The room was adorned with a high ceiling painted with beautiful patterns and lavish decorations. In the center stood a round table surrounded by three sofas, creating an atmosphere of luxury and exclusivity. This was the VIP room, reserved for welcoming esteemed guests.
The renowned “Sword Queen,” Nam Da-eun, had come to visit the Mercenary Clan.
After instructing my staff to escort her to the fourth floor, I quickly wrapped up my meeting and hurried to the VIP room. There, I found her sitting gracefully on the sofa.
“Would you like some tea?” I offered.
“Wow, thank you~,” she replied, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.
As I poured the hot water from the kettle, a thin stream flowed into the cup, releasing a wisp of steam. She accepted the cup with both hands, her demeanor polite and composed.
I couldn’t help but steal glances at her as she sipped her tea. Her long hair framed a delicate, pale face, and her small, peach-colored lips held the cup gently. Her eyebrows, slightly arched, gave her an air of sharpness.
“Is something the matter?” she asked, catching my gaze.
Her eyes, once filled with a sorrowful emptiness during the war, now seemed different. They still held a cool, distant quality, but there was a newfound serenity in them.
“It’s delicious,” she remarked.
I almost responded with a playful “Really?” but managed to restrain myself, mindful of her reputation.
“The tea suits your taste, I hope. Go Yeon-ju’s tea-making skills are quite exceptional,” I said.
“Go Yeon-ju… the Shadow Queen?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“I see…”
Nam Da-eun took another sip, appearing content to enjoy the leisurely moment. While I relished the chance to share tea with such a striking beauty, the circumstances surrounding us were less than ideal.
I decided to break the silence. “It’s been nearly four months since we last met, hasn’t it?”
She thought for a moment before smiling. “Yes, I suppose it has been that long. I’m sorry for taking so long to visit.”
”…Pardon?”
“I promised to see you soon, but the request from Istantel Low Road was so urgent that I couldn’t refuse. I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”
Her response seemed slightly off-kilter.
During the war, the Sword Queen had saved the lives of many in the Mercenary Clan. In gratitude, I had invited her to our clan house.
‘Did she think I was eager for her thanks?’ I wondered, nodding to myself.
“I heard you joined the pursuit team chasing vagrants after the war. Your contributions were remarkable,” I said.
“Yes, vagrants are the greatest threat to users. I was determined to find them. The time I spent with the pursuit team was meaningful for me.”
“Impressive. But when you say ‘meaningful’…?”
“Well, there were some unpleasant rumors about my past,” she admitted, a shadow briefly crossing her face. But she quickly regained her composure, her voice clear and bright.
“After the war, I wanted to start anew. To do that, I felt I needed to clear up those rumors. That’s why I worked so hard.”
Her words reminded me of something Kim Deok-pil had said.
‘Didn’t you know? There’s a rumor that Nam Da-eun was originally a vagrant. And her background is a bit shady.’
I took a sip of tea and asked quietly, “So, did you achieve what you set out to do?”
She closed her eyes, then spoke slowly. “I didn’t find the vagrant I most wanted to… eliminate. But I feel the perception of me has changed. I finally feel recognized as a legitimate user.”
Her words, though harsh, were understandable given her past.
When she opened her eyes again, she smiled at me warmly. “I owe my courage to start anew to you, Mercenary Lord. Thank you.”
“Uh, why me…?”
“Oh, come on. When we met in Barbara… I was in quite a bind. Your words really lifted my spirits.”
”?”
Her words left me momentarily confused.
She gently set her teacup down and, lowering her gaze, began to fidget with her fingers.
“That’s why I didn’t follow you immediately but joined the pursuit team instead. I didn’t want to be a burden to the Mercenary Clan.”
”??”
“And Istantel kept trying to recruit me. It was quite a challenge to avoid them.”
”???”
As my mind spun, I tried to maintain a calm demeanor and piece together the situation.
Nam Da-eun had misunderstood my words as an invitation to join the clan, and she had been making efforts to come to the Mercenary Clan ever since.
This was a huge misunderstanding. I had only spoken to help Han So-young with her recruitment efforts, not to bring Nam Da-eun into the Mercenary Clan.
‘This is a problem.’
Now I understood why Han So-young had asked to be informed if I saw the Sword Queen.
