Chapter 406: 4. The Gathering of Talent (4/4)
Chapter 406: 4. The Gathering of Talent (4/4)
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid it’s not possible.”
After observing Won Hyesoo for a long while, Vivian finally shook her head and stood up.
“I’m sorry. I can’t make any promises either.”
Ahn Sol’s following words were also negative.
As the two women simultaneously concluded that it would be difficult, the sound of two men letting out quiet sighs could be heard. It seemed they had been holding onto a sliver of hope in the abilities of a Rare and a Secret Class.
I was lost in thought for a moment before I quietly spoke.
“Like how we forcibly broke Baek Seoyeon’s mind… is doing the opposite difficult?”
“It might be a different story if we still had some of Yggdrasil’s fruit. But we used it all up making the spares back then.”
Vivian replied bluntly, her voice firm.
“…What about Miracle?”
“It still has a cooldown of about two months. We’ll have to try then to know for sure, but…”
Ahn Sol’s voice trailed off as she gazed at the bed with a look of deep pity. Won Hyesoo was sound asleep, her hands wrapped around her stomach.
“If it were mental contamination caused by the system’s settings, I’m 100% confident I could cure it. But her case is the onset of a mental illness from a great shock… I don’t think I can. Miracle isn’t omnipotent, after all.”
I see. So even the ‘Miracle’ of the Secret Class ‘Priestess of Radiance’ isn’t enough.
I nodded in understanding. When I glanced to the side, I saw two men with bitter expressions. It was Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun.
In truth, I was well aware that it was difficult to heal a broken mind. The reason was just as Ahn Sol had said. The only hope was for her to either suddenly regain her senses one day or gradually recover on her own.
In any case.
The reason I had gone through the trouble of calling them here, despite knowing this, was…
“It’s alright. We’ve heard the same thing from other places, Mercenary Lord.”
It was to put on a show.
Now that I had decided to bring Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun into the Mercenary Clan, I planned to show them our good side in various ways. The most effective way to start would be to show concern for Won Hyesoo, whom they both clearly treasured.
Of course, there was also the intention of putting them in my debt.
“Thank you for looking after Hyesoo… Still, you’ve given us the most hopeful outlook yet.”
Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun bowed their heads respectfully to Vivian and Ahn Sol, then gave a wry smile.
A short while later, after sending off the two women who were awkwardly receiving their thanks, I sat down with Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun. Won Hyesoo was still sleeping sweetly.
I looked between the three of them before speaking in an apologetic tone.
“I hope I didn’t give you false hope. I’m sorry.”
“What are you saying! I’m nothing but grateful. If you talk like that, it makes me feel bad.”
“Not at all. We are truly grateful for your concern.”
The two answered at the same time.
Yeah, I know. I was just feigning humility.
Woo Jungmin cleared his throat once or twice, then began in a deliberately calm voice.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. The situation has improved a lot thanks to you. Thank you.”
“…Is there anything inconvenient about your stay?”
“Not at all. The Shadow Queen-nim has been taking care of various things for us. Hyesoo seems to be doing better, too. …She even smiles once in a while these days.”
Perhaps because he shared a special bond with the woman, Woo Jungmin gazed at Won Hyesoo with a wistful look. After watching her for a long time, he finally turned his head and spoke.
“Mercenary Lord. I have something to say.”
I gave a slight nod, signaling for him to continue.
“It’s been a few days since we arrived here… What should we do from now on?”
“What do you mean, what should you do?”
I opened my eyes slightly and answered with feigned innocence. It was the question I had been waiting for, but it would look too obvious if I brought it up right away.
“Hyesoo seems to like it here. And so do we, of course. But…”
“But?”
“To be honest, we feel awkward just staying here like this. We want to do something, anything.”
“Hmm. You want to do something.”
I dragged it out a bit longer, pretending to think deeply, before I quietly spoke.
“Then how about registering all three of you as Mercenary Clan members soon?”
“…Are you telling us to join your clan?”
Seeing Woo Jungmin’s ‘I knew it’ expression, I immediately shook my head.
“No. Not join, just register.”
“Register, not join? What on earth does that mean?”
“Simply put, it means let’s work together.”
Still not understanding, Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun glanced at each other.
So I added an explanation about the nature of the Mercenary Clan—that is, the concept of being a ‘mercenary.’ Only then did the two of them nod with faces of understanding.
“In that case… are you saying we should also act as mercenaries?”
“That’s right. Currently, the Mercenary Clan’s biggest weakness is its small number of members. For example, what if we’re flooded with requests but don’t have enough people? We’d have to either give up on those requests or they’d take a long time. Things like that would be a blow to our clan, which is just starting to take off.”
