If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Dawn Department Store (9)]
«…I suppose you all know why we gathered here today.»
Conference room.
A woman sitting at the head of the table asked while crossing her legs. She brushed her forehead, revealing her short hair that flowed down to her shoulders, with a nervous gesture.
Thump.
The woman uncrossed her legs. The sound of her footsteps reverberated through the conference room.
The sublords gathered in their seats all fell silent. Among them were those who closed their eyes and deep in thought.
They all knew that speaking without thinking would challenge Clan Lord’s patience.
They had to be cautious with their words.
«The dawn department store attack is not a simple act of terrorism.»
Intense gaze and a grave voice that straightened the spine.
Kim Yoojin, the Clan Lord of Silla Clan, opened her mouth.
Dawn Department Store’s first branch attack. Silla Clan promptly rescued the citizens, eliminated the monsters that appeared in the department store, and suppressed the terror. The media reported positively on Silla Clan’s name.
But even uttering that annoyed and displeased her. Even if Silla Clan caught the terrorists, any mishandling could have led to a terrorist attack causing numerous casualties and public criticism.
«…How terrible.»
One of the sublords murmured quietly.
Yes, it was truly terrible.
What if Silla Clan had failed to subdue the terrorists, and it was concluded that it was due to simultaneous occurrences of natural disasters caused by mana fluctuations?
Silla Clan’s reputation would have plummeted, and even the sponsorship from the Dawn Group could have been lost.
«This is an internal struggle.»
Yoojin, who sharply grasped the situation, looked around the room as she spoke.
Terrorism is inherently purposeful.
But these individuals committed acts that wouldn’t be unusual even if they were beheaded without any purpose?
No, that couldn’t be. She was convinced that they were hired by someone.
«…Clan Lord, what do you mean by an internal struggle?»
Another sublord asked, glancing around after sensing the atmosphere. He couldn’t understand why she mentioned an internal struggle.
Some of the sublords were in the same boat. They simply didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere that hung in the conference room in front of her uneasy temperament.
Under normal circumstances, it might have been fine, but if they did anything to disrupt the atmosphere in front of her discomforting presence…
«Lee Sunho. You’re still not used to your seat, are you?»
«I’m sorry!»
─It was obvious that something like this would happen.
The player called Lee Sunho scrambled out of his seat and stood upright.
«Sit down. If you’re going to be Silla Clan’s sub lord, I want you to improve not only your skills as a player but also your ability to grasp the situation.»
Kim Yoo-jin sighed. She realized that some of the sub lords hadn’t read the subtext in this situation.
Maybe she should change that now.
Resting her hand on her chin, she glanced at the Sublords who were averting their gaze.
Silla Clan was one of seven clans in Korea that were rated S. Of those, Silla Clan was rated S+, the third largest clan in the clan hierarchy.
The sub-lord spot was an important one. Whereas in the past, sublords were chosen based on their abilities as players and their ability to lead their members, nowadays they need players with the ability to see through situations.
Otherwise, the Silla Clan would cease to exist.
The country had been undergoing a radical transformation since Fairy Seonyeo took office. Wasn’t it not long ago that a new type of potion, breaking the conventional concept of potions, was released in the potion market?
In a rapidly changing world, the person who could take on the role of Silla Clan’s vice commander had to be someone who could grasp the current trends.
For example,
«Seo Jeonghoon, I assume you are aware?»
«Yes.»
Like Seo Jeonghoon, her right-hand man.
He stood up and looked at the group with a calm gaze. As if he’d been expecting this, he handed out a document from his briefcase.
«This?»
A smile crossed Kim’s face.
«This is the current power distribution chart of Dawn Group.»
Seo Jeonghoon explained with a straight face.
He showed the Dawn Group at the top, with three groups connected at the bottom.
The three groups were the factions of the heirs to the chairmanship of the Dawn Group.
«…Brief, I suppose.»
Sublord, the oldest, let out a long breath.
The chairman of Dawn Group, Lee Yoon-hee, is a woman. In the aftermath of the End of the Century Destruction, the new men in power broke the social norm of monogamy and began to have multiple concubines. Under the motto of producing outstanding talent to build a future in a world that was once destroyed, the phenomenon of polygamy showed no signs of slowing down.
