I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 367: Cheer Up

"Uu... uuu..."

We'd only meant to see the Masters' faces.

How had it come to this?

Thump-

I fell to my knees, placing my palms on the ground.

"Sniff."

Levinas took the same position beside me and started sobbing.

Though she wasn't really crying, just making sobbing sounds.

"Master?"

Gaeul stared at Levinas and me with wide eyes.

Then thump, she lay down on the ground following us.

Though she didn't seem to know why, she was copying us anyway.

"Sniff."

Gaeul made sobbing sounds like Levinas.

With her usual blank expression.

"Why are you all like that...?"

Perhaps finding our strange sounds while lying down odd?

Sophia looked down at us and asked.

Levinas pounded the ground and cried out sadly.

"Levinas can't climb such a high mountain...!"

"Why would you need to climb it?"

"...We don't have to climb?"

"Only those taking the test climb the mountain. You have other tasks, so don't worry."

Ah.

We don't have to climb.

Levinas and I got up happily.

Then we patted the back of Gaeul, who was still lying down.

"Gaeul, we don't have to climb."

"Sniff."

Did she think we were playing some fun game?

Gaeul got up while making sobbing sounds.

"Sophia, what are our other tasks?"

Pat pat-

I asked Sophia while dusting off the dirt from Gaeul's palms and knees.

Sophia looked at the adventurers taking the test and said.

"We'd like you to hand out snacks halfway up the mountain."

"Snacks...? But don't we have to climb for that...?"

"Don't worry, you won't be walking up. There's a cable car."

"Ah."

A cable car.

Thank goodness.

As I sighed in relief, I watched the Taesan Guild staff explaining the schedule to the adventurers.

"After climbing the mountain, you'll do strength tests and monster hunting, and then..."

"W-wait! We do strength tests right after climbing the whole mountain...?"

"Yes! Is there a problem?!"

"......"

The test participants and I couldn't help but be shocked at the test contents.

We'd thought climbing the mountain was the test, but it turned out to be just a warm-up.

"Sophia, are guild entrance tests usually this hard?"

"Most warrior-class recruitment tests are like this."

"Ah..."

I'd wondered about the mages.

So this was for warrior-class people.

Since we'd come this far, I decided to work hard distributing lunch boxes to help people succeed.

**

We arrived at the mountain base through the portal.

The adventurers lined up at the starting line while those helping with the test loaded supplies onto the cable car.

"I-it's shaking...!"

"Master...!"

Traveling suspended in the air was a scary and special experience for our children.

Though Levinas and Gaeul trembled in the cable car, they didn't ask to get off.

"Are you both okay?"

"It's fine now that we're getting used to it...!"

"Gaeul too..."

Levinas and Gaeul showed their brave sides.

I tapped the window demonstratively for them.

"Don't be too scared and look outside. The mountain's really cool."

The mountain view from the cable car was surprisingly beautiful.

The lower part was thick with vegetation, while from the middle up it was covered in snow.

'Oh?'

Don't tell me we have to work where all the snow is?

Just as I was getting worried.

Fortunately, the cable car stopped just below where the snow started.

"Take one box each."

"Okay."

The children and I each carried a prepared box.

Saebyeok, who had woken up by now, was carrying six boxes.

"The test takers will come this way. Hand out drinks when they arrive."

"Okay."

"Yeah! Got it!"

We placed water and sports drinks from the boxes on the table.

Since there wasn't much else to do, we decided to rest until the adventurers arrived.

"Ahh."

I sat in a chair enjoying nature while looking around.

Levinas sat on the ground swinging her feet, and Saebyeok lay in the sunlight.

And...

"Gaeul?"

"Yah! Yah!"

Gaeul stomped on the nearby grass while shouting.

Her tense expression made me curious.

"What are you doing, Gaeul?"

"Look."

Gaeul pointed at something.

When I got closer, I found a praying mantis hidden in the grass.

The mantis spread its wings and raised its scythe-like front legs to threaten Gaeul.

As if refusing to back down, Gaeul stomped the grass right in front of the mantis.

