Peace Protected by Muscles
Peace protected by muscles. Except for one person, the Legrian Territory was rapidly being restored. The collapsed walls were nearly repaired, and the destroyed houses had been rebuilt anew. The residents were greatly satisfied.
“Hahaha! The new houses aren’t bad at all!”
“They’re incomparably sturdier than the wooden ones!”
“And that’s not all! The floor is so warm it feels like my body is melting!”
The residents loved their new homes. They had been worried about how to survive the coming cold winter. Fireplaces existed, but their heating efficiency left much to be desired.
“What good is warm air when the floor is freezing!”
“Ugh, it was terrible.”
“It was a cold floor. Even sitting on it was unbearable.”
Even with a lit fireplace, only the air nearby grew hot. The newly introduced heating system was different.
“What did they call it again?”
“Lord Albert said it was gudeuljang ondol.”
“Heh, that man is definitely a genius. How did he even come up with this?”
The gudeuljang ondol warmed the floor, sending heat upward and making the entire house cozy. It was on an entirely different level from the old fireplaces.
“To think he’s giving this to us for free……”
“Ever since Lord Albert returned, our lives have truly improved.”
Smiles never left the residents’ faces. Before Albert’s return, they had lived in constant fear of monster attacks and worried about their next meal. Everything changed once he came back.
“We don’t have to worry about monsters or food anymore.”
“He’s our savior, without a doubt.”
“Alright! Let’s work hard!”
“We’re getting paid for this, and there’s even a performance bonus! Let’s get to it!”
“Yeah!”
The residents worked with smiles. At first it had been grueling, but they endured, believing it was for the territory—and they were being paid.
“Our situation is much better than other territories.”
“Other lords make their people work for free and still collect taxes.”
“Taxes are so high that plenty of people have fled.”
“Our territory still isn’t collecting taxes.”
“That’s true.”
Other lords treated unpaid labor as standard and collected taxes on top of it. In contrast, the Legrian Territory provided rest periods while genuinely considering its people.
“No other noble cares for commoners like this!”
“You’re right.”
They were happy. It felt like receiving compensation for enduring those harsh days. That was why they worked even harder.
Yet human motivation never stays constant from beginning to end.
“Haa…… I’m exhausted.”
“I’m worn out……”
“I’m so tired……”
The residents were growing weary—not physically, but mentally. Although running water had been installed, Albert continued mixing Bakhass into the wells. Drinking it relieved fatigue and restored stamina, allowing them to work longer. This created overwhelming labor power that rapidly rebuilt the territory.
But side effects emerged. Bakhass eliminated physical fatigue yet did nothing for mental exhaustion. The endless days of labor wore down their motivation despite the pay.
“So, what do you think, Brother?”
Elena asked Albert, who was leisurely sipping tea in front of her.
“About what?”
“I told you. The residents seem mentally exhausted lately……”
Elena sighed softly, her expression troubled.
“Because of that, work efficiency has dropped and people aren’t as proactive as before, so construction is slowing down.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Is there any way to fix it?”
Without hesitation, Albert offered solutions.
“There are several options.”
“Like what?”
“First, opening taverns to sell alcohol would be good, or starting restaurants. Clubs, karaoke rooms—maybe even PC bangs? Other entertainment facilities will be necessary too.”
This world had extremely few recreational facilities for commoners. Nobles enjoyed chess and similar pastimes, but commoners had nothing.
“Sports would be excellent as well. Moving the body helps relieve mental fatigue just as much.”
Sports were a fine way to relieve stress. They also fostered teamwork and improved physical abilities.
“Hmm…… There really are many methods.”
“There are always plenty of methods. The difficulty lies in implementing them.”
Albert leisurely sipped his tea before setting the cup down. He had never enjoyed tea much since arriving in this world. It couldn’t be helped.
Tasteless!
Every beverage in this world lacked flavor. His tongue had long been enslaved by MSG and accustomed to the highly developed culinary culture of the other world. He wanted coffee, cola, cider, Fanta.