As a result, the Dawn Group did not have a complicated line of succession like the Galaxy and Eternity Groups.
«The eldest son, Lee Byung-in, is notorious for his wicked temperament. However, many people believe that just because he is the eldest son, he will inherit the Dawn Group.»
Some sublords groaned in frustration.
If possible, they would have preferred Lee Jeong-in, the second son. He was known for having a good personality even among the second-generation chaebol heirs, and he demonstrated better management skills compared to Lee Byung-in.
It was said that Lee Yoon-hee, the chairwoman, considered him the favorite of her three children. In fact, he was currently taking over the duties of Lee Yoon-hee, who had retired from management.
«The youngest is-. Well, I guess I don’t have to tell you.»
The subclans all nodded. The youngest of the Dawn Group was worse than the second, but better than the first. It was the weakest of the three factions, and he was skeptical about the group’s succession.
«─I see.»
Suddenly, the sub-lords realized why Kim Yoo-jin had mentioned that this was an inside job.
«Yes, that’s right, the Dawn Department Store attack was committed by someone to take over the Dawn Group.»
Seo Jeonghoon put down the documents he was holding.
There was no need for further explanation. He caught Clan Lord’s eye and sat down quietly.
«I’m assuming you guys still have brains. Do you realize who the idiot is we’re talking about here?»
A fool, indeed.
No matter how greedy they were for the Dawn Group, they couldn’t be expected to carry out a terrorist attack on what was essentially the first Dawn Department Store.
It was the behavior of an idiot, and the only idiot was Byung-in, the eldest son of Dawn Group.
«…He’s a complete idiot, he doesn’t have a brain.»
Today, it’s his second son, Lee Jeonng-in, who runs the first Dawn Department Store.
Byung-in’s plan was to carry out a terrorist attack on Dawn Department Store in the name of a natural disaster, and then use Lee’s inadequate response to gain more power within the group.
However, his plan was foiled when the terrorists were subdued.
Without the terrorists there, Silla Clan would have fallen victim to an obvious ploy.
«Does the Chairman… know?»
One of the subclans asked, ready to pounce.
«Who doesn’t?»
This time, there was no rebuke from Kim Yoo-jin.
For now, the media was only reporting on the attack at the Dawn department store.
No one was talking about the terrorists’ purpose. The media’s focus was solely on the Silla Clan’s suppression of the terrorist attack, their quick response, and the Dawn Group’s actions and support for the victims.
«The Chairman used his hand.»
The old man shook his head.
Lee Yoon-hee, the chairwoman of Dawn Group, had announced her intention to return to management after a long hiatus and was traveling around to meet with dignitaries.
Of course, the Fairy Seonyeo government wasn’t going to take it lying down.
«The Dawn Group not only suffered a decline in the brand image but also decided to withdraw from the Gangnam District development policy pursued by the Fairy Seonyeo Government. Mockery from other groups who noticed the Dawn Group’s succession dispute was inevitable.»
Kim Yoo-jin gritted her teeth.
She understood the importance of the intangible values that the Dawn Group and Silla Clan had lost. It would take a long time to regain their lost status.
«That’s not the only problem.»
Seo Jeonghoon brought up a new topic.
«This time, the force that Byeong-in has attracted is not a mercenary named, but most likely the Changhae Clan.»
Jeonghoon turned to the others.
«Among the players that took with him were players from the Changhae Clan who were expelled from Uijeongbu.»
That was good news. We were able to identify this as a terrorist attack, and we were able to deduce the connection to Changhae Clan from the players who participated in the attack.
If they hadn’t been able to subdue them, Silla Clan would have been caught with their eyes open, let alone learn what was really going on.
«Ah, how true.»
The old man clicked his tongue. After looking through the information, he shook his head, mumbling, «The end of an era, the end…»
«I consider it speculation.»
It was one of the clan’s top Guardians who spoke up.
«Changhae Clan banned all the members of that clan, and even if ‘s players were from Changhae Clan, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to link them to the ragtag group that was banned from the clan.»
Several Sublords looked up and nodded.
«You didn’t just prepare this list on your own, did you?»
