Chapter 343 |
Monica's plaza was a veritable sea of people, so packed with Users that there was hardly room to move.
The most striking sight of all was the members of Istantel Row, standing in perfect formation in the center of the plaza. And in their midst, exuding an extraordinary aura, stood Han So-yeong, clad in the armor of the Field Maestro.
A low buzz filled the air.
The plaza was boisterous, almost deafeningly loud. But the moment the activation of a voice amplification spell was felt from the center, the clamor quickly died down.
Since the invasion by the Western Continent and the Vagrants began, the East and South had shown so little interest it was as if they had turned their backs on the matter entirely.
But for the city's representative clan to step forward like this was tantamount to making an official announcement of their position.
As such, today's gathering was a matter of unprecedented interest to the Users.
"I am Han So-yeong, Clan Lord of Istantel Row. I will now announce Monica's position regarding the Golden Lion's request for support."
As she began to speak, the remaining pocket of noise in the plaza vanished, and all eyes turned to her. The air grew tense.
At that moment, I felt several pairs of eyes land on me. But I focused even more intently on Han So-yeong's words. She wasn't finished yet.
"The Mercenary Lord delivered the captured Vagrants to Istantel Row and, along with them, provided crucial information about the invaders. Some of that information has already been released to you."
Nods rippled through the crowd.
Amidst the nodding heads and the sound of quiet breaths, the Iron-blooded Queen's announcement continued.
"Not long ago, Istantel Row participated in a meeting with the representative clans of the East and South. At that meeting, we concluded that it is still premature to respond to the Golden Lion's request for support. Therefore, to ensure our safety until all preparations are complete, Monica will be severing its Warp Gate connections to all cities scheduled to be invaded."
It was a straightforward statement, devoid of any flowery language, just as one would expect from Han So-yeong. And her words sent a huge shockwave through the Users gathered in the plaza.
"Does that mean you're just going to abandon Barbara?!"
A male User shouted, his voice filled with shock. It held a sense of disbelief that went beyond mere anger.
"I never said we would abandon them. I said we need to reorganize."
"Then... how on Earth...?"
"This announcement is being made simultaneously not just in Monica, but in other cities as well. We plan to keep the Warp Gates open for ten days following this statement."
"...."
Heavy groans escaped from the crowd. Han So-yeong said nothing more, but the Users gathered here could easily guess the unspoken implication.
Although she called it 'reorganization,' it was essentially an order to abandon the cities and come here. The ten days were a grace period to make a choice.
With that, Han So-yeong's official announcement concluded. Of course, there was more to be said, but she had delivered the most critical information first.
The Users' reactions were varied. Some wore expressions of disbelief, others sighed in relief, and some even had smirks on their faces, as if enjoying the drama.
It was all predictable. The East and South intended to use this opportunity to completely ostracize the Golden Lion and its allied clans. Just like in the first playthrough.
Besides, ever since the conflict began, the Users had already been divided by city.
But even so, this move could not be justified. There would undoubtedly be a flood of criticism, and I was quite curious to see how they would handle it in this second playthrough.
In the end, it was a matter of justification. Even if it was a 'fabricated' justification, not a 'real' one.
After a short while, a female User cautiously raised her hand.
"Lord of Istantel Row, you mentioned 'reorganization.' Could you tell us what that means exactly?"
"There are complex internal affairs within the East and South that cannot be disclosed at this time. While we resolve those issues, we plan to recruit Users residing in each city. Mid- to high-year Users will be conscripted, but for 0- and 1-year Users, it may be on a volunteer basis."
"C-Conscription?"
"As Users registered in the Northern Continent, if you have enjoyed its rights until now, I trust you will also bear its duties."
Han So-yeong's voice remained calm, but it was laced with a chilling edge that pierced the heart.
A profound silence fell over the plaza.
"Of course, I promise you here and now that Istantel Row and its subordinate clans will be the first to lead the way in fulfilling that duty."
Her voice, following that promise, echoed widely across the plaza.
*
"Mercenary will participate in this war."
I cut to the chase and got straight to the point. I could see the expressions of the clan members gathered in the third-floor meeting room change drastically.
"Are we also subject to conscription?"
"Did we receive a request?"
Shim Sang-yong and Jung Ha-yeon quickly fired off questions. I calmly shook my head and answered clearly.
"Members of Mercenary cannot be conscripted. As for a request... I believe we will be contacted soon."
"And if we aren't..."
"Even if we aren't, we will volunteer and go anyway."
When I stated so decisively that we were going to war, I could see anxiety flicker across some of the members' faces.
Of course, there were ways to avoid the war. A few could volunteer for city defense, or we could just lie low and stay quiet as a mouse. But it felt like too great an opportunity to pass up.
In any case, I could understand how the clan members felt. But I had no intention of retracting my decision.
"We can't always live doing only what we want to do."
Because.
"No matter that we are free mercenaries, our base is in the Northern Continent. This war is so critical that you could say the very fate of the Northern Continent hangs in the balance."
"...."
"Moreover, Mercenary's name is quite well-known now, and we've unintentionally gotten one foot involved in the war already. If we don't participate under these circumstances... no matter what we do in the future, we won't be looked upon favorably."
Regardless of the process, this war would, on the surface, end in a victory for the Northern Continent. There was also something I personally wanted to achieve through this, and I believed the war itself would be a great opportunity for Mercenary.