"Yah! Yah!"

Hiss-!

A showdown between Gaeul and the mantis.

More suspenseful than any thriller movie.

Who would be the winner?

As I quietly watched their battle-

Swoosh-!

The mantis flew straight at Gaeul.

Startled, Gaeul leaned back, but the mantis landed precisely on her nose.

"Ah."

"...!"

Surprised Gaeul tilted her head back.

Her wide eyes focused on the mantis on her nose.

Gaeul's ears and tail shot straight up.

Too startled to grab the mantis with her hands, she could only step backward.

As she backed away in a crouched position, Gaeul tripped on a branch and fell on her bottom.

The mantis looked down at fallen Gaeul, then gracefully flew away between the trees.

"Oh dear."

Unfortunately, the battle between Gaeul and the mantis ended in the mantis's victory.

Among insects, praying mantises are quite strong.

Just as I approached to help fallen Gaeul up-

"Hah...!"

Gaeul stood up and puffed out her chest.

She looked like she was savoring victory.

"Did Gaeul win?"

"Yeah!"

"I see."

Since the mantis flew away first.

Maybe that counted as running away.

Though I wasn't sure by what criteria Gaeul had won, I decided to just count it as her victory.

"Wow, Gaeul's amazing. The mantis even had scythes on its arms."

"Wow! Gaeul puppy beat the mantis?!"

"Mantises are really scary insects, Gaeul's incredible."

Levinas and Saebyeok came over to praise Gaeul too.

Ahem, Gaeul's shoulders rose as high as the mountain.

**

As we played various games with the children, people started arriving one by one.

The climbing route must have been quite difficult, as everyone was drenched in sweat.

"Everyone come get drinks here."

"Ah! Thanks!"

"My lifesaver!"

People who received drinks sat down to rest.

Since they weren't climbing further, this seemed to be designated as a rest point.

"Phew... are we halfway there?"

"I think so...? The upper part looks even harder..."

"Hah... did you see that high school student fall during rock climbing earlier...?"

"Yeah. Taesan Guild caught them, but does falling mean disqualification?"

"No, you're not disqualified if you arrive within the time limit."

Goodness.

So they'd been rock climbing up.

No wonder they were covered in sweat.

I delivered drinks with the children while listening to the adventurers' stories.

"Here's your drink."

"Thanks Gyeoul..."

"Haaah..."

The adventurers slumped down as soon as they got their drinks.

Among dozens of challengers, the last to arrive was nearly dead.

He looked about high school age, late teens.

Was this the boy who fell during rock climbing?

The boy was so exhausted he couldn't even take the drink, just lay face-down gasping for breath.

'Oh dear.'

They were supposed to do strength tests right after climbing.

He shouldn't be this tired already.

Worried, I approached the collapsed adventurer.

He was a young boy who looked to be in his late teens.

"Hey, hang in there... I'll cheer for you."

"Ah..."

Our eyes met as the adventurer boy lifted his head.

I made a fighting pose to cheer him on.

A small spark of life returned to his dull eyes.

He carefully nodded and accepted the drink I offered.

"Thanks, this gives me strength. I shouldn't be like this already."

Hah.

The boy caught his breath and chugged the sports drink.

He also poured the water I'd brought over his head.

"Let's work hard and meet at the guild later."

"Yeah. I'll do my best."

I got up after watching the boy regain his energy.

Looking around, I saw many exhausted people.

All I could do here was cheer on the adventurers.

Though it might mean nothing, I planned to cheer with all my might if it helped even a tiny bit.

"Everyone do your best. Let's all meet at the summit."

"Cheer up! Levinas will give carrots at the top!"

"Yeah."

"Keep going, you're only halfway there."

We cheered for the adventurers taking the test with the children.

I sincerely hoped many would pass and achieve their dreams.

**

Park Taesan looked around the summit with a bewildered expression.

They'd expected about half to fail the climb but...

"Everyone passed...?"

"Yes. Everyone passed."

What's this?

Was this batch different somehow?

Park Taesan, who never lost his boisterous manner, was completely taken aback.