[Chapter 165]
[Hope at the End of Despair (4)]
The name was decided.
The meeting hall was determined.
Even a motto was created.
The foundation of the Pandora Clan was gradually taking shape.
As a result, the clan members were having busy days lately.
"Since I became a sub-lord, I should have the skills and judgment worthy of being called that. Otherwise, I won't be a good example for those below me. I need to set an example so that those who become sub-lords in the future will follow my lead."
For instance, Mok Min-ho, who was appointed as a sub-lord, focused on training while paying attention to his conduct.
"Hmm... The materials that should be prioritized for the 9th floor are information on Seoul's geography and monsters that frequently appear in Seoul, right? I should also create a way to grasp the surrounding geography in real-time using the Witch's Model Garden."
"I think it would be good to make a library on the 2nd basement floor. If you think of something while reading a book, you can try it out in the training room located on the floor below." "It would be better to design the interior in a sophisticated way without being too flashy. I should tell the administrative sister about this."
"While each office can be decorated as they see fit, wouldn't it be better to set some rules? Within the limits of not undermining the clan's dignity..."
"We need a space for treatment. I think it would be good to prepare this on the 1st floor for easy access for injured people. And how about holding a photo exhibition in a separate space on the 1st basement floor?"
For instance, Jung Ha-yang, Bae Su-bin, Kim Min-ji, Jin Seo-na, and Cha Eun-woo put their heads together on how to decorate the clan hall.
Other friends also pushed themselves into harsh training to make the name of the Pandora Clan known to the world.
Nevertheless, they thought they were spending their days worthwhile these days.
It was because of the feeling of establishing a clan with their own hands.
In a word, it was loyalty to the company.
However, this did not apply to all clan members.
"Damn... What am I doing now..."
Lee Cheon-seo, who somehow received Noh Eun-ha's selection and joined the Pandora Clan, was just such a case.
The joy was only momentary.
While other friends became executives, he had to become a regular clan member.
As a result, he couldn't help but feel relative deprivation.
If that bastard Yu Do-jun had just lent me money, I could have become an executive...
Lee Cheon-seo cursed Yu Do-jun.
It was something that happened recently.
Upon hearing the news that Yu Do-jun was lending money to clan members at low interest rates,
Lee Cheon-seo had gone to find Yu Do-jun to borrow money.
At that time, Yu Do-jun had said,
'Sorry, but I don't think I sent a text to you, Cheon-seo... Since I've been lending money to other kids, I don't think I can lend to you too. I'm sorry.'
'No, hey. Between us...'
'Between us?'
'...No, forget it.'
Nonsense.
Would the direct descendant of the Yeongwon Group say they don't have money to lend?
Having received a polite yet direct rejection, Lee Cheon-seo had turned his back on Yu Do-jun.
Then he thought about borrowing money from Kim Geon-ung, the direct descendant of the KK Group.
He owed him a debt.
No, I shouldn't do that.
This is the reward I got for saving Geon-ung.
I can't just settle for borrowing a few bucks as a reward for saving the direct descendant of the KK Group.
I don't know how things will turn out in the future, so I should save it as much as possible.
Soon, Lee Cheon-seo shook his head.
After long deliberation, he decided not to collect Kim Geon-ung's debt.
He would rather stay as a clan member.
Fortunately, Eun-ha had said she would give extra points to founding members.
So he tried to be content with life as a clan member, but─.
'─Huff huff...!!' 'Get up.' 'Te-teacher. If we could rest a little and then...'
'Use that time to get up instead.'
Well, Noh Eun-ha.
She brought in a scary-looking person and made him the clan's technical advisor.
No Bruno.
Eun-ha had told him.
To train her and Kang Si-hyung.
Bruno nodded, and thanks to that, Lee Cheon-seo was experiencing hell unintentionally these days.
'Teacher, I really can't take it anymore. I might collapse at this rate. If we could rest for a moment...'
'This training is meant to make you collapse. That's how the body gets stronger.' '...!'
Oh, crazy.
Lee Cheon-seo was dying day by day.
Today too, his heart sank at the thought of having to receive Bruno's training after going out of the academy.
"Should I just quit? Should I join the Mana Management Organization like Ibyeol?"
This wasn't the life he wanted.
