"Hello! Is there a year 0 player named Kim Su-Hyeon here?"
The moment I turned my head toward the voice and confirmed who it was, my entire body froze. I almost blurted out, 'Why the hell are you here right now…?' but I managed to hold it back by clamping my mouth shut. However, my dazed mind didn't recover so easily. The shock was so overwhelming that maintaining my usual calm rationality was nearly impossible.
"If you're looking for Kim Su-Hyeon, that's this person right here. And who might you be?"
"Oh~! You're really here! What a relief. I'm Yoo Hyun-Ah, the new lord of the Beech Tree Clan, the leading clan of the small city of Mule, and a year 3 player. Nice to meet you! And this male player beside me is Cha Seung-Hyun, someone I trust and rely on the most."
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Cha Seung-Hyun, a year 3 player."
As Vivienne pointed at me, Yoo Hyun-Ah let out a sigh of relief, her hand brushing her chest. The friendly-looking man standing beside her also greeted us with a clear, refreshing voice. Only then did I manage to pull myself together. I had the urge to snap Vivienne's finger, which was still pointing at me, but given the situation, I quickly composed myself and turned my gaze to Yoo Hyun-Ah.
Her soft, light brown hair shimmered faintly, and her large, blinking eyes gave her the appearance of a pure, delicate girl. Her face was so kind and gentle that it sparked an impulse to hug and comfort her. My throat instinctively swallowed hard, but with the help of my inner calm, I kept my composure. She likely possessed a unique charisma ability.
Soon, she said, "I'd like to go inside and talk for a bit. Is that okay?" Without even waiting for my response, she strode confidently into the room.
I could only stare blankly at her bright, smiling face.
*
'Holy Queen' Yoo Hyun-Ah. 'God of War' Cha Seung-Hyun. Both were famous players etched in my memory. No, not just famous—they were figures who left a significant mark on the history of Hall Plain. Of course, this was something that happened much later, but Yoo Hyun-Ah would eventually rise to become the leader of one of the top three factions in a continent that had split into several factions.
She was blessed with loyal followers and had many capable players under her command. Among them were Peerless—the player with a strength stat of 101, the only one comparable to God of War Cha Seung-Hyun—Madwoman Ban Da-Hee, and a player with a magic stat of 101. Recruiting the magic stat 101 player came a bit later, and judging by the fact that only Cha Seung-Hyun was here, it seemed she hadn't brought Madwoman Ban Da-Hee to this meeting.
To put it bluntly, the two players standing before me never saw the end of Hall Plain. Although they were active for a relatively long time, I recall they both met tragic ends. God of War Cha Seung-Hyun died in a siege after clashing with a rival coalition, and Holy Queen Yoo Hyun-Ah, blinded by vengeance, set out to retaliate but fell into the coalition's trap and suffered a devastating defeat. I heard she met an utterly miserable end. If I remember correctly, she was captured and ultimately committed suicide in prison due to the constant rape that she had to bear.
At the time, their faction was at its peak, led by the player with a magic stat of 101, and they were relentlessly pressuring us. They were winning battle after battle, so their sudden downfall struck me as odd. Han So-Young, quick to grasp the situation, immediately formed a temporary alliance with the rival coalition, and together we completely annihilated Yoo Hyun-Ah's now-empty faction.
That's roughly what I remember about Holy Queen Yoo Hyun-Ah.
If I were to describe Yoo Hyun-Ah in one word, it would be: "Idiot." To put it simply, think of her as an upgraded, final-evolution version of Liu Bei from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Foolishly kind, swayed by emotions, and not only failing to seize opportunities but actively kicking them away to benefit others. As a clan lord, she was the type to drive her allies and subordinates up the wall. By my personal standards, she wasn't suited to lead a large faction. Without her capable subordinates, Yoo Hyun-Ah would have been nothing. It's pitiful to think of her and her followers' struggles before she managed to build a faction. They were constantly beaten down, used, and exploited left and right. It's a miracle she even survived.
Her one redeeming quality was her uncanny luck with people. Without the constellation of talented players rallying around her, she never would have built a faction.
