Chapter 238: A Twisted Belief
Chapter 238: A Twisted Belief
Deep in the night, a woman sat up in bed, her face buried in her hands. As she lowered her head, her short, jet-black hair, not quite swallowed by the darkness, fell forward. A dry sigh escaped the lips barely visible between her fingers.
“Hah… Soohyun…”
Soon, her hands fell from her forehead, and her arms dropped limply to her sides. But she didn't raise her head. The face she revealed possessed an intellectual beauty, but patches of shadow marred its expression, making it seem crumpled and worn. Another weary breath escaped the woman's lips.
The Clan Lord's absence. Of the three months he'd been gone, she had only been in charge for less than one, yet she was keenly aware of her own shortcomings. With each passing day, the atmosphere grew heavier, and looks of anxiety began to cloud the clan members' faces.
A few even forced themselves to smile, but their smiles were lifeless. Even after the Shadow Queen's return, the mood, once sunk into a mire, showed little sign of improving. It was the absence of just one person, but the void he left was too large for her to handle.
She thought she had tried her best, but it was clearly not enough. Now, she thought, all she could do was wait.
“Please come back soon…”
Muttering words that would never reach him, Hayeon slowly lay down. She closed her eyes, hoping for morning to come quickly, and tried to drift off to sleep.
*
“Whoa.”
Perhaps amazed by his first time using a Warp Gate, Hangyul let out a cry of wonder, his eyes darting everywhere. The scene unfolding before me wasn't unfamiliar, and a sense of nostalgia washed over me.
The southern city of Monica, under the jurisdiction of the representative clan, Istantel Low Clan. I took a deep breath of the surrounding air and calmly stepped out of the Warp Gate. Compared to a metropolis, its scale and development were inevitably lacking. But when I thought of Mule, another small city, the well-maintained streets that came into view were worlds apart.
“Hyung. No, Clan Lord-nim. Where are we going now?”
“The Love House.”
“Huh?”
“It’s just a place.”
I dodged the question with a bitter smile. The name "Love House" just had a weird ring to it. I suddenly regretted telling Ko Yeonju not to come meet me on the day of the ceremony and to just do her work. Then again, maybe I should be grateful it was a "House" and not a "Hotel."
Monica was a small city located in the far south, the closest settlement to the Steel Mountains. As such, the city's policies were centered around preparing for expeditions, which made it ironic that they hadn't been able to participate in the recent one. Still, thanks to Han Soyoung's exceptional resourcefulness, it was a city whose streets were never empty of Users.
The sun was high in the sky, and a fair number of Users could be seen walking the streets. Perhaps because three months had passed, people no longer gathered around me just for being the Mercenary Lord. Some would occasionally glance my way, but that was all.
We walked down the street in silence. Hangyul was captivated by the new and wondrous sights, while Hanbyul kept sneaking glances at me, trying to read my expression. As I was trying to recall the location of the Love House, I suddenly thought of Hanbyul and turned my head.
“Hanbyul.”
“Yes.”
“I'll be blunt. I don't really understand why you came to me.”
“...”
Honestly, it was the truth. No matter how much fame the Mercenary Clan had gained recently, we were still a far cry from the established, traditional clans. Besides, she was a Secret Class Jewel Mage. Of course, we had plenty of jewels, but there was no way Hanbyul could have known about our clan's internal situation. So I was genuinely curious as to why on earth she had chosen me and the Mercenary Clan.
Hanbyul hesitated, not opening her mouth. I waited for her response for a moment, but she seemed to find it difficult to answer, so I decided to speak first.
“What I said to you before was just from my perspective.”
“...”
“The other clan members... for example, the kids... especially Yoojung. I'm saying their perspective might be different. Understand?”
“Yes. I know what you mean. Don't worry, Oppa.”
She was sharp, so she must have understood my intention at once. Seeing her nod, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The two of them were already on bad terms, but as long as one of them was willing to adapt, there was a chance for a breakthrough.
We quickened our pace and soon reached the central plaza. There, I got my bearings for a moment before heading down a path that opened to the left.
*
The Love House, where my clan members were currently staying, was originally a pub but also served as a high-class inn. However, according to my memory, it was an inn with a rather unique characteristic. I'd never used it during my first playthrough, but I remembered hearing a few Users sarcastically refer to it as one of Monica's famous attractions.
Before long, we were standing in front of the Love House inn. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A moment passed. Soon, with the sound of soft footsteps, the door swung open. And from the opening, a little girl with a youthful face poked her head out.
“Who is it?”
“Hello. I'm here to visit the Love House.”
“Huh? A visitor? I'm sorry, but men aren't allowed here.”
“I know. My companions are staying here. Could you please call them for me?”
The little girl stared at me blankly. Just as her lips began to part, a voice called from inside, “Seonyoung. Who is it?”
“I don't know. It's a man, and he says he's a visitor to the Love House.”
“Oh? Ask him who he is.”
“Okay. So, who are you?”
“I'm the Mercenary Lord.”
“The Mercenary Lord?!”
The little girl's eyes went wide. Hearing her voice, I could sense someone approaching the door from inside.
The opening, which had been just wide enough for her to stick her head out, slowly began to widen. Soon, a woman with a bright smile greeted me from the fully opened doorway.
“Welcome, Mercenary Lord-nim. We're happy to have you at the Love House.”
“Thank you.”
“I've already heard from the Shadow Queen. Would you and your companions like to come inside?”
“Yes. Excuse us, then.”
