Chapter 117

After entering the banquet hall with Riki, a man with a sleazy impression approached us.

“It’s been a while, Yanagiya-san. I heard the story. I heard there was a bit of trouble in the clan, but I’m glad it was resolved.”

“Ah, it’s been a while. Well, you know, they dared to mess with me, so I couldn’t just let it slide. I made them pay the price.”

“…Right. But who is this?”

The man looked at me and asked Riki. Probably curious about why some random guy was standing next to her.

“My guest. He’s from Baronia and is staying with my clan for a while.”

“…From Baronia?”

“Yeah, anyway, he’s my guest staying with our clan, so say hello.”

“…If you’re from Baronia, you must have come a long way. Nice to meet you, I’m Kim Nam-gi, the master of the Predator Clan.”

The man extended his hand, so I shook it and greeted him.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Yun-seong from the Eternity Clan.”

The man reacted to the mention of the Eternity Clan.

“Is that the Eternity Clan I know? One of the three major clans of the Neutral Country…”

“Yes, that’s right. Though it’s not one of the three major clans anymore.”

“I see…”

The man’s expression seemed to say, “Why is this guy sticking around Riki?”

It seemed he couldn’t believe that someone who wasn’t even a clan master or sub-clan master, just a regular clan member, was here.

Riki had already said I was her guest, but it seemed like he had erased that from his mind.

“By the way… you’re Korean too. Anyway, it was nice meeting you. I need to go greet some other people…”

“Yes, it was nice meeting you too.”

After the man left, I turned to Riki. I was curious about the Predator Clan, which he was the master of.

“Riki, I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“How strong is that guy’s Predator Clan?”

Of course, it would probably be weaker than the Kotozuke Clan. Riki spoke casually to him, while he used honorifics with her.

“Hmm… The Eastern Alliance doesn’t have the concept of three major clans like the Neutral Country, but to put it simply, it’s about the level of a typical large clan in the Neutral Country.”

“I see.”

“From what I know… the Predator Clan mainly deals in arena business and weapon sales. At least on the surface.”

“On the surface, you say…”

Riki smirked and leaned in close to my ear.

“Some people here might already know, but the Predator Clan’s real business is the slave trade.”

“…Slave trade?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how you feel about slavery, but in the Eastern Alliance, some clans are involved in the slave trade. Some of them even have connections with outlaws.”

“…I don’t have strong feelings about slavery. As long as it doesn’t harm me or the people around me, I’m not one to play the righteous hero.”

“Good. That’s the most comfortable attitude to have. Every society has its dark side, and it’s exhausting to meddle in things unnecessarily.”

Honestly, I did feel a bit repulsed by slavery, but there’s only so much an individual can change.

I didn’t feel like stirring things up, and it’s easier to just go with the flow.

‘Besides, I’m just Yanagiya Riki’s guest for now.’

Frankly, if I lost Riki’s protection, I’d be nothing but a powerless nobody in the Eastern Alliance.

In the Neutral Country, my reputation has been rising recently, so more people have started to pay attention to me, but the situation is different in the Eastern Alliance.

“But is it okay to tell me this? I’m an outsider, after all. What if I go around blabbing about it?”

Riki put her finger on my lips and said, “I know you won’t. I trust you, and honestly, even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. What are they going to do about it?”

“……”

There was something oddly captivating about this decadent beauty quietly telling me to shut up with her finger on my lips.

“Well, let’s find a seat. There’s plenty of food, and you can drink if you want. Women are… no, never mind. Let’s just sit down.”

“Sure…”

“Yun-seong, do you drink?”

“Well… just a little?”

“Hehe… Then you can’t miss out on drinking today. Try this, it’s one of my favorites.”

Gulp.

I took a sip of the drink she offered.

‘What the hell is this?’

“…It’s pretty strong.”

“That’s the point. Heh…”

Seems like Riki enjoys strong drinks.

“You should grab some snacks too. It’s not good to drink on an empty stomach.”

“Nah… I’m good with just this.”

“Wow…”

‘She’s a real drinker… Starting the year with strong liquor, she really knows how to live.’

Looking around, I saw others mingling in groups, enjoying the food and drinks.

“You should go mingle with others too. If you’re staying here because of me…”

“Hey, what are you talking about? We’ve all known each other for a while, and I usually drink alone at parties anyway.”

“Why?”

“Well… that’s…”

Riki seemed hesitant to answer my question.

Her face turned slightly red as she replied.

“It’s because… they’re scared of me.”

“Huh?”

“…They’re scared of me, so they don’t approach me.”

‘Ah… I see.’

Given her personality and appearance, it made sense.

“…What’s with that look? You wanna die?”

“Why, why?”

“You look like you’re thinking something rude…”

“…It’s just your imagination.”

