Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Huh? (2)
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Kim Hyunwoo thought seriously.
Did he have any connection with Duke Tesnoka?
But no matter how much he racked his brain, as far as Kim Hyunwoo could tell, there was no connection between him and Duke Tesnoka.
He had only been in this world of Arteil for a few months, and even if there had been some tie from when he played the game, that didn't make any sense either.
For starters, Tesnoka territory wasn't listed on his territory relations map.
So Kim Hyunwoo stared blankly at the duke, who was flashing a confident smile, and the secretaries behind her, who were bowing their heads with slightly flustered expressions.
Soon, thanks to the influence of Immovable Mind, he felt his bewilderment quickly settle, and he opened his mouth.
"You have a good sense of humor."
"It's not a joke."
Another loud thud echoed from behind at the duke's words.
"I'm actually making a serious proposal to Lartania's lord."
Thud!
Another sound followed her voice.
By now, it was starting to feel oddly out of place, but before he could question it, Kim Hyunwoo, puzzling over her intentions with a bewildered look, said,
"So, there's something you want from me?"
"Why do you think that?"
"Common sense says a beautiful person like you wouldn't fall for me at first sight."
At Kim Hyunwoo's response, Duke Tesnoka grinned as if pleased, then spoke.
"Why not? What if I really did fall for you the moment I saw you?"
"If it were love at first sight, you'd be shy about it, but instead you're just smiling confidently."
"Is that so? The marriage proposal was sincere, though."
"Then it seems like you want to gain something through marriage with me."
Duke Tesnoka looked at him with a slightly surprised expression at his calm tone.
"Ahem, my apologies."
She promptly took her seat.
Unlike her earlier confident demeanor, she now seemed a bit more composed, as if she'd gotten what she wanted. Duke Tesnoka opened her mouth.
"...You're right. That's unexpected."
"Which part?"
"Well, there are several, but usually when I propose marriage, everyone comes charging at me with fire in their eyes. You do know who I am, right?"
"I've heard you're Duke Tesnoka."
"That's right. Most lords who know that fact get desperate to win me over, but you're surprisingly calm."
"There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Naturally, your attractive offer isn't free either."
Kim Hyunwoo answered neatly.
"...You understand well."
The duke smiled again, as if finding it amusing.
"First of all, you know who I am, but my introduction is late. I am Rania Tesnoka, lord of Tesnoka territory and duke of the Norba Kingdom."
She extended her hand.
"I am Kim Hyunwoo, lord of Lartania."
With that handshake, Kim Hyunwoo could finally engage in a proper conversation with her.
And after a short time passed.
"So, to sum up, you came to our territory because you heard I handled the disaster?"
"Yes. I was going to send someone at first, but after hearing about it, I wanted to meet you in person. I wanted to see you before any other territories, after all."
"...Other territories?"
"Yes. At least in the Kalan Kingdom, word of you must have spread by now."
Kim Hyunwoo nodded with a not-unpleased expression at Duke Tesnoka's words.
It had been a crisis worthy of the name disaster, but from his position as someone who now had to run a labyrinth city, having the news spread outward wasn't bad.
However, separately from that, Kim Hyunwoo had another thought.
'In the end, if that's the case, they just watched. They didn't actually help.'
Of course, he naturally knew there was no need to feel negative about them not helping.
It didn't make sense for them to think of aiding Lartania, a territory with no ties to them.
But human emotions weren't purely logical like a machine's, so some negativity did rise, though Kim Hyunwoo decided to view it positively.
From hearing this, he could guess her purpose and check how he appeared to the surrounding territories.
Thus.
"In conclusion, it seems you've come to build a good relationship with me. Is that right?"
"Exactly. Oh, and the marriage proposal is sincere too."
"...Why are you so fixated on marriage?"
"Because I don't want to let you slip away. And it's intriguing too."
"...?"
Kim Hyunwoo gave her a puzzled look.
He had absolutely no intention of getting married.
