A/N:- From now on 3 chapters per week. And extra chapter if we meet the goal.
On the way back, I had a lot on my mind. Go Yeon-Joo, sensing my mood, followed quietly without her usual playful banter. As I pondered how to move forward, the sight of the Morning Sunshine inn finally brought my clan members to mind.
Before entering the inn, I turned around. As always, Go Yeon-Joo, with her languid expression, was looking at me with wide, round eyes.
"Player Go Yeon-Joo."
"Yes, Su-Hyeon."
"I told them to wait before we left, so they shouldn't be asleep yet. Could you go in first and gather everyone?"
"Your office… Oh, no, I mean that room, right?"
"If you're referring to the room I use alone, then yes. I'll have a quick smoke and come in. Please tell Jung Ha-Yeong to bring all the luggage."
"Alright. Don't worry too much and take your time coming in."
Go Yeon-Joo replied in a gentle, soothing voice. After confirming she had opened the door and gone inside, I let out a short sigh.
Despite it being night, the street in front of the inn was bustling with activity. The players living in the city seemed to sense that the portal to the Inn of Beginnings would soon close and new players would arrive. Even for those who couldn't directly participate, the arrival of fresh, untainted players was a rare spectacle.
The soft, mellow scent of the cigarette filled my throat. I took a deep drag, sinking into deep thought.
The future had changed—or rather, it was highly likely to change. The non-participating clans had answered the Golden Lion's summons and achieved their goals. Thanks to the GodMother's efforts, much of the escalating tension had been resolved. On its own, this wasn't a bad thing. If their relationships didn't deteriorate to the extreme, it meant they wouldn't cross the final line that had been barely maintained until now.
As a result, the Northern Continent would avoid unnecessary bloodshed. A chaotic era reminiscent of the Warring States period, with clans pitted against each other, wouldn't come to pass. After the Player Academy, things would likely continue as they had: exploring beyond the city, excavating ruins, and uniting against the Vagrants.
However, there were a few things that made it hard to simply accept and move on. The most puzzling was the GodMother's condition and the reactions of those around her. Son Bun-Rye's body was on the verge of collapse. When Seong Yu-Bin expressed concern about her health, Park Hyun-Woo had immediately shouted to silence her, as if trying to hide something he didn't want exposed. Why on earth…
"Ah."
Suddenly, I felt a warm sensation between my index and middle fingers holding the cigarette. I had been so lost in thought that the cigarette had burned down completely, touching my skin. I dropped it to the ground, stomped it out a few times, and turned to open the inn's door. No matter how much I mulled it over, there were too many uncertainties to make reckless guesses.
As I entered the inn, I noticed the curious gazes of players occupying a few tables. Brushing off their stares, I climbed the stairs. Upon reaching the third-floor hallway and opening the door to my room, I saw my companions gathered in a circle near the bed.
*
A massive warp gate, forming a giant oval, stood atop a sharply angular altar. I briefly watched the pale blue orbs floating around its open center before lowering my gaze. In front of the gate, the Mercenary Clan members were all looking at me with reluctant expressions.
It felt like about three hours had passed since returning to the inn. I summarized everything as concisely as possible, focusing only on the essentials, but there was a lot to cover. The summons itself was relatively straightforward, but discussing future plans and actions took up a lot of time. I had to carefully distinguish between what I could share and what I couldn't.
"I'm leaving the clan in your hands while I'm gone."
"Alright. But I don't plan to be in charge for long, so you'd better come back soon."
"Don't worry about us. Just take care of yourself, Su-Hyeon-ssi."
Go Yeon-Joo and Jung Ha-Yeong responded in their own distinct ways. After exchanging farewells with the other clan members, I turned my gaze back to Go Yeon-Joo.
"Yeon-Joo, you remember what I told you, right?"
"Of course."
"Your role is the most important. You'll need to move quickly from now on."
