Volume 42 Chapter 7

Pale, Irene, Romuna and his other colleagues didn’t call often. They weren’t like Weed and found it difficult to focus a lot of their time during the day on Royal Road.

Furthermore, Weed was on an intensive hunt so he needed to quickly move to another hunting ground if necessary.

After defeating the boss monsters in a dungeon, he would immediately move on to hunt somewhere else.

If there were many people in the group then it would become more difficult.

In addition, his original party needed to consent to such painful hunting in advance.

Pale grabbed his hands with delight.

“Really? Thank you, Weed-nim!”

“You’ve struggled a lot in the meantime so rest for the moment.”

“I had been feeling like I was falling down a long, dark tunnel towards the bottom of hell. I won’t forget this care and grace.”

“I had forgotten that an archer is a very useful profession when hunting.”

“…….”

“I will use you well at a later date. Maylon-nim, is that okay?”

“Of course. Pale-nim, tell me about it when you come back.”

“Cough!”

Pale was effectively attacked by Maylon.

The rest of the party willingly agreed with it.

Weed had an awkward conversation with Hwaryeong again.

They were friends in Royal Road but she had opened up her heart to him. But that died after hearing that Seo-yoon was living next door.

Hwaryeong had a cool personality and wasn’t going to quarrel with another woman.

“Seo-yoon? Well, isn’t Weed-nim attractive? That charm is what attracted me.”

“That’s right.”

And Seo-yoon nodded like it was natural.

“I’m not giving up. He will come back.”

“I…won’t let go.”

Pale and Zephyr were unable to speak in front of the girls.

“The world is coming to an end.”

“This may already be hell.”

“Weed-nim being called a good and wise king……”

“I’m sure this is the bottom of hell.”

Mapan was with his girlfriend Gamong.

Mapan had slightly overpriced groceries while Gamong sold them for a cheaper price. There were rumours that Mapan was unscrupulous but his girlfriend was a merchant.

Weed and his activities in the territory of the Arpen Kingdom was due to the increase of users with information. There was considerable talk of the north, dungeon location and terrain analysis on the information forums.

Weed wanted dungeons discovered for the first time in order to get the double experience! It was essential for fast growth but there were disadvantages.

Gaining experience quickly wouldn’t increase the combat skill proficiency as much. Weed had a variety of skill proficiencies, including swordsmanship that needed to grow.

If he didn’t take advantage of Sculptural Destruction while hunting then he would be much weaker than Seo-yoon.

“W-Weed-nim.”

“Weed-nim came to this dungeon!”

“Kyaaaak!”

An underground dungeon consisted of several layers with the weakest monsters at the entrance and on the 1st floor. Therefore, there were a large number of users present.

The migration of high level users in the north.

The people who noticed Weed hunting were like a fan club.

Of course, Weed could change his appearance with Sculpture Transformation but that meant he couldn’t create sculptures on his break. It was also hard with the appearance of the Goddess’ Knight Armour, Van Hawk, Torido and Yellowy.

Weed watched the people flocking with a frown.

“Being a celebrity is tiring. My personality and appearance lures in the people like a charm.”

“…….”

A level that he actually enjoyed!

The level of the users meant they wouldn’t interfere with the hunt. It was also extremely rare to find those who could keep up with Weed and Seo-yoon’s pace.

“Excuse me, this might be unreasonable but Weed-nim is the best sculptor on the continent. A gift for my wife and daughter……”

One of the high level users came up to him and asked. His entire body was covered with equipment made of special materials that granted divine magic.

“If I give you these winged boots then can you please make me a sculpture?”

Snap!

“You came to the right place.”

The high level users that got close commissioned sculptures.

The sculptures that Weed made in order to raise skill proficiency would be disposed of later through Mapan. He had very high popularity as a sculptor so it was easy to dispose of his products.

But this type of customized products meant he could sell it at an overpriced value.

“Isn’t this the best material? I won’t give you a cheap product.”

“Yes.”

“The size is small so it is difficult……”

“Yes.”

“Hmm hmm, fine trimming and smoothing out the sculpture will cause an additional fee.”

“Please take care of it.”

