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The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor (Web Novel) - (408) Volume 42 Chapter 4
Volume 42 Chapter 4 —
Lafaye, Bardray and 25 local lords and governors held a roundtable meeting. They were the ones who would decide the policies of the Haven Empire.
Lafaye held his face for a while.
‘I need to be vigilant. We can certainly win wars but the weaknesses in governing needs to be considered. The Imperial Palace collapsed and we can’t overlook the results.’
This was the biggest emergency since the founding of the Haven Empire.
The meeting was held to discuss the critical issues raised by the defeat in the war with the Arpen Kingdom and the sudden collapse of the palace.
They received reports of the damage situation of the empire in real time.
Huge damage hadn’t occurred yet but the rebels were causing small and huge confusion.
“Let’s immediately conquer the Arpen Kingdom! We will let them know what happens to those who make fun of the Haven Empire.”
“Hrmm, a war at this time…we would need to reorganize the forces and dispatch additional supply units. The burden of sudden commodities will arise.”
Public opinion was against another war.
The northern expedition had consumed a huge number of troops, supplies, finances and time. The Haven Empire could afford it but it would be a waste.
The influential Hermes Guild users or war heroes were appointed as lords or governor of a region.
They played a role in making decisions in the guild but there was confusion due to the aftermath. They were now greatly reluctant to conquer the north.
In addition, the core lords knew many of the internal secrets of the Hermes Guild.
Lafaye played a large role in establishing this empire.
After dominating the Central Continent, he had planned to focus on long term rule. The secret plan that would ensure the empire would last for a long time.
The core lords and governors waited for Lafaye and Bardray’s decision.
“Just go forward and smash them. I will be in the vanguard. Bardray-nim should take command!”
Darius strongly insisted.
He had started in the Rosenheim Kingdom and used to be the guild master of the Ica Guild. But due to his bad reputation, he left his home for the Central Continent and joined the Hermes Guild through bribes and social networking.
He rapidly grew in Royal Road due to the support of the guild. No matter how they treated others, the guild knew how to handle their members.
His status and influence wasn’t enough to attend the leadership meeting but he had a special connection with Bardray. He prepared good hunting grounds for Bardray and was guaranteed a seat at this meeting.
Darius would swing his sword at any time for the Hermes Guild.
The hardliners and the moderates!
There were divided opinions from those who wanted another war or those who wanted to settle the chaos.
Lafaye felt that now was the time to make a decision.
“A war needs to be decided carefully.”
The meeting room fell silent as he started to speak.
“As you know from the reports still coming in, this incident has had a profound and unexpected impact on the Haven Empire. The northern conquest army being wiped out and the destruction of our Imperial Palace has dealt a blow to our pride. The palace is the core of our reign and the damage of the collapse has spread across the region. If we don’t rectify the situation now then it will grow beyond our guesses.”
It was a meeting of leaders but it was still led by Lafaye.
He used the intelligence agents spread out across the continent to understand the current status and to predict the future. Lafaye and Bardray were the ones who could influence the policies of the Hermes Guild.
The lords and governors were puzzled but they felt positive.
‘The true hidden power hasn’t been revealed yet.’
‘It is counterproductive if it is disclosed too early. It is possible once things worsen.’
Lafaye spoke with a heavy tone of voice.
“The internal security has reduced with more rebels growing so the empire will fall further in the future. And we are notorious. Anyway, it will be a disaster if we just ignore it. The rebels will keep coming and there will be consequences if we don’t suppress it early on.”
The Central Continent was wide. If the rebels took over fortresses or cities then it could cause substantial confusion through the whole empire. If the rebels continued to increase, then it would deal severe damage to the national power.
But Lafaye was prepared despite not knowing this originally.
“It is fortunate that we have many means available. The military can easily win over independent cities and the lost economic power can be compensated from other areas. However, we have to completely give up on the war and use our power to control the chaos in the empire.”
Lafaye turned to Bardray.
“We should ignore the Arpen Kingdom and focus on unifying the Haven Empire. If the chaos isn’t settled now then it might spread.”
Bardray who was still watching finally opened his mouth.
“A war can certainly help with recovery.”
“Of course. If Bardray-nim chooses a war then the Arpen Kingdom will be ours. The north has substantial power but if our troops deal with them calmly then we can conquer them. But in order to maintain the Haven Empire’s pride and dignity, we would have to use more advanced troops.”
