Chapter 466: Demotion.
Chapter 466: Demotion.
“What do you mean, ‘business’…? Hey. Let’s not be so stiff with each other. I was just kidding about killing you. Huh? You really think I’d go that far with Ko Yeonju here? Hahaha.”
I relaxed the intensity in my eyes and spoke in a soft, placating tone.
Since I was the one asking for a favor, now that I’d tightened the screws, it was time to loosen them. Besides, no matter how you sliced it, this was Salmun, the clan that reigned at the top of the food chain in the Hall Plain’s underworld.
“Alright. Let’s not call it business. Let’s call it a commission. We Mercenaries are a Mercenary Clan, after all. If you handle this well, I’ll make it worth your while.”
(Hmm. A commission… Is this related to your recent trip to the Sleeping Dragon Mountains?)
“It is. The incident with Ahn Hyun and Baek Hangyul… I’m sure you’ve heard the gist of it, right? Some caravan I’ve never heard of commissioned us, but the whole process feels fishy.”
(Hm… Fishy, you say….)
The voice from the crystal ball was much calmer than before. Since Salmun operated on a system similar to the Mercenary Clan’s, reframing my request as a commission seemed to have put him at ease.
After a moment of thought, the man’s rough voice came through.
(The real client probably wasn’t Kim Sujeong, but a User named Song Heeseon. She’s currently a Year 2 User and a member of the Southern Free Alliance. Her clan is the Baekhwa Clan, a merchant clan led by a User named Min Baekhwa. Since they handle a significant portion of the alliance’s finances, you could consider them a fairly large clan.)
I was slightly impressed as I listened to him. I hadn’t even gotten to the main point, yet information was flowing out as if he already knew what I was going to ask.
To be fair, I already knew this much, but it was proof that Salmun’s information network was still as formidable as ever.
“Right. I know that much. So you’re saying it’s highly likely the Southern Free Alliance is behind this… but honestly, I find it hard to believe the Baekhwa Clan would do something like this.”
(Correct. The User Min Baekhwa is famous for her philanthropy, but in truth, it’s less that she’s a good person and more that she isn’t the type to pull a stunt like this. She’s a woman who only knows how to look out for herself and her clan. As such, it’s unlikely she acted alone. She’s either an accomplice, a bystander, or she’s completely in the dark. It has to be one of those three.)
“It’s probably another clan that got involved… But they have no reason to attack us, do they? I don’t recall ever clashing with them.”
(That’s only from your perspective, Mercenary Lord. There’s no such thing as a baseless attack. There must be a good reason for them to do this. It could be a grudge, or perhaps they just needed a scapegoat. This is especially true for neutral clans like the Mercenary Clan.)
I understood what he was getting at and nodded my head.
“Is that so… Well, I suppose there’s no point in arguing about it now. Anyway, I get it. Do you have any other information?”
(Well, what I can tell you now is only what’s on the surface. We’ll have to start digging for the details. So, what would you like us to look into first?)
When he asked me to specify my request, I spoke without a moment’s hesitation.
“Ko Yeonju has likely been active for the past two to three weeks. I’ll let her know, so all you have to do is help her. You know what I mean, right?”
(Excuse me? The Shadow Queen? But she was definitely headed for the Sleeping Dragon Mountains….)
The man asked back, his voice filled with surprise. I smiled inwardly. The fact that Salmun didn’t know meant that Ko Yeonju was carrying out my orders perfectly.
“Ah. I secretly sent her back as soon as we arrived at the mountain range.”
(Well, I’ll be… I was wondering why you were commissioning us….)
The man muttered, his voice a mixture of dejection and displeasure.
It was then.
“So then…”
(In that case, we will not be accepting this commission.)
Just as I was about to say, “I’m counting on you,” the man expressed his refusal. I thought I might have misheard him, but I hadn’t. My face scrunched up in an involuntary frown, and I spoke quietly.
“Are you kidding me?”
(I’m not kidding. If the Shadow Queen is already on the move, there’s no room for us to intervene.)
“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
(It’s exactly as it sounds, Mercenary Lord. Don’t you think you’re underestimating the Shadow Queen?)
That wasn’t it. I was well aware of Ko Yeonju’s abilities. The reason I had contacted Salmun was because I didn’t think I could rely solely on her.
“I know what you mean, but the more the merrier, right? I just want to be a little more certain.”
(My goodness… How should I explain this… Mercenary Lord, this is just an aside, but do you know how many members Salmun used to have?)
