Chapter 1: Internal Affairs of the Arpen Kingdom

Internal Affairs of the Arpen Kingdom

Weed was at the Earth Palace! The northern users had used magic and swords to get to the Earth Palace.

“Is this really the Royal Palace of the Arpen Kingdom?”

“It is built really st.u.r.dy. It is also made to match the mountains really well.”

“Wah…there are signs of a huge construction!”

The king had finally arrived and for many northern users, this was the first time they had seen the Earth Palace. The users wanted to see Weed’s face but he didn’t come out after entering his office at the Royal Palace.

“It is good to be home. I worried so much about money after leaving home.”

He had left the Arpen Kingdom before the Earth Palace had been completed but the warmth made it feel like a home he had lived in for a long time.

Weed had been away for a long time and could finally feel the comforts of home. If Morata was like a 20 storey apartment then the Earth Palace would be like renting the penthouse of a 160 storey apartment!

“Perfect view and interior decor…. He could now understand the desire of rich people to live in a good house. It is too luxurious.”

Weed’s heart was blacker than charcoal as thoughts filled his mind.

“I would be able to sell houses like this for a lot of money. Hrmm, a construction company would be good. Although the recession means there is no choice but to suffer. I should actively make a construction boom in the Arpen Kingdom.”

The driving force behind economic development was land speculation! The Arpen Kingdom had a large percentage of diverse professions than other kingdoms. It might be vulnerable in combat but it was superior in production and art development.

If the Arpen Kingdom was given 3 years then the north would completely change.

The well-constructed cities surrounded by beautiful scenery, easily accessible roads that stretched across the northern continent like spider webs and a range of creative arts in the streets.

A fledgling kingdom strong in urban planning would actively cause changes. It was highly likely that the northern continent would continue to evolve along with the Arpen Kingdom and its people.

“Currently, the population of the Arpen Kingdom has significantly increased and the towns and cities are becoming enormous.”

Weed opened the Internal Affairs window of the Arpen Kingdom. There was a tingle of excitement and tension in his stomach. He hadn’t felt this much excitement since fighting the Embinyu Church as a Warrior Saving the World or the undead legion as an ugly orc.

“This is my Arpen Kingdom!”

He had been away for a long period of time but his kingdom had continued to grow healthily.

Weed was satisfied with the income and other specific national power.

“It was raised well. It feels very rewarding. Excellent.”

The users living in the north frequently told absurd stories about the Arpen Kingdom’s development.

“A week ago, I saw a thatched house in the vicinity of Herot River.”

“Is that so? Yesterday I saw at least 500 shacks in that location.”

“What do you mean? I just came from Herot River and there was a medium sized town!”

“Hey, a friend of mine who is an orc just sent me a whisper from there.”

“The who one started just now?”

“That’s right!”

The population of the north was growing furiously so beginner users roamed the continent without hesitation.

Steady hunting was important for the novice users but they could dream of a jackpot in the north. They fantasized of finding the relics of the Niflheim Empire waiting for them in undiscovered dungeons. Land that had been vacant in the past became a base of transportation, adventure or production and a village was instantly created.

From Weed’s perspective, the Arpen Kingdom was like a growing piggy bank. It felt like owning a chicken farm that lay golden eggs.

“One day I will get a huge amount of funds…my retirement depends on this.”

A rice bowl that contained his retirement funds!

Just like most people, he was anxious about his retirement funds. This acted as his pension so he was worried about the Arpen Kingdom.

“If I can’t stop the Haven Empire then my comfortable retirement will end.”

Weed didn’t immediately rush onto the battlefield. The Haven Empire was waiting to strike but he didn’t bother going to see them. Furthermore, Pavo and the architects already started a task to block their route.

“The guests will have a hard time before coming. Military Status information!”

“Hrmm, the territory and population as increased a lot. Although the military power is almost useless compared to the Haven Empire.”

Weed had started with Morata in the north.

At the time, he had received protection from the Freya Church so he had decreased spending in the military in favour of faster economic development. As a result, the number of trained elite soldiers was low and there weren’t many knights.

Even if a war broke out, troops were needed to prevent the invasion of monsters so only half the forces could be mobilized.

“But the new territory of Lavias has value.”

The Arpen Kingdom had expanded over a large territory in the north but there wasn’t much profit. Many villages and cities had been left in ruins after the fall of the Niflheim Empire.

The monsters ran wild and the small population that survived waited a long time for development. Money was required to secure the roads and walls, construction and urban renewal.

But the sky island of Lavias didn’t have to worry about monster invasions and could safely develop. It was a small kingdom itself with numerous dungeons.

“If the sky population joins then the possibilities are endless.”

