Chapter 214: A Resurfacing Conflict
Chapter 214: A Resurfacing Conflict
The first week at the User Academy had seemed to be going relatively smoothly. But perhaps the subtle friction mixed in here and there was a prelude to the discord of the second week. After Na Seung-hye of the Moonlit Night Clan and Jo Eun-yeong of the Waning Moon Clan clashed, the conflict that had simmered internally began to rise to the surface once more.
Park Hyunwoo, upon receiving a report of the incident, once again displayed superhuman patience. From what I heard, he politely asked Na Seung-hye to simply continue teaching in the original direction.
However, Na Seung-hye flatly refused Park Hyunwoo’s request. She supposedly argued that as long as she was assigned as an instructor for the remaining nine weeks, the teaching method was her sole prerogative. She wasn't technically wrong, but it was clearly a case of twisting the rules to get her way.
Despite the disapproval of the Golden Lion and its allied clans, Na Seung-hye pushed forward with her assertion. Of course, she couldn't have forced the issue with guts alone. On the surface, it looked like the Golden Lion was mediating a clash between the Moonlit Night Clan and the Waning Moon Clan, but beneath the surface, countless clans were surely engaged in a power struggle.
In the end, the new recruits were forced to retake their magic theory education, and from that moment, the chasm of conflict that had been painstakingly filled began to widen once more.
Although it was still early, the signs of conflict were gradually appearing. The most obvious of these was the uncooperative attitude toward instructor duties. Clans on friendly terms worked well together, but in all other cases, they remained passive. Requests for support were frequently rejected, eventually leading to a situation where no one bothered to ask for help at all.
When things reached that point, Park Hyunwoo, who had endured with the utmost patience, finally gave up. The Golden Lion's lukewarm stance was causing discontent to grow daily, even among clans that had been friendly toward them. He seemed to have judged that forcing them to share educational duties any longer could lead to another major incident.
Consequently, my own position became quite ambiguous. As the Free Mercenary Clan, I had declared neutrality, but there was no way those around me would leave me be. Both sides began sending me so-called "love calls." For a while, I had no choice but to mull it over. It was obvious that getting close to one side would alienate the other.
The best method would have been to play both sides. But I immediately shook my head. My potential value was high, but I didn't have a solid reputation yet. If I clumsily tried to straddle the fence in that state, there was a high chance both sides would look down on me.
Ultimately, I had to choose a side. After much deliberation, I decided to align myself with the non-participating clans. After weighing various factors, I concluded that joining hands with them would be more beneficial for my future endeavors.
Of course, that didn't mean I made it obvious on the outside. I had received a lot of consideration from the other side, so I needed to fulfill my minimum duty—in other words, I had to earn my keep. I continued to accept support requests through Kim Hanbyul as before. However, for any other private meetings, I generally associated with the non-participating clans. In a way, you could say I was keeping my options open, but for me, right now, it was the best I could do.
While appropriately handling the academy's internal affairs, I never forgot my true purpose. The strange sense of unease I had felt from the new recruits' expressions when Na Seung-hye and Jo Eun-yeong clashed remained in my mind. And at the center of it all was Park Hwanhee.
When I first saw him in the plaza, I just thought he was an interesting guy, but now I felt he was worth a closer look. I couldn't shake the feeling that one of the many undercurrents flowing secretly within the academy was connected to him. So, I decided to keep a close eye on the guy for the time being.
My observations of Park Hwanhee during the second week were, in some ways, strange, and in others, unremarkable. On the surface, there was nothing wrong with his attitude. He was well-behaved, polite, and his grades were among the top tier of the new recruits.
The Training, Discipline, and Lifestyle Instructors all had nothing but praise for Park Hwanhee. It had reached a point where clans were already in a fierce competition to recruit him, so I probably don't need to say more for you to get the picture.
The only thing that bothered me was how the other new Users followed him to an excessive degree. At times, he looked more like a Discipline Instructor than the actual instructors. I'd heard he had played a major role in the Rite of Passage, and considering his innate unique ability, Charisma, there was some room for understanding.
However, I had already checked his Player Status with my Third Eye. As such, I couldn't take his outward demeanor at face value.
I tried to move around and investigate after that incident, but I didn't gain much in the second week. What little information I did gain barely scratched the surface. Of course, there were still over two months until the academy course was completed. But I couldn't help the frustrating feeling that grew with each passing day.
While spending my days in this stuffy situation, I received an unexpected message about a visitor. No, calling it unexpected wasn't quite right. We had definitely promised to meet beforehand. I had just been so focused on the rapidly changing situation at the User Academy that I had completely forgotten about my promise to her.
The message came through Hanbyul the day before our appointment. The appointment was none other than a visit from the "Shadow Queen," Ko Yeonju. Not only that, but she had apparently requested an additional access pass, saying she was bringing a child with her.
The moment I heard that, a brilliant idea on how to break through this stifling situation came to mind.
*
Today marked the end of the academy's second week. Starting tomorrow, we would enter the third.
The current training intensity was extremely low compared to my time here. It had certainly increased from the first week, but it was a nominal rise. The infamous training intensity of the old Northern Continent was nowhere to be found.
As a prime example, there used to be a special weekend training session where Users would spar with weapons. It was a training regimen I personally held in high regard, but this week, the special training time was eliminated and replaced with rest.
As an instructor, I didn't have any major complaints about getting to rest, but it was also true that I felt a sense of bitterness. I couldn't shake the thought that the Northern Continent, which had seemed to be getting on the right track back when the call to arms was issued, was slowly sinking into a mire.
