Chapter 241: The Time for Nurturing Has Passed
Chapter 241: The Time for Nurturing Has Passed
After Jung Hayeon closed the door behind her, only Yoojung and I were left in the room. Yoojung stood in the same spot as when I’d called her, her head simply bowed. I watched her for a moment before speaking in a quiet voice.
“Come closer.”
Yoojung didn’t answer. But she must have heard me, as she began to take one difficult step after another. Soon, she was standing right in front of me. When I looked up at her face, I could see her dejected expression, her eyes cast downward.
Then, I slowly reached out and gently stroked her stomach.
“Eek…! O-Oppa?”
“Is your stomach okay?”
“H-Huh?”
“You were pierced there once, back when we explored the cave. Thinking back, I don't think I've paid it much mind since we left Mule. Are there any lingering effects?”
Yoojung’s face was now completely flushed with bewilderment. She had clearly expected a fiery reprimand, but hearing my gentle voice asking about her condition seemed to leave her at a loss.
“Y-Yeah! There’s a bit of a scar, but… it doesn’t affect my movement at all.”
“That’s a relief.”
When I offered a smile of relief, Yoojung finally started to meet my gaze. Though some anxiety lingered, the initial fear on her face had faded considerably. Our eyes met and held in the air, and I slowly began to speak.
“The reason I had you stay behind… is because there’s something I wanted to talk to you about separately.”
“Oppa. I was wrong.”
“Yoojung. You should hear me out first. And from now on, don’t say you were wrong so carelessly.”
“Huh?”
I personally pulled out a chair and sat Yoojung down, as she was still standing. As I did, she kept touching her hair. The light reddish tint of her hair caught my eye.
“First, I’m sorry. I know how you all feel about Hanbyul, so I must have surprised you by bringing her here so suddenly without a single word.”
“O-Oppa? No, Oppa! Don’t say that! Don’t be sorry!”
“Hm?”
“I’m the one who’s trusted and followed you all this time. I’m sure you have your reasons this time, too. I just lost my temper for a moment and acted childishly. I’m sorry, Oppa! So please, don’t say things like that…”
My apology provoked a vehement reaction from Yoojung, her hair swishing from side to side as she shook her head. I waited for her to calm down, lost in thought. Considering her behavior up to this point, there was definitely something that bothered me. It was like she was a cat with its claws sharpened.
Nevertheless, the reason I didn’t cast her aside was precisely because of this. Recalling her attitude when Jung Hayeon used the Crystal of Truth on me at the Ruined Laboratory, I could roughly guess the feelings Yoojung held for me.
Yoojung’s claws had never once been aimed at me.
“As I said, I understand how you all feel. Your thoughts might differ from mine. Still, I have no intention of forcing my position on you.”
“Oppa…”
“But what’s wrong needs to be addressed, right? What I want to point out is your attitude during the meeting.”
Yoojung straightened her posture. It seemed she wanted to show she was ready to listen intently. I smiled inwardly and continued in a calm voice.
“I don’t want to think of you all as kids anymore. Right. Ahn Sol has her circumstances, so we can set her aside… but I believe you and Ahn Hyun are perfectly capable of thinking and acting rationally.”
“……”
“The reason I just put the title ‘User’ before your names is because from now on, I want to treat you as proper members of the clan. You’ve at least heard about what’s happening in the Hall Plain right now, haven’t you?”
Yoojung silently nodded. Her expression grew serious as she began to realize the gravity of my words.
“The situation is extremely chaotic. And in the midst of it all, the Mercenary Clan is drawing the attention of countless Users. And those Users will judge the Mercenary Clan by watching me, you, and all of us. You’re no longer new Users; you’re members of the Mercenary Clan. So, is it wrong for me to expect you, Yoojung, to act like a member of the Mercenary Clan?”
“N-No…”
“Take what just happened. It was an official gathering where I was introducing Hanbyul to everyone. If you mock her by saying she smells of a traitor, what will the other clan members think? It’s not just Hanbyul who gets criticized. They’ll think I’m strange for bringing her, and they won’t look kindly on you for disrupting an important meeting.”
“I’m sorry, Oppa… I really didn’t think it would go that far…”
You didn’t know, huh.
“That’s why I’m letting it go this time.”
I stared at Yoojung, my gaze filled with coldness. She must have sensed the sudden shift in my eyes, as she flinched and fell silent. What I was about to say was, from my perspective, a sort of ultimatum. Even if I had to create a tense atmosphere, I needed to say it clearly so that it would be firmly etched in Yoojung’s mind.
“Right. I don’t think you did it knowingly. Yes, it’s possible you didn’t know. But I’m only letting it slide this once. I’ve said it before, but I hate repeating myself.”
“……”
“I said I understand how you feel. I’m not saying I’m going to close my ears. From now on, if you have a complaint, file it through the official channels. Or arrange a private meeting. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Only when Yoojung looked like she was about to burst into tears did I decide to stop pushing her. A brief silence fell. After waiting a moment, I gently patted her head. I had tightened the mood, and now it was time to loosen it again.
“When you saw me return alive from the Inn of Beginnings and cried your eyes out. When you collected money from the others in the plaza and gave it to me. When you protected me at the Ruined Laboratory. I remember it all. I’m truly grateful that you’ve trusted and followed me all this time.”
“Oppa…”
“But I am now the Clan Lord of the Mercenary Clan. I’m in a position where I can’t favor just one person. And as the number of clan members grows, I’ll have less time to look after you all. If something like this happens again, I won’t let it slide just because you’re ‘my kids.’ Not for my sake, not for your sake, and not for the sake of the Mercenary Clan.”
