I always thought of him.
That night. I turned away instead of following him.
Six months had passed since we parted ways after the graduation ceremony. A lot had happened during that time, but he still occupied a corner of my heart. Every time I tried to think of him, the memory of that night came flooding back. Each time I recalled the conversation we had that night, my chest ached, and I instinctively closed my eyes tightly.
'Can you guarantee that the march to the Iron Mountains will succeed? You said you'd recommend me for a leadership role, but have you thought about what that really means? No, more than that, do you really believe the people in the clan you're trying to join are trustworthy?'
"Then, oppa…"
Are you someone I can trust? I opened my mouth to continue, but it felt like something was stuck in my throat, and no sound came out. No matter how hard I tried, whenever I attempted to recall that moment, my instinct was to avoid it. I struggled with regret for a while but eventually shut my mouth. All I could do was piece together the moments I'd spent with him. That was the only comfort holding me together now.
When we first started the rite of passage. When the team was on the verge of falling apart because of some guy's drama, whose name I can't even remember now. When we drew the monsters' attention and lured them into that nightmarish forest. When we argued in front of the cabin. When he took on the boss monster alone to let us escape. But when he miraculously survived and came back. And when we entered the Hall Plain.
That's probably when things started to go wrong. I tried to recall the memories after the Hall Plain, but aside from that night, almost nothing came to mind. It's only natural. I had deliberately avoided it.
"It's hard…"
It's hard. I let out a weak murmur without realizing it. What's going to happen now? Everything feels so chaotic. I crouched down, wrapping my arms around my shoulders. I buried my head and gripped my shoulders tightly, but it was no use.
That's when it happened.
"Kim Han-Byeol! Kim Han-Byeol! Where are you?! Get out of your room right now!"
I heard the sound of a door being flung open. Lifting my head from beneath my arms, I saw a female player breathing heavily, her face full of anger. It was Seong Yu-Bin. The moment I saw her, I nearly let out a curse, but I barely managed to keep my mouth shut and avoid trouble.
"Ugh, cigarette smoke. Are you smoking? Everyone else is out there working their asses off, and you're just chilling in here, puffing away?"
"…"
"Oh, look at her glaring at me with those eyes. Like she's going to eat someone alive? Lower your eyes right now."
"…I was about to head out."
Seong Yu-Bin. One of the players who never looked at me kindly ever since I joined Golden Lion through Park Hyun-Woo's introduction. After the expedition, when things fell apart, Seong Yu-Bin temporarily became the officer in charge of training me. Things were somewhat quiet when Park Hyun-Woo was around, but with him sidelined due to an injury, she was baring her teeth at me. Excessively so.
"Goddamn it. You were spoiled from the start. What's so great about having a secret class? I don't see any potential in you."
Just ignore her. Getting into it with her will only make me angrier and ruin my mood. As I was about to leave the room—
"Hey."
"…Yes?"
"I'm warning you in advance. You better do things properly today."
"…"
I turned my head and saw Seong Yu-Bin's smug face. A mocking smile played on her lips, the corners slightly turned up, as if she was relishing the chance to torment me. Her eyes darted over my face, and she continued in a venomous tone.
"Do it right. Got it? And don't expect me to be like Park Hyun-Woo. I'm not Hyun-Woo oppa—I'm Seong Yu-Bin. You've had it easy so far, haven't you? Being pampered and all?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, really? Then I'll make it clear from now on. Follow me. There's a ton of work to do."
Seong Yu-Bin finished speaking and strode past me. As she did, her shoulder slammed into me, making me stumble a couple of times.
"Stop dawdling and move your ass. God, you're so damn slow."
She threw in one last jab before storming out of the room. Swallowing the humiliation boiling deep in my chest, I bit my lip and followed her.
*
The sun was slowly dipping below the horizon. I was told to come before nightfall, so there was still plenty of time. With the warp gate available, the distance between cities didn't mean much, but I was already in Babara. Even if I didn't hurry, I needed to arrive on time. This was a gathering of big shots representing each city, and showing up late would only leave an impression of arrogance, which would do me no good.
I decided to bring only Go Yeon-Joo as my companion. Given the significance of the event, none of the other clan members were eager to join. After entrusting the group to Jung Ha-Yeong, I instructed them to pack their bags in case of any unexpected developments. For now, I needed to see how the summons would unfold, but unless things went drastically wrong, I planned to stick to the original plan.
In a way, this was a good opportunity. I could witness firsthand how the summons would play out. As I walked through the streets, I wondered which players would show up and what kinds of conversations would take place. Naturally, Han So-Young was at the center of my thoughts.
