Chapter 80: Clan (2)
So we were in the position of attacking, not defending.
That changed my thoughts about joining the clan a little.
Diesel didn’t want to actively participate in this war to that extent.
As if she had noticed his thoughts, Sis spoke.
“Let make a proposal.”
She raised a finger upward.
Then round drones appeared and began printing sothing in midair.
“Do you know what this is?”
What she held out was a luxurious ticket with a black background and gold trim.
“That is…… a Black Market entry ticket?”
The Black Market.
A secret auction house said to deal only in rare items.
Unauthorized heavy weapons with overwhelming firepower, offensive cyberware that far exceeded restriction regulations, magic grimoires so forbidden that even reading a single line of text was prohibited…….
It was the na of the black market where unbelievable rare artifacts appeared at every auction.
Even entering the Black Market was not easy.
The thod of obtaining an entry ticket was not properly known either.
That was why even just selling a ticket could fetch a pretty hefty sum.
And yet she was casually printing sothing like that.
‘Just how far does her ability go?’
As I looked at Sis with various thoughts swirling in my head, she spoke.
“Diesel, you’ll beco a core force of our clan. And we’re not the type to make careless investnts.”
Sis continued, holding out the ticket.
“Just one thing.”
“……?”
“I’ll make sure you can absolutely win the bid on one item you want at the Black Market.”
“Hm…….”
A guaranteed winning bid at the Black Market.
Diesel pictured the dazzling items that could be obtained at the auction house.
At Sis’s words, Chae Seol-ah, who had been silently listening beside us, spoke as if she was dumbfounded.
“Ha! Isn’t that going too far? You too, Sis, and River as well—what on earth about this man made you…….”
“Because he’s worth it.”
At Sis’s firm reply, the elf shaman shut her mouth with an expression that said she couldn’t understand it at all.
“So?”
To think she would go this far.
Just as Chae Seol-ah said, why was Sis being this aggressive?
Diesel fell into thought for a mont, then opened his mouth.
“Who are the current prospective clan mbers?”
“That’s confidential.”
Sis answered firmly, then smiled.
“But if you beco a clan mber, maybe I could tell you?”
At that, Diesel let out a small sigh and spoke.
“Alright.”
“Good. You’ve thought it through well—.”
“But there’s a condition.”
“Huh?”
At Diesel’s words, a question mark seed to appear on Sis’s face, River took a sip of her tea with interest, and Chae Seol-ah frowned.
“I’ll ask one question first.”
“Go ahead.”
“How are you planning to run the clan?”
Given that it was a group made up of Ghostcatchers, clans generally guaranteed a certain degree of freedom.
But that didn’t an there was no system at all.
Still, this varied so much from clan to clan that it was impossible to predict.
There were clans where you had to obey the clan leader’s words unconditionally, and others that were practically like strangers despite sharing the sa na.
‘I don’t want to be tied down anywhere.’
Perhaps she had read Diesel’s thoughts.
Sis slowly nodded and spoke.
“Right. That much, I should explain.”
She continued as she brought up a hologram.
“Our clan plans to operate by forming an alliance of various small clans within the Underground Great Hall.”
A strategy that drew in all existing clans without eliminating them.
It was quite a reasonable choice.
“We won’t demote the positions of the existing clan leaders because of that. Of course, there will be a leader who gives orders for the smooth achievent of the clan’s goals, but we’ll guarantee the voices of multiple clans to the greatest extent possible.”
“Sis, there’s sothing even more important you should ntion.”
“Ah, right.”
At River’s words, Sis nodded.
“Our clan is operated with a ti limit.”
“A ti limit?”
“Yes. Once this war ends, it will automatically disband.”
The end of the war.
In a way, it was a rather ambiguous phrase.
“When is ‘the end’?”
“That’s been clearly decided.”
Sis displayed a holographic image.
Three profiles appeared.
“Killing these three.”
A ferocious-looking orc man, a snake-like woman, and an unidentified figure wrapped in a pitch-black hood.
“They’re Fixers trying to cause this monster incident.”
More precisely, they were Fixers instigating conflict at the behest of the Royal Guard.
“We don’t plan on dragging this war out either. In the end, the imperial side is aiming to weaken our forces by having the Fixers fight among themselves. We can’t play along with that.”
