The Returnee’s Guild Must Grow Properly

In the Duke’s arms, Harim was grinning as though he were the happiest creature in the world. Seeing that innocent face made me feel a twinge of guilt, but I pressed on.

“The Dragon Slayer is already targeting me. Do you think he’d ignore the one and only intelligent dragon?”

“…!”

I put on my most regretful expression, locking eyes with the Duke. He flinched noticeably, his gaze wary.

“W-Well, we just have to make sure he doesn’t find out!”

Yeah, right.

Sure, it was technically possible that Harim could avoid being discovered and grow to full maturity. But knowing what I did about dragons, that was next to impossible.

Even the Duke seemed to realize how weak his argument was, his face falling into a sullen pout.

―”Mama? Mama~?”

Harim, oblivious to the tension, rubbed his cheek against the Duke’s face, nuzzling with playful affection.

“Haha, my dear, that tickles.”

“…”

I gave the Duke a withering look before turning away, feeling a shiver crawl up my spine at his nauseating “my dear.” Scratching at my arms, I tried to rid myself of the goosebumps.

The Duke broke the silence with a pointed question.
“And how exactly are you planning to use Harim?”

His voice was clipped and suspicious, and his arms tightened protectively around Harim. His eyes were brimming with distrust.

I met his gaze with a sly smile and asked, “Why do you think they call him the ‘Dragon Slayer’?”

The Duke, scowling, covered Harim’s ears as he muttered begrudgingly, “Because he’s killed dragons, obviously.”

“Exactly.”

“…What’s your point?”

The Duke’s voice was sharp, his patience clearly wearing thin. I chuckled crookedly and got straight to the point.

“I’m going to let Harim roam free in an uninhabited area. He’s grown a bit, so it’s about time he explored the world, don’t you think?”

“And where exactly has Harim grown?!”

The Duke seemed oblivious—or more likely in denial—about Harim’s now larger size.

Shrugging, I said, “Remember when I disappeared with the Hero for a while? That’s when Harim went through his first growth spurt.”

“…”

Bingo.

The dragons in Gloria, where I’d come from, grew in three stages. The first growth spurt unlocked their ability to use breath attacks. The second granted them the power of speech. The third enabled them to perform the polymorph spell, allowing them to take on a human form.

“The dragons in your world and mine must be pretty similar,” the Duke muttered.

“I was just guessing,” I replied casually.

The Duke’s face contorted in frustration. I chuckled softly and added, “How would I know? I have no idea how different your world and mine are.”

The Duke pouted, muttering under his breath.
“Fine, yes, Harim went through his first growth. But it caused the shop to blow up…”

He trailed off, his eyes going wide as realization struck.

“Wait, when you said you’d let him roam free… are you planning to make Harim run wild?!”

“Run wild? No. Just let him play freely for a bit.”

“That’s the same thing!!”

The Duke’s sharp yell startled Harim, who turned to him with wide, worried eyes. Hugging Harim tightly, the Duke whispered soothingly.
“I’m sorry, my dear. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“…”

No matter how many times I saw it, it was impossible to get used to. I winced slightly, then smoothed my expression and explained,

“When Harim starts causing a ruckus, the Dragon Slayer will come. That’s when we’ll capture him.”

“And what about Harim?!”

“Obviously, I’ll make sure the Dragon Slayer doesn’t lay a finger on him.”

I will.

The Duke, with suspicion written all over his face, looked at me as if my every word needed scrutinizing. For all his affection toward Harim, I wish he’d spare a little for me, too.
Sighing deeply, I continued,
“And I’ll make sure Harim doesn’t attract unwanted attention. We’ll enlist the mage’s help for that.”

“Me…? What do you mean…?”

“…?”

Startled by the sudden voice, I turned wide-eyed to the sofa. The mage, who had been lying there like the dead, was groaning as he slowly sat up.

“Mage, are you alright?”

“I’m fine… but where am I now?”

The mage frowned.

“Why is the spirit master lying on the floor?”

“This is the Hero’s shop. The Demon King accidentally knocked both of you out.”

“The Demon King? I think I saw him before everything exploded… Oh.”

“Oh?”

I tilted my head slightly, watching as the mage sighed, rubbed his face, and looked back at me.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“As you can see. What about you?”

“I’m not hurt either, but…”

His voice sounded drained, as though he carried the weight of the world. The mage scratched his head, slowly getting to his feet.

“I need to step out for a bit. I want some fresh air.”

Though he seemed barely steady on his feet, the mage staggered toward the door. Watching him made me feel uneasy.

―”Mama?”

“So you’re Harim, huh? You look like a little dragonling…”

Yeah, I don’t think it’s safe to let him go like that.

