My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 142

§ 142 – Ruben of Bugs (1)

Ding! Diri-ring! Ding! Ding!

The loud notification sounds kept ringing.

At the same time, the smartphone vibrated incessantly, “Woo-oong…!”

《You’re crazy! You’re crazy!!》

《You’re out of your mind right now!!!》

The Mobile Lord looked as if he was having a seizure.

Soon, numerous notification windows popped up on the screen like mushrooms after rain.

《No! That’s not it!!!》

《Think carefully! Think again!》

《How much Karma did you gather! How much gold did you earn through all that hardship!!》

《Are you thinking of squandering it all at once?!》

Ding! Diri-ring!

《Spending money isn’t just for Mobile Lord!》

《More than anything, spending money here won’t do you any good, right?》

《It all goes back to the territory residents!》

《So, spend some money on your real life for once!》

Ding! Diri-ring!

《Buy some luxury goods in the real world!》

《Live it up! Huh? Live a little extravagantly!》

《Show off and flex a little!》

《Buy everything you want, enjoy everything you can!》

《Prepare a gift for yourself, even just a little!》

《And then, slowly and carefully, spend money!》

《Then no one will say anything—!》

Click.

Cyan turned off all the pop-up notification windows.

Well, it’s not like the Mobile Lord does this only once or twice.

But this time, it felt a bit excessive.

A desperate attempt to stop Cyan from spending money.

That’s why Cyan was sure.

The 32 million gold spending.

This is Karma that the Mobile Lord can’t handle.

Cyan steeled his resolve and entered the 【Territory Facilities】 section.

At that moment.

Diri-ri-ring!!!!

《You’re crazy! You’re really crazy!!》

The Mobile Lord started to have another fit.

《Is there something wrong with your head?!!?》

《At this point, your head is beyond just being wrong, it’s shattered!》

《You! You’re not in your right mind!!!》

The Mobile Lord’s scream seemed to burst out.

At the same time, a strange notification window popped up.

Ding!

《A special event for a sucker like you!》

《For a limited time, we’ll show you exactly how much money you’ve spent so far!》

《It’s called, ‘Where did all the money I spent go?’》

《Check it out now and try to fix your shattered brain!》

‘Where did all the money I’ve spent?’

Cyan tilted his head at the sudden notification.

【Where did all the money I spent go?】

And the notification window flashed and reappeared.

It seemed to be telling him how much money he had spent so far.

‘This is a little interesting?’

Click.

Cyan touched the notification window this time.

At the same time, the screen changed and unknown codes quickly appeared and disappeared.

It looked like it was doing some kind of calculation.

After a little time.

『Here is a list of your Karma payment history.』

A notification window with a different feel from the Mobile Lord popped up.

And again.

【Package Purchase Cost】 – 613,000 Gold.

【Territory Area Expansion】 – 1,000,000 Gold.

【Arnaize Special Purchase】 – 1,500,000 Gold.

【Fame Point Conversion Cost】 – 7,000,000 Gold.

【Equipment Enhancement Cost】 – 13,000,000 Gold.

.

.

“······ Crazy.”

Cyan muttered without realizing it.

“Did I spend this much?”

That’s because the amount of money he spent was more than he thought!

It didn’t even end here.

[Military Facilities] – 8,800,000 Gold.

[Production Facilities] – 5,200,000 Gold.

[Residential Facilities] – 1,400,000 Gold.

[Transportation Facilities] – 380,000 Gold.

[Other Facilities and Maintenance Costs] – 437,000 Gold.

【Territory Facility Construction Cost】 -16,217,000 Gold.

The cost Cyan spent to build territory facilities.

So, if you add up all the money Cyan has spent on Mobile Lord so far….

【Total Cost】 – 39,320,000 Gold.

“···············”

Cyan was speechless.

No, he was at a loss for words.

The letters flashed and blinked.

【Total Cost】 – 39,320,000 Gold.

It was… it was….

It was an absurd amount.

In the Charlotte Empire, the monthly living expenses for a family of four are about 30 gold.

About 30 gold is the amount you can live on with some luxury.

And the 33.92 million gold that Cyan spent.

To be exact, the 33.92 million gold that he ‘spent’ was enough for a family of four to live for… 110,000 years.

Not 11 years.

A whopping 110,000 years.

The gold that Cyan ‘spent’ could keep a family of four alive for 110,000 years, just breathing.

No, if they didn’t do anything and just breathed, they could live longer.

If they only breathed, they could probably live for about 120,000 years.

In other words, they could live for 120 times the time that the six Arnaizes fainted a thousand years ago.

This… it was an amount that could not be expressed even with the astronomical amount.

Terrible, vicious, harsh, and extreme.

Also amazing, solemn, and incredible.

An amount that cannot be expressed in the concept of language.

Cyan had poured all that ridiculously large amount of money!

And what Cyan is trying to do now.

So, this finger that is trying to demolish and rebuild the entire territory.

That was to return all the money he had spent so far to nothing.

A crazy act of returning that terrible and indescribable amount to nothing.

And trying to pour in 32 million gold again!

《Do you finally realize it now? How much of a sucker you were!》

《Hahaha!》

With a ding, the Mobile Lord’s notification window popped up on the screen.

“············”

And this time, he couldn’t bring himself to press the X button.

Is it really necessary to reorganize Ruben with a new blueprint?

The dark elves might be uncomfortable….

But they’ll adapt over time, right?

What about the World Tree….

Can’t I just plant it in an empty lot?

