Chapter 331 |
The Western Continent was a region fundamentally different from the others. While the Eastern, Southern, and Northern Continents were steadily preparing to obtain the Zero Code for their own purposes, the Western Continent was a place where civil war never ceased, and all sorts of heinous acts like murder, robbery, and rape were an everyday occurrence.
In a word, it was a continent that represented the epitome of ruin, to the point the world called it the 'lawless zone.'
Therefore, the weight of Baek Seo-yeon's words – “the Westernization of the Northern Continent” — was by no means light.
As expected, the moment Baek Seo-yeon finished speaking, the meeting hall grew chaotic. A loud clamor erupted, and they glanced at each other's faces, looking utterly bewildered.
"Enough! You all heard her, so why the commotion?"
And in that moment, Lee Hyo-eul's sharp cry burst out. From the moment I entered the hall, she had been showing a completely different side of herself than when I'd seen her before. Then again, she had served as the Guardian for seven long years. Unless she'd gained that experience by playing games, it would have been disappointing if she couldn't command this much authority.
"There are still questions to be answered and much more to tell you. We haven't even reached the climax yet, so it's a problem if you're already this shocked."
"Ha. If this isn't the climax, then what in the world is, Lee Hyo-eul?"
Just then, one of the figures seated at the head table, who had been silent until now, spoke up. He looked to be in his mid-to-late forties. He was a handsome man with friendly eyes and strong features.
"You'll see if you wait, Goryeo Lord."
Then she turned to Go Yeon-ju, who was standing blankly, and spoke again.
"Shadow Queen? Will you please continue?"
Go Yeon-ju slowly nodded. Then she spoke to Baek Seo-yeon once more.
"The Westernization of the Northern Continent. Could you elaborate on that?"
A new question was asked. In an instant, the hall fell silent again. Everyone present tensed up, their eyes fixed on Baek Seo-yeon's lips. Under the gaze of everyone, her lips calmly parted.
"Yes. The first step toward the Westernization of the Northern Continent was to assassinate its Guardian. And this has already been accomplished by killing the Matriarch."
"What? Those Vagrant bastards killed the Matriarch?!"
The bombshell statements continued. Even though they had already heard some of it from Lee Hyo-eul, there was a world of difference between simply being told and seeing it for themselves. This was especially true in front of the 'Eye of Temptation,' which completely eliminated the possibility of lies.
"Then does this mean Do Yeong-rok wasn't responsible?"
"What in the world is going on...! Ha, honestly."
The room would grow rowdy, then calm, then rowdy again, then calm again, only to erupt once more.
Amid this amusingly repetitive situation, Lee Hyo-eul took a step forward. She began to walk leisurely along the center aisle. It seemed she was deliberately showing her composure amidst the chaos.
"That's right. The culprit wasn't the Golden Lion, nor was it us. But with the true culprits, the Vagrants, remaining hidden, we were just fighting amongst ourselves, weren't we?"
"You mean..."
"Come to think of it, some of you may know and some may not... You're probably all curious. Why the Matriarch was called the Guardian. And why the Vagrants tried to kill her."
I had a slight inkling from my previous conversation with Lee Hyo-eul, but this was something I didn't know in detail either. Thinking it was worth hearing out, I listened closely to her words.
"First of all, let me make it clear that I am the true Guardian of the Northern Continent. I have held this role for seven long years. You all should know that, right?"
"Then what was that just now from Baek Seo-yeon's mouth? Are you saying she lied?"
"The Matriarch... Well, I suppose it doesn't matter if I say it. To be precise, she did take on the role of Guardian once. But she quit after just one year and named me as her successor. That is the truth."
Gasps could be heard from all around. Lee Hyo-eul circled the meeting hall once before returning to my side. She looked around at everyone and continued in a louder voice than before.
"Which means, it wasn't a lie, but that the Vagrants were mistaken from the start, wouldn't you say? No. Should I say they fell into a trap? In any case, their original plan was likely to kill me, but they targeted the wrong person. The Matriarch was sacrificed in my place."
