00814 What’s Lost Will Return.
Something unbelievable has happened. The entire vanguard of five hundred soldiers sent ahead has gone completely silent. We’ve waited a full ten days, but there’s been no word at all.
What on earth could have happened?
— From the “Balkan Kingdom’s Fall: A Secret Atlanta Library War Diary”
Even when our eyes met, Han So-young kept her poker face. Her usual expressionless mask betrayed no hint of emotion. But moments later, her complexion began shifting rapidly.
She said nothing. Slowly, she withdrew Dodo from her hands and fixed a fierce glare on the empty space ahead. Her face flushed red, then paled repeatedly, while an invisible energy surged violently through the room. It was unmistakably a deadly aura.
I could feel it clearly. Her bright eyes revealed everything she was holding inside: don’t speak, don’t say a word. The moment she opened her mouth, she’d kill everyone here—and herself.
“Me-Mercenary Lord… p-please come in….”
When Han So-young didn’t move or speak, Park Da-yeon stepped in to invite me inside. I appreciated the gesture, but the girl was clueless—she was clearly trying to hold back laughter, but her words were already betraying her. Her head said no, but her body was honest.
Suddenly, Park Da-yeon slapped her cheeks hard enough to make a sound, then instantly adopted a solemn expression. Taking a deep breath, she led me inside.
“Phew… Mercenary Lord, please have a seat here.”
“Thank you.”
Hmm. Maybe things are calming down.
As I sat on the sofa, Park Da-yeon turned back to Han So-young.
Then,
“And, um, unnie hehehehe…”
She started giggling again.
“Ah, sorry. Excuse me.”
“……”
“…Clan Lord? Today, Mercenary Lord has come with two matters to discuss.”
“Two matters?”
At last, Han So-young spoke, feigning indifference. But Park Da-yeon’s eyes trembled uncontrollably.
“Hehehe, yes, two matters.”
Her voice shook. This was dangerous.
“What are they?”
“Well, one is about the missing persons case we’re currently preparing.”
“……”
“And the other… as you know… concerns the 5% related to the Night District! Hehehe~!”
Ah, damn it. Just when I thought she was holding it in, she burst out again. She covered her mouth, but now she was doubled over, gasping for breath. Han So-young’s face had drained of color, almost translucent. The situation was spiraling out of control.
“User Park Da-yeon, you may leave now. The guidance is sufficient.”
Park Da-yeon nodded frantically, her shoulders bouncing as she left the room. Just as the door closed, a strange laugh echoed down the hallway—something like a horse’s neigh.
A moment later, Han So-young looked at me with eyes full of mixed resentment and shame. Her jet-black irises shimmered as if on the verge of tears. I could hear her sharp breaths clearly.
I wasn’t without sympathy, but I tried hard not to show it. Damn Park Da-yeon. If you can’t handle it, just leave quietly. What is this?
…Now, what should I do?
No matter how much I thought, no clever solution came to mind.
Finally, I closed my eyes briefly and bowed my head slightly.
“I’m sorry.”
First, an apology.
When I opened my eyes, Han So-young was staring at me with slightly widened eyes—surprised, even suspicious.
Her gaze seemed to demand an explanation, so I began slowly, starting from when she came to see me and the hypnosis Gehenna had cast.
After some time,
“Ah…”
When I finished, Han So-young let out a small sigh. Whether my words were true or not didn’t matter. With her extrasensory ability, she must have felt the emotions behind my story exactly as I felt them.
“I see. So…”
She nodded a few times, then lifted her chin, her expression noticeably softened. For Han So-young, it was a bit of an overreaction, but I could feel the tension in the room easing.
“So, Mercenary Lord, you’re saying my strange behavior back then was entirely due to hypnosis?”
“Yes. I’ve almost been controlled before, too. Hypnosis triggers a powerful suggestion effect. It’s a terrifying ability. No one could resist it—not even me.”
“Hmm. That serious…”
“I can only apologize.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize. But if what you say is true, then even the things you just said were influenced by hypnosis. That makes sense.”
“Really? No, well… yes, that might be the case.”
Han So-young looked at me quietly, then quickly corrected herself and cleared her throat. Folding her arms, she stared down at the desk with a calm gaze. Seeing her deep in thought was oddly reassuring.
Yes. This is the real Han So-young. Whatever she’s thinking inside, she never shows it outwardly. If it were me, I’d probably be kicking off the covers and wanting to die. Seeing her maintain such composure made me want to applaud.
“I’m curious. Why did that person hypnotize me?”
Oh. She was trying to change the subject and ask about it.
I thought that was a good tactic and shook my head slowly.
“I don’t know.”
“Could you ask, then?”
“That might be difficult.”
“Why?”
“Because Gehenna isn’t in this dimension anymore. She returned to her original dimension with Suna over a month ago.”
“……!”
The moment I said that, Han So-young’s eyes widened in surprise. I saw her clench her fist, but after blinking, her hand rested gently on the desk. I must have imagined it.
“Why…?”
“Well, there were various reasons. She’s not meant to stay in this dimension.”
“…Is there a chance she might be summoned again?”
“Honestly, unless luck and miracles combine… I don’t think so.”
Han So-young stared at me for a moment, then suddenly raised her hand and gently stroked Dodo’s back as she yawned. Her delicate fingers brushed his chin and wings softly. Both Dodo and Han So-young looked content. Dodo seemed ready to hum a tune.