As a major city, Babara was impeccably well-maintained. But its sheer size and sprawl made it easy to get lost if you weren't careful.
That didn't apply to me, though. Babara was a city I knew like the back of my hand. In my first life, I wandered its streets desperately trying to join a caravan, and later, as I grew stronger, I explored its underbelly. So, I had a fairly detailed grasp of the city's layout. The clan house was close to the Player Academy. If it was the Golden Lion's clan house, I could find it with my eyes closed, no exaggeration.
Soon, orderly buildings came into view, and familiar streets unfolded before me. Crossing the bridge after passing through the bustling district, I entered the plaza with Go Yeon-Joo by my side, heading toward the central path. Beyond this plaza lay another lively district lined with buildings, and at its heart was our destination.
In any city, the plaza plays a crucial role. The massive bulletin board was plastered with countless flyers, but the most prominent was the clan recruitment notice posted today, enlarged and impossible to miss. A group of players had gathered around it, and as they noticed us, they began to murmur.
I was worried the plaza might be swarming with players, but it was relatively quiet. Though it was the time of day when people returned from morning expeditions, for a major city, the crowd was noticeably sparse.
The plaza was typically where players gathered to join daily caravans or find companions. But today, the low number of players suggested that the Golden Lion clan had restricted access, likely due to the opening of the Inn of Beginnings portal.
It felt like just yesterday I was sitting here as a novice player, yet now I was invited to a summons as the lord of a clan. Even though it was unexpected, I couldn't deny it felt a bit surreal.
Some of the players nearby started to inch closer, clearly not intending to let us pass unnoticed. But when Go Yeon-Joo, walking arm-in-arm with me, gave them a single glance, they stopped approaching. I kept my eyes fixed ahead, not sparing a glance in any other direction, and continued toward our destination.
As we passed through a street lined with shops, a white marble building suddenly came into view on the left. Looking up, I saw a statue with beautifully carved wings on the roof. It was Babara's temple, far grander in scale and width than the one in Mule. A fleeting thought of Seraph crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off. I didn't want to dwell on it.
Turning right around the temple, I finally saw towering buildings piercing the sky. Among them were symbols representing the Golden Lion's clan house and the Player Academy.
I paused for a moment to look up at the sky, then felt a gentle tug on my arm. Turning, I saw Go Yeon-Joo looking at me with a faint smile.
"Su-Hyeon."
"Yes?"
"Are you nervous?"
"No. Why?"
"You've been quiet since earlier," She said, opening her mouth. I shot back, "Maybe it's because I'm walking with a beautiful woman like you." Go Yeon-Joo burst into laughter.
"Pfft! You're killing me. But seeing you crack a joke, I guess you're not nervous. Alright, alright."
To anyone unaware, it was just the charming laughter of a beautiful woman. But the surrounding murmurs spread quickly. The player walking arm-in-arm with me was Go Yeon-Joo, the Shadow Queen. A member of the Top 10, a figure shrouded in mystery until recently, and now she was sticking close to me, acting familiar. It must have been hard for them to believe.
Of course, this was partly for show. If my actions this morning demonstrated the clan's prestige, this moment showcased the personal relationship between me and Go Yeon-Joo. Many players likely found it hard to believe that a Top 10 player would serve under a Year 0 player, so this was her subtle way of showing consideration.
Laughing as we walked, we soon reached the vicinity of our destination. The clan house's grand entrance stood proudly before us. The gate was still closed, so I couldn't see inside, but I could sense the bustling activity. I also heard someone shouting sharply, the sound echoing off the walls. I could have sharpened my hearing to catch the words, but I didn't bother.
"Shall we go in?"
"No, let's wait a bit. There's no need for us to go in first."
Go Yeon-Joo shook her head, then turned to face me directly. She raised a slender finger and lightly brushed the tip of my nose. As she playfully blew on her fingertip, I realized the surroundings had grown strangely quiet.
Looking back at the gate, I saw it slowly opening. A group of players began to emerge from the gap. Focusing my eyes, I could make out the features of the player at the front. Dressed in a deep red robe, they seemed to be a mage. I recalled seeing them in the plaza before—Seong Yu-Bin, was it? And behind her…
Before I could take a closer look, they approached us in an orderly formation. I quickly activated my Third Eye.
