Chapter 473: Give a Peck, Get a Bushel
Chapter 473: Give a Peck, Get a Bushel
The visitor was a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties. Of average height and slender build, she wore leather armor that looked easy to move in. She was quite beautiful, but her slightly raised eyebrows and sharp gaze gave her a rather fierce air. A faint scar near her right eye was particularly striking.
In some ways, she was a User similar to Lee Yoojung.
“Hello. I am Woo Seolhee, the Lord of the Artemis Clan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Kim Soohyun, Lord of the Mercenary Clan. The pleasure is mine.”
The woman, Woo Seolhee, greeted me with a bright smile. When we shook hands, I felt the rough calluses on her palm. Artemis was one of the four clans in the alliance responsible for combat, and Woo Seolhee was its lord. As expected of someone in her position, she seemed to have a decent Player Status.
After a moment of mutual assessment, Woo Seolhee spoke first.
“Yes, I’ve heard much about your reputation. Thank you for agreeing to see me, despite my sudden visit.”
“I have to admit, I was a little surprised, but you are a member of a renowned alliance. I couldn’t simply ignore you, could I?”
“Oh? You’re quite frank about your feelings, aren’t you?”
“I’m not fond of beating around the bush. And besides, I’m a man who’s nothing without his honesty. Haha. In any case, welcome once again to Mercenary.”
I deliberately put on a jovial act that didn't quite suit my personality, hoping to soften the atmosphere before we began our discussion. Woo Seolhee’s eyes widened and blinked, as if she hadn’t expected such a warm reception.
I gestured for her to take a seat. As she accepted without hesitation and sat down, her sleek hips settling onto the chair, I activated my Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Woo Seolhee (Year 5 User)
2. Class: Victoria Elite Mercenary (Rare, Victoria Elite Mercenary, Master)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: Artemis (Clan Rank: A Minus)
5. True Name · Nationality: A Flower that Blooms Upon Death · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (28)
7. Height · Weight: 171.3cm · 58.4kg
8. Alignment: Sharp · Obscene
[Strength 92] [Durability 84] [Agility 86] [Stamina 81] [Magic Power 85] [Luck 73]
Other than her Rare Class, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. Her alignment was a little interesting, but considering the members of my own clan, it didn't seem all that strange. I remembered the fresh shock I’d felt the first time I saw the ‘Obscene’ alignment.
In any case, I judged her to be reasonably capable and clasped my hands, fixing my gaze on her.
According to the information Ko Yeonju had brought me, Woo Seolhee belonged to Shin Hyuk’s faction. And Shin Hyuk was the bastard who had planned and orchestrated this whole outrageous affair.
It wasn't like she came here to eat me alive. That being the case, wasn't it only common courtesy to ask what business brought her here in person?
“So, what brings you here today? To be honest, we haven’t had much of a relationship with the alliance until now, so I’m quite curious about the reason for your visit.”
“Ah… It’s true, our alliance and the Mercenary Clan have practically been strangers until now. But that might not be the case from now on, right? We’re both southern clans, after all. Hoho.”
I had to suppress a smile at Woo Seolhee’s words. I could just imagine Shin Hyuk’s state right now, fuming and agitated.
Sure, sending Mercenary to the Sleeping Dragon Mountains had been a good move on his part. But not only had we all returned alive, we had conquered the region and even rescued the other Users, excluding our client.
In short, his intentions were good, but the result was a disaster. His plan had failed spectacularly, meaning Shin Hyuk’s standing within the alliance would be significantly weakened, not to mention his chances in the upcoming Halo selection.
But he wasn't out of options yet. Shin Hyuk needed a clever move to make Mercenary give up on Halo and reverse the current situation, even if it meant taking a small loss. That way, he’d at least have something to say for himself later.
I spoke quietly. For now, I decided to hear her out.
“Hmm. I’m quite looking forward to what you have to say.”
“Uhm… Since you don’t like beating around the bush, I’ll be direct. I hope you’ll forgive a certain degree of rudeness. The reason I’ve come is because of the Sleeping Dragon Mountains. You see, our alliance has had a great interest in that place for a long time. We were in the process of gathering information and were planning to launch an expedition, the largest in our history.”
“The Sleeping Dragon Mountains… I see. But that region has already been conquered. And as you know, it was not a region that belonged to anyone.”
“I know. It would be a lie to say we’re not disappointed, but there’s no point in arguing about it now. What the alliance—no, what Artemis—wants to discuss is the spoils you must have obtained from the Sleeping Dragon Mountains.”
“…Spoils? Are you suggesting that Mercenary share its spoils?”
“Oh, my. Mercenary Lord, what do you take us for? We have some decency. Absolutely not.”
For a moment, I felt my face harden, but her immediate denial allowed me to relax. I had been carefully controlling my expression since her arrival, but the spoils were a different matter entirely. They were our exclusive right, something no one else could touch. To smile good-naturedly while someone infringed upon that right would be to prove I was not just a pushover, but a complete idiot. I had no intention of being one.
