Chapter 293: Turning Point
Chapter 293: Turning Point
Mercenary Clan House, 3rd-floor small conference room.
A long, rectangular table was set lengthwise in the room. On either side of it, five Users were seated in an orderly fashion. There had always been one empty seat on one side, but with the recruitment of a new member, the numbers were finally even. And today’s meeting was the first one the new clan member was attending.
Feeling strangely satisfied, I listened to Ahn Hyun's faltering report.
“…So, as of yesterday, we were able to complete the installation of the access control magic circle, which uses mana wavelengths, on the warehouse.”
“I checked it yesterday. So, what’s the current status of who can access the warehouse?”
“Me and… ah, my apologies. The Clan Lord, User Ko Yeonju, and User Jung Hayeon.”
“Alright, I understand. Good work. User Shin Sangyong, you did well too.”
Ahn Hyun let out a sigh of relief, then looked back at me in surprise. Shin Sangyong, who had been smiling faintly beside him, did the same. The two looked at each other before sharing an awkward laugh. I, too, offered them a faint smile.
For a job handled by Ahn Hyun, it was far too clean.
It was plain to see what had happened. Ahn Hyun must have found it too difficult to handle on his own and asked Shin Sangyong for help. But I had no intention of making an issue of it. Not only is asking for help not a bad thing, but I also thought it was a good way to encourage interaction among the clan members.
Next, I turned my gaze to Jung Hayeon.
“The Mercenary Clan received a request.”
Without missing a beat, Jung Hayeon spoke up as soon as my eyes met hers.
“Oh? A request? I’m curious. Which clan sent it?”
“It’s not from a clan… It’s a personal request. And it’s a bit strange to even call it a request…”
“A personal request? That’s unexpected. In any case, it’s fine. Go ahead.”
“Well… um…”
Perhaps burdened by my expectant gaze, Jung Hayeon trailed off awkwardly. Then she lowered her eyes, specifically toward my lap. Following her gaze, I looked down and saw the baby unicorn, letting out huge yawns as if bored by the meeting. It was resting quietly on my thighs, its legs folded and its tail swishing gently.
As I watched the baby unicorn, which had grown noticeably cheeky lately, Jung Hayeon’s cautious voice reached me.
“They asked if they could draw the unicorn’s blood. They said they’d pay a high price for it…”
“Kkyu-kkyu?!”
Flinch!
The moment it heard those words, the baby unicorn shuddered and poked its head over the table. As it let out a cry dripping with resentment, Jung Hayeon fidgeted, shaking her head back and forth. I stroked the back of the baby unicorn, which was now looking up at me with tear-filled eyes, and answered calmly.
“What a psycho.”
“Should I send a reply saying that, then?”
“No. Be polite. Tell them that since it’s still an infant unicorn, we cannot accept such a request.”
“Understood, Clan Lord.”
Only after I gave a firm answer did the baby unicorn seem to relax, and it began to rub its cheek against my stomach. It was then, just as I was about to shift its position because its sharp horn was scratching my belly, that a knock came from the conference room door.
“Come in.”
As Ko Yeonju spoke gently, the door slowly began to open.
Creeak.
The person who entered was a woman in a maid outfit that revealed a fair amount of skin—one of the Flowers of the Night who had been hired to work at the Clan House. I couldn’t help but think that whoever dressed her had done an admirable job, but what I liked most was the garter belt visible on her fully exposed thigh.
“H-h-h-h-hello… I, I’ve brought something to drink…”
“Thank you. Could you please place one on the table for each of us?”
Ko Yeonju nodded with a soft voice. As if she knew that Ko Yeonju was the Shadow Queen, I could see the employee swallow hard.
“Haah… haah…”
At that moment, I heard unpleasant breathing from somewhere.
That punk.
The employee who brought the drinks was a woman with a cute face. She was trembling like a baby bird, her face tense with fear. And Ahn Hyun, watching her, seemed to have a thing for maid outfits, as he was letting out a series of unpleasant groans and breathing heavily through his nose.
