The Returnee’s Guild Must Grow Properly

Do you seriously want to brag in a situation like this?

Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I headed down.

“Yubin! I’ll be there soon, so stay put, okay?”

The kid’s father didn’t seem to have noticed me yet, tears streaming down his face as he stood there, visibly distraught.
I tilted my head. His face seemed oddly familiar.

“Brother,” the Demon King spoke up.

“Woo Mahun! How many times have I told you not to fly around like that?!”

“I placed a barrier around us, so the only person who can see me is you.”

“That’s not the point! Just don’t do it! Do you know what’ll happen if Yubin sees and starts trying to copy you?!”

“Then I’ll catch him. Flying through the skies with my nephew sounds fun.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!!”

This poor man clearly had his hands full.

Finally noticing me, the Demon King’s brother—Woo Mahan—turned his tearful gaze to me and said,
“Thanks to Mahun, I know a bit about Returnees and guilds. So, is it true that the quest prevents you from handling that… thing?”

I shot a glare at the Demon King. What else are you hiding, you fool?
As if he felt the intensity of my gaze, the Demon King averted his eyes.

With a sigh, I nodded.
“Yes, if we injure it, it’ll trigger a gate explosion.”

“A gate…”

Woo Mahan dragged a hand down his face, his eyes widening as he turned back to me.
“…The guild leader is a normal person, huh?”

“…?”

The cautious question caught me off guard, and I tilted my head. How did he know I was a Guild Master? That answer likely lay with his troublemaking brother.

More puzzling, why ask if I’m “normal”?

Muttering to himself, Yubin’s father solved the mystery.
“I thought you’d be another one of those concept-obsessed weirdos like Mahun.”

“…”

This damned Demon King is ruining the reputation of all Returnees.

The Guild Master of Hwarang, clearly fascinated, stared at me as if I were some rare specimen.
Excuse me, sir, that’s quite rude.

Also… Demon King, just how low have you dragged our guild’s reputation?
Not that we had much of one to begin with.

Godslayer: Demon King.
Godslayer: Let’s have a talk later. 🙂

“I can talk now if you’d like—”

Smack!

Cutting him off with a loud slap to his mouth, I plastered on a tight smile.

Godslayer: Didn’t you say you wanted to repay me?
(The Demon King nodded.)
Godslayer: Then stick to answering messages with messages, you fool.
Demon King: Understood.

Woo Mahan, looking thoroughly bewildered, glanced between the Demon King and me.

Awkwardly lowering the hand that had covered the Demon King’s mouth, I offered a sheepish smile.
“I’m perfectly sane.”

“Ah… yes…”

“I really am.”

“…It seems so.”

Woo Mahan scratched his head apologetically and added,
“Sorry for misunderstanding. My brother’s, uh… like that.”

The Demon King shot a sharp glare at his brother, who clicked his tongue in response.
I shrugged.
“It’s an easy mistake to make.”

Or rather, it’s completely understandable.

“Now then, shall we try catching that ‘puppy’?”

“I told you, it threatens my nephew if anyone approaches,” the Demon King reminded me.

“Then we just need to get closer before it feels threatened.”

The Demon King’s eyes widened in amazement, calling it a brilliant idea while giving me a thumbs up.
I wordlessly grabbed his thumb and folded it back down.

“You said it absorbs your power?”

“That’s how it got so big.”

“Then stay put for now.”

“As a Demon King, I cannot simply stand idle with my hands behind my back.”

“…”

Should I just knock him out?

Luckily, before I could act on that impulse, his brother stepped in.

“Mahun, I think you should listen to this person and stay put for now.”

Though the Demon King looked displeased, he crossed his arms and grudgingly agreed. At least he seemed willing to stay out of the way for now.

“Can you help me out?” I asked his brother.

“Me? Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Two heads are better than one.”

Truthfully, I could handle this on my own. But I wanted the child to be saved by his father—it seemed right. If I tried to do it alone and the kid got hurt…

“Just focus on getting the kid. I’ll handle the ‘puppy.’”

“Godslayer, is there nothing for me to do?”

“You can cheer us on quietly.”

“Understood.”

The Cerberus pup curled its claws protectively around the child, who didn’t seem scared at all. In fact, he had his tiny hands resting on one of the massive claws.

Even back at the exhibit, I’d noticed how fearless this kid was.

Taking a step forward, I gave instructions.
“When I count to three, make a run for the kid.”

“What?”

Ignoring the confusion in his voice, I flashed a wide grin.
“Three.”