The old man who had been watching asked, opening his eyes, which were shaded by thick eyebrows.
Seo Jeonghoon replied with a smile.
«I will hand out the following materials.»
«…You should have told me.»
Sublord protested.
«In the Mt. Bukhan incident, a total of 92 Hounds were suppressed, including Hellhounds. Changhae Clan took 70% of what should have been the Seonyeo Government’s share and Hellhounds’ gems, excluding 30%.
However, the gems from the Hounds that Changhae Clan released this year in the market accounted for only 30% of the total. It means that a clan that doesn’t need gems is not contributing 40% even as the year comes to an end.»
Noname used the gems to unleash monster terror.
The monsters in the Dawn Department Store were all Hounds.
Where did all those Hounds’ gems come from?
Hasty judgments are prohibited. The old man, while confident in the shadow of the Changhae Clan, tried not to let emotions cloud his judgment.
«What if the Changhae Clan is waiting for the price to rise?»
«The gems of the 7th hierarchy are commonly available items. Moreover, during that period, Changhae Clan released all the gems of the 8th and 9th hierarchies in the market.»
«Then is there a possibility that the gems released by Changhae Clan in the market were used for terrorism?»
«The Silla Clan has utilized all its available power to investigate the source of the released gems in the market. That would never happen.»
«But it’s just speculation. There’s no solid evidence.»
«Yes, it’s just speculation. But everyone here knows, don’t they?»
Seo Jeonghoon’s words were correct.
The atmosphere in the conference room became tense. Those occupying the seats could not hide their discomfort.
«That was also in April this year.»
Kim Yoojin, who had been silent, spoke up. She remained calm like ice, even in the midst of a fervent atmosphere.
«When Shin Seo-young found out that Gil Sung-jun was having an affair with the heir to the Dangun Group, she went ballistic.»
Even if Shin Seoyoung tried to hide this incident, those who knew were well aware. It was widely known in the industry that Gil Sungjun had caused trouble with a woman, and the other party happened to be the successor of the Dangun Group.
«…It’s obvious what that guy was thinking.»
Gil Sungjun, not satisfied with the support of the Sirius Group alone, must have been considering receiving support from the Dangun Group as well.
However, having been exposed to Shin Seoyoung, Gil Sungjun had no choice but to give up the sponsorship of the Dangun Group. Instead, he might have approached Lee Byung-in, the black sheep successor of the Dawn Group.
While it was said that the Dangun Group had a significant influence in the world of players, it was not comparable to the Dawn Group, which ranked fourth in the Korean business hierarchy.
The possibility that Gil Sungjun had shifted his focus was highly likely.
«I called you here today because of this.»
Kim Yoojin opened her eyes and revealed her speculation.
«Are we going to war?»
The clan’s top dealer looked at her with expectant eyes.
«War… Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.»
Kim Yoojin replied with a cold smile.
In her heart, she wanted to declare war, even if it was due to the Changhae Clan’s moves to dominate the table and the sacrifice of Silla Clan players in terrorist attacks.
However, the two clans were competing for the 2nd and 3rd positions in South Korea. Fairy Im Gaeul would never approve of a war between the two clans, and Silla Clan had a weak justification for declaring war. With a weak justification, they would not only lose the fight but also the war.
«Changhae Clan has ‘Shinpoong’ (Goddly Wind).»
Seo Jeonghoon expressed his opinion.
One must not forget the existence of the Twelve Seats ‘Shinpoong’. She was the possessor of endless mana and considered the strongest caster of the current generation.
«Does Changhae Clan have the Twelve Seats only? We also have Naeje Emperor of Thunder.»
The dealer objected. He didn’t like Seo Jeonghoon’s skepticism about the war and his mention of ‘Shinpoong’.
«‘Naeje…»
The old man remembered a young man who recently joined the clan. He was a player in his early twenties, mentioned along with <Yeomma> Kang Hyun-cheol and <Holy Mother> Park Hye-rim. (1)
«He’s still young.»
The old man didn’t think he was worthy of the title of Emperor yet. Although he acknowledged that his skills were sufficient to be called the Twelve Chairs, he was still inexperienced. He wasn’t worthy of being called ‘Naeje’ without gaining more experience.
«No war.»