She mentioned a trap. A question suddenly arose in my mind about that part, but seeing as she immediately changed the subject, it seemed she had no intention of explaining the details.
As if they no longer had the energy to be surprised, the breaths they had been holding were released here and there. But the people gathered here were second to none in the Hall Plain. Their shock was brief. They quickly composed themselves, and every one of them began to show a serious expression. It was proof that they weren't dismissing the situation as absurd but were facing it head-on.
"There's one thing I don't understand."
Just then, the Goryeo Lord's voice was heard again. He was staring at Lee Hyo-eul with a profound gaze, his hands clasped together. Receiving his gaze, she nodded once or twice, and the Goryeo Lord spoke immediately.
"Baek Seo-yeon said they intended to turn the Northern Continent into the Western Continent, and that the first step was to assassinate the Guardian of the North."
"That's correct."
"Of course, they may have targeted the wrong person, but it's possible their plan could have succeeded anyway. If that young man... ahem, pardon me. If the Mercenary Lord hadn't shown up in time, you would have ended up dead too, wouldn't you? Am I wrong?"
Murmurs spread through the hall.
He was right. Even if the Vagrants hadn't made a mistake, Lee Hyo-eul had certainly been on the verge of death. If I hadn't healed her, she would have surely died. In fact, I myself had suspected that Lee Hyo-eul had died in the first playthrough.
"Yes. But what is it that you don't understand?"
"...Let me say this first. I acknowledge your role, your abilities, and the contributions you've made so far. I don't deny any of that."
It was a sudden remark, but the Goryeo Lord was not a man in a position to speak carelessly. As if she knew this, Lee Hyo-eul showed no change in expression and gestured for him to continue.
"I considered the hypothetical of your death. The Northern Continent would have lost its Guardian. A successor is none of my business, but... it's hard to accept that losing just one person would cause the Northern Continent to become like the Western Continent."
"...Hmm."
"Even though the Golden Lions made a foolish move, I still believe the Northern Continent's military power is the strongest. The Western Continent and 15,000 Vagrants? If we gathered all the combat Users from the East and South right now, we could muster twice that number. And it's not like we're lacking in quality either. Given the circumstances, they think they can turn the North into a lawless zone just by killing a single Guardian?"
Thinking about it calmly, the Goryeo Lord's words pointed out a blind spot. Moreover, the people gathered here had each built their own power base in the Hall Plain. Most of them began to show signs of agreement, as if they thought he was right.
Eventually, all eyes turned to Lee Hyo-eul. And she was wearing a deep smile, one I had never seen before.
"Certainly, what the Goryeo Lord says is correct. He's not wrong. However, there is one thing you've overlooked."
"Something I've overlooked?"
"Baek Seo-yeon called the Guardian's assassination the first step. Doesn't that imply there's a second and a third step as well?"
"..."
The Goryeo Lord fell silent, as if he had no response to this. When Lee Hyo-eul glanced at Go Yeon-ju, she reflexively looked at her records and immediately spoke to Baek Seo-yeon.
"Then what was the plan after killing the Matriarch?"
"Yes... First, after occupying Barbara, we were to pretend to put up a moderate fight before retreating to a western city using a Warp Gate, with the intention of withdrawing from the Northern Continent."
"And then?"
"Once our initial objective was achieved, we planned to establish a base in the Western Continent for the time being and wait. During that waiting period, the spies and agents who had infiltrated each clan were scheduled to instigate as much conflict as possible between the East and the South. First, they would create problems over the rights to the now-vacant Barbara, and then the ensuing conflict would be expanded to the West and North..."
As if she had much to say on this topic, Baek Seo-yeon's words continued endlessly. And from the Users who heard her, the murmuring noise was no longer heard. Their stomachs were churning at the revelation of the Vagrants' plan and the fact that there were spies and agents in their clans.
"Sp...ies?"
"Wh-what..."
