Memorize Chapter 238

As Jung Ha-Yeong closed the door behind her, only Yun-Jung and I remained in the room. Yun-Jung, still in the same posture from when I called her, kept her head bowed. I quietly observed her before speaking in a calm voice.

“Come closer.”

Yun-Jung didn’t respond, but she must have heard me, as she took one hesitant step, then another. When she stood right in front of me, I looked up at her face and saw her eyes cast downward, her expression dejected.

I gently reached out and lightly stroked her stomach.

“Eek…! O-Oppa?”

“Is your stomach okay?”

“Huh?”

“You got pierced during that cave exploration, right? Now that I think about it, I haven’t checked on you since we left Mule. Any lingering effects?”

Yun-Jung’s face was now flushed with confusion. She must have expected a scolding, but my gentle tone and concern left her at a loss.

“Y-Yeah! There’s a bit of a scar, but… it doesn’t affect my movement at all.”

“That’s good to hear.”

I gave her a relieved smile, and Yun-Jung finally met my eyes. Though some unease lingered, the initial anxiety had noticeably faded. Our gazes locked in the air, and I slowly spoke.

“The reason I kept you here… is because I wanted to talk about something specific.”

“Oppa, I messed up.”

“Yun-Jung, you need to let me finish. And don’t just say you messed up so casually from now on.”

“Huh?”

I personally pulled a chair over and had Yun-Jung, who was still standing, sit down. As she did, she kept touching her hair. Her light reddish hair caught my eye.

“First, I’m sorry. I know how you all feel about Han-Byeol, and bringing her in so suddenly without any explanation must have been a shock.”

“O-Oppa? No, it’s not like that! Don’t say that! Don’t apologize!”

“Hm?”

“I’ve followed you all this time because I trust you. I’m sure you had your reasons this time too. I acted immaturely, letting my emotions get the better of me for a moment. I’m sorry, Oppa! Please don’t say things like that…”

Yun-Jung’s reaction was intense, her hair swaying as she shook her head. I waited for her to calm down, sinking into thought. Looking back at Yun-Jung’s behavior, there was definitely something off. Like a cat with its claws sharpened, perhaps?

Still, the reason I didn’t push her away was exactly because of moments like this. When I recalled how Jung Ha-Yeong used the Crystal of Truth on me in the Ruined Laboratory, I could roughly guess Yun-Jung’s feelings toward me.

Yun-Jung’s claws had never once been directed at me.

“I’ll say it again, I understand how you all feel. You might not agree with my perspective, and I don’t intend to force my views on you.”

“Oppa…”

“But we need to address what’s wrong, don’t we? What I want to point out is your attitude during the meeting.”

Yun-Jung straightened up, showing she was ready to listen carefully. I smiled inwardly and continued in a calm voice.

“I don’t want to treat you all like kids anymore. Sure, An-Sol has her circumstances, but I believe you and An-Hyun are capable of thinking and acting rationally.”

“…”

“The reason I put ‘player’ in front of your names earlier is because I want to treat you as full-fledged clan members from now on. You’ve heard enough to know how things are in Hall Plain, right?”

Yun-Jung nodded silently. Her expression grew serious, as if she was beginning to grasp the weight of my words.

“Things are incredibly chaotic right now. And the Mercenary Clan is under the scrutiny of countless players. They’ll judge the Mercenary Clan based on me, you, and all of us. You’re no longer just new players—you’re Mercenary Clan members. So, is it wrong for me to expect you to act like one?”

“Ugh…”

“Take earlier, for example. It was a formal meeting where I introduced Han-Byeol. If you make a snide remark about her smelling like a traitor, how do you think the other clan members will react? It’s not just Han-Byeol who gets criticized. They’ll think poorly of me for bringing her in, and they won’t look kindly on you for disrupting the meeting’s atmosphere.”

“I’m sorry, Oppa… I didn’t think it would go that far…”

‘I didn’t know.’

“That’s why I’m letting it slide this time.”

I fixed Yun-Jung with a cold stare. She flinched, sensing the shift in my gaze, and closed her mouth. What I was about to say was, in a sense, a final warning from my perspective. Even if it meant setting a serious tone, I needed to make sure Yun-Jung understood clearly.

“I don’t think you did it knowingly. Sure, you might not have realized. But this is the last time I’ll let it go. I’ve said before, I hate repeating myself.”

“…”

“I said I understand your feelings. I’m not saying I’ll close my ears. From now on, if you have complaints, follow the proper procedure to voice them. Or set up a private meeting. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Yun-Jung looked on the verge of tears, so I decided to ease up. After a brief silence, I gently patted her head. Having loosened and then tightened the mood, it was time to ease it again.

“When you cried your eyes out seeing me alive at the Inn of Beginnings. When you collected money from the kids in the plaza to give to me. When you protected me in the Ruined Laboratory. I remember it all. I’m truly grateful that you’ve trusted and followed me all this time.”

“Oppa…”

“But I’m now the Clan Lord of Mercenary. I can’t favor just one person. As the clan grows, I’ll have less time to focus on each of you. If something like this happens again, I won’t let it slide just because you’re ‘my kids.’ For my sake, for your sake, and for the sake of the Mercenary Clan.”

