The Guild Master's Unexpected Soft Spot
The guild masters' quarterly regular meeting. Chae Ju-yeon, the Shinseong Guild Master present at the meeting, couldn't help doubting her ears. Shocking words had burst from the mouth of the beastkin child who had suddenly appeared.
'Oh my.'
Calling Kang Jin-ho "uncle." An utterly ordinary form of address, but one that absolutely didn't suit him. Even guild masters who lorded over entire regions became nothing more than meek lambs in his presence.
'The rumors that his personality's gotten softer after meeting those beastkin kids... they must be true.'
Kang Jin-ho was infamous for his cold ruthlessness toward anyone outside his inner circle. The guild masters at the meeting were holding their breath, eyes darting nervously to him—until the moment he sensed the children's presence from the elevator. Just like that, the oppressive aura vanished.
Those who had known him for years could tell. He truly cherished the beastkin children.
"So, why the sudden urge to clean?"
At Kang Jin-ho's question, Winter—who had been quietly munching on snacks—looked up. Chae Ju-yeon, with her experience raising a younger sibling, could see the child was terrified.
"Um, um...!"
Her little mouth worked furiously, stuffed full of snacks as she tried to answer. Everyone in the room could see the panic in her wide eyes.
'Scared of all the adults?'
For a sensitive beastkin child, the guild masters' intimidating presences must have been overwhelming. Aura seeped out unconsciously, no matter how well it was suppressed.
As Chae Ju-yeon watched Winter with concern, Kang Jin-ho handed her a nearby bottle of orange juice.
"You'll choke."
"...!"
She'll choke. Those short words left the guild masters stunned. The eternally icy Kang Jin-ho being so kind—it was unbelievable, even seeing it with their own eyes.
'At this point, he's basically raising her like his own daughter.'
Oblivious to the guild masters' stares, Winter accepted the orange juice from Kang Jin-ho and drank. She tried to hold the bottle with both hands, but since he was gripping it, she just sipped from it directly.
"...So, why'd you suddenly want to clean?"
"Well, I kinda dug up the park dirt everywhere...?"
Winter headed toward the window. Kang Jin-ho followed, while the guild masters exchanged wary glances.
"This what you're talking about?"
Kang Jin-ho, now at the window, pointed to the burrow Winter had made. The garden, meticulously tended by hired gardeners, had become a messy dirt field.
"Yeah. I messed it up while digging."
"So you felt bad and wanted to clean it up?"
"Yes... I'll clean up the holes I dug too..."
Winter fidgeted with her hands, looking up at him, but Kang Jin-ho merely stroked his chin.
The guild masters, who knew his temperament well, watched silently, holding their breath.
'What'll he do?'
Kang Jin-ho had a thing for neatness due to his neat-freak tendencies. Everyone knew how much money he'd poured into perfecting his park.
'He won't even allow smoking or drinking there.'
Word was he paid top gardeners eight-figure salaries.
Even if she was a favorite, surely he'd scold her a little? Chae Ju-yeon watched Winter worriedly, but Kang Jin-ho simply placed a hand on her head.
"Good job."
"G-good job...?"
"Yeah. The park feels more natural now. It was too artificial before."
"R-really...?"
Winter's tail swished happily. She took his words at face value.
But the guild masters knew better. The notoriously picky Kang Jin-ho was making allowances for the child.
'He's totally treating her like his daughter.'
Like an overindulgent dad granting every whim. Chae Ju-yeon even wondered if Winter might be the real power behind Yeomyeong Guild. After all, the one who could bend the world's strongest man to her will was the true powerhouse.
'...To get close to Yeomyeong Guild, better to butter up the beastkin kids than that stone-hearted Kang Jin-ho.'
Like it or not, they had to treat the children well. As the guild masters mulled this over, Kang Jin-ho kept ruffling Winter's hair firmly.
"Finish your snacks and go play. Dig up the whole park if you want."
"O-okay..."
Play? She'd planned to work after finishing her snacks. Winter didn't want to play, but she wouldn't defy the guild master's order. Regretfully, she'd spend the rest of the day playing.
"Levi Nas, let's go out now."
"Yeah!"
