Chapter 276

After the meeting concluded, we were guided by Ha Sadam to meet Ha Shiyul, the leader of the clan.

“Pleased to meet you. I’ve heard a bit about you all from General Ha Sadam. He said you’re a truly remarkable group of distinguished individuals.”

“That’s an overestimation. We don’t have a deep understanding of the current situation, so we humbly request your cooperation.”

“Yes, of course. It seems we should first share the information we each possess.”

And so, we were able to hear a more detailed account from Ha Shiyul.

The overall flow was the same as what Ha Sadam had told us, but it was interspersed with various helpful details, making it quite a satisfactory time.

“So, ultimately, you split into two groups to search for your companion named Sophia, and each ended up arriving here separately?”

“Yes, that’s correct. And judging by the movements of the companions who arrived first, it seems they likely found traces of her here.”

That’s why we need to establish a cooperative relationship with Ha Shiyul before us and take active steps.

Upon hearing this, Ha Shiyul nodded with a somehow serious expression.

“Listening to your story… something comes to mind. Perhaps the Divine Maiden of the One Origin faction I mentioned earlier might be related.”

“The Divine Maiden?”

During the earlier information exchange, Ha Shiyul had said:

The One Origin faction, which was the first to act differently and began scheming in the shadows, had at its center an unidentified being called the Divine Maiden.

And this Divine Maiden was a person who had suddenly appeared; the One Origin faction claimed she was a secretly kept member of their family, but the truth was ambiguous.

“Also, I’ve heard that the Divine Maiden always conceals her body with a veil, but based on various eyewitness accounts, there are many similarities with the woman named Sophia you mentioned.”

“Are you saying that Divine Maiden might be Sophia herself?”

“It’s just speculation, but yes.”

This is another headache-inducing situation.

If that’s true, why on earth would Sophia be playing the role of some clan’s Divine Maiden in a place like this, among people she doesn’t know?

With the information we have now, we couldn’t even begin to guess her intentions.

‘I think we need to meet Cheong Joohwa’s group first.’

Since they arrived here first, they must surely have other clues.

I clarified the priorities of the matter and also requested Ha Shiyul’s help.

“Yes. I’ll use the clan’s power to try and locate your companions. It seems your circumstances are also not unrelated to the clan’s crisis…”

As she said, I get the feeling that, for some reason, our fates are intertwined.

And so, sharing a common goal, we began searching for the whereabouts of the missing Cheong Joohwa and her group.

And unexpectedly, not long after, we were able to meet them directly.

“So you did come here.”

It was the Two Origins faction, one of the pillars of the Hawon Clan, who had sent envoys to the Three Origins faction.

Ha Shiyul and Ha Sadam, though flustered, welcomed the envoys and began another meeting, during which we were able to reunite with our separated companions and share our situations.

I quickly spoke to Han Seoa.

“What exactly happened?”

“A lot of things happened… First, the most important news: we spotted Sophia unnie here.”

Since I had somewhat anticipated this, I nodded quietly. Seeing that, Han Seoa continued.

“…You already had an idea, oppa? The being called the Divine Maiden, rumored within the One Origin faction, is Sophia unnie. But, there’s one problem.”

“What is it?”

“She didn’t remember us.”

It was truly thunderous news.

No, could it be amnesia this time? No matter what, nothing ever seems to resolve easily.

“So… we also decided to join hands with one of the factions to assess the situation. We were on the verge of being labeled intruders and excluded before we could even do anything, so we had no other choice.”

“That was the Three Origins faction?”

“Right. But upon closer look, their condition seemed strange too. So we quickly withdrew and sought refuge with the Two Origins faction.”

After that, she said they heard about the clash between us and the Three Origins faction, communicated with the faction’s key figures, and thus came to find us.

“Someone is manipulating and secretly maneuvering the people here. What about the Five Origins faction?”

“I checked too, but there was nothing particularly suspicious. During the day, I discovered a powerful Specter hiding among the members of the Three Origins faction. Do you happen to know anything about it?”

“I don’t know. There are just too many suspicious people. Do you happen to know a name?”

“It was someone called Gongdal.”

“Even that guy was a Specter… It seems this place might have already become a den of monsters.”

Listening to Han Seoa, it seems the number of Specters that have infiltrated this place is considerable.

Surely not all of them possess power like Gongdal’s, but even if they are at a similar level, they would be a very dangerous force.

Somehow, I had a bad feeling.

“Let’s find Sophia as quickly as possible.”

“Yeah… It seems we have to.”

Anyway, everyone gathering like this is a positive aspect.

Watching Seoa’s back as she went to talk with the returned Yoo Haon, I quietly retraced the series of events.

‘First, why are powerful Specters like Gongdal gathering here?’

Setting aside the identity of the mastermind secretly maneuvering within the Hawon Clan, that was the most fundamental question I currently had.

