Chapter 343: Middle or West
Chapter 343: Middle or West
Monica's plaza was a veritable sea of people, so packed with Users that there was hardly room to move.
The most striking sight of all was the members of Istantel Low Clan, standing in perfect formation in the center of the plaza. And in their midst, exuding an extraordinary aura, stood Han Soyoung, clad in the armor of the Battlefield Maestro.
A low buzz filled the air.
The plaza was boisterous, almost deafeningly loud. But the moment the activation of a Sound Amplification Magic was felt from the center, the clamor quickly died down.
Since the invasion by the Western Continent and the Vagabonds began, the East and South had shown so little interest it was as if they had turned their backs on the matter entirely.
But for the city's representative clan to step forward like this was tantamount to making an official announcement of their position.
As such, today's gathering was a matter of unprecedented interest to the Users.
“I am Han Soyoung, Clan Lord of Istantel Low Clan. I will now announce Monica's position regarding the Golden Lion's request for support.”
As she began to speak, Han Soyoung swept her gaze across the crowd. In that instant, any remaining pockets of chatter vanished. Her command over the masses was on full display.
“I believe you have all heard the recent stories about the Mercenary Lord.”
At that moment, I felt several pairs of eyes land on me. But I focused even more intently on Han Soyoung's words. She wasn't finished yet.
“The Mercenary Lord delivered the captured Vagabonds to Istantel Low Clan and, along with them, provided crucial information about the invaders. Some of that information has already been released to you.”
Nods rippled through the crowd.
Amidst the nodding heads and the sound of quiet breaths, the Iron-Blooded Queen's announcement continued.
“Not long ago, Istantel Low Clan participated in a meeting with the representative clans of the East and South. At that meeting, we concluded that it is still premature to respond to the Golden Lion's request for support. Therefore, to ensure our safety until all preparations are complete, Monica will be severing its Warp Gate connections to all cities scheduled to be invaded.”
It was a straightforward statement, devoid of any flowery language, just as one would expect from Han Soyoung. And her words sent a huge shockwave through the Users gathered in the plaza.
“Does that mean you're just going to abandon Barbara?!”
A male User shouted, his voice filled with shock. It held a sense of disbelief that went beyond mere anger.
“I never said we would abandon them. I said we need to reorganize.”
“Then… how on earth…?”
“This announcement is being made simultaneously not just in Monica, but in other cities as well. We plan to keep the Warp Gates open for ten days following this statement.”
“……”
Heavy groans escaped from the crowd. Han Soyoung said nothing more, but the Users gathered here could easily guess the unspoken implication.
Although she called it ‘reorganization,’ it was essentially an order to abandon the cities and come here. The ten days were a grace period to make a choice.
With that, Han Soyoung's official announcement concluded. Of course, there was more to be said, but she had delivered the most critical information first.
The Users' reactions were varied. Some wore expressions of disbelief, others sighed in relief, and some even had smirks on their faces, as if enjoying the drama.
It was all predictable. The East and South intended to use this opportunity to completely ostracize the Golden Lion and its allied clans. Just like in the first playthrough.
Besides, ever since the conflict began, the Users had already been divided by city.
But even so, this move could not be justified. There would undoubtedly be a flood of criticism, and I was quite curious to see how they would handle it in this second playthrough.
In the end, it was a matter of justification. Even if it was a ‘fabricated’ justification, not a ‘real’ one.
After a short while, a female User cautiously raised her hand.
“Istantel Low Clan Lord, you mentioned ‘reorganization.’ Could you explain exactly what that means?”
“There are complicated internal matters in the East and South that cannot yet be disclosed. While resolving them, we also intend to recruit the Users residing in each city. Mid- and high-year Users will be conscripted, while Year 0 and Year 1 Users may be allowed to volunteer.”
“C-Conscription?”
“Having enjoyed the rights granted to Users registered in the Northern Continent, I trust you will also shoulder the corresponding duties.”
Han Soyoung's voice remained calm, but it was laced with a chilling edge that pierced the heart.
A profound silence fell over the plaza.
“Of course, I promise here and now that the Istantel Low Clan and its subordinate clans will stand at the forefront in fulfilling that duty.”
Her voice, following that promise, echoed widely across the plaza.
*
“Mercenary will participate in this war.”
I cut to the chase and got straight to the point. I could see the expressions of the clan members gathered in the third-floor meeting room change drastically.
“Are we also subject to conscription?”
“Did we receive a request?”
Shin Sangyong and Jung Hayeon quickly fired off questions. I calmly shook my head and answered clearly.
“Members of Mercenary cannot be conscripted. As for a request… I believe we will be contacted soon.”
“And if we aren't…”
“Even if we aren't, we will volunteer and go anyway.”
When I stated so decisively that we were going to war, I could see anxiety flicker across some of the members' faces.
Of course, there were ways to avoid the war. A few could volunteer for city defense, or we could just lie low and stay quiet as a mouse. But it felt like too great an opportunity to pass up.
In any case, I could understand how the clan members felt. But I had no intention of retracting my decision.
“We can't always live doing only what we want to do.”
Because.
“No matter that we are free mercenaries, our base is in the Northern Continent. This war is so critical that you could say the very fate of the Northern Continent hangs in the balance.”
“……”
“Moreover, Mercenary's name is quite well-known now, and we've unintentionally gotten one foot involved in the war already. If we don't participate under these circumstances… no matter what we do in the future, we won't be looked upon favorably.”