“Then why not just increase your numbers?”
“I told you. We aim to be a small, elite group. I have no intention of accepting just any riffraff.”
In other words, I was telling them they weren’t riffraff.
“…It sounds like a good offer.”
“I don’t see any downside.”
“Then, perhaps later…”
“The moment you register with the Mercenary Clan, your status will change to Free Mercenary.”
I deliberately emphasized the word ‘free.’
Woo Jungmin was a man of great ambition. As such, if I had simply said, “I helped you, so join my clan,” he would likely have resented it.
So I had paid close attention to Woo Jungmin’s personality. He had high pride, but he also had a personality that clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges. After all, hadn’t he completely wiped out the ‘Murder Brigade,’ a group of Vagabonds that would soon be formed somewhere, just because they killed a single one of his clan members?
The phrase Woo Jungmin used to say like a habit in the first playthrough was something like, “Repay kindness as vast as the sea, and exact revenge as sharp as a blade.”
Soon, the two seemed to have fully understood my words. Woo Jungmin blinked for a moment, then scratched his head with an awkward look on his face.
“Can we… really do that?”
If he had a brain, he would know just how generous the terms I was offering were.
In any case, his response was practically a semi-acceptance, so I calmly stood up.
“Then I’ll take that as a yes and prepare the documents. Let’s go to the registration office soon.”
Then I continued in a casual tone.
“Ah. As for Won Hyesoo… her ability to express her will is an issue. She might not be able to register, but considering her current state, an application by proxy might be possible. So have her get ready to go out, too.”
At those words, Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun shot their heads up. Then, they spoke in trembling voices.
“You’ll… you’ll accept Hyesoo, too?”
“Of course.”
“But Hyesoo, right now… as you know, she won’t be of much help.”
“The two of you are help enough. We’ll probably be able to take better care of her once she’s registered. After all, we’ll have the justification of being fellow clan members.”
At that moment, I saw Woo Jungmin’s eyes waver three or four times.
It was then.
“Mercenary Lord.”
A rather heavy voice stopped me in my tracks as I was about to leave.
“I have one question. May I ask it?”
When I turned my head slightly, I saw Seon Yuun with a somber look on his face. His eyes, fixed on me, were shining intensely.
Soon, Seon Yuun’s mouth opened.
“Why… are you being so good to us?”
“?”
“Of course, the offer you’ve made is something we’re endlessly grateful for. But you also have bad memories with Hyesoo… To be honest, I don’t understand the reason.”
Is he talking about the time she threw a tantrum, saying her sister had died?
I remained silent for a moment, lost in thought.
Truthfully, Woo Jungmin and Seon Yuun were, strictly speaking, my ‘enemies.’ The ‘Red Fang Clan’ would later grow large enough to become one of the pillars of the allied forces, and they blocked our path just as much.
As such, the right thing to do was to find an opportunity and deal with them, but I didn’t. No, it would be more accurate to say I didn’t want to.
‘How did it come to this? At first… I just wanted to get along with you…’
Yoo Hyuna’s words from that day had lodged themselves quite deep in my heart.
The future had already changed, and by a lot. So, I had changed my way of thinking. From now on, instead of creating more cases like Yoo Hyuna’s, I would try to create more cases like Ko Yeonju’s.
A little time passed.
Finally, I slowly parted my lips.
“Just…”
Then, with a shrug of my shoulders, I continued calmly.
“Reminds me of the old days?”
*
A few days passed.
As I had announced, I went to the registration office with Woo Jungmin’s group, and we were able to successfully change the status of even Won Hyesoo.
When I returned to the Clan House with light steps, I heard the news I had been expecting.
“The Istantel Low Clan Lord visited while you were away, Clan Lord-nim.”
At the employee’s words, I nodded my head.
Han Soyoung’s visit was expected. It was because I was the one who sent a messenger to inform her of the Sword Empress’s appearance. I had notified the employee that she might visit soon and had instructed them to arrange a meeting with the Sword Empress if she came while I was away.
I could have just let it slide, but I didn’t want to handle things so evasively. One way or another, there had been a slight misunderstanding in our relationship surrounding the Sword Empress, and I wanted to clear it up for good.
We had maintained a good relationship so far, and it was best to extinguish any embers that could ruin it from the very beginning.
“I see. Where is she now?”
“Yes. As you instructed, she’s on the 4th floor with the Sword Empress-nim… Ah! Speak of the devil, over there…”
At the surprised voice, I turned around and saw a woman who happened to be coming down the stairs.