Kim Yoojin looked around at the divided subordinates and decided on the clan’s direction.
She was the captain. The subordinates who wanted war begrudgingly accepted her decision.
«But we can’t just leave the Changhae Clan alone. We will use all means to impose sanctions on them. And when they reveal their weaknesses, Silla will be waiting for that moment.»
She stood up from her seat, making a determined sound.
«If these guys dare to dominate Silla’s table, we must kick them out without even raising their heads. From this moment on, we fully support Lee Jeong-in, the successor of the Dawn Group.»
Until now, Silla Clan hadn’t paid much attention to the next president of the Dawn Group; they were simply the sword of the Dawn Group and would follow the will of the Dawn Group’s master.
However, if Clan Changhae were to intervene in the fight for Dawn’s successor, it would be a different story. If Changhae Clan wanted to make a troublemaker the chairman, Silla Clan would make Lee Jung-in the chairman.
«In an hour, we’ll begin a meeting on how to sanction the Changhae Clan, and I hope you’ll have your heads in the game by then.»
There was a collective sigh.
Kim Yoojin left the room, pretending not to hear it.
«Hmm….»
In fact, she hadn’t mentioned it in the meeting. Her gut instinct was telling her, so she couldn’t say anything as a Clan Lord.
Why did Shin Seo-young of help capture the terrorists?
If she hadn’t helped, Silla Clan wouldn’t have gotten hold of Changhae Clan’s elixir.
But why?
«…Could there have been discord between them?»
It was strange that there wasn’t. Gil Sung-joon had Shin Seo-young as his lover, but he hadn’t been carrying around another woman, avoiding her eyes.
Kim Yoo-jin couldn’t understand why Shin Seo-young would love such a man.
…Should I shake things up once?
If lucky, we might be able to recruit <Golden Wind> <Shinpung>..
No. No.
She quickly rejected the thought. Silla and <Shinpung> were not compatible. If she recruited her, it could cause discord within the clan.
Moreover, Gil Sung-jun wouldn’t just let <Shinpung> go easily. Their relationship would return to normal as if nothing had happened.
…Or maybe she doesn’t know.
Kim Yoo-jin didn’t know what the answer was.
☆
[December 17th. At 3pm today, there was a monster attack at Dawn Department Store No. 1 by a mercenary player. The player, known to the public as , led his gang and unleashed up to 40 monsters.
──Seoyoung Shin, along with the Silla Clan, suppressed the players responsible for the attack──The death toll totaled 23 and────The Fairy Government expressed condolences to the victims and announced a strong punishment for the players who caused the terror. It is speculated that this will be the first time since the establishment of the Fairy Government that a death sentence will be issued for the perpetrators ──.
Lee Yoon-hee, the chairman of Sewol Group, returned to the front lines of management and offered her support───].
Click.
Click, click, click
A narrow, dark room.
The man was watching the news on the Internet.
In the video, people who were rescued from the terrorist attack were coming out.
Click
Click, click, click.
The man rewound the video to a certain point.
He repeated it over and over again.
«Hoooo….»
Then he pressed the stop button.
A woman wrapped in a blanket. She had emerald blue eyes and long blonde hair.
And a man, hugging her with one hand and propping her up with his other shoulder. He was big as a bear, with a gaunt face, and his forearms were riddled with scars that even low quality couldn’t hide.
Click
Click, click, click.
The man zoomed in on the captured footage. He moved his mouse around to look at the blonde woman and the hulking man.
«Found it.»
A small, dark room.
The corners of his mouth curved like a crescent moon in the light from the monitor.
Notes!
(1) <Yeomma>: is a Korean term that can be translated as «wild horse» or «untamed horse.» It is often used metaphorically to describe someone who is rebellious, unruly, or difficult to control.
E/N: I think I will start changing these ‘surnames’ for example instead of <Shinpung> will be <Golden Wind> and <Yeomma> will be <Wild horse>. I hope you guys notice that I was trying to put both names so that way you wouldn’t get confused…sorry If it causes inconvenience.
I can’t believe it took me an hour to finish this chapter wow.
If you’re thinking of sharing my content, please give credit where credit is due! It takes a lot of time and effort to create something, so it’s always appreciated when people respect that and acknowledge the source. Thanks for being a responsible and considerate sharer!
