Memorize Chapter 218

After witnessing the secret meeting between Park Hwan-Hee and Cha Yuna, I felt the need to reassess their relationship. Though it was just a gut feeling without solid evidence, Park Hwan-Hee’s acting and Cha Yuna’s reactions were starting to paint a picture.

Considering Baek Hangeol, Cha Yuna’s boyfriend, I had some reservations, but I decided it was better to keep observing for now. Rather than clumsily exposing things, I thought carefully handling this could help me shape the situation to my advantage.

With Baek Hangeol’s recruitment somewhat on track, it was time to gather more detailed information. Strictly speaking, I still hadn’t gotten to the core of the new players’ plans.

That said, my daily routine didn’t change much. As always, I juggled my duties as a supervising and lifestyle instructor, focusing on monitoring the new players’ activities.

Thus began a seemingly quiet but internally intense life at the academy.

Nothing particularly notable happened during the third week. If I had to pick one thing, it would be that the dinner with Park Hyun-Woo got postponed. It wasn’t me who declined; the message came through Kim Han-Byeol from the Golden Lion Clan.

Come to think of it, Park Hyun-Woo and Seong Yu-Bin seemed increasingly distracted by other matters, paying less attention to the academy. I was quite curious about it and tried probing Han-Byeol, but all I got was, “I’m sorry, I don’t know much either.”

It felt less like she was withholding information and more like she genuinely didn’t know. Since the dinner wasn’t canceled, just delayed, I decided to wait it out.

As for Park Hwan-Hee’s plan, I couldn’t find anything blatantly suspicious. There was a sense of unease, though. The new players felt unusually organized for their level. But on the surface, their actions were nothing more or less than typical new players. There wasn’t a single thing I could pin down.

That left only one conclusion: most of their plan had already been set in motion. The keyword I latched onto was “deal,” as Park Hwan-Hee had mentioned. For new players to move so meticulously and push things forward so quickly in less than three weeks was remarkable.

‘There’s another clan backing them.’

Park Hwan-Hee was a smart guy. Unless he’d lost his mind, he wouldn’t be rallying new players to form an independent force on his own. I mulled over which clans might be involved, but too many possibilities came to mind, so I shook my head.

Having roughly grasped the situation, I made a bold decision: I’d give up on recruiting anyone except Baek Hangeol. Without solid evidence, I couldn’t touch those backed by a shadowy clan. While there were a few decent players, none compared to Baek Hangeol. I vowed to secure Divine Shield at all costs.

Suddenly, it struck me how complicated the academy’s internal dynamics were. Park Hwan-Hee’s plan with the new players, the clan backing them, the unsettling movements within the Golden Lion, Kim Han-Byeol, and the relationship between Baek Hangeol and Cha Yuna.

Yet, for some reason, I felt this wasn’t the end. These events seemed like mere steps in a larger process, part of an unknown, overarching problem that felt ready to erupt soon.

Oddly, I found it thrilling. Smashing and breaking everything wasn’t always the answer. This kind of invisible, cutthroat maneuvering felt familiar—almost welcoming. No matter what came, I was confident I could survive the current.

But surviving wasn’t enough. I needed to ride the wave, turn the situation to my advantage, and maximize my gains.

That was my ultimate goal at the Player Academy.

*

The dinner with Park Hyun-Woo (or rather, a discussion under the guise of a meal) was rescheduled only after I’d been working as an instructor for over a month and a half. During that time, Kim Han-Byeol seemed relatively stable, perhaps because she hadn’t been bothered much. But when the topic came up again, I noticed her cautiously gauging my reaction, suggesting she hadn’t fully shaken off her unease.

I readily agreed, putting her at ease. It likely wasn’t just about the Beech Tree issue, and I hoped to glean some information about the unsettling atmosphere within the Golden Lion.

And so, at the end of the seventh week, I finally had my discussion with Park Hyun-Woo. He looked haggard, as if he’d been through a lot.

With a voice tinged with exhaustion, Park Hyun-Woo began to speak.

“I’ve received reports about your recent activities as an instructor, Mercenary Lord. Among the supervising and lifestyle instructors, you’ve provided the most support and engagement. Honestly, it’s enough to make our clan’s instructors feel ashamed.”

“I just did my best not to disappoint those who recommended me. Your praise is a bit overwhelming.”

The conversation started on a warm note. As we slowly ate, we gradually dove into deeper topics.

“Thanks to you, it seems Han-Byeol is learning a lot. Every time I see her, she’s always talking about you, to the point my ears might fall off.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful. Thanks to her, my instructor duties have been much easier.”

“You’re still so modest. I can see why other clans speak so highly of you and the Mercenary Clan. Oh, by the way, I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had the chance to ask—how have you been? Any inconveniences, like with dorm life, for example?”

His question, despite knowing the situation, felt a bit sly, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Han-Byeol. Swallowing the food I’d been chewing, I responded in a low voice.

“Well, since we’re of different genders, it was a bit awkward at first. But we’ve been considerate and accommodating, so it hasn’t been too uncomfortable. No need to worry.”

Even I could hear the slight edge in my tone. Park Hyun-Woo tilted his head briefly before nodding with an ambiguous expression.

“I see. Things were so chaotic back then that we just assigned rooms as usual without much thought. I’m glad it’s not too uncomfortable. If I may be so bold, I’d like to ask you to keep looking after Han-Byeol. Haha.”

‘He’s not even pretending to offer a room change.’

