Chapter 417: 8. The User I Wanted Most (3/3)
Chapter 417: 8. The User I Wanted Most (3/3)
“…Now, I would like to hear the clan members’ opinions on this matter.”
After finishing my piece, I stared ahead. A quiet stillness filled the fourth-floor meeting room, which we were using for the first time since moving into the Mercenary House.
I believed I had explained the situation sufficiently. The gist was simple: I was proposing we give Cha Sorim a chance to atone for her crime. But had the vampire’s intrusion created a preconceived bias? The expressions on the clan members’ faces were all subtly conflicted.
It was then.
Tap.
“No way. Oppa! I’m absolutely against it!”
The sound of a light tap on the table was followed by Lee Yoojung’s angry voice echoing through the room. Judging by the way she arched her brows in defiance, she was clearly displeased with the idea of accepting Cha Sorim as a clan member.
“Just think about it. Oppa, you….”
“Yoojung-ah.”
Just as she was about to speak again, Jung Hayeon cut her off. Lee Yoojung flinched at the sharp glance Jung Hayeon sent her way. She cleared her throat awkwardly, seemingly realizing her mistake.
“S-Sorry… Still, Clan Lord-nim. I hope you’ll reconsider recruiting Cha Sorim and the vampire.”
“Reconsider… Hmm. Then, User Lee Yoojung, may I know your reason for opposing it?”
“W-Well, that’s…”
Unlike her initial outburst, Lee Yoojung couldn’t answer right away. In fact, judging by how she fumbled for words, it was clear she didn’t have a solid reason. Before the meeting, I’d overheard her shouting, “Did you see the way she walked in here? I can’t stand how brazen she is for a thief!” It seemed the fact that the Elixir had nearly been stolen had firmly cemented her prejudice.
“Well… vampires are monsters… and accepting a monster makes me anxious… I’m also worried about what others will think… A-And you said so yourself, Clan Lord-nim. You told us to be careful with our conduct since so many Users are watching us these days…”
Lee Yoojung’s voice trailed off, as if she herself felt her reasoning was weak.
To be fair, her argument wasn’t entirely off the mark. But upon careful consideration, it was nothing more than a groundless fear.
It was time to persuade them. After taking a moment to organize my thoughts, I began to speak.
“As User Lee Yoojung said, the vampire is merely a monster. But that’s all it is. While it’s certainly a rare case, there are instances in the Hall Plain of monsters or Residents serving as a User’s companion. So I don’t think we need to worry too much about how others will see it.”
I looked at Lee Yoojung, as if to ask what she thought. She pouted. Her expression said she understood, but wasn’t convinced.
She really dislikes this, doesn’t she?
I let out a short sigh and turned my gaze to the other clan members. If I had intended to decide this based on simple likes and dislikes, I wouldn’t have called a meeting in the first place.
Everyone except Ko Yeonju, who was dispatched as an instructor, was present. I wanted to hear what the others thought as well.
“Anyway, that’s what I think…”
“But, unni. We don’t know that for sure yet. And…”
In one corner, Jung Hayeon and Lim Hanna were exchanging opinions in hushed voices. The old man had his eyes gently closed, a sign he was deep in thought, while Ahn Sol had been fidgeting since a moment ago, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something.
In contrast, the newer clan members were relatively quiet. They seemed to be thinking things over, but were still testing the waters.
How much time had passed?
Just as everyone was organizing their thoughts, Jung Hayeon and Lim Hanna finally broke apart. They nodded to each other, having apparently reached a consensus. As I watched them, Jung Hayeon turned her head to face me.
Our eyes met, and her pink lips parted slightly from between her sky-blue hair.
“Clan Lord. Isn’t it a bit risky to accept User Cha Sorim and the vampire?”
She wasn’t opposing it outright like someone else had. But in the end, it was just a more roundabout way of saying no; the meaning was the same.
I immediately asked back.
“What part do you find risky?”
“This might sound like a joke, but there’s a saying about porn. There are people who’ve never watched it, but no one who’s only watched it once.”
