Chapter 344: Middle or West
Chapter 344: Middle or West
Flashback
“I want to forge my own destiny.”
The sudden declaration came out of nowhere. I lifted my head in surprise and met Lim Hanna’s calm, subdued eyes.
“It’s a personal wish. On a small scale, I want to watch over someone. On a larger scale, I want to put my own destiny to the test.”
Sensing my confusion, Lim Hanna quietly added her explanation.
“…Hrm.”
I tapped my index finger on the table out of habit, lost in deep thought.
I had already been planning to put the ‘Twilight Medium’ class on hold, but I had intended to at least hear Lim Hanna’s side of the story. Of course, I wasn't going to just hand it over, but I thought she might have some desperate reason. However…
Her explanation is lacking.
I had suspected Lim Hanna had her reasons.
But looking at it coldly, that was that, and this was this. Besides, the way she now kept her lips sealed suggested she didn’t want to say anything more.
After some more careful consideration, I was able to make a final decision under the principle that ‘a Clan Lord must be impartial in official matters.’
“Lim Hanna. It would be best to put the Twilight Medium on hold for now.”
“Ah…”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Lim Hanna’s face. But she soon looked embarrassed, which told me she knew how unreasonable her request had been.
“As I said in the meeting just now, we may be heading to war soon. As such, acquiring the Twilight Medium class right now could be a liability.”
“You’re right. I might not be used to a new class… I didn’t think of that.”
“Exactly. And frankly, I’m also concerned about how the other clan members would see it. Many of them have obtained Secret or Rare classes, but they all went through their own hardships to earn them. You know what I mean, right?”
“Yes. I understand completely. I’m sorry. It seems I’ve caused you a lot of trouble… I was being too selfish and thinking only of myself.”
Thankfully, Lim Hanna handled it with grace. A petty person would have shown their displeasure first, but she understood and accepted the reality of the situation.
“Personally, I think it’s good to have a healthy amount of ambition. In any case, it’s not much of a substitute, but I’ll approve all of your other equipment requests.”
“Thank you.”
“And… from now on, I plan to distribute equipment strictly based on contribution.”
Watching Lim Hanna bow deeply, I… No, what am I thinking right now?
In any case, I paused for a moment before continuing, deliberately raising my gaze to meet her face.
“If you perform well enough in this war for everyone to acknowledge your efforts, the Twilight Medium will be yours.”
“Hehe. The war is frightening, but I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”
Lim Hanna smiled with a refined elegance, wrapping her arms around herself in a way that further accentuated her full chest.
Is she doing that on purpose?
No, it’s probably just a habit.
Like how I drum my fingers on the table whenever I’m lost in thought.
With that thought, I cleared my throat once or twice and stood up.
I decided to head to the warehouse for now.
*
The Golden Lion’s Warp Gate had been cut off. And it wasn’t the East or the South that had done it; they had severed it themselves.
Users had varied reactions to the Golden Lion’s actions.
- Those crazy bastards! Did they deliberately block it to stop Users from leaving for other cities?
- That seems a bit ambiguous, doesn’t it? If that were the case, they could have cut it off much earlier.
- A lot of Users were planning to wait until the 10th and then move if nothing changed. Maybe they’re trying to forcibly stop them from leaving? They need a minimum number of people for defense, after all.
- I have no idea what they’re thinking… Does anyone have a contact in Barbara they can reach?
With the situation still unclear, speculation was rampant.
I let out a short sigh, shaking myself from my thoughts, and looked down at the communication crystal glowing with a clear light.
[Why the sudden sigh? Soohyun. Are you listening to me?]
“Yeah. I’m listening.”
[Right… Anyway, we’re also trying to figure out the details. I’ll contact you as soon as we learn anything.]
My brother leaned close to the crystal with his eyes wide, though that didn’t make me any easier for him to see.
I stopped myself from sighing again and nodded.
“Got it. By the way, Hyung. How are the preparations in the East? Is everything going well?”
