Chapter 239: A Twisted Belief
Chapter 239: A Twisted Belief
After a brief reunion on the first floor, Lim Hanna guided us up to the fourth. The moment I stepped into the room she led us to, I was taken aback. The scene before me resembled the royal suite of a high-end hotel. Not only was it incredibly spacious, but it was also filled with all sorts of luxurious furniture. It was clear that a lot of thought had been put into it.
I tilted my head, wondering about the reason for such hospitality, but her gesture urging us inside prompted me to take a few steps in. As I sat down in a chair she had personally pulled out for me, a soft, gentle voice flowed from behind me.
“The Shadow Queen or Hayeon would use this room sometimes. They even managed it themselves, saying the Clan Lord would return someday.”
“From what I heard, it seems you rented out the entire fourth floor. We’ll be buying a Clan House soon anyway, so there was no need to go this far… In any case, thank you. I’ll make sure to pay the full amount.”
“Ah, it’s alright. We’ve already received help of an equivalent value, and we’re still receiving it, so please use it without feeling burdened.”
I was curious about what she meant by ‘help,’ but I figured I would find out naturally once Ko Yeonju returned, so I decided not to ask further. Lim Hanna said she would call the others and promptly left the room. Only then did I have the chance to observe my clan members more closely.
Hanbyul had been completely silent ever since we entered the Love House. She seemed slightly tense, as if the thought of meeting the others soon was weighing on her.
Vivian’s attention was focused solely on me. Seeing her made me want to ask about the progress on the elixir, but I decided to hold my tongue for now. It seemed better to wait until the other clan members arrived and ask everyone at once.
Just as I was lost in these thoughts, my gaze shifting from Hanbyul and Vivian, I suddenly felt a weight on my body. I reflexively looked down to see Ahn Sol hugging me tightly, her eyes fixed on something in front of us. I raised my head again to see what on earth she was staring at…
“…What’s with you two all of a sudden?”
A sense of bewilderment washed over me. Where I looked, Ahn Sol and Hangyul were staring intently at each other. But their gazes held no hint of goodwill. If anything, they looked like they were facing a lifelong nemesis or rival.
The moment I spoke, Ahn Sol whipped her head around with a sharp turn. Hangyul maintained a stoic expression, but he looked displeased for some reason.
After shooting glances at Baek Hangyul for a while, Ahn Sol finally spoke in a sharp tone.
“Orabeoni. I think I see a new face.”
“Yes. I brought two new people this time. The User in front of you is a New User who just entered. As for the other one, take a good look. It’s someone you know.”
Only then did Ahn Sol seem to take an interest in the newcomers, her gaze shifting diagonally. The instant her eyes landed on Hanbyul, her expression hardened.
“Hello.”
“Uh…”
“It’s been a while.”
“Ah… Yes…”
When Hanbyul offered a faint smile and a greeting, Ahn Sol nodded reflexively, but her face was full of reluctance. To put it plainly, it wasn't a welcoming expression at all. Though she answered, her eyes were filled with the question, “Why are you here?” As if she had the same thought, Hanbyul smiled bitterly.
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence hung in the air. Vivian glanced between Hanbyul, Ahn Sol, and Hangyul, then shrugged at me. I shrugged back in response, and she narrowed her eyes and pouted. However, sensing the strange turn in the atmosphere, she didn't say anything more.
*
Lim Hanna must have spread the news quickly, because it wasn’t long before people started entering my room one by one. Excluding those who were already here, the first person to open the door was Ahn Hyun. As I heard heavy footsteps—thump, thump—and tried to guess if it was Ahn Hyun or Lee Yoojung, the door burst open, revealing Ahn Hyun, drenched in sweat.
“Hyung!”
“It’s been a while.”
“Hyung! It’s really you! You’re back! Hyung!”
“Yeah.”
Like brother, like sister. He’s the spitting image of Ahn Sol.
I chuckled to myself and waved, and Ahn Hyun rushed toward me as if to embrace me. However, he was stopped by Ahn Sol’s glare. It was a relief. He glanced down at his sweat-soaked body, then laughed awkwardly and moved to stand next to Hanbyul.
“Ahaha. Sorry, Hyung. I was training, so I’m covered in sweat.”
“That’s a good attitude. But is there a place to train here?”
“Yes… Huh?”
Just as he was about to pull out a chair and sit, Ahn Hyun froze. He must have just noticed Hanbyul. Hanbyul, who had been quietly watching him, slowly bowed her head.
“Ah, hello.”
“You’re… Kim Hanbyul?”
“Yes. It’s, it’s been a…”
“What the hell? Why are you here?”
