Chapter 291: Vivian’s Awakening & Don’t Come Hoping for That
Chapter 291: Vivian’s Awakening & Don’t Come Hoping for That
2 Months Ago
A young man in comfortable clothes sat perched on the edge of a plaza fountain. He hummed a tune with his eyes gently closed. Judging by his face alone, he looked like a pleasant young man out for a neighborhood stroll. But with the blood-red streams of water that intermittently shot up from the fountain and the gruesome piles of corpses strewn all around, one could hardly call the faintly smiling young man a peaceful sight.
Thump, thump.
The young man’s humming, which had continued for some time, abruptly stopped at the sound of heavy footsteps. He opened his eyes to a slit, stared ahead, and spoke with a grin.
“So you’ve come, Wanderer.”
“Wanderer? It’s not wrong, but it’s a bit much to hear it every time. Just call me a Vagabond instead.”
A low voice. It was monotone, but it carried a chilling killing intent, enough to make one shudder. The young man, however, simply kept smiling cheerfully as if he found it amusing.
“Oh, my apologies. I’ve had my Translation Magic active for a while now, but it seems my word choice was poor.”
“No need to apologize. I’m the one here to ask for a favor, after all. I was just complaining for no reason.”
“Hahaha! It’s quite all right! I’m not that petty.”
“Is that so? A relief, then. In any case, I should show myself. It seems only polite.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a man clad in blood-splattered rags appeared out of thin air. He held a giant scythe at an angle, his feet planted askew on the ground. As blood dripped from the razor-sharp scythe and soaked the earth, the young man’s expression turned intrigued for the first time.
“Oh. It seems my friends’ welcome was a bit rough.”
“Rough is one thing. It was downright creepy.”
“Hm? Why is that?”
“One of them charged at me out of nowhere, so I knocked him down. I didn’t intend to kill him. But then the bastard suddenly started cackling, drew a knife, and slit his own throat.”
Another roar of laughter erupted. The young man clapped his hands and cackled, as if the man’s story was the funniest thing he had ever heard. Soon, he wiped his eyes and calmed his breathing. As the incessant shaking of his shoulders subsided, the young man spoke in an exceptionally bright voice.
“I see. Please understand. That’s just how they are.”
“I’ve heard many rumors about the Western Continent. But every time I come here, I feel like the rumors are an understatement. They’re madmen… Even a lawless zone wouldn’t be this bad.”
As the man cautiously changed the subject, the young man responded with a warm-looking smile. He then reached into the fountain, rummaged around, and pulled something out. In his right hand was the head of a man with a menacing face. His expression was horribly contorted, as if he had died in immense pain.
“This was Jacqueline, also known by the alias ‘Traitor.’ He was a friend who was quite powerful here in the Western Continent, with many followers.”
“And you must be Simon the Butcher?”
“That’s what they call me. Not a name I’m particularly fond of, though…”
“Then I’ll call you Simon.”
After that, a long silence fell between them. The young man called Simon seemed to be lost in thought, stroking the severed head, then squeezing it, over and over. After some time, Simon’s lips slowly parted.
“I thought the Western Continent had gotten boring after this friend died… but the wanderers’ proposal was certainly amusing. We did our own investigation, and our findings more or less match what you’ve told us.”
“Amusing… It’s ridiculous for me to say this, as I’m the one asking for a favor, but is this just a matter of amusement to you people?”
“My Translation Magic isn’t perfect. There must be a difference in interpretation. In any case, the Western Continent has become a gathering place for the trash cast out from every other continent.”
“Trash…” the man muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness. But Simon’s words weren’t entirely wrong, so he accepted them in silence. Slaughter, robbery, rape, war. For the past few years, the Users of the Western Continent had become all too familiar with such words. No, it was beyond familiarity; it was as if those concepts had taken root in the very marrow of their bones.