Before he could react, I kicked off the ground and leapt forward.

[…Capture it alive without causing harm…]

Such a demanding quest, as expected of a Constellation.

ROAR!

The “puppy” let out an ear-splitting growl, snapping its jaws—not at me, but at the child.

“Yubin!!”

The father’s panicked shout came from behind. I smirked. He wasn’t just a figurehead guild leader; he was keeping up with me, after all.

“Dad!”

The kid stretched out his arms toward his father. As the two reached for each other, I loosened the chains binding me and lashed them toward the Cerberus, coiling them around its body.

Rrgh?

Gripping the chain wrapped around one of its necks, I grinned.
“Time for a leash, puppy.”

If the quest only forbids causing harm, this should do just fine.

Yanking hard on the chain, I pulled the oversized beast backward.

THUD!

The ground shook as the massive creature crashed to the earth, dust rising in a thick cloud.

RAAARRGH!

Its deafening roar echoed, but the Cerberus pup began writhing frantically, showing its belly as it thrashed.

The struggle didn’t last long. Bound tightly by the chains, the giant “puppy” started shrinking, its enormous frame reducing to the size of an actual dog.

Still gripping one of its three necks, I hoisted it off the ground.

Yip! Yip-yip!!

“Crying won’t help you now.”

The chains binding the Cerberus glowed faintly before vanishing, dissipating into thin air. The beast was now back to its original, non-threatening size.

The chains I used weren’t ordinary; they restricted all forms of power. Ironically, while they were a source of great annoyance for me, they also served as one of my most useful tools.

Yip…

The now-puny Cerberus slumped in my hand, its shoulders drooping in defeat. It had completely given up trying to escape.

The Cerberus pup looked almost cute in its defeated state, but the streams of bloody tears flowing from its six eyes quickly reminded me otherwise.

“Godslayer.”

The Demon King had approached unnoticed. He squinted at the limp Cerberus in my grip and asked,
“How did you handle this so easily?”

“Because I’m stronger than you.”

“…!!”

The Demon King’s stunned expression didn’t faze me one bit.

“Where’s the kid?”

“With my brother,” he replied.

Looking past the Demon King’s shoulder, I saw the boy’s face being smushed between two large hands by his overjoyed father.

Suppressing a laugh, I turned back to the Demon King and sent him a message.

Godslayer: Cast a spell on me.

“What sp—”

I shot him a sharp glare, and the message immediately arrived.

Demon King: What spell do you want?
Godslayer: Change my appearance.
Demon King: How do you want it changed?

“Just do whatever suits your taste!” I snapped, unable to keep my frustration in check.

Woo Mahan, who had been doting on his son, looked startled and glanced in our direction. Pulling my hood down to obscure my face, I glared at the Demon King.

Godslayer: Hurry up!!

The Constellation who had requested this quest hadn’t yet retrieved the Cerberus pup, meaning the quest wasn’t technically over.

Once the Constellation took the dog, the quest would be officially complete—and the disguise would be dispelled.

While the power restrictions from the chains were a concern, the bigger problem was the disguise itself.

Woo Mahan, the guild master of Hwarang, was here. Though people liked to call Hwarang and Haun “rivals,” their guilds frequently clashed. There was no way he wouldn’t recognize my face.

Even worse, I’m a fraternal twin of Do Hain. Hiding my face was non-negotiable.

Demon King: Godslayer, shouting like that will give you hypertension.
Godslayer: It’s because of you, you bastard.

Demon King: The spell is cast. Is there anything else you require?
Godslayer: Open a portal for me later.

I wanted to return home in peace when this was over.

Demon King: Understood.

Satisfied with his response, I handed the Cerberus pup to him and turned toward Woo Mahan. Though he was busy celebrating his reunion with his son, there were a few things I needed to ask.

“Woo Mahan.”

“Ah! My apologies, Godslayer! I should have thanked you earlier—huh?!?”

“…?”

Hugging his son tightly, Woo Mahan suddenly froze, his eyes widening in shock as if he’d seen something impossible.

The kid mirrored his father’s expression, staring at me with his mouth agape before blurting out,
“The angel lady really became an angel!!”

“…?”

I couldn’t make sense of their words. Frowning, I turned to the Demon King.

Godslayer: What the hell did you do to me?
Demon King: You told me to change your appearance according to my taste, so I did.
Godslayer: ??
Demon King: My taste is an angel with radiant wings spread wide.

Godslayer: YOU SON OF A—!!!