Gold Lion's True Intentions
As they passed through the main gate and entered the interior, vehicle control began. People disembarked one by one from the front of the line. Yoo Taejeong and Park Se-ah were among them.
"We'll be checking everyone's belongings. Please come forward one at a time with your ID."
Following the escort's instructions, they headed to the inspection stations one by one. From basic item checks to the time-consuming inventory scans. Once everyone had passed all the inspections, they boarded the waiting buses. The windows were completely blacked out with some dark covering. The executives muttered in disbelief at the sight.
"They've blocked off all the windows."
"Talk about thorough."
"Why the hell did they put cages on them? We're not criminals."
"Quiet down, everyone."
The guild master's words silenced the murmurs. Soon, the buses departed. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived in front of a massive building.
"This way, everyone."
Following the escort inside, they were each assigned a room. Taejeong shared one with Park Se-ah.
"You're free to move around inside the building, but you can't go outside. Alright then."
The person who assigned the rooms left, and shortly after, the planning director entered.
"Guild master wants you in his room. Leave the secretary behind."
"Got it."
Yang Taesik's room was on the floor above, in the middle. When he entered, all the executives were already gathered.
"Ah, there you are. Sit down. Alright, now that everyone's here, let's start the meeting."
The meeting content was nothing special. They'd already discussed the negotiations thoroughly back at the guild. This gathering was just to prepare for contingencies—how to escape if things went south.
With their assignments in hand, they returned to their rooms.
"All done?"
"Yeah."
"What was the meeting about?"
"Nothing much."
Normally, he would've told her, but not today. The meeting's takeaway was simple: in an emergency, everyone fends for themselves. They couldn't guarantee the safety of non-awakened staff like secretaries or knight aides. Of course, he had no intention of abandoning people easily—especially not her.
Taejeong lay on the bed for a while, staring at Park Se-ah, then suddenly sat up.
"Rest up."
"I'm fine."
"Then rest anyway."
"Where are you going?"
"To see the director. Stay here and rest—no following."
After emphasizing it repeatedly, Taejeong headed out—not to the director's room, but to the rooftop. Fortunately, it was open, and with no tall buildings nearby, it was perfect for his work.
"Good. Let's give it a shot. Gerard, ready? Maximum altitude."
-Yes.
No sooner had the response come than Taejeong summoned the B6-1 unmanned bomber. A tiny dot appeared high in the sky at 1,000 meters. He summoned the cockpit display simultaneously, and real-time footage of the Gold Lion Guild's interior streamed in.
"Doesn't seem to have tripped any air defenses yet. But at this height, I can't make out shit."
The altitude made it impossible to discern building details clearly. Estimating roughly by eye, Taejeong had no choice but to adjust the order.
"Gotta lower the altitude. Down to half—let's try that. If sirens go off or magic flies our way, switch to inactive mode immediately."
-Understood.
As per his instructions, the B6-1 circling overhead began descending. The aircraft's form grew sharper, and the display feed sharpened accordingly.
-Current B6-1 altitude: 1,640 feet (500m). Switching to stealth silent mode.
"Alright, let's see what we've got."
The building Taejeong was in turned out to be the Gold Lion Hotel—unseen on arrival. Around it stood a few unremarkable commercial buildings and a mid-sized mart, all desolate. The wide intersection nearby was under control—no cars or people in sight.
"This isn't some exile island. They've dumped us in the middle of nowhere."
Proper structures came into view about ten li southwest.
[No. 6 Large Combat Training Ground]
[Gold Lion Public Library]
[Gold Lion District 3 Security Force]
"So this is District 3. Look at the crowd in front of the training ground—like they're heading to war. Gerard, you're recording everything, right? I might need to review it later. Burn it all into memory."
-Understood.
District 3 had no standout key facilities. He scouted several areas, gathering intel. Unfortunately, the 5km reception limit prevented a full sweep—just a glimpse of District 3 and the edge of District 2 to the east.
Recalling both the cockpit and bomber, Taejeong crossed his arms and muttered.
"This is the limit from here. Need to push deeper. Guess I'll head down first."
Pondering how to get better results, Taejeong reached the hallway and entered his room. But there—another figure's back, alongside Park Se-ah. A long-haired hunter in light armor. No female hunters in their negotiation team, so she had to be Gold Lion.
Park Se-ah stood before her, head bowed. Mood souring instantly, Taejeong strode over, grabbed Se-ah's arm, and pulled her back. He turned to the long hair with a rough bark.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you messing with someone else's sec—"
Mid-sentence, Taejeong froze like he'd seen a ghost. He knew that face—all too well.
