00467 left. ————————————————– ———————-=
Hole Plain.
Koran, a small southern city within the northern continent.
Southern Liberty Union.
Since ancient times, union refers to two or more things joining together to form one organization.
The reasons why a union is formed can be seen to be very diverse. Weak countries unite against powerful countries, or they calculate their own interests and join forces, etc.
From this perspective, it can be seen that the reasons why unions occur in the world of Hole Plain are similar. For example, the best example would be the Southern Liberty Alliance, located in the small southern city of Koran.
There is a saying about Hole Plain:
Users gather to form clans, and clans gather to form cities.
The case of the Koran is not much different from this. However, one difference is that it is ‘clans gathering’ rather than ‘clans gathering’.
Koran is a union city jointly managed by a total of eight clans, each clan having a name: Su, Artemis, Nambeol, Serengeti, Baekhwa, Merchant Guild, Garisani, and Moss Clan. there is.
When the alliance was first formed, it was just a gathering of mid-sized clans that could not be considered strong as a single force. However, after receiving the Koran, the clans gradually grew in power, and today, each clan has grown into a union of large clans that cannot be ignored.
In the world, the reason why the Southern Liberty Alliance was able to grow so much power is based on the proper sharing of roles among the constituent clans and appropriate checks on each other.
Among these, it is safe to consider appropriate role sharing, that is, division of labor.
The Su, Artemis, Nambeol, and Serengeti clans are pure combat clans, the White Flower and Merchant Guild clans are pure top clans, and the Garisani and Moss clans are pure information clans.
In a word, by having the three elements of force, funds, and information in perfect balance, they created a structure in which they coexist, thereby laying the foundation for the clan to grow into a large clan.
If you look at it up to this point.
The history of the Southern Liberty Alliance can be thought of as a good example of a story in which several mid-sized clans joined forces and grew into a large clan through friendly competition.
But reality is not so beautiful. According to rumors that are spreading knowingly or unknowingly in the Northern Continent, the alliance appears to be ok on the outside, but inside, there is an intense secret struggle going on that can hardly be considered a friendly competition.
An example of this is the disappearance of Kim Yong-man, who once led the coalition and laid its foundation two years ago. Although it was officially announced as a disappearance during an expedition, there are stories floating around that it was secretly eliminated by those hoping for a new wave within the alliance.
The union is vehemently denying this, but considering the fact that Kim Yong-man and all of his close associates disappeared at the same time, it seems reasonable to dismiss it as just a rumor.
Of course, only they know the truth.
*
A solemn aura was flowing in a building, or rather, a union conference room, in the small southern city of Koran.
The conference room was quite dark. But it’s not completely dark. Beautiful ornaments were lined up around the table, and small crystals were embedded in the holes in the middle, emitting a soft light.
Anyway, there are a total of 16 people in the conference room. Eight of them were sitting around a round table, spaced apart, and the remaining eight were standing motionless next to the chairs.
When there was silence for a long time.
“hmm… . From the looks of it, everything seems to have gathered, so why don’t we get started now?”
A man raised his voice slightly and slowly looked around at the people in the conference room.
Then, the man who was burning tobacco and the woman who was quietly closing her eyes. Everyone at her table looked at the man who had spoken to her.
At first glance, the man looked like he was in his late 30s or early 40s. A dark beard with an overall warm look. She and her slightly protruding belly gave the impression that she was just an ordinary old man you could see anywhere.
However, if you know the man’s identity, you can’t just think of him as an attractive guy.
The man’s name is Seo Ji-hwan.
He was the clan lord of the merchant union clan within the alliance and was a major user with one hand on the funds flowing through the Koran. He has also led the coalition since the time of Kim Yong-man, and was also one of the few public officials who has maintained his position to this day.
Finally, Seo Ji-hwan, who grinned, nodded his head, nodded, and picked up a sheet of records placed right in front of him.
“Let’s see… . Barbara, I received a call from the Central Management Agency. Within this month, the temporary clans currently in charge of Halo, Dorothy, and Beth will step down, and a clan will be selected to directly represent the city. and… . Damn, it’s too long.”
For an instant, a wrinkle appeared on Seo Ji-hwan’s forehead as he read through the records. Seo Ji-hwan, who immediately threw himself onto the table, licked his lips and looked around.
“Anyway, there was something we talked about at the last meeting, and I’m sure everyone knows the situation. So, why don’t we just skip the trivial details and go straight to voting? huh?”
