Seraph explained in a monotonous voice, but the content was far from mundane. The conditions for the Mercenary Academy, as laid out by Seraph, were as follows:
The Mercenary Academy is recommended to be established in the ancient magical city of Magia. Dual enrollment with the User Academy is possible. The duration of the Mercenary Academy is determined at the discretion of the Mercenary Clan Lord, but the points earned upon completion are only half of those from the User Academy—just 2 points, classified as Free Points. Enrollment is limited to six individuals per year.
The most restrictive condition was the six-person enrollment cap. However, given the possibility of dual enrollment, the benefits outweighed any limitations. If the User Academy is akin to high school, then perhaps the Mercenary Academy is like college?
Of course, there were issues to consider. Seraph recommended building the Mercenary Academy in Magia, not as a command but as a strong suggestion, implying it was the best choice. However, the revitalization plan for Magia had been on hold for about a year due to distance issues. A round trip from Monica took about four weeks. While physical improvements like monster clearing and city renovations were feasible, the distance was an insurmountable challenge. Moreover, with the convenience of warp gates, Magia wasn’t attractive enough to warrant the long journey.
Yet, I found myself staring at Seraph, pondering the timing of this proposal. “Seraph, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“About the Mercenary Clan acquiring the Memoria Stone recently.”
“We set that up. We know who received it.”
True, but I couldn’t help but wonder. Some angels might not be pleased with my current actions, yet they made this proposal. What was their hidden agenda?
Despite my suspicions, the proposal was undeniably appealing. If the distance issue could be resolved and the Mercenary Academy established in Magia, it would attract talented users and aid in the realization of the Magia revitalization plan. Seraph’s proposal was enticing, almost like a push in the right direction.
I tapped the altar thoughtfully. “Alright. But that means setting up a warp gate in Magia. How do we handle that? I have no knowledge of such things.”
“Don’t worry. While we can’t teach you, there’s someone under your command who knows—Helena Lu Einz.”
“Helena Lu Einz?”
“Yes, specifically Magna Carta. Warp gates are a legacy of the ancient Hall Plane. A dragon from the mythic era would have extensive knowledge about them.”
“What about the materials and costs for construction?”
“Even in ancient times, it was said in the Hall Plane: without a Memoria Stone, a warp gate can’t be built, but with one, it can be constructed even if other conditions aren’t met.”
Seraph answered smoothly, as if anticipating my question. I shrugged. It was essentially a ‘figure it out yourself’ situation, but I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity.
With that thought, I stood up, a flurry of tasks already forming in my mind. Seraph looked up at me calmly. “Are you leaving?”
“Yes, your proposal will keep me busy. Oh, and hand over Mar.”
”…….”
“Carefully, don’t wake him.”
I almost left without the child. Mar was sound asleep in Seraph’s arms. As I reached out, Seraph’s expression suddenly changed, eyes moist and face sorrowful.
What was this strange feeling? It felt like I was forcibly taking a child away. This wasn’t some melodrama.
“Why the face? You’re not the real mother. You just met today.”
“User Kim Su-hyun, are you… a fool?”
“What?”
“Nothing. I said nothing.”
Seraph handed Mar over with a slightly sulky expression. Mar stirred slightly, feeling the cold air after the warmth, but settled into my arms without waking. I turned towards the portal glowing blue.
Just then, Seraph’s voice stopped me. “User Kim Su-hyun, there’s one more thing.”
I paused, half-turning to see Seraph watching me, the altar still empty beside her. “What is it?”
“The Inn of Beginnings is about to be activated.”
“I heard from the former guardian. So?”
“Good. That’s all.”
Good? I felt a twinge of curiosity. I already knew new users were coming, yet Seraph mentioned it again. I studied her, and she met my gaze with an unusual intensity, as if willing me to understand something.
As we stared at each other, a thought flashed through my mind. I nodded slowly. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Then I’ll be off.”
”…And while I won’t ask you to visit often, please respond when called.”
With Seraph’s final words, I stepped into the portal, pondering her message. Seraph wouldn’t speak without reason. There was only one conclusion.
Back in the Hall Plane, I quickly retrieved a communication crystal. Infusing it with magic, a figure appeared amidst static—Cho Seung-woo.
