5) Ruins of King Belsos

There were a lot of conditions needed in order for a farmer to settle in one place. s.p.a.cious and fertile land, clean water, free of natural disasters and monster attacks.

“Such good land is expensive.”

Therefore farmers claimed land protected by mountains rather than an expensive field. Wooden fences and trenches were dug to prevent the raid of monster attacks.

When soldiers and combat based users secured the peace of the area, the farmland could be expanded. When working on fields in the mountains, there were frequent cases of people dying to monsters. Therefore they had to go through a lot of trouble to grow crops but farmers liked that.

“It might rain in the evening today. Finish the job quickly.”

They planted seeds from the moment the sun rose on the morning fog and they quickly sprouted into stalks. If they conquered the environment and worked hard to give life then they could obtain a gold field. Only then could they feel the excitement of being a farmer.

Once the fields grew grains or the trees in the orchards grew fruit, they could take it to the market and sell it. Cooks would purchase the products for a premium so a farmer could feel the fun of being in the agricultural trade. They invested that money into buying more land and growing special crops. They didn’t buy weapons or armour and invested it all back in their land.

In the north, Morata’s relations.h.i.+p with the Elves wasn’t bad and the land was also fertile so it was possible to grow fruits from the Elves. If they took good care of the land then it would also affect the surrounding fertile earth.

The fruit trees were expensive but farmers took great pride in their fields and rice paddies. But when looking at expensive products, the most profitable thing was a herb field!

A herb garden could be created anywhere but it needed moderate shade, nutrients and fertile ground. Good herbs could stop aggressive attacks from mountain animals and monsters and cooks would pay a huge amount for them. Once stabilized, the crops would be easily grown and some land would remain intact.

It was a profession where only farmers with large lands would earn a lot of money so the merchants didn’t envy them. But when the limit to expanding the land was reached, they would sell the land to lords or other farmers. They would take unknown seeds and look for other rich land to settle in.

The professional Farmers Guild came to Morata shortly after the G.o.ddess of Freya statue was erected.

“The northern lands are really wide so we’re not confined to farming in small territories like the Central Continent.”

“Over here. Look at the soil quality here.”

The guild members quickly discovered fertile soil.

“If something is planted here then it will grow well.”

“It goes without saying since this land is blessed by the Freya Church. Let’s farm here.”

At first they just planted simple crops like wheat and rice. Wheat could be easily harvested and a large piece of land wasn’t required. And the abundant harvest was beyond expectations! The grain was unharmed due to the protection of the Freya Church.

While worrying about a monster invasion, they talked badly about the Lord of Morata.

“The Morata Lord doesn’t have enough ideas. He doesn’t do anything even when monsters are threatening the peace.”

“That ignorant fellow doesn’t know anything besides fighting. He is like that.”

The farmers from the Central Continent had exporting in mind. But people migrated to Morata and beginners could also start there.

A consumption market was formed and the lord could give indirect support by building special grain warehouses for the farmers of Arpen Kingdom. Farmers who struggled to grow crops would have their hearts broken because it spoiled from no storage if the lords were inattentive.

“The Morata Lord makes a lot of investments yet he lives simply.”

“Isn’t that just to show a good face?”

“These days he is really aware of these things. If we clear the land then a ranger unit will protect it.”

When a farmer successfully grew crops like tomatoes or grapes, the fame of the area would increase and it was be registered as a specialty. They could then sell it as specialty items. Food merchants would visit them intentionally for purchases and the bulk resources would be stores in warehouses.

Some farmers registered olives as a specialty and cooks who used the raw materials make technological advances. Wine and beer breweries were also managed so grain would be consumed even more.

The livestock industry raising cows and sheep also gave large quant.i.ties of milk, cheese and food and Morata’s leather industry was highly compet.i.tive.

“Morata’s Lord is really wonderful. Who else would take such care of his farmers?”

“This is excellent timber. If we start growing herb fields in the Arpen Kingdom before it is too late then we can widen into orchards and vineyards.”