I bit my lip reflexively. From Han So-young’s perspective, this could be seen as a betrayal. She had marked her territory, and now it seemed I had inadvertently encroached on it.
“Sigh…”
Watching Nam Da-eun fidget, I let out a short sigh and shook my head to clear my thoughts.
‘Get it together, Kim Soo-hyun!’
The situation was already in motion, and Nam Da-eun was here. Instead of worrying, I needed to find a way to handle this smoothly.
“Ah, I see.”
“Yes… It’s a bit embarrassing, haha.”
“By the way…”
I decided to change the subject to buy some time and calm the situation.
“It’s unusually quiet today, isn’t it?”
“Quiet? What do you mean?”
“Your sword. Its name is…”
“Oh, Seol-ah?”
Nam Da-eun laughed softly and drew ‘Seol-ah’ from its sheath.
“It’s been a while since we’ve met, so it’s feeling shy.”
A shy sword? How absurd…
But then I heard a faint hum.
’…Oh.’
I had forgotten what kind of sword it was.
Nam Da-eun handed me the softly humming ‘Seol-ah,’ and I accepted it, feeling a bit dazed.
“It’s truly a fascinating sword,” I remarked.
“I think of Seol-ah as my child. It’s been with me through tough times, like a part of me.”
“I see. May I?”
I asked if I could examine it, and she nodded graciously.
As I swung it gently, I felt the smoothness with which it cut through the air. When I pressed my palm against the blade, it seemed to cling to me. It was a bit light for my taste, but its sharpness was impressive.
The sword hummed contentedly, as if asking for more attention, and I tapped it lightly, lost in thought.
Nam Da-eun’s request to join—or rather, her misunderstanding.
Initially, I was taken aback, but upon reflection, this was an incredible opportunity.
Nam Da-eun, known as the “Sword Queen,” possessed extraordinary abilities. Her potential was on par with my own when I started my second round in Hall Plain.
If she had indeed cleared her past through her efforts with the pursuit team, she had a strong chance of filling one of the vacant spots in the top ten ranks.
If Nam Da-eun were to join us, the Mercenary Clan would boast two members in the top ten.
“Should I just pretend I don’t know and accept it as it is?”
I did feel a bit guilty towards Han So-young, but… it’s not like I’m going to be at odds with Istantel Row.
Moreover, the Sword Queen had shown efforts to clear her past for the sake of the Mercenaries. Ignoring all of that would indeed make me feel guilty towards her too.
“Ah…”
A soft groan snapped me out of my deep thoughts, and I realized I had been lost in them for too long.
Slap. Slap, slap.
Unconsciously, I had been clashing my sword repeatedly, and now my palm was red. As I slowly lifted my head, I saw the Sword Queen watching my hand with a slight blush on her cheeks and a heated gaze.
“Oh dear. I must have been staring too much.”
“No, it’s fine…”
For some reason, seeing the Sword Queen shake her head, I returned to my senses.
“Let’s check the information first.”
Since she mentioned her efforts earlier, I decided to look and judge for myself.
I took a sip from my slightly cooled teacup and activated my third eye, looking at the Sword Queen who was staring intently at me.
Soon, a series of messages appeared in the air.
Name: Nam Da-eun (4th Year)
Class: Sword Queen (Secret, Queen Of Sword, Master)
True Name & Nationality: Queen of Swords, A Woman Who Knows How to Enjoy • South Korea
Disposition: Cool • Obscene
[Strength 93] [Endurance 78] [Agility 95] [Stamina 91] [Magic 94] [Luck 93]
(No ability points remaining.)
“Pfft.”
At that moment, I couldn’t help but spit out the tea I was holding in my mouth.
“Cough! Cough, cough!”
“Mercenary Lord!”
Even in my confusion, I managed to look back at the messages, and my mind went blank.
’????????’
“Are you okay?”
“Cough, ah. Cough, cough, yes. I’m fine. Sorry.”
I stared blankly at the Sword Queen.
‘A woman who knows how to enjoy? Obscene?’
The true name and disposition, which were previously marked as male-hating and wounded, had changed bizarrely. No, bizarre doesn’t even begin to cover it… What on earth is this?
My mind, which I had barely calmed, was once again thrown into chaos.
Seeing the Sword Queen looking at me with concern, I wiped the tea from my lips and spoke without much coherence.
