Sincerity and Misunderstandings
Group 1 and Group 2 were decent enough. In fact, since this was uncharted territory, they might even yield more profit than usual. But Group 3? That was the chore of all chores! Those kinds of menial quests were meant for low-tier newbies trying to scrape together some gold, not high-level players of their caliber. Who in their right mind would waste time on thankless grunt work?
Wait, hold on... Cain is taking Group 3?
What's his angle? What does this mean?
Is there some hidden trick to Group 3? Is it actually the jackpot?
Maybe Cain is just taking Group 3 out of a sense of responsibility as the leader?
Are you insane? Who would actually do that!
As mentioned, these high-level players were people thoroughly accustomed to the tyranny of large guilds. They were the type to look a gift horse in the mouth and suspect a trap whenever someone showed them kindness. To them, Cain's behavior was suspicious in the extreme. Why would he voluntarily take a loss?
In reality, Cain's mind was as blank as a sheet of paper.
Ugh, honestly, I really don't want to do Group 3's chores... but even I can see it's the worst option. If I don't step up, nobody will.
Leading by example—that was one of the many things Cain had learned from following Tae-hyun around. Why else would Cain remain fiercely loyal to Tae-hyun, despite constantly being treated like a walking time bomb? Tae-hyun never shirked his responsibilities, whether inside the game or out. Watching Tae-hyun, Cain had been deeply, if somewhat clumsily, moved. And this clumsy imitation was the result! If Tae-hyun had seen this, he would have groaned and lamented, That is not how you do it!
"Sir Kane! What utter nonsense is this!"
"Indeed! Such menial labor should be left to the lowborn! Why must you subject yourself to such tasks?"
It wasn't just the swindled players who had followed Cain. The 4th Prince, his royal knights, and the soldiers he had brought along were also present. On top of that, there were the "prime, high-quality races" (according to Tae-hyun's claims) that Tae-hyun had sent over. Hearing Cain's words, the 4th Prince and his knights cried out in disbelief. Lowly work belonged to the lowly!
"No, you don't understand... these quests are so inefficient that if I don't do them myself, those guys' complaints will pierce the heavens."
"You are the Lord of this territory! A Lord must do a Lord's work! You can simply order those commoners to do it!"
"I can't do that. I have to show them I'm willing to work first so they'll follow my lead."
The 4th Prince is deeply moved by your words!
The Royal Knights are deeply moved...
Your Reputation has increased significantly!
"..."
I don't want this...! Cain screamed internally.
Even though he had laid bare his sincere intentions, the gathered players only grew more suspicious.
No matter how I look at it, that's a total act.
Seeing that confirms it. Group 3 is the jackpot.
Is Group 3 really the jackpot?
Yeah, they say Group 3 is where the real money is.
The players quickly reached a consensus. Group 3 was the answer!
One player raised his hand high. He just held it there.
"...???"
Cain stared at the player and asked, "Why are you just holding your hand up without saying anything? Speak!"
"You said we'd get a penalty if we didn't shut up, you jerk!"
"Ah."
The poor guy had kept his mouth shut solely to avoid getting penalized!
"So, what is it?"
"I think dividing the groups like this is unfair!"
The player who raised his hand belonged to Group 1. Cain was puzzled.
Does he want to go to Group 2?
"Even if it's unfair, just bear with it. Over time, Group 1 will rotate to Group 2, Group 2 to Group 3, and Group 3 to Group 1. I'll make sure Group 3 finishes up quickly."
"No! There's no need to rotate like that. Let's settle it here!"
"...??"
Cain wore a look that clearly said, What is this guy plotting?
"Settle what?"
"You don't have to do a thing, Cain. We'll roll dice or play rock-paper-scissors among ourselves! Once a group is decided, we stay in that group permanently. How about it?"
"No, that's way too extreme—"
"Sounds good!"
"I agree!"
"Okay, let's do it."
"?!"
Cain was flabbergasted. Why was everyone acting like this?!
"Hey, we still need at least a minimum number of people in Group 3, you know?"
"Don't worry, Cain. I'll volunteer for Group 3."
"Me too, I volunteer for Group 3!"
"I'll go to Group 3 as well..."
Every single player raised their hand to join Group 3!
Cain was momentarily speechless. What on earth was happening?
"Cain, just give us the number of slots! We'll draw lots among ourselves."
"Everyone..."
"??"
"Everyone is accepted...! You guys... you finally understand my sincerity!" Cain cried out, his voice trembling with emotion.
He had led by example to persuade these grumbling malcontents, and his sincerity had actually reached them!
"...Wait, everyone is accepted?"
"S-Seriously?"
"Yes! I was a fool to divide us into groups in the first place. Let us all work together and pioneer this land together! Let's go!"
"N-No... wait... hold on. Something's not right here..."
"Cain...! Cain! Listen to us!"
"Move out! No more wasting time!"
As Cain shouted, the 4th Prince and his knights also began barking orders.
"Move, you peasants!"
"Hurry up, get moving!"
Watching this display, the Orc, Goblin, Giant, and Vampire tribes shook their heads in dismay.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Those adventurers have absolutely no class. Shall we decide on our territories as well?"
"We Goblins demand the underground, no matter what!"
"Chweek. Don't worry, we have no intention of entering a place that smells like mold. We Orcs wish to settle in the southern part of the island. The land is flat, and since it's near the coast, we can catch plenty of fish."
"We Vampires wish to settle in the western forest. We require shade. It's nice that the sun rarely shines here, but we still need proper cover."
"We Giants will stay in the center! We will help with the heavy lifting!"
Having each spoken their piece, the gathered races stared blankly at one another. Huh?
"...Wait, is that it? Is everything settled?"
