The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

During the short time it took us to return to the fortress, both Gio and Kanel were silent. Neither of them said anything about Akata’s sudden appearance.

We soon arrived back at the familiar wooden-floored lodge.

As soon as we got back, I treated Akata’s arm with a potion and changed his clothes.

Then I went to look for the remaining two guild members.

While Akata had been wandering outside his room, what were the others doing that they didn’t notice? He certainly hadn’t snuck out quietly.

I found Lilith and Unahar both in the first-floor dining room.

“Akata can’t swallow tough food.”

“He’s that weak? Then let’s use a different cut of meat.”

They were chatting as they cooked at the counter.

Cooking time with the number one male and female character in appearance rankings. Quite the sight.

As I stood in the doorway, taking in the scene, Unahar noticed me.

“Rudel! You’re back? How was the PK? Did you do well? No problems?”

Friendly matches are only open to the guilds involved to avoid exposing their full strength, so they aren’t broadcasted live to the general characters. Thus, they had no idea what had transpired at the PK arena.

“You two were cooking together? For Akata? Good job.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Unahar jumped. He quickly moved away from Lilith, distancing himself.

“I, uh, was just helping Lilith because she asked… that’s all…”

“Yeah, good job. There’s no need to be so flustered.”

Even though I praised him, Unahar looked like he was about to cry. Then his expression changed.

He had noticed Akata standing quietly behind me.

For some reason, his gaze reminded me of the time before he joined my side—soft and sweet, yet with an unreadable defensive barrier.

But now, his eyes seemed to be fixated on my hand. Was he that curious about me holding Akata’s hand?

“Oh, Akata! You came out! Did you meet Rudel?”

Lilith noticed Akata and greeted him brightly. Of course, she didn’t get a response.

Akata should at least show some gratitude for her kindness.

“What’s that?”

At that moment, Gio entered the dining room and asked, looking at the ladle Lilith was holding.

He must have wandered off as soon as we arrived at the fortress, only to be drawn back by the smell of food.

Lilith and food—a perfect combination and the best gift for Gio.

He quickly approached. Lilith kindly asked, “Do you want to taste?” and brought the ladle to Gio’s mouth.

Seeing Lilith feed someone else did make me feel a bit jealous.

“Everyone, listen up. We’re finally all here together for the first time.”

Kanel had been standing behind me the whole time.

After getting the attention of my four existing guildmates, I pulled the boy’s hand forward and presented him to everyone.

“It’s late, but let me introduce our new member.”

I had told Akata, who had been holed up in his room, “If you want to see me, you have to come out yourself.”

Like a baby bird following its mother, Akata followed me around.

It had been a few days since I gave that directive. He seemed to endure it well for a while but finally couldn’t hold out and followed me to the PK arena.

Since Akata had finally come out of his room, it was time to slowly integrate him into the guild.

Even with five people here, Akata’s clear brown eyes were fixed solely on me.

“Akata, these are the comrades you’ll be joining in rounds from now on. What should you do?”

“…”

“Greet them. With your own voice.”

Akata turned his head, looking at each person one by one.

“…I’m Akata.”

“That’s it? You should say ‘Nice to meet you’ too.”

“Nice to meet you…”

I checked the emotional states of my guild members to see if they were accepting Akata well.

[Name] Lilith

[Emotional State] Gladness

Lilith smiled brightly.

“Yeah! Akata, nice to meet you too!”

[Name] Gio

[Emotional State] Hunger

What? How is hunger an emotion? Can I trust this feature? Is it broken?

Gio probably thinks he’s hungry even before he’s actually hungry, turning hunger into an emotion.

He smacked his lips and scratched his head.

“Sure, whatever.”

Then he moved to the counter to eat Akata’s porridge.

As expected, Gio wasn’t particularly curious about Akata. For him, having Akata in the guild was neither here nor there.

[Name] Kanel

[Emotional State] Curiosity

[Name] Unahar

[Emotional State] Uncomfortable

Kanel and Unahar’s rare agreement resulted in a somewhat awkward and ordinary reaction.

