The County

Kim Jun opened his status window the moment the battle ended.

"Nice."

The corner of Kim Jun's mouth curled up before he could stop it.

He was level 59 now. At this point, if he didn't climb faster, the experience he gained on this floor would be practically meaningless.

But rewards that raised his stats directly, regardless of level, were on a completely different tier.

'Agility +5... It looks like a simple number, but that means the entire pace of combat changes.'

Strength and stamina could be patched up to a certain extent with experience, but agility affected reaction speed, evasion, and even the success rate of a parry.

For someone like Kim Jun, whose fighting style depended on reading and answering patterns down to the second, that one line of text was as good as a lifeline.

And more than anything else—

'Parry' and 'Vital Strike'... I never even got these skills before the regression.

Originally, those two skills were an unusual system that only activated on floors themed after Dark Souls.

But the fact that he had obtained them as skills meant they were no longer confined to this place alone.

Maybe they'll work on that bastard too.

The only being he had ever failed against.

The so-called All-Mighty on the 100th floor.

It might end up becoming a secret weapon aimed at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tower's final boss.

And finally, Kim Jun's gaze settled on the Royal Seal.

'Something I can command to whoever follows the descendants of the royal bloodline...'

This wasn't a simple right of command.

It was a strange power tied to bloodline itself.

And as the description said, if a descendant of the royal bloodline used it personally, the efficiency would be beyond imagination.

Kim Jun held the seal in his hand and muttered,

'Does that mean I can order the soldiers here around?'

He wanted to try it right away, but he didn't.

There was something he had to do first, and there was someone else who was more suited to the item anyway.

"Pasia."

"Y-yes..."

"From now on, you're the lord of this county."

"Huh?"

The count was dead.

Only a descendant of the royal bloodline could govern the county.

Pasia was a descendant of the royal bloodline.

In other words—

"From now on, you're the one who'll rule this place."

"M-me...?"

Pasia's eyes widened. She stared at Kim Jun in disbelief.

"Someone like me...?"

"Not someone like you. Only you can do it."

Kim Jun's voice was firm when he said it.

Thud, thud, thud!

Heavy footsteps thundered from outside.

"My lord!"

"Are you all right?"

The manor door flew open roughly, and armored soldiers surged in.

When they saw Aurelius's corpse lying on the floor, they froze in shock.

"The count... is dead!"

"They killed the count!"

The soldiers raised spears and swords and advanced toward Kim Jun's group.

But Kim Jun said calmly,

"The count is dead. It's time to welcome a new master."

"What nonsense is that!"

The man who seemed to be the soldiers' captain shouted.

"You dare kill the count and speak of a new count?"

"We recognize only the descendants of the royal bloodline as our count! We can't serve some outsider like you!"

The soldiers leveled their spearheads at Kim Jun.

Their eyes were full of killing intent.

"Not me."

Kim Jun pointed at Pasia.

"This child is the descendant of the royal bloodline."

"What?"

The soldiers' gazes shifted to Pasia.

"That little girl?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Prove it!"

The captain snorted.

"If she's truly a descendant of the royal bloodline, then there must be proof!"

Kim Jun took the Royal Seal from his pocket and handed it to Pasia.

"Try using this."

"T-this... what is it?"

"It'll prove that you're the true owner of this place."

The moment Pasia took the seal with trembling hands—

Wooooom—

Golden light began to pour out of the seal.

The radiance enveloped Pasia, and in an instant a golden aura spread through the girl's entire body.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Fwoosh—!

A faint golden afterimage rose behind Pasia's back.

It took the shape of a massive stag, the sort one might only see in myth.

An apparition of a golden deer with elegant antlers wrapped around Pasia and slowly came into focus.

"Th-this is!"

The soldiers staggered back in shock.

"It's the royal guardian spirit!"

"The blessing of the golden stag!"

A murmur spread through the soldiers.

Their expressions, which had been doubtful only moments ago, changed completely.

"This is... definitely..."

The captain muttered in a trembling voice, then suddenly dropped to one knee.

"I-I greet the new lord!"

The other soldiers followed one after another and knelt as well.

"We greet our lord!"

"Descendant of the royal bloodline!"

To Kim Jun, a modern man, the whole scene ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was honestly a little embarrassing.