I shook my head. I wanted to ask him what he was suddenly talking about, but I swallowed the words. I knew that the man on the crystal ball wasn’t the type to speak carelessly.
(At our peak, we had 24 members. When the Shadow Queen left, that number dropped to 19—ah, 18, not including herself. And thanks to a certain someone, as of a year ago, we’re down to just seven.)
“…You don’t have to be so coy about who that ‘someone’ is.”
(…To put it bluntly, back in our heyday, even if the other 23 members all worked together to gather information, the amount we collected would be about the same as, or even less than, what the Shadow Queen could gather on her own. The Shadow Queen is just that kind of person.)
“……”
I scratched my head with one hand. So, was he saying that since Ko Yeonju was already on the case, they weren’t needed?
(That’s not all. The Shadow Queen has immense pride when it comes to this line of work. The fact that we intervened will surely displease her.)
“I’ll take care of that…”
(Ah, of course, she’ll just smile sweetly in front of you, Mercenary Lord. Honestly, even that’s hard to believe… but anyway, it’s different for us. We will definitely face some kind of repercussion.)
“How can you be so sure about that?”
(I’m the one who trained her. You think I wouldn’t know? We’re scared of you, but we’re also scared of the Shadow Queen.)
“…Tch.”
I lowered the crystal ball, feeling dejected. After he’d put it like that, there was nothing more I could say.
As if noticing the change in view, I heard a couple of coughs from below.
(Ahem. First, receive the Shadow Queen’s report. If you feel it’s insufficient, then you can commission us again. However, any information she finds difficult to obtain will be impossible for us to find as well, and any information she can’t uncover, we will give up on. Please keep that in mind when you contact us.)
“I can’t tell if you want me to call you or not. Anyway, I get it. I’ll contact you again later.”
The way he kept emphasizing the word ‘commission’ showed he wanted to salvage at least a shred of his pride. With that thought, I mercilessly cut off the magic. The crystal ball made a soft noise before slowly fading back to a murky black.
I let out a short sigh and tucked the crystal ball into my clothes. I felt a little bewildered. I never expected Salmun to be so deferential.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about Ko Yeonju’s pride, since I’d only ever seen her gentle and compliant side, but I knew just how vicious the members of Salmun were.
Salmun.
A cruel, savage group with pride to match. I had never clashed with them directly, but it was no wonder rumors spread that even the Murder Brigade avoided Salmun.
And yet, they were saying they weren’t needed because Ko Yeonju was on the case?
I didn’t quite grasp it yet, but I had heard Salmun’s position, and the call had ended. It seemed best to return for now, listen to the information Ko Yeonju had gathered, and then decide whether to use Salmun later.
And so, I calmly turned and walked back toward the campsite.
A complete darkness had already fallen over the surrounding desert, creating an eerie atmosphere.
As I walked on aimlessly, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
What kind of life did Ko Yeonju live in the early days of the Hall Plain? What kind of life did she live that she still hadn’t said a single word about her past?
I was curious. So very curious.
The thought of asking her occurred to me, but I quickly erased it from my mind. It wasn’t that I lacked curiosity, but I knew I had no right to ask so carelessly.
Because I, too, was hiding my own past.
I let out a small laugh and lifted my gaze.
In the distance, the lights of the campsite were beginning to come into view again.
*
When Ahn Hyun first opened his eyes, what he saw was a blurry, hazy world.
Nothing was clear. A small, faint light flickered as if it might go out at any moment, and an unidentifiable noise echoed around him. That was all.
“Ugh…”
A sudden, intense wave of dizziness washed over him, and Ahn Hyun immediately shut his eyes. He tried to move, but his entire body was devoid of strength. He instinctively opened his mouth, but only a dry sound escaped. His mind was slightly awake, but no thoughts would form.
Everything was just… confusing.
When the splitting dizziness in his forehead subsided somewhat, Ahn Hyun slowly opened his eyes again.
It was better than before, but still not normal. He could distinguish objects, but the whole world seemed to shimmer, as if he were looking at everything from underwater.
The first things he saw were the dark night sky and two women.
Kim Hanbyul and Vivian.
Kim Hanbyul was looking down at him with wide, surprised eyes, while Vivian had her head turned elsewhere, shouting at the top of her lungs.
Soon, feeling a rush of people from one side, Ahn Hyun gently closed his eyes. His mind was trying desperately to stay awake, but his body was screaming in exhaustion. In the end, unable to fight the encroaching darkness, Ahn Hyun’s eyes fell shut as if he were collapsing.
How much time had passed? How long had it been?
