Chapter 405: 4. Gathering Talents (3/4)
Chapter 405: 4. Gathering Talents (3/4)
A high ceiling adorned with beautiful patterns and an interior decorated with brilliant ornaments. In the center of the room sat a round table, surrounded by three sofas.
This place, steeped in a luxurious atmosphere, was a VIP room for receiving honored guests.
The ‘Sword Empress,’ Nam Daeun, had come to visit the Mercenary Clan.
After telling an employee to guide the Sword Empress to the fourth floor, I quickly adjourned the meeting. When I hurried into the VIP room, I saw her sitting demurely on a sofa.
“Allow me to pour you some tea.”
“Wow. Thank you~.”
Hearing her cheerful tone, I tilted the steaming kettle.
Trickle…
A thin stream of water flowed quickly, and a wisp of white steam rose. I offered her the moderately filled teacup, and she accepted it politely with both hands.
As I filled the other empty cup, I stole a glance at the Sword Empress, who was carefully sipping her tea.
Long, straight hair framed her small, fair face. A smooth, shining nose, and small, peach-colored lips that held the teacup. And then there were her thin, sharp eyebrows, which were slightly raised.
“Hm?”
As I was observing her, my eyes suddenly met hers. The tea seemed to be to her liking, as she kept the cup to her lips and tilted her head.
Meeting her gaze, I felt that something about her had changed.
…Is it her eyes?
The Sword Empress’s eyes, when I had seen them during the war, had looked sad. As if they held a distant sorrow and an unknown emptiness.
But the eyes I saw now were completely different. They still had a cold, frosty feel, but they were also somehow serene. If before she was like a blizzard from the north, now she was so composed as to seem noble.
“It’s delicious.”
For a moment, I wanted to praise her like a child, saying “Is that so?” but I barely managed to restrain myself, considering her reputation.
After savoring the aroma rising from my own teacup, I spoke quietly.
“I’m sure it suits your palate. Ko Yeonju’s skill at brewing tea is anything but ordinary.”
“Ko Yeonju… You mean the Shadow Queen?”
“Yes.”
“I see…”
Nam Daeun took another sip of tea. As I watched her, she showed no sign of initiating the conversation. In fact, she seemed genuinely happy to be enjoying this leisurely moment.
While I certainly welcomed a tea time with such a stunning beauty, the circumstances surrounding us were unfortunately not so relaxed.
So, I decided to speak first.
“We haven’t seen each other since the war ended… Has it been almost four months?”
Nam Daeun seemed to think for a moment, then answered with a gentle smile.
“Ah, yes. It’s probably been about that long. I took too long to visit, didn’t I? I’m sorry.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said I would see you soon back then… but Istantel Low Clan Lord’s request was so earnest, I couldn’t refuse. If you were waiting, please understand.”
Her response seemed to miss the mark.
The Sword Empress had a history of saving the lives of Mercenary Clan members during the war with the allied forces. And I had invited her to the Clan House as a gesture of gratitude.
What is this? Did she want to be thanked that badly?
Having come to my own conclusion, I simply nodded.
“Speaking of which, I heard you joined the pursuit squad to hunt down the Vagabonds after the war. I also heard your performance was the most impressive of all.”
“Ah, yes. Vagabonds are the greatest enemies of Users, after all. So I searched for them with fire in my eyes. The time I spent with the pursuit squad was very meaningful for me.”
“That’s admirable. But what do you mean by meaningful…?”
“I’m not sure if you’re aware… but there have been some nasty rumors about my past.”
The Sword Empress paused, a shadow briefly crossing her face. But she quickly composed herself and continued in a voice as clear as jade beads.
“After the war ended, I wanted to make a fresh start with a new mindset. To do that, I felt I needed to clear up the rumors surrounding my past. That might be why I searched so diligently.”
The moment I heard her words, Kim Deokpil’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind.
‘You didn’t know? There’s a rumor that Nam Daeun was originally a Vagabond. And that her background is a bit shady.’
I took a sip of tea before speaking softly.
“So. Were you successful?”
The Sword Empress closed her eyes. Then, she slowly parted her lips.
“Yes. I couldn’t find the one Vagabond I truly wanted to find and kill… but I can feel that people’s perceptions of me have changed. I finally feel like I’m being recognized as a proper User.”
Find and kill, she said. It sounded quite brutal at first, but considering that her past was, to some extent, true, it was understandable.
Soon, the Sword Empress opened her eyes again and smiled beautifully at me.
“The reason I was able to find the courage to start over like this is all thanks to you, Mercenary Lord. Thank you.”