She’s beautiful.
As I followed the woman inside, it occurred to me that she was quite beautiful. She looked to be around my age, and her long, neatly arranged hair and tidy features gave off an elegant charm. Her face seemed kind overall, but for some reason, every one of her movements overflowed with grace. It was like looking at a single, pure flower. And most of all, compared to her slender waist, her chest was very...
She might even be bigger than Ko Yeonju.
Anyway, putting such silly thoughts aside, I took in the stares directed at me from inside the inn. I could see several people occupying the tables on the first floor, and without exception, every single one was a woman. Hanbyul remained composed, but Hangyul, unused to such attention, stuck close to my side.
The woman walking lightly in front of us soon stopped and pointed to her right.
“This table is free. Would you mind sitting here and waiting for a moment?”
“Alright. Are my clan members here right now?”
“The Shadow Queen, Jung Hayeon-ssi, and Shin Sangyong-ssi are out at the moment. The others should be on the third or fourth floor, so I'll go get them right away.”
“Ah. I could just go up myself.”
“Ah. Now that you mention it, that's true. Then...”
The moment she turned to head for the stairs, both she and I froze. The little girl from before had run off somewhere, and now she was panting on the landing of the second-floor staircase.
And. Behind the little girl, I could see Ahn Sol and Vivian, their mouths hanging wide open.
A pleasant smile naturally spread across my face at the sight of them. When I waved a greeting, the two, who had been about to come down at the same time, stopped and looked at each other. But Ahn Sol was the one who made the first move.
“Waaaaah! Orabeoni-daaaaa!”
“So-Sol. Slowly...”
“Orabeoniiiiii! Aah!”
“Good grief.”
I knew this would happen. Bounding down from the second floor like she was on a pogo stick, she inevitably tripped with three or four steps left to the first floor. Sighing, I shot forward, sensing another presence following me. In that split second, I shifted two steps to the left to make enough room for her to move in. I caught Ahn Sol's left arm as it cut through the air, and a moment later, I saw the woman catch Ahn Sol's right arm.
“Bbya!”
As Ahn Sol's signature shriek rang out, the woman and I looked at each other at the same time.
Good reflexes. Her speed is decent too.
“Thank you.”
“N-Not at all. That was amazing.”
I was quite surprised myself, but she seemed even more so, her expression one of genuine admiration. After giving a light smile, I let go of Ahn Sol's arm. But I immediately regretted that decision.
“Orabeoni! Orabeoni! Orabeoni!”
“Yes, yes.”
Ahn Sol immediately shook off her other arm (the woman flinched and took a step or two back in surprise) and threw herself into my arms. As expected, she began to rub her face all over my chest. I stroked her head and looked up toward the second floor again. Vivian was there, watching Ahn Sol and me intently.
Soon, the next batter, Vivian, began her move.
“Waaaaah. It's Kim Soohyun-daaaaa.”
Shouting in a monotone voice, Vivian charged at me and jumped from the exact spot where Ahn Sol had tripped. And she did it facing me. I naturally dodged to the right, taking Ahn Sol with me, and Vivian slammed mercilessly into the floor.
“Oh my! Vivian-ssi!”
Vivian didn't answer. From the impact of the fall, she was clutching her forehead, sprawled on the floor and writhing like an octopus. After a moment, she shot to her feet, her posture screaming that she was furious.
“You, Kim Soohyun!”
“Vivian. It's been a while.”
“Yeah! It's been a while! Hehe... No, that's not it. Hey! Why didn't you catch me! Huh?!”
“Lower your voice. You're not the only one here.”
“Then you should have at least hit me!”
“?”
How could she possibly arrive at such a sudden conclusion? I sighed and shook my head, then met the eyes of the woman, who was looking at us with a questioning expression. Ignoring Vivian, who was subtly sticking her butt out at me from the side, I activated Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Lim Hanna (Year 3 User)
2. Class: Archer (Normal, Archer, Expert)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Unbreakable, Pitiful Flower · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (24)
7. Height · Weight: 168.7cm · 52.4kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Belief
[Strength 72] [Durability 84] [Agility 92] [Stamina 68] [Magic Power 88] [Luck 90]
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. Lim Hanna: 490 / 600
(No stat points remaining.)
[Strength 72] [Durability 80] [Agility 92] [Stamina 68] [Magic Power 88] [Luck 90]
490? Not bad.
As I was examining the Player Status floating in the air, Lim Hanna bowed politely and introduced herself.
“My apologies for the late introduction. I'm Lim Hanna, a Year 3 User and the manager of the Love House. I've heard a lot about you from the Shadow Queen. Please, feel free to call me Madam Im.”
I’m Kim Soohyun, Clan Lord of the Mercenary Clan and a Year 0 User.
“Hmph. Orabeoni. Orabeonii. Orabeoniiii.”
“Hmph. Kim Soohyun. Kim Su-hyuuun. Kim Su-hyuuuun.”
As Ahn Sol and Vivian continued to rub against me, I made a troubled expression, and Lim Hanna covered her mouth and laughed. It was as if they didn't even see Kim Hanbyul and Baek Hangyul behind me; they just kept clinging to me. And to be honest, my hands didn't have much strength in them as I tried to push the two away. Perhaps I just wanted to find a moment of comfort in this feeling—unfamiliar, yet not unwelcome after so long.
I sighed and turned around, still holding the two of them. And there, I saw Baek Hangyul staring blankly at a tense Kim Hanbyul and at Ahn Sol.