Clink, clink, clink! Clink, clink, clink!
It wasn't a strange sound. It was just the teacups clinking together because she was trembling so much on her way toward me. However, Lee Yoojung shot Ahn Hyun a look as if he were a wild animal, checking the position of his hands. He, in turn, protested with a look that said he at least knew to distinguish between time and place.
“Th-then, I-I’ll be taking my leave…”
After finally placing a teacup in front of everyone at the table, the employee scurried out of the room.
“Well, we’ve gone through most of the reports… Shall we take a short break?”
The clan members nodded, their faces brightening. I lifted the teacup before me and brought it to my nose to savor the aroma, and I almost grimaced. To be honest, I couldn't say it was brewed poorly, but compared to the tea Ko Yeonju used to make, it was a world of difference. However, if I showed any sign of this, Lim Hanna might feel self-conscious, so I silently endured and took a sip.
“Ugh! This is awful! What is this taste!”
“Ptooey! Ugh, why is this so different from the tea Yeonju-unni makes?”
……
But the ensuing performance by Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoojung was quite something. As expected, Lim Hanna was still smiling faintly, but an apologetic look crossed her face. I let out a short sigh and decided to change the subject immediately. Fortunately, I had a good topic to divert their attention, as I had recently asked Jung Hayeon to train Baek Hangyul.
“User Jung Hayeon.”
Slurp. “Yes?”
“Speaking of which, how is Baek Hangyul’s training coming along?”
“Ah. It’s progressing at a very fast pace. He’s smart, talented, and above all, he works incredibly hard.”
Jung Hayeon praised Baek Hangyul until the tea on her lips dried. His True Name was Heavenly Talent. It seemed he was certainly living up to it. Pleased, I glanced at Baek Hangyul and saw him blush and lower his head in embarrassment.
And, of course, there was Ahn Sol with a pout on her face.
As I chuckled to myself watching the two of them act cute, my eyes were suddenly drawn to Lim Hanna.
To be honest, we had gone through a rough patch every time we’d accepted a new clan member, so I had been hoping to some extent that Lim Hanna would reverse that trend. I tilted my teacup and watched her quietly. Lim Hanna had officially joined the Mercenary Clan as of yesterday, and this was her first meeting as a member. I was quite curious what she was thinking right now.
She’s been quiet during the meeting. It seems she’s trying not to draw too much attention to herself for now… Huh?
It was then. Perhaps because she was an archer with sharp senses, Lim Hanna instantly raised her head and met my gaze.
“…Slurp.”
“…Sip.”
Lim Hanna’s eyes, staring at me, were filled with a strange, indescribable yearning.
*
Sunk into the chair in my office, I calmly read through the records. The document in my right hand had the Mercenary Clan’s current squad composition laid out clearly. The basic maintenance of the Clan House was almost complete. All that remained was to expand our roster.
As Ko Yeonju had said, the Mercenary Clan had many mages. But from a long-term perspective, that could actually be a good thing. Of course, recruiting melee classes and a priest would be good for now, and adding another archer wouldn't be a bad choice either. In the end, it didn't really matter what class we accepted; the most important thing was…
Knock, knock!
As I was lost in thought, a knock came at my office door.
“Come in.”
Slam!
The person who threw the door open was Lee Yoojung. She walked with an uncharacteristically demure gait, then bowed to me at a ninety-degree angle and spoke gracefully.
“This humble servant, Lee Yoojung, greets the Clan Lord.”
“Pfft. Yes, and to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I didn’t summon you.”
“As the Clan Lord’s attendant, I have something I must report, and so I humbly dared to knock on your door.”
“Alright, stop playing around. Come closer.”
Finding her own act amusing, Lee Yoojung burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
In last week’s meeting, I had selected Lee Yoojung to be the Clan Lord’s attendant. She seemed to think it was some grand position, but honestly, in a clan of barely ten people, what could be so grand about it? I had only one reason for choosing her: to keep a close eye on her after returning the Skurepf.