He only wished to live comfortably after joining a successful clan.
He didn't want to suffer like this.
It was when he was feeling discouraged.
"─Lee Cheon-seo student?"
"Yes?"
"Hello. I'm Joo Seok-hyun, the sub-lord of the Samra Clan."
As he was leaving the academy's main gate,
Lee Cheon-seo met a man who claimed to be the sub-lord of the Samra Clan.
"Samra Clan?"
"Yes, it's the clan sponsored by the Samra Group."
At the mention of the Samra Clan,
Lee Cheon-seo racked his brain.
The Samra Clan was an A-grade clan.
It had grown impressively, rising from C+ grade in just 3 years.
Moreover, the Samra Group was even conducting aggressive marketing.
The industry was evaluating that it would smoothly upgrade to A+ grade.
So Lee Cheon-seo became interested in the Samra Clan person who spoke to him.
Let's hear what he has to say.
He decided to have a conversation with the man who introduced himself as Joo Seok-hyun.
"Actually, I'd like to make a scouting offer to Lee Cheon-seo student."
"Scouting? I'm sorry, but I've already decided to join the Pandora Clan..."
"Yes, I know that. But who knows what the future holds? Isn't it better to have many pockets rather than just one?"
Joo Seok-hyun said with a grin.
Lee Cheon-seo fell into thought.
His opinion wasn't entirely wrong.
He wouldn't bet his whole life on the Pandora Clan, would he?
What if it really goes bankrupt within 5 years as industry seniors say?
It would be good to get to know people from other clans just in case.
After calculating in his head,
Lee Cheon-seo nodded.
Joo Seok-hyun grinned.
"We don't have much information about the Pandora Clan. It's inevitable since it's a new clan... But information is important, right?"
"Hmm, so?"
"I'm saying let's be friends with Lee Cheon-seo student and exchange information in the future. It doesn't seem like a bad offer... Don't you think?"
In simple terms, become a spy.
As a reward, the Samra Clan would give him a suitable position later.
That's how Joo Seok-hyun's proposal could be summarized.
To this, Lee Cheon-seo shook hands with Joo Seok-hyun without much deliberation.
"That's fine with me. I wanted to be friends with people from other clans too!"
The two made a deal with each other.
And─.
─Squeak squeak!!
The mice roaming around the academy soon headed towards where their master was.
☆
The required school days have all been fulfilled.
Friends who decided to create a clan and no longer cared about grades were living freely these days.
To be precise, they could be said to be preparing for clan life.
Eun-ha was the same.
"The most suitable area to operate as a base in Gangbuk is Yongsan-gu..."
Eun-ha had been wrestling with maps lately.
Han Seo-hyun said that they need to decide where the Pandora Clan will operate as a base within this week.
To this, Eun-ha had to draw out the information she knew about the future.
Except for the KK Clan, S-grade clans are favorable to me now.
But there's no need to squeeze into areas where S-grade clans are active and engage in conflicts over interests.
It would be difficult to settle down too...
Excluding Jongno-gu where Cocoon is installed,
There was one dominant clan in each district of Gangbuk.
They were receiving a certain tax from the residents of the district and tribute from clans operating within their jurisdiction in exchange for protecting the area.
Currently, the Zenith Clan was dominating Dobong-gu and Nowon-gu, which border Uijeongbu.
And Gangbuk-gu was dominated by the Regulus Clan, Seongbuk-gu by the Silla Clan, Jungnang-gu by the Blaze Clan, Seongdong-gu by the Tempest Clan, Seodaemun-gu by the Myeongwang Clan, and Mapo-gu by the KK Clan.
Besides these, non-S grade clans like the Dangun Clan, Donghae Clan, and Samra Clan were exerting influence in Dongdaemun-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Gwangjin-gu respectively.
Lastly, Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu─.
─Since the dissolution of the Changhae Clan, no clan has dominated these areas for a long time.
The level of clans operating there is about the same, so it keeps changing frequently...
The former jurisdiction of the Changhae Clan.
Since the dissolution of the Changhae Clan, clans have been fighting to get their hands on Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu.
Clans that already control areas in Gangbuk were also checking to prevent other clans from occupying these areas.
As a result, Jung-gu and Yongsan-gu could be said to be treated as a powder keg currently.
