Chapter 289: Vivian’s Awakening & Don’t Come Hoping for That
Chapter 289: Vivian’s Awakening & Don’t Come Hoping for That
Compared to the long conversation I had with Seraph, Kim Hanbyul seemed to have finished her business quickly. On the way back to the Clan House, the way she subtly rubbed her backside suggested she'd been sitting for quite a while.
Watching Kim Hanbyul walk carefully beside me, I was lost in thought for a moment.
When she first came to Monica, she was so thin you could call her scrawny, but perhaps because I’d been feeding her well lately, she looked like she had put on a little weight. As I gazed at her cheeks, which now had a healthy, rosy complexion, our eyes met for a split second. She seemed to startle, then quickly lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.
An awkward silence hung between us for a moment, but I decided to be the first to speak.
“You should have gone back instead of waiting. You must have been waiting a long time.”
“Ah, no. I didn’t wait that long. I just…”
Her hesitant demeanor. The moment I saw it, a thought occurred to me, and I quickly activated Third Eye.
〈Player Status〉
1. Name: Kim Hanbyul (Year 0 User)
2. Height · Weight: 170.5cm · 47.7kg
3. Alignment: Effort · Scar
(Before) [Strength 50] [Durability 58] [Agility 70] [Stamina 52] [Magic Power 88] [Luck 68]
(After) [Strength 51] [Durability 59] [Agility 70] [Stamina 53] [Magic Power 88] [Luck 68]
(You have 4 stat points remaining.)
Her stats hadn’t risen much. That was to be expected, since we had set out on an expedition right after I brought her to Monica, leaving her no time to train.
Effort. That’s a very broad Alignment.
I could roughly guess what she was putting effort into. It seemed her inner scars hadn’t healed yet, but I decided to focus on the fact that at least one thing had changed. In any case, hoping that Kim Hanbyul would change for the better, I dismissed the Player Status window floating in the air.
“How have you been lately?”
“Pardon?”
“Clan life… or we can talk about the expedition. Is it manageable?”
“Ah… Yes. I’m happy.”
Happy. As Kim Hanbyul spoke the word, her voice was bright, without a hint of hesitation. Hearing that, I found myself nodding. Compared to her life in the Golden Lion Clan, she probably was truly happy now. If that was how she genuinely felt, then that was enough.
“Come to think of it, you didn’t get any equipment distributed to you this time, did you?”
“It’s okay, Oppa. I feel bad enough just for using the jewels.”
“There’s nothing to feel bad about. Of course, jewel magic is good, but you shouldn’t neglect Orthodox Magic either. You know that, right?”
“Yes, Oppa. I’ll train hard.”
Hearing her answer so obediently made me feel like I was looking at a gentle lamb. We walked in silence for a while longer, and then I unequipped the TOPG on my left hand. I took off the ring on my ring finger and held it out to her.
“Oppa…?”
“Take it. It’s a ring with an Anti-Magic spell on it. Three uses, recharges in a day. It might not be as good as the equipment from this expedition, but it should be quite useful.”
“Ah, no, Oppa. If you’re giving it to me out of consideration, it’s really okay. I…”
“Just take it. It’s not like I have much use for it anyway. You saw my magic resistance, didn’t you?”
I shook the ring, urging her to take it, but Kim Hanbyul didn’t readily extend her hand. Even after I gently prodded her a few times, she just fidgeted with her fingers. I tried to place it directly in her hand, but even then, she resisted futilely by spreading her fingers wide, so I ended up slipping it onto her ring finger myself.
“O-O-O-O-Oppa?”
“Whew. The things I have to do just to give you a single ring.”
“Ah, ah, ah, ah. Th-thank…”
“?”
For some reason, Kim Hanbyul’s ears turned beet red as she stammered. Seeing her cradle her left hand, now with the ring, in her right, she seemed incredibly pleased. I shrugged as she once again lowered her head deeply.
Is she that happy about it?
*
In the quiet underground training ground, I gently closed my eyes. I slowly clenched my fist, summoning my magic power, along with the energy slumbering in my heart.
‘Hello?’
Who are you?
‘Dummy. You don’t even know what’s inside you?’