He horribly increased the rates every time!

“But I have no more gold.”

“Well, it is unfortunate but those shoulder pads should be enough……”

Weed was able to make extra income with his sculptures.

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Rebels sweeping through the Haven Empire!

-Kallamore Liberation Front.

-Tullen Heroes.

-Remnants of the Aidern Kingdom.

-Norton Nobles.

-Luka River’s Resistance Army.

Ever since that day, the confusion in the Haven Empire was getting out of control.

“They were given an opportunity. Faster than I thought…even so, they won’t be able to overcome our power.”

Lafaye gave a command to the Imperial Army.

“Have the troops stationed in big cities and fortresses to quickly overcome the rebels emerging.”

The users of the Hermes Guild were on high alert. The troops stationed at important fortresses spread to nearby areas to stop the rebellions.

The ones in the Central Continent who lost to the Haven Empire! In the past, the continent was split between the prestigious guilds so they can still gain an advantage even if their power wasn’t as strong.

The small rebel uprisings by the residents were quickly swept up by the Hermes Guild users. But the battles took place everywhere including the outskirts of the city, the plains, the market and the government offices.

“There are serious fires in the city.”

“Damn! It was wrong to mobilize the magicians.”

“The fire is continuing to spread through the wooden buildings. The wind is blowing it out of control.”

“We have to give up the city. If it becomes a lump of ash then it can’t be used as a rebel base.”

The city of Peites with a long history disappeared due to fire during the fight with the rebels.

It had been captured by the Embinyu Church but flourished due to Weed’s adventure. But now all traces of it were gone due to fire.

“Did you hear? The Imperial Army set a city on fire in order to burn us down.”

“Children and adults were all burned.”

“Cruel bastards. Those guys are the devil.”

Rumours spread like fire about the Haven Empire.

It was natural since the residents of the occupied territories already disliked the Haven Empire. The exploitation and high taxes meant that rebels continued to rise in the occupied territories.

Lafaye was alert and anxious as his worries became a reality.

“Cavalry, enter the city.”

“Sweep up the rebels tonight and then move onto the next area.”

Nevertheless, the military of the Haven Empire was powerful. They kept the big cities and fortresses and wiped up the rebels in the area. The rebels were defeated by the elite troops of the Haven Empire.

“Help us. If you lost have everything then fight against the Haven Empire.”

“There isn’t much time left. Now the dream of the Nest Kingdom resurrecting has disappeared.”

The resistance forces and general users who received quests were defeated by the mighty Haven Empire.

“We’re not going to……”

“The Hermes Guild is terribly strong. I’m sick of it, sick.”

The desperate users of the Central Continent quickly mobilized.

But things didn’t go as Lafaye intended in various parts of the empire.

Despite the enormous grain production of the Haven Empire, there were some areas that were starving. The smooth transportation of agricultural products to some regions was impossible due to rebels or bandits.

The army of the Haven Empire provided food supplies to those areas.

“Food aid? In terms of money, it will cost more than 1 million gold……”

“Lord-nim, what should we do? There are hungry residents waiting.”

“Why are you asking? Store it in the warehouse. Later when there is a food shortage, we can sell it at a higher price. Place guards at the warehouse.”

“Yes!”

The lords only cared about themselves rather than supporting the residents. This was an unofficial decision but there wasn’t also a need to make the cities and villages rich and powerful.

It took a long time to develop technology and expand commercial policies.

The lords of the Central Continent were those who obtained a large contribution in war. They squeezed the residents they ruled and bribed the guards. It would be better if those with war achievements would let the land recover.

-Lower the taxes and improve the welfare of the people.

If the lords improve the lives of the residents then rebellions won’t occur.

As part of Lafaye’s post-war recovery plans, he announced an economic reconstruction plan and commercial support plans for the conquered regions.

Magic research, technological development, road construction, urban reconstruction and restoring attractions were promoted.

An astronomical amount of money of the Central Continent were spent. More than one third of the Haven Empire’s treasury were invested.

If the economy and lifestyle in the Central Continent improved then there was no reason for rebels or for people to leave for the north. Over time, the northern users would start coming over to the Central Continent.

