Chapter 129: Temporary Joining
Chapter 129: Temporary Joining
“Cough! Cough! Ah, cough… Unni. I’m so sorry….”
“……”
The water Ahn Sol had spat out splattered onto Yoojung’s face. Yoojung kept her eyes closed for a moment before raising a hand and fumbling around the table. Hayeon rummaged through her pocket for a second and then discreetly held out a clean piece of cloth. Yoojung squinted her eyes open, stared at the cloth for a moment, and then snatched it so forcefully that their hands smacked together.
At last, Yoojung began to speak as she meticulously wiped her face.
“Sol. Unni wants to have a talk with you later.”
“Hic… I didn’t do it on purpose….”
At Yoojung’s icy voice, Ahn Sol immediately bowed her head. But that, too, was brief. Sol soon started stealing glances at Ko Yeonju again. Finding Ahn Sol’s furtive looks rather cute, a faint smile formed on Ko Yeonju’s lips. As if sensing her amusement, Ahn Sol flinched and averted her gaze. Seeing this, Ko Yeonju’s smile deepened, growing richer.
“Little one. Do you know who I am?”
In response to Ko Yeonju’s question, Ahn Sol gave a small nod instead of a verbal answer. It seemed she found it difficult to speak carelessly. However, Vivian, sitting next to her with a sullen look, poked Sol in the side. Ahn Sol leaped up in surprise.
“Ahn Sol. What in the world is a Shadow Queen that you’re acting like this?”
“I-I’ll talk! So please stop poking me….”
Vivian’s voice was blunt, while Ahn Sol pleaded tearfully. Vivian’s lower lip was jutting out; it seemed she was still stewing over the words I had said a little while ago.
But I had no intention of ignoring Vivian. The difference in power between Vivian and Ko Yeonju was an undeniable reality. Vivian had a Rare Class and decent stats, but her opponent had a Secret Class with even better stats. Moreover, the matchup was far more favorable for Ko Yeonju.
Based on my experience fighting Ko Yeonju in the first run, even assuming they fought in perfect condition, the Shadow Queen had over a seventy percent chance of defeating the Chimera Alchemist. This meant that in a real combat situation with no time to prepare, Vivian’s chances of winning were even lower.
After rubbing her side for a while, Ahn Sol, urged on by Vivian’s repeated prodding, cautiously began to speak.
“So… at the User Academy….”
“Huh. They never told me anything like that.”
When Yoojung quickly interjected, Ahn Sol shook her head and continued.
“N-No. That is probably right. Because of the nature of the class, the Priest class has slightly more female Users… An instructor-unni mentioned it in passing during a theory lecture, and I remember hearing it.”
“Really? What did you hear then? Tell me in a little more detail. I’m curious.”
Ko Yeonju spoke with an interested expression. Her eyes, however, glinted like a hawk spotting its prey. Unaware that she might become that prey, the poor Ahn Sol answered hesitantly.
“At the time, I heard about a few famous female Users in the Hall Plain. The Clan Lord of the Istantel Low Clan, the Battlefield Maestro. From the same clan, the Princess of Execution. The mysterious free User, the Shadow Queen, and so on….”
“Hoh….”
The moment she heard the words Princess of Execution, a chilling killing intent flared in Ko Yeonju’s eyes. It was only for an instant, but I didn’t miss it. It seemed the grudge between Ko Yeonju and the Princess of Execution went back a long way. I was curious about what had happened between them, but since there was no way to find out now, I tucked it away in the back of my mind.
As if sensing my gaze, Ko Yeonju immediately composed her expression and smiled brightly.
“That’s right. I’m that rumored Secret Class, the Shadow Queen. My name is Ko Yeonju. I’m twenty-six. No boyfriend. For the record, as long as it’s a man, I’m willing to accept even a married guy with a trail of kids.”
She finished her quick introduction and shot a sidelong glance in my direction. I, who had just taken a spoonful of stew, couldn’t help but be flustered by the sudden offensive. I never dreamed she would retaliate like this. And this time, I was caught red-handed by the party. The more perceptive ones would have already figured out the meaning behind Ko Yeonju’s words.