“Those three are among the most extre radicals of the northern forces. If we eliminate just them, peace like before will return.”
“Alright. Then I’ll tell you my condition.”
Having finished thinking, Diesel opened his mouth.
“I won’t join as just an ordinary clan mber.”
“Then what position do you want?”
“Clan leader.”
“Hm…….”
At those words, Chae Seol-ah spoke with a look of disbelief.
“Sis, there’s no need to hear any more.”
“No, Seol-ah. That’s actually not a bad idea.”
“What? You’re saying you’ll let this man command the war?”
“No.”
Sis smiled brightly.
“That’s not what Diesel ant. Right?”
“Yeah. I’ll found a separate clan of my own.”
“…….”
Diesel had several intentions behind this proposal.
The first thought was that he didn’t want to be recklessly swayed by others.
But if he was going to belong to an organization called a clan anyway, he concluded it would be better to create a new group he could fully lead himself.
‘Since I have this chance, I should properly build my own power.’
He had already felt the need for so kind of collective of his own.
To prepare for the destruction that would co in the future, a group centered around Diesel was necessary.
“That’s an excellent choice, Diesel.”
For so reason, Sis actively agreed with Diesel’s opinion.
‘……I’ll have to gradually figure out what Sis wants from .’
From their first eting, she had actively helped Diesel.
He couldn’t tell exactly what her intention was, but at least he could feel that it wasn’t malicious.
“Then perhaps you already have so mbers in mind?”
At River’s question, Diesel answered.
“I have a few.”
“You don’t an that among them…….”
“That’s right. Herja is included too.”
“…….”
A Nordic Valkyrie who possessed the Seed ability called ‘The Plundering Shadow’.
Though her power was unstable, considering the future, she was a personnel he absolutely had to bring along.
“ You were the one who dumped her on . ”
“ Herja is…….”
“ Of course I won’t force her. We need to ask Herja what she wants first. ”
At Diesel’s words, Chae Seol-ah fell silent in thought for a mont.
“ Well then, looks like we’ve reached a compromise to so extent? ”
Sis handed Diesel the Black Market entry ticket.
The mont he accepted it, she imdiately extended her hand for a handshake.
“ Alright then, let’s do well. Captain. ”
Captain.
As Diesel clasped Sis’s hand, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
‘ First, we’ll need to divide up the roles. ’
Just as he was thinking about who to assign what to—
Suddenly, an alarm rang through Diesel’s communications network.
[ Diesel……! ]
Betty Barosi’s urgent voice echoed in his head.
[ T, this is bad! ]
[ What is it? ]
[ Herja…… Herja collapsed! ]
[ What? Why? ]
[ I don’t know! Please hurry and co here! ]
When Diesel rose from his seat, everyone’s gaze turned toward him.
“ Sorry, but I need to go. ”
“ What happened? ”
“ They’re saying Herja’s condition is a bit strange right now…….”
“ What……? ”
At those words, Chae Seol-ah also sprang to her feet in shock.
River cald her and spoke.
“ Did she collapse, by any chance? ”
“ ……Yes. How did you know? ”
“ It’s about ti. ”
“ What do you an by that? ”
Instead of answering, River pulled out a yellow talisman with red letters written on it and handed it to Diesel.
“ Lady Herja periodically needs sothing to devour. ”
Sothing to devour.
Diesel recalled what had happened at the Great Port.
‘ Is it because of that ability…….’
The special ‘shadow’ Herja possessed.
A powerful force that plundered everything.
‘ If she doesn’t consu sothing for a certain period, does backlash occur? ’
“ There was a reason I kept sending Lady Herja to various battlefields all this ti. ”
So that was the hidden story behind the Valkyrie who had fought on the battlefields of the Balkan Peninsula for years.
Looking at the talisman River handed him, Diesel could roughly tell what she ant.
“ Then let’s continue the clan discussion next ti. ”
“ Yeah. Go quickly. ”
“ …….”
“ …….”
Inside the elevator heading to the hotel.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
‘ What is with this woman, seriously? ’
Standing stiffly beside Diesel was the elf shaman Chae Seol-ah.
Without saying a word, she was following Diesel to Herja.
Diesel glanced at the talisman he had received from River.
Even at a glance, the object carried an extraordinary aura—it was clearly sothing Chae Seol-ah herself had made.
