LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 21: Tier 1 (2)
Territory: Lartania
Territory Development Level: 94
Territory Residents:
[Humans: 1424]
Owned Buildings:
[Lord's Castle LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Walls LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Residential District LV2]
[Forge LV1 >>> Upgrading 73%]
[Barracks LV2][Tavern LV1 >>> Upgrading 0%]
[Market LV0 (Under Construction 0%)]
Owned Troops:
-Regular Soldiers 100 [View Details]
Over approximately two weeks, the territory of Lartania has undergone further development.
The Residential District, previously at Level 1, has risen to Level 2, and now houses larger than the usual log homes are sporadically visible.
The barracks, having recruited soldiers, has been upgraded to Level 2, enabling not just the recruitment of soldiers but also the hiring of instructors for autonomous training.
Additionally, with the increased development level, the inflow of territory residents has nearly reached 1,400, and the agricultural tools, production of which began in earnest yesterday after fulfilling the quota, will soon provide significant work to those with a specialty in agriculture.
‘It seems there are many with a specialty in agriculture, likely because many of the refugees came from Harlancia.’
While contemplating how to expand the fledgling agricultural industry assigned to one side of the territory, he soon turned his attention to the information window of Elena that was open.
Hero Name: Elena
Title: ?
Stars: 2 Stars ★★
Affection: (Measuring)
-Stats-
🔸️Strength: 30↑
🔸️Agility: 39↑
🔸️Intelligence: 21↑
🔸️Luck: 18
🔸️Magic: 15
※The hero trusts you
In fact, two weeks is a considerable amount of time, but not necessarily long enough to increase stats.
However, seeing her reach 2-stars in just two weeks as expected, Kim Hyunwoo wore a satisfied expression and marveled at her hardworking trait.
‘When raising others before, it took at least a month just to go from 1-star to 2-stars.’
Remembering the hero that took the longest, over two months, Kim Hyunwoo, looking satisfactorily at Elena’s information window, asked Loria.
“Is everything ready?”
[As you instructed, all the soldiers and the mercenary group are ready]
“It’s the Droal Mercenary Group, right?”
[Yes, the mercenary group that includes one hero is also ready. But…]
“Hmm?”
[With so many soldiers, is there really a need to bring along a mercenary group?]
Kim Hyunwoo nodded without hesitation at Loria’s words.
“The primary reason for sending soldiers this time isn’t for them to fight.”
Among the reasons Kim Hyunwoo decided to send soldiers, one was to maintain Elena’s affection, but there were other reasons as well.
The two most important were securing a resting place in the first layer of the Labyrinth and increasing the overall skill level of the soldiers.
Most of the soldiers currently available for use in Lartania were just regular territory residents, with a few exceptions.
In other words, the soldiers created were no different from civilians, except that they held spears.
Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo planned to secure the resting place in advance and hire mercenaries to protect the soldiers, minimizing losses and increasing their skill level.
‘The Labyrinth is dangerous, but there’s a setting that increases skills 50% faster than on the surface.’
Kim Hyunwoo, recalling when he used to send just one hero and soldiers to conquer the Labyrinth before the hero had properly grown.
Troop Type: [Regular Soldiers]
Leader: Malon
[Proficiency: 31/100]
Number of Personnel: 100 [View Details]
Combat Efficiency: Low
[No personnel available for upgrading to higher troop types]
-Basic Equipment-
Head: Helmet
Body: Light Armor
Waist: None
Legs: None
Armed: Spear
Secondary Armament: None
※ These are untrained soldiers. Combat efficiency is reduced.
※ The equipment is inadequate
Looking at the somewhat inadequate soldier type, he said,
“Tell Elena to start the conquest of the first tier.”
***
Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth that appears in front of a territory with a Lord’s seat negatively impacts the territory in many ways.
Monsters from the Labyrinth periodically emerge to attack the territory or create anomalies around it, and monsters from inside the Labyrinth are typically stronger than those on the surface.
Moreover, the Labyrinth breaks that occur every few months and the occasional emergence of Tier Bosses greatly burden the territory from its perspective.
Failing to properly stop such large-scale events would only be a matter of time before the hard-built territory becomes devastated.
Anyway, for a Lord, the Labyrinth continues to create inconvenient problems in managing the territory.
However, the reason most Lords are more focused on conquering rather than sealing off the Labyrinth is due to the Magic Stones and artifacts that emerge from within.
In the world of Arteil, Magic Stones produced exclusively by Lords in the Labyrinth give them an advantage over various guilds, including the mage towers.
Most of the artifacts obtained through exploration within the Labyrinth or by killing a Tier Boss are very rare.
Thus, the Labyrinth has both negative and positive aspects for a territory.
And ‘Alta’, the leader of the Droal Mercenary Group hired for such Labyrinth explorations and a hero chosen by the world, was currently in a rather good mood.
The reason was the condition offered by the Lord of Lartania for assisting with the exploration of the Labyrinth’s first tier, which she found out about when she came looking for any decent requests in the newly established territory.