You just surprised me by talking all of a sudden.
‘Idiot! It’s because you were so weak that I couldn’t talk to you until now. And I definitely spoke to you when I first entered you, you know?’
Did you?
Come to think of it, I did have a memory like that. In the process of accepting Eternal Flame, when only my head remained, there had been a subtle whisper asking, ‘Should we stop?’
‘Looks like you finally remembered, you fool. Anyway, you’ve gotten a tiiiny bit more useful now. But be careful. You’re still not strong enough. See you later~.’
With those words, the whispers from within ceased. I tried to talk to it a little more, but all that came back was quiet silence. I tilted my head for a moment, then snapped my eyes open to see a clear flame burning fiercely.
This was enough. Since I was still in recovery, there was no need to test it by letting it explode.
As I calmly withdrew the power of Eternal Flame, the flame slowly died down. But even with Eternal Flame gone, the remaining magic power still clung to my fist, radiating a fearsome aura.
“Watch out.”
After muttering in a low voice toward the space in front of me, I swung my fist to the right with all my might.
Boom!
“Eek!”
The moment my extended fist struck the air, a powerful explosion erupted in the empty space. The atmosphere rippled violently, and the resulting shockwave spread across the walls of the training ground. Feeling the faint vibrations through the soles of my feet, I quietly caught my breath.
When I looked forward, I saw Ahn Sol staring at me with her mouth agape. She blinked repeatedly as if startled, then swallowed hard.
“O-Orabeoni. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Much better than before. My body feels so light.”
“Wow. You’re amazing, Orabeoni!”
“It’s nothing. It’s probably because I received your healing last night.”
Of course, someone else deserved the real credit, but Ahn Sol, seemingly overjoyed, squirmed and smiled gently.
As I slowly lowered my hand and checked my condition, I could definitely feel a difference. The body that had felt as heavy as lead now felt as light as a feather, and my sluggish recovery rate had begun to skyrocket. If it had this much of an effect with my Stamina at 90, how much greater would the effect be when it reached 101?
I should prioritize getting my Stamina to 101.
This was certainly an issue worth considering. As I was thinking, Ahn Sol, who had approached me at some point, tugged insistently at my collar.
“Orabeoni. Orabeoni. Everyone is waiting on the third floor.”
“The small conference room? Is everyone gathered?”
“Yes!”
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Answering in a strong voice, I left the underground training ground with Ahn Sol.
When we reached the third floor and I pushed open the door to the small conference room, everyone was, as Ahn Sol had said, seated in their respective places. Perhaps because there were only about ten clan members, there were many empty seats despite it being a small conference room.
After acknowledging the greetings from the clan members, I sat at the head of the table and looked around at everyone. Just then, I sensed a baby unicorn whining beneath my chair. I quickly picked it up and placed it on my lap, where it calmly folded its legs and closed its eyes.
Only after confirming this could I finally begin the meeting.
“Good morning. Ah, it’s a bit late to call it morning… In any case, I’m sure you all know why I’ve called everyone here today.”
“Yes.”
“It’s already been several days since we moved into the Clan House. I believe you’ve all had enough rest. Now is the time to properly settle in and begin reorganizing.”
“……”
A quiet silence. I glanced down and saw not a pile of reports, but a single sheet of paper. Checking the submitter, I saw Ko Yeonju’s name written on it. I clicked my tongue a couple of times before raising my gaze and speaking again.
“User Shin Sangyong. Now that we have a Clan House, don’t you think you need a personal workshop?”
“Wh-What? Ah, no. It’s fine. I still have much to learn from my master… and, and how could I dare to have a personal workshop…”
“I’m not telling you to stop learning. That’s that, and this is this. I’m sure you have things you need to study on your own.”
“Haha. W-Well, that’s true, but.”
Shin Sangyong scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. Watching him, I turned my gaze to the next person.
“Users Jung Hayeon, Kim Hanbyul.”
““Yes.””
“What about you two? Don’t you think you should have a research lab in the main building, in addition to your rooms in the annex?”
“A r-research lab? Ah, yes. Well… it would be nice to have one.”
