The next day.
After checking the list Go Yeon-ju had given me, I dropped everything and headed to Barbara. There was only one reason for this.
“Welcome to the User Academy.”
“If you’re an affiliate, please state your name and clan.”
I needed to visit the User Academy.
I calmly introduced myself. “I’m Kim Soo-hyun, leader of the Mercenary Clan.”
“Mercenary Clan… Confirmed as a participating clan this session. Are you here for promotional purposes?”
“We don’t have any major promotional plans yet. I’m here to see if there are any new users worth scouting.”
“Scouting and inspection, understood. The head instructor is right next to you, so I won’t go over the guidelines.”
‘Head instructor?’
Curious, I turned to see Go Yeon-ju winking at me. It seemed like a newly created position, as I’d never heard of it before.
After nodding to the user who bowed to me, I entered the academy.
’…Seong Ha-yan.’
The name Ha-yan on the first page of the list lingered in my mind. It could be someone with the same name as the user I remembered, but I decided to check for myself. The surname Seong is common, but Ha-yan is not.
‘It’s not like it’s hard to take a look.’
Trying to calm my inexplicably racing heart, I slowly took in my surroundings. Familiar buildings caught my eye. They still retained their old appearance, but I heard the academy would soon undergo renovations.
As I walked, lost in thought, Go Yeon-ju sidled up to me.
“Oh, Soo-hyun. I forgot to mention something.”
”?”
“Lee Hyo-eul is here. She’s been staying and working here since the academy opened.”
‘Lee Hyo-eul?’
Lee Hyo-eul, the guardian of the Northern Continent, was someone who should remain hidden due to her profession. I couldn’t understand why she was in such a public place, so I tilted my head in confusion.
Go Yeon-ju continued, “She wants to meet you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I’m not sure why, but it seems she has personal business with you. Anyway, once you’re done here, why not pay her a visit? You owe her, after all.”
A debt. I recalled the second favor I’d asked of Go Yeon-ju.
‘Well, she’s not wrong.’
I nodded quietly, organizing my thoughts.
The priority was to verify Seong Ha-yan’s user information. Checking out other new users or finding Lee Hyo-eul would come afterward.
“So, where would you like to go first?”
“Let’s start with the melee classes. I’d like to see the class with the swordsman.”
I answered promptly. According to the list, Seong Ha-yan was in Class 1. I remembered her as a woman who wielded a sword, so she was likely in the melee category.
Go Yeon-ju blinked a few times, then tilted her head. “A swordsman? Are you planning to recruit from the melee category?”
“Just… checking things out.”
Though her expression remained skeptical, she nodded.
“Alright. I’ll show you the way.”
I quietly followed Go Yeon-ju as she led the way.
Surprisingly, she took me to the academy auditorium, not the dorms. I assumed there wouldn’t be classes on the weekend, but the place was packed with trainees (new users).
There are times when classes are held on weekends for specific reasons. However, given that the academy was just getting started, it felt unusual.
Regardless.
I prepared to activate my third eye and peered inside.
“Oh, it’s a joint class today.”
The auditorium was filled with over three hundred people. As Go Yeon-ju mentioned, it seemed all the melee classes were gathered. Some trainees were dozing off, suggesting it was a history or mental education session.
Just then, as I was about to start checking from the left row, the instructor noticed me and Go Yeon-ju. It was only natural, given we were openly observing.
The instructor’s eyes widened, and he immediately paused the lecture. Soon, the door creaked open, and the instructor stepped out.
“Head instructor, what brings you here…?”
“Oh, just continue. I’m here with the clan leader for a brief observation.”
“The clan leader… Ah, are you the Mercenary Clan leader?”
I nodded in confirmation.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Hyun-woo from the Sacred Clan.”
“Kim Soo-hyun, leader of the Mercenary Clan.”
An unfamiliar clan and an unfamiliar name. I accepted the greeting out of courtesy.
The instructor, who had been staring at me blankly, suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Are you here for promotional purposes?”
“No, just a casual exploration today.”
“Ah, then please come inside. I’ll arrange a seat for you.”
Inside?
I glanced at Go Yeon-ju, who shrugged as if to say, “Do as you please.” So, I decided to go in for a closer look.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, it’s no trouble. It’s not the first time.”
“I’ll just quietly observe, so feel free to continue the lecture.”
A moment later, Go Yeon-ju and I followed Kim Hyun-woo into the auditorium, drawing the attention of numerous trainees. And then it happened.
“Whistle~! Whistle~!”
“Wow~! Yeon-ju noona!”
The male trainees erupted in enthusiastic cheers. I was momentarily confused, but seeing Go Yeon-ju, I understood immediately.
She blew a kiss to the cheering trainees and winked.
“Soo-hyun, I’ve been building the Mercenary Clan’s reputation.”
I got her point. Whether it’s right or wrong, it’s a method. In my time, we also placed attractive instructors to boost morale.
‘Though it’s probably only among the males.’
I chuckled wryly and spoke quietly.