Regardless of the process, this war would, on the surface, end in a victory for the Northern Continent. There was also something I personally wanted to achieve through this, and I believed the war itself would be a great opportunity for Mercenary.
Simply put, I had no intention of letting this ‘opportunity’ slip away.
Of course, I couldn’t take everyone.
There were members whose skills were still too green for war, and others who might be skeptical about participating. I planned to assign them to city defense, so it wasn't a major concern.
“Anyway, I'll explain the details later, after we've been contacted. If we aren't… well, for now, we should focus on the task at hand. User Ko Yeonju, Jung Hayeon.”
“Yes.”
They answered in unison as soon as I called their names. I looked around at all the clan members and continued.
“I'm opening the warehouse completely. Take all the clan members and distribute the equipment they requested. If there are overlapping requests for the same equipment, coordinate among yourselves. If that doesn't work, come talk to me.”
“Understood. So, when is the warehouse…”
“Right now.”
With a nod from me, Jung Hayeon and Ko Yeonju slowly rose to their feet. As I watched the other members follow them one by one, my eyes landed on someone. A thought flashed through my mind, and I spoke to that member.
“User Lim Hanna.”
“Yes…?”
Lim Hanna, who was getting up from her chair with an anxious look in her eyes, turned back to me with a puzzled expression.
“Ms. Lim Hanna, could you please stay behind for a moment?”
Lim Hanna hesitated for a moment before giving a quiet nod.
After all the clan members had left the meeting room, I looked at Lim Hanna, who was sitting nearby, and spoke softly.
“I've reviewed the equipment you requested. Brilliant Flash, Clothes Made from Yggdrasil’s Leaves, Rhiza Boots, and Northern Winter Tights. Most of them are archer-exclusive items, and as such, I can certainly lend them to you.”
“Thank you. But…”
“?”
“You said you'd speak casually when it was just the two of us…”
Lim Hanna lowered her gaze and blushed. ‘What was she talking about all of a sudden?’ Then I noticed her rubbing her fingers together.
Seeing Lim Hanna—who was always so composed, combining kindness with elegance—act like this was certainly a fresh sight. It didn't quite suit her, yet it had a strange charm.
I gave a small, internal laugh and, acceding to her wish, began to speak.
“Alright. There shouldn't be a problem with the items I mentioned… but the Twilight Medium might be a bit of an issue.”
“Yes.”
Lim Hanna replied immediately. From her relaxed expression, it seemed she had already anticipated this.
Then, Lim Hanna's lips slowly parted.
*
Just as Han Soyoung had said, it wasn't only Monica that had announced its position. The representative clans of every city across the East and South had made their statements simultaneously.
The Golden Lion responded to the news with open disbelief.
- The recent announcement from the East and South is completely incomprehensible. No, it goes beyond that—it's so suspicious that we must question their intentions.
- It is true that there has been conflict between our cities, but this is no time to dwell on it. As the saying goes, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. It is a self-evident truth.
- It is frustrating to see them miss the forest for the trees. We must set aside our ill feelings for a moment and overcome the Northern Continent's crisis together.
The Golden Lion's swift response followed, but the East and South didn't budge. In the past, they would have refuted every point one by one, but now, they offered no reaction beyond the bare minimum.
Of course, that didn't mean they just sat back and took it.
- War is not a game. As it broke out so suddenly, our preparations were insufficient, and our internal affairs are in disarray. We need time to reorganize for a certain victory.
- We must learn from the cases of Bess, Dorothy, and especially Halo. It is known that the Golden Lion made a similar proposal to SSUN at the time, so it is puzzling why they now claim not to understand.
- The Warp Gates will be closed on the scheduled date. We will say no more on the matter. We hope that the Users of Barbara, including the Golden Lion, will make a wise choice.
The Users' reactions were also diverse.
There were those who condemned the announcement as going too far, and among them were several sharp individuals who claimed this was a bid to seize hegemony over the Northern Continent.
But on the other hand, there were countless Users who criticized the Golden Lion and its allied clans.
They had brought the situation upon themselves. If they wanted help, they should have asked from the start; asking only now after remaining silent was absurd. They had also been the first to restrict the Warp Gates, only to reverse their position as easily as turning over a hand. Critics dredged up every past grievance in detail.
Of course, not everyone was like that, but it was an unspoken truth that most of these critics were agitators dispatched by the various clans.
One day, two days, three, four…
As time passed, the outcome began to lean decisively in one direction.
Despite the Golden Lion issuing desperate, emotionally charged(?) statements day after day, the Warp Gates in the eastern and southern cities were nearly overwhelmed. Users who had kept telling themselves “surely not” even after Halo fell finally felt the danger at their heels and began leaving Barbara.
And so, amid the public uproar and the North's silence, the East and South quietly went about their business.
The ‘internal affairs’ mentioned in the official announcement were none other than rooting out spies.
The process was surprisingly covert, but according to Ko Yeonju, who occasionally went on business trips, it was nearing its final stages. (She said they had first captured the major figures and were now using them to hunt down the various branching networks.) At the same time, they were steadily proceeding with the recruitment of Users residing within the cities.
The reorganization was proceeding step by step, just as they'd said, and as preparations advanced, the days flew by. The tenth day, when the Warp Gates would be severed, was fast approaching.
And then, one day before the deadline, on the ninth day after the announcement.
I came across a shocking piece of news. The Warp Gate connection had been severed.
Not by the East and South, but by the Golden Lion itself.
This was something that hadn't happened in the first playthrough.