[So-so. We’ve finished organizing internally, and the User formations are proceeding smoothly. Lee Hyoeul is running around like crazy, so things are moving faster than I expected. How’s the South?]
“Monica is in a similar situation. But it seems like a few Users are showing resistance to the conscription… I’m not sure. Anyway, until last week, the war didn’t feel real, but now it feels like the clouds of war are slowly gathering over the city.”
[Well, it’s about time you started feeling it. And conscription is bound to have issues since it involves a degree of force. We’ve left that problem to each city’s representative clan, so don’t worry too much about it.]
Don’t worry. Don’t think about it. Those were the phrases I had heard most often during my video calls with my brother.
Thinking that he was still worried about me, I was about to tell him I was fine when I saw his lips part again.
[By the way… Soohyun.]
“Yeah?”
[We might be departing as early as next week… You know what I told you before. Have you made up your mind?]
At my brother’s quiet tone, I fell silent for a moment.
I had, in fact, already made my decision, but one important thing remained. Whether he knew what was on my mind or not, my brother gave an awkward smile and spoke.
[I’d love to have you by my side… but I’d rather you follow the South. Of course, it would be even better if you just stayed put.]
“…I’m scheduled to visit Istantel Low Clan today.”
[Ah. You are?]
“Yeah. A decision will probably be made by tomorrow at the latest. I’ll call you.”
[You better.]
After making me promise one more time, my brother said he had to go. It seemed the East was just as busy.
I told him to go ahead and then cut the flow of magic to the crystal.
Those fools. How did it come to this….
I pushed the now-dark crystal to one side, clicked my tongue, and lit a cigarette.
Whatever decision the Golden Lion had made, cutting off their own Warp Gate could only be described as foolish.
Severing the Warp Gate didn’t make travel impossible. It would just take a lot longer, but one could still walk, just as I had from Mule.
No matter how you looked at it, the Golden Lion had once been the clan that stood at the pinnacle, ruling over the Northern Continent, which was once called the strongest.
There were sayings about how a fallen powerhouse still has its lingering strength, but it seemed such adages didn’t apply to the Golden Lion.
To be precise, it just means Do Youngrok’s caliber was never that great to begin with.
Well, it was none of my business. With that thought, I leaned back in my chair and gently closed my eyes to organize my thoughts. I rolled the cigarette with its glowing red tip between my fingers for a moment, and when it had burned all the way down, I slowly rose to my feet.
The time to visit Istantel Low Clan was gradually approaching.
*
It hadn’t been long since my last visit, but the Istantel Low Clan house was far more chaotic than before. Clan members who had been away on business must have all returned, as Users bearing the clan mark were rushing about. The place was also bustling with Users who had come to see the representative clan on business.
So this is why my summons was delayed.
If they were this busy, a delay was understandable. Shaking off the tiny bit of disappointment I felt, I followed an employee’s guidance, grabbed the doorknob, and turned it. It was then that I heard it.
“Ah, just go out there and listen to them! What? They didn’t receive any rights? It’s so damn frustrating! The guys outside right now are really…!”
“I know, I know. Please, just be quiet. The Mercenary Lord you’ve been so eagerly waiting for might arrive any moment.”
“Who’s waiting for him! And he’s not here yet!”
Bang.
The moment I opened the door, a familiar, sharp voice erupted from within the room. Thankfully (?), it wasn’t Han Soyoung’s voice, so I slowly scanned the interior.
Han Soyoung was sitting at her desk with a weary expression. And fuming beside her, breathing heavily, was Park Dayeon. Given the circumstances, it was a no-brainer who had been shouting.
“……”
A brief silence fell. As the moments ticked by, Park Dayeon began to change rapidly, like a chameleon.
Her sharply raised eyebrows gradually lowered, and her right leg, which had been propped out to the side, slowly straightened.
After this complete transformation, Park Dayeon’s cute lips parted demurely.
