Chapter 169: An Unexpected Encounter
Chapter 169: An Unexpected Encounter
All eyes were on me, but I maintained a calm expression. If I showed any sign of panic, I would fall right into Ko Yeonju’s trap. I let out a light scoff and began to calmly explain the situation—a brief summary of our dealings, how our transaction had concluded as of yesterday, and that she would be joining our newly founded clan. The fact that we’d had a light sparring session to test each other’s skills was just a minor detail.
My explanation elicited a variety of reactions from the group. Some were surprised that Ko Yeonju and I had such an arrangement, others were shocked that she was officially joining our clan, and then there was the foolish Resident who couldn’t care less about my story and was simply amazed by the lavish spread of food Ko Yeonju was bringing. I was a little sad that no one seemed to notice the fact that I had defeated one of the Ten Strong, though I suppose I had phrased it rather delicately.
I had expected the food to arrive while I was speaking, as I was trying to draw out my explanation, but she appeared just as I was finishing up. She was pushing a cart piled high with dishes. The disheveled look on Ko Yeonju’s face was gone, replaced by a bright, beaming smile as she began setting down the food one dish at a time.
“Wow. User Ko Yeonju. I heard from Soohyun-hyung. Welcome to the clan.”
“Oh? Hoho. It seems Soohyun-ssi already told you. Anyway, thank you.”
Ko Yeonju spoke informally without anyone’s permission, but no one dared to object. Age aside, it was only natural given her experience and current standing. The others didn’t seem to mind her tone either, which was a huge improvement compared to the growing pains we’d experienced at the start. In fact, Ahn Hyun looked thrilled as he pointed at each dish and chattered away.
“What’s this meat? It’s grilled to a perfect golden-brown, my mouth is watering just looking at it. And this sprinkled on top is…”
“Ah, that’s an herb called Pagra. When eaten with food, it loses its distinct, unpleasant smell. It’s especially good for a man’s virility.”
“I-Is that so? Then this dish is…”
“I thinly sliced some potatoes, stir-fried them on a griddle, and topped them with lightly melted cheese. Of course, it’s not modern cheese, but one made here in the Hall Plain. It’s especially good for a man’s virility.”
“……”
“Oh, and this is a fresh, crisp vegetable salad. Try some. It’s especially good for a man’s virility.”
Ahn Hyun seemed to have given up on asking any more questions. Nevertheless, Ko Yeonju continued her descriptions unabated. With every dish she set down, she would glance at me, and I could tell her actions were deliberate as she pushed the three aforementioned dishes closer to my side of the table. I hadn’t expected her to stir up trouble like this again, and this time, I was genuinely flustered.
“Haha… I-It looks like the table is about to break.”
Just as an awkward atmosphere began to settle in, User Shin Sangyong broke the tension with a sheepish laugh. Amidst the narrowed gazes of some of my companions, I watched Vivian, who was purely delighted by the feast. I decided to take back my earlier thought about her being a foolish Resident.
Somehow, we moved past the morning’s little incident, and we—or more accurately, I—managed to finish the meal. A surge of anger rose in me every time Ko Yeonju insisted I eat the dishes she had so pointedly described, but I chewed every bite, vowing to get my revenge someday.
After our brunch, the first thing the group brought up was the Chaos Mimic. They were itching to open it right away, but I shook my head. Even if we opened it, we’d have to let all the smoke out before we could retrieve anything inside. Besides, I still needed to get the Formless Sword and the remaining bottle of elixir. Of course, I couldn’t tell them the latter reason. So, I put my foot down, stating that we would open it only after all the chaos had dissipated. Even if we started venting the smoke now, it would likely take until this evening, so the unveiling would have to wait.
Seeing their disappointed faces, I gave them a wry smile and shared some news that would lift their spirits: I was giving them the day off. I told them I would entrust some spending money to Jung Hayeon and that they didn’t need to train today. That seemed to please them, as their expressions brightened. I had a motive for this, of course. Looking forward to what they might bring back, I asked Hayeon to come to my office after the meal.
*
I sat in a chair at the table in the 3rd-floor special suite for the first time in a while, looking down at the notes I had just scribbled. I had a habit of writing things down and organizing them whenever I had complicated matters to deal with. It was second nature to me.
Issue two Certificates of Performance. Submit Exploration Report. Open Chaos Mimic and process gains. Apply for clan creation. Recruit Ko Yeonju. I drew two thick lines through the last item, ‘Recruit Ko Yeonju.’ Then, I scribbled with my quill pen, adding a new item at the very top.
