LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 6
6 – Reunion (3)
Reunion (3)
The moment Kim Hyunwoo saw the arrival of the Waterfolk Queen in his territory, he was determined to capture her by any means necessary.
Even if it meant pouring out most of the resources obtained through this labyrinth break.
Even if the immediate cost was substantial, recruiting the Waterfolk Queen would undoubtedly open up numerous possibilities.
However, at this very moment, Kim Hyunwoo looked at the notification window that had appeared before him and realized.
That recruiting her would not only make rebuilding his territory difficult but also render it impossible.
If he recruited her, it would be like drinking from a poisoned chalice.
‘Adding just one person brings too many enemies.’
Of course, the Merilda that Kim Hyunwoo saw was powerful.
So powerful that it left him speechless.
Moreover, the notification indicated that Merilda, originally a 5-star, had become a 5.5-star due to an update, suggesting additional systems had been introduced.
However, even with all that, recruiting her seemed too daunting.
‘There are countless kingdoms and clans that didn’t exist in my time, not to mention territories with hostile relationships…’
What on earth had he been doing outside his territory until now? Kim Hyunwoo pondered, observing the destructive relationships to the point where he involuntarily licked his lips.
…In truth, if this was the only concern, Kim Hyunwoo might have seriously considered recruiting Merilda.
No, he might have kneeled right away.
Considering what was approaching, it seemed Merilda’s favor had been maintained to some extent. However, Kim Hyunwoo had no idea what she was thinking.
Yet, there was another reason why Kim Hyunwoo refrained from recruiting Merilda, beyond the fact that she had many enemies.
※Caution
★★★★★☆ If you recruit the hero ‘King of Beasts,’ you will suffer disadvantages in territory development due to the notorious reputation as the boss ‘Red Eyes.’
—–
—–
If the territory development level is high, it can nullify the reputation of the recruited hero.
[‘Red Eyes’ Reputation: 1442]
[Lartania’s Territory Development Level: -20]
Existing Territory Inflow Rate: -25%
New Territory Inflow Rate: -1275%
—–
“…”
Fundamentally, in the world of Arteil, the most significant factor for territory growth is the population of the territory.
You need the population to collect taxes, produce goods, and design basic infrastructure.
Moreover, in Arteil, unlike mindlessly copying as the territory level rises, the system involves the settlement and growth of wandering tribes and outsiders.
However, for Kim Hyunwoo, who was already dealing with a -25% territory inflow rate, receiving Meralda in such a situation, increasing it to -1275%, was an absolute mistake from the perspective of rebuilding the territory.
-25% was a number Kim Hyunwoo could easily recover from with this reward, but -1275% was a different story.
‘If the territory were as it used to be, I could have accepted it.’
Kim Hyunwoo recalled his past territory.
The territory level was unimaginably high, and the territory development level casually exceeded 5000 units, unlike the current state.
If the territory were in its heyday, even if Kim Hyunwoo received Meralda, the territory inflow rate would have decreased slightly, but there wouldn’t have been any major issues. However, that was all in the past.
‘Well, I guess I have to give up.’
Kim Hyunwoo looked at Meralda with a regretful expression and then suddenly glanced at the earring in her ear.
‘…Maybe there will be an opportunity to recruit her later if the territory develops.’
With that thought in mind, he opened the in-game window that Loria had created and began manipulating something.
####
Meralda looked at Kim Hyunwoo with trembling eyes.
As he looked at her, making a somewhat embarrassed expression, he soon waved his finger in the air.
Snap-
He then created a small box in his right hand and placed it on Meralda’s frozen hand.
She stared blankly and looked down to confirm.
It was a gift, wrapped in a small box.
It seemed like something she had seen before, a small gift.
Merilda raised her gaze again.
What she could still see was Youngju’s troubled face.
And.
“The earrings are quite old.”
Youngju opened his mouth.
However, Merilda couldn’t respond properly even after hearing such words from Kim Hyunwoo.
She suddenly didn’t understand his actions of giving her a gift.
No-
In fact, she did understand.
Even if she didn’t want to understand, she automatically understood the meaning of this action in her mind.
“Is this it, the end?”
Youngju.
It didn’t mean to apologize or compliment her by giving her a gift.
That was obvious.
Merilda still hasn’t conveyed anything to Youngju.
She couldn’t ask for forgiveness.
She couldn’t apologize for her mistake.
She couldn’t express her affection.
So, the meaning of this gift, as Merilda thought, was only one thing.
This, this is-
“Next time, if we have a chance to meet again.”
-It was the end.
There was no intention to start again with her.
This incident would end here-
“…Ah.”
-It was the period of their relationship.
Merrilda let out a soft sigh.
Simultaneously, her eyes narrowed.
She glanced at the lord.
More precisely, she met his gaze.
Mixed with a sense of embarrassment, yet simultaneously firm and resolute.
Merrilda felt as though tears she had been holding back might pour out at that moment, but she kept her head bowed.
In her heart, she wished she could ask for forgiveness right then and there.
To ask for another chance.
To admit that everything had been wrong.
To plead for just one more opportunity to return to how things used to be.
But she was afraid to speak those words.
She already knew the words that would come from the lord’s lips, sending such a gaze her way. Sadly, she knew.
Moreover, what if she caused the lord trouble once more and he disappeared again?
“No, I can’t.”
The mere thought of the newly met lord vanishing again sent shivers down Merrilda’s spine.
So, she said nothing.
Nodded, nod, nod.
She could only bow her head and nod silently.
