"Alright, let's wrap up today's schedule here. Everyone, use the remaining time for personal training or just take a break."
"Hmm."
"Haauu..."
After finishing dinner, I announced the end of today's schedule to the group. Everyone had different reactions, but two of them stood out the most.
Yun-Jung, looking anxious, kept shaking her leg and biting her nails, while An-Sol immediately buried her forehead on the table the moment I finished speaking. Judging by the exhaustion on her face, it seemed like keeping up with Ha-Yeong's lessons had been tough for her.
Ha-Yeong, on the other hand, calmly took a sip of her tea. She had said she wanted to rest today, but it looked like she had done her best to teach An-Sol anyway. Knowing her personality, she wouldn't have taught half-heartedly, so I could easily imagine the struggles An-Sol had gone through.
Still, I was grateful to Ha-Yeong. Just agreeing to master someone was already a big favor, but she was genuinely putting effort into it. Especially since An-Sol wasn't the easiest student to teach—she would get flustered easily, and if anyone raised their voice even a little, she would look on the verge of tears and try to cling to them. It has put me in a tough spot more than once.
However, Ha-Yeong was not the type to raise her voice. She had probably spoken to An-Sol in a calm and composed manner—but each of her words must have been as sharp as a cold winter breeze.
I was feeling quite satisfied, thinking that An-Sol had been assigned a good teacher, when—
"Uh… Oppa…."
Yun-Jung called out to me, her usual cheerful expression replaced with hesitation.
"Hm?"
As I responded casually and pulled out a cigarette, she continued in an unconfident voice.
"Are you… busy tonight? Do you have more things to do?"
"Hmm. Yeah. I need to talk with Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong, and I also have to organize some records."
"What about tomorrow?"
"I have things to do tomorrow too, but… why?"
As I nodded while answering, Yun-Jung immediately pouted. Then, after a brief pause, she simply said, "Never mind. It's nothing," before quietly sipping her tea.
I tilted my head slightly at her reaction but soon turned toward Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong to continue the conversation.
"Ha-Yeong-ssi. Sang-Yong-ssi."
"Yes, yes, Leader."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I'm going to head up to my room first. This might be a long conversation, so finish up whatever you're doing and come to my room when you're ready. It'd be better if you both came together, so I don't have to explain things twice."
"Haha, works for me. I was just having a discussion with my master about magic squares and summoning techniques."
At Shin Sang-Yong's words, my eyes lit up with interest.
Vivienne might seem absentminded most of the time, but when it came to assigned tasks, she always exceeded expectations. Even today, after I gave her a request, she immediately grasped exactly what I wanted and acted accordingly.
Feeling pleased, I glanced at Vivienne with an approving look. In response, she straightened her posture and took a graceful sip of tea.
Seeing her act like that made me want to tease her.
I must have been radiating a strong I want to mess with her vibe, because Vivienne shot me a sharp glare—though, with her cheeks turning slightly red, it was more adorable than threatening.
If I kept pushing, I might actually lose myself, so I barely managed to turn my head away.
(As I did, I heard her click her tongue softly, but I decided to pretend I hadn't. Yeah, I must've misheard. Definitely misheard.)
Vivienne was a good teacher, and Shin Sang-Yong had a strong desire to learn. They made for an excellent master-student pair.
However, things seemed a little different when it came to An-Sol and Ha-Yeong.
Ha-Yeong nodded as if things had worked out perfectly, while An-Sol, who had been resting her forehead on the table, suddenly snapped her head up and stared at me in shock.
But Ha-Yeong's next words showed not a shred of mercy.
"I'll do that. An-Sol, you heard him, right? That means we'll be adding an extra hour of training today."
"Ugh… Uuugh…"
An-Sol's face turned pale as she glanced back and forth between Ha-Yeong and me.
Just what kind of teaching had she been subjected to for such a sweet girl to react this way?
When I gave Ha-Yeong a questioning look, she simply shrugged in response.
But in the end, I was the one who had requested the training, and I was also the one who had chosen to trust Ha-Yeong.
"…I'll leave it to you."
"Of course. Don't worry too much."
Since I had backed down, Ha-Yeong responded with a gentle smile.
Meanwhile, An-Sol kept letting out pained groans, and I could only sigh internally.
Would it be right to call them naïve? I liked all of them, but every now and then, I couldn't help but notice their shortcomings.
