Chapter 326: The Future, Twisted.
Chapter 326: The Future, Twisted.
As if she absolutely needed a firm answer, Lee Hyoeul repeatedly urged me to participate, and I made my intentions clear by nodding. If I hadn't figured out the true purpose of the summons after hearing all this, I would have been certifying myself as a fool.
In any case, my meeting with Lee Hyoeul today had been quite beneficial. While we hadn't completely revealed our inner thoughts, just confirming that her thinking was almost identical to mine was enough for me to confidently say it hadn't been a waste of time. Even if I were to stir things up, I needed someone to help lead and manage the aftermath, and Lee Hyoeul would be perfect for that role.
When I finally rose from my seat, Lee Hyoeul calmly lifted her head to look up at me.
“Leaving?”
“Yeah. Before I go, you need to tell me the schedule for the summons you’re hosting.”
“The date is three weeks from now. The work is in its final stages, but I need time to wrap things up. As for the location, I’m still scouting. I’ll send a messenger within three days.”
“Alright, I understand. Oh, and you. You’ll need to visit our clan once before the summons.”
Lee Hyoeul tilted her head at first, but then her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke.
“Why?”
“One more thing before that. The Users gathering at your summons—they all know about you, right?”
“That’s right. They’re all people I’ve worked with, at least for a short time.”
“So they’re all trustworthy?”
The moment I said this, Lee Hyoeul’s eyes deepened. Since she had brought it up first, she must have realized the meaning behind my words. Since I was participating anyway, I planned to make active use of this summons.
“…When should I visit?”
Lee Hyoeul finally asked in a heavy voice.
*
“Thank you for taking the time to see me, Mercenary Lord.”
“Ah, you’re here. Not at all. In fact, I’m sorry that you had to schedule the appointment first. I’ve been so busy with one thing or another that I couldn’t find the time.”
Seeing Shin Jaeryong enter my office, I gestured to the sofa in front of me, inviting him to sit.
He had originally planned to stay for only a day, but before I knew it, his stay had stretched on. I didn't press the issue. Though I hadn't said it directly, my intentions had already been clearly conveyed. And for any User, especially one with many years of experience, finding a new nest required extreme caution.
Understanding Shin Jaeryong’s position perfectly, I had given him ample time to look around Mercenary and sort out his own thoughts.
After taking the seat I offered, Shin Jaeryong spoke in a voice that felt almost excessively polite.
“No, it’s quite alright. Given the current situation, it’s only natural that you’d be busy. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry. I said I would only stay for a day, yet I’ve shamelessly been in your care until now. Haha.”
“In my care? I’ve heard a lot from the clan members about you, Shin Jaeryong-ssi. They said you’ve been helping with various things and giving Ahn Sol some appropriate advice.”
The clan members’ assessment of Shin Jaeryong was generally favorable. Some had thought well of him ever since he participated in the rescue mission, so I figured he would blend in without much trouble if he were to join.
Shin Jaeryong offered a bashful smile before his expression turned serious as he gazed at me. It seemed he was ready to get to the main point. To ease his burden, I decided to beat him to the punch.
“So, have you made your decision?”
Shin Jaeryong looked momentarily stunned, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as if he were swallowing hard. But he quickly regained his composure, seeming to confirm that he had, indeed, made up his mind.
“I was a bit taken aback when you first hinted at it. Although I said I had settled everything, the members of my former clan, Yeoulganeok, still remained in my heart back then. But thinking about it now, your offer was truly a blessing for someone in my position.”
“In that case…”
“Yes. I was finally able to make my decision yesterday. While staying with the Mercenary Clan, I felt that there were so many good people here, and I didn't want to miss this opportunity. If your offer is still valid, I would now like to be so bold as to ask first. I don’t know if I’ll be of any help, since there are so many incredible people here, but if you accept me, I will do my best to be as helpful as possible.”
“……”
〈 Player Status 〉
1. Name: Shin Jaeryong (Year 4 User)
2. Class: Priest (Normal, Priest, Expert)
3. Alignment: Good · Passion
[Strength 78] [Durability 82] [Agility 74] [Stamina 90] [Magic Power 84] [Luck 68]
Not helpful? You’ve got to be kidding me.
I looked at Shin Jaeryong while checking his Player Status with my Third Eye. First of all, he was a priest, and with stats like these, he would definitely be a help. Moreover, his Stamina was unusually high for a priest, which meant I could expect even greater efficiency from him. And his Alignment was, of course, perfect.
Considering the large-scale war that was about to unfold, recruiting him was like a welcome rain in a drought for Mercenary, which was in desperate need of priests.
I thrust my hand forward and spoke in the most affable voice I could manage.
“Haha. You don’t have to worry about that. We’re going to get even busier from now on, so you’ll be a help one way or another.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Having work to do is a happy thing. I will work myself to the bone for Mercenary from now on.”
Shin Jaeryong smiled gently, came over, and shook my outstretched hand. A warm and comforting feeling spread from his grip.
Knock, knock.
Just then, as Shin Jaeryong and I were releasing our warm handshake, a light knock sounded at the door. The moment we both turned our heads, the door swung open, and a woman appeared. It was Lee Yoojung.
“Oppa… Oh, you were in the middle of something. Can I come in?”
“You already opened the door. Come in. What is it?”
