Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: A Price for Information
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Chapter 109.
‘Huh?’
‘It’s a main quest.’
At first, the guild members’ reaction to their Guild Master Tae-yoon’s words was lukewarm.
They understood the gist of it—that if they performed better than others in the main quest, they could leap to the top ranks in one go, but…
‘I get that, but?’
‘What if it doesn’t show up?’
‘What doesn’t?’
‘The main quest.’
If it didn't show up, they'd be ruined.
Naturally, the existing gap would only widen, and they might never be able to close the distance with the top-tier players again.
However.
‘No! It’ll show up!’
‘That’s just what you think, Guild Master.’
‘No. Statistically, it’s bound to happen.’
‘…There are statistics for something like this?’
‘Of course, there are. Think about it, it’s already appeared in every other kingdom, right? But not in the Eteun Kingdom yet. If you think about it mathematically, it’s a 100% chance!’
The Guild Master, demonstrating his miraculous method of calculation!
It was a claim that only pretended to be logical but was, by all common sense, ridiculous…
‘Huh?’
‘…Is that so?’
‘I’m telling you it is!’
The saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ didn’t exist for nothing.
The guild’s leadership was swayed by their master’s argument.
‘Alright! Let’s stay!’
‘Our guild needs to produce a ranker too!’
‘And once we’re famous, we can even appear on broadcasts!’
‘See? I knew you’d agree.’
And considering the main quest actually did break out, this foolish perseverance ended up being helpful in the long run.
Of course, it was an event triggered solely by Lee Shin, regardless of their calculations.
In any case.
Thanks to this fantastic combination, they stubbornly remained while others were leaving the Eteun Kingdom, building their guild house and clearing every territory quest they could find to lay their foundation.
They had tried their best to build connections with the nobility before the main quest began.
And this proved to be a more arduous process than they had imagined.
Of course, they had done territory quests before, so they knew how to do them…
The problem was the process itself.
<Territory Quest (B) - Tax Collection>
<Territory Quest (B) - Arresting a Wanted Criminal>
<Territory Quest (B) - Riot Suppression>
…
<Territory Quest (C) - Catching a Thief>
‘…Why are there only quests like these here!?’
Quests with grim content, one after another!
As if reflecting the kingdom’s chaotic state, they were all quite unpleasant.
This tendency was more pronounced in higher-grade quests that gave a lot of contribution points.
Above all, the biggest problem was that their notoriety would increase.
And at a speed unimaginable outside the Eteun Kingdom.
Seeing this, the rumor of it being ‘a kingdom where your notoriety rises just by breathing’ wasn’t wrong.
In fact, the rumor was astonishingly accurate in describing the kingdom’s reality.
Of course, that didn’t mean they could just not do them.
If they only did quests unrelated to notoriety, it would be meaningless even if they did them for a hundred days (they gave few contribution points).
To justify their reason for staying in the Eteun Kingdom when everyone else had left, they had to do them, whether they liked it or not.
‘…It can’t be helped.’
Tae-yoon made a decision.
First, we do them!
And we’ll lower the increased notoriety somehow, whether by donating to the church or something else!
If their notoriety rose to a point where donations couldn’t fix it, they would manage it by taking turns resting from quests.
…It was almost like buying contribution points with time and gold, but in any case, this method was quite effective.
It was the driving force that allowed the Phoenix Guild to enter the territory contribution rankings in a short period.
[Territory Contribution Ranking: 10th.]
[Your activities will now be reported to the Lord.]
[The Lord is beginning to take an interest in you.]
‘Finally!’
The message he had been waiting for.
Tae-yoon clenched his fist in joy.
He thought that since he was starting to get a reaction, he would be able to meet the Lord if he just climbed one or two more spots in the rankings.
But that wasn’t the case.
The anomaly occurred recently.
[There has been a change in the Territory Contribution Rankings.]
[Your contribution ranking has dropped by one place, ranking you at 11th.]
[2 Guild Contribution benefits will be nullified.]
‘Huh?’
A message that suddenly appeared one day.
For Tae-yoon, who thought he was almost there, it was a bolt from the blue.
No, it wasn't just a shock for Tae-yoon.
The entire guild that had struggled alongside him was in an uproar.
‘What the hell!’
‘Who is it!?’
‘Was there another guild grinding contribution points besides us?’
‘No. Even if there was, we were faster.’
‘Then who is it…?’
They soon found out who it was.
After the incident, there was no way they wouldn't notice a user who was constantly in and out of the Lord's castle.
‘It’s probably that person, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘But was there someone like that in this territory?’
‘No. If there were, there’s no way we wouldn’t have known. They seem to have arrived recently.’
‘So they raised their contribution points that much in such a short time, all by themselves?’
‘…’
‘…’
‘…Now that you mention it?’
‘…Seriously, did they just collect taxes all day long or something?’
The last person’s words spoke for everyone.
And surprisingly, that was the correct answer.
Lee Shin had squeezed out and collected non-existent taxes, created and arrested non-existent wanted criminals, and even incited riots that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.
It was possible because, due to his class characteristics, he didn't have to worry about notoriety!
Thanks to that, he had instantly surpassed everything the Phoenix Guild had built up.
Of course, Tae-yoon couldn't have known these facts…
In any case, the guild was on high alert.
‘What should we do?’
‘…’
‘…Should we just kill them first?’
The first answer that popped out!
They weren’t originally like this, but they had grown accustomed to the ways of the Eteun Kingdom.
The fact that the target was moving with a small group without a guild also contributed to this suggestion.
They didn't know how strong the opponent was, but they thought they could manage somehow if they overwhelmed them with numbers!
‘Hmm…’
‘What do you think?’
‘It’s not a bad idea, but let’s watch a little longer.’
