“What is this? Then I won’t do it.”
The light illuminating the magic circle had completely faded. Baek Seoyeon’s gaze swept over my face. How could I possibly describe her expression right now? Just moments ago, her arms had been wrapped tightly around me, but now they slowly fell away.
Seoyeon hesitated, taking a step or two back. One thing was clear: there was still a glimmer of hope in her eyes, as if she were thinking, “No, this can’t be happening.”
After a brief silence, Seoyeon finally spoke.
“Who… who are you?”
“Well, who do you think I am?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, my voice smooth and unbothered. Seoyeon was instantly thrown into confusion. She glanced at my face, then quickly turned to look behind her. The same underground prison as yesterday, filled with vagrants who seemed just as lost. Unsure of where to go, Seoyeon stumbled backward, her feet tangling beneath her. The sound of her fall echoed through the quiet underground.
Even in that situation, she tried to stand, but she could barely walk without leaning on me. Accepting the reality of the situation seemed beyond her. Meanwhile, the vagrants were closing in. Seoyeon, on all fours, finally cried out in a voice that sounded like a plea.
“Don’t come any closer!”
But her words did nothing to stop them. The vagrants approached her, lifting her up and beginning to taunt her. They groped her, violating her personal space.
As the reality of the situation sank in, the brief relief on her face twisted into despair. The faint hope that had been flickering in her eyes turned into tears.
“No, this can’t be happening… You’re Hyun, right? I’m just seeing things, aren’t I?”
“Hyun? My name is Suhyun. You’ve been calling for Hyun, but who is that? You seem pretty desperate to find them…”
“What…?”
Seoyeon’s voice was choked with emotion. Perhaps she was trying to convince herself it was all a dream, as she squeezed her eyes shut. The illusion created by Vivian had been that effective. I signaled to the vagrants with a glance. One of them forced Seoyeon’s eyelids open, making her meet my gaze. Her eyes were trembling violently.
“Hyun… hak!”
Seoyeon managed to speak through her trembling voice, but the vagrants’ hands elicited involuntary sounds from her. The drug’s effects lingered, making her body react. As if moving to the main event, they stripped off the robe we had put on her and laid her back on the ground. They surrounded her, bending over her simultaneously.
“Stop it! Don’t do this!”
Even in that moment, Seoyeon struggled, but in her current state, it was futile resistance. A vagrant grabbed her slender arm, forcing her to hold his grotesque appendage. I watched for a moment before slowly turning away.
“Don’t leave! Help me, Hyun! Hyun!”
Seoyeon’s cries echoed through the silent underground prison, a desperate scream from deep within her throat. But as I ascended the stairs, her voice, once dry, began to fill with moisture.
Before reaching the top, I glanced back to signal Go Yeonju. The vagrants were already moving vigorously, and Seoyeon’s body jerked like a broken doll. Her face, once tinged with hope, was now replaced with despair. Her eyes, once alive, now held a dull, lifeless light. The hope we had barely kept alive was utterly shattered.
“I’ll have to call Lee Hyoeul.”
I turned my gaze away from her dim eyes and continued up the stairs. Lee Hyoeul was the organizer of the summons, and there were essential matters to confirm before proceeding.
I took a deep breath, organizing my thoughts. It was a sigh without reason.
“Extra! Extra! Everyone, make way! The Western Continent and the vagrants have begun their invasion of Halo!”
I was returning from the temple, having found it too crowded to conduct my business. As I crossed the bustling square, a loud voice rang out. A man hurriedly pushed through the crowd, posting a large notice on the square’s bulletin board. He dropped a stack of records with a thud and quickly ran off again.
The square erupted into a buzz of activity after the storm-like passage of the reporter. But it wasn’t chaos; people had heard rumors of the impending invasion and were simply reacting to the inevitable. Still, curiosity about the details drew users to the bulletin board.
I wasn’t interested in jostling for a view, so I grabbed a record from the stack and swiftly left the square.
The record, though I didn’t know who wrote it, was fresh with the current war situation. The claim of an invasion of Halo was false, but the enemy’s approach was imminent, expected within two days.
The record contained various other details.
