An Unexpected Encounter (2)
“I don’t want to.”
“Hey.”
As soon as I voiced my refusal, a languid voice chimed in from beside me. Turning my head, I saw Go Yeon-ju already seated, leaning back in her chair with her legs crossed. Her posture was quite arrogant, and the eyes of Yoo Hyun-ah and Cha Seung-hyun widened in surprise. Especially Yoo Hyun-ah, whose expression was a sight to behold. She seemed utterly confused, trying to process my response, Go Yeon-ju’s words, and the fact that she had somehow appeared there without anyone noticing.
Unfazed, Go Yeon-ju pointed her index finger at Yoo Hyun-ah, aiming it precisely at her forehead. And then, with a flick of her finger, Yoo Hyun-ah’s head snapped back before returning to its original position. It was as if Go Yeon-ju had poked her forehead from a distance with some invisible force. Naturally, it was an infuriating experience for the one on the receiving end. But Go Yeon-ju didn’t stop there.
“I’ve heard enough of your nonsense.”
“Ah.”
“Who taught you to interrupt people and just blurt out whatever you want?”
“Ugh.”
“You came here as a representative clan? What a joke. The Golden Lions must be desperate to send someone like you to Mule.”
“Ugh! Wa-wait…”
“Shut your mouth. And you, the one behind her, stay still. Move recklessly, and you might get hurt.”
With each word from Go Yeon-ju, Yoo Hyun-ah’s head jerked back violently, and Cha Seung-hyun, witnessing this, seemed ready to spring into action. Cha Seung-hyun’s abilities were impressive, with potential for further growth and the possibility of securing a spot in the <Top 10> with the right equipment.
But perhaps he was too complacent, or maybe the distance was too close. Before they knew it, dark shadows loomed menacingly around Yoo Hyun-ah and Cha Seung-hyun’s necks. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yoo Hyun-ah clamped her mouth shut, and Cha Seung-hyun stared at Go Yeon-ju in disbelief.
An awkward silence hung in the air. Thanks to Go Yeon-ju, I had a moment to gather my thoughts. I reached out and gently clasped her still-extended finger.
“User Go Yeon-ju, that’s enough.”
“If the leader says so, I’ll stop. Hoho.”
“W-wait! Go Yeon-ju, as in the Shadow Queen…!”
“I told you to keep quiet, didn’t I?”
At Go Yeon-ju’s sharp retort, Yoo Hyun-ah fell silent once more. As the shadows receded from their necks, Cha Seung-hyun surveyed us with hollow eyes. Yoo Hyun-ah, looking as if she’d aged ten years, rubbed her neck and glanced at me with a troubled expression. Watching her throat move nervously, I spoke in a calm voice.
“I have a question for User Yoo Hyun-ah.”
“Uh… about joining the clan… I didn’t realize there was someone from the <Top 10> here…”
“I already said no. Enough with the nonsense. I have one question. You mentioned the investigation would be easy. Does that mean it’s not finished yet?”
“W-what? Yes! The temple requested it, but I delayed it a bit.”
Unlike before, Yoo Hyun-ah spoke cautiously, her demeanor subdued. Noticing my expression darken, she quickly waved her hands in a flustered attempt to explain.
“I-I tried my best! But, well, there were some circumstances…”
I had hoped it wasn’t true, but it was. I felt a surge of anger but kept it in check. After all, there was still time since the Golden Lions’ expedition wasn’t over yet. Of course, we needed to leave Mule soon, but it wasn’t a drastic deviation from the original plan.
However, there were things that needed to be addressed.
“Interesting. It’s been almost three weeks since the exploration report was submitted, and the investigation isn’t complete? Did the temple say it was okay to take it slow?”
“Allow me to explain. We did receive a request to expedite the report. The temple residents asked for an exploration as soon as we arrived. But as I mentioned earlier, Mule’s situation is quite difficult right now.”
