The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

While digging the earth alongside Levinas, I took a momentary rest and sat down on a nearby bench.

My clothes, smeared with dirt and torn here and there, were a welcome state for someone like me who craved the rawness of nature.

Would I be able to mimic Encia’s wildness someday?

As I sat on the bench sipping dandelion tea, Levinas stood before me, striking a triumphant pose, hands on hips and chest puffed out.

“Hey, King! Wanna see something awesome?!”

“Something awesome?”

“Yeah! This is something Levinas found. Eating two pieces of chocolate at once!”

With those words, Levinas unwrapped and devoured two small chocolates in one go. It was a cute attempt at showing off, something only Levinas would think of.

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

I clapped for Levinas, and a group of young men resting nearby joined in the applause, admiring the childlike innocence.

“What a brilliant idea.”

“I never thought of something like that when I was a kid.”

Our applause made Levinas happy.

She giggled and hopped excitedly on the spot.

It was then someone approached us.

“Um, hey, kids…?”

Kwon Arin stood beside us, hesitating, with a scared look on her face.

“Ah! SupremeMasterKwonArin!”

At the mention of SupremeMasterKwonArin, one of the applauding men snorted, choked on his cola, and started coughing.

“Guys, could you just call me Kwon Arin? Or just Arin…?”

“No! I’ll call you whatever I want!”

Despite Kwon Arin’s earnest plea, Levinas shook her head, unwilling to compromise.

Kwon Arin’s smile drooped sadly, as if hurt by the refusal.

“Alright… call me whatever you want…”

Kwon Arin’s shoulders slumped, resigned.

“Is there something you needed?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeoreum said she’s going to be a bit late, told me to play with you.”

“Play?”

Levinas’s ears perked up at the mention of playing, sneaking glances at Kwon Arin, clearly eager to play.

“Is there any particular game you’d like to play…?”

“Well… actually, Levinas wants to play house…”

“Play house?”

Both Kwon Arin and I expressed our surprise.

Levinas had never mentioned this before; why hadn’t she told me?

“Yeah… Levinas wants to play Cinderella house…”

“Then let’s play Cinderella house. It sounds like a lot of fun.”

What we’d play was up to the child, Levinas.

As adults, Kwon Arin and I were there to go along with whatever game Levinas wanted to play.

“Uh, the thing is, Levinas wants to play the role of Cinderella…”

“Yeah, Levinas can be Cinderella if she wants.”

Isn’t it just about doing what you want?

Why the hesitation?

I couldn’t understand Levinas’s behavior.

“But doesn’t the king suit the role of Cinderella better than Levinas…?”

“Uh…”

Levinas was worried about not being able to play Cinderella.

That must have been why she hadn’t brought up playing house.

But why does she think I’m suited for Cinderella?

I’m fine not playing that role.

Just as I was about to tell Levinas, Kwon Arin spoke up first.

“Then both of you can be Cinderella.”

“Both of us?”

“Yeah. How about twin Cinderellas?”

“Wow! That’s an option?!”

Surprise, joy, and relief.

Levinas expressed a range of emotions in a short span.

“Roles can always be changed.”

“That’s amazing! Like eating two chocolates at once!”

“Uh, yeah.”

Two chocolates?

Kwon Arin muttered to herself.

“Hmm…”

Me, playing Cinderella?

The role of a princess being bullied sounded challenging, but I decided to endure it for the sake of playing with Levinas.

“Hehe, then Levinas and the king will be Cinderella, and SupremeMasterKwonArin will be…”

Hmm.

Levinas pondered, her fists moving up and down, mimicking Sophia’s action of tapping the ground with a staff, though Levinas had no staff in hand.

‘She must have learned it from watching Sophia.’

Observing adults with bright, curious eyes, she was picking up various things.

I resolved to show Levinas even better examples in the future.

That’s when Levinas suddenly raised her hand.

“I’ve decided! SupremeMasterKwonArin will be the stepmother!”

“The, the stepmother?”

“Yeah!”

