Chapter 416: 8. The User I Wanted Most (2/3)
Chapter 416: 8. The User I Wanted Most (2/3)
At last, the vampire’s master had appeared. Publicly hanging the vampire in the plaza, where the most Users came and went, had proven effective. At the thought of finally being able to see ‘her,’ I calmed my racing heart.
What was this young lady’s personality like again…? How can I win her over?
A thought suddenly struck me. I was holding her vampire hostage, and we had the moral high ground. However, while we weren’t in a position to be pushed around, from her perspective, this was a sensitive matter that couldn't be handled carelessly. After all, the solution I was aiming for wasn't 'material compensation' but 'recruitment.'
I have to use the situation to my advantage, but I can’t afford to be overly aggressive.
So, rather than coming on strong, it would be better to treat her with a certain degree of formality and respect. But there was always the chance of an unforeseen variable, like with Nam Daeun…
No. There’s no way she’d be like that.
In any case, I decided it was best to check her Player Status first and then make a judgment.
As I waited, my thoughts turned to ‘her.’
The truth was, Yoo Hyuna had an incredible number of talented people under her command. At her peak, she boasted the best squad imaginable, with four of the Ten Strong serving under her.
Among them, there was only one User I truly held in the highest regard. It wasn't the ' Martial God' Cha Seunghyun, nor the 'Madwoman' Ban Dahee, nor even the User with 101 Magic Power points.
It was Cha Sorim, ‘The Flash.’
She was a User who served Yoo Hyuna with unwavering loyalty, and her divine spearmanship was a work of art. Her skills were exceptional, but above all, she was an unprecedented User who had amassed an ‘undefeated’ record in official battles.
Cha Sorim’s end was a clean one, in its own way—an execution by the ‘Iron-Blooded Queen.’ Though she was captured in vain due to Yoo Hyuna’s misjudgment, Han Soyoung respected her will and did not tarnish her final moments.
Even Han Soyoung seemed to deeply regret executing her.
Wasn’t she killed while surrounded by the Queen’s Army, Han Soyoung’s unique ability, Cocked Pistol?
Just then, I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway. I abruptly stopped reminiscing about Cha Sorim’s final moments. The wait hadn’t been as long as I’d expected.
Soon, a light knock was followed by the click of the door opening.
“I’ve brought her, Clan Lord.”
That familiar, blunt voice sounded first as Seon Yuun appeared. I gave a small smile and a slight nod. Though his body obscured my view, I could tell someone was standing behind him.
“Is the person behind you the vampire’s master?”
“Yes.”
“I see… You’ve done well. I’d like to speak with her alone now, so could you please give us some space?”
Seon Yuun nodded in understanding and quietly took a few steps back.
The door closed once more, leaving just me and ‘her’ in the office. I tried to put on a gentle expression and gestured toward the table in front of me.
“I am Kim Soohyun, the Mercenary Lord.”
“…I am Cha Sorim, a Year 3 User. Thank you for permitting me to visit.”
The moment I heard her name as she drew closer, I was instantly reminded of ‘The Flash.’
A moment later, after Cha Sorim had taken her seat, I spoke first.
“From what I’ve heard, it seems this incident was the vampire’s own doing.”
“Yes. I did not give any such order.”
A stiff tone. The way she ended her sentences with ‘-da’ reminded me of another woman. Was her name Noh Yumi? She was quite an interesting person.
I quickly dismissed the trivial thought and spoke in a low voice.
“Nevertheless, the reason you’ve come here… I’ll take it that you intend to resolve this matter.”
Cha Sorim nodded with an expression that said it was only natural. She was confident but not arrogant, dignified but not servile. I smiled inwardly at her mature demeanor. Then, I took a closer look at her.
The first thing I noticed was her skin, so white and translucent it seemed to be without a single blemish. Beneath slightly dark eyebrows, her tranquil, jet-black eyes added an intelligent impression to her elegant features. Below them, her well-defined nose and full, light-pink lips were also quite striking.
Her long, straight hair, which framed her slender face, looked silky smooth. It was a common hairstyle, one that could be seen as a symbol of pure and delicate beauty, but contrasted with Cha Sorim’s upright posture, it didn’t give off a weak impression. Rather than a pitiful appearance that might evoke sympathy, she exuded a clean and resilient beauty.
