Chapter 199: An Opportunity Arrives
Chapter 199: An Opportunity Arrives
For a moment, the Princess of Execution’s eyes sharpened. Simultaneously, the formless energy swirling around her turned hostile. An aura like sharp needles pricking the air instantly filled the room.
“……”
But the moment the Princess of Execution looked directly at Han Soyoung, the hostility vanished as if it had never existed, and the initial silence returned. Han Soyoung also possessed a Secret Class on par with the Princess of Execution: Battlefield Maestro. Moreover, she was the Clan Lord of Istantel Low Clan. Their positions formed a clear vertical hierarchy.
An uncomfortable silence hung between them for a while, but it was the Princess of Execution who finally broke it, her tone simmering.
“I’m not sure.”
Her voice was thick with bruised pride. Unfazed, Han Soyoung asked her the same question again.
“Tell me anyway. I’m curious. That man isn’t one of the Ten Strong, is he? Are you not confident?”
“I told you, I don’t know. He may not be one of the Ten Strong, but judging by his skills and the rumors I’ve heard, it’s safe to say he’s on their level. He just hasn’t been called one because the spots were already taken. So, honestly, no, I don’t think I can win with 100% certainty.”
“That’s unexpected. For you to rate a User that highly. It makes me even more interested.”
Han Soyoung let out a light scoff, her eyes widening. The Princess of Execution bit her lip and sharply turned her head away. Averting Han Soyoung’s gaze, she began to speak, her voice sullen.
“I have to admit what’s true. Anyway, I know very well how much you covet talented people, but if you’re thinking of recruiting that man, I’d tell you to wake up. And it’s not just about that User, Kim Yoohyun. There are plenty of users out there who are just as skilled as we are. Why would they choose to serve under someone?”
“A valid point. What about Kim Soohyun, then?”
The Princess of Execution breathed a sigh of relief when Han Soyoung readily nodded in agreement. However, her face crumpled in fury at the words that followed. Han Soyoung was usually colder and more rational than necessary, but when it came to talent, she would charge through fire and water. Knowing this all too well, the Princess of Execution’s eyes flashed as she shook her head vehemently.
“I don’t like him. No, absolutely not.”
“You don’t like him? Why?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? Didn’t you read the records? That bitch is under him! You want me to eat from the same pot as Ko Yeonju?”
“I read it. And I know about the issue between you and her.”
Han Soyoung replied in a placid voice. At the mention of “that bitch,” the Shadow Queen, Ko Yeonju, a chilling killing intent rose in the Princess of Execution’s eyes. Han Soyoung watched her for a moment before speaking in a cold tone.
“So, you’re telling me not to meet this man because of your personal grudge?”
“…Tch.”
The Princess of Execution instinctively shut her mouth. She and the woman before her, Han Soyoung, had been through thick and thin together since their Rite of Passage. An outsider might think Han Soyoung’s expression hadn’t changed, but she could feel it instinctively. Han Soyoung was angry.
Though she fell silent, her scowl remained. Her displeasure was still evident. But Han Soyoung made her stance perfectly clear.
“If you happen to meet him, and you make even the slightest mistake in front of the Shadow Queen… I will never forgive you.”
“…Uh.”
“Yeon Hyerim.”
“Ah, I get it, alright?!”
When Han Soyoung pressed her again, the Princess of Execution—no, Yeon Hyerim—finally raised the white flag. She snapped back with a sharp retort before letting out a heavy sigh. Only then did Han Soyoung withdraw her gaze, a satisfied look on her face.
“Ugh. You’re going to be the death of me. Fine. That User is in Barbara right now, and the Golden Lion’s Call to Arms was just issued. What are you going to do about that?”
“Yes. I’ve thought about it.”
“Are you going?”
“I wasn’t planning to, but…”
Han Soyoung paused, pulling a neatly folded envelope from her clothes. The lion crest stamped on it shone with a golden hue. She rolled the envelope between her thumb and forefinger a few times before continuing in a soft voice.
“Now that the portal is open, it would be best to go. This is the first time we’ve received a summons regarding the User Academy. I can see that man while I’m at it.”