I want that fizzy carbonation…… Ah……
He had tried to figure out how to make carbonated drinks here, but there was no way. The System probably knew something.
We still lack sufficient information.
Even if we knew the method, it would be meaningless without knowing what substitutes we could use.
Creating drinks like coffee, cola, cider, and Fanta required substitutes. The biggest problem was carbonation. Without knowing how to produce the key ingredient, cola was impossible.
Albert clicked his tongue regretfully.
Ah…… I want cola……
He had enjoyed it so much in the other world, but had forgotten about it while staying busy here. Now that he had some leisure, the craving suddenly returned.
“Brother.”
“Hm?”
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
“……About a sharp-tongued woman who could stimulate me?”
“Y-you were thinking about a woman!? W-who!? D-don’t tell me you had someone you loved in the other world……?”
Elena’s eyes widened in surprise as she asked in a flustered voice.
Thinking about it, it’s only natural. Brother spent 110 years in the other world. Of course he would have met women…… and fallen in love.
Elena felt unsettled. Why did imagining Albert being affectionate with someone else make her feel this way?
I don’t like it.
She puffed out one cheek and glared at Albert with clear displeasure. She didn’t know why, but the thought made her dislike it and feel irritated. It was as if something inside her was bubbling over.
“Why’s your expression like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you puffing your cheeks like a squirrel?”
“When did I do that?”
“Just now.”
Albert poked her cheek, letting the air out. Elena jumped in surprise.
“W-what are you doing!?”
“Just letting the air out of my cute little sister’s cheek.”
“E-even so, you can’t just touch a woman’s face like that!”
“A woman? You’re my sister~ My cute little sister~.”
“Tch……”
Albert grinned. He roughly understood why Elena was reacting this way. It resembled the expression Han Yeseul had worn whenever Kang Min-seob was kind to other women.
Jealousy.
Did that foolish bear finally confess to Yeseul?
He probably hasn’t.
I’ve watched those two for over a hundred years. They’re hopeless.
Their talents are all concentrated in combat.
The System’s messages carried absolute certainty. Both of them needed to be locked in a cave and fed garlic until they became human. Their wild, animalistic instincts in battle surpassed even a bear’s, yet in every other aspect they remained unevolved. They needed to eat garlic and become proper people.
“No need to worry. I never dated anyone in the other world.”
“You didn’t?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“I was too busy surviving and finding a way back.”
“……”
Albert’s answer was simple, yet it carried the weight of 110 years of hardship. To survive. To find a way home. He had no time for women or romance.
“Anyway, there was nothing for you to worry about.”
“Tch…… I wasn’t worried about anything.”
Elena’s expression melted like snow under warm spring sunlight.
Maybe I should get involved in this matter too?
You’re being quite proactive this time as well.
As expected, when it concerns Lady Elena……
I’m getting paid. How dare they slack off?
Huh……?
My salary is huge. I have to squeeze every last drop of value out of them.
The residents working on construction weren’t doing it for passion alone—they were all being paid by Albert. He wasn’t making them work for free.
But just because they’re tired, efficiency drops? That’s unacceptable. I have to get my money’s worth.
Get his money’s worth. It was the same as a buffet. If you paid a hefty sum to enter a buffet, only by squeezing every last drop of value could you call yourself a true Korean. When Koreans left a buffet, the first words out of their mouths weren’t “That was delicious~” but “I got my money’s worth!”
Having lived 110 years in such a Korea, Albert was now a genuine Korean to the bone! He could never tolerate losses. He had to extract full value for what he invested.
So……
The reason Lord Albert is being proactive is…… because he doesn’t want to waste the money he spent?
Of course.
Of course it is.
Haah……
(´-ι_-｀)
“Hahaha! Having a tavern is wonderful!”
“Yeah! A cold beer after sweating all day hits different! This is the taste!”
Taverns and new restaurants had opened in the territory. Albert selected residents who could cook and put them in charge of the restaurants. The menu wasn’t extensive, but it was sufficient.