The Headband of Purity alone isn’t enough to put my mind at ease.
Watching Lee Yoojung stride toward me, I casually tossed out a comment.
“How about you try acting like that with the other clan members? Ahn Hyun would especially love it. He might even ask you out on the spot.”
“Oppa, you’re kidding. I’d rather date Kim Hanbyul and become a lesbian than date Ahn Hyun.”
One of the unexpected benefits of making her my attendant was that Lee Yoojung had become more relaxed. Before, her expression would harden just at the mention of Kim Hanbyul’s name, but she was much better now. Of course, that absolutely did not mean the two of them were on friendly terms. There was still an invisible wall of ice between the kids and Kim Hanbyul.
“Right. You said you had something to report?”
“Yeah. Oppa, you know that the Istantel Low Clan’s investigation team returned yesterday, right?”
“I know.”
“A messenger just came to the employee at the counter. Apparently, the Temple would like to see you.”
The Temple?
The memory of visiting the Temple with Baek Hangyul flashed through my mind.
I calmly processed the information. The Istantel Low Clan’s investigation team returned yesterday. The Temple wants to see me. As I traced the connection between the two events, I quickly arrived at a single answer.
“It’s already too late today. Tell them I’ll visit tomorrow.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“?”
“The priest said they would come here directly. If it’s okay with you, they’d like to visit the Clan House tomorrow, even if it’s a little late. With… where was it? Ah, right. With the Clan Lord of the Istantel Low Clan.”
What?
I had been nodding along, assuming it was about the Vagabond issue I’d heard about before, but she saved the most important part for last, catching me slightly off guard. What Lee Yoojung was saying was that a Resident with authority was planning to visit in person. And the Residents of the Temple were at the pinnacle of authority.
It was rare for such individuals to visit a Clan House directly. Moreover, the fact that Han Soyoung, the Clan Lord of the Istantel Low Clan, was coming with them meant this was no ordinary matter.
“What should I do? Tell them to come?”
“Yes. And tell Jung Hayeon… No, I’ll call her and tell her myself. For now, you just send the reply immediately.”
The moment I answered.
My heart, which had been calm lately, for no reason, began to pound once more.
*
“Ugh! Ughh!”
A groan soaked in pain echoed through the room. The source of the sound was the bed. The woman lying on it appeared to be in a very serious condition. Her hands, though trembling violently, clutched the blanket. Her hair, drenched in a cold sweat, was stuck to various parts of her face. Her complexion was so pale it was almost blue.
“Haemil Lord. How did this person end up in this state?”
“…She was attacked by a Banshee.”
“A Banshee… No, why would you go to such a dangerous place…”
“……”
The woman was not alone in the room. Two men were looking down at her on the bed with pitying eyes. One was called the Lord of the Haemil Clan, so he must be Kim Yoohyun, and the other was called the Lord of the Han Clan, so he had to be Sung Hyunmin.
“Ack! Aaargh!”
Once again, the woman’s loud groan reverberated through the room. Kim Yoohyun looked like he wanted to cover his ears, while Sung Hyunmin wore a grim expression. But as if there was nothing they could do for the suffering woman, they could only watch her, endlessly, helplessly.
After squeezing his eyes shut for a while, Sung Hyunmin calmed his expression and spoke.
“Thank you for letting us know and telling us about this. But how did you think to come to us?”
“It was a guess. I was told that before Hyoeul came to me, she was in the Han Clan.”
“Ah… I see. For our part, we’re trying everything we can. And it’s not just us; the Goryeo Clan is also stepping up to help. We’ve contacted the South, but… as you know, we’re facing difficulties with the Central, North, and West regions.”
“We haven’t been idle either. But now there are only two weeks… no, less than two weeks left. If we can’t find an Elixir in the time we have left…”
“H-Haemil Lord.”
As if they couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen next, both men frowned at the same time.
And so, as the pain of the woman called ‘Hyoeul’ deepened, the two men’s worries only grew heavier.