Ha Seung-woo, Ha Seung-yoon.
Sarah Jane, Elizabeth Jessica.
These are the four new users who recently joined. Well, calling them full-fledged members of the Mercenary Clan might be a bit premature. It’s been a few days since they arrived, but no official announcement has been made to formally accept them yet.
The situation had become complicated. Originally, the plan was to accept Sarah and Elizabeth and then finalize the clan’s reorganization, but Ha Seung-woo threw a wrench in those plans. Of course, they could have just refused him outright. But even putting aside Ha Seung-yoon’s genius, giving up on Ha Seung-woo wasn’t an option.
On the surface, he seemed like a talented magic-user who doted on his younger sister. But in reality, he was a major player leading a gang of vagrants—a big shot among the outlaws. It was hard not to feel he was too valuable to lose.
The vagrant problem had already been weighing heavily on my mind, and then this huge opportunity just fell into my lap. I doubt he even dreamed that I had checked user information through my third eye.
In other words, this was a chance. A golden opportunity to wipe out the vagrants who had been a constant thorn in our side. They were experts at running away, which made them a real headache, so I wasn’t about to let this chance slip by.
But there was one problem: the clan members’ opinions of Ha Seung-woo. Naturally, when new members join, the existing ones take an interest—especially in a closed-off clan like the Mercenaries. So, as a way to let him ease in, we quietly observed them for a few days. Among the four, Ha Seung-woo’s reputation was the best.
For example, he didn’t wait for others to approach him; he took the initiative to be friendly, showed diligence and sincerity, had a pleasant personality, and demonstrated solid user skills. Most agreed he was more than worthy of being a Mercenary clan member. His behavior wasn’t abrasive either—some even joked that he was like a reformed Shin Sang-yong, given how well he was fitting in. Ha Seung-woo was quickly becoming part of the Mercenary clan.
From the clan leader’s perspective, this was good news. Given the Mercenaries’ strong territorial nature, there were more members who failed to settle in than those who succeeded.
But knowing his true identity, I felt less joy and more anxiety. The more Ha Seung-woo was accepted as a clan member, the harder it would be to get rid of him later. Maybe he was even playing this game on purpose, studying Shin Sang-yong’s mannerisms to act the part.
Anyway, I had brought him in because I needed him, but I couldn’t just stand by and watch. The answer was clear: I had to use him quickly and get things done before he blended in any further.
“All right, both of you are ready…”
In the quiet, solemn atmosphere of the first-floor conference room, over thirty combat users had gathered. An Hyun and Woo Jung-min stood at the center, watching me intently. The reason for this meeting was simple: it was the first mission report since the clan’s new ranking system was implemented. Also, since this was the first mission led by clan members rather than me, I wanted to give it some significance.
“User An Hyun, you’ll coordinate with the client, correct? And User Woo Jung-min, when do you plan to depart?”
“As I just reported, preparations are complete. Including myself, fourteen clan members will move to the Northern Continent by early dawn tomorrow.”
“Understood. As you know, our Mercenary assassination squad has a formidable reputation. Even among the vagrants, we’re notorious. The users will have high expectations, so please do your best to meet them.”
“Yes, Clan Lord. We will ensure our results uphold the reputation you’ve built.”
Woo Jung-min spoke respectfully in a low voice. Though we spoke casually in private, he was always formal in official settings. …Hmm. It almost felt like I was a king encouraging a general before battle.
Expecting his personality to translate into solid performance, I glanced to the side. An Hyun stood at attention to Woo Jung-min’s right. He seemed calm but couldn’t quite hide a hint of tension.
Honestly, I wasn’t too worried about Woo Jung-min. The assassination squad included heavy hitters like Nam Da-eun, Vivian, Sun Yoo-woon, and Shin Jae-ryong.
But An Hyun hadn’t managed to gather elite clan members as expected. I heard he asked An Sol to join but was turned down. Though his mission wasn’t as tough as Woo Jung-min’s, I couldn’t help but worry—he’d caused trouble a couple of times before.
“User An Hyun.”
“Yes!”
He answered with a strong voice.
“Success isn’t everything.”
“Huh?”
“Sometimes, a strategic retreat can be more valuable than barely surviving a mission after the caravan is wiped out.”
“Ah… yes.”
“Whether to push forward, call for support, or simply withdraw—you must always treat this as your last chance and make wise decisions after careful consideration.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
An Hyun nodded with a serious expression, finally understanding. After delivering the warning, I was about to wrap up the meeting when I glanced toward the back.
Near the entrance sat the four new users. As I said earlier, we gave them a chance to observe quietly to help them adjust.
Sarah was whispering something, as if explaining, while Elizabeth nodded quietly. Ha Seung-yoon looked around the room with a dazzled expression, and Ha Seung-woo sat with one hand propping his chin, listening intently.
