Chapter 131: Growing More Mature
Chapter 131: Growing More Mature
After
“Oppa, Oppa. Back then, at that inn… Ah, where was it? Right—The Demure Lady in Mule. When I was still a Year 0 User, Oppa gave me a dagger, remember?”
“Ah. You mean when you were sulking all by yourself?”
“Ugh… Don’t say it so bluntly. It’s so embarrassing. Anyway, I think I started to change after that.”
“Really? How did you change?”
“I didn’t even realize it myself… Who would have thought I’d turn out like this? A blood-soaked crazy bitch, of all things… Ahng. Wait, let me just say one more thing, hngh.”
“Oho. Your voice is especially alluring today. To think the infamous Mercenary Queen of the Northern Continent would make such shameless sounds. The male mercenaries who regard you as the embodiment of terror would faint if they saw you like this.”
“Ahh… Hic, don’t say that. Do you think I act like this with anyone but Oppa—ngh…? Haaah. Letting Oppa touch me like this… Aaah! Only Oppa… Hnnngh, because I’m Oppa’s… Haaah!”
“Hmph.”
“Oh, Oppa! Really… Why are you being like this today!”
“You’re enjoying it.”
“I-I like it, but—Aaah! W-Wait!”
*
Whether it was a small caravan or a large clan, everyone was cautious when accepting new members. This tendency was even stronger in the Hall Plain, where lives were on the line. Considering that, Ko Yeonju’s recruitment, despite the temporary tag, could be seen as the best possible choice.
Without anyone asking, she was doing more than double her share of the work. She had taken it upon herself to set up a training area for the others and was in charge of the group’s meals. But that wasn’t all. Around the time I woke up in the morning, a cup of fragrant tea, steaming hot, would always be waiting on my work table. And the neatly organized documents, filled with sharp and refined handwriting, detailed the current state of the Hall Plain.
In short, Ko Yeonju was making me feel like I was truly running a clan.
However, her favors weren’t entirely welcome. Since we had confirmed each other’s intentions, however slightly, that night, it was safe to say that Ko Yeonju was trying to appeal to me. If so, I needed to respond in kind.
Simply showing her that I was ‘working hard’ wouldn’t be enough. There was nothing more pathetic than working hard with no results to show for it. Therefore, I had an obligation to work hard and produce corresponding results. The first step toward that result was slated to be the ‘Cave of Screams.’
Still, I spent a little more time poring over the records. I wasn't just thinking about the Cave of Screams; I was also considering the possibility of an expedition that might not have been discovered in the first run. Of course, the odds of that had gone from plucking a star from the sky to plucking an asteroid from the sky, but you never knew.
External achievements were one thing, but the clan’s internal affairs were more important. Our financial situation, the relationships between the members, and what everyone was doing. Judging by her actions, Ko Yeonju seemed to have spent some time in a clan before, and now that she was on the inside, she would be observing and judging everything.
Ahn Hyun was walking the very definition of an elite path. He had compensated for his slightly lower Magic Power stat from his Normal Class days by obtaining the Aura Spearman class. I had been worried he might get distracted by Ko Yeonju, but seeing him restrain himself and train diligently during practice filled me with a sense of pride.
Ahn Sol and Hayeon were also sticking to their daily routines. While Hayeon never needed my intervention, it was quite surprising to see Ahn Sol following Hayeon’s schedule. (Of course, she still groaned every time she saw me.) Since their classes were different, I couldn’t expect much diversification in her divine spells, but if she could just improve her mana control, that alone would be a huge achievement. Ahn Sol’s stats were so good that even if she only used Bind, Cure, and Protect, she would be a significant help.
Vivian and Shin Sangyong were also showing great dedication. Vivian, in particular, had become quite busy since Ko Yeonju’s arrival. She was deciphering Ahn Hyun’s records, teaching Shin Sangyong, and had drastically increased her personal training time. It seemed seeing Ko Yeonju had ignited a competitive spirit within her.
Shin Sangyong was also working harder than anyone, albeit out of sight. His quiet nature meant he didn’t stand out, but whenever an unpleasant task came up, he was the first to raise his hand. Users like him were the hidden strength of a clan. That was why I always greeted him with a warm smile.
