Recollection
“I want to take charge of my own destiny.”
The words came out of nowhere, a sudden declaration of wanting to shape her fate. I looked up, surprised, and met the calm, steady gaze of Im Hanna.
“It’s a personal wish. On a small scale, I want to watch over someone. On a larger scale, I want to test my fate.”
Sensing my confusion, Hanna quietly added more to her explanation.
”…Hmm.”
I tapped my finger on the table, a habit of mine when deep in thought.
Though I had initially planned to put the ‘Twilight Priestess’ on hold, I was at least willing to hear Hanna out. I wasn’t going to make it easy, but I thought she might have a pressing reason. However…
‘Her explanation is lacking.’
I suspected there was more to Hanna’s situation.
But objectively speaking, her reasons were her own, and my responsibilities were mine. Moreover, she seemed to have clammed up, as if she wanted to say no more.
After some deliberation, I made my decision based on the principle that a clan leader must be fair in official matters.
“Hanna, it’s best to put the Twilight Priestess on hold for now.”
“Oh…”
A flicker of disappointment crossed Hanna’s face. But she quickly masked it with an embarrassed smile, as if she realized how unreasonable her request had been.
“As I mentioned in the meeting earlier, we might be heading into war soon. Learning the Twilight Priestess now could be detrimental.”
“You’re right. I hadn’t considered that I might not be familiar with a new class. I didn’t think it through.”
“Exactly. And honestly, I’m also concerned about the clan members’ opinions. Many have earned secret or rare classes through hard work. You understand what I mean, right?”
“Yes, I understand completely. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble. I was too focused on my own desires.”
Fortunately, Hanna took it well. A less understanding person might have shown dissatisfaction, but she accepted the reality.
“I think a little ambition is good. Anyway, while it’s not a substitute, I’ll approve all the other equipment for you.”
“Thank you.”
“And… I plan to be very fair about equipment distribution from now on.”
Watching Hanna bow deeply, I thought… What am I thinking right now?
Anyway, I paused before continuing, making sure to meet her eyes.
“If you show a performance in the upcoming war that everyone can agree is impressive, the Twilight Priestess will be yours.”
“Hehe. War is scary, but I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”
Hanna smiled with a refined grace, crossing her arms to accentuate her full figure.
Is she doing this on purpose?
‘No, it must be a habit.’
Just like how I tap the table when I’m lost in thought.
With that thought, I cleared my throat a couple of times and stood up.
I planned to head to the warehouse first.
The Golden Lion’s warp gate had been severed. Not by the East or South, but by their own doing.
Reactions to the Golden Lion’s actions were mixed among users.
Are they crazy? Did they block it to prevent users from leaving for other cities?
It’s a bit ambiguous to say that. They could have cut it off earlier if that was the plan.
Some users were planning to move if nothing changed by the 10th. Maybe they wanted to prevent that? They need a minimum defense force, after all.
I can’t figure out what they’re thinking… Does anyone have contact with someone in Barbara?
Speculation was rampant, as the situation hadn’t been fully clarified.
I sighed briefly, breaking from my thoughts, and looked down at the communication crystal glowing with a clear light.
(Why the sudden sigh? Suhyeon, are you listening?)
“Yeah, I’m listening.”
(Alright… Anyway, we’re still trying to figure out the details. I’ll let you know if we find out anything.)
My brother’s face was pressed close to the crystal, eyes wide. As if that would help him see better.
I stopped myself from sighing again and nodded.
“Got it. But, brother, how’s the situation in the East? Is everything going smoothly?”
(Pretty much. We’ve finished internal organization, and user deployment is going well. Thanks to Lee Hyo-eul running around, things are progressing faster than expected. How’s the South?)
“Monica’s similar. But there are some users who seem resistant to conscription… I’m not sure. Until last week, the war felt distant, but now there’s a growing tension in the city.”
(Well, it’s about time people started feeling it. Conscription involves some coercion, so it’s unavoidable. We’ve left that issue to the representative clans of each city, so don’t worry too much.)
Don’t worry. Don’t stress. Those were the words I heard most often during video calls with my brother.
