"Oppa."
"…"
"Oppa? Oppa!"
"Huh? Yeah."
A sharp voice accompanied someone grabbing and shaking my shoulder. Turning my head, I saw Yun-Jung's face.
"What were you thinking about? I was calling you, and you didn't even respond."
"It's nothing. So why'd you call?"
"When we first got to Hall Plain, those Golden Lion Clan guys showed up, right?"
"Yeah."
When I nodded, she tapped her left chest and continued.
"Didn't those players have a Golden Lion emblem on their chests? It feels like we don't have anything like that."
"We did register an emblem. But it doesn't just appear automatically—you have to draw it on your equipment yourself."
"Ohh, got it! I thought it just happened on its own. But oppa, is something upsetting you? You look really down."
"I'm fine. Just had something on my mind."
Suddenly, the information Conrad Douglas shared earlier popped into my head.
I didn't know exactly what Yoo Hyun-Ah was thinking, but I had no intention of staying in Mule. Glancing at the free mercenary tag in my player info window, I pushed my thoughts aside. I've always been the type to act like I'm being chased. The fear of falling behind if I didn't keep up with the flow always made me restless.
"Player Go Yeon-Joo, Player Jung Ha-Yeong."
Steadying my mind, I called for Jung Ha-Yeong and Go Yeon-Joo, and both immediately approached me.
"Yes, Su-Hyeon-ssi."
"You called?"
"Yes. I need you two to take the rest of the group back to the inn right now. Pack up and prepare to leave Mule."
"Are we leaving right away?" Ha-Yeong asked.
I shook my head.
"No, there's one last thing to wrap up. Still, please prepare as quickly as possible. We might leave as early as tonight. Player Go Yeon-Joo, what's your plan for the inn? Will it take much time?"
"Nope! I've thought about it, and I'm keeping it. If we settle in another city, we could station a new Shadow here. So we just need to pack our bags."
Go Yeon-Joo's decision was smart. If a civil war breaks out among North Continent players in the future, warp gates connecting rival cities will likely be cut off. She's probably thinking purely about information gathering for now, but having her shadow operatives in place to collect insider intel would be a huge asset later. With someone like Go Yeon-Joo, I trusted she'd handle it well, and I found myself nodding instinctively.
"I'll go take care of that last matter now. Once everything's ready, gather everyone in the first-floor lobby. I'll share a brief plan for what's next. We'll leave Mule after that."
"Leave it to us."
"By the Lord's command."
Jung Ha-Yeong replied in a clear voice, while Go Yeon-Joo answered playfully. Watching them walk toward the group, I started moving too. My destination was the shopping district—specifically, Old Man's Jewel Shop.
*
As I opened the door to Old Man's Jewel Shop, I saw the old man examining a deep blue gem. His white hair and wrinkled face were just as I remembered. The moment I stepped in, he glanced at me and spoke in a gruff voice.
"Been a while, hasn't it?"
"It has. I hope you've been in good health and spirits."
"Hmph. Sounds like you picked up some fancy words somewhere." He let out a chuckle, apparently amused by my greeting. I'd thrown out an old-fashioned phrase I'd heard before, thinking it might suit someone of his age, and it seemed to have unintentionally hit the mark. With a faint smile, I pulled a pouch from my pocket. He took it with practiced ease, carefully shaking its contents onto the counter. As he picked up one of the dozen or so gems that spilled out, I noticed a flicker of magical energy in his eyes.
Watching him inspect each gem, I sank into thought. The reason I'd come here was because the old man has a Rare Class: a Jewel Certified Public Appraiser. I didn't know the specifics of his abilities, and honestly, in my view, his skills were nice to have but not essential. However, considering Han-Byeol's class, their synergy seemed promising.
Initially, I'd considered fully recruiting him, but I'd since changed my mind and put that plan on hold. If I'd been serious about recruiting him, I would've brought Kim Han-Byeol along and come back later. But the old man wanted to live out his days quietly, and since he wasn't absolutely necessary for our future plans, I had neither the right nor the desire to drag him along. Plus, Kim Han-Byeol's situation was ambiguous, so I was here just to test the waters, like poking at a fruit I couldn't quite reach.
"Not bad," The old man said, having apparently finished appraising the gems while I was lost in thought. Gathering them in his hands, he continued in an admiring tone. "These are on a whole different level from what you brought last time. Calling them top-grade feels like an understatement. The luster is radiant, and they're brimming with concentrated magical energy. Even at a low estimate, each one's worth over 200 gold. Planning to sell them all?"
"No."
"Hm? What's that?" He raised an eyebrow, surprised by my response. His expression hardened, as if my words had irritated him. A sudden recruitment pitch was bold, but I knew this player didn't like beating around the bush, so it seemed best to be upfront. Still, I needed to keep the conversation moving.
"I just came from founding a clan."
"You founded a clan?"
"Yes. And we're planning to leave Mule soon."
"Hrm. Alright. So what's the point of bringing this up?" His expression softened slightly. Breathing a sigh of relief, I spoke calmly.
"Are you aware that a Secret Class recently emerged in the Golden Lion Clan?"
"I heard. They've been advertising it so loudly my ears are ringing. It's an interesting class, personally speaking."
