SWNOVELXO Chapter 141
Chapter 141 – Proof of Development (1)
“There can be conflicts when doing rough work. Naturally, the association does not intervene in personal matters, but if it spreads too much and hunting activities are disrupted, we have no choice but to step in.”
Since we returned to the village after dealing with the main instigator, Brant gave me a meaningful message. He was not wrong.
They are not just simple NPCs; they are people living on this land. If order breaks down and they start suffering losses, they won’t sit still.
“I know that. This issue is one you can seek revenge for, but you don’t want things to escalate, do you?”
What he was asking of me was not to escalate the situation any further. I hadn’t intended to from the start, but this matter was already beyond our control.
We had done what we could, so unless others start thinking foolishly, things shouldn’t escalate further.
‘It’s complicated. Now I must deal with factions within the game too.’
I paused for a moment, taking my hands off the mouse, and sighed.
I heard that Lee So-Yeon and a few other users are gathering information to create a “Recommended Game Guide” for new users, so it seemed there would be a need to consider these aspects as well.
While there are certainly upsides, the more people and entities are involved, the more I have to keep in mind, which adds to the burden.
In this regard, the games I found comfortable were ones that guarantee complete freedom like sandbox crafting, or games like Dark Blood, which have clear chapters and don’t require deep interactions with local powers.
Of course, I must consider difficulty, traits, obtainable items, and everything else.
“—.”
In the meantime, the paladins approached me. Having completed their mission, it was now time for them to return. They had executed their tasks excellently.
As expected, they thoroughly punished enemies that threatened our allies with their strong power. I had a feeling I would be calling on them often for matters like this in the future.
‘You get used to it eventually.’
I waved them off as I sent them out of the game. Instead, I called the hunters back into the game to resume hunting activities.
“–, —.”
“Hmm? Did you say gift?”
It seemed that during this time, the hunters had also come up with their own methods.
As I observed quietly, they started mingling more actively with local hunters. They were building connections.
It seemed they analyzed that the root cause of this incident was excessive competition and isolation. After all, mingling with locals is essential. Establishing good relationships with people isn’t a bad idea, so this was a good approach.
“I’ll need to consider that.”
With a bitter smile, I decided to adjust my strategy a bit as well. If I kept rotating personnel like this, the bonds formed with locals would disappear into thin air, so I decided to only partially rotate them.
There was already a good example.
Right in the beginning hunters, Naru and Dune, who were actively hunting in the higher-level area.
And alongside them was Tina, a local NPC. After having suffered an attack from the bugs that appeared in the game world, she confidently teamed up with the two and hunted mutants since she recovered.
Of course, they would tackle any monsters or bugs that might show up together. Tina shooting arrows while the two flanked would be quite a force to be reckoned with.
That was certainly the ideal image I desired.
‘How nice would it be if it were the same in reality.’
Chortling to myself, I closed the game window. Back in the village, the paladins were resting after their return, and numerous residents were bustling about, taking care of their own tasks.
While I wasn’t peering into their minds one by one, it was clear they stayed active like this to survive, having experienced everything they needed to.
What I wished for was eventually the same, so I hoped the surrounding factions would collaborate nicely. And this desire wasn’t only about the screen.
The world I lived in was the same. Especially in places where bringing paladins for retribution wouldn’t work.
*
“Look over there! The delegation has returned!”
“W-wait, there are only three of them!?”
At the Northern Fortress of the Kingdom of Baruk, the soldier on watch from the battlements spotted something and shouted.
Soon, the commander, who rushed over upon hearing the news, widened his eyes at what he saw; a small group of riders was approaching.
They had no carts or wagons, but the red flag fluttering in front was undoubtedly the kingdom’s banner.
“This can’t be. Open the gates!”
Recognizing the vice minister riding toward them, the commander gasped and ordered the gates of the fortress opened. The tired survivors of the delegation, escorted by the friendly tribe, arrived looking pale and exhausted.
Especially the vice minister appeared so gaunt he looked like he could drop dead at any moment.
“What in the world happened?! Did they…”
“It’s not that. But it’s true we’re the only ones who survived, so hurry, get a wagon. We need to report to the court.”
The commander was shocked to hear that the entire delegation was wiped out, and with only three surviving, there was no time to spare as the vice minister hastily instructed to prepare a wagon.
The three of them squeezed their weary bodies into the cart and headed straight for the royal road. Even when told to take a break, they rejected it outright due to urgency.
“It’s clear we’ll be worn out.”
