Chapter 118: Proposal Ring (2)
[The 'Blue Merchant' will visit your territory to deliver the artifact!]
[Remaining time: 2 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]
As soon as he purchased the proposal ring, the Red Stones rapidly depleted to only 9,200 left, but Kim Hyunwoo felt a thrilling sensation.
‘Can I finally find out…!’
The reason was that he might finally find out why he was dropped into this world.
Even if he couldn’t find out the truth, the thought of obtaining clues like now made him smile, Kim Hyunwoo thought.
‘Now that I think about it…it’s not ringing?’
Kim Hyunwoo felt puzzled by the quiet state of the territory, considering that buying a Proposal Ring would usually trigger fanfares and spread rumors throughout the town about the Lord intending to use a magical ring.
[The Blue Merchant will prepare a special gift for you, the buyer of the proposal ring.]
At the notification that seemed to answer his thoughts, Kim Hyunwoo sighed softly.Actually, he thought it would be better if fanfares like that did not ring out.
But knowing it was too late since he had already bought the Proposal Ring, Kim Hyunwoo shrugged slightly.
“So, in three days…”
He murmured this with an expectant expression.
Bang-!
“Dad!”
“…Shadra?”
Kim Hyunwoo looked bewildered as Shadra suddenly burst through the office door, but she smiled and said,
“I made what Dad mentioned!”
“Did my friend come?”
In the basement of the Blacksmith Guild branch.
Kim Hyunwoo walked towards where River was cheerfully smiling, and she held out a black cube to him as if she had been waiting for him.
“Is this the fuel?”
“That’s right.”
River nodded at Kim Hyunwoo’s words and looked at Shadra as she spoke.
“To be honest, there are still various improvements to be made, but with that thing made by the Master of the Blue Tower, it’s possible to launch a missile.”
“How about it? I’m amazing, right?”
Kim Hyunwoo looked at the cube with a blank expression as Shadra proudly puffed up her chest.
Of course, he didn’t really understand how this cube was made.
However, the reason he was so surprised was that Shadra had produced the fuel much faster than Kim Hyunwoo had originally thought possible.
‘I never thought the fuel would actually be made in the first place.’
Actually, even after telling Shadra about the fuel and hearing her say she would try it, Kim Hyunwoo honestly didn’t think it would be made.
Of course, Kim Hyunwoo didn’t know much about science, but he knew that developing something like next generation fuel would be extremely difficult.
“…So, with this, I can launch a missile like I talked about ten years ago?”
As Kim Hyunwoo stared blankly at the cube and asked, River pondered for a moment before responding.
“Um, to be honest, it’s possible even now.”
“Really?”
“…If you use up all the Gold Coins in Lartania?”
At River’s words, Kim Hyunwoo momentarily looked stunned before speaking.
“…Our territory, we should have a considerable amount of Gold Coins saved, right?”
“I know because you told me, friend. But with the current state, it might be difficult to even make one with that amount?”
At River’s words, Kim Hyunwoo unwittingly opened his mouth in surprise.
“…Even if we invest all the Gold Coins in Lartania now, which would be over 300,000, it’s still not enough? Even though the missile has already been made?”
“Like I said to you, friend, the missile itself is not the problem. The cost to make the missile isn’t that high. It’s just that the fuel’s price is…quite something.”
“How much is this fuel?”
When Kim Hyunwoo asked, this time Shadra replied with a slightly awkward expression.
“…About 30,000 Gold Coins each?”
“Thirty thousand, Gold Coins?”
Kim Hyunwoo inadvertently gasped, and Shadra explained with a resigned expression.
“It can’t be helped since it’s the first time, right, Dad? I’m not all-powerful. Instead, you should praise me for making this in less than two months?”
“Of course, I know.”
Kim Hyunwoo, gently stroking Shadra’s head as she spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction, asked River,
“How much fuel is needed to launch the missile?”
“Um, of course, it depends on how far you want to launch it at this point. But even at the shortest distance, you need at least ten.”
“…Ten of them, 300,000 Gold Coins?”
“We’ve succeeded in making it, so if we adjust the mixture here and there, we might be able to reduce the cost to 20,000 Gold Coins per unit, Dad? Of course, it will take some time.”
Kim Hyunwoo, feeling pleased by her response as she shook her head slightly under his touch, said,
“Then please try a little harder.”
“Don’t worry!”
With a confident smile, Shadra said she would immediately try a new mixture and dashed out of the Blacksmith Guild.
Watching Shadra leave, Kim Hyunwoo was about to move when.
“Um, friend.”
“Hmm?”
At the sound of River’s voice, Kim Hyunwoo turned his head.
“Well, um… I worked hard too, you know.”
Seeing River glance away with her reddish eyes as if expecting something, Kim Hyunwoo, understanding, gave a knowing look and then.
Tap-!
“Thank you for your hard work, River. If there’s anything you want, let me know. I’ll do what I can to accommodate it.”
He said this while placing his hand on River’s shoulder.
The thought that he might have promised too much of a reward briefly crossed his mind, but Kim Hyunwoo quickly dismissed it.
After all, upon reflection, it was essentially because of River that Kim Hyunwoo was able to decimate the demon army and effectively demonstrate his power to the other surrounding territories.
Considering that, he thought it was actually late to offer a reward, so Kim Hyunwoo spoke up.
At Kim Hyunwoo’s words, River asked with a slightly surprised expression,
“Anything I want?”
“…Well, within reason.”
Upon Kim Hyunwoo’s answer, River became very serious, pondered for a while, and then asked,
“Can I, um, take some time to think about this?”
“Of course. Tell me whenever you’re ready.”
“Ah, got it…!”
River’s behavior suggested she had received a very important opportunity.
‘…What is she going to ask for?’
Kim Hyunwoo pondered her actions for a moment but then nodded lightly and stepped outside the Guild.
“……”
Certainly, the streets, which had been scarcely populated until the Guild was established, were now bustling with people as he began walking towards the Lord’s castle.
Thus, three days had passed since Shadra began improving the proper missile fuel they had discovered.
Of course, there had been no significant updates from Shadra over those three days.
The territory was running peacefully, and notably, the first ever Mercenary Guild in Lartania was finally nearing completion?
However, despite such peace, the reason Kim Hyunwoo was aimlessly pacing his office without getting any work done was because of a notification.
[The 'Blue Merchant' will visit your territory to deliver the artifact!]
[Remaining time: 0 days 0 hours 0 minutes 22 seconds]
Because the Blue Merchant, who has come to deliver the Proposal Ring, will arrive in just over 20 seconds.
Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Blue Merchant.
[The Blue Merchant has arrived at the territory!]
As soon as it hit 0 seconds, a newly updated notification made Kim Hyunwoo smile immediately.
Baam-paraparaparabam-!!
He involuntarily turned his gaze towards the source of the loud fanfare coming from afar.
“…Huh?”
Kim Hyunwoo could soon see.
From afar, through the outer castle gate, a blue carriage fitting for the Blue Merchant leading about a dozen more carriages as they entered.
However, Kim Hyunwoo’s hesitation wasn’t because he saw the blue carriage.
The blue carriage certainly looked antique and integrated with various magical engineering, but it wasn’t particularly eye-catching.
Yet, the reason Kim Hyunwoo was dumbstruck looking at the blue carriage was because of what was hung upon it.
The reason was the giant signboard on it, large enough that even Kim Hyunwoo could see it if he squinted.
A huge signboard on which was written,
[Congratulations on the Lord’s Marriage!]
“…Ah.”
Kim Hyunwoo suddenly felt dizzy.