The “method” Seraph mentioned turned out to be simpler than I expected.
We’d send a “mission message” to some users on the Northern Continent. More precisely, we’d summon mid-level or higher-ranking clan officers, explain the current situation, and ask for their cooperation.
Of course, I could guess Seraph’s true intentions. Now that the Southern Continent had fallen to the demons, from the angels’ perspective, the Northern Continent was a crucial card that had to be secured. The Western Continent was already moving according to the demons’ will, and the Eastern Continent was practically irrelevant. If we, too, allied with the demons, there’d be no hope left. So, the angels wanted to help prevent that.
In the end, they were offering to take charge of uniting the users. I had no reason to refuse. No one would just jump into action because someone shouted, “War starts today!” And every second counted. If the angels took the lead, it would save a lot of time spent on justifying and persuading people.
Meanwhile, I had my own tasks.
There were two urgent issues on the Northern Continent. One was to repel the imminent invasion from the Western Continent. The other was to rescue the Eastern Continent.
I had to choose between two paths: either concentrate all our forces to crush the Western Continent quickly, then head to the East; or split our strength to handle both missions simultaneously.
The first option offered stability, but it risked playing right into Satan’s hands. Knowing the West was a mere bait, chasing after a discarded card was nonsense.
So, I chose the latter.
After finishing my talk with Seraph and leaving the summoning chamber, I headed straight to the Mercenary Castle. On the way, the once-quiet city began to stir, and I quickened my pace.
When I opened the main gate and stepped inside, I suddenly stopped without realizing it. In the garden, Margarita was lightly strolling in front of two dark-clad figures. Ahn Hyun and Jin Suhyun were staring at her with their mouths agape.
“How does she look?”
“Pretty.”
“Huh? Pretty?”
“I mean, it suits her.”
Hmm. What were they up to?
“Marga?”
When I called her name, Margarita stopped spinning and tilted her head. Then she turned toward me and cheerfully called out, “Daddy!” with a bright smile. But I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.
“That outfit…”
Sure enough, Margarita was decked out in gear I’d never seen her wear before: a headband, leather armor, gloves, long boots… Wait, she even had a necklace on?
“Oh, big brother’s here.”
“Brother! We took some equipment out of the warehouse. We heard you gave permission!”
As they noticed me staring, the two—Dumb and Dumber—swaggered out, clearly proud of themselves. I wasn’t sure why, but their words seemed true. Margarita blushed slightly and lifted the silver headband on her head with both hands.
“Yes. The brothers helped me pick out the gear. And this headband was a gift from Yoo Jeong.”
“Yoo Jeong? Ah…”
That was the headband of purity, right? Originally Margarita’s, so it was kind of a keepsake. I wasn’t sure if she knew that.
Then Margarita spread her arms wide.
“Daddy, daddy! How do I look? Does it fit well?”
“Uh? Yeah, it does.”
I nodded calmly, but honestly, she could’ve worn rags and still looked good. After all, they say the face completes the fashion.
…Wait, this isn’t the time.
“Good timing. You two, I have something for you to do.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Huh? Who was that guy again?”
“……?”
Just then, before I could finish, Jin Suhyun suddenly pointed toward the main gate. A burly, scruffy man with a protruding belly was striding in. It was Kim Deokpil of the ‘Battle-Hardened’ Reverse Clan. He’d arrived early.
“Hey, Mercenary Lord!”
He rushed over as soon as he saw me. He must have seen the message. He was probably pretty confused, so I figured I should calm him down first.
“Long time no see.”
“Yeah, long time… but that’s not the point!”
Kim Deokpil raised his hand in greeting, then suddenly shouted as he ran up.
“Got any tobacco?”
He abruptly held out his hand.
…This guy, seriously.
For a moment, I wanted to spit on his palm like a frying pan, but instead, I fumbled for some tobacco and flicked it into his hand. Kim Deokpil caught it skillfully, grinning as he pulled out a flint. Damn, it annoyed me for no reason.
“Did you check the message?”
“The one from the angel? Yeah, I saw it. That’s why I came.”
He answered gruffly, then gave an awkward smile. His reaction was surprisingly calm. That was unexpected.
“But you know, I’m not the only one who got the message.”
“Probably.”
“So you knew, huh? But they told me to come to the temple. I came here because the message said to find you.”
“Hmm…”
Kim Deokpil exhaled a cloud of smoke and muttered quietly.
“Damn, I have no idea what’s going on. You know? It’s total chaos right now.”
“Well, I have a rough idea.”
“The Western Continent’s attack, the Southern Continent’s rebellion, the Eastern Continent’s rescue… It’s a lot to take in. Too sudden. But, Mercenary Lord, is this for real?”
“It’s hard to believe, but that’s what I heard.”
Kim Deokpil asked in a low voice, and I subtly shifted the responsibility to the angel. After all, Seraph and I had agreed on this plan from the start. The angels would handle the persuasion; I just had to focus on the situation.
At that moment, someone else was strolling through the main gate. It was Gong Chanho.
“Huh, he’s here too.”
Kim Deokpil let out a short exclamation upon seeing him.
“Let’s head inside first. There are still quite a few people coming.”
“Phew! Sounds good.”
Kim Deokpil inhaled deeply on his tobacco and agreed.
I was a little mentally exhausted. To exaggerate slightly, my brain felt like it was buzzing. I leaned back deeply in the seat of honor and looked around. Nine users had already arrived and were seated in the Mercenary Castle’s first-floor conference room.
Lee Hyo-eul, head of the Central Administrative Organization.
From the Eastern City: Han Soyoung, Lord of the Istanbul Low Clan; Lee Chanhee, Lord of the Assassin Clan.
