Memorize Chapter 242

As I instinctively parted my lips, I felt the flesh of my lips stretch and cling. I quickly closed my mouth, but I couldn’t stop the gulp that went down my throat.

Both Han So-Young and I knew it. The direction of this conversation would hinge on my next response. Though she used the term “request,” her words were essentially a proposal to create a justification.

If I wanted to refuse, now was my only chance. I could hear her and decide later, of course. But ignoring Han So-Young’s mention of a “request” could be taken as, “The Mercenary Clan has no interest in building ties with IstanTel Law.”

'She’s really something else.'

In that moment, a flood of emotions swirled through my mind. Among them, I reminded myself of my purpose for returning to this second life. Though I wasn’t without hesitation, I soon arrived at an answer.

I needed to maintain a good relationship with IstanTel Law moving forward. No, I had to. I didn’t come back to clash with Han So-Young—quite the opposite.

In those few seconds, I latched onto one clear feeling.

“When you roll out the red carpet like this… it’s hard to say no.”

“You don’t have to feel pressured.”

Han So-Young’s clear reply drew a wry smile from me. I downed the last of my tea, which was running low, and spoke calmly.

“Alright. Can I hear the details of the request?”

“Of course. Da-Yeon, could you go get those things?”

Perhaps still reeling from Han So-Young’s intense gaze earlier, Park Da-Yeon stood up immediately. Though she was visibly grumbling, she obediently opened the door and stepped out.

Thud. The moment the door closed, Han So-Young began explaining the request.

“Where should I start? Monica is a city in the southwestern part of the southern region. It’s connected to Babara in the north and the Iron Mountains in the south, making it a key strategic point. Are you… familiar with the Gorge of Hallucination in the eastern terrain?”

“You mean the gorge in the Plateau of Delusion?”

My prompt response made a glint flash in Han So-Young’s eyes. She stared at me intently for a moment before nodding once.

“Yes, that’s right. One question: what comes to mind when you think of Monica?”

“A city bordering the Iron Mountains, known for its stabilization efforts. I’ve heard it ranks among the top five for stabilization.”

“That’s the rumor. But…”

Han So-Young paused, lifting her teacup for the first time. As it tilted to her lips, her pale, slender neck came into view. The slight rise and fall of her throat exuded a captivating allure. My throat suddenly felt parched.

Setting her cup down, she spoke in a voice noticeably softer and more velvety.

“I don’t think so.”

“…”

“So far, we’ve focused on securing a safe passage to Babara in case the warp gate fails and on conquering the Iron Mountains to stabilize the city. But one is no longer necessary, and the other has become a distant goal for now.”

“Hm… I think I get the gist.”

The relationship with the Golden Lion was irreparably broken, and conquering the Iron Mountains was a pipe dream for the foreseeable future. This meant she was now turning her attention to areas that had been relatively neglected.

Han So-Young let out a short sigh before looking me straight in the eye and continuing.

“I’ve gone on too long. Let me get to the request.”

“I’m all ears.”

“About… Two months ago, one of IstanTel Law’s subordinate clans, the Riverside Clan, set out on an expedition targeting the Gorge of Hallucination. Given the distance to the Plateau of Delusion, a round trip should take about three weeks. But even after more than eight weeks, they haven’t returned.”

“Eight weeks… Could they have died for some reason?”

At my words, she shook her head slightly—not in denial, but as if she wasn’t sure.

“Six weeks ago, we received a single communication from one of the Riverside Clan members’ personal communication devices.”

“A rescue request?”

“Something like that. But it wasn’t an explanation of their situation—just one phrase.”

“And that phrase was…?”

“‘Save us.’”

'“Save us”…? Did they actually make it into the Gorge of Hallucination? Breaking through the Plateau of Delusion must’ve been tough. And if they’re asking for help… maybe…'

Though I wasn’t entirely certain, Han So-Young’s words gave me a rough sense of the situation. I hadn’t personally participated in the conquest of the Plateau and Gorge during the first life, but it was such a famous expedition that I knew quite a bit about the secrets hidden within and the processes involved.

“After that one phrase, the communication cut off immediately, and there’s been no contact since.”

“So the communication came two weeks after they set out. Six weeks have passed—it’s hard to believe they’re still alive. Has no rescue team been sent in the meantime?”

“A week after the communication, two clans that were close to Riverside teamed up and sent a rescue team. But they, too, are currently completely out of contact.”

“Hm…”

Just as I was about to sink into thought, a click sounded as the door opened. Turning, I saw Park Da-Yeon walking in with a sulky expression, her arms full of various items.

“Clan Lord, I brought them.”

“Perfect timing. Can you hand me the records first?”

“Grumble grumble.”

“You don’t have to say it out loud—I know how you feel.”

Han So-Young tossed out a casual remark and began quickly scanning the records she was handed. After a brief moment, she pulled out a few pages and spoke.

“Normally, we’d assume they’re dead, but that single plea of ‘Save us’ has given many players hope. Honestly, I think it’s already too late… but as the leader of Monica’s representative clan, I have a duty to take responsibility and uncover the truth.”