Body movements full of sensual charm and a voluptuous figure to back it up. Yet, she wasn’t decadent, but rather exuded a sophisticated air. The woman was none other than Han Soyoung.
Looks like she’s given up on Nam Daeun.
At a glance, she looked expressionless, but there was a subtle hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Soon, Han Soyoung also spotted me and bowed her head slightly.
“Thank you for arranging this, Mercenary Lord. I apologize for the intrusion.”
“The Sword Empress also gave her permission, so there’s no need to call it an intrusion. In any case, did you have a good talk?”
“Yes. I’ve clearly received the Sword Empress’s intentions. It seems the Mercenary Clan has a happy occasion.”
It was a virtual declaration of surrender. Still, the fact that she called it a happy occasion showed just how envious she was.
“I’m sorry if you’re upset. It was unintentional…”
“No, it’s alright. I’m not upset. Just disappointed… It seems the Sword Empress had her heart set on the Mercenary Clan from the start.”
“……”
“…I suppose I put too much pressure on her.”
We both let our sentences trail off, and a quiet silence fell between us. It was a silence that felt strangely uncomfortable.
It was Han Soyoung who broke the silence again.
“I’m heading back to my clan now. Could I walk with you for a moment?”
“I’ll see you out.”
Does she have something she wants to say?
Soon, we began to walk slowly.
Until we reached the entrance, Han Soyoung didn’t say much. It was just an apology for having arranged the ‘Frozen Forest’ incident in the past and a brief chat about recent events.
She finally got to the main point in the center of the garden, when the presence of others had clearly diminished.
“Mercenary Lord, the current Sword Empress is an extremely valuable User. It’s not just her abilities; her symbolic value through her fame is also something that cannot be ignored. To the point where she could become one of the Ten Strong in the future…”
“I see.”
“Yes. In that case, do you happen to know about the Ten Strong?”
The topic of the Ten Strong came out of nowhere. But she wouldn’t have brought it up without a reason, so I listened quietly.
“Currently, seven of the ten spots in the Ten Strong are vacant. It’s likely that some of those spots will be filled soon.”
“As I understand it, the Ten Strong aren’t chosen by anyone, but are created by the Users themselves.”
“That’s correct. However, someone can intentionally orchestrate that situation. If the person mentioned is a User who reasonably fits the criteria for the Ten Strong.”
What she said next was not something to be taken lightly. I stopped walking and looked at Han Soyoung, and she stared back at me.
“The war is over, but the Guardian does not yet believe the Northern Continent is completely back to normal. That’s why she is planning various things.”
“Plans to return things to normal.”
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
I frowned slightly and opened my mouth.
“Don’t tell me one of those plans is… Is Lee Hyoeul planning to intentionally fill the spots of the Ten Strong?”
“That’s right. Of the seven remaining spots, six have already been internally decided.”
“Who on earth are those six?”
“…I’m sorry. This is as much as I can tell you.”
“……”
“Thank you for seeing me out.”
As if she had said all she needed to, Han Soyoung let out a sigh, bowed her head slightly, and turned around.
As I blankly watched her retreating back, I saw her steps suddenly come to a halt.
“Mercenary Lord. The Guardian of the Northern Continent is watching you.”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“It hasn’t been decided yet… but they say the last remaining spot is highly likely to go to a Year 1 User.”
Before I could even fully comprehend her words, Han Soyoung began to walk again.
“I hope the Mercenary Clan makes good use of this opportunity.”
Han Soyoung’s unique voice, tinged with a subtle sensuality, lingered like an afterglow where she had stood.
*
Nam Daeun stared at the ceiling for a moment. She blinked three or four times, then raised both arms to the sky.
“Hooray.”
Perhaps she wanted to celebrate finally being free from Han Soyoung. After celebrating on her own, Nam Daeun quietly walked out of her room. As she descended the 4th-floor stairs, she calmly fell into thought.
Just a few months ago, Nam Daeun’s mind had been filled with revenge. When she first entered the Hall Plain, her hatred for Lee Kangsan and the Vagabonds who had deceived her was deeply rooted.
Nam Daeun still, and to this day, hated Vagabonds.
During her innocent 0-year days, her heart had been covered with too many scars to forget what they had done to her.
However.
Those feelings had been considerably diluted through the process of participating in the war and the pursuit squad. Now that public opinion of her had been revised due to her merciless slaughter of Vagabonds, she finally had the leisure to look around.
Upon reaching the 3rd floor, Nam Daeun calmly looked around. Then she slowly walked down the corridor.
Not long ago, she’d had the opportunity to be formally introduced to the clan members, and she had been saddened by their reactions. Most of them had congratulated her, but she had sensed a certain awkwardness from them.
