Yun-Jung's face was unexpectedly calm. Her tone also carried an air of indifference, as if it were nothing.
But I could tell that her expression and voice were a facade. Her eyes were quietly burning with an unknowable desire. A heart soaked in blood. Even if An-Hyun and An-Sol were that shocked, it's not like Yun-Jung didn't feel anything. She was just burying it deep inside.
Yun-Jung looked at my face and gave a slight smile before opening her mouth.
"When do you think she got the Secret Class? When she was with us? Or after joining the Golden Lion Clan?"
"From what I've found out, she awakened before entering the Player Academy. But I'm not sure. Only the person themselves would know the details."
When Go Yeon-Joo subtly added that bit of information, Yun-Jung scoffed. I shook my head as I looked at Go Yeon-Joo. Sometimes, I really thought she had a twisted sense of humor.
"I see. I was wondering what gave her the confidence to join the Golden Lion Clan—but turns out she had something solid to rely on. I never would've guessed. What a sly bitch."
"Right? Still, we've been together since the rite of passage... I can't help but feel a little disappointed."
An-Hyun chimed in, backing up Yun-Jung. Judging by the sharp tone in his voice, he was clearly feeling bitter. Even though he'd obtained a rare class himself, who knew why he was being so greedy? Still, I felt the need to defend Kim Han-Byeol. There was always the possibility that we might recruit her later. If things were already this tense, trying to bring her in would be a massive headache.
"Don't be too hard on her. If you look at the situation calmly, Kim Han-Byeol's choice was pretty reasonable. She had an offer from the top-tier Golden Lion Clan, while we were still starting from the bottom. Sure, I'm disappointed too. But let's stop nitpicking."
"Oppa. Are you taking her side right now?"
"I'm not taking sides—I'm saying we should respect individual choices. There's no need to react so emotionally. What matters right now is us."
"Hmph…"
I soothed the others in a calm, gentle voice. Yun-Jung tilted her head with a drowsy look on her face, then gave a faint hum through her nose and nodded slightly. And when I heard An-Sol's voice beside me saying, "If Oppa is saying it like that…", I felt a sense of unease creeping into one corner of my heart. Even An-Sol was saying something like that. Why were they all looking at Kim Han-Byeol so unfavorably?
To be honest, I had felt a bit betrayed at the time too—when I realized she had obtained a Secret Class, and when she chose not to follow me. But as time passed and I reflected on it more, I came to the conclusion that there was no reason to blame her. Kim Han-Byeol made a rational decision based on her circumstances. There was no reason she had to reject the clan's offer and come with me.
Logically and objectively speaking, that was just how it was. But the others still hadn't separated their emotions from the situation. In the end, time would resolve it, just as it had for me. Once they gained more perspective and learned more about the Hall Plain. Hoping that their feelings toward her would eventually soften, I decided to steer the conversation in a different direction.
"Anyway, soon a bloodstorm will sweep across the western cities of Hall Plain, centered around the city of Halo. There's going to be a large-scale battle between players and vagrants. The small northern town of Mule probably won't be affected, but the general atmosphere is going to turn quite grim for a while. That's why we're planning to explore outside the city for now. It's not wise to get caught up in this wave."
"I see. With the warp gate activated, I suppose it's not entirely safe either. Still, if it's a large-scale battle, it'll probably take quite a while to resolve. May I ask where your next destination is?"
I nodded in response to Ha-Yeong's timely question and immediately opened my mouth to speak.
"Our next destination is The Cave Of Wailing. After thoroughly studying the library's records, I concluded there's a high probability The Cave Of Wailing actually exists. From Mule, we head out the north gate toward the plains, then continue east. But this expedition is expected to take quite a bit of time. The distance alone isn't something to take lightly."
It was estimated that just reaching The Cave Of Wailing would take about ten days. Even assuming the cave itself wouldn't take too long to conquer, the round trip would take at least three weeks. Since it had been nearly two months since we arrived in Mule, the plan was to head out before the first week of the third month had passed. There was also the assumption that by the time we returned, the plan to eliminate the vagrants would likely be over.
When I mentioned the three-week round trip, the group's expressions subtly changed. I worried they might hesitate, since this would be several times longer than any of our previous expeditions. But unexpectedly, everyone responded with eager anticipation.
