Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Huh? (3)
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A little time passed after Duke Tesnoka departed.
"So that's how it works."
Kim Hyunwoo gazed at the now fully activated trading post, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
When he'd first built it, he'd wondered if it was a waste. But now that it could be used like this, he was glad he'd gone ahead with it.
'I was planning to start developing it seriously once the labyrinth city was up and running properly... but this changes everything.'
Kim Hyunwoo immediately tapped [View More] to check the trade goods available from Tesnoka Territory.
"Oh."
He let out a brief gasp of admiration as a dizzying list scrolled into view.
Without hesitation, he snapped up the wood, iron ore, and stone he needed right now—items the duke's house had put up for sale—and proposed 20,000 gold as the payment before closing the trading post window.
'They shouldn't be too upset with this amount.'
In truth, the resources could've been had for a bit less than 20,000 gold, but Kim Hyunwoo generously offered the full sum.
Instead of haggling over the exact price, padding it a little seemed like the smart move for building goodwill with the duke's house in future trades.
'Especially since they're selling rare resources too. Better to keep things friendly. Basic resources will all be produced in-house eventually anyway.'
With that thought, Kim Hyunwoo looked out from the lord's castle at the buildings dotting the landscape.
Each one guzzled massive amounts of resources, but trades could cover it for now. Once their levels started climbing in earnest, though, buying them outright with gold wouldn't cut it anymore.
Buildings hit level 5 and beyond? The resource demands jumped to another dimension entirely.
And that was just the start. Past level 5, every building needed rare resources specific to its type just to level up.
In other words, difficulty spiked vertically the moment your territory started growing naturally.
Sure, pumping those resources—and rares—into upgrades paid off handsomely, but no denying it: you'd be bleeding resources like crazy.
"Hmm..."
After pondering for a long while, Kim Hyunwoo checked his resource window.
Unlike when he'd first arrived, just looking at the resource window filled him with a rock-solid sense of security.
The gold and red stones would vanish in a flash, sure—but even so, he grinned proudly at the sight. Then he summoned Elena via a soldier.
A short while later.
"...Hm?"
Kim Hyunwoo spotted Elena climbing the stairs to his office, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Something wrong?"
At his question, Elena shook her head slightly to deny it, then glanced around furtively before speaking.
"It's not that... I just heard something weird."
"Weird how?"
"Yeah. Word is, Duke Tesnoka proposed to you... Is it true?"
Kim Hyunwoo answered her casually probing tone.
"It did happen, but I turned her down."
"...Oh, really?"
Elena's face lit up at first—"Oh"—before she caught herself and composed her voice. Kim Hyunwoo nodded.
"Yeah. No real reason to get married right now."
"Right? That's what I think too. And honestly, you should steer clear of women like that."
"...Is that so?"
"A woman like that? She's gotta be sneaky and scheming. Yeah, definitely."
"...R-Really...?"
"If I'd seen her say that right in front of you, I wouldn't have just stood there."
"..."
With every word, an increasingly terrifying aura seeped into her tone—enough to leave Kim Hyunwoo speechless.
Her eyes had lost focus slightly, her expression cold enough to kill.
Kim Hyunwoo nodded awkwardly with a forced smile.
"Got it. I'll be careful."
"Good. So, what'd you call me for?"
As Elena finally asked—her curiosity sated—Kim Hyunwoo replied.
"We're building the labyrinth city now."
"...The labyrinth city?"
"Yeah. Before we start, there's something I need you to do."
He got straight to the point, eyes on Elena.
A few days after Kim Hyunwoo officially declared the labyrinth city's construction...
The grand auction house in the commercial territory of Rapengan was packed with people.
Unusually so—far more than usual.
This was a rare occurrence.
Rapengan's grand auction house wasn't open to just anyone, unlike the other auction houses in the territory.
Only those with explicit permission from Lord Rapengan could enter.
And those permitted few? Each wielded significant influence across the continent.
The reason so many had flooded in? A certain "Execution Sword"—vanished completely years ago—had surfaced at this auction.
Not everyone here was after the sword, of course.
Only four had rushed over upon hearing the news.
Sword God Arwen.
Snowman Demon Ram.
Archmage Larian.
Subterranean Fist King Kalam.
With all these grand heroes gathered—each capable of obliterating vast territories on a whim—the nobles had swarmed to network with them (save for Sword God, who already had ties).
From the nobles' and lords' perspective, forging even a tenuous connection with any one of these four was a massive win.
No—"incredible" didn't even cover it.
These grand heroes were living legends, each with histories etched in blood and glory.
Sword God Arwen, for one, had single-handedly erased "Salram"—a massive territory with over 10,000 soldiers and heroes—from the continent in a single night.
Snowman Demon Ram had lifted the colossal Great Mountain in the north and crushed a dragon-class calamity invading her tribe.
Archmage Larian had reached unparalleled heights in magic, standing on the cusp of the dreamlike 8th Circle—every mage's aspiration.
Subterranean Fist King Kalam had soloed the labyrinth's 12th floor, slaying its supposedly unkillable floor boss alone to reach the 13th.
These were unchallenged powerhouses, their legends beyond dispute.
Nobles and lords alike flocked to the auction house, desperate for even a sliver of connection.
Naturally, merchant guilds and clans followed, eyeing the nobles with their own agendas.
Just as nobles rarely saw grand heroes assembled like this, merchants and guild masters knew massive gatherings of nobles and lords were equally scarce.
Thus, with everyone—from grand heroes to merchants—pursuing their goals, the auction house brimmed with continent-shakers (save for the distant Empire).
Yet...
"..."
Despite the circumstances, the auction house—which should have buzzed—was eerily quiet.
Beyond quiet. Silent. Oppressive.
The reason?
"...What?"
"What did you just say?"
"Say that again."
"Unbelievable."
The four heroes who'd come for the Execution Sword were radiating killing intent thick enough to make commoners foam at the mouth and collapse.
However...
"Didn't you hear? Very well, I'll repeat myself."
The woman who'd provoked these four grand heroes—the Absolute Ruler of Darkness—spoke with utter calm and ice-cold composure.
"The other items are yours. I'll yield them all. But the Execution Sword? That's mine."
She declared it to them as if it were the most natural decree in the world.
"And if we refuse?"
Snowman Demon Ram shot back, her feral grin unmistakable.
"Then so be it."
The Absolute Ruler of Darkness replied without a flicker.
"I'll have to kill you."
She said it casually, her gaze endlessly emotionless as it fixed on him.