I sighed and left the instructor's dormitory. Kim Hanbyul was nowhere in sight. She had also been given the day off, but she had been busy with something since morning and hadn't shown up by lunchtime.
As I left the main building and headed for the front gate, I saw two Users walking toward me from a distance, right on cue. The moment I saw them, I had to doubt my eyes.
As the message had stated, Ko Yeonju hadn't come alone. She had brought someone else with her, and when I focused my vision, I could confirm it was Ahn Sol, just as I'd heard yesterday. The important part was that Ahn Sol was holding Ko Yeonju's hand tightly as they approached. Not only that, but she was swinging their hands back and forth with a bright, cheerful expression.
“Orabeoniiii!”
Ahn Sol must have seen me walking from the other side, because she spread her arms wide and came running with short, quick steps, throwing herself into my arms. I happily lifted her into my arms and reflexively went to pat her on the back, but...
“Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.”
...her next action freaked me out, and I had to put her down. Ahn Sol looked up at me with discontented eyes. I poked her puffed-up cheek once before setting her back on the ground. Ahn Sol immediately clung to me again.
“Orabeoni. I missed youuu.”
“...Uh, yeah.”
“Hehe.”
As I let out a deep sigh, Ko Yeonju, who had closed the distance, was looking back and forth between me and Ahn Sol with a languid smile. Her face was filled with satisfaction. It was the kind of proud gaze one might give a child meeting their father after a long time.
“Greetings, Mercenary Lord.”
“That expression makes the greeting feel completely insincere.”
“Oh, you saw through me? Hoho. I missed you, Soohyun.”
“Yes, me too... Ah, Sol. Wait a second. Don't rub against me like that. Hey, hey! Where are you putting your...!”
“Nnngh. Nnnnngh.”
After finally prying off Ahn Sol, who was demonstrating the divine skill of rubbing her head against me two or three times a second, I was finally able to speak.
“I was a little surprised when I got the message last night. To be honest, I was so busy with academy matters that I'd forgotten about our appointment.”
“Ah, it's fine. I have a general idea of what's going on. It's a complete shi...”
Ko Yeonju nodded once or twice as she spoke, then stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth. She then glanced around with a serious look before continuing in a voice noticeably lower than before.
“Soohyun. Is there a better place we can go? It's too open here.”
“Ah. You're right. I know a good spot, so let's head there. By the way, how is it that other Users aren't flocking over? The 'Shadow Queen' herself is visiting the Academy, after all.”
“Ah, that. I gave them a heads-up beforehand.”
“A heads-up?”
Ko Yeonju came up beside me and gently linked her arm with mine. Then she lifted her left hand. My gaze followed, and I saw a large basket covered with a cloth. When I blinked, signaling my confusion, she winked and gave a soft smile.
“It's a lunchbox I made myself. You must have had a hard time eating food that didn't suit your palate. You missed my cooking, didn't you?”
“Huh? Um, no. Not really...”
“Ah, it wasn't much of a heads-up. I just said I planned on spending some quality time with you, Soohyun, and that I'd kill anyone who interrupted us with some pathetic excuse.”
“...Let's go.”
I quickly stopped what I was about to say and led Ko Yeonju away. Seeing us start to move, Ahn Sol nimbly slipped between us. Ko Yeonju readily made space and took her left hand, while Ahn Sol took my left hand with her remaining right one.
“Waah. A picnic. A picnic. Waaah, waaah.”
Ahn Sol sang as she swung our hands, which she held tightly. I had specifically asked Ko Yeonju to push Ahn Sol hard and frighten her into taking the training seriously, and Ahn Sol had originally shown signs of being intimidated by Ko Yeonju. But in just two weeks, her attitude had done a complete 180. It was a situation that couldn't be understood with normal logic. I tilted my head and asked Ko Yeonju.
“Ko Yeonju. Why is she so excited today?”
“Hoho. The weather is really nice today, isn't it?”
“Did something happen while I was gone?”
“Hohohoho. Oh, I'm hungry. Come on, let's hurry. Where is this place?”
“……”
*
Until we arrived at the place I had named the Easter Egg, Ko Yeonju continued to avoid my gaze and refused to answer my questions. My curiosity kept growing, but I decided to set aside my personal questions for now. I would find out everything eventually, and before I left for Barbara, I had asked her to add a suitable carrot to the stick while training Ahn Sol. In any case, I trusted that Ko Yeonju had handled things perfectly on her own and took a bite of the bread she handed me.
As I ate the food Ko Yeonju had personally prepared, I heard about how the clan members had been doing for the past two weeks.
“All the clan members are doing well. There's one who gets chewed out by me almost every day, and another who's living as ditzily as ever.”
“The one getting chewed out must be Ahn Hyun. I did ask you to firmly knock some sense into him. Anyway, who did you say was living in a daze?”
Instead of answering, she pointed straight ahead.
“Waaah! Stop right there~! Stop right there~!”
“...Her symptoms seem to have gotten worse.”
Ahn Sol was toddling around, earnestly chasing something. As I watched her, dumbfounded, a low voice hit my ear from the side.
“No. You don't necessarily have to see it that way.”
“What do you mean?”
When I turned my head, I saw Ko Yeonju's face, her eyes now sharp and focused, no longer wearing their initial languid expression. She stared at Ahn Sol with a piercing gaze and continued.
“Soohyun. Do you remember when I once called that child a psychopath?”
“Yes. It was because of... that incident.”
The moment I nodded hesitantly, Ko Yeonju turned her gaze from Ahn Sol to me. She stared at me as if to pierce through me for a moment, then finally opened her mouth, her voice clear.
“Those words. I take them back.”