Arang's Awakening!
Kim Taegeon, the guild master of Georang, released the hand gripping the fallen man's throat and looked down at him writhing on the ground. He turned his head and met Baek Arang's eyes.
"Kid." He glanced at the blood splattered on the back of his hand and let out a hollow chuckle. "From now on, you'd better bring a bodyguard or something. You look way too tasty to be walking around alone."
"Yes, sir..." I nodded as quickly as possible, rolling my eyes to scan my surroundings. Guild master Cha Eunwol still hadn't arrived nearby. He pulled a black handkerchief from his pants pocket, wiped the blood from his hand, and casually tossed it onto the fallen man's face.
"Kkhack, kkeuueuuk..." As the man coughed up blood, he immediately kicked the man's head roughly. Crack! "Gup... ugh, mmp...!!"
"Shut up." Kim Taegeon then stepped on the man's chest as he writhed on the floor. The sound of ribs breaking was audible even from afar, and Baek Arang flinched involuntarily.
"Huh, what's this, did sparrows get more plentiful across the continent? Now they're crawling into a small country like Korea." Kim Taegeon spat out the cigarette that had been hanging from his lips and stared at the fallen man. The kidnapper, with his chest stomped on, endured the pain and avoided eye contact.
"Kkeuk... what... are you talking about. I'm Korean." With his clumsy accent pretending to be oblivious, Kim Taegeon let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Oh, yeah? You're Korean? Sorry about that. Then again, there's no way you'd come from China." He grinned and reached for his waist. Ssireung. A pitch-black dagger was drawn from his waist. "Well then, since you're not even a Chink, you can just die here and it won't be a problem."
Before the words even finished, a cold murderous intent flickered in Kim Taegeon's eyes. Without hesitation, he reversed his grip on the dagger and raised his arm, ready to slit the kidnapper's throat. "...!" At that sight, I gasped in shock and squeezed my eyes shut. I'd seen monsters die, but seeing a person killed right in front of me was terrifying.
"Tch... it's not good to do this in front of a kid." Kim Taegeon glanced back at Baek Arang, who was trembling in the back seat, staring at him. Seeing her scared, with her ears drooping, he frowned with displeasure and clicked his tongue. "... I'm not used to doing things out of character, it's pissing me off." Swish. He roughly shoved the raised dagger back into his waist sheath. Then, with a fierce look down at the kidnapper, he clenched his fist instead of the dagger.
Pow—!! "Kkeoheok...!!" A heavy impact sound like an explosion rang out. With that single punch, the kidnapper's eyes rolled back, and he passed out, he passed out, foaming at the mouth. Kim Taegeon looked at the blood on his hands again with annoyance, then glanced at Baek Arang, who still had her eyes tightly shut, and let out a small laugh. '... is she scared?'
Baek Arang carefully opened her eyes a slit and looked around, finally letting out the breath she'd been holding and barely pulling herself together. 'Right... is the driver okay?' I quickly turned to check on the driver in the front seat.
"D-driver! Are you okay?!" The driver's forehead was bleeding, probably from hitting the steering wheel when the car screeched to a halt. "Sir, you're bleeding! What do I do..." As I grimaced and grabbed the seat, the driver pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, pressed it firmly to his forehead, and smiled as if it were nothing.
"Hoho, I'm fine, Arang-ssi. Just a little scratch. Please don't worry. It seems like your conversation with that person is more urgent right now." The driver calmly pointed at the Georang guild master as if nothing had happened.
'... The driver isn't ordinary either.' I nodded and carefully stepped out through the broken rear door. My legs were shaking a little from the shock, but I approached the Georang guild master, who was pinning down the unconscious kidnapper.
"Um... Guild master Georang."
"Yeah, feeling calmer now?" He glanced over me and asked.
"Thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would have been dragged off by that guy." 'Honestly, I'm curious how you knew to be here right away.' But bringing that up now would only ruin the mood. There's a time and place for everything. At my thanks, he smirked and tilted his chin.
"So you're just going to thank me with words? If you've received a favor, you should repay it."