“hmm. Since you said so, let’s do it.”
The man who received Seo Ji-hwan’s words was none other than Park Tae-jin.
Taejin Park. A user who succeeded Kim Yong-man as the clan lord of the Su Clan, which can be said to be the central clan of the alliance. He also had a secret class called Sun Gladiator, and was also a user with only a slight connection to the Mercenary Clan.
The connection is that there was once a competition to recruit Monica’s flower, Im Hanna, and she had a history of being dumped after confessing to her at the Love House. Of course, only those in the know knew about it, but at least it was a public conversation in the conference room.
There was such a joke, but in fact, Park Tae-jin’s position was strong enough to almost compete for first or second place even within the coalition. Originally, he was not able to see the light of day because he was overshadowed by Kim Yong-man and his entourage, but starting from their disappearance, he rose up and took control of the Su Clan.
However, his continued attention to follow-up management and his generous yet dignified personality led many users to support Park Tae-jin.
Taejin Park passed the tobacco he was burning to the man standing next to him, then looked directly across from him and calmly opened his mouth.
“okay. Shin Hyuk. What do you think? “Do you mind if I start right away?”
The name Shin Hyuk came out of Park Tae-jin’s mouth. Then, the man who was banging on the table with her calm face, or rather Shin Hyuk, lifted his head and stared at Park Tae-jin. Then, suddenly, a soft line was drawn at the corner of Shinhyuk’s mouth.
Shin Hyuk was also a clan lord of the Nambeol Clan, one of the clans that make up the alliance. As a potential rival to Park Tae-jin, he also had a solid position within the alliance.
Although his personality was not good, as he was shady and lecherous, his resourcefulness and ability to get things done were outstanding, and he was recognized by those around him.
Finally, Shinhyuk spoke.
“huh? iced coffee. It doesn’t matter to me. Or rather, shouldn’t I be asking you a question? Taejin Park. “Are you sure it’s okay for you to do it now?”
“… “What are you talking about?”
Park Tae-jin raised one eye and asked again. Shinhyuk was still playing the table piano with his fingers. As her voice got faster, Taejin Park’s face gradually hardened.
Ta-da-dak, ta-da-dak, ta-da-dak!
And when the hand stopped, Shinhyuk softly opened his mouth.
“no. Just curious. Seeing how confident you are… . Hehe. I guess they secured some tickets by feeding them something good? huh?”
“what? Hyuk hyung! “You’re not being too harsh!”
The moment Shinhyuk finished speaking, a loud voice came from the seat next to Park Taejin. However, when Park Tae-jin immediately raised his hand to calm her down, she wheezed and snorted.
The man’s name was Baek Du-san, and he was a user who had a close relationship with Park Tae-jin. He was also a renowned combat user, serving as the clan lord of a clan called Serengeti.
“Doosan calm down… . Shin Hyuk. “What do you mean a little while ago?”
“Oh, that’s right. Let’s not be ambiguous anymore, let’s just say it out loud. Actually, everyone knows this, right? “What is the situation now?”
“… “Are you trying to bring up the Mercenary incident?”
“okay. Mercenary. Dorothy, the West itself will solve it, and Beth, the greedy East Coast bastards will eat it up. Still, he ate Barbara there, so he has a conscience and won’t touch Halo. However, Blue Wolf said they were not interested and Istantel Row did not have the resources. So where is the rest? “Are you the Confederate Liberty Confederacy, or the Mercenary Clan?”
Park Tae-jin glared at Shin-hyeok, who spoke in a sly manner. Then he calmly cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
“so. “Are you saying it makes sense for you to take over Halo because you defeated your rival, Mercanary?”
“yes. Very smart. And as expected, everyone knew? Yes, that’s right. I led the Mercenary incident. But you also knew, right? But doesn’t saying nothing mean that you just turned a blind eye? huh? no?”
“My thoughts are a little different. I don’t think they’ve broken the Mercenary with just this. Do you think it was just this incident that made me upset? “Maybe I should wait a little longer?”
“until when? Keep talking like this? It’s already been two months and a week, no, almost two weeks since Mercenary entered the mountains. But there was no notification that he was coming back, let alone that he was alive. Isn’t this enough? “Isn’t that right, everyone?”
When Shinhyuk looked around as if seeking agreement, some people nodded in agreement while others avoided eye contact. Soon, when Shinhyuk’s eyes landed on Seo Ji-hwan, Seo Ji-hwan sighed deeply.
