Memorize

When I thought about it, Go Yeon-Joo struck me as a truly versatile player. It wasn't just about her abilities as a player. Despite being the last to join us, she had smoothly integrated herself into our group and was steadily carving out her place. Even though she was one of the Top 10, she never displayed the kind of arrogance that would make her allies frown, nor did she indulge in pointless posturing. She wielded her authority when necessary but always knew where to draw the line.

Just yesterday, for instance, she lightly put two players in their place who were acting high and mighty, flaunting their status. She subtly revealed her own status as one of the Top 10 and shut them down effortlessly. Watching Yeon-Joo step up exactly when needed made even me feel a certain fondness for her.

I quietly closed the door behind me, holding the documents I'd prepared and a teacup, and descended the stairs. When I reached the first-floor lobby, the tables had already been restored to their original state. Come to think of it, her welcome party yesterday had fizzled out, and I felt a bit guilty about it. Sipping the still-steaming tea, I opened the inn's entrance door, intending to smoke a cigarette.

"…"

But the moment I stepped outside, I froze. There was another small set of stairs leading down to the ground outside the inn, and sitting there, crouched, was a player with narrow shoulders and long hair. From the faint ashen hue of her hair, I didn't need to see her face to know who it was. Instead of calling out to her from behind, I sat down beside her and spoke.

"Good morning. You're up early."

Since I'd been thinking about her on my way here, my words naturally came out gently. Yeon-Joo glanced at me with tired eyes before burying her face again, responding to my greeting.

"Good morning. But I didn't wake up early because I wanted to."

"Hm. Something up?"

"I was waiting. I knew there was a high chance you'd come out here in the morning to smoke. Hey, why didn't you offer me one? Stingy."

As she finished speaking, she swiftly snatched the cigarette I'd just put in my mouth. It wasn't the first time she'd done this, so I just let it slide and pulled out another one.

Chik. Chiiik.

We lit our cigarettes at the same time and exhaled smoke in unison. As the smoke we puffed out dissolved into the air, I spoke to her again.

"Come to think of it, the welcome party yesterday kind of fell apart, didn't it? Did those guys make it back okay?"

"Yeah. They begged for another chance to meet up, even clung to me, but I just shooed them away. They seemed pretty heartbroken, though—kept wiping away tears as they left."

"I see. Good work."

"You're welcome."

An awkward silence settled between us. It was the first time I'd felt this kind of discomfort while talking with her. If that was the case, it seemed like she might have some kind of grievance with me. Or maybe not a grievance—more like a playful complaint? The thought of the shadow queen whining to me felt surprisingly refreshing. Her complaints didn't seem all that unpleasant.

"Why are you laughing?"

Noticing my faint chuckles, she spoke with a prim expression. When I replied, "Oh, no reason," she shot me a dissatisfied look before finally revealing her true feelings.

"I went through all that effort to feed you and build up your strength."

"Pfft."

"And you go and use it on that? Stop laughing already, seriously. Hoho."

Mid-sentence, she must've found it funny herself because she burst into laughter too. We laughed together for a while, looking at each other, before letting our cigarettes fall to the ground.

"But still, how could you just barge in like that? Ha-Yeong locked the door and even cast a silence spell."

"Hah. Those things are useless in front of the shadow queen."

"That's not the point. Isn't it common courtesy to pretend you didn't notice?"

"Ha. Who's the one who shamelessly sapped all that pent-up energy I'd been saving? I couldn't just let that slide. Ugh, but that female player's moans were something else, weren't they? So sultry, despite how she looks. 'Aah~ Su-Hyeon-ssi~ Aah~'"

Watching Yeon-Joo mimic Ha-Yeong's moans from last night, I fell into thought for a moment. I was certain I'd only noticed her when I opened the door this morning and set down my tea, but from what she was saying, it seemed she'd known about it even before that.

I cleared my throat and cut her off mid-moan. She had been gleefully imitating Ha-Yeong's sounds until I interrupted, then burst into giggles and poked me in the side.

"Don't eavesdrop so much. Even putting the welcome party aside, I prepared good liquor, wore something sexy, and waited, only to spend the dawn listening to moans all by myself. So let me have this little tease, okay?"

"I'll let it slide. Still, knowing you saw that makes me a bit uneasy."

"Oh, why? It was my first time seeing such beautiful sex."

"Cough! W-What did you say?"

This time, I genuinely choked. Expecting another joke, I turned to her, but to my surprise, Yeon-Joo's face was serious. There was a hint of envy in her expression, and overall, she seemed oddly lonely. Feeling a bit awkward, I decided to change the subject.

"Hm. That's an interesting way to put it. Anyway, I'm curious about something."

"Huh? Curious about what? My three sizes? 3…"

"Why did those guys come to Mule now? And while we're at it, I'm curious about how other things are progressing."

Yeon-Joo tilted her head and pursed her lips. To me, it just looked like she was being coy.

"Hmm~ I can't quite remember."

"Oh, come on."

"Come on, what? My memory's a bit fuzzy in places like this. But maybe, late at night, in my room, it might come back to me."