But Nam Daeun was not disappointed.
She originally had a cheerful personality and was a woman who got along well with others. And now that she was gradually regaining her true nature, Nam Daeun thought to herself. Since she had decided to make a fresh start, she would approach them first instead of waiting.
Reaching the end of the 3rd-floor hall, she approached a room with a slightly open door. Peeking through the crack, she could see a woman engrossed in reading something.
Nam Daeun took a deep breath or two, then calmly knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“Um… it’s me.”
“Who’s me… oh.”
“Hello.”
The person who answered was Vivian.
Nam Daeun had her reasons for seeking out Vivian. From the moment they first met, she had felt a sense of familiarity, and seeing her up close like this, she felt an inexplicable sense of kinship.
It might have been a simple misunderstanding, but for now, aside from Kim Soohyun, Vivian was the person she felt most comfortable approaching.
“You’re… the Sword Empress, was it? What brings you here?”
“I just wanted to talk… and get to know you better.”
At Nam Daeun’s straightforward words, Vivian’s cheeks turned a faint red. She then gave a slight nod.
“C-Come in, I guess.”
At the casual permission, Nam Daeun happily entered. Taking the seat Vivian offered, she began to speak with an enthusiastic attitude.
“Ahaha. I don’t think I’ve seen you since we ran into each other on the stairs.”
“I’m very busy. I’m an alchemist, you see. And I have research to do…”
“Wow, an alchemist. Come to think of it, I heard from the Clan Lord that you’re an incredibly skilled alchemist.”
Vivian was a woman who took immense pride in being an alchemist. As such, when Nam Daeun offered her a perfunctory compliment, her nose immediately went up in the air.
“Really? Did Kim Soohyun really say that? Yohohoho. It’s a bit much to say it myself, but it’s true.”
“As expected. It’s reassuring to have such a skilled alchemist in the same clan.”
Vivian was tooting her own horn, and Nam Daeun was busy playing along.
Drunk on the continuous praise, Vivian leaned back, arrogantly crossed her legs, and began to boast with a slight snort.
“Hmph. To be honest, I get so many requests it’s a bit tiring. But what can I do? Kim Soohyun is always in trouble without me.”
It was a statement that would have earned her more than just a scoff from Kim Soohyun—probably a smack—but Vivian lied without hesitation. The problem was that Nam Daeun believed her completely.
“Really? He gets into trouble, too?”
“Of course~. He just came to me with a new request a while ago. That’s why I was so engrossed in this book.”
Nam Daeun tilted her head.
“What book is that?”
As if to firmly establish her position, Vivian tapped the enormous book.
“A book on alchemy. It’s a journal written by an ancient mage, something I acquired on a past expedition.”
“Wow. Then it must all be in an ancient language.”
“That doesn’t matter. As you people say, I’m a Resident. I have no problem interpreting it.”
After catching her breath for a moment, Vivian continued in a boastful tone. She wasn’t done bragging yet.
“Oh, by the way. Do you know a Vagabond named Baek Seoyeon?”
“Yes.”
“Then I wonder if you know this. It was thanks to this very book that I was able to break the mind of Baek Seoyeon when we captured her. Kim Soohyun told me that thanks to me, he was able to root out the Vagabond spies mixed in among the Users.”
“Aha. I know about that incident.”
It was an incident she had followed with great interest, so Nam Daeun immediately nodded.
Wasn’t it said that the enemy of my enemy is my friend? She felt her fondness for Vivian growing significantly.
“I thought the Clan Lord did it, but there was an unsung hero, too.”
“Hmph. Well, it doesn’t matter. A true alchemist doesn’t cling to fame.”
“I see.”
“That’s how it is.”
The two of them nodded at each other.
It was then.
Just as Vivian was about to smile in satisfaction, Nam Daeun suddenly spoke.
“Vivian-ssi. I’m really curious about the contents of that book. Could I take a look?”
“Huh? Oh. Sure.”
When Nam Daeun pointed to the thick book and asked, Vivian agreed with a momentarily dazed expression. But then she remembered that she was a User and handed over the book without hesitation.
“But can you read it? It’s all in our language.”
Flip.
Placing the book on her lap and opening it, Nam Daeun lowered her head and replied.
“It’s okay. I learned some ancient languages when I was at the Academy.”
“…Huh?”
“Of course, it was only a little… Oh, my?”
And.
At the same time.
“Achoo!”
Kim Soohyun, who had just entered the building, let out a powerful sneeze. He then wrapped his arms around himself and shivered once.