“Jackie—ah, that’s a nickname. Anyway, after Jackie died, the void he left was too large. Peace doesn’t suit us. We needed a place to turn the tips of our blades, a place that could handle such things. Well, we have various groups here, and each has its own complex circumstances, so I’ll stop my grumbling here. It would be a long story if I went into detail. And you don’t seem very interested anyway.”
“It must be the Translation Magic, but I’m having trouble understanding some of what you’re saying.”
“Ahaha! I can’t help that part, so please bear with me. Now, now, let’s stop the boring talk. Shall we get back to the interesting part?”
“Let’s. Officially, this is our third meeting, correct?”
Simon rolled his eyes and counted on his fingers before nodding emphatically.
“Officially, yes.”
“The second time we met, your subordinate gave us a condition. He said that if we killed the Matriarch and fulfilled our promise, he would let us meet you.”
“I have indeed received the evidence. Now, I suppose you’re curious why I made killing the Matriarch a condition?”
“Telling me the reason would be the cornerstone for our next conversation.”
The word ‘cornerstone’ didn’t seem to register, as Simon tilted his head in confusion. With his wide eyes and tilted head, he looked so innocent that one would never guess his infamous title was ‘the Butcher.’
“Killing the Matriarch was for insurance. An uncertain policy, of course, but one with a fairly high probability of paying out.”
“Could you be a little more specific?”
“Of course. Have you by any chance…”
“By any chance?”
Simon paused for a moment, drawing out the suspense, before the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk. Then, he continued in a suggestive tone.
“Have you heard of the guardians of each continent?”
*
I gave Lee Yoojung, who had rushed over in a hurry, a gentle pinch on the cheek before heading straight up the stairs. When I entered the office on the fourth floor, I saw two women waiting patiently for me.
Sip.
Lim Hanna held a teacup, one hand supporting the saucer and the other gripping the handle, as she brought it to her lips. Her gentle yet confident demeanor revealed an undeniable, refined grace. The analogy might be off, but if she were to put on a lavish dress, she would look just like the precious daughter of a noble family.
“I heard the news. An acquaintance of yours was part of the first rescue team for the Canyon of Illusions.”
“Yes…”
“You should have told me sooner. I would have pushed myself to go earlier.”
“No, it’s alright. The Mercenary Lord was risking his own life out there; I didn’t want to add to your burden. And Yeonju told me you all did your best…”
A flicker of sadness crossed Lim Hanna’s eyes, likely at the memory of her acquaintance who died in the rescue mission. I nodded once or twice and took a sip of my tea.
Silence fell. It didn’t take long for Lim Hanna to regain her usual expression. I studied her face for a moment before speaking softly.
“I heard you’ve already discussed things to some extent with Ko Yeonju.”
“Yes. I… if the Mercenary Lord is willing to accept, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’d like to make a request.”
“I arranged this meeting because I have the same intention. However, I have a few questions I’d like to ask first, if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course.”
Lim Hanna’s gaze shifted to the side, and she gave an awkward nod. Ko Yeonju was standing demurely beside me. It seemed she wasn’t used to seeing this side of her.
“First, I was told that other clans have made offers to recruit you, User Lim Hanna. May I ask why you chose Mercenary over them? Was it because of the Flowers of the Night?”
“That is the biggest reason, yes. Two clans made me offers, but both suffered significant losses in the first rescue mission. They said they didn’t have the capacity to grant my request.”
“Are there any other reasons?”
“And… I had many chances to get to know the members of the Mercenary Clan while they were staying at the Love House. I felt the atmosphere was truly like a family, unlike other clans. I think I gradually grew fond of it. I was also personally curious about the clan that Yeonju had joined.”
It was a standard answer, but one that held sincerity. It was sufficient, but a question lingered in my mind. Should I ask it, or not?
I probably should.
It was a sensitive topic, which made me hesitate, but I felt it was something I had to address.
“I have one more question. It might be a bit rude.”
