The time for nurturing has passed.
The scent of betrayal lingered in the air. Yujeong’s words struck like a dagger, and I could see Hanbyeol’s face turn pale. She seemed prepared when she entered this place, but hearing such blunt words in front of everyone was clearly too much for her to handle.
The atmosphere around the table grew cold. Some clan members, unaware of the situation, widened their eyes in surprise, while others seemed to grasp the underlying tension. The silence was suffocating, and I felt a growing sense of frustration.
I let out a long sigh, unable to contain my discomfort any longer, and noticed the clan members’ eyes turning towards me. Honestly, it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. It reminded me of the time when a festive mood was abruptly ruined, and I could empathize with Park Hwanhee’s feelings back then.
I shifted my gaze away from Yujeong. This wasn’t a private conversation between the two of us; it was a gathering of everyone. Taking sides openly here would not look good. I needed to address the situation more tactfully. So, I turned to Goyeonju, who had been silently observing.
“Goyeonju, I don’t think you need to give a separate report.”
“What?”
“Judging by the actions and words of the others just now, I think I already have a good idea.”
”…I’m sorry.”
I wasn’t directly reprimanding Yujeong. However, my words carried multiple meanings. It might seem unfair to Goyeonju, but it was necessary to convey my message effectively. The clan members seemed to understand my point, exchanging bewildered glances between me and Goyeonju.
As everyone was busy gauging each other’s reactions, Hanbyeol’s subdued voice broke the silence.
“I’m Kim Hanbyeol. I’m twenty-two years old. I have a secret class as a Jewel Mage… I was a member of the Golden Lion Clan. I’ll do my best here at Mercenary.”
“Good job. You can take a seat now. Next up… Hangyeol?”
Hanbyeol sat down weakly. Watching her, I clicked my tongue and quickly moved on to the next introduction, eager to get through this part swiftly.
“Ah, hello. I’m Baek Hangyeol.”
Baek Hangyeol stood up cautiously, clearly uneasy with the awkward atmosphere, and swallowed nervously.
“I’m eighteen years old… um… and…”
“You mentioned you’re a new user, right?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Could you tell us what your class is?”
Jeong Hayeon asked again. Baek Hangyeol hesitated, glancing at me before speaking.
“Actually, brother—I mean, Clan Lord, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I had a feeling. I could tell from what I saw in the auditorium today.”
“What? Then why didn’t you say anything…?”
“I figured you had your reasons. I was waiting for you to tell me.”
‘Though I knew long before today.’
Baek Hangyeol let out a relieved breath, likely having been anxious about keeping this secret from me (though technically, it wasn’t a secret). I decided to give him the floor with a faint smile.
“Still, I’d like to hear more about it. Could you show us your power again in front of everyone?”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Baek Hangyeol raised his right hand. There was no incantation or preparation, yet in an instant, a faint flow of magic was felt, and a white light appeared from his raised hand. The light enveloped his hand, forming a small shield.
“Um… according to my class information, it’s called the Shield of God.”
“The Shield of God, huh? That’s quite something. What’s the word before the class name? Is it Normal, Rare, or Secret?”
“It’s Secret. But it says Arousal Secret.”
As Baek Hangyeol finished speaking, murmurs of astonishment spread through the room.
“The Shield of God? A Secret class? Arousal? What do these mean?”
“Arousal? It means to awaken, stimulate, or rouse.”
“So, it’s an Awakened Secret class… It seems to have a strong defensive nature.”
“Could you tell us what kind of powers it has?”
Questions bombarded Baek Hangyeol from all sides. He looked to me for help, and I raised my hand to meet his expectations.
“That’s enough.”
“Where did you find a Secret class…?”
“Oh, I’m curious too. Hangyeol, how did you inherit a Secret class?”
“Uh…”
This was an important point that needed clarification. Baek Hangyeol wore a puzzled expression, tilting his head.
I genuinely hoped for a new clue beyond what I already knew. However, Baek Hangyeol’s response dashed my expectations.
“I’m sorry. I don’t really remember. It just felt like an unknown energy surged within me, and everything went white. It was all so sudden that I can’t recall it well.”
“I see…”
“I’m sorry…”
I reassured Baek Hangyeol with a look, calming his nerves, though I felt a pang of disappointment inside. I glanced at Ansol, who was staring at Baek Hangyeol in shock.
Ansol had a similar experience during the initiation. She was the one who saved the others from the wraiths while I distracted the deadmen. I wondered if Ansol’s experience was somehow linked to the Awakened Secret class.