Though he’d blacked out a few times, once Ahn Hyun’s mind had awakened, it had clung desperately to consciousness.
Then, suddenly, Ahn Hyun felt a strange sensation. Or perhaps it was a peculiar feeling. It was faint, but he felt his body bobbing up and down intermittently.
Ahn Hyun slowly opened his eyes, and then they shot wide open.
He was sure he had just seen the night sky a moment ago, but what he saw now was not the dark of night. On the contrary, it was a bright, sunlit morning, and the surrounding scenery was slowly passing by in one direction.
The moment he reflexively turned his gaze, Ahn Hyun finally understood. He was being carried on someone’s back.
“Hm?”
A curious sound was heard, and from that moment, the world Ahn Hyun saw began to slowly change again. Against his will, the sky came into view, and he felt a soft texture against his back.
“Ah…”
Ahn Hyun opened his mouth again, but the sound that came out was still a dry groan.
Suddenly feeling the dryness in his mouth and throat, Ahn Hyun desperately craved water. As if reading his mind, something round was pushed into his mouth, and a cool liquid trickled between his lips.
As if the liquid were the Elixir of Life itself, Ahn Hyun drank it down greedily. His dry mouth was moistened, and the burning thirst slowly subsided.
The moment he felt a cool sensation cut through his chest, the reason that had been dormant within him began to awaken, slowly creeping back into his mind. His returned reason allowed his mind to think properly, and he began to see and hear his surroundings one by one.
“Hey, hey! Ahn Hyun! Are you okay? Can you see me?”
“Ahn Hyun! Are you conscious? Ahn Hyun!”
“Look at this guy. Woke up the second we reached the city gates. This damn hothead.”
“Hey! Stop being mean to my brother!”
Ahn Hyun blankly raised his gaze. He saw red hair obscuring the bright world and red eyes staring down at him. At first glance, they seemed fierce and sharp, but the trembling pupils conveyed a look of worry.
At the same time, several familiar faces came into his view. Lee Yoojung, Shin Jaeryong, Heo Junyoung, Ahn Sol…
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! Are you okay now? You’re awake, right? Please say something, Hyung-nim!”
When Baek Hangyul’s face appeared next, Ahn Hyun finally snapped back to his senses completely.
Blinking once or twice, Ahn Hyun struggled to open his mouth.
“Han… gyul?”
“Yes, it’s me! Hyung, it’s me.”
“How…”
“You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. Soohyun hyung-nim saved us!”
Soohyun hyung-nim? Saved us? Hyung-nim saved us? Having finally organized his thoughts, Ahn Hyun reflexively tried to sit up. But he immediately fell back down. His reason had returned, but his senses had just been restored and were not yet fully functional.
“Stay down, hothead.”
“Clan Lord! Ahn Hyun has fully regained consciousness!”
At that moment, upon hearing the words “Clan Lord,” Ahn Hyun unknowingly gritted his teeth. He desperately forced his eyelids, which were trying to close on their own, to stay open.
“Guh…!”
As he barely managed to lift his head, he saw the face of a man looking down at him from the front. It was the face he had longed to see, the face he had missed so dearly. At first glance, he seemed expressionless and cold, but every now and then, his eyes would hold a certain warmth…
“Hyung…”
Ahn Hyun slowly, very slowly, raised his hand.
It was then.
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Ahn Hyun’s slowly rising hand came to a dead stop.
“Anyway, we’ve arrived at the city, so let’s head back to the Mercenary House for now. Everyone will be waiting.”
‘Well, that’s a relief.’
‘Anyway, we’ve arrived at the city…’
His tone was as quiet as ever, but for some reason, the words rang clearly in Ahn Hyun’s ears.
But before that, Kim Soohyun’s gaze pierced his heart. Those eyes were incredibly cold. They weren’t the eyes that usually held at least a little warmth, but rather the eyes of someone looking at a complete stranger.
Of course, Ahn Hyun wasn’t expecting a welcome party just because he’d woken up. He had no such desire, and he knew he had done wrong.
However, Ahn Hyun had always been the primary recipient of Kim Soohyun’s attention. To suddenly be met with such a reaction, a wave of sorrow, beyond mere unfamiliarity, washed over him.
But regardless, Kim Soohyun seemed completely unfazed and continued speaking.
“By the way… did you contact them through the crystal ball? I think everyone will be surprised.”
“Ye-yes? Ah… I just contacted User Jung Hayeon.”
The moment Kim Soohyun casually turned his head to chat with someone else…
Thump.
Ahn Hyun’s trembling hand fell limply to his side.