“The Mercenary Clan members all hold the status of freelance mercenaries. In other words, strictly speaking, they can’t be considered part of the Northern Continent. Didn’t they join this campaign as mercenaries from the start?”
“So?”
“Excuse me?”
“What I mean is, we are mercenaries—plain and simple. We participated as mercenaries and proudly outperformed every other clan. Fortunately, the campaign ended in success, and since the mission is complete, it’s time to receive our payment. From that perspective, we’re asking for the chance to be recognized as the representative clan. Is there a problem with that?”
Another man sat down silently, as if struck mute. But some still stood up. How many was this now? The sixth?
“Wait a moment. You keep mentioning the Mercenary Clan’s contributions, but while it’s true you led the charge, strictly speaking, the success was due to the entire Southern Expedition Force. That can’t be separated. So…”
“Oh, is that so? Then let me ask you—what exactly did the Eastern Expedition Force do during the Steel Mountain campaign?”
“W-well… um… first, we succeeded in securing Area 1 and built a fortress, which ensured a stable entry route for the rear expedition forces…”
“What you just described applies to all expedition forces, doesn’t it?”
Taken aback, the man frowned in confusion.
“Is that so? Ah, now that I think about it, yes, that’s true. Also, after entering Atlanta, we took the lead for the entire expedition force. But just before reaching the city, an unforeseen accident occurred—causing tremendous damage. Mercenary Lord, I hope you’ll take that into account.”
“Ah, but are you aware of this? To be precise, until the day before the city was discovered, the lead expedition was the Southern Force. That night, an unfortunate incident happened within the Northwestern Force, and using that as a pretext, the Eastern Force took the lead. At a meeting with all the commanders present, Lord Goryeo himself requested it—volunteered, in fact.”
I emphasized “volunteered.” In other words, it was your decision—so who are you blaming? Honestly, what you just said sounded like nothing more than whining.
The man seemed to understand and looked pitiful, but I slowly shook my head. No. I’m not going to cut you any slack. Go back.
He stood for a while but eventually sat down again, his eyes darting helplessly. A heavy silence fell. That was the sixth person, and it seemed they had no more cards to play. Understandable, really. The Eastern Force had clearly prepared well for this meeting, but I dismantled every argument, leaving them speechless. They couldn’t speak, but the looks they gave me were quite something to behold.
“…This time, I will speak.”
At that moment, from the silent crowd of Eastern delegates, a man slowly rose. The moment I saw the sharp eyes of the well-groomed young man, I felt a slight surge of tension. Quietly raising his hand to request the floor was Lord Han Seonghyun.
‘I heard he was pushed out after fighting with Jo Seongho…’
After Lord Goryeo’s death in the war against the allied forces, the Eastern faction had been engaged in a subtle power struggle. Or rather, it almost happened. But the quick-witted Jo Seongho stepped in decisively and cleared the situation, including removing Seonghyun’s Han Clan.
Still, Seonghyun survived the purge. Though he hadn’t been favored much since, surviving under Jo Seongho’s ruthless style meant Seonghyun had some skill.
Just look at the Steel Mountain campaign. Seonghyun’s survival was partly because he was assigned to the rear units handling the expedition’s dirty work.
Whether first or second round, Seonghyun was not someone to underestimate. For the first time since the talks began, I felt a genuine tension and steadied myself.
Seonghyun finally spoke, slowly.
“The representative clan… no, let me correct that.”
He hesitated, shook his head briefly, and wet his lips. His eyes held an inscrutable solemnity.
“Honestly, when I first heard that the Mercenary Clan participated in the city’s selection process, I had some expectations. Given the nature of a clan handling mercenary work, I thought it would suit the role of representative clan well.”
That was true. Considering the many requests from users—investigations, rescues, and so on—the Mercenary Clan had accumulated plenty of experience. They weren’t inexperienced, as the downtrodden woman had claimed.
“But…”
Seonghyun’s tone shifted.
“Since Mercenary Lord disappeared, the Mercenary Clan’s actions have greatly disappointed me. Of course, this is just my personal feeling…”
I knew this was coming. It had been a recurring criticism of the Mercenary Clan since our time in the Northern Continent. I focused on his words, preparing my response.
“A representative clan must be steadfast. No matter what happens, it must never waver and must always manage the city fairly and calmly.”
He continued.
