The Art of the Vassal

But at this point, Carbanog had spent too much time with Tae-hyun to be easily shocked. This level of shamelessness was practically baseline!

"Hmm. Maybe I could just disguise myself as a bandit and rob them..."

[......]

Okay, that was actually a little shocking.

"Nah, even that's a waste of time."

As tempting as it was, he had to consider the time investment. To pull it off without getting caught and to make it actually worthwhile, he'd have to do it way too many times.

As soon as he accepted the two, a flurry of system messages popped up. Since he had already braced himself for this, Tae-hyun didn't react much.

"...Huh?"

Tae-hyun froze. Wait a minute. What about their ransom???

Ah...!

The ransom he could have demanded for capturing noble prisoners! By accepting the counts as vassals, the ransom naturally vanished into thin air!

Tae-hyun clutched his head. How could he have missed something so obvious!

But it's not like I can demand a ransom now, and I can't exactly cancel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the vassalage either...

Choosing either option at this point would only incur massive penalties. It was a fool's errand.

Tae-hyun sighed. Well... at least he had gained vassals.

The taxes and military support alone make it a profitable venture.

For someone like Tae-hyun, who was constantly getting into fights, having such powerful nobles as reliable subordinates would be a huge asset.

"Let's head back."

"Player Kim Tae-hyun!"

"Hmm?"

"We've decided to join the Archisus Church as well!"

"...Why on earth would you do that?"

Tae-hyun stared at the middle-aged men with a look that clearly asked, Did you eat something bad? Why would they make such a terrible life choice?

"We made up our minds after listening to the elder here."

"It sounds like a denomination that suits us perfectly!"

"......"

Tae-hyun turned to glare at Chairman Yoo as if he were looking at the most wicked villain on earth. Wow, how could a person be so cruel?

Of course, from Chairman Yoo's perspective, he was so frustrated he could practically faint.

I... I tried so hard to stop them...!

"Ah, yes. Well, thank you for joining... But remember, this isn't my fault, okay?"

"?!"

The middle-aged men blinked in confusion. They had absolutely no idea what Tae-hyun meant by that.

"More importantly, Player Kim Tae-hyun. I have a fantastic business idea... How about a 'Hunt with Fans' event?"

"Oh? Tell me more."

"?!"

Lee Da-bi, who had been listening from the side, leaned in with a highly intrigued expression.

"How is that different from the fan meetings other players usually host?"

Famous rankers and Pan-On pro-players held fan meetings inside the game quite often. Just getting to hunt alongside a top ranker was considered a massive honor! However, in reality, there wasn't much substance to them. When players with massive level and gear discrepancies met for the first time, there was no way they could pull off proper party play. It was strictly a warm, fuzzy social event.

"It's completely different! A fan meeting with Player Kim Tae-hyun wouldn't just be any ordinary fan meeting. It would be a fan meeting where rare items rain from the sky!"

Lee Jung-seop and the other middle-aged men were completely captivated by Tae-hyun's miraculous drop rate. If they could experience a drop rate like that, they would gladly offer up their own hair!

"Plus, the beauty of this fan meeting is that it benefits Player Tae-hyun as well."

"?"

"Instead of booking a specific time and place, you just call for an impromptu gathering whenever you need to farm materials. You don't waste any time, you get free labor to gather materials, and the fans get to meet you! It's a win-win!"

"...!"

Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi stared at him, their eyes wide. That was actually a brilliant idea!

In truth, everyone knew that if Tae-hyun ever hosted a fan meeting, the line would stretch far outside his territory. It was a goldmine that any member of the Power Warrior Guild would dream of exploiting!

But there was a reason they hadn't done it yet: in the time it took to host one, Tae-hyun could be clearing another quest!

However, this idea completely bypassed that drawback.

He's a perfect fit for the Power Warrior Guild.

He really ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠belongs in the Power Warrior Guild.

Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi simultaneously sensed the unmistakable aura of a Power Warrior in Lee Jung-seop.

"Whoa! We did it! There are... twenty rabbits in total!"

"......"

"......"

Tae-hyun's party returned to Knema's Vampire Castle. The very first thing they did upon their return was feed the mountain of gathered materials to Towangi. For some reason, Evangeline and Heuk-heuk looked incredibly pale and exhausted!

"...Y-you don't expect me to draw... even more blood for this, do you?"

Evangeline asked in a weak, trembling voice that was highly uncharacteristic of her. It was a pitiful tone that could soften even the hardest of hearts!

Even Tae-hyun couldn't bring himself to say, "Of course we need more!"

"Let's... settle for twenty. I'll assign them to the Archisus Artillery and see how they perform."

Karreung!

Towangi hopped up and down, looking thoroughly stuffed and satisfied.

Tae-hyun was left with a bitter taste in his mouth. Was all this suffering really worth it?

"Vlad. As you know..."

??"

"Count Scabio and Count Andalto have become my vassals."

"Since when?!?!?"

Vlad looked as if the sky had collapsed on him. Since when?! Tae-hyun had literally just returned!

"They sent their subordinates to submit their applications to me."

Are those counts insane?

No matter how desperate they were, Vlad couldn't comprehend why those proud vampire nobles would ever do such a thing.

"Wait, Vlad. Weren't you with them? How did you not know?"

The two counts had kept the negotiations strictly under wraps to ensure Vlad wouldn't catch wind of it. As a result, even when the two counts received approval for their vassalage and departed back to their territories, Vlad was the only one left completely in the dark.

"I knew about it, Your Majesty."

"Me too."

"I was also aware, O Incarnation."

"?!"

Even the knights and the artillerymen knew! Vlad stumbled backward, utterly shell-shocked.