For now, I decided to stop wondering why Yoo Hyun-Ah was in Mule. The more pressing matter was ensuring I didn't get entangled with this walking disaster. Her ability to attract calamity—surpassing even Kindaichi or Conan—and her tendency to dive headfirst into trouble made it absolutely necessary to avoid her. For all I knew, her presence here might cause a horde of vagrants to storm Mule in a frenzy.
"What are you thinking about so deeply? Oh, thank you!"
Yoo Hyun-Ah, smiling brightly as she spoke to me, bowed politely when Go Yeon-Joo brought her tea. Behind her stood Cha Seung-Hyun, and behind me, my companions had gathered around the table. After taking a sip of tea with a blissful expression, she and Cha Seung-Hyun, who seemed equally delighted, caught my attention. I subtly activated my Third Eye to check their basic player information.
(Player Status)
Name: Yoo Hyun-Ah (Year 3)
Class: Normal Sword Expert
Nation: Babara
Clan: Beech Tree
True Name · Nationality: Tread a Thorny Path · South Korea
Sex: Female (23)
Height · Weight: 168.8cm · 46.2kg
Alignment: Lawful · Pure
[Strength 71] [Resistance 75] [Agility 73] [Vitality 78] [Magic 80] [Luck 99]
Stat Comparison
Kim Su-Hyeon: 544/600~
[Strength 96(+2)] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 72] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
(12 stat points remaining)
Yoo Hyun-Ah: 476/600~
[Strength 71] [Resistance 75] [Agility 73] [Vitality 78] [Magic 80] [Luck 99]
(No stat points remaining)
That's why I call luck an unpredictable stat. There was no need to look at anything else, but her luck stat alone caught my attention. However, when I think about the things she went through in the first life, I can't help but wonder. What the hell did she do to end up with a true name like that? Still, a fleeting thought crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, her high luck stat would help her navigate the thorny path ahead. Of course, that's only from a relative perspective.
"Hehe, you're staring so much it's making me shy."
As I gazed at her intently, Yoo Hyun-Ah's face flushed red, and she gave an embarrassed expression. Silently chanting the word 'patience' to myself, I slowly opened my mouth.
"No, it's just that I arrived in the city yesterday with the caravan group, so there's still a lot I don't know. It seems like a lot has happened here, and I'm a bit flustered because someone claiming to be the head of the city's leading clan suddenly showed up."
My words carried a bit of a jab, but she seemed to take pride in the 'leading clan' title. Yoo Hyun-Ah, who had been grinning ear to ear, bowed her head to me again. As she did, her ample chest shifted downward with the motion, but I quickly averted my gaze at the sound of her clear, melodic voice.
"Let me formally introduce myself again. Two weeks ago, I officially took over as the head of Mule's leading clan. I heard from the temple residents that there's someone here who excavated two ruins. As the head of Mule's representative clan, I'm grateful and also have some questions, so I came to visit you despite the intrusion."
Her voice sounded like she was reading from a textbook, each word carefully enunciated. I sighed inwardly. She might as well have been screaming, 'I rehearsed this speech before coming here.'
For some reason, my chest felt tight, and it was getting hard to breathe. I just wanted to escape this situation and relieve this suffocating feeling. Taking a quiet deep breath, I responded in a calm, measured tone.
"It was just luck. So, you've seen the expedition report I submitted to the temple, then?"
"Yes! I was truly shocked. The expedition report you submitted, Player Kim Su-Hyeon, was so well-crafted that even Seung-Hyun here was impressed. Thanks to it, I think we'll be able to conduct our investigation much more easily. Thank you so much!"
Her habit of tacking on 'thank you' or 'I'm grateful' at the end of every sentence was starting to grate on my nerves. Still, hearing that they had finished the investigation let me breathe a sigh of relief… wait, hold on. Did she say 'think we'll be able to'
"No, wait a second. Three weeks ago—"
"But, I have a rather forward question for you, Player Kim Su-Hyeon."
Just as I was about to bring up the investigation, Yoo Hyun-Ah abruptly changed the topic. For a moment, I had the urge to slap her across the face. If my companions and Cha Seung-Hyun weren't here, I might actually have done it. Oblivious to the thoughts swirling in my head, she continued speaking with a beaming smile.