“For example, during the war three years ago, after Lord Goryeo’s death, user Jo Seongho quickly stabilized the surroundings. In contrast, the Mercenary Clan was plagued by nothing but bad rumors.”
Seonghyun was praising the man who had tried to purge him. Was I enjoying this? I found myself smiling with my arms crossed.
“Although Mercenary Lord has now returned…”
Trailing off, Seonghyun met my gaze steadily.
“Just in case—please don’t take this the wrong way—if something like that were to happen again, can you guarantee that the Mercenary Clan then would be any different from now?”
His words struck a chord. For the first time in the talks, I was at a loss for words. His argument was coherent and logical. Indeed, the Mercenary Clan hadn’t shown its best side in my absence.
But I wasn’t completely without a reply. The reason Go Yeonju couldn’t fully control the Mercenary Clan was largely due to external factors. That was a counterpoint I could use—though I’d have to be prepared.
I spoke quietly.
“First, I admit the Mercenary Clan showed some poor behavior. But since this topic came up, I have something to say about that.”
“…”
“Certainly, there was internal instability. But I’ve also heard that someone with malicious intent deliberately tried to destabilize the Mercenary Clan.”
“Excuse me? What?”
Seonghyun opened his mouth in surprise, as if something clicked. I remembered his expression. The damage was done.
“In other words, there’s a faction that intentionally spread rumors to create a disadvantageous situation for the Mercenary Clan in this third round of talks…”
“Wait a minute! What are you saying?”
A middle-aged man suddenly stood and shouted.
“I haven’t finished yet.”
“This is ridiculous! So you’re saying we’re the ones behind those malicious rumors?”
“I never said that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Anyone listening would think you’re accusing us.”
Now a woman sitting beside the middle-aged man stood up and shouted as well. I smiled inwardly. That’s right—your feet must be itching.
“Who on earth would say such nonsense?!”
“The Shadow Queen told me.”
“Oh, so the Shadow Queen’s word is law now? Just because she said it, it must be true? Where’s the proof?”
“…”
They were flailing in tandem.
I propped my chin on my hand and watched the two sputtering adults quietly. Then I spoke softly. I already knew the answer.
“…Are you confident?”
“W-what? Confident?”
“I don’t know what you’re basing your arrogance on, but if you remember the Baek Seo-yeon incident, you wouldn’t be so bold.”
“…”
The middle-aged man and woman fell silent simultaneously. Some of the Eastern delegates showed grim expressions. They all remembered—the Mercenary Clan had shattered the mind of that notorious vagrant, a high-ranking user.
“D-do we even have an obligation to respond?”
The woman raised her voice, struggling to deny the accusation. But it was futile. Avoidance only suggested guilt. The once quiet room was slowly growing noisy—a clear sign.
“If you’re worried about mental contamination, there’s no need. We have the Crystal of Truth, which works without potions or abilities. Of course, we’ll cover the cost. How about it?”
The middle-aged man looked around in dismay, then suddenly turned to me, growling.
“So this is how you want to play it? Hey, Mercenary Lord.”
“Yes.”
“Answer me clearly. Are you threatening me? No, us?”
“Threatening?”
A light laugh escaped me. I smirked and nodded.
“Yes. That’s right. You heard me correctly.”
“…Huh?”
The middle-aged man looked incredulous, then sneered deeply.
“So you’re saying… you want to try that on us, the Eastern Force?”
That was the moment.
“So, you’re saying… you want to take this up with the Western faction right now?”
A cold, sharp voice cut in from right beside me. It was my older brother. Though he looked a bit pale, that only made him more intimidating. His eyes were wide open, glaring with such intensity they seemed to spark lightning. The middle-aged man’s face instantly stiffened.
“W-Why the sudden interest in Hamill Road…?”
“You threatened my little brother. Did you think I’d just stand by and do nothing?”
“N-No… the Mercenary Road was the one who started the threats…”
“Hahaha! Now this is getting interesting.”
But the middle-aged man couldn’t finish his sentence. Someone suddenly burst out laughing loudly, cutting him off.
“I was getting bored listening to you babble like a little girl. Now this is fun. Right?”
The burly man spun his ominous spear with a hum and stood up. Then, aiming it toward the East, he revealed himself as Gong Chan-ho. Looks like he was here representing the Northern faction this time.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. The North is allied with the West. Besides, I owe that guy a favor.”
