In an instant, the Execution Princess's gaze sharpened. At the same time, the intangible aura swirling around her took on a rough edge. It was as if a prickling energy, like sharp needles stabbing in all directions, had seized the room in a heartbeat.
"…"
But the moment the Execution Princess locked eyes with Han So-Young, the atmosphere reverted to its initial silence, as if nothing had happened. Han So-Young, too, held the secret class Field Maestro, on par with the Execution Princess. Moreover, she was the Clan Lord of IstanTel Law. Their positions clearly formed a vertical hierarchy.
An uncomfortable silence lingered between them for a while, but eventually, the Execution Princess broke it with a grumbling tone.
"I don't know."
Her voice dripped with wounded pride. Unfazed, Han So-Young repeated the same question.
"Tell me anyway. I'm curious. That guy isn't one of the Top 10, right? Not confident?"
"I said I don't know. Sure, he's not officially in the Top 10, but based on his skills and the rumors floating around, he's practically at that level. He just hasn't been called one because others claimed those spots first. Honestly, I'm not 100% sure I could beat him."
"Unbelievable. For you to rate a player that highly? Now I'm even more interested."
Han So-Young let out a light scoff, her eyes widening. The Execution Princess bit her lip hard and turned her head sharply. Avoiding Han So-Young's gaze, she spoke in a sulky tone.
"You gotta give credit where it's due. Anyway, I know how obsessed you are with talent, but if you're thinking of recruiting that guy, wake up. It's not just about that Kim Yu-Hyeon guy. There are tons of players out there who are just as good as us. Why would they bother joining us?"
"Fair point. What about Kim Su-Hyeon, then?"
Seeing Han So-Young nod calmly, the Execution Princess let out a sigh of relief. But at the next words, her face crumpled again. Han So-Young was usually cool-headed and rational to a fault, but when it came to talent, she dove in headfirst without hesitation. Knowing this all too well, the Execution Princess's eyes flashed as she shook her head vigorously.
"No way. Absolutely not."
"No? Why not?"
"Are you seriously asking? Didn't you read the records? That woman is under him! You're telling me to share a table with Go Yeon-Joo?"
"I read them. I know about the issue between you and her."
Han So-Young replied in a calm tone. At the mention of her, the Shadow Queen Go Yeon-Joo, a chilling killing intent flickered in the Execution Princess's eyes. Han So-Young gazed at her for a moment before speaking in a cold voice.
"So, you're telling me not to meet this guy because of your personal grudge?"
"…Tch."
The Execution Princess reflexively clamped her mouth shut. She and Han So-Young had been through thick and thin since the rite of passage. To an outsider, Han So-Young's expression might seem unchanged, but the Execution Princess could sense it instinctively. Han So-Young was angry.
Though she stayed silent, her sour expression didn't soften. She still looked displeased. But Han So-Young drove the point home.
"If I ever meet him, you'd better not make a single mistake in front of the Shadow Queen. I won't forgive you if you do."
"…Ugh."
"Yeon Hye-Rim."
"Fine, I get it!"
At Han So-Young's insistence, the Execution Princess—Yeon Hye-Rim—finally raised the white flag. She shouted in a sharp tone and let out a heavy sigh. Only then did Han So-Young withdraw her gaze with a satisfied look.
"God, you're insufferable. Anyway, that player's in Babara right now, and the Golden Lion's summons just came up. What's the plan?"
"I've thought about it."
"You going?"
"Wasn't planning to, but…"
Han So-Young paused, pulling a neatly folded envelope from her pocket. The lion emblem stamped on it gleamed gold. She rolled the envelope between her thumb and forefinger a few times before continuing in a soft voice.
"Since the portal's open, I might as well go. It's the first time we've gotten a summons for the Player Academy. Might as well check out that guy while I'm at it."
"Hmph. 'While you're at it'? Sure, like that's not the main reason."
"Shut up. We need to leave before sunset, so get ready. You're enough; no need to drag anyone else along. I'll leave Da-Yeon in charge while I'm gone."
With that, Han So-Young uncrossed her legs and stood. Her curvaceous figure was laid bare as she rose.
"…Hmph."
Yeon Hye-Rim, with her relatively slight frame, stole a glance at Han So-Young's body. And in that glance, there was a trace of unspoken envy.
*
"Block Field. SuperPosition."
With Ha-Yeong's clear voice resonating, I could feel an intangible barrier forming around us. Only then did the kids relax their stiff expressions and sprawl out in their seats. The journey from Morning Sunshine to Breeze inn must have been quite taxing.
We were currently settled in Breeze, a high-end inn we'd visited when we first arrived in Babara. We'd had a quick meal at Morning Sunshine, but the atmosphere there wasn't conducive to quiet conversation.
"It was like watching the parting of the Red Sea. The moment Yeon-Joo-unnie stood next to you, oppa, the crowd just split apart…"
"Ughhh, I thought I was gonna die from the pressure!"
"Same. Wow, but the third floor and the first floor are like totally different worlds, huh? I thought the first floor was nice, but the third floor? They gave us a whole private room."
I quietly stared at Yun-Jung, who was muttering to herself. Her calling Go Yeon-Joo 'unnie' since this morning was getting on my nerves. Of course, I didn't know what kind of conversation had passed between them yet. But since there were more pressing matters at hand, I figured I'd hear about it later.
After organizing my thoughts, I decided to address An-Hyun's question first.
"The third floor isn't for just anyone. In modern terms, it's like a VIP area—only for esteemed guests."
"But I'm still a Year 0 player… Oh, is it because of my Rare Class? Heh."
"No, it's probably because of the player Go Yeon-Joo. Like I said before, you might want to be a bit more aware of her status as one of the Top 10."