“Yes, of cour— Pardon? Why me…?”
“Oh, come on. Back then. When we met in Barbara… I was actually in quite a difficult situation. But what you said to me then made me so happy.”
“?”
Back then? What I said to her?
Just as I was about to fall into confusion at her completely out-of-the-blue response…
Clink.
The Sword Empress quietly set down the teacup she had been holding. She lowered her head slightly, her gaze dropping, and began to gently rub her index fingers together.
“Actually… that’s why I joined the pursuit squad instead of following you right away, Mercenary Lord. I felt that if I had come in that state, I would have unknowingly caused you trouble…”
“??”
“But Istantel kept trying to recruit me. Ahaha. It was really tough avoiding them each time.”
“???”
As my mind grew increasingly muddled, I struggled to maintain a calm demeanor and began to piece the situation together.
So. The Sword Empress was happy because of something I said, and it gave her the courage to start anew.
She joined the pursuit squad so that she wouldn’t cause trouble for the Mercenary Clan in the future.
And she had a hard time avoiding Istantel Low Clan’s recruitment offers.
Next, I recalled the time I had faced Han Soyoung and Nam Daeun.
‘If you weren’t tied to your current clan, it might be a good idea to visit Monica once.’
‘If you do happen to come to Monica with Istantel Low Clan Lord, please be sure to stop by Mercenary.’
‘Of course. You saved our lives. The Sword Empress is always welcome.’
…Huh.
The moment my thoughts reached that point, I felt a cold sweat trickle down my back.
In other words, Nam Daeun had interpreted my words as a recruitment offer, and she had been making her own efforts to come to Mercenary all this time.
Of course, this was a massive misunderstanding. At the time, I had only spoken as a way to help Han Soyoung with her recruitment pitch; I had no intention of bringing her to Mercenary myself.
This is bad.
Now I understood why Han Soyoung had asked me to let her know if I saw the Sword Empress.
I instinctively bit my lip. From Han Soyoung’s perspective, this situation was something she could be quite upset about. She had essentially called dibs first, and now it looked like I had snatched her away.
“Ha…”
Watching Nam Daeun, who was still fidgeting with her hands, I let out a short sigh. I shook my head hard to clear my dizzy thoughts.
Get a grip, Kim Soohyun!
What’s done is done, and Nam Daeun was here at the Mercenary Clan. Instead of sitting here worrying, I needed to figure out a way to handle this smoothly.
“I-I see.”
“Yes… I feel a bit embarrassed now. Ahaha.”
“Ha, haha. Speaking of which…”
With that thought, I decided to change the subject to calm the situation and buy some time.
“It’s strangely quiet today, isn’t it?”
“Pardon? Quiet?”
“Your sword, I mean. Its name is…”
“Ah~. Seol-ah?”
Understanding at once, Nam Daeun smiled gently and brought out ‘Seol-ah.’
“She’s very shy right now because it’s been a while since we last met.”
Haha. A sword being shy. What nonsense…
Woooong… Wooo-woooong~.
…….
…I had forgotten. That it was that kind of sword.
The Sword Empress held out ‘Seol-ah,’ which was letting out a shy hum, and I took it, feeling dazed.
“I felt this last time, but it truly is a mysterious sword.”
“I think of Seol-ah as my child. She’s like my other half, who was always with me during difficult times.”
“I see. If you don’t mind, may I for a moment?”
I asked if I could take a look, and the Sword Empress nodded readily.
As I gave it a twirl, I felt the smooth sensation of it cutting through the air. When I opened my palm and tapped the flat of the blade against it, I could feel ‘Seol-ah’ clinging to my hand. It was a bit on the light side for me, but its cutting power seemed excellent.
Slap. Slap, slap.
Woooong~.
Seol-ah let out a pleasant hum, as if purring for more, and I lightly tapped the blade as I sank into thought.
The Sword Empress Nam Daeun’s request to join. No, her misunderstanding.
I was a little flustered at first, but on second thought, this was a tremendous opportunity.
Nam Daeun’s abilities, which earned her the title ‘Sword Empress,’ were beyond question. In terms of simple ‘Player Status,’ she was at a level similar to where I was when I started my second playthrough in the Hall Plain.
And if she had cleared up her past to some extent by participating in the pursuit squad, she had a very high chance of filling one of the vacant seats in the Ten Strong in the future.
What if, in this situation, Nam Daeun came under my wing? Mercenary would become a clan with two members of the Ten Strong.
Should I just pretend I don’t know and accept her?
