Before diving into today’s chapter, I need to correct an earlier mistake.
There was a mix-up regarding the city directions. Among the four outer cities, the one closest to the Steel Mountain Range is actually to the north. So, the city occupied by the Hamill Clan is the northern city, and the Mercenary Clan took the southern city. The concepts for each city will be adjusted accordingly.
Sorry for the confusion. (__)
Originally, the Mercenary Clan lived in the western outer city. But after several days of negotiations, they agreed to relocate to the southern city. This new city was where our clan would prepare for a fresh start, so everyone was buzzing with excitement as we hurried along.
Exiting the tunnel that connects the cities, we entered the southern city and began walking straight down the main avenue. Our new home was already decided. If you follow this road, you’ll come to a large fortress at what could be called the city’s center. That fortress was to be the Mercenary Clan’s new base.
Of course, since we had the freedom to choose, we didn’t have to pick the fortress. But owning a castle carries significant meaning. Holding the city’s most important location is an official declaration that we represent this city. In other words, it’s about claiming symbolic status.
And since we were the leading clan now, wouldn’t it look better to start off in the best place? A city’s castle was likely once home to the highest authority among the ancient inhabitants. Just judging by its location, the answer was clear. The fortress stood slightly above the city’s central area, overseeing everything.
All things considered, taking over the castle seemed the best choice, and no one in the clan objected. I’m sure everyone pictured a palace-like life in a grand castle, rather than a cold, stinky inn or a plain building. Not a completely unreasonable fantasy… but who knows how long it will take to get there.
Then, suddenly—
Murmurs.
Lost in thought as we walked, a sudden commotion caught my attention. Scanning the area lightly, I felt a strange sense of curiosity.
Walking down the main avenue naturally leads through a plaza, and contrary to expectations of it being quiet, a large number of users had gathered. What was odd was that instead of crowding the center, they formed small groups along the sides, leaving the middle clear—as if they knew we would pass through.
Brushing past their curious glances, I calmly crossed the open path. I could hear whispers here and there.
“That’s the Mercenary Clan.”
“The one leading the way must be the Mercenary Lord, right?”
“Whoa! The Shadow Queen, the Sword Marquis… Look! Even a summoner among the residents.”
“Where? Wait, aren’t those two over there Seomgwang and Shingung?”
The clan members seemed to realize why so many users had gathered. A few who had looked a bit intimidated straightened their backs and squared their shoulders. The kids were especially amusing.
Anhyun wore an oddly melancholic gaze but tried to look serious. Ansol half-closed his eyes, wearing a detached expression, then suddenly started strutting like a model. Lee Yujeong, despite her arrogant eyes, kept twitching her lips and brushing her hair back nervously. And Vivian, who had been mentioned directly, needed no introduction—her nose was already high in the air.
Shinjaeryong, who was trailing behind, seemed unable to bear the embarrassment and quietly sidled up beside me. Glancing at him, he gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“I’m worried about Ansol. What if she trips while walking like that…”
Crash!
“Ugh!”
As if his words had summoned it, a loud thud and a sharp scream echoed through the plaza. Laughter rippled through the crowd, and Shinjaeryong looked dazed. I quickly grabbed his arm.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? But—”
“They’re strangers to us. We just need to pass through the plaza. Come on.”
“…”
Though clearly conflicted, Shinjaeryong finally quickened his pace, pulled along by my hand. Someone seemed to call out to me, but I ignored it, assuming I’d misheard, and kept walking straight ahead.
Once we left the plaza behind, buildings resembling training grounds and neatly arranged barracks filled the area. Though still some distance away, to the right, the city’s famed—well, at least the most notable—round colosseum began to come into view, majestic in its own way. The scene made it clear what purpose this city was built for.
Passing through the military facilities, a stone wall resembling a fortress gradually came into view.
“Wow…!”
“We’re here!”
At last, the castle appeared.
‘Still standing strong.’
A wry smile crept onto my face. Someone’s excited shout quickly died down. Understandably so—most probably imagined a medieval European-style castle. But the fortress before us was far from that.
Setting aside its surprisingly large size, the dry moat surrounding it, the sturdy walls, the towering spires at each corner, and the perfectly symmetrical layout gave off more of a fortress vibe than a beautiful castle.
In other words, this kind of building didn’t quite fit in a city. Though made of stone and marble, it looked more suited to a rugged mountain or valley. The pale exterior softened the fortress impression a bit, but still. The clan members had gone quiet.
Why it was built this way, I had no idea—I wasn’t alive back then.
Still, passing through the arched main gate and stepping inside gave at least a faint sense of being in a castle.
The entrance area seemed to have been a courtyard. A long, wide canal ran down the center of the path leading to the main keep, flanked by red pathways and now withered gardens on either side, creating a somewhat harmonious scene. Hmm. From inside, it felt oddly like the Taj Mahal in India.
“I’ll go open the door, oppa!”
As we reached the keep, Lee Yujeong suddenly dashed forward, yanked open the old, loose door, and hurriedly poked her head inside. She was clearly curious about the interior, which hadn’t lived up to expectations.