Bibell[Dawn Department Store (9)]
«…I suppose you all know why we gathered here today.»
Conference room.
A woman sitting at the head of the table asked while crossing her legs. She brushed her forehead, revealing her short hair that flowed down to her shoulders, with a nervous gesture.
Thump.
The woman uncrossed her legs. The sound of her footsteps reverberated through the conference room.
The sublords gathered in their seats all fell silent. Among them were those who closed their eyes and deep in thought.
They all knew that speaking without thinking would challenge Clan Lord’s patience.
They had to be cautious with their words.
«The dawn department store attack is not a simple act of terrorism.»
Intense gaze and a grave voice that straightened the spine.
Kim Yoojin, the Clan Lord of Silla Clan, opened her mouth.
Dawn Department Store’s first branch attack. Silla Clan promptly rescued the citizens, eliminated the monsters that appeared in the department store, and suppressed the terror. The media reported positively on Silla Clan’s name.
But even uttering that annoyed and displeased her. Even if Silla Clan caught the terrorists, any mishandling could have led to a terrorist attack causing numerous casualties and public criticism.
«…How terrible.»
One of the sublords murmured quietly.
Yes, it was truly terrible.
What if Silla Clan had failed to subdue the terrorists, and it was concluded that it was due to simultaneous occurrences of natural disasters caused by mana fluctuations?
Silla Clan’s reputation would have plummeted, and even the sponsorship from the Dawn Group could have been lost.
«This is an internal struggle.»
Yoojin, who sharply grasped the situation, looked around the room as she spoke.
Terrorism is inherently purposeful.
But these individuals committed acts that wouldn’t be unusual even if they were beheaded without any purpose?
No, that couldn’t be. She was convinced that they were hired by someone.
«…Clan Lord, what do you mean by an internal struggle?»
Another sublord asked, glancing around after sensing the atmosphere. He couldn’t understand why she mentioned an internal struggle.
Some of the sublords were in the same boat. They simply didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere that hung in the conference room in front of her uneasy temperament.
Under normal circumstances, it might have been fine, but if they did anything to disrupt the atmosphere in front of her discomforting presence…
«Lee Sunho. You’re still not used to your seat, are you?»
«I’m sorry!»
─It was obvious that something like this would happen.
The player called Lee Sunho scrambled out of his seat and stood upright.
«Sit down. If you’re going to be Silla Clan’s sub lord, I want you to improve not only your skills as a player but also your ability to grasp the situation.»
Kim Yoo-jin sighed. She realized that some of the sub lords hadn’t read the subtext in this situation.
Maybe she should change that now.
Resting her hand on her chin, she glanced at the Sublords who were averting their gaze.
Silla Clan was one of seven clans in Korea that were rated S. Of those, Silla Clan was rated S+, the third largest clan in the clan hierarchy.
The sub-lord spot was an important one. Whereas in the past, sublords were chosen based on their abilities as players and their ability to lead their members, nowadays they need players with the ability to see through situations.
Otherwise, the Silla Clan would cease to exist.
The country had been undergoing a radical transformation since Fairy Seonyeo took office. Wasn’t it not long ago that a new type of potion, breaking the conventional concept of potions, was released in the potion market?
In a rapidly changing world, the person who could take on the role of Silla Clan’s vice commander had to be someone who could grasp the current trends.
For example,
«Seo Jeonghoon, I assume you are aware?»
«Yes.»
Like Seo Jeonghoon, her right-hand man.
He stood up and looked at the group with a calm gaze. As if he’d been expecting this, he handed out a document from his briefcase.
«This?»
A smile crossed Kim’s face.
«This is the current power distribution chart of Dawn Group.»
Seo Jeonghoon explained with a straight face.
He showed the Dawn Group at the top, with three groups connected at the bottom.
The three groups were the factions of the heirs to the chairmanship of the Dawn Group.
«…Brief, I suppose.»
Sublord, the oldest, let out a long breath.