“after. Actually, I can’t say that what Hyuk said is completely wrong. In fact, I think there was a high possibility that Mercenary would take over Halo. Even though we added a little more in terms of recovery support, if you look at our war and stabilization records on the Northern Continent, we are significantly behind. If you think about it that way, this incident definitely helped us. It would literally be a good thing if he disappeared like this… . In any case, it is natural that the clan that made a living from commissions would lose its reputation because it failed his commission. It caused quite a big dent in the mercantile business, which had been doing well, and gave room for some of the articles that slandered the mercantile business to gain strength… . Well, actually, they just failed to request Mercenary, but aren’t there more than one person who was upset by their actions? That’s why it became such an issue.”
“I… . I’m sorry for saying this, but… .”
It was then. When the conversation was only taking place among the sitting users, someone among the standing users spoke for the first time.
The user who spoke was a young man with neat and respectable facial features who stood with an upright posture. The slightly smiling eyes and soft smile on the lips gave an impression that anyone would find attractive at first sight.
Anyway, I had just finished the long story. When Seo Ji-hwan lifted his chin as if asking him to speak, the young man politely lowered his head and cautiously opened his mouth.
“As far as I know, the Mercenary Clan doesn’t have much interest in Halo. Speaking of activating the magic city of Magia by collaborating with the Magic Tower Clan… .”
“Tsk!”
“after… .”
“Tsk.”
However, the young man’s words did not last until the end. This is because while he was speaking, the sounds of laughing, sighing, and clicking his tongue were heard simultaneously.
The young man tilted his head in confusion for a moment, but soon even Park Tae-jin noticed him, so he bowed his head and retreated.
“Hey, Taejin Park. Is that the young man you’ve been accompanying around these days? You are so kind. I know how to see the world positively. He doesn’t even know what’s going on. Hehehe.”
“Uhm… . You may not know. Anyway, Hwanhee. quietly.”
Taejin Park quietly cautioned and gently bit his lip. On the contrary, Shinhyuk had a very relaxed expression.
Shinhyuk took out a cigarette and lit it. Soon, two thin streams of smoke slowly flowed from his tall nostrils.
“Then, like you said, let’s get rid of all the trivial things and start voting again. “It seems like everyone understands.”
“… … .”
“Why did you suddenly become mute? Did you get a jar of honey? Or were you really thinking like that upright young man? no no. If not, then don’t even think about that mercenary bitch with big breasts… . Oh, I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Don’t look at it that way. You can even joke with your family. ha ha ha… . mister? Not going forward? Should I do it?”
“Uhm… . wait for a sec. by the way. What Taejin said doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to be optimistic like this, considering the mercenaries we’ve had so far. And actually, I came today thinking that there would be at least a rough agreement, so how could it be any different from the last vote? 2 votes for the Su Clan, 2 votes for the Nambeol Clan, and 4 abstentions. The results will be the same as last time. Anyway, it’s not like I don’t have much time right now, so I’ll give myself plenty of time to think about it a little more… .”
At Shinhyuk’s urging, Seo Ji-hwan was lost in thought for a moment. And he opened his mouth in a quiet voice, but before he could finish speaking, Shinhyuk’s eyes frowned.
“Ah, his thoughts, his thoughts! Let’s do it in moderation! “You postponed the first vote, so are you planning to postpone the second vote again?”
“Ah Okay! I got it, you bastard! Then let’s do it, do it! Anyway, Taejin said he would do it earlier… !”
It was then.
thud!
The moment Seo Ji-hwan waved his hand and nodded his head, the sound of the conference room door bursting open was heard and a man suddenly appeared.
Then everyone looked towards the door, but the man did not show any reaction. However, he approached Shinhyuk with urgent steps and whispered in his ear in a quiet voice.
And the moment he heard the man’s whisper, Shinhyuk’s face turned completely white. The expression on his face, which had been quite relaxed just a moment ago, suddenly turned blank, as if he had lost his mind.
After a while, Shinhyuk slowly rose up as if he was being pulled in the air. Then he swallowed his saliva once and opened his mouth as if trying to remain calm. But his lips were still trembling.
“… Now, just a moment. Huh! Because I’m busy with work. Well, I guess I’ll have to go now. Two, it doesn’t matter if you postpone the vote until later.”
Soon after finishing speaking, Shinhyuk ran like the wind and left the conference room. And everyone in the conference room followed Shinhyuk with puzzled eyes.
no. Not everyone.