Of course, I felt sorry for Han Soyoung… but it wasn’t like I was going to become hostile with Istantel Low.
Moreover, the Sword Empress had even made an effort to clear her own past for the sake of Mercenary. To ignore all of that would make me feel sorry for her as well.
“Ah…”
A sudden moan brought me back to my senses, and I realized I had been too lost in thought.
Slap. Slap, slap.
I must have been tapping the sword subconsciously, as my palm was now tinged red. When I slowly raised my head, I saw the Sword Empress staring at my hand with a heated gaze, a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Oh. I was looking at it for too long.”
“N-No. It’s fine…”
Watching the Sword Empress shake her head for some reason, I returned ‘Seol-ah’ to her.
Should I check her information first?
Since she said she had made an effort herself, I figured I should see it and then decide.
I lifted the slightly cooled teacup and took a sip. Then, activating my Third Eye, I looked at the Sword Empress, who was staring intently at me.
It was then that several messages floated up into the air.
Player Status
1. Name: Nam Daeun (Year 4 User)
2. Class: Sword Empress (Secret, Sword Empress, Master)
3. True Name · Nationality: Queen of Swords, A Woman Who Knows How to Enjoy · Republic of Korea
4. Alignment: Cool · Obscene
[Strength 93] [Durability 78] [Agility 95] [Stamina 91] [Magic Power 94] [Luck 93]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
“Pfft.”
At that moment, I violently spat out the tea I was holding.
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
“M-Mercenary Lord!”
Amidst the confusion, I managed to stare at the air again, and my mind went completely blank.
????????
“A-Are you okay?”
“Cough, ah. Cough cough, yes. I-I’m fine. I apologize.”
I stared blankly at the Sword Empress.
A Woman Who Knows How to Enjoy? Obscene?
Her True Name and Alignment, which had clearly been listed as Misandry and Scar, had changed strangely. No. It wasn’t just strange… What in the world was this?
My head, which I had just managed to calm, began to spin chaotically once more.
Looking at the Sword Empress, who was watching me with worried eyes, I wiped the tea from my lips. Then, I began to speak, my thoughts still jumbled.
“S-Sword Empress. I appreciate you thinking so highly of the Mercenary Clan. However, I believe Istantel Low showed interest first. That is also a very good clan.”
“Of course, it is. It’s a good clan. But… it feels too burdensome to start anew there. And I prefer it here, with you, Mercenary Lord.”
“N-No.”
“Ah. If you’re worried about what they’ll think, please don’t be. I made sure to firmly refuse them before the pursuit squad disbanded.”
Han Soyoung isn’t the type of woman to give up that easily, though.
No, more importantly…
“……”
The shock from her Player Status was so intense that I just stared at Nam Daeun.
Did she sense my gaze? The Sword Empress’s expression fell for a moment, and she spoke in a dejected voice.
“Are you… unhappy about me coming here? For example, because of my past or something…”
“No. That’s absolutely not it.”
I answered immediately.
“Wow. That’s a relief. I was so worried… Thank you for welcoming me.”
Her expression brightened, and the Sword Empress let out a breath of relief.
A brief silence followed.
She smiled brightly and looked around, then continued, her eyes filled with anticipation.
“Um… can I have a tour of the Clan House, then? I saw the garden earlier, and it was so beautiful. I’d like to meet the other clan members, too.”
“…Alright. Let’s go.”
…I don’t even know anymore.
Right. There’s a saying that you should respect people’s preferences.
Giving in to fate, I stood up and left the VIP room with Nam Daeun.
We walked down the hallway and reached the staircase, then slowly began to descend.
It was when we reached the third floor.
“Hey! You, get back here!”
“Kkyu-kkyu!”
Hearing a sudden commotion, I looked down to see a baby unicorn quickly climbing the stairs. And chasing desperately after it was Vivian.
“What are you doing?”
“Kkyu?”
As the baby unicorn ran up the stairs toward me, I lightly snatched it out of the air. It looked up at me with a startled expression.
It was then.
“Kim Soohyun! Good catch! Quick, that thing! Uh…”
Just as Vivian, who had followed it up, pointed at me, she seemed to realize someone was standing next to me, and her gaze shifted sideways.
Following her lead, I also turned my head and saw Nam Daeun looking down at Vivian.
Watching the two of them stare at each other, I spoke softly.
“Say hello. This is the Sword Empress, Nam Daeun… Huh?”
And, in that instant.
“Hoh…”
“Wow…”
With the sound of a gulp, the throats of the two women bobbed in unison.