Levi Nas, clutching snacks in both hands, stuck to Winter's side. Watching the children, Kang Jin-ho turned to the guild masters.
"...Let's wrap this up. Gotta watch the kids."
"Ah..."
Playing with the children came before the meeting? Quick to read the room, Chae Ju-yeon raised her hand.
"Mind if I join? I love kids."
"...Do what you want."
Kang Jin-ho shot her a sharp glance—as if warning her not to get any funny ideas—before following Winter out. His eyes were fierce.
'His gaze changes completely around kids.'
Best to target the children first. With that thought, Chae Ju-yeon followed, the other guild masters trailing behind. They were all thinking the same thing.
I boarded the elevator with the Master and Levi Nas. A dozen or so others got on too. The atmosphere was awkward, but after learning how to chat with people during walks, I tugged at Kang Jin-ho's clothes to break the ice.
"I'm training my wild instincts."
"...Wild instincts?"
"Yeah. They say beastkin can exude a monster-like intimidating aura, but I can't do it well yet."
"Keep at it steadily. You'll get there eventually."
Advice from the guild master. He wouldn't say it lightly.
"Yes. I'm practicing consistently. Actually, all that digging was for wild instinct training too."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I thought living wild would build my instincts."
"Hmm..."
Kang Jin-ho nodded indifferently just as the elevator doors opened. Maybe feeling stuffy inside, Levi Nas yelled energetically and bolted out.
"King! Race ya!"
"Uh, okay!"
Levi Nas headed straight for the pits. Thanks to my feline beastkin agility, I was faster, but I ran as slow as possible so she could win.
"The kids are so full of energy."
"Energetic's good."
Hearing faint voices behind, I glanced back. The Master and the other adults from the meeting were following slowly.
Were they serious about wanting to play with Levi Nas? Ignoring them for now, I focused on the race.
"Levi Nas!"
We ran for a while before arriving somewhere in the park. Levi Nas froze before even reaching the pit. She stood staring at something nearby—the pits she and I had dug.
"King, look—SupremeKwonA-rin is getting scolded."
"Huh?"
Looking where she pointed, I saw Kwon A-rin standing meekly before a girl her age. Someone I'd never seen around here before.
"A-rin, didn't you brag about becoming an adventurer since you were little?"
"Uh, yeah..."
"But you ended up as a park keeper?"
"No, that's not..."
Kwon A-rin hid the seedling shovel in her hand behind her back. She sometimes helped me dig, but bad timing.
"Heard rumors among your classmates? They say you don't even leave the house anymore. Nice to see you working hard, though."
Tap, tap. The girl poked Kwon A-rin's cheek. A-rin stepped back with an awkward smile.
"Wh-what're you talking about? It's been ages since I became an adventurer..."
"Adventurer? Which guild took you in?"
"Well, Yeomyeong Guild..."
Pfft. The girl snorted mockingly at Kwon A-rin. After laughing for a bit, she tapped the badge on her chest.
"A-rin, I barely got into Legion Guild, and you're saying someone weaker than me got into Yeomyeong?"
Wow. Classic bully behavior. If this were a fictional world, the protagonist would teach her a lesson. But this was reality, and reality was different.
Kwon A-rin was technically in Yeomyeong Guild, but she didn't look like she could beat this girl. Neither could Levi Nas or I help much.
What should I do? As I cautiously approached Kwon A-rin, she suddenly shouted loudly at the Legion Guild girl.
"I-it's true! The guild master favors me!"
"A-rin, you really have no shame..."
"I'm Kwon A-rin! Kwon A-rin! The guild master called me a future guild master candidate, said to take good care of me! Said he's never seen talent like mine—totally dotes on me...!"
Thump, thump—Kwon A-rin pounded her chest with clumsy bravado. It looked like bluffing.
'Not even an executive, but guild master candidate?'
I knew even the amazing Han Yeoreum couldn't hold a candle to the guild master's toes. Better apologize before she escalated.
"Um..."
"Huh...?"
As I approached the girl, she stared past me, face like she'd seen a ghost. I turned too.
The Master and the others from the meeting approaching us. Offended by Kwon A-rin's words, his brow was furrowed.
'Oh no.'
How do I fix this? Stuck helpless, all I could do was stamp my feet.