Chapter 26: Top (3)

The current state of Lartania's territory seemed quite good on the surface.

The population of the territory, which had been around 80, had surpassed 1400, and the territory, which had been like a wasteland where nothing existed, was starting to look like a proper domain.

However, an important fact to know here is that the development of Lartania was not due to the territory itself cycling and developing well, but purely because of Kim Hyunwoo's investments.

This meant that Lartania's territory was in a state where expenditures far outweighed income, and the moment Kim Hyunwoo stopped investing, the territory would enter a period of stagnation.

Currently, Kim Hyunwoo was not collecting any significant taxes from the territory's residents.

Of course, that was entirely his intention.

Kim Hyunwoo had thought to increase the influx rate by temporarily exempting taxes to somehow gather the essential workforce of the territory's residents.

Similarly, it was his decision not to charge rent to the incoming residents and to hand over dwellings.

Thanks to that, the territory's departure rate was nearly 0%, and the loyalty of the residents had increased significantly, so Kim Hyunwoo did not regret investing in the territory, but.

'It's true that the resources are starting to run low.'

[Red Stones: 5800]

[Blue Stones: 24211]

[Gold Coins: 2134]

Kim Hyunwoo looked up at the resource window displayed on the UI.

The 9,700 Red Stones were gradually used up and now only 5,800 remained, and the Blue Stones, which had definitely been 1,500,000, were now left with only 24,211.

In other words, the wealth Kim Hyunwoo had earned from this Labyrinth break was starting to run low.

Of course, Kim Hyunwoo was not flustered.

After all, he had anticipated this situation.

'Given that I've been creating resources with Blue Stones, which have a much worse yield than mining directly, and converting to Gold Coins for workers' salaries, it's no wonder there's none left.'

Kim Hyunwoo then looked from the Blue Stones, of which only about 20,000 remained, to the Red Stones.

Compared to the Blue Stones, the Red Stones still had about half left compared to before, but Kim Hyunwoo had no intention of using these Red Stones.

No, it wasn't that he didn't want to use them; he couldn't use them.

The Red Stones he currently had were absolutely necessary for creating the Labyrinth city, which was Kim Hyunwoo's original goal.

...Anyway, Kim Hyunwoo's financial situation, after repeatedly investing in Lartania's territory, was such that it would completely run out in a month or two, but he was not anxious.

After all, Kim Hyunwoo, who had anticipated all this, had a plan.

Therefore,

'I originally planned to just open up trade routes to the surrounding territories to sell goods. The Merchant Group shouldn't really mind.'

With that thought, Kim Hyunwoo began to interact with the UI that Loria had created.

The next day.

He went to visit the Tienus Merchant Group, which was still selling goods in the territory.

'There's nothing to gain from this place.'

After wandering around Lartania for about a day, Adria came to that conclusion.

"Hmm."

She had known from the start that the territory would be in roughly this situation when she decided to go to Lartania.

After all, she knew that Lartania's territory had only been properly managed for a few months.

Naturally, it seemed difficult for the Tienus Merchant Group, which typically does not sell heavy resources, to buy anything from this place where no specialty products existed.

However, aside from that, Adria's eyes held a strange curiosity as she looked around the territory.

It was because of the residents.

'Considering the usual rate of development, the residents' standard of living shouldn't be this good.'

Adria had visited many territories, so she knew well what failing or newly revitalizing territories looked like.

'If a territory develops quickly, the residents' standard of living should normally decrease.'

The standard of living for the residents of Lartania did not seem to have decreased.

In fact, inexpensive luxury items, such as soap, which could be considered cheap and basic luxuries, were selling quite well.

To Adria, at least, this was a very curious sight.

Usually, when a territory's development is rapid, most of the goods and labor produced there belong to the residents.

Especially in a place without even a trading post, such a nature was more pronounced, so it would be normal for there to be some backlash from such rapid development of Lartania's territory.

Yet, there was no sign of any backlash in Lartania.

Of course, there were many other elements that piqued Adria's curiosity.

Right away, she wondered how such neat wooden houses were made in this territory without a wood processing plant and a trading post, and similarly, how forces were being created in a place without mines.

At least from the information she had gathered first, she knew that Tienus was the first merchant group to visit Lartania's territory.

And following the source of her curiosity, Adria's questions ultimately focused on one person.

'The Lord of Lartania.'

The man she saw yesterday, who created Lartania in its prime, didn't seem particularly special in her eyes.

First, she was gathering various pieces of information through the secretary, so looking at that would allow her to determine more accurate facts, but apart from that, Adria's curiosity about the Lord was quite piqued.

And then.

"Miss Adria, the Lord has come to see you."

The secretary's voice was heard.

Adria's office.

"I heard you were buying valuables, so I wanted to sell this; would that be possible?"

Adria was startled when Kim Hyunwoo, who had suddenly visited, placed a bottle of potion on the desk and asked.

Of course, Adria couldn't read detailed descriptions just by looking at items like Kim Hyunwoo could, but the reason for her surprise was the appearance of the potion bottle and the blue fluorescent potion inside.

"Could this be... a Coma Recovery Potion?"

"That's correct."

