A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 136 – I-I-Jei (6)

“The atmosphere doesn’t seem bad…”

The delegation from the Kingdom of Baruk to the south of the grassland was an unavoidable focus for me, especially since this was the moment when the decision would be made whether to turn this sizable power into a reliable ally or an enemy.

It was also the first diplomacy where those of us affected by the Master Program would properly engage with the local forces.

Things were noisy in the territory I lived in as well. The number of Guardians controlled by users, whose identities were unknown, kept increasing.

Like me, the users were also beings that had strayed from the order of this world even more strongly. Though they grew with the cooperation of users, the positions of each country’s government or community were pushed to the sidelines in that process.

“The users are not gods. Don’t you already know that!? Users are just ordinary people who are somewhere! They cannot stand above the order of this land!”

“What does that matter? It’s a story about another world anyway.”

A natural conflict ensued. Just as the Arin Tribe faithfully followed my commands, treating them as divine revelations, the Guardians appearing on Earth also tried to follow the orders given by their users first.

To them, the power given by the Master Program felt like a miracle. Although they ignored the fact that the existence of a user was not much different from themselves, unlike the Arin Tribe who didn’t know my true nature.

“From now on, Guardians who do not follow control and law will be arrested without mercy and punished just like criminals.”

“Those are trash who don’t know what’s more important.”

Thanks to that, the world was becoming more chaotic. The fundamental problem lay in the bugs that had begun to escalate, yet people had not yet adapted to that.

Just like the people of the Kingdom of Baruk who just sent a delegation or Luke, who couldn’t believe what he was seeing right before his eyes.

Of course, there were also people who were not like that, since the world is vast.

“I saw the announcement. Just like how you created a company to support users, the Guardians that emerged in the country said they would provide support and cooperation.”

“In fact, it was the President’s strong will that accepted that. Fortunately.”

When I visited Lee So-Yeon with the items the residents had offered, she nodded with a bitter smile. She argued for cooperation rather than control over the Guardians, and the government accepted it.

“Just like in your world, our world is also growing in power, resulting in continuous conflicts with surrounding forces. In some cases, cooperation leads to a peaceful resolution, but in others, we must fight. I don’t want to create such situations in reality.”

“I share the same sentiment.”

When change occurs, confusion naturally follows. Only by properly managing that can we respond well to the shared enemy, the bugs.

“Additionally, the sales channels for the items we produce are increasing.”

Of course, she wouldn’t be gaining nothing from such situations. She was planning to buy potions and items from users, including myself, to sell them to the Guardians.

While those items were useful for people in general, they were excellent enough to be considered essential for those directly fighting.

‘Still, having experienced it firsthand… they better not underestimate me.’

As Lee So-Yeon emphasized, fighting each other would benefit the bugs without exception. When Rihar first reported to the capital of the Kingdom, the atmosphere seemed worrisome, but seeing the mood of the Baruk delegation, it seemed I didn’t have to worry too much.

It was a planned fact that I intended to show them the battle scenes. It was an ally’s strategy to apply pressure and prove the truth of Rihar’s words. But the emergence of the bugs was unforeseen.

Thanks to that, the delegation nearly got wiped out, but the survivors could no longer deny the existence of bugs.

“–, —!”

But that wasn’t the end. Simultaneously negotiating with the delegation, Balun began to mobilize soldiers and counterattack the areas occupied by Luke outside the Territory of Garhan that he had seized.

While Luke, with his massive army, was defeated and shaken, the Arin Tribe units dispatched by Balun began to conquer and incorporate small tribes one by one.

‘Instead of merely making those tribes swear loyalty, he relocated them to cities for complete control.’

He moved the absorbed small tribes and united them.

Due to various issues like food problems and livestock issues, they traditionally lived scattered as tribes, but Barun, who had the abilities gained from the game, aimed to gather as many residents as possible.

To counter the bugs and for much easier management.

[Achievement Unlocked: Centralization (1)]

“…”

That was recognized as an achievement by the Master Program. Though it seemed Balun did not specifically aim for that, the Arin Tribe, once chaotic, was gradually taking shape around Balun.

‘Is there anything that can help?’

At that moment, there was no way to assist in that. In the game where campaigns were ongoing, contrary to expectations, as achievements were accomplished, the only thing that increased was the number of troops that could be commanded.

“C-caution!”

“—!”

In the subsequent Campaign Stage 2, embarking on a journey to join the main forces with the stranded soldiers, the warriors had to fight various types of enemies.

