Confession (2/2)
Two months had passed since the war between the Northern Continent and the Allied Forces had ended.
In that time, many things had happened both internally and externally, but the most significant change was that the post-war cleanup was finally nearing completion.
The most critical issue had been the plan to pursue and encircle the fleeing enemies, which had met with only partial success.
It was, quite literally, only half a success. While they managed to capture or kill most of the Western Continent users, the majority of the vagrants, including their leader and top brass, had slipped through their fingers.
This was inevitable, as the Western Continent users were unfamiliar with the Northern Continent’s terrain, and the vagrants were experts in evasion and guerrilla tactics.
A month passed, and then another. Finally, the Northern Continent deemed maintaining the encirclement pointless and decided, after a meeting, to significantly reduce its scale. (They hadn’t completely given up on pursuing them.)
Now, the focus shifted to rebuilding the ruined cities and dealing with the prisoners—tasks that had been postponed to second or third priority. The decision was made to concentrate on restoring order within the Northern Continent.
In the city of Barbara, meetings were held almost daily, with clan leaders and officials constantly coming and going.
And with each of these numerous meetings, I received a formal invitation to attend.
To be honest, I had no desire to participate in these pointless meetings.
However, since the invitations were sent politely rather than as orders, I attended. Even as a freelance mercenary, acting too independently wouldn’t be seen in a good light.
Today’s meeting, in particular, was crucial, as it involved those who would decide the future direction of the Northern Continent. So, I had to at least make an appearance.
“As I mentioned earlier, we plan to focus on reorganizing and refining the Northern Continent. Naturally, many discussions will revolve around Barbara from now on.”
Was she trying to wrap things up?
Standing at the podium, Lee Hyo-eul spoke in a serious tone, her hands firmly placed in front of her.
She was the guardian of the Northern Continent, a figure shrouded in mystery to the general users. This meant that the clan leaders and officials gathered here were all connected to the guardian in some way.
“Before we conclude, I have one last thing to say to all of you.”
Pausing for a moment, as if about to announce something significant, Lee Hyo-eul scanned the room with a piercing gaze. When her eyes met mine, she continued.
“You all remember the incident where we rooted out the vagrants who had infiltrated each clan as spies.”
At that moment, I felt several eyes turn towards me.
The term “spy extraction” referred to the incident where we broke the mind of Baek Seo-yeon, a captured prisoner, to extract confidential information about the vagrants. The number of spies hidden within each clan was vast, and they were highly organized.
Once the attention was on me, it didn’t easily shift away. But I maintained a calm demeanor, staring straight ahead without reacting.
“I still remember what one vagrant said back then. They planned to sow discord among the clans after the war, to divide the Northern Continent, and eventually turn it into a lawless land like the Western Continent.”
”…”
“Some might dismiss it as nonsense, but I think differently. I believe it’s a possibility. So, let me make this clear.”
In the silence that followed, Lee Hyo-eul stepped down from the podium, her eyes burning with determination, as if she had received a divine message.
“If anyone here dreams of becoming the next Golden Lion, it’s best to wake up from that dream now. Should any clan show even the slightest sign of rebellion… as the guardian of the Northern Continent, I will do everything in my power to stop them.”
With a light sigh, Lee Hyo-eul softened her expression and concluded her speech.
“Please keep this in mind, and let’s end today’s meeting here. Thank you all for your efforts.”
With her meaningful words, the long meeting finally came to an end.
‘Today wasn’t a complete waste of time.’
Though there would be many more discussions to come, I hoped today would end early.
Because today, I had a very important appointment.
After the meeting, I waited a bit before slowly getting up. As I joined the others leaving the room, I was about to head to my appointment when—
“Mercenary Lord.”
‘My brother… isn’t here. Did he leave early to wait for me?’
I had hinted to him that we should meet briefly after the meeting. Since we were seated on opposite sides of the room, it seemed he was waiting outside to avoid the crowd.
“Mercenary Lord!”
Just as I was about to step out, a mysterious voice stopped me. Turning my head, I saw a familiar figure beside me.
A woman with a mystical aura, holding a card in one hand. She was the clan leader of the Tower of Magic and a secret class Tarot Card Magician.
Her name was Seon-yul.
“Tower of Magic Lord.”
”…Could you just call me Tower Lord? ‘Tower of Magic Lord’ sounds a bit awkward.”
“Sure, Tower Lord.”
“Much better. Though I’d prefer if you called me Seon-yul.”
Despite her request, I shrugged. Anticipating my reaction, she shrugged back and spoke nonchalantly.
“Do you have something urgent? I called you several times, but you didn’t seem to hear.”
“Oh, I have an important appointment today. I was just thinking about it.”
“An appointment?”
Seon-yul’s eyes widened at the mention of an appointment. As I pondered why it seemed so strange, I heard her click her tongue in disappointment.
“Oh dear. I didn’t know you had prior plans.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, you asked me for a favor recently, remember? I was hoping to use that as an excuse to have a meal together today.”
“A favor…? Oh.”
The word “favor” felt unfamiliar for a moment, but I quickly recalled.
