I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I quietly observed Vivian. She exuded a confidence that suggested she was determined to succeed.
Thinking back, Vivian had never let me down. It was thanks to her that some of my chronic stamina issues had been alleviated.
As I toyed with the fruit of Yggdrasil, I felt a sense of satisfaction and finally spoke.
“Impressive, Vivian. You’ve learned to say things that pique my interest.”
“Huh? What do you mean, pique your interest?”
“It means you’ve caught my attention. But tell me… do we really need to use 16 vials on just one person, Baek Seoyeon? Even the Fairy Queen only needed eight.”
“Ah, well, you see, this potion is like a double-edged sword. It’s a rare case, but if Baek Seoyeon resists even after drinking it, it might become difficult to affect her with conventional methods. I mentioned resistance earlier, remember?”
“I see. One more question. Is there any way to influence the mind without using the potion? You once mentioned there were two methods. Like what you did with Mavolo…”
I glanced sideways at Ordo, hinting at my question, and Vivian burst into laughter.
“Haha! I know what you’re thinking, Kim Suhyun. Sorry, but directly manipulating the mind is beyond my current abilities. Even Mavolo, who was called a great wizard, failed at that.”
“Really? That’s a bit disappointing.”
“But it’s not like there are no options. If I use the power within this staff, I might be able to mimic some interesting things. There are plenty of methods. I’m just making suggestions; the choice is yours, Kim Suhyun.”
Yes, ultimately, the choice was mine. I was glad I had discussed it with Vivian. Whether it was due to the contract or her natural disposition, she seemed genuinely intent on thoroughly breaking Baek Seoyeon’s spirit.
Anyway, Vivian’s words were still in the planning stage. We’d need to take action to finalize the details.
Having made up my mind, I decided to end the conversation and move on to the meeting.
“Alright. I’ve decided. I’ll approve your plan.”
“Good, good. A very wise choice.”
“I’m planning to build a prison in the underground training hall soon. I’ll grant you unrestricted access. Let me know if you need manpower or materials. I’ll provide whatever you need.”
“Finally, Kim Suhyun is starting to see my true worth.”
Vivian crossed her arms under her armpits, nodding with a smug expression. Suppressing a sudden surge of sadism, I continued calmly.
“Yes, yes. I’ll delegate full authority over this matter to you, so do your best.”
“Don’t worry. Have I ever let you down?”
No, she hadn’t. I nodded a couple of times and stood up. Vivian, who had been basking in her confidence, widened her eyes and spoke.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. I need to attend the meeting. You don’t have to join. Focus on your work for now.”
“Oh…”
“Why?”
Suddenly, the arrogance on Vivian’s face crumbled. She seemed to have something to say, but her lips only moved slightly before she stood up with a sullen expression.
‘What’s gotten into her?’
“Vivian?”
“Alright… I’ll do that…”
Vivian answered in a subdued voice as she gathered her things.
I wondered if I had said something wrong, but nothing came to mind.
Just as I was about to leave for the meeting room, a faint voice reached my ears.
“Idiot. You could have meddled…”
’…’
What was Vivian trying to say?
“That concludes our meeting.”
I announced the end of the meeting as I organized the notes I had taken earlier. There wasn’t much to discuss. With the most pressing issue of the vagrants addressed, the rest were relatively straightforward matters.
“Everyone is still tired, but the situation around us is quite chaotic. I believe the Mercenary Clan needs to be well-prepared for these circumstances.”
Everyone except Vivian and Shin Jaeryong was present in the third-floor meeting room. As I watched the clan members nodding in agreement, I turned my attention to Ahn Hyun and Jung Ha-yeon.
“You both have tasks I’ve assigned to you. Please think them over and let me know any adjustments you need to make by the end of the day.”
“Yes, Clan Lord. But what kind of adjustments are you referring to?”
“Ahn Hyun, you’re in charge of the equipment inventory, right? You can’t do that alone. You’ll need a goods appraisal and some help. That’s what I mean.”
“Oh, I see.”
Understanding dawned on Ahn Hyun, and he nodded. He glanced slyly at Go Yeon-ju but quickly averted his gaze as if he had seen something.
“Alright, let’s adjourn. Everyone, please leave, except for the elder…”
Just as I was about to ask the elder to stay, I paused. Baek Han-gyeol, sitting at the end of the table, had raised his hand. It was unusual for him to request to speak publicly, so I gestured for him to stand.
“User Baek Han-gyeol, do you have something to say?”
“Cl-Clan Lord, I’m sorry.”
Baek Han-gyeol stood up, trembling, and immediately apologized. His face was pale, and it was hard to believe it was just nerves. I had noticed his restless demeanor throughout the meeting.
“Go ahead. What’s the matter?”
“I… I should have told you yesterday… but I forgot… I was so happy to see you…”
“Baek Han-gyeol. Calm down and take a deep breath.”
“Well, it’s…”
He was all over the place. As the clan members’ eyes focused on him, he seemed even more flustered. I tapped the table impatiently, waiting for him to continue. After about ten taps, he finally spoke again.
“When the clan members left the city to find you… I got some help from Istantel Low.”
“Yes, I heard User Jung Ha-yeon requested it, and they sent some people to protect the clan house just in case.”
I had already heard about this from Jung Ha-yeon. I was planning to visit Istantel Low soon to express my gratitude.
“Yes… but a week before you returned, I got a message from Ha-yeon through a crystal ball. She said she received word that you were alive…”
“And?”
“So, in my excitement, I told the person who came to protect us. They said they knew you well… and the next day, they came and…”
“Baek Han-gyeol. Stop stammering. Get to the point. What’s the issue?”