‘To hand over 30% of the Magic Stones from the first tier. No matter how you look at it, it’s a complete jackpot, isn’t it? Well-’
Of course, there was a condition that no more than ten soldiers should die, but even considering that, the Lord’s offer was exceptional.
She knew well that the Magic Stones from the first tier were not of high quality, but what mattered to her was not the quality of the Stones but the fact that even those of lower quality sold for a generous amount.
Therefore, Alta smiled and also smirked while looking at Elena, who was leading the way with a smile.
‘…It seems like she knows nothing about how the world works, though.’
Alta knew Elena.
It would have been strange not to know her.
After all, she was a hero known by everyone in the vicinity, dubbed the ‘failed hero’, an unlikely hero.
‘They say she’s going to deal with the first tier Boss today-’
With that thought, Alta unconsciously smiled with a mix of pity and scorn.
Of course, from her perspective, the widely rumored failed hero taking on the first tier’s Boss alone was unbelievable.
Indeed, there had been brief rumors that the failed hero had changed, and Alta had heard these stories too.
However, the reason Alta dismissed these stories as mere rumors was because of Elena’s performance up until that point.
Being a mercenary, one ends up taking various jobs, and Alta had worked with her on a few occasions.
And Elena’s performance at those times was so weak that the term ‘failed hero’ fit her perfectly.
Having seen that side of her more than once, Alta treated such rumors about Elena strictly as rumors.
‘Why on earth did they choose someone like her?’
Alta wondered this as she looked at Elena, but soon shrugged it off.
Truthfully, it didn’t matter whom the Lord of Lartania chose.
After all, the contract with the Lord of Lartania stipulated that no more than ten soldiers could die during the exploration of the first tier of the labyrinth.
Besides, she wasn’t going to deal with the first tier’s Boss alongside Elena.
‘Even if we can’t kill the Boss, being outside its room won’t particularly harm us.’
Thus, Alta, who had been smirking with feigned pity at Elena, who boldly led the way, and the Lord who would likely lose a hero by the end of the day, exclaimed:
“…!!”
Screech!
As they began to enter the Labyrinth in earnest, they could see the monsters that started to appear.
Since it was still the first tier of the Labyrinth, most of the monsters were goblins and trolls.
However, goblins infused with the Labyrinth’s magic and containing Magic Stones appeared much larger and more threatening than surface monsters, and some trolls even exceeded human height.
The reason Alta looked surprised that such creatures were already appearing on the first tier was:
‘What is that…!?’
Among those monsters, there was a creature that looked abnormally like a goblin - no, a mutant that couldn’t even be considered a goblin.
[Indistinct growling]
“Eek-!”
“What, what is that!?”
The surroundings stirred.
The soldiers were overwhelmed by the monster that appeared to be at least three meters tall.
The mercenaries swallowed hard at the sight of the muscular entirety of what seemed to be a goblin mutant.
‘I’ve never heard of such a thing appearing on the first tier!’
Alta frowned as hard as she could, realizing that only the barely remaining face indicated that it ‘was’ a goblin.
“Prepare for battle!”
She felt tension rise in her body and shouted loudly.
The mercenaries and warriors instinctively raised their weapons at the loud shout.
And then.
Just as the massive mutant seemed ready to charge.
Crack!
An axe was buried into the head of the giant mutant creature.
[Agonized shriek!]
The mutant began to thrash about, losing control.
However, Elena, who had already leaped onto the mutant’s head, swung her hand axe down once more towards the axe embedded in its head.
Crunch-!
Accompanied by a clear sound of flesh being torn.
Thud-!!!
The mutant’s body slammed into the ground.
And then.
Creak-creeeak!! Crack!
“…It didn’t go as well as the Lord said it would.”
Watching Elena quietly mutter as she effortlessly twisted and removed the two hand axes embedded in the mutant’s head.
“……”
Alta, with her eyes wide open, stared blankly with her mouth agape.
***
At the entrance to the great cavern beneath the Kingdom of Calan.
“Ruin.”
“You’re out now.”
Loriel, one of the Five Swords of Calan, found Ruin standing at the entrance to the underground cavern where her Master resided.
“What’s the matter?”
“I came because it seems like the condition is not too good.”
At Ruin’s words, Loriel let out a short sigh before speaking.
“As expected, the condition isn’t very good.”
“…Should I not have relayed the message?”
“No, the Master’s words are absolute. If the Master said to relay it, then we should just do so.”
“Haah, why would the Master…”
At Loriel’s words, Ruin nodded in agreement but also seemed displeased, smacking her lips as if to say something, but then she closed her mouth.
She knew that her words would be a great disrespect to the Master, and at the same time, she would be very angry upon hearing this story.
Therefore, looking at the silent Ruin, Loriel said,
“So, have you looked for the last item?”
“I did look, but there’s absolutely no rumor about it.”
“…Really? Are you sure you got the name right?”
“No, I’m sure. But strangely, I couldn’t find anything like it for sale. The same goes for information, it seems to exist according to what I’ve heard.”
“What was the name of that artifact?”
Loriel questioned.
To which Ruin responded,
“It’s an artifact called the ‘Execution Sword’.”
She said.