“Cough! Cough! Oh, cough… Unnie, I’m so sorry…”
”…”
The water An Sol had just spat out splashed onto Yoo Jung’s face. Yoo Jung remained still, eyes closed, then reached out to feel around the table. Ha Yeon, after rummaging through her pockets for a moment, discreetly handed over a clean piece of cloth. Yoo Jung squinted at the cloth for a moment before snatching it with a force that made a sound.
As she meticulously wiped her face, Yoo Jung spoke up.
“Sol, we need to have a chat later.”
“I didn’t mean to do it…”
An Sol hung her head at Yoo Jung’s sharp tone, but only for a moment. She soon began to sneak glances at Go Yeon Joo again. Finding An Sol’s furtive looks endearing, a thin smile crept onto Go Yeon Joo’s lips. Sensing this, An Sol quickly averted her eyes, causing Go Yeon Joo’s smile to deepen.
“Do you know who I am, little one?”
An Sol nodded slightly in response to Go Yeon Joo’s question, seemingly too intimidated to speak. However, Vivian, sitting beside her, poked An Sol in the side with a disgruntled expression. An Sol jumped in surprise.
“An Sol, what’s the big deal about the Shadow Queen?”
“I’ll tell you! Just stop poking me…”
Vivian’s voice was curt, while An Sol pleaded with a tearful tone. Vivian’s lower lip jutted out, clearly holding back words from earlier.
I had no intention of ignoring Vivian. The difference in power between Vivian and Go Yeon Joo was a stark reality. Vivian was a rare class with decent stats, but Go Yeon Joo was a secret class with even better stats. Moreover, Go Yeon Joo had the advantage in terms of compatibility.
Based on my experience facing Go Yeon Joo in the first round, even if both were at their best, the
After rubbing her side for a while, An Sol cautiously began to speak under Vivian’s persistent urging.
“Well… at the User Academy…”
“Yeah, they didn’t tell me anything like that.”
Yoo Jung quickly interjected, and An Sol shook her head before continuing.
“Right. That’s probably true. Given the gender ratio, there are slightly more female users in the priest class due to its nature… During a theory lecture, the instructor mentioned it in passing, and I remember hearing it.”
“Really? What did you hear? Tell me more, I’m curious.”
Go Yeon Joo spoke with an intrigued expression, but her eyes gleamed like a hawk eyeing its prey. An Sol, perhaps sensing she might become prey, hesitated before answering.
“They mentioned a few famous female users in Hall Plain… The Clan Lord of the Istantel Low Clan, the
“Ho…”
At the mention of the
Sensing my gaze, Go Yeon Joo quickly composed herself and smiled.
“Yes, I’m the rumored secret class
She finished her introduction swiftly and glanced at me sideways. I was caught off guard, just as I was about to take a spoonful of stew. I never imagined she’d get back at me like this. And this time, I was caught red-handed by the group. The more perceptive ones likely picked up on the meaning behind Go Yeon Joo’s words.
At that moment.
Thud.
Ha Yeon, who had been quietly listening, took a sip of water and set her cup down on the table with a noticeable thud. The water spilled slightly around the cup. It wasn’t a particularly hard slam, but for someone as composed as her, it was unusual.
With a light smile, Ha Yeon spoke.
“Thank you for the introduction. I suppose we should introduce ourselves too?”
“Sounds good. We can’t just sit back and do nothing.”
Yoo Jung chimed in, wiping her mouth with the cloth. It had been a while since I’d seen the two of them converse. Although it wasn’t a full conversation, Yoo Jung had responded to Ha Yeon’s words. It was a small step towards improving their relationship… or so I hoped.
The problem was, I couldn’t quite grasp what they meant by not sitting back and doing nothing. However, Go Yeon Joo responded with a relaxed smile and nodded, signaling them to go ahead. Her reaction made it seem like a blue flame flickered in the eyes of the two female users.
One by one, the group began introducing themselves. With each introduction, Go Yeon Joo’s reaction varied. Specifically, she used different titles for each person.
She called An Hyun “Mr.,” An Sol “little one,” and Yoo Jung “kiddo.” The surprising part was that Yoo Jung didn’t say anything in response. (Though she did shoot a sharp glare upon being called “kiddo,” which was likely the most defiance she could muster at the moment.)
It might have seemed quite arrogant, but no one openly criticized Go Yeon Joo. The reputation of the
After the introductions, it was Vivian’s turn. She introduced herself in a colder tone than usual.
“Vivian La Clasidus. Rare class in the mage category. Twenty-four years old.”
When Vivian finished, Go Yeon Joo paused to look at her. It seemed Vivian’s status as an ancient resident, not a user, piqued her interest. After exchanging glances for a moment, they both turned away simultaneously.
Finally, Go Yeon Joo turned to me and addressed me as “you.” The group’s expressions subtly shifted at her choice of words.
“Kim Soo Hyun, you’re a secret class, right?”
“Kim Soo Hyun. Secret class in the swordsman category. Twenty-four years old. But you already knew that.”
“No, there’s one thing I don’t know. You said it’s a secret class, but what’s the class name?”
Go Yeon Joo asked slyly, and I snorted. While it would eventually become known once I established a clan, there was no need to reveal that information to her now. Especially since, even if it was a slim chance, the class name could hint at the
When I remained silent, Go Yeon Joo pressed me again.
“Oh, come on. Why not just tell me? You know all about me. Don’t you think it’s unfair?”