Faint chuckles broke out from my left and right. It wasn’t exactly the right thing to say in a meeting like this, but it did seem to ease some of the tension that had filled the room.
I let out a faint laugh myself and looked at Jung Hayeon. The one who’d brought it up, however, remained perfectly composed. Then again, it wasn’t in her nature to speak carelessly.
I tapped the table for a moment before speaking calmly.
“User Jung Hayeon… you’re concerned about the possibility of a repeat offense.”
“The warehouse has already been breached once. And since vampires are highly loyal to their masters, I believe it could commit the same act again at any time.”
“And?”
“That’s not all. User Cha Sorim is currently…”
Listening to Jung Hayeon, I let a faint smile grace my lips.
Just then, as if sensing something from my smile, Jung Hayeon, who had been speaking confidently, suddenly shut her mouth with a look of realization.
Her point was simple but struck at the core of the issue: anxiety. Since a precedent had been set, there was a chance of a repeat offense. Moreover, that possibility would only increase if we brought them into the Mercenary House. All things considered, her logic was solid.
However, there were a few things Jung Hayeon had overlooked.
“User Jung Hayeon. It’s true that the vampire broke into the warehouse, bypassed security, and stole an Elixir.”
“…Yes.”
“I’m not saying that was right. But I’d like to view this from a different perspective.”
I then began my calm persuasion.
The key point was that the vampire had only stolen the Elixir. Besides that single bottle, everything else in the warehouse had been left untouched. There was only one reason for this: to heal his master, Cha Sorim.
If that was the case, the answer was simple. If the Mercenary Clan healed Cha Sorim, the vampire would no longer have any reason to raid the warehouse. As long as her injury was a ‘setting,’ it could likely be healed with Eternal Flame or a miracle.
“B-But even if it’s not the Elixir…”
“The vampire is a Resident. If you’re truly worried, we can ask User Cha Sorim to renew her contract to address that.”
Jung Hayeon tried to speak again, but I immediately countered. She blinked a few times, then tilted her head and smiled sheepishly. It seemed she was more or less convinced. Honestly, there wasn’t much more she could say.
By now, all the clan members had heard my explanation. As I looked around, I saw a few people nodding in agreement, thinking my words made sense. Then, from one side, someone slowly raised a hand. It was the old man.
“Clan Lord. If you’ll permit me, this old man would also like to add a word.”
“Permission granted.”
As I nodded, the old man calmly rose to his feet.
“Hoho… I can well imagine how everyone else feels. You must have been startled and angered that our precious items were nearly stolen. I fully understand those feelings. However, this old man agrees with the Clan Lord’s opinion.”
The old man’s voice was as calm and gentle as a grandfather telling his grandchildren an old tale. It was a voice that carried the weight of experience. I focused more intently.
“User Cha Sorim did not order the theft of the Elixir. It was entirely the vampire’s own doing. She probably feels this is quite unfair to her as well. But despite that, she came here, apologized deeply, and is asking for your forgiveness.”
That was exactly my point. I propped my chin on one hand and cheered inwardly.
“I ask that you consider these points and believe it would be fine to give her one chance… In fact, it might be better to embrace her. At least, it’s a better method than killing her to tie up loose ends.”
Finishing his calm statement, the old man slowly sat back down. His final words were quite meaningful. It might be better to embrace her than to kill her to tie up loose ends. It seemed the old man also sensed the ambiguity of the situation surrounding Cha Sorim.
In any case.
The first vote of approval was in. The old man’s opinion had come at the perfect time. After I had persuaded Lee Yoojung and Jung Hayeon, the atmosphere had been slowly shifting, and his support gave it a decisive push.
“Does any other clan member have an opinion?”
I spoke up immediately, hoping to ride the momentum, and confirmed that there were no other objections. Of course, one or two people still looked unconvinced, but they ultimately remained silent.
Deciding this was enough, I turned to Ahn Hyun.
“User Ahn Hyun. Go and bring the two of them to the meeting room.”