Information Gathering. I needed to find out what had become of the Vagabond Extermination Plan and the Golden Lion Clan’s movements. Ko Yeonju was probably gathering information as we spoke, so I expected to hear from her by tomorrow evening at the latest. Before that, sending the others out to get a general sense of the city’s atmosphere seemed like a good idea.
Knock, knock.
Just then, as I was lost in thought, twirling my quill, I heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” I called out, and the office door creaked open. The user who stepped inside was a beautiful woman with short, bobbed hair and an elegant appearance.
“Soohyun. You wanted to see me.”
“Yes. Hayeon. Come closer.”
At my call, she firmly closed the door. A moment later, there was a soft click, the sound of a lock turning. While I tilted my head in confusion, she approached the table, pulled a chair right up next to mine, and sat down.
Hayeon’s face was remarkably calm, almost unnaturally so. A strange feeling washed over me, but I decided to start with the pleasantries. I reached into my coat, pulled out a money pouch I had prepared earlier, and began to speak.
“Hayeon, I called you because I have a favor to ask.”
“Is it about looking after the others?”
“Haha… something like that. Would you like to go see the city for a bit today?”
“I have a feeling it’s not just for sightseeing.”
Seeing her sharp as ever, I nodded. It was time to get to the point.
“Yes, you’re right. It hasn’t even been a full day since we arrived in Mule, but the city is far too quiet.”
“Hm. I’m not sure I follow.”
“Users should be starting to trickle in by now. That means there should be at least some talk. Setting aside the Vagabond Extermination Plan, there should be news about the Golden Lion Clan’s march to the Steel Mountains, or the ruin excavation. But I haven’t heard a single thing.”
“Hmm. It could be because we just arrived. The Golden Lion Clan might still be in the middle of their assault. But a ruin excavation would be pretty big news. The fact that there’s no buzz about it is certainly suspicious.”
As expected, she was quick on the uptake. She knew exactly what I was getting at. I pushed my notes toward her and continued.
“Exactly. That’s why I’m thinking of heading to the temple right now. Neither of the two ruins is incredibly far away like the Cave of Screams, so it makes no sense that they couldn’t investigate them in three weeks. I think something else is going on.”
“Aha. So you want me and the other users to walk around the city and gather information.”
“That’s right. But it’s still a day off, so don’t push yourselves too hard. Just get a feel for the atmosphere while resting and eating something good.”
“That’s not too difficult. But…”
Hayeon hesitated, her eyes fixed on the notes. Her gaze was directed at the very bottom, at the item that had been crossed out twice. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her eyes dejectedly and clutched the money pouch.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll be on my way then.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Ah…”
I grabbed the arm of Hayeon, who was about to stand up, and gently forced her back into her seat. She must not have expected me to do that, as she sat back down with a startled expression.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”
“……”
Hayeon said nothing, avoiding my gaze. But as I continued to stare at her face, she finally bit her lip.
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“I… I doubted you this morning. And then, after hearing your explanation—no, your clarification—I was relieved again.”
“Is that all? Don’t worry, we only had a one-on-one fight. We haven’t done that yet.”
“...Yet.”
Hayeon repeated the word “yet” with a sad smile. Realizing my slip of the tongue, I was about to speak again, but she quietly shook her head, stopping me, and spoke in a calm voice.
“I guess I haven’t been able to let go of my modern sensibilities. This is the Hall Plain. Things like this are bound to happen. Even I think I’m being overly sensitive. I’m sorry for causing you unnecessary worry.”
“No…”
“It’s a ridiculous kind of jealousy, when you think about it. I was the one who seduced you, and I came to you willingly. From the others’ perspective, I’m just as much of a bad woman. And I have no right to tie you down…”
This wasn’t like the usual Hayeon. She appeared composed on the outside, but her rambling words suggested her thoughts were in a complete tangle. What was I supposed to say in a situation like this? As I pondered for a moment, I suddenly recalled a conversation between two users from my first playthrough.
