"I am Sung Hyun-Min, Clan Lord of the Han Clan, representing the small southeastern city of Dana. I've been in Hall Plain for about four years."
The moment I heard Sung Hyun-Min's introduction, I realized why my attention had been drawn to him. Sung Hyun-Min, Clan Lord of the Han Clan—a figure who left an indelible mark on Hall Plain's history in the first life. Though he stepped back in the latter half, he had an immense impact on the history of Hall Plain up until then.
The GodMother, upon hearing his name, slapped her knee as if something clicked and spoke.
"Ahh, now I remember. The rising star of the east, was it? I've heard you're quite the capable one."
"Hahaha. I'm flattered by your kind words, GodMother."
"I'm just stating what I've heard. Anyway, enough of that—you said you had something to say?"
"Then, if I may… I apologize if my words drag on a bit. You told us to speak our true intentions, and given the situation just now, it seems everything—spoken and unspoken—has already come out. So, I'll lay my thoughts bare without holding back. My words may discomfort those seated across from me, but since this is an issue that must be addressed, I ask for your understanding in advance."
Sung Hyun-Min flashed a friendly smile before slowly rising from his seat. The simple act of pushing back his chair and standing somehow seemed remarkably dignified. His gaze swept across the entire meeting room, and then his neat lips parted slowly.
"I'll get straight to the point. The leading clans and their affiliates in the east can no longer tolerate the Golden Lion Clan's tyranny."
Sung Hyun-Min's words were concise, but the impact they carried was impossible to ignore. The representatives from the Goryeo and Dalbam Clans, who shared the same interests in the east, remained relatively calm, likely having coordinated beforehand. However, the other clans exchanged stunned glances, and for a moment, the room was filled with intense murmuring.
The noise only subsided after the GodMother raised her hand to calm them.
"You can't tolerate the Golden Lion's tyranny… Tell me more. I don't mind if it's a bit lengthy."
"I won't bring up the exclusion of other clans during the Vagrant Extermination Plan—it's something everyone already knows. What I want to talk about is the 5,000 players who died in this expedition. Who were those players? While there may have been some less experienced ones, they were mostly elite members from various clans, averaging over four years of experience."
"If I may interject," A player bearing the emblem of the Buknyeok Clan spoke in a polite tone, cutting in. "While that's not incorrect, it alone doesn't justify the declaration from the Han Clan and the eastern clans. The non-participating clans suffered no significant losses. Your argument lacks legitimacy."
Sung Hyun-Min showed no signs of being shaken. Instead, he maintained a gentle expression and continued in a tone akin to a teacher addressing a student.
"Lacking legitimacy? No losses? That's incorrect. After the conquest of Babara, for four years, the Golden Lion and its allied clans monopolized new players. Clans excluded from the Player Academy had no choice but to recruit those who received no offers after the graduation ceremony. That's how it's been until now. We've struggled to nurture players with relatively lower talent and potential to reach where we are today. Meanwhile, you've been recruiting players with great talent and deep potential, steadily strengthening your clans. Let me give an example. While there were some who reached the Top 10 before, the ratio of Top 10 players before the expedition was 7:3. And if we exclude the Shadow Queen, who has remained neutral, the non-participating clans had only two Top 10 players."
Sung Hyun-Min emphasized the phrase 'could not participate in the expedition,' lending weight to his argument. His point about the Top 10 distribution clearly supported his claim, highlighting the harm caused by the monopoly over the Player Academy.
The Buknyeok Clan representative and the allied clan players beside him fell silent. They looked like they wanted to say something but had no counterargument. In the past, the Golden Lion Clan, as a dominant single force, had suppressed their grievances by joining with allies. But now, the situation has reversed.
Sung Hyun-Min never lost his composure as he spoke. Maintaining his own pace, he articulated his points with a clear voice. Thinking his eloquence was as impressive as ever, I continued to focus on his words. He wasn't done yet.
"Five thousand players, averaging over four years of experience, lost their lives. As a result, the average experience level of Northern Continent players has dropped, and the overall quality has significantly declined. I'm not looking at this from the narrow perspective of individual clans. Conquering the Iron Mountains and discovering a new frontier was a massive project that all Northern Continent players eagerly anticipated. But due to their misguided greed, they ruined it and caused damage to the entire Northern Continent. Fortunately, clans like the Mercenary Clan stepped up at the right time, so hope isn't lost yet. But to march on the Iron Mountains again—or to recover from the damage caused by this expedition—how many more years must we wait? I can't even begin to estimate."
