower Saebyeok.

With Encia here, it probably wouldn't be too dangerous.

We all followed the fire trucks together.

After running non-stop for about ten minutes, we saw black smoke rising in the distance.

"Looks like a fire."

"Yeah..."

We watched the burning building from a distance.

The fire was on the second floor of a commercial building.

"We shouldn't get any closer than this."

"Yes... but are the people inside okay?"

"Are there people inside...?"

"Yes... two people on the third floor..."

The fire had already spread significantly as they searched for a way down.

As I watched the area where people were with worried eyes, Encia patted my head and said:

"Would you wait here? I'll be right back."

"Encia, will you be okay?"

"This level of fire is nothing to me."

After setting Saebyeok down, Encia jumped toward the window I had been watching.

She looked cool leaping straight up to the third floor in one light bound.

"W-what was that?!"

"Someone jumped into the building!"

"Must be an adventurer!"

The firefighters busily connected their hoses.

There were unknown mana stones attached to the fire hoses.

"Master..."

Scared by the fire scene, Gaeul clutched my clothes tightly.

I hugged Gaeul close as we waited for Encia to return.

Fortunately, Encia came out of the building quickly.

"Encia!"

As I tried to run toward her, Encia held out her hand signaling us to stay back.

We shouldn't get too close to the fire scene.

I nodded in understanding.

While waiting quietly from behind, Encia handed over the two people from the fire to the paramedics.

Her expression was full of pride as she approached us.

"Gyeoul, you did something great."

"Me...?"

"Yes. If it weren't for you, we might not have been able to save them."

"Oh come on... the firefighters were there anyway..."

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

Though I felt good being praised, it seemed wrong to smile at an accident scene.

"No, early rescue is crucial at accident sites. Without your ears, the rescue would have been significantly delayed."

"Y-yes..."

I looked at the two people wearing oxygen masks.

Though they seemed tired, both appeared to be okay.

I felt somewhat proud thinking it was thanks to Encia's rescue.

"King is amazing! Levinas couldn't even hear the people inside!"

With the fire and people's footsteps, it was chaotic.

It was hard to hear inside the building.

"But Levinas ran to the accident first. We couldn't have rescued them without that, right?"

"R-really?!"

"Yeah. But from now on, don't run toward accidents like that, okay?"

"Okay! Got it!"

We watched the firefighters put out the fire from a distance.

Though there was property damage, thanks to everyone's best efforts, no one was seriously hurt.

As long as no one was injured, that's what mattered.

I returned to the park with relief.

**

Maybe it was the tension from the fire scene?

When we got back to the park, I felt completely drained.

I needed something to drink.

I lit the campfire in front of the tent.

Crackle crackle-

While watching the fire rise, I prepared dandelion tea beside it.

Having just seen the fire scene, I was extra careful with the flame.

Though Jung Yu-na had placed magic around the campfire to prevent fires from spreading, it didn't hurt to be careful.

'I should make enough for everyone.'

I put processed dandelion petals in the kettle.

Just as I was about to hang it over the campfire, Gaeul came running urgently from the water playground.

"Master!"

Gaeul cupped her hands together.

Looking closer, water was dripping from beneath her hands.

She seemed to be holding water.

"Gaeul?"

"Yah!"

Gaeul splashed the water in her hands toward the campfire.

The amount was too small to put out the fire.

"...!"

Gaeul's ears shot up when she saw the fire hadn't gone out.

It seemed she had realized the dangers of fire.