It was then.
Thud.
Hayeon, who had been listening quietly until now, gulped down a mouthful of water and set her cup down on the table with enough force to make a sound. A little water sloshed out and splashed onto the table. It was hard to say she’d slammed it, but for her, who always acted with composure, it was an unusual act.
Hayeon spoke with a light smile.
“It was nice to hear your introduction. Then we should introduce ourselves too, right?”
“That’s a good idea. We can’t just sit here quietly.”
Yoojung also wiped her mouth with the cloth and chimed in to support Hayeon. It was the first time in a long while I’d seen the two of them converse. Of course, it could hardly be called a proper conversation; Yoojung had merely piggybacked on Hayeon’s words. But that alone was enough to suggest a possible improvement in their relationship… or so I thought.
The problem was, I couldn’t understand what she meant by “can’t just sit here quietly.” In response to the two women’s reactions, however, Ko Yeonju gave a relaxed smile and nodded her head. It was a signal, as if to say, ‘Go on, give it your best shot.’ At her reaction, I had the illusion that blue flames were erupting in the two Users’ eyes.
Soon, the party members began to introduce themselves one by one. And with each introduction, Ko Yeonju’s reaction was drastically different. To be precise, she used different forms of address for each of them.
She addressed Ahn Hyun with ‘-gun,’ called Ahn Sol ‘little one,’ and called Yoojung ‘little squirt.’ Surprisingly, Yoojung said nothing. (She did glare fiercely the instant she heard ‘little squirt,’ but that was probably the most resistance she could manage at the moment.)
It might have seemed quite arrogant, but no one openly criticized Ko Yeonju for it. The reputation of the Shadow Queen gave her the justification to make such attitudes seem natural.
After the kids’ introductions, it was Vivian’s turn. Vivian introduced herself in a cool tone, unlike her usual self.
“Vivian la Classidus. Mage-type Rare Class. Twenty-four years old.”
When Vivian finished, Ko Yeonju’s gaze lingered on her for a moment. The fact that she was an ancient Resident and not a User seemed to have piqued her interest. After exchanging glances for a short while, the two turned their heads away at the same time.
Finally, she turned to me and used the familiar ‘you.’ At that, the expressions of everyone in the party shifted subtly.
“And you, Kim Soohyun… You said you had a Secret Class, correct?”
“Kim Soohyun. Swordsman-type Secret Class. Twenty-four years old. But you already knew all that.”
“No. There’s one thing I don’t know. You said it was a Secret Class, but what’s the class name?”
I snorted at Ko Yeonju’s subtle probing. Of course, it would become known once I established a clan, but there was no need to give her that information now. Especially since, even if it was a slim possibility, one could infer the Authority of a Secret Class from its name. For that reason, I intended to be as careful as possible, except in unavoidable circumstances.
As I remained silent, Ko Yeonju pressed me once more.
“Oh, come on. Why don’t you just tell me and get it over with? You know all my information. Don’t you think that’s unfair?”
“No, I don’t. The Shadow Queen has been active for a long time, so it’s natural for you to be known. But we’re not. And you probably have a rough idea anyway.”
“I can’t guess. So tell me.”
“No.”
At my firm refusal, Ko Yeonju made a prim face and glanced at the others. Seeing the friendly conversation between me and Ko Yeonju, they all had mournful expressions, as if something precious had been taken from them. Honestly, it was all fine, but Hayeon’s face, looking like a spurned wife, was hard to bear. I sighed inwardly.
“Hmph. Fine, don’t tell me if you don’t want to. I’ll be sticking close by from now on, so there will be plenty of opportunities.”
The word “close” bothered me for a second, but I replied immediately.
“Do as you please, if you have the skill.”
“Fufufu. There’s no rule that says I have to find out from you personally.”
The moment Ko Yeonju spoke in that suggestive tone, my face hardened, and I lifted my head. I stared directly at her face, and she winced and whistled innocently.