Space monsters that looked as grotesque as the bugs. While soldiers fired their guns, the warriors were using their skills to smash the heads of those creatures.

To the soldiers, our warriors must have looked like aliens.

‘They should at least give us some guns.’

I chuckled at the sight. While it slipped my mind for a moment seeing them fight well with their bare bodies, the rifles those space soldiers were firing were weapons beyond comparison to any mediocre gun.

The warriors may seem stronger, but if we could obtain those guns in bulk, how strong would the residents become? Imagining them shooting guns instead of riding on horses shooting arrows made me chuckle.

I didn’t even want a massive space battleship or crazy firepower tanks; it would be nice to just gather those trivial guns. The sight of the allied warriors glancing at the scene of the soldiers shooting didn’t seem uninterested either.

*

“They shoot fire from thick iron rods, and something small flies and hits the monster’s body?”

“Y-yes. I’m really just telling you what we saw, Chieftain.”

When Shun stepped forward to report to Balun, he mentioned the rifles the federal soldiers were using.

To them, seeing a gun for the first time was literally witnessing something miraculous.

“It looked weaker than magic or spells, but it fired with incredibly fast speed. I couldn’t feel any mana, but it’s definitely stronger than the arrows fired by the soldiers. My guess is, it’s similar to what they call gunpowder weapons.”

Shun and the warriors explained everything they saw, even using gestures while spitting on their words.

Balun listened closely to their explanations. He knew they would never lie since they had received divine guidance to go there and act.

“However, even hearing about it, I still don’t understand. Our Guardian Deity has always helped us since taking us to another world. Riena, what do you think they are trying to show us from that world?”

“While it’s true that the weapons the locals use are miraculous, it’s something that’s always been the case.”

In response to Balun’s question, Riena calmly stated her thoughts. As she mentioned, the skills used by the characters of Dark Blood and the equipment used by the hunters in Creature Hunting were unusual artifacts from their perspective.

“I believe what they’re trying to show us is the sense of unity that warriors feel when they fight together.”

She focused on the claim made during Shun’s testimony that they fought as one body. The sense of unity felt through the control provided by Jun-young was executed perfectly as a successful technique.

She recognized its value.

‘Indeed, that was the part where the will of that being strongly influenced things.’

Balun agreed with Riena’s viewpoint, and the actual intent of the game aligned with that.

However, the facts momentarily relegated to memory started surfacing during the conversation with the Baruk delegation.

“I don’t know if you’re aware, but back in our homeland, we have gunpowder weapons, including cannons.”

At that point, while having a conversation and vaguely discussing concrete cooperation, as questions of what assistance each side could provide emerged, the chief of the escort unit, Leo, unexpectedly opened his mouth.

Rihar and the vice minister turned wide-eyed, staring at Leo, who had remained quiet until that point. Leo, however, was only glancing at Riena.

“O-of course the cannon is an excellent item, but that’s…”

The vice minister stammered in horror. Gunpowder technology was a closely guarded secret.

Gunpowder weapons, providing firepower that magical skills couldn’t fulfill, were already treated as precious secrets by the forces who knew how to use it.

‘This will definitely attract attention, right!?’

But seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, Leo was already in a state of frenzy. For the past few days, having tried appealing to Riena with various cards yet receiving no noticeable interest, he was now driven by desperation.

This was partly evidence that the development level of the Arin Tribe had nearly caught up with a kingdom built over several hundred years.

“…Could you really provide cannons?”

‘Great!’

Indeed, Riena showed interest in the gunpowder weapons.

With the population of the Arin Tribe surpassing tens of thousands, many among them were knowledgeable about the artifacts of the outside world.

Hearing about the gunpowder weapons that had circulated among them as rumors, Barun and Riena concluded that if they could secure such items, it would give them an advantage in fighting the bugs.

After all, many bugs had been cleaned up by gunpowder weapons on Earth, so it was a reasonable judgement.

“There’s actually something I knew. If we have such weapons, it would significantly help in dealing with the Black Monsters.”

Riena briefly explained to Shun about the rifles used by the space soldiers she had heard reports of. Hearing this, the vice minister’s face turned pale.

‘How on earth does this woman know that!?’

The concept of the rifles she described closely resembled the new cannons being developed in secrecy by the king and a select few kingdom engineers. The idea of a more refined and smaller cannon that could be wielded by individuals was almost identical.

This was definitely a fact no tribal warrior with no knowledge of gunpowder could possibly know.