"I know the person with that class. Since they seem likely to work with gems, I thought your expertise could be a big help moving forward. Of course, I can't guarantee they'll join our clan. Still, before leaving Mule, I wanted to ask your thoughts."
"Ha! So these gems are like a signing bonus?"
"Think of it however you like. Even as a new clan, we can afford to offer gems like these."
I had a bit of a strategy here. Logically, proposing to recruit a potential member from the Golden Lion Clan without even securing Kim Han-Byeol's commitment sounded like nonsense. And for now, that was out of my control. Still, showing off these gems was my way of proving that, despite being a freshly launched clan, we had this level of capability.
"I'll pass," Player Lee Man-Seong said, rejecting my offer flat-out, as expected. I hadn't really thought he'd agree. Though I knew a bit about him, from his perspective, I was just some player he'd met once, showing up out of the blue to ask him to join a clan. I'd probably turn down an offer like that too.
But his next words caught me off guard.
"Still, I'm not offended. It's rare for someone to take notice of an old player like me and even make a recruitment offer. You're an odd one."
"Haha. Someone who recommended this place spoke so highly of you, so I thought I'd take a chance."
"I appreciate the offer. But that Secret Class? Nice to have, but not a must. It's just a matter of personal curiosity, not why I'm turning you down. I won't bore you with the details, but I just want to live out my days here quietly. I'm too old to be running around."
"I understand. I'm actually sorry for making such a forward request, and I appreciate you taking it so kindly."
Player Lee Man-Seong let out a long sigh and slid the gems back into the pouch. As I reached to take it, his voice hit my ears.
"But if you do manage to recruit that player, drop by sometime if you think of it. I won't let you leave empty-handed. Though, even if you don't recruit them, you're welcome to stop by."
There was a hint of loneliness in his voice. I bowed deeply, took the pouch, and tucked it safely into my pocket.
"You must be busy with a newly founded clan. Get going. Hope to see you alive again."
"Haha. Thank you. I'll make sure to survive and come back."
With that, the old man and I exchanged polite farewells and parted ways. I left Old Man's Jewel Shop with a light heart. Now it was time to head back to the inn.
*
When I returned to the inn, the clan members were diligently packing their belongings. I could sense their excitement at the prospect of leaving Mule. I went to my study and sorted the equipment I'd been storing. Though there were quite a few gold coins, gems, and pieces of gear, packing them into three Chaos Mimics and then into a magic backpack significantly reduced the bulk.
By the time we'd packed what needed packing and sorted what needed sorting, the sun was already beginning to set.
At Go Yeon-Joo's suggestion, we had a simple meal. Everyone had high expectations since it was our last meal in Mule, but with most of the food supplies already used up, it wasn't as lavish as before. Still, since it was prepared by the highly skilled Go Yeon-Joo, everyone ate with satisfied expressions.
Part of me wanted to head straight to the warp gate. However, as the newly appointed Clan Lord, dragging the clan around haphazardly wouldn't look good. At the very least, it was my duty as Clan Lord to provide a basic explanation of our next steps. So, after the meal, I gathered the group as they sipped tea and began speaking.
"Let me briefly outline our plans moving forward."
Unlike when we first arrived in Mule, our numbers had doubled. An-Hyun, An-Sol, Yun-Jung, Vivienne, Jung Ha-Yeong, Shin Sang-Yong, Go Yeon-Joo, and myself. No longer just a group of companions, they were now clan members under my leadership. Feeling their focused gazes, I continued calmly.
"Today, we officially founded our clan. Fortunately, we've gotten off to a good start. But this is merely the first step."
I paused to take a sip of the tea in front of me, its sharp aroma filling my mouth.
"Mercenary is a free mercenary-style clan. While we'll act independently at times, our growth will come from taking on and completing requests. However, with Mercenary's current reputation, operating solely on high-profile requests is challenging. Right now, we need two things: a Clan House to serve as our base and a way to build our reputation. Recruiting new members is also on the table, but we'll set that aside for now."
"The Clan House is doable with enough money, but what methods are you considering to build our reputation?" Go Yeon-Joo asked.
I nodded once and answered.
"For starters, we're aiming for publicity. With our current strength, I believe we can draw attention from other players. As interest grows, more groups will approach us. But we won't be subsumed under another clan. The key is to ride the wave of attention and climb upward."
Most likely, we'd get a lot of merger inquiries. The important thing was that we needed to move according to our own will. I had no interest in being pushed around by someone else's needs or circumstances. To avoid that, we needed enough power to not be underestimated.
"The question then is how and in what way we'll ride that wave. I've already made plans for that. Soon, the Golden—"
Bang!
I was about to say, 'After the Golden Lion Clan completes their expedition to the Iron Mountains, I plan to use that as our starting point,' but a sudden noise cut me off. The clan members, startled, turned toward the entrance. There, a player stood, breathing heavily—it was Yoo Hyun-Ah.
Two more players appeared behind her: Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee. Seeing us at the first-floor table and the packed belongings nearby, Yoo Hyun-Ah's face twitched slightly.
For a moment, Yoo Hyun-Ah and I locked eyes. There was a strange, fervent gleam in her gaze. Then, closing the distance between us, she softly opened her mouth.
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