After some thought, Tae-yoon shook his head.
It was because the opponent not only had high contribution points but also seemed to have a very high affinity with the Count.
If that was true, the problem could become serious.
‘We could face retaliation if we’re not careful.’
‘Ah…’
‘True.’
‘Instead, how about we watch a bit longer and then make a recruitment offer?’
The other party must face many inconveniences moving around without a guild. What if they offered to fill that void in exchange for an introduction to the Lord?
‘That’s a good idea…’
‘Alright. Let’s do that.’
They would watch for a while and then approach first.
It was the most rational plan.
…However, an incident occurred before they could even approach Lee Shin.
[Warning!]
[The clouds of war are beginning to gather over the territory.]
***
[The clouds of war are beginning to gather over the territory.]
“…!?”
“What the!”
The clouds of war gathering over the territory.
It wasn't a detailed explanation, but the Phoenix Guild, with its connections to several high-ranking officials in the territory, had a rough idea of what it meant.
“Don’t tell me, a territory war?”
“…Gasp!”
This wasn't a leap in logic.
They didn't know the details, but they were vaguely aware that the Lord had been in a foul mood lately and that relations with the neighboring territory were rapidly deteriorating.
Connecting this to the warning message above, the possibility of a territory war was high.
“What do we do…?”
And this was a rather serious problem.
For a typical player, they could just side with the likely winner and reap the rewards.
If they weren't sure who would win, they could simply leave the territory before getting caught up in the war.
Either way, there was no real loss!
But that wasn't possible for them.
Most of their guild’s assets, including their guild house, were tied to the Ampiri Territory.
In that situation, if they left and the Ampiri Territory were to lose the war…
“…Then we’d be ruined, right?”
“Yes.”
They would lose most of their guild assets, and all the contribution points they had accumulated would vanish.
They would literally go bankrupt!
Yet, they couldn't confidently participate in the war because they weren't certain of victory.
The Ampiri Territory wasn't exactly known for its formidable military strength.
“Ugh…”
If the territory war starts soon, should we bet on this side winning and participate?
Or should we start recovering as many assets as we can and leave this place?
A dilemma where either choice left a bad taste.
That was why Tae-yoon was struggling.
“…No, that’s not it.”
“Huh?”
“We can just ask and then decide. That person probably knows the details of what’s happening, right?”
“Who… Ah!”
***
[As the two Counts have declared a territory war, it will soon commence.]
[Time remaining: 3 days]
‘It’s done.’
The territory war had finally broken out!
The fates of two territories were decided by the machinations of one person.
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction and spoke to his companions.
“Let’s head back now.”
“Yes.”
There were still three days until the war, and even when it started, he planned to just watch until things heated up.
So, for the time being, he didn't have much to do.
‘I don’t know anything about golems just by looking at them… Should I go to the arena?’
The arena.
It was a sudden thought, but on second thought, it wasn't a bad idea.
When he had some awkward downtime, there was nothing quite like the arena.
Besides, the response to his last arena video wasn't bad, so he thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to prepare a sequel.
“Uh, excuse me…”
“…?”
But before Lee Shin could leave, a voice called out to him from behind.
When Lee Shin turned around, he saw some unfamiliar players approaching him.
“Me?”
“Yes. Do you have a moment to talk?”
“…Who are you?”
Lee Shin asked back, his voice a notch lower.
‘Are they scammers?’
That was his first thought.
Approaching him as if they’d been waiting the moment he stepped out of the Lord’s castle?
The timing was too coincidental.
Moreover, in the Eteun Kingdom, which was full of predatory players, it was natural to be wary of even such trivial matters.
However, contrary to his worries, the other party didn't seem to be that type.
“We’re from the, uh, Phoenix Guild.”
“Okay.”
“We were wondering if you knew anything about the message that just appeared. You seem to talk with the Lord quite often… haha.”
“Ah…”
‘So that’s what this is about.’
Lee Shin took his hand off his sword and replied.
“Hmm. I do know something. But this is information I worked hard to get.”
“Pardon?”
“I can’t just give it to you for free. There has to be some give and take… You know what I mean, right?”
As he spoke, Lee Shin tapped his waist.
What he meant was simple.
Give me money!
It wasn't that Lee Shin was desperate for gold, but it was always better to have more.
“Ah, if it’s compensation, we’ll pay!”
“How much?”
“What? Uh, um… how much do you want?”
“It’s a bit awkward for me to name a price. I’ll tell you as much as you pay for.”
“…Excuse me?”
Lee Shin, proposing a novel transaction!
Tae-yoon was momentarily flustered, but he was the one in the desperate position.
He quickly came to his senses and fumbled to take out some gold.
“W-will this be enough…?”
[You have acquired 300,000 Gold.]
“Three hundred thousand?”
“Yes?”
Lee Shin openly frowned.
Three hundred thousand gold wasn't a small amount, but looking at the opponent’s gear, it seemed like he could squeeze out more.
“Hmm…”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, not really. I just have to tell you what I can for what I received… But I was just wondering if information worth three hundred thousand gold will be enough for you.”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to spend decisively when you need to? You seem to have a lot of guild members to look after…”
“…!!”
Lee Shin glanced meaningfully at the guild members behind him and let his sentence trail off.
A way of speaking that subtly provoked anxiety!
Tae-yoon, who thought he had paid plenty for the information, had a sudden change of heart.
“Gasp! I’ll give you more.”
“How much?”
“Uh, uh, just a moment…”
[You have acquired 300,000 Gold.]
The price of information doubled with just a few words!
The corners of Lee Shin’s mouth curled up.
“Now we’re talking.”
“Haha…”
“It’s a bit public here. Shall we move?”
“Ah, yes.”