Tears of a Vagabond
As soon as I stepped out of the warp gate, I headed straight for the “Old Man’s Jewelry Shop.” It was late, but Ansol’s words kept nagging at me. I figured it was best to take care of business quickly and return to Monica.
Contrary to my anxious state, the streets of Mule were unusually calm. I felt almost foolish for being so on edge. Still, I believed you could never be too prepared, so I kept a vigilant eye on my surroundings as I entered the bustling shopping district.
After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at our destination. Pushing open the worn wooden door, I found the sharp-eyed old man engrossed in some records. He was so absorbed that he didn’t even notice my entrance.
“Old man.”
“Huh? Oh…”
He sighed deeply, finally tearing his eyes away from the records. As soon as he heard my voice, he turned his gaze toward me. Three seconds passed, and his eyes widened in recognition.
“Is that you?”
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Still using that peculiar greeting, I see.”
“Haha, I’m glad you remember. I don’t use it often.”
“Well, what brings you here? You must be busy these days… hmm.”
Despite his words, he was already getting up to offer me a chair. I chuckled lightly and sat down with my clan members.
“It’s good to see you’re alive and well.”
“Yes, I had some business in another city and thought I’d drop by.”
“Ah, you came all this way for such a trivial promise… It must have been awkward.”
“Oh, you knew?”
He must have been referring to the clash with the rival clan. When I asked, the old man nodded as if it were nothing.
“It was quite the commotion back then. It’s not every day you see a sword fight with a major clan.”
“I see. Did you know anyone involved?”
“No, but it was ruled as self-defense, so that’s a relief.”
The old man casually changed the subject, and I nodded. The verdict had already been given, so there was no point in dwelling on it. He must have known it was a sensitive topic.
A brief silence followed. I glanced down at the display case, where the records the old man had been reading were neatly arranged.
“What were you reading? You seemed so engrossed you didn’t even notice us come in.”
“Hmm? Oh, these? They’re nothing! Don’t look.”
He hastily gathered the records, but I had already seen enough. They were all about the Mercenary Clan.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
I almost burst out laughing. The old man quickly closed the records, but his flushed neck gave him away. I composed myself and spoke quietly.
“It would have been nice if you’d come with us back then.”
“What are you talking about? I was just reading out of boredom.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Yes, business has been slow lately…”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant it would have been nice to have you with us.”
Someone nearby couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“You’ve grown cheeky since I last saw you. You used to be so bold.”
“It was just a joke.”
Despite the lighthearted banter, it was time to get to the main point.
“Hanbyul.”
At my call, Kim Hanbyul stood and approached, stopping a short distance away. I reached out and gently pulled her closer, addressing the old man.
“This is the gem mage, Hanbyul. Say hello.”
“H-Hello…”
Though she stammered a bit, Hanbyul bowed politely. The old man adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly.
“Well, well. A gem mage, you say? Nice to meet you… And you managed to bring her from the Golden Lion. Impressive.”
“Oh, you knew about that too.”
The old man snorted and gave me a sharp look.
The sky, painted red, was slowly giving way to darkness. The sun was ready to set in the west, and twilight was creeping over the land. Soon, evening would fall, and the night would take over.
The bustling shopping district had quieted down. Only a few places would be lively at this hour: inns for sleeping, taverns for drinking, or places of ill repute. Not all the lights in the shops were out, but foot traffic had noticeably decreased.
“Su-hyun, what are you thinking about?”
The sudden voice made me turn. There was Go Yeon-ju, leaning against the jewelry shop wall just like me.
We had stepped outside for a moment, giving the old man and Hanbyul some privacy. I also had my reasons for wanting to talk to Go Yeon-ju alone. Fortunately, Ansol was content to stay inside and admire the jewels.
“Just thinking about a few things.”
“I see… How did you meet the old man?”
“I met him when I was active in Mule. He was good to me.”
“He’s quite charming, despite appearances. I was surprised to learn about the rare class of gem appraiser.”
“Really?”
After revealing Hanbyul’s identity as a gem mage, the old man had shared his own class. I already knew, so I feigned surprise. But the clan members were genuinely shocked to learn that even non-combat classes could be rare. Even Go Yeon-ju was taken aback.
I don’t think the angels created the gem appraiser class for no reason. It must have its uses, perhaps even complementing the gem mage class. And even if not, recruiting the old man would be beneficial for the clan’s future.
Though I was optimistic, the old man’s recruitment wasn’t confirmed. Our clan wasn’t large enough to worry about management yet.
As I sorted my thoughts, I noticed Go Yeon-ju looking down, playing with her feet. I watched her for a moment before speaking softly.
“Yeon-ju.”