The clan members were buzzing with excitement about Baek Hangyeol. The atmosphere was welcoming, unlike the tense introduction of Kim Hanbyeol earlier. Just as I was about to feel a twinge of bitterness, Shin Sangyong spoke up.
“So, both of the new members brought by the Clan Lord have Secret classes? Kim Hanbyeol, the Jewel Mage, and Baek Hangyeol, the Shield of God.”
“That’s right. So, our clan now has four Secret class members.”
“That’s really impressive. Haha!”
“Haha. I’ve always been interested in Jewel Mages. I hope we can get along well as fellow mages.”
As they spoke, the clan members joined in with laughter and agreement. I felt grateful for having recruited Shin Sangyong and Jeong Hayeon. I believe a Clan Lord should always maintain a neutral stance in official settings. Showing bias can lead to internal discord. Seeing them naturally mediate without my intervention was reassuring.
“Let’s conclude the introductions here. I know you’re curious about the new members, but please hold your questions for now. We’ll arrange a separate time for that. Let’s continue with the meeting.”
“Yes, understood.”
Goyeonju responded quietly, and the intermittent chatter ceased completely. She had remained silent since my earlier remark. I glanced at her and offered a slight smile.
‘You’ve heard about the kids every time we come to the academy, right? You know what I mean, right? Sorry.’
Yes, I understand. Don’t worry about me, just continue with your work. Her gaze conveyed this message, allowing me to finally speak at ease. The matter I had asked her to keep secret wasn’t something to be discussed openly here.
“I’ll hear Goyeonju’s report later. Now, User Jeong Hayeon?”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“How’s the clan house situation progressing?”
“In short, we’ve narrowed it down to two locations. However, we haven’t finalized the decision yet. There’s something important I need to report regarding this, but it’s not suitable to discuss here…”
“Understood. We’ll visit those two places today, and you can fill me in on the details then.”
Jeong Hayeon nodded once. Next, I turned to Vivian and Shin Sangyong.
“Vivian La Clacidas, how’s the elixir development going?”
“The formula is complete, and I’ve selected the equipment. But there are two issues.”
“Go on.”
“The heart of the demon and the magic stone of Horens are too imbalanced. Even with the magic circle of harmony, my purified spirit alone isn’t enough. So, we have two options.”
“Either enhance one side’s power or weaken the other.”
Vivian nodded in agreement. I pondered for a moment, realizing I needed to hear more details.
“Alright. What’s the other issue?”
“It’s related to the clan house. I’ll join you when you go to check it out today.”
“Alright.”
I nodded in agreement. It seemed everyone had made some progress, but they were stuck at the final hurdle. This indicated that there were issues they couldn’t resolve on their own.
‘I’ll need to hear more, but it’s not bad.’
I believed we could maintain the minimum standards. With that thought, I slowly scanned the room. Each clan member I looked at showed a mix of tension and excitement, eager to share their progress. I knew they all had much to say, but listening to everyone would take forever. So, I decided to ask about the things I was personally curious about.
“User Ahn Hyun.”
“Yes? Yes!”
Ahn Hyun responded with surprise, his eyes wide. It seemed the term “user” was still unfamiliar to him.
“What happened with the Legend of Hofron?”
“Ah… I failed.”
“Why?”
“I’m still not quite adept with the spear, so trying to handle a shield was overambitious. I wanted to make use of the reflection effect somehow, but it ended up being neither here nor there. I went out hunting and just got a lot of flak… I’m sorry.”
“I see. Then I’ll consider the Legend of Hofron returned.”
I had anticipated a high chance of failure. It seemed like he was trying to mimic a phalanx formation he’d seen somewhere, but that strategy is more suited for group battles, not solo ones. The main goal was to give Ah-hyun various experiences anyway. He seemed a bit disappointed, but it didn’t really matter to me how it turned out.
I decided to wrap up the conversation here. As much as I wanted to sit down with each clan member and hear their detailed stories, that was something I could do alongside future tasks. Avoiding the expectant gazes of the others, I continued speaking.
“There are a few more things left, but the important ones just need my approval. I’ll need to hear the details, but I understand. Now, the next steps are the issue…”
I paused for a moment, then slowly raised my right hand. Initially, all my fingers were extended, but I soon folded my thumb and pinky, raising my voice slightly.
“Three days. Let’s resolve the current issues within three days. After that, I’ll announce a new plan, so if any clan members have personal matters to attend to, please wrap them up within these three days.”
“What? Three days?”
“Of course, I’ll need to hear from Go Yeon-ju to finalize things. But if my hunch is correct, there won’t be any changes. We’ll have a detailed briefing in three days.”