Jung Hayeon answered hesitantly, while Kim Hanbyul just blinked her eyes quietly.
“The same goes for the rest of you. Is there anything you need?”
When I turned the question to the others who had been listening in dead silence, they snapped their heads up like startled foals. But seeing them just stare blankly at each other, it seemed they were all in the same boat. I let out a short sigh.
It was a little frustrating, but at the same time, I could understand. Ko Yeonju was one thing, but the rest could hardly be said to have had a normal clan life. Or they hadn’t had one at all. It must feel strange to suddenly find themselves in this situation after always being pushed around. But from now on, they needed to adapt to these things.
“I’m sure I told you all last time to think about what you need and submit it at the meeting. But from what I can see, it seems you all still have some memories of the past lingering. This is the Mercenary Clan’s Clan House. Nothing more, nothing less. You no longer need to sleep at an inn. You now have a space to train without worrying about others. There is more than enough empty space here to accommodate everyone’s requests.”
“……”
“I understand it’s confusing to suddenly find yourselves in such a comfortable situation… But still, books, items, equipment, or even gear needed for personal training. If not that, then items needed for clan life, or suggestions for spaces you’d like to have. I think you should be able to think of those things.”
“……”
“Of course, you don’t need to have everything at once like Vivian. You can’t expect to be full after the first spoonful. But you must definitely avoid this kind of aimless attitude.”
I didn’t show any sign of anger or deliberately raise my voice. I maintained a gentle, chiding tone, careful not to spoil the existing atmosphere. I believed that the members of the Mercenary Clan would understand well enough without me having to get red in the face.
Picking up the report in front of me, I spoke to the clan members one last time.
“We received the Clan House for free, and we recently received 5,000 gold from the Istantel Low Clan. Our available funds are close to 90,000 gold, and if you include the jewels, it’s at least 200,000 gold. What are we going to do with all this money just sitting here? Play moneylender? If there’s something you need, you can just tell me without being timid. We need to get the interior sorted out quickly so we can plan our next expedition, or leave the city, or do anything at all…”
“In that case…”
Just as I was about to stop pressing and read the report, Jung Hayeon spoke to me in a cautious voice. I gave her a nod, and she cleared her throat before continuing.
“Clan Lord, are there any spaces or items that you have personally thought of?”
“Personally? As for space, I’ve set up the underground training ground, so that’s fine for now. As for items, I’d like to acquire some Calling Stones.”
The moment I mentioned Calling Stones, a look of realization flickered across the faces of a few clan members. With Calling Stones, one could easily summon clan members without having to go find them and deliver a message. Of course, they had the drawback of being one-way rather than two-way, but even considering that, they were quite a useful item from a Clan Lord’s perspective.
“That’s certainly true. I was planning on stopping by the magic shop today, so I should be able to get them.”
“Then I’ll leave the Calling Stones to you, Jung Hayeon.”
“Ah, what about the quantity or specific requirements?”
“One for each clan member would be nine, and another nine to correspond with them. So a total of eighteen should do… but just in case, please purchase four or five extra. As for the range, please make it wide enough to cover the entire city. That should be the maximum possible.”
Jung Hayeon smiled faintly, indicating she understood. Next, I read the report submitted by Ko Yeonju. The content was longer than I expected, but it didn’t take long to read. Perhaps because of her unique information processing ability, it was organized clearly and concisely.
“It seems User Ko Yeonju wants to create an information guild within the clan.”
“Ah~. Well, that’s a bit too grand. It’s not at the guild level yet. Hoho.”
When I looked up after reading the entire report, Ko Yeonju waved her hand with a relaxed expression.
“I’d like to hear a bit more about this report.”
“Yes. But it’s a little difficult to do so here. I’d like to arrange a separate meeting.”
I immediately accepted Ko Yeonju’s request. If she was requesting a separate meeting, there had to be a reason.
Afterward, I placed the report I had finished reading face down on the table and raised my gaze to take in everyone.
“For now, we’ll conclude today’s meeting here. Are there any clan members who have separate business with me?”
“Me!”
As soon as I finished speaking, Vivian shot her hand up. Come to think of it, I also had business with Vivian, so I readily nodded. The other clan members were shaking their heads slightly, seemingly planning to carry out my instructions for the day immediately.
