How To Use Regressors

50 – Mysterious Request (3)

Fortunately, the place of the request was far away, so we did not have to endure the terrible situation of marching since the clan provided a carriage for us.

“It’s definitely more comfortable to ride in a carriage, Nuna.”

“That’s right… It’s definitely much better than walking like last time. It’s also convenient to camp in the carriage, and we can carry a lot of luggage.”

Since we could potentially stay there for a long time, our group brought much more luggage than our previous expedition. The burden of carrying luggage was reduced as we could simply load it onto the carriage.

I suddenly remembered that I wanted to ask Seo Yujoo about the Eastern Union, so I asked her. Since we were currently traveling in the carriage, it was the perfect timing to listen to her story.

“Yujoo-ssi, I remembered that woman mentioned the Eastern Union before… Do you happen to know anything specific about the Eastern Union?”

“… The Eastern Union?”

It seemed like Yujoo didn’t expect me to ask about the Eastern Union.

“Yes, roughly… I heard that the Eastern Union has various factions and it’s different from other countries…”

“Yes, that’s right. Um… in the Eastern Union, there is no concept of a king. There are several clan leaders, and among them, one is chosen as the leader. Oh, by the way, clans naturally exist as well.”

The party members who were having their own conversations also became curious about Yujoo’s story and started listening quietly.

“… It seems like the structure is quite different from other countries.”

“That’s right. I don’t know the details either, but surprisingly, I heard that the current situation in the Eastern Union is chaotic.”

“Chaotic…”

“Um… If I were to make an analogy, there’s hardly a better way to describe it than a lawless wasteland.”

“A lawless wasteland, you say?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that various conflicts and wars never seem to end there. Even the outlaws are involved, making the situation quite dire.”

‘… Now I understand why they called it a mess.’

“The regular citizens suffer, and all sorts of crimes run rampant, with no one to stop them. It’s a dreadful sight for those who are defenseless.”

“… Are you saying even basic living conditions aren’t guaranteed?”

“Yes. I’ve heard there are education centers in the Eastern Union, with students, but even there, it seems that the students’ safety is not properly ensured.”

“… So, it’s essentially lost its function as a nation?”

“Almost.”

“Hmm…”

‘What a mess…’

The other party members also expressed their disbelief upon hearing this.

“Wow… How do you know all this, Miss Yoo? You’re quite impressive.”

“Uh, um? Well… I frequented the library. I also asked various people about the continent’s situation. Ahaha…”

“As expected, Miss Yoo is amazing. Kiya~”

As we continued our conversation, immersed in time, the carriage came to a stop, signaling our arrival at our destination.

“We have arrived, my lords.”

We descended from the carriage and what came into our view was a grand mansion. It certainly emanated an air of magnificence, fitting for the renowned Byunghwangeui Mansion.

“Wow…”

Leaving my companions in awe, I handed the coachman a slightly higher amount than we had agreed upon.

“Oh my goodness! Thank you, my lords! May blessings be upon you!”

“Haha… You’re welcome. Please rest comfortably at the inn. We will also appreciate your assistance on our way back.”

“Oh, of course! Thank you!”

Since the high priest of time had requested Gang Sung-jun to bring him wealth, we had more than enough resources at our disposal. In fact, it overflowed abundantly.

After bidding farewell to the coachman, we approached the front gate of the mansion, and the deranged woman who had been waiting for us approached.

“Please come this way, everyone. I will be your guide.”

Seo Yoo-ju responded to her.

“Yes, then please guide us.”

‘We need to keep a close watch on her now.’

In the eyes of others, it may not be visible, but there was a chimera following behind me. The chimera, which I named Shadow Spirit, was hiding its appearance and sticking close behind me.

This chimera usually hides in my shadow and follows me, but when I command it to surveil someone, it hides its form in the target’s shadow and memorizes the content of their conversations.

Thanks to the materials given to me by Seo Yoo-ju, I succeeded in removing its evil tendencies, so it does not lean towards either good or evil.

“Surveil this woman. Report to me every day.”

As I gave the command, it immediately hid in the woman’s shadow and started following her.

“At least I can relax for now.”

With this, I can detect if this woman is planning something suspicious in advance.

I opened my mouth to speak to the woman.

“May I ask you something?”

“Oh, yes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Hehe.”

‘What nonsense is this “hehe”.’

“Is Mr. Byeon Gyeongbaek at the mansion?”

“Ah… Mr. Byeon is not at the mansion. He had some business and left, so I’m taking you all to meet the lady.”

“I see.”

The mansion was quite large, so we moved quite a bit according to the guide, and the woman knocked on a door of a room.

“Miss, I have brought the guests.”

A voice echoed from the entrance.

– Well done. Please bring the guests in.

With a thud.

As I entered the room, my eyes fell on a woman with long, red wavy hair sitting in a chair.

‘… She’s pretty, but her disposition seems unpleasant.’

I opened the woman’s status window.

[ Name: Tierra Silverstein ]

[ Age: 21 ]

[ Occupation: None ]

[ Titles: Ventagus’ Scatterbrain, Tangnyeo (seductress) ]

[ Unique Trait ]

Tampnick (Rare grade) – If you have a liking for something, you will go to any lengths to acquire it. You do not easily give up on possessiveness towards something.

[ Trait ]

Pleasure Addiction (Rare grade) – You depend on pleasure.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Normal Grade) – Obsession with cleanliness. Disgust towards dirty things.

[Stats]

Strength – 08 Agility – 08

Endurance – 09 Luck – 65

Magic – 00 Resistance – 07

*Cough, cough…!*

Yoonseong choked on his saliva as he glanced at the woman’s status screen.