The economic policy game!

Lowering the tax rate would gather the users and residents as well as lowering the transaction goods tax throughout the empire.

However, some lords pretended to reluctantly accept this.

If the taxes were lowered then their income would decrease. There was no reason for them to do so. They took care of themselves even when there were rebels in the area.

The rebels were a good opportunity to train the soldiers. If there was a complete victory then security would improve.

But it was just in that area, as the adjacent regions would have their security worsen.

In the hands of some lords, the rebellion would grow larger and reach out to the centre. Once the rebels looted the armour and supplies, they would enter the mountains and it would take a long time to suppress them.

If they weren’t completely suppressed then it would have adverse effects on peace and security and would affect the military in various ways.

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Lafaye launched a covert operation against the Arpen Kingdom.

“The Haven Empire has been damaged so there is a need to twist up the Arpen Kingdom. The current situation might have calmed down but we will show them the difference once we conquer them.”

The fact that Weed was investing in several cities in the Arpen Kingdom was reported to Lafaye. He decided to deal with the situation.

Weed was a mere adventurer so that didn’t mean he had the qualities of a ruler.

A success story of a person who built Morata from the ground up.

Good planning and political power needed to be demonstrated. It was impossible with just coincidence or luck.

“We must invest in the occupied territories of the north. If the development is faster than the Arpen Kingdom then the residents might move.”

The Haven Empire had conquered a quarter of the north.

The Arpen Kingdom was still lacking in many things. If the Haven Empire developed their cities then the residents would increase dramatically. NPC residents and even users wanted a good place to live.

“A quarter of the north. It will be a brilliant bridge to conquering the continent.”

If the Haven Empire’s occupied territories had a dazzling development then the Arpen Kingdom would collapse in the future.

The governor created the finest buildings and made free trade cities.

The north had plenty of advantages over the Central Continent.

Spacious and fertile land for grain production and there were many opportunities for mine development. If they increased the population of the occupied territories then a large economic power could be generated.

Trading between the Central Continent and Northern Continent would be a mutual benefit.

His original plan was reconstruction after destroying the north but changing that plan wasn’t a bad idea.

“Urgently eating up rice cakes. If everything goes well then this might lead to a better result.”

In the future, the north would play a large role in the Haven Empire.

“More support needs to be given to the northern lords. In the future, new cities and land will be handed to the lords.”

Ruling positions would be handed out to members of the Hermes Guild who would develop the land.

There were an incredible number of lords on the Versailles Continent. After hearing Lafaye’s northern development plan, a great deal of funds were dedicated to the lords.

Lafaye didn’t think of competing directly with Weed.

The Hermes Guild had a lot of swords that they could use. And the most powerful sword called Bardray was already prepared.

However, it was quite fun to compete with Weed when it came to the development of a kingdom. The Arpen Kingdom that Weed painfully built up would be smashed.

“This is a little lacking. But it is good enough to win by trampling on him.”

Lafaye felt quite bright because he preferred this strategy. Insidious ploys could sometimes lead to large effects.

In order to draw a big picture, behind the scenes work was essential.

He called Steer who was in charge of the Hermes Guild’s information network.

“Steer-nim.”

“Yes.”

“How many people do you have working in the north?”

“Hestiger appeared in the war out of the blue…the impact is strong so approximately 1,000 people.”

“Good. Even if it might seem useless, it might play a large role on the decisive day.”

“I think so as well.”

Despite the rebels, the eyes of the Hermes Guild didn’t leave the north. Even traitors in the north could weaken it.

Lafaye had several schemes in the last war that couldn’t be triggered properly because of the quick destruction. He hadn’t expected Hestiger to appear and for the Earth Palace to collapse.

“How about the assassination of Weed?”

“It is quite difficult to keep track of him for the assassination. He is moving so quickly that it is hard to find his traces.”

“I heard stories that he rides the wyverns. What about after he enters the dungeon?”

“His speed is faster in the dungeon. And they are famous dungeons in the north so there are many users……”

“We will be ridiculed if rumours spread that the Hermes Guild is trying assassination. Don’t act blatantly. The chance will come sooner or later. Do it secretly.”