Upon Kim Hyunwoo's answer, Adria gazed at the Potion with her mouth slightly open, then, realizing she had shown an unseemly reaction, she looked at Kim Hyunwoo and spoke.

"My apologies. The item you've brought is quite unexpected. If it's not too much trouble, may I appraise it with an Appraisal Scroll?"

"No problem."

"Then, please wait a moment."

Following Kim Hyunwoo's words, she extended one of the rings she was wearing towards the Potion.

Whoosh-!

As red magical energy spread in all directions and a magic circle unfolded, Kim Hyunwoo watched.

"...Is that real?"

"Well, of course it's real."

Seeing Adria's extremely surprised expression, he felt a doubt arise but answered without showing it.

Soon, Adria, who had been blankly staring at the Coma Recovery Potion, looked at Kim Hyunwoo with an inscrutable expression and spoke.

"First off, since the mysterious merchants stopped appearing five years ago, the Coma Recovery Potions have not circulated and are currently considered very valuable items."

"Mysterious merchants... Ah."

'Come to think of it, the concept was to buy items with Blue Stones, other than resources, from mysterious merchants.'

Kim Hyunwoo muttered Adria's words and then spoke, recalling the concept of Arteil.

"So, are you saying that since five years ago, no one sells Coma Recovery Potions anymore?"

"Yes."

Upon Adria's words, Kim Hyunwoo nodded and thought.

'...As expected.'

Using Blue Stones, one could buy items helpful within the game.

But the reason Kim Hyunwoo specifically brought a Coma Recovery Potion was that he knew it could only be bought with Blue Stones.

Thus, Kim Hyunwoo had brought the Coma Recovery Potion as a test for Adria, just in case.

If he was the only one in this world who could use Blue Stones as currency, then the value of items that could be bought with Blue Stones would surely be very high.

"Then, how much would you be willing to buy this item for?"

Realizing his assumption was correct through Adria's reaction, Kim Hyunwoo asked.

After a long silence, Adria glanced at Kim Hyunwoo, sighed, and spoke.

"For this, I think we can purchase it for 16,000 Gold Coins."

She said.

"16,000 Gold Coins, you say?"

"Yes."

Upon Adria's words, Kim Hyunwoo unwittingly stopped his mouth from gaping open in surprise.

'16,000 Gold Coins, what's the profit margin?'

Kim Hyunwoo quickly started calculating.

'If converting Blue Stones to Hold Coins right away, one can be converted at 4 Gold Coins each, and the coma recovery potion is 1,000 Blue Stones. So, just looking at the simple profit margin...'

Four times.

The answer that came to Kim Hyunwoo's mind almost made him smile unwittingly, but he suppressed it with superhuman patience.

Though he had already quadrupled his profit margin, Kim Hyunwoo wasn't satisfied with just selling the item right away.

Therefore,

"Madam Merchant, I have a very good proposal to make, would you like to hear it?"

"A good business proposal?"

"Yes, surely a proposal that will satisfy us both."

He began to speak.

At that point, beneath the Kingdom of Calan.

Loriel was bowing her head to her Master, the Absolute Ruler of Darkness.

"Have you still not found it yet?"

"...I'm sorry."

The reason was that, despite some time having passed, she had not found information on the last item she was looking for, the 'Execution Sword.'

"Do you have no information either?"

"......"

The voice of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness was full of heaviness and gloom.

Hearing that, Loriel was silent and pondered.

In fact, she had found just one piece of information about the 'Execution Sword.'

Not only her, but all five Swords of Calan had found information on the Execution Sword.

However, the reason she continued to remain silent was that the information would undoubtedly be distressing to her master.

Thus, Loriel continued to ponder.

"I asked."

Upon hearing the following from the Absolute Ruler of Darkness, Loriel finally spoke.

"...Master."

She could never lie to her master.

Thus.

"According to our findings, the Execution Sword is an artifact that does not even appear in Labyrinths. Moreover, the method of its creation has been completely lost except for the 'Red Mysterious Merchant,' who disappeared without a trace five years ago."

Loriel conveyed the information she had found to the Absolute Ruler of Darkness.

"...Ah?"

In the gloomy eyes of the Absolute Ruler of Darkness.

"Ah..."

Despair began to set in.

Rolling down.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Loriel, after watching her silently crying, quietly bowed her head and left the inner sanctum.

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness felt her energy draining away and despair filling its place, shedding tears in silence without making a sound.

However, after several moments.

She, who had been shedding tears with a vacant gaze.

"No."

Quietly,

"No, wait."

Murmured.

She gritted her teeth, pushing away the despair forcibly filling her.

"There's still a way."

She did not want to give up like this.

She did not want to lose him in this way.

In this way, she did not want to give up on affection without having done anything.

Thus.

The Absolute Ruler of Darkness, before long, remembered one fact with eyes full of determination.

That she was not the only one who had received the Execution Sword.

And because she knew the hero who had received the Execution Sword from him.

"If it cannot be obtained any further-"

She clenched her fist, thinking of the wolf with red eyes.

"-Then it must be taken."

...From her tightly clenched fist, nails dug in, and blood flowed.