The enemy’s numbers were easily over ten thousand. Forces divided during the invasions of Beth and Dorothy were regrouping. Northern cities were reluctant to send reinforcements, using the recapture of Mule as an excuse. The Golden Lion urged SSUN to abandon Halo, planning to regroup and reclaim it later, though it seemed a difficult task.
The record, while somewhat conventional, aimed for factual accuracy.
“Abandon Halo, regroup, and reclaim it later.”
The record’s bottom noted that users residing in Halo were increasingly fleeing to other cities. Seong Hyunmin had mentioned the Golden Lion’s struggles to organize reinforcements, and it seemed true. The loss of key users during the Iron Mountain expedition made it clear that any hastily assembled force would be inadequate.
I dropped the record and quickened my pace toward the clan house. It had been two days since Baek Seoyeon’s training ended. With the summons approaching, Lee Hyoeul was expected to visit the mercenary group, and she might have already arrived.
Upon reaching the clan house, I learned from the receptionist that Lee Hyoeul had indeed visited. It seemed my timing was fortunate.
Go Yeonju had personally escorted her to the office on the fourth floor, so I wasted no time climbing the stairs. Entering the office, I found her sitting quietly on the sofa, engrossed in something. I quickly approached the desk. A familiar voice played from the crystal orb.
(The reason I became a vagrant… It was probably just over a year ago…)
(The number of Western Continent and vagrants invading the Northern Continent is about…)
(The Western Continent’s commander is a user named Simon. I haven’t met him directly, but…)
(Those who’ve met him say he doesn’t seem human…)
Sensing my presence, Lee Hyoeul turned her head and spoke.
“Oh? You’re here… Oh, just so you know, I didn’t mess with this on my own.”
“I know. I told Go Yeonju I’d be out for a bit.”
“Hmm. I see. So where did you go?”
“The temple. I had business with the angels.”
I infused magic into the summoning stone with Go Yeonju’s name and sat across from Lee Hyoeul. She gave me a curious look at the mention of the temple.
“Really? What did your angel say?”
“I didn’t meet them. It was too crowded.”
“I see. So… you got the summons, right? What do you think? I’m quite useful, you know.”
“We’ll discuss that with Hyung later. There’s something more important right now, so let’s get to the point. You saw the crystal orb, right?”
I deflected her question, unable to decide immediately. Lee Hyoeul pouted, “Then you should have brought him along,” but quickly answered my question.
“I saw a bit at the beginning. I didn’t expect to gather information this way.”
“This is the most accurate method. There’s no risk of lies, and it helps everyone understand.”
“True, that’s a good point.”
Lee Hyoeul nodded in agreement.
The crystal orb on the table contained the recorded conversation with Baek Seoyeon from the previous day. Two days ago, we had finally broken her. Vivian had personally deemed it a “failure,” but from my perspective, it was a success. Although we hadn’t completely shattered Seoyeon’s mind, we had weakened her mental state enough for the Eyes of Temptation to succeed.
”…”
”…”
I sat in silence with Lee Hyo-eul for a moment. Glancing at her, I noticed her cheeks were slightly flushed. She seemed calm on the outside, but I could tell her heart was racing. There was no need for more words; we had already shared our thoughts in a previous conversation. While a crystal ball could suffice, hearing it directly from Baek Seoyeon would be more convincing.
About five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Soon, the door swung open, and Go Yeon-ju entered with Baek Seoyeon. Her eyes, shimmering a soft gray, suggested she had already cast a spell of allure.
Thud!
Exhausted from the spell, Baek Seoyeon collapsed to the floor as soon as it ended.
“Phew. At least that’s a relief.”
The whirlwind of questions had finally come to an end, and the first thing Lee Hyo-eul said was how relieved she was. Her cryptic words prompted me to ask, “What’s the relief about?”
“Ah, think about why the vagrants killed the matriarch. If there had been a traitor among those who know me, what would have happened to me by now? If you hadn’t saved me…”
Lee Hyo-eul trailed off, unable to finish her sentence, a bitter smile playing on her lips. Her words made sense, so I nodded quietly. Then, she smacked her lips and stood up resolutely.
“Simon… Whether it’s the vagrants or Simon, they’re quite something. It wasn’t just about revenge. Tsk. I can’t just sit around. I’ll have to move up the assembly order.”