Everything seemed to be going well, but if you looked a little deeper, it wasn’t entirely without problems. And the biggest problem of all was Yoojung. The group would maintain a good flow, but an awkward atmosphere would occasionally descend upon them. And the source of that atmosphere was none other than Yoojung.
Yoojung, who had always maintained a bright rhythm, had been wearing a gloomy expression lately. She no longer chimed into conversations like the life of the party; instead, she would remain quiet and often go upstairs by herself. For now, I was leaving her be based on the others’ advice, but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated whenever I saw her.
If it were the me from the first run, I would have abandoned her immediately. The me from the Rite of Passage would have cursed her out for being pathetic. It wasn’t that I didn’t still feel some of that, but on the other hand, I felt a bit more sympathy. It wasn’t what you would call affection. I knew from our time together that Yoojung followed me well and cared for me a lot. But my sympathy came more from being able to relate to the inner turmoil she was feeling.
The signs had been there ever since Ahn Hyun obtained his Rare Class. But since we were aiming to be a group of top 1% Users, the new members we kept accepting were all formidable. To make matters worse, Ahn Hyun, whom she considered a rival, had inherited a class. In other words, Yoojung was currently floundering in a swamp of inferiority and mannerism.
Can I really do this? Even if I do, can I keep up?
Strictly speaking, Yoojung’s contributions since the expedition had been almost nonexistent compared to the other Users. But that was to be expected. I admit that I favored Ahn Hyun because his skills were better and I wanted to develop him, giving him more opportunities. But Yoojung was different from Ahn Hyun. Given the nature of her class and weapon, the moment she entered combat, she was essentially putting her life on the line.
My attempt to protect Yoojung had returned to me like a poisoned boomerang. That left two ways to break through her current situation. One was to find her an equivalent Rare Class. The other was for her to accept her current situation and strive to improve. In other words, for her to realize it on her own. The former was realistically difficult, and Ko Yeonju had advised me to wait until she accepted it herself.
Ko Yeonju probably found Yoojung’s behavior quite ridiculous. Although she herself had a Secret Class and good stats, she must have gone through hell to reach the ranks of the ‘Ten Strong.’ The reason Ko Yeonju spoke so coldly was that, from her perspective, the efforts Yoojung had made so far were nothing more than child’s play.
But my perspective was very different from hers. On the outside, Yoojung appeared strong and rough, but on the inside, she had the heart of a very delicate woman. And no matter how right the advice, it couldn’t be applied to everyone in the same way.
The Users at the bottom have emotions only they can feel. Yoojung was now facing the same problems I had agonized over endlessly in my first run. In such situations, one should strive even harder, but the human heart isn’t that simple. Therefore, I felt my judgment was more likely to be correct right now.
I closed my eyes gently and recalled the things she had said, one by one.
〈Oppa… Are you really Soohyun-oppa? You’re not someone else, are you?〉
〈This is all the money Hyun, Sol, and I saved from our weekly pay. It should be about 7 Gold and 80 Silver.〉
〈Not ‘you guys.’ ‘Us.’〉
〈Oppa would sacrifice for us, but he would never deceive us. No—even if he did, it would not truly be deception. Oppa must have had his reasons.〉
〈Do you know who kept running around without rest while we trained and rested in comfort? Oppa did. Soohyun-oppa.〉
I sighed and pressed my forehead. I wasn’t without conflict, but I decided to look after Yoojung one more time.
However, this time, I planned to draw a clear line.
*
Late at night. I was still awake. I had gotten lost in thought while worrying about the team’s equipment. I had forgotten to bring extra gold coins last time, and it occurred to me that we would need more money to get good gear. I still had plenty of GP, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use the spare cash to look at some equipment.
I took a sip of warm tea and tapped my fingers on the table. I suddenly remembered what she had said as she left the tea.
“Hah? I was just joking. Did you really think that?”
“No… It’s not that. Haha.”
“Oh my, how ridiculous. User Kim Soohyun? Starting tomorrow, don’t even dream of drinking the tea I make. The nerve of some people.”
