Chapter 204: That Was But a Misconception
Chapter 204: That Was But a Misconception
It might go without saying, but an unspoken hierarchy existed among the Users of the Hall Plain. Of course, it wasn't officially acknowledged, but it was an undeniable reality that individuals were treated differently based on their abilities.
While skill was paramount, it wasn't the sole factor in determining a person's rank. A User’s standing was decided by a combination of complex factors, including their seniority, connections, reputation, and equipment. In that respect, the User who had just entered could be considered to occupy the very top of the Hall Plain's hierarchy. The woman's identity was…
“We greet you, Matriarch.”
She was a User known in the Hall Plain by the title of Matriarch. As she entered, the Users seated at my table respectfully bowed their heads and spoke in unison. The Users across from us didn’t speak, but I could see them ducking their heads with flustered expressions.
I’d forgotten her name for a moment, but I knew who she was. She was an old User who had led the Golden Lion Clan since before the Barbara invasion, someone so revered within their clan that they called her a living legend.
She was likely one of the longest-surviving Users in existence, a figure worthy of reverence for her seniority alone. Of course, in the first playthrough, she hadn't even made it past ten years before she died.
The Matriarch wore a single thick, long robe, so worn it looked like rags. A heavy gold necklace hung around her neck, draping over her chest and swaying near her abdomen. The well-worn staff in her hand radiated an extraordinary aura.
The Matriarch’s eyes shifted from the left table to the right. Her gaze eventually came to rest on Ko Yeonju and me, and at the same time, her lips parted, a hoarse sound emerging.
“Yeonju. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, Matriarch. It has. It’s been a long time for me as well.”
“Heh heh. You cheeky thing. You’ve got a silver tongue. If you knew it’s been a while, you should have visited every now and then.”
“Ho ho. Every time I tried, the man behind you was such a nuisance. It became a burden to keep visiting.”
At Ko Yeonju’s words, the Matriarch glanced behind her. Suddenly called out, Park Hyunwoo looked guilty and averted his gaze. She clicked her tongue once or twice and spoke with a low chuckle.
“I thought I told you to stop clinging to a girl who’s not interested. Tsk, tsk.”
“I… I have no excuse.”
“That’s why you’re not popular with women.”
A light chuckle rippled through the meeting room for a moment. But it was only for a moment. The matter at hand was so grave that it wasn't enough to change the heavy atmosphere.
Soon, the Matriarch’s gaze turned to me. Her eyes held a deep and profound light. I met her stare calmly.
“So you’re that talked-about Mercenary Clan Lord.”
“Yes. I am.”
“Goodness. You don’t look a day over your early twenties, but what’s with those eyes? You look like a jaded old man in a young man’s body who’s only tasted the bitterness of life. It’s a pity to see. A young person shouldn’t be like that.”
“…”
I felt several gazes turn toward me at the Matriarch’s words. Though I feigned composure, I felt a sting inside. As I remained silent, she gave a breathy huff and then exhaled deeply.
“Well, now. I thought I’d chat a bit since it’s been a while since I’ve seen a young man with a bright future, but the glares from the others are getting sharper. Alright, you bastards. I’ll get to the point, so stop staring.”
“Ahem! Ahem-hem!”
I heard a couple of people from the opposite side clear their throats. The Matriarch surveyed the entire room before slowly opening her mouth.
“Alright. First, thank you all for coming all this way. It feels a bit strange to say this now, but I originally wasn’t very interested in this matter. After the conquest of Barbara, I felt both my limitations and my growing weariness. I don’t have much time left anyway, so I just wanted to live a quiet life in a quiet place. And I was.”
“Matriarch.”
“Hyunwoo, you stay quiet.”
Park Hyunwoo took a step forward to stop her, but he quickly retreated at her words.
“I see many faces that look surprised to see me. Though I may have retired, I’m still registered with the Golden Lion Clan. And anyway, since that old geezer managed to come back alive, I suppose our ties haven’t been completely severed. So don’t take it the wrong way. I won’t stop you if you insist on seeing me as part of the Golden Lion Clan, but I’d appreciate it if you just saw me as the Matriarch, as you’ve always called me.”
Her appearance was certainly a surprise to me as well. Although the Golden Lion Clan was now on a path of decline, they were once a clan that ruled the Northern Continent—at least, until the expedition. Their true golden age was said to have begun with the conquest of Barbara, and the two figures who played the largest roles in laying the clan’s foundation were the former Clan Lord and the Matriarch before me now. That was the Matriarch I remembered.