“Understood. I plan to hold another meeting soon, so I expect a more prepared attitude from you all then. And… Ko Yeonju, Vivian, let’s meet separately in the office on the fourth floor. User Ko Yeonju? I’m sorry, but I’ll speak with Vivian first.”
“Yes. I’m fine with that.”
Ko Yeonju smiled coolly with an expression that said it was fine.
With that, I declared the meeting over and immediately stood up.
*
“Perfect timing. I had something for you too.”
“Hm? You did, Kim Soohyun? What is it?”
As I leaned back in my chair and spoke, Vivian turned from closing the door and asked. I took out a thick book I had stored in a drawer and placed it on the desk. It was Mavolo’s diary, which Vivian had left behind before.
“I wanted to give you this. You were jumping for joy last time when you succeeded in getting the Ordo of Order. I don’t know if you forgot, but you left this behind.”
“Ehe, sorry, sorry. You could have just given it to Shin Sangyong… But what is this thick book? What’s it about?”
“Take a look. I brought it from the Magia expedition, and it seems to be a diary containing Mavolo’s research. That guy seemed to have a knack for alchemy, so I thought there might be something in it that could help you, even a little. Ah. You know Mavolo, don’t you?”
Vivian seemed to think for a moment, then clapped her hands and nodded vigorously.
“He’s from long before my time. I don’t know the details, but I know the name. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to this… I’ll take a moment to read it.”
Vivian quickly approached, picked up the book, and began to scan its pages, her eyes darting back and forth.
Flip, flip, flip, flip.
She turned one page, then another. And with each page she turned, Vivian’s once-bright expression subtly changed. As I watched her, a thought occurred to me and I spoke.
“You can interpret ancient languages, right? Later, Shin Sangyong also…”
“No, wait a minute. Kim Soohyun, what is this?”
“What is what?”
At my question, Vivian tilted her head. Then, she began to read the book aloud.
“‘I stripped Margarita naked and whipped her. With every mark engraved upon her fine skin, Margarita let out a beautiful scream…’ What is this?”
“Ah, I forgot to mention. Margarita is the elf queen. Mavolo kidnapped the hero and the elf queen, right? Turns out it was true. Tsk… Give it here. I’ll take out that part before I give it to you. There should be information about medicine in the back.”
I said as much and pushed myself up from the chair. I was just about to reach for the book.
“N-No! I’ll read it myself!”
Vivian’s eyes widened for a second, and she quickly backed away, hugging the book tightly.
“Really? There are a lot of rather unpleasant things in there.”
“Unpleasant? What are you talking about? You did well to bring it. And for something like this, you have to read every single line carefully. You never know where a clue might be.”
“True. Then go ahead. But… didn’t you say you had something to discuss too?”
She had a point, so I nodded without much thought. When I asked about her business, Vivian’s eyes widened as if she had just remembered.
“Ah. My wish! You said you’d grant my wish if I made the elixir!”
“Ah, right. Anyway, thank you for the elixir. Thanks to you, I was able to solve part of the problem.”
“Huhu. I told you to trust me, didn’t I? Anyway, you haven’t forgotten your promise, have you!”
“I haven’t forgotten. I’ll grant you anything I can. Go ahead.”
“I’ll decide on my wish after reading this.”
“What?”
I gave her a look that was heavy with the meaning, What are you talking about?, and Vivian stammered with a flustered expression.
“N-No! I mean, give me some time to think!”
“What? Then why did you come?”
“It was to c-confirm! Anyway, I’m leaving now!”
“Hey, hey! It’s fine if you leave, but tell Ko Yeonju to come in.”
“Got it!”
Slam. Scurry.
Vivian dashed out of the room before I had a chance to stop her. I didn’t know why she was suddenly acting like that, but considering the peculiarities of alchemists, I could sort of understand. Alchemists were, by nature, a curious bunch.
As I waited for Ko Yeonju to come in, I took out a cigarette and lit it.
*
But at the time, I was still completely unaware. I couldn’t have imagined that handing Vivian the book as it was would later result in me no longer being myself.