“…You know, it wasn’t long after the tradition of holding annual banquets started.”

Suddenly, without me asking, Riki started telling her story.

“Some guys started clinging to me. I didn’t mind if they just wanted to be friendly, but their intentions were too obvious. They were getting too close, so I made an example out of a few… After that incident…”



When I saw Yanagiya Riki’s appearance, it was definitely a possibility.

I mean, as a man, I couldn’t help but notice Riki’s looks, and I’m sure many people hit on her before she gained her current reputation.

“Damn it, anyway, that’s why. So don’t get any weird ideas.”

“…I didn’t get any weird ideas.”

“…Good then.”

…Thankfully, the lie worked.

While talking to Riki, a woman approached us. She had long brown hair and a beauty mark near her left eye.

“Yanagiya-san, long time no see.”

“…Jo Yeon-joo.”

“Do you have to be so stiff?”

Seeing her approach Riki so casually, I checked her status window.

‘This is… quite…’

Her job title was Shadow Sorcerer, slightly below Riki or Yoon Yeon, but her stats were comparable. At least enough to hold her own in a fight.

‘By the way, her name feels familiar…’

For some reason, I felt like I’d heard her name somewhere before.

“What’s the occasion? You never come to these gatherings. What wind blew you here?”

The woman called Jo Yeon-joo shrugged and replied.

“I heard something happened with the Kotozuke Clan. I just wanted to check up on you.”

“Really…”

“Of course, the great Yanagiya-san wouldn’t fall so easily. I heard you purged all the traitors?”

Riki answered in a blunt tone.

“What, should I have let them live?”

“That’s not what I meant. Just saying. Anyway…”

The woman’s eyes lit up as she looked at me and continued.

“Who’s this handsome guy?”

“…My guest.”

“Guest? You, who always goes alone? And with a man at a gathering like this…”

“Damn it, got a problem?”

“No, not a problem, just curious.”

Jo Yeon-joo observed me for a moment, then extended her hand for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jo Yeon-joo.”

“…Nice to meet you. I’m Lee Yun-seong.”

‘What the…?’

As I tried to let go after shaking hands, she gave me a strange smirk and didn’t release my hand.

‘Damn it, what’s going on?’

Just as I was about to say something, Riki suddenly swung her arm and smacked Jo Yeon-joo’s hand away from mine.

*Thud*

“Oh my.”

“…Hey, what are you doing?”

At Riki’s cold voice, Jo Yeon-joo remained unfazed and spoke calmly.

“Hmm… just felt warm. Can I call you Lee Yun-seong? If you’re uncomfortable or offended, I apologize.”

“…It’s fine.”

I told her it was okay, but Riki seemed to have some complaints.

“Hey, Jo Yeon-joo. What was that just now?”

“Eh, why are you overreacting?”

“Ha… this is insane…”

I grabbed Riki’s hand and signaled her to stop. The situation was getting weird.

“…….”

She reluctantly kept her mouth shut, seemingly because of me.

Jo Yeon-joo watched our interaction with interest.

“Hmm…”

“What, what… you keep staring like an idiot?”

“Since when did I stare like an idiot? You’re being too harsh. That hurts, you know.”

“Hurt my ass… sure.”

Jo Yeon-joo naturally sat down at our table.

“Hey, what? Why are you sitting?”

“Eh, why not? I just want to chat. You know I don’t have anyone to talk to. Humor me.”

“Then go make some friends.”

“…Unbelievable. Is that something you should be saying?”

‘They seem pretty close.’

It was different from others.

When others talked to Riki, there was always a strange tension or fear. But Jo Yeon-joo talked to her so naturally.

‘Are they close friends or something?’

However, what was peculiar was that, unlike before, Jo Yeon-joo didn’t say a word to me. She only talked to Riki.

‘Jo Yeon-joo, Jo Yeon-joo… why does her name keep lingering in my mind? Have I met her before?’

Curious about her, I asked.

“Excuse me, may I call you Jo Yeon-joo? Which clan do you belong to?”

Naturally, with her impressive stats and being invited to this gathering, I assumed she was the master of a large clan.

“Ah, I don’t belong to any clan. I work independently.”

“Huh?”

‘…Independently?’

“It might be surprising. Most players in this world belong to a clan.”

“Ah, yes… sorry. I was just caught off guard…”

“No, it’s understandable. I’m a bit of an oddball. My nickname is ‘The Freak.'”

‘Freak, indeed. With stats like that and no clan… wait.’

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

A woman with no affiliation, called a freak.

‘Ha… no wonder her name felt familiar.’

When I first fell into this world and was gathering information, I had come across her name.

‘…Jo Yeon-joo, a top ranker in the Eastern Alliance.’

Jo Yeon-joo, she is the only top ranker in Eras who operates independently.