It might be an obvious statement, but among the players of Hall Plain, there exists an invisible hierarchy. Of course, it's not something officially acknowledged, but rather an unspoken reality. It's an undeniable truth that players are treated differently based on their abilities.
While skill is undoubtedly the most important factor, it alone doesn't determine one's rank. Various other factors—such as seniority, connections, reputation, and equipment—also play a role in deciding a player's standing. In that sense, the player who had just entered could be considered at the very top of Hall Plain's hierarchy. Her identity was none other than…
"I greet the GodMother."
She was a player who held the title of GodMother in Hall Plain. As she entered, the players seated at the table in my row respectfully bowed their heads and spoke in unison. Those sitting across from us didn't speak, but I could see them hurriedly lowering their heads with flustered expressions.
I momentarily forgot the name of the player seated at the head, but I knew who she was. She was someone who had led the Golden Lion Clan even before the Babara Invasion, a figure considered a living legend within their clan. She was likely one of the longest-surviving players, a person worthy of reverence based on her seniority alone. Though, in the first life, she probably didn't survive past ten years.
The GodMother was clad in a thick, long robe that looked so worn it could pass for rags. A heavy gold necklace hung around her neck, dangling down to her abdomen. The staff she held, marked with the wear of countless hands, emanated an extraordinary aura.
Her gaze shifted from the left table to the right. Eventually, her eyes stopped between me and Go Yeon-Joo, and her lips parted, letting out a hoarse voice.
"Yeon-Joo. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yes, GodMother. It's been a long time for me too."
"Heh heh. Cheeky girl. You sure know how to talk. If you knew it's been a while, why didn't you come visit me every now and then?"
"Hoho. Every time I tried, the guy behind you kept pestering me. It got a bit overwhelming to keep coming."
At Go Yeon-Joo's words, the GodMother glanced back. Park Hyun-Woo, suddenly called out, turned his gaze away with a startled expression. She clicked her tongue a couple of times before speaking in a raspy voice.
"I told you not to cling to someone who's not interested. Tsk tsk."
"M-My apologies."
"That's why you're not popular with sensible people."
A light ripple of laughter spread through the meeting room for a brief moment. But it was just that—a fleeting moment. The gravity of the situation was too heavy to change the overall atmosphere.
Soon, the GodMother's gaze turned toward me. Her eyes carried a deep, profound light. I calmly met her stare.
"You're that Mercenary Clan Lord who's been the talk of the town, aren't you?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Goodness. You don't even look past your mid-twenties, but those eyes… They're like those of an old soul who's only tasted the bitterness of life. It's almost pitiful to look at. A young person shouldn't be like that."
"…"
At her words, I felt several gazes turn toward me. I maintained a calm facade, but inwardly, I felt a sting. As I stayed silent, she let out a deflating sigh and then exhaled loudly.
"Well, I thought I'd have a chat with a promising young person for once, but the glares from the folks around us are getting sharper. Alright, you lot, stop staring. I'll get to the point."
"Ahem! Ahem!"
A couple of fake coughs came from the people seated across from us. The GodMother scanned the room once before slowly opening her mouth.
"Right. First, thank you all for coming here. It might be a bit late to say this, but honestly, I wasn't all that interested in this matter. After conquering Babara, I felt both my limits and my exhaustion at the same time. I don't have much time left to live, and I just wanted to live quietly in a peaceful place. In fact, that's what I was doing."
"GodMother."
"Hyun-Woo, you stay quiet."
Park Hyun-Woo stepped forward to interrupt her, but her words quickly made him retreat again.
"It seems many of you didn't expect me to show up. I may have retired, but I'm still affiliated with the Golden Lion. And since that old geezer somehow managed to come back alive, you could say I still have some ties left. So, don't think too harshly of me. I won't stop you from seeing me as part of the Golden Lion, but I'd appreciate it if you could just see me as the GodMother herself."
Her appearance was indeed unexpected, even for me. The Golden Lion Clan may be on a path of decline now, but there was a time—before the expedition—when they dominated the Northern Continent. It's said their true golden age began with the conquest of Babara, and the ones who laid the foundation for that were the former Clan Lord and the GodMother standing before us now. That's the kind of player I remember her as.