"Chweek! Indeed!"
They had assumed there would be some territorial disputes since they were all new to the island... but it had been resolved incredibly easily. Because their preferred habitats were completely different, there was absolutely no reason for the races to clash!
"...Dismissed! Let's get along on our own!"
"Hooray!"
◈ The Goblin tribe has settled in Nodranche.
└ Engineering items have been added to Nodranche's trade goods.
◈ The Vampire tribe has settled in Nodranche.
└ Various items, including Vampire Specialty Wine, have been added to Nodranche's trade goods.
◈ The Orc tribe has settled in Nodranche.
└ Orc tribe items have been added to Nodranche's trade goods.
◈ The Giant tribe has settled in Nodranche.
└ Nodranche's Public Sentiment decreases.
└ The discontent of Nodranche's residents increases.
"..."
Cain momentarily regretted bringing them along. The territory was technically developing, but... he had a nagging premonition that dealing with the aftermath was going to be an absolute nightmare.
Eh, what's done is done. If things get really dangerous, I'll just ask Kim Tae-hyun for help...!
The sheer, shameless confidence!
Cain accepted the quests and headed toward the castle situated right in the center of Nodranche Island. It was the only decent facility on the otherwise barren island—a small castle and a nearby village were all there was.
"Oh, my Lord...!"
"Welcome, Lord Kane!"
Hehe. Praise me more. Praise me more!
Still, a territory was a territory. Cain vowed that he would make this land prosperous.
Fwoooooosh—
An icy storm sweeps in from the north! It threatens to freeze every living thing in Nodranche.
Take shelter indoors and warm your body!
"Agh, seriously?!"
But Nodranche was only just getting started!
"They were supposed to be fighting each other. How did they catch up so fast?"
> Carbanog guesses that since they are quite clever, they probably came to their senses mid-fight.
Indeed.
> Carbanog suggests that the mere mention of Akisus's name might have snapped them out of it...
...That's a bit much.
Fortunately, only one of the Ancient Giants was giving chase. Tae-hyun suddenly found himself wondering: was this giant the one that had been chasing Lee Se-yeon, or the one that had been chasing him?
> Carbanog tells you to look at its ears!
Ah, right.
The giant that had been chasing Tae-hyun was the one with its ears plugged! As Tae-hyun turned his head, the pursuing Ancient Giant gasped in horror and cried out:
"To think that I, the clever one, would make such a mistake!"
With that, the giant hastily pulled out a pair of rocks and shoved them deep into its ears.
"..."
"What is wrong with him?!"
From Lee Se-yeon's perspective, the situation was utterly baffling. It was only natural to react this way when an Ancient Giant was plugging its ears as if it had swallowed something toxic.
Ah, so it was the one chasing me.
Wait. If he ditched Lee Se-yeon, wouldn't the giant just keep chasing him anyway?
> Carbanog says that is highly unlikely due to the name of Akisus.
The reason the Ancient Giant had targeted Lee Se-yeon in her party was because it realized she was the leader. It possessed the intelligence to target the most critical enemy first! And Akisus was the absolute highest priority target that had to be eliminated immediately. If left alone, there was no telling what kind of underhanded schemes he would pull!
"..."
Ancient Giants are so annoying! For the first time in a long while, Tae-hyun sincerely thought so.
A small cave, a small cave, a small cave... Found it!
"Yong-yong, turn!"
Tae-hyun hadn't just been running away aimlessly. He had been searching for a place to hide, just in case. Fortunately, the Zaion Mountains were so vast that no matter how far you looked from west to east, there was nothing but endless peaks. If they could just shake their pursuer, they would easily be able to hide. Tae-hyun was looking for a cave too small for an Ancient Giant to squeeze into!
"Understood, Master!"
Swoosh! Yong-yong sharply veered off course. Lee Se-yeon felt her stomach churn. It was an acrobatic maneuver executed at breakneck speed.
The Ancient Giant gasped in shock as Yong-yong slipped effortlessly into an entrance that was less than half the giant's size. Unlike the giant, Yong-yong could alter his size at will.
"You foolish Gold Dragon! You got swindled by Akisus, yet you still follow him around like a brainless pet!"
Having lost his target, the Ancient Giant vented his frustration. The sheer audacity to pick a fight with the entire Gold Dragon race!
"T-That... that bastard...! Master! He is insulting me!"
"Yeah, yeah. We'll get our revenge later. Just bear with it for now."
You have entered the dungeon.
First-time dungeon entry bonus applied!
Your Reputation has increased...
...
"It's a dungeon. I hope the difficulty isn't too high."
Rumble, rumble—
"What's that noise?"
"Sounds like that Ancient Giant is throwing a tantrum."
The Ancient Giant could have used his brute strength to smash his way inside, but he chose not to. He felt uneasy about squeezing into a narrow space where Akisus was waiting for him. Truly a clever brain! Instead, the giant vented his rage by obliterating the entrance.
"Going back out that way is out of the question, right?"
"Yeah, too risky."
The Ancient Giant might be lying in wait, hiding just outside. Both Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon were veterans who were thoroughly accustomed to such petty tricks! They were the kind of players who never overlooked even a 1% chance of danger.
"If we clear the dungeon, there should be an exit on the other side. If not, we can always blast our way out... We should scout the interior first. Could you summon some undead?"
Having encountered the Ancient Giant, Tae-hyun was determined not to act rashly. Better safe than sorry! In situations like this, a Necromancer was incredibly convenient. They could send expendable undead inside to map out the dungeon.
"..."
"...Are you still not recovered?"
As Tae-hyun gave her a dubious look, Lee Se-yeon's face flushed red with embarrassment and shame. The cooldown on her curse still hadn't ended.