00195 Start Inn ------------------------------------------------------------------------
“That concludes my report on the subject’s self-soothing behavior.”
”…”
“Oh, and just to clarify, self-soothing is often referred to as masturbation. Commonly, it’s known as… well, for men, it’s more like a rhythmic sound, and for women, perhaps a softer one.”
“That’s enough.”
I raised my hand to stop her, and she immediately fell silent. Feeling unsettled, I reached into my pocket and found a round cigarette at my fingertips. Go Yeon-ju looked a bit sheepish. She had tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but my serious reaction seemed to have caught her off guard.
“May I add one more thing?”
“As long as it’s not something strange.”
“While she was… comforting herself, I had a chance to observe her eyes.”
I took the cigarette out of my mouth. Come to think of it, Go Yeon-ju had a habit of assessing people by their eyes. Given her perceptiveness, I decided it was worth listening to what she had to say next.
“Honestly, I did similar things when I was in high school. Okay, maybe more than a couple of times. Anyway, usually, people think of someone they like during those moments. Like a celebrity or a crush.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“But when I looked into her eyes… they seemed so tender.”
“Tender, as in a mix of longing and sadness. It’s not entirely unusual.”
Go Yeon-ju paused, looking at me intently. I met her gaze, saying nothing, silently urging her to speak plainly.
Sensing my unspoken request, she sighed deeply and continued.
“Alright, to put it bluntly… she seemed desperate. I noticed she often belittled and tormented herself. To be frank, she gave off the impression of someone mentally unstable.”
“Mentally unstable…”
I leaned back in my chair, picking up the cigarette again. I had suspected she wasn’t entirely normal. After all, what twenty-year-old acts like a child? It was just that everything else about her seemed so ordinary.
At first, I thought it might be an act. But her behavior remained consistent, even in life-threatening situations. It suggested a deeper issue with her personality. All I could do was sigh.
“Seems like this is weighing on you?”
“Well, it’s not something to take lightly.”
“True, but dwelling on it too much isn’t good either. If necessary, I could use my abilities to help.”
“As I’ve said before, your abilities are akin to mental contamination. It’s fine against enemies, but using it on allies, especially someone like An Sol who has little immunity, is like poison. Absolutely not.”
I rejected her suggestion outright. I was tempted, but trauma can only be resolved if the person is willing to confront it. For someone like An Hyun or An Sol, who keeps everything bottled up, it’s much more challenging.
I didn’t want to resort to methods that affect the mind. Once a pathway is opened, it leaves a mark, making future intrusions easier.
Go Yeon-ju nodded, stepping back. Her slightly pouting lips suggested she was a bit upset. Realizing I might have been too harsh, I softened my expression. She had worked hard to gather information and offered helpful insights. I had taken my frustration out on her unnecessarily.
“Anyway, we’ll think about An Sol’s issue gradually.”
“Yes, please do.”
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll review the records you brought. You can rest now.”
“Really? I can take a break?”
Go Yeon-ju gave me a playful look. I nodded, saying, “Of course,” and her expression shifted subtly.
“Well, after all the effort these past few days, I do need to recharge. So, you’re really giving me the green light?”
“User Go Yeon-ju, what’s gotten into you today?”
“Nothing~. I’ll go rest then~.”
She waved her hands as she left. I took a drag from my cigarette, exhaling forcefully. I felt satisfied with the progress on An Sol’s issue. Moving forward would require waiting for the right opportunity.
Just as I was about to return my focus to the records, I heard a soft sigh beside me.
“Ah, I should take a break.”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, something nudged its way into my arms. Glancing down, I saw Go Yeon-ju had nestled against me, half-pushing me off my chair. Despite booking the best room, the cheap inn’s chair creaked under the strain.
“What are you doing?”
“You told me to rest. This is how I relax. Ah, I feel rejuvenated.”
”…You could rest lying on the bed.”
“Oh, I’m always open to that.”
”…”
I was at a loss for words.
By tomorrow night, six of the seven days we planned for would have passed. The rescue operations were nearly complete. Although there were still sporadic communications, it was safe to say we were nearing the end.
The northern continent, Barbara, was in turmoil. While my clan and I were unaffected, the clans that suffered losses were in chaos.
The information Go Yeon-ju brought was detailed and aligned with my expectations. Her report amused me because she wrote it as if sending me a letter.
