The National Duke (Part 2)

Click.

"Ugh."

The moment I opened the door to the Nangong government office, a flood of information started pouring into my head. It wasn't enough to make me stagger, though.

"This is it!"

Sure enough, the alpha and omega of Nakyuan was the Nangong government office. I let out a cheer and dashed up to the second floor. I headed straight into the drone room. Two more bombardment drones had been unlocked, bringing my total to four.

"Now it finally feels like I've made it big."

And to top it off, a whopping 5000P had come in as a lump sum. The way the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠information really started flowing once I entered the Nangong made it clear: the palace was just a symbol of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠authority, while all the key functions were concentrated in the government office.

As I became the National Duke, I naturally grasped the newly unlocked abilities.

Incredibly, I could now formally appoint marquises to the domains I owned. It cost 200P per domain to appoint a marquis. I currently owned four—Namsan, Hoeseong, Guryongju, and Daemojo—so I could appoint four marquises. I'd have to try using the enfeoffment ability myself to learn the finer details.

Click.

"It's open!"

Finally, the last room on the second floor unlocked. Creak.

"It was about time for this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one..."

I opened the door and couldn't help but grin without a word. Inside the room was just a single door. Or rather, more like a doorframe. The inside of the frame glowed with white light.

"What... what is this thing?"

"A door to anywhere."

Explaining it as the door from that anime I watched as a kid would be quickest.

Finally, a way to travel back and forth outside Nakyuan. Truth be told, I had no particular plans to go anywhere.

Obviously, I couldn't go to places I hadn't visited, only within the barriers of colonies I owned.

"Shall I give it a try? Tell the soldiers stationed at Namsan not to freak out no matter what happens."

"Yes, sir."

Han Seol ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠contacted the Namsan side and returned. I stood in front of the door and called out.

"Namsan Domain."

Whoooong. The white light distorted, and soon the scenery inside Namsan's barrier appeared in the doorway.

"I-rang and I will wait here, so go check it out."

"We just... walk through here?"

"Yeah."

Everyone looked amazed. Seo I-rang grabbed my hand.

"Huh?"

"I-I... w-want to g-go too."

"Oh? Alright then, hold hands with Jui and go."

"Y-Yes! Th-Thank you!"

If I went, it'd just cause a commotion among the people there. Honestly, I was a bit scared. Even though it was inside Namsan's barrier and I'd be with the executives, it still felt intimidating. Ever since gaining my ability, I'd never left Nakyuan once— the outside world was now an unknown to me. I-rang, having lived outside before and being young and curious, wasn't afraid at all.

Han Seol, Han Byeol, Im Jui, Han Eun-ji, Jeong Su-hwan, and I-rang—six in total—crossed through the door. The count changed to 6/100.

I kept in touch with them via video call.

"Whoa!"

"Look at this!"

They were all super excited, showing me Namsan's scenery. A new door had appeared inside Namsan's barrier. That door would vanish automatically after 24 hours. Naturally, only the six who crossed via the government office could return through it. Anyone else trying to pass would hit an invisible wall, like walking into a barrier.

It was a convenient feature. If I ever needed troops urgently somewhere or had to quash a rebellion, I could send 100 people straight through the door.

The Namsan garrison was stunned, staring at the executives in shock.

"Before you come back, toss a rock through the door from the inside."

"Got it!"

Whoooong. Once the six returned to the transmission room, the door in Namsan vanished.

"Handy."

The thrown rock didn't come through—it hit the wall and fell to the floor. But when they picked it up and crossed back holding it, it came with them. So, items you're carrying could cross too. Essentially, I'd gotten a teleporter. I might not use it much, but the executives certainly would.

My haul from the second floor: two extra bombardment drones and the transmission room. I headed straight to the third floor. The fourth sector unlocked.

"Hm... it's the same room."

Just like the third sector, another reinforcement room. Two melons sat in the tub. Combined with the two already in storage, that made four total. The functions were identical to the existing one. Now I could produce four melons every three months. A bit disappointing.

"Stingy... just upgrade the one room to produce four and give something else."

I grumbled my full-bellied complaint, then checked the remaining rooms—all locked. Honestly, the 5000P lump sum, transmission room, and extra reinforcement room alone made becoming National Duke worth it. My territory had expanded to 225 squares, so I could pour points into developing it.

"Time to try enfeoffment."

I gathered the executives and moved to the palace.

"I'm about to use a new ability."

"What kind is it, sir?"

