Chapter 193: Start Inn
Chapter 193: Start Inn
I’d accidentally witnessed their relationship back in Mule. Honestly, the relationship itself wasn't necessarily problematic. It wasn't as if they hated each other's guts; it was simply a relationship where one party was avoiding the other.
However, while she wasn't avoiding her as deliberately as she had back then, Ahn Sol was still clearly uncomfortable around Ko Yeonju.
Some of our clan members saw Ahn Sol as a child. In fact, it was safe to say most of us did, myself included. But Ahn Sol was, strictly speaking, a twenty-year-old adult. It was just a hunch, not a certainty, but I felt that if I dug into this, I might find the key to understanding Ahn Sol's childish behavior.
I had tried to subtly bring it up with Ahn Hyun and Ahn Sol several times. But both of them, as if by some unspoken agreement, refused to say a word about it. They were kids who would listen to me about almost anything, so there had to be some reason they were keeping quiet. If it was related to some trauma, poking at it carelessly would be a bad idea. That was why I hadn't pressed the issue until now.
But I couldn't just let it be forever. Since we were currently taking a breather before our next major move, I didn't like the idea of leaving this unresolved. So, my plan was to slowly, gradually bring it to the surface. It would be best to hear it from them directly, but judging by their reactions, that seemed unlikely.
So, I decided my first step would be to ask Ko Yeonju directly. She was currently busy gathering the information I'd requested. Rather than bothering her while she was busy, I figured it would be better to ask when she came to deliver her next report.
With that final thought, I finished my overall review of the sources of instability within the Mercenary Clan. There were still a few unresolved issues, but they were things that would have to be monitored over time.
Now, it was time to turn my attention outward.
I had come to Barbara to observe the currents of the Hall Plain from its most volatile location. More specifically, however, there were two things I was currently anticipating. One was the promotional campaign I had entrusted to the Residents of the Clan Establishment Hall in Mule, and the other was the Golden Lion Clan's Call to Arms.
First, regarding the clan's promotion, I wasn't too worried. It was certainly taking longer than I'd expected, but by now, they would have heard the news of the failed Steel Mountains expedition. Which meant the Residents were likely waiting for the opportune moment.
From a broader perspective, the Golden Lion's failed expedition was unfortunate. But for others, it was a cause for gloating. And from the perspective of the pioneer city of Mule, it could be an opportunity. By widely publicizing the achievements we made in Mule, they could lift the generally somber mood while simultaneously capturing the interest of other Users.
It wasn't a bad thing from my perspective, either. In fact, I welcomed it with open arms. In my first playthrough, I spent most of the decade operating in the shadows. But in this second playthrough, I intended to step fully into the light. Stepping into the light meant that some information about me would inevitably be exposed. And since they were waiting for the right moment, it was clear that once the real promotion began, our achievements would stand out all the more.
The next event to watch for was the Golden Lion Clan's Call to Arms. Until now, the Golden Lion Clan had acted as the de facto leader of the Northern Continent. They weren't officially declared as such, but as the single most powerful faction, with a long list of achievements and a history older than any other clan, their leadership was tacitly acknowledged. You could see it in the way they took the lead on matters concerning the User Academy.
More than a few clans were unhappy with their high-handedness. But since open conflict between Users was rare, they simply kept their dissatisfaction hidden. The relationship probably began to truly sour when the Golden Lion announced their plans for the Vagabond extermination and the Steel Mountains expedition.
If they could forge a path through the Steel Mountains to Atlanta, the clans participating in the expedition would be guaranteed a golden future. The Northern Continent was already nearing saturation. If a new continent full of opportunities was opened, the clans that participated in the expedition would naturally have priority access.
The Golden Lion Clan couldn't have been ignorant of this, yet they filled all the key positions for these plans with their allied clans. Before the expedition even began, as the atmosphere grew thick with confidence of its success, the resentment from the excluded clans inevitably grew.
But now, the situation had completely reversed. The sluggish response to the rescue requests from Users who had barely escaped the Steel Mountains was likely a result of this same resentment. The emotional rift between them was already growing uncontrollably deep.
This was precisely why I saw the Call to Arms as a critical turning point. Depending on how this summons played out, I would know whether the future would follow its original course or diverge onto a new path.
After the failure of the Steel Mountains expedition became official, the Golden Lion Clan was unwilling to relinquish the control they had held for so long. So, to announce their official stance and rally support, they issued a Call to Arms for all the city's representative clans. Less than half responded.
They should have taken the hint. But that damn pride of theirs... Despite losing a significant number of their elite Users—their main fighting force—were they blinded by past glory? Their pride wounded by the poor turnout, the Golden Lion committed the outrage of issuing a stern warning to the clans that had ignored their summons.
In short, the Golden Lion's harsh warning became the catalyst that ignited years of pent-up resentment.
Naturally, the clans that received the warning scoffed. Clans that would have previously stayed quiet as mice finally began to voice their discontent openly. Some even mocked them openly. The Reverse Clan, I think it was?