I had a plan in mind. After this meeting, they would know the Mercenary assassination squad had been revived. It was only a matter of time before they found out anyway, but I wanted to see their reactions—if only a little.
Ha Seung-woo, however, showed no particular reaction. No matter how I looked at him, he just seemed like a user attentively observing the meeting. Well, he wasn’t naive enough to be fooled by this, so I hadn’t expected much.
“All right, that concludes the meeting—”
“Excuse me, just a moment.”
At that moment, just as I was about to sigh inwardly and end the meeting, someone raised their hand and spoke cautiously. Everyone turned to look, and Ha Seung-woo slowly stood up. His sudden move startled me briefly, but I managed to nod.
“User Ha Seung-woo?”
“Ah, I heard the discussion about the vagrant assassination squad.”
Caught. Or… was I?
“That’s right. Do you have something to say?”
“Yes. If you don’t mind me overstepping, I’d like to offer some advice to User Woo Jung-min.”
“Advice?”
“Well… um…”
I gave a nod to indicate he could continue. Ha Seung-woo glanced around, scratched his head, and spoke.
“If you’re heading to the Northern Continent, I recommend you first check out the Blue Mountain Range.”
At that moment, my vision narrowed instinctively.
Woo Jung-min tilted his head.
“The Blue Mountain Range? Well… it’s possible to get in if you’re careful, but it’s a bit tough.”
“That’s true. But I recently heard a rumor.”
“A rumor?”
“Yes. There was a recent incident in the Blue Mountain Range suspected to be the work of vagrants. So I thought it might be best to head to the northern city first, investigate the truth of the incident, and then track from there.”
Woo Jung-min seemed thoughtful, stroking his chin before shrugging.
“Not a bad idea. I was actually wondering where to start the investigation. If that rumor’s true, thanks.”
“Ha ha. No problem. I’m glad if it helps even a little.”
Ha Seung-woo smiled faintly and sat down.
I fell into deep thought. The rumor Ha Seung-woo mentioned was true, and it was information I had planned to quietly pass on to Woo Jung-min before departure. So this was unexpected. If he’d mentioned some unrelated place, I might understand. But why did he leak such precise information? What was his real intention?
My mind grew tangled.
“Yaaawn.”
“Oh, Haesol?”
Je-gal Haesol, yawning widely as she descended the stairs, opened her sleepy eyes at the sound of her name. Im Han-na was waiting below on the first floor, wearing a gentle smile.
“…Big chest?”
“Excuse me?”
“Then, royal chest.”
“Excuse me?”
“Jiggle jiggle?”
“Are you going to get mad?”
Im Han-na tilted her head slightly, flashing a mysterious smile.
“Wow, Han-na, hello! Good morning!”
Only then did Je-gal Haesol seem to snap out of it, responding brightly. Im Han-na gave a bitter smile. It was hardly morning anymore—the sun was high, and bright light flooded the fortress.
“Come to think of it, it’s been a while. Where have you been all this time?”
“Um… about six days? I was holed up in my room studying some magic.”
Je-gal Haesol tapped her lips lightly as she spoke, but Im Han-na shook her head.
“That won’t do. It’s bad for your health and doesn’t look good either. And you probably don’t know much about what’s been going on in the clan lately, right?”
“Why? Has something big happened recently?”
When Jegal Haesol asked, Im Hanna glanced around. By coincidence, the meeting had just ended, and the clan members were streaming out toward the entrance. Im Hanna pointed at someone. In the direction she indicated, Ha Seungwoo was walking out alongside Ha Seungyun, wearing a friendly smile.
“Of course. Two new users joined from the Western Continent, and two more from the Northern Continent. You can’t seriously not have known that, right?”
“…”
“…Haesol?”
“Hmm~?”
Suddenly, a strange, almost musical hum slipped from Haesol’s lips. Im Hanna turned to look at him, puzzled. It was definitely Jegal Haesol standing there, but somehow he seemed like a completely different person. One eye was half-lidded as he quietly fixed his gaze on someone crossing the central plaza. A fleeting glint of gold flickered in his eyes, as if silently saying, “See that?”
After a moment.
“…Interesting.”
Jegal Haesol muttered softly, a subtle smile playing on his lips. Watching a bit longer, he then began to slowly walk in the direction Ha Seungwoo was headed.
“…”
Im Hanna could only watch quietly as Haesol walked away, muttering to himself.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Hmm. I actually had a bit more to write, but I’ll cut it here for this chapter. I’m feeling a bit out of it right now. Haha. Also, I need to get some sleep before my last reserve training today. I hope you understand.
Wishing all my readers a wonderful day!