Chapter 35: The Lord Who Absolutely Delivers
Arthur woke from sleep as morning arrived and immediately logged into the Lord Game.
Appearing at the spot where he'd logged off, he was greeted by Gremori, who bowed politely.
"The soldiers have finished preparing for deployment."
Gremori was unmistakably a sharp and decisive proxy lord.
She was the type who got things done reliably, that much was clear.
Just the fact that she'd been waiting for him proved it.
'Will the Overwhelm Gremori quest only complete after I return from subjugating them?'
It simply said to overwhelm them, with no specific details listed, which was puzzling.
Arthur stepped outside the castle with Gremori.
Thirty soldiers, fully geared for their first campaign, stood in formation with excited expressions.
'He fed us all so well yesterday!'
'Thanks to him, we ate like kings! What a lord!'
It was only natural.
The moment he'd become lord, he'd filled the bellies of all the starving territory folk.
Thanks to that, the soldiers had enjoyed a satisfying feast for the first time in ages the night before.
Arthur looked them over.
"Everyone sleep well?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Today's your first deployment. This is to protect the territory, so give it your all."
"Understood!"
The soldiers' voices boomed with enthusiasm.
Arthur's charisma far outstripped that of other lords still in their protection period.
Naturally, the soldiers were in a state of absolute obedience.
Arthur smiled in satisfaction and opened his sketchbook.
There was only a single drawing in the sketchbook.
'The Sovereign of Reversal.'
This was their first campaign.
A power boost at a time when they were tense and nervous would surely fill them with some confidence.
"Everyone, look at this drawing."
'A drawing...?'
Gremori looked puzzled.
She peered at the sketch he'd made as well.
Arthur stepped forward so all the soldiers could see it clearly and held it up properly.
You have viewed The Sovereign of Reversal.
Strength +2 effect applied.
The alert rang out not just for her, but for all the soldiers.
"M-My strength went up...!"
"No way!"
"Whoa."
The soldiers gasped in awe.
Gremori was no different.
'Just what are the lord's abilities...?'
How far did they go?
Arthur flashed a satisfied smile and summoned Fenrus from the summoning chamber.
"A w-wolf...?"
The soldiers feigned surprise but quickly composed themselves.
They couldn't afford to look sloppy in front of their lord.
Without hesitation, Arthur mounted Fenrus's back.
Fenrus, carrying Arthur, took the lead.
The soldiers fell into line behind him.
Gremori watched from the rear.
By convention, the proxy stayed to guard the territory during the first subjugation.
'Please return safely.'
After using his VIP pass to build all the structures, Arthur had scouted dungeons within 5km of the territory.
He'd chosen carefully, with utmost caution.
To enter that dungeon, lords in their protection period had to pioneer the assigned land.
Protection period land was the territory granted to new lords upon assignment.
No one could trespass or seize it.
Unless they won it in war, that is.
Leading his soldiers out, Arthur spotted monsters in the distance.
'Hellhounds?'
Hellhounds were high-tier beasts even among 1-star monsters.
A bit much for protection-period lords to handle.
'As expected of Fordail Land.'
For lords newly assigned territory, surviving with half their forces intact would be fortunate.
Hellhounds were quite large.
A bit smaller than a pony, their flesh melted away in rotting slabs that instilled terror, and their fangs were sharp enough to make knees buckle.
Grrrrowl!
Krarararak!
"Gasp...!"
"H-Hellhounds!"
The soldiers flinched in shock.
They hadn't expected hellhounds on their very first subjugation.
Fear crept across their faces.
Some of them would die today, they thought.
Arthur calmly turned to his soldiers.
"No one among us is dying today."
Charisma.
Arthur had it.
Not the stat, but the unshakeable confidence he exuded.
The soldiers were awestruck.
'The lord's dignity is incredible...'
'He believes in something!'
"And don't kill them completely. Leave them breathing, as much as possible."
"Pardon?"
"U-Understood."
Arthur had said "as much as possible."
He offered no further explanation.
Hinting at a mission to anyone would invalidate it, even if completed.
(Prevent Troop Losses)
📍 Grade: C
🎁 Cash Reward: 100 per surviving soldier.
💰 Reward: 500 gold per surviving soldier.
⚠️ Penalty: 500 cash deducted per dead soldier.
[Description: First subjugation. Minimize troop losses to prove your competence as a lord.]
'The risk is higher now?'
The penalty for deaths was ten times the survival reward.
'Maybe...'
Arthur had a hunch.
'The training camp went easy on the risks?'
It was plausible.
But it didn't matter.
No one would die.
Grrrrowl!
Krarararak!
There were thirty hellhounds in total.
They charged with ferocious speed.
Arthur drew not Kazaven's spear, but Rimus's bow.
Rimus's bow was a plain rare artifact he'd bought from the cash shop.
A bow came in handy.