Her consistent attitude made me let out a deep sigh as I stood up, brushing off my clothes. Staying here any longer would only get me caught up in her pace, so I figured it was best to leave. Besides, after how things went with those guys yesterday, I doubted they'd stay quiet. Who knows, maybe that Ban Da-Hee would come storming in.

Yeon-Joo quickly grabbed my hand, speaking in a plaintive tone.

"Sob. My dear, don't go. This poor girl was wrong."

"I'm heading to work. Let go."

"Oh, right. Then make lots of money, dear. I'll be waiting with something delicious."

"…I'll leave the teacup here."

Catching sight of the documents in my hand, Yeon-Joo quickly regained her composure and switched her tone. What an enigmatic woman, I thought. Why was she being so clingy today? Suddenly, the lonely expression she'd had earlier flashed through my mind.

Feeling a mix of emotions, I picked up the teacup I'd set down and started walking toward the temple, leaving her behind as she stood to see me off. It seemed like I might actually need to visit her room tonight. Not for that, of course—just purely to get some information. Really.

*

Barging into the temple, I turned the place upside down from the morning onward. Of course, I didn't cause a ruckus. I simply requested to meet Seraph and mentioned a bit about what happened yesterday, saying I needed advice. The priest, sweating profusely, apologized profusely to me.

The priest wasn't entirely at fault, and I knew they had no choice in the matter, so I didn't press too hard. Still, I managed to secure a temporary certificate through what could be called a subtle threat—a clear achievement.

The temporary certificate, as the name suggests, is issued provisionally. It's granted in cases where forming an investigation team is tricky due to distance or difficulty before one's achievements are officially verified. Unless you're part of a fairly reputable clan, getting one is, as expected, extremely difficult.

However, thanks to Vivienne's heroic deeds and Belphegor's heart from earlier, and especially because the temple's mistake this time was undeniable, I was able to obtain it quickly. Of course, if our expedition later turns out to be fraudulent, everything would be nullified, and we'd face penalties. But since that would never happen, it was irrelevant to us.

Next, I headed straight to the clan registration office, submitting the documents I'd prepared and the temporary certificate. Additionally, I requested priority processing for identity changes for certain individuals. Since the Beech Tree clan might stir up trouble, claiming to be the main clan, the best way to preempt that was to change our statuses to free mercenaries. My group and I were already unaffiliated, and Vivienne, being from an ancient, defunct nation, was unaffected. But Go Yeon-Joo, Jung Ha-Yeong, and Shin Sang-Yong absolutely needed to change their statuses.

Identity changes come with strict restrictions, but since the reason was to establish a free mercenary clan and join it, there wasn't much to worry about. I'd done everything I could, so now it was just a matter of waiting for the others to individually apply for their status changes, get them approved, and pass the document review. Once that was done, I'd receive word. Then, under the supervision of the assigned resident, we'd go through an interview, and only upon passing that would the final clan registration be approved.

It was a system that could be seen as simple or complex, depending on how you looked at it, but the crux was that you couldn't create a clan without some degree of proven achievement.

Having set up this smokescreen, I felt a bit more at ease and returned to the inn at a leisurely pace. The others had already woken up and eaten breakfast, so I ended up having a late breakfast-cum-lunch alone. After finishing my solitary meal, I explained the situation to the players who needed to change their statuses and gave simple instructions to the rest of the group. (Not that there was much to do beyond training or free time.)

Finally, I called Vivienne to come to my room when she had time, then ended the meeting. I returned to my room and began organizing my equipment.

I already had over 80,000 gold coins and more than a thousand gems. But no matter how much I had, I didn't want to waste them. While rummaging through the equipment I'd taken from the vagrants, intending to sell some, I noticed a few pieces I hadn't checked before. Among them, the Sun-Moon Divine Sword caught my particular interest, as I thought it might replace the cumbersome Nil sword, and I had high expectations for it.

Sun-Moon Divine Sword

Description: A sword imbued with the power of the sun and moon over countless years. When the sun is up, the blade absorbs sunlight, generating intense heat and taking on flame-like properties. When the moon is out, the blade is infused with moonlight, exuding a chill and gaining enhanced cutting power. Due to the process of its creation, it carries an origin that breaks through evil and corrupt energies. While it demonstrates above-average effectiveness against demonic forces, its power is still minor compared to that of a true Authority.

"Nice."

I let out a brief comment, then raised the Sun-Moon Divine Sword toward the ceiling. As I examined it closely, I drew the sword from its jet-black, gleaming sheath. With a shing, the sleek blade reflected a sharp, almost shy light. My first impression was that it was remarkably refined.

The double-edged blade was engraved with elegant, antique patterns on both sides, exuding the beauty of a finely crafted work of art. When I gave it a test swing, it sliced through the air cleanly, fitting perfectly in my hand. Satisfied that it was worth carrying, I let out a pleased laugh and carefully sheathed it again. Just then—

"Kim Su-Hyeon! I'm coming in!"

A clear, lively voice called out to me from outside. It was probably Vivienne, whom I'd briefly called during my late breakfast-lunch. She must have finished her errands and come by. "Come in," I replied, and the door burst open, revealing a vibrant woman.

As expected, it was Vivienne who stepped inside. Her cheeks were flushed, as if she'd rushed over, and she was breathing slightly heavily.

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