'Feels like I'm watching a historical drama.'

Kim Jun couldn't even begin to guess how great a being the descendants of the royal bloodline were in this world.

What he did know for certain was that the soldiers had accepted Pasia as their new lord without the slightest hesitation.

The sort of thing that should have required persuasion, approval, and a headache's worth of time had been settled in a single stroke.

'That takes care of Pasia. Now, for the 19th floor...'

But then—

"What is this?"

Kim Jun asked in bewilderment.

"I-it popped up in my system window and asked me something, so I just pressed it..."

Pasia answered hesitantly.

"What did it ask?"

"Whether I wanted to appoint Kim Jun as regent..."

Kim Jun's face went hard.

'Wait, what? Does that mean I have to manage this territory here until Pasia becomes an adult?'

A new status window appeared.

Kim Jun sighed as he looked over the window.

'This is basically a territory management game.'

When he scrolled down the status window, more information appeared.

Kim Jun didn't have the luxury of lingering here and playing county management sim.

He had to rescue Fresentia and Petra.

And he had to climb the Tower as quickly as possible.

So—

'Administration 8.'

All he had to do was put the right person in charge of the county for him.

"Bring Roberto to me."

"Yes, Regent!"

One of the soldiers ran off at once.

A short while later, a middle-aged gentleman was shown in. He wore neat, carefully pressed clothes and had the sharp, intelligent look of a man who could get things done.

"I greet you, Regent."

"From now on, you're going to handle the real management of this territory."

Kim Jun cut straight to the point.

"Teach Pasia until she's old enough, and run the county."

"But Regent, if you were to oversee it personally..."

"I can't stay here long. I've got a lot to do."

Kim Jun waved a hand.

"And as you know, I'm not from around here. I have to keep climbing the Tower."

Roberto nodded. Everyone already knew the regent was a hunter.

"And from now on, your name is Hwang Hui."

"...Pardon?"

Roberto's mouth dropped open in a bewildered expression.

Roberto, Elena, and the rest of them. I hate names that are hard to remember.

Kim Jun folded his arms and went on,

"Hwang Hui. That's a good name."

"But my name is..."

"You'll be working here until the day you die. Hwang Hui suits you just fine."

Kim Jun nodded, putting the matter to rest.

"Got it, Hwang Hui?"

The man who had once been Roberto, and was now Hwang Hui, answered with a complicated expression.

"...Understood, Regent."

The sun sets here too.

The red glow of dusk stained the roofs of the county, and the lengthening shadows spread through the alleyways one by one.

The chirping of birds from far away grew quieter and quieter, until evening's silence finally settled over the land.

By the time the first stars began to appear, Kim Jun and Pasia were standing side by side on the lord's manor balcony.

"Mister..."

Pasia's voice was small and trembling.

Kim Jun looked down at the girl.

A great deal had changed in just one day.

Pasia, who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once looked like nothing more than a ragged beggar, was now a lord, and Kim Jun had become her regent.

But what mattered most was something else entirely.

'Pasia is safe now.'

Hwang Hui was here as a capable administrator, and the soldiers had sincerely accepted Pasia as their ruler.

Above all, as long as the Royal Seal existed, no one would be able to lay a hand on her carelessly.

'I can leave without worrying now.'

As Kim Jun was thinking that, Pasia asked carefully,

"How long are you going to stay here, Mister?"

Kim Jun hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly.

"Until tomorrow's sunrise."

Pasia's expression darkened at once.

It hadn't been enough time for them to share real feelings, but he was the only adult who had treated her well.

She looked unwilling to part ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with him.

Kim Jun lightly patted the young girl's head.

"We'll see each other again soon. I still have to come back with your younger sisters."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Kim Jun met Pasia's eyes and continued,

"But until then, you need to grow strong. You're a lord now."

"I'm... not strong."

"Then get stronger."

Kim Jun's voice was firm.

"The people here believe in you and follow you. You have to answer that trust."

Pasia lowered her head and fell silent.

When she still didn't speak after a while, she slowly clenched both fists.

"...All right."

Her voice was small, but unshakable.

"I'll... try too. As the lord!"

Snrk.

Kim Jun smiled in relief.

"Good. That's enough."

Seeing that, Kim Jun decided there was nothing more to worry about, and spent his final night on the 18th floor.