“I’d like to start coffee beans and sugar canes.”

Weed played a huge role in the reason why farmers could acc.u.mulate wealth. Many users who came to see Weed settled in the area, peace was strengthened and it was possible to defend against monsters.

Only farmers under the extensive protection of the King Hydra or Black Imugi couldn’t feel rea.s.sured enough to increase their yields. Just like more farmers were attracted after Morata’s development, it was the same when the Arpen Kingdom was established. Currently agriculture was booming.

There were also wild gra.s.s and flowers at Morata’s popular tourist spots.

Many birds flew towards this beautiful city. The birds that ate the valuable grain were the natural enemy of farmers.

“There are so many d.a.m.n birds.”

“Whoa! I really wish I could get rid of all of them.”

The farmers frantically tried to drive them out of the fields worth thousands of gold but birds kept on flying over the area. It became so popular that travellers came just to see the birds.

“Noona, that bird over there is weird!”

2 special birds were the leaders. The special gold and silver birds pecked at the grains of rice.

Golden Bird and Silver Bird cried out with satisfaction as they ate like princesses.

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The expedition left for Argoldia under the Church of Lugh’s request. The fact that expedition was heading towards one of the continent’s 10 famous Forbidden Zones didn’t bother them.

“Ah, I’m tired.”

“There seems to be no end.”

“It is already the second day and we haven’t found anything.”

Of course they couldn’t obtain food or water. The land was barren and hungry man-eating monsters roamed it. They were unable to find the Holy Land in Argoldia.

“We have to overcome it. We can do it.”

The paladins and priests from the Church of Lugh encouraged the tired people. It was natural that many of the users were clergy affiliated professions since it was a quest given by a religious order.

“Weed-nim actively played in one of the 10 Forbidden Zones. And didn’t he succeed?”

“If we give up here and return then we will just stay the underdogs. Let’s all work together.”

Despite that, the endless barren land tempted them to give up.

Hunger and thirst. Monsters that would eat their meat. Even the oasis they finally found had its bottom completely exposed.

“Kuooh… This place is also incorrect.”

“Let’s scatter and look a bit more.”

“It would be nice if it rained tomorrow…..”

“The last time it rained was one month ago, it is really terrible.”

Argoldia was near the territory of the Dark Wood Magicians so teleport magic couldn’t be used. Only small scale magic that didn’t cause ripples could be used in battle. If the Dark Wood Magicians discovered them then there would be a surprise raid. The attacks from senior magicians over level 460 were enough to make the expedition worry.

Time pa.s.sed as they arrived in Argoldia and wandered around. Even if the elite users from Morata partic.i.p.ated, a large number of casualties occurred. The fact that many people partic.i.p.ated on important expeditions wasn’t necessarily a good thing. The users who were priests heard that the Garden of the G.o.ds in Morata was being completed and wanted to return.

“The goal of exploring Argoldia, a Forbidden Zone hasn’t been completed yet you want to return to Morata just to see the Garden of the G.o.ds?”

“I think there will be a lot more interesting adventures in Arpen Kingdom.”

“That would be better.”

A significant number of users belonging to the clergy affiliation and other professions left like a tide. The remaining personnel were only approximately 20 people.

“We must fulfil our mission.”

The Adventurer Spenson whose name was known on the continent decided to lead them until the end and reclaim the power of the Sword of Lugh.

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Weed looked at the statues he made in the Garden of the G.o.ds early in the morning. He had decided to complete the final statue in the morning and now wasn’t that time.

The night sky was so clear that it felt like the moon and stars were close. But Weed’s heart wasn’t comfortable.

In the past he had regretted buying a 200 won more expensive salt but recently he had made many more mistakes.

“I made too many mistakes in the battle at the Melbourne Mine.”

The fight against Bardray constantly came to his head while he was making the sculptures. Weed regretted his defeat and death but he wasn’t angry. The reason was simple. He was weak so he died.

