"I've heard much about the reputation of IstanTel Law, the representative clan of the southern city of Monica. It's an honor to meet you. I'm Kim Su-Hyeon, Lord of the Mercenary Clan."
"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you as well. I'm Han So-Young, Lord of the IstanTel Law Clan. Though it's late, congratulations on founding the Mercenary Clan."
Han So-Young responded to my words and rose from her seat. I followed suit, standing up as well. We reached out and exchanged a brief handshake. The touch of her hand sent a thrilling sensation coursing through my body, but it faded quickly, like a fleeting breeze.
Her hand was still cold. And in her eyes, as they looked at me, there was a faint, chilling glint. The moment I met her gaze, a shiver ran down my spine.
"…"
It dawned on me that, in this second life, this was our first meeting. In other words, we were strangers to each other. I carried the deep affection that drove me to return from the first life to save her, but it was a one-sided feeling. Realizing this, my once-turbulent heart sank into a deep calm.
A wave of sorrow began to creep in from afar. Seeing her safe brought immense relief, but facing the reality that she didn't remember me filled my body with an inexplicable pain.
It was only natural. I was the only one who had turned back time. Yet, accepting the disconnect between the warm gaze she had given me in the first life and the cold one now was far too difficult for me.
But for now, I had no choice but to accept it. Though our relationship had been reset to a blank slate, my feelings for her remained unchanged. Barely maintaining a composed facade, I steadied myself inwardly countless times.
From now on, I need to focus on my original goal: save her and return. If I couldn't control personal emotions like those from moments ago, I risked derailing everything. Under that premise, I had to reestablish my relationship with her. And this new relationship would differ from the one in the first life.
Han So-Young knew nothing about me. Fortunately, she was a player with a strong desire for talent. As long as I didn't make any major missteps and showed goodwill, we could build a positive relationship. Rather than saying, "Just trust me and follow," I realized the right approach was to steadily build trust from this first meeting.
I turned my activated Third Eye toward Han So-Young. First, I needed to thoroughly examine her player information. As someone who would later become one of the Top 10, she was bound to possess extraordinary abilities.
(Player Status)
Name: Han So-Young (Year 4)
Class: Maestro Of BattleField [Master]
Nation: Babara
Clan: IstanTel Law
True Name · Nationality: Queen of Blood and Iron · South Korea
Sex: Female (27)
Height · Weight: 174.8 cm · 55.8 kg
Alignment: Belief · Blood and Iron
[Strength 78] [Resistance 84] [Agility 94(+2)] [Vitality 86] [Magic 98(+2)] [Luck 88]
Achievements (3▼)
Unique Ability (1/1)
Charisma (Rank: A +)
Special Ability (1/1)
Cocked Pistol: Queen's Army (Rank: S +)
Potential Abilities (4/4)
Super Sense (Rank: EX)
Battlefield Command (Rank: S +)
Grand Magic (Rank: A +++)
Magic Resistance (Rank: B +)
Ability Comparison
Kim Su-Hyeon: 542/600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(12 ability points remaining.)
Han So-Young: 528/600~
[Strength 78] [Resistance 84] [Agility 94(+2)] [Vitality 86] [Magic 98(+2)] [Luck 88]
(No ability points remaining.)
Her stats didn't betray my expectations. I knew some things about her already, but seeing them in person made admiration spill out naturally. With stats like these, it's safe to say she's already at the level of a Top 10. However, her ascension to the ranks of the Top 10 was still a bit further off.
In other words, like the old me, she was lying low, waiting for the right moment. If there was a need to step forward, she'd likely put forward Yeon Hye-Rim, the Execution Princess from the same Secret Class, to boost her reputation.
She's fearless when she needs to be, but fundamentally, she's incredibly thorough and cautious. Though I can't quite grasp Han So-Young's true intentions right now, she definitely has her own plans.
It was only after reading Han So-Young's player information that I could finally sort out my thoughts. It felt like finding a single thread to unravel a tangled mess. Right. I didn't come back to act childish around her; I had a clear goal I was determined to achieve. With that realization, my surroundings started coming into focus.
Just then, Han So-Young, who had been silent, spoke to me again.
"Mercenary Lord, may I have a word with you?"
"Of course."
"Alright, I'll get straight to the point. I read your profile, and it says the Mercenary Clan is a free mercenary-type clan. Why did you set it up that way?"
"I thought about what being a free mercenary means, and it seemed better in many ways than the traditional clan structure. Of course, that's just my personal judgment."
I deliberately kept my words vague. I could've given a detailed explanation of why I chose that clan structure, but I had to consider my position now. I was no longer just a member under her command—I was a Lord leading my own clan.