“Advanced troops……”
“Half of them will be the Hermes Guild members and half the Haven Empire troops. We would be able to destroy Weed and the northern users.”
“Isn’t that too much?”
“In order to ruin Morata and the major cities, this type of army is required. And it must be done in as short a time as possible.”
The configuration of the Haven Empire’s army passed through their heads.
This time, 1.7 million troops had been destroyed.
There had been numerous knights of the Haven Empire. Many knights were raised in the Central Continent so it would be easy to recruit to fill up the numbers.
The Haven Empire currently had the strongest military power.
However, a large scale military expedition would worsen the security of the empire and conscription would decrease loyalty and economic productivity.
Currently the leaders of the Hermes Guild didn’t want a large amount of materials to be consumed or an economic recession. The stability of the Central Continent was already threatened due to the constant destruction and conquest.
Rumours spread quickly around the Versailles Continent.
If someone achieved a great adventure or a magician developed new magic then it would emerge from the mouth of the residents.
If the fame of the Haven Empire fell then rebels would emerge from among the residents.
The big losses caused by a war would make it harder to rule.
But Bardray’s mind was still leaning towards a war.
“Even if the recovery is slow, isn’t it better to cut off the Arpen Kingdom? It would have a greater value to quickly complete the unification of the continent. Pulling out their roots will prevent future opposition.”
The sympathetic Hermes Guild members nodded at those words.
The Hermes Guild would remain as the strongest organization on the Versailles Continent.
If the north was neutralized then there wouldn’t be an end to the Hermes Guild’s rule.
It was worth it even if the internal affairs of the empire were shaken at the moment.
“It is difficult to say which one is better. If we choose to recover then the Arpen Kingdom will develop in the meantime. It isn’t very long but it will give them a bit of time. On the other hand, sending a large force to the north would only worsen the confusion inside the empire.”
“What are the specific problems?”
“The empire hasn’t finished its conquest war. If the territory isn’t stabilized then the momentum of the resistance will rapidly grow. There are also many people who have been defeated by us. They will use this confusion as an opportunity.”
“We have firmly planted defeat in them through the war.”
“Of course. The follow up measures where their power was divided or absorbed means they have remained silent until now. But they will likely use this chance to cause a revolt. The defeated enemies hiding all over won’t be easily quelled…there might be a civil war even after conquering the north. In the worst case scenario, the conquered territories will be destroyed and the residents reduced, dropping the power of the empire.”
“That can be a difficult problem.”
If Bardray left on a large scale expedition then it would leave the Haven Empire open to their enemies.
They already occupied a large territory in the north so troops had to be stationed there on an ongoing basis. The conflict between the north and the Central Continent would affect the entire Versailles Continent, causing a lot of confusion.
When that happened, all residents and users of the Versailles Continent would be hostile towards the Haven Empire.
No matter how great the power of the Hermes Guild, they didn’t want all the users hostile towards them. In addition, there would be a severe backlash inside the guild.
Crebulta shook his head.
“The difficulty comes after establishing a kingdom.”
“A huge tower took a long time to build only to have the stones come crashing down. Even so, this situation isn’t entirely bad. We still have the lead and haven’t suffered any fatal or serious damage. We have a choice. We are making a decision for our future. And both choices has pros and cons so we just need to minimize the side effects.”
There were many hardliners among the leaders of the Hermes Guild.
Currently they were those who had a high status in the Central Continent or commanders who swept through several kingdoms.
Even so, they weren’t sure about the risks involved with a war while all this confusion was going on.
The Haven Empire had already achieved a great feat.
Their territory, population, economic strength, technology and military power was the best on the continent. Public sentiment causing a civil war was their weak point.
Everyone wanted a long term and stable rule.
If the Hermes Guild and Haven Empire didn’t conquer the hearts of the continent then there would be another war.
Lafaye had prepared a secret plan but it was necessary to keep it hidden. He needed to strategically deal with the crisis.
Bardray suddenly asked.
“If we select recovery…what will happen after that?”
“We will thoroughly stabilize the inside of the empire. Rectify security so that a resistance army won’t rise up and raise the loyalty of the residents. Use some carrots instead of force. The Central Continent is a place of economic prosperity. Now we can use an economic reconstruction policy in the areas impoverished from war.”
“There will be more profit with a short term recovery. There is honour and potential advantage in conquering the north.”
Users who started Royal Road early on started in the already prosperous Central Continent.