The humans and avians had significantly different appearances. It was a complete likeness of a bird.

Humans, elves and dwarves had 2nd and 3rd areas of expertise but the avians had an amazing attribute.

Once they reached a certain level through hunting prey, they would make a breakthrough. Those that abandoned their old bodies could get the flesh of a new species. In addition, physical attributes like speed and height would increase.

Many people dreamed of becoming an avian and making a huge breakthrough but Weed didn’t miss an important part.

“Every time a body is shed, new equipment is needed so it will cost a lot of money. Those with a hobby of keeping their equipment shouldn’t become an avian.”

In Royal Road, people wanted to wear the best equipment possible that suited them. Functional and aesthetically pleasing equipment would instil more confidence on the adventures. The markets and shops in the cities were always crowded with people buying better goods.

Avians had a collective way of living and also paid attention to their appearance. Just like humans, they wore a variety of clothing designed for the beaks and claws, in addition to combat gear and accessories. The overall atmosphere could change just by wearing a new crown or necklace.

Some wore shoes while others like sparrows enjoyed walking on the land and feeling the soil and twigs. Avians who liked a cute or strong appearance were conscious of what equipment they chose.

Most of the equipment for avians were found in Lavias. They could fly so no matter how far away it was, the avians would head to Lavias to purchase goods.

The avians had private restaurants, inns and training centres on Lavias. Some restaurants even mad grilled earthworm steaks with b.u.t.ter.

Some bird tribes had a natural homing instinct and would only come back to Lavias once or twice a year.

Lavias was the hometown of the avians so it would continue to evolve in the future, making it a reliable place to obtain taxes from. Having the new territory of Lavias would certainly increase the tax revenue of the Arpen Kingdom.

“A positive financial resource. Good. Very good.”

Ddiring!

“Phew. These guys are better than nothing. I accept.”

“Earth Palace.”

“I can’t trust anyone. I will direct them.”

“The people of the north will also help the army. And the key to defeating them might be Time Sculpting.”

His act to save the world had left an intense impression on everyone. The level of this quest was unprecedented in Royal Road and he showed off a strong fighting ability. However, that was only in the warring period.

In fact, Weed’s level had been reduced after the quest and he was only level 419. Maybe making the sculptural lifeforms in the desert had a fatal impact.

Among the users active in the north, many had higher levels than Weed. The only thing they didn’t have was Time Sculpting.

But that was only one skill. After collecting all the secret sculpting techniques and many adventures, he had finally learned Time Sculpting! This was the first time someone in Royal Road had obtained the final secret technique so it was unlikely for anyone else to have a similar skill.

It was Weed’s only absolutely irreplaceable weapon.

He was looking forward to when intermediate Time Sculpting could stop the world. An infinite imaginative power and possibilities!

“It will be really special when that time comes. Time stopping will be a beautiful sight and it is a work of art that can destroy the natural order of the world. The best sculptor….ah, no. These useless art skills!”

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The commanders of the Haven Empire’s army in the north gathered in a tent.

The commanders strong enough to cause an uproar anywhere they went on the Versailles Continent and they were ranked based on their combat capabilities.

In particular, Draka who was the commander in chief of the northern invasion had achieved numerous battle victories in Royal Road.

He received generous support from the Hermes Guild and was evaluated as one of the elite knights. Of course, Draka had a notorious reputation that caused any residents who heard the name to flee from their house.

“According to the news, Weed has appeared at the Earth Palace.”

“If we march at full speed then we can reach the Earth Palace in 3 days from here.”

“Those Gra.s.s Porridge fellows are slowing down our advance. Whether we reach the Earth Palace in three days or five days, everyone there will be slaughtered.

“Time isn’t a problem. Weed has appeared but he needs longer than a week to prepare for the war.”

“How about we wait for a week and see? The northern user at the Earth Palace have higher skills than those we’ve faced so far. If we finish them then we can truly defeat Weed and the north.”

The northern invasion army were already sick of facing the northern users. The users had large numbers but weren’t very strong so they were reminiscent of an ant swarm.

Once the northern users were hit by arrows and magic, they would then be smashed by knights and infantry.

This simple approach took time but had a definite effect. Their overwhelming strength led to continuous victories but the problem was that the enemy kept coming.

The Hermes Guild realized how deeply the north felt about this place.

‘It is like a mother bird defending its nest of young from a snake.’

The Haven Empire were the big snake while the northern users were the soft mother bird.

The reason that the users desperately sacrificed their lives wasn’t just because of Weed’s popularity.

The Arpen Kingdom was the last bastion left on the continent. Those who wanted the freedom to enjoy their lives were clear that they could only do it in the north.

‘In order to have their freedom, they can’t leave this area.’

