Chapter 410: 6. 101 (2/4)
Chapter 410: 6. 101 (2/4)
The first thing I noticed upon arriving at the User Academy was how different the atmosphere was from before.
The academy under the Golden Lion's jurisdiction had been incredibly rigid, almost military-like. While they tended to loosen up as the graduation ceremony approached, I remembered it being quite oppressive until the latter half of the term.
But it was clearly different now. I could tell just from the attitude of the trainees who had called out to Ko Yeonju earlier. It felt much more open than before.
Personally, I didn't think this change was a bad thing. However, it was still in its early stages, so I couldn't jump to conclusions. For now, I just planned to watch how things continued to change.
“Soohyun. We're almost there. Turn down this hallway, and there's a door immediately on your left. That's the room where Lee Hyoeul is staying.”
It seemed we had arrived. The languid voice drifting into my ear pulled me from my thoughts, and I looked around.
“It's a more modest place than I expected.”
“She has to act like a normal person as much as possible. Anyway, I'll wait here.”
Hearing that she would wait, I slowly turned to look at Ko Yeonju.
“It wouldn't be a problem if you came in with me.”
“Normally, I would, but an invitation from a Guardian is not something to be taken lightly. I'm an uninvited User.”
Ko Yeonju answered firmly. Unlike me, she seemed to regard the existence of a Guardian as quite important. In any case, her words made sense, so I told her I'd be out soon and turned down the hall.
Lee Hyoeul, the Guardian of the Northern Continent. Thinking of her brought to mind her demure yet intelligent appearance.
If only she hadn't tried to push her responsibilities onto Ahn Sol.
Strictly speaking, Lee Hyoeul and I were not on what you would call good terms. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that I was the one who unilaterally found her grating.
But putting those feelings aside, I judged that saving Lee Hyoeul had been a good choice. Her stance on the Northern Continent and the way she'd handled things so far were, I had to admit, quite respectable. So, I decided to soften my feelings toward her a little.
Lee Hyoeul was still a useful User, and ever since that incident, she had continuously extended an olive branch to me. This request regarding Park Hyunwoo was a perfect example. So, rather than clinging to a momentary feeling, it would be much better to accept her help while remaining appropriately wary.
With that in mind, I soon stopped in front of the door before me. After a short, deep breath, I knocked quietly.
Knock, knock.
“…I've been waiting. Please, come in.”
“?”
The strangely phrased speech made me pause for a moment. But I immediately pushed the door open. And as I calmly stepped inside…
“Hehehehehe…”
“Ugh.”
The moment I came face-to-face with Lee Hyoeul, a groan escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Sunken eyes with dark, bruised-looking circles. A gloomy, phlegmy laugh. Her once neat and intelligent appearance was nowhere to be seen; now, all I saw was a patient on the verge of collapse.
So, I found myself asking after her well-being.
“Are you okay?”
At that, she crumpled the record in her hand and spoke in a low voice.
“Ohohoho… Welcome, Mercenary Lord. It has been so long, this humble girl is truly delighted to see you.”
“…Are you insane?”
“Oh my. Are you personally worrying about this humble girl? Ohoho. I am so happy, I don't know what to do with myself…”
“Completely insane.”
With that, Lee Hyoeul buried her face in the piles of records stacked around her… no, they weren't just stacked, they formed layers. Then she weakly raised a hand and pointed with her index finger. It seemed to be a gesture to sit anywhere.
After a brief silence, Lee Hyoeul struggled to lift her head, her lips parting.
“K-Kim Soohyun… It was you… Right. Thanks for coming. Hehe…”
“I didn't come to help you organize records, so there's no need to thank me.”
“…Can't you just say you'll help, even as an empty gesture? I promise I'll refuse. So just say the words. Please.”
Her voice was so pathetic that I decided to indulge her just once.
“…I'll help you.”
“Thank you! Then, start with this…!”
Her head shot up, her face brightening as she held out the crumpled record.
“Get lost.”