The prestigious guilds took over cities and their military policies concentrated on survival and looting. The successive wars caused many setbacks to economy and technology.
“There is huge potential in the Haven Empire. Promoting a development plan over conquering will raise the residents’ loyalty. Our rule will continue to be stable over a long time.”
Lafaye said in a bittersweet tone.
Despite the positive outlook, he thought it would be better to stabilize the area then to proceed with the northern conquest.
Bardray nodded.
“Stabilization and development. Looking at it objectively, it is better to postpone the unification of the continent.”
“I can see that. The unification won’t be perfect unless we conquer the north, east, south and west. The conquest of the continent won’t be finished until that time. Of course, the rest is just a matter of time once the north collapses.”
The leaders were locked in thought for a while.
‘Development and chaos. It was certain we would conquer the north…but the Imperial Palace collapsed and caused a lot of anxiety.’
‘Conquest. Conquest. All the people resisting. Show them the strength of the Hermes Guild!’
‘It is necessary to revive the glory of the Central Continent. And areas will low security will have strong resistance. Even though they will be repressed, it will still cause damage. I don’t want the glory of the empire to suffer.’
‘We need to choose a way where the Haven Empire won’t collapse. We can go after the Arpen Kingdom once the confusion is settled. Apart from the internal problems, there are no opponents that can match our military power.’
‘Weed. He is troublesome until the end. That damn fellow. We should have killed him sooner.’
The leaders ignored that the Arpen Kingdom would use that time to develop.
Although Morata’s growth was so fast it could be called a miracle, it eventually slowed somewhat.
On the other hand, if the economic power of the Haven Empire was restored then they would become 3~4 times stronger. There was no competition in the first place.
Furthermore, the Haven Empire had already conquest one quarter of the Arpen Kingdom. Their royal palace was also destroyed so they might be in a similar situation.
Their honour and pride was at stake but they didn’t think of the Arpen Kingdom as an enemy.
The lord of the free city Stangdal asked.
“If we select recovery then does that mean the Arpen Kingdom is being left alone?”
“Of course. We will have some precautions in place. Although our army fell, we still had some achievements in the north. We will continue the military training in the current occupied territories in order to pressure them. It will be a significant burden to the Arpen Kingdom. We will also cut off trade and block traffic to the north. The isolation means it will be difficult for them to develop as quickly as they did previously.
Most of the Hermes Guild’s strategy emerged from the brain of Lafaye. Lafaye had no choice with the follow up measures.
The development of the Haven Empire and Arpen Kingdom would continue further in the future but he was certain he could win over other competitors. But he couldn’t predict how much benefits would come from his decision.
Moreover, his opinion alone couldn’t move the Haven Empire.
The Hermes Guild had vast forces. A big decision like this needed the other leaders to give their consent.
Bardray and the leaders made their decision.
“We will delay the war for a while. Now we will fix the confusion and strengthen the empire.”
“Yes, I understand.”
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Yoo Byung-jin gave up on meeting Bardray and returned to his laboratory.
“The Arpen Kingdom triumphed in the end.”
The Arpen Kingdom had unexpectedly blocked the invasion of the Haven Empire.
“Weed has overcome the adverse situation again…Luck really followed him. Of course, nothing has significantly changed.”
The ruler of the continent was still likely to be Bardray. But Weed also had a chance.
Yoo Byung-jin was disappointed as he watched the meeting of the Haven Empire on the monitor.
“It would be enough to strengthen their rule after conquering the continent. The future is unknown but isn’t that a perfectly reliable and obvious choice? The Hermes Guild is strong despite their enemies.”
-Should I check the number of people that dislike the Hermes Guild?
“There is no need.”
-I am cancelling the analysis.
The Hermes Guild had constantly won the wars. They identified the enemy well and accumulated power through victory.
Their development was a miracle like the Arpen Kingdom. The Hermes Guild was one of numerous guilds in the Haven Kingdom and their empire had amazing growth.
Bardray and Lafaye dominated their many competitors to rule the territory.
The Arpen Kingdom that settled on empty land in the north certainly had a lot of difficulty.
Lafaye and Bardray who expanded despite their enemies could also be called heroes. Preparing a long term plan for ruling could be called admirable.
“From the beginning, Bardray should have gone directly to the north. The others wouldn’t be able to compete with the power of the Haven Empire.”
A few small mistakes and inattention.
It gave time to the Arpen Kingdom.
