Inside the parlor.
A woman sat with her long legs neatly crossed, lifting a teacup from which wisps of steam gently rose. As her delicate pink lips met the rim, the cup tilted slowly.
Sip.
“Hm?”
Her eyes fluttered open slightly at the first taste.
Slurp.
“Mmm!”
A satisfied smile spread across her lips with the second sip. She lifted her head gracefully and looked at me. The tea’s flavor seemed to delight her, her eyes sparkling warmly as she smiled.
“Wow. This tea is no joke. I used to run a traditional tea house back in the modern world, but I’ve never tasted anything like this!”
“…”
“I’m curious about the ingredients, and who brewed it, too.”
“…”
“…You know, I usually enjoy the attention from men. But come on, say something. You keep staring like that, and it’s making me really self-conscious.”
“…”
She shrugged shyly, then took another careful sip. Watching her—no, watching Jegal Haesol—I couldn’t help but feel utterly dumbfounded. What on earth was going on?
I quickly gathered my thoughts. The situation was simple.
After receiving the report from Salmun and Jo Seung-woo, I headed straight to the parlor where I was told the guest was waiting. And there she was—Jegal Haesol—sitting there calmly, waiting for me.
Yes. That was all there was to it.
“What… exactly are you?”
That was probably the best way to express how I felt.
Back then, Jegal Haesol had said something like a farewell. I assumed the recruitment had failed, so I ordered Salmun to have her eliminated.
I thought it was over.
But suddenly, there she was, right in front of me. She had come to the Mercenary Clan on her own accord. Honestly, it was completely unexpected. I felt like a fish caught on a hook.
After a moment, Jegal Haesol tilted her head slightly.
“Oh? Speaking informally now?”
At that moment, I slammed my hand down on the table.
Bang!
“Cut it out. User Jegal Haesol.”
The table shook, and she flinched. Then, wide-eyed, she scrunched her brows slightly and said in a tone tinged with mock disappointment,
“You startled me. If you’re angry, I’m sorry. But I wasn’t teasing you, nor did I intend to.”
“Then why does it look like you’re trying to mess with me? User Jegal Haesol?”
“I know. I’m no longer a trainee. …And if you mean that comment from before, I want to say it wasn’t a joke.”
“Is that so.”
I was about to ask what she meant, but found myself clamming up. Jegal Haesol was now looking at me with those calm, probing eyes, as if studying me carefully.
Suddenly, Salmun’s report flashed through my mind.
“…And be careful. That woman is no ordinary novice. I approached cautiously, but almost got caught.”
“Not even twenty minutes after leaving the User Academy, I realized it.”
Jegal Haesol carefully set down her teacup and continued naturally.
“Ah. This world is truly a frightening place.”
Her words sent a chill through my chest. Her tone was loaded with meaning—too heavy to just brush off. And there was the matter of what had already happened. Those Salmun guys—are we really sure she hasn’t been found out?
Anyway, feeling I was getting too worked up, I took a deep breath to calm myself. Yes. I needed to settle down. Though her actions defied my expectations, I had to face reality.
So, for now, I’d pretend I didn’t know.
“…First, I apologize for speaking carelessly just now. I thought you were teasing me. Anyway, it’s true there are those who prey on fresh recruits. Fine, I understand that.”
“Hmm.”
“But then, why come to our clan?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“If User Jegal Haesol felt that way, wouldn’t it make more sense to go to Istanbul Low and explain the situation, asking for protection? That was the only clan trying to recruit you.”
“Hmm?”
A brief silence fell.
Then, Jegal Haesol, who had been staring at me quietly, asked with genuine curiosity,
“How do you know that…? Anyway, so?”
“…?”
“I did feel it might be dangerous to go alone. So I just chose a place to rely on—Mercenary Clan. Is that so strange?”
“No. I mean, why?”
“From the perspective of a fresh recruit like Jegal Haesol, I valued Mercenary Clan more than Istanbul Low. Of course, that’s just my personal opinion.”
“…”
I closed my mouth again. There was nothing to fault in her reasoning.
“Well, I can’t deny the speech at the graduation ceremony was impressive. Actually, that’s the biggest reason. There’s a huge difference here. When I heard it, my attention was suddenly captured.”
Jegal Haesol stuck out her tongue slightly, smiled, and took another sip of tea. I quietly tapped the table.
“So, in the end, you want to join our Mercenary Clan. Is that right?”
“Yes. If necessary, I’m willing to take the entrance test.”
She swallowed hard and answered clearly.
I fell into deep thought.
(So that’s it. For now, she’s still treated as a guest?)
Late afternoon. The crimson sunset streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over the office desk. On the desk, a small crystal orb emitted a bright light. I leaned closer to the figure reflected in it and said,
“That’s right. It’s just that accepting her outright feels off. I can’t read her at all. I have no idea what she’s thinking.”
(Hmm. Feels off, huh…)
“Why?”
(Just… something’s strange.)
“You think so too, hyung?”
(No, no. I mean, it’s not that Jegal Haesol is strange. It’s you who’s acting strange.)
At that, I stared blankly into the orb.
Hyung seemed to ponder for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
(Suhyun, I’ll be honest. You’re overreacting.)
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to accept her, but I want to be sure…”
(Whatever it is, you’re still hesitating. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s all good just because you want it to be. That’s a bad habit.)