The mage gave Harim, nestled in the Duke’s arms, a light pat on the head before heading outside.

“The mage doesn’t look good,” the Duke said.

“Yeah,” I replied, shrugging.

“Anyway, Harim, you in?”

―”Mama!”

“Alright, he’s in.”

“Excuse me, Guild Master!!”

The Duke’s shrill voice echoed as I clapped hands with Harim.

“Keep an eye on the spirit master,” I said.

“No! I’m not going to watch him!!”

For all his shouting, I knew the Duke would keep an eye on the spirit master anyway. Satisfied, I stepped outside.

The shop, which had been bustling with customers earlier, now stood empty. I made my way to the Hero, who was at the counter, balancing the books.

“The customers left already?”

“Thanks to you, Guild Master.”

I didn’t even do anything.

Pouting slightly, I watched as the Hero chuckled softly and handed my card back.

“I only charged 990,000 won.”

“How considerate of you.”

I hadn’t expected her to actually charge it. Clicking my tongue briefly, I snatched the card from her hands.

“What about the mage?”

“Outside. He didn’t look too great.”

“I’ll go check on him.”

The mage was sitting miserably by the side of the road, crouched down in a way that seemed both pitiful and precarious.

The chime of the shop door caught his attention, and he turned to look at me.

“Mage, are you alright?”

Smiling faintly, the mage lifted the corner of his mouth and replied,
“Wow, the Guild Master’s so kind. Could it be that you’re worried about me…?”

“Yes, so hurry up and answer me. Are you okay?”

The mage’s startled expression softened into a small, mischievous smile.

“Guild Master, do you know that feeling?”

“What feeling?”

“That lingering unease when you know you had a dream but can’t remember what it was about.”

“Nope, can’t say I do.”

At my blunt response, the mischievous mage pouted dramatically.

“Our dear Guild Master is so kind, isn’t he? Even if you don’t know, you could at least say you do.”

For someone who had looked so fragile a moment ago, he sure bounced back quickly. I raised my hand and lightly tapped his forehead.

[Authority, ‘Sanctuary,’ has been activated.]

Sanctuary was a power that calmed a person’s mind. If adjusted correctly, it could even put someone to sleep. I had used it on Seoha once before. Since the Demon King’s power had shown the mage his most terrifying memories, this should help alleviate the burden.

The mage rubbed his forehead and gave me a surprised look. Ignoring him, I rose to my feet.

“Take a walk and clear your head. Oh, and just in case, about your phone…”

“It’s already broken, thanks to that damn Dragon Slayer.”

He showed me the shattered remains of his phone. Well, at least now the mage had his own reason to go after the Dragon Slayer.

Resting his chin on his knees, the mage asked,
“So you’re not planning to go back, are you?”

I nodded silently.

“Your brother and Hain are probably worried about you.”

“I know. That’s why I’m not going back.”

Unlike Woo Mahan, who had accepted the Demon King for who he was, my brother and Do Hain weren’t so understanding. Worse still, they carried a sense of guilt toward me that I didn’t know how to handle. I couldn’t reveal everything about “me” to them just yet.

“I’ll go back when the time is right.”

The mage gave me a teasing smile.
“Then let’s go back together when you do. I’d rather not return alone—it’s a bit scary.”

“No way.”

“That’s so petty! Fine, I’ll go straight to your brother and tell him you’re here!”

“Go ahead, try it.”

To add weight to my words, I allowed a portion of the invisible chains around me to become visible. The mage, startled, burst into laughter instead of being intimidated.

“Geez, you’re scary!”

His mocking smile was so infuriating that I flicked him on the forehead.

“Ouch! That hurt!”

It was meant to.

*****

Meanwhile…

It hurt.

Woo Mahan felt the heavy press of a hand on his chest, and as the weight lifted, he struggled to open his eyes. His blurry vision cleared, revealing the refined yet utterly unrefined face of his younger brother, Woo Mahun, patting his chest with what could only be described as clumsy determination.

“…Mahun, what are you doing?”

“I am comforting you,” Mahun replied solemnly.

“Comforting me is one thing, but it hurts.”

“Then I shall do it more gently.”

Or you could just stop altogether.

Woo Mahan sighed and glanced around. After being attacked by a hooded figure, it seemed he had been taken straight to the hospital. Yet Mahun, oblivious to his surroundings, continued his awkward attempts to console him.

“…Mahun, could you please stop?”

“I cannot. Do Haun instructed me to ensure your peace of mind.”

“Do Haun…?”

Woo Mahan furrowed his brows, grabbing Mahun’s wrist to stop him and sitting up.

“Mahun, what exactly is going on between you and Do Haun?”