Yoo Byung-jin thought about the future based on what he knew. But history would flow in its own way.
Bardray and Weed weren’t the only ones on the continent.
Numerous users were creating their own history.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
“This is the last chance given to us.”
“I agree. The Haven Empire is being shaken so we can regain our positions.”
“The two pillars of the world can be divided into the Haven Empire and the Arpen Kingdom. At that time, people will join us.”
“It is better to come forward before it is too late. The Central Continent is inherently ours.”
Roam, Gunter, Michel, Carlise and Sherwood.
They met up and steadily gathered information about the chaos in the Central Continent. And eventually, their remaining subordinates and co-workers came forward in order to secure power while the Haven Empire was in turmoil.
“A person in the Barang Cavalry contacted us about participating.”
“I am very grateful. They will be a big help.”
“Some people from the Asirium Guild has decided to join.”
“I haven’t heard news about them in a while. They were still going strong?”
“They’ve been completing adventures but their power seems to be in the past.”
They used their personal connections to gather colleagues and to contact the leaders of other guilds.
The users of the continent had yielded to the power of the Haven Empire. Those who had no opportunity for opposition were now standing at a crossroads.
“The Hermes Guild’s information network is great. We need to resolve this before it is made public.”
“Tomorrow evening, we will regain our lost territory starting with Fort Odin.”
“The battle to rule the region will be effective. Does anyone disagree with this approach?”
“No complaints.”
“Then let’s get started.”
The so called Day of Revolt!
13 fortresses in the Haven Empire received a surprise coup and had their territories stolen.
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“This can’t be a failure.”
“Definitely. It is perfect.”
Teros and his 6 colleagues entered a dungeon with 50 NPC mercenaries.
Their individual skills were enough to make them famous in Royal Road.
They used to be one of the top 10 guilds until they made a mistake while excavating King Belsos’ tomb and caused heat to fall on the continent. Then they joined the Cold Roses’ expedition and failed after their betrayal.
The Crimson Wings Guild were shattered and only Teros and a few people were left.
They had high infamy and fell to a low position.
The prestigious guilds were smashed by the Hermes Guild and there was no difference between their levels and the ordinary users. Teros and his colleagues had no choice but to wander around the north on adventures before accepting a quest.
-Secret of the Stars and the Moon
Do you know the mysteries of the Versailles Continent? Even those who know a lot are still ignorant. From now on, everything you experience will be new.
Go to the Muhejadin area and find the unknown figures carved into the ground.
Find the clues about the stars that will lead to the next secret.
Level of Difficulty: S
Compensation: Receive a chain quest.
Quest Restrictions: More than 1,000 knowledge.
Experience with long distance travel.
“A linked quest!”
“It has a tremendous difficulty.”
Teros tried to refuse due to the events in King Belsos’ tomb.
“We have other work to do.”
-The star quest can’t be cancelled.
Luck has permanently increased by 7.
You have accepted the quest.
“Dammit!”
“It is okay. We can spend a few months gathering information about this quest.”
-You have accepted the special quest.
You must complete the quest within the next 15 days when Ursa Major isn’t visible.
If you are unsuccessful then the curse of the stars will be granted.
“Keook!”
So they received a chain quest.
They wandered the Versailles Continent and found the secret of the stars and the moon.
They risked their lives finding the land of the stars in an unknown area and the secret led them to wander the sea.
Most of the fleets belonged to the Haven Empire. It was difficult to rent a boat for the adventure but he eventually found a captain at Varna Port.
“Uhihit, a sailing boat with 4 jibs is finally leaving for the sea. It won’t be sunk by giant lobsters again.”
“Hmm hmm, can you guide us to a place shown on the map?”
“Um, here? I roughly know the location. Using the sea currents to Jigolaths can be a short cut.”
“Look, you are holding the map upside down.”
“…Ah! I am familiar with the sea even if the map is upside down. Don’t worry.”
Captain Hook led them on a long voyage that lasted 17 days.
They encountered storms, a group of dolphins and even man-eating sharks. If they hit the reef then there would be threat from sharks.
And after arriving on the island, they found the fragments of a meteorite and returned to Varna Port five days later.
“Hahaha, that was a great sail.”
The people aboard thought it was ridiculous.
‘A short distance…a novice could have sailed it.’
‘We didn’t need to sail through the danger area.’
Teros shook his head.
“Anyway, we’ve returned safely.”
