The long meeting that had started early in the morning finally came to an end.
Users who had been gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves, fell silent and fixed their gaze on the large tent in the center. Their faces clearly showed a mix of curiosity and anticipation, wondering how it had all concluded.
One by one, users began to emerge from the tent. But their expressions were far from cheerful. Had something gone wrong?
Anhyun, caught among the crowd, glanced around with a puzzled look. Almost everyone had come out, yet Kim Soohyun was nowhere to be seen.
Could he still be inside? Just as Anhyun tilted his head in confusion, a small sigh drifted through the air.
Among the users stepping out, a woman was quietly speaking with a man. Anhyun instinctively sharpened his hearing.
“This is really serious.”
“I agree. But if you think about it differently, maybe it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“Huh? Bound to happen? But the two of them seemed so close.”
“Authority resets everything. On a ship, there’s only one captain. There can’t be two. Maybe the Commander-in-Chief created the title of Deputy Commander to prevent this kind of conflict in advance.”
“But still, I was thinking while they were arguing earlier—I honestly don’t understand the Mercenary Lord. No matter how much you dislike someone, he is the Commander-in-Chief. To be so bluntly refused after such a heartfelt plea—that seems a bit harsh, doesn’t it?”
“Well, I can understand his position. It’s true that most of the major achievements have come from the Mercenary Clan. But being constantly asked to sacrifice must feel unfair. Considering that, I think he expressed himself rather tactfully. He didn’t lay everything bare.”
“Is that so? Did he really mean it that way? Still, it doesn’t feel good. Things had been going smoothly without major conflicts, and now it feels like everything’s creaking.”
With that, the man and woman passed by Anhyun and disappeared into the distance.
Anhyun stood there, dazed, lifting his head.
While the two were fighting.
A major conflict.
Just hearing that made the whole situation clear. Though he hadn’t seen it firsthand, he could picture it in his mind.
Kim Soohyun and Han Soyoung had clashed head-on.
But why?
Without realizing it, Anhyun bit his lip and clenched his teeth. A wave of unease washed over him.
The reason the Southern Expeditionary Force had made it this far without major problems was because Han Soyoung had divided the troops into three units.
The vanguard was led by Kim Soohyun, who showcased his abilities and established his presence, while others who wanted to step forward were kept in check.
The central unit was dominated by Istantel Low—more precisely, Han Soyoung—who kept everyone in line.
The rear unit was largely untroubled. The Blue Wolf had relinquished authority from the start and didn’t hold a significant role.
In other words, the leaders controlling each unit respected and yielded to one another, making the whole operation possible.
But now there was conflict? Between the heads of these units?
This was no trivial matter. Conflict is the root of all problems.
It would be better if it were just a squabble between minor clan lords, but Kim Soohyun and Han Soyoung’s influence in the Southern Expeditionary Force was unmatched. For the two leaders to clash meant the very foundation of the force was shaking. In the worst case, further advances might become impossible.
Anhyun wasn’t a fool. Nor was he stupid. Even if he wasn’t usually interested in politics, he understood how serious this was.
“Hyungnim…” he muttered quietly, biting his hand nervously. Then, looking at the tent where Kim Soohyun still hadn’t emerged, he silently prayed.
Please, let there be no serious problem.
Meanwhile, inside the central tent, the two who hadn’t come out yet were locked in a silent stare.
“Absolutely not!”
Suddenly, with a loud bang, Kim Soohyun slammed his hand on the table and stood up. His expression didn’t change much, but his eyes blazed with anger—anyone could tell he was furious.
Han Soyoung, as always, wore an unreadable, expressionless face. A master of the poker face, she was hard to read. She simply met Kim Soohyun’s gaze with cold eyes.
Her lips parted.
“That’s enough. The meeting is over.”
“I haven’t agreed yet.”
“No. Please leave. I want to be alone.”
“I can’t do that. Not until you reconsider your opinion.”
Kim Soohyun flatly refused, his voice firm and unyielding.
At last, a faint trace of irritation appeared on Han Soyoung’s face.
“That’s rude. I hate to say this, but I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Expeditionary Force.”