The Arteil he played was a territory management game, but also a beautiful girl gacha game, so naturally, there was a hidden favorability system beyond affinity.
When favorability rose, the heroes' behaviors changed differently from affinity, and at max, marriage was possible.
Once married, the heroes became adorably affectionate, and if they got along, polygamy was even allowed, making favorability grinding for marriage practically a national pastime in Arteil.
High favorability even granted extra stat bonuses beyond affinity levels, making hero happiness management tricky but doing nothing seemed weirder.
Still, despite knowing this, Kim Hyunwoo had no plans to marry because one territory—ranked 33rd among rankers—had been utterly destroyed over it.
Among Arteil users, the incident dubbed "The Fall of the Magic Palace" involved a user named "Narak," who climbed from 380th to 33rd by polygamously marrying eight 5-star heroes. The gist was simple.
Narak failed to manage their happiness levels, sparking fights among the heroes, which devastated the territory.
Narak plummeted to 80th overnight. He tried rebuilding and managing happiness, but with eight shattered heroes, it was near impossible, and the territory exploded.
Users thus branded him with "The Fate of the Magic Palace User," embedding the idea that "marriage = magic palace disaster," making everyone wary of marriage.
Recalling how even he, not yet a ranker then, had hastily stopped his own favorability grinding, Kim Hyunwoo made a wry face before composing himself and speaking.
"...Anyway, I have no marriage plans for now."
Two hours later.
"Then, I'll assume you'll visit in person next time?"
"Since you came here, I'll return the visit once. As for the trade deal, we'll handle it through the exchange."
After receiving Lartania's lord Kim Hyunwoo's farewell, Rania departed in the massive magitech carriage guarded by knights, leaving the territory. The moment she exited Lartania territory.
"How was he?"
Roman appeared before the duke, who smiled and replied.
"Intriguing."
"...In what way?"
"My magic eye didn't work on him."
"...Your Grace's magic eye... you mean?"
In truth, the reason the duke kept proposing marriage to Kim Hyunwoo was her magic eye. The Enthralling Magic Eye. Not as absolute as the legendary "magic eyes" of lore, but paired with her beauty, it performed admirably. It was one of the key tools that had allowed her, at a young age, to manage her territory and diplomacy so well—and strangely, it hadn't worked on Kim Hyunwoo. No matter how many times she tried. And that wasn't the only surprise for the duke. 'He quickly inferred the situation from just a few pieces of information and got what he wanted.' Of course, since she'd come to build rapport, she was practically handing it over, but even so, she found Lartania's lord impressive. Being a duke—and lord of Tesnoka—naturally pressured others. Though their talk was brief, limiting deeper discussion, from that alone, the duke gauged Lartania's lord's value. 'I want him.' As far as she could tell, Lartania's lord was a treasure. Even two hours of talk couldn't plumb his depths—he hid much. Thus. '...Failed to pull him under me this time, but that's fine. Snagging a treasure all at once would be no fun.' The duke smiled to herself. At that moment. Merrillda, silently watching the duke depart from beyond the hill, thought. '...If I kill her, the master won't like it... This wouldn't earn praise either.' She looked genuinely regretful, crushing the stone in her hand to powder with true disappointment.
"Three seconds would be plenty."
Merrillda muttered, glaring at the carriage. But having realized Kim Hyunwoo intended to gain something from her, Merrillda couldn't kill the duke. So, with a wistful expression, she thought. '...If I don't kill her, it'll be fine, right?' A slightly sinister smile crossed her face. And about five hours later. On a mountain path where Lartania territory was long out of sight. Crack! "Kyaaak?!"
The deluxe carriage carrying Duke Tesnoka shattered from a flying stone out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, as the duke departed Lartania territory. In the commercial territory of Lappen.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes."
"The budget?"
"We brought half a year's worth from the Kalan Kingdom."
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness.
"We must obtain the Execution Sword, no matter what."
Was gazing at the territory with such mutterings.
"...Even if it means destroying everything here."
Her eyes gleamed chillingly.