Memorize Chapter 227

The highly anticipated summit ended in a catastrophic breakdown, leaving only bitter conflict in its wake. As a result, some of the clans that had made the trek to Babara returned to their cities empty-handed, with no tangible outcomes.

The player academy, which had paused its training during the summit, resumed operations afterward. The summit’s impact rippled through the academy, with several instructor positions held by eastern, southern, and northern clans being placed on hold. These vacant spots were promptly filled by players from Golden Lion and its allied clans.

The stated reason for the replacements was convoluted, but in essence, only players from clans that had completed internal audits were deemed fit to teach new recruits. However, it was noteworthy that half of the suspended instructors were from eastern clans. This could be interpreted as both a pressure tactic to force compliance with the audits and a move by Golden Lion to gradually reclaim control over the academy.

This situation was ripe for sparking further issues, but the eastern clan instructors chose to step back quietly without protest. Strictly speaking, the suspensions didn’t just affect eastern and southern clans—northern and some western clans that hadn’t yet undergone audits were also placed on hold. Given that most general players had been casting unfavorable glances at the non-participating clans since they rejected Golden Lion’s audits, the prevailing sentiment likely convinced them to comply quietly for now.

But the non-participating clans weren’t about to take this lying down. The words left by Seo Jin-Woo, Sung Hyun-Min, and Na Seung-Hye during their post-summit gathering strongly hinted at their resolve. I had no clue what kind of moves they were planning, but I figured we’d see soon enough.

In my first life, I knew these people weren’t the type to sit idly by.

*

The player academy had finally entered its 13th week. The training period typically lasted 100 days, often concluding before the 14th week. However, due to the pause caused by the summit, the academy extended training to the full 14 weeks under the pretext of additional education.

As I’d anticipated, the Mercenary Clan seemed to have escaped the direct fallout of the godmother’s murder. While our involvement in training was canceled, I could still carry out my roles as a control and lifestyle instructor.

After finishing the afternoon training support, I returned to my lodging and heard the sound of water pouring from the bathroom. Thinking it was Kim Han-Byeol showering, I lay on the bed and was about to turn over when a rustling sound came from beneath me, like something being crumpled.

Startled, I sat up and noticed a few sheets of paper tucked under my side. Picking them up, I recognized the elegant handwriting—Go Yeon-Joo’s, the same I’d seen in her reports. Glancing at the bathroom, I began reading the densely written pages. The ink smudged slightly under my touch, suggesting they were freshly written.

“Seventeen Golden Lion clan members declare withdrawal? And Executive Shin Tae-Seung’s exposé?”

My eyes widened as I read the headline. As I flipped through the pages, my reading speed quickened. By the time I finished the fourth and final sheet, I couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle.

“Ha.”

The contents were quite intriguing. In summary, Shin Tae-Seung, a mid-level executive of Golden Lion, along with sixteen clan members, had declared their withdrawal from the clan. Additionally, they exposed details about Golden Lion, specifically revisiting the past relationship between Do Young-Rok and the godmother. The report meticulously detailed how Do Young-Rok had clashed with her at every turn and later led efforts to oust her.

An addendum noted, “Do Young-Rok, currently leading Golden Lion, is using the godmother’s murder to restore the prestige lost after the Iron Mountain expedition failure. He’s already coordinated with the northern and western clans, while the eastern and southern clans are the true victims.” This line made me laugh—it was a direct, no-nonsense blow. I’d wondered how they’d strike back, but this was as straight as it gets.

‘So that’s why it was so noisy earlier.’

Just as I was about to sink into thought, the door burst open. Turning my head, I saw a woman emerging from the bathroom, her body loosely covered with a towel. It wasn’t Kim Han-Byeol—it was Go Yeon-Joo. She brushed her wet hair and flashed me a sly smile.

“Not laughing at my body, I presume. Have you read the report?”

“Yeah, thanks to you. I didn’t expect you to sneak into my lodging.”