“We have reinforcements prepared for the assassination squads.”

They wanted to interfere with and weaken Weed.

It was highly likely that Weed would master sculpting and other production techniques. Even dying once would cause a huge loss in skill proficiency.

The reason why the Hermes Guild cared was because of the final sculpting technique. Weed obviously acquired the skill but didn’t use it in the war for some reason.

In the next war, Weed was likely to use it against Bardray so they wanted to check the identity of the skill.

‘Awkward and uncomfortable. It won’t be difficult to cope with if we know it in advance. Perhaps it is a complicated skill that will release a concentrated attack to kill the other person. But 1 person can’t change a war.’

Lafaye issued a new instruction to them.

“Have you identified Weed’s colleagues?”

“Of course. There are the colleagues he has been hunting with since his novice days and the 500 Muksabal Knights.”

“I know that there are some celebrities……”

“Maylon. A talk show host on the Versailles Continent. But she didn’t participate in the war. As a broadcast official, she must appear neutral. And the other one is a user called Hwaryeong. Singer Jung Hyo-rin ssi. A celebrity well known in reality and she has many admirers in Royal Road.”

Hwaryeong constantly danced in the main hall of Morata.

Brilliant performances filled with light, fire, water droplets or ice flowers that seemed like a solo concert.

Naturally she had explosive popularity!

It was common to have several singers perform on the stage. But none of them could beat the quality of Hwaryeong’s performances.

“Does she have a close relationship with Weed?”

“It is significant. She helps him whenever there is an adventure or war.”

“Buying her to our side is absolutely impossible?”

“That……”

Well known celebrities were Weed’s colleagues.

But there was no end to human greed. Even a close friend would betray someone if the price was right. Especially with a person like Weed who cast a large shadow.

There were sure to be colleagues jealous of Weed’s fame and achievements.

They would turn their back on Weed if given compensation by the Hermes Guild.

“His colleagues and the Muksabal Knights. I think gaining some of them isn’t impossible. I will contact them. To what extent can I offer?”

“The position of lord for one of the occupied territories and 1 year of financial support. The Muksabal Knights pursue strength so offer them skills and a mercenary position. The only ones left are Maylon and Hwaryeong? Give them the position of lord in any area of the Central Continent they desire. It will be worth it.”

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Weed felt it while hunting in the Arpen Kingdom.

“This is really poor. There are no famous specialties and the residents don’t have good careers. It is hard to even find a grocery store.”

Apart from Morata and several villages, the northwest frontier was completely untouched by human hands.

There was an infinite spread of lush forests, wide fields and swamps that reached up to his ankle.

Thousands of goats and bison lived near the river.

Occasionally merchants moving with carriages protected by mercenaries could be seen. There were also adventurers quickly passing on horseback.

“It is easy moving with the wyverns.”

There were too many undeveloped pieces of land in the north.

The village populations didn’t increase due to lack of roads and the areas overflowed with monsters and beasts.

Despite the Arpen Kingdom having a degree of stability, this was limited to the big cities, castles and Vargo Fortress. The frontier villages of the kingdom were threatened by the invasion of monsters.

“Work together to block them. We just need to hang on until morning!”

“Mercenary-nim, if you don’t run away then I will give you a reward.”

Users and travellers visiting helped defend the villages.

The villages that fell into a crisis would give users quest to save the village. Merchants hired players or mercenaries to protect their goods along the trade routes.

The Arpen Kingdom that Weed started, grew up with the users.

The users lived in harmony with it!

The north was different from the Hermes Guild that oppressed the weak on the Central Continent.

Merchants, adventurers, craftsmen, artists, etc. decided their fates themselves and challenged their dreams.

Weed had hope that the Arpen Kingdom could develop.

“It is better to buy this land before it is too late. Stores will have to pay a monthly rent and I can sell and dispose of things at a cheaper price.”

Even the frontier villages were likely to develop in the future.

The villages would carefully expand against the invasion of monsters.

Fields filled with corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes were looked after.

A mining village finding a gold or even silver mine would be an amazing dream.

Many of the territory in the remote regions had been lost but Weed didn’t mind.

