Chapter 123: A Minor Rebellion
Chapter 123: A Minor Rebellion
“Alright, that’s all for today’s duties. Everyone can use the rest of the time for personal maintenance or to get some rest.”
“Hmph.”
“Haaah…”
After dinner, I announced the end of the day’s schedule to the group. The reactions were varied, but two, in particular, were quite a sight. Yoojung, looking anxious about something, was restlessly shaking her leg and biting her nails. The moment I finished speaking, Ahn Sol planted her forehead on the table. Her face was etched with exhaustion; it seemed she’d had a hard time keeping up with Hayeon’s lessons.
Hayeon, on the other hand, calmly took a sip of her tea. Although she had said she wanted to rest today, it looked like she had done her best to teach Ahn Sol. Given her personality, she wouldn't have taught half-heartedly, so I could guess what kind of ordeal Ahn Sol had gone through.
Still, I was grateful to Hayeon. I was thankful enough that she had accepted my request to teach, but she was truly putting her heart and soul into it. Ahn Sol, in particular, could be seen as a very difficult User from a teaching perspective. If you raised your voice even slightly out of frustration, she would get teary-eyed and try to hug you, which had put me in an awkward position more than once.
But Hayeon would never raise her voice; she would have likely persuaded her in a calm, quiet tone. Each and every word, however, would have been as sharp as a cold wind. I was feeling pleased with myself for finding such a good teacher for her.
“Hey, Oppa…”
Yoojung called out to me, her usual cheerful expression replaced by one of hesitation.
“Hm?”
As I casually responded and pulled out a cigarette, Yoojung continued in a less-than-confident voice.
“Are you… busy tonight? Do you have more work to do?”
“Hmm. I do. I need to speak with Hayeon-ssi and Shin Sangyong-ssi, and I also have records to organize.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I have things to do tomorrow, too… Why?”
As I nodded and replied, Yoojung immediately pouted. “It’s nothing. Never mind,” she said, before quietly sipping her tea. I tilted my head in confusion for a moment at her reaction, then turned to Hayeon and Shin Sangyong.
“Hayeon-ssi. Shin Sangyong-ssi.”
“Yes, yes, Leader.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“I’ll head up to my room first. This might be a long conversation, so please finish up whatever you’re doing and then come up. It would be better if you came together so I don’t have to repeat myself.”
“Haha. That works for me. I was just discussing magic squares and Summoning Magic with my master.”
My eyes lit up with interest at Shin Sangyong’s words. Vivian might seem dazed most of the time, but when it came to a task she was given, she always delivered more than expected. Today was no different. After hearing my request, she had pinpointed exactly what I wanted and was acting accordingly. When I looked at Vivian with a proud expression, she straightened her neck and elegantly took a sip of tea.
Seeing that posture made me want to tease her again. As if sensing my gaze that screamed, “I want to mess with you,” Vivian shot me a ‘gentle’(?) glare, her face turning a shade of red. If I pushed it any further, I felt like I would truly stop being myself, so I managed to turn my head away. (As I looked away, I thought I heard Vivian click her tongue softly, but I decided I must have misheard. I definitely misheard.)
Vivian was a good teacher, and Shin Sangyong had a strong will to learn. They had a good master-disciple relationship. However, the case with Ahn Sol and Hayeon seemed a little different.
At my words, Hayeon nodded as if it was perfect timing, while Ahn Sol shot her head up from the table and stared at me with a horrified expression. But Hayeon’s next words were merciless.
“I will. Ahn Sol-yang? You heard him. We will add another hour of instruction tonight.”
“Uh… ugh…”
Ahn Sol looked back and forth between me and Hayeon, her face a mask of disbelief. Just how on earth had she been teaching for such a gentle girl to react this way? When I gave Hayeon a questioning look, she simply shrugged in response. But I was the one who had requested the tutoring, and I was the one who had decided to trust Hayeon.
“…I’m counting on you.”
“Of course. Don’t worry too much.”
When I finally relented, Hayeon replied with a gentle smile. Hearing Ahn Sol’s continuous groans, I sighed inwardly.
