"That's a good idea."
As Han So-Young's lips parted, her soft voice subtly resonated through the meeting room. The moment she spoke, a sudden silence fell over the room. She glanced between Sung Hyun-Min and me before continuing.
"If the Mercenary Clan participates in this Player Academy, it could lead to significant progress and mutual benefits. It's an opportunity to strengthen your clan's forces, build connections with the representative clans, serve as a role model for new players, and soften the impression of 'dividing the spoils.' Plus, it would give you something to show the GodMother later. From the perspective of the entire Northern Continent, it's like hitting five birds with one stone. As such, I, too, would like to request the Mercenary Clan Lord's participation."
It was rare for Han So-Young to speak at such length. Perhaps due to her unique Charisma ability, most of the players listening to her wore dazed expressions. A few male players even had flushed faces.
"That's exactly what I meant."
"I agree with the Han Clan Lord. It definitely seems worth trying."
Snapping out of it, Sung Hyun-Min gave an awkward smile as he echoed her words. Park Hyun-Woo, maintaining a relatively calm demeanor, expressed his agreement. The moment the Golden Lion's approval was secured, other clan players who had been silent began eagerly pressing me.
"I'd like to request it as well. I know you're busy establishing your clan, but for the future development of the Northern Continent, it seems worth doing."
"Exactly. If you're worried about clan matters, come to the southern city of Koran after the Academy. Not only our clan but the Southern Free Alliance can offer plenty of support."
"Our Dalbam Clan feels the same. We're still just a small city, but we'll provide as much convenience as possible…"
"Mercenary Clan Lord, my earlier proposal still stands."
As the Su Clan took the lead, other clans followed suit, starting to lobby me. Even Han So-Young referenced the conversation we had before the meeting. With so many voices chiming in, I started to feel a bit dizzy.
Suddenly, the situation struck me as absurd. In the first life, at this point in time, these were people I wouldn't even dare look at. But now, in the second life, seeing them try so hard to pull our clan into their cities left a bittersweet taste.
That's when it happened.
"…"
The rising voices suddenly fell silent, as if by magic. Turning my tired head, I saw Go Yeon-Joo casting a cold glare.
"Haha. Maybe we got too excited and only spoke from our perspective."
Quick to read the room, Sung Hyun-Min hurriedly added, "Of course, we'll prioritize the Mercenary Clan Lord's opinion. I apologize for getting ahead of ourselves."
"Be quiet."
Go Yeon-Joo's voice was languid but carried a chilling edge, like a sharp blade. Sung Hyun-Min retreated with an embarrassed expression. The atmosphere grew a bit tense, but thanks to her, I finally had a moment to catch my breath. I smacked my lips and slowly closed my eyes. There was a lot to think about.
Participating in the Player Academy certainly had its benefits.
On the other hand, leaving Babara immediately to execute my original plan also had its advantages.
Each option had its own merits and drawbacks, both equally compelling and hard to give up.
The reason I was even considering the Player Academy, despite delaying my original plan, was because I had recently read information about the Inn of Beginnings. The more new players there were, the higher the likelihood of including those with deep potential. And this time, it was almost certain—after all, there were 2 players who completed the Rite of Passage in just five days.
The problem, however, was the sheer number of participating clans. With so many prominent clans involved, there was no guarantee new players would join mine. While our clan had its strengths, objectively speaking, we were at a competitive disadvantage. From this perspective, it might be cleaner to just give up. But then another variable came into play.
The future had changed. The clans responded to the summons, and the GodMother's mediation resolved their conflicts. This was something that didn't happen in the first life. While it's too early to say for sure, the likelihood of players starting an internal war after the rise of the Western Continent has significantly decreased.
Perhaps, if the Vagrants invade, they might even send reinforcements, using the need to protect the Player Academy as justification. If that happens, the future will take a completely different trajectory from my memories. Considering that, securing a spot in the Player Academy now didn't seem like a bad idea.
I mulled it over for a while, but I needed to reach a decision quickly. With everyone waiting for my response, dragging it out wasn't an option.
"Hmm…"
Having made up my mind, I opened my eyes. The sight of everyone staring at me with tense expressions came into view. First, I calmly raised my hand and grabbed Go Yeon-Joo's arm. Instantly, I felt the cold gaze she had been casting soften.
A subtle shift passed over the faces of the players, who had been on edge. The sight of a Top 10 player submitting to the command of a mere Year 0 player seemed to evoke a fresh sense of curiosity. Taking in their gazes, I spoke in a calm voice.
I'd start by playing a little hard to get.
"The Mercenary Clan is a newly established clan. We've already planned our next steps, so participating in this Player Academy isn't exactly appealing. As someone mentioned, the Mercenary Clan is currently short on squad members—er, personnel."
"Of course, that's understandable. You must have a lot on your plate in the early stages. And since you've already made plans…"
Sung Hyun-Min scratched his head with an awkward expression, trailing off. I quietly raised my head to meet his eyes. No matter how much potential we had or the fact that Go Yeon-Joo was with us, there was still a fundamental gap. Yet, this man was being overly cautious with me. I activated my Third Eye again.
(Player Status)
Name: Sung Hyun-Min (4th Year)
Class: Normal Sword Master
Nation: Babara
Clan: Han
True Name · Nationality: Cold Flame · Republic of Korea
Sex: Male (33)
Height · Weight: 178.8 cm · 73.8 kg
Alignment: Mild · Belief
[Strength 87] [Resistance 81] [Agility 84] [Vitality 85] [Magic 90] [Luck 76]
Stat Comparison
Kim Su-Hyeon: 542/600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(12 stat points remaining.)