“An S-class flame ability is certainly welcome. But he doesn’t look physically well, can he even train?” Kanel half-muttered to himself.

“It’s nice that he’s come to introduce himself, but… If he lacks social skills and can’t pull his weight, what good is he? Does Rudel have to hold his hand and lead him just for him to interact with us?” Unahar’s unexpected harshness surprised me.

Was Unahar being territorial? Akata’s behavior did warrant some caution, but still…

“Unahar!”

Lilith’s stern tone caught us all off guard.

“Akata has just mustered the courage to step out of his room. Everyone has their own pace, so let’s give him time. He’ll be able to do more in the future.”

Though she was addressing Unahar, her words resonated deeply with me.

Yes, it’s okay to be slow. My stats are humble compared to my ambitions, too.

No matter how long it takes, I’ll patiently wait, Akata.

One day, you’ll tell me about ‘Aria’ yourself. (Assuming we find a way to bypass the GM.)

I checked Akata’s emotional state once more.

[Name] Akata

[Emotional State] Sense of Loss

That ‘sense of loss’ was strong, making it hard to grasp what else he might be feeling.

I took Akata back to his room. But as I was about to leave, he held onto my hand tightly.

“…Why? Like I said before, I’m busy. The second round is just around the corner, and I need to train. If you want to see me, come find me in the morning or at meal times. Oh, and from now on, you’ll eat with us. Lilith won’t be bringing meals to your room anymore.”

It’s strange. In real life, I wasn’t the kind of person to connect with kids, but with Akata, I felt a soft spot.

Was I charmed by those brown eyes?

Akata’s lips parted. I instinctively leaned in to listen.

“Training?”

His interest in the surroundings brought tears to my eyes. Excitedly, I started to explain.

“Well… Your flame ability is called a unique ability, and training involves honing that ability. Oh, now that I think about it, your ability and mine are quite similar.”

I smiled, and Akata mirrored my smile. A faint smile appeared on his pale lips, disappearing quickly.

“Then will Rudel fight with that in the next round?”

“Not alone, but all together. Of course, only a few will be participating in the second round.”

“Like at the arena earlier…?”

I remembered the desperate look Akata had when he watched me from the stands.

“It’s dangerous, but it’s our job. Everyone does it.”

Akata raised his hand to my cheek. The unfamiliar touch made the hairs on my arm stand on end.

A young boy, not yet physically or emotionally mature, holding on to me with such a small gesture and expressing his concern.

“When my fever goes down and my condition improves… I’ll come to the training ground too. I want to help.”

Hearing that, I couldn’t help but smile broadly. Akata’s pupils widened.

Did I just smile like an idiot? But I couldn’t help it.

“Do that. And today… I was glad you came to see me. Rest well.”

Although I am a calculating person, I am not so unscrupulous as to say insincere things just to use someone. This was genuine.

Akata’s sudden appearance at the arena might have been problematic, but in the end, I was happy about it.

“You said I could see you in the morning and at meal times… Can’t I see you at night?”

His eyes, soft like milk chocolate, looked at me seriously, almost like he was asking for a date.

“I’m busy at night too. I’m the guild leader, after all.”

“Okay.”

“…You’re too obedient. You could try insisting a little.”

“What?”

Akata blinked a couple of times. He looked so cute, like a small animal.

“Can I insist?”

“Sorry, but no. I told you I’m busy at night. Did I get your hopes up? I’m sorry.”

Akata slowly released my fingers, watching me with longing as I left.

As I walked down the hallway and glanced back, I saw him still peeking at me through the door.

I motioned for him to go inside, and finally, I heard the door click shut.

‘It’s confusing. He follows me blindly, acting like a child.’

In Korean age, he’s about 16-17, so he’s not that young.

But his face… it looks so distant and mature.

As I turned the corner, I was suddenly blocked by a white figure.

“…!”

The surprised sound could only belong to Unahar. I looked up to see him in his white shirt.

“What are you doing here?”