I sighed inwardly. A bitter feeling welled up inside me. Thinking back to Han-Byeol’s sharp and brilliant demeanor during the Rite of Passage, the bitterness only grew. How had she ended up in such a state?

“Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to inform you about, Mercenary Lord.”

During an awkward moment over tea after the meal, Park Hyun-Woo rummaged through his belongings, as if he had a way to shift the mood. He handed me a rolled-up document. Noticing the Golden Lion emblem in the center, it seemed like an internal clan report. I took it calmly and unrolled it.

The moment I saw the title at the top, my eyes narrowed sharply.

‘Report on the Conflict Between the Beech Tree Clan, Representative Clan of the Northern Small City Mule, and the Mercenary Clan. In Charge: Executive Seong Yu-Bin.’

“This is…”

“Just keep reading. We’ll talk after.”

Glancing at his friendly smile, I lowered my eyes to the document. It briefly detailed the conflict with the Beech Tree Clan in Mule. As I skimmed through, I reached the conclusion at the bottom, written in a single line.

It read: <Confirmed that the Beech Tree Clan initiated the attack. (Mercenary Lord Clan’s self-defense can be proven.)>

‘Did Seong Yu-Bin pull some strings? No, there’s more to it…’

The matter had been resolved without us even being investigated. After a moment of gathering my thoughts, I handed the document back and asked in a curious tone.

“It’s true that there was a conflict with the Beech Tree Clan. And it’s true that we killed two of their members in the process. But I don’t recall us being investigated…”

“Oh, investigations are for when traces are hard to discern. And it wasn’t that big a deal… Anyway, there were plenty of traces, so we figured out the truth quite easily. But, personally, I have a few questions. If it’s not rude, may I ask?”

“Go ahead. The Mercenary Clan has nothing to hide about this. We’re open about it.”

“Haha, I’m not saying we’re investigating now. The fact that you were attacked first gives you clear justification. We found several traces of attacks strong enough to kill. But still, was it really necessary to kill the Beech Tree Clan members?”

“Yes, it was.”

Despite my firm response, Park Hyun-Woo’s expression remained calm. The matter had already been settled in the report, and he seemed to have made up his mind. This conversation felt like he was just asking formal questions, almost as if he was personally curious about the details, nothing more.

“Our first encounter was after exploring the Cave Of Wailing and returning to Mule.”

I had already prepared plenty of explanations to frame the situation in our favor. Honestly, there wasn’t much to prepare. Even stating the facts as they were left little chance of us being blamed.

The fact that the ruin investigation was postponed, the context of their recruitment pitch, the subtle implication that they coveted our achievements despite us being mere Year 0 players, the life-threatening level of aggression directed at us, Ban Da-Hee’s provocation toward Go Yeon-Joo, and the actual attack launched against a top-tier player, followed by her spitting in my face after being subdued.

As I wrapped up with the part about Cha Seung-hyun, I saw Park Hyun-Woo let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha… I had no idea such things were said. That player’s mental state sounds questionable. Oh, and Ban Da-Hee was personally executed by the Shadow Queen?”

“Yes. Despite my demand for a sincere apology, she spat in my face. She even threatened to kill both me and Go Yeon-Joo someday. The moment she said that, Go Yeon-Joo, who was restraining her, immediately drove a dagger into her.”

“There’s nothing more to see or hear. I understand. Since we’ve already concluded this internally, you don’t need to worry about it anymore. If anything, we should be the ones apologizing for failing to control our subordinate clan. Sigh. How did such a clan end up as a representative…”

“No, it’s fine. You were in the middle of an expedition, so it’s natural you couldn’t pay close attention.”

“Haha, I’m grateful you see it that way.”

‘He definitely wants something.’

The Golden Lion was being overly deferential. Even if we dug deeper, the situation was already in our favor, especially with the Shadow Queen Go Yeon-Joo involved and, as Park Hyun-Woo acknowledged, sufficient justification. 

Still, despite it being a matter involving their subordinate clan that could’ve been publicized, they handled it internally. That was a clear gesture of goodwill on their part. Which meant the Golden Lion wanted something from me.

Taking the document back, Park Hyun-Woo calmly sipped his tea. Then, sitting up straight, he spoke.

“Let’s wrap up the Beech Tree matter here… and move on to another topic. Or rather, the main point.”

“…”

“The real reason I invited you here today, Mercenary Lord, is because I have an important favor to ask.”

‘Here it comes.’

I’d expected as much, but I kept a neutral expression, as if curious about what the Golden Lion could possibly want from me. Seeing my reaction, he gave a faint smile and continued slowly.

“Well, we previously granted the Shadow Queen an access pass, right? I understand she’s visited the academy two or three times since then. If it’s not too presumptuous, could I know her next visit schedule?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

My question was a natural right as a clan lord. But unlike before, Park Hyun-Woo didn’t answer immediately. He closed his eyes, looked at me, closed them again, then looked back. He seemed deeply conflicted, hesitant.

In fact, Go Yeon-Joo had visited twice during the seventh week and was scheduled to come again in the eighth. The second visit had been uneventful, so I’d just met with her briefly, spent some time together, and sent her back.

I sipped my tea with a nonchalant expression, feeling a refreshing clarity spread through me. After three or four sips, I noticed Park Hyun-Woo’s tightly closed lips finally beginning to part.

“Mercenary Lord, what I’m about to say… I need you to keep it strictly confidential.”