The Strongest Guild Kidnapped Me

Chapter 178

Hypnosis and brainwashing.

In Sophia’s world, these were tools used for interrogation.

Sophia herself had used them a few times on extremist beastfolk.

That’s why one of the things that surprised her upon arriving on Earth was hypnosis.

Earthlings used hypnosis as a method to heal people’s minds.

Through a psychological treatment method known as hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis for treatment, not for politics or war.

As someone who despised violence, Sophia admired this approach.

Even a dreadful ability could vary greatly depending on how it was used.

Deciding to make the most of the situation, Sophia chose to utilize Gyeoul’s hypnotic state.

While she wasn’t a professional in hypnotherapy, she had sufficient knowledge to apply it appropriately.

"Gyeoul."

"Yes!"

"Come here."

Sophia, now in the living room, sat on the sofa and patted the seat beside her, signaling Gyeoul to join.

Thud-thud-thud—!

Gyeoul dashed over and plopped herself onto Sophia’s lap.

Her soft little body snuggled in close as she giggled like Levinas.

"Hmm..."

Sitting on my lap, huh?

The exact seating position didn’t matter since the hypnosis was already in effect, which was the most critical part of hypnotherapy.

"Gyeoul, were you about to recall a scary memory?"

"Yes! It was terrifying!"

"I see... but you have your family by your side, don’t you?"

"Family!"

Sophia carefully brought up Gyeoul’s trauma and then dismissed it lightly, embedding a sense of reassurance.

This was a fundamental part of hypnotherapy.

While it wouldn’t completely heal her, it could reduce the despair Gyeoul might feel when she inevitably uncovered the full truth in the future.

"If something frightens you, share it with your family. It will ease the fear."

"Got it! Sophia, if you’re scared of something, tell me too!"

"Of course, thank you."

Because you have family, there’s nothing to be scared of.

Because you have family, you’ll be fine.

Sophia repeated reassuring words like these until Gyeoul fell asleep.

Her intention was to prepare Gyeoul for the future she would face one day.

The next morning, Gyeoul woke up.

"Huh?"

Where did my day go?

Rubbing her eyes, she walked out to the living room.

Sophia was sitting on the sofa, reading a book, while the sound of Midsummer cooking echoed from the kitchen.

"Sophia..."

As she moved toward Sophia as usual, something felt off.

Fragments of memories hovered at the edge of her mind, making her frown slightly.

"Awake already?"

"Yes... but yesterday I..."

Among the broken pieces of memory, Gyeoul gathered a few vivid shards.

Memories of her acting affectionately toward her family.

"...!"

Her face burned bright red.

Why did I do that?

Feeling utterly embarrassed, her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

"Do you remember anything from yesterday?"

"Ah, no... I don’t fully remember, but a few things I do."

"What kind of things?"

Sophia appeared slightly tense, as though worried about something.

"Uh, I... um, acted like a child with Sophia and the others..."

"It seems your memory isn’t complete."

"Yes..."

Ugh...

A small, soft whimper escaped her lips.

For some reason, Sophia appeared relieved.

"Don’t worry too much. It was just Levinas casting hypnosis on you."

"Hypnosis? Levinas did that?"

"Yes, she seems to have accidentally used magic."

"Oh..."

Levinas was certainly talented with magic.

Though she still had trouble controlling it.

That explained why I acted like a child.

"Is it always so easy to get hypnotized?"

Phew.

As Levinas sighed in relief, Saebyeok pressed her teeth against my shoulder, nipping me lightly.

"What’s wrong?"

"There."

Saebyeok got off my back and pointed at something.

Following her finger, I saw a small child crying and calling for their mother.

"Ah..."

Levinas ran toward the child, tilting her head in curiosity before circling them.

"Why are you crying?!"

"My mom..."

"Your mom? Did you lose her?!"

Levinas looked at me.

Whenever she had an idea, she’d always look to me for confirmation.

This time, it was clear she wanted to help find the child’s mother.

"Leader! This is serious! They’re lost!"

"Yeah. We should help."

I approached the crying child, kneeling down to meet their eyes.

"Did you lose your mom?"

"Yes..."

"Do you remember where you lost her? Or her phone number?"

"No..."

The child was too young to know a phone number or address.

We’d have to take them to the police station.

"Don’t worry. We’ll help you find her."

"Thank you..."

The child nodded, wiping their tears.

When I reached out my hand, they grabbed my tail instead.

One hand held Saebyeok’s tail, and the other held mine.

Even if it wasn’t a hand, as long as they held onto something, it didn’t matter.

"Where’s the police station?"

"Levinas knows! This way!"

Following Levinas’s lead, we headed toward the police station.

While I’d hoped to see a familiar officer, unfortunately,

everyone was new.

The station was bustling, and even when we approached the desk, no one noticed us right away.

"Excuse me..."

The desk was tall, and I could barely peek over it.

"Ah! What’s going on?"

A tall officer approached us with a kind smile.

"A child is lost."

"Lost?"

The officer looked us over, his expression softening.

The officers in this world were always kind.

"They’ve lost their way and don’t know their address or phone number... What should we do?"

"Don’t worry. I know where they live. I’ll take care of it."

"Huh?"

He knows where they live?

Was this child often lost?

Relief washed over me, and my tail wagged. The child’s hand, still holding my tail, wagged with it.

"You’re very brave, staying calm even after getting lost."

"Y-Yes... It’s because I was with everyone."

The child had cried earlier, but their pride wouldn’t let them admit it.

"Being with your sisters must’ve made you feel safe."

The officer patted my head lightly.

Though unexpected, physical affection like this was common in this world, so I wasn’t surprised.

"Yes. Levinas even sang a song to cheer me up."

"Wow. That must’ve made it much less scary."

The officer smiled warmly at me. It was the kind of smile that would reassure any lost child.