I picked up the tea Ko Yeonju had brought and activated my Third Eye. It wasn’t intentional, but rather a habit from my first run. Seeing me inspect the teacup from all angles, Ko Yeonju had giggled and asked if I thought she had poisoned it. But when I flinched at her words, her eyes narrowed instantly, and she shot me a sharp glare.
After laying down her ultimatum, she had slammed the door on her way out. Even so, I knew that by tomorrow morning, another cup of hot tea and a report would be sitting on my table. I chuckled at her protest and took another sip of tea. The refreshing feeling as it went down my throat suggested she had added herbs good for relieving fatigue.
Just as I was slowly reviewing the team’s current equipment again, I heard a knock on the door. As I opened my mouth to say “come in,” Ahn Hyun, drenched in sweat, burst the door open and poked his body inside.
“Hyung. It’s Ahn Hyun. I’m coming in.”
“I think you’re saying that after you’re already in. Anyway, come and sit.”
I pointed to a chair with a wry smile. Ahn Hyun strode over, carefully leaned his spear against the wall, and plopped down onto the chair. Even from a distance, I could feel a wave of heat rolling off him; it seemed he had been training quite hard.
As expected, the reason for his visit was a question. The frequency of his visits had increased noticeably since he began the process of mastering the records in earnest. I had been planning to head down after organizing the equipment list anyway, but I decided to help Ahn Hyun now. Seeing him work so hard to figure things out on his own made me feel more than willing to help.
After listening carefully to the parts Ahn Hyun was struggling with, I began to explain calmly.
“Aura Spearmen have their own unique movements. It’s hard to see it as a purely offensive style. In fact, if you look at the overall flow… hmm. It’s a method of whittling down the opponent through defense and feints, then landing a final counter. As such, the Aura Spearman is a class focused on defensive arts.”
“I think you’re right, hyung. I’ve been reading the records, and this is completely different from what I imagined. I thought ‘Aura’ meant it would be a class with flashy attacks, but I don’t know why there are so many explanations about defense.”
Watching the grumbling Ahn Hyun, I smiled faintly and continued.
“Aura Arts dramatically increase the efficiency of mana circulation within the body and elevate it into martial technique. That is the essence of the class. Learning spear-based defensive arts is by no means a bad thing. Spear techniques that probe for openings will create opportunities, and if you seize one, you can establish a flow that lets you defeat a User one or two levels stronger than you. With a favorable matchup, you could aim even higher. And the class is not entirely lacking in decisive attacks, is it?”
“Hmm. Hyung… I’m sorry, but I’m still not getting it. Could you explain it in a little more detail?”
Why not? At Ahn Hyun’s request, I nodded and organized my thoughts for a moment. After finishing the last sip of tea, I began a more detailed explanation.
“According to the record, the Aura Spearman follows an exceptionally logical combat style. Before battle, you must identify a great many things: the opponent’s distance through Search; their class; which stats they specialize in as you exchange attacks; what weapon they carry; and how they use it. Beyond that, you need a keen eye to choose the optimal martial technique through instantaneous judgment. No one knows what situation will arise or when. Assembling the right pieces and producing an answer for that situation is entirely your responsibility.”
“Uwaaaah. It’s so difficult.”
“Haha. Did you think a Rare Class would be easy?”
Ahn Hyun grabbed his head and let out a groan at my explanation. As I let out a faint smile, he sighed deeply and gathered his records and spear. His slumped shoulders showed just how much he was struggling because things weren’t going as he’d hoped. Ahn Hyun had probably imagined a rose-colored future when he first got his Rare Class, but reality was never so forgiving.
The reason I hadn’t chosen a magic-based Secret Class, despite having stats in the mid-to-late 90s, was similar. I had already reached the pinnacle of success as a swordsman—the realm of the ‘Sword Master’—and I could bring that experience with me wholesale. In other words, I chose a path I had already walked to deepen my mastery. I felt it was better than trying to pioneer an unknown realm based on some half-baked idea.
In any case, it would be a long time before Ahn Hyun could fully wield the power of the Aura Spearman. Just as he was about to turn away after a listless bow, he turned back with a look of realization.
“Oh, right… Hyung. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Hm? What is it?”
When I immediately asked back, Ahn Hyun seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he soon hardened his expression and spoke.
“It’s about Lee Yoojung.”