They were grateful just to arrive back on land. Teros had become more generous since the collapse of the Crimson Wings Guild.
Gale, Dein, Pulain, Mako, Psyche, Bastien defeated several chain quests in a row.
In the past, they didn’t participate in dangerous quests but risking everything was pretty fun.
Above all, the group had struggled to come back from the worst so they used all their concentration not to receive the curse.
Looking at the mysterious Milky Way increased their knowledge and wisdom and their charm under the moonlight increased.
“Weed must always feel like this.”
“Life feels different. My perception of the Versailles Continent has changed.”
They were lucky in their adventures but some of their colleagues needed to be sacrificed.
Bastien the assault captain of the Crimson Wings, the witch Psyche and the assassin Dein.
Nevertheless, they overcame it and reached the end.
-Signs of Birth
The stars eventually defeated their opponent, the giant Arkihemos
The fallen giant sank deep into the ground and caused a massive geological change.
Find the entrance and head down into the ground.
Arrive safely at the place of the giant and listen to his words.
Level of Difficulty: S
Compensation: Heart of the giant, traces of the stars.
They arrived at a swirling hole in the ground.
“We can’t make it.”
Dein agreed with Teros.
“Probably.”
“This might ruin the continent.”
This time Bastien sighed deeply at Teros’ words.
“We can’t receive any more curses.”
Indeed. The Crimson Wings had struggled after two horrible mistakes.
“The stations?”
“I’ve contacted them. There is a deep curiosity about the S-ranked quest. They have decided to broadcast it.”
“The salary……”
“Of course, the sum is higher but there are more conditions. The cast are treated better.”
“The popularity of Royal Road is at a record high.”
This was the first big adventure after the war ended.
Teros was satisfied with this part. Adventurers chased after a slim possibility but accomplishing it would give them fame and economic compensation.
The witch Psyche indifferently said.
“Then we will go to die.”
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Weed entered the largest store in Morata to sell the loot obtained in the war.
“Nowadays, people are swarming like flies. Customer-nim, what did you come for?”
“I want to sell some things.”
“Oh, did you come to sell weapons or armour? These days there haven’t been many guests so I haven’t been buying. Many are in such bad states that repair is needed. Therefore I will buy carefully.”
“I have both weapons and armour.”
Weed said while browsing through the store.
A large weapons store near Bingryong Square in Morata.
It was usually filled with people but now there were only 6 people inside.
Users flocked from Morata to the Earth Palace so there were mainly beginners who couldn’t leave the city left.
Weed looked over at them.
“I want to buy a really sharp dagger. I can use it to cook and hunt.”
“A greatsword is best for a warrior. Monsters can’t even come near. The combat videos submitted by Python…kyahh!”
“Vitality will fall quickly. We can’t use it yet.”
“Gather a lot of money and buy it later.”
There was a serious conversation between beginners staring at a display.
“Customer-nim should pull it out. I don’t have much expectations but I will give you an honest price.”
Weed laid his backpack on the counter for the storekeeper.
Kwaaaang!
The dull sound of a pile of steel falling.
The 2 beginners turned their heads to look at Weed.
“It looks like he did a lot of hunting.”
“It actually might not be that much. A basic magic backpack is able to reduce the weight and volume. If you don’t have a magic backpack then hunting will only last 2 hours at most.”
“How much weight does a good backpack reduce?”
“Do not be surprised. Approximately 15 times.”
“Amazing! You can hunt all day long.”
“Drago the best tailor in Morata uses a special magic. His top of the line backpack reduces the weight but 20 times so the rating is almost legendary. Drago-nim’s work is really valuable.”
Weed placed his hand in the backpack while calmly listening to the beginners and took out the weapons.
“Please calculate them one by one.”
“I know. Well…the quality is great. The blade is sharp enough to cut iron like it is an apple. I’ve seen this item a few times in Morata. A price of 20,000 gold is appropriate.”
“The cost of the shield?”
“There isn’t even one loss and it is a perfect product. Where did you get these type of items?”
“I was nervous that the shield would be damaged but it is okay?”
“Well, I think that 35,000 gold is reasonable.”
The eyes of the beginners widened.
An unimaginable price.
The goods in Morata’s stores were usually traded for a few hundred gold.
Luxury goods were worth tens of thousands of gold but such trades weren’t common. The stores selling weapons and armour usually had limits but high level and rare products were acknowledged.
“Who the hell is he?”