At the immediate rejection, she slammed her head back down with a thud. It seemed I had come at a bad time.
This insane amount of paperwork has broken a perfectly good person.
Then again, I knew all too well how arduous, irritating, boring, and maddening organizing records could be, so I could fully sympathize with her.
“You look exhausted.”
Lee Hyoeul clutched her face with both hands and nodded her head up and down. After a long sigh, her weak voice drifted out.
“Sorry. I lost my mind for a second.”
“Seems like you're making unnecessary work for yourself. Aren't you a Guardian?”
The records piled on the desk still exuded an overwhelming presence. Each one probably contained details about the changes at the User Academy.
In any case, there were a lot of records and only one person. In other words, I was asking why she was here doing this.
“It's necessary. And it's best that I handle it. Haaah. I… I don't trusht anywun elshe.”
She continued speaking through a yawn, then slapped her cheek hard enough to make a sharp sound. When she slowly lowered her hand, she seemed to have come to her senses. Her eyes, now a little brighter, looked out over the red mark on her cheek.
“Hmph… Anyway, good of you to come. Want some tea?”
“No.”
“Then it's probably best if I just get to the point. I heard the rumors. You excavated a ruin called the Tower of Valhalla with the Haemil Clan, right?”
“Why? Did the angels order you to find out how I'm so good at excavating ruins?”
“No. That kind of thing doesn't really matter anymore, so don't be so cynical.”
That kind of thing doesn't matter?
A strange feeling came over me, and I stared at her quietly. For it not to matter… could it be that she'd found a successor?
Fsssh, fsssh.
“Hoo.”
While I was lost in my imagination, Lee Hyoeul took out a cigarette and lit it. She took a light drag and exhaled, her voice much improved as she continued.
“Anyway, you must have heard from Soyoung-ssi… After the success of that expedition, the whole Northern Continent was in an uproar. So, can I take that as a yes?”
“?”
“The Ten Strong.”
I understood immediately. After a moment of thought, I spoke quietly. I had already made a decision on this matter.
“…A little more slowly.”
“Deal. I was planning to announce them in batches over time, not all at once anyway.”
Lee Hyoeul gave me an OK sign, her face much more relieved, as if a weight had been lifted. At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I spoke again.
“But why did you choose me? I'm sure you could find someone else.”
“It's not that I could, it's that I can't. Really.”
“…”
“Besides, I figured you'd make it to the Ten Strong eventually anyway. This just moves up the timeline a bit. Well, even though I say that, I have my own motives… In any case, becoming one of the Ten Strong won't be a bad thing for you. Especially for a clan that's just starting to take off. Ugh, stretch~!”
As she stood up from her chair, a few of the clumped-up records scattered. After a big stretch, Lee Hyoeul turned back to me with a look of realization.
“Ah. Right, you said you wanted to take Hyunwoo? Did he agree to go to Mercenary?”
“Ko Yeonju already took care of it. Though I'll have to meet him once before it's final.”
“I see… Good.”
Lee Hyoeul nodded three or four times, then lightly placed her hand on a crystal ball in the corner.
“Hyunwoo is in the underground prison with the other prisoners right now.”
“Underground prison?”
“It's a newly renovated prison. The location is the former Golden Lion Clan's basement level. I'll contact them now, so you can go straight there.”
“Understood.”
I liked how she was handling things so directly, without hesitation, so I willingly got up to leave. But just as I turned to go, her voice caught me.
“Ah, wait! Kim Soohyun!”
“?”
“Since you're going to the prison anyway, is there anything else you need?”
“Anything else?”
“Like Sung Yubin, for example. Or the prisoners from the Western Continent.”
Prisoners?
Sung Yubin was out of the question. I slowly shook my head.
“I have no business with Sung Yubin. As for the prisoners, are there any useful Users among them?”
“By 'useful,' you mean their Player Status, right?”
“Of course.”
“The buyers who came before you wanted sturdy or pretty prisoners. What was it they called them? White horses?”