Should I call them immature? The kids were all good, but sometimes I saw things about them that were a little disappointing. They lacked desperation. And they had no idea how fortunate their lives were, both in the Hall Plain and as New Users. In a way, it was largely my fault. Since the Rite of Passage, they had never once gone hungry, nor had they lacked for anything.
To reiterate, it’s a tall order for New Users to survive on their own before their first year is up. I was the same. In the beginning of my first run, I barely managed one meal a day, constantly worrying about where my next meal and bed would come from. I was always loitering in the plaza, searching for any caravan I could join. A teacher to guide me? Such a thing was unthinkable.
But these kids were different. Because I had taken care of everything for them from the start, they didn’t know how brutally New Users had to live. If you took one of those Users now, fed them regularly, clothed them, and assigned a skilled User to teach them, they would burst into tears and perform three thousand bows to me on the spot.
In short, you could say they were like students complaining about having to study. Perhaps after they gain a few more years of experience in the Hall Plain, they’ll realize just how blessed a path they were walking. It was still a long way off, but I decided to accept it with the heart of a parent raising their children.
In any case, hoping for the kids to grow up quickly, I decided to get up from my seat. If I stayed any longer, they might start whining.
“Well then, I’ll be heading up first. It’s fine if you’re late, but please make sure you finish your work properly before coming.”
After driving the point home, I walked straight up the stairs. I could feel gazes fixed on the back of my head, but I didn't dare turn around.
*
“Soohyun. Are you working again? It’s only been a day since we got back from the expedition. I think you’re overdoing it.”
“It’s fine, Hayeon. It would be wonderful if we found another dungeon during our next expedition, wouldn’t it?”
After the gathering ended, Hayeon knocked on my door about an hour later. I was in the middle of searching for records on the Cave of Screams. Seeing me poring over records the moment I arrived, her first concern was for my well-being. Seeing her act like that, I felt as if we were a newlywed couple. Wait. Does that make Hayeon a stepmother to the kids?
“Don’t hope for that kind of luck again. For the time being, exploring the area around the city is more than enough. I think the aftereffects of that power are still lingering in your body… The more you struggle, the more anxious I feel. So for my sake, please just finish our talk and go straight to bed today.”
“All right. If you feel that strongly, Hayeon-ssi, I’ll do as you say.”
“Hehe. Thank you.”
At my compliant answer, Hayeon smiled pleasantly, as if relieved. I, too, offered her a gentle smile. I was learning, one by one, emotions I had barely felt during my first run. I was wary that indulging in these feelings might dull the sharp, wild instinct within me, but honestly, it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Just as we were looking at each other warmly, the door burst open and a User wearing glasses rushed in. It was, without a doubt, Shin Sangyong. He saw Hayeon and me and quickly bowed his head.
“L-Leader. I’m sorry. I’m a little late.”
“Ah. It’s fine…”
“You’re exactly 17 minutes late. Wouldn’t it have been better to be precisely on time, or else come much later?”
I had wanted to finish my sentence with “fine,” but I stopped as Hayeon spoke first. Looking at Shin Sangyong, the smile she had shown me vanished completely as she spoke in a cold voice. For some reason, I had the strange feeling that her voice was laced with thorns. It seemed I wasn’t the only one; Shin Sangyong also looked flustered by her sharp tone. He bowed his head repeatedly in apology before quickly approaching the table and sitting down. I suddenly felt sorry for him.
The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment, but I cleared my throat with a dry cough. The topics I was about to discuss were the cornerstones of my plan, so they carried significant weight. I took a moment to compose my breath and then began.
“I’m sure you both have an idea why I’ve called you here separately today.”
““Yes.””
“I’ll cut to the chase and get straight to the point. From now on, I will be establishing a Clan in the Hall Plain…”
They answered in unison. I nodded once or twice and continued. I was just about to get to the main point.
Knock, knock. Creak.
A couple of knocks sounded at the door, and before I could give my permission, it opened. I raised my head, annoyed at who could be so rude, and saw a familiar User step inside. It was Ko Yeonju.