####
A few hours after watching Merrilda leave with a slightly gloomy expression, head nodding slightly with a faintly troubled demeanor.
“Perhaps there was some lingering favorability?”
Kim Hyunwoo pondered, briefly recalling Merrilda’s somewhat somber expression before shaking his head again.
According to Arteil’s setting, if there had been lingering favorability, she wouldn’t have left the estate.
“Or maybe the gift was too insignificant?”
Kim Hyunwoo remembered the gift he had given to Merrilda.
A pair of earrings, worth a measly 300 won in cash, as the first gift to her.
“I thought increasing favorability by giving a gift before entering the estate might help with the recruitment later on.”
Upon reflection, Kim Hyunwoo realized that Merrilda had only shown appreciation for that first gift, while afterward, she demanded items worth thousands of won as gifts. He clicked his tongue, feeling a tinge of regret.
“Well, after receiving several items worth tens of thousands of won as gifts, getting upset over something worth 300 won now seems a bit… off.”
Ultimately, he concluded it was a mistake in his choice, but Kim Hyunwoo lowered his head as if to say it was unavoidable.
What needed to be considered now was not the feeling of an unsought hero but the reconstruction of a territory at stake.
“Loria, show me the UI.”
[Understood.]
With those words, the UI appeared before him.
Kim Hyun-woo, looking at the UI that looked just like it did ten years ago when he played the game, immediately checked the resources written at the top of the UI.
[Red Stone: 9700] [Blue Stone: 1500000] [Gold: 0]
Unlike a few hours ago when both were zero, Kim Hyun-woo, seeing the somewhat filled resources, smiled.
The resources obtained as a reward for clearing the level 30 dungeon of the Mysterious Break in the territory would undoubtedly be a significant force in restoring this ruined land.
“Especially the Red Stone.”
As in-game currency, Blue Stones were more valuable than gold.
Red Stones, being cash currency, had infinite value and uses.
Even though he had used about 300 of them to buy gifts for Merilda, with 9700 Red Stones, it was more than enough to restore this place that had suffered a setback in territory development.
“It’s interesting that even when you enter the game world, you can still keep buying cash items.”
Moreover, despite ten years passing, Kim Hyun-woo was one of the 500 black sheep and a ranker who continued playing Arteal until it was on the verge of collapse.
In other words, he had enough knowledge in his head to restore this territory to its original state.
“Shall we get started?”
Kim Hyun-woo began manipulating the UI.
####
Merilda, absentmindedly walking out of Lartania, soon found herself outside and involuntarily knelt down.
Thud, thud.
Tears that hadn’t flowed from her red eyes for a long time streamed down her cheeks.
Her heart, which she thought would no longer beat fiercely, was pounding like crazy.
Yet, Merilda felt as if her heart had been pierced.
Certainly, her heart was beating, but it was so empty and painful that she couldn’t bear it.
It hurt.
Too much.
The words of farewell she heard from the lord, the lord’s gaze, gestures – the more she thought about it, the more it tore her heart apart.
Merilda unconsciously tightened her grip on her heart, squeezing it in her hand.
“!”
However, shortly after, she hurriedly released her grip on her hand.
At the same time, she looked at the gift given to her by the baron in her left hand.
Thankfully, the box was intact.
…Unfortunately, the box was in her own hands.
As if to prove that the baron’s parting gift was not a dream, it was clearly resting in her hand.
Unknowingly, Merilda clutched onto the gift and burst into tears.
It felt like this gift had become the final link between her and the baron.
At the same time, it felt like this was the culmination of their relationship, making the gift both hateful and precious.
Unknowingly, she would cry while holding onto it, then suddenly startle and release her grip, repeatedly checking if the gift was still intact.
Thankfully, despite the many tears that fell onto the box, it maintained its shape.
How much time had passed?
“…”
Merilda stood up from her seat.
“No, I can’t.”
Though tears streamed down her face as if she was about to pour out all the tears of the past years at once, she stood up.
She,
the wolf.
and the red eyes.
“…”
Merilda had no intention of giving up.
The baron had returned.
She wanted to be forgiven no matter what.
Even if it meant sacrificing her own life to the devil, she wanted to be forgiven.
She wanted to gain his favor.
She wanted to gain his affection.
However, at the same time, Merilda knew.
If she were to continue her endless begging, he might just disappear like the wind and never return.
She despised that.
At least for her, it was akin to a death sentence.
So.
“There is… hope.”
Merilda mumbled.
What her tearful eyes beheld was a gift.
A gift from the lord, a token of their union.
“There will be.”
He bestowed a gift upon Merilda.
If he truly despised her to the extent of hatred, he would have pushed her away without a gift.
He would have unleashed harsh words upon her.
Just like he did ten years ago, when she was foolish.
However, the lord gave her a gift.
Even if it clearly symbolized their union, it now rested in Merilda’s hands.
In other words, within the lord’s heart, there still existed, still lingered—a small space, just enough for a gift of union.
A very small trace of regret remained, Merilda judged.
No, she thought.
“…”
If that was the case, there was only one thing she had to do.
She had to assist the lord.
Help the master.
Whatever she could do to aid and open a tiny crevice in his heart.
She had no intention of deliberately revealing her intentions.
Just silently, she decided to do what she could.
By continually helping the master, if he happened to notice and, instead of a gift, showed her a tiny bit of favor.
The wolf—
Merilda found that enough.
So.
“…”
With crimson eyes, Merilda gazed at a certain place.
The spot where, a while ago, the knight who openly scoffed at the lord’s death had fled.