As I mentioned earlier, I intend to redefine my relationship with Han So-Young going forward. That meant I needed to act and speak accordingly. This wasn't about one-sided openness but about laying the groundwork for mutual communication.
Hearing my clear response, Han So-Young nodded once or twice, as if she understood the underlying meaning.
"Well, every player prioritizes different values, so it's not my place to comment. But as a free mercenary, you have to give up certain benefits. Don't you find that regrettable?"
"Of course, it's regrettable. But I think it's unavoidable. If you can't choose both, you have to give up one to pick the other."
"True. But it's not like there's no way around it."
"What?"
I felt my eyes sharpen. In that fleeting moment, I noticed Han So-Young's gaze shift toward the firmly closed door. It seemed like she was rushing the conversation, probably because she wanted to make me an offer before another clan responded to a summons.
"What I mean is, even if the Mercenary Clan is a free mercenary-type, there's a way to receive benefits similar to those of regular players."
"Hmm. I'm not familiar with that. Could you tell me more?"
"It's simple. It's about the representative clan managing the city directly providing accommodations to your clan."
"…"
"For reference, I'm in charge of the representative clan for the southern city of Monica."
Han So-Young spoke in a quiet voice. Listening to her, I gave a wry smile. Unless someone was particularly dense, they'd pick up on her implication. She was essentially inviting us to the southern city of Monica.
In the past, I would've immediately agreed, but now I hesitated. She hadn't made a direct recruitment offer. It seemed she planned to summon us to Monica first and then settle us in. In this short time, she had clearly grasped the nature of our clan.
The bait she dangled was incredibly tempting for small-scale clans. The promise of various accommodations just for entering the city was certainly enticing.
I decided to play it coy for now.
As I've said before, the Mercenary Clan is a free mercenary clan. Freedom, unbound by anything, is its greatest value. If I had gone to Monica in the same state as before, we'd likely end up tied to her city. Because right now, I was the only one feeling anxious.
I can't be the only one anxious. She needs to feel it too, and ultimately, we both need to be on edge. Only then can we avoid one-sided dynamics and build a horizontal, mutual relationship. That's the kind of relationship I wanted with her—one where we stand as equals, moving forward side by side.
I tilted my head slightly, putting on a reluctant expression, and slowly spoke to her as she stared at me.
"Well, I was planning to hear out the Golden Lion Clan's summons first. I think it's better to adjust our course of action afterward."
"You mentioned adjusting, so it sounds like you already had a plan."
"Yes, that's…"
Despite my noncommittal response, Han So-Young didn't show any displeasure. She just continued in a curious tone. As I was about to answer, the soft sound of the door opening made me instinctively shut my mouth.
Turning my head, I saw a group of players flooding in. Behind them, I briefly caught a glimpse of Seong Yu-Bin's dismayed face. I stared blankly at the sudden influx of players.
The moment other players entered the meeting room, Han So-Young and I stopped talking, as if by unspoken agreement. It wasn't just one or two people—nearly ten players poured in at once. Assuming each clan brought a minimum of two and a maximum of four members, it meant two or three clans had arrived together. It was plausible, but given the weight of a summons, it wasn't something to take lightly.
Soon, more players trickled in. As the once-empty meeting room filled, an uneasy atmosphere began to rise, like a surgical ward before an operation. Some players exchanged brief greetings or glanced at me and Go Yeon-Joo, but that was it. With so many representative clans gathered, everyone seemed tense.
I quietly observed the newcomers. Some faces were familiar, while others were players whose names I'd only heard in passing. Interestingly, the group that entered together belonged to the eastern representative clans. From the emblems on their gear, I could tell they were from Goryeo, Moonlit Night, and Han Clan.
The door opened again, this time revealing players with a waning moon emblem on their right shoulders—the Crescent Moon Clan, one of the Golden Lion's allied clans. They looked startled to see the non-participating clans occupying the right side of the table. At this point, the non-participating clans far outnumbered those responding to the summons.
As time passed, more players arrived, and the once-empty tables were now packed. The growing number of whispers merged into a low hum of noise. One thing was clear: the divide between participating and non-participating clans was stark. Some didn't even acknowledge each other, which made me chuckle inwardly.
Then, it happened.
"Tch, tch. Why's it so noisy?"
A hoarse voice boomed through the meeting room, laced with mana so potent that it reached every player's ears clearly. The source of the voice soon appeared, and the noise in the room instantly died down.
A slightly plump woman with a pale face stepped forward, a gleaming golden lion emblem shining on her right chest. She strode confidently to the head of the table and sat down as if it were only natural. Park Hyun-Woo and Seong Yu-Bin quietly took their places behind her.
The representative of the Golden Lion Clan, the host of this meeting, had finally arrived.
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