‘ Giving this should’ve been enough. Why is she following ? ’
He shot her a brief look, but she remained expressionless, staring blankly at the elevator doors.
Diesel spoke.
“ How long have you been that close with Herja? ”
“ …….”
As far as Diesel rembered, Herja had first t Chae Seol-ah at a dessert shop in Incheon Multidinsional Airport.
They seed to have gotten a bit closer only after finishing the Great Port job, and it was hard for Diesel to imagine Chae Seol-ah being warm with anyone.
“ We’re not that close. ”
“ Really? ”
At the cold reply, Diesel said casually,
“ Herja would be disappointed if she heard that. ”
“ ……! ”
Chae Seol-ah flinched, her shoulders trembling.
At the reaction so unlike her, Diesel added a few more words.
“ I should go tell her. That Seol-ah unni said she’s not that close to you. ”
“ You…… you…….”
Chae Seol-ah clenched her fists, trembling.
Just then, the elevator chid and opened.
[ This is Hwayang Hotel. ]
At the sa ti, the elf shot out like a bullet.
‘ Ha…….’
She didn’t even know which room they were staying in.
When Diesel walked toward the rooms with that thought in mind, Chae Seol-ah was indeed standing restlessly in the hallway.
“ Uh, where is it? ”
“ This way. ”
The room Diesel rang was Room 2047.
The room Betty Barosi was staying in.
“ Diesel……! Huh? ”
When the door opened, Betty’s blue hair ca into view.
Chae Seol-ah gave her a brief glance, then slipped past her into the room.
“ Who is that…….”
“ It’s fine. She’s with . ”
Chae Seol-ah approached the bed where Herja was lying and knelt down.
“ Herja, unni’s here. ”
“ Ah……. Seol-ah unni……? Hehe…….”
“ Are you okay? ”
“ Herja’s…… head feels a little dizzy…….”
“ It’s okay. Hang in there just a bit. ”
After looking at Herja with concern, Chae Seol-ah suddenly extended her hand toward Diesel.
She was probably asking for the talisman.
Diesel handed over the yellow paper he was holding.
“ Watch closely and learn. That’s why you’re here. ”
The mont she took the talisman, she tore it cleanly in half.
She rolled one half and placed it above Herja’s head, and set the other half near her feet.
“ What matters is sincerity. A heartfelt desire to ease the pain. ”
She then clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
‘ Hm…….’
Soon, miracle-script began to appear from Chae Seol-ah.
Secret sentences visible only to Diesel’s eyes.
『 I beseech you. This lowly being sincerely beseeches you. Please take pity on this poor soul and free her from suffering……. 』
Words so earnest they were impossible to find in her usual deanor flowed out.
After finishing her prayer, Chae Seol-ah grasped the talisman, summoned a small fla, and burned it in a whoosh.
“ What are you doing? ”
“ Now we just feed it to her. ”
She carefully gathered the glittering ashes, mixed them into a cup of water, and brought it to Herja’s lips.
“ Diesel, is this really okay? ”
“ ……She may look like that, but she’s a professional. ”
After gulping down the water, the Valkyrie let out a deep breath and soon fell asleep.
Chae Seol-ah watched her for a long while, then quietly stood up after confirming that Herja’s breathing had returned to normal.
“ Is it over? ”
“ Shh. Let’s go outside. ”
As Diesel followed her out, she suddenly handed him several talismans.
‘ No, she had them herself, so why did she ask for mine? ’
The thought rose to his throat, but he didn’t ask.
“ You’d better not ss this up from now on. ”
With sharp words and a cold glare, Chae Seol-ah turned on her heel and left.
Watching her go, Betty muttered,
“ Hm…… she seems…… very charismatic. ”
“ Charismatic, my ass. She’s just rude. ”
Maybe that was why.
For so reason, Diesel didn’t like that retreating figure.
“ Hey. ”
“ ……? ”
At Diesel’s call, Chae Seol-ah turned back with a scowling face.
He said to her,
“ Co by and visit sotis. ”
“ …….”
“ Herja misses you when you’re not around. ”
An ear that had slipped out from between her hair twitched.
As if she didn’t want to be seen, she quickly hid it behind her long side hair and hurriedly turned away.
‘ So rude. She won’t even answer. ’
She was still a cold elf as ever.
Yet sohow, her steps looked noticeably lighter than before.
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