Chapter 15

Blaine, restless and unsure what to do, looked at Theo at Father’s prompting. Theo, holding the Bamia Spider Silk in his hand, was staring right back at him. Then, he gave a small nod.

From Theo’s perspective, Blaine was a talent worth keeping. If YesYesu managed to steal him away, Theo would probably collapse from frustration for a month. Blaine himself was a walking asset—pure luck and value in human form.

Entranced, Blaine kept his eyes on Theo before slowly shifting his gaze toward Father’s outstretched hand. In that moment, disappointment flickered across Aslan’s face, while triumph lit up Father’s eyes. She had no doubt—if Theo was here, Blaine would choose their guild.

She fully expected him to take her hand soon. But no matter how long she waited, Blaine didn’t move. Curious, she lifted her head and found him hesitating, his expression torn. He bit his lower lip, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again, as though struggling with something.

Everyone’s attention honed in on Blaine’s every small movement, every twitch of his face. Then, it struck them—maybe pushing guild recruitment on him was a mistake. From his position, it might have been a request too hard to turn down. Hadn’t he mentioned last time that he only joined a clan because he truly wanted to?

Blinded by greed, they’d charged in without thinking. Surely, Blaine had his own reasons. Father awkwardly pulled back her hand and muttered,

“Ah, if you don’t want to…”

But just then, Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and blurted out,

“I’m 4th Generation! Is that okay?!”

“…What?”

Father blinked dumbly at the outburst.

“I-I’m 4th Generation… is it still okay if I join?”

The confession blindsided everyone. Blaine stammered as he said it, his jaw trembling so visibly it was hard to miss. He couldn’t even look them in the eye, gaze lowered and filled with fear and dread.

“You’re… 4th Generation?”

Father asked. Blaine nodded like a child awaiting punishment, eyes still tightly shut. Father exchanged glances with Aslan and Theo, both of them equally dumbstruck. Scratching her chin awkwardly, Father looked at Blaine and said flatly,

“Why would you even bring that up?”

“…Huh?”

Blaine opened his eyes wide, clearly unable to process that reaction.

“I mean… who announces their Generation just to join a guild? It’s not like there are restrictions based on it.”

Theo and Aslan both nodded in agreement. True, 4th Generation wasn’t common—3rd Generation wasn’t either—but a 4th was like seeing someone from a century ahead of their time.

“Well, sure, there are people who hate on 3rd or 4th Generations—”

Father’s words cut off. She suddenly recalled what Theo had once said.

“He’s not human.”

Frowning deeply, Father asked,

“Why exactly were you kicked out of a guild or clan?”

“……”

“Was it because you’re 4th Generation?”

Pressed by her sharp tone, Blaine hung his head low, like a criminal awaiting judgment.

“It was a guild, yeah… but as for the clan, I’m not sure.”

Father let out a sharp breath, placing her hands on her hips as though trying to calm the anger boiling inside. Maybe it was because she herself was 3rd Generation—her empathy for Blaine was too raw, too real. Theo quietly stepped closer, patted his shoulder to steady him, and asked, “So you were kicked out of your guild because you’re 4th Generation?”

“Yes…”

The words stuck in everyone’s throat. That meant those traffic light bastards had known Blaine was 4th Generation and had abandoned him in the Jain Forest on purpose. 4th Generations only existed as data, their preservation fragile. If they suffered intense pain or trauma, parts of their data could literally burn away.

And those scum had thrown a 4th Generation into the Jain Forest, where the pain filter was locked at maximum? Just because he wasn’t human? Even Satan would’ve clicked his tongue at such cruelty.

“…And they call him the inhuman one.”

Father clicked her tongue, muttering under her breath. Blaine visibly flinched, his shoulders jerking up. Maybe he thought those words were directed at him, because his face went pale. To be threatened and cast out just for being 4th Generation, and still choose to reveal it himself—how terrifying must that have been? How painful would it be to face rejection again?

That one time he had helped him escape the Jain Forest… something Theo had brushed off as nothing but troublesome meddling… for Blaine, it had been life-altering, deeply meaningful.

Theo grabbed Father’s wrist and pushed her hand forward toward Blaine.

“Take it.”

“…What?”

Blaine lifted his pale face, eyes wide.