"I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
Her confident assurance put me at ease. As I shifted my gaze, I saw Vivienne behind her, sulking with a finger in her mouth. With both me and Go Yeon-Joo absent, she would be the clan's strongest asset in terms of raw power. So, I decided to address her as well.
"Vivienne."
"Hm?"
"Yeon-Joo will be busy running around, and Ha-Yeong will be managing the clan's internal affairs. It's unlikely, but if something happens, you're the only one who can respond quickly."
"…Got it."
Vivienne answered a beat late. Her puffed cheeks and pursed lips made it clear she was deeply dissatisfied. I could roughly guess why, but I just sighed and turned away. I didn't have time to indulge her right now.
"Then head inside. I'll come find you in three months."
"Yes. Until the day we see our Clan Lord again…"
Though it was just a temporary parting, the clan members hesitated, awkwardly watching me. The younger ones were especially reluctant. Just as Go Yeon-Joo stepped forward to take charge of the farewells, unable to stand it any longer—
"Waaahhh!"
An-Sol, who had been teary-eyed since leaving the Morning Sunshine inn, finally burst into sobs. As she ran toward me with quick steps, I instinctively moved to dodge, but something Go Yeon-Joo had told me flashed through my mind.
"Oppa!"
Before I could stop myself, I reflexively caught An-Sol as she threw herself into my arms. Clinging to me, she looked up with teary eyes and began mumbling incomprehensible words. I sighed inwardly and patted her back.
"Waaah… Don't go… Oppa, don't go… Waaah…"
"Sol, it's not like we'll never see each other again. It's just three months at most. The more you act like this, the harder it is for me. Come on, stop crying."
"Nooo… You can't stay here… Come with us… Waaah…"
Her whining was starting to get on my nerves. I was about to scold her when the last thing she said struck me as odd. 'Can't stay here?'
"Hey, kid. Just so you know, you've got five seconds to come back here. They're not going to let you stay, and they're not letting the Clan Lord come with us either. Keep throwing a tantrum, and you'll regret it."
"Yeah! Don't you have any shame? You think we're not reluctant too? He said it's unavoidable. Stop being annoying and come back already!"
Go Yeon-Joo and Yun-Jung's sharp voices cut through from ahead. As I tried to gently pull An-Sol off before the atmosphere turned sour, she spoke again in a tearful voice.
"That's not it… Waaah… I'm scared… Waaah…"
"Scared…?"
The moment I heard An-Sol's words, a chill ran through my mind. Ever since the summons, something had been nagging at me. I had set it aside as a mere possibility, but her words acted like a spark, making my suspicions snowball.
At that moment, standing in front of the warp gate, I felt a massive surge of mana from behind. I wasn't the only one who noticed it.
"L-Leader, it seems the new players' arrival is almost complete. No… it might already be done."
"Y-Yeah, we should hurry."
I responded to Shin Sang-Yong, feeling a bit uneasy. An-Sol clung tightly to me, refusing to let go. That's when it happened.
"Wait a second."
My mind snapped into focus. A flood of thoughts about everything I'd experienced so far rushed in. I gently wiped the tears from Sol's face, still crying, and knelt slightly to meet her eyes. Speaking in a kind voice, I said,
"Sol."
"Sob… Yes… Waaah…"
"If you're feeling uneasy, there's probably some truth to it. I don't know what it is, but it's hard to reverse my decision now. Don't worry, though. I won't brush off your words. I'll stay cautious and alert. Others might not, but I believe you. Can you believe in me, Sol? If you do, I'd like you to stop crying."
"Sob… Don't… Don't do it…"
"An-Sol! You're making things hard for him. Ugh, what's with you today? Hyung, I'm sorry. I'll take her."
"Hic… Sob… Hic…"
Unable to stand it any longer, An-Hyun stepped forward quickly. Despite her tear-filled eyes, An-Sol's gaze was clear and pure—not the look of someone simply throwing a tantrum.
"Hyung, I'll see you in three months. And sorry about this."