“I missed you. But I came too early. With nothing to do until your instructor duties were done, I got bored and wrote it. Doesn’t it feel like old times?”

“Nothing to do, huh?”

Her words carried a deeper meaning. She began dressing, and I couldn’t help but be momentarily captivated by her bare form.

“Yah!”

Fully dressed, she leapt onto the bed where I lay. As she nestled into my arms, I caught the fragrant scent of her skin. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my nose in her hair and closing my eyes. The chaos in my mind from recent events quieted, if only for a moment.

We held each other in silence for a while. I didn’t bring up the report, nor did I intend to. Everything she wanted to say was already in those pages. But her limp body gave off an air of exhaustion.

After stroking her hair for a while, I spoke softly.

“The godmother… are you okay now?”

“The godmother? Yeah, I’m fine now.”

“You looked really sad back then.”

“Of course. When I first came to Hall Plain, she guided me a lot. But I’m really okay now.”

She paused and looked up, rolling over to straddle me, her eyes locking onto mine as she continued.

“I’ve seen plenty of people I was close to die. It’s sad, sure. But that’s all it is—it won’t affect my actions.”

“Got it.”

It was a very Go Yeon-Joo response. Reassured by her resolve, I let out a long sigh. Raising the papers in my right hand, I summoned magic and burned them to ash. She watched silently before whispering in my ear.

“No questions?”

“None.”

“Su-Hyeon, things are incredibly complicated right now. The situation’s changing day by day, impossible to predict.”

“I’m aware of the situation. Anything specific you want to say?”

“Yes, there is.”

Go Yeon-Joo remained atop me, her face buried in my chest, sending a ticklish sensation through me.

“Su-Hyeon, I think it’s time to pull out. You want to stay neutral, but the people around you won’t let you. Especially in a situation like this, you need to be extra careful. Things have reached a point where it wouldn’t be surprising if everyone starts going all out. The longer you stay here, the more likely you are to face bad outcomes—or worse, get dragged into some serious trouble.”

“Haha, the great Go Yeon-Joo is worrying about me? That’s refreshing.”

“I’m worried because I care. I’ll help you. Getting out of here and leaving Babara is the best move right now.”

“Until the academy graduation is complete, that’s absolutely not happening.”

My firm, resolute response made her breath catch.

“I plan to stay and see how this plays out until the end. By then, even if I don’t know everything, I’ll have a good grasp of the internal dynamics. That’ll be crucial for deciding my next steps.”

“But—”

“And it’s not just that. I still have reasons to stay. If I up and leave now, what will others think? I don’t want to let everything I’ve built here go to waste. I don’t want to think I’ve wasted three months. At the very least, I want to finish this properly.”

“You could get caught up in the crossfire.”

“I can assure you, that won’t happen.”

Realizing she couldn’t sway me, Go Yeon-Joo sighed. I decided to add one more thing.

“Player Go Yeon-Joo, as Clan Lord, I’m issuing an order.”

“Speak. As a clan member, I’ll follow the Clan Lord’s command.”

“Drop everything you’re working on and return to Monica in the southern city immediately. Yes, Jung Ha-Yeong is there, but you’ve left the clan members unattended for too long. Go back, rest your weary body, and get things in order. Prepare for my return.”

“…So you’re staying here in this mess, but telling me to go rest? To pull out by myself?”

“Exactly. And I won’t hear any objections on this. No further discussion.”

There was no need to keep Go Yeon-Joo here any longer. Sure, having her around was convenient—she’d kept me updated on external developments. But enough was enough. I’d shown sufficient goodwill to other clans by now, and with no worse outcomes likely, it was time to judge and act on my own.

She lifted her head, and we locked eyes in a heated gaze. Her eyes roamed over me before pulling away. Slowly, her lips parted.

“Take care of yourself.”

“I’m confident in looking after myself, so no more worrying. But I’ll take your words to heart. If you truly trust me, please follow my orders now.”

“That’s unfair. How can I not trust you when you put it like that?”

“What’s unfair about it? Anyway, I’m glad you trust me.”

