144 – Jin… Jeon? (5)
—-
Territory Larthania.
Territory Development Points: 5012
Residents of the Territory
[Humans: 39,244]
Secondary Building
[Magic Engineering Research Institute]
-Lower Building-
[Engineering Development Center] [Under Construction] 10%
[Magic Weapon Research Institute] [Under Construction] 0%
[Magic Refinery] [Under Construction] 5%
Owned Buildings
[Castle LV4] [Under Construction] 0%
[City Wall LV5]
[Residential Area LV5]
[Blacksmith LV5]
[Barracks LV5]
[Tavern LV5]
[Market LV5]
[Lumber Mill LV5]
[Restaurant LV5]
[Tannery LV5]
[Stone Workshop LV5]
[Trade Post LV5]
[Secondary City Wall LV5]
[Inn LV5]
[Administrative District LV5]
[Paved Road LV5]
External Buildings
[Mercenary Guild LV1]
[Mage Tower Branch LV1]
[Blacksmith Guild Branch LV1]
Military Strength
-Regular Soldiers 1000
-Knights 500
-Guards 700
-Squire 200
—-
Kim Hyun-woo glanced at the notification window that appeared in front of him and then gazed at the scenery of his territory.
Around the Magic Engineering Research Institute, which was smaller than other buildings but noticeably larger than the rest, there were buildings in progress, with workers busy at the construction sites.
With the population of his territory nearing 40,000, the Larutania territory now seemed to have more heads than land.
‘…Perhaps it’s because of the people waiting for the Hammer of Enhancement.’
Kim Hyun-woo lowered his gaze, looking at the mercenaries who were shouting with cheers and groans, then shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at the inventory window.
Having just built three lower buildings for the Second Phase, the 900,000 gold coins he had been looking at had quickly decreased to around 200,000 gold coins.
‘In reality, if there were resources, they wouldn’t be used up to this extent, but…’.
The Larutania Territory consumed a considerable amount of gold coins to import most of its resources for rapid growth.
In fact, they had replaced everything that needed resources with gold coins.
Nevertheless, Kim Hyun-woo didn’t feel it was a waste at all.
It was only natural for gold coins to be spent for the rapid development of the territory.
Moreover, at this moment, the gold coins flowing in due to the Hammer of Enhancement easily offset the consumption caused by the Mana Stones.
“If they keep selling everything they get as soon as it’s available, I could make more money if I had a few more Skeleton Scrolls.”
Kim Hyun-woo felt a slight sense of regret, but he decided not to dwell on it.
After all, he couldn’t obtain Skeleton Scrolls just because he wanted them, and Adriana had promised to get more for him.
“Hmm… About two weeks from now.”
Kim Hyun-woo estimated roughly the time Adriana would come while muttering to himself.
＜p class=”a”＞From Noble mtl dot com“Dad!”
Shadra appeared.
“You’re here?”
Kim Hyun-woo responded with a welcoming expression to her.
However.
“…Shadra?”
Kim Hyun-woo soon gazed at her with a slightly puzzled expression.
That was because Shadra was carrying an unusually large bag in her hands.
But whether she knew Kim Hyun-woo’s expression or not, Shadra approached him with a cheerful smile, embraced him tightly, and handed him a small necklace from her embrace.
“This is what you talked about, Dad.”
As soon as Kim Hyun-woo heard Shadra’s words, he took out the necklace and opened it, revealing a giant fang about the size of a short sword.
—-
Fang of Fenril.
Grade: ??
An ancient fang of the magical beast Fenril.
When made into a weapon, it enhances the toxic properties significantly. Even when used as various materials, if the poison is not completely removed, there is a risk of all the materials being destroyed, so it should be used carefully.
—-
As he looked at the fang, a notification window popped up in his mind.
“I really need to reciprocate this properly.”
Kim Hyun-woo smiled as he looked at it and said.
Seeing Kim Hyun-woo’s smile, Shadra smiled back as if she was very pleased, straightened her chest, made a sniffling sound, and said.
“Am I being too demanding? To ask for it from Archmage Larang?”
“…Isn’t that a bit too much?”
“Of course it’s too much!”
“I feel a bit sorry about it.”
“If you feel sorry, you should treat me better, right?”
Kim Hyun-woo chuckled at Shadra’s determined look and nodded his head.
“Of course, you should do it well.”
“Well then… Besides a wish, do you have a favor you could grant?”
As if out of the blue, she subtly smiled and spoke.