Simply put, I had no intention of letting this 'opportunity' slip away.
Of course, I can't take everyone.
There were members whose skills were still too green for war, and others who might be skeptical about participating. I planned to assign them to city defense, so it wasn't a major concern.
"Anyway, I'll explain the details later, after we've been contacted. If we aren't... well, for now, we should focus on the task at hand. User Go Yeon-ju, Jung Ha-yeon."
"Yes."
They answered in unison as soon as I called their names. I looked around at all the clan members and continued.
"I'm opening the warehouse completely. Take all the clan members and distribute the equipment they requested. If there are overlapping requests for the same equipment, coordinate among yourselves. If that doesn't work, come talk to me."
"Understood. So, when is the warehouse...?"
"Right now."
With a nod from me, Jung Ha-yeon and Go Yeon-ju slowly rose to their feet. As I watched the other members follow them one by one, my eyes landed on someone. A thought flashed through my mind, and I spoke to that member.
"User Im Han-na."
"Yes...?"
Im Han-na, who was getting up from her chair with an anxious look in her eyes, turned back to me with a puzzled expression.
"Ms. Im Han-na, could you please stay behind for a moment?"
Im Han-na hesitated for a moment before giving a quiet nod.
After all the clan members had left the meeting room, I looked at Im Han-na, who was sitting nearby, and spoke softly.
"I've reviewed the equipment you requested. Radiant Flash, Yggdrasil's Leaf Clothes, Rhiza Boots, and Northern Winter Tights. Most of them are archer-exclusive items, and as such, I can certainly lend them to you."
"Thank you. But..."
"?"
"You said you'd speak casually when it was just the two of us..."
Im Han-na lowered her gaze slightly and blushed. Just as I was thinking, What is she talking about all of a sudden?, I noticed her fidgeting with her fingers.
Seeing Im Han-na—who was always so composed, combining kindness with elegance—act like this was certainly a fresh sight. It didn't quite suit her, yet it had a strange charm.
I gave a small, internal laugh and, according to her wish, began to speak.
"Alright. There shouldn't be a problem with the items I mentioned... but the Twilight Priestess might be a bit of an issue."
"Yes."
Im Han-na replied immediately. From her relaxed expression, it seemed she had already anticipated this.
Then, Im Han-na's lips slowly parted.
*
Just as Han So-yeong had said, it wasn't only Monica that had announced its position. The representative clans of every city across the East and South had made their statements simultaneously.
And upon hearing the news, the Golden Lion expressed that they were utterly dumbfounded.
"The recent announcement from the East and South is completely incomprehensible. No, it goes beyond that—it's so suspicious that we must question their intentions."
"It is true that there has been conflict between our cities, but this is no time to dwell on it. As the saying goes, if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. It is a self-evident truth."
"It is frustrating to see them miss the forest for the trees. We must set aside our ill feelings for a moment and overcome the Northern Continent's crisis together."
The Golden Lion's swift response followed, but the East and South didn't budge. In the past, they would have refuted every point one by one, but now, they offered no reaction beyond the bare minimum.
Of course, that didn't mean they just sat back and took it.
"War is not a game. As it broke out so suddenly, our preparations were insufficient, and our internal affairs are in disarray. We need time to reorganize for a certain victory."
"We must learn from the cases of Beth, Dorothy, and especially Halo. It is known that the Golden Lion made a similar proposal to SSUN at the time, so it is puzzling why they now claim not to understand."
"The Warp Gates will be closed on the scheduled date. We will say no more on the matter. We hope that the Users of Barbara, including the Golden Lion, will make a wise choice."
The Users' reactions were also diverse.
There were those who condemned the announcement as going too far, and among them were several sharp individuals who claimed this was a bid to seize hegemony over the Northern Continent.
But on the other hand, there were countless Users who criticized the Golden Lion and its allied clans.
They brought this situation upon themselves. They should have requested support from the beginning; it's ridiculous to ask for it now after staying quiet. Furthermore, they were the ones who restricted the Warp Gates first, so to see them flip-flop like this... Critics pointed out these details and more from the preceding days.
Of course, not everyone was like that, but it was an unspoken truth that most of these critics were agitators released by the various clans.
One day, two days, three, four...
As time passed, the outcome began to lean decisively in one direction.
Despite the Golden Lion desperately releasing impassioned(?) statements day after day, the Warp Gates in the cities of the East and South were practically overloaded. Users who had been skeptical even after Halo felt the fire at their feet and began to leave Barbara.
And so, amid the public uproar and the North's silence, the East and South quietly went about their business.
The 'internal affairs' mentioned in the official announcement was none other than rooting out spies.
The process was surprisingly covert, but according to Go Yeon-ju, who occasionally went on business trips, it was tearing its final stages. (She said they had first captured the major figures and were now using them to hunt down the various branching networks.) At the same time, they were steadily proceeding with the recruitment of Users residing within the cities.
The reorganization was proceeding step by step, just as they'd said, and as preparations advanced, the days flew by. The tenth day, when the Warp Gates would be severed, was fast approaching.
And then, one day before the deadline, on the ninth day after the announcement.
I came across a shocking piece of news. The Warp Gate connection had been severed.
Not by the East and South, but by the Golden Lion themselves.
This was something that hadn't happened in the first playthrough.