Just as I was about to reassure him that I was fine, he opened his mouth again.
(By the way… Suhyeon.)
“Yeah?”
(We might be leaving as early as next week… Have you made up your mind about what we talked about before?)
His quiet tone made me pause.
I had mostly made up my mind, but there was one important thing left. Whether my brother knew this or not, he gave a clumsy smile and spoke again.
(I’d love for you to be by my side, but… I’d prefer if you followed the South. Of course, staying put would be ideal.)
”…I’m visiting Istantel Low today.”
(Oh, really?)
“Yeah. I’ll probably decide by tomorrow. I’ll let you know.”
(You better.)
He made me promise again before saying he had to go. The East seemed quite busy.
I told him to go ahead and cut the magic to the crystal.
‘Fools. How did it come to this…’
I pushed the now dark crystal aside, clicking my tongue as I lit a cigarette.
No matter what decision the Golden Lion made, cutting off their own warp gate was foolish.
Cutting the warp gate doesn’t mean travel is impossible. It just takes longer, but you can still walk, like I did from Mule.
Despite everything, the Golden Lion was once the pinnacle clan, ruling the northern continent.
There’s a saying that wealth lasts three generations, or that even a rotten fish is still a fish, but it seems those don’t apply to the Golden Lion.
‘To be precise, it means Do Young-rok’s capabilities are only so much.’
Not that it’s any of my business. With that thought, I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes to gather my thoughts. I rolled the cigarette between my fingers, and once it was fully smoked, I slowly stood up.
It was almost time to visit Istantel Low.
Though it hadn’t been long since my last visit, the Istantel Low clan house was bustling compared to before. Clan members who had been on missions were back, and users with business at the representative clan were everywhere.
‘No wonder my summons was delayed.’
Seeing how busy they were, I understood why my summons had been delayed. I brushed off the tiny bit of disappointment I felt and followed the guide to the room, turning the doorknob. That’s when I heard it.
“Go out and listen! What? You haven’t received any rights? This is so frustrating! The kids outside are really…!”
“Alright, alright, just calm down. The Mercenary Lord you’re waiting for might arrive soon.”
“Who’s waiting! And he’s not even here yet!”
The moment I opened the door, a familiar voice rang out sharply. Thankfully, it wasn’t Han So-young’s voice, so I took a moment to survey the room.
Han So-young sat at her desk, looking weary, while Park Da-yeon was breathing heavily, clearly upset. It wasn’t hard to guess who had been shouting.
”…”
A brief silence followed. As time passed, Park Da-yeon began to change like a chameleon.
Her raised eyebrows gradually lowered, and her right leg, which had been propped up, straightened.
Once she completed her transformation, Park Da-yeon’s small lips opened demurely.
“Welcome, Mercenary Lord.”
“Ah… Yes. Hello.”
“It’s nice to see you again, but I’m quite busy right now. I need to head out. Please excuse me.”
”…Of course.”
The woman who had been shouting moments ago was gone, replaced by a demure Park Da-yeon, who nodded politely and smiled gracefully. She then attempted a model walk with her short legs (she’s 155cm tall) and closed the door neatly behind her.
However, as soon as the door shut, I heard the sound of her running down the hallway.
Of course, the muttered “This is crazy!” and “Nothing’s going right these days, damn it!” were a bonus.
After a whirlwind of chaos that wasn’t quite chaos, I finally managed to have a conversation with Han So-young.
“You seem quite busy these days.”
“Yes, it seems that way. Things in this world don’t always go as I wish.”
Though few in number, I had seen several users causing a ruckus on my way here, so I understood what Han So-young meant.
“Anyway, that’s that… I intended to contact you sooner, but things got complicated, and I kept putting it off.”
“I’m aware of the current situation, so it’s fine. But… is what you want to discuss related to the operation?”
“Hmm? You already know?”
“If you’re referring to Operation New World, my brother mentioned it.”
As I nodded, a flicker of surprise crossed Han So-young’s eyes.
Operation New World aimed to completely deal with the invading users from the Western Continent.
To elaborate, the Northern Continent was currently occupied by Muel, Beth, Dorothy, and Halo, and the fall of Barbara was imminent. Even if Barbara were to be reclaimed, the Western Continent users had already secured their escape route.