As the royal palace came into sight, the vice minister felt his condition worsening in proportion to the distance and let out a hollow laugh. The only thing on his mind was the need to rush and deliver the news.
“Will you be able to convince the ministers?”
“Certainly. What we report and what we saw. That alone will leave them speechless.”
In the wake of Richar’s anxious words from having faced failure once before, the vice minister shook his head decisively. Divided factions battling it out and squabbling for more budget could only happen in peaceful times.
What they wanted was ample evidence. Those who experienced it firsthand would be the evidence.
The vice minister gritted his teeth, vowing that even if they refused to believe it, he would force them to accept it.
“I’ve already received brief news, but I must hear the full story. How did you lose people? What did you see and hear?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
Soon they stood before the king and all the court officials, ready to share what they had brought back.
The eyes of those present widened in astonishment at the claim that not a small number from the delegation had perished and only three returned.
“The black monsters truly are a calamity. I can’t even imagine what would happen if they suddenly appeared in the kingdom’s capital.”
The story of the bugs was now beginning to spread beyond their origin on the grasslands.
Amid the vivid testimonies of the survivors recalling the monsters they had faced up close, the ministers stirred uneasily.
They had already received intelligence that the army mobilized by Luke was decimated in the fight against the Arin tribe, but they thought the mention of bug attacks was just an exaggeration.
Alongside that, the vice minister and Leo confirmed everything Richar had testified regarding the Arin tribe. Moreover, it was noted that they were developing far more than when Richar left.
“They are already building a huge city and numerous villages and fortresses. Although it isn’t completed yet, they have definitely transcended the level of a large tribe.”
“So they intend to form a kingdom?”
“This is an opportunity, Your Majesty. If we can deeply engage with the kingdom they aim to establish right from the start, we would have a trustworthy ally in the North.”
The delegation strongly advocated for an alliance with the Arin tribe. It was clear they would become a force to unify the area anyway, so it made sense to establish a good relationship from the onset.
Some ministers protested, arguing that forming an alliance on equal terms with the barbarians made no sense, but the foreign minister ignored them.
“If they really are holding back the monsters rampaging in the North, then that should be a non-issue.”
‘If they draw attention from the empire, that would actually be good.’
The young king’s heart had already leaned in that direction. Though his inner thoughts weren’t entirely pure, he still saw the Arin tribe as a good trading partner.
“If we give them what they desire and also gain what we want, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Cough, that is true.”
“Trading with them shouldn’t be an issue at all…”
Most of the ministers were not extreme, and the majority leaned towards the idea of getting benefits if possible. Thus, it appeared the proposal from the Arin tribe brought by the delegation was likely to pass smoothly.
“Your Majesty, please allow us to support them with gunpowder weaponry. It’s absolutely essential to fight against the black monsters!”
“???”
It was at that moment someone detonated a big bomb.
In the lingering atmosphere, even a minister who had been secretly yawning and a boy king lost in thought opened their eyes wide in shock at this statement.
“What are you saying, Commander of the Guard?! Gunpowder is the most confidential of secrets!”
“But they didn’t actually request that either?!”
Naturally, criticisms poured in from all sides. Even Richar and the vice minister, being part of the same delegation, were taken aback. But Leo who acted impulsively had already made up his mind.
“The black monsters we witnessed firsthand were barely even 300 in number. However, they were monsters clad in solid armor. Even the fierce barbarian warriors found it hard to deal with them. If they gathered in the thousands, they could very likely dismantle the current defenses.”
“Are their defenses so vulnerable without gunpowder weapons?”
“They have defensive turrets bestowed by the Guardian Deity, but they reported that the range of the monsters appearing is gradually widening. To protect such vast areas, they will need more support.”
Leo calmly articulated his thoughts in response to the king’s question.
It was clear that as the range of the Arin tribe expanded, the territory of the bugs also widened.
To repel the bugs, more people would be needed, and for the Arin tribe, which desired more land for more people, there were no options left.
“Even so, it’s absurd. Giving gunpowder to barbarians.”
“That’s right. It isn’t worth considering.”
However, there was strong opposition. That was how precious gunpowder was. Also, it could be a powerful ace in case of emergency.
Depending on the tribe, but it was simply unacceptable to hand something like that over to a tribe they had treated as enemies.
‘Do we really have to give them only gunpowder? If it’s a concern to give them gunpowder, wouldn’t it be more logical to send those who can use it and protect it instead?’
But the king, lost in thought for a moment, had a slightly different opinion from the others.