At that moment, a strange feeling washed over me.
Before I knew it, Gong Chan-ho’s eyes were blazing fiercely as he fixed his steady gaze on me.
He said he had set his sights on me. Maybe not now, but at least in the first round, a man revered as peerless had declared a challenge to surpass me. Honestly, it was a truly strange feeling.
Was I swept up by the mood? Without realizing it, I drew my silent spear and took a stance. I told myself I shouldn’t, struggling to calm my mind with mental training, but every time I looked at Gong Chan-ho, the thought kept rising: “Should I just try once?”
Still, I managed to suppress the instinct. Reason settled back in my mind, reminding me this wasn’t the time to fight.
“By the way, I’m curious—how’s User Seong Ha-yan doing these days?”
The sudden question caught me off guard. I noticed Gong Chan-ho’s stance falter slightly.
“Ha-yan? Why do you ask…? Well, I guess she’s doing fine.”
“You’re stammering.”
“…Maybe she’s cursing me.”
“Cursing?”
“Yeah. When she was asked to take the position of Commander-in-Chief, she was strongly opposed. But in the end, she accepted.”
“You think she’s cursing you just over that?”
“After that, she kept saying she’d follow me wherever I went. So on the day I left, I knocked her out cold. …I figured it’s dangerous enough with just me.”
“……”
Knocking her out cold on the day of departure? That’s one bold move.
I chuckled quietly to myself. Still, the fact he said that meant she probably wasn’t getting beaten up like before.
As we talked, I gradually calmed down and sheathed my spear. Gong Chan-ho’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Alright. Then I’ll quit while I’m ahead.”
“……”
A brief silence fell.
Slowly lowering his spear, Gong Chan-ho looked at me with an expression of surprise. He blinked a few times, clearly showing signs of deflation. His unspoken “Why?” was met with a casual shrug from me.
“Well, it’s not that I’m reluctant… I just don’t trust people who only talk big.”
His face twisted sharply. I’d been sincere, but being dismissed as all talk must have stung.
“So then, prove it.”
“Prove it?”
“You said earlier you feel yourself getting stronger through fighting. If you survive this campaign, you’ll be stronger than you are now.”
“…Ah.”
Did he finally catch my meaning? A flicker of subtle change crossed his disgruntled face as it slowly returned to normal.
“Alright, I’ll accept your challenge after the campaign.”
A sort of promise to take on the challenge once the campaign ends.
Only then did Gong Chan-ho fully lower his spear and relax his stance.
“Hmm… fine. That’s not a bad deal.”
Though he still seemed a bit reluctant, he wasn’t outright rejecting it. Considering the trouble he caused back at the User Academy, he probably felt some guilt himself.
I exhaled lightly and turned away. I’d stepped out to clear my head, but if I wasn’t careful, I might have gotten swept up in the mood. It felt like I’d just spoiled my appetite for no reason. What a mess.
“Wait a moment, Mercenary Lord.”
Just then, as I was about to return to the tent and force myself to sleep, a softer voice stopped me. I half-turned my head to look. Gong Chan-ho was still standing there.
It felt oddly formal hearing him call me that. Maybe I should check his user info?
“Why?”
I asked back, activating my third eye at the same time.
Name: Gong Chan-ho (5th year)
Class: Normal Spearman (Normal, Lancer, Master)
Nation: Barbara
Clan: Asura (Clan Rank: A Zero)
True Name / Nationality: Owner of Suramachang (壽拏魔槍) • Republic of Korea
Gender: Male (36)
Height / Weight: 191.3 cm / 95.3 kg
Disposition: Hot-blooded • Hardworking
[Strength 101 (+6)] [Endurance 87] [Agility 91] [Stamina 92 (+2)] [Magic 81] [Luck 73]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
[Strength 96 (+2)] [Endurance 94 (+2)] [Agility 98] [Stamina 100 (+2)] [Magic 96] [Luck 90 (+2)]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
[Strength 101 (+6)] [Endurance 87] [Agility 91] [Stamina 92 (+2)] [Magic 81] [Luck 73]
“Looks like he’s heard from the Thunder Emperor… Is he thinking of joining the northern expedition?”
Hmm. Hot-blooded and hardworking—pretty decent traits. Compared to his old arrogance and inferiority complex, it’s a huge improvement. Wait a minute.
“What?”
“Hmm? Haven’t you heard yet?”
“No, no. I’m asking if you’re thinking of joining the northern expedition. Why do you ask?”
“I’m not the one thinking it. But within the Northwest Alliance, the topic is definitely being discussed. Considering your relationship with the Thunder Emperor, and the fact that Mercenary is a mercenary clan… there are quite a few quietly hoping for it.”
It wasn’t an unreasonable idea. The southern campaign was over, so it’s quite likely they requested help in the form of a mission.