"Waaah… Let go… Let gooo… Waaah!"
An-Sol burst into tears again, flailing her hands. An-Hyun easily subdued her resistance and started dragging her away. Seeing the disapproving looks directed at her, I let out a long sigh.
For a moment, my resolve wavered. But there were things I had to do. No matter how accurate An-Sol's instincts were, I had already committed at the summons. Backing out and leaving Babara now would not be the right choice. Still, I needed to stay sharp.
"It's fine. You don't need to apologize. Don't push yourself too hard, listen well, and look after Sol. I know you'll manage."
"Yes, don't worry, Hyung. I'll do my best."
Even as she was dragged away, An-Sol kept swinging her arms, hitting An-Hyun. If I stayed, we'd just keep staring at each other, so I decided it was better for me to leave first. I picked up the magic backpack at my feet and raised my voice.
"I'll head out now!"
"Su-Hyeon! Take care!"
"See you later~!"
"Kim Su-Hyeon, you idiot! Dummy! You didn't even spank me!"
"Oppa! You have to come back alone! Not with two or three people!"
"L-Leader! We'll be waiting! I'll make sure to…"
My clan members waved at me, and I waved back before turning away. I felt their gazes on my back but ignored them, quickening my pace.
*
It wasn't a permanent farewell, just a temporary parting, so I didn't feel too uneasy. Honestly, there was even a slight sense of relief. In the first life, being alone was my norm, so this newfound freedom felt refreshing after a long time.
There was one thing bothering me, though. An-Sol's words before we parted kept echoing in my mind. Of course, I couldn't take them at face value. Her Luck stat of 101 was undeniable, but it was an unpredictable ability. I couldn't pinpoint what her unease was about—whether it was a sense of some danger, the anxiety she felt when I spent that first night with Go Yeon-Joo, or something else I didn't know. Her unease was far more multifaceted than mine, so there was no guarantee it aligned with my thoughts.
The information I had was too sparse. One was the GodMother's condition and Park Hyun-Woo's reaction at the Golden Lion Clan. The other was An-Sol's sense of unease. The problem was that both were vague and broad, making it impossible to plan based on them alone.
I decided to think positively. Even if it was an unrecognized unease, there was no need to tremble in fear already. I had faced her sensed dangers before and handled them easily.
Still, I couldn't let my guard down. As I promised An-Sol, I needed to stay cautious. As a last resort, I could always pull out quickly, but that was truly a last resort. Rather than spacing out, it was better to investigate as much as I could.
With this resolve in my heart, I kept walking. As Shin Sang-Yong said, the new players should be arriving at the Inn of Beginnings by now. The Golden Lion Clan was tasked with guiding them to the plaza, while other clans were to prepare their personnel before the plaza speech ended. Despite the loss of many veteran players, their accumulated experience should make guiding the new players straightforward.
The distance from Morning Sunshine to the Inn of Beginnings was a bit far, but starting from the warp gate made it much closer.
As I passed through the empty plaza, a question arose. I understood that non-authorized players were strictly barred during the new players' arrival, so the absence of other players made sense. But only three or four people were controlling the plaza.
That question was answered when I reached the Inn of Beginnings.
"Fuck! Where is this place?! Where, I said! Hey, let go! Let go!"
"Stay still! Just stay still, please!"
"Where are we?! Tell me! This isn't Earth! You lied! Who are you?!"
"Hurry up and control them!"
The Inn of Beginnings could be summed up in one word: chaos. Shouts and struggling players filled the air, with Golden Lion Clan members running around to manage them. The new players were visibly confused, and while the controllers were moving quickly, they seemed somewhat clumsy.
They should have gone through the Rite of Passage and received ample explanations from the angels. Some players still refused to accept reality, but this level of chaos was excessive, even considering the large number of new players. Clicking my tongue and moving to step forward, the coarse voice I first heard upon arriving hit my ears sharply.
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