Maybe the relatively long period of downtime had been quietly making them restless. After all, they'd all improved their skills to some extent by now—wanting to test their progress made sense. Seeing their reactions, I felt relieved and continued calmly.
"With that in mind, I'd like everyone to wrap up their current tasks within three days. We don't know how the situation might change. You could say the western cities are already in a state of war. It would be best to prepare quickly so we're ready to depart at any time—even as early as tomorrow."
At that moment, Go Yeon-Joo raised her hand and spoke in a drowsy voice. And at her subtle slyness, I couldn't help but click my tongue. Had no one else picked up on it?
"Player Kim Suhyun. I have a question."
"Yes, go ahead."
"You mentioned the round trip would take three weeks. It might be a stretch to call it an expedition, but just by duration, it's similar to a small-scale one. Judging by your words, it sounds like you're assuming the cave will definitely be there. But what will you do if you don't find it?"
Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong nodded in agreement. Her question was reasonable, no doubt about it. As for me, I had the advantage of knowing the dungeon locations from my past life and was discovering them one by one using my third eye—but no other player could even dream of doing such a thing.
However, the others all looked puzzled by her question. Maybe because they'd been adventuring with me all this time, they didn't seem to think finding dungeons was particularly difficult.
In any case, if I were to say, "I absolutely know where the dungeon is, so just trust me and follow," it would sound unconvincing. So I decided to redirect the conversation with a more diplomatic answer.
"Player Go Yeon-Joo has a valid point. But first and foremost, the caravan's primary goal is to leave the city while avoiding the Golden Lion Clan's movements. I don't want us getting swept up in unnecessary conflict. That said, that doesn't mean we're giving up on The Cave Of Wailing. I conducted this investigation intending to achieve both goals. It's the same method I used to uncover the Dungeon of the Ancient Alchemist Vivian and the Ruined Laboratory. And The Cave Of Wailing has a significantly higher chance of actually existing than those two."
"Hm. So the first goal is just to get out of the city. Fair enough… but in the end, you're saying we should trust you?"
"Yes. And also…"
I paused briefly and looked at An-Sol. She was fidgeting with her hands, playing with her fingers. I let out a small chuckle at her innocent behavior, then continued in a relaxed tone.
"We also have our lucky charm, just in case."
"Huh? Lucky charm?"
"Eh?"
Go Yeon-Joo raised an eyebrow in response, and An-Sol, who had been absorbed in her finger play, perked up at the word "lucky charm." Tilting her head with those bright, curious eyes, she looked at me. I let out a faint, amused smile. And at the same time, the others began glancing at An-Sol with subtle expressions. Having witnessed her uncanny knack for helping discover the Ruined Laboratory, they were clearly beginning to expect something this time as well.
As the others' gazes gathered on her, An-Sol pouted, while Go Yeon-Joo narrowed her brow with an unreadable expression.
"Sigh. I don't know. But if this trip fails, I will be collecting all the inn profits and maintenance fees we've racked up until now. So everyone, keep that in mind."
"Well, of course. Any more questions?"
"Yes. One more."
How many questions does she have?—just as I was about to think that, I caught a slight smirk forming at the corner of Go Yeon-Joo's lips. At the same moment, I felt Ha-Yeong's gaze. When I turned my head, she was giving me a wry smile. It seemed that only she and I had caught on to what was really going on here.
I gave a small nod, signaling permission for the next question. With that, Go Yeon-Joo subtly rose to her feet.
"So… why am I here?"
…
...
...…
"""""Huh?"""""
Everyone except Ha-Yeong and me widened their eyes at Go Yeon-Joo's question—then, one by one, their mouths slowly fell open. Though she had claimed to be preparing breakfast, Go Yeon-Joo had somehow slipped right into our group, joining in the conversation and even asking questions. She had done it so smoothly that it seemed only Ha-Yeong and I had noticed what was going on.
"Hehe. Well then, I'll go get breakfast."
Leaving behind the bewildered group, Go Yeon-Joo strolled off lightly toward the kitchen.
*
It was the night before our departure.