When the Mercenary Clan was mentioned, our eyes briefly met. He nodded toward me mid-speech, and I responded with a slight nod. A complicated feeling stirred within me.
In the first life, he and I were undeniably part of opposing factions. But it hadn't started that way. In fact, we had maintained a fairly good relationship at first. I vaguely recalled that our falling out stemmed from a trivial incident.
"You seem to be getting bored, GodMother, so I'll wrap this up with one final point. From the planning to the outcome of the expedition, the process was utterly flawed. To reiterate, the Golden Lion Clan is the main culprit behind this disaster. We can no longer stand by and watch this continue."
"You said you can't tolerate their tyranny. So that's the reason. I understand what you're getting at."
"Thank you for understanding."
"Enough. Your words have cleared things up for me. You've called the Golden Lion Clan's actions tyranny and said you can't tolerate it. That implies you have demands, but I haven't heard them yet."
Sung Hyun-Min, who was about to sit down, awkwardly stood back up. He began glancing at the players around him. I noticed Jo Sung-Ho from the Goryeo Clan nodding. It seemed they had planned for Goryeo to raise the main issue, but given the favorable atmosphere, they decided to let Sung Hyun-Min continue.
"We acknowledge and personally respect the Golden Lion Clan's contributions in stabilizing the Northern Continent after conquering Babara. Hmm… I said we can't tolerate it, but to put it more mildly, we can't trust them. What we want is for the Golden Lion Clan to stop unilaterally deciding on large-scale plans that affect the fate of the Northern Continent. We want equal opportunities and participation for all clans. And the first step toward that…"
Sung Hyun-Min paused and looked around. Everyone, without exception, was waiting for his next words with tense expressions. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his lips slowly parted.
"…is equal participation in this Player Academy."
A long sigh came from one side, while a heavy groan echoed from the other. Babara's value as a major city was significant, but its greatest asset was the Player Academy. Sung Hyun-Min's point was undeniably valid. However, for those who had monopolized the benefits with their allies until now, having to share the pie going forward would undoubtedly sting.
"Hmm…"
Only after saying those words was Sung Hyun-Min able to take his seat. The GodMother gazed at him with an intrigued expression before letting out a cheerful snort. She then began to fidget with the golden necklace around her neck and closed her eyes, seemingly lost in deep thought.
The demands of Sung Hyun-Min and the non-participating clans weren't limited to just this Player Academy. They were expressing a desire to be involved in all future plans. For the Golden Lion Clan, this was likely an unwelcome development.
In Hall Plain, power equates to authority. Though their words were dressed up in noble rhetoric, the reality was clear: if you lack strength, you have to relinquish your rights. They were shouting for equal participation from all clans, but given their past actions, they couldn't possibly be ignorant of the underlying dynamics.
In any case, the eastern clans had cast the die with their declaration. Now, all that remained was the GodMother's decision.
An awkward silence hung in the air while she kept her eyes closed. But it didn't last long. Soon, she gently lifted her eyelids, raised her right hand, and beckoned Park Hyun-Woo with a wiggle of her index finger.
"Hyun-Woo."
"Yes, GodMother."
"When will the portal transfer for the Player Academy be completed?"
"It should be finished as early as tonight, or by dawn tomorrow at the latest."
Park Hyun-Woo answered in an extremely respectful tone, though his voice carried an unmistakable trace of anxiety. The GodMother, muttering, "Not much time left," let out a heavy sigh. She then tapped her staff lightly on the table a couple of times.
Tap, tap tap…
"So, your demand is for equal opportunities in the major affairs of the Northern Continent."
"Yes, that's correct."
"There's nothing inherently wrong with the idea itself…"
"…"
The GodMother wore a thoughtful expression for a while. But soon, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke in a firm tone.
"Very well. I, Son Bun-Rye, entrusted with the full authority of the Golden Lion Clan, hereby grant your demands as of this moment."
"GodMother!"
"Is that for real?"
"But there's one condition."
The moment she spoke, Park Hyun-Woo and Jo Sung-Ho's exclamations rang out simultaneously. However, Son Bun-Rye silenced them with her next words.