Only then did she seem to relax, saying, “I trust you.” Though she dropped her worried gaze, her forced smile prompted me to give her a genuine one in return.

The realization that I was smiling sincerely felt strange. With the situation escalating, I should be tense, so why did I feel this thrill?

*

Inside Golden Lion’s clan house, Do Young-Rok sat in a luxurious chair, a pleased expression on his face. He stroked the head of someone kneeling before him and spoke in a languid tone.

“That guy was showing disloyalty ever since the Mercenary and Beech Tree clash. Don’t take it to heart. Think of it as trash taking itself out. He wasn’t fit to be an executive anyway.”

Slurp, slurp.

“The key is to handle this calmly… Ngh… Hngh!”

Schlurp! Gulp… Gulp…

Do Young-Rok, speaking casually, suddenly let out a moan and straightened. The woman with her head buried in his lap made sounds like she was eagerly swallowing something.

Having apparently consumed everything, she raised her head, licking her lips and looking up at him.

Smack, smack. 

“But is it really okay? He’s technically a traitor. We could arrest him.”

“No. We need to maintain our position as victims. We have to show outrage over the godmother’s death, our spiritual pillar. Just deny everything he’s said outright. Things are already heated—there’s no need to make it bigger.”

“Need, huh… Tsk. Liar. You wanted him gone anyway.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because he’s unnecessary for the Golden Lion you’re about to lead… Huh? Wait… Aah!”

Do Young-Rok leaned down, grabbed the woman’s waist, and pulled her up. Aiming his still-rigid member between her parted legs, he thrust hard. She jolted but was forced down deeper as he pressed her, causing her to cry out. Watching her reaction with satisfaction, he began moving his hips.

“Heh, your insides always feel amazing. Oh, right. Since the godmother died, this was a game we were set to win. As long as the allied clans don’t turn on us, we’ll reclaim control.”

“Still, haah, giving them to SSUN, haah, was such, haah, a waste!”

“SSUN took the biggest hit this time. It was necessary to quell their complaints. At this point, nothing else matters. If the godmother hadn’t screwed up the summons, we wouldn’t have needed to do this. Anyway, things are going better than expected—over half of public opinion is on our side. We can recruit new clan members, and as long as we hold Babara, new recruits will keep coming.”

“Aaaah! Wait! Just a second! Please!”

At her plea, Do Young-Rok paused his accelerating thrusts. She slumped briefly, then stretched her legs to wrap around his waist, pulling him close with both arms and breathing heavily. As she calmed, he savored her warmth, then patted her back with a sudden realization.

“Oh, speaking of Mercenary, what’s the status? Did we recruit them?”

“Not yet… They haven’t come around… We’re still trying…”

“They seem closer to the eastern and southern clans. Do we really need to do it this way? That one seemed valuable. There are better ways than handing them to some random guy.”

“Better for us, you mean. Haa. Anyway, they said they’d wrap it up by the end of the week, so let’s wait. Haa. Like you said, things are already intense—we don’t need to give anyone an excuse to target us… Haaa… He’s subtly drawing attention from all clans right now.”

The woman—Seong Yu-Bin—exhaled sweetly. Having steadied her breathing, she spoke more calmly, shooting Do Young-Rok a playful glare.

“And what’s so valuable about her? Am I not enough for you?”

“Heh, is Seong Yu-Bin jealous of that little girl?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t like her.”

“Sure, I love your fiery style, but that aloof type has its own charm sometimes. Fine, since you’re so insistent, I’ll wait. But make sure there’s progress by the end of the week.”

“Ok. I’ll put in more effort. She seems hesitant because of her virginity, but if it comes to it, I’ll just break her in. Anyway, let them play their games, and we’ll get back to ours, right?”

“Acting tough when you’ll be crying out soon.”

Do Young-Rok grinned and thrust upward sharply. Seong Yu-Bin matched him, moving her hips on her own. For a long while, the clan lord’s chamber in Golden Lion’s clan house echoed with their mingled cries.