I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 447: Go! Wood Caliber!

I immediately tensed at the woman's sudden appearance.

I turned to Levinas beside me and asked, "Levinas, do you know who she is?"

"No! Levinas has never seen her before!"

In a village of a thousand beast-kin, you'd think they would have crossed paths at least once.

So even Levinas didn't know her.

I looked at Bom, but she didn't seem to know either.

The black-haired beast-kin woman explained why.

"I arrived on Earth just two months ago."

"Ah..."

So she must have joined the radical beast-kin after Levinas and Bom had left.

That would explain why they didn't know each other.

"My name is Nora. It's an honor to escort you all."

"Hello, I'm Han Gyeoul."

"Pleased to meet you, Gyeoul."

Nora was incredibly polite and gentle.

It made me wonder if I'd been prejudiced about the radical beast-kin.

"The journey must have been tiring. Perhaps you'd like to rest and recover?"

"Um... sure..."

Though we'd only taken a portal and walked thirty minutes.

This must be part of their hospitality.

We decided not to refuse Nora's offer.

Just as we exchanged glances with our group, Nora held out a wooden box that looked like a treasure chest.

"I'll need to hold onto your weapons for now."

"What...?"

Being asked to surrender our weapons in enemy territory left us stunned.

"There won't be any violent confrontations. I swear on my clan's honor."

"If it's a matter of honor..."

Sophia nodded.

A clan's honor seemed to be quite a serious pledge.

"Ugh..."

After hesitating briefly, Han Yeoreum set down her beloved sword.

Choi Jinhyuk had no weapons to surrender as a hand-to-hand fighter, and they returned Jung Yu-na's staff after some consideration.

"Why aren't you taking the staff?"

"High-level mages can use magic without staves. They probably figured it wouldn't matter."

"Oh? Then why carry staves at all?"

"They're convenient. It's like still using a calculator even if you're good at math."

"I see."

That made sense.

Nodding at Jung Yu-na's explanation, I set down my bow and arrows.

Was that all the weapons then?

Looking around, I noticed Gaeul hesitating.

"Uu..."

With drooping ears and tail, Gaeul held out her lemon to Nora.

Nora blinked at the lemon.

"Lemu!"

"Lemu... is it a dangerous fruit?"

"Heuk..."

Nom nom.

Gaeul pretended to eat the lemon.

Then she wiggled her arm and made a sour face.

"...It's poison. I'll hold onto it for now."

"Uing..."

Gaeul placed her lemon in Nora's treasure box.

Then with a glum expression, she lifted up Woodcalibur.

"That's..."

"Gaeul sword!"

"...Just an ordinary branch. You can keep that."

"No...!"

Gaeul started to protest at it being called an ordinary branch but suddenly clamped her mouth shut.

Though Woodcalibur was special to Gaeul, boasting about it would only get it taken away.

Gaeul seemed to realize this as she covered her mouth with both hands.

'Wow.'

Our Gaeul learning how to deceive people - she's so clever.

Though it really was just an ordinary branch, I was still impressed.

"I'll return your weapons later. Shall I guide you now?"

"Yes."

We followed Nora into the radical beast-kin village.

The surprising thing was that in this village of over a thousand beast-kin, not a single one was walking around.

It was like this with the moderate faction too.

But while that felt cautious, this felt somehow different.

'The village is incredibly beautiful.'

Beautiful buildings nestled in nature.

Yet this beautiful village lacked any human warmth.

It felt like viewing an immaculate ruin.

We walked through the empty village into what appeared to be an elaborate building.

"Please rest and wait here for a moment."

"Alright."

After Nora left the building, Jung Yu-na looked around.

She was checking for any magical traps.

"No signs of anything suspicious..."

"I see..."

Sophia stared intently at the building's entrance.

She seemed interested in Nora.

"Sophia, do you know Nora?"

"Not personally, but I know her clan. They're the Black Tiger clan."

"Black Tiger..."

"An honorable and noble clan. Even proud beast-kin bow their heads to them, so why..."

Sophia trailed off, but everyone understood.

It was strange for the honorable Black Tiger clan to serve under the radical beast-kin.

If even Sophia found it odd, I couldn't help but wonder too.

'Could there be some circumstance behind this?'

As I stood with Sophia watching where Nora had gone, Levinas tapped my shoulder.