Jo Sung-Ho's face showed unprecedented excitement. He had likely thought their bold demands wouldn't be so easily accepted, and now that things were unexpectedly falling into place, he seemed eager.
"The condition…?"
"It's simple. I'll take responsibility for ensuring equal opportunities in this Player Academy. Go ahead and do as you please. And I'll be watching."
"Watching?"
"Yes. I'll see if your words are just empty talk or if they carry genuine intent. As they say, seeing is believing. It's hard to judge based on words alone, so I'll observe your actions. If you show satisfactory results in this Player Academy, I promise the tyranny you've complained about from the Golden Lion will no longer be an issue."
After concluding her statement, she struck the table firmly, signaling no further debate. Immediately, a formidable aura began to emanate from her, exuding an unspoken warning that defiance would not be tolerated. Those who had been about to rush toward her froze slightly under the wave of magical energy radiating from her staff.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The Golden Lion and its allied clans bit their lips, their faces showing disbelief, while the non-participating clans wore jubilant expressions.
"Let me make one thing clear: I've set a condition. If I see you repeating the very practices you've condemned, we'll have no choice but to find other methods. Keep that in mind."
"Of course. We'll make sure not to disappoint you."
"Hmph. You talk a good game. We'll see about that. Anyway, if anyone here—excluding these folks—has a different opinion, speak up."
There was no chance of that. The eastern clan players had taken the lead and achieved results. The southern clan players sent them looks of appreciation. If Jo Sung-Ho and Sung Hyun-Min's arguments hadn't landed, the southern clans would likely have provided support, but things had gone almost too smoothly.
"Good. Then let's conclude the matter of the Player Academy."
"G-GodMother."
"I'm making this clear: I have no intention of going back on my word. No matter how favorably I try to view your side, their logic was sound. If they had come out swinging, demanding you withdraw from Babara, that'd be one thing. But they've made reasonable concessions, so what can we do? We have to accept it."
"…"
Park Hyun-Woo, who had desperately called out to the GodMother, clenched his teeth upon hearing her resolute words. Noticing the sound, she gave a hollow laugh and continued.
"You drag someone here against their will and now you're grinding your teeth? I told you before I came: in exchange for resolving this matter, I'd be entrusted with the Golden Lion's full authority. Are you saying you're going to backtrack now?"
"N-No, that's not it."
"Tch tch. Poor fool, can't see an inch ahead. Don't forget: our deal still stands. If you break your promise, I won't fulfill your request either."
"…Understood."
In the end, Park Hyun-Woo stepped back with a sullen expression. Confirming this, Son Bun-Rye let out a chuckle and stood up. Tapping her staff as she crossed the meeting room, she was stopped by Go Yeon-ju's sweet voice.
"Huh? GodMother, where are you going?"
"Where do you think? The summons is over. My role here is done. With the new players arriving soon, it's time to coordinate the Player Academy. You're not expecting me to handle that too, are you?"
"Oh~ Well, that's true. So you're heading back?"
"Heading back, my foot. Where would I go? I've got to save that half-dead old geezer. Honestly, that man's been a handful then and now."
The GodMother smacked her lips and resumed walking. This time, Seong Yu-Bin called out to stop her.
"G-GodMother, you're leaving already?"
"What do you mean, what am I supposed to do?"
"But your health isn't good… At least let us provide an escort…"
"Seong Yu-Bin!"
As Seong Yu-Bin cautiously tried to continue, Park Hyun-Woo's loud shout shook the meeting room. Startled, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. But Son Bun-Rye responded in a nonchalant tone.
"You'll burst my eardrums, you brat. Heh heh. Anyway, don't worry about me. I've got something in mind from the eastern mountains that I plan to check out. Since I'm already here, I'd better move quickly. That aside, you lot don't have time to be celebrating either, do you?"
"Of course not. We'll ensure the Player Academy operates on strict principles of fairness and equal opportunity. You won't be disappointed."
The GodMother snorted at Jo Sung-Ho's words. "You can do whatever you want this time, but remember: the most important thing is results. If nothing's changed by the time I return, as I said, we'll have to find other methods."
From one side, cheerful voices offered her thanks. From the other, subdued voices bid her farewell.
At that moment, as she walked out the door, ignoring the pleasantries, I quickly activated my Third Eye. Something about Seong Yu-Bin's earlier words had struck me as odd.
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