This was unexpected. I thought she might delay the assembly after today’s meeting, but instead, she planned to expedite it. You could call it decisive action, but it might also mean there are gaps in preparation.
Sensing my concern, Lee Hyo-eul smiled lightly and said, “Don’t worry. I have enough influence. Besides, Halo’s invasion is coming sooner than expected, so I was considering moving it up anyway. I should get going. There’s a lot to do. Thanks for having me today. And…”
She started to say more but suddenly turned to Go Yeon-ju, who was sitting quietly beside her, and bowed politely.
“Thank you for your help today, sister-in-law.”
“Don’t mention it. I hope to see you again, sister.”
Go Yeon-ju replied in a graceful voice.
As I watched them, slightly bemused by their camaraderie, Lee Hyo-eul turned to me with a look of realization.
“Oh, Mercenary Lord. Would you mind seeing me out?”
“Why should I…?”
“I have something to discuss with you. It’s about your brother, and it won’t take long.”
I was about to refuse, but since it involved my brother, I couldn’t ignore it. I had heard he was quite upset that I had insisted on coming here with Lee Hyo-eul.
I asked Go Yeon-ju to take care of Baek Seoyeon and left the room with Lee Hyo-eul. We walked down the corridor, descended the stairs, and had just reached the lobby when it happened.
“Brother!”
“Squeak!”
Ansol, who had been playing in the lobby, spotted me and shouted excitedly, hugging a unicorn tightly.
Ansol and the unicorn both waved at me with one arm each.
“Is that a unicorn…? Oh, it’s still a baby. Anyway, it seems they want to talk to you, so I’ll wait outside. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Lee Hyo-eul, who seemed to have seen a unicorn before, murmured in a nonchalant voice. She glanced at Ansol and the unicorn before starting to walk away.
Ansol ran towards me as Lee Hyo-eul passed by. They were only a few steps apart when it happened.
Lee Hyo-eul, who had been walking smoothly, suddenly stopped. She turned her head sharply to look at Ansol, who was running into my arms.
Throughout the conversation about Baek Seoyeon, Lee Hyo-eul’s expression hadn’t changed once. But now, her face was a picture of shock, as if she had seen something unbelievable.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I’ve intentionally left out the details of the conversation with Baek Seoyeon. I’m planning to issue the assembly order tomorrow, and I realized the story would be repetitive. So, I’ve deliberately omitted it for now and will reveal everything in the next chapter. I hope readers will understand. Only the final part of the assembly order remains. Haha.
September has begun! I personally hope this September will be a bit cooler. :)
『 Reader Comments 』
Devaran: Congratulations on being first. Haha. You seem to read the story very accurately. :) You remember the details well!
dbss: Haha. Thank you! This week was a bit shaky with the start of the semester, but I think I’ll gradually get used to it. :)
Like the Wind: It’s been a while! Thank you for the coupon. :)
Off to Love 19: Right. Baek Seoyeon is bad, but there wasn’t much narrative about her situation, and given the current circumstances, she’s quite pitiable. This makes Suhyeon the bad guy…(?)
Bullet: Wow. No, thank you! ㅜ.ㅠ But I can only cut up to 24 chapters at most. Is it possible to pay for more? Like, if I pay for three months twice, can I read for six months…? ?ㅇ?
J.F: Everything that’s been building up has finally exploded all at once. :D That’s why I arranged the potion sequence that way. As someone mentioned, it’s complete hope torture. -_-a
Quill: Once the assembly order is over, I think there will be a lot of scenes that pass by quickly. That’s how I plan to proceed with part two. Hahaha.
CemeteryGates: Personally, I’m very curious about readers’ reactions to the ending. I can’t wait to write that part. I wonder how Kim Suhyeon will react then.
Ersyrina: Huh? I’m Royujin. Well, you can call me Royumi. I’ve heard it so much that it doesn’t affect me anymore. Hahaha! I’ll just go cry under the covers for a bit.
UrDREAM: Reading your comment, UrDREAM, somehow reminded me of Norazo’s song. Was it Superman? Run and run and run and run! Spin the Earth twelve times!
Thank you for always reading. I hope you enjoy the story with a relaxed mind.