Yet it's a golden egg.
It borders Jongno-gu where the Fairy Government is located, and transportation is well developed.
Moreover, since the National Museum of Korea, which houses national treasures, is also there, we could receive high subsidies from the Mana Management Organization using that as an excuse.
It's a drawback that monsters frequently appear because it borders the Han River, but...
Although the risk was high,
It was an area where high profits could be expected if it could be stably occupied.
It wouldn't be bad to occupy the area of the Dangun Clan, which is often demoted from its position as the leader of Seongdong-gu recently.
Instead, we would have to engage in clan wars with the Dangun Clan frequently.
Although the Dangun Clan's power has declined, we couldn't face a clan that possesses the Twelve Seats.
Above all─.
─If we occupy Yongsan-gu and Jung-gu, we can secure a route to go straight to Jongno in times of crisis.
If she wanted to protect Habaek-ryeon,
She needed to be close to her.
This was the reason why Yongsan-gu and Jung-gu seemed most attractive to Eun-ha.
"There's not much merit in occupying Jung-gu alone. The district is quite small, and we might end up surrounded from all sides if we're not careful."
"But won't it be too much for us to manage Yongsan-gu with our current manpower?"
"The moment we occupy Yongsan-gu, Jung-gu is as good as ours. Clans that already have jurisdiction areas will be wary of us, but they won't try to occupy Jung-gu. So we can slowly take over Jung-gu after getting Yongsan-gu first."
"That's true, but the problem is Yongsan-gu. There are almost 10 clans operating in Yongsan-gu, which means we have to turn all these clans into enemies. Can we really handle it?"
After confirming the activity area,
Eun-ha had a conversation with Jung Ha-yang before explaining to Han Seo-hyun.
After hearing his explanation, Jung Ha-yang's thought was that it would be difficult to take Yongsan-gu with the current clan members.
Eun-ha agreed with this.
However─.
─Yongsan-gu is the first area to collapse when monsters invade.
The clans operating there will be almost annihilated, right?
In the meantime, if we do some house-breaking, will they have the strength to resist us?
She couldn't tell Jung Ha-yang, but
Eun-ha was firmly convinced.
"It's okay. If they have any sense, they won't pick a big fight with us who have the support of S-grade clans and sponsorship from groups."
"But they'll still show some territorial behavior, aren't you worried?"
"I don't think our clan members are that weak."
"Sigh... Okay, I'll trust you. You must have something in mind, Eun-ha."
"Thanks for trusting me."
Jung Ha-yang, unable to change Eun-ha's mind.
In the end, she sighed softly and leaned her head on Eun-ha's shoulder.
"Hey─." "Yeah. What's wrong?"
Soon she spoke hesitantly.
Her voice was filled with worry.
"I heard from Min-ji that there are signs of other clans approaching our clan members."
"Hmm..."
"It seems they're approaching our clan members to get information about our clan."
"That's a common story. Other clans besides us experience this frequently too."
"That may be true... But it's still worrying, isn't it? Don't you feel that way, Eun-ha?"
"Are you afraid the kids will fall for it?"
"..."
"Or are you afraid they'll betray us?"
"...!"
A gloomy voice.
Jung Ha-yang looked up anxiously.
Eun-ha looked down at her and touched her cheek.
"─I trust them. I don't think they would do that. Don't you think so too?"
"I think so too, but..."
Jung Ha-yang kept hesitating to speak.
Staring at her, Eun-ha soon realized what she was worried about.
"Someone has fallen for it, hasn't they?"
"..."
Jung Ha-yang remained silent.
It was the correct answer.
Eun-ha's eyes flashed for a moment.
Jung Ha-yang avoided his gaze.
She clung to him strongly.
"It seems Cheon-seo received an offer from the Samra Clan."
"...I see."
Saying "I see",
Unlike Jung Ha-yang's reaction,
Eun-ha was indifferent.
To this, she looked at Eun-ha's expression and spoke up.
"...Should we tell Cheon-seo not to do that? If we scold him harshly, won't he come to his senses?"
"He might come to his senses for a moment, but then he might shake hands with others where we can't see."
"..."
"Are you going to tell him not to do it then too?"
"Then... what should we do?"