“So you want the Mercenary Clan to take on a secondary rescue mission?”

“No, we wouldn’t ask you to undertake something that dangerous. Our request is simple: we want you to conduct a search operation in the Plateau of Delusion.”

“A search operation?”

“Yes. According to the records, the survival rate for players who’ve ventured into the Plateau of Delusion is 45.7%. For the Gorge of Hallucination, it’s 27.8%. These figures don’t include teams that were completely wiped out, so the actual rates might be even lower. Keep that in mind.”

Han So-Young paused briefly, shifting her gaze from me to Park Da-Yeon. The two stared at each other for a moment, but Park Da-Yeon, grumbling again, reluctantly pulled out a box she’d been clutching tightly. I glanced at the box and asked,

“What’s this?”

“Twenty top-grade Mind-Clearing Elixirs. They’re the only elixirs that help you endure the Plateau of Delusion. With these, you should be able to last a day there without issue. They’re hard to make, so we can’t provide more than this.”

“With ten members, that’s plenty.”

“Good. Mercenary Lord, let me formally make the request. I believe the Shadow Queen is the player best suited to make the most of these elixirs within the limited time. We’re not asking you to enter the Gorge of Hallucination—just to conduct as thorough a search as possible within the time allowed by the elixirs.”

Han So-Young handed me the selected records. A quick glance confirmed they were filled with detailed information about the Plateau of Delusion.

“Oh, I forgot to mention the reward. If you complete the search, even without significant results, we’ll guarantee a 30% discount on the clan house purchase.”

“Even without results?”

“Of course, we’d need a detailed expedition report. It would greatly help when we send a secondary rescue team. And if you achieve results beyond our expectations, we’re willing to offer an even greater discount.”

'The Plateau of Delusion. And the Gorge of Hallucination. She’s certainly played an interesting card.'

From a purely financial perspective, IstanTel Law was taking on a degree of loss. However, as the leading clan, they could easily cover it. The key point was that if we could exceed expectations with this search, we’d gain an unparalleled, practically perfect justification.

Nodding once or twice, Han So-Young let out a languid breath and asked, “What do you think? Will you accept our request?”

“I…”

Glancing over the records, I confirmed they weren’t much different from my memories. In fact, comparing them, my own knowledge contained more critical and detailed information.

After a moment of thought, I slowly opened my mouth.

*

Han So-Young offered to see me out, but I politely declined, managing to leave the clan house alone. Thinking back to our mutual nods and her final “Please take care of it,” A smile crept onto my face.

My steps back to Love House were light. I gripped the records and the box tightly, quickening my pace.

I hadn’t given a definitive answer about the request. I said I was willing to consider it and would discuss it with the clan members, promising a reply by tomorrow, which wrapped up the meeting. But I felt I’d given an answer of sorts. By taking the records and the box, I’d signaled my intent to likely accept the request.

On the surface, this request seemed a bit—no, quite—unreasonable. Asking a fledgling clan to search a place even established clans hesitated to venture into was no small demand.

But as the saying goes, “If you know, you know.” Though she didn’t spell it out, I understood Han So-Young’s intentions. If she meant to throw us into a death trap, she wouldn’t have mentioned survival rates or provided the Mind-Clearing Elixirs.

Of course, these elixirs weren’t a cure-all. As top-grade items, they were highly effective and long-lasting, but from what I knew of the Plateau of Delusion, the deeper you went, the stronger the field effects became, proportionally weakening the elixirs’ efficacy.

She’d said that even minimal results—like finding some traces—would earn us at least a 30% discount. Plus, with the Shadow Queen, whose tracking skills were unmatched, some level of success was practically guaranteed unless the traces were deliberately erased.

In essence, she was saying not to push too deep, to just scout the outskirts and bring back a few traces. But I had no intention of doing that.

I didn’t want to be a burden to IstanTel Law. I’d caused enough trouble in the first life. Though she phrased it lightly, if we came back with lackluster results, some might question Han So-Young’s judgment. I absolutely wanted to avoid causing problems for her because of me.

And honestly, this wasn’t a bad deal for me. No, it could even be called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Killing two birds with one stone—achieving multiple goals at once. One of my reasons for coming to Monica was to conquer the Gorge of Hallucination. With my Third Eye and Mind’s Eye, that place was practically my backyard.

Anyway, it was a place I’d planned to tackle eventually—just a bit earlier than expected. Setting aside the fame and rewards we’d gain (which, honestly, were the bigger prize), in pure financial terms, this was like taking on a job worth anywhere from 27,000 to 90,000 gold.

'Come to think of it, is this the first request we’ve taken since forming the Mercenary Clan?'

There’s a saying about the “first sale” in business: a good start leads to continued success, emphasizing the importance of beginnings. While a request isn’t exactly the same as a sale, I felt like we’d landed a big one for our first.

Lost in these thoughts as I walked, I soon spotted a faint pink building in the distance.

The sun was slowly setting. Combat players who’d ventured out were returning, and livelihood players were starting their evening business.

All that remained was to inform the clan members about the request and persuade them. Pondering how to win their agreement, I quickened my already brisk pace.