“No, I don’t. The
“I can’t guess. So tell me.”
“No.”
At my firm refusal, Go Yeon Joo pouted and glanced at the group. They all wore forlorn expressions, as if something precious had been taken from them. Honestly, it was all fine, but Ha Yeon’s crestfallen look was hard to bear. I sighed deeply to myself.
“Fine. If you don’t want to tell me, don’t. We’ll be close for a while, so there’ll be plenty of opportunities.”
The word “close” gave me pause, but I quickly responded.
“Do as you please.”
“Hehe. There’s no rule that says I have to find out from you.”
As Go Yeon Joo spoke in a suggestive tone, I hardened my expression and looked up. Meeting her gaze, she whistled with a startled look.
I continued to stare at her intently before speaking in a calm voice.
“Just so you know, if I find any trace of you using
“Oh my, you’re so sensitive. It’s not a particularly harmful ability…”
”
At my stern warning, the expressions of my companions shifted subtly once more. Just moments ago, they were seething with anger at Go Yeon-ju’s blatant flirtation, but now, buoyed by my words of reassurance, they stood a little taller, their spirits lifted. It seemed they found a sense of vicarious satisfaction in seeing their caravan leader stand confidently before a user of the <10th Level>.
Yu-jeong and An-sol, who had been glancing nervously between me and Go Yeon-ju, now nodded with relief, humming in agreement. Amidst this, I heard someone murmur, “That’s our dad, alright,” followed by Go Yeon-ju’s stifled laughter. I resolved then and there to unmask the culprit and give them a good scolding.
“Tch. How can one live with such grievances? Fine, fine. I’ll let it slide this time,” Go Yeon-ju remarked with a look of feigned exasperation, though a sly smile played at the corners of her lips. She didn’t seem too attached to the situation.
A thought crossed my mind—perhaps she had orchestrated this whole scenario. In a way, she was an outsider to our group, yet she was cleverly using me to reassure the established members. If my hunch was correct, Go Yeon-ju was laying the groundwork to integrate herself into our team. Her actions displayed the seasoned cunning of a veteran user, assuming my assumptions were accurate.
Afterward, Go Yeon-ju and I discussed further details. I mentioned that the reorganization would take at least two weeks, possibly up to four. She chuckled incredulously at the idea of closing the inn for nearly a month and a half.
However, it seemed she wasn’t particularly attached to running the inn. Her immediate closure of the inn the night before, upon my suggestion, was telling. As expected, she didn’t object to my proposal.
In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by Go Yeon-ju’s unexpected generosity. Her goodwill wasn’t limited to me alone; she seemed to have taken a liking to our group, offering us the use of the inn with no strings attached.
The inn, “The Modest Lady,” was by no means small. In fact, with access to all three floors, we could finally solve the persistent issue of finding a training space. I welcomed her offer with open arms. Even the first-floor lobby could be transformed into an excellent training area once the tables were cleared.
With Go Yeon-ju’s generous offer, my companions could no longer oppose her joining us, and any lingering discontent quickly dissipated. Impressed by her strategic thinking, I decided to make one more request.
It might seem rather audacious, but considering she might disappear within two months, it was worth a shot. Ideally, we could recruit her, but if not, she was someone we might have to eliminate. So, it seemed wise to make the most of her presence while we could. Of course, this was merely a request, not a demand.
“The reorganization will take some time. You might find yourself a bit bored during that period.”
“Hmm?”
“To be blunt, would you consider teaching one of our members? We don’t expect much, just the basics of dagger skills.”
“I’m expensive, you know. I have a secret class. You’ll need to pay accordingly.”
“We can settle the fee based on the student’s progress.”
Go Yeon-ju burst into laughter at my words, while An-hyun squirmed with anticipation. I had no intention of pairing them up, as An-hyun seemed most susceptible to Go Yeon-ju’s charms, so I quickly continued.
“Honestly, it’s rare to find someone with your dagger skills. But if you’re not interested, that’s fine. It’s just a request.”
At my gentle tone, Go Yeon-ju glanced reflexively at Yu-jeong. After a moment, she casually replied, “Well, I guess I won’t be bored for a while.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
I apologize. I passed out as soon as I got home today… ㅜ.ㅠ
It seems the late night took a toll on me.
I woke up with a start and jumped out of bed. ㅜ.ㅠ
『 Reader Comments 』
zjekfksqlc: Haha, I don’t know what I was thinking staying up so late yesterday. My body isn’t what it used to be. ㅜ.ㅠ Congratulations on being first. :)
Evian: I’m sorry, I was startled for a moment. Evian, Vivienne… Haha.
Gahanna: Haha, I burst out laughing at the “Vinaida” part. Thank you.
Toranoanal: Thank you. I’ve made the corrections.
Aristia: I had a rough day today. My rhythm was completely off. ㅜ.ㅠ
천겁혈신천무존: Hahaha. Could you tell me what you meant by
天上天下唯我獨尊: NO. But you’re not entirely wrong. I’m too out of it right now (it’s 4 AM and I just woke up… ㅜ.ㅠ) I’ll post the settings when I’m more clear-headed, or in the 130th note.
BrokenFan: Oh dear. I thought I was going to die today. I really learned what it means to pass out. ㅜ.ㅠ
misoochensa: Yes, there’s a sad story. A very sad story. Sob sob.
JudyAnalysis: Thank you for the coupon. Yes, I hit my physical limit today. My body isn’t what it used to be. Sob sob sob sob.
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