“Yes?”
She answered with a bright smile, her gray eyes meeting mine. Her gaze softened, showing no trace of resentment. If I were in her shoes, I would have been upset. She had even cried.
Yet, since morning, she hadn’t shown any sign of holding a grudge. That made me feel even more guilty.
“I’m sorry.”
“Su-hyun…?”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t myself this morning. I truly regret it.”
”…”
For a moment, Go Yeon-ju looked puzzled. Then she smiled gently and closed the distance between us. She glanced at the door before wrapping her arms around me.
“I already accepted your apology this morning. You don’t need to feel bad.”
“I was shocked to see you cry… Did it hurt that much?”
She chuckled softly, resting her head against my chest. After a moment, she murmured, “Being oblivious must run in the family,” and looked up again.
“I wasn’t crying because it hurt.”
”…”
“Honestly, I was thinking about our first night together. Your eyes were so different then. I felt inexplicably sad and scared. When it was over, the sadness just overflowed. That’s why I cried. I didn’t expect to… well, you know. Keep it a secret, okay? Should I get some salt?”
Go Yeon-ju spoke with a wistful look in her eyes, but soon broke into a wide smile and burst into laughter. It seemed she wanted to end the conversation on a light note. However, I gently pulled her into a slow embrace.
“Yeon-ju, I truly feel sorry. I mean it. Back then…”
“Really, I’m fine. I understand how you feel, Su-hyun.”
“But I…”
“Let’s stop talking about it. Do you really want to see me flustered, Su-hyun? It’s embarrassing. Besides, if you think about it, I was the one who provoked you first.”
I just wanted to express my sincerity, but Yeon-ju playfully covered my mouth with one hand and poked my chest with the other. Then she softly took my hand and led me towards the jewelry store’s door.
“If you must, treat me better than Ha-yeon~. Anyway, let’s go inside now.”
“What? But we haven’t finished talking…”
“The conversation’s over. I was eavesdropping from the start.”
Just then, as we approached the door, it swung open, and Kim Han-byeol peeked out.
“Oppa, are you done talking…?”
Seeing us standing right at the entrance, her voice trailed off with a curious lilt.
A man emerged from the forest, his sharp gaze sweeping over the surroundings before he gestured lightly.
Rustle! Rustle, rustle!
Soon, hundreds of figures began to appear from the woods.
The man turned his gaze to the people behind him, his eyes filled with pride.
“Kim Gap-soo, Baek Seo-yeon.”
He quietly called out two names, and a burly man and a woman in tight-fitting attire stepped forward.
“We received word from the main group yesterday. As you were informed, the operation is set for tonight. You’ve all communicated this to your respective units, right?”
“Yes, it’s done.”
“Good.”
Nodding at the confident response, the man turned to Kim Gap-soo.
“Gap-soo, what’s the status of our inside people?”
“They’re all lying low near the north gate and the warp gate, waiting. As soon as the north gate is breached, they’ll open the gates and seize the warp gate.”
“Excellent. I’ll lead the charge at the north gate. Once it’s breached and chaos ensues inside, you start your assault on the west gate. And the warp gate… you’ve made sure of it?”
“Yes, it’s all set. No need to worry.”
The man then shifted his attention to the woman.
“Seo-yeon, I’m still not sure if I should entrust this mission to you.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t you trust my skills?”
“It’s not about your skills. You have too much heart for a rogue.”
“That just makes me more effective, right? Don’t worry. I’ll breach the east gate and reach the warp gate before Hyun or Gap-soo.”
Seo-yeon twirled a dagger confidently, nodding. Kim Gap-soo frowned slightly but quickly composed himself under Hyun’s watchful eye.
“Remember, this is war. In war, people die. If you act recklessly like last time…”
“Don’t worry~.”
”…Alright. And as I said, leave the south gate. As much as I’d like to wipe them all out, we need to leave one escape route, just like they did.”
Hyun paused, then turned, his voice as cold as a blade.
“Kim Gap-soo, Baek Seo-yeon. Lead your units to the target locations now. I’ll give a clear signal, so don’t act prematurely.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Kim Gap-soo and Baek Seo-yeon darted off in opposite directions. Simultaneously, the presence of thousands in the forest split and moved.
Thus began the war for revenge.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
Dear readers, I apologize. I was planning to post an afterword and replies, but I ended up lying down for a bit. My head still feels heavy, and I can’t seem to muster any strength. I’m sorry, but I’ll take just one more day off from posting the afterword and replies. Usually, a night’s sleep is enough to recover, but my condition has been off lately. No matter what, I’ll post a proper afterword and combined replies for the three episodes tomorrow. I ask for your generous understanding. (__)
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