“The shield he just removed from his backpack doesn’t look ordinary.”
Weed continued to pull products from his backpack.
“Stigma Hammer! A luxurious hammer that plants fear in the other party! The product is in the perfect state of preservation so I will gladly give you 43,000 gold! Ohhhh, it truly is like a dream! There are only 10 of these swords on the continent! The price is 70,000 gold. However, if you sell it then I will buy it for 80,000 gold…this is a special armour that blocks the attack of witches so it is difficult to set a price. It is hard but I am willing to pay 90,000 gold…aaah! Master Star necklace! A treasure that blacksmiths and tailors are eager to get! Sell it to me. The price…tell me how much you want first. I will pay it even if I have to sell the store.”
None of Weed’s items were cheap.
Products worth tens of thousands of gold!
The mouths of the beginners dropped open.
The number of goods were unbelievable but more products kept on emerging.
“Who?”
“Did he rob a treasure house?”
“No. That belt…I’ve seen it on air.”
“I know. The only one in the world. Debis of the Hermes Guild obtained it through a quest.”
Weed pulled out famous goods that were easily recognized.
“Is he a thief who stole it?”
“I didn’t hear that it was lost. Who would steal things from the Hermes Guild?”
“Ah, I heard that Debis died in the war yesterday……”
“Then that person’s identity is……”
The beginners fell silent. A great person had showed up so they didn’t dare say anything.
Once Weed removed over 100 items from his backpack, he asked the storekeeper.
“How much is it?”
“Let’s see, the calculation is complicated…please wait a moment, Customer-nim. If you want to sell all these items…the total is 3.26 million gold.”
A price that was as absurd as an iceberg flying across the sky!
Weed’s eyes narrowed.
‘Cheaper than I thought. It can’t be helped since it is the wholesale price.’
It was common to either be charged the original price or an extravagant price in trades.
In the north, there were plenty of agriculture so food was sold for a relatively cheap price while weapons and defense equipment were considerably more expensive. There was an avalanche of users in Morata so there was an arms race, making a phenomenon where supply couldn’t keep up with the demand.
In particular, advanced goods were sold at a very expensive price.
Weed had obtain many items from the Hermes Guild so he could dispose of it at an expensive price. He could sell it to other users or at the auction.
But the war had just ended so it was a special time.
He wiped out 30,000 Hermes Guild users and an incredible number of weapons and armour dropped. The market price of general weapons and armour would temporarily be shaken.
The sharp price decline couldn’t be avoided.
Weed spoke in a heavy tone towards the storekeeper.
“The price is appropriate but in the future I won’t bother coming here for a steady trade.”
“Customer-nim, it is difficult to receive a higher price than this. There aren’t many stores that can afford it……”
“It is small. There are many other stores in Morata.”
Weed started packing the items.
A common example of not being satisfied!
Of course, this was a calculated act.
“That is a good idea, Customer-nim.” You are a person with an urgent personality. If you trade me these products then it will help lift the value of the store. I will purchase everything for 3.47 million.”
-The 1st bargain is a success.
You can get a huge profit.
“Aaaaah, the price incredibly went up with some words!”
“I can eat barley bread for the rest of my life and not raise that much. Awesome.”
The eyes of the beginners kept watching.
“How about it, Customer-nim? Do you agree?”
Weed touched his chin and pretended to struggle.
Generally, people would only succeed the first bargain unless they were a merchant. It was essential to have networking and the accounting skill to raise the price of the transaction.
‘But I can’t be satisfied with this degree.’
He could get this price by disposing of it with Mapan. He came to a store in Morata in order to get a higher price!
“People of Arpen, you’ve gone through a lot of suffering.”
“Huh? Customer-nim, what are you saying?”
“Those who worked hard and are faithful to their field have helped the Arpen Kingdom grow.”
“Saying this all of a sudden…n-no way!”
The storekeeper stared at Weed with amazing before falling to his knees.
“Your Majesty! This lowly person is only greeting you now. It is a sin that I didn’t notice earlier!”
Weed nodded like it was a natural reaction and said.
“I didn’t tell you in advance so that there isn’t a burden on you. I wanted you to feel comfortably without worrying about my status.”
“No. A stupid human like me must die. It is an absolute sin not to recognize the ruler of this land. In order to protect Your Majesty’s dignity, I must offer my neck to the guards.”
The 2nd weapon against the storekeeper in the negotiations was his status!