The chairman of Dawn Group, Lee Yoon-hee, is a woman. In the aftermath of the End of the Century Destruction, the new men in power broke the social norm of monogamy and began to have multiple concubines. Under the motto of producing outstanding talent to build a future in a world that was once destroyed, the phenomenon of polygamy showed no signs of slowing down.
As a result, the Dawn Group did not have a complicated line of succession like the Galaxy and Eternity Groups.
«The eldest son, Lee Byung-in, is notorious for his wicked temperament. However, many people believe that just because he is the eldest son, he will inherit the Dawn Group.»
Some sublords groaned in frustration.
If possible, they would have preferred Lee Jeong-in, the second son. He was known for having a good personality even among the second-generation chaebol heirs, and he demonstrated better management skills compared to Lee Byung-in.
It was said that Lee Yoon-hee, the chairwoman, considered him the favorite of her three children. In fact, he was currently taking over the duties of Lee Yoon-hee, who had retired from management.
«The youngest is-. Well, I guess I don’t have to tell you.»
The subclans all nodded. The youngest of the Dawn Group was worse than the second, but better than the first. It was the weakest of the three factions, and he was skeptical about the group’s succession.
«─I see.»
Suddenly, the sub-lords realized why Kim Yoo-jin had mentioned that this was an inside job.
«Yes, that’s right, the Dawn Department Store attack was committed by someone to take over the Dawn Group.»
Seo Jeonghoon put down the documents he was holding.
There was no need for further explanation. He caught Clan Lord’s eye and sat down quietly.
«I’m assuming you guys still have brains. Do you realize who the idiot is we’re talking about here?»
A fool, indeed.
No matter how greedy they were for the Dawn Group, they couldn’t be expected to carry out a terrorist attack on what was essentially the first Dawn Department Store.
It was the behavior of an idiot, and the only idiot was Byung-in, the eldest son of Dawn Group.
«…He’s a complete idiot, he doesn’t have a brain.»
Today, it’s his second son, Lee Jeonng-in, who runs the first Dawn Department Store.
Byung-in’s plan was to carry out a terrorist attack on Dawn Department Store in the name of a natural disaster, and then use Lee’s inadequate response to gain more power within the group.
However, his plan was foiled when the terrorists were subdued.
Without the terrorists there, Silla Clan would have fallen victim to an obvious ploy.
«Does the Chairman… know?»
One of the subclans asked, ready to pounce.
«Who doesn’t?»
This time, there was no rebuke from Kim Yoo-jin.
For now, the media was only reporting on the attack at the Dawn department store.
No one was talking about the terrorists’ purpose. The media’s focus was solely on the Silla Clan’s suppression of the terrorist attack, their quick response, and the Dawn Group’s actions and support for the victims.
«The Chairman used his hand.»
The old man shook his head.
Lee Yoon-hee, the chairwoman of Dawn Group, had announced her intention to return to management after a long hiatus and was traveling around to meet with dignitaries.
Of course, the Fairy Seonyeo government wasn’t going to take it lying down.
«The Dawn Group not only suffered a decline in the brand image but also decided to withdraw from the Gangnam District development policy pursued by the Fairy Seonyeo Government. Mockery from other groups who noticed the Dawn Group’s succession dispute was inevitable.»
Kim Yoo-jin gritted her teeth.
She understood the importance of the intangible values that the Dawn Group and Silla Clan had lost. It would take a long time to regain their lost status.
«That’s not the only problem.»
Seo Jeonghoon brought up a new topic.
«This time, the force that Byeong-in has attracted is not a mercenary named, but most likely the Changhae Clan.»
Jeonghoon turned to the others.
«Among the players that took with him were players from the Changhae Clan who were expelled from Uijeongbu.»
That was good news. We were able to identify this as a terrorist attack, and we were able to deduce the connection to Changhae Clan from the players who participated in the attack.
If they hadn’t been able to subdue them, Silla Clan would have been caught with their eyes open, let alone learn what was really going on.
«Ah, how true.»
The old man clicked his tongue. After looking through the information, he shook his head, mumbling, «The end of an era, the end…»
«I consider it speculation.»
It was one of the clan’s top Guardians who spoke up.
«Changhae Clan banned all the members of that clan, and even if ‘s players were from Changhae Clan, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to link them to the ragtag group that was banned from the clan.»
