Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Knight's Oath (4)
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As the one and only knight of Linai Territory with command authority, Rokan was practically flying through his duties.
He crisscrossed the area, crushing soldiers under his command—no, protecting the city and its sole source of income, the copper mine, while wiping out every monster in the outskirts.
Since it was near the city, the monsters were low-level, the kind they usually handled by hiring mercenaries occasionally or mobilizing large numbers of soldiers. But Rokan had taken them all down single-handedly, and in just a few days. That alone was incredibly encouraging.
“You... no, never mind.”
The lord, who had been watching suspiciously yet curiously, panicked when Rokan showed no sign of dragging monsters into the areas where his rights were guaranteed. But he kept his mouth shut for now.
He figured uttering such words might insult Rokan by implying he was only after money.
‘This should be enough.’
But Rokan had no intention of doing anything suspicious enough to raise doubts.
‘Once it's stable enough, time to get to work.’
He wasn't touching the monster corpses anyway, but the drop items that went straight into his inventory were his. And right there, in a place that was neither the mine nor anything else, lay a secret dungeon.
The contract stated that everything from there was his since it wasn't the mine, but Rokan had no plans to reveal that.
A year was one thing, but what about after?
This secret dungeon was one of the huge untapped potentials of Linai Territory that would come to light later. Keeping it secret was definitely to his advantage.
If word got out and users swarmed in, he'd have trouble buying the territory even for tens of thousands of gold, not just thousands.
“Still, the EXP is pretty juicy.”
He couldn't wait to uncover the secret dungeon, but things were going well enough for now.
[Monster Subjugation in Linai Mountains][Quest]
A subjugation request directly from the Linai Lord. It's unpaid labor, but hard work should yield results.
-Completion Condition: Kill monsters in the Linai Mountains
-Completion Deadline: 1 week
-Completion Reward: 1.3x EXP gained during quest, 1.2x drop rate increase
It was all thanks to this lord's quest. Lords could attach such rewards to quests related to their territory.
However, the EXP and drop rate rewards couldn't be chosen arbitrarily—they appeared randomly, so you had to pick wisely.
‘But I can just reset it.’
Rokan was different from others, though.
Their relationship was nominally lord and knight, but more like an equal contract than strict vassalage. If the quest reward didn't please him, he could demand it be forcibly canceled and reissued.
The Linai Lord, with Rokan as his only knight, had no reason to refuse.
It cost nothing to issue quests, won Rokan's favor with a single word, strengthened him, and let the lord claim the hordes of monster corpses Rokan slew. Why wouldn't he oblige?
The Linai Lord was already living in near destitution, his pride cast aside to a degree other nobles couldn't imagine.
He'd dance a jig if someone offered just 10 gold for the territory's people.
His frail pride couldn't feed them, after all.
‘He's a good person, that's for sure.’
In that sense, the Linai Lord had qualities close to a sage ruler. He cared for his people and treated them with dignity.
He just lacked the ability or cunning to support them. In this world, that was a bigger flaw than one might think.
“The safety of the territory's people comes first. Block any that try to flee that way!”
Rokan knew this, but it was too early for incitement. So he faithfully played his role as the Linai knight.
In truth, he was just ditching the soldiers to monopolize the monsters.
[You have leveled up.]
From level 200, gaining even one level was vastly harder than up to 199.
Required EXP ballooned 4x to 10x, while monster EXP only increased by 1.2x to 1.5x at best.
Plus, with all The Lord users from the nation converging on the central continent, monster competition would intensify, making leveling tougher.
But that didn't apply to Rokan, who soloed hundreds of level 200-220 monsters with an EXP buff.
His level rose quickly, security in the city and mine visibly improved.
And the territory's coffers filled from selling monster corpses—obviously.
‘Tsk tsk. Might as well have embezzled it.’
The lord distributed all that accumulated gold to the people.
He could have eaten fine food, worn fancy clothes, bought luxuries—but no, he shared it evenly among them.
As compensation for their past hardships, he gave them money for good clothes and tasty food.
Rokan disapproved.
This was the lord's limitation.
Sure, it came from guilt, but doling it out evenly like that meant pitifully little per person.
A few coins in hand might earn brief gratitude, but nothing fundamental changed—lives stayed the same, dissatisfaction lingered.
‘This territory... it's hopeless.’
Of course, he understood to some extent. There was nothing else to expect from Linai.
Beyond expelling monsters and developing more mines in cleared areas, there were no other investments worth making.