"Choi Da-som... how the hell are you here...?"
The long hair belonged to Choi Da-som. His first love—and the one who'd given him his first heartbreak.
She greeted him with an awkward smile.
"Long time no see, Taejeong."
"Yeah... long time. But why here?"
"Heard you were coming, so I stopped by. Tried contacting Seok-ho a few times."
"Ah, been too busy. Now that you're here, sit. Let's talk."
As he offered her a seat, she sat. Park Se-ah asked them,
"Coffee or tea?"
"Nah, no need. Sit down. You okay? You don't even like coffee much."
She hesitated at his words, then nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Anyway, been about eight years, huh? Knew you were with Gold Lion, but seeing you like this is weird. Doing well?"
"Yeah. You?"
"As you can see. Gotta say, the Three Dragons Seven Stars live up to the hype."
"What do you mean?"
"This place is locked down tight. Not just anyone can waltz in."
"Oh, that..."
"Seen you on TV a few times. Tons of fans. Heard from Seok-ho too—you're killing it. Good to see."
"Killing it? Hardly."
"Come on, greedy much? That's success. Oh, you hear about Choi Muhyeok, the observer from Hansan-do? Top 10 ranker. Met him?"
"Nah, just glimpsed him from afar once."
"Even seeing a big shot like that is something. Figures you're different. Eight years here means you're seasoned too..."
As Taejeong rambled on, she suddenly apologized.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Sorry, Taejeong. Back then..."
He cut her off.
"Da-som, I always wanted to tell you if we met again: don't apologize to me. I'm really over it. You're doing great, I'm doing alright—no need to drag up the past and swap sorries. Doesn't fit these days. Let's just look at now. Hell, I barely remember eight years ago."
"Really? Feels like yesterday to me."
"Da-som."
"Fine. If that's what you want, I won't bring it up. So, what's your plan now?"
"For what?"
"Our guild's conditions won't be easy."
"You know something?"
"Gold Lion wants you. This negotiation was set up targeting you from the start."
"I figured. Part of me wants to unload a shitstorm of curses, but for the guild, I'll apologize. Came prepared for that."
She shook her head, clarifying.
"Not apologize. They want you. Your transfer."
"What?"
The unexpected words made Taejeong chuckle in disbelief. It sounded so absurd, like he'd misheard.
"They want me to transfer? To Gold Lion?"
"It's been in the works since they targeted your guild."
"What a joke. Your execs short a few brain cells? They need to make sense."
"If you refuse, they'll demand even crazier terms."
"We're already dealing with insane shit."
"Pyeongchang magic stone processing plant, Wonju equipment smelting factory. One or the other. Or both..."
"What? Those bastards..."
Irritation flared on Taejeong's face. The Pyeongchang plant and Wonju factory were Jenix Guild's lifeline resources. Losing even one would shake the guild to its core. And they wanted to snatch them?
"No way in hell. We're not that pushover, even if we're lower-ranked. You're underestimating us. Why tell me this? Aren't we the enemy from your side?"
"Enemy...? That hurts."
"Gotta separate business and personal. You won't side with us anyway."
"I could."
"What?"
"To you, I..."
As Choi Da-som started to say something, her gaze shifted to the glowing gem on her left chest—a call signal. She hesitated, then stood.
"Gotta go. Guild master’s calling."
Taejeong extended his hand.
"Good seeing you. Thanks for the info. Sucks our guilds are tangled like this—talk got a bit harsh. Understand. We can't afford slack. Won't go far."
Right after Choi Da-som left, Taejeong summoned the executives via Yang Taesik.
"What? Is that true?"
The 1st Raid Leader paused mid-sip, asking.
"Yeah. Not confirmed, but from an old friend—can't ignore it."
"Those fucking pricks. They drag us here for that crap? Let's bail now. Nothing left to see. What'd I say? They never planned to negotiate—just throw bullshit. Which top guild drags their feet over two mid-tier castles on the outskirts? Pack up."
As the 1st Raid Leader shot up in fury, the HR advisor held him back.
"Calm down. Keep some dignity."
"Dignity? Now? Handing over a district commander is impossible. Giving up Pyeongchang or Wonju kills operations—those fund over 50% of business. You know that better than me."
"I know. But let's hear them out. District commander's not official. Stay rational now. Emotions won't help. Sit—guild master's here."
Soothing the 1st Raid Leader back down, the HR advisor turned to Yang Taesik.
"What's your take, guild master?"
"Same as the advisor. Can't just leave after coming this far—looks bad. Negotiations start harsh; they can swing good with the right play. Everyone got your prep? Proceed as planned, then rest up. This'll be a tough fight."
"Understood."