Chapter 180: News
Chapter 180: News
A messenger arrived from the office where I'd applied to establish a clan. They were summoning me for an immediate interview. Frankly, it was surprising. The Residents granted authority over clan creation were notoriously difficult, second to none. So I'd expected the document review to take at least a few days, but this was practically an instant pass.
I tilted my head for a moment, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible. We had excavated three ruins in just three months—one ruin per month. It was an unprecedented feat, so it seemed they were giving us some special treatment. If I had to guess another reason, it might have been pressure from Ko Yeonju, who went to apply for a status change. In any case, having the timeline moved up wasn't a bad thing at all. So, I followed the messenger with a willing heart.
After arriving at the clan establishment office, I saw a pot-bellied Resident. He was the one who would be handling my case, and I inwardly cheered the moment I saw him. Because he was a Resident I remembered.
At first, I didn't like the way he casually spat out informal speech, “So you're the Year 0 User who excavated three ruins. Kim Soohyun, was it? Come on in and sit down.” But these guys always had immense pride in the authority they were granted. Either way, they could influence the Setting, so making an enemy of them would do me no good. If I buttered him up and played my cards right, he could be quite helpful in the future.
“I was quite surprised when the Shadow Queen visited. Ah, right. My name is Conrad Douglas. I don't know if you're aware, but I'm one of the few Residents granted authority by them. Well, that's enough of an introduction. Shall we get down to business?”
Conrad Douglas spoke, stroking his protruding belly and rough beard. Compared to when I created the Vagabond Hunter Clan in the 1st playthrough, his current attitude was much better. I could once again feel the prestige that came with being one of the Ten Strong. I replied politely and listened to him attentively.
The most difficult hurdle was getting one’s achievements evaluated. Since it was an official part of the Setting, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could create a clan. But I wouldn't have to worry about that part. Although I had only submitted an exploration report for the Cave of Screams, the other two ruins were more than enough to meet the achievement requirements. However, there was one thing about it that bothered me.
“This is all well and good, but frankly, I find it hard to believe. Of course, I'm not doubting the Shadow Queen. But I can't find any record of her participation on the temporary certificate I received. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I can maybe accept that you defeated some magical beasts, but I simply can't believe you took down a high-ranking demon. A Year 0 User, at that. Seeing as the Temple hasn't even completed its investigation yet, something seems a bit ambiguous, don't you think?”
“Hmm. May I say something about that?”
“Go ahead.”
Patiently enduring Douglas's unpleasant tone, I began to speak in a calm voice.
All the details were already on the certificate, which was based on my report. For him to react this way meant he had some sort of complaint. I shouldn't try to resolve that complaint directly. No matter how I argued my case, it was obvious he would just nitpick and drag things out until my application was put on hold. In that case, I just had to redirect his dissatisfaction elsewhere.
I didn't say much. After showing him the evidence and mentioning the barrier at the Ruined Laboratory, I immediately turned the arrow toward the Temple. I emphasized the fact that I was also a victim: how they'd whined about it being too difficult despite my request to process it quickly, and how they'd shirked their responsibility by dumping the work on the newly appointed Representative Clan.
And after hearing me out, Douglas reacted exactly as I'd expected—with outrage.
“What? Is that true? They said it was too difficult, passed the work to the Representative Clan, and then didn't even finish the job properly?”
“That's why I received a temporary certificate. They asked me to be as understanding as possible… Why else would I get a temporary certificate for a job that should have only taken a day or two?”
“Is that how a Resident granted authority should behave? Hmph. I'm embarrassed for them. Tsk, tsk.”
There aren't many Residents who are granted authority. The two most prominent examples are the Temple and the clan establishment office, and the two did not get along. To be precise, the Residents with authority over clan creation tended to unilaterally dislike the Residents of the Temple. It was an animosity born from a difference in perception regarding their granted authority.
As if seizing the opportunity, Douglas began to vent his frustrations about the Temple Residents. He went on and on, complaining about everything from their lack of responsibility despite their status allowing them to contact them, to how he'd never liked them in the first place. I occasionally chimed in, agreeing with him to fuel his excitement.
“Moreover, the verification of achievements is a matter that greatly impacts clan creation. Even if our duties are separate, we were both granted equal authority. Seeing them handle it so carelessly, I couldn't help but be disappointed.”
“Ahem! A-ahem! I'd appreciate it if you didn't make hasty generalizations. We may have been granted equal authority, but this is entirely due to their sloppiness. Of course, I understand how you feel. To think you waited three whole weeks and they couldn't even form a proper investigation team… I'm speechless.”
He answered in a solemn voice and nodded. Then he cleared his throat and turned his gaze back to the achievement certificate. He looked terribly stern, but I could tell it was just an act.
I could have taken a more forceful approach from the start, arguing that my achievements were more than sufficient, telling him not to nitpick, or even intimidating him by mentioning that the Shadow Queen was a prospective clan member. But that method was inefficient. It would likely result in my application being put on hold, and even if it passed, I'd have to be prepared to make enemies of the Residents in charge of clan creation.
So, rather than being confrontational, exploiting the subtle rift between the Residents was a much more effective method. I had laid the bait, giving them room to prove that they were different. Now, all I had to do was sit back and watch them take it.
Conrad Douglas was trying very hard to give me the impression that he was re-examining my application. Finally, after letting out a few meaningless grunts of “Hmm. Hmm,” he turned his gaze to me and spoke.