From the Western City: Gong Chanho of the Northern Alliance.
From the Southern City: Kim Deokpil of the Reverse Clan; Seonyul, Lord of the Tower of Magic Clan; Park Hwanhee of the New Koran Alliance; Seong Hyunmin, Lord of the Han Clan.
From the Northern City: Kim Yoohyun, Lord of the Hamil Clan.
And myself, the Mercenary Clan Lord.
Ten in total. Everyone who was supposed to come had arrived.
The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Each person belonged to a clan that could rival the best, yet their faces were unusually stiff. They’d all seen the message, which meant the shock was significant.
Unable to withstand their piercing gazes, I removed my hand from my forehead and announced the start of the meeting.
“Well… I assume everyone has read the message, so let’s begin.”
“Yes, I have, but I have a question.”
Seonyul raised her hand as soon as I spoke. Her usual playful expression was gone, replaced by a seriousness I hadn’t seen before. That made things a bit tense. She was straightforward by nature.
“To sum up the message, it says this: The Western Continent is invading. The Southern Continent has allied with some strange forces and turned the angels into enemies. They’re heading to attack the Eastern Continent. So, we have to defend against the Western invasion while simultaneously rescuing the East. Is that right?”
Seonyul spoke rapidly, probably because she was a mage. She seemed to have skipped some details, but it wasn’t wrong, so I nodded.
“That’s correct.”
“Why?”
Seonyul furrowed her brow and immediately challenged me, her tone slightly aggressive.
“Think about it. The Western Continent… honestly, I don’t know what confidence they have to come again, but if it’s revenge for their previous defeat, I can understand. They have the justification of defending their territory, so I’m willing to participate. …But the Eastern Continent? That’s a different story.”
“……”
“Because, well, never mind. You probably know what I want to say without me going on. Anyway, I want answers to two things: what happened in the Southern Continent, and why we have to get involved in that fight. As the current protector of the Northern Continent, I hope the Mercenary Lord can give me a convincing explanation.”
“Wait. Can I answer that?”
Just then, as I was about to respond with the prepared explanation, Lee Hyo-eul raised his hand and interrupted. Seonyul looked a bit annoyed but seemed to hold back. A kind of seniority, I suppose.
“Let me cut to the chase. Seonyul, I understand what you’re curious about, but even Kim Suhyun probably can’t explain it in detail.”
“What did you say?”
Seonyul’s face twisted sharply, but Lee Hyo-eul waved his hand. For some reason, he seemed to be trying to help me.
“Calm down. I’ve been a Guardian before, so I know how it goes. Sometimes you get a heads-up when something happens, but quite often, you don’t.”
“So this time, we’re in the ‘no warning’ category?”
“Exactly. Because usually in these cases…”
“Ah, so all we have to do is just follow orders, right?”
“No, listen—”
“Hey, are you kidding me? This isn’t some kid’s game. You just toss out some vague message and expect us to blindly obey?”
The sharp sarcasm in her voice set off an uneasy feeling in me. I’d expected some confusion, but this was way more intense than I thought. In fact, it was starting to look like she was about to turn against the angels altogether.
Just as I sensed something was about to go wrong—
Bang!
“Hey, why don’t you just shut up?”
The sound of a desk slamming echoed through the room, followed by a sudden rush of something thick and heavy, like a dense instrument. Sunyul flinched, her body trembling as a reluctant light flickered from her. Across from her, Gong Chanho leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowed as he stared her down.
“Chatter, chatter. You sure talk a lot. Guess it runs in the family—wizards and all.”
“W-what did you say?”
“You’re not the only one confused here, so maybe just zip it for a bit. Don’t be the only one whining.”
“…Are you done?”
Sunyul’s eyes narrowed even further, but Gong Chanho just smirked and stifled a laugh, as if daring her to do something about it. The atmosphere turned tense in an instant.
“Sorry, but I have to agree with User Gong Chanho.”
Just then, a well-dressed man who had been quietly observing spoke up in a calm voice. All eyes shifted to Seong Hyunmin, who was sitting at the far end. He clicked his tongue lightly and let out a long sigh.
“Let me be clear—I understand User Sunyul’s doubts, and I think they’re valid. But for now, I’d appreciate it if you could just hold back.”
“Hold back?”
“I mean, don’t jump to conclusions or interrupt. Just watch and see what’s going on. Why did this unusual message pop up? Why are the others heading to the temple while we were suddenly called here? I hate to say it, but none of us belong to a clan that can be taken lightly. Still don’t get it?”
“W-well…”
“You’re not the only one curious, Sunyul. We all are. But first, let’s listen and assess. You can raise your questions afterward. I get that you’re frustrated, but honestly, I don’t understand why you’re angry at the Mercenary Lord.”
“……”
They say the sharper the criticism, the softer the words should be. Seong Hyunmin’s calm, logical tone left Sunyul momentarily speechless. She glanced at me briefly, then slumped her shoulders, looking deflated.
“If I was too harsh, I apologize.”
“…It’s fine. No, really.”
Seong Hyunmin gave a brief, wry smile before discreetly signaling me.
…Looks like we finally managed to create a space where we can talk.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m sorry.
I was supposed to post two chapters, but I couldn’t keep my promise.
Lately, my focus has been terrible.
Yesterday, I sat down early, determined to write, but after four hours, I managed only six lines. I almost deleted them but held back.
Honestly, I’m not satisfied with today’s content either, and I keep feeling embarrassed for some reason I can’t explain. It’s not about rest—I think there’s something else going on.
I thought about taking another day off, but I worried that if I stopped now, things would only get worse. So I forced myself to keep going.
Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll try to keep up daily updates as much as possible.
Once again, I apologize. (—)(__)