“Then I am the vanguard commander. I believe I have that authority, and I don’t think my opinion is wrong.”
“Mercenary Lord.”
“If you insist on pushing this, then I will resign as vanguard commander right here.”
The bombshell was dropped. Han Soyoung’s eyes widened slightly, surprised by the unexpected declaration.
Her usually sharp, obsidian eyes slowly clouded with a hint of hurt. For someone like Han Soyoung, this was an unusual display of emotion.
Kim Soohyun flinched for a moment but quickly clenched his fists and bit his lip.
A tense silence filled the room.
Then Han Soyoung, rubbing her forehead gently, spoke in a weary voice.
“Mercenary Lord, what exactly is it about my opinion that you find so unacceptable?”
“I told you. Form an elite squad to enter the sinkhole. That’s fine. But why does the Commander-in-Chief have to participate in such a dangerous mission?”
“If I don’t participate, then who will?”
“Why do you assume no one else will?”
Neither side willing to back down.
That was the crux of their heated argument: whether Han Soyoung should personally join the elite squad assigned to tackle the sinkhole.
Han Soyoung had accepted the Light Lord’s proposal and suggested forming a small, highly skilled team to take on the sinkhole.
That part was fine. The problem was that no one else was willing to volunteer.
As they hesitated, Han Soyoung declared she would go first. At that moment, Kim Soohyun jumped up in opposition.
Han Soyoung wanted to lead by example and encourage participation. Kim Soohyun, aware of his role as Commander-in-Chief (and perhaps worried only about Han Soyoung), insisted she shouldn’t.
Officially, neither side was clearly right or wrong. Both had valid points.
The key difference was knowledge of the first expedition.
To be blunt, Kim Soohyun hadn’t been directly involved in the first sinkhole assault. He was part of the standby team waiting outside and had only read the reports afterward.
Though the records weren’t perfect, he knew enough about what lurked inside and what had happened. That’s why he opposed it so vehemently.
He knew about the entity called ‘Father’ and its purpose. He was certain that the moment Han Soyoung entered, it would go berserk and attack her.
More than that, Kim Soohyun had witnessed Han Soyoung’s death during the first expedition. Just thinking about it still stirred up intense emotions and murderous intent.
He didn’t want to risk a repeat of that situation, not even a little. But he couldn’t say all this outright.
Still, Kim Soohyun’s feelings were pouring directly toward Han Soyoung.
Perhaps tired of the ongoing argument, Han Soyoung fell silent again.
She was grateful in a way, but also a little hurt. Why did this man fail to understand her feelings?
Thinking that, she quietly spoke to the stiff Kim Soohyun.
“You’re stubborn. You say you can participate, but I can’t.”
“Yes. I can. But the Istantel Low Lord cannot.”
“Don’t you see the contradiction in that?”
“It’s frustrating. Our positions are different. But the Istantel Low Lord is currently the core of the Southern Expeditionary Force.”
Frustrating? Han Soyoung’s army stirred restlessly. But Kim Soohyun furrowed his brows in genuine exasperation and calmly sat back down. Then, in a slightly subdued voice, as if trying to soothe, he said:
“I understand your thoughts. But high positions require appropriate behavior. I’m saying the Istantel Low Lord doesn’t have to participate.”
Frustrating? Who’s really frustrated here?
Han Soyoung closed her eyes tightly.
“You also have to think about the other users. If everyone rushes in, who will take care of those left behind?”
No, no. Does this man only know how to say no? Doesn’t he consider my feelings at all?
She gently clenched her fist.
“Or is there some reason you absolutely must participate? If not…”
Yes. There is.
Having made up her mind, Han Soyoung finally spoke quietly.
“…Then we just have to wait.”
“……?”
At that moment, a puzzled expression flickered across Kim Su-hyun’s face as he tried to continue speaking. The voice was so faint that he hadn’t caught what was said. But Han So-young pressed on, seemingly oblivious.
“You said you’d participate… so why am I…?”
Her small voice sounded more like a grumble to herself, something uncharacteristic of Han So-young.
“Sorry, I must have misheard.”