Sung Hyun-Min: 498/600~
[Strength 87] [Resistance 81] [Agility 84] [Vitality 85] [Magic 90] [Luck 71]
(No stat points remaining.)
His stats were solid. Compared to the Top 10, his overall profile, including his class, was somewhat lacking. But my attention was drawn to his alignment. A gentle nature hiding a resolute heart—it matched almost perfectly with my memory of him from the first life.
He wasn't indecisive and was known for his strong sense of responsibility. In particular, he was famous for carefully looking after each of his clan members. I couldn't help but wonder if his ability to unite the grand alliance later without a single discord stemmed from this trait.
There was no malicious alignment. Though he seemed to have some ulterior motive, I could roughly guess what it was. His approach might differ slightly, but he was likely thinking along the same lines as Han So-Young. The difference was that Han So-Young had been direct, while he was taking a slower, more deliberate approach.
To put it bluntly, while he had ridden the flow of the conversation well, being too prominent was exhausting. They were already starting to compete over me implicitly.
Looking at his regretful expression as he trailed off, I spoke in a low voice.
"But it does weigh on me a bit to outright refuse everyone's request like this. Still, as a mere Year 0 player, I'm not sure I can be as helpful as you all seem to think…"
"No, no, not at all. Many people here believe it's worth a try."
"Mercenary Clan Lord, it's not that difficult. We can handle most of the tedious, experience-heavy tasks at the Academy."
As I left a slight opening, Sung Hyun-Min and Park Hyun-Woo quickly began to persuade me. Fearing another long speech if I let this continue, I decided to get to the point.
"Hmm, could I make one small request then?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
"It's nothing major, but I understand that during the Academy period, player access is strictly controlled."
"Uh, yes, that's… correct."
Park Hyun-Woo nodded with a slightly uneasy expression. In reality, while access is tightly controlled in the early stages, it tends to loosen as the graduation ceremony approaches. I myself had been treated to meals outside a few times when receiving offers back then. Recalling that, I continued slowly.
"Could I possibly receive a bit of leniency regarding that?"
"Leniency, you say…?"
"The initial operations of the clan can proceed without my direct presence. Of course, it'd be better if I were there, but I believe the Shadow Queen can handle my duties sufficiently in my absence."
"Oh… Aha! I see. Yes, you don't need to worry about that. We'll permit the Shadow Queen free access to the Player Academy."
One advantage of talking with experienced players is that they pick up on things quickly without needing lengthy explanations. Glancing around, I saw most people looking satisfied. Those aware of the internal dynamics likely felt my request was reasonable and not a big deal.
Inwardly, I smirked with satisfaction and decided to wrap up the push-and-pull.
"Thank you. If you can accommodate that, I'd be happy to participate in the Player Academy."
"Haha, no problem. That's an easy matter."
With my participation settled, we could finally move on to ironing out the details. The discussion gained momentum again. The most critical issue was recruiting new players, which was easily agreed upon by adhering to basic principles: every clan could equally promote themselves and make offers, with the final choice left to the new players. Ultimately, it came down to each clan's capabilities.
"Then let's conclude the initial discussions here. I think it's time to end the summons as well. It might feel a bit rushed, but those participating in the Player Academy will need to move quickly via the Warp Gate."
"Yes. As discussed, we'll arrive at Babara's plaza with carefully selected personnel before tonight ends. Until then, please handle things, Golden Lion Clan."
With the talks concluded, they exchanged a few courteous remarks. Then, one by one, they began leaving the meeting room. The eastern and southern clan members moved hurriedly, likely eager to report the day's achievements. Before leaving, Han So-Young and Yeon Hye-Rim briefly met my gaze. They looked at me for a moment before promptly exiting. Watching their retreating figures, a bitter smile formed on Park Hyun-Woo's lips.
As I was about to stand and leave, he suddenly turned to me and spoke.
"Mercenary Clan Lord, could you wait a moment? I have something to discuss privately."
"Oh, sure."
I paused mid-step and turned back but didn't sit down, subtly signaling I wanted to wrap this up quickly since I had things to do. He glanced at Go Yeon-Joo beside me before speaking hurriedly.
"If you don't have a place to stay, our clan can recommend a good spot. Not within the clan, so no need to worry—it's a building our members use for lodging."
"No, thank you. I've already secured a place to stay."
"Oh… I see. Alright."
"Was there something specific you wanted to discuss…?"
"No, it's not that important. I'll bring it up later once things settle down."
That was a bit unexpected. I thought he'd bring up the Mule incident, but he was subtly sidestepping it. For a moment, I tilted my head, but his reaction gave me a hunch.
The Golden Lion likely valued us more highly than other clans, like the Teutonic Knights. With Go Yeon-Joo involved, they'd hesitate to act recklessly. Of course, I didn't think they'd let it slide entirely. It'd need more observation, but any investigation would likely be perfunctory at best.
"Thank you for your consideration. I'll take my leave now. Though I'm in Babara, I have some transitions to handle for upcoming matters."
"Yes, take care. And I look forward to working with you."
After exchanging formalities with him, I quickly left the meeting room. Crossing the hall and exiting the Geumho Hall, I saw the sky had already darkened. The cool night breeze washed over me, cooling my heated body.
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