"King, King."

"Yes?"

"This is a fake village...!"

"Fake village?"

"Yeah...! They don't actually live in a village like this...!"

Everyone listened carefully to Levinas who had lived in the radical beast-kin village.

Bom nodded beside her, confirming it was true.

"Then where's the real village?"

"Um...!"

Instead of answering, Levinas burst through the entrance door and ran out.

Was it okay to wander around like this?

I hurried after Levinas outside.

The children and Han Yeoreum followed behind me.

"King! Over here!"

Since the village was empty, no one stopped us.

We were able to quickly run to a corner of the village.

"Levinas, is it okay for us to walk around like this?"

"No! But I want to show King something!"

"...Okay."

At what could be called the village's edge corner.

Levinas pointed there.

Surprisingly, ripples appeared in the air and Levinas's hand disappeared.

Her hand had passed into a hidden space.

Beast-kin magic really was amazing in many ways.

Just as I gulped, Levinas ran into the hidden space.

"Gyeoul?"

"Yes, let's go in too."

We hadn't come to spend time laughing in a fake world anyway.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the hidden space after Levinas.

Woong-

The space distorted, revealing a run-down slum.

Shantytowns sprawled haphazardly, with starving beast-kin in tattered clothes.

A beast-kin child in rags stared blankly into space on the street.

"What is this..."

Han Yeoreum frowned at the horrific scene rarely seen in modern society.

Shock, anger, and despair.

Various emotions flickered across her face.

"...Why did the radical beast-kin show us this?"

Yeoreum's eyes widened at my question.

Then looking at the beast-kin around us again, she asked:

"Show us? They meant for us to see this?"

"Yes. They could have hidden it completely if they wanted."

"...That's true."

Beast-kin magic was powerful enough to hide from even Earth's best mages.

They wouldn't have hidden these slums so poorly.

"Maybe..."

Just as Han Yeoreum was about to share her thoughts.

A familiar voice came from far in the slums.

It was Nora, who had guided us here.

-Please don't move.

I walked toward where Nora's voice came from.

As I walked, I noticed the beast-kin I made eye contact with averting their gazes.

They were clearly terrified.

'But why...?'

Various thoughts ran through my mind as I walked through the slums.

After passing through the haphazard shantytown, I found Nora caring for an elderly beast-kin.

"This should help restore some of your strength."

"Thank... thank you Lady Nora..."

Nora was feeding thin soup to the old and weak beast-kin.

She knelt there caring for others, not even minding her fine clothes getting dirty.

I could see why Sophia called them an honorable and noble clan.

"Nora?"

"...You've come."

Her tone suggested she knew we would come here.

What exactly did she want to show us?

As I stood there opening and closing my mouth, unsure what to say.

"My, leaving your assigned place."

From the slum alley we'd walked through.

People in fancy attire that didn't match the slum residents approached.

"Oh...!"

"Ah..."

A startled Levinas hid behind me.

Bom hid behind Levinas.

'That person...'

The snake beast-kin who had come for Levinas before.

He was looking at Levinas with a sinister smile.

"Horned rabbit?"

Had the children's sudden fear seemed strange?

Gaeul looked back and forth between the approaching beast-kin and the children.

Then finally she looked down at 'Woodcalibur' in her hand.

"I suppose..."

"Yak...!"

Just as the beast-kin in front started to speak, Gaeul threw Woodcalibur at them.

Was it anger at those who had tormented her family?

The anger-filled Woodcalibur flew at quite a speed.

The target was the snake beast-kin with the vile smile.

But unfortunately, the snake beast-kin reached out precisely to catch the flying Woodcalibur.

'That'll be caught.'

Just as disappointment set in.

Woong-!

A suddenly appearing portal swallowed Woodcalibur.

"Huh?"

"Hmm...?"

I was surprised, Han Yeoreum was surprised, even the radical beast-kin were surprised.

The only one not surprised was Gaeul.

"Ahem."

As Gaeul puffed out her chest.

Woong-!

A portal appeared right behind the snake beast-kin.

What emerged from the portal was none other than Gaeul's thrown Woodcalibur.

Thwack-!

Woodcalibur struck the back of the snake beast-kin's head perfectly.

Only then did Gaeul break into a bright smile.