I noticed Go Yeon-ju and Jung Ha-yeon’s faces tense slightly at my certainty. They probably had a sense of what was coming with the mention of a briefing. They looked like they were dying to say something, but given what I’d already said, they kept their mouths shut.
“Let’s conclude the meeting here. Shin Sang-yong? Could you assign accommodations to the new members and perhaps have a meal with them? It’ll be a good chance to introduce them to the clan.”
“Of course. But wouldn’t it be better if the Clan Lord joined us for the meal?”
“I’m fine. I have things to do.”
“Brother, let’s at least have a meal together. I have so much to say…”
“Let’s have dinner together. I’ll hear you out then.”
An-sol looked a bit disappointed, but I wasn’t about to let the atmosphere relax just because I was back. The Mercenaries are now a clan fully out in the open. As I’ve said before, now that we’ve left Mule, I have no intention of being lenient. I plan to quickly establish a tense atmosphere to prepare for what’s to come.
“Alright, everyone, please head out. Ha-yeon, could you wait outside the inn for a moment? I’ll join you shortly.”
“What about me?”
“Oh, you said you’d go too, right? You wait with them. Everyone, go about your tasks. I’ll probably be back around the afternoon.”
As I issued my dismissal, the clan members began to rise one by one. I was a bit worried about whether they could adapt to the sudden rush of activity upon my return, but strangely, some of them wore faint smiles. It was as if they felt reassured.
I tilted my head in slight confusion but then dismissed the thought as I watched Shin Sang-yong approach Kim Han-byeol and Baek Han-gyeol. Turning to Yoo Jung, who was just about to push in her chair, I spoke up.
“User Yoo Jung.”
“Huh? Yes, yes!”
“Stay for a moment. I have something to discuss.”
At my words, Yoo Jung immediately slumped her shoulders and lowered her head.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
(We’ve started a popularity poll for female characters. It’s currently up as a survey. I’d be very grateful if readers could participate.)
I hope it was conveyed well, but Su-hyun is currently in a state of urgency for some reason. I do enjoy small, everyday stories. However, given the current situation, focusing on the unfolding events in line with Su-hyun’s mindset seems to be the right approach. Of course, I don’t intend to keep things too tight. To balance the mood, I’ll include parts that readers want to see from time to time.
With this, the reunion part is over. Haha. I never expected the phrase “the smell of betrayal” to get such a big reaction. Some readers might find Yoo Jung and the others’ behavior immature. I’d like to explain this in detail, but I’ll just ask you to keep watching the story unfold. Someday, if readers can say, “At least they’ve grown in this area,” or “This part has changed,” I’d be very pleased. :)
『 Reader Comments 』
破天魔痕: Haha. I always mentioned Miwolya, and now 破天魔痕 has reclaimed the top spot. Congratulations on being first! :) Congratulations to the second and third places as well. Hahaha.
악마신전: Ah, you’ve made my heart skip a beat. A notice about the final exams will be up soon. I might have to take a break or do some continuous updates, but I can only hope for readers’ understanding. ㅜ.ㅠ
감자띱: I’m currently leaning towards the name Im Han-na. I’m still thinking it over, but if there are no major issues, I’ll change it to Im Han-na. Once confirmed, I’ll update it in the author’s note. Thank you.
오시안: Sharp as always. Hahaha! Yes, it’s questionable whether those two women will let Su-hyun rest at night. :)
재밌는건뭘까?: Rather than being the top priority, I’m thinking of showing fun episodes related to the top character. As long as it doesn’t disrupt the story. :D
전설의유저: Of course, it’s infuriating. How dare someone speak like that to the Clan Lord, especially when he brought them in based on his judgment. Instead of half-killing them (scary. ㅜ.ㅠ), Su-hyun plans to gradually adjust things. That might be scarier for Yoo Jung.
juan: Correct. As expected from someone who majored in psychology, you have a good grasp. The protective barrier of Su-hyun is no longer there. From now on, they’ll face the harsh reality of the whole plane.
너꼼수: It felt a bit daunting during the academy part, but I’ve regained my composure. (Embarrassing.) Looking back from the first episode, I see notes begging for reader comments. Hahaha. I read each and every comment from readers. Sometimes, they come up with perspectives I hadn’t considered, which makes me happy.
ilovemeen: Haha! Yes, I’m a man. I’ve completed my military service. :) You seem to like things that are straightforward. :) Yes, I often hear that I’m a bit meticulous.
하네뤼: While there will be some tough times, from now on, they’ll have to keep up on their own. If they can’t, they’ll be left behind.
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great source of strength.
I hope you always read the story with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.