“Hmph. ‘While you’re at it’? Aren’t you getting your priorities mixed up?”
“Shut up. In any case, we have to leave before sunset, so start getting ready. You’re all I need to bring, so there’s no need to prepare anyone else. I’ll delegate my duties to Dayeon while I’m gone.”
Having said her piece, Han Soyoung uncrossed her legs. As she rose to her feet, her voluptuous figure was revealed in full.
“…Hmph.”
Yeon Hyerim, whose own body was relatively slender, found her gaze momentarily stolen by the other woman’s figure. And in that gaze was a flicker of unidentifiable envy.
*
“Blocking Field. Superposition.”
Hayeon’s clear voice rang out, and I felt a formless barrier materialize around us. Only then did the group’s tense expressions finally relax as they slumped into their seats. It seemed the journey from the Morning Sunlight Inn to the Gentle Breeze pub had been quite taxing.
We had taken a table at the Gentle Breeze, the high-class pub we’d visited when we first arrived in Barbara. We’d had a simple meal at the Morning Sunlight, but the atmosphere there wasn’t suitable for a quiet conversation.
“It was like watching the parting of the Red Sea. The moment Yeonju-unni stood next to you, Oppa, the crowd just split apart…”
“Heeeh. The pressure was killing me.”
“Me too. Wow, but the third floor is a completely different world from the first floor, isn’t it? I thought the first floor was nice, but up here they give you a whole private room.”
I stared quietly at Yoojung, who was muttering to herself. The way she had started calling Ko Yeonju “Unni” that morning was getting on my nerves. Of course, I still didn’t know what kind of conversation had passed between them. Since there were more pressing matters at hand, I decided it would be better to hear the story later.
After organizing my thoughts, I decided to answer Ahn Hyun’s question first.
“The third floor isn’t for just anyone. In modern terms, it’s a place only VIPs can enter.”
“But I’m still a Year 0 User… Ah, is it because I have a Rare Class? Hah.”
“No. It’s probably because of User Ko Yeonju. Like I said before, you need to be more aware of what it means to be one of the Ten Strong.”
“I don’t really care about things like that~.”
Ko Yeonju shrugged and picked up two sandwiches from the plate in front of her, feeding one to me. We had placed the same order as last time, but the food that came out was much more varied. Last time, it was one per person; this time, there was enough for two each.
I wanted to savor the sweet flavor spreading through my mouth, but it was time to get to the main topic.
“Alright, User Ko Yeonju. You said you had more to report about the Golden Lion Clan’s Call to Arms.”
“Yes. A lot happened while you were deeply asleep, Soohyun-ssi. It seems you already know about the portal and the publicity, so shall I skip those?”
“Just give me the details on the Call to Arms.”
Ko Yeonju displayed the divine skill of speaking with perfect enunciation even while chewing her sandwich. After a single gulp, she began to explain the details I had requested.
“Early this morning, the Golden Lion Clan issued a massive Call to Arms. Basically, they summoned all the representative clans from each city. The noteworthy part is that they also invited several clans that aren’t representative clans.”
“Clans other than the representatives. That’s a bit vague.”
“Yes. They may not be representative clans, but it seems they invited other well-known ones. In the past, if you were to divide the authority over the User Academy by percentage, the Golden Lion held about 70%, their allied clans 20%, and other clans about 10%. The pie that is the User Academy is a fixed size. In fact, with the number of new Users dropping sharply these days, you could say it’s even shrinking. Because of that, they tended to invite as few people as possible, so this is definitely unexpected.”
“It must be one of two things. Either they’ve accurately read the current situation and are adapting, or they have some other ulterior motive.”
I paused and held out my hand, wanting another taste of the sandwich I had just eaten. However, my hand met only empty air. I glanced to my side and saw Vivian happily sucking her fingers. A quick look around showed the others staring at Vivian with fed-up expressions. I immediately grabbed her ear and pulled.
“Gah! W-What was that for?!”
“Hey. You can’t just eat them all yourself.”