Unlike how he’d been with me, Ahn Hyun’s tone was incredibly aggressive. When Hanbyul couldn’t say a word, he turned his head to me. I gestured for him to sit down first. Ahn Hyun smacked his lips, shoved the chair he’d been pulling out back in violently, then turned and walked to the opposite side of the room to sit down. Hanbyul’s head sank even lower. It seemed the sense of betrayal the others felt toward her ran deeper than I thought.
Ahn Hyun, with a nonchalant expression (or perhaps he was deliberately ignoring her), started chatting with me about this and that. As I gave him half-hearted replies and waited, the members who had been out seemed to return, as Ko Yeonju, Jung Hayeon, and Shin Sangyong entered the room together.
I had met with Ko Yeonju periodically, but it was the first time I’d seen Jung Hayeon and Shin Sangyong since we parted ways in Barbara, so I was genuinely glad to see them. I smiled gently and greeted them, and they both bowed in response. I liked that both of them had calm personalities and didn’t make a fuss like the others.
“Lea-Leader. No, Clan Lord. It has been some time.”
“Haha. User Shin Sangyong. It’s been a while. How is your class progression?”
“Th-Thanks to you, I’ve been able to make great progress. Haha.”
Shin Sangyong replied with a good-natured smile. We shared a simple handshake, and he conveyed his pleasure at seeing me by gently clasping my hand.
“Soohyun. Welcome back. I’m so happy you’ve returned safely.”
“User Jung Hayeon. You’ve worked hard managing the clan while Ko Yeonju and I were away.”
I didn’t exchange many words with Hayeon, but the look we shared was enough. Her eyes held a poignant concern; she was genuinely relieved that I had returned safely. The two of them glanced at the newcomers before quietly taking their seats.
With that, most of us were gathered, but one person had yet to arrive. I glanced toward the door before speaking to Ahn Hyun.
“Ahn Hyun. Where’s Yoojung? Wasn’t she here?”
“Ah. I think I saw her go to her room earlier. I’m not sure. Should I go get her?”
The moment Ahn Hyun answered, the sound of light, quick footsteps running down the hall filtered through the door. Speak of the devil, as they say. The clan members all burst into laughter. Soon, the sound of running stopped, and the door flew open as Yoojung leaped inside with an agile movement. She must have been late because she was washing up; her wet hair swayed, scattering droplets of water everywhere.
“Oppa! I heard you were back!”
“Yeah. You’re the last one.”
“I was just washing up… Ah, it’s really you, Oppa!”
“Hey.”
“Woohoo!”
Ignoring everyone else’s stares, she leaped over the table and threw her arms around my neck. I was grateful for her enthusiastic welcome, but it struck me that all the kids were reacting in the exact same way. As she hugged my neck and nuzzled against me, I tickled her chin. She burst out laughing, “Heehee,” and squirmed. The way she kept giggling made me feel like I was looking at a cat.
After finally prying the clinging Yoojung off me, she scrambled to sit in the seat next to me. However, the spots on either side of me were already occupied by Ahn Sol and Hangyul. About to turn away with a disappointed look, Yoojung seemed to notice Hangyul and spoke in a curious voice.
“Ooh, a new face? Oppa, who’s this pretty girl?”
“She’s a new user who just joined.”
“Ah~. You brought her as a new clan member? Then the other person is…”
Hangyul, shocked at being called a girl, frantically shook his head. Just as I, realizing my mistake, was about to correct her, I saw Yoojung’s mouth snap shut as she looked ahead. Her eyes, which had been curved like half-moons, went wide, her face filled with astonishment.
But it didn’t take long for that surprise to turn into disbelief.
“Ah…”
“Ha. This is ridiculous.”
“Yoojung. Sit down for now.”
The boisterous atmosphere from my return was instantly silenced by Yoojung. She bit her lip as if wanting to say more, then scoffed and plopped down in the seat next to Ahn Hyun. The clan members who didn’t know the situation stared at Yoojung with strange expressions, but Ahn Hyun and Ahn Sol remained impassive.
“Hoho. Congratulations on your return. How are you feeling right now?”
“Hm. Not bad.”
An awkward atmosphere lingered for a moment, but thankfully, Ko Yeonju broke the silence, and things returned to normal. Since it had been a while since we were all together, I scanned the table to check on the clan members. Everyone who met my gaze looked at me with faces full of trust. A few of them seemed eager to share what they’d been up to, but they only fidgeted, glancing at Ko Yeonju.
I cleared my throat once or twice and began in a calm voice.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you all. More than anything, I’m relieved to see everyone looking healthy.”
“You’ve been through a lot too, Clan Lord. We’re the ones who are overjoyed that you returned safely from the heart of that chaos.”