"I don't know the details myself... It's for appointing marquises to the domains I own, but I think I'll only know what it does once I try it."

I picked Im Jui first.

"I appoint Im Jui as Marquis of Namsan. Like this?"

"Hm..."

A message appeared saying enfeoffment cost 200P. A shame, but to learn the ability, I had no choice but to try. I accepted, and 200P deducted.

"Gasp...!"

Suddenly, Im Jui flinched like she'd been startled.

"What's wrong?"

"Something really changed."

Im Jui's status now included the title Marquis of Namsan (南山伯). Then Han Seol got a call from the government office.

"Yes, understood."

After hanging up, Han Seol said,

"They say Namsan's barrier has expanded..."

"Expanded...?"

Enfeoffing Namsan to Im Jui expanded its barrier from the original 3x3 (9 squares) to 7x7 (49 squares). Im Jui could now wield the same level of authority over Namsan as I did. She could share access rights, banish people, and even transfer points—I could send her points to reconstruct buildings inside Namsan. It was such an overpowered ability that my jaw dropped.

Essentially, paying 200P added 40 extra squares. I'd enfeoffed it, but as the original owner of the territory—National Duke Seo Do-hyun—I could still reconstruct buildings or issue citizenship at will. I could even revoke Im Jui's marquis title.

However, this enfeoffment ability had one fatal drawback matching its power: the enfeoffed marquis could exercise a veto if I tried to reclaim the title and territory. It was basically rebellion. Exercising veto let them hold the title and land for a full 100 days. During that time, I couldn't interfere with that domain. If I failed to crush the rebellion within 100 days, it became fully independent, beyond my control.

But even if veto was used, people I'd granted citizenship could still freely enter and exit. To reclaim a vetoed marquisate, I'd have to kill or capture and neutralize the marquis. Classic high-return, high-risk.

In other words, only give domains to those I could completely trust.

"Jui."

"You've instinctively figured it all out, right? The veto, the 100-day rule, all that."

I cautiously asked Im Jui,

"You won't do it... right?"

Im Jui pocketed her notepad and slowly removed her mask. Her cheeks were puffed out. She seemed a little upset that I'd doubted her.

"I'm kidding. Kidding. Haha."

I chuckled awkwardly and patted her head.

With the lump sum points in hand, I splurged them all at once. First, I generously spent 2000P to create a new territory right next to the farm.

I didn't name it—the system did, and it meant something nice like "peaceful prosperity." 2000P hurt, but it was for the farmers' comfort. The farm had grown massively, so a 49-square territory next door would make operations much smoother. Many farmers were moving their families into the ruins around the farm, forming a new village. It was necessary eventually, all things considered.

Then I spent a total of 1000P to enfeoff all the executives as marquises.

The executives weren't likely to rebel. With 100% loyalty, if they did... well, nothing to be done. They all lived in Nakyuan anyway, so they had no reason to go to their marquisates. All five marquisates expanded to 49 squares. Very satisfying.

I didn't hold back on the remaining 3113P either. I upgraded all 15 LV.2 houses in Nakyuan to LV.3, costing 80P each for a total of 1200P. I'd been putting it off forever. The five-story houses became ten stories tall. Population capacity doubled instantly.

I upgraded the two existing LV.2 breweries to LV.3 and built two more LV.3 breweries, costing 560P. At LV.2, breweries split into two floors with the same liquor types upstairs. Tanks got bigger, production time shorter—output over eight times higher.

With the remaining 1353P, I built six LV.3 chicken farms, fixing floors 4 and 5 for eggs. Way more poultry meat and a massive egg yield. Now Nakyuan residents could eat boiled eggs or fried eggs like snacks.

Another goal: give free eggs to visiting officials from the union government, Gyeonggi Province warlords, etc. Basically, egg bombing. Hopefully, rumors spread to unaffiliated Gyeonggi warlords: "They hand out eggs just for saying hi." Purely, I wanted more people tasting Nakyuan's nutritious eggs.

With the last 273P, I spent 150P on an LV.3 house in Pyeongyeong Marquisate and 100P on an LV.2 hospital. Easier water access from the ten-story house, and with more officials managing the farm, they could live there instead of commuting from Namsan daily. Injured farmers could get immediate treatment at the new hospital.

All 6113P gone. Farming had surpassed thriving— if we kept expanding farmland, next year's harvest could cover all of Gangnam's rations. At this rate, we could build a world where no one starved.