‘The last refuge will be swept away. In doing so, the unity of the continent will be achieved.’

‘We need to subdue them perfectly in order to ensure long term control over the north.’

Despite the fierce resistance from the north, the commanders were convinced that they would win.

Looting and land acquisition. They were waiting to enjoy the benefits of occupying a territory. A good number of the users and knights had partic.i.p.ated in wars of conquest before.

“Have the leaders decided on a countermeasure for Weed?”

“I don’t care what command the guild leaders give. We will continue to march towards the Earth Palace.”

“If Weed has appeared then shouldn’t Bardray come like originally planned?”

“You know that the Abyss Knight has appeared in the Haven Empire…. Weed is in the Earth Palace so there is a slim chance that he can get away. Currently they are more concerned about inside the empire.”

“Indeed…Weed can’t attack our invincible army without a lot of preparations.”

The Hermes Guild didn’t think that Weed and the north could defeat the current Haven Empire. The northern users had been overwhelmingly smashed so far.

Despite Weed’s personal ability, there was no way he could deal with the collective strength of the army.

“The forces of the Arpen Kingdom are limited…it might be possible to defeat them with just one of our units. Observe the movement of the troops for more information.”

“A lot of people are gathering at the Earth Palace. They will fight against us with Weed.”

“We can handle them. Weed might have great leaders.h.i.+p abilities but he is used to directing NPCs, not users.”

“The Hermes Guild has conquered the Central Continent and are used to the organization and operation of an army.”

“Those who are scared or try to escape…. For the majority of the users, this is their first time at war. The north might be eagerly jumping at us now but they will start fleeing once there is a disadvantage.”

“We also have the ability to make public opinion move for us.”

“Well, isn’t there a possibility they will run the moment they see the full force of the Haven Empire’s army?”

War was on an entirely different scale from adventures.

The current Imperial Army contained users of the Hermes Guild and experienced NPCs. The Hermes Guild had secured the Haven Kingdom in the early days so the members were used to war.kdfoidaoiednaknmsladjin

When looking at the scale of a war, being able to command the army to move efficiently was important. The users with strong personalities found it hard to follow the battle tactics and strict discipline in an army.

The commanders needed to give commands that overrode individual thoughts and judgements. Sometimes general users without war experience would cause a defeat when victory was close.

On the other hand, an army configured with NPCs could maximize the effectiveness of battle tactics. It was difficult for even famous and strong users to withstand the concentrated attack of an army.

There were many other advantages to NPC troops. Despite needing to mobilize for dozens of days on missions to subjugate bandits, their loyalty would be maintained. Good commanders would maintain high morale and loyalty through training.

In the process of unifying the Central Continent, the consolidating of the Haven Empire’s military power meant it was difficult for any kingdom to face them. The huge investment early on meant they were easily mobilized for war.

This was half the core forces of the Haven Empire so they were confident about beating the Arpen Kingdom in the north. The current power of the Haven Empire’s army was close to invincible.

This was the a.n.a.lysis for the north as well as the entire Versailles Continent. They wouldn’t be able to stand up to the Haven Empire’s enormous army.

“We will continue to keep an eye on Weed. And we will finish him up at the Earth Palace.”

“It will be fine.”

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“Robin-nim, the Hermes Guild wants a talent like you.”

“Well, I am with my colleagues so it is a difficult decision to make.”

The hunter Robin was formally invited to the Hermes Guild. The tall, handsome and rich Robin who pursued Seo-yoon!

In Royal Road, his level was beyond 400 and he wore the best equipment. The armour and weapon had splendid options by default and magic effects were always activated against monsters.

If anything was lacking then he would have blacksmiths and tailors add more diamonds. The gazes of other people would be filled with astonishment and envy when he walked through villages.

But unlike the actual power of his level and equipment, he was afraid every time he entered a dark and sombre dungeon.

Despite his profession as a hunter, Robin was never alone. He was always accompanied by at least 5 mercenaries consisting of knights and priests.

The hunting efficiency was good and they would receive compensation from famous dungeon quests! If there were dangerous situations with monsters then the mercenaries would take care of it. Therefore, Robin hardly ever died.

“Wouldn’t it be an honour for the Hermes Guild if Robin-nim joins? Of course, your other friends are also invited.”

“Hrmm, the offer is good.”

Robin thought deeply about his future.

The Nice Guys Guild was famous in Royal Road. The children of wealthy families gathered in the Versailles Guild operated the guild as a hobby.

Despite the fight for supremacy among the prestigious guilds, the Nice Guys Guild were never involved. Just like Robin, they were overflowing with money and power so touching them would cause problems.

They had wide connections in Royal Road and could request retaliation against any slights. They sprinkled money recklessly and no one else could imitate them.