"Leave him be. He's just a regular clan member anyway. He won't be able to get much information, and even that won't be confidential."
"..."
Eun-ha's reaction was lukewarm.
So she couldn't help but express the thought that rose in her heart.
"Why are you so calm about this? Aren't you anxious that Cheon-seo might betray us?"
"Hmm, Ha-
"Hmm, Ha-yang." "Yes...?" "We're not playing house here." "..."
"Lee Cheon-seo is a friend and a clan member. And you and I are in positions to manage the clan."
Eun-ha looked into Jung Ha-yang's eyes.
Her pupils were shaking.
Eun-ha told her:
"It's good to see Lee Cheon-seo as a friend. But it would be good to separate public and private matters, and have awareness as a sub-lord. Otherwise, it'll be tough."
"Yes... you're right. Your words are correct."
"If we were going to treat each other based on friendship, we shouldn't have joined the clan."
They're about to turn 20. They'll become Players.
Yet it's troublesome if they can't distinguish between public and private matters.
He told her, and
Jung Ha-yang agreed with Eun-ha's words, albeit with a bitter expression.
"Everyone will know that much. Cheon-seo too, must have made that choice knowing this."
"Now... we can't all be close friends anymore, can we?"
"If everyone fulfills their given roles while being considerate of each other, what you're worried about won't happen, Ha-yang."
Jung Ha-yang looks depressed.
Eun-ha hugged her tightly.
He patted her back.
If Cheon-seo acts that way... Then I can use him until he's no longer useful.
And if he really tries to betray us─
Countless times before the regression,
Eun-ha had been betrayed.
And after being betrayed several times, Eun-ha's actions became firm.
─Then it's really the end for him.
Although she decided to be with her friends,
If they choose to betray her,
She too would become merciless.
So please, don't betray me.
☆
The year is about to change.
Next year, they'll graduate from the academy.
So the final exam questions Ariel is solving now have no meaning for her.
Moreover, grades were meaningless to her now that she's joining the Pandora Clan.
Nevertheless─
─Ugh... I think I learned this problem from Subinue, but I can't remember. Memory, come back to me!
Ariel was solving the problems diligently.
During the exam period, her friends had said:
Let's study hard since it's the last time, so we don't have regrets about our school life.
Actually, she didn't quite understand what her friends were saying.
Ah, this is what Hayanghayangee pointed out. Oh, as expected of the top student in school! More amazing than Subinue!
But she enjoyed studying for exams with them late into the night.
The nights were not lonely.
She liked that her friends helped her study.
So she was putting her heart and soul into the exams to not waste the time she spent with them.
And so─
"─Phew... It's all over."
Finally, she finished all her exams and stretched.
Winter vacation starts tomorrow.
She's not sure what to do, but tomorrow she'll just sprawl out and sleep all day.
After finishing the exams, she left the lecture building and headed towards the girls' dormitory.
"Three years have passed in a flash."
It's not even lunchtime yet.
Suddenly wanting to look around the academy,
She turned her steps.
She took in the view of the academy while walking around the lake.
"It's really fast... When I first entered, I thought I should do something, but now it's already like this."
There was no reason to become a Player.
She just didn't want to feel depressed after losing a precious friend.
She just thought she should do something.
Living with such a mindset, before she knew it, she had become someone with not much time left until graduation.
"..."
It feels somewhat empty and hollow.
It feels like living as life flows.
Why is she here?
For the first time in a while, she craves alcohol.
Ariel turned her back on the lake.
She decided to go back to the dormitory and have just one drink.
As she was trudging along─
"─Riel-ah!" "...Huh? Uh?"
On the way to the girls' dormitory,
Ariel encountered Yoon I-byeol.
It was Yoon I-byeol who called her.
Ariel was flustered and couldn't say anything as she looked at Yoon I-byeol.
She was confused.
Yoon I-byeol is afraid of her.
So she should avoid her.
She was about to run away with that mindset.
Right then─
"─I heard. You're joining Eun-ha's clan, right?" "..."
As if what she just heard wasn't a lie,
Yoon I-byeol spoke to her again.
Ariel hesitated.
Her gaze slowly moved to Yoon I-byeol.
"Ah..."
Yoon I-byeol closed her eyes tightly.