“Uh, uh…”
Gong Chan-ho glanced at me and grinned, baring his teeth. The middle-aged man let out a pained groan, clearly at a loss.
First the West, now the North has stepped up. Everyone from the East was visibly shaken. Honestly, who wouldn’t be? The West and North, who had been quiet until now, suddenly came to my aid. But considering how angry they were at the East’s behavior during the Steel Mountain campaign, it made perfect sense.
“We can’t just let this chance to settle the score slip by, can we?”
Sensing the East’s hostile stares, Gong Chan-ho chuckled darkly. The room erupted into chaos.
Then—
Bang.
A light tap echoed, and instantly, every user on the stage froze. A piercing chill radiated from somewhere, sweeping through the room. The uproar gradually died down.
Han So-young sat at the head seat, exuding an overwhelming aura of deadly intent—not a threat, but an absolute authority, a charisma that demanded silence. Even I got goosebumps. I couldn’t help but wonder silently,
“When did she get this strong…?”
Moments later, Han So-young had completely taken control of the stage and the room. No one dared speak; only the sound of swallowed breaths filled the air. She glanced sharply at Gong Chan-ho.
“Calm down and sit. This is a place for discussion, not fighting.”
“……”
“Sit.”
“…Tch.”
Gong Chan-ho frowned deeply, clearly displeased, but eventually relented and sat down.
“And…”
Han So-young looked at me, as if about to say something, but then closed her mouth. Her gaze shifted toward the Eastern faction representatives.
“Separately, I personally support clan wars.”
“What? Istanter Low Lord!”
Someone shouted in disbelief, but Han So-young shook her head firmly.
“The purpose of this third summit is to resolve and conclude the current situation. I believe we’ve already talked enough.”
“B-But!”
“If one side refuses to accept this, then we’ll have no choice but to consider other measures. Of course, the South will remain neutral.”
“…I give up.”
At that moment, just as Han So-young declared she wouldn’t entertain any more objections, a young man spoke up weakly, declaring surrender. Sung Hyun-min raised a hand and smiled bitterly.
“The East will concede. We’ll handle the issues with Mercenary Road separately. I sincerely apologize for causing the disturbance.”
Watching Sung Hyun-min repeat himself, I sighed quietly. I had hoped to use this opportunity to crush the East, but sensing the tide turning against us, he quickly gave up. It was a bold decision.
Han So-young looked at me, and I nodded lightly.
“Good.”
“W-Wait a minute…!”
Just as someone from the East was about to protest with wide, startled eyes—
“Then, this concludes our discussion.”
Han So-young’s voice rang out calmly, signaling the end of the summit.
The third summit was over.
Istanter Low Clan.
Temporary lodging inn.
“That guy is really something.”
Park Da-yeon giggled, clearly pleased.
“To think he ended that dragged-out third summit in one fell swoop… isn’t that right, sister?”
“……”
“And did you see how he shut down every single ridiculous thing those Eastern bastards said earlier?”
“……”
Maybe because it was just the two of us, Park Da-yeon was unrestrained in her chatter. But Han So-young, sitting at the desk reading records, seemed oblivious and kept her focus on the papers. Park Da-yeon hurried over and clung to her.
“Especially when she gave that cold, sarcastic smile. That was the real highlight. When Kim Soo-hyun openly mocked the East, I swear I felt a fire burning down below. Just thinking about it feels so satisfying.”
Even Han So-young couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“Fire burning down below?”
“Yeah, I thought she was about to pee herself from excitement.”
“…That’s crude.”
“Eh, it’s just us here.”
Park Da-yeon nudged Han So-young’s elbow and soon started humming and dancing on her shoulders. Han So-young shook her head and returned to her records.
“Oh, by the way, how do you feel?”
Suddenly, Park Da-yeon’s face lit up as if she’d just remembered something mischievous. Han So-young ignored her.
“How does it feel to be rejected on a date in front of everyone? Come on, say something.”
Park Da-yeon thrust her hand forward like holding a microphone, but Han So-young remained unmoved. Then Park Da-yeon’s expression turned blank, as if mocking Han So-young’s stoicism.
Gracefully pacing the room, Park Da-yeon clasped her hands and spoke in an oddly formal voice.
“Mercenary Road, can we talk for a moment?”
Then she put on a serious expression.
“Sorry, but I already have plans.”
This time her voice was cold and low.