〈Ugh. I fought with Hyeran again. What is her problem? She just gets angry for no reason. I’m so sick of it.〉
〈You idiot. That was your fault. Is Hyeran just some random User to you? She’s your girlfriend.〉
〈What are you talking about? What did I do wrong?〉
〈Even in the Hall Plain, there are lines you don’t cross. If you just say, “It’s not a big deal, why are you like this?” how is that any different from telling her she’s just some User you hooked up with for a night? You know, a one-night stand? You basically treated Hyeran like she was just that.〉
〈What nonsense. Why would I treat Hyeran like… Fine, then what should I have done?〉
〈If it were me, I would have gently pulled her close. That’s all you need to do. Whispering “I love you” would be the icing on the cake.〉
〈You crazy bastard. You want me to do that cringey stuff? My hands and feet would curl up before I could even say it.〉
〈Heh heh. You really don’t know women. Now I see why you’re always fighting with Hyeran. Just break up with her. Why are you even dating her if you’re going to be like that? Sigh. How pathetic.〉
I quietly lifted my head and looked at Hayeon. The woman who always appeared so calm and intelligent was now standing before me with a flushed face, at a complete loss. She looked sad, but for some reason, her sad expression and her entire demeanor filled me with a pleasant feeling. It was then.
Thump.
It was only for a single beat, but I felt my heart pound in my chest. At the same time, an unfamiliar but not unpleasant emotion spread throughout my body. No, it wasn’t unfamiliar—perhaps it was a feeling I had lost? Without thinking, I reflexively reached for the drawer where I had carefully placed Horrence’s bead the night before.
However, I couldn’t bring myself to put any strength into the hand gripping the handle.
I understood Hayeon’s anxiety. Ko Yeonju would have probably laughed it off. But in that respect, Hayeon was still a user who hadn’t completely shed the shadow of Earth, of the modern world. Moreover, since her first time—her purity—had been with me, she seemed to place a much greater significance on it.
In other ways, she was a user who had adapted splendidly, but it seemed the parts of her that were a sore spot weren’t so easily healed. She was clearly confused by the gap between modern and Hall Plain norms regarding relationships between men and women.
“……”
It wasn’t that I couldn’t apply force; I chose not to. It was an act of my own will. I eventually let go of the handle. For now, I wanted to ride the current of this emotion spreading through my body.
By now, Hayeon seemed to have realized she was speaking incoherently and had clamped her mouth shut. Hoping that the conversation I remembered would be effective, I slowly reached a hand toward her shoulder. As my hand approached, her body trembled as if she wanted to flee, but she didn’t avoid my touch.
And the moment my hand rested on her shoulder and I gently pulled her closer…
“Ah…”
As if by magic, she fell into my embrace. I slowly stroked her trembling body and her hair as I spoke.
“Hayeon. Do you remember the day we first shared ourselves?”
“That day… How could I forget? I remember.”
“Back then, you asked, didn’t you? If you could become one of my precious people.”
“And you said you weren’t cruel enough to push away someone who likes you, cares for you, and wants to lean on you. You said you didn’t care about those who dislike you, or anyone else for that matter. That you were too busy taking care of the people around you. You ended by asking if that was such a bad thing.”
As I recalled her words, she recited what I had said next. The fact that she remembered so precisely meant that day had left a powerful impression on her. It meant that day had been just as significant for her. I held her even tighter and continued.
“That’s right. I’ll tell you now. Just like I said then, I can’t push away someone who wants to lean on me. If something like this happens again, I might do something that disappoints you.”
It took more courage than I expected to say those words. Honestly, I was prepared to see her cry in the worst-case scenario. But I was already telling my companions a great number of lies. Even if they were unavoidable, lies were still lies. I wanted to be as honest as possible with the people who had entrusted their bodies to me, at least about the things I could reveal. Especially when it came to something as complicated as relationships.
However, Hayeon, her face buried in my chest, immediately shook her head.
“N-No. That’s not it. I actually knew. That I would become one of your precious people, not the only one. From that moment, from when you said that, my head already understood. It was just hard for my heart to accept. I’m so sorry. This is… this is the Hall Plain. I showed you such an ugly side of myself over such pointless feelings…”
“Hayeon.”
“…I did.”
She was being too hard on herself, and I had intended to cut her off. But Hayeon managed to finish her sentence. After calming my racing heart, I gently pushed her away from my chest and looked directly into her eyes.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. She was no longer feigning a calm expression. She was simply gazing at me with a face full of longing. Emboldened by her expression, I put more strength into my voice and spoke.
“I’ll make you another promise, right here, right now. Just as I told you that day, as long as you want me, I will never, ever neglect or abandon you. So… just this once, and from now on, won’t you continue to believe in me?”