“You’ve arrived, Mercenary Lord.”
“Ah… yes. Hello.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, but I’m a bit busy at the moment. I’m afraid I must be on my way. Please excuse me.”
“…O-of course.”
The woman who had been screaming just a moment ago was gone. Speaking as politely as a lady from a noble family, Park Dayeon gave a slight nod and a graceful smile. Then, on her short legs (she was 155cm tall), she showed off a clumsy attempt at a model’s walk before neatly closing the door behind her.
However, the instant the door clicked shut, I heard the pitter-patter of feet scurrying down the hallway.
Of course, that was followed by, “I’m such an idiot!” and “Nothing goes right anymore—nothing! Damn it!”
Only after that little commotion could I finally speak with Han Soyoung.
“You seem very busy these days.”
“It appears so. The world doesn’t always go my way.”
Though they were a minority, I had seen several Users shouting and singing loudly on my way here, so I understood what she meant.
“Anyway, that aside… I originally intended to contact you sooner. But the situation was complicated, so I kept putting it off.”
“I understand the situation, so that is fine. But… is what you wanted to discuss related to the force assignments?”
“Hm? You knew?”
“If you’re referring to Operation New World, I heard about it from my brother.”
As I nodded and replied, a flicker of interest appeared in Han Soyoung’s eyes.
Operation New World was an operation aimed at completely wiping out the invading Users from the Western Continent.
To elaborate, Mule, Bess, Dorothy, and Halo were currently occupied, and Barbara was on the verge of falling. Even if Barbara were retaken, the Western Continent Users already had an escape route secured.
What if those bastards crossed over to the western cities through a Warp Gate and then returned to the Western Continent?
The Northern Continent Users would be left with nothing after chasing them in vain.
That was why ‘timing’ was crucial. And it was for the sake of this delicate ‘timing’ that each city’s role had been divided.
Simply put, the East would focus on retaking Barbara, the South on Bess and Dorothy, and the North on Mule.
In terms of sequence, while the East stalled for time at Barbara, the South and North would first retake their assigned cities to cut off the Western Continent Users’ escape route. Immediately after retaking the cities, the South and North would support the assault on Barbara. Simultaneously, they would wipe out all the trapped Western Continent Users and Vagabonds.
That was the core of Operation New World.
“In that case… this conversation will be much quicker.”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
Apparently pleased with my straightforward answer, a faint smile graced Han Soyoung’s weary face.
“I understand. Then, this may be rude, but I must ask. Mercenary Lord, will you be participating in this war…”
Han Soyoung must have seen the look on my face, as she paused mid-sentence. Then, she began again.
“That was the wrong question. Let me rephrase. Mercenary Lord, will you join us in the western campaign? Or are you considering the Central Continent?”
At her slightly tense tone, I answered without a shred of hesitation.
“I will…”
*
The next morning.
After a quick wash and breakfast, I headed straight for the third-floor meeting room. I had made an announcement to the clan members after returning from Istantel Low Clan yesterday, so when I entered the room, I saw that not a single person was missing.
“I have gathered you all here today to inform you that the time has finally come.”
I spoke in a low voice as soon as I took the head seat.
A cold air hung in the meeting room. The atmosphere was so solemn it felt like an operating room just before a critical surgery.
I was speaking in roundabout terms, but surely no one here was foolish enough not to understand.
“As you all know, the Istantel Low Clan contacted us officially yesterday. And as I said before, the Mercenary Clan will definitely participate this time.”
“……”
There was no reply, but I could feel the tension slowly rising.
“Now, I should give you a detailed explanation… but there’s something I must say first. Something I know you’re all most curious about.”
I paused for a moment, reached into my coat, and pulled out a record. It contained details I had been thinking about for a long time and had finally completed last night.
The Mercenary Clan currently had a total of 13 members. I met the eyes of each of them, seated on my left and right, before speaking calmly.
“Before I explain the situation, I will now announce the members who will be participating in this war.”