Of course, it wouldn’t be just for the campaign.
Given the current relations between East and North, the possibility grows. Mercenary belongs to the South, and the South helping the North wouldn’t sit well with the East. They’d feel isolated, and the North would be aiming to exploit that.
Then why hadn’t the North tried to contact me until now?
“Did my brother try? To ask me for help?”
“No. For some reason, the Thunder Emperor was fiercely opposed. Whether it was a participation request or a formal mission, the moment someone mentioned asking you for help, he threatened to give up command.”
I see. So my brother wants only information, not participation? He’ll handle the rest himself?
“That’s why I wanted to know your thoughts, Mercenary Lord.”
“Hmm…”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t care either way. You don’t have to join, but if you do, make sure to keep things clear.”
“……”
Gong Chan-ho fell silent after that, staring at me as if demanding an answer right then and there.
But with so many tangled interests, it wasn’t a decision to make lightly.
I paused, then spoke quietly.
“First, try to delay the advance. By a day, or at least two.”
After tossing and turning all night, I tentatively decided to join.
Of course, there were concerns.
I had to consider the East’s stance, get the clan’s approval, and obtain Han So-young’s permission.
All of that had to be settled before the North moved, so it was a hectic task.
But no matter how I looked at it, I had to participate. That was the conclusion.
Even assuming the best-case scenario, the Northwest Alliance’s chance of conquering the third region was less than fifty percent. In the worst case, it dropped to twenty percent.
If my brother weren’t involved, I’d have just waved him off without hesitation. But knowing he was likely to die, was I supposed to just watch him walk into the jaws of death?
That was nonsense. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have come back for the second round in the first place.
With that in mind, I sought out my brother at dawn. No need to look far—he came to me himself, requesting information about the third region as the advance was imminent.
But.
Just as I handed over all the information I had and was about to quietly mention that Mercenary wanted to join…
“Absolutely not.”
He cut me off sharply, as if not worth listening to. His voice was firm and resolute.
“B-Brother?”
I was momentarily stunned. I’d heard he was strongly opposed, but not to this extent.
“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?”
With a stiff expression, he neatly packed the records I’d given him and turned his back without hesitation. A stark contrast to yesterday. Feeling flustered, I quickly grabbed his arm.
“Brother! Wait a moment…?”
When he slowly turned to face me, I couldn’t help but release his arm.
“……”
The brother looking at me now wasn’t the warm-eyed man I knew, but someone cold and distant, as if dealing with a stranger. A sudden wave of hurt washed over me.
But I could also feel how resolute he was. He usually gave in to me, but when he was certain, he neither compromised nor tolerated.
Still, I couldn’t back down here.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Did you even listen to me?”
“I did. But no.”
“This is driving me crazy. I told you—the third region is on a whole different level from the first and second. So…”
“Kim Soo-hyun.”
Just as I was about to try persuading him again, my brother cut me off with a voice so stern it brooked no argument. He furrowed his brow slightly, then turned fully to face me head-on.
A heavy silence settled between us.
“You really can’t stand not being the one to take charge, can you?”
His voice finally broke the quiet.
“That’s not it…”
“I know how you feel. And I appreciate it, truly. But honestly, what you’re doing isn’t exactly something I’m thrilled about.”
“Why? Why wouldn’t you be? I’m not doing anything wrong right now.”
“You are. It’s wrong. Seriously wrong.”
For a moment, I couldn’t wrap my head around what he meant.
“Sigh.”
Maybe reading my confusion, he let out a faint sigh before continuing.
“Of course, I know you made it to the end of the first run, and I respect your skills.”
“Then why…”
“Think about it. This isn’t the first run anymore. Everything’s been reset. This is the second run.”
“……”
The second run, where everything’s been reset.
What exactly was he trying to say?
After a moment, he pulled a record from his pocket and gave it a few gentle shakes.
“I’m not saying you should take it easy. That’s why I came to you and asked for this information.”
“But?”
“If you step up and solve everything again… sure, it’d be easier. But for me, it means losing any chance to grow further. Is that what you want?”
“…So, you want to take a more active role in this run’s strategy?”
My voice rose naturally. I was worried about my own safety, but was he thinking about fame or achievements?
He shook his head, clearly not agreeing, and sighed even deeper.
“You still don’t get what I mean, do you?”
He slipped the record back into his pocket and suddenly fixed me with a steady glare.
Then, quietly, he asked,
“You really that confident?”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Ah, I want to write something steamy.
I want to write about Ko Yeon-ju and their cute, flirty moments.
I want to write about Nam Da-eun and their cozy nights together.
I want to write a scene where Vivian is tormented, then comforted with tears and hugs.
Ah~ I just want to write something sexy!
…That’s all there is to it.
I’m a man too, you know. ㅠ_ㅠ