“Indeed, reading it over again, there's nothing to find fault with. The fact that it's a temporary certificate is a bit concerning, but given the circumstances, it can't be helped. But you are aware, aren't you? If even the slightest falsehood is found in a future investigation…”
“I'm aware there are penalties. In severe cases, the clan can be forcibly disbanded, and I won't be able to establish a new one for some time. I've also heard that even after that period passes, trying to create a clan again will be fraught with difficulties.”
“So you've done your homework. Good. If you can accept all that, then no one will object.”
I looked at him with a surprised expression. It was an act, of course. As I sent him a look that said, “Huh. You're different from those guys at the Temple,” a smug smile appeared on Douglas's face.
“You know you need one thousand gold for the initial fee, right? Go ahead and pay that on your way out today.”
“…What do you mean? Surely not.”
“‘Surely not?’ What do you mean? As I've been saying, we're different from those guys at the Temple. We carry out the authority granted to us by them based on strict principles. And if you meet those principles, what's there to hold you up? This is the proper attitude for a chosen Resident.”
Seeing him boast like this, I felt I could rest easy. I expressed my gratitude to Douglas, and he waved his hand, repeatedly stressing that he was only doing his duty. I immediately handed over the one thousand gold I had prepared, then reached into my coat once more. A rather heavy pouch of gold coins, though not as much as the first, came into my hand.
“…What's this?”
He had just taken out a large scale and was about to hang the pouch on it when he glanced up at the new pouch I'd produced. I replied with a calm expression.
“It’s not much. About 200 Gold.”
“Ahem, you User! What do you take me for? Even without this, chosen Residents always handle matters justly. Take it back at once!”
Despite his words, his eyes kept darting down toward the pouch. It seemed he really wanted it but was held back by his earlier pronouncements. Well, all I had to do was give him an excuse. I smiled inwardly and shook my head with an innocent look. To get the most out of the initial clan promotion, it was necessary to grease the wheels a bit, since these people had a lot of influence. Besides, I had nearly 100,000 gold. This was no time to be stingy over 200.
“That wasn’t my intention. This is a donation.”
“A donation? Ah, you mean for the City Development Fund? You’re supposed to give that to the Temple.”
“That may be, but I’ll be honest. I feel much more inclined to donate it here than to the Temple.”
I fell silent after that. I glanced at Douglas's face; he looked blank, but the corners of his mouth were subtly turned up. Only after confirming his reaction did I add one more thing.
“I plan to leave Mule soon after establishing the clan anyway. I’m sure you’ll use it for a good cause, but I’d feel more at ease if the clan establishment office managed it rather than the Temple.”
“Ho ho. Leaving Mule soon, are you?”
“Yes. But since these are achievements I gained in Mule, isn't it right to give at least a little something back before I go?”
In truth, it wasn't a 'little something' at all. Anyway, he wouldn't fail to understand my meaning after all this. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face, but he soon cleared his throat and took the pouch. Seeing this, I couldn't help but smile triumphantly to myself.
“Well, if you insist. I understand. After what you went through, it's only natural you'd be distrustful. But I hope you won't think all Residents with authority are like that.”
“Of course. In any case, I’ll be on my way. I’ll be counting on you for the clan establishment.”
“Don't you worry. I'll completely wash away that distrust of yours. I'll show you what it means to handle things properly. I won't see you out.”
“Hahaha.”
We both broke into pleasant laughter.
After exchanging our goodbyes, I was finally able to leave. The thought that all I had to do now was wait made me feel much lighter.
*
Another day passed after I applied to establish the clan. After snubbing Yoo Hyuna that day, I'd been unconsciously on edge, wondering what kind of trouble she might stir up. However, we had already requested a status change and applied for the clan as Free Mercenaries, so no regulation could hinder us.
I'd originally thought we'd be tied up for at least a week or two, but thanks to this, I was able to shorten the time considerably. Given Douglas's confident assurances, the results could come as early as tomorrow.
“Alright, that’s mostly settled… I should probably go see the old man before I leave. Then again, I don't know what will happen with Hanbyul, so it's probably better to see how things play out first.”
No one else was around, but I muttered to myself. Then, on the record in front of me, I drew a line through Recruit Lee Manseong and wrote 'On Hold' next to it. I quickly scanned the list of future tasks and was about to put the record away when I opened a drawer.
In a corner of the drawer lay a dirty cloth bundle. It was the item that allowed one to inherit the Rare Class Twilight Medium, which I had stored away earlier because I couldn't distribute it. Come to think of it, I hadn't even checked its detailed information yet.
I pushed the record to the other side and immediately picked up the bundle.
“Hmm?”
When I untied the top, I found a single, dark, navy-tinged red gem inside. At the same time, I quickly activated Third Eye. System messages were popping up one after another, but I decided to first read the basic information with my ability.
“Ah. It was for an archer. A little unexpected.”
After quickly reading the information, I found it a bit surprising. I'd assumed 'Priestess' meant it was a mage-type class, but it was an archer-type Rare Class. I wasn't disappointed. No, I actually thought it was for the best. I needed to recruit an archer soon anyway, and since I currently possessed the Evil-Banishing Bow, I thought it would make for a good pairing.
And then, I raised my gaze to the empty air to read the system messages that had appeared.