Several Sublords looked up and nodded.
«You didn’t just prepare this list on your own, did you?»
The old man who had been watching asked, opening his eyes, which were shaded by thick eyebrows.
Seo Jeonghoon replied with a smile.
«I will hand out the following materials.»
«…You should have told me.»
Sublord protested.
«In the Mt. Bukhan incident, a total of 92 Hounds were suppressed, including Hellhounds. Changhae Clan took 70% of what should have been the Seonyeo Government’s share and Hellhounds’ gems, excluding 30%.
However, the gems from the Hounds that Changhae Clan released this year in the market accounted for only 30% of the total. It means that a clan that doesn’t need gems is not contributing 40% even as the year comes to an end.»
Noname used the gems to unleash monster terror.
The monsters in the Dawn Department Store were all Hounds.
Where did all those Hounds’ gems come from?
Hasty judgments are prohibited. The old man, while confident in the shadow of the Changhae Clan, tried not to let emotions cloud his judgment.
«What if the Changhae Clan is waiting for the price to rise?»
«The gems of the 7th hierarchy are commonly available items. Moreover, during that period, Changhae Clan released all the gems of the 8th and 9th hierarchies in the market.»
«Then is there a possibility that the gems released by Changhae Clan in the market were used for terrorism?»
«The Silla Clan has utilized all its available power to investigate the source of the released gems in the market. That would never happen.»
«But it’s just speculation. There’s no solid evidence.»
«Yes, it’s just speculation. But everyone here knows, don’t they?»
Seo Jeonghoon’s words were correct.
The atmosphere in the conference room became tense. Those occupying the seats could not hide their discomfort.
«That was also in April this year.»
Kim Yoojin, who had been silent, spoke up. She remained calm like ice, even in the midst of a fervent atmosphere.
«When Shin Seo-young found out that Gil Sung-jun was having an affair with the heir to the Dangun Group, she went ballistic.»
Even if Shin Seoyoung tried to hide this incident, those who knew were well aware. It was widely known in the industry that Gil Sungjun had caused trouble with a woman, and the other party happened to be the successor of the Dangun Group.
«…It’s obvious what that guy was thinking.»
Gil Sungjun, not satisfied with the support of the Sirius Group alone, must have been considering receiving support from the Dangun Group as well.
However, having been exposed to Shin Seoyoung, Gil Sungjun had no choice but to give up the sponsorship of the Dangun Group. Instead, he might have approached Lee Byung-in, the black sheep successor of the Dawn Group.
While it was said that the Dangun Group had a significant influence in the world of players, it was not comparable to the Dawn Group, which ranked fourth in the Korean business hierarchy.
The possibility that Gil Sungjun had shifted his focus was highly likely.
«I called you here today because of this.»
Kim Yoojin opened her eyes and revealed her speculation.
«Are we going to war?»
The clan’s top dealer looked at her with expectant eyes.
«War… Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.»
Kim Yoojin replied with a cold smile.
In her heart, she wanted to declare war, even if it was due to the Changhae Clan’s moves to dominate the table and the sacrifice of Silla Clan players in terrorist attacks.
However, the two clans were competing for the 2nd and 3rd positions in South Korea. Fairy Im Gaeul would never approve of a war between the two clans, and Silla Clan had a weak justification for declaring war. With a weak justification, they would not only lose the fight but also the war.
«Changhae Clan has ‘Shinpoong’ (Goddly Wind).»
Seo Jeonghoon expressed his opinion.
One must not forget the existence of the Twelve Seats ‘Shinpoong’. She was the possessor of endless mana and considered the strongest caster of the current generation.
«Does Changhae Clan have the Twelve Seats only? We also have Naeje Emperor of Thunder.»
The dealer objected. He didn’t like Seo Jeonghoon’s skepticism about the war and his mention of ‘Shinpoong’.
«‘Naeje…»
The old man remembered a young man who recently joined the clan. He was a player in his early twenties, mentioned along with <Yeomma> Kang Hyun-cheol and <Holy Mother> Park Hye-rim. (1)
«He’s still young.»
The old man didn’t think he was worthy of the title of Emperor yet. Although he acknowledged that his skills were sufficient to be called the Twelve Chairs, he was still inexperienced. He wasn’t worthy of being called ‘Naeje’ without gaining more experience.