"I don't really care about that stuff~."
Go Yeon-Joo shrugged and picked up two sandwiches from the table, feeding one to me. We'd ordered the same as last time, but the spread was much more lavish. If last time we got one per person, this time there was enough for two each.
I wanted to savor the sweet, rich flavor filling my mouth, but it was time to get to the point.
"So, player Go Yeon-Joo, you mentioned you had more to report about the Golden Lion Clan's summons."
"Yes. A lot happened while you were out cold, Su-Hyeon. Since you seem to know about the portal and the publicity, can we skip those?"
"Just tell me about the summons in detail."
Even while chewing her sandwich, Go Yeon-Joo's pronunciation didn't falter—a feat in itself. After swallowing with a gulp, she began explaining the details I'd requested.
"This morning, the Golden Lion Clan issued a massive summons. They called all the clans representing each city, as expected. But what's noteworthy is that they also summoned a few clans that aren't city representatives."
"Non-representative clans? That's a bit vague."
"Yeah. They're not representative clans, but they're fairly well-known. In the past, when it came to authority over the Player Academy, the Golden Lion took 70%, allied clans got 20%, and other clans scraped by with 10%. The Player Academy pie is a fixed size. And with the number of new players dropping sharply these days, you could say it's shrinking. Normally, they'd try to call as few clans as possible, so this is definitely unexpected."
"It's one of two things, then. Either they're reading the situation and going with the flow, or they've got some ulterior motive."
I paused for a moment and reached out. I wanted another taste of that sandwich. But my hand grasped nothing. Turning to the side, I saw Vivienne, happily sucking on her fingers with a blissful expression. The others were staring at her with exasperated looks. Without hesitation, I grabbed her ear and yanked.
"Eek! W-What!"
"Hey, how could you eat them all yourself?"
"N-No, I didn't! Ow! S-Sorry! Hey, that hurts! I said I'm sorry! Stop… Ow! Let go… Ahh! A-Ahh…"
Vivienne's squeals started off shrill but gradually took on a strange, suggestive tone. Freaked out, I quickly let go of her ear. She rubbed it with a pouty, dissatisfied expression. Was she upset because it hurt, or because I didn't keep going?
"Phew. Sorry about that. Please continue."
Go Yeon-Joo glanced at Vivienne with a peculiar look, tilting her head before continuing. It seemed to me that she'd picked up on some subtle hint.
"Well, they're a proud bunch, so I doubt it's some grand scheme. They're probably just puffing out their chests, daring anyone to challenge them. Of course, unless they're complete idiots, they'll make some concessions, but it'll likely just be for show. Anyway, the situation in Hall Plain has been shifting rapidly over the past couple of days. You can break it down into three major events: the Inn of Beginnings, our clan's launch, and the Golden Lion's summons."
Listening to her rattle off the current state of Hall Plain, I felt at ease. Having Go Yeon-Joo around really made things convenient. Without lifting a finger, almost all the information I needed was practically handed to me. If she weren't here, I'd probably be agonizing over things, even if I wasn't completely lost.
"Oh, and this."
With a playful wink, as if expecting me to be intrigued, Go Yeon-Joo reached into her pocket. She pulled out a thin envelope from her chest and gently slid it toward me. Looking down, I saw an envelope stamped with a golden lion emblem.
"This is…"
"I haven't read it yet, but I can guess what it is. It's probably the Golden Lion Clan's summons request."
"Haha."
Her response made me chuckle involuntarily. The funny thing was, I'd had the exact same thought the moment I saw the envelope. For the Golden Lion Clan to send a summons to a clan that's only been established for a week—it was unimaginable in the past.
Go Yeon-Joo, perhaps picking up on the meaning behind my laugh, gave a soft smile and continued.
"The first summons was likely sent right after the portal opened. That gave them the minimum justification they needed. The publicity for our clan happened at dawn, and this envelope was delivered by a messenger about an hour before you came down. In other words, it's a hastily issued second summons. Two Secret Classes and three Rare Classes—proof of how highly valued the Mercenary Clan is right now."
"Isn't it more because of a certain Top 10 member?"
"Aww~ It's so embarrassing to say it myself~."
At my comment, Go Yeon-Joo giggled coyly, batting her eyes. Jung Ha-Yeong, quietly munching on a cookie, made a face like she was grossed out.
Anyway, as she said, the Golden Lion had plenty of reasons to summon us. Even setting aside Mercenary Clan's potential, two of the remaining three Top 10 members were in non-participating clans. That made the question of which side the last one—Go Yeon-Joo—would align with a critical topic. Just as attention was turning to her, Mercenary Clan swooped in out of nowhere and snatched her up. But that wasn't all. Ever since being rescued from the expedition, she'd been working to maintain ties with allied clans, so they must have contacted the Beech Clan as well. And they'd likely found out what happened to them. That meant this envelope carried far more significance than a simple summons request.
I stared at the envelope for a moment before looking up and speaking.
"What do you think the other clans are up to?"
"Nothing's certain yet. But they're likely to show up, don't you think? The situation's already chaotic, and now the Player Academy—a juicy prize—has been dangled in front of them. Maybe…"
They're likely to show up. What I'd hoped wouldn't happen was becoming reality. Normally, rejecting a summons would be the standard move, but with the portal open, the chances of clans responding to it had increased. I closed my eyes for a moment, lost in thought. But nothing came to mind, so I opened them again.
Go Yeon-Joo, watching my reaction with darting eyes, leaned in and whispered in a suggestive tone.
"Maybe some really interesting things will happen at this summons. So, what do you say, Su-Hyeon? Wanna answer this summons?"
"Hmm. I'll read it first and decide."
With a brief reply, I tore open the envelope.
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