Actually, Robin and the Nice Guys had made quite a lot of requests to the Hermes Guild.

“I need a bow. The restriction is level 340.”

“The rating? And tell me if you have any specific options you want.”

“I would be satisfied with a legend rating. At the very least, it should be the best bow for my level.”

“You know that items like that aren’t common.”

“I don’t care about the price. Having an option to freeze monsters would be fine as well.”

They asked for weapons and armour regardless of the price or players and NPCs to act as guides.

Active users working as merchants were asked to deliver or trade goods. If there was a conflict with other users then they would pay money to have them killed.

The Hermes Guild didn’t need to be hostile or stop them. If they did the requests then there would be a huge financial gain.

Currently the Nice Guys had a unique power on the continent so the Hermes Guild wanted to recruit them. By accepting the funds of those who were wealthy in reality, there would be mutually beneficial transactions.

“Recently I’ve been wanting to become a lord. If you give me a city then I will join the Hermes Guild.”

Robin recently had aspirations of becoming a lord.

Being a lord required a lot of effort to build up fame and achievements but the Hermes Guild’s PR members readily nodded.

“Of course it is possible.”

There were many areas in the territory that the Haven Empire s.n.a.t.c.hed that didn’t have lords. The Empire controlled the city and they begrudgingly paid the taxes. Lords could become n.o.bles in the Empire and were generously treated.

Robin was the son of a rich family so there was no question about his money. From the perspective of the Hermes Guild, Robin would use his money on the city if he was awarded a lords.h.i.+p. Therefore, there were many long-term benefits.

“I thought this was a big favour to ask but the Hermes Guild agreed.”

“The guild will actively help if Robin-nim has a request. Where we you like the land?”

“My dream is to become the lord of a city in the northern frontier.

“The north? But the occupation operation isn’t over yet so it will be hard to maintain peace and order. Wouldn’t it be better to develop a commercial free city?”

“The north has large potential sleeping. I am the oldest son of an entrepreneur so I prefer a place with potential rather than one that is already developed. My friends also prefer the north.”

“I understand. However, currently the area we’ve occupied in the north is only at the standards of a small village.”

“That makes it more attractive. I can completely renovate it from the ground up to make my own city.”

“Oh, I see that your perspective is different from mine. If you think you will be satisfied then we have a few areas.”

The Hermes Guild’s PR crew nodded. There were many areas in the occupied north where a large city could be built.

Rather than a city already finished, Robin would need to supply materials to build up the city so it would only benefit the Hermes Guild.

Due to the myth of Morata, many users wanted to be lords in the north. This was extra income for the Hermes Guild.

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In Morata, there was a user called Seventh Rabbit that had an addiction to reading.

He liked to read any articles.

In reality, he was a 17 year old that read most of the published comics and novels.

The obsessed Seventh Rabbit was stuck in the library.

“Huhuhu, something like this happened. A fabulous quest. I can sell the information for 300 gold.”

He read books about history, geography, plants, quest events and anything that caught his eye. The combination of some information could be sold for money, to fulfil unresolved quests or to luckily find a treasure.

“Huh? Heroes in the Warring Period. This book wasn’t here a few days ago.”

Seventh Rabbit looked at a bookshelf.

[Heroes in the Warring Period #3

Countless heroes lived in the warring period. Local heroes lost their lives while stronger warriors would emerge on the Central Continent.

Many ambitious kings tried to seize power until the invasion of the Pallos Empire from the south put an end to their lives.

During this time, the name of heroes could be counted on one hand. I can a.s.sure you that it includes Hestiger.

A warrior and well-mannered gentleman, he has no defects and is a perfect specimen. During the warring period, countless women who were n.o.bles or commoners would soak their pillows with tears while thinking of him.

There are rumours that Hestiger handled any crime in the warring period. Hestiger didn’t seek honour and power and only lived for discipline and justice. His strong mind was unshakable by cowardice, greedy or hedonism.

If it wasn’t for Hestiger then the establishment of the Pallos Empire might not have been possible. Hestiger can be called a true hero that represents this era.

Other notable heroes include the absolute swordsman, Zahab.

He had exceptional art skills and wandered the continent. It is possible that there isn’t one person alive today who can match his skills.

In the case of the emperor that emerged from the rough sands to establish the Pallos Empire, he is only a legend as many rumours spread about him.

These things aren’t verified. He killed all knights against him and destroyed cities.

His cruelty transcended human limits so the academic community have presented a confident evaluation that this is just an exaggeration.

The Pallos Emperor didn’t return after leaving on an adventure with the hero Hestiger so those rumours are lacking in objectivity.

Anyway, these are the heroes of that era.]