Perhaps feeling sorry for the flustered Yoo Hyun-ah, a calm voice interjected. Looking up, I saw Cha Seung-hyun’s composed face. Despite glancing at Go Yeon-ju, he continued speaking, sensing my attention.
“Mule was originally managed by another clan. Due to the vagrant eradication plan and the advance into the Iron Mountains, the handover was rushed. We received it in an unprepared state. I understand User Kim Soo-hyun’s position, but please know we’re doing our best.”
“Then do you have the right to claim the title of a representative clan? It seems you were too eager to gain a castle. And did you even read the report? It’s a place you can visit in a day or two, yet you couldn’t spare the time? You had enough time to go back and forth at least ten times.”
“I admit we took over in a lacking state. But you’re oversimplifying things. Organizing and dispatching an investigation team isn’t as easy as you make it sound. I hope you’ll retract your statement about our qualifications as a representative clan.”
“Well, I don’t feel like retracting it. A representative clan may have the right to prioritize investigations, but not to drag them out and do as they please. It’s unbelievable that you haven’t investigated ruins just a day or two away despite requests for quick processing. If it was so difficult, you could have handed it back to the temple or posted a notice. Whether you’ve done your best or been irresponsibly waiting, I’ll find out at the temple tomorrow. At least you didn’t claim you were doing your best.”
“You’re being too harsh!”
At my harsh words, Cha Seung-hyun swallowed his pride and closed his mouth. Yoo Hyun-ah, however, couldn’t hold back her frustration and shouted, her cheeks puffing up in anger. When I turned my gaze back to her, she was breathing heavily, her face flushed with indignation.
“Isn’t this too selfish? How can you be so sarcastic without knowing our internal situation? Can’t we just try to understand each other a little? Do you really need to get so worked up to feel better?”
“No. I’m just astounded that you act as if you’ve fulfilled your duty as a representative clan by trying to recruit us after making us wait for two weeks. Even if we weren’t here, you should have asked for permission to delay the work. If the report was lacking or the ruins were extremely difficult, I’d understand. But the report was detailed, and even a first-year survived the place. It’s disgraceful to try and cover up the facts.”
“Ugh…”
“I’m not being sarcastic. But trying to cover up your irresponsibility by cutting off others is bound to make anyone angry. You say it’s difficult, but you gloss over why the exploration wasn’t done. Then you suddenly ask us to join the investigation and the clan. Something’s seriously off, don’t you think?”
Faced with my scathing criticism, Yoo Hyun-ah fell silent again. Of course, she had nothing to say. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that they couldn’t explore; they simply didn’t. They were likely waiting for us to return, hoping to recruit capable clan members and perhaps benefit from our achievements. But I wasn’t about to fall for such transparent tactics.
“It seems you have nothing more to say. I suppose there’s nothing left to say.”
”…Sniff.”
“Anyway, I’ll visit the temple tomorrow. It seems Mule’s representative clan can’t organize an investigation team. We were planning to leave Mule soon, but it’s unfortunate to be held back like this.”
“You’re leaving Mule?”
At the mention of leaving Mule, her eyes widened, glistening with unshed tears. She seemed genuinely upset, but there was no arguing against the facts.
In any case, I didn’t want to drag this out any longer. I didn’t want to get more entangled with her, so I stood up without responding to her last words. As I turned, I saw my companions watching the table tensely, their eyes now on me.
“User Go Yeon-ju.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“Let’s head out. It looks like we’ll be busy soon. Please see them off.”
“A wise choice. Leave the rest to us and go get some rest.”
“W-wait a moment!”
I heard a voice calling out to me from behind, but I deliberately ignored it and continued toward the stairs. Given the situation, there was no time to waste. It seemed like I had to take matters into my own hands. First, I needed to head to the temple tomorrow and turn things upside down to get at least a temporary certificate.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was pale skin. I also felt a warm, soft sensation against my face. It was a comforting pressure that put me at ease. As I lifted my head slightly, I saw Ha-yeon’s face, breathing softly in her sleep. She was holding me tightly, as if cradling something precious.
