Chapter 6: Reunion (3)

As soon as Kim Hyunwoo saw the Beast King arrive in the territory, he thought he must somehow keep her within the territory.

Even if it meant spending most of the wealth acquired through this Labyrinth Break.

Because he was certain that once the Beast King was recruited, there would definitely be much more he could do, even if it meant a significant consumption of resources.

However, at this moment, Kim Hyunwoo realized something as he saw the flood of notifications before his eyes.

That recruiting her would not just make the reconstruction of the territory difficult but impossible.

That recruiting her would be like drinking from a poisoned chalice.

'Just recruiting one person creates too many enemies.'

Of course, the Merilda that Kim Hyunwoo saw was strong.

So strong that he found himself unwittingly gaping.

Moreover, according to the notification he saw, Merilda was not just a 5-star but had become a 5.5-star, as if the game had been updated or some additional system had been added.

But still, there were too many enemies to recruit her.

'There are even kingdoms and clans that didn't exist in my time, and countless other territories in a hostile relationship, right?'

Seeing the destructive relationships, Kim Hyunwoo involuntarily clicked his tongue, wondering what she had been doing since leaving the territory.

...In fact, if this were all, Kim Hyunwoo might have seriously considered recruiting Merilda.

No, he might have even knelt right now.

Seeing what had come up, it seemed that Merilda's affinity was maintained to some extent for some reason, but Kim Hyunwoo had no idea what she was thinking exactly.

However, Kim Hyunwoo did not do so for another reason besides the fact that Merilda had many enemies.

※Caution

If you recruit the 5-star hero 'Beast King', her infamy as the Boss 'Red Eyes' will increase, negatively affecting the influx of territory residents.

If the territory's development level is high, you can nullify the infamy of the recruited hero.

['Red Eyes' Infamy: 1442]

[Lartania's Territory Development Level: -20]

Current Territory Influx Rate: -25%

New Territory Influx Rate: -1275%

"......"

Fundamentally, in the setting of Arteil, the biggest factor in the growth of a territory is its residents.

Taxes can be collected only if there are residents, and goods can be produced and basic infrastructure can be designed only if there are residents.

And such residents in Arteil are not randomly copied as the territory level rises, but the system involves slash-and-burn farmers or nomadic groups from outside settling down and gradually increasing.

But in such a situation, accepting Merilda and increasing the already -25% territory influx rate to -1275% was absolutely something Kim Hyunwoo, who had to reconstruct the territory, should not do.

-25% was a number Kim Hyunwoo could fully recover through obtaining this reward, but -1275% was not.

'If the territory was like it used to be, I could have accepted her-'

Kim Hyunwoo thought of the territory as it was in the past.

A time when the territory level was unimaginably higher than now, and the development level of the territory easily surpassed 5000 units in his memory.

If the territory was in its heyday, accepting Merilda would have only slightly reduced the territory influx rate without major issues, but he knew all that was in the past.

'Indeed, I have to give her up.'

Kim Hyunwoo, with a look of regret, glanced at Merilda and then at the earrings at her ears.

'...Maybe there will be a chance to recruit her once the territory develops later.'

With that thought, he opened the in-game window created by Loria and began to operate something.

Merilda looked at Kim Hyunwoo with trembling eyes.

He, with a troubled expression as he looked at her, soon waved his fingers in the air and then,

Thud-

Soon a small box appeared in his right hand and he placed it in the frozen Merilda's hand.

She dully looked down to check it.

It was a gift wrapped in a small box.

A small gift that she seemed to have seen sometime before.

Merilda raised her gaze again.

Still, what was visible was the troubled face of the Lord.

And then...

"Your earrings, they've worn out quite a bit."

The Lord's mouth opened.

However, Merilda could not properly respond to Kim Hyunwoo's words.

She couldn't understand why he was suddenly giving her a gift.

No-

Actually, she understood.

Even if she didn't want to understand, her mind automatically grasped the meaning of his actions.

'Is this the end?'

The Lord...

Meant it as a starting over.

It wasn't a gift for an apology or compliment to her.

That was obvious.

Merilda hadn't conveyed anything to the Lord yet.

She hadn't asked for forgiveness.

She hadn't admitted her fault.

Nor had she shown affection.

Then, there was only one meaning to the gift in Merilda's mind.

This is, this was-

"Let's meet again sometime if we're meant to."

...It was a farewell.

A sign he had no intention of starting over with her.

A declaration that this was the end of their relationship...

"...Ah."

...The punctuation mark on their relationship.

A low exclamation escaped Merilda's lips.

At the same time, her eyes narrowed.

She looked at the Lord.

Precisely, she looked into his eyes.

She felt a complex yet firm determination in his gaze.

Merilda felt like the tears she was holding back would pour out, but she just bowed her head.

She wanted to beg for forgiveness right there and then.

To be accepted once more.

To admit all her wrongs.

To ask for just one chance to return to how things were before.

But she couldn't say any of it because she was afraid.

Sadly, Merilda knew the words that the Lord, who already looked at her with such eyes, would say.

Moreover, what if she troubled the Lord again and he disappeared once more?

'No.'

Merilda felt a wave of fear engulf her at the thought of the Lord she had barely met disappearing again.

Therefore, she said nothing.

Nod, nod.

Just bowed her head, nodding.

A few hours after seeing Merilda leave with a slightly grim expression and nodding her head in displeasure.

