043_Marquis (2)

Han Byeol's voice came through the radio. "Marshal, let me know when you're ready."

"Got it."

A steady stream of refugees had been arriving in Hoeseong every day. The total number of citizenship holders now stood at 9,921. And today, there were 152 hopeful applicants.

I was lying in a bed in the hospital's VIP room. If reaching 10,000 residents was the requirement for promotion, issuing citizenship today would elevate me to marquis, flooding my mind with an enormous amount of information. To avoid the embarrassment of collapsing or staggering in front of the residents like before, I'd come here early.

Han Seol, Han Eun-ji, and Lee Kyung-min—the key executives still in Nakyuan—looked down at me from beside the bed.

"I'm ready. Issue the citizenships."

"Yes, sir."

The sensation hit. And then the message appeared.

"Whoa..."

An overwhelming torrent of information poured into my head—far beyond anything I'd experienced before. My head throbbed for a moment, and my vision blurred, but I didn't pass out. I closed my eyes briefly and opened them again; I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was fine.

"Are you okay?!"

Han Seol gripped my hand tightly, her eyes glistening as she looked down at me.

"Yeah, I'm good this time. Guess I'm getting used to it."

"..."

The executives stared at me with strange looks.

"What's with that...?"

Lee Kyung-min spoke up. "You lost consciousness for about ten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠minutes."

"Really?"

"Yes..."

According to him, I'd suddenly widened my eyes, mumbled something incoherent, then shut them and passed out for ten minutes straight. I hadn't even realized.

"Didn't even know I blacked out..."

Cheers erupted from outside the hospital as the residents celebrated.

"Shall we head out, then?"

"Yes!"

An insane amount of information had flooded in. I never imagined the gap between earl and marquis would be this vast.

"Man... when am I gonna fill all this?"

At earl level, the territory grid had expanded to 7x7—49 slots. I'd figured marquis would be 9x9—81 slots. Wrong. It jumped to 11x11—121 slots.

And unlike before, I got a flat 2,500P promotion bonus.

"Yes!"

I thrust my arm high into the air and shouted. The executives and working residents all turned to stare in surprise. There was no other way to express this joy. My grin wouldn't fade—not just from the points, but a new ability unlocked: 100P provided every 30 days. Some kind of tax from Namsan and Hoeseong—50P each? Or just a marquis perk? Combined with I-rang's ability, that meant a safe 150-160 points monthly.

I already knew where to spend the reconstruction points first. I headed straight to the First Farm in the first southeast sector.

"Reconstruct."

The First Farm glowed and transformed from three stories to five.

"Production time stays at 12 hours—not down to six."

A bit disappointing. Both the fourth and fifth floors had ten vending machines each—20 total. But they were blank, no labels.

"Ah, got it."

At LV.3, a killer feature unlocked.

I set all 20 to rice—the ultimate cost-efficient crop. They activated instantly, displaying 10/10, and each spat out ten 20kg bags—200 bags total.

"Solid."

I transferred the rice to storage crates and hit the other farms. I upgraded all four territory farms to LV.3, burning 430P. Set floors 4 and 5 to rice across the board, netting 800 20kg bags—16,000kg upfront. Plus one rice machine per first floor, yielding 84 bags (1,680kg) every 12 hours—or 3,360kg daily. No more worrying about feeding residents; now I could shower the alliance with surplus.

Next, 60P on the two breweries—30P each to LV.2. The buildings glowed but looked unchanged. Info hit: faster alcohol production.

Two houses to LV.2. Finally, the Second Livestock Barn (pork) to LV.2: production down to 12 hours, new third floor with six vending machines. Offal like oxtail gamtu, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pig liver, heart, lungs, large intestines, and one big bag of meaty pork bones—chef confirmed pig potato bones.

Blasted through 560P in a flash. 1,953P left, destination set. Sure, I'd upgraded Nakyuan buildings, but that 2,500P lump sum screamed "build in outer territories impossible for construction drones." Namsan had only 60 residents, alliance handling food—military hospital/base, no worries. Hoeseong was the issue.

"Han Seol."

"Yes!"

"Radio Han Byeol: have everyone inside the barrier exit outside."

"Right away."

I activated a blue drone in Hoeseong and started its sim city makeover. Center: LV.2 mansion. Spent 50P behind it on a hospital.

"Haa... hurts, but what can you do."

Sigh after the hospital. Would I ever touch points like this again?

"So wasteful... such a shame."

No helping it. I slammed six LV.3 farms—three right, three left of the governor's mansion—for 1,080P. Down to 823P.

"Haa..."

All six farms' 4th/5th floors set to rice. Upfront crops plus future yields: a food avalanche here.

Why? Soldiers die, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠natural deaths, war, unpredictable disasters—prep all you want, catastrophe strikes unannounced. Freshly over 10k citizens could drop below anytime. Safety net: issue to 15k refugees. Reconstruction gov and alliance stocks exist, but feeding 15k till next harvest? Tight. Plus alliance troops garrisoned for security. These six LV.3 farms would solve it.

Time to overhaul Hoeseong's bureaucracy. My teachers—organization experts—would recruit officials and refine systems there. Crop embezzlement or corruption? Death, no mercy. Execs pushed for guilt by association too; I vetoed that. Brewing booze from rations? Treated as embezzlement—death. Details to teachers.

They left under alliance guard.

"Marshal, I've summarized key points in a notebook for you to review alone—just in case."

"..."

Thought I'd escape classes awhile. They promised pop quizzes on return.

Ordered new crops and pork offal moved, then back to mansion.

"Time for the main course."

Smile plastered on. How epic would this be? No new floors, but something unlocked strong.

"Let's check it out?"

"Yes."

With Han Seol, we inspected. B2 unchanged, packed. Felt like something brewing, but not yet. Up to B1: First/Second Daily Goods Storage, First Food Storage, one empty.

"Open 'em one by one."

"Yes."

The fifth warehouse slid open smoothly. Han Seol got the sixth. Then seventh, eighth—all unlocked.

"Everything here."

Food storage mirrored the first: shelves packed with cans.

"Food cheat key."

Seasonings: chicken stock, beef stock, fish sauce, soy, vinegar, mirin, assorted MSG powders and liquids filling shelves.

Raw materials: no shelves, just sacks of cement piled high.

"Not bad..."

Didn't expect much from basements. Even with cement restock, paving the dirt territory? Nowhere near enough.

Up to floor 2. Drone room unchanged—black drone locker shut. Eternal preservation room same.

"Huh? This one's open."

The last locked armory in command control unlocked. Six swords, like the second armory. I'd given five to execs, one left—now seven total.

"Nice."

Insanely powerful blades money couldn't buy. Arm 12 trusted elites: most monsters toast.

The fourth room slid open. Electricity surged through me, info flooded, dopamine leaked.

"Whoa!"

"Do-hyun?"

I stepped into the fourth room.

Front wall: four huge monitors. Desk: keyboard, mouse, massive black box. Side walls: six server racks total, two lit up.

"Grab the two smartphones I use for movies from downstairs?"

"Yes!"

Plugged Han Seol's smartphones into the black box. Monitor message:

"Hahaha."

I grabbed the mouse and clicked YES. A room that made my heart race after so long.