Woo Seolhee, still smiling brightly, studied my face and quickly continued.
“I heard from the Users you rescued that you collected all the equipment of the deceased. Well, on our side, there were quite a few alliance Users who entered the Sleeping Dragon Mountains to gather information. What we want is their equipment—no, their mementos.”
“Mementos?”
“Yes. Mementos. Our alliance is a truly warm, family-like one. We think of each and every clan member not as a User, but as family. Many have formed actual families here. As such, we want to at least retrieve their belongings to console the grieving families who lost their loved ones. Ah, of course, we will pay a reasonable price for their return.”
“Oh… I see. I had no idea about such circumstances.”
It wasn't an entirely unreasonable request. It wasn't unheard of for Users to keep the belongings of their acquaintances, and she did offer to pay. In terms of justification and procedure, there was no issue.
Furthermore, this wasn't a bad proposition for Mercenary either. It was certainly better than letting the items gather dust in the warehouse.
But this couldn't be the alliance's—no, Shin Hyuk's—true intention. As part of my effort to discern his real goal, I decided it was time to bring up a sensitive topic.
“What do you think, Mercenary Lord? It doesn’t seem like a bad proposal for either of us.”
“I understand your intention. It certainly sounds like a good idea. However, from our perspective, it’s a bit difficult to accept it at face value.”
“Difficult? Was there a problem with anything I said…?”
“No. There’s no problem at all, as we’re both following common practice. But words can be interpreted in different ways, can’t they? The truth is, there have been more than a few slanderous records about Mercenary based on absurd reasons. I can’t help but wonder what kind of records might appear this time, using this incident as a pretext. Wouldn't it be better to just stay quiet?”
I narrowed my eyes and stared at her. Woo Seolhee immediately fell silent. My last statement was a pointed jab, a clear attack. But if she knew that most of those records came from Coran, and that the clan managing Coran was part of the alliance, she would surely understand the meaning behind my words.
After a brief silence, Woo Seolhee spoke in a low voice.
“I believe there’s a deep misunderstanding, Mercenary Lord. You seem to be referring to the slanderous records about Mercenary that have appeared on Coran, and it’s true that they have. But if you think that reflects the will of the alliance, I must tell you that is a great misunderstanding.”
A misunderstanding, she called it. I was surprised she didn't deny it, but admitted to it. Curious to hear what excuse she would come up with, I listened quietly.
“I know. I know you must be displeased. I am truly sorry about that. But I hope you understand that it’s something beyond our control. Coran’s management policy is to guarantee maximum freedom. Many Users reside there, attracted by that very point. If we were to suppress them from publishing such articles, it would be no different from violating the policy we’ve upheld for so long. And it’s not as if the records only appear on Coran, is it?”
“Hmm. That is true, but…”
It was an excuse, and a laughable one at that. Still, I feigned a slight nod of agreement, and Woo Seolhee’s eyes lit up as if she saw an opportunity.
“Just a moment, Mercenary Lord. Then how about this? Let’s think bigger. What if you let us handle all the spoils you brought back this time?”
“…All of it?”
“Of course, we have our limits, so you’ll have to be reasonable with the price. But if you do that for us, we will return all the remaining equipment to their acquaintances free of charge. Publicly, however, we’ll announce that Mercenary provided them for free at the alliance’s request. Think of it as us acting as your proxy.”
“Excuse me? But why… why would the alliance act as our proxy?”
“Frankly, it’s partly as compensation for what has displeased you, and we also want to improve the alliance’s image and our relationship with Mercenary. If you agree, the relationship between Mercenary and the alliance will be reset, and the malicious records within the city will likely decrease significantly. What do you say? It seems like a win-win situation for both of us, don’t you think?”
“Oh… I… I see. That sounds like an excellent idea.”
In that moment, I barely swallowed the curse that rose to the tip of my tongue and managed to force the words out.
Ah, I see. How funny. A moment ago, you were spouting nonsense about freedom, and now you’re saying you’ll take care of it yourselves?
She hadn't said it outright, but that was clearly the nuance. If I had my way, I would have grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head onto the table right then and there, or perhaps quietly activated a bead and watched her face transform.
But I couldn't. Our greatest weapon right now was the fact that the enemy was ignorant of the true situation. I couldn't throw away the script I had spent three sleepless nights perfecting for a fleeting moment of catharsis. Right. I had to be patient.
I pretended to be lost in thought, while internally I repeated the name ‘Han Soyoung’ over and over. If the person making this offer had been Istantel Low, I would have gladly accepted. The problem was that it was the alliance.
After a short while, I smiled brightly and extended my hand. Woo Seolhee responded with a lovely eye-smile of her own.
“With an offer like this, I have no reason to refuse. Very well.”
