Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Territory: Lartania

Territory Development Level: 5012

Territory Residents:

[Humans: 39,244]

–Secondary Buildings–

[Magical Engineering Research Institute]

-Subordinate Buildings-

[Engineering Power Plant (Under Construction 10%)]

[Magical Engineering Weapons Research Institute (Under Construction 0%)]

[Magical Engineering Refinery (Under Construction 5%)]

–Owned Buildings–

[Lord's Castle LV4 (Under Construction 0%)]

[Castle Wall LV5]

[Residential District LV5]

[Blacksmith LV5]

[Barracks LV5]

[Tavern LV5]

[Market LV5]

[Lumber Mill LV5]

[Restaurant LV5]

[Leather Processing Plant LV5]

[Stone Processing Plant LV5]

[Trading Post LV5]

[Second Castle Wall LV5]

[Inn LV5]

[Administrative District LV5]

[Paved Roads LV5]

–External Buildings–

[Mercenary Guild LV1]

[Mage Tower Branch LV1]

[Blacksmith Guild Branch LV1]

–Military Forces–

-Regular Soldiers: 1,000

-Swordsmen: 500

-Guards: 700

-Apprentice Knights: 200

Kim Hyunwoo glanced at the notification window that appeared before him and then looked out at the landscape of the territory.

Around the Magical Engineering Research Institute, smaller but still significantly larger buildings compared to others were being constructed in sequence.

With Lartania’s population nearing 40,000, the territory was now more crowded with people than with open land.

‘...Maybe it’s because of the people waiting for the Hammer of Enhancement.’

Kim Hyunwoo lowered his gaze, looking at the cheering and shouting mercenaries, and then shrugged as he checked the resource window.

After constructing three of the subordinate buildings, the 900,000 Gold Coins he had initially were quickly reduced to about 200,000.

‘If I had the resources, I wouldn’t have needed to spend this much...’

To ensure rapid growth, Lartania had been importing most of its resources from outside, leading to a significant consumption of Gold Coins.

Practically, all resource-consuming aspects were being replaced by Gold Coins.

Of course, despite that, Kim Hyunwoo didn’t feel it was a waste.

From the start, spending Gold Coins for the rapid development of the territory was only natural.

In fact, even at this moment, the Gold Coins earned from the Hammer of Enhancement easily offset the amount spent on Magic Stones.

‘Even now, everything sells out as soon as it’s produced, so if I had more Skeleton Scrolls, I could make even more money.’

Kim Hyunwoo felt a bit of regret but decided not to dwell on it.

After all, Skeleton Scrolls weren’t something he could just get on demand, and Adria had already said she would procure more.

“Hmm – about two weeks, I guess.”

Just as Kim Hyunwoo was roughly estimating when Adria would return,

Loton, a member of the Mercenary Guild and one of its officers, couldn’t understand the current situation.

So, he couldn’t understand why he was meeting the Emperor.

“Then, let’s hear what you have to say.”

“Y-yes?”

“You said you were treated unfairly by the Lord of Lartania? I asked you to tell me what unfair treatment you received.”

At the Emperor’s words, Loton desperately tried to figure out how this story had reached her ears and what her intentions were in asking about Lartania.

And then.

‘...Could it be?’

A certain thought crossed Loton’s mind.

Perhaps, the Emperor was targeting the Labyrinth City.

From the empire’s perspective, Lartania was a very small domain.

But the Labyrinth in Lartania, which endlessly produced Magic Stones, was an asset the Empire would certainly covet.

And if Loton’s suspicions were correct, and the Emperor was indeed targeting the Labyrinth City, it would make sense why he had been summoned here.

Because it would provide a legitimate excuse to target Lartania for mistreating an Imperial subject, and if this was a performance to set the stage, it wasn’t hard to understand.

So.

“Hmm-hmm-”

Loton subtly glanced at the Emperor looking down at him, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

“If I were to explain exactly what happened-”

As Loton spoke before the Emperor, he quickly thought through and removed any unnecessary details from his explanation.

However, he still spoke only the truth.

He had proposed to the Lord of Lartania to assist with the Labyrinth business.

After making the proposal, he was tortured all day by the Holy Knights waiting outside the city.

The next day, the Lord’s soldiers came to the Mercenary Guild and expelled him.

Of course, it would have sounded better to say he was tortured by the Lord’s soldiers, but he didn’t lie about that part.

He was fully aware that a lie, if not skillfully woven into the truth, would inevitably be exposed.

So.

“...So, in the end, I was tortured and humiliated by the Lord before being expelled...!”

Loton finished his story, telling it to the Emperor.

“Hmm...”

The Emperor, who was wearing a peculiar expression, looked down at Loton and spoke.

“If what you say is true, then the torture was carried out by the Holy Knights, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yes, but...”

“Then that wasn’t something done by the Lord of Lartania, was it?”

Loton realized that the conversation wasn’t going the way he had expected, and though slightly flustered, he continued without showing it.

“...I don’t think it was the Holy Knights who tortured me.”

“Then?”

“I’m not certain, but I believe they were the Lord of Lartania’s soldiers. Logically, the Joly Knights had no reason to torture me. Besides-”

Loton sighed briefly and continued, acting as if the memory made him shiver in anger.

“-I think the Lord of Lartania is truly wicked and cruel. It was clear to anyone that he disguised his men as Holy Knights to torture me, so no one would suspect him.”

“...But you have no evidence?”

The Emperor’s words.

Loton spoke with a slightly frustrated tone.

“I don’t have concrete evidence, but I believe the circumstances clearly point to him...! At that time, the only person with a reason to torture me was the Lord of Lartania...!”

With those words, silence fell over the Imperial court.

And that silence‐

Pisik-!

Was broken by the Emperor’s laughter, who had maintained a bored expression until then.

“...?”

Loton stared blankly at the smiling Emperor.

“I see... So, in the end, your conclusion is that, without any evidence, you accuse the Lord of Lartania...no-”

As he watched the Emperor’s expression slowly harden.

“-insulting my dear friend.”

Loton realized that something had gone terribly wrong.