Chapter 59
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Downfall
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Uwaaaah! We're finally back!"
Cha Hyun-jin was so thrilled to return to the clan house that he couldn't contain his excitement and let out a shout.
"Wow... We must've really been at that mansion for a long time. Why does the clan house feel so unfamiliar now?"
"Yeah..."
I agreed with Kang I-seo. Seeing the clan house after so long made it feel strangely foreign to me too.
The excitement didn't last. As soon as we stepped inside, the atmosphere felt off.
"...What the hell?"
"...Sis... something's weird about the vibe..."
...So the expedition ultimately failed.
It had been about a month, but those who went on the expedition still hadn't returned.
When we entered the clan master's office, we were greeted by Lee Jae-hyo, who looked like a complete wreck.
His beard was unkempt and messy, and he reeked of alcohol.
Seo Yu-ju cautiously spoke to him.
"...Lee Jae-hyo."
"...You're back."
Seo Yu-ju asked him carefully.
"...What happened?"
"......"
"...Lee Jae-hyo?"
"Our clan... is presumed to have failed the expedition. No, it's basically a failure. There's still no word from them."
Just as I thought...
One thing that puzzled me was how empty the clan interior was. The members of Party 6 should have been here, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"......"
"...Also, due to the expedition's failure, all the combat members except me left the clan."
Hah...
The other party members, excluding me and Seo Yu-ju, looked stunned by the sudden shocking news.
Of course... Who would've thought one of the top three clans would collapse like this in an instant.
"...So what happens to the clan now?"
Lee Jae-hyo replied in a hollow voice.
"Haha... Beats me. I don't know. The combatants are just me and you all now. A few admins are still around, but... honestly, the clan's done for."
...What a shame.
I inwardly sighed at the sight of someone as decent and good-natured as Lee Jae-hyo breaking down like this.
Seo Yu-ju spoke to him.
"...Lee Jae-hyo, what are your plans now...?"
"...Dunno. For the time being... I just don't want to think about anything. I'm still clan master for now, but... I'll hand the position over to you temporarily, Seo Yu-ju. Honestly... I have no motivation left to do anything."
Has he given up completely?
"If you want to transfer to another clan... feel free. Anyway... things being what they are, I can't hold you back."
I understood Lee Jae-hyo's position. From his perspective, he'd lost everything in an instant: the place he belonged, his family-like comrades, and the clan master he admired.
"The remaining clan resources... use them as you see fit. There probably isn't much left anyway. The ones who left took their shares."
"....."
"...I'll take my leave then. Sorry. I know as the senior I should lead you all, but... please try to understand."
"...We understand completely, Lee Jae-hyo. We'll keep your spot open, so come find me when you've sorted things out."
"...Sure."
With an expression like he knew that wouldn't happen, Lee Jae-hyo dazedly left the office. He seemed convinced we'd leave the clan soon too.
As soon as Lee Jae-hyo was gone, Yu-rim spoke up.
"...S-Sis... what do we do...? We're..."
"Yu-ju sis... should we leave the clan too?"
...Everyone's in bad shape.
I knew Seo Yu-ju was a regressor and had vaguely anticipated the clan's downfall, so I wasn't shocked. But the other party members looked seriously rattled.
While Seo Yu-ju calmed the others, I picked up the newspaper on the desk and started reading.
Shocker: Top Three Clans Collaborate on Expedition, End in Total Failure... What’s Next for the Top Three?
Kang Sung-jun, Gu Yeon-jeong, Hwang Tae-hoon. What Could This Dungeon Be That Defeated Even Them? The Identities of the Top Three Clan Masters Who Perished... Dungeon Deemed Unclearable.
Myth Clan, Veritas Clan, and Madan Clan Predicted to Become New Top Three. A Look at the Moves of the New Top Clans.
All Eyes on Eternity Clan's Remaining Newbies: Which Clan Will Scoop Them Up? Major Clans Wage War for Talent...
This is a shitshow.
The fall of the old top three clans and the rise of new ones was the kind of event that would captivate everyone in Baronia, so this level of coverage made sense.
The royal palace in Baronia was probably in an uproar too. Major clans likely had close ties with their nations.
Major clans are key military assets for countries, after all.
Baronia had suffered a massive loss in power.
Curious about Seo Yu-ju's future plans, I asked her.
"Yu-ju, what do you plan to do going forward?"
"...If you're all okay with it, I'd like to stay with Eternity Clan."
"You mean..."
"For now, I'll try to revive the clan by succeeding on a few expeditions. Even if the resources left are less than before, it's still plenty for newbies like us."