“A favor instead of a wish?”
“Yes.”
“What favor is it?”
“Well-”
In response to Kim Hyun-woo’s words, Shadra casually lifted the bag she had brought and placed it on the study desk before opening it.
And.
“…This is.”
As Kim Hyun-woo momentarily looked puzzled at the numerous gold coins inside the bag, Shadra, with a sudden air of greed, said to him in a voice filled with desire,
“Dad, could you please allow me to buy the Hammer of Kanghwa first?”
– almost as if out of nowhere.
He let out a strange sigh.
####
Rothon, a figure belonging to the mercenary guild and also one of the guild’s executives, could not understand the current situation.
After all, he was currently at the imperial palace.
“Is it you? The one who claimed to have been treated unfairly in Lartania.”
“Yes. Th-that’s correct.”
It was unprecedented for him to meet the Emperor face to face, which was why Rothon was perplexed.
‘Why on earth am I meeting the Emperor…?’
Rothon was confused.
He had never had any reason to meet the Emperor.
In fact, all he had done was return to the mercenary guild in the empire and ask the lord of the territory he was close to, to pressure the lord of Lartania.
Therefore, he could not understand why he was meeting the Emperor at all.
“Well then, go ahead and tell me.”
“Y-yes?”
“Didn’t you say you received unfair treatment from the lord of Lartania? Explain what unfair treatment you received.”
At the Emperor’s words, Rothon desperately pondered why this story had reached the Emperor’s ears and what the intention was behind asking about Lartania.
And.
‘…Could it be?’
Rothon had a fleeting thought.
Perhaps, the Emperor was eyeing the Maze City.
From the empire’s perspective, Lartania was a very small territory.
However, the endless maze of marble that Lartania possessed was more than sufficient to attract the empire’s attention.
And if, as Rothon thought, the Emperor was targeting the Maze City, then it was somewhat understandable why he had been summoned here.
Given that the empire could legally hold Lartania accountable for mistreating its subjects, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible if this was a preliminary performance for that purpose.
Therefore.
“Hmm-“
With a subtle nonchalant expression, Lorton glanced at the Emperor who was looking down at him, cleared his throat, and began to speak.
“If you were to ask how exactly this came about-“
While speaking in front of the Emperor, Lorton quickly filtered out unnecessary words in the current situation by rolling his head.
Nevertheless, he only spoke the truth.
The proposal he made to assist the Lord of Lartania in the labyrinth project.
Being interrogated all day by the knights who were waiting outside the city after making that proposal.
The next day, being approached by mercenaries who chased him away.
Of course, it might sound better to say that he was tortured by the Lord’s soldiers, but he did not lie about that part.
He was well aware that if a lie couldn’t be cleverly mixed in with the truth, it would inevitably be exposed.
That’s why.
“…So, in the end, I was tortured, suffered at the hands of the Lord, and had to leave…!”
In the end, Lorton concluded his story to the Emperor like that.
“Hmm…”
The Emperor, who was wearing a mysterious expression, looked down at Lorton and spoke.
“If what you say is true, then the torture was done by the knights, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, but…”
“Then isn’t that not the doing of the Lord of Lartania?”
Realizing that the course of the story was turning out differently from his thoughts, Lorton was slightly taken aback but continued without showing it.
“…I believe the ones who tortured me were not knights.”
“Then?”
“While not certain, I think they were the Lord of Lartania’s soldiers. Logically, the knights had no reason to torture me at all. Besides-“
Lorton paused, took a breath, and continued his story, as if trembling at the memory.
“-I truly believe that the Lord of Lartania is wicked and malicious. Dressing in the empire’s attire, he dared to torture me without even realizing he was the culprit.”
“…But isn’t there a lack of evidence?”
The Emperor’s words.
Feeling a bit frustrated, Lorton responded.
“There may not be concrete evidence, but I believe that based on the circumstances, it is a fact that he committed such an act…! At that time, the only person who had a reason to torture me was the Lord of Lartania…!”
With those words, silence enveloped the imperial court.
And in that silence.
*Snick-!*
The laughter of the Emperor, who had been wearing a nonchalant expression, shattered.
“…?”
Staring blankly at the Emperor, who was now smiling.
“I see… So, in the end, your conclusion is to accuse the Lord of Lartania… No-“
As the Emperor’s expression gradually hardened.
“-my friend, of insulting him without any evidence, merely based on circumstances.”
Lorton realized that something was amiss.
another one has fallen into another type of gacha