To summarize the current situation:
(Expedition Participation Status)
Crescent Moon (Dorothy’s representative clan): About 380 participants.
Balhae (Beth’s representative clan): About 400 participants.
Northern (Pamela’s representative clan): About 500 participants.
Stella (Mule’s former representative clan): About 290 participants.
(Other Notable Allied Clans)
Iris: About 150 participants.
Across Vino: About 220 participants.
Sky Keeper: About 100 participants. Notably, their top-tier member died.
Zumeun Garak: About 150 participants.
Mir: About 100 participants.
Hanul: About 150 participants.
Ihyang Gokye Muak Troupe: About 100 participants.
Magic Cloud: About 140 participants.
Nopsae Wind: About 190 participants.
Saul’s Father: About 210 participants.
Starlight: About 90 participants.
<Outcome: Approximately 4,700 elite users participated in the Steel Mountain expedition, a large-scale operation. Including subsidiary clan members, the number exceeded 5,000. Since the vagrant eradication plan, the clans that suffered the most are Golden Lion and SSUN. Golden Lion, which originally had 1,400 members, saw its power drastically reduced to just over 400, making it weaker than a typical city representative clan.>
<Currently, there are fewer than 500 survivors. Detailed results couldn’t be compiled due to time constraints. Ultimately, less than 10% of participants survived, indicating massive losses. Rescue requests continue but are dwindling. I predict the survival rate will barely exceed 10% or fall just short.>
This was the current status of the clans participating in the Steel Mountain expedition, as brought by Go Yeon-ju. While the detailed damage couldn’t be fully tallied, the overall results gave a rough estimate.
The future hadn’t veered off course. The damage was roughly in line with what happened in the first timeline. Of course, it wasn’t exactly the same. The most significant difference was that one of the top ten warriors had survived. In my memory, three of the top ten had returned. However, this time, all but one were either dead or missing. It was plausible, but what bothered me was that the survivor was the lord of the Golden Lion Clan.
Yet, upon reading the peculiar details, it made sense. Although he returned alive, he was gravely injured. I looked into it further and found out that he had lost an arm entirely, and his body was riddled with holes. His injuries were severe enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had died. Since he made it back to Barbara, he wouldn’t lose his life, but it seemed the shock, both physical and mental, was considerable.
With this, most matters were settled. Only two rescue requests had come in over the past four to five days. An interesting fact was that the tension among the clans was escalating faster than expected.
The participating clans wanted to search inside the Steel Mountain, but the non-participating clans naturally refused. When Barbara was first targeted four or five years ago, the expedition force numbered nearly 3,000. This time, they had assembled a force of over 5,000, nearly double, yet they failed to conquer the Steel Mountain. In fact, they suffered near-total annihilation within a week.
Even with the intent of rescue, no user was willing to risk their life to enter the partially revealed Steel Mountain. As such, the non-participating clans responded, “We’ve done our part. If you really want to, go in yourselves.” Naturally, the participating clans were left speechless.
Everything was proceeding as planned, except for one fact. Given the unrest within Barbara, it seemed likely that the Golden Lion Clan would issue a summons by tomorrow. If so, all we had to do was listen to the summons tomorrow, observe the initial reactions, and then leave.
I closed the report and twisted my neck in several directions. Looking out the window, the dim twilight was filtering through. I hadn’t realized it was already dawn, having been absorbed in the report and my thoughts.
Since tomorrow promised to be busy, I decided to turn in early. This wasn’t Mule, and it was far more beneficial to force myself to sleep than to wander around doing exercises under the moonlight. With that, I lay down on the bed and forced my eyes shut.
………. ………. ……….
Murmur, murmur.
I must have dozed off for a moment, but the sudden noise woke me up. Being a lower-grade inn, the soundproofing was poor, and the commotion outside was clearly audible.
Wondering what was going on, I opened the door to see numerous users rushing down the stairs, all of them visibly excited.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
It’s the start of a new May. Ah, time really flies. I suddenly remember my days as a soldier. Back then, time seemed to crawl, but it really depends on one’s perspective, doesn’t it? Hahaha. I hope you enjoy this episode as well. (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya: Oh, congratulations on being first. It’s really hard to predict who will be first these days. :)
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I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
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