“It is my responsibility to become even stronger.”

Bardray was known to be strong. He received support from his guild so the situation was disadvantageous from the beginning. However, that was just an excuse.

His regret was due to not showing all his combat ability in battle.

“I should’ve thought more carefully. I didn’t take advantage of everything to the fullest.”

It was a bad situation but he was used to that. If Seo-yoon’s health had been distributed through the wedding ring then he would’ve been able to hold on much longer. He would also be able to fight more actively if he could’ve utilized the Berserker’s skills.

However the thought of more reinforcements from the Hermes Guild burdened him so he fought hastily and died. He took a big hit all at once, making his health fall too quickly for the wedding ring to take effect.

“I did something foolish. Just like when I bought the 200 won more expensive salt.”

Weed scolded himself for dying. He couldn’t accept receiving so much damage from the Hermes Guild users. Although the situation was complicated, the amount of damage received by the elite Hermes Guild users was amazing. Their skills, level and cooperation was enough that the Belkain couple only irritated them.

“And I was very careless. My preparations were insufficient compared to the enemy.”

He hadn’t used Summon Sculpture intentionally. He didn’t want to suffer larger damage if they were destroyed. Even Disaster Sculpting couldn’t be used because there were no nature sculptures.

Things like a volcanic eruption took too much time to activate, leaving Weed in danger. Therefore it was useless in a decisive moment. It would be better if he had a Disaster Sculpting suitable for the dungeon and then being able to fight.

Moonlight Sculpting Blade was useful in fighting enemies. He used it often in hunting so its proficiency was also high. But it consumed 3 times the mana of Sculpting Blade so it couldn’t be used often in battle without something like the G.o.ddess’ Knight Armour.

“I released my tension in many ways.”

The outcome of his reflection was that Weed was lax in his last battle. If he was defeated then he had to become strong and take away their lives!

“I even lost the decent Talrock’s Armour.”

A unique cla.s.s item. He acquired it a long time ago so the options were somewhat old but it was still good to wear. Weed tended to focus on damage more than defense so he frequently changed his sword. He had a soft spot for the armour so it pained it when it was taken away. He felt betrayed that the Talrock’s Armour he frequently wore was going into the hands and purse strings of someone else.

“I can’t do that again.”

Before completing the final G.o.d statue, he decided to create some sculptures he could use with Disaster Sculpting.

Suddenly haunted to death by a swarm of insects. They could penetrate through rocks or humans and monsters.

In fact, Weed had already made a diverse range of Disaster Sculptures so he struggled to think of some that transcended imagination.

“Whatever it is will be terrible. Even pouring hot water on the body will be fine. I won’t always have ice so I should prepare some sculptures in advance.”

He had experience with the disasters. He prepared sculptures beforehand in case there was trouble in a place like the mine.

It truly wasn’t useless to frequently see bad things.

“A robber who hits the bank several times will probably end up stealing well.”

Weed created the Disaster Sculptures until morning.

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“Is it going to start soon?”

“It really is the end.”

“I’m nervous for some reason.”

“I was suddenly shoved back.”

The Garden of the G.o.ds was going to be completed this morning so a large crowd was gathered. The excitement grew because there was only one last piece left. Those that partic.i.p.ated directly were even more impressed.

“Uhh… where will we go after that is created?”

“The expedition to explore the ruins of King Belsos shouldn’t be that difficult. We just can’t make any mistakes.”

“Hah! I’m anxious when looking at the Crimson Wing in the past.”

Surka, Romuna and Irene’s complexion was dark. When the sculpture was completed, they would leave with Weed to explore a dungeon so their expressions couldn’t be bright. Kaybern’s Spartoi had already arrived.

“As expected, you shouldn’t be too good.”

Pale and Irene felt as they watched Weed. They suffered for no reason thanks to that guy’s personality!

“Staying near an unlucky person like that really causes bad things.”

The morning sun rose and showcased the final sculpture. The crowd became bigger as time pa.s.sed. It was like feeling hunger for the best dish so they would be even more impressed once the sculpture was completed.

