Chapter 115: Hero King (3)
Norba Kingdom’s Lord’s Castle.
“Please, save me! Please save me! I- please! I didn’t know this would happen-”
Thunk-!
“Choke-!”
The reporting soldier, looking at the black blade embedded in his neck with disbelief, died on the spot.
Thud-!
The corpse fell backward, and servants quickly moved to remove the body.
“……”
Kelva, watching this, twirled the black blade in his hand with magic before looking at Landaron and speaking.
“…What happened with the mission?”Kelva, who killed the returning soldier without properly listening to his report of failing to take over Tesnoka territory, asked, and Landaron answered his question.
After listening for a while, Kelva laughed incredulously before speaking.
“…So, this time, that outsider interfered, you mean.”
“Yes, I heard they dealt with it using magic that even Dispel couldn’t properly counter.”
“Phew-”
At Landaron’s words, Kelva let out a deep sigh.
If they can’t destroy Tesnoka territory under the current circumstances, it would disrupt their future plans.
‘No, it won’t be disrupted. It’ll just be delayed.’
Kelva tried to regain his composure amidst the anger and irritation flooding his mind, attempting to think rationally.
He knew well that no proper judgment could be made in an emotional state.
And after pondering multiple times and sighing, Kelva said,
“Damn it all!”
Boom!
After blowing away an entire wall of the Lord’s castle, he was finally able to sit down on a sofa.
“…Let’s end the subjugation here for now.”
At the voice full of anger from Kelva, Landaron responded,
“We will do so, but what will we do going forward? The Holy Kingdom will arrive soon.”
“I know.”
“…If the Holy Kingdom arrives while we haven’t subjugated all the territories, it seems it will be difficult to stop them.”
“It will be difficult, but not impossible to stop. If we delay the plan, it’s entirely feasible.”
Crack-!
“If we delay, that is.”
For a moment, the First Legion Commander crossed Kelva’s mind.
If he could bring her here now, most of the current problems could be immediately solved.
The first division commander he knew was strong enough to do such things with ease.
But paradoxically, for that reason, Kelva erased the thought of the first division commander.
Because if someone with such absurd strength were to learn the truth, it would be a significant problem.
Therefore,
“…Let’s keep our heads down for a while.”
With eyes full of anger and a deep sigh, Kelva-
“For a while, that is.”
-shut his mouth.
About a week after the Norba Kingdom effectively finished its final attack to subjugate Tesnoka territory.
Territory: Lartania
Territory Development Level:
3580
Territory Residents:
[Humans: 20,133]
–Owned Buildings–
[Lord's Castle LV2↑ >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Walls LV3 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Residential Area LV5↑]
[Blacksmith LV5]
[Barracks LV5]
[Tavern LV3 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Market LV3↑ >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Lumber Mill LV3↑ >>> Upgrading 3%]
[Restaurant LV3 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Leatherworking Shop LV3↑ >>> Upgrading 5%]
[Stone Mason LV3↑ >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Trading Post LV2 >>> Upgrading 3%]
[Secondary Walls LV3]
[Inn LV3↑ >>> Upgrading 3%]
[Administrative District LV3 >>> Upgrading 1%]
[Paved Roads LV1]
–External Buildings–
[Mercenary Guild LV0 (Under Construction)]
[Mage Tower Branch LV1↑]
[Blacksmith Guild Branch LV1↑]
–Military Forces–
-Regular Soldiers: 1000
-Guards 200
-Apprentice Knights 200
Kim Hyunwoo looked at the notification window full of upgrades with a satisfied expression and smiled.
‘Lord Rania is quite generous.’
The reason Kim Hyunwoo could upgrade like this all at once was purely because of Rania, the Lord of Tesnoka.
When Kim Hyunwoo returned to Lartania and reset the Labyrinth Package, the resources sent through the dwarf were more than he had ever seen before.
“I wonder how they could afford to send so much help when the Tesnoka territory needs recuperation itself. Maybe it’s because the territory is so large that this amount of help doesn’t phase them.”
Kim Hyunwoo checked the development status of his territory with a smile, knowing that the resources were plentiful enough not to drop before all the buildings in the territory were upgraded to Level 5.
“The Territory Development Level is 3580…”
The rapid growth of Lartania began after they thwarted the demon army sent by Landaron, acting as a catalyst.
The population of the territory, which was in the late ten thousands, has now exceeded twenty thousand, and the territory’s development level has surpassed 3500.
Moreover, it is said that the number of mercenaries, currently at thirty thousand, continues to increase endlessly as of today.
However, more important than the increasing number of mercenaries at this point was the development level of the territory.
This is because once the development level of the territory exceeds 4000, second-tier buildings can finally be constructed.
Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo, watching the gradually increasing development level of the territory, soon turned his gaze to look outside the Lord’s castle.
Despite the population outside the Lord’s castle exceeding twenty thousand, only mercenaries were visible.
The reason was the Magnifying Glasses.