In that moment, I was able to confirm a rumor that had been circulating in the shadows. I'd heard that some of the prisoners from the Western Continent were being sold as slaves for money, and it seemed to be true. A slave, in this context, likely meant someone whose magic circuits had been destroyed.
“Anyway, not interested? If you're thinking of buying, I'll give you a discount.”
“…I'll just take Park Hyunwoo.”
Lee Hyoeul looked at me with an "as expected" expression.
“Hmm. Okay. Good choice. Then…”
“Then?”
Then, her expression brightening slightly, she continued.
“Could you wait in your quarters for a bit?”
*
After parting with Lee Hyoeul, I went with Ko Yeonju to her quarters.
The second favor she'd mentioned earlier was to persuade the surviving Park Hyunwoo to join Mercenary.
I had originally planned to go to the underground prison myself, but that was no longer necessary. Since I had no intention of buying slaves, there was no need to go and pick one out. In that case, it was far more convenient and efficient to have Park Hyunwoo, who was currently detained in the basement, brought to me.
Park Hyunwoo.
Knock, knock.
Just then. I'm not sure how much time had passed. As I was lying on the bed Ko Yeonju used, I suddenly heard a knock at the door.
“Soohyun. I've brought him. I'm coming in.”
“Come in.”
I sat up immediately, and at the same time, I heard the door open. I could see Ko Yeonju and, standing behind her, another man.
A User I hadn't seen in a very long time. It was Park Hyunwoo, a former cadre of the Golden Lion Clan. I activated my Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Park Hyunwoo (Year 5 User)
2. Class: Swordsman (Normal, Swordsman, Master)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: One Who Leaves an Afterimage on the Sword · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male (27)
7. Height · Weight: 179.2cm · 67.8kg
8. Alignment: True · Neutral
[Strength 90] [Durability 81] [Agility 73] [Stamina 87] [Magic Power 89] [Luck 60]
Stat Comparison
1. Kim Soohyun: 564 / 600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Durability 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 92(+2)] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
2. Park Hyunwoo: 480 / 600~
[Strength 90] [Durability 81] [Agility 73] [Stamina 87] [Magic Power 89] [Luck 60]
He's made some progress.
His stats hadn't changed, but his swordsman proficiency had risen to Master. To be honest, Park Hyunwoo's Player Status wasn't so amazing that I absolutely had to recruit him.
However, he was a good enough fit for Mercenary's "elite few" philosophy, so I decided to bring him in. With the addition of Park Hyunwoo to Nam Daeun, Woo Jungmin, and Seon Yuun, Mercenary's squad would become that much more impressive.
I'd heard the negotiations were mostly finished, and all that was left was this final interview. I couldn't afford to ruin things now, so I began to speak in the gentlest tone possible.
“User Park Hyunwoo.”
“It's been a long time, Mercenary Lord.”
His once-neat impression was gone, replaced by a haggard face and a dark stubble that caught my eye.
A low, bitter smile soon formed on Park Hyunwoo's lips as he looked at me. I noticed it but didn't let on. He was likely comparing our past positions to our current ones, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
After Park Hyunwoo and I were seated, I spoke quietly.
“I heard you've been through a lot.”
“Yes… But it's gotten better recently. The Shadow Queen-nim has been very accommodating.”
For a moment, Ko Yeonju made a V-sign with her fingers.
The surviving members of the Golden Lion Clan. I'd heard that the cadres, in particular, were being treated almost like prisoners. The official justification was that they had surrendered to the allied forces, but the real reason was obvious. The emotional conflicts that had been brewing since before I arrived didn't just disappear because the war was over.
“User Park Hyunwoo… You helped me a great deal when I first came to the academy as an instructor. I'm glad I can help you in return, even if it's just like this.”
Park Hyunwoo blinked. Then, as if remembering Hanbyul, he lowered his head and spoke.
“About that incident… I'm sorry. I have no excuse.”
“I don't believe you were the one who orchestrated it. And I'm not trying to bring up the past now.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed. His bowed head slowly lifted, and his weary eyes met mine.