“User Go Yeon-ju, please refrain from disrupting the lecture.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Most of them were dozing off anyway. It’s good if they’re awake now.”
Kim Hyun-woo laughed it off, shaking his head, and Go Yeon-ju folded her arms, feigning innocence.
“Alright, I’ll be quiet.”
Since the instructor didn’t mind, I turned my attention to the trainees.
The instructor walked to the podium, tapped the desk to get attention, and raised his voice.
“Everyone, quiet down. Let’s resume the lecture.”
Even as faint cheers lingered, he continued.
“We have two important guests observing today. One is the head instructor, as you all know, and the other is Kim Soo-hyun, leader of the Mercenary Clan, who has the head instructor as a clan member.”
The commotion quickly subsided. Satisfied with the silence, he smiled.
“I’ve told you many times. If you want a better start after graduation…”
As the usual speech continued, I felt the trainees’ eyes on me. Their thoughts were predictable. Regardless, I activated my third eye and scanned the auditorium.
『Seo Yoon-hee』
『Park Tae-joon』
『Koo Bon-kyung』
『Ahn Bo-ram』
………….
『Seong Ha-yan』
‘Found her.’
And then, I found the name I was looking for. It wasn’t difficult. My gaze naturally gravitated toward the center.
I focused on a woman buried among the users in the center. Coincidentally, she was looking at me, and our eyes met.
Her clear eyes were like spotless glass. Her hair, as black as night, contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin. Her slender neck and delicate shoulders seemed so serene, as if a touch would send ripples through them.
Her gaze was peculiar. It felt like she was looking at me, yet not seeing me at all.
At that moment, I realized. This Seong Ha-yan was indeed the same person I remembered.
Name: Seong Ha-yan (0 years)
Class: Normal Swordsman (Beginner)
Nation: -
Clan: -
True Name • Nationality: Snow On The Branches • South Korea
Sex: Female (20)
Height • Weight: 165.5cm • 42.5kg
Disposition: Integrity • Fidelity
[Strength 36] [Endurance 42] [Agility 55] [Stamina 31] [Magic 47] [Luck 58]
(Remaining ability points: 0)
‘A woman of integrity.’
I marveled at her disposition while scrutinizing her user information.
’…….’
But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The true name ‘Snow On The Branches’ caught my eye, but that was it. Her abilities were decent overall.
I examined her closely but found nothing unusual. With a sigh, I deactivated my third eye.
And I recalled the words ‘he’ had left behind in my first life.
‘Only she can accept me.’
Seong Hayan. In his first life, she was the woman he cherished more than his own life, both his beloved and his partner. Their relationship was known to be profoundly deep, so much so that their love story spread across the entire northern continent after his passing.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t disappointed. I expected something extraordinary from the woman he protected so fiercely, but she turned out to be just another user without any remarkable traits.
“Seong Hayan… let’s put her on hold for now.”
After smacking my lips a couple of times, I signaled to Go Yeonju that it was time to leave. Considering the future might have changed, I decided to hold off on any decisions about Seong Hayan. Since there was nothing I could do until the training was complete, it was better to focus on the second request that could bring immediate benefits.
As we exited the auditorium, Go Yeonju gave me a questioning look, asking how it went. I simply shook my head in response. Even though I needed to assess each trainee with a third eye, none of them, apart from Seong Hayan, left a strong impression.
“Suhyeon, where should we go next? The mages? The priests?”
I shook my head again at Go Yeonju’s question.
“No, let’s stop checking out the trainees for now.”
“What? You’re stopping here?”
“Yes. We still have plenty of time.”
“Hmm, that’s unusual.”
Go Yeonju tilted her head in curiosity. I could understand her confusion. She’s perceptive enough to know I have something in mind, but without me explaining, it must seem odd to her.
But I couldn’t reveal everything, so I just gave a wry smile.
“It’s fine… I never thought recruiting Gong Chanho would be easy anyway.”
Still, the reason I sought out Seong Hayan was probably because I couldn’t let go of the allure of the 101 stat.
Gong Chanho. As I recalled the name of the user with the 101 strength stat, I quietly spoke up.
“Go Yeonju, how’s the request regarding Park Hyunwoo?”
“As I mentioned, the conversation is done, and I’ve got Lee Hyoeul’s approval. However, he wants to speak with the clan lord.”
“I see. They’re currently at the prisoner camp together, right?”
“Yes. But perhaps we should visit Lee Hyoeul first?”
I pondered for a moment before nodding.
“Let’s do that.”
With Go Yeonju leading the way, I began to walk slowly down the corridor.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Haha, my apologies. I meant to post this at 9 AM, but it’s much later now.
It’s been five days since I last sat at the keyboard, so writing feels a bit unfamiliar. I deeply apologize for the delay and will do my best to get back into the rhythm quickly.
Starting today, the serialization resumes. This side story arc is titled “101.” While I can’t serialize all the side stories, I’ll add a few more before diving into Part 2. :)
And…
Thank you so much for waiting. (__)