(Player Status)
Name: Seong Yu-Bin (Year 3)
Class: Normal Mage Master
Nation: Babara
Clan: Golden Lion
True Name · Nationality: Sweet Lips, Knife Hidden in the Belly · South Korea
Sex: Female (24)
Height · Weight: 170.5 cm · 48.5 kg
Alignment: Ambition · Obscene
[Strength 44] [Resistance 38] [Agility 56] [Vitality 50] [Magic 94(+1)] [Luck 70]
Ability Comparison
Kim Su-Hyeon: 544/600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(12 ability points remaining.)
Seong Yu-Bin: 352/600~
[Strength 44] [Resistance 38] [Agility 56] [Vitality 50] [Magic 94(+1)] [Luck 70]
(No ability points remaining.)
---
"Are you from a clan summoned by the Golden Lion Clan?"
"Yes. I'm Kim Su-Hyeon, Lord of the Mercenary Clan."
It was a ceremonial greeting, despite her already knowing the answer. Seong Yu-Bin bowed politely in response and continued.
"Thank you for responding to the Golden Lion Clan's summons. And the person beside you…?"
As a member of the prideful Golden Lion Clan, and with stats like hers, she was undoubtedly an officer-level player. Yet, contrary to my expectations, she adopted a deferential attitude from the start.
She paused briefly, glancing sideways. Only then did I understand her demeanor.
The Mercenary Clan was a newly established group, yet to form significant ties with other clans. In other words, our diplomatic relations were a blank slate. A sharp player could likely infer something from our clan's alignment or name.
Soon, Seong Yu-Bin's voice resumed.
"…Is that Go Yeon-Joo, known as the Shadow Queen?"
"Yeah, you already know, so why ask? But I don't think I've seen you before. Who are you?"
Go Yeon-Joo stepped forward to answer her question. My role ended with acknowledging the initial greeting. Seong Yu-Bin wasn't a clan lord—likely a mid-level officer, from what I could tell. So, it was fitting for a subordinate of similar rank from our side, like Go Yeon-Joo, to respond. Of course, her proactive engagement also had another purpose.
"It's an honor to meet you. I'm Seong Yu-Bin, a Year 3 player of the Golden Lion Clan. I've heard much about the Shadow Queen's reputation."
"Ohh~ I think I've heard about you from Hyun-Woo a few times. But I don't see him around today?"
"Player Park Hyun-Woo was injured during an expedition. It's not a serious injury, so he plans to attend the summons meeting."
Go Yeon-Joo responded casually, using informal speech throughout, but no one dared to show displeasure. Or rather, they couldn't. While I spoke slightly more formally, I had no intention of calling her out on her tone. Go Yeon-Joo was in a position where she could speak that way, even to an officer of the Golden Lion Clan.
"Oh, really? I thought maybe he'd gotten a big head after becoming a senior officer post-Iron Mountains expedition. Haha. Well then, show us in. How long are you going to keep us standing here?"
At Go Yeon-Joo's offhand remark, I saw Seong Yu-Bin's body flinch. She clearly hadn't expected us to know such detailed internal affairs of the Golden Lion Clan. She glanced up at Go Yeon-Joo, her eyes seeking permission of some sort. Go Yeon-Joo gave a slight nod. Seong Yu-Bin immediately closed the distance to me and bowed deeply.
As she stepped forward, I finally caught sight of a familiar player standing behind her. Glossy black hair with a faint blue sheen. A cold, emotionless face. It was none other than Kim Han-Byeol, the Jewel Mage.
I calmly raised my eyes to meet hers. But she stood silently, politely, as if deliberately avoiding my gaze. I let out an inward sigh before turning my attention back to Seong Yu-Bin.
"Thank you again for personally attending the summons, Lord of the Mercenary Clan. Please, come inside. I'll guide you myself."
Seong Yu-Bin spoke in a soft, almost whispering tone. The polite expression she wore earlier was gone, replaced by a smiling face with a playful glint in her eyes, like a cat acting coy.
And then, I felt Kim Han-Byeol's gaze finally turn toward us. She was still avoiding my eyes, but for some reason, it seemed like she was glaring at the back of Seong Yu-Bin's head. I hadn't noticed at first, but her face was slightly flushed, giving me an odd feeling. The sharp shouting I'd heard from inside the clan house earlier flashed through my mind.
"Thank you for the warm welcome. Please lead the way."
I chose a neutral response over something like, "Alright, show us in."
Go Yeon-Joo took her place behind me, and Seong Yu-Bin moved to my side. At the same time, the players lined up behind us formed a neat semicircle, following in step. As expected of a clan that once dominated the North Continent, their discipline was still evident, even if their glory had faded.
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