Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Second Hero (2)
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One week after Kim Hyunwoo sent off the Tiinus Merchant Group.
Kim Hyunwoo leisurely took in the changing scenery beyond the territory castle, where the development level was now nearing 200.
The first new sight that caught his eye was the market that had sprung up next to the residential district.
Instead of sitting in the square to sell their goods like before, people were now buying and selling in assigned spots at the newly built market. The tavern adjacent to it had undergone expansion work, shedding its old image of being made entirely from wood with stone tiles added in places, giving it a more upscale feel.
The walls, which had previously been just simple wooden fences, had advanced another step, now featuring wooden watchtowers near them. The expanded blacksmith shop was also noticeably larger than before.
'There's something satisfying about watching it grow.'
Of course, considering the territory's growth stage, it was still in the very early phases, so the changes from this level of investment were remarkable. But Kim Hyunwoo rather liked that.
Every time he invested money, the territory visibly improved day by day, bringing him immense satisfaction.
Moreover, from the moment the processing workshops—which required magic stones to operate—were built, he no longer needed to use blue stones to produce resources himself.
Once all the workshops were complete, they could produce high-grade processed resources—perhaps not as top-tier as those made with blue stones, but certainly usable enough.
'I was using blue stones to create resources precisely because building with unprocessed raw materials lowered resident happiness and increased accident risks.'
Of course, production was limited, so until levels rose further, he'd need to build the trading post to import resources.
Since minimizing the use of blue stones—which could only be obtained through special limited events—was key, Kim Hyunwoo eagerly awaited the completion of the workshops and trading post.
'Elena and the soldiers are growing nicely too.'
With that thought, Kim Hyunwoo opened the information window.
For just one week, the soldiers and Elena showed remarkable growth.
Looking at Elena's information window, Kim Hyunwoo smiled to himself.
'The Hard Worker trait is really something.'
Normally, stat growth slows as values increase, but even as a 2-star hero, hers was rising at a solid pace.
However, there was one puzzling point for Kim Hyunwoo, who couldn't help but smile at her impressive growth.
'Why isn't Luck going up?'
No, it was rising. That was the issue.
As far as Kim Hyunwoo knew, Luck only increased in two cases.
One was when a major event like a serendipitous encounter boosted her stats dramatically.
The other was after surviving a life-threatening crisis.
'But has she even been in mortal danger? At most, the first floor of the labyrinth.'
He had only assigned her missions that didn't truly threaten her life, so with a puzzled expression,
'Just in case, I should pick missions more carefully. Plus, soldiers grow through real combat, so maybe pair her with some.'
With that in mind, he opened the troops window.
[Unit Type] Regular Soldiers Leader: Marlon [Proficiency 69/100] Troop Count: 100 [Details] Combat Efficiency: Average[No personnel eligible for advanced unit upgrade.]
-Basic Equipment-
Head: Helmet Body: Light Armor Waist: None Legs: None Main Armament: Iron Spear | Sub-Armament: None
※ Equipment is inadequate.
Compared to Elena's growth, the window looked a bit plain, but Kim Hyunwoo wore a satisfied expression.
The fact that the penalty effect had already vanished from the barracks—despite lacking a hero dedicated to training—meant the soldiers' proficiency had risen considerably from labyrinth explorations.
'Now, if only I could recruit a support hero like a cooking specialist or a dedicated trainer.'
Truth be told, at this point, what Kim Hyunwoo wanted most was a cooking hero.
It might seem out of left field, but in Arteil, cooking heroes could prepare dishes that granted buffs.
In other words, recruiting one would allow faster proficiency gains by deploying them in combat, steadily strengthening soldiers and heroes.
...It was less stable than dedicated training, of course, but mission difficulty could adjust for that.
'...There are plenty of other things besides troops that need attention.'
For now, aside from slightly precarious resource stocks, everything was progressing smoothly, leaving Kim Hyunwoo pleased.
And about three days later,
Just as the lumber mill neared completion,
The tavern had reached LV2, with 2-3 heroes visiting daily. While checking their info windows one by one,
The support hero with exactly the traits Kim Hyunwoo desired had entered Lartania territory.
Lately, Merrillda's mood hadn't been great.
Or more precisely, she was locked in a struggle against her own surging killing intent.
The reason? The woman by her master's side.
'Jealous.'
She truly thought it while gazing at Elena training diligently in the distance.
Elena—that woman clumsily swinging an axe in the training grounds—possessed everything Merrillda desired.
She received her master's care.
She shared affection with her master.
She had received a gift from her master.
Crunch...!
Merrillda's red eyes clouded with murderous intent.
Killing her would be trivially easy from Merrillda's perspective.
She could simply appear before Elena and slit her throat. Done.
If worried about the master finding out, just kill her when she left for a mission.
Grind...!
...Lately, the master had even assigned soldiers to her, questioning if she truly had his affection. But Merrillda was confident.
She could kill her and escape before the soldiers even noticed.
Yet, despite that confidence, she could never reach Elena.
The wolf knew.
If she died, and by some chance the master discovered the culprit, everything would end.
"Hoo... ha... hoo..."
She suddenly felt her breathing quicken.
Of course, the wolf hadn't acted on her plan.
She hadn't killed Elena or even touched a hair on her head.
But just imagining the master finding out made her breath tremble unstably.
As she forcibly steadied her breathing,
Thump...!
"!"
Merrillda instinctively sensed a strange unease.
A sticky, clinging magic—like displeasure she hadn't felt in ages.
Sensing it, Merrillda whipped her head toward the source.
Her gaze first fell on the group heading toward Lartania territory, but she quickly looked away.
They weren't the cause of the wolf's discomfort.
And the moment she turned her eyes backward,
"..."
Merrillda saw it.
In the empty plain where nothing had been, stood the Absolute Ruler of Darkness—as if she'd been there all along.
The woman who, to her, could only be infinitely repulsive.
"..."
Merrillda glared silently at the Absolute Ruler of Darkness.
She had no intention of speaking with the half-demon before her. Honestly, she wished she'd vanish right then and there.
Gazing at this woman who mirrored her own past deeds fueled her self-loathing, her heart aching as memories of her 10-years-ago self resurfaced.
However,
"...I came to make a request."
At the Absolute Ruler of Darkness's next words,
"Will you return the Execution Sword?"
"...Ha?"
The reverse scale of the Red Eyes had been touched.