Certainly, the production of Magnifying Glasses has been increasing thanks to the Skeleton scrolls brought by Adria, who visited the Lartania territory a week ago, but the demand has also increased.
The mercenaries are still waiting for Magnifying Glasses.
So, after looking for a while at the line of mercenaries standing to the north of the Lord’s castle, Kim Hyunwoo turned his gaze once again, this time to the resources window.
[Red Stones: 30]
[Blue Stones: 232]
[Gold Coins: 385,422]
[Magic Stones: 124,325]
[Lowest-grade Magic Stones: 124,325]
[Low-grade Magic Stones: 138,231]
[Intermediate Magic Stones: 9,732]
“Hmm…”
Even after setting aside the 250,000 Magic Stones that disappeared a few days ago when he opened the Labyrinth Package, the number of Magic Stones was increasing rapidly.
“If I cause a Labyrinth Break right now, I could obtain about 7,000 Red Stones.”
Of course, it’s only because he hasn’t used any Low-grade Magic Stones that he has amassed that amount, but for Kim Hyunwoo, how the Magic Stones are being collected is not what’s important.
After all, the reason he’s collecting Red Stones in the first place is to buy a Proposal Ring.
“At this rate, it seems like I could easily reach 7,500 Stones and possibly collect 10,000 Stones before the month ends?”
Therefore, with those thoughts, Kim Hyunwoo smiled as he watched his warehouse fill up steadily.
Merilda returned after finishing her work.
…More precisely, it would be more accurate to say she returned with a sense of disappointment because no more monsters from the demon world were appearing to be slaughtered.
Thanks to them being firmly locked up, as if Norba Kingdom would not engage in any more wars, she returned to a hill near Lartania.
“…Gerta?”
“Boss, it’s been a long time.”
As Merilda returned, looking at an artifact that was now completely dyed in a deep blood color, she saw Gerta, one of the Four Kings, whom she had not seen until now.
“Gram and Ryu talked so much about the Boss changing that I came to see, and it really has changed.”
Gerta, who looked surprisingly refined for a beastman, clapped her hands with her goat-like eyes wide in surprise at Merilda and laughed; Giral then spoke.
“The group has not been brought here initially, Boss. They have settled in a forest a few days away from here.”
“I told you to manage the group on your own…”
“Don’t you know that there’s no one else but the Boss to lead the Red Eyes?”
In response to Merilda’s annoyed remark, Giral began to report to her about what had happened so far.
Starting from the ‘plan’ they had prepared when Shadra appeared last time to the affairs of the Lord later on.
And then.
“…That gloomy Dragon gave the Master a Teleportation scroll, right?”
“That’s right.”
Giral nodded at Merilda’s words.
“So, I have a good idea,”
Gerta, who had been quietly listening, said.
“…A good idea?”
“Yes. It’s a good idea.”
“What is it?”
Gerta immediately began to explain.
“First, the Teleportation scroll received by the Lord of Lartania has coordinates written on it.”
“…Coordinates?”
“Yes. In other words, if you tear that scroll, the user of the scroll will be transported to a space predetermined by the scroll.”
“So?”
“My guess is, if other heroes are in the same situation as the Boss, the place with these arbitrary coordinates is likely where that dragon is. In other words, the dragon who gave that scroll intends to create a situation where the Lord can be summoned to her location in case of danger, as if to be saved.”
Merilda muttered,
“Huh,”
in response to Gerta’s words.
“That sounds like something a gloomy dragon would think of.”
“But this method is subtly effective. As you know, Boss, when there’s nowhere to rely on and suddenly there is, sentient beings naturally tend to depend on it… In short, it’s clever.”
Gerta tapped her own head, and Merilda responded.
“So, I roughly get what that gloomy dragon is trying to do…but what’s your good idea?”
“It’s simple. We change the coordinates the gloomy dragon has written.”
“The coordinates?”
“Yes. It’s impossible for ordinary people to change the coordinates written on the scroll, but for someone with sufficient magical aptitude like me, it’s easy. In other words, if you, Merilda, just bring me that scroll.”
“…Change the coordinates?”
“Yes, then if anything dangerous happens to the Lord of Lartania, you, Merilda, could be the one to save him.”
Gerta’s words.
Upon hearing that, Merilda unconsciously envisioned such a future for a moment.
Her own figure appearing after tearing the scroll, having lost everything.
Her own figure gently caring for her Master, who is in despair.
Her own figure naturally returning to the territory with him, solving various issues, and helping to rebuild the Master’s territory.
The figure of the Master, having received help in every aspect, becoming dependent on her.
“…Oh.”
Merilda, having thought of those scenes in what could be called a moment, unknowingly let out an exclamation.
“Let’s do it right away.”
Merilda’s red eyes shone.
At the same time.
“…Master, Ruin says it seems entirely possible to change the coordinates.”
“Is that so? Then- we must do it right away.”
Rin also smiled, her purple eyes flashing within the darkness.
…A greedy smile hung on both their lips.