After getting a nod of understanding from Shin Jaeryong, I nodded as well, and Lee Yoojung quickly walked inside. Reaching my desk, she glanced at Shin Jaeryong once before handing me a neatly folded record.
“Oppa, this. The Haemil Clan sent a messenger.”
“From the Haemil Clan?”
Did Lee Hyoeul send it?
I calmly took the record and scanned the cover. In that instant, I couldn't help but freeze for a moment. The sender wasn't Lee Hyoeul, but my brother, Kim Yoohyun. I was about to read it right there, but I suddenly felt Shin Jaeryong’s gaze on me as he stood there awkwardly.
“User Shin Jaeryong. Once again, congratulations on joining Mercenary. I look forward to your contributions.”
“Ah, yes! Thank you so much!”
“I’ll be counting on you. I suppose we’ll be seeing you at the morning meetings soon. Anyway… first, you’ll need to move from the temporary lodging to a personal room. Lee Yoojung?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah!”
She had clearly heard my conversation with Shin Jaeryong, but surprisingly, Lee Yoojung didn't look all that shocked. She must have considered the possibility of him joining after seeing him stay here for so long.
“As of today, Shin Jaeryong-ssi has joined the Mercenary Clan. I need you to take care of a few things for him.”
“Aha. Just as I thought. Got it~. Welcome to the clan, ahjussi! I look forward to working with you!”
Lee Yoojung beamed and grabbed Shin Jaeryong’s hand, shaking it vigorously. She was one of the clan members who held a favorable opinion of him. Her genuine welcome was plain to see, a world of difference from her attitude toward Kim Hanbyul in the past.
Was it “traitor”?
“I’ll be on my way then.”
“Yes. Yoojung, introduce him to the other clan members and show him to his personal quarters. You know what to do, right?”
Instead of answering, Lee Yoojung shot me a sharp look and pouted. It felt like watching a daughter rebelling, as if to say, “I know what I’m doing now.”
I watched the two of them walk out the door before picking up the record I had briefly set down.
*
After finishing dinner with the clan members, I returned to my office. I sat at my desk and slowly reread the record from earlier.
At first, there was nothing of substance. It was quite thick, so I’d expected something important, but half of it was filled with useless pleasantries like asking if I was eating well or if I was feeling okay. Just as I was about to sigh and put it away, the real message finally began.
Though it was written in a long, roundabout way, it could be summarized in one sentence: Could I accept Lee Hyoeul as a joint clan member of Mercenary for the time being?
Of course, Kim Yoohyun has enough value that the angels probably didn't say anything… but that’s over now.
My conversation with Lee Hyoeul from a few days ago suddenly replayed in my mind. I didn't need to see it to know how she had sweet-talked my brother.
Since my brother also knew her true identity, she must have made the request under some pretext, like repaying him for saving her life or offering to help me grow stronger. And my brother, thinking it was for my sake, would have readily agreed.
This part gave me some—no, a lot of—pause. Although only a few Users knew her identity, people often had a common misconception.
They thought the Guardian of the Northern Continent was a good person. Whether it was because of the word ‘guardian’ or because they felt indebted to her, those who knew of her generally perceived her as ‘someone who sacrifices herself to help others.’
But I didn't see it that way. Even if she was a leader, she was ultimately nothing more than a lackey for the angels. The angels had a single objective, and they had put a guardian in place to achieve that objective more easily.
One only had to look at the present situation. If Lee Hyoeul was a guardian, why wasn't she calling to save the cities currently under invasion? Far from salvation, clans from the Central and West were moving to the East and South one after another.
It was just a hunch, but the possibility that Lee Hyoeul was behind it was extremely high. In other words, the existence known as the continent’s guardian was an agent of the angels, and their actions were thoroughly aligned with achieving their goals.
To put it simply, the current Lee Hyoeul had judged that eliminating the Golden Lion and its allied clans was the right thing to do for the Northern Continent.
In any case, considering all that, I wasn't at all pleased with the idea of Lee Hyoeul joining Mercenary. That was also why I had resolved to kill her when we first met. Although my brother was highly valued now, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't end up like the Golden Lion Clan in the future.
Of course, I had set aside my intention to kill her for the time being. Whatever the circumstances, Lee Hyoeul’s current actions were quite similar to what I was aiming for. And setting aside the fact that she seemed to have feelings for my brother, I couldn't ignore the influence she had built up as a guardian by nurturing my brother and various other clans.
This is so complicated.
I sighed and tossed the record aside. It felt like it was one thing after another. My mind was already a mess, and as soon as one problem was solved, another popped up. In any case, I had no idea what she was thinking, wanting to come to my clan, but as my brother said, it seemed we needed to talk in person to get the details. And before that, I needed to meet with Seraph.
I swiveled my chair around to look out the window. A complete darkness had settled over the garden; night had fallen. It was a little early, but I got up from my seat. For now, I planned to do my best with the tasks at hand.
When one problem is solved, another appears. Following that order, it was now time to solve the next one.
During dinner today, I had heard that Vivian’s research was nearly complete. That meant the potion was finished, which in turn meant we could begin the work on Baek Seoyeon. She had said she would be completely done around dawn, but I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to go early, get an explanation, and watch.
Having made up my mind, I immediately left my office and went down to the third floor. I walked down the corridor, steeped in quiet darkness, until I reached the door of the room at the very end.
Even though Vivian’s workshop was firmly shut, the thick scent of herbs pricked my nose.