Last night, I had trouble falling asleep. It wasn’t just because my schedule was getting tight—I was confident I could handle that. The real issue was that the future seemed to be arriving faster than expected. The fact that the Beech Clan, destined to become the leading clan after the initial civil war, had already appeared was not something I could ignore.
If things continued like this, I would have to rethink many of the plans I had carefully laid out. Lost in these complicated thoughts, I was about to seek out Go Yeon-ju for information when Ha-yeon visited my room. Remembering she had mentioned coming by at night, I had no choice but to postpone my meeting with Go Yeon-ju.
I didn’t need her to explain why she was there. The moment she entered, she closed the door tightly and cast a silence spell around us. It was obvious.
She seemed troubled by what had happened earlier. As we lay naked in bed, she traced each of my scars with sad eyes and gentle fingers.
This was only the second time we had been together. Thinking she might not be used to it yet, I chose to be gentle, like a calm sea, rather than a storm. I didn’t just seek to satisfy my own desires; I wanted her to find joy in the experience too, so I held her and whispered to her countless times.
When we finally reached the peak, we both tasted the thrill of it. No words were needed. She fell asleep with a satisfied expression, and I felt a sense of healing for my old wounds and inner anxieties.
As I carefully got up, I noticed the beautiful lines of Ha-yeon’s body. Despite my efforts to be gentle, the marks were evident. Her breasts bore red lip marks, and around her lower abdomen were traces of something dried and white, scattered as if spilled.
I gently laid her back and pulled the blanket up to cover her. Avoiding her sleepy grasp, I checked myself over. I rarely slept deeply when alone, but somehow, in the embrace of a woman, I felt like I had truly rested.
Then it happened.
A pleasant scent suddenly wafted into my nose, and I found myself following it unconsciously. It was the smell I always woke up to before leaving Mule. When I turned my gaze to the source, I couldn’t help but chuckle. It was because my eyes landed on the table.
And there, on the table, was a single teacup, steaming with white vapor.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Yes, it’s a Saturday update. It seems the character Yoo Hyun-ah has sparked quite a bit of anger among readers. Haha. I’ve read through all the comments, and some have given me a lot to think about. I’ll do my best to make the story as engaging as possible to satisfy as many readers as I can. :) Now that the conflict chapter is over, I’ll try to speed up the pace a bit!
PS. The scene with Jung Ha-yeon was intentionally omitted. Because soon, with Go Yeon-ju… Ah, never mind. Ahem.
PS. Thank you to everyone who gave recommendations, comments, and coupons. Bow. (__)
『 Reader Replies 』
Kuroshion: Congratulations on being first. I remember trying Mabinogi Heroes when it first opened. I think I went into a dungeon, but I haven’t played it since. Haha.
Winged Bird: It might be better to have sewage water. If Yoo Hyun-ah is around, it’s not just sewage water; it’s a true disaster. Haha. Thanks for the comment. :)
Ro Yujin: Yes, Yujin, you’re right. Both mimics are currently open, and the user with strength 101 and Cha Seung-hyun are different characters. Some people seem to be confused, but you explained it well.
Is it a duplicate: Oops. Ahem. Ahem! Do you perhaps know me?
Potato Chip: Yes! Correct. It was
josh96073: Thank you for the coupon. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. (__)
Hyun-oh: Thank you, Hyun-oh. I have a rather impertinent question, but do you have a hobby of spanking? Why do you keep… ㅜ.ㅠ
Refill: Correct. You explained it perfectly without needing any additional explanation from me. :)
aJoon: Thank you! It must have been a lot of work. The length is quite daunting. I’ll read it slowly and send you a message if there are any corrections needed. :)
hohokoya1: Haha, thank you. I made a promise, so I must keep it. :) I listen to every reader’s opinion. My mental fortitude is strong, and I consider every piece of advice valuable, so don’t worry too much. :D Your feedback helps me and my writing grow.
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I always read all the comments repeatedly.
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