Looking at Cha Sorim’s neat appearance, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I had worried I might be disappointed, as I was when I saw ‘Peerless Under Heaven,’ but she was exactly as I remembered.
At this rate… it’s hard to believe she’s sick.
In other words, it was proof of Cha Sorim’s excellent self-management. I also liked that she wasn’t putting on an act. If she had deliberately shown signs of her illness, I would have been greatly disappointed, but her upright posture revealed her innate integrity and composure.
Perhaps she felt awkward by the prolonged silence. She blinked her eyes, which had faint double eyelids, and spoke in a calm voice.
“I’ve heard the story, Mercenary Lord. How should I atone for my companion’s actions?”
“Companion? I heard it was a master-slave relationship… In any case, I’m curious to know your thoughts on this incident, User Cha Sorim.”
“What is there to think about? It was a clear oversight on my part for failing to manage him. I have no excuses. Even with ten mouths, I couldn’t say a word in my defense.”
She seemed to ponder for a moment before bowing her head with difficulty. It seemed it wasn’t a lie that her body was unwell; a subtle awkwardness was visible even in such a simple action.
“I will gladly accept any punishment… But if I may be so shameless as to ask for one thing, I only hope that you will spare his life.”
I nodded silently at her tone, which indicated she was ready to accept her fate. Deciding it was time to get to work, I activated Third Eye.
〈 Player Status 〉
1. Name: Cha Sorim (Year 3 User)
2. Class: Spearwoman (Normal, Spearwoman, Master)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: -
5. True Name · Nationality: Silent Hunter · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (24)
7. Height · Weight: 170.7cm · 49.8kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Belief
[Strength 89] [Durability 83] [Agility 95] [Stamina 88] [Magic Power 91] [Luck 77]
(You have 2 remaining stat points.)
(The user’s soul has sustained severe damage from a lich’s mental attack. The condition is considerably advanced, and her life may be in danger if more time passes.)
Two remaining stat points?
Looking at Cha Sorim’s Player Status, I drew a short breath. Her stats aside, I was surprised that she still had remaining points to allocate. It suggested she didn’t take her status lightly and had studied it in depth.
Was it because I already had a good impression of her? I could feel myself liking Cha Sorim more and more.
“User Cha Sorim. You said you would accept punishment, but the situation is not so simple.”
“…Yes.”
“The item the vampire tried to steal is a top-secret item for us. In other words, it’s something that would do us no good if the world knew about it. Do you know what it is?”
“I wasn’t told exactly… but I have a rough idea.”
Cha Sorim answered honestly. It made sense; I’d heard she had been desperately searching for an Elixir, so there was no way she wouldn’t know.
“The important thing is that the vampire succeeded in infiltrating the warehouse and even made it out with the Elixir. This is what concerns me.”
“He is a Resident, so she is bound by the contract. I will renew the contract immediately…”
“Then the Temple will find out.”
“…I see.”
“Furthermore, I must now consider you, User Cha Sorim, as someone who is aware of the situation. User Cha Sorim? This incident is far too complicated for us to treat it as a simple matter of theft. Our position is now extremely precarious.”
Though I was being long-winded, my point was that we couldn’t simply let them go now that they knew Mercenary’s secret.
Cha Sorim grew quieter and quieter. It seemed that even she realized she had nothing to say. This wasn’t a problem that could be solved with simple compensation. If I were in her shoes, I’d probably be cursing how terribly twisted the situation had become.
“Then… what on earth should I do? I have no idea.”
“The best way to ensure secrecy would be execution. Can I, and my clan members, truly trust you two?”
I answered immediately. At that moment, a dark shadow crossed Cha Sorim’s face.
That’s enough pressure for now.
Even if I was right, pushing her any further would likely breed resentment. It was time to subtly offer her a way out.
“Of course, I understand your position, User Cha Sorim. It must be very frustrating, since you didn’t order it yourself.”
“No. My heart feels heavy, but… it is an unavoidable reality. I have no intention of running from it.”