“Yoonseong, are you okay?”

*Cough… Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that the status…*

‘What is this trash? And this girl? Pleasure Addiction?’

Yoonseong couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that the daughter of Byeon Kyungbaek, the lord of the castle, was also abnormal.

‘It seems Byeon Kyungbaek’s farming of children has failed.’

The woman stood up and greeted us after looking our way.

“Oh my, are you okay? Nice to meet you. I’m Tiera.”

I put on a friendly expression and greeted the woman.

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Lee Yoon-sung from the Eternity Clan.”

“…. You’re even more handsome in person than in the photos.”

‘Wait, is this the woman…?’

Suddenly, the woman’s title and characteristics caught my eye. I began to doubt if this woman’s desire to see me meant something like that.

‘Crazy girl…!’

“Haha… Thank you. I don’t know what to do with such kind words.”

“I’m just stating the truth.”

Seo Yoo-joo also seemed to sense something strange in the way the woman was treating me and spoke up.

“Um, um… Nice to meet you, Miss Tiara. I’m Seo Yoo-joo, the organizer of this party.”

“Oh… Nice to meet you.”

Her attitude was different when addressing me, a tone that indicated she had no particular interest.

After exchanging greetings with the other party guests one by one, she addressed everyone.

“Please, have a seat on the couch. Sharis?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Fetch some tea, please.”

“Yes.”

Soon, a woman named Sharis brought out the tea, and conversation began as we sipped, unsure if we had come to resolve a commission or attend a social gathering.

“Hmm… looking at the promotional brochure, it says you’re incredibly intelligent… Handsome and smart to boot… truly remarkable.”

“… No, it’s exaggerated. It was just a thought anyone could have.”

In reality, I’m not actually intelligent. Of course, being a promotional piece, a certain amount of exaggeration is to be expected.

“Oh my, be humble.”

“Humble? No. Rather, Miss, you are truly beautiful. The moment I saw you when I first entered here, I was so captivated by your appearance, I was stunned.”

“Well… if you put it that way, I feel embarrassed.”

‘Embarrassment… it’s just a polite thing to say, girl.’

Both Seo Yujoo and Kang Yiseo, who are right next to me, are quite beautiful in their own right.

Saying I was surprised by that woman is an understatement. Judging by the pleased looks exchanged after hearing her words, there was no shortage of cheekiness.

“Hehe… I heard it hasn’t even been half a year since you arrived on this continent, and yet you’ve already conquered a rare-grade dungeon. That’s truly impressive.”

“Haha… it was possible because I had clan members and party members with me.”

The way she directs her words only to me without saying a word to the other party members is absurd.

Taking a quick glance at the faces of the party members, they didn’t seem particularly pleased.

‘Well… because it’s so obvious.’

If someone openly expresses their interest in me, others can’t possibly feel good about it.

We didn’t come to this territory to play around, but strictly for a commission.

In the case of Kang Yiseo, she seemed to be suppressing her anger, while Seo Yujoo was holding her fists tightly under the table.

Hyunjin and the others also sat with an expression that seemed absurd. Even Howon ajusshi seemed dumbfounded, so there was no need for further explanation.

With the ongoing meaningless chatter, Seo Yujoo finally interrupted and began asking about the commission.

“Well… Miss Tiera. I heard you called us to ask for a commission. Could you please tell us the details?”

When Seo Yujoo interrupted our conversation, the lady showed a momentary displeased expression, but quickly regained her composure and started answering.

‘… It seems she’s not completely clueless.’

“Well… are you referring to the details of the commission? It’s nothing special. There have been reports that undead creatures have been appearing little by little in the forest not far from here… I hope you can investigate this phenomenon.”

“The forest, you say?”

“Yes, according to the residents’ accounts, ghouls have been appearing in the forest.”

“Ghouls… have there been no sightings of other undead creatures?”

“No. As far as I know, only ghouls have been found.”

“Understood. Can we start investigating it now?”

“Oh my, you can take a break for a day before investigating…”

“No, it’s not necessary. Since we’ve come all this way, it’s better to conduct the investigation promptly.”

“Is that so? Well, then, when you go to the entrance of the mansion, the guards will most likely guide you into the forest. All the necessary supplies are ready, so just follow the guard’s instructions.”

“I understand. Then…”

The party members greeted her and began to leave the room.

Just as I was about to follow the party members out of the room, the woman spoke to me.

“Oh, wait a moment. Mr. Lee Yoon Sung, you don’t need to go.”

“…. Excuse me?”

‘What is she talking about?’

The party members also stopped and looked at her, wondering what she meant.

“Mr. Lee Yoon Sung, you have some separate tasks to assist me with. The rest of you can proceed with the investigation.”

‘What?’

“What is this…”

Just as I was about to ask the woman, Seo Yoo Joo, struggling to maintain her composure, asked her, “What… are you talking about? Does Yoon Sung have some separate tasks…?”

“Hehe… It’s a personal matter… Anyway, Mr. Yoonseung can stay at the mansion.”

“What the hell are you talking about? Damn it…!”

I had to stick with my party members no matter what. What did they mean by saying that I should stay here while the party members went on the investigation? Seeing the woman’s sly grin and hearing her words, I felt like she would devour me.

I hurriedly spoke to the woman.

“Haha… Miss Tiera. But if my party members encounter any danger during the investigation, I need to be with them…”

“Oh, if that’s your concern, don’t worry. We’ll provide support from the guards.”

“Damn it…”

I seriously wanted to blow up this damn mansion.