"What do you think of the small city of Mule, Player Kim Su-Hyeon?"
"…"
Her sudden, nonsensical question left me dumbfounded, and I glanced around. I pressed my hand to my forehead so hard it made a sound. If you're going to have a conversation, at least maintain some semblance of consistency, even if you throw logic out the window. But her reckless, disjointed words were steadily driving me to confusion.
"I don't have any particular thoughts. I'm just a year 0 player who got lucky and excavated a few ruins. Since you're the head of what you call the leading clan, wouldn't it be better to ask your allies or subordinates for their opinions?"
"Of course, that's true. But, to be honest, Mule—and we—are in a very difficult situation right now."
"…"
"Due to the Golden Lion Clan's expedition to the Iron Mountains, a frontier city like Mule hasn't been able to develop. I'm not blaming the Golden Lion Clan, of course. They trusted someone like me, a mere year 3 player, and entrusted me with a significant role. I'm disappointed that I couldn't join the expedition, but I plan to do my best until it's over and they return. However, we don't know when that will be, and Mule's current situation is dire. Most of the capable players have joined the expedition, and the remaining ones aren't coming to Mule yet. They're waiting for news in Babara or the southern cities. As you said, I have a small force, but I feel it's far from enough to lead a small city."
Then why the hell did you take the role? And from what I can see, they didn't entrust it to you out of trust—it feels more like they tossed it to you because it'd be easy to take back later. As I mentally rebutted each of her words, I suddenly looked up with a startled expression.
Come to think of it, Yoo Hyun-Ah did become the head of Mule's leading clan at some point. But that wasn't now—it was after the vagrants who occupied Babara were driven out, during the civil war that followed. Around that time, just before the second civil war began, I vaguely recall Mule, which had somewhat outgrown its status as a frontier city, being taken by another clan. Her time as the so-called 'leading clan' was so brief and insignificant that I didn't immediately remember it. It's a bit hazy, but I finally understood why I was confused. The future hadn't changed—it had just been slightly altered and accelerated.
"You understand and sympathize, don't you!"
Yoo Hyun-Ah's sudden, enthusiastic voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She must have mistaken my startled expression and raised head as a sign of agreement with her words. I had no idea why she was dancing around the point with such chaotic rambling, but regardless, my feelings remained unchanged.
"I'm sorry for bringing up such a heavy topic out of nowhere. But our situation is just that dire right now. Still, I believe if we can hold out until the Iron Mountains expedition is over, better days will surely come. I have faith in that."
"Yeah, sounds like you've got it rough. By the way, about that investigation you mentioned earlier—"
"Player Kim Su-Hyeon."
Would the Sun-Moon Sword cut sharper, or would a Nil strike hit harder? Her habit of interrupting me again sent a surge of irritation through me. What pissed me off even more was that she was still smiling brightly, completely oblivious to what she was doing wrong or how her words might be received.
Since it had come to this, I decided to just shut up and hear her out. Didn't Liu Bei, after three visits, drag a reluctant Zhuge Liang into service by breaking down in tears? People like her don't listen to anything you say mid-conversation, so it's better for my mental health to let her finish and then reject her outright.
"Hmm~."
After a moment of thought, she looked at me with eyes full of determination, as if she'd made up her mind. A bad feeling crept over me. And sure enough, the words that came out of her delicate lips confirmed my worst suspicions, hitting me like a ton of bricks.
"If it's alright with you, I'd like to borrow the strength of you, Player Kim Su-Hyeon, and your caravan members for this investigation."
"What did you say?"
"I know it's sudden, but please hear me out. It's not a bad offer. If you're open to it…"
"...?"
Yoo Hyun-Ah gave a gentle smile, then slightly tilted her head to slowly scan the group standing behind me. With a voice brimming with confidence, she continued.
"How about all of you joining the Beech Tree Clan, Mule's leading clan?"
The moment her words ended in a question, I opened my mouth without the slightest hesitation.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
100 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.
Goal refresh every week.