“This morning, it is a really historic moment for the Arpen Kingdom. A new chapter will open in order to reap more taxes.”

Weed carved the lips of the sculpture. He had left the Statue of Freya until the end.

Paladins and priests ran all the way from the Central Continent when they heard it was going to be completed. He had already made a G.o.ddess of Freya Statue in Morata but it would only be completed once placed in the circle of G.o.ds.

The G.o.ddess of Freya Statue was beautiful so there were several concerns about it being the final work. He applied lipstick to add a s.h.i.+mmering gloss to the mouth, added make-up to the face and the G.o.ddess of Freya Statue was completed.

Ddiring!

Ddiring!

“The Garden of the G.o.ds.”

The labourers and users were already calling it that. It wasn’t that bad considering Weed’s normal naming sense.

Construction land, Town next to Morata, Tax Garden and the Hermes Guild Villains were all possible names.

“That’s correct.”

Ddiring!

A country’s fame was very useful in the trade of foreign and local specialties. Goods imported from a more well-known kingdom would be given a good price when trading. Merchants would rejoice when they procured something from a certain kingdom.

Weed also had a personal message floating in front of him.

His friends.h.i.+p and contribution points with the other religious orders had risen and he also received the blessings of the G.o.ds.

A dictator who exploited people was blessed by the G.o.ds! In the process of making the sculptures he had completed 2 Magnum Opus, 3 Masterpieces and 7 Fine pieces. He also completed numerous Historic, Religious and Giant sculptures.

His Leaders.h.i.+p, Endurance and Perseverance stats also rose by a lot due to leading other people and creating the sculptures.

His sculpting skill proficiency reached 38.2% advanced level 9. His skill proficiency steadily rose thanks to the creation of a large religious work that spread through the whole continent.

Weed’s increase in sculpting skill proficiency wasn’t the biggest harvest from this work.

When he looked at it in the long term, the creation of the Garden of the G.o.ds not long after the founding of the Arpen Kingdom would result in great benefits.

“Kyahahaha! It is finally over!”

“Now let’s play!”

Users who partic.i.p.ated in the Garden of the G.o.ds cheered, throwing up their caps. The musicians played their instruments vigorously.

“Travel, Wind, Pork, please come to these restaurants. I will give it to you for a cheap price. Lettuce will be free!”

“Deliciously dark beer! My place just got a new cook so dishes are flying out. Guests follow me if you want to eat!”

“Gra.s.s Porridge Cult! Gra.s.s Porridge Cult members. There will be a regular dinner today at Pulsul Cafe!”

The people in Morata had been waiting for this day so it was no different from a festival. There was a flurry of petals to celebrate the completion and stores opened wide their doors. The shacks and houses also put up signposts.

-I carried stones in the Garden of the G.o.ds 14 times.

-I shovelled for 4 hours at the Garden of the G.o.ds.

-Merchant’s House. Donated 2 pieces of marble.

Every place has something they were proud of.

Tourists and settlers kept on coming from other places so the atmosphere continued for a while.

Weed might be the King but he was also the sculptor who created an enormous piece of work that drew crowds. Even if other sculptors received the support of a guild, it will be impossible for them to match his popularity.

Many residents smiled brightly and gave expressions of pure joy as the Garden of the G.o.ds was completed. The status of the sculptor would change the piece of work.

Weed thought it was a chance to look good for the residents and used Lion’s Roar.

“The Garden of the G.o.ds will be opened for free forever!”

“Hooray Arpen Kingdom!”

“Hooray the continent’s best sculptor Weed!”

Weed brought greater joy to the users!

“I really have no choice but to like Weed-nim.”

“Yes. I really love Weed-nim’s adventures and it is the reason why I came to Morata.”

To be honest, Weed had no choice but to make it free. It had a large influence on the clergy affiliated professions, making going there an essential part of their profession.