They lacked desperation.
More than that, they had no idea just how fortunate they were to be living as new players in Hall Plain. And in a way, that was largely my fault.
From the moment they passed the Rite of Passage, they had never gone hungry—not even once. They had never been lacking in anything.
Let me emphasize this again: surviving alone as a new player before reaching the one-year mark was practically impossible. I had been the same.
During my first life, I struggled to eat even one meal a day, constantly worrying about where my next bite or a safe place to sleep would come from. I would hover around the plaza, desperately searching for a caravan that would take me in. A master? That was a luxury I couldn't even dream of.
But they were different.
Because I had taken care of everything from the start, they had no real understanding of how harsh life was for most new players. If I plucked any one of those struggling newcomers off the streets right now—fed them, clothed them, and assigned them a skilled master—they would probably collapse to their knees, sobbing, and bow to me a thousand times in gratitude.
It was no different from students complaining about having to study.
One day, when they had spent more time in Hall Plain and truly experienced its realities, they would realize just how fortunate their current situation was. That was still a long way off, but I resolved to endure it with the patience of a parent raising their children.
Hoping they would grow quickly, I decided to get up.
If I stayed any longer, they might start whining.
"Well then, I'll head in first. Take your time, but make sure to finish things properly before coming."
I made sure to lay down a firm reminder before heading up the stairs.
I could feel their eyes staring at the back of my head, but I refused to turn around.
*
"Su-Hyeon-ssi, are you working again? You just got back from an expedition yesterday. I think you're pushing yourself too hard."
"Ha-Yeong-ssi, I'm fine. Wouldn't it be great if we could find another dungeon on our next expedition?"
About an hour after I ended the meeting, Ha-Yeong knocked on my door.
At the time, I was searching through records related to The Cave Of Wailing.
The moment she saw me absorbed in documents again, she immediately started worrying about my health.
Watching her fuss over me like this, I couldn't help but feel like we were a married couple.
…Wait.
Did that make her the stepmother to the others?
"Don't count on luck like that. For now, just exploring the areas around the city is more than enough. It still feels like the effects of that power linger in your body... The more you push yourself, the more anxious I feel. So, for my sake, let's just finish our conversation tonight and go straight to bed, okay?"
"Alright. Since you're insisting, I'll do that."
"Fufu, thank you."
At my straightforward response, Ha-Yeong let out a relieved, pleasant smile. Seeing her, I too held a gentle smile on my lips. In my first life, I had barely even recognized these emotions, but in my second life, I was slowly beginning to understand them one by one.
The more I indulged in these feelings, the more it felt like the sharp wildness inside me was fading, making me cautious. But to be honest, it wasn't an unpleasant sensation.
Just as we were quietly appreciating each other, the door suddenly burst open, and a bespectacled player came rushing in. I didn't even need to check— it was Shin Sang-Yong. Spotting Ha-Yeong and me, he quickly lowered his head in a hurried bow.
"L-Leader. My apologies. I'm a bit late."
"Oh, it's alri—"
"You're exactly 17 minutes late. If you were going to come, you should have been precise with your timing. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been better to be significantly late instead?"
I had intended to say "alright," but before I could finish, Ha-Yeong cut in. And just like that, the warm smile she had given me vanished completely. Her voice turned cold as she spoke, and for some reason, I got the strange feeling that there were thorns laced in her words.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so—Shin Sang-Yong looked flustered by her sharp tone as well. He repeatedly bowed his head in apology before quickly making his way to the table and sitting down.
For some reason, I suddenly felt sorry for him.
The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment, but I cleared my throat to regain focus. What I was about to discuss was the foundation of my plan—it wasn't something to be taken lightly. After taking a brief breath to compose myself, I finally opened my mouth to speak.
"The reason I called both of you here separately today… I'm sure you've already guessed."
"Yes."
Both of them answered at the same time. I nodded once or twice before continuing. Just as I was about to get straight to the point—
Knock, knock. Bang.
There was a brief knock at the door, but before I could even grant permission, it swung open.
Annoyed at the lack of manners, I lifted my head to see who had barged in. A familiar player stepped inside—it was none other than Go Yeon-Joo.
"Oh my? I thought you'd be alone. What a shame."
"…What brings you here?"
"This."