“Oh my? I thought you were alone. What a shame.”
“…What can I do for you?”
“This.”
Ko Yeonju smiled prettily at my words and approached us with a graceful gait.
She was dressed differently than usual. Her hair was elegantly pinned up, and unlike the loose clothes she normally wore, her attire was modest. I was wondering why she was acting this way today when she gently placed the tray she was holding onto our table. I could see savory-smelling food and the shimmer of fragrant, high-quality liquor.
“I didn’t order anything.”
“I know. This is a service for our regular customers.”
Ko Yeonju smoothly deflected my words and quickly set the food on the table. Seeing the unexpected late-night snack, Shin Sangyong just smiled happily.
“Haha. Thank you. My stomach was starting to rumble from using my head so much. This is perfect. L-Leader, this is okay, right?”
“…Just the food should be fine. We’ll eat well.”
At my thanks, Ko Yeonju shook her head from side to side. I wished she would just leave, but as expected, she betrayed my hopes.
“Don’t mention it. So, what were you all talking about?”
“Ah. We’re in the middle of an important conversation. Thank you for the food.”
The reply came not from me, but from Shin Sangyong. Though he said it politely, anyone could understand it was a request for her to leave. But Ko Yeonju stubbornly refused to turn away.
“Why? I’m bored since there are no customers. Can’t I listen in?”
“Eh…?”
Shin Sangyong, clearly not expecting this response, was left with a dumbfounded look on his face. At her reaction, Hayeon narrowed her eyes, but Ko Yeonju simply smiled leisurely. Soon, Hayeon and Shin Sangyong turned their heads toward me. Following their lead, Ko Yeonju’s gaze also shifted to me.
With everyone’s eyes on me, I tapped my fingers on the table and stared at her face. Ko Yeonju, the Shadow Queen. I needed to deal with her one way or another anyway—either by recruiting her into our clan or by killing her before we left Mule. It might be unfair from her perspective, but in the first run, her information-gathering skills, let alone her stats, were so exceptional that she had caused me a great deal of trouble. I had let Woo Jungmin’s group go for now, thinking I still had time, but Ko Yeonju was different. I had to either make her an ally now or kill her for sure. If that was the case, I thought it might be a good idea to test the waters now.
As everyone waited for my answer, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Have a seat.”
“Yes~. Thank you.”
“Soohyun?”
“L-Leader!”
Ko Yeonju immediately took a seat in the remaining chair, while Hayeon and Shin Sangyong called out to me with bewildered faces. I understood their confusion. But I was quite looking forward to seeing their reactions the moment Ko Yeonju revealed her identity.
“Soohyun, do you have any idea who this female User is…”
“Jung Hayeon, a Year 2 User.”
Hayeon was in the middle of speaking with a look of incomprehension. Ko Yeonju cut her off in a quiet voice. At the mention of her year and name, Hayeon’s eyes flashed as she fell silent.
“A Mage abandoned by the Golden Lion Clan. And beside you… Shin Sangyong, a Year 2 User.”
“Hk…!”
As Hayeon’s face filled with shock, Ko Yeonju gave her no time to recover, immediately turning her gaze to Shin Sangyong.
“Y-Yes?”
Shin Sangyong answered with a startled expression, clearly not expecting her to know about him as well. As if finding him cute, Ko Yeonju twirled a seductive finger and continued.
“An eccentric Mage who loves Alchemical Magic. And…”
Her gaze left the two of them and finally turned to me, pausing for dramatic effect. I simply watched her actions in silence. As I looked into her ash-colored eyes, I heard her calm voice.
“Kim Soohyun, a Year 0 User. The top graduate of the User Academy… and a strange User who has already cleared two dungeons despite being in Year 0.”
“H-How do you know that…!”
I heard Shin Sangyong’s shocked voice, followed by Hayeon beginning a Rapid Incantation in a low voice.
But Ko Yeonju was unfazed. As if paying no mind to their words, she propped her chin on one hand and looked at me.