“The small villages will later come back. Once they do, they will be subjected to heavy taxes for a while!”

Weed travelled around the remote areas with Seo-yoon.

He rode Wy-3 and would stand on top of snow-covered mountains in the middle of the night.

The moon and stars shone down on them as Wy-3 rolled around in the snow.

Seo-yoon was the only other person but the atmosphere was sincere.

“I will create a fine piece this time. Then I need to master sculpting and raise Time Sculpting…gulp!”

He was filled with plenty of selfishness.

“Let’s see, this is near a historic mining village. Since the fall of the Niflheim Empire, the mine has been closed and only copper ores have been recovered. Copper isn’t worth a lot of money but it is fairly usable. Also, the copper ore means that merchants will visit to develop the area.”

Weed looked at the maps in the historical books about the Niflheim Empire.

“Creating a sculpture in this place…yes, just keep it simple. Miners!”

He decided not to use the Sculpting Knife to cut wood or rocks. There was no limit to the materials he could use.

Snow decorated the landscape while the dwarves and men in the village used copper for their sculptures.

A lot of the work of dwarves featured women and young children.

Originally this was a dwarven mining village. The dwarves loved residing near mines. The dwarves could be called an advanced workforce.

Weed created a work of art based on reality.

The sky was dim and a cool breeze blew as he dissolved copper pieces for the framework of the sculpture.

“In the end, hard work is needed for sculpting.”

It was different from elegant and noble artists. A sculptor needed to shed sweat through manual labour to create a 3D piece.

Seo-yoon, Yellowy and Goldman ate boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes on the side. They also grilled horsemeat on top of rocks for Wy-3.

“There can’t be any mistakes.”

Weed melted copper and poured them into moulds.

A common blacksmithing job!

It was similar to a cookie cutter. In the past it was used to trim simple shapes.

The mold template was used to form the framework. Many modern buildings were made with a cement matrix. The joints and seams showed traces of unpainted cement. It showed the nature of the building and this style was very common.

Therefore the sculptures would have a different feel depending on the raw material. The texture and shape was important.

“The collar…perfect!”

Weed created the common attire of the miners.

A sculpture of a miner with the colour of aged copper was completed.

Of course, Weed combined his intermediate blacksmith skill with sculpting to create breathtaking pieces.

-Ugh, this sculpture……

-I have a long way to go. I’m quitting.

The unique spirit of a sculptor created detailed and unique patterns that a blacksmith could only dream of.

“In fact, a blacksmith places more emphasis on the strength of the material. Copper is an inferior material so they would never bother with it.”

Weed finished the work before dawn.

“Miners Working Around the Clock.”

Of course, they should never take a break. For the further prosperity of the Arpen Kingdom and a comfortable retirement for Weed!

“I’m certain.”

“Kuhuhuhihi! Masterpiece, masterpiece. I got stats.”

Weed laughed loudly.

Sculpting and Handicraft was close to the master level and he could feel it directly with his hands.

“It is like walking down the street and picking up a winning lottery ticket.”

It was hard work but still fun.

“Eolsu eolsu.”

He felt good about the sculpture so more laughter emerged. It was a strange laugh and he suddenly recalled Seo-yoon watching from the side.

Weed turned to look at the staring Seo-yoon. Next to her were Yellowy and Goldman.

“…….”

He was used to adventuring alone so he felt quite embarrassed.

Seo-yoon said.

“A sculptor…it is natural to feel happy after creating a good piece.”

A good woman who could understand the path of an artist!

“Ah, yes. It is impossible to control my emotions when it comes to art.”

Weed thought he was really blessed. Meeting a woman like Seo-yoon in his lifetime was a blessing.

Seo-yoon said quietly.

“It is lucky you are a sculptor since it might be too much as a warlock or a necromancer.”

Laughing like that at a strange skeleton or chimera……

Weed didn’t say anything.

In fact, when he was a lich he had summoned skeletons. He had enjoyed laughing together with the skeletons.

‘I don’t understand her taste.’

The sun was about to rise as the far away sky was red.

Weed said to Seo-yoon.

“Come here.”

“…….”

His intentions were obvious even for those who were ignorant.