I continued to stare at her intently before speaking in a calm voice.
“I’m saying this just in case, but the moment I find any trace of you having used Eyes of Temptation on the kids or anyone in the party, things will get very unpleasant.”
“Oh my. You’re so sensitive. It’s not a very harmful ability….”
“Eyes of Temptation is a type of Evil Eye belonging to the mental-contamination category. Once it penetrates someone, it can leave a path through which other curses may enter more easily. If you so much as touch a hair on any of the kids, I will consider the deal void by your own hand.”
At my stern warning, the party’s expressions changed subtly once again. Just moments ago, they had been furious at Ko Yeonju’s blatant advances, but at my words protecting them, I could see them straightening their necks proudly. It seemed they were feeling a sense of vicarious satisfaction at seeing the caravan’s leader acting so confidently in front of one of the Ten Strong.
In particular, Yoojung and Ahn Sol, who had been anxiously looking back and forth between me and Ko Yeonju, nodded with relieved expressions. Amidst it all, I heard someone mutter, “That’s our dad.” (At the same time, I could hear Ko Yeonju let out a small laugh.) This time, I vowed to find the culprit and spank them without mercy.
“Tch. How am I supposed to live with all this sorrow~? Alright, alright. I’ll back off, you cheapskate.”
Ko Yeonju spoke with an expression that said, ‘What a character.’ But a subtle, knowing smile played on her lips. She didn’t seem to have any lingering regrets.
It suddenly occurred to me that she might have intentionally orchestrated this situation. In a way, she was an outsider who had just joined our group, and she was using me to cleverly reassure the established members.
If I was not mistaken, Ko Yeonju was laying groundwork to blend into our party. Seen that way, her actions displayed the seasoned judgment of a veteran User. This conclusion still depended entirely on my interpretation being correct.
After that, Ko Yeonju and I adjusted some additional details. When I told her that the regrouping time would take a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of four, she let out a disbelieving laugh. That meant she would have to close the inn for nearly a month and a half.
However, from my perspective, Ko Yeonju didn’t seem to have much attachment to running the inn in the first place. The fact that she had closed it down immediately after I brought it up last night was proof enough. As expected, she didn’t raise any objections to my words.
And I received an unexpected amount of goodwill from Ko Yeonju. Of course, that goodwill wasn’t limited to just me. She seemed to have taken quite a liking to our party, as she made the extraordinary offer of letting us use the inn as we pleased.
The Demure Lady was by no means a small inn. In fact, having access to all three floors would solve our chronic shortage of training space. I welcomed her offer enthusiastically; merely clearing the tables from the first-floor lobby would transform it into an excellent training area.
With Ko Yeonju being so generous, the party members could no longer oppose her joining, and the unspoken dissatisfaction that had been lingering clearly subsided. Amazed by her meticulous calculations, I decided to make one more request.
It could be seen as quite shameless, but this was a User I might never see again within the next two months. It would be great if I could recruit her later, but if that wasn’t possible, she was one of the Users I would have to kill. Therefore, it seemed like a good idea to get as much out of her as I could before then. Of course, this wasn’t a demand, but a request.
“The regrouping period isn’t short. I think you might get a little bored during that time.”
“Hrmm?”
“To be blunt, would you consider teaching one of the kids? I’m not asking for much. Just help them with the basics of daggers.”
“I’m expensive. I’m a Secret Class, you know. Pay me a fee that reflects that.”
“I’ll pay you later, based on the student’s growth.”
Ko Yeonju burst into peals of laughter at my words. Meanwhile, Ahn Hyun squirmed anxiously, looking eager. I had absolutely no intention of pairing those two (because I thought Ahn Hyun would be the most susceptible to Ko Yeonju’s charms), so I quickly continued.
“Honestly, it’s not every day you meet a User who handles daggers as well as you do. But if you’re not up for it, you don’t have to. This is just a request.”
At my gentle tone, Ko Yeonju instinctively glanced at Yoojung. After watching her for a while, she casually tossed out a single sentence.
“Well, I guess I won’t be bored for a while.”