“…”
(You still look confused. Fine, I’ll ask you this: Setting aside that she was your enemy in the first round, was Jegal Haesol really a strange user? Strange enough to make you so uneasy? Like, did she betray the clan lord or something?)
“No.”
I answered truthfully. Not only did she not betray anyone, she had turned down countless recruitment offers to stay by Yoo Hyun-ah’s side.
(Then was she notorious? Did she do cruel things no human should?)
No, that wasn’t it either. I slowly shook my head.
(So, in the end, she’s a user without any flaws?)
“Well, yes and no.”
(It’s not a yes and no. The truth is, you’re afraid of her.)
“Afraid? Me?”
(Yeah. Jegal Haesol showed the greatest potential in the first round. And with all your achievements now, you’re imagining the monster she could become. In other words, you’re scared of raising a user you can’t control. Isn’t that right?)
“That’s…”
I wanted to deny it, but hyung’s words hit the mark.
(To be honest, I’m frustrated. I don’t even understand why you think that way. Think about this: a smooth path lies ahead, and there’s a user who wants to walk it with you. So just go. That’s all there is to it. But instead, you take a step, look around, tap the ground, search the companion’s body, then take another step and repeat.)
“…”
(How do you think that companion feels? Hey? Sometimes, you could just hold hands and walk happily together.)
“Hyung.”
His words were undeniably right, but suddenly I felt a pang of sadness. Just as I was about to speak, he shook his head quickly, as if urging me to listen more.
(Suhyun, I know how you feel. When you chose to return from the first round to the second, I can guess why you act this way. But knowing and doing what’s right are two different things.)
His stern voice stirred a strange sense of déjà vu. Before I could place it, his face loomed closer.
(It’s the second round now, not the first. …I won’t say more. But I want you to know this: just as you trust me, and I trust you, I hope you can trust someone else at least once.)
Trust. That word.
After ending the call with hyung, I closed my eyes and sank deep into my chair, lost in thought.
“Ah. This world really is a frightening place.”
“Sometimes, you could just hold hands and walk happily together.”
“…So I just chose Mercenary Clan. Is that so strange?”
“As you trust me, I trust you.”
How much time had passed?
As the red light on the desk slowly blended with the dusk, the evening shadows crept in.
I snapped my eyes open and sat up sharply. Without hesitation, I opened the drawer and looked down at the neatly arranged summons.
Maybe what I’m about to do now… is a complete denial of everything I’ve done since the second round.
But if it’s not, or if I’m wrong about this—
Then, as my brother said, maybe it’s worth trying at least once. Even if this turns out to be the biggest gamble of my whole Hall Plain life.
With that thought, I stopped hesitating and pressed the summons. Almost immediately, Sun Yoo-woon answered, and I ordered him to bring Je-gal Hae-sol, who was waiting in the guest room.
Less than three minutes later, I saw Je-gal Hae-sol walking in gracefully.
“You called?”
I said nothing and tossed three documents toward her. They flew straight through the air, and with practiced ease, Je-gal Hae-sol caught them.
“These are…”
“One is the application to join the Mercenary Clan, and the other is the form to change your status to a freelance mercenary. There’s a meeting tomorrow morning—make sure to submit them then.”
“Oh? And the other one?”
“That’s the registration form for the Mercenary Academy trainee program. It’s mostly a formality, but it’s better if you fill it out.”
At that moment, Je-gal Hae-sol lifted her eyes slowly and looked at me quietly.
There’s so much I want to say, but I swallowed it all and calmly extended my hand.
Je-gal Hae-sol spoke.
“Then.”
“Sorry to have kept you waiting so long… It’s late, so you can head back for today. I’ll have your lodging arranged right away—please make yourself comfortable.”
“Y-yes?”
“Welcome to the Mercenary Clan.”
For a brief moment, I saw her eyes flicker slightly as she looked at me.
But it was just a moment.
Then, Je-gal Hae-sol’s pale hand suddenly grabbed my wrist. Following my hand, she firmly brushed her palm down over mine. The soft friction against my skin.
What could this mean? A new way to shake hands?
Curious, I looked up, but she was already disappearing beyond the door…
No. Just as she stepped out, her footsteps abruptly stopped. She peeked her head back in, winked with one eye, and at the same time, pressed her palm—where she had just brushed mine—to her lips with a smacking kiss.
“Thank you! Really, thank you~.”
Then, she blew a playful “Phew~” in my direction. Looks like she picked that up somewhere.
As I felt her presence quickly fade away, I let out a deep sigh and stared up at the ceiling.
I felt drained all over. Not from a fierce battle or anything—just completely worn out. I just wanted to fall into a deep sleep right here and now.
That’s when it happened.
—Hey.
A voice suddenly echoed from within me.
Just as I was about to close my eyes, I was startled. That voice was…
“Wife?”
—Heh heh. All this time, I… this bastard, really!
And then—
Bang!
A flash of sparks exploded right before my eyes.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Sorry for the delay. (__)
Today, my writing felt strangely stuck. There were parts where the words flowed smoothly, but overall, from start to finish, I hit a wall. It felt like I was squeezing out every last drop. I really shouldn’t let that happen. OTL.
Anyway, I’ll do my best to write with more energy starting tomorrow.
It’s late now. To all the readers who waited patiently, I sincerely thank you and hope you have a peaceful night. :)