“Please don’t be like that. I’d really like you to make time.”
“If you tell me where you are, I’ll come find you after my appointment.”
Switching back and forth between the two voices, striking poses, Park Da-yeon’s antics felt like watching a play.
“Aww, Mercenary Roooad~ You’re so cold~ Oh ho ho ho~!”
As she shook her head and laughed exaggeratedly—
“Enough.”
Han So-young finally snapped. Park Da-yeon looked startled and tilted her head.
“Huh? I’m just playing by myself. What’s wrong?”
“You never asked me out in the first place. And you didn’t act all cute and silly like that.”
“Eh, but still, I was rejected, wasn’t I?”
“Park Da-yeon!”
Han So-young shouted sharply. Park Da-yeon shrank her shoulders like a baby bird and hurried to the window, staring off into the distance. Han So-young sighed deeply and returned to her records.
Some time passed.
“By the way, sister, that guy earlier… is he really Mercenary Road?”
Park Da-yeon, swinging her leg and looking outside, spoke cautiously.
“Probably.”
Han So-young answered calmly.
“Probably? Then, like last time…?”
Park Da-yeon snapped her gaze away.
“I don’t really know. That’s why I wanted to meet separately.”
“How about your extrasensory perception?”
“Right now, it’s true. But since what happened last time, I can’t trust it completely.”
“…That makes sense. I never thought there’d be a fake even fooling your extrasensory sense.”
Park Da-yeon spoke seriously, then looked back out the window. Suddenly, her eyes widened as if she saw something, and she stared out for a long moment.
After a while, still serious, she continued.
“So, you’re just going to stay put this time?”
“……?”
“Back when Mercenary Road first appeared, before we knew it was a fake.”
“Get out.”
“Why? Back then, you saw Mercenary Road…”
“Get out, get out, get out, get out!”
Han So-young jumped up. “I’m going, I’m going!” Park Da-yeon shouted hurriedly and dashed for the door. But just before leaving, she added one last thing.
“Oh, by the way, Mercenary Road is here.”
Han So-young froze for a moment. Her extrasensory sense confirmed Park Da-yeon’s words were true.
“Actually, I saw him about ten minutes ago. Strangely, he didn’t come straight in but just sat near the inn. He was eating alone.”
“Eating?”
“Yeah. Should I go get him?”
“No. Just let him be. He’ll come in when he’s ready. And now, get out.”
Han So-young paused for a moment, then shook her head. With a calm, indifferent air, she settled into her chair and picked up the file again. Park Da-yeon rolled her eyes once, then shrugged as if to say, “Fine, whatever.”
Bang.
As the door closed, Han So-young finally set the file down. Without hesitation, she stood up, opened the window, and looked outside.
Just as Park Da-yeon had said, Kim Soo-hyun was nearby. Somehow, he was holding a huge skewer of meat, taking a big bite out of it.
“…Hah.”
Han So-young let out a bitter chuckle and slammed the window shut. She spun around, sat back at her desk, and began reading the file she’d just put down.
But exactly ten minutes later, she quietly cracked the window open again and glanced outside. Kim Soo-hyun was still there. This time, though, he was slurping down a steaming bowl of stew he’d somehow gotten his hands on.
“…”
Frustration bubbled up inside her. Han So-young snorted sharply and bit her lower lip hard. Forcing herself to stay seated, she resumed reading the crumpled file.
Twenty minutes passed.
‘…Still not coming in?’
In the end, she stood up once more.
But the moment she looked outside, Han So-young was startled. Kim Soo-hyun, who had been there just twenty minutes ago, had suddenly vanished. She wondered if he’d slipped inside during that time, but after anxiously waiting another ten minutes, there was no knock at the door.
Then it happened.
Han So-young’s eyes suddenly widened to the size of lanterns as she frantically scanned her surroundings. From the direction she was staring, Kim Soo-hyun—who had briefly disappeared—was slowly walking back, holding the same meat skewer he’d been eating earlier, his face radiating pure happiness.
At that moment—
“…Seriously!”
Han So-young felt something inside her snap.
Bang!
The door slammed open roughly, followed by heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway.
And then—
“Forty minutes. You held out pretty well, all things considered.”
Park Da-yeon, who had been lurking quietly in the hallway, smirked.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I didn’t even realize it, but this story has over 30 million views. Thank you all so much… (__)
Today, I packed in plenty of content. :)