Ariel sighed.
Then Yoon I-byeol immediately said:
"I'm sorry. I'm still... scared." "..." "But I wanted to talk to you again before graduating from the academy. It's the last time now... And I felt like I would regret it if I didn't."
Yoon I-byeol slowly opens her eyes.
But Yoon I-byeol's gaze was directed at her feet.
"You know... Thank you for visiting me in the hospital back then. But I did something sorry to you... I must be a really bad person."
"No, that's not true."
Yoon I-byeol gives a bitter smile.
She blames herself.
To this, Ariel reflexively shook her head.
Yoon I-byeol softly replied thank you.
"I'm going to join the Mana Management Organization this time. Once we graduate from the academy, it'll be hard to see each other again."
Yoon I-byeol hesitates.
Ariel waited for her words.
Soon, Yoon I-byeol raised her head with her eyes tightly closed.
She looked straight at Ariel with her eyes closed.
"─But if it's okay with you, Riel, I want to keep meeting you in the future. I know I'm a really bad person, but can we be friends again?"
"..."
A voice echoing in the middle of the forest.
Ariel opened her eyes wide.
Her gaze soon went down to Yoon I-byeol's hands.
Her clenched fists were trembling.
I-byeol has gathered courage.
Ariel realized immediately.
There was no way she couldn't notice.
The corners of her mouth turned up.
"I-byeol, you can open your eyes." "...What?" "It's okay, open your eyes!"
"Then... I'll open them...?"
Yoon I-byeol reached out first.
Then it was her turn to answer.
Ariel shouted loudly to her who had her eyes closed.
Yoon I-byeol was surprised only for a moment.
She slowly opened her eyes.
And Ariel─
"─Yes! I'm friends with I-byeol! No taking it back now, okay!? If you say you want to cut ties like last time, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth, so you better know that!"
"...Pfft. Riel-ah, what's that?"
Now I understand what bags are for.
Ariel dumped everything in her bag onto the ground and
Put the bag over her head.
Then she proudly said to Yoon I-byeol, who was bursting into laughter:
"Then I'm going! See you next time!"
"Okay, I'll contact you. But Riel-ah... the things that fell on the ground..."
Then making a "swoosh" sound with her mouth,
Ariel ran aimlessly with the bag on her head.
The things that were in the bag didn't matter.
Because something was being filled in her heart instead of the empty bag.
She can't see in front of her.
She doesn't know where to go.
"Ahahahaha!!"
But she feels good.
A feeling like her chest has been cleared out.
She ran aimlessly.
And as if it was meant to happen, she rolled down a hill.
"─It was good that I came to the academy!"
With the bag fallen somewhere,
With leaves stuck all over her body,
She shouted looking up at the sky while sprawled out on the ground in a big X shape.
Her red eyes sparkled.
In the meantime─
[─I'm fine!]
Her smartphone rang.
Ariel quickly read the message that popped up in the group chat.
It was a message sent by Jung Ha-yang.
To summarize, the final exams are ending, and as the end of the year is approaching, let's have a year-end party with the clan members.
"Me": Me! Me! Me! I'll sing on stage! I really want to sing right now!! (11:47 AM)
She's made many friends.
Thanks to that, every day is fun.
Even though she got scratched from rolling down, she kept bursting into laughter as if something was so good.
☆
The top 10 central comprehensive daily newspapers in South Korea announced national indicators for the end of the year.
Year 15 of Seonryeok
Number | Company Name | Same
:--|:--|:--
01 | Galaxy | Choi Tae-bong
02 | Sirius | Han Do-young
03 | Alice | Jung Seok-hoon
04 | YH | Choi Yun-hye
05 | Luminous | Lee Jung-in
06 | Yeongwon | Kim Jun-tae
07 | Fine | Jang Seok-young
08 | KK | Kim Geon
09 | Donghae | Jung Ji-man
10 | Samra | Oh Man-jeong
Year 15 of Seonryeok
─Clan Comprehensive Grade S─
Number | Clan Name | Comprehensive Grade
:--|:--|:--
01 | Zenith | S+
02 | Regulus | S+
03 | Silla | S+
04 | Myeongwang | S
05 | Tempest | S
06 | Blaze | S-
07 | KK | S-