Chapter 191: Start Inn
Chapter 191: Start Inn
A small sandwich was skewered on a thin fork. From the pierced surface, a hot, steaming liquid trickled down the tines. It must have contained some kind of melted cheese, as the yellow liquid that oozed out had a glossy sheen. I wasn't sure if it was worth the high price, but it certainly looked delicious.
I brought it to my mouth and took a bite. Something seemed to pop inside. At the same time, a sweet yet refreshing aroma filled my senses.
Seeing me eat, the others quickly reached for the sandwiches in front of them. It was still a sandwich, after all, no matter how small. Ahn Hyun picked his up and practically inhaled it. After a few greedy chomps, I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. It looked like he’d swallowed it without even chewing properly.
“Wow. This is amazing, but it barely makes a dent.”
Ahn Hyun smacked his lips and picked up a cookie. The other clan members also tried the sandwiches, comparing them to Ko Yeonju’s cooking. A brief tasting session followed, and thankfully, the verdict was positive. Everyone agreed that the food Ko Yeonju made was more delicious. In response, she scoffed, “Oh, please. A moment ago, you were all complaining about this inn,” but a faint smile played on her lips.
I set down my half-eaten sandwich and gently nudged Hayeon. She had been nibbling on her food and turned to me with a startled expression. I gave her a look, darting my eyes around, and she seemed to understand my intent, nodding once or twice. A moment later, she swallowed and softly parted her lips.
“───. ───. ───.”
I knew what she was doing without her having to say a word. It wasn’t telepathy; it was simply a testament to how much experience she had with these external matters and how well-adapted she was. Of course, she might be slightly lacking in internal aspects, but those were things I could help her with.
Soon, having finished the incantation, her clear voice echoed calmly around our table.
“Blocking Field. Reverse.”
“Oh.”
Blocking Field and Reverse. As I’ve said before, Blocking Field could block all sound from entering or leaving an area. However, Hayeon seemed to have modified its outer boundary through Applied Magic Circuits. In other words, the invisible barrier now let outside voices in while preventing our voices from carrying out. It was a subtle difference between a User who had mastered an advanced application and one who hadn’t. On the battlefield, of course, such a subtle difference could decide life or death.
“User Go Yeon…”
Just before I spoke, I took a moment to organize the events to come. We were currently in the phase where the Golden Lion Clan and its allies had suffered a reduction in strength due to their failed expedition to the Steel Mountains. Next would be the weakening of their control over the northern continent, including the metropolis of Barbara, followed by a Call to Arms, and then the rise of Vagabonds exploiting the chaos. This window of opportunity would last for about a month.
When I finished my thoughts and looked up, Ko Yeonju was staring at me blankly. She had probably reacted to her name, only for me to pause. I immediately continued.
“Ju.”
“…Yes. Go on.”
“I need information on the Steel Mountains expedition.”
“I was already planning to look into it. But it might take some time. What kind of information do you need, exactly?”
“The current status of the participating clans and a tally of their losses. The minor details aren't necessary. Just focus on the major ones. I know it will all come out eventually, but I need the information one step ahead of everyone else. The sooner, the better.”
“Hm. Alright. I’ll move as quickly as I can.”
Ko Yeonju replied in a brisk tone and gave me a wink. Her response gave me a reassuring sense of confidence.
From this point on, the Golden Lion Clan would make a series of mistakes. One of them was trying to downplay their losses from this expedition. It was a desperate measure to maintain control, but it was no different from burying their heads in the sand. For the record, this action would later have a significant impact when the representative clans of other cities declared their independence. While there was a more direct cause, this served as a convenient pretext.
Having entrusted Ko Yeonju with this important task, I turned to the other clan members.
Ahn Sol was crying. It seemed Ahn Hyun had snatched her share of the cookies. I managed to stop her tears by giving her my portion. Vivian’s eyes were sparkling as she stared at my leftover sandwich. When I handed her the fork, she began to lick the oozing yellow liquid with gusto, like a woman possessed by hunger.
After the atmosphere settled down, I was about to get to the main point.
“Hey, we’re not even done eating. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”
“Keep it down. I told you something feels off. I think the Blocking Field was breached.”
“You said it was fine. That there were no traces, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I was mistaken, or maybe I just couldn’t find any traces at all. Let’s just go. If it’s the latter, staying here feels too risky.”
I noticed a group of Users walking toward the entrance. For some reason, the User leading them looked familiar. It wasn’t their face; because of the long strands of hair hanging down beside their neatly cut bangs, I couldn't see it clearly. However, the aura they exuded felt familiar. I activated Third Eye once more.
Player Status
1. Name: Heo Yuri (Year 4 User)
2. Class: Mage (Normal, Mage, Master)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: Reverse
5. True Name · Nationality: Mad Flame's Jester · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (25)
7. Height · Weight: 165.5cm · 45.5kg
8. Alignment: Aggressive · Sharp
Stats
1. [Strength 55] [Durability 48] [Agility 64] [Stamina 56] [Magic Power 92(+1)] [Luck 52]
Stat Comparison
1. Kim Soohyun: 544 / 600~
(12 stat points remaining.)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 72] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
2. Heo Yuri: 367 / 600~
(No stat points remaining.)