‘A shame, but it makes it easier for me to swallow whole.’
So he offered no advice on the lord's actions. The poorer the territory stayed, the smoother his takeover.
For now, he just quietly did his job.
“Sprinkle that in the areas we've cleared of monsters. Be careful not to space them too far apart!”
He distributed a certain 'item' to the soldiers and ordered them to scatter it at intervals in cleared zones.
It was a magic item Rokan had bought during a brief stop in Taimura.
Called 'Predator's Poop.'
Not real poop, but a monster repellent crafted by mages and alchemists mimicking a predator's scent.
Monsters, smelling a superior predator, fled in fear.
Using it in monster respawn zones temporarily prevented spawns.
‘A few more days should do it.’
By gradually expanding usable areas in Linai Territory, he'd finally reached a size suitable for a new mine.
Of course, developing it wouldn't yield a grand vein. Linai's other potential, the 'magic stone mine,' was only near the territory's border.
But once mine development started, the lord and people's attention would focus there—giving Rokan time to work the land whose ownership he'd secured.
“Gotta grab what I can first, though.”
Plus, even without the secret dungeon, Rokan had plenty to do and claim right away.
Days for monster subjugation, shrinking monster zones; evenings for...
[You have entered the public dungeon 'Silent Cave.']
[First entry bonus: 30% increased EXP gain for three days.]
[First entry bonus: 30% increased drop rate for three days.]
[Title 'Pioneer' effect: First entry bonuses enhanced by 10%.]
Using a rune book, he cycled through dungeons near Taimura, sucking them dry.
Linai had a couple dungeons he could monopolize anyway, but Taimura's were prime targets for nearly everyone heading to the central continent.
They didn't offer exceptional EXP or items, but that 40% boost to EXP and drops from first-entry bonuses? He had to claim it.
‘Why give this good stuff to others?’
If he didn't, other central continent arrivals would benefit.
From his view, better to deny competitors the bonus—even if he didn't hunt—than let them fatten up.
One by one, two by two, he drained every last drop from public dungeon first-entry bonuses until finally, results showed in Linai.
“We've finally started development on the second mine today.”
The Linai Lord, who had been pouring welfare like water into a leaky bucket for his long-suffering people, had begun the second mine.
Even a copper mine like the first would be a jackpot for Linai.
So impoverished, even that would feel like middle-class bliss.
Reality was a cesspool—they'd just burn through development costs, though.
“Glad tidings, my lord. Then I'll order the soldiers to bolster defenses around the city and mine and assist with development for the time being.”
“Do that.”
By now, the Linai Lord had warmed to Rokan, unlike his initial suspicion.
It was odd he rarely visited the areas whose ownership he'd received, but he worked so hard for the territory otherwise, it was hard to suspect ill intent.
Rokan's real moves were just beginning, though.
“Then I'll be off. Time for a patrol.”
“Good luck.”
Confirming mine development start in his meeting with the lord, Rokan finally headed to the land he'd been saving.
All prior subjugations had been in the opposite direction from his claimed land.
Avoiding soldier routes, he slipped into the monster zone, used stealth to enter discreetly, then revealed himself.
“The landowner's right here with eyes wide open—where do you get off acting like you own the place?”
He gave harsh axe lessons to the squatters.
After slaughtering them all, he scattered Predator's Poop to block respawns.
And finally, one more thing.
“Install large hut.”
Using the 'house blueprint' item from Taimura, a decently sized house popped up where he designated.
Far pricier than hiring laborers, but it slashed time dramatically—and avoided drawing eyes.
Creak.
Entering and shutting the door, Rokan smashed a specific floor spot, digging a hole. Sweeping debris revealed a stone tablet.
“Hup.”
Thwack!
He slammed his battle axe onto the tablet inscribed with unreadable ancient script. Shockingly, a tiny chip flew off as mana gathered.
“Perfect.”
Whoooong.
A blue warp gate appeared. Leading to some dungeon.
But inside the house, neither gate nor its intense glow leaked out.
[Ancient Stone Tablet][Durability: 2,999/3,000]
The dropped durability.
Even Rokan's strike shaved only 1—impressive, but understandable.
The durability didn't erode from attacks; it measured gates created.
It'd vanish after 2,999 more, but until then, the gains here were immense.
“Alright, time to properly suck the honey.”
In a sense, this dungeon held the most valuable prizes of all he'd claimed so far. Rokan gladly stepped inside.
End of Volume 4