As Ko Yeonju replied, everyone else nodded in agreement. It was a little embarrassing, but the fact that they had worried about me was comforting in a way I couldn’t quite explain. I tried to maintain a composed demeanor to hide my blushing face and continued speaking.
“The heart of chaos, right. It’s wonderful to see you all, and I’d love to spend a little more time catching up. I’m sure you all feel the same way. However.”
I paused for a moment, lacing my fingers together and resting my chin on them.
“I’m not entirely comfortable bringing this up as soon as I’m back, but I believe you’ve all heard the general situation from Ko Yeonju. The state of the Hall Plain is changing rapidly. Since we can’t predict even a step ahead, I think it would be better to move diligently rather than take it easy.”
“I understand what you’re saying. Still. We’ve been taking breaks in between our planned schedules, but you just got back, Clan Lord. Don’t you think it would be better to rest for three days? Or at least one full day?”
“Even if I force myself to rest now, it won’t be true rest. My mind won’t be at ease. I appreciate the concern, but right now, neither I nor we have any time to spare. That’s what I believe at the moment.”
“Sigh. I understand.”
It seemed Ko Yeonju had firmly established her position as second-in-command while I was away. No one else was speaking, but her words carried the nuance of representing the clan members’ feelings.
In any case, after I expressed my polite refusal, Ko Yeonju sighed. Both she and Jung Hayeon were always urging me to rest. From their perspective, I must have seemed to operate on a very tight schedule. But there was a reason I had chosen Monica as my next city.
“Then let’s get straight to the point. Before I left Barbara, I entrusted several clan members with a few tasks. I’d like to start by receiving a report on the results of those tasks…”
I paused and gazed at the two who had been on the outskirts of the conversation, unable to blend in. It seemed better to start with their introductions. I debated who to introduce first and decided it was better to get the painful part over with, so I chose Hanbyul.
“Before that, I think it’s best to introduce the new faces. First, the woman in front of me is a user who recently left the Golden Lion Clan. We also have a connection from going through the Rite of Passage together. We went our separate ways after the User Academy, but fate brought us back together, and I ended up bringing her here. Hanbyul?”
At my call, Hanbyul raised her head with a look that said, the time has come. I gave her a slight nod, signaling her to stand, and she hesitantly rose to her feet. All eyes turned to her. Whether it was because she had been hurt so badly that her Alignment had changed, or because she was in front of the others, she couldn't show her former self. Seeing her like this, I felt a pang of pity.
“The users here are all members of the Mercenary Clan. Since we’ll be eating under the same roof from now on, it would be good for you to give a simple self-introduction.”
“Yes. Hello. My name is Kim Hanbyul. As Oppa… no, as the Clan Lord said…”
Hanbyul trailed off, unable to continue. Even though everyone was waiting for her next words, her sealed lips wouldn’t easily open again.
“User Kim Hanbyul? Are you by any chance referring to the Golden Lion Clan’s Secret Class, the Jewel Mage?”
“That’s correct.”
“Ah, Clan Lord. I’m personally curious about something. May I ask a few questions?”
“Permission granted.”
When Hanbyul couldn’t speak, Hayeon quickly raised her hand and asked. I nodded in response, and she immediately turned to Kim Hanbyul.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jung Hayeon, a Year 2 User. I’m twenty-six and have a Normal Mage class.”
“Yes.”
“In that case, could I ask you to introduce yourself first, as I just did?”
Perhaps she felt a sense of kinship hearing that Hanbyul had left the Golden Lion, or perhaps she was curious about the Jewel Mage class, or maybe she just wanted to help someone who was struggling to speak. Or maybe she sensed something from Lee Yoojung’s attitude. It might have been all four, but what was clear right now was that Hayeon was helping Kim Hanbyul.
Just as Hanbyul, encouraged by Hayeon’s lead, was about to finally speak, Yoojung, who had been sending daggers from the side, could no longer hold back and finally opened her mouth.
“Sniff, sniff. Ugh. What’s that smell? It’s disgusting.”
“Huh? Sorry. That’s probably my sweat. I was training. But calling it disgusting is a bit harsh.”
As Ahn Hyun grumbled in reply, Yoojung shook her head from side to side.
“No, no. This isn’t your sweat. Your sweat is definitely unpleasant, but it’s not this disgusting.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult? What?”
“Hmm~. This smell is…”
Yoojung pinched her nose and twisted her lips, but her eyes weren’t scrunched up at all. Soon, she lowered her hand and, sniffing in Hanbyul’s direction, continued with an unmistakable sneer.
“I think it’s the smell of a traitor.”