Northern Continent. A small southern town called Monica.
Mercenary Clan House.
Since the assault on the Steel Mountain Range began, the Mercenary Clan House had been unusually quiet. Most of the main forces had joined the campaign, leaving the place nearly empty. There were hardly any users left to take on mercenary requests, so none were being accepted. The remaining users were effectively on indefinite leave until the campaign ended, passing their days handling minor chores or training to keep busy.
But today, the first-floor lobby was unexpectedly bustling. Despite it being late afternoon, over ten users had gathered, sitting around anxiously waiting for someone. Considering they rarely crossed paths outside of meal times, this was highly unusual.
“Sir, you haven’t been showing up even at meal times lately. You’ll wear yourself out if you keep this up.”
“I just haven’t had much of an appetite these days… cough cough But I’m fine, really…”
“Dodo, I’m not eating, you know.”
“Pipipi?!”
The users chatted quietly as they sat scattered around the lobby. Park Sang-nam expressed concern for the elder’s health, while Lee Man-sung shook his head despite coughing violently. The baby Pegasus, Dodo, was nibbling on someone’s hair, and a silver-haired girl with flowing locks tried to pry Dodo away, shaking her head.
A scene of calm leisure, to anyone watching.
Yet—
Tap tap tap… tap tap tap…
The sound of footsteps descending the stairs began to echo through the lobby. The users fell silent as if on cue. But unlike before, when such footsteps would have been eager and lively, today they sounded strangely weak. The users noticed this too, exchanging puzzled glances.
As an unspoken tension filled the room, a figure slowly appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“…Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules.”
The voice was low and heavy, and the figure was none other than Jo Seung-woo. There was something off about his dazed expression. Watching him walk toward the center of the lobby with a vacant look, the users shrugged at each other in silent confusion.
“Oh, that Jo Seung-woo? Cut the act. You pulled a stunt like this last time and got called out for it…”
Nono, sitting beside Park Sang-nam, grumbled as Jo Seung-woo finally stopped walking.
The users remaining in the Northern Continent had been kept regularly updated on the progress of the Steel Mountain Range assault. Not in real time, but after each regional campaign concluded, reports were relayed through the forward base at the entrance, then passed on to the users here.
From these updates, the remaining users had a decent understanding of the situation. They knew the mercenaries had successfully cleared Regions 1 and 2, then joined the third region campaign to assist an older brother figure, completing that as well. They had left Region 3 and were now advancing into Atlanta. In other words, the Steel Mountain Range assault was effectively over.
Given this, Nono’s grumbling made sense. Knowing they were just a city away from victory, she disliked Jo Seung-woo’s odd attitude. Though monsters could still appear after entering Atlanta, Jo Seung-woo had a history. When announcing the results of the Region 3 campaign, he had faked a somber expression and claimed all contact was lost—a blatant lie.
He’d become a bit of a boy who cried wolf. Margah had immediately called him a liar, revealing the joke, but when the news of total annihilation first hit, every user felt their heart stop. Lee Man-sung had even lost his temper, which was rare, and Jo Seung-woo had apologized profusely, promising never to do it again…
“Then, the report from the Central Management Organization is…”
Jo Seung-woo finally spoke in a low voice. His face was a mix of disbelief and anguish, clearly signaling bad news.
“Seung-woo, why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Are you trying to make the elder angry again?”
“Just hurry up and tell us already. We all know what’s going on anyway.”
But perhaps because of his past, the users interrupted and scolded him. Even the little ones gathered around, including Yumi and Dodo, booed loudly.
“……”
Only Lee Man-sung remained calm, his expression complex and subtle as he glared at Jo Seung-woo. Deep down, he hoped it was a lie and was ready to scold him harshly, but Jo Seung-woo’s tone and demeanor were far more serious than before. Something felt very wrong.
“I will now deliver the results of the Region 4 campaign.”
The moment Jo Seung-woo spoke, the users fell silent.
But only for a moment.
“Region 4? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Nono furrowed her brows and shouted angrily.
“Wasn’t the Steel Mountain Range campaign supposed to end at Region 3? So what’s this Region 4?”
“W-well… after entering Atlanta…”
“Speak properly! No, wait. Is he joking again…?”
“Right before discovering the city! A new monster appeared!”
At that, Jo Seung-woo’s face twisted as he shouted back, unable to hold it in any longer. A brief silence followed. This was no longer a joke.
Jo Seung-woo closed his mouth, breathing heavily, then averted his gaze from Nono and bit his lower lip.
After a tense moment, he continued.
“Although it’s not part of the Steel Mountain Range… the Central Management Organization has defined the location where the new monster appeared as Region 4.”
“T-that means…”
Realizing this was no joke, Nono blinked repeatedly, about to ask more. But Park Sang-nam soothed her with, “Please, sit down first.” She sat, her expression growing even more troubled as she stared at Jo Seung-woo.
Returning to his usual solemn demeanor, Park Sang-nam took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“…Yes.”
Jo Seung-woo nodded faintly and slowly raised the report in his hands. If you looked closely, his hand trembled slightly. Park Sang-nam noticed and braced himself for whatever news was coming.
“According to the report… just before reaching the city… a new monster appeared…”
Jo Seung-woo’s voice trembled as he spoke haltingly.
“The Central Management Organization suspects this new monster came from another dimension…”
“……?”
“The damage caused by this monster is still being tallied, but the combined number of missing and deceased is estimated to far exceed 2,000…”
“……!”