“We don’t care about that kind of thing. We don’t care what Generation you are.”

At the same time, a glowing magical circle appeared once more in Father’s open palm, the guild mark shining clearly.

“That’s right. Unless you hate my guild—or me and Theo—you can take it. Take it.”

Blaine stared blankly at the two of them, then at Father’s hand. The guild mark hovered bright and undeniable above her palm.

“Really… it’s okay if I take it?”

His trembling voice matched his face, which looked moments away from breaking down into tears. One little push, and he’d burst. But when Theo and Father smiled and nodded at him, Blaine finally crumbled, clutching her hand as tears streamed down his face.

“……”

At that moment, Aslan might as well have been invisible. With hollow eyes, he stared at the three of them, then suddenly lunged at Theo with a shout,

“Fine, then at least you join me!”

He was instantly overpowered and beaten down, only to hear,

“Get lost.”

Blaine officially entered Father’s guild, and he wanted every member to know he was 4th Generation. Father agreed without hesitation and spread the news to the entire guild.
Though Blaine was clearly tense and worried, none of the guild members shunned or avoided him for being 4th Generation. They simply looked intrigued—and welcomed him.

After arriving in Lucilvania, Theo immediately headed for Marco’s workshop. Blaine looked like he wanted to follow, but with Father insisting on showing him the guild house, he had no choice but to go along.

When they opened the door, Blaine saw a short staircase leading half a floor up. Following Father up, he found himself staring at a tall, open ceiling. The center of the three-story building was open all the way up, and a grand, ornate chandelier hung down to the second floor.

“Hello, sweetie. We meet again.”

Startled by the familiar voice and greeting, Blaine lowered his head. At the center of the hall stood a massive table big enough to seat twenty people. Several members were gathered there—and among them was a familiar face.

“Ma’am Holanghee!”

Overjoyed, Blaine called out warmly, but Holanghee, who had been waving with a smile, suddenly looked disappointed.

“I told you—just call me noona.”

“A-ah, s-sorry!”

Blaine flustered, not knowing what to do. Holanghee waved her hands with a laugh, saying it was only a joke.

“We’ll be seeing each other every day now, so we’ll get close naturally.”

The moment she finished speaking, a young man who had been wriggling in his seat jumped up and rushed over. He grabbed both of Blaine’s hands.

“Nice to meet you! You said you’re twenty, right? I’m twenty too! I’ve been the only youngest in the guild, so it was kind of lonely—but now I have a friend the same age! Let’s get along.”

The boy had a cute, squirrel-like face. Still dazed, Blaine nodded, and the boy lit up even more as he introduced himself.

“I’m Bastard Kid!”

A total brat.

Along with them, Noquia and Leather Flute Hip Song also greeted Blaine. They all exchanged introductions, showing off equipment—staves, orbs, tattoos carved into their arms. After a short time of mingling, one by one they began to leave the guild house. Soon only Blaine and Father remained.

“Finally quiet.”

Father pulled off her hat and tossed it onto the table, running her fingers through her long hair. Smooth, pitch-black strands slipped down in a cascade.

“Before the more annoying ones show up, let me explain the place.”

Who those “more annoying ones” were, Blaine didn’t know, but from her faintly scrunched face and impatient tone, she clearly meant it. Blaine nodded nervously.

“This hall here is the central hall. On the first floor, you’ll find workshops for blacksmithing, alchemy, and cooking. Feel free to use them. On the second floor are temporary lodgings. If you don’t plan on getting your own place, you can stay there. The third floor is the storage for guild supplies. Anything else you want to know?”

It was a truly concise, stripped-down explanation.

“N-no, nothing else.”

“Good.”

Apparently not expecting questions, Father smiled, looking refreshed. Then, in a gentle yet unmistakable tone, she sent him off.

“You can go to Theo now. Do you know where Marco’s workshop is?”

Blaine left the guild house with quick, excited steps. But after only a few paces, he glanced back. The large guild house doors were firmly shut.

How had she known he wanted to go to Theo?

Blaine touched his own face.

“Does it really show…?”

Had it been showing all along? His cheeks burned as embarrassment bubbled up. Fanning himself furiously with both hands to cool his flushed face, he kept walking, refusing to slow down.