"Anyway, Vlad, I thought we'd have to fight a lot to secure Knema's Vampire Castle, but things turned out much easier than expected."

He had anticipated endless clashes with the two counts, but now that they were his vassals, no one would dare lay a finger on Knema Island.

"You'll be in charge of managing this place. I hereby grant you the title of Count Knema."

"!!!"

Vlad's eyes went wide. Come to think of it, Tae-hyun had made that promise! A promise to let him manage the island once they took control!

Back then, Vlad had thought, What kind of crazy bullshit is this lunatic spewing? And later, Please just let me go, you absolute psychopath...

But to think the opportunity would actually present itself like this!

"I... I will dedicate my very life to serving you!"

"Save the sweet talk. Just make sure you pay your taxes on time and train some good soldiers to send my way."

"...Soldiers?"

"Well, figure something out."

"W-wait, Your Majesty! What about financial support...?"

"You'll have to handle that yourself."

Now that he thought about it, Knema Island was the absolute worst of the worst when it came to land. The only reason the two counts had coveted it was for the rabbits, not the actual territory!

Almost all of the territory's stats were bottomed out. From taxes to military force, there were countless things that needed fixing.

Thud!

Vlad suddenly threw himself forward, attempting to grab Tae-hyun's ankles. A swift vampire tackle!

But Tae-hyun was not the type of person to fall for the same trick twice. He swiftly raised his foot and planted it directly onto Vlad's face.

Smack!

It was a flawless tackle defense.

"Urgh!"

"Alright, work hard, Vlad. I have a lot of things to do, so I'll be taking my leave! Don't forget to pay your taxes!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!!! YOUR MAJESTY!!!!!"

Vlad screamed until the veins in his neck bulged, but Tae-hyun didn't even look back.

Lee Da-bi asked with a worried expression.

"But isn't it actually dangerous? It doesn't seem like a territory Vlad can manage all by himself."

If public security plummeted and discontent rose, a rebellion would break out. The Knema Island they had worked so hard to acquire could easily fall into someone else's hands!

"Yeah. But even if we lose it, it's not like we're losing anything of value."

"...That's true!"

They had already taken everything worth taking! Tae-hyun's party warmly prepared to leave the island.

I should stop by the Erance Kingdom Bank next. Time to claim that treasure.

The quest to recover the Atali Kingdom's treasure by chasing down the Salavian ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Order had certainly taken him on a long journey!

Vlad stood atop Knema's Vampire Castle, looking down at the island. It was barren, but it was still land. A territory he could never have dreamed of owning in his entire life!

...I can't just run away like this!

His initial instinct had been to flee, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. When would an opportunity like this ever come again? No matter how long vampires lived, such chances were exceedingly rare.

But how? Vlad had absolutely nothing. No subordinates, no gold, and he wasn't exactly an outstanding warrior or mage himself. Honestly, he had to worry about assassins coming for his head first!

"...!"

Just then, something caught Vlad's eye. It was the crowd of people.

Countless players had swarmed Knema's Vampire Castle! Even though Tae-hyun had left, the players who had gathered weren't about to disperse so easily.

Vlad stared at them, his eyes glowing crimson.

That's it!

The only resource Vlad had left was them. He had to retain them by any means necessary!

"Adventurers! Look upon me!"

Vlad stood atop the castle walls, projecting the most dignified and majestic presence he could muster. The players who had been wandering around Knema's Vampire Castle looking for scraps to loot all turned their heads in unison.

"I, Count Vlad, pay my respects to you who have traveled so far to reach ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this place!"

"Who's that guy?"

"Where did Kim Tae-hyun go?"

"I think he's that vampire noble who was hanging around Kim Tae-hyun... I heard he's incredibly wicked and cunning."

"Really? He definitely looks the part."

Though they whispered among themselves, the players still listened.

"How could I have reclaimed this castle on my own? It would have been utterly impossible without your aid!"

"Oh, he actually gets it."

"Right? He's a noble, but he's surprisingly not arrogant."

The players were pleasantly surprised. Usually, noble NPCs came equipped with the holy trinity of arrogance, pride, and sheer rudeness. Even if you did them a massive favor, they'd react with something like, Is that so? For a lowly commoner, you did passably well.

It was so bad that players frequently posted questions asking if they could punch nobles.

In a world full of such NPCs, Vlad's humble attitude was incredibly refreshing.

"I, Vlad, shall open all of this castle to you!"

"Oh...?"

"Seriously?"

The lord's chamber, the treasure vault, the secret dungeons—these were spaces strictly reserved for the lord of the territory! Normally, players had to accumulate an astronomical amount of contribution points just to catch a glimpse of them. But he was just opening them up?

"Everything produced on this island! You may take it all! For just a very minor tax!"

"Whoaaaa!"

"YEAHHHHH!"

The players, completely glossing over the last part about taxes, cheered wildly. They didn't know the exact details, but it sounded amazing!

"Settle in this territory! I shall grant special benefits to those who make this place their home! These incredible benefits are only available until the end of this week! Miss this chance, and it will never come again!"

His speech was rapidly devolving from that of a noble to a cheap street peddler, but the intrigued players began changing their respawn points in droves. There was no harm in trying it out!

I'm saved!

Vlad let out a massive sigh of relief. With this many players around, he would be fundamentally safe from any assassins. He just had to stick close to them!

The treasure vault? The lord's chamber? He didn't care. It wasn't like there was anything inside anyway.

The secret dungeon? There was indeed an underground dungeon connected to the castle, but it wasn't particularly useful. If it had been a decent dungeon, the other counts would have claimed it long ago!

"???"