“User Cho Seung-woo, it’s me.”
(Ah, Clan Lord. You called?)
“Yes. Can you tell me how many clan members are currently on assignments?”
(Assignments? Hmm… Including those waiting for tasks, there are seven.)
“Good. Tomorrow, excluding those on assignments and essential staff, gather everyone. We have an important meeting.”
(An important meeting? Understood. I’ll make sure it’s announced.)
Cho Seung-woo seemed curious but nodded without question. There was one more thing to address.
“Also, contact the Central Management Bureau immediately. The communication crystal is in my office.”
(What? Me, contact the Central Management Bureau?)
Cho Seung-woo looked surprised. I sighed inwardly. He was capable but seemed unaware of his position’s significance.
“Yes. Request a connection with User Lee Hyo-eul.”
(How should I… No, what should I say to this Lee Hyo-eul?)
“The Inn of Beginnings will soon be active. Express our intent to participate fully and our willingness to purchase any available slots at any cost.”
(Alright. I’ll handle it.)
The ‘slots’ referred to instructor participation rights at the User Academy. More instructors meant more opportunities to appeal to new users and priority in recruitment.
After the war, the User Academy allowed more clans to participate, sometimes selling instructor rights to those without them—a sort of transaction.
“Thank you.”
With that, I ended the communication, relieved to have addressed the urgent matters. I exhaled deeply, looking down.
And then, I felt a tug at my ankle.
“You.”
Dodo was still clinging to my ankle. Despite the chaos in my mind, I chuckled. I’d forgotten in the midst of important discussions, but this persistence was commendable.
Feeling a bit sorry for the newborn creature, I spoke gently. ”…Aren’t you tired?”
Dodo replied in a slightly weary voice, “Pii…”
The next morning, after breakfast and some light work, I headed to the main conference room. About 40 members were waiting, excluding those on assignments and essential staff.
Seated at the head, I glanced left to see Cho Seung-woo organizing something. That seat used to be Ha-yeon’s.
“Let’s begin the meeting. Before I explain why I called you all here… User Cho Seung-woo?”
“Yes!”
“How did the task I gave you go? Did the Central Management Bureau respond?”
“Ah, well…”
Unlike his initial confident response, Jo Seung-woo now looked troubled. It seemed things weren’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped.
“Well… I did manage to connect with a user named Lee Hyo-eul. But, to be honest, I got a rather strange reply.”
“A strange reply? What do you mean?”
“Apparently, it was already the Mercenary Clan’s turn to participate this time. So, we’ve secured at least one entry ticket. However, they said there’s a high chance no items will be available for sale this time, so they couldn’t give a definite answer on that.”
“No items? That can’t be right. As far as I know, there have always been at least five items available, even in the worst cases. And the prices, no matter how high, have never exceeded 8,000 gold coins.”
“I thought the same, so I asked. But this is the response I got. There are reportedly dozens of clans like ours applying. The competition is unusually fierce this time, so there’s a high chance nothing will be available. And, just my personal opinion, but if anything does come up for sale, the prices might double.”
“Hmm…”
A heavy sigh escaped me. It made sense when I thought about it. If Seraph had given me a heads-up, it meant other angels had likely hinted to their users in some way too. Even if they didn’t say it outright, any user with half a brain would have caught on quickly.
After all, aside from the guardians, it was rare for anyone to know when the Inn of Beginnings would be activated. The fact that users were informed this time was quite extraordinary.
Nodding with a sense of regret, I looked at the clan members. They still seemed bewildered, probably because this meeting had been called so suddenly.
I pondered where to start, but it seemed best to get straight to the point.
Yes, even though the situation with the extra entry ticket was uncertain, the Mercenary Clan had a trump card. Or at least, we needed to have one. We had to be ready before the User Academy ended.
I quietly began to speak.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Sometimes… I cry…
Because my heart aches…
Readers tease me…
Saying I must be raising a beast at home…
But being able to cry out loud…
Is a good thing…
You don’t have to be sad to cry, right? ^^*
I don’t like Royumi…
It’s not Royumi…
It’s not Rorigu…
I’d rather be called a pervert… I like that…