“So if I take this hand, is the deal sealed?”
I nodded, and Woo Seolhee let out a pleasant laugh as she grasped my outstretched hand.
Then, as if she had just remembered something, she spoke with a look of realization.
“Ah. Would it be alright if we made a statement about this? Actually, this plan came from User Shin Hyuk, the Southern Conquest Clan Lord, not the entire alliance. I’d like to include his name as well as my own.”
“It doesn’t make much difference to me. However, Mercenary will be making an official announcement soon, so you don’t necessarily have to.”
“An official announcement?”
“Yes. There are things to be said about the Sleeping Dragon Mountains… and various other matters. We can include the details of our deal then.”
Woo Seolhee looked at me with a profound gaze, then nodded and averted her eyes. Then, in a casual tone, she spoke as if to herself.
“Various other matters… Ah~. Come to think of it, the Western City will be vacant soon. There are a lot of rumors that Mercenary will become the representative clan this time. Should I congratulate you in advance? Hoho…”
And finally, Woo Seolhee took the bait.
This was the very line I had been waiting for. I calmed my racing heart and opened my mouth. This is where it begins.
“Excuse me? Congratulations for what?”
“Oh, am I mistaken?”
“Goodness. I made an announcement about this before, but it seems many people have misunderstood. Mercenary has absolutely no interest in the Western City. In fact, we have no intention of participating in the selection process at all.”
“But why?”
“Managing the Magic City Magia alone is a handful. When would we have time to manage another city? There’s a saying about too much of a good thing. In any case, I plan to make that point clear during our official announcement, and I will also mention the deal we made today. There might be some appropriate embellishments, of course. So, should I state that today’s discussion was with Woo Seolhee-nim and Mr. Shin Hyuk, not the entire alliance?”
“Ye-yes? Yes! Pl-please do. Ah, I mean. Yes, yes! I would be very grateful if you did.”
Woo Seolhee stared blankly for a moment before nodding her head vigorously. She then shot up from her seat, fidgeting with her hands. Her eyes were blinking rapidly; it seemed she was desperate to leave and share this news.
I could understand her excitement. Her reality had turned into a living hell with my return, and now a lifeline had suddenly appeared before her.
“Wait. Are you leaving already?”
“Yes! I want to share this happy news as soon as possible, and it looks like things are about to get busy, so I need to prepare. Hohoho.”
“Haha. It would have been nice if you could have at least stayed for a meal.”
“Hoho. I appreciate the thought. Hoho, hohohoho! W-well, I’m a bit busy, so I’ll take my leave. No need to see me out.”
Woo Seolhee hastily bid me farewell and practically flew out the door.
As I listened to her hurried footsteps fade into the distance, I looked around the empty reception room. A low laugh escaped my lips.
The sight of Woo Seolhee running off, beaming with joy, completely unaware that the lifeline she had just grabbed was rotten to the core, was utterly amusing.
*
After Woo Seolhee left, I returned to my office. Even though a considerable amount of time had passed, Jo Seungwoo was still standing there.
“So. Did you watch the videos?”
“Yes. I watched them both.”
As I calmly sat down and spoke, I saw his face was set like stone.
But he didn't seem angry. Even though I had just met with a User from the alliance, he didn't say a word. He simply studied my face, as if he were more concerned with what I was about to say than with protesting his own innocence in this affair.
Yes. This was why I had chosen Jo Seungwoo.
I briefly recalled his alignment, then continued in a relaxed voice.
“You must be curious. Why I chose you, User Jo Seungwoo, to take User Jung Hayeon’s place.”
“…Yes.”
“User Jo Seungwoo. I am not the kind of person with a nice personality who just sits back and takes a beating. In fact, I live by the old saying: get back more than you give. Do you know what that means?”
“I think I do. No, you are absolutely right.”
Though much was left unsaid, I was sure Jo Seungwoo understood. In short, it meant that there would be many difficulties in using Hayeon as a partner for the work that lay ahead. It was a question: could he do the things that Hayeon could not?
“However, my thoughts have changed slightly just now.”
“Changed, you say?”
“Originally, I was only planning to get back more than I was given. But seeing the way they’re acting, I think I’ll need to get back at least a sackful—no, a ton—to feel even a little bit better.”
“…I see. In that case, what would you have me do?”
And Jo Seungwoo’s answer was that he could do it.
I swiveled in my chair. As I faced forward, I could see the bright sunlight streaming through the window. I slowly pulled a cigarette from my pocket and spoke quietly.
“We’re going to be very busy for a while. I have more than a few places to visit, and I need to lay some groundwork. But for now, User Jo Seungwoo, I want you to prepare a venue for an official announcement at Monica’s Plaza for tomorrow.”
“So… you’re going to make an official announcement?”
I nodded calmly. After taking a drag from the lit cigarette, I spoke in a low voice.
“Yes. That will be the true beginning of our revenge.”