Chapter 93
The quarterly meeting of Guild Masters, an event held once every season.
During the meeting, Sacred Guild Master Chae Juyeon couldn't believe her ears.
It was all because of the shocking words that came out of the mouth of a sudden beast-kin child visitor.
'My God.'
To call Kang Jinho "uncle" of all things.
It was a common enough title, but absolutely not one you'd expect to be used for Kang Jinho.
Even the Guild Masters, who ruled over their regions, became mere lambs in front of Kang Jinho.
'Was the rumor true that the beast-kin children had softened his personality?'
Kang Jinho was known for his coldness towards everyone except his own people.
The Guild Masters attending the meeting held their breath, only trying to read Kang Jinho's mood.
The moment the presence of children was felt in the elevator, Kang Jinho, eased the pressure around him.
The Guild Masters, having observed Kang Jinho for a long time, could tell.
Kang Jinho cherished the beast-kin children.
"So, why the sudden cleaning?"
At Kang Jinho's question, Gyeoul, quietly eating her snack, looked up.
Having experience raising a younger sibling, Chae Juyeon could tell the child was scared.
"Um, um...!"
Gyeoul, with her mouth full of snacks, hurriedly chewed to answer the question.
Everyone inside could tell from her wide eyes that the child was in a panic.
'Is it because there are so many adults around?'
It was plausible that a sensitive beast-kin child would find the imposing aura of the Guild Masters uncomfortable.
After all, one's presence often leaks out even when hidden.
The moment Chae Juyeon looked at Gyeoul with concern, Kang Jinho handed her a bottle of orange juice.
"You'll choke."
"...!"
Choke.
With that brief comment, the Guild Masters couldn't help but be astonished.
The always cold Kang Jinho being this kind, it was unbelievable even when seen with their own eyes.
'It's like he's raising her as his own daughter.'
Unaware of the Guild Masters' gazes on her, Gyeoul accepted the orange juice Kang Jinho offered and drank it.
She tried to hold the bottle with both hands, but Kang Jinho was already holding it, so she ended up drinking directly from it.
"···So, why did you suddenly want to clean up?"
"Well, I was digging up the ground at the park...?"
Gyeoul moved towards the window.
Kang Jinho followed her, and the other Guild Masters just looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
"Are you talking about that?"
Kang Jinho, having moved to the window, pointed at the tunnel Gyeoul had created.
The garden, tended by a gardener, had turned into a disorderly dirt patch.
"Yes. I messed it up by digging."
"So, you felt guilty and wanted to clean up?"
"Yes... I'll clean up the mess I made from digging..."
Gyeoul fidgeted with her hands, looking up at Kang Jinho, but he just stroked his chin.
The Guild Masters, aware of Kang Jinho's personality, silently observed the situation.
'What now?'
Kang Jinho, known for his obsessive cleanliness and preference for order, had invested a significant amount of money to perfect his park.
'He even banned alcohol and cigarettes there.'
He was paying gardeners annual salaries in the millions.
Would there be a slight reprimand, even for a child Kang Jinho cared about?
Chae Juyeon looked at Gyeoul with concern, but Kang Jinho simply placed his hand on her head.
"Well done."
"Did I do well...?"
"Yes. The park looks more natural now. It used to be a bit too artificial."
"Is that so...?"
Gyeoul's tail swayed gently.
She took Kang Jinho's words to heart.
However, the Guild Masters knew.
That the meticulous Kang Jinho had shown 'consideration' for the child.
'At this rate, he's practically raising her as his own daughter.'
He was like an indulgent father who couldn't deny the child anything.
Chae Juyeon even thought that Gyeoul might be the real power behind the Daybreak Guild.
After all, a child who could sway the man called the world's strongest was truly the most powerful.
'...To get closer to the Daybreak Guild, it might be quicker to treat the beast-kin children well, rather than dealing with the stoic Kang Jinho.'
Like it or not, they had to treat the children well.
While the Guild Masters were thinking this, Kang Jinho continued to pat Gyeoul's head.
"If you're done with the snack, go play outside. It's fine even if you dig up the whole park."
"Yess..."
It was surprising.
She had intended to work after eating the snacks.
Gyeoul didn't want to play, but she had no intention of defying Kang Jinho, the Guild Master's, command.
Regrettably, she decided to spend the remaining time playing.
"Levinas, let's go outside now."
"Okay!"
Levinas, clutching snacks in both hands, stuck close to Gyeoul.
Seeing the children, Kang Jinho turned to the Guild Masters.