Go Yeon-Joo responded to my words with a charming smile and gracefully walked toward us.
She was dressed differently than usual. Her hair was neatly tied up, and instead of her usual loose, casual outfits, she was wearing something much more refined and modest. I couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into her today.
Without a word, she gently placed the tray she had been carrying onto the table where we sat. The rich aroma of delicious food filled the air, and I could see the glistening surface of high-quality liquor sloshing in the glasses.
"I didn't order anything." I said.
"No, you didn't. This is a special service for our valued customers."
Go Yeon-Joo smoothly brushed off my comment and swiftly set up the food on the table.
Seeing the unexpected late-night meal, Shin Sang-Yong grinned in delight.
"Haha, thank you. I was racking my brain so much that I was getting really hungry. This is perfect timing. L-Leader, is it okay?"
"…The food should be fine. I'll eat well."
At my polite response, Go Yeon-Joo shook her head from side to side. Honestly, I wished she would just leave, but as expected, she went against my hopes.
"Oh, don't mention it. By the way, what were you all talking about?"
"Ah… We're in the middle of an important discussion. But thank you for the food."
It wasn't me who answered—it was Shin Sang-Yong. His words were phrased politely, not bluntly, but anyone could tell that he was essentially asking her to leave.
However, Go Yeon-Joo didn't budge.
"Oh? There aren't any customers right now, and I'm bored. Can't I listen in too?"
"Uh…?"
Shin Sang-Yong was caught completely off guard, his expression blank with confusion.
Ha-Yeong narrowed her eyes at Go Yeon-Joo's boldness, but she simply responded with a relaxed smile.
Before long, both Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong turned to look at me. Naturally, Go Yeon-Joo followed suit, fixing her gaze on me as well.
With everyone's eyes on me, I tapped the table lightly and stared at her face.
The Shadow Queen, Go Yeon-Joo.
One way or another, I needed to deal with her. Either by recruiting her into our clan or by killing her before leaving Mule.
She might think it unfair, but in my first life, she had caused me endless trouble—not just because of her abilities, but because her information-gathering skills were simply too formidable.
I had let Wu Jung-Min's group go for now, believing there was still time. But Go Yeon-Joo was different.
She either had to become an ally now—or she had to die.
If that was the case, then testing her here and now might not be a bad idea.
As everyone waited for my response, I slowly opened my mouth.
"Have a seat."
"Oh~ Thank you."
"Su-Hyeon-ssi?"
"L-Leader?!"
Without hesitation, Go Yeon-Joo sat down in the remaining chair, while Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong called out to me, their faces full of confusion.
I understood their bewilderment.
But what intrigued me even more was how they would react when Go Yeon-Joo finally revealed her true identity.
"Su-Hyeon-ssi, do you even know who this female player is—"
"Second-year player, Jung Ha-Yeong."
Ha-Yeong was just about to continue, her face full of confusion, when Go Yeon-Joo cut her off in a quiet yet firm voice.
The moment Ha-Yeong heard her own year and name being stated so casually, her eyes widened, and she fell silent.
"A mage abandoned by the Golden Lion Clan. And next to her… second-year player, Shin Sang-Yong."
"Hhk…!"
Ha-Yeong's face twisted in shock, but Go Yeon-Joo didn't give her a chance to recover. She immediately shifted her gaze to Shin Sang-Yong.
"W-What?"
Clearly, he hadn't expected her to know about him either. He stammered, his expression full of surprise.
Seeing his reaction, Go Yeon-Joo smirked as if she found him amusing. She playfully twirled a finger in the air, her voice carrying a teasing lilt as she continued speaking.
"An eccentric mage who loves alchemy magic. And…"
Go Yeon-Joo shifted her gaze away from the two and, after a brief pause, turned her attention to me.
I simply watched her in silence.
Her gray-tinged eyes locked onto mine, and then, in her usual calm voice, she continued.
"0th-year player, Kim Su-hyeon. Top graduate of the Player Academy… and an unusual player who has already conquered two dungeons despite being in their 0th year."
"H-How do you know that?!"
Shin Sang-Yong's shocked voice rang out, while beside him, I heard the faint murmur of Ha-Yeong rapidly casting a spell.
But Go Yeon-Joo remained unfazed.
As if their reactions didn't concern her in the slightest, she rested her chin on one hand and simply looked at me with an amused expression.
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