If he received an entrance fee then the income would be really huge but the task would’ve been impossible if the crowd didn’t partic.i.p.ate. It wouldn’t be easy for Weed to charge an entry fee without any resistance.

In addition, it was also unfortunately cla.s.sified as a religious building so he couldn’t charge an admission fee. However the positive effects from completing the Garden of the G.o.ds weren’t small. Weed had no choice but to be satisfied with that degree.

“There will hopefully be more good facilities in the future. I’ll be able to collect the taxes for those.”

If other lords, sculptures or architects on the Central Continent to build a great building or piece then they couldn’t hire a large amount of people. Apart from conditions like technology and development, a large and long term investment of money was required. When looking at how long it would take to succeed and the benefits, it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

It was a great achievement to be able to build a Grand Building on the Central Continent. The cities in the Central Continent had high economic and technical prowess but were somewhat impoverished as a result of the war.

But the lords hadn’t been worried about increasing the number of users. The lords just thought of ways to squeeze the users. New users were still growing so they only thought about raising the taxes higher. Their focus was just on the immediate profit. It was the same for all the surrounding lords so it was difficult for things to change.

That was the circ.u.mstances of the Central Continent so it was no wonder Weed was so popular among the general users. The people who suffered under Weed in Continent of Magic couldn’t understand how he could be such a kind King of Morata.

“You should go do Kaybern-nim’s important task.”

A Spartoi clad in s.h.i.+ning armour came to Weed. Weed had wasted one important day making sculptures so it was necessary to hurry. He couldn’t imagine being late for Kaybern’s quest.

“There are many things I need to do as Arpen’s King but I’m going now. Wy-3!”

A wyvern came flying and landed in the Garden of the G.o.ds. He decided to use the wyvern to move to Belsos’ dungeon. The terrain was unknown and the Spartoi had high resistance so Yurin couldn’t move them with her Picture Movement. The bystanders looked on in amazement at Weed, the wyvern and Spartoi in the Garden of the G.o.ds.

“Are they the Weed-nim’s Royal Knights?”

“Look at that armour. It isn’t ordinary.”

“It looks really strong. Isn’t that in the mid or late 400’s?”

“I thought that the Arpen Kingdom’s army was weak… He really hid such knights!”

“Why does the Arpen Kingdom have Royal Knights with such high levels?”

Weed and the Spartoi were also broadcasted live on television screens.

“They are Spartoi!”

“Spartoi, aren’t they made with the body parts of extremely strong dragons?”

“Yes. I’ve never seen Spartoi in battle but considering the standard of armour they are wearing, they should be able to face off against the highest cla.s.s monsters. I estimate that their correct level is 500.”

“The Spartoi have amazing magic resistance, the health is close to infinite and there are hardly any dents in their armour.”

“Ah, it really is amazing! Did Weed-nim receive a Dragon Quest and is being escorted by the Spartoi?”

“If it is anyone else then I wouldn’t understood but it isn’t strange if it is Weed.”

The hosts at the broadcasting station’s studios said with amazement. Many late level users were interested in the Garden of the G.o.ds so they were also shocked at the sight.

“I thought the Arpen Kingdom was weak since it was just founded?”

“I thought the north wasn’t a particularly big deal but it really can’t be ignored.”

The broadcast of the completion of the Garden of the G.o.ds suddenly came alive at the appearance of the Spartoi.

The Royal Knights symbolized the power of the Kingdom. A person had to go through a series of complicated quests given by the King in order to be appointed a knight. Once users were a knight they would receive benefits like a salary, horses and armour but they had to swear allegiance to the king. The appointed knights would command soldiers to hunt monsters in dungeons.

He had to pay attention to things like this when becoming a King. Wonderful knights would increase the fame of the King and the Honour stat would rise. They could also proudly boast about them.

While everyone was impressed with the Spartoi, Weed and his companions were the only ones who knew that they belonged to Akryong Kaybern.

If Weed didn’t succeed in his quest then they would become hostile straight away.