Murmurs of shock and disbelief spread. It was understandable. The deadliest campaign so far had been Region 3, where deaths and disappearances combined were just under 2,000. Now, over 2,000 casualties in Region 4? And the count wasn’t even complete?
The users were so stunned they forgot the part about the monster coming from another dimension, waiting silently for more.
“And the Mercenary Clan’s casualties are…”
Because this was the most critical part.
“Five dead and two missing…”
At that moment, a sharp intake of breath echoed somewhere. Five dead and two missing—this was the first time the Mercenary Clan had suffered losses during the Steel Mountain Range campaign. Seven casualties in total. The worst fears had become reality.
Casualties and disappearances were common during campaigns, but the Mercenary Clan had about 30 members participating. Losing seven meant nearly 20% of their force was gone.
The tense atmosphere in the lobby thickened, now filled with an indescribable sense of dread.
Jo Seung-woo continued.
“The deceased are users Eom Baek-hyun, Park Hyo-chan, Seo Ji-hoon, Lee Woo-seok, and resident Helena. That makes five.”
Each name brought a shadow of sorrow across the users’ faces. None were famous users, but all had been reliable mercenaries doing their part.
“And the missing are users Kim Han-byul and…”
“W-what!”
At the mention of Kim Han-byul’s name, someone slammed their hand on the table and stood abruptly. Those who turned to look saw Lee Man-sung’s eyes wide open, almost tearing.
Though not quite an old-timer relegated to the back room, Lee Man-sung’s position as a non-combat user meant he was often overlooked. But Kim Han-byul had consistently shown him attention. After receiving in-depth knowledge about gems from him, she regarded Lee Man-sung as more than a mentor. Except when on missions, she visited almost daily to check on him. So his intense reaction to her disappearance was hardly surprising.
“What do you mean! Han-byul, Han-byul…!”
“P-please calm down, sir!”
Park Sang-nam, who had been bracing himself, quickly stood up and tried to calm Lee Man-sung down. But he was the only one. The other users’ reactions weren’t much different from Lee Man-sung’s.
And it was understandable. Who was Kim Han-byul? She was a woman who had been active since the early days of Mercenary, a respected user who even held a Secret Class, and a key figure within the clan. Beyond that, having been around for so long, she had formed close bonds with many clan members. Naturally, the shock she caused was far greater than that of the other missing users mentioned earlier.
But it wasn’t over yet.
When Jo Seung-woo first spoke, he said there were two missing. That meant one was still unaccounted for.
“A-and….”
Jo Seung-woo felt a sinking dread as he looked at the users staring blankly at him. Clutching the notes with his usual neat handwriting replaced by frantic scribbles, he hesitated. Should he say it? It was something that had to be said eventually.
Finally steeling himself, Jo Seung-woo forced the words out.
“T-the Clan Lord….”
The moment he said “Clan Lord,” a sudden stillness fell over the room.
A silver-haired girl, no older than six, with a goddess-like beauty, suddenly bowed her head deeply, tears welling in her eyes.
Everyone was stunned into silence. Breaths caught, no one dared to make a sound. Even Lee Man-sung and Park Sang-nam froze, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at Jo Seung-woo.
The Clan Lord.
The Mercenary Clan Lord.
No one needed to be told twice who that meant.
In other words…
“S-she’s… dead… and missing….”
Jo Seung-woo barely managed to finish his report.
“cough cough cough cough!”
Suddenly, Lee Man-sung collapsed to the floor, overcome by a violent coughing fit.
“Sir! Sir, are you okay?”
Before Park Sang-nam could help him up, a loud crash echoed.
“Ma-Marya!”
The silver-haired girl, her thirteen pairs of wings unfurling behind her, took off at lightning speed. In mere seconds, she became nothing more than a speck, vanishing from sight. Yumi immediately gave chase.
Moments later.
“Wheeeeee!”
Jo Seung-woo closed his eyes tightly as a baby pegasus stood before him, fur bristling and tail raised, glaring as if demanding the truth—no lies, no delays.
“No, that can’t be! It can’t be true!”
“It’s already over, sir. It’s already over. There’s nothing more we can do now.”
“Ha-Han-byul! The Clan Lord!”
“She’s still missing, they said. Please calm down and wait. What will happen if even you lose your composure, sir?”
Lee Man-sung’s shouted protests were met with Park Sang-nam’s pleading voice.
Jo Seung-woo knew it wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt weighing on him. He quietly lowered his head.
“…That’s all.”
With those final words, the notes slipped from his grasp and fluttered to the floor.
No-no, still in disbelief, rushed forward to pick them up—and read:
『Report on the Progress of Area 4 Operation.』
(5 dead, 2 missing. Total 7.)
Deceased: Eom Baek-hyun (5 years, Archer, User), Park Hyo-chan (4 years, Mage, User), Seo Ji-hoon (5 years, Priest, User), Lee Woo-seok (3 years, Priest, User), Helena (-, Mage, Resident).
Missing: Kim Han-byul (3 years, Jewel Mage, User), Kim Soo-hyun (3 years, Swordsmanship Expert, User).
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Anticipated comments today:
Sol) Yes, there will be more~. Though this scene seems to be divisive—some say it’s still weak, others say it’s improved. You can’t expect to be perfect on the first try, so I’ll humbly accept all feedback. It’s definitely better than when everyone unanimously said the scenes were lacking! Haha. :)
Sol) The side story is planned for four parts. However, Part 4’s theme is ‘** (spoiler alert!)’, so it won’t be very long. In fact, Part 3 is basically the turning point. :D