“N-No, I didn’t! Ow! S-Sorry! Hey! That hurts! I said I was sorry! Stop… Aah, let go… Ngh! Aaaah, ahn…”
The shrieks Vivian had been letting out began to take on a strange, inexplicable tone toward the end. Horrified, I quickly let go of her ear. Vivian rubbed her ear, glaring at me with a dissatisfied look. Was she upset because it hurt, or because I didn’t do more?
“Ahem. My apologies. Please continue.”
Ko Yeonju gave Vivian a strange look, then tilted her head and continued speaking. I had a feeling she had picked up on some faint clue.
“Well, they’re a very proud bunch. I think it’s more likely they’ll be defiant rather than scheming. Of course, they’re not idiots, so they’ll make some concessions, but it will likely end up as nothing more than a token gesture. In any case, the situation in the Hall Plain has been changing rapidly over the last day or two. The opening of the Inn of Beginnings, the launch of our clan, and the Golden Lion’s Call to Arms. It can be broken down into these three major events. And…”
Listening to her rattle off the current state of the Hall Plain, I felt a sense of ease. Having Ko Yeonju around was so convenient. Without me having to lift a finger, almost all the information I needed was flowing right into my hands. If she weren’t here, I might not be panicking, but I’d certainly be racking my brain right now.
“Ah. And this.”
Ko Yeonju gave me a wink as if telling me to expect something, then reached into her clothes. She pulled a thin-looking envelope from her cleavage and gently pushed it across the table toward me. I looked down and saw an envelope stamped with a gleaming golden lion crest.
“Is this…”
“I haven’t read it yet. But I think I know what it is. It’s probably a summons from the Golden Lion Clan.”
“Hahaha.”
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at her answer. The funny thing was, I’d had the exact same thought the moment I saw the envelope. The Golden Lion Clan had sent a summons to a clan that was only a week old. In the past, such a thing would have been unimaginable.
As if she understood the meaning behind my laughter, Ko Yeonju followed with a faint smile and continued.
“I think the first Call to Arms was sent right after the portal opened. Its opening gave them the minimum justification they needed. The publicity for our clan happened at dawn. And they sent a herald with this envelope about an hour before you came down, Soohyun. In other words, this is a hastily prepared second Call to Arms. Two Secret Classes and three Rare Classes. It’s proof of just how valuable Mercenary is right now.”
“Isn’t the fact that you’re one of the Ten Strong a bigger reason?”
“Aww~. It’s too embarrassing to say it myself~.”
At my words, Ko Yeonju acted cute, her eyes crinkling into a smile. Jung Hayeon, who had been quietly chewing on a cookie, made a face as if she’d tasted something foul.
In any case, as she said, the Golden Lion Clan had more than enough reason to summon us. Setting aside the Mercenary Clan’s potential, two of the remaining three members of the Ten Strong belonged to non-participating clans. That meant the last one, Ko Yeonju, and whose side she would take, would become a major point of interest.
Just as all eyes were naturally about to focus on her whereabouts, a clan called Mercenary dropped out of the sky and snatched her away. Of course, that couldn’t be all. They had been trying to maintain their relationships with allied clans ever since she was rescued from the expedition, so they must have contacted the Beech Tree Clan. And they would have found out what happened to them. That meant this envelope wasn’t just a simple summons; it carried a wide variety of implications.
I stared at the envelope for a moment before looking up and speaking.
“What do you think the other clans will do?”
“Nothing’s certain yet. But isn’t it highly likely they’ll come? The current situation is chaotic enough, and now a very tasty piece of bait called the User Academy has been thrown out. Perhaps…”
Highly likely they’ll come. Something I had feared might happen was becoming a reality. Normally, they should have refused the summons, but the opening of the portal had increased the probability that they would respond. I closed my eyes for a moment, lost in thought. But nothing came to mind, and I eventually opened them again.
Ko Yeonju’s eyes darted back and forth as if studying my reaction, before she whispered in a suggestive tone.
“Perhaps some very interesting things might happen at this gathering. What do you say, Soohyun? This summons… why don’t we answer it?”
“Hmm. Let’s read it first. Then we’ll decide.”
I gave a simple reply and immediately tore open the top of the envelope.