In any case, one way or another, she was saying she would get involved. The expressions of those who heard her changed in subtle ways.
Just then, I saw someone from the opposite table raise their hand. I turned my gaze that way and saw the characters 高麗 (Goryeo) engraved on his raised right arm. The Goryeo Clan was the powerhouse of the eastern city and, after the expedition, boasted the largest number of members among all surviving clans.
The Matriarch glanced at him and gave a slight nod. It was a silent gesture granting him permission to speak.
“I am Jo Seongho, a Year 4 User and a diplomatic officer of the Goryeo Clan. It is an honor to meet you, Matriarch.”
“For the record, I don’t mind talking, but I hate listening to long speeches. So from now on, you can skip the pleasantries. I’d appreciate it if you got straight to the point.”
“Understood. As you mentioned earlier, we did not expect you to attend this meeting. May we then assume you are aware of the full circumstances regarding the Steel Mountains expedition?”
“Mm. I’ve heard the gist of it.”
This User, the diplomatic cadre from the Goryeo Clan, was quite a character himself. He showed remarkable composure, getting straight to the point without being fazed by the Matriarch’s bluntness. As he spoke, uncomfortable murmurs flowed from the Users on my side. In contrast, the Users on the opposite side wore relaxed expressions.
“I asked just in case. In that case, we would first like to hear your esteemed opinion on the matter.”
“Jo Seongho. Is there really a need to bring that up now?”
It was then that a gruff, dissatisfied voice erupted from among the Users sitting across from him. The speaker immediately stood up and glared at Jo Seongho. On his left arm was the emblem of the Balhae Clan.
Despite the sudden challenge, Jo Seongho’s face remained perfectly composed, as if he had expected it.
“Of course. Isn’t this an issue that must be addressed?”
“Ha. Ridiculous. We’ve gathered here because the portal at the Inn of Beginnings has opened. I don’t see why we need to bring that up in a place like this.”
“‘That’? I believe it would be more accurate to call it the Steel Mountains expedition. Hahaha. In any case, you are quite naive. Do you truly believe the call to arms was issued just for the new Users?”
“What, naive? It’s not what you say, but how you say it. Am I mistaken, or is your tone incredibly unpleasant right now?”
The Balhae Clan member gritted his teeth, showing his anger. However, as if he had been waiting for those words, Jo Seongho looked around and continued.
“My, I have no idea why you’re so angry. We came here to hear about that matter, and it is our duty to ask, is it not? No, before that. Can we even discuss the User Academy without addressing that issue first? Am I wrong?”
“That’s right. I don’t understand why he’s suddenly so angry. Does he have something to hide? Hohohoho!”
“He’s right.”
His words were immediately met with agreement from the non-participating clans. The longer the chorus of approval went on, the more the Balhae User’s face twisted, flushing red and pale. At that moment, another User who had been watching in silence scraped her chair back loudly and shot out in a sharp voice.
“That’s not even funny. Like the person before said, I don’t know why you’d bother bringing that up here. It really shows what kind of people you are~?”
“That’s right. It does show. It’s quite a surprise to be contacted by people who never cared whether a portal opened or not. As you said, it really shows a person’s true colors~.”
“Oh my, are you being sarcastic?”
“Oh my, I was just stating the facts. Speaking of which, an old saying suddenly comes to mind. A guilty conscience needs no accuser.”
The one who responded this time wasn't Jo Seongho, but Heo Yuri of the Reverse Clan. Once again, the number of Users agreeing with her grew, and at the same time, the conflict that had been barely suppressed until now began to surface. I glanced over and saw the Matriarch staring at them with weary eyes. A look of annoyance was plain on her face. Come to think of it, how did this person die in the first playthrough?
While I was lost in thought, the voices flying back and forth across the meeting room grew progressively louder. Eventually, they reached a point where they were laced with personal attacks and could easily be considered shouting.
“Pfft. You must have felt quite inferior, huh? Now that things seem a little easier for you, are you starting to bare your fangs? How truly pathetic.”
“I don’t think things are just ‘a little’ easier~?”