"...Let's wrap this up. Seems like we should take care of the kids."
"Ah..."
Was he suggesting they prioritize playing with the children over the meeting?
Chae Juyeon, quickly assessing the situation, raised her hand.
"May I join them? I'm quite fond of children."
"...Sure."
Kang Jinho glanced at Chae Juyeon, then followed Gyeoul outside, his gaze sharp as if warning her not to harbor any ulterior motives.
'The look in his eyes is entirely different when it comes to the child.'
Chae Juyeon, deciding to focus on the children first, was followed by the other Guild Masters.
They all had similar thoughts in mind.
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I boarded the elevator with the Master and Levinas.
About a dozen other people also got on with us.
Although the atmosphere was awkward, I had learned to some extent how to interact and converse with people through walks.
I tugged at Kang Jinho's hem to break the ice.
"I'm practicing my wild instincts."
"Wild instincts?"
"Yes. Beast-kin can supposedly emit a fearsome aura like monsters, but I'm not quite there yet."
"Keep practicing. You'll get there if you keep at it."
That's advice from a Guild Master.
It wasn't likely to be spoken lightly.
"Yes. I've been practicing continuously. Actually, the digging was all part of my wild instinct training."
"Really?"
"Yes. I thought living in the wild would help cultivate it."
"Hmm..."
At that moment, as Kang Jinho nonchalantly nodded, the elevator doors opened.
Levinas, clearly claustrophobic, burst out with a shout.
"Let's race!"
"Uh, okay!"
The race was towards the pits we had dug.
Thanks to my feline beast-kin traits, I was naturally faster, but I slowed down to let Levinas have a chance at winning.
"The kids are full of energy."
"It's good to be energetic."
Turning at the slight sound, I saw the Master and other adults slowly following us.
Did they want to play with Levinas?
Ignoring them for the moment, I focused on racing with Levinas.
"Levinas!"
We had run to a part of the park when I noticed Levinas had stopped dead before even reaching the pit.
She stood still, looking at something near the pits we had dug.
"Look, SupremeMasterKwonArin is getting scolded over there."
"Huh?"
Looking where Levinas pointed, I saw Kwon Arin standing meekly in front of someone I had never seen around here before.
"You've been bragging about becoming an adventurer since you were young, haven't you?"
"Uh, yes..."
"And yet you end up as a park manager?"
"No, this is..."
Kwon Arin hid a planting spade behind her back.
She had been caught at a bad time, occasionally helping us dig.
"People have been talking a lot about you. I heard you hardly ever leave your house now, but it's nice to see you working hard."
Tap, tap
The woman tapped Kwon Arin's cheek.
Kwon Arin stepped back, offering an awkward smile.
"What are you talking about, I've been an adventurer for ages..."
"Adventurer? Which guild took you in?"
"Well, the Daybreak Guild..."
Pfft
The woman scoffed at Kwon Arin.
After a moment of ridicule, she tapped the badge on her chest.
"Arin, I barely made it into the Legion Guild, and you, weaker than me, got into the Daybreak Guild?"
Wow.
A classic example of a mean person.
If this were a fictional world, she would have been taught a lesson by the protagonist.
But this was reality, and reality differed from fiction.
Kwon Arin was indeed a member of the Daybreak Guild, but it didn't look like she stood a chance against the woman before us.
Neither Levinas nor I were capable of being much help either.
What should we do in this situation?
As I cautiously approached Kwon Arin, she suddenly shouted at the Legion Guild woman with a loud voice.
"It's true! I'm the Guild Master's favorite!"
"Arin, do you have no conscience...?"
"I'm Kwon Arin! Kwon Arin! The Guild Master said I'm a candidate for future Guild Master, asked me to take good care of it! Said he's never seen talent like mine, that he absolutely adores me...!"
Thump-thump-
Kwon Arin thumped her chest in a clumsy yet assertive manner.
It looked like she was bluffing.
'A candidate for Guild Master, not even a rank-and-file.'
I knew even the great Yeoreum couldn't reach the toes of the Guild Master.
It seemed like we would need to apologize before she escalated the situation further.
"Um..."
"Huh?"
As I approached the woman, for some reason, she was only looking behind me.
Her expression was as if she had seen a ghost, and I ended up turning around as well.
The Master and other people from the meeting were approaching us.
The Master's brow was furrowed, possibly upset by Kwon Arin's words.
'This is bad.'
How should we resolve this?
I was just pacing back and forth, unable to do anything.
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