Three days ago, I had officially declared the end of our preparation period. Since then, I had wrapped up several matters as well—not so much external affairs, but rather internal ones within the caravan. I checked in with each member, ensuring their condition was good and that there were no potential problems or conflicts. It was far better to uncover and resolve any issues now than to have them explode while we were out in the field.
And during that process, I discovered a new, subtle tension.
Between Go Yeon-Joo and An-Sol.
Although… calling it a conflict might be a bit too strong. It was something a little more delicate.
I only found out recently, but it seemed An-Sol had a tendency to avoid Go Yeon-Joo. In particular, she went out of her way to avoid being alone with her. When Ha-Yeong was nearby, she managed to stay calm, but the moment Go Yeon-Joo approached—even slightly—An-Sol would quickly excuse herself without giving a reason. I had left things to Ha-Yeong and hadn't paid it much attention, and on the surface, it didn't seem like a major issue. Still, something about it didn't sit right with me as we prepared to leave.
I'd tried asking An-Sol a few times, but every time, she just blushed and shook her head, refusing to answer. She only repeated that it was nothing and told me not to worry. It didn't feel like she was avoiding Go Yeon-Joo out of dislike—there seemed to be another reason. I wanted to resolve it if possible, but since she wasn't ready to talk, I decided to simply keep an eye on things for now.
Meanwhile, even on the day before our expedition, Yun-Jung insisted on continuing her training under Go Yeon-Joo. I had suggested she rest, since we were leaving tomorrow, but she was adamant about going through with it.
Go Yeon-Joo accepted her request without hesitation and smiled, saying she'd go easy on her—at least for today, considering the circumstances. Since Yun-Jung was determined and had grown quite a bit, and since Go Yeon-Joo herself was offering, I didn't really have a reason to object. The expedition was important, sure, but with Go Yeon-Joo and me both present, nothing dangerous was likely to happen. So in the end, I gave Yun-Jung permission.
Still, I couldn't fully trust Go Yeon-Joo's bold assurances, so I was waiting in a corner on the first floor for Yun-Jung to come out. I figured if I waited there long enough, An-Sol would eventually come downstairs to heal her, giving me a natural opportunity to talk to her. At the same time, I could check on Yun-Jung's condition.
After waiting for a while in the dimly lit lobby, I finally heard the sound of slow, dragging footsteps coming down the stairs. It was An-Sol. She looked around cautiously with a worried expression before gently settling herself on a chair at a table across from the kitchen. It didn't seem like she had noticed me sitting quietly in the corner.
A little more time passed like that, and then I heard the kitchen door swing open with a loud creak. The one who emerged was Go Yeon-Joo.
She had Yun-Jung slung over her shoulder—judging by her limp posture, it looked like she'd passed out again. I honestly couldn't tell where that "going easy" part had gone, and I sighed inwardly. I had already expected things to turn out like this, so I'd prepared a high-quality healing potion in advance. I gently touched the bottle in my pocket and kept watching the two of them silently.
Go Yeon-Joo, looking as languid as ever, turned her gaze to An-Sol. She dropped Yun-Jung beside her with a soft thud and spoke in a light, almost teasing tone.
"Ah, the little one's here. It's pretty late, you know. Came to patch up this runt again?"
"Y-yes…"
An-Sol nodded with a completely intimidated look on her face, and Go Yeon-Joo just smiled softly, covering her lips with one hand.
"Hoho. I'm not going to eat you, you know. No need to be so scared. And I went easy on her today, so there's no need for healing. She'll wake up just fine tomorrow. Just toss her onto her bed."
"O-okay… I'll take her with me, then…"
"Oh my, leaving already? That's a little sad, don't you think? Come here for a moment, sweetheart. I'm really sorry about before. I startled you, didn't I? But I understand, truly."
With a charming smile, Go Yeon-Joo stepped closer to An-Sol. I had no idea what had happened between them, but whatever it was, it clearly left a lasting impression.
And then, An-Sol screamed and bolted.
"..."
Go Yeon-Joo stared blankly as An-Sol sprinted back up the stairs. I sighed and stepped out of the shadows. Her reaction was far more intense than I'd expected.
"We'll talk about whatever that was… some other time."
I hoisted the unconscious Yun-Jung onto my back and glanced at Go Yeon-Joo, who simply shrugged with an exaggeratedly innocent expression, as if she had no idea what the fuss was about.
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