“Huh? Ah, yes, sir.”
Ahn Hyun, who had been sitting quietly the whole time, snapped his head up in surprise. That punk. He must have been lost in his own world instead of listening to the meeting.
As Ahn Hyun quickly left the room, I moistened my lips.
*
A short while later, Cha Sorim and the vampire entered the meeting room. After guiding them to the center, Ahn Hyun returned to his seat, and I quietly observed her. Cha Sorim looked extremely tense, as if she had been on pins and needles while waiting for our decision.
Finally, I spoke.
“User Cha Sorim.”
“Yes.”
“I would like to see your skills.”
“Y-Yes?” Cha Sorim replied, her voice filled with bewilderment.
“After a meeting with the clan members, we have concluded that we will give you and your vampire a chance. However, there is one condition attached.”
“That condition is…”
“It is your skill, User Cha Sorim.”
The idea of testing her skills had come from Kim Hanbyul. We had decided to accept her, but she felt a test was necessary to gauge her level.
What’s wrong with her?
Cha Sorim just stood there with a blank expression for a while. She kept glancing around as if she didn’t know what to do.
Finally, she squeezed her eyes shut and spoke in a trembling voice.
“B-But… I’m still new… and I have no experience… On top of that, in a situation like this… How can I…”
Is she not confident?
The thought surprised me for a moment, but I could soon understand how she felt. She was currently physically impaired. In such a state, she must be wondering if she could even display her full strength.
In any case, I wasn’t that cruel. I spoke to reassure her.
“You don’t need to worry. Considering your physical condition, we won’t be testing you right away. We plan to heal your body first.”
It was then.
The moment I mentioned her ‘body,’ Cha Sorim’s eyes flew open and she lifted her head.
“D-Did you say you’ll heal my body?”
“Yes.”
“Then… Don’t tell me!”
“It won’t be with the Elixir.”
I shook my head.
“Even without the Elixir, the Mercenary Clan has ways to heal you. Two of them, in fact.”
“Is that really true?!”
I heard the vampire exclaim, but I ignored it and continued.
“If neither of those two methods works, then we will use the Elixir to heal your body. How does that sound?”
“Ah.”
Every member of the Mercenary Clan was seated in the meeting room with me. As such, my statement wasn’t just empty words; it carried official weight.
Cha Sorim stared at me blankly. The way she blinked nonstop suggested she was utterly confused.
Seeing her, I felt a slight pang in my chest. To be honest, I was confident I could heal her with Eternal Flame or a miracle; offering the Elixir was partly a way to make a show of my generosity.
Cha Sorim tilted her head but still replied.
“I-If that’s what you think is best… A-Anyway, thank you.”
“No need for thanks. I hear your spear skills are exquisite. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
I shook my head as I watched Cha Sorim bow deeply.
And, in that instant.
“What?”
For a moment, Cha Sorim’s movements froze. When I looked up, it was as if she alone had stopped while time flowed on around her.
“Spear skills…? Ah, ah!”
About ten seconds passed. Finally, a clear expression emerged on Cha Sorim’s face, which had been awkward the entire time. Her face flushed red, and she avoided my gaze, looking extremely embarrassed. She looked like a young girl flusteredly denying everything.
“User Cha Sorim. Is there a problem?”
“N-No, sir!”
After answering loudly, Cha Sorim began to pant. Then, as if to confirm something, she quickly continued.
“S-So. If I pass the test, will I be staying here from now on?”
“That would be the case, yes.”
“Hoo. I see… So that’s how it was… Mercenary…”
A moment later, Cha Sorim let out a long sigh. I could see her expression gradually stabilize as she returned to her usual composed self. At first, I was worried by how flustered she seemed, but seeing her now was a considerable relief.
Soon, Cha Sorim spoke, her eyes shining brightly.
“If that was your intention… I understand. This body had become useless anyway. Thank you for giving me a chance to live again. I will do my best.”
I replied with my usual line.
“Welcome to the Mercenary Clan.”