Two Months Ago
A young man in casual attire sat perched on the edge of a fountain in the town square, humming softly with his eyes closed. At first glance, he seemed like a pleasant local out for a stroll. But the scene around him was anything but peaceful: the fountain intermittently spouted blood-red water, and the ground was littered with gruesome piles of bodies. Against this backdrop, the young man’s serene smile seemed unsettling.
Footsteps echoed.
The young man’s humming ceased abruptly as heavy footsteps approached. He squinted, peering ahead, then broke into a grin.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. The wanderer.”
“Wanderer? Not entirely wrong, but it gets old. Call me a vagabond instead.”
The voice was low, devoid of inflection, yet it carried a chilling menace. The young man, however, seemed amused, his smile widening.
“My apologies. I’ve had the translation spell active, but it seems I chose the wrong word.”
“No need to apologize. I’m the one here to ask a favor, after all.”
“Hahaha! No worries! I’m not that petty.”
“Good to hear. Well then, I suppose it’s only polite to show myself.”
With that, a man draped in blood-stained rags appeared, holding a massive scythe. His feet were planted at an angle, and blood dripped from the scythe’s blade, soaking the ground. For the first time, the young man looked intrigued.
“Oh, it seems my friends gave you a rough welcome.”
“Rough is an understatement. It was chilling.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“One of them attacked me out of nowhere. I knocked him down, didn’t intend to kill him. But then he started laughing and slit his own throat.”
The young man burst into laughter, clapping his hands in delight. He wiped his eyes, calming himself as his shoulders shook with mirth. Finally, he spoke in a bright voice.
“That’s just how they are. Understandable, right?”
“I’ve heard the rumors about the Western Continent. But every time I visit, it feels like the stories are understated. It’s madness… even lawless lands aren’t this bad.”
The man glanced around cautiously, and the young man responded with a warm smile. He reached into the fountain, rummaging around before pulling out a severed head with a twisted expression of agony.
“This was Jacqueline, known as the Traitor. Quite influential here on the Western Continent.”
“And you must be Simon, the Butcher?”
“That’s what they call me. Not a name I cherish, but it is what it is.”
“Then Simon it is.”
Silence stretched between them. Simon, as he was called, seemed lost in thought, absently stroking the severed head. After a while, he spoke again.
“Things have been dull since this one died. Your proposal was intriguing. Our investigations align with what you wanderers have said.”
“Intriguing, huh? It’s odd to hear you talk about this as if it’s entertainment.”
“The translation spell isn’t perfect. There might be nuances lost. But the Western Continent has become a haven for outcasts from all over.”
“Outcasts…”
The man murmured, a hint of bitterness in his voice. Yet he couldn’t deny Simon’s words. Murder, robbery, assault, war—such terms had become all too familiar here, ingrained in the very fabric of the land.
“Jackie—ah, that’s a nickname—left a void when he died. Peace doesn’t suit this place. We need somewhere to wield our blades freely. But enough of my complaints. You probably aren’t interested in the details.”
“Some of your words are hard to grasp, thanks to the translation spell.”
“Haha! I can’t help that. Let’s move on to more interesting topics, shall we?”
“Sure. Officially, this is our third meeting, right?”
Simon counted on his fingers, then nodded.
“Officially, yes.”
“During our second meeting, your subordinate set a condition. We fulfilled it by killing the Matriarch, as promised, to meet you.”
“We received the evidence. You’re curious why I set that condition, aren’t you?”
“Knowing that would help us proceed.”
Simon tilted his head, the word “proceed” seemingly unfamiliar. His innocent expression belied his notorious reputation.
“Killing the Matriarch was a precaution. An uncertain one, but with potential.”
“Could you elaborate?”
“Of course. Do you know about the guardians of each continent?”
I pinched Lee Yoo-jung’s cheek as she rushed in, then headed straight up the stairs. In the office on the fourth floor, two women awaited me.
Sip.
Im Hanna held a teacup with one hand, exuding an air of elegance and confidence. She seemed like a noble lady, especially if dressed in a lavish gown.
“I heard about it. Someone you know was in the first rescue team for the Hallucination Canyon.”
“Yes…”
“You should have told me. I would have gone sooner, even if it was risky.”
“No, I didn’t want to burden you. And I heard from Yeon-joo that you did your best…”
Im Hanna’s eyes flickered with sadness, likely recalling a friend lost in the rescue mission. I nodded a few times and took a sip of tea.
Silence lingered. It didn’t take long for Im Hanna to regain her composure. I watched her for a moment before speaking softly.
“I heard you’ve discussed things with Go Yeon-joo.”
“Yes. If you’re willing, I’d like to ask for your help, even if it’s shameless of me.”
“I arranged this meeting because I’m open to it. But I have a few questions first, if that’s alright.”
“Of course.”
Im Hanna glanced sideways, then nodded awkwardly. Go Yeon-joo stood quietly beside me, her demeanor unfamiliar to Hanna.
“First, I heard other clans have approached you with offers. Why choose the Mercenary Clan? Is it because of the Night Flowers?”
“That’s a big part of it. The two clans that approached me suffered significant losses in the first rescue mission. They couldn’t afford to accept my request.”
“Any other reasons?”
“I’ve grown close to the Mercenary Clan members while living at the Love House. It feels like a family, unlike other clans. I also became curious about the clan Yeon-joo joined.”
Her answer was sincere, if not surprising. It was enough, but I hesitated over one more question. Should I ask it?
‘I should.’
Despite the sensitivity, it was important to address.
“One more thing. It might be a bit personal.”