“So this is that omelet thing?”
“Heh, this egg fry is delicious too!!”
“Ooh, so you can eat meat like this. It’s art!”
Albert had passed on recipes from the other world to the cooks. Since they were simple, the cooks quickly grew accustomed to the unfamiliar methods.
Making ramen and such later wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
The method? It didn’t matter. Albert had the System, which contained infinite knowledge.
“Heh! This is great!”
“This popcorn snack goes perfectly with drinks too!”
“Ah! My fatigue is melting away! It’s gone!”
“Hahaha!!”
The tavern was packed with people.
“Really? Only 20 silver per beer? And a 20% discount for territory laborers!?”
Albert offered a 20% discount at taverns and restaurants exclusively to working laborers. It was a benefit for those contributing to the territory. Those who didn’t work had no right to such privileges.
“What? So if you don’t work, you pay more? Isn’t this discrimination!?”
Complaints naturally arose.
“Discrimination!?”
“Let us eat cheaply too!”
Complaints that could be heard anywhere. But they were quickly suppressed—by the people themselves.
“Discrimination? Do you even know how hard we’re working!? Look at this!”
One man raised his arm, showing the bruise on it.
“This is from a brick falling on me while I was laying walls. It still hurts like hell. We work in danger like this. This treatment is what we deserve.”
“Deserve? That’s discrimination! W-what about people who can’t work!!”
“Those who can’t work can go to the mansion for a physical examination. They’ll receive a certificate.”
If someone was unwell or elderly, they could receive the discount after an examination at the mansion. Albert had already discussed this system with Elena. He had anticipated such complaints.
Do you know how many troublemakers I dealt with in the other world?
It was a countermeasure born from experience. Having tasted the spicy flavor of Korean troublemakers, he had preemptively blocked similar complaints here.
“This isn’t discrimination. It’s welfare.”
“If you’re upset, then work.”
“Stop lazing around at home.”
“Ugh……”
The man who raised the issue had no choice but to slink away. Still, the tavern’s opening didn’t mean there were no problems at all. People who got drunk and caused trouble existed, of course.
But here, there was no issue.
“Hey! Do you know who I am!? I’m……”
“Who are you?”
“I’m……”
“Go on, tell me. Who are you?”
The man who appeared before the drunkard was none other than Aiden, Captain of the Guard protecting the Legrian Territory’s peace. The moment the drunk saw Aiden’s massive pectoral muscles, his intoxication vanished instantly. Seeing Aiden’s face was like being doused with cold water, clearing his mind.
Aiden struck a pose, displaying his biceps and his rock-solid trapezius muscles that seemed to hold the world itself.
“Drinking is fine. But you’re responsible for the consequences. You understand, right?”
“……Y-yes, I’ll drink in moderation!”
“Good. The rest of you can drink too. But if you cause trouble while drunk……”
The muscles on his back took on a demonic shape, threatening the crowd. Aiden didn’t speak, but the demon carved into his back spoke for him.
Try causing trouble. Then you’ll be dealing with me.
“The choice is yours.”
Aiden left after saying this. Watching from afar, Albert smiled in satisfaction.
“As expected, even when drunk, people can’t resist public authority.”
The System retorted incredulously.
It’s not public authority they submitted to……
It looks more like they submitted to muscle power……
Today, too, the Legrian Territory was kept peaceful by muscles.
“Today! We’re destroying chest muscles!!!”
“Muscles, muscles!”
“Here! 100 servings of chicken breast salad! No, make it 200 servings!!”
“Protein, quickly!! I’m getting dizzy!”
“Meat~ please! Meat!!”
“My Halbram is screaming for protein! Protein!”
“Ugh, muscle loss is coming! Hurry!!”
However, the restaurant’s peace was not maintained.
“Hey! You protein-obsessed lunatics!! Stop eating so much!!”
Except for the restaurant owner, everyone in the territory lived in peace.