Unable to contain my rising irritation, I spoke in a firm voice. I knew this was his usual demeanor, but after conversing with the quick-witted Vivian, listening to Baek Han-gyeol was exasperating.
Sensing my impatience, Baek Han-gyeol continued with a nervous expression.
“Istantel Low asked me to tell you to bring the vagrants to their clan house as soon as you returned. I should have told you yesterday, but I forgot… I’m really sorry.”
Upon hearing this, my first reaction was curiosity. If they had sent the message a week ago, it would have been while we were still on our way back. How did Istantel Low know we had captured the vagrants?
“So they told you before we returned. How did Istantel Low know about it?”
“Maybe Han-gyeol told them. I informed them that I had met the Clan Lord and explained the situation.”
“User Jung Ha-yeon?”
“Yes. Han-gyeol wanted to know the details…”
Jung Ha-yeon answered. I bit my lip thoughtfully.
“Baek Han-gyeol. So after you told them, the person who came to protect you said that? Without a doubt?”
“Yes… They said, ‘Tell your Clan Lord to bring the vagrants to our clan house.’ Oh! And they mentioned there would be a summons soon, and you should attend…”
“A summons? Who exactly said that?”
“They called her the Executioner’s Princess…”
I finally understood the situation.
Yes, Han So-young wouldn’t make such a mistake, nor would she speak so bluntly. But if it was Yeon Hye-rim, her personality made it likely she would blurt things out without thinking.
I sighed deeply and looked around.
Those unaware of the situation just blinked in confusion, but the more experienced clan members wore displeased expressions. Even the usually amiable Shin Sang-yong seemed visibly upset.
I needed to get more details, but the Mercenary Clan had maintained a good relationship with Istantel Low. It wouldn’t be good for the clan members to develop animosity towards them due to Yeon Hye-rim’s unintended slip. I was pondering how to smooth over the situation when—
Knock, knock.
“Sorry to interrupt the meeting. Something urgent has come up, and I need to come in for a moment.”
Just then, an unfamiliar voice echoed through the room, and the door began to open slowly. The person who entered was an employee dressed in a maid’s outfit and garter belt. She seemed startled by the chilly atmosphere in the conference room, shrinking back slightly before cautiously speaking up.
“A user has arrived at the clan house. They have a request and are asking to see the clan lord.”
“Hmm hmm. Hmm hmm hmm.”
At the Istantel Row clan house, Park Dayeon was seated comfortably at a table in the lounge, humming a tune as she diligently scribbled something down. Occasionally, she twisted and turned in her seat, but her hand never stopped moving. Finally, she slammed her quill down with a satisfying thud and held her notes up high, admiring her work.
“Perfect. This is just perfect. Hehe.”
“Perfect? What’s so perfect about it?”
Whack!
“Huh, what?”
It was then that a mocking voice came from behind her, and in an instant, someone snatched the notes from her hand. Dayeon instinctively reached out to grab them back, but the other person held them high out of her reach.
Standing on tiptoe, Dayeon finally admitted defeat, letting out a frustrated sigh and pouting her lips. She glared at Yeon Hye-rim, who was now standing in front of her.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now. But what’s this? There’s nothing special in here. The way you were squirming, I thought it was a love letter. ‘To my dear Mercenary Lord.’ I got all excited for nothing.”
“A love letter? No way. It’s an invitation for the upcoming assembly. Give it back.”
“That’s what I thought. But there’s no need to send this.”
Yeon Hye-rim shrugged, tossing the notes back.
As Dayeon moved to retrieve the paper, she turned her head slightly and asked, “Why not? So-young told me to do it herself. Did she cancel it?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I already informed the mercenaries.”
Dayeon blinked in confusion, sensing something was off.
“Oh, remember when I visited the Mercenary Clan House to see the unicorn? That kid with the Shield of God told me about the Mercenary Lord. So I told them, when Kim Su-hyun returns, bring the wanderers and join the assembly. I asked them to pass it on.”
“What… what did you say…?”
“So, there’s no need to send that long-winded invitation. Haha. Didn’t I do well?”
Yeon Hye-rim spoke with a proud smile, her lips curling up.
At that moment, Dayeon’s eyebrows twitched violently, and her mouth opened wide.
“You idiot!”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
The new semester is starting soon. Haha. I feel a bit excited. The diet I planned for this break ended up failing. Sigh. Thinking about juggling school, writing, e-books, and dieting is already overwhelming. ;ㅇ;
『 Reader Comments (Episode 320) 』
UsainBolt: Congrats on being first. Haha. Kim Yoo-hyun and Kim Su-hyun have always had that kind of relationship. Su-hyun was such a pure child back then. :)
Atom: That sounds interesting. I’ll keep the question marks and exclamation points in mind. :)
BloodsuckingGirl: He’ll appear in the upcoming war segment. I wonder what happened to him? Hehe.
Astrain: I’m considering both Gu Ye-ji and Jo Seung-woo. Did you like Gu Ye-ji? :D
LittleDream: Thank you for the coupon. I’ll keep working hard. (__)
『 Reader Comments (Episode 321) 』
DemonKing: Congrats on being first. And it’s your first comment! It’s been a while since Miwolya announced retirement. Haha.
Annoyed: That’s intentional. The character is meant to be that ambiguous. :)
Lancelot du Lac: Even one bottle should have a decent effect. It’s already planned out. Hehe.
Fabian: I see. I’ve learned something good. I’ve made the correction. Thank you. (__)
Kavairi: Currently back to Monica.
PotatoChip: It seems you find it quite slow. Got it. I’ll try to skip unnecessary parts here and there.
dydy0114: dydy0114, you’ve shattered the image of the baby unicorn. ㅜ.ㅠ Sob.
Thank you for always reading. Your recommendations and comments are a great support.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.