“That’s not something people who hid behind another clan’s ass should be saying. Look who’s talking, you all seem to be doing well for yourselves these days. I can still clearly picture you all crying and whining not too long ago. Hahaha!”
“What did you say? Are you done talking?”
The atmosphere in the room had become a tinderbox. However, listening closely, the allied clans were at a slight disadvantage. It was inevitable. They had committed transgressions in the past. In reality, it wasn’t that the other clans had refused to participate in the Vagabond Extermination Plan or the Steel Mountains expedition. They had been excluded from the very beginning, and the discontent they felt back then was only now exploding.
A little more time passed, and the situation continued to deteriorate beyond mere chaos. Finally, after a scathing remark from the Su Clan’s diplomatic officer, the hot-tempered representative of the Flamebane Knights erupted in fury. Thick, viscous killing intent streamed from his eyes; had there been no one around, he looked ready to draw his weapon at once.
“Enough!”
Finally, the Matriarch, who had been watching silently, could no longer stand it. She slammed her staff down hard and shouted. Her voice was thick with hoarseness, but it was so filled with magic power that it was more than enough to shake the entire room.
A frigid silence fell over the heated meeting room, as if doused with cold water. However, the sound of heavy, angry breathing could still be heard from all around. They had only closed their mouths; it felt like a second round could start at the slightest misstep.
The Matriarch looked around at them as though they were pathetic and clicked her tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. First, all of you who are standing, sit your asses back down.”
“…”
“Pathetic fools. To think that the ones who claim to represent the cities and lead the Northern Continent are acting like this. It’s much worse than I thought. Your predecessors would be clapping their hands in glee to see how well the Northern Continent is being run.”
“M-Matriarch! But they started it…”
“Shut up! You’re not children. And if you think about it, they’re not wrong, are they? If you cause a problem, you should think about how to solve it. Do you think sweeping it under the rug makes everything okay?”
Her outburst left the Users from the allied clans speechless. In contrast, the members of the non-allied clans regained their composure. From her words just now, I could finally understand to some extent why the Matriarch was respected by most Users. She wasn’t biased toward one side; she was a User with a neutral perspective. Come to think of it, I seemed to recall a rumor from the first playthrough that the reason she left the Golden Lion Clan was a falling out with the current Clan Lord.
“Damn it all. It was my mistake to trust that old geezer. If the former Clan Lord, now asleep, could see this, he’d be beating the ground and wailing. You there, did you say your name was Jo Seongho? Yes. I’ve heard the gist of the situation. This damned old man and his cronies really made a mess of things. And they screwed it up spectacularly.”
“Matriarch!”
“Didn’t I tell you to shut your mouths? You have no right to speak here. Don’t you dare open your mouths until I give you permission.”
“…Keuk.”
“You must have been riding high until halfway through. Then, once you saw how it ended, you scrambled to deal only with what was right in front of you. Did you never consider how the deaths of 5,000 Users—and the loss of those elites—would affect the Northern Continent?”
“…”
Because every word she said was right, they could only remain silent. Confirming this, the Matriarch turned her head to the other side.
“And you lot, choose your words more carefully. I can overlook you bringing it up, but your tone was less about genuine curiosity and more about mocking and ridiculing the other party.”
“Th-That is…”
“In any case, I came here to mediate a conflict, not to start a fight. The fact that you all answered the call to arms means there’s something you want, doesn’t it? Anyway, stop with the nonsense and tell me what you’re really thinking. I’ll hear you out.”
“…”
A general silence fell over the chaotic meeting room. Park Hyunwoo and Sung Yubin, standing behind the Matriarch, looked restless; it seemed they hadn't expected things to unfold this way either. Then again, how lacking in personnel must they be to call upon the Matriarch, who had all but left the Golden Lion Clan? Looked at another way, it meant that besides the Matriarch, there was no one else in the Golden Lion Clan who could control a meeting of this magnitude.
Just then, I saw someone at the edge of the left table slowly raise their hand.
“If I may, I would like to say a word.”
“Hm? You don’t look like a new face… You seem familiar. But I can’t quite recall. Who were you again?”
Following the Matriarch’s words, the man slowly rose from his seat and gazed at the head of the table with a calm expression. He appeared to be in his early thirties, a male User with a clean-cut impression and a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. The moment I saw him, I felt my own attention drawn to him for some reason.
On the upper right side of his chest, the character 韓 (Han) shimmered with a blue light.