Without dragging it out, I decided to get straight to the point.
“I heard from Ko Yeonju that everything is settled. However… I also heard you wanted to see me before finalizing things?”
“Ah. That's…”
Park Hyunwoo trailed off for a moment. After seeming to think for a long while, he calmly cleared his throat.
“To be honest, life in prison was incredibly difficult. I felt wronged in some ways, and I was furious about being treated like a prisoner. But since our guilt was clear, those of us who remained had no choice but to endure it… Whether we were captured by the allied forces or by Users from our own continent, it was so hard I wanted to die.”
“…”
“I thought there was no hope. I figured I would either suffer in prison for the rest of my life or be put on trial and executed. In the midst of that despair, the message from the Mercenary Lord, delivered by the Shadow Queen-nim, was something I was incredibly grateful for. From my current position, it's a lifeline I must grasp… Cough! Cough, cough!”
Was it because he'd been talking for so long? Or was his throat so dry it was cracking? Park Hyunwoo coughed violently in the middle of his sentence, and I quickly gestured for Ko Yeonju to bring him a drink.
After moistening his throat (it was a rather large drink, and it was a little surprising to see him down it all at once), Park Hyunwoo continued.
“Hoo. Thank you. Anyway… it was a lifeline, but I couldn't just grab it recklessly.”
“Why not?”
Park Hyunwoo answered my question with a bitter smile.
“Just because I get out of here doesn't mean my situation changes. If that happens, it won't just be a problem for me alone; the Mercenary Clan itself could become a target.”
I finally understood Park Hyunwoo's inner thoughts. He had said, “Our guilt was clear.” He acknowledged the Golden Lion Clan's wrongdoing and was afraid of what would happen after he left the prison.
Park Hyunwoo glanced at me for a moment before speaking in an even more cautious tone.
“So… you may think this is a bit shameless, but I wanted to ask the Mercenary Lord.”
“Whether the Mercenary Clan has the power to protect you?”
Park Hyunwoo looked blank for a second, then slowly nodded.
“Yes.”
So I fell into deep thought. It didn't take long. I had actually considered the problem Park Hyunwoo was talking about, but I had dismissed it as trivial.
Mercenary resided in the Northern Continent but wasn't bound to it, and we officially declared neutrality. Furthermore, we had a close relationship with Istantel Low in the south and the Haemil Clan in the east. At the same time, we had built friendships with various eastern clans.
If we managed things well in the future, the eastern clans and Monica in the south would, at the very least, be willing to turn a blind eye.
After organizing my thoughts, I spoke with more force in my voice.
“To that question, I will answer this. Yes. The Mercenary Clan has the power to protect User Park Hyunwoo.”
“…”
“Not only can we protect you, but I am also confident we can help you become active again with your head held high. Of course, this will require a little time.”
He must have already heard plenty about Mercenary's current situation from Ko Yeonju. Rather than boasting and listing our achievements, a single, confident statement would be more effective here.
A little time passed. During that time, Park Hyunwoo stared intently at me.
“User Kim Soohyun… No, Mercenary Lord.”
He slowly rose to his feet and then bowed deeply. The word that fell from his lips was, “Thank you.”
“From this moment on, I will serve you as my Clan Lord. As a mercenary of Mercenary, I will not shy away from any hardship in your service.”
At that moment, I recalled someone's words from Mule.
‘Thank you! From now on, I will spare no effort to help Soohyun-ssi and his party achieve their goals.’
As if possessed, I stood up and slowly extended my hand.
“Welcome to the Mercenary Clan. User Shin… Park Hyunwoo.”
“Thank you for welcoming me, Clan Lord.”
It was the moment we were about to shake hands.
BOOM! KABOOM!
“Kuaaaack!”
A massive explosion from outside shook the room, followed by a piercing scream.
A moment later. Me, Ko Yeonju, and Park Hyunwoo. We all froze, staring blankly at one another.
Just then.
“S-Someone's been killed!”
“N-No! It wasn't me!”
Panicked screams drifted in through the open doorway.