“That’s nice.”
“Hm?”
“This one. It’s my first time seeing a Pegasus.”
“Oh. It’s strange for me, too. Usually, he won’t let anyone touch him, but in front of Istantel Low, he’s calm.”
Han So-young looked down with fresh eyes, focusing all her attention on the Pegasus as she spoke casually.
“But… you don’t seem to mind much?”
“……?”
“Even though that person left… it feels like you’re talking about someone else.”
“Ha ha.”
I laughed without realizing it. I never expected Han So-young to say something like that.
“Not exactly someone else… we just accepted our differences.”
“?”
“Gehenna has a long-standing mission in her own dimension. I have grand goals in my world. Since she returned to fulfill hers, I intend to do the same.”
“Hmm, hmm.”
Han So-young, who had been nodding steadily, suddenly gave a big satisfied nod. It was as if she was deeply pleased.
I felt something strange. When she ran off earlier, I worried about how we’d face each other again. But now, we were talking calmly, just like before, as always.
Now that the mood had lightened, it seemed time to get to the point.
“Istantel Low Lord, earlier you mentioned User Park Da-yeon…”
“If you mean the entrance near the foothills, we’re preparing an expedition, too.”
“I thought so.”
“Yes. It seems the Mercenary Clan is also preparing an expedition there…”
That was it. The fact that rumors were spreading quietly meant some users knew about the “Abyss of Annihilation.” It was unlikely anyone had conquered it yet—they were probably struggling. It wouldn’t be surprising if rescue or missing person requests came from the main clans, especially from the eastern city closest to the ruins.
Right now, both sides were preparing expeditions to the same place. That’s why I came to see Istantel Low.
“Wait a moment. Before we go further, I want to hear your answer to something.”
Suddenly, Han So-young interrupted. She straightened up and looked at me steadily.
“Of course, Mercenary Lord knows this, but from what we’ve gathered, that ruin isn’t an easy place. Personally, it’s not somewhere I’d want to go.”
“I agree with that.”
“Even so, you still intend to go… Is it for our sake? Or for the Mercenary Clan?”
“Obviously the latter. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have come to ask for your help.”
I answered without a hint of hesitation. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what the question was supposed to mean.
But in that moment—was it just my imagination?—I thought I caught a faint smile flicker across Han So-young’s lips before vanishing.
She lifted Dodo gently in her hands and spoke in a sweet, soothing voice.
“All right. Shall we begin our discussion?”
After finishing my conversation with Han So-young, I walked away feeling light on my feet.
I’d woken up this morning thinking something good would happen today—and things really did fall into place. The expedition was granted to us, and unexpectedly, Han So-young readily agreed to offer a 5% share of the profits.
Though it wasn’t a full grant; it was more like a loan. From what I heard, recent policies had strained the finances of Istanbul Row, as they tried to attract more users.
But above all, the biggest win was that my relationship with Han So-young—once thought to be beyond repair—had finally returned to normal.
Back at Mercenary Castle, I immediately posted the expedition notice on the plaza bulletin board. The difference this time was that it wasn’t about solving an incident, but a pure exploration mission.
Maybe the clan members sensed that, because before a day had passed, all nine spots—our set limit—were filled.
Now, only one thing remained.
Complete the expedition smoothly and watch over what my brother was up to.
With that in mind, I calmly reviewed the preparations for tomorrow’s expedition and went to bed quietly.
Later that night, Nam Da-eun and Jung Ha-yeon both showed up at the same time, saying they wanted to discuss something about the expedition. But when the two women unexpectedly ran into each other, they exchanged awkward glances and quickly left without much said.
Aside from that little incident, it was a night of restful sleep.
The morning was clear and calm, with clouds drifting gently across a bright blue sky.
Mercenary Castle was a bit bustling as the expedition’s departure drew near. When Kim Soo-hyun came downstairs, fully geared up, ten users were already gathered in one place, waiting for him. These were the clan members who had jumped to volunteer faster than anyone else when the expedition notice went up. Well, except for one.
Anyway, since this expedition was expected to wrap up in no more than ten days—far shorter than usual—there wasn’t much to fuss over in preparation. Kim Soo-hyun scanned the lightly dressed clan members one by one, then spoke as if there was nothing more to check.
“Everyone’s here. Where’s Jegal Shuttle?”
“What?”
The woman standing behind Kim Soo-hyun snapped back sharply. Laughter bubbled up around them. Kim Soo-hyun smiled wryly and turned around.
“There you are. I want to leave right away, so you’ve finished calculating the coordinates, right?”
“Seriously, you’re still holding a grudge over that little prank? Men can be so petty.”
Jegal Hae-sol didn’t look too pleased—probably dragged out again against her will—but despite the nagging, she gritted her teeth and calmly began chanting. Soon, shimmering blue mana started gathering from all around.
A moment later—
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the eleven figures wrapped in blue mana vanished in an instant.
The transport ability: “Abyssal Oblivion”—the signal flare marking the start of the expedition.
And with that, it finally began.
Kim Soo-hyun’s final expedition—just before ‘that incident’ erupted.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I spent quite a bit of time deciding how to phrase that last line. It’s a bit ambiguous, after all.
To clarify: you can consider that from now on, small-scale expeditions like this won’t appear anymore in Memorize.
Of course, the gap left by expeditions will be filled with other story elements. :)