Just as these animosities were deepening, the Vagabonds finally made their move. Being based in the Northern Continent, they must have had some grasp of the internal political situation. Backed by the power of the Western Continent's Users, they advanced through the western cities toward the metropolis of Barbara.
The Vagabonds' target was the Golden Lion Clan. Having suffered greatly from the Vagabond extermination plan, they were burning with a thirst for revenge. The western city of Halo fell without much resistance, and riding that momentum, they immediately invaded Barbara.
The stunned Golden Lion Clan desperately called for reinforcements. But most of their allied clans from the expedition had lost their leaders. In that state, a proper mobilization was impossible. Instead, Users began to flee to other cities or simply deserted their clans, washing their hands of the matter.
The clans at odds with the Golden Lion ignored their pleas for help. Then, as if on cue, they began declaring their independence one by one. In that instant, they shut down every Warp Gate leading to Barbara. It was an extreme measure, taken with the literal intent of ensuring the Golden Lion's downfall.
This is just my speculation, but I believe the Vagabonds were well aware of these circumstances. It couldn't be called collusion, but in effect, the newly independent clans simply watched the Golden Lion's downfall from the sidelines, as if watching a fire across the river.
The Vagabonds' thirst for revenge. The independent clans' conflict with the Golden Lion and their greed for Barbara. These desires intertwined, and their interests happened to align perfectly. A tacit agreement was formed: the Vagabonds wouldn't touch the other cities, and the independent clans wouldn't interfere.
In the end, the Golden Lion Clan, who remained in the city and fought to the last, was utterly annihilated. If the Warp Gates had been open, they might have been able to escape, but the other cities, accepting Barbara's fall as a foregone conclusion, had all sealed their gates.
The future that followed—the Western Continent Users and Vagabonds growing greedier and eventually turning on each other, leading to the formation of a subjugation force—was still a long way off. For now, my top priority was to gauge how events would unfold after the Call to Arms, which I saw as the turning point.
I let out a deep sigh and organized my thoughts.
Four days had passed since the first distress call came in. They had eventually dispatched a rescue team, but it was little more than a token gesture. The Golden Lion and their allies had wanted to form a proper rescue party, insisting there were still survivors in the mountains, but their proposal was flatly rejected. With that, the fuse was lit.
The atmosphere in the metropolis was grim, as if doused with cold water. But beneath the surface, a fire was slowly growing—one that would soon change the entire landscape of the Northern Continent.
*
Six days after our arrival in Barbara, Ko Yeonju returned with the information I'd requested on the Steel Mountains expedition. Even for a master of information gathering like her, this request had been a tall order. She had to force her way through the Golden Lion Clan's attempts to downplay and conceal the facts.
“You've worked hard.”
“Whew. It was nothing. Still, I don't get these guys. The truth is bound to come out soon, and the clans that sent rescue teams must already have a good idea of what happened.”
“It looks like a desperate struggle to maintain control.”
“Tsk, tsk.”
As Ko Yeonju clicked her tongue, I lowered my gaze. In my hands were more than ten pages of records, filled with elegant script. I'd only asked for the major points, but it seemed she had investigated every last detail.
I briefly scanned the documents and shook my head slightly. There was too much. Even reading it carefully would take time to process. I wanted to let her rest, but as I'd decided earlier, there was something I needed to ask about Ahn Sol. So, I decided to read the report later and looked up again.
Ko Yeonju was in the middle of a delicate yawn, but she quickly covered her mouth when she saw me looking. Then she shot me a look of mock indignation. I gave a faint smile and glanced around. It was a stretch to call it an office, but I had secured a private room for myself here at the Morning Sunlight Inn.
“Did you read it all already?”
“No, I'll need some time to go through this. But before that, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. And no, for the record, it's not your measurements.”
“Hmph.”
Ko Yeonju pouted. After enjoying this uncharacteristically cute display for a moment, I continued calmly.
“This is about what happened at The Demure Lady. Didn’t Ahn Sol run away the moment she saw you?”
“Ah, yes. That did happen. The way she screamed and ran... it's not something you forget. I was actually a little hurt.”
“Since then, Ahn Sol has seemed to be avoiding you. To be blunt, I'd like to know what happened between the two of you.”
“Hmm...”
Ko Yeonju's reaction was unexpected. I was so used to her confident demeanor that seeing her look troubled felt strange.
“Well, it wasn't really a big deal, but...”
Her eyes darted around as she pursed her lips. She seemed to be recalling the incident. Then, she turned to me, her expression clearly asking, Do you really have to know?
I met her gaze with one of my own that said, Yes. I absolutely do.
As if she'd received my firm resolve, Ko Yeonju let out a deep sigh. I faintly heard her mutter between sighs, “She asked me never to tell anyone...” Then, she continued in a reluctant voice.
“Fine. But you have to promise you won't let on to that girl that you know. I'm the only one who knows about this.”
I nodded, accepting her condition. Even so, Ko Yeonju still seemed to hesitate. What on earth could have happened between them to make her react this way? A sliver of curiosity rose within me.
After a moment, Ko Yeonju's lips slowly parted.