“…Hmm. You seem to care for that vampire a great deal. Even though he’s just a monster…”
Truthfully, I could dispose of the vampire at any time, but Cha Sorim was a more complicated case. It was a good thing she was willing to take responsibility; if she had been stubborn and insisted it wasn’t her order, I would have been in quite a bind.
When I said it to test the waters, Cha Sorim gave a bitter smile.
“At first, I found it burdensome and couldn’t understand why he was following me around so relentlessly. But one way or another, he is a companion who truly likes and follows me. And he was the only one who stayed by my side when I was struggling. Although we have a contract, I think of him as a friend, not a slave.”
As expected of an icon of loyalty, her answer was just as I had anticipated.
Cha Sorim continued.
“Mercenary Lord. I’m begging you. As I said before, if I have only one request, it is that you spare his life. For that, I will endure any punishment.”
“Hmm…”
Cha Sorim bowed her head once more.
I tapped my fingers on the table. After pretending to be deep in thought, I spoke quietly.
“I don’t want to resort to extreme measures either.”
Sensing an opening, Cha Sorim slowly raised her head.
“I considered execution at first… but seeing your attitude has swayed me. If you had shown even the slightest hint of shifting blame or being defiant, it would have been a different story, but you have shown a sincere desire to face this problem and resolve it. To be honest, I’ve taken a liking to you. No, it just happened a moment ago.”
“Pardon? Ah… th-thank you.”
For the first time, Cha Sorim’s expression changed. She looked flustered for some reason. It seemed my direct statement about liking her had caught her off guard. Still, her complexion brightened a little, so she didn’t seem to dislike it.
“Right. Come to think of it, we don’t necessarily have to resort to murder and cover-up. We can find another way. Of course, that would require your consent, User Cha Sorim.”
“What way is that?”
I grinned at Cha Sorim, who asked with a hopeful expression. Then, I slowly raised a finger and pointed at her.
“You.”
“Me?”
“User Cha Sorim. I want you.”
It was a line I’d delivered with what I thought was perfect timing. But in an instant, Cha Sorim’s demeanor stiffened. Then, an undeniable look of disappointment filled her once-calm eyes.
What’s wrong with her?
I tilted my head in confusion. I had thought that with her personality, being direct and earning her trust was the best approach, rather than beating around the bush. That’s why I’d even told her I liked her, but her reaction was not what I’d expected.
“Do you not want to?”
Cha Sorim didn’t answer right away. She seemed lost in thought. Then, she suddenly clenched her fists and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Mercenary Lord. Do you truly… desire that?”
“Excluding murder and cover-up, there’s only one other method that comes to mind.”
And that was for her to become part of our family.
At my confirmation, Cha Sorim squeezed her eyes shut. Her body even began to tremble. She looked as if she was feeling immense shame.
Are we that bad of a clan?
And here I was, trying to see her in a good light. Feeling a little hurt, I bit my lip. Just then, I heard Cha Sorim let out a deep sigh.
“Huu. I understand your intentions, Mercenary Lord. If that is the only way… I will accept. I believe my body is truly lacking, but I will be in your care.”
Then she snapped her eyes open and stared at me with a sorrowful gaze.
“Then… how much… th-that… do I have to do?”
Finally, she had given her consent. I wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘what I have to do,’ but I figured I was at least halfway there, so I calmly stood up. Cha Sorim flinched.
I sank into thought.
I had her consent. But having Cha Sorim join couldn’t end with a simple announcement like the others. I could just have her join as is, but when a problem like this is involved, it’s best to resolve it beforehand. That way, I could prevent any future discord.
Therefore, I needed to address the previous incident clearly and listen to the opinions of the clan members. And if any objections arose, I would have to go through the process of persuading them.
I spoke calmly.
“Well, this isn’t a matter I can decide on my own. I need to hear the opinions of my clan members as well.”
“…Pardon?”
“The meeting won’t take long. So, would you mind waiting in the reception room for a moment?”
“Eh… Eh?”
“…Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah… N-n-n-no, I’m not!”
Cha Sorim stared at me with a blank expression. Her dazed face felt quite unfamiliar, but I calmly took out a summoning stone.
For now, I planned to hold a meeting.