In any case, her words implied she was going to get involved. The expressions of those who heard her shifted subtly in various ways.
At that moment, I saw someone from the opposite table raise their hand abruptly. Turning my gaze, I noticed the Chinese characters (Goryeo) etched on their raised right arm. The Goryeo Clan was the dominant force in the eastern city, boasting the largest number of members among the clans that survived the expedition.
The GodMother glanced at him and gave a slight nod, silently granting permission to speak.
"I'm Jo Sung-Ho, a year 4 player and diplomatic officer of the Goryeo Clan. It's an honor to meet you, GodMother."
"For the record, I don't mind my own words dragging on, but I can't stand it when others ramble. So, next time, skip the formalities. I'd prefer you get straight to the point."
"Understood. As you mentioned earlier, we didn't expect you to attend this meeting. In that case, can we assume you're fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the Iron Mountain expedition?"
"Hmm. I know the gist of it."
The player who introduced himself as a diplomatic officer of the Goryeo Clan was no ordinary figure. Despite the GodMother's blunt tone, he showed no sign of being fazed and dove straight into the heart of the matter with boldness. As he spoke, a murmur of discomfort rippled among the players on my side of the table. In contrast, those on the opposite side maintained relaxed expressions.
"I was just making sure. If so, I'd like to hear your esteemed opinion on the matter first."
"Player Jo Sung-Ho. Is it really necessary to bring up that issue now?"
At that moment, a gruff, discontented voice erupted from among the players seated across from him. The player who spoke stood up, glaring at Jo Sung-Ho. A symbol indicating membership in the Balhae Clan was visible on his left arm.
Despite the sudden interruption, Jo Sung-Ho's face remained perfectly composed, as if he had anticipated it.
"Of course. Isn't this a matter we absolutely need to address?"
"Hah. That's rich. We're gathered here because the portal at the Inn of Beginnings has opened. So, I fail to see why we need to bring up that issue in this setting."
"That issue? I think it'd be more accurate to call it the Iron Mountain expedition. Hahaha. You're awfully naive. Do you really think the summons were issued just for the new players?"
"What did you say? Naive? Even if it's the same thing, words can carry different meanings. Your tone is quite offensive. Or am I imagining things?"
The Balhae Clan member gritted his teeth, visibly angry. But Jo Sung-Ho, as if he'd been waiting for this reaction, glanced around and continued.
"Goodness, I don't understand why you're getting so worked up. We came here to discuss that matter, and isn't it only right that we do so? Or rather, let me ask you this: can we even discuss the Player Academy without addressing that issue first? Don't you agree?"
"Exactly. I don't get why he's suddenly so angry. Got a guilty conscience or something? Hohoho!"
"He's right."
His words were quickly met with agreement from the non-participating clans. The longer the agreement went on, the more the Balhae Clan member's face flushed red and blue with rage. At that moment, another player, who had been silently observing, loudly pushed back their chair and spoke in a sharp tone.
"This is ridiculous. Like the previous speaker said, I don't see why we need to bring up that issue in a place like this. Some people are so predictable~."
"Exactly. Predictable, aren't they? Back in the day, they didn't care whether the portal opened or not, but now they're suddenly reaching out. Like you said, it really shows their true colors~."
"Oh, are you being sarcastic now?"
"Oh, I'm just stating the facts. Speaking of which, an old saying comes to mind: the guilty dog barks loudest."
The player who responded this time was not Jo Sung-Ho but Heo Yuri from the Reverse Clan. As more players began to agree with her, the tension that had been barely suppressed until now started to surface. I glanced over and saw the GodMother staring at them with calm, steady eyes, her face clearly showing irritation. Come to think of it, how did she die in the first life?
While I was lost in these thoughts, the voices in the meeting room grew louder. By the end, they had escalated to near-personal insults and shouts so loud they could hardly be distinguished from yelling.
"Pfft. Feeling inferior, are we? Now that things seem a bit easier, you're starting to bare your fangs? How pathetic."
"Easier? I don't think that's quite right~."