“Uh, Sword Queen. Thank you for considering the Mercenary Clan. But I think Istantel Row showed interest first. It’s a very good clan too.”
“Of course, it’s a good clan. But… I felt it would be too overwhelming to start anew there. And I prefer it here with the Mercenary Lord.”
“No, that’s not…”
“Oh. If you’re worried about appearances, don’t be. I made sure to decline before the pursuit team disbanded.”
Han So-young isn’t the type to give up easily.
But more than that…
”…”
The shock from the player status was so strong that I just stared at Nam Da-eun.
Sensing my gaze, the Sword Queen’s expression turned slightly sullen, and she spoke in a subdued voice.
“Do you… not want me here? Because of my past, perhaps…”
“No, that’s absolutely not it.”
I responded immediately.
“Oh, thank goodness. I was really worried… Thank you for welcoming me.”
The Sword Queen’s face brightened with relief, and she let out a sigh.
After a brief silence, she looked around with a cheerful smile and spoke with anticipation.
“Um… Can I take a tour of the clan house? The garden looked so beautiful earlier. I’d love to meet the other clan members too.”
”…Sure. Let’s go.”
…I give up.
Well, there’s a saying about respecting preferences, right?
I stood up with a resigned attitude and left the VIP room with Nam Da-eun.
As we walked down the corridor, we reached the stairs and began to descend slowly.
When we reached the third floor, a sudden commotion caught my attention.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
“Kyuu!”
Looking down, I saw a baby unicorn swiftly climbing the stairs, with Vivian chasing after it in a hurry.
“What are you doing?”
“Kyuu?”
I easily caught the baby unicorn as it ran up the stairs towards me, and it looked at me with a startled expression.
At that moment.
“Kim Su-hyun! Good catch! Quickly, that little… Oh…”
Vivian, who had been chasing after the unicorn, pointed at me, only to realize someone was standing beside me. Her gaze shifted to the side.
Following her gaze, I turned my head to see Nam Da-eun looking down at Vivian.
Watching the two of them stare at each other, I spoke softly.
“Introduce yourselves. This is the Sword Queen, Nam Da-eun… Huh?”
And then, at that moment.
“Oh…”
“Wow…”
With a gulp, both women’s throats moved simultaneously.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
A meeting between a master and a promising talent.
This is an important note today.
As of December 2nd (Monday), Memorize will be on hiatus. As I mentioned before, it’s due to final exams. ㅜ.ㅠ
Just to clarify, I originally planned to take a two-week break after the end of Part 1. However, considering the December exam period, I would have to take another break, which would make the hiatus too long, so I decided to serialize side stories instead.
I had so much fun writing the side stories, and there are so many things I still want to write about. There are plenty of topics like In-jae, Hwa-jeong’s playful moments, equipment gained from exploration, battles with 101-stat users, Seon-yul and An-sol, the development of the Mercenaries, Go Yeon-ju and Im Han-na’s interactions, Vivian’s antics, Park Hwan-hee, Cha Yu-na and Baek Han-gyeol, Park Dong-geol and Lee Bo-rim’s updates, and so on.
But I took too many breaks in between, and time was a bit short. I sincerely apologize for this. ㅜ.ㅠ
Anyway, since this is the last final exam of the year, I plan to give it my all for the sake of my future.
The final exam period is from December 9th (Monday) for a week. I plan to resume Memorize on December 16th (Monday). (So, from December 3rd (Tuesday) to December 15th (Sunday), there will be a total of 13 days of hiatus.)
Honestly, I was considering doing alternate-day serialization this week, but I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep with so much to do.
Once the exams are over, it’ll be vacation time. I’ll have more time then, so I’ll focus more on the e-book work (sorry, manager and editor) and serialization.
With that, this humble Ro Yu-jin will take his leave.
See you on December 16th (Monday)! Wishing everyone a happy December!
Sincerely.
I will shorten the originally planned hiatus period.
For this final exam, I will follow the same direction as during the second semester midterms.
Hiatus from December 2nd (Monday) to December 15th (Sunday)
December 2nd (Monday) to December 8th (Sunday): Alternate-day serialization (December 2nd (Monday), December 4th (Wednesday), December 6th (Friday), December 8th (Sunday))
December 9th (Monday) to December 13th (Friday): Hiatus due to midterms.
If I live a bit more tightly, this should be possible.