“It’s fine. Ask away.”
“Alright. You’re a skilled archer, capable of handling yourself. Why tie yourself to the Night Flowers?”
”…”
Im Hanna didn’t answer immediately. She slowly raised her teacup to her lips. Just as I wondered if I’d overstepped, she set the cup down with a soft clink.
“This might take a while.”
“I’m all ears.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Im Hanna’s eyes grew misty, and she began to share her story slowly.
The owner of Love House was once a successful user, four years into the game. He was known for discovering at least one relic every year, big or small. Im Hanna had the chance to join his caravan and, after proving her skills, managed to secure her place there.
However, about a year ago, the caravan led by the owner met with a disastrous accident during an expedition, resulting in near-total devastation. While the owner, Im Hanna, and a few others barely survived, the damage was too severe to rebuild the caravan.
The incident left Im Hanna deeply shaken, prompting her to take a break from activities. Meanwhile, the owner gathered the remaining members and accepted a merger offer from another clan.
That was the gist of Im Hanna’s story.
“I managed to recover from the shock bit by bit, but doing nothing for months was terrifying. That’s when the offer to manage Love House came in. My brother was always laid-back. Instead of pulling me in immediately, he wanted to ease me back into the field with some work.”
“I see. You call him ‘brother,’ so I assume he’s a male user. It’s surprising he thought of a place like Love House.”
“Well, it’s a bit awkward to say, but… he had a girlfriend back then. She worked in a similar field in the modern world. He was kind-hearted and seemed to have a soft spot for the women of the night, always asking me to take good care of them. His last words before leaving with the first rescue team were about that. They’re both gone now, but I want to honor his wishes as he cared for me.”
“Hmm…”
I paused, reflecting on her words. It felt like there was more to the story, but it was just a hunch. Delving deeper would be inappropriate, so I decided to wrap up the conversation.
“Thank you for sharing. I wasn’t aware of your circumstances. However, I must apologize in advance. The Mercenary Guild can’t employ all the women of the night.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. But Yeonju has some ideas…”
“That’s true, but it’s strictly up to Go Yeonju. How many women are you currently looking after?”
“Twenty-five. Twenty of them wish to join as employees.”
That meant the remaining five intended to continue their current work. Some women in the trade earn quite well, sometimes even more than combat users. In any case, fewer numbers would be better for me.
“Ten. I’m considering about half, at most twelve. Is that acceptable?”
“If it comes to it, I thought of sharing the money I’ve saved. The fewer there are, the more each will receive. It seems like the best choice.”
“I’m glad we could reach an agreement quickly. Welcome to the Mercenary Guild.”
“Thank you for accommodating my request. I’ll work hard from now on. Please take care of me.”
Im Hanna and I exchanged a light handshake. I heard Go Yeonju clapping softly beside us.
As we released our hands, Im Hanna hesitated, then spoke cautiously.
“Should I bring the women who want to join myself?”
“No.”
I replied firmly. While I was confident in security, it was just a thought. The security plan for the clan house was one of my top priorities. Security doesn’t happen on its own; it requires personal attention. The first step is to be selective about who we let in.
After finishing the last of my tea, I spoke with determination.
“I’ll personally select the users who will join as employees. I hadn’t mentioned it, but that’s the final condition.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
I intended to include a scene about using the summoning stone today, but I couldn’t. ㅜ.ㅠ So, I’ll briefly explain the summoning stone. :) It’s not that grand. A summoning stone consists of two magic stones (stones with magic circles engraved to trap magic) that form a pair. One is for summoning, the other for receiving. Let’s say there’s a person A and a person B. If A and B store their unique magic wavelengths in each magic stone, the summoning stone can be activated immediately. If A has the summoning stone and B the receiving stone, when A infuses their magic, a signal is sent to B’s receiving stone. B then knows A is calling them. It seems convenient, but there are many drawbacks. The more summoning stones there are, the harder it is to distinguish whose is whose, and the receiver only knows they’ve been called, not the location. So, it’s important to distinguish them well in advance and set a summoning location. :)
PS. Thank you, BrokenFan, for the Seraph and Vivian fan art! Vivian was so beautiful that I used it as a cover without permission. If you send a comment or message, I’ll take it down immediately. (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
Miwolya: Congratulations on being first. Yes, the time apart was quite long, and Kim Suhyun has changed a lot. Especially since Kim Yuhyun remembers Kim Suhyun from the modern world, the gap will be even more pronounced. :)
Sosuyoungseo: Yes, Kim Yuhyun is Kim Suhyun’s older brother. The elixir will be a key to opening a new episode and the second part. You’ll start to see the hints soon. Haha.
shadowΞghost: After wrapping up Im Hanna’s story and organizing the clan house, a new chapter will begin. It’s the chapter that marks the end of the first part. :)
Monguhunter: I really want to tell you now, but I’m sorry. Both things you mentioned will appear in this chapter. So please look forward to the content!
FallenWing: Is that so? Haha. I have no words for my sins. I’ll try not to let it go on for a month! :)
Shinyujin: Yes, as previously mentioned, one of the elixirs was originally Yuhyun’s. Will Hyoeul find the elixir valuable enough to use? Hehe.
Dallidakum: No, the orphanage won’t work. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. It might be portrayed a bit pitifully. Don’t worry!
Kussen: I can do that too. It’s not difficult, just copy-paste. But sometimes there are long comments, and if I copy-paste them all, it might get too long…
Garlic: Then I’ll stand with my hands up in surrender!
Hyunoh: Hyunoh’s comments are awesome! Ansol’s comments are the best!
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