I had needed a rare item and had asked around for it. It was hard to find due to its high value, but through Go Yeon-ju, I learned that a certain clan had it. After negotiations, I managed to acquire it.
And that clan was none other than the Tower of Magic, led by Seon-yul.
“We don’t have many of those either… I gave it to you for less than the market price…”
I could only offer an awkward laugh at her grumbling, and Seon-yul clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“There were so many things I wanted to ask… but since you have prior plans, I guess it can’t be helped.”
“I’m sorry. It’s a really important appointment… I’ll invite you first next time.”
Feeling a slight twinge of guilt, I offered to invite her first next time, and Seon-yul’s expression brightened immediately.
“Oh, really?”
”…Yes.”
“An invitation from you. Hmm. Hmm, hmm. Sounds good. I’ll look forward to it, as they say, a man’s word is his bond.”
‘She’s truly an unpredictable woman.’
As I shook my head internally at the thought of how exhausting she was to deal with, her sultry voice reached me again.
“Well then, don’t keep the lady waiting too long.”
“I’ll be on my way then.”
I offered a polite farewell, though inwardly I couldn’t help but chuckle.
A lady, she said. Wasn’t Seon-yul’s true name the Demure Enchantress?
If I could view my own user information, I’d be too embarrassed to say such things.
After parting ways with Seon-yul.
As I stepped outside the building and reached the entrance, I saw my brother waving at me with a welcoming smile. I returned his smile and slowly closed the distance between us.
In truth, my brother, or rather, the Haemil Clan, had returned to their base a week ago. They hadn’t suffered any significant losses in the battle with the Allied Forces (not a single member, I was told), and after a brief rest, they had joined the encirclement forces.
As a result, the promise we made during the battle had been unexpectedly postponed, and after my brother returned, I sent a message as promised. The message was simple: “Let’s grab a meal.” But my brother was surely waiting for me to bring it up first.
‘I’ll be waiting for your call. Once you’ve sorted things out, reach out to me. I’ll wait as long as it takes.’
That’s what he had said before we parted at the warp gate.
“I thought you’d be out sooner. Took you a while, huh?”
“Got caught up with someone unexpected.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Just someone.”
Knowing how sensitive my brother was about my relationships, I gave a wry smile and dodged the question.
Soon, my brother and I left the entrance and began walking side by side. Though we hadn’t decided where to eat, we continued walking, our direction aligned. It meant my brother was thinking the same thing as I was.
As we headed towards the warp gate, I fell into thought.
‘How should I bring this up?’
What I was about to discuss was highly classified information. Of course, I trusted my brother, and he trusted me, so I had no qualms about sharing it.
If there was one problem, it was that there was just too much to talk about. My life had been so full of ups and downs that I had no idea where to even begin.
“……”
“……”
My brother and I didn’t exchange a single word until we arrived at the warp gate. It was unusual, but I understood his perspective. As he had mentioned before, he was probably waiting for me to start the conversation.
Just as I was nervously biting my lip, my brother suddenly turned to me.
“Should we head to Monica? Or Princia?”
“…Princia.”
“Princia, huh? I’ve always wanted to visit your clan house.”
“The Mercenary House can wait… There’s a place in Princia I really want to see.”
“Hmm. If that’s the case.”
He nodded a couple of times and then turned his gaze forward again.
It was a lazy afternoon, so there weren’t many people around. Only three or four users stood ahead of us.
“Next, please step forward.”
When it was our turn, my brother and I quietly stepped into the portal.
Silence returned. It wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward, but there was a certain heaviness to it.
Instinctively, I placed a hand over my chest.
Inside my coat was the ‘Crystal of Truth’ I had acquired from the ‘Tower of Magic’ clan. I didn’t think it was absolutely necessary, but I had brought it as a kind of insurance.
With my hand on my chest, I felt the smooth, round surface of the crystal through the fabric. And I thought to myself.
I had already made up my mind. When I had called upon the ‘Thunder God,’ there was no turning back.
Yes. It was time to speak. In fact, it felt long overdue.
As we slowly climbed the steps and approached the portal, I took a deep breath and spoke softly.
“Brother.”
“Two to Princia… Hmm? What is it?”
“I… I have something to tell you.”
“……”
He seemed to have expected this. He turned to me calmly and then gave a gentle smile.
After a brief pause, he responded as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Alright.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions via messages, so let me clarify a few things. :)
The current series is not Part 2, but a side story. After finishing Part 1, I planned to take a two-week break, but that would overlap with my exams in December, requiring another two-week break. To avoid a long hiatus, I decided to release side stories instead. These stories will fill in the two-year gap between Part 1 and Part 2.
The side stories will be divided into several parts, each an independent episode. They will cover things like confessions, gathering talents, the Frozen Forest (exploration), and other small daily events that weren’t covered in Part 1.
The side stories are published freely, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop. So, no need to worry.
Part 2 will begin after my exams and once the vacation starts.
I’ve read all your comments about Seraph. Unfortunately, the parts that fall under ‘the rest’ will be revealed in the conclusion, so I ask for your understanding that I can’t disclose them now. However, I’ve dropped a few hints along the way (Episode 121, the card), and I’ve noticed a few of you have guessed correctly. :)