Only one person. The young man standing next to Taejin Park glanced at the door and then quietly looked away. The place the young man’s eyes were focused on was the crystal ball embedded in the table decoration.
The crystal spheres were emitting a soft light, illuminating the dark conference room. However, among them, two crystal spheres in particular were emitting a slightly brighter light than the other crystal spheres.
Suddenly, the young man, as if sweating, gently rubbed his hands and gazed at the crystal spheres. The surrounding conference room was clearly reflected on the shiny surface.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Monica, a small southern town. Mercenary Clan House.
Likewise, into the quiet lobby, a woman cautiously came down the stairs. The woman with her blue hair and blue eyes was none other than Jeong Ha-yeon.
And in the lobby, countless users were sitting here and there, looking up at Jeong Ha-yeon, who was slowly coming down. There was an unexpected sense of solemnity on the faces of the users.
Eventually, Ha-yeon Jeong stopped in the middle of the stairs and raised her right hand high. In his slender right hand, he held a communication crystal ball that shed icy light.
Suddenly, Jeong Ha-yeon’s lips opened.
“I have something to tell the clan members.”
“… … .”
“I received a call from the prosecutor a little while ago. We confirmed the survival of all Mercenary Clan members who left for the mountain range where the dragon sleeps, as well as conquering the mountain range and rescuing An Hyun and Baek Han-gyeol. We succeeded in rescuing all of the survivors.”
“Waaaaaa!”
Attack the mountains where the dragon sleeps.
Rescue of Ahn Hyeon and Baek Han-gyeol.
Rescue of surviving survivors, including the client.
The moment I heard this, cheers of joy erupted from the lobby of Mercenary. As if that wasn’t enough, the gathered clan members stood up at once and started applauding. Then, as some time passed, the lobby was filled with shouts and applause.
“I knew this would happen!”
“As expected, Clan Lord!”
“I did it! You did it! The Clan Lord did it!”
“Kim Soohyun! Kim Soohyun! Kim Soohyun! Kim Soohyun!”
Jeong Ha-yeon smiled bitterly as she looked at the clan members who were so happy that they almost seemed like fanatics.
But it wasn’t completely incomprehensible. In fact, as Kim Soo-hyun had been away for a long time, the mercenaries had to be careful about their actions, knowingly or unknowingly, and a bad incident occurred at the same time, so the atmosphere within the union was gloomy for a while.
In the end, because of that incident, Kim Soo-hyun returned and left for the mountains where the dragon sleeps, but there were quite a few clan members who viewed him with skepticism. This was because the notoriety of the Dragon Sleeping Mountains that had been built so far was too high to just trust and wait.
In a way, the Mountains Where the Dragon Sleeps could be seen as intertwined with Kim Soo-hyun’s official return and the situation Mercenary is currently facing.
In other words, depending on whether or not it was resolved, it was possible to gauge whether this atmosphere would be reversed or further depressed, but considering that, the Mountain Range where the Dragon Sleeps was a pretty harsh situation to resolve.
But Kim Soo-hyun did it brilliantly. He not only solved the client’s problem, but also rescued other users while targeting them, showing results that exceeded expectations.
The reason the clan members were cheering so much now was for a similar reason.
Since the issues related to the return have been successfully resolved, not only does the trust deepen, but the user who will once again become the center of the clan is welcomed back. In fact, there was nothing to be happy about during that time.
Although she wanted to leave it alone a little longer, Ha-yeon Jeong slowly raised her hand to calm the clan members. There was still one more thing left to say.
The cheers did not subside immediately. However, a few people who saw Jeong Ha-yeon’s signal quieted down the commotion, and as a result, the cheers slowly and gradually died down.
Soon, Jeong Ha-yeon looked around at the completely sunken surroundings and opened her mouth in a clear voice.
“I have one more thing to tell you. The current Clan Lord is Monica… .”
But before I could even finish speaking.
bang!
For a moment, the sound of the door being roughly pushed open came through the passageway and shook the entire lobby.
Following that, the sound of ten people’s footsteps began to echo in the hallway.
—————————= Review of the work ——————– ——-=
hmm. If you remember the characters and relationships that appeared today, it will be very helpful in understanding the story to come. It will be even better, especially since some of these people appear several more times after this part ends. ha ha ha. 😀
P.S. The second round of voting has begun! Please cast your precious vote!
fantasy,