[Strength 55] [Durability 48] [Agility 64] [Stamina 56] [Magic Power 92(+1)] [Luck 52]
Heo Yuri. The Reverse Clan. The moment I read the lead User’s information, a dry laugh escaped me. I thought she looked familiar, and sure enough, they were people I remembered.
The Reverse Clan was one that existed until the latter half of the Hall Plain’s history. They were a unique group. The clan had no exceptional Users on the level of the Ten Strong, and they had maybe one or two Secret or Rare classes at most.
However, there was a time when I had wanted to join the Reverse Clan. If Han Soyoung hadn’t scouted me, I would have almost certainly applied to join them. That’s how highly I thought of them. The Reverse Clan could be defined as a gathering of Users who relied on pure effort.
They proved that even normal Users could become powerful enough. One of their most famous exploits was their battle against the Odin Clan, which was formed on the southern continent. At the time, Odin boasted many incredible Users and was considered top-tier in terms of quality, yet Reverse fought them without yielding an inch.
That was how aggressive they were. And at the pinnacle of that aggression was an elite group within Reverse known as the Extermination Squad. The squad’s reputation was known even to Users on other continents. It was said that even Vagabonds were told to flee on sight if they ever encountered the Extermination Squad.
I suddenly found myself wondering why they were here now. A thousand complex thoughts flooded my mind, but they quickly exited the inn. I stared at the entrance they had left through for a moment before calmly shaking my head. If they were from Reverse, they couldn’t be considered enemies. We had been allies in the past, and even looking back on the first playthrough, there was nothing about them that worried me.
The clan I was currently aiming to build was an Odin-style, small-but-elite clan. The biggest weakness of such a clan was its lack of numbers. The solution, then, was to form alliances with other clans to supplement our forces, and the Reverse Clan was a perfect fit. Since they were mainly composed of normal Users, they had plenty of members, and they would eventually become strong enough to be called a powerhouse of combat.
I chuckled and watched the spot where they had been for a moment before turning my gaze back to the table. Seeing old acquaintances in an unexpected place had made me feel a bit nostalgic. Contact with them would come much later, so meeting them now was premature.
In any case, it was time to tell my clan members why we had come to Barbara.
Now that I had founded the Mercenary Clan, we needed a base of operations for our future activities. Assuming we had enough funds, most people would think of Barbara. However, I had absolutely no intention of setting up our base here. I knew all too well what would become of this metropolis after the civil war. The reason I had come here now was because I needed to gauge the developing situation.
I looked at Vivian, who was smacking her lips while sucking her fingers, and slowly began to speak.
“Let’s continue the conversation we couldn’t finish back in Mule. Everyone, please listen carefully.”
“““Yes.”””
They answered in unison. Just in case, I checked the Blocking Field one more time before continuing in a low voice.
“As you’ve all heard, the Golden Lion Clan has failed its expedition to the Steel Mountains. For the time being, I plan to watch how the situation unfolds. To observe the trend, it's best to be at the center of the flow—the most sensitive location. We won’t need long. The current plan is for exactly one week. We will stay in Barbara for a week and then leave for another city. Of course, I don’t intend for us to just sit around for that week. If you have any questions, please ask.”
Hayeon immediately raised her hand. I nodded, giving her permission to speak.
“You said User Ko Yeonju will be gathering information. And you said we won’t be sitting around for a week. So, what should the other clan members be doing during that time?”
“Yes. Actually, there were a few lingering issues back in Mule. Once we move to another city, we will begin our activities in earnest. Before that, I plan to resolve all those issues. I think we will spend this week getting those things in order.”
“Lingering issues…”
“It’s related to personal privacy, so it's difficult to speak about it openly like this. However, they are problems that must be resolved. Since I can’t say it with everyone gathered here, I will inform each clan member individually.”
There were several reasons for coming to Barbara. The biggest, as I just said, was to observe the flow of the Hall Plain from the closest possible vantage point. Recruiting new comrades, organizing our equipment (binding the Mimic), and registering the clan crest were all secondary matters.
So much had changed from the first playthrough. Because so many things had happened in Mule, there was no guarantee that the future I knew would unfold in the same way. In other words, I didn't know how things would change from now on. At this crucial turning point, I couldn't predict even a step ahead how the situation might suddenly shift, so I needed to confirm the changes and adjust my plans accordingly.
All sorts of complex thoughts filled my head. I let out a deep sigh and looked out the window. The sunset glow was gradually fading, and in its place, a dusky twilight was settling in. I stretched lightly. It was about time for the Users who had gone out to explore outside the city to return. It would be better to move now than to try and find an inn when it got crowded.
After laying out a few more words of caution, I slowly stood up. As I rose, the other clan members followed suit. When I went to the counter to pay, I saw the same waitress from before, looking sullen. I felt a little bad for her, but I had no intention of giving her another tip.
“That will be 4 Gold and 70 Silver.”
“Thank you! Please come again!”
After paying the still-exorbitant price for snacks, I walked toward the exit. As I opened the door of the Gentle Breeze and stepped outside, a cool evening breeze wrapped around me before passing by as if letting go.
At the same time, a thought about Kim Hanbyul also briefly crossed my mind.