Lifting my head to observe their reactions, I saw they all wore expressions of such shock that they seemed at a loss for words. Among them were some who looked as if they were about to ask what kind of nonsense this was, but unfortunately, Baek Seo-yeon's words were the truth.
After the Western Continent's Users withdrew, the conflict between the East and South, which began over the ownership of Barbara, would later expand again and again. And eventually, the Northern Continent would enter a Spring and Autumn Warring States Period. That was the flow of the first playthrough. It wouldn't become a complete ruin like the Western Continent, but it would be made into something similar.
"Listening to Baek Seo-yeon, I had a great many thoughts."
It was the moment the endlessly talking Baek Seo-yeon finally finished. Lee Hyo-eul spoke in a quiet voice. And the Users listening to her mostly wore grave expressions.
The situation is completely different when you know about something before it happens, compared to when it actually occurs. When such a situation actually arises, can the problem truly be solved peacefully?
As someone who had already experienced the first playthrough, I could confidently answer no. And on top of that, they didn't even know the identities of the spies and agents Baek Seo-yeon had mentioned.
"It's fine to have pride, to think you're the best. But as the Goryeo Lord said, don't you find it strange? If we put our minds to it, we can definitely defeat 15,000 people. At the very least, we wouldn't lose. So why did they come here, knowing that?"
"That's because..."
Ultimately, it means someone must have told the Vagrants about our circumstances. An agent. Or a spy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"...!"
Someone opened their mouth with a strained voice, but they shut it immediately upon seeing me. I already had an idea of what decision they had made, but it seemed they were assuming I still didn't know.
"Anyway, that's all for that topic for now. There's one final confirmation process left."
"Haha... Are you saying there's more?"
"Of course. Baek Seo-yeon is a Vagrant who can be considered part of the leadership. She might not know all of them, but I'm sure she has a rough idea of who the spies and agents are. No, even just one name is enough. Then we can string them all up together."
And the moment Lee Hyo-eul finished speaking, I could see a glint flash across everyone's faces.
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A rather long silence followed. Just as everyone was swallowing nervously, saying nothing...
Unlike before, the Goryeo Lord's voice, now tinged with a hint of fatigue, echoed softly through the hall.
"First, we'll confirm her words, and if they're true... we'll need to prepare the Crystal of Truth."
"What? Kim Seonghyeon is a Vagrant? Isn't that the bastard the Golden Lion took in a while back?"
"That's right. I remember he was there when they announced their withdrawal from the Academy."
The summons was over. With Baek Seo-yeon's confession of the Vagrants she knew as the final act, Lee Hyo-eul declared the summons concluded. But despite that, not a single person left the meeting hall. Everyone was crowded around Go Yeon-ju and Baek Seo-yeon, double-checking the list of names she was reciting.
"Mercenary Lord."
Just then, a familiar voice called out to me. When I turned my head, I saw Han So-yeong standing calmly a short distance behind me, approaching some point. She seemed to study my face for a moment before her lovely lips parted.
"You've been through a lot."
"Not at all. I didn't really do much."
"No one thinks that. If it weren't for you, Mercenary Lord... perhaps things would have turned out just as that Vagrant said."
Hearing her say 'perhaps,' it seemed Han So-yeong was still uncertain. After all, these were Vagrants who had been operating brazenly within the clans, hidden from the eyes of other Users. They hadn't even known that much, so for even someone like Han So-yeong to predict what those bastards would do next was out of the question.
I nodded, smiling bitterly to myself.
"I see. From what I heard earlier, it seems the Vagrants couldn't infiltrate Istantel Row."
"Yes. It's a silver lining. Though it seems the situation is different for other clans..."
Han So-yeong crossed her arms under her chest, further accentuating her full figure, and let out a light sigh as she lowered her gaze. Then she spoke quietly.
"Mercenary Lord. If you have a moment, could we talk for a bit...?"
"Soohyun."
Just then, another voice drifted to my ears from behind me—this time, it was my brother.