«No war.»
Kim Yoojin looked around at the divided subordinates and decided on the clan’s direction.
She was the captain. The subordinates who wanted war begrudgingly accepted her decision.
«But we can’t just leave the Changhae Clan alone. We will use all means to impose sanctions on them. And when they reveal their weaknesses, Silla will be waiting for that moment.»
She stood up from her seat, making a determined sound.
«If these guys dare to dominate Silla’s table, we must kick them out without even raising their heads. From this moment on, we fully support Lee Jeong-in, the successor of the Dawn Group.»
Until now, Silla Clan hadn’t paid much attention to the next president of the Dawn Group; they were simply the sword of the Dawn Group and would follow the will of the Dawn Group’s master.
However, if Clan Changhae were to intervene in the fight for Dawn’s successor, it would be a different story. If Changhae Clan wanted to make a troublemaker the chairman, Silla Clan would make Lee Jung-in the chairman.
«In an hour, we’ll begin a meeting on how to sanction the Changhae Clan, and I hope you’ll have your heads in the game by then.»
There was a collective sigh.
Kim Yoojin left the room, pretending not to hear it.
«Hmm….»
In fact, she hadn’t mentioned it in the meeting. Her gut instinct was telling her, so she couldn’t say anything as a Clan Lord.
Why did Shin Seo-young of help capture the terrorists?
If she hadn’t helped, Silla Clan wouldn’t have gotten hold of Changhae Clan’s elixir.
But why?
«…Could there have been discord between them?»
It was strange that there wasn’t. Gil Sung-joon had Shin Seo-young as his lover, but he hadn’t been carrying around another woman, avoiding her eyes.
Kim Yoo-jin couldn’t understand why Shin Seo-young would love such a man.
…Should I shake things up once?
If lucky, we might be able to recruit <Golden Wind> <Shinpung>..
No. No.
She quickly rejected the thought. Silla and <Shinpung> were not compatible. If she recruited her, it could cause discord within the clan.
Moreover, Gil Sung-jun wouldn’t just let <Shinpung> go easily. Their relationship would return to normal as if nothing had happened.
…Or maybe she doesn’t know.
Kim Yoo-jin didn’t know what the answer was.
☆
[December 17th. At 3pm today, there was a monster attack at Dawn Department Store No. 1 by a mercenary player. The player, known to the public as , led his gang and unleashed up to 40 monsters.
──Seoyoung Shin, along with the Silla Clan, suppressed the players responsible for the attack──The death toll totaled 23 and────The Fairy Government expressed condolences to the victims and announced a strong punishment for the players who caused the terror. It is speculated that this will be the first time since the establishment of the Fairy Government that a death sentence will be issued for the perpetrators ──.
Lee Yoon-hee, the chairman of Sewol Group, returned to the front lines of management and offered her support───].
Click.
Click, click, click
A narrow, dark room.
The man was watching the news on the Internet.
In the video, people who were rescued from the terrorist attack were coming out.
Click
Click, click, click.
The man rewound the video to a certain point.
He repeated it over and over again.
«Hoooo….»
Then he pressed the stop button.
A woman wrapped in a blanket. She had emerald blue eyes and long blonde hair.
And a man, hugging her with one hand and propping her up with his other shoulder. He was big as a bear, with a gaunt face, and his forearms were riddled with scars that even low quality couldn’t hide.
Click
Click, click, click.
The man zoomed in on the captured footage. He moved his mouse around to look at the blonde woman and the hulking man.
«Found it.»
A small, dark room.
The corners of his mouth curved like a crescent moon in the light from the monitor.
Notes!
(1) <Yeomma>: is a Korean term that can be translated as «wild horse» or «untamed horse.» It is often used metaphorically to describe someone who is rebellious, unruly, or difficult to control.
E/N: I think I will start changing these ‘surnames’ for example instead of <Shinpung> will be <Golden Wind> and <Yeomma> will be <Wild horse>. I hope you guys notice that I was trying to put both names so that way you wouldn’t get confused…sorry If it causes inconvenience.
I can’t believe it took me an hour to finish this chapter wow.