“It’s fine. Please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Alright. I know you to be a skilled archer, User Lim Hanna. Skilled enough to fend for yourself. So I’m curious why you feel so bound to the Flowers of the Night.”
“……”
This time, Lim Hanna didn’t answer immediately. She simply lifted her teacup and brought it to her lips. Just as I began to wonder if I had asked the wrong question, I heard the soft clink of the cup being set down.
“This might be a bit of a long story.”
“I’m listening.”
As soon as I replied, Lim Hanna’s eyes grew distant, and she slowly began to tell her story.
Until recently, the owner of the Love House had been a rather successful fourth-year User. Considering he had excavated ruins almost every year, big and small, I could get a rough idea of his capabilities. Lim Hanna had joined the owner’s caravan by chance, where her skills were recognized, and she managed to establish herself.
However, a year ago, the caravan suffered a major accident during an expedition, and the aftermath left them nearly wiped out. The owner, Lim Hanna, and a few others barely escaped with their lives, but the blow was so devastating that reforming the caravan was impossible.
The incident left Lim Hanna in deep shock, and she announced a temporary halt to her activities to rest. The owner then gathered the remaining members and accepted a merger offer from another clan.
That was the extent of Lim Hanna’s story.
“I was slowly recovering from the shock, but after a few months of doing nothing, I started to get scared. That’s when the offer to be the madam of the Love House came. The owner was always an easygoing person. I think his plan was to give me a job first and slowly draw me back into the Hall Plain, rather than dragging me in right away.”
“I see. You refer to him as an older brother figure, so he must be a male User. It’s surprising he came up with the idea for a building like the Love House.”
“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but… he had a girlfriend at the time. I think she did something similar back in the modern world. He was always a kind-hearted person, but after hearing her stories, he felt particularly sorry for the Flowers of the Night. He was always asking me to take good care of the girls. That was the last thing he said to me before he left for the first rescue mission. They’re both gone now… but they cared for me so much, so I want to treat it as his last will and see it through to the end.”
“Hmm…”
I hummed for a moment. Listening to her, I had a feeling there was more to the story. Of course, that was just a hunch. And it was clear that probing further would be truly rude, so I decided to wrap things up here.
“Thank you for sharing your story. I didn’t know about your circumstances. But I must apologize first. Mercenary cannot hire all of the Flowers of the Night.”
“Yes, I heard. But Yeonju said she has a plan for the rest…”
“That’s true, but that’s something being entrusted to Ko Yeonju personally, strictly speaking. How many Flowers of the Night are you currently looking after?”
“Twenty-five. Twenty of them wish to be hired as employees.”
That meant the remaining five intended to continue their work as Flowers of the Night. Some of the more popular women in that line of work could earn a decent income, sometimes even more than combat Users. In any case, the fewer the number, the better for me.
“Ten. For now, I’m thinking of about half. Twelve at most… Would that be acceptable?”
“If it comes to it, I was thinking of sharing the money I’ve saved up. The fewer girls there are, the more money each of them will get. I think this is the best option.”
“I appreciate how quickly we’ve come to an agreement. I’ll take that as your consent. Congratulations on joining Mercenary.”
“Thank you for granting my impudent request. I’ll work very hard from now on. I look forward to working with you.”
Lim Hanna and I shared a light handshake. I could hear Ko Yeonju clapping softly beside us.
As we were letting go, a thought seemed to occur to Lim Hanna, and she spoke with a cautious expression.
“So, should I bring the girls who will be hired as employees myself?”
“No.”
I said it flatly. I was confident in our security, but that was just a thought. The Clan House security plan was one of the top priorities in my mind right now. Security wouldn’t just happen on its own if I was complacent; I could only rest easy if I took a personal interest. And I believed the first step was to be selective about who we let in.
After downing the last of the tea in my cup, I spoke in a firm voice.
“I will select the Users to be hired myself. I failed to mention it before, but that is my final condition.”