Its special traits: Agility +2, accuracy +4, and no need for arrows.
Arthur drew the string taut without arrows and gave the order.
"Archers, ready."
There were ten archers.
"Everyone except me—don't hit the heads."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, Arthur himself aimed for a hellhound's head.
"Fire!"
Thwip!
The moment Arthur released, a translucent arrow materialized in the air and streaked toward the hellhound.
It struck the beast's head dead center.
Kyaaang!
The hellhound collapsed with a thud.
It died instantly.
A few gleaming gold coins dropped near the corpse.
Gold.
A tiny amount, but hunting these yielded food, wood, ore, and more.
The soldiers' arrows followed, embedding in hellhounds or the ground.
'Beginners, as expected. Can't be helped.'
Their accuracy was abysmal.
Arthur kept drawing and firing.
Thin their numbers before they closed in.
'Fenrus, don't kill. Just leave 'em breathing.'
Grrrk!
Fenrus nodded.
"Shields, forward."
Shieldbearers wielded shields and spears.
Ten formed a solid wall of massive square shields.
Arthur drew Kazaven's spear.
"I'll fight at the front. You're not just blocking—you're pushing."
"M-My lord, that's too dangerous."
"He's right. Command from the rear..."
"Then you might die."
The soldiers were moved, even in the heat of battle.
'A true sage king!'
He'd fed all the territory folk on day one, and now he cherished them in their first subjugation!
"And it's not dangerous."
"Huh...?"
"Gah!"
Fenrus and Arthur vanished simultaneously, turning transparent.
Fenrus plunged into the hellhounds mid-charge, tearing into them indiscriminately.
Krraaak!
Squelch!
Splurt!
Arthur slipped in among them, slamming Kazaven's spear into a hellhound's head with full force.
The shieldbearers, stunned, began shoving the now-flailing hellhounds toward the invisible duo locked in combat.
Archers kept firing, while swordsmen hunted those bypassing the shields.
'They handle the basics without being told.'
Trained fundamentals.
Arthur would hone them into veterans.
Kroooar!
One hellhound squeezed through the shield wall, lunging for a soldier's head.
"Eeeek!"
The panicked soldier screamed.
Arthur hurled his spear.
[Critical Strike!]
The spear pierced the hellhound's skull, grazing past the soldier's neck.
Splurt!
Using the spear's recall skill, it yanked free from the head and flew back into Arthur's hand.
Splurt!
Thud!
Arthur smashed hellhound skulls in rapid succession.
Fenrus left them clinging to life.
Arthur and Fenrus were simply too strong for these beasts.
Arthur drove his spear into the last hellhound's head with all his might.
Arthur eyed the holographic reward window.
The mission he'd aimed for: hunt solely by headshots, piercing all thirty in the first subjugation.
'Bakalos cleared this one.'
Bakalos was hot-blooded and willful.
But undeniably powerful.
Rumor had it he'd told his soldiers during their first subjugation:
'Watch how your lord does it, punks.'
He'd benched them and smashed dozens of monster skulls solo.
The guy loved crushing heads, monster or human.
Said the bursting sensation felt good.
Utterly grotesque.
'This mission demands a lot.'
Far stronger than average lords, and headshots only.
Arthur checked the three rewards.
⦁ Growth Potion
⦁ 30 Soldier Weapons
⦁ 10,000 Gold
Arthur selected the Growth Potion.
Using the Growth Potion let soldiers gain EXP from monster kills.
No level-ups, but at certain thresholds, they'd get two stat points, like Arthur's level-ups.
Normally, soldiers grew via barracks upgrades with gold and levels.
This bypassed that.
'Two missions left for today.'
Chaining three missions yielded superior rewards.
Those could let him crush a lone territory single-handedly.
"S-Snakes...!"
"Gasp!"
The soldiers yelped.
Snakes burst from Arthur's left wrist, sucking blood from the hellhound corpses before slithering back inside.
Sizzle.
Siiiizzle.
Their wounds healed rapidly.
"One of my abilities. Any unusual injuries?"
"None, sir!"
The soldiers marveled endlessly.
No one hurt against hellhounds.
"Recover all items."
"Yes, sir!"
Recovered items like gold, food, and wood automatically went to Arthur.
Monster hunts yielded modest amounts, but steady farming aided territory operations.
Prevent Troop Losses completed.
Reward: 15,000 gold
Reward: 3,000 cash
Arthur nodded in satisfaction.
Best of both worlds.
He was miles ahead of other lords.
He checked territory EXP.
Territory had reached level 2.
Meaning all structures could hit level 2 with enough gold and materials, along with overall territory level.
Other lords took months for that.
Monster subjugation successful.
You may now construct Farm and Lumber Mill.
Arthur nodded again, then approached a hellhound without delay.
Drawing a dagger from his belt, he plunged it deep into the corpse with full force.
Splurt!