Levinas showed a bright smile towards Kwon Arin, whose expression was the complete opposite.

“Can’t I play a role other than the stepmother…?”

“SupremeMasterKwonArin has to play the stepmother, and also the sister, and the wizard! We don’t have enough people to do one role each!”

“All of them…?”

“Yeah!”

Realizing Levinas was right, Kwon Arin nodded cautiously.

Perhaps because she could finally play the long-awaited game of Cinderella house, Levinas jumped up with a cheer.

<+>

“Hey, guys, isn’t this room a bit dirty…?”

Kwon Arin spoke to Levinas and me with considerable politeness.

At that, Levinas stomped on the ground.

“That’s not like a stepmother! Too nice!”

“Is, is that so…?”

“Yeah! You have to be scary enough to make Levinas cry!”

Kwon Arin’s face paled at the explanation.

“For example…?”

“Levinas and the king have to be insulted and even hit!”

Levinas swung her fist in the air, not actually swinging it but shaking it.

“Can’t we do something else?”

“Do you not like it? If you don’t, we don’t have to force ourselves to play…”

Was it because Kwon Arin wasn’t taking the play seriously?

Levinas’s rabbit ears drooped.

“No, no! I really want to play! Cinderella sounds really fun!”

“Is that so…?”

“Yeah! I was just practicing! Now, let’s play for real!”

“Okay!”

Levinas clasped her hands together, and Kwon Arin closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, preparing herself mentally for the role.

“Levinas! Gyeoul!”

Kwon Arin, with her eyes now open, took on the role of the stepmother seriously, chastising us with a fierce and loud voice.

People resting nearby all turned their attention towards us.

“Uh, uh…”

Levinas shivered, and I did my best to act terrified.

Honestly, Kwon Arin’s angry demeanor was a bit scary.

“I told you to clean the house and hang the laundry!”

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s Levinas’s fault…”

“Quiet! There will be no dinner for you tonight!”

Kwon Arin suddenly looked around, startled when her eyes met with a stern-looking man, she flinched.

She felt embarrassed to be playing house as an adult.

‘Was I too loud?’

Many people were watching us, their faces crunched up, probably due to the noise.

We needed to play more quietly.

“Please forgive Levinas just this once… I’ve only had a carrot to eat for three days…”

Levinas knelt down, begging Kwon Arin.

I also knelt beside Levinas.

“Could we perhaps have some bread, even if it’s moldy…?”

“That’s… no! Even moldy bread is too good for you two! Got it?!”

“Sniff.”

Levinas covered her face with her hands, her sobbing sounded genuinely like crying.

Levinas might actually have a knack for acting?

Inspired by her, I decided to commit a bit more to my role.

“Levinas, I’ll catch some grasshoppers for us today… Let’s eat those…”

“What, what?! Grasshoppers?! Didn’t you hear what I just said…?!”

Just as Kwon Arin, fully immersed in her role as the stepmother, raised her fist at us, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist.

It was Jung Yu-na, a mage from the guild, looking striking in her red robes.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“You, what…?”

“What are you doing?”

Jung Yu-na glared at Kwon Arin with fiery eyes, a cracking sound coming from Kwon Arin’s gripped wrist.

“My name is Kwon Arin…”

“Did I ask for your name?”

Jung Yu-na’s demeanor was fierce.

She must have misunderstood our play as something serious.

Just as I was about to stand up and explain, Levinas rushed into Jung Yu-na’s arms.

“Prince!”

Prince?

She must be referring to the prince from Cinderella.

Perhaps Levinas secretly included Jung Yu-na in our play without us knowing.

She did say she needed to prepare a bit before playing.

‘…Well, it would make sense for the prince to be angry at the stepmother.’

But why would the prince appear here?

It was strange, but discussing the storyline was difficult when we already had two Cinderellas.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Well, this is…”

With Jung Yu-na seething in anger and Kwon Arin frozen in fear, if this was acting, it would be incredibly impressive.

It surely couldn’t be just playing.

I had to calm Jung Yu-na down.