Seo Yu-ju must have figured that, as temporary clan master at least, she could steer the clan as a regressor.
"S-Sis... so you're staying with Eternity Clan...?"
Hyun-jin seemed unable to grasp her decision.
"Yeah, just think of it as operating as a party. Actually, we're in a much better spot than most parties. We have way more resources."
Of course. When Lee Jae-hyo said there weren't many resources left, he meant for a top three clan—not that they were broke.
Looking at the party members' faces, they all seemed unable to hide their gloom at the sudden crisis.
Well, even Gu Yeon-jeong died...
I didn't have much connection with the others, but Gu Yeon-jeong had always treated us well, so her death must have hit the party hard.
In the end, our party decided to stay with Eternity Clan.
Eternity Clan had effectively shrunk from a major clan to a small one due to the severe personnel shortage.
We received countless recruitment offers for a while, but we turned them all down.
Clans initially thought we were playing hard to get to raise our price, but when we kept refusing, they realized we were staying and stopped offering.
After Seo Yu-ju became temporary clan master, she and I were swamped nonstop.
We had to handle the clan's paralyzed administrative duties.
Fuck...
"Yun-seong, could you handle this please...? Sorry..."
"Haha... No, it's fine. It's too much for you to do alone anyway."
Damn it.
The other party members didn't know how to handle admin work. When I tried assigning some, it turned into a mess, so I gave up.
At least Ho-won could manage some, so Seo Yu-ju, me, Ho-won, and the remaining admins were grinding through it.
...I just want a break...
Clunk.
Kang I-seo opened the office door, carrying a stack of documents.
...No way?
She glanced at me warily, placed a haphazardly piled stack on my desk, and spoke.
"Um... this too..."
"......."
"Th-Then I'll go...! G-Good luck...!"
"F-Fuck..."
After Kang I-seo left, I muttered a curse under my breath. But thanks to Seo Yu-ju's sharp senses, she flinched slightly—she'd heard me.
Hah...
What really pissed me off was that even as a regressor, Seo Yu-ju wasn't great at admin work.
The combined output of her and Ho-won was about equal to mine. That said it all.
I didn't even have time to remake a chimera.
As I cursed inwardly while working, Seo Yu-ju glanced at me cautiously, approached, and dropped a bombshell.
"Um... Yun-seong... I need to step away for a bit..."
".....Pardon?"
What? No way, right Yu-ju?
"I-I'm really sorry, but could you cover my work too? Just for about a week..."
Fuck, what kind of crazy talk is this? No!
"S-Something urgent, I guess. Hahaha..."
"Ah... yeah... Please..."
...You owe me big time.
"...Got it. I'll handle things while you're gone, so go ahead."
"Th-Thank you, Yun-seong! I'll bring something back on my way! Th-Then..."
Fuck, I don't need that— just come back quick.
The clan's biggest problem right now was lack of manpower. Party 6 had left except for Lee Jae-hyo, who holed up drinking all day.
At least the admin team hadn't fully deserted. They were working in their own office.
We need more people.
Still short-staffed. Too many had bailed en masse.
We needed to recruit more. But the clan’s conditions were too poor to attract anyone new.
Who'd join a sinking ship... fuck...
I wasn't even asking for dual combat-admin talent—just someone for admin. Otherwise, I'd keel over from overwork.
"Goddamn it..."
After days of this bullshit, pulling all-nighters, Yu-rim came to see me.
"Oppa..."
"......."
"Oppa."
"Yu-rim, I'm busy right now. Emergency? If not..."
"...Can I help?"
I almost laughed at Yu-rim offering to assist. Holding it back to not hurt her feelings, I replied slowly.
"Haha... Yu-rim, I appreciate it, but this isn't something you can..."
"Don't you just check these like this?"
"...Huh?"
"Wait, oppa. Can I try for a bit?"
Intrigued, I stepped aside, and she dove right in. For a newbie, she was shockingly fast and accurate.
Even Ho-won stared at her in astonishment at the absurdity.
"Wh-What? Yu-rim, aren't you a high schooler?"
"...Yes, I am."
"Then how..."
"...Even looking like this, I was known as the top student in my neighborhood."
This wasn't just about being good at school. No student could handle admin work without prior experience.
"Back on Earth... I did all sorts of things. Studied and exercised while part-timing, and since my uncle's a lawyer, I've helped with miscellaneous tasks since I was little."
"Wh-What?"
Hah...
This was great news for me.
Yu-rim, sorry, but you walked into hell yourself. Don't hate me.
I'd just acquired a competent slave.