'Could it be that some affection is still there?'

Kim Hyunwoo tilted his head slightly, thinking about Merilda's somewhat gloomy expression, but soon shook his head.

If affection was maintained according to Arteil's settings, she wouldn't have left the territory.

'Or was the gift too trivial?'

Kim Hyunwoo thought about the gift he had given to Merilda.

The earrings, the first gift he gave to Merilda, were worth only 300 won in cash if bought with in-game currency.

'I gave her the gift before she entered the territory to maintain affection so I could recruit her later if possible.'

Thinking about it, Kim Hyunwoo remembered that Merilda was only happy with the first gift, and afterwards, she demanded gifts worth tens of thousands of won, making him click his tongue in retrospect.

'Well, after receiving dozens of items worth tens of thousands of won, a 300-won gift now does seem a bit meager.'

Kim Hyunwoo thought it was a poor choice, but shook his head as if there was nothing he could do about it.

What he needed to think about now wasn't the feelings of a hero he couldn't recruit but the life-or-death rebuilding of his territory.

"Loria, show me the UI."

[Understood.]

Immediately after those words, the UI appeared in front of him.

Kim Hyunwoo, looking at the UI that appeared just like it did when he played the game ten years ago, soon checked the currency written at the top of the UI

[Red Stones: 9700]

[Blue Stones: 1500000]

[Gold Coins: 0]

Unlike a few hours ago when both were at zero, seeing the now filled, though not abundant, currencies made Kim Hyunwoo smile.

The currencies earned as a reward for clearing the level 30 Labyrinth Break of the territory would surely be a great help in restoring this devastated territory.

'Especially the Red Stones.'

The value of Blue Stones, being in-game currency, is higher than Gold Coins.

And Red Stones, being cash currency, had infinite value and utility.

Although he had used about 300 to buy Merilda's gift, 9700 Red Stones were enough to restore this territory, which had hit negative development progress, back to its original state.

'Interestingly, it seems you can still buy cash items even after entering the game.'

Furthermore, even after ten years, Kim Hyunwoo was one of the 500 most devoted players, as well as a top-ranked player, until Arteil was on the verge of collapse.

Meaning, he had enough knowledge in his head to restore this territory to its original state.

'Shall we start?'

Kim Hyunwoo began to operate the UI.

Merilda, walking out of Lartania in a daze, soon found herself unwittingly kneeling and sitting down.

Drip- Drip-

Tears, which hadn't flowed in a long time, fell from her red eyes, streaming down her cheeks.

Her heart, which she thought had cooled and wouldn't race again, was pounding madly.

Yet, Merilda felt as if her heart had been hollowed out.

Certainly, her heart was beating, but it felt so empty and painful - she couldn't bear it.

It hurt.

It hurt too much.

The words of farewell she heard from the Lord, her Master.

Those eyes.

That gesture.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to tear her heart apart.

Merilda, without realizing it, gripped her chest and clenched her fist.

"...!"

However, soon after, she hurriedly relaxed her grip.

At the same time, she looked at the gift given by the Lord in her left hand.

Fortunately, the box was intact.

...Unfortunately, the box was in her hand.

The Lord's farewell gift was clearly in her hand, as if it wasn't a dream.

Unknowingly, Merilda gripped the gift and cried her heart out.

It felt like the last thing linking her to the Lord.

At the same time, hating the gift for symbolizing the end of their relationship, yet finding it precious.

She repeatedly checked the gift, clenching it as if with force while crying, then, startled, loosened her grip to ensure it was still there.

Fortunately, despite the many teardrops soaking the box, it still maintained its shape.

How much time had passed like this?

"......"

Merilda, stood up from her place.

"No, it can't be."

Still shedding tears as if pouring out years' worth at once, she stood up.

She,

as a wolf,

with red eyes...

"......"

Merilda had no intention of giving up.

The Lord had returned.

She wanted to be forgiven somehow.

By any means necessary, even if it meant offering her life to a demon, she wanted to be forgiven.

She wanted to gain his affection.

She wanted to gain his favor.

But at the same time, Merilda knew.

If she kept throwing tantrums, he might disappear like the wind again, never to return.

She didn't want that.

At least for her, it was as good as a death sentence.

Therefore,

"There's... hope."

Merilda murmured.

Her tearful eyes were looking at the gift.

A gift of farewell given by the Lord.

"There will be."

He gave Merilda a gift.

If he truly hated her to the point of loathing, he would have pushed her away without a gift.

He would have hurled abuse at her.

Just like she, who was foolish ten years ago, would have done.

But the Lord gave her a gift.

Even if it surely meant farewell, it was now in Merilda's hands.

Meaning, in the Lord's heart, there still was, still had a small space enough to give her a farewell gift.

A very small bit of reluctance remained. Merilda judged.

No, she decided to think.

"......"

Then, there was one thing she had to do.

She had to help the Lord.

She had to help her Master.

She had to help with anything possible, to open a very small crack in a corner of his heart.

She didn't intend to make it obvious.

Just silently, she decided to do whatever she could.

If she continued to help the Master like that, and if the Master notices and shows her a very small bit of affection instead of a gift.

The wolf -

Merilda, that would be enough.

Therefore,

"......"

With red eyes, Merilda looked at one place.

The place where the knight, who had blatantly mocked at the Master's death, had fled to.