Weed held her shoulder as he kissed the blushing Seo-yoon.

At that moment, the sun came up.

“Golgolgol, I want to meet a woman.”

“Omoooooo, I miss the females!”

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Tang tang tang!

“What is happening?”

“I am from the Hermes Guild. I have a good offer for you.”

“I’m not buying anything!”

The intelligence agent Benchaim of the Hermes Guild was confused.

The reaction of Weed’s colleague, Surka!

“I didn’t come to sell things. We came to off Surka-nim the position of a lord.”

Benchaim explained the offer to Surka.

Weed had many young and confident females as colleagues. He guessed it would be easier to recruit her.

“So you want me to make a dirty backroom deal with the Hermes Guild and betray Weed-nim?”

“That’s not it. We think that Surka-nim’s reputation is good enough to become a lord. The Hermes Guild recognizes your skill which is why we offered the deal. Wouldn’t you rather show your talent instead of remaining among the ordinary northern users?”

“Do you think I will sell my conscience for a lordship?”

“A person should work according to their value. Think about it rationally. You will be able to do much more if you have the position of a lord.”

“I am comfortable at the moment. Ajusshi, I don’t want to live that life.”

Tang!

The door was closed fiercely.

Another information agent affiliated with the Hermes Guild met with Romuna.

“You will give me magic books? As a gift? Wah, I’ve been looking for this.”

“A lordship in the north……”

“I will work hard to learn this spell. Then I will burn away the Hermes Guild in the war.”

“…….”

Irene had a very good reputation among the users.

She generously used divine magic on beginners in the city and helped out parties in difficult situations.

Her good nature had spread widely.

She was rarely alone so the information agent had to come up to her in the middle of a square while surrounded by people.

He explained the matter to Irene.

“Huk, how can you ask me to do such a bad thing?”

“It isn’t bad. Isn’t this an opportunity? The Hermes Guild is different. We treat people fairly depending on their ability and talent.”

“Too bad, too bad. Ahh, poor Weed-nim.”

Irene shed some tears. It was like a female protagonist in a movie crying after being betrayed by a man.

“Irene-nim is crying!”

“Who is this person?”

The people gathered in the square.

“Who are you? What were you talking about?”

“Everyone, please calm down. I just made a good offer to Irene-nim.”

“Are his words true, Irene-nim?”

“I’m not sure. To me, he is a very bad man!”

The information agent was kicked out of Morata.

Pale and Maylon also refused the offer.

“Betray Weed-nim? Hah, so that I can escape from the hell hunt? No, I won’t. I am meant to be his hunting slave for the rest of my life. I’ve already sold my soul to Weed-nim. I don’t doubt it. It is over. My parents have set up shop in Morata and encourage me to go hunting with Weed-nim.”

“I don’t want to. But should I broadcast this suggestion?”

The recruitment of Weed’s colleagues failed in succession.

But Hwaryeong and Bellot had an entirely different reaction when contacted by the information agents.

“A lordship? In the centre of the continent? Well, I would be far away from Weed-nim. It is a good suggestion. I got it. Come on.”

“The lordship…… Heh, you are a good judge of character. Would you like a party every day? And you can buy a few dresses and bags.”

The women unabashedly accepted the offer!

The information agent was embarrassed by the number of requirements but he succeeded in signing Hwaryeong. Bellot was also a famous celebrity that they knew information about.

“Bellot-nim will be happy as a lord on the Central Continent.”

“Is it possible to be the lord of a free city?”

“There are…it is difficult since there are already other lords.”

“Then please arrange a lordship in the north.”

“What land do you want?”

“A place where transportation is convenient. Then won’t a lot of people come for the parties?”

“I will give you what you want.”

The information agents couldn’t help laughing at the vanity of the celebrities.

‘How many visitors will come to a party thrown in the occupied territories of the north?’

The Hermes Guild decided to actively support the parties in the north.

Geomchi, the instructors and the students were also contacted. But it was difficult to have a conversation with them.

They were often in very dangerous hunting grounds and the agents found it impossible to track them. Even if they were tracked, they gave off the impression of a serial killer.

“Excuse me……”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing.”

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