‘Whatever it is, it means there’s something to gain here.’

It’s clear that something unusual is happening.

And at its center are Sophia, who has lost her memory, and an unidentified, mysterious being.

Perhaps, I had an intuition that the crisis might already be closer than we think.

“I think we need to seek cooperation.”

There’s no need to hesitate.

Since we know Sophia is staying in the One Origin faction’s territory, we just need to mobilize our maximum strength to retrieve her.

However, judging from the previous encounter with Gongdal, there’s a possibility the enemy’s strength exceeds our expectations.

That’s why we seek cooperation. And the target was already decided.

“Retrieving the Divine Maiden… That certainly seems worth attempting.”

“We can protect our companion’s safety, and if things go well, we might also be able to uncover more detailed circumstances.”

“Yes. I definitely feel we don’t have much time. Perhaps the situation has already reached its climax…”

Ha Shiyul pondered for a moment, then nodded at our proposal. It was also decided that the people from the Five Origins faction and Cheong Joohwa’s group would join forces and also seek the cooperation of the Two Origins faction.

At the point when preparations for the impending decisive battle were complete, a letter arrived from Cheong Joohwa’s group, who had gone to the Two Origins faction’s territory, accepting the proposal.

“The operation is in two hours. We should start preparing to move.”

“…Please be careful. Since it’s enemy territory, anything could happen.”

Since sending a large number of people would only lead to a pointless full-scale battle, the participants in the plan were decided to be a small elite group.

The generals from the Five Origins faction, Ha Sadam and Oh Cheon; those sent from the Two Origins faction, Paeyong and Geumsahyang; and us.

Assuming the other generals are at a similar level to Ha Sadam, that means a total of four High-Ranking Exorcists are helping.

The enemy is just a single faction, so I didn’t think we would lack strength.

As the planned time approached, we began our action and soon encountered the other group at the boundary line leading to the One Origin faction’s territory.

“…Are you the ones from the Five Origins side?”

“Hey, Paeyong. Are these kids really okay? We’re dealing with one of the six major factions now.”

The woman called Geumsahyang seemed somewhat dubious, and Paeyong didn’t deny her words.

However, Ha Sadam immediately refuted that.

“It seems you haven’t seen them yet. Surprisingly, each of them possesses skill not inferior to mine.”

“What? You expect me to believe that now?”

Well, Ha Sadam is considered the top talent in the Five Origins faction.

For those who have lived within this Hawon Clan residence, it might be something they simply can’t comprehend.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, I quickly stepped in to settle the situation.

“We don’t have time for arguments. Even if you find it hard to trust, could you not cooperate as if taking a chance?”

“…Don’t misunderstand. I’ll cooperate properly. It’s the Leader’s order, after all.”

And so, using various Concealment Arts, we infiltrated the One Origin faction’s territory, passed several guard posts, and finally laid eyes on their stronghold.

“From here on, hiding will be impossible. That faction’s general, that guy Jegalyun, his Art Formulas are no joke.”

“In fact, when it comes to miscellaneous arts, he can be considered the best in our Hawon Clan. Everyone, be careful.”

If Geumsahyang and Ha Sadam both gave such an evaluation, then clearly that Jegalyun’s abilities were undoubtedly exceptional.

“The Great Generals of the One Origin faction are Jegalyun, Seonpyowang, Heo Pyeongsu, and Narachal, four in total, right?”

“That’s right. There’s a possibility they brought in outsiders, but their original strength is about that.”

Then there was no reason to hesitate.

We split into two teams: one team would restrain the Great Generals while the other secured the Divine Maiden’s person.

Having decided that and proceeding, as expected, Barriers and Art Formulas sprang up everywhere, blocking our path.

“Intruders!”

“Call everyone! The enemy has infiltrated the inner hall—!”

However, ordinary Barriers had little effect on me and my companions, and other Art Formulas could also be broken through if we combined our strength.

After completely entering the enemy’s territory, we split into teams as planned and charged towards the Divine Maiden’s residence.

‘We don’t need many people to head inside.’

Since most enemies would be drawn to the outer team, only four of us headed to the Divine Maiden’s residence: me, Geumsahyang, Arietta, and Yeon Jaki.

“Kyaaak!”

“Chi, intruders! Intruders!”

Ignoring the numerous personnel, we immediately searched for the Divine Maiden’s whereabouts and soon found her hiding in her bedchamber.

‘It really is Sophia!’

I immediately showed my face and tried to talk to her, but whether she had truly lost her memory or not, she showed no sign of recognizing us.

“Sophia, don’t you remember?”

“E-even if you say that, no, could you be…?”

I’m not sure, but somehow, I felt a strong sense of incongruity from her appearance.

With a feeling of ‘it can’t be,’ I quietly uttered a two-word term in my mind.

‘Appraisal.’

Ding!