But—
“Ptooey!”
Less than five seconds later, she slammed the door shut and spat on the ground. Turning around with a disgusted expression, she trudged back. Seeing her reaction, I didn’t even need to look inside to guess what it was like.
I slowly raised my gaze to take it all in. I couldn’t say what it looked like in its heyday, but now it was just a dilapidated building worn down by time. You could call it quaint or antique if you wanted, but honestly, it felt bleak. When would we ever turn this into a stylish home? At least if it were small, it might be manageable.
But what could we do? Even if it fell short of expectations, it wasn’t like we could change it now. Still, the overall grandeur remained, so if we could restore it, it might become quite a sight.
“Alright then.”
I sighed and slowly turned around. The clan members sighed too or stretched their limbs, probably guessing what I was about to say.
Rolling up my sleeves, I spoke calmly.
“Let’s start with a light cleaning.”
How much time passed, I’m not sure.
We spent the entire morning and finally finished what could hardly be called a light first round of cleaning.
The important thing is that it was only the first round. How many rooms were there? How vast was the space? How high were the ceilings? How many floors? …No, cleaning a castle of this size in a single day was practically impossible. So I ordered everyone to focus on essential living spaces on the first floor—places to sleep, the dining hall, and so on.
Even that was a massive area to cover. Fortunately, those who had cleaned before organized themselves into teams by class and worked efficiently. And Jung Hayeon’s ancient magic was incredibly useful for cleaning, though she seemed quite proud about it.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, we gathered in the dining hall for a break and lunch. The dining hall looked very different from when we first saw it. All the tables and chairs, discarded simply because they were dirty, had been burned and smashed, leaving an empty space.
As we huddled together, filling our stomachs with stew cooked by Im Hanna—
“Damn it. I never imagined we’d be camping inside the city.”
From across the table, Woo Jungmin grumbled in a tired voice.
“Better to sleep in a sleeping bag and wake up feeling fresh than to lie in a soft bed and get up feeling grimy.”
Sun Yuwon slumped his shoulders and took a spoonful of stew, responding in kind. Both their faces were shadowed with deep fatigue—not so much physical exhaustion as mental weariness. After all, they were in the same group as Vivian. I’d caught a glimpse earlier of Vivian chattering nonstop, and it seemed like the endless babble had worn them out.
“Hmm? What’s with everyone? Why are you all picking at your food like that? At this rate, how are you supposed to put any effort into the afternoon cleaning?”
In contrast, Vivian beamed cheerfully. From experience, I know Vivian’s a simple soul—she loves discovering and trying new things, so she was probably buzzing with excitement. That energy was clearly rubbing off on the other two.
Whether she realized it or not, Vivian kept grinning and suddenly clapped her hands together.
“Ah, I get it now. It’s because your cow-like appetites don’t like the food, isn’t it?”
At that moment, I sensed Im Hanna flinch beside me. It probably wasn’t the comment about the food’s taste that bothered her, but something else entirely.
“Oh well, can’t be helped. I was feeling generous today. If you don’t want to eat this, should I make something special just for you? A unique stamina-restoring dish only an alchemist can prepare!”
Vivian declared proudly, but Woo Jungmin just turned away with a bored expression and let out a long sigh. Yeah, ignoring it was definitely the best move.
But Sun Yuwon wasn’t having it.
“No, thank you.”
He cut her off with a firm, unwavering voice. Now that I think about it, during the last festival, Nam Daeun and Vivian’s cooking had made him foam at the mouth. That experience must still haunt him.
“Why not? It should taste good. And it’s effective, too.”
“No, I can’t say about the effects, but your food is really, really awful.”
Despite his worn-out appearance, Sun Yuwon spoke clearly and precisely. He shook his head with a serious expression, as if just thinking about it made his stomach turn. Vivian’s bright smile faltered for a moment.
“No, it’s not just bad—it’s more like… your cooking is a flawed disaster that barely qualifies as food.”
“W-what? Hey! How can you say that?”
“Well, I admit that eating it might build some kind of resistance in case you ever ingest a deadly poison later. But I’d rather not risk my life on that possibility right now.”
“……”
Vivian paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. Then her eyes snapped wide open, and she suddenly burst out in anger. She finally understood.
“Tch.”
Im Hanna covered her mouth with one hand, stifling a laugh. When our eyes met, she quickly composed herself, cleared her throat, and spoke quietly.
“But Suhyun,”
“Yeah?”
“I just remembered—shouldn’t we try contacting the Northern Continent?”
“Oh.”
Right. I’d completely forgotten amid all the chaos lately. I wondered how everyone over there was doing.
“Don’t worry. I already told them we made it back alive.”
Im Hanna said, sounding like she expected as much.
I stirred the stew absentmindedly and asked,
“I totally blanked on that. So, how’s everyone doing?”
“Hmm?”
“Anything unusual happening over there?”
“Ah, well… um…”
Im Hanna hesitated strangely at the end of her sentence.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Apologies for any confusion caused by the setting. I’ll be making corrections to the earlier parts soon. (__)