What if they used the warp gate to retreat to the western cities and then back to the Western Continent?
The Northern Continent users would be left chasing shadows.
Timing was everything. Each city’s role was crucial to this delicate timing.
In simple terms, the East would focus on stalling at Barbara, the South on reclaiming Beth and Dorothy, and the North on Muel. The sequence was for the East to buy time at Barbara while the South and North reclaimed their cities, cutting off the Western users’ escape. Once the South and North reclaimed their cities, they would immediately support the assault on Barbara, rounding up the stranded Western users and vagrants.
This was the essence of Operation New World.
“In that case… we can move quickly.”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
Han So-young’s weary face softened with a faint smile, seemingly pleased with my straightforward answer.
“Alright. Then, if you don’t mind me asking, will the Mercenary Road participate in this war…?”
Han So-young paused, perhaps noticing my expression, then continued.
“Let me rephrase that. Will the Mercenary Road join us in the Western assault, or are you considering the Central?”
Her voice carried a hint of tension, but I answered without hesitation.
“I will…”
The next morning.
After a quick wash and breakfast, I headed straight to the third-floor conference room. Having informed the clan members in advance after returning from Istantel Low yesterday, I found everyone present when I entered.
“I’ve gathered you all today to announce that the time has finally come.”
As soon as I took my seat, I spoke in a low voice.
The room was filled with a cold air, the atmosphere as solemn as a surgical room before a major operation.
Though I spoke indirectly, surely no one here was foolish enough not to understand.
“As you all know, we received official contact from Istantel Low yesterday. As I mentioned before, we intend to participate in this operation without fail.”
”…”
There was no response, but I could feel the tension rising.
“Now, I’ll explain the details… but first, there’s something I need to address. It’s what you’re all most interested in right now.”
I paused, reaching into my pocket to pull out a document. It contained plans I had been contemplating for a while and had finally completed last night.
The Mercenary clan currently had 13 members. After making eye contact with each of them, I began to speak calmly.
“Before explaining the situation, I’ll announce the lineup for this war.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Subtitle ‘Middle Or West’. This subtitle was about whether Kim Soo-hyun would choose the Central or the West.
If he goes West, you’ll encounter past and future connections you’re curious about, and if he goes Central, he’ll achieve what he’s been planning. Of course, in the current novel situation, it’s just a matter of whether it happens sooner or later. Haha. However, there will be differences in significance. :)
I feel like I’m gradually getting back into the groove. Although I started a bit early, it’s been a long time since I finished writing before 11 PM.
Did you all have a good weekend? Although it’s Monday, just hold on for two more days, and it’s Chuseok! Hang in there!
PS. I failed the Bronze promotion match again. ㅜ.ㅠ
PS2. SingingDoll: Haha. I don’t think that person would do that, but if you reveal it, I’ll also reveal the League ID of 달밤에xx, who is serializing in the general section.
『 Reader Comments 』
UsainBolt: No, if there are no issues, I want to stick to the midnight update. :) Congratulations on being first!
Devaran: Haha. Being second is also really impressive. Absolutely. And the Golden Lion will become even more pathetic. :D
MyungBakJjang’sYangYangHapIl: Such embarrassing words… And I’m a man. ㅜ.ㅠ
Rovellian: I see. For some reason, your words resonate with me. ;ㅅ;
Melis: Correction completed. Thank you!
HyunOh: I like strawberries and cheesecake! But I’m on a diet. ㅜ.ㅠ
kaJimae: Ahem. Thank you. Ahem. How are you today? :)
EmberMain: It’s not so much luck as there are still places where the intercontinental passage hasn’t been breached, and most operate within their own continent. It’s true the protagonist hasn’t encountered them yet.
Yoon: Gasp. I love Parliament Lights, but your comment stings. I want to quit, but I can’t write without them. -_-a
hohokoya1: Oh dear. Sob. I’m grateful, but I’m worried. Please read my writing as a brief respite for your mind! Study hard! Fighting~!
Thank you always for reading. I hope you read my work with a relaxed mind.