"Sounds like something people hiding behind another clan's backside would say. Weren't you the ones whining and crying not too long ago? I can still picture it vividly. Heh heh heh!"
"What did you just say? Are you done talking?"
The atmosphere in the meeting room had become a powder keg, ready to explode. However, listening closely, it was clear the friendly clans were at a slight disadvantage. It couldn't be helped—they had made mistakes in the past. In reality, it wasn't that other clans had refused to participate in the Vagrant Extermination Plan or the Iron Mountain expedition. They had been excluded from the planning from the start, and the grievances from that time were now bursting forth.
As a bit more time passed, the situation spiraled beyond chaos into complete deterioration. Finally, a sharp-witted diplomatic officer from the Su Clan's scathing remarks provoked a furious outburst from a hot-tempered representative of the Myeolhwarang Clan. His eyes dripped with thick, murderous intent, and if not for the people around, he looked ready to draw a weapon on the spot.
"Enough!"
Unable to stand it any longer, the GodMother, who had been silently observing, slammed her staff down and shouted. Though her voice was hoarse, it was filled with such potent magic that it shook the entire meeting room.
The heated room fell silent, as if doused with cold water. Yet, heavy breathing could still be heard here and there. They had shut their mouths, but the tension was such that a second round could erupt at any moment.
The GodMother looked at them with a disappointed expression and clicked her tongue.
"Tch tch. All of you standing, sit back down."
"…"
"Pathetic. You're supposed to represent the city and lead the Northern Continent, and this is the state you're in? It's worse than I thought. If the previous generation saw this, they'd be clapping with glee, saying the Northern Continent is doing just fine."
"G-GodMother! But they started—"
"Shut up! You're not children. And besides, they're not entirely wrong, are they? If you've caused trouble, you should be thinking of ways to fix it, not trying to sweep it under the rug as if everything's fine."
Her outburst left the players from the friendly clans speechless, like mutes who'd swallowed honey. In contrast, those from the non-friendly clans regained their composure. I finally understood, to some extent, why the GodMother was so respected by most players. She wasn't biased toward one side—she held a neutral perspective. Come to think of it, there was a rumor in the first life that she had turned her back on the Golden Lion due to a falling out with the current Clan Lord.
"Damn fools. Trusting that old geezer was my mistake. If the former Clan Lord, who's now asleep, saw this, he'd be pounding the ground in grief. You, Jo Sung-Ho, was it? Yes, I know the rough details of the situation. That wretched old man and his cronies made a real mess of things. And they spectacularly botched it, too."
"GodMother!"
"I told you to shut your mouth. You lot don't even have the right to speak here. Don't open your lips until I say so."
"…Ugh."
"They must have been thrilled halfway through. And after the results, they're just scrambling to deal with what's right in front of them. Have you even considered what losing 5,000 players—those elite forces—will mean for the Northern Continent?"
"…"
Her words were undeniably true, so they had no choice but to stay silent. Confirming this, the GodMother turned to the other side.
"And you lot, watch your words. Even if you brought it up, your tone wasn't one of genuine curiosity—it was dripping with mockery and sarcasm."
"T-That's—"
"I'm here to mediate, not to stoke fights. You responded to the summons, which means you want something, don't you? Enough nonsense. Speak your true intentions. I'll listen."
"…"
The chaotic meeting room fell into complete silence. Park Hyun-Woo and Seong Yu-Bin, standing behind the GodMother, looked restless, clearly not expecting the discussion to unfold like this. It's telling how short on capable people they must be to call upon the GodMother, who had all but left the Golden Lion. On the flip side, it meant there was no one else in the Golden Lion capable of controlling a gathering like this.
At that moment, I saw someone at the edge of the left table slowly raise their hand.
"I'd like to say something."
"Hmm? You don't seem unfamiliar… but I can't quite place you. Who are you?"
Following her words, the man stood slowly, looking at the head of the table with a calm expression. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a clean-cut appearance and a faint, almost imperceptible smile. The moment I saw him, I felt an odd sense of curiosity about him.
On the upper right side of his chest, a blue-glowing symbol with the character (Han) shimmered.
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