“I’m sorry…”
I deliberately emphasized the words “my kids.” Yoojung nodded, wiping her eyes with her hand. Hoping she had understood my words well, I took her by the shoulder and we stood up from our chairs together.
“Don’t cry. Do you think I was too harsh?”
“N-No. Thinking about it, I think you’re right, Oppa. I’ll keep it in mind from now on.”
“Let’s stick to one way of speaking. It’s suddenly getting confusing.”
“Yeah. Clan Lord.”
“There you go again.”
At my light joke, Yoojung managed a bashful smile through her tears. The expression was so bizarre it was hard to describe. I took her hand and walked toward the door. Yoojung hesitated for a moment before leaning her body slightly against my shoulder.
Remembering that Hayeon was waiting, I quickly opened the door. I intended to conclude today’s conversation here.
“I had a long talk with Hanbyul before coming here. It seems she had a very difficult time in the Golden Lion Clan. But she had the will to start over, and she seemed to want to change. So I hope you all can set aside your prejudices for a moment and just watch over her. At least until she gets adjusted.”
Yoojung didn’t say anything in response. I only felt her head, still resting on my shoulder, give a slight nod.
*
After taking Yoojung down to the first floor, I left the Love House with the clan members seeing me off. Outside, I saw Hayeon and Vivian waiting for me, chatting in low tones.
Come to think of it, it must have been difficult for those two to get close. In a way, that’s amazing. Ah, or is it hard to say they’re close?
As I trudged down the stairs and approached them, they both greeted me with bright smiles.
“Soohyun. You’re here. Did you scold Yoojung much?”
“What were you two talking about?”
“Rather than scolding her… I just had a talk with her about this and that. Shall we go see the Clan House that Jung Hayeon-ssi has picked out?”
“Yes. I’ll explain the details on the way. Let’s start with the closest one.”
Soon after, Hayeon took her place to my left, and Vivian to my right. As we began to walk, she slowly started her story.
“You told me not to worry about the price, but I still put a lot of thought into selecting a location. As you know, Monica is one of the most stable cities on the Northern Continent. The cost of land is one thing, but the cost of constructing a building is also enormous.”
“It’s probably because we hold Free Mercenary status. We don’t get any discounts. In any case, since Mercenary is a Mercenary Clan, I thought it would be best to establish ourselves in a place with the best possible accessibility for accepting and managing requests. I’d like to avoid anywhere too secluded if possible.”
“So you’re saying you want to establish ourselves proudly in the open.”
“That’s right. There’s no history of a Mercenary Clan being officially launched in the Hall Plain, is there?”
From the perspective of an average User, the mere fact that we had created a clan was impressive. However, even with the approval to establish it, a clear gap existed between clans. One fact that could determine that gap was the ownership of a Clan House.
Having your own home in the Hall Plain meant you had solved the ‘lodging’ part of ‘lodging and food.’ Expanding this concept from an individual to a clan, a clan owning a Clan House held a significance that went far beyond just lodging.
From a typical User’s point of view, it was natural to trust a clan that was settled in one place over a clan that wandered from place to place without a home. It was a way of showing off that you had excavated numerous ruins, succeeded in explorations, and achieved results. This fact could be highlighted even more in Monica, a city renowned for its stability despite being a small city, where land prices were high.
“I was able to get a sense of Mercenary’s position while visiting the User Academy this time. We still have many things that will draw attention. The recruitment of the Jewel Mage and the Aegis. The fact that a clan that’s been established for just over three months has purchased a Clan House. And the fact that we are a mercenary-type clan.”
“I suppose being the subject of envy and jealousy is inevitable.”
“I was prepared for it the moment we declared our launch. It’ll be difficult to expect only good things to happen from now on. That’s why I needed to re-arm the clan members mentally.”
“I understand. Ah. We’re here.”
While talking with Hayeon, we had already arrived at our first destination. I turned my head and looked around the street. Low-grade pubs, low-grade inns, and shabby-looking shops. It was a bustling street, but it was filled more with livelihood-oriented Users rather than those who made their living through combat. To make a comparison, it was a place similar to Barbara’s Night Street.
Of course, selling one’s body was a means of survival in the Hall Plain, so it wasn’t something to be looked down upon entirely. However, since this was about setting down roots in the city we’d be operating in for the time being, it was true that I was a little concerned.
“Come to think of it, this is close to the Love House.”
“Hehe. Let’s go inside first. I’ll tell you once we’re in.”
“Can we just go in?”
“Yes. The Clan Lord of the Istantel Low Clan said we could come and go as we please.”
Han Soyoung?
Jung Hayeon had definitely said there was something she wanted to talk to me about regarding the purchase of the Clan House. The moment I heard her words, I instinctively felt that it was related to the Istantel Low Clan.
“So they contacted you.”
I said in a hushed voice. Hayeon glanced around before giving a slight nod.
“I understand. You said you received permission to enter, right? Let’s go in for now.”
“Kim Soohyun! Kim Soohyun!”
“What is it?”
“I have something I want to say, too. But you two are just talking by yourselves.”
Vivian was pouting with a sullen look on her face. She must have felt left out since Hayeon and I were the only ones talking on the way here.
At Vivian’s words, Hayeon let out a light laugh and walked ahead. She pushed open a rather heavy-looking door, though it was slightly rusted. While Hayeon was opening the door, I slowly extended my right hand and gave Vivian’s butt a firm slap. The plump, springy feeling that fit perfectly in my hand traveled unfiltered up my palm.
“I said let’s talk inside.”
“Eek!”
Vivian jumped in surprise.