“I’m sorry…”

I deliberately emphasized ‘my kids.’ Yun-Jung nodded, wiping her eyes with her hand. Hoping she’d understood my words, I grabbed her shoulders and stood up from the chair with her.

“Don’t cry. Did I come on too strong?”

“N-No. I think you’re right. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Let’s stick to one way of addressing me. You’re confusing me.”

“Okay, Clan Lord.”

“Again.”

As I tossed out a light joke, Yun-Jung, despite her teary eyes, let out a shy smile. Her expression was so peculiar it was hard to describe. I took her hand and started walking toward the door. Yun-Jung hesitated briefly before leaning slightly against my shoulder.

Remembering that Ha-Yeong was waiting, I quickly opened the door. I intended to wrap up today’s conversation here.

“I had a lot of talks with Han-Byeol before coming here. It seems she had a really tough time at the Golden Lion. But she has a strong desire to start anew and seems to want to change herself. So, I’d like you all to set aside any preconceptions and give her a chance to adjust, at least for now.”

Yun-Jung didn’t respond, but I could feel her head nod slightly against my shoulder.

*

After bringing Yun-Jung down to the first floor, I left the Love House with the clan members seeing me off. Stepping outside, I saw Ha-Yeong and Vivienne chatting quietly while waiting for me.

In a way, it must’ve been hard for those two to get close. Quite impressive, in a sense. Or maybe they’re not that close?

As I descended the creaky stairs and approached, they greeted me with bright smiles.

“Su-Hyeon, you’re here. Did you scold Yun-Jung a lot?”

“What were you two talking about?”

“Scold isn’t the right word… We just had a little chat about this and that. Shall we go check out the clan house locations Jung Ha-Yeong picked?”

“Yes. I’ll explain the details on the way. Let’s start with the closer one.”

Ha-Yeong took her place on my left, and Vivienne on my right. As we started walking, Ha-Yeong began speaking slowly.

“You told us not to worry about the price, but choosing a location was still a tough decision. As you know, Monica is one of the most stable cities in the Northern Continent, so the land prices are high, and the cost of building is enormous too.”

“It’s probably because we’re registered as free mercenaries, so we don’t get any discounts. Anyway, since Mercenary is a mercenary clan that operates on commissions, I think it’s best to set up in a highly accessible location. I’d prefer to avoid overly secluded spots.”

“You’re saying we should establish ourselves boldly in the open.”

“Exactly. In Hall Plain, there’s no precedent for a mercenary clan officially launching, right?”

To the average player, just founding a clan is impressive enough. But even with official approval, there’s a clear hierarchy among clans. One key factor in determining that hierarchy is whether a clan owns a clan house.

In Hall Plain, owning a house means you’ve secured lodging, one of the two essentials alongside food. Extending this to a clan, owning a clan house carries even greater significance beyond just lodging. From the perspective of ordinary players, a clan with a fixed base is more trustworthy than one that drifts from place to place. It’s a way to showcase achievements like excavating ruins, succeeding in expeditions, or other accomplishments. In a small but highly stabilized city like Monica, where land prices are steep, this fact stands out even more.

“Visiting the Player Academy this time made me realize Mercenary’s position. We still have plenty of reasons to be in the spotlight: recruiting the Jewel Mage and Divine Shield, a clan that’s only three months old, buying a clan house, and being a mercenary clan.”

“Jealousy and envy are inevitable, then.”

“I’ve been prepared for that since we declared our launch. It’s unlikely that only good things will happen from now on. That’s why I felt the need to mentally rearm the clan members.”

“I understand. Oh, we’re here.”

While talking with Ha-Yeong, we arrived at the first destination. I turned to survey the street. Low-end taverns, budget inns, and rundown shops lined the area. It was a bustling district, but instead of combat-oriented players, it was filled with those scraping by through trade. If I had to compare, it was similar to Babara’s nightlife district.

Of course, in Hall Plain, selling one’s body is a valid means of survival, so it’s not something to judge harshly. Still, since this was about establishing a base in a city where we’d be active for a while, I couldn’t help but feel a bit concerned.

“Now that I think about it, this is pretty close to the Love House.”

“Hehe. Let’s go in. I’ll explain inside.”

“Can we just walk in?”

“Yes. The Clan Lord of IstanTel Law said we’re free to come and go.”

Han So-Young?

Ha-Yeong had mentioned there was something she wanted to discuss regarding the clan house purchase. Hearing her now, I instinctively sensed it was connected to the IstanTel Law Clan.

“They reached out to us, didn’t they?”

Lowering my voice, I spoke, and Ha-Yeong glanced around before giving a slight nod.

“Got it. You said we have permission to enter? Let’s go in.”

“Kim Su-Hyeon! Kim Su-Hyeon!”

“What?”

“I have something to say too. You two keep talking without me.”

Vivienne pouted, looking sulky. She probably felt left out since Ha-Yeong and I had been talking the whole way here.

At Vivienne’s words, Ha-Yeong let out a light laugh and stepped forward. She pushed open a slightly rusty but sturdy-looking door with force. While Ha-Yeong held the door, I subtly reached out with my right hand and gave Vivienne’s ass a playful smack. The soft, satisfying sensation traveled unfiltered through my palm.

“Let’s talk inside.”

“Eek!”

Vivienne jumped in surprise.