The users and NPCs in the village enjoyed seeing the ruler.
“I can eat everyday due to the grace of Your Majesty.”
“Thank you very much for taking care of us. My chicken laid an egg so would you take it? We aren’t hungry.”
A lord would receive hospitality from the locals.
Frequent events like this could increase the fame, security and loyalty of the residents.
As king of the Arpen Kingdom, Weed didn’t individually meet every resident. In fact, he knew from the information published on the internet that the storekeeper was descended from a noble of the fallen Niflheim Empire.
“You don’t need to repeat the same words. The people of the Arpen Kingdom deserve to live a happy life.”
“Your Majesty, I want to die.”
“Rise. I won’t be responsible for the death of anyone in Morata and I just want to make a deal. I realize that a merchant like you can easily pay a high price. Hmm hmm.”
“Your Majesty…do you really want to trade?”
“That’s right. Go ahead and say the right price.”
“I can’t possible give Your Majesty anything less than 4.32 million gold.”
-The 2nd bargain is a success.
If this deal is closed then it will be the largest deal in Morata.
“It really is Weed-nim.”
“Amazing! The highest ground.”
For the novice users, it was like an elementary school student spotting a celebrity. They viewed Weed as such a great presence that they didn’t dare come close.
One side of Weed’s mouth rose. The amount was a little lacking compared to the number in his head.
“Uhuh, I don’t think so. You didn’t say the right price.”
It meant to raise the price a little bit.
Some of the greedy were successful up to the 4th round of bargaining.
“It is unfair for Your Majesty to receive a small price. But please think of my situation as I only have 4.02 million gold.”
-The 3rd bargain has failed.
The price of the deal has been reduced.
“……”
Failure!
Weed’s eyes became narrower.
If he disposed of the goods at a later date and ripped off the users then he could receive 5.5 million gold.
“You surely want to die. If you don’t speak the right price then your neck is mine.”
“The right price?”
“That’s right. I will only accept an adequate and affordable price. If you don’t say it then I will strangle you!”
The nature of an NPC store owner meant he noticed things faster.
“I am aware of all the people that will enter if I am selling things from Your Majesty. I-I will pay 4.93 million gold.”
-The 3rd bargain has achieved incredible success.
The deal was likely to fail because the store owner was left with no gain.
Please note. Infamy will rise after this deal.
Weed didn’t care in front of money.
“Hmm hmm, your devotion is good. I knew that I found the right owner to sell these things at a good price.”
“Of course Your Majesty.”
“The Arpen Kingdom will not forget your commitment.”
“Thank you.”
-Morata’s largest profit in a trade has been achieved.
The bargain has ended due to the threat.
Morata’s store owners will be afraid of a future visit from the king.
Infamy has risen by 3,450.
The loyalty of the residents has decreased.
Honour -3.
Security -1.
Weed left the store with satisfaction.
From now on, he would become really busy with his growth. Full scale hunting and raising his skill proficiency was ahead so the deal was satisfactory.
And after 2 hours, the video of Weed against the store owner reached the internet and received some of the highest views.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
After connecting to Royal Road, Seo-yoon once again headed to the Bean Porridge unit.
“Kyak, we won. We survived!”
“Festival, a festival!”
There were cheers among the Bean Porridge members.
The Arpen Kingdom achieved victory today due to them so Seo-yoon felt sincerely grateful.
There was an odd silence when she approached the boisterous Bean Porridge unit.
“……”
And a small voice whispered.
“That person is coming.”
“She is coming because the battle is over.”
“Coming at the end, really cowardly.”
“It is too much. How can she casually appear after the battle?”
The words weren’t loud but Seo-yoon heard them.
She had always kept a distance from people.
There were bad preconceptions about her but she just watched from a distance. Her cold heart meant she wasn’t wounded by their preconceived notions.
But now her heart hurt.
It had only been a short while but they were good people. This misconception rose because she failed to explain the situation.
If she told her story then she would convince them.
But she was embarrassed to talk about the wedding ring and its relationship with Weed so she was shamed after giving up the battle.
A woman who was her previous colleague came up to her and said.
“Unni, you came?”
“Yes.”
The tone wasn’t very welcoming.
The woman gave a small sigh.
“We are going to drink alcohol if unni would like to come.”
“……”
Seo-yoon didn’t know if she should accept. She was sorry and wanted to restore the situation.
But the others were still looking at Seo-yoon coldly.