Kim Su-hyun’s puzzled look deepened, as if he felt the same confusion. Han So-young bit her lip tightly.
After a brief pause.
She wanted to speak confidently, but instead, as if avoiding eye contact, she turned her head away.
“So….”
Lowering her eyes shyly, her voice shrank to a whisper.
“I’m just worried… that’s all… about the Mercenary Road.”
Her delicate finger absentmindedly traced the surface of the table.
“I don’t want to be left waiting alone… getting all anxious…”
Her full lips pursed slightly, and her flushed face reminded him of a ripe pomegranate.
Seeing Han So-young so completely sulked like that—
“…Huh?”
Kim Su-hyun’s heart dropped with a thud.
Night had deepened.
After giving myself enough time to sort through my thoughts, I immediately summoned the clan members. The tent was a bit cramped, but still large enough to hold about thirty people.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard about forming an elite unit.”
The tent fell silent. No one spoke. They all just stared at me with burning eyes. Good. I liked that no one was trying to back out.
“Our mercenary group needs at least four, up to ten participants. We won’t know the exact number until we gather everyone, but I expect the total will be around a hundred at most.”
Since the basic details had already been spread through Ko Yeon-ju, everyone probably had some idea.
So I decided to get straight to the point. We might be heading into the pit as soon as tomorrow, and there was no reason to drag this out.
“Then, I’ll start announcing the lineup.”
But first.
“Baek Han-gyeol. Vivian. Step forward.”
Baek Han-gyeol looked confused, while Vivian reluctantly rose with a sulky expression.
“You two are definitely participating. Han-gyeol, I don’t need to say more. Vivian, you’re our last line of defense. You understand what that means?”
Her reply was a curt “Hmph.” After confirming Baek Han-gyeol’s hesitant step forward, I turned my gaze to the rest of the clan. That left seven spots open.
“Ko Yeon-ju, Ahn Sol, Shin Jae-ryong. Come forward.”
When I called their names, the three rose calmly and stepped out.
As they hesitated, trying to stand off to the side, I beckoned them over with a gesture. Pulling out a cigarette, I lit it and spoke calmly.
“The three of you—I’ll explain the details later. For now, starting now, the three of us will each choose one clan member. Someone who can best support us, or whom we can support in return.”
“…What?”
Ko Yeon-ju’s question was met with a ripple of murmurs among the clan.
But I shook my head quietly. As I said, I’d explain everything later.
Anyway, I had to start first.
“Then, I’ll go first.”
I scanned the clan members, who were exchanging glances. My eyes settled on a lone man sitting quietly, and I spoke softly.
“User Seon Yoo-woon.”
“Yes.”
Seon Yoo-woon replied bluntly and slowly stood up. Watching him trudge forward, I turned to Ko Yeon-ju.
“Then, you go next.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Apologies. I sat down early today, but the words just wouldn’t come. I even considered taking a day off, but I’m afraid that would become a habit. So after about three hours of trying everything—showering, stretching—I finally managed to get started.
This chapter’s length didn’t go as planned. While outlining the next chapter yesterday, I thought I could include this part at the end, but it turned out longer than expected. So please consider the warning I gave in yesterday’s note as applying to the next chapter.
Also, for those who might be wondering, there will be no SM scenes with Vivian in “Steel Mountain Range.” It just felt too strange to include that kind of thing in the middle of the strategy.
That said, I mentioned I’d write about Nana and Kaoru because of your recommendations and my own intention to do so someday. But since I don’t have much knowledge about SM, I feel unprepared to write about it carelessly.
One more thing: I’ll be heading to Busan on the morning train on Thursday, May 29th, for a visual novel project. The company I’m collaborating with on Joara is based there. I’ll stay overnight and return on Friday, May 30th (though I’m not sure exactly when). So I’ll probably take a break on May 30th and resume serialization on May 31st.
I ask for your understanding on this.
This note got a bit long.
Wishing all readers a peaceful night.
P.S. To BrokenFan, I just saw the Ko Yeon-ju fan art you posted in my garden. It’s so amazing I’m at a loss for words. Thank you sincerely!