"...Repay you?" What... Maybe I should bake him some bread? If he asks for an exclusive contract, sorry, but I'll just hold out until Guild Master Cha Eunwol arrives and then escape. What comes after might be a little scary, but I don't want to go to that suspicious guild. I swallowed nervously.
"What is it? I'll... at least hear it. As long as it's within what I can do."
"It's nothing grand. Just come hang out at our guild for a day."
"Huh? The Georang guild?" '... What is this guy suddenly talking about?'
"I can hear that little brain of yours turning. It's nothing, just come visit for a bit."
Fwaaah—!! Suddenly, a blinding red flash erupted on the road. A fierce wind kicked up dust, and with a roar, someone appeared between the Georang guild master and me.
"You mad dog, what, what kind of trick are you trying to pull on my kid?" At the familiar voice, I snapped my head up, and what I saw was Guild Master Cha Eunwol's back. The heavy aura emanating from her body bristled, ready to strike the Georang guild master at any moment.
Despite the sudden appearance, the Georang guild master showed no sign of surprise and casually put his hand in his pocket. "That's harsh, considering I'm your savior this time." He pointed at the unconscious kidnapper on the ground with his toe. "I stopped these Chink bastards from kidnapping your kid, even got blood on my hands, but Baekya treats its savior coldly."
"... You're not one to talk. It's because you've been sniffing around that our kid's movements got exposed." Guild Master Cha Eunwol radiated murderous intent again and stared at him with an even colder gaze.
'... If they fight here, the driver and I will get caught up too.' I gently poked at the guild master's side. "... Don't fight right now."
"You stay still." The guild master pressed my head down and pushed me behind her again. 'I hate this.' I puffed out my cheeks and glared at the back of her head.
"Well, think what you want. I'll be the bigger man today anyway." The Georang guild master briefly met my eyes, then waved his hand and walked toward the alley. "Oh, Cha Eunwol. When that kid comes to visit my guild next time, you should come too."
"What the hell are you talking about."
"As the kid's guardian. I thought you'd be too anxious to send her alone." With a twisted smile, he vanished instantly.
"... That bastard." Guild Master Cha Eunwol glared fiercely at the spot where he disappeared for a long moment, then whirled around and came to me.
"Arang!" She grabbed me and pulled me into a tight hug. Her usual playful demeanor was nowhere to be seen—her body was trembling slightly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? I'm sorry I came too late. I should have been here sooner..." Her voice, whispering in my ear as she held me, was filled with guilt and relief.
'The guild master must have been fighting too...' too...' For the first time, I smelled the strong scent of human blood from the guild master's embrace. I subtly rubbed my cheek against her chest to try to erase that smell. I calmed my startled body and reflected on how complacent I had been. 'I can't stay like this.' No matter how strong the protection I receive, it's useless if I'm powerless myself. No matter how solid a fortress is, if you keep knocking, it will break, and the more you block, the more people will challenge. I can't stay in their arms forever. 'I have to protect myself.'
I slowly lifted my face from Guild Master Cha Eunwol's chest. I gently pushed against her shoulders, still holding me.
"Arang?"
"Eunwol unnie, I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all."
"......Really? Hah, thank god. Really, thank god." She let out a relieved sigh and slowly stroked my hair.
I accepted her touch, clenched my fist, and opened my mouth. "Eunwol unnie, I've made a decision."
"Decision? What decision?"
"The thing you talked about with Yura unnie at my place last time." At the unexpected words coming from my mouth, Eunwol unnie's eyes narrowed.
"About revealing my bread and abilities to the world. I'm going to do it properly now."
"Arang, do you know what that means..."
"I know. It's because I've been hiding that these scumbags see me as an easy target and try to take advantage." At my words, Eunwol unnie's eyes widened in surprise, and she caressed my face. I glared at the kidnapper sprawled on the ground. It was because I looked easy that these kinds of people even appeared in my sight.
"I'm going to give it my all."
I don't need a sturdy fortress. I'll build an enormous fortress that no one would even dare to challenge.