“I don’t drink alcohol. And if I give an explanation, will you listen?”
“Say it.”
“I didn’t fight last time because……”
Seo-yoon lightly smiled.
She was still ashamed but now she could give an explanation. She would try to resolve the misunderstanding.
Her heart had opened and she wanted to get along with others.
“Kuweeeeek!”
Then a strange sound was heard from the sky!
‘Did a tough monster appear?’
The Grass Porridge Cult members hadn’t expected a monster to appear.
The people looked up at the sky to see a wyvern coming down.
An angular face, mild eyes and wide wings.
“Wy-3?”
“A sculptural lifeform!”
The popularity of Wy-3 exceeded some famous users.
“Kkuek! Kuweeeeeek!”
Wy-3’s voice was filled with complaints as it came down.
Wy-3 cause a severe gust of wind as the users around Seo-yoon urgently moved away.
The sculptural lifeform was a symbol of the Arpen Kingdom and King Weed.
The Grass Porridge Cult members worshipped it but up close Wy3 was a large and menacing figure. They were instinctively wary of an oppressive monster.
Of course, the users of Morata had seen Wy-3 a few times and knew to throw meat to it.
Wy-3 pushed his big head against Seo-yoon. Then it said in a complaining voice.
“Kuoooh. Master said to bring you. He really only uses me.”
A wyvern lamented a life as a means of transportation!
Seo-yoon nodded and comfortable boarded Wy-3.
“Uh……”
“Unni?”
The people who knew Seo-yoon were stupefied.
The coward riding on Wy-3’s back!
In addition, the master that Wy-3 mentioned was Weed.
“Unni……”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you in advance. Then I’ll see you next time. I have to go now because he is calling.”
“Unni, you know Weed-nim personally?”
“I…am his friend.” Girlfriend
Seo-yoon took off the mask covering her face after getting on Wy-3.
Her appearance.
The appearance of a person.
Not only that, the appearance of beauty that a human would aspire to.
A face that would shake the soul of men.
There were many people but they couldn’t even speak one word. They even questioned if they were seeing a real person or looking at an illusion.
A female ghost meant to enthrall people.
Seo-yoon smiled brightly.
“See you next time. I hope you’ll do well.”
And then Wy-3 pushed off the land and accelerated.
And the people stared for a few minutes before stuttering.
“Uuuuack!”
“I’m not going to wash my eyes! Ah, no, I should close my eyes. That image needs to be perfectly imprinted in my head!”
“Life is really worth living, huhuhuk! I am lucky to live in an era like this.”
“This is why I’ll get married. I will even be happy in the grave!”
The immature men were bewitched.
The people in the vicinity of Seo-yoon thanked god for the blessing given to them.
The females also liked to see a pretty girl.
“The way she is wearing that mask…the one who accompanied Weed-nim on the sculpting quest.”
“She was on television. The one who played the role of Hilderun!”
And someone asked a question.
“But isn’t that face somehow familiar? It doesn’t make sense since I would remember an unspeakable beauty like that.”
“Isn’t it exactly like the Ice Beauty? I thought so as soon as I saw her.”
“That’s right, that face!”
“Heeok! The goddess of the Grass Porridge Cult!”
The Ice Beauty excavated by the Grass Porridge Cult!
One of Weed’s sculptures with such a beautiful appearance that it was worshiped like the Goddess of Freya Statue.
-The goddess of the Grass Porridge Cult showed up.
-The Grass Porridge Cult is a religion. A religion with a real goddess!
Seo-yoon’s face had never been revealed in the past.
Her appearance on the broadcast caused a huge uproar.
The men stayed up all night discussing it.
“A beauty that can’t be believed.”
“She is so impressive that I shed tears.”
“The eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, eyebrows, jaw line and even the earlobe is perfect……”
“A national treasure, national treasure! A real person that deserves the protection designated to a national treasure.”
“She must have a lot of points in the charm stat. This is an achievement only possible in Royal Road. But it is still a wonderful thing.”
“I’m just thankful.”
“Thank you.”
“Merciful god.”
“Ahhhh, I won’t regret this even when I am an old man. Just seeing it has value.”
The Grass Porridge Cult had looked through the female users but couldn’t find anything until this moment.
“Let’s celebrate tonight!”
“That’s right! Let’s make this an official holiday that will occur every year in the Arpen Kingdom!”
“What is the name of the holiday?”
“Of course it will be the day the goddess emerged!”
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