It’s the World Tree, the World Tree that supports the world.

Then it should grow on its own even if I just plant it roughly, right?

It’s even Instiz [likely a reference to a popular Korean online community]?

It’s the Instiz that Elodie used?

All sorts of thoughts swirled in Cyan’s head.

But that was only for a moment.

Tight.

Cyan squeezed his eyes shut.

His fingers trembled.

Cyan finally pressed the X button on the Mobile Lord’s notification window that popped up.

Ding!

《W-w-w-what, what, what is it?!》

Then the Mobile Lord’s notification window popped up again, flustered.

But Cyan stubbornly ignored it and pressed the X button again.

And accessed the 【Territory Facilities】 section.

He brought his finger to the 【Territory Facility Demolition】 section in one corner.

D, ding!

《W-w-what are you doing now! What are you doing─!》

Click.

《You’re crazy! You’re really crazy─!》

Click.

《Oh my god! At this point, it’s impossible to fix─!!》

Click.

《No, it’s impossible to revive─!》

Click.

《Your head is broken, it’s completely broken!!》

Ignoring the Mobile Lord’s screams, Cyan raised his finger to the demolition section.

His finger trembled wildly, as if an earthquake had struck.

He couldn’t calm down no matter how hard he tried.

With this one button, tens of millions of gold would be lost.

Everything he had worked so hard for would be reset.

“D, damn it!!”

He couldn’t calm down even if he wanted to!

However, Cyan finally made up his mind.

The period promised with Durac is now 2 months.

In two months, he must prepare for a full-scale war with Elandur.

The fate of Ruben was not to be measured in money.

30 million gold, 300 million gold, whatever.

If he loses to Elandur, it’s all useless.

Money is meant to be spent.

If you just pile it up, it’s just a pile of poop.

It is when you use it for people and use it that it has value as real money.

Of course, it’s a different story if it’s a sparkling golden poop pile.

It’s a different story if it’s poop that a family of four can live on for 120,000 years just by breathing…!!!

“Damn it!!!!”

Cyan let out a roar-like shout.

At the same time, Semir looked startled.

But he didn’t care.

No, he had no time to care.

He erases his thoughts.

He cuts off his distractions.

This is not an opponent to be distracted by.

Cyan fell into a state of mental nothingness and finally pressed his finger down.

Click.

[Demolish all designated territory facilities.]

[Once demolition begins, it cannot be undone.]

[Are you sure you want to do this?]

Then, the system’s notification popped up again, asking again.

At the same time, the Mobile Lord’s notification window popped up.

《I-it’s not too late, even now!》

《S-stop! Stop it!!》

The Mobile Lord was going crazy and trying to stop him.

But Cyan didn’t stop.

《N-no…! No…!! No!!!!》

The horse that leaves the stable and runs across the wilderness.

《No. No. No. No. No. No. No.》

Does not look back.

So.

“Open your mouth.”

Gold is going in.

《That’s not it!!!!!!!!!!》

Click.

#

The Dark Forest near Ruben.

There, the territory residents of Ruben were gathered together.

Not only the people of the existing Ruben.

Even dwarves and dark elves.

All the territory residents living in Ruben were gathered together.

And the reason why all the territory residents were suddenly out like this was simple.

“I wonder what the young master is thinking….”

Hans recalled the conversation he had with Cyan a while ago.

‘Are you telling me to take the territory residents out of Ruben?’

‘Yeah.’

Cyan nodded lightly at Hans’ question.

Seeing Cyan’s appearance, Hans carefully asked.

‘May I ask why?’

‘Ah, it’s nothing. I’m going to redevelop Ruben. I don’t want people to get hurt if they’re in the territory.’

Cyan answered lightly once again.

However, Hans couldn’t take it lightly at all.

To be exact, he didn’t understand.

Redeveloping Ruben?

So, does that mean he’s going to tear down and rebuild Ruben?

‘······?’

Hans couldn’t understand Cyan’s words at all.

Well, territory redevelopment was often the case in the Empire.

When the territory’s facilities are aging.

Or when they cannot keep up with the developed era as time passes.

Whenever that happened, the lords would tear down all those dilapidated places and rebuild them under the pretext of territory redevelopment.

So, it wasn’t particularly strange that Ruben was also being redeveloped.

But Ruben didn’t need redevelopment at all.

Far from the facilities being outdated.

Ruben’s facilities were almost bringing in civilizations from other dimensions.

And can’t keep up with the times?

Well, I could agree with that to some extent.

That is, the continent is not keeping up with Ruben’s era.

In other words, Ruben didn’t need redevelopment at all.

No, okay.

Let’s say he’s redeveloping it, even if he’s making concessions a hundred times.

However, territory redevelopment required a considerable amount of time.

There was no way the process of completely overturning the territory itself could be done in a short period.

Basically, the time consumed was in years.

In the case of large territories, it took as long as 10 years.

But what was Cyan doing now….

‘If things go according to plan, it will be over soon. Even if the plan goes slightly awry… well, I can just pay my way through it. So, take the territory residents and go out of Ruben for a while.’

Cyan used the word ‘soon.’

In the common sense of the Empire. And in the concept of language.

The word ‘soon’ usually doesn’t exceed a year.

A year, my ass.

It generally meant about 5 minutes.

At most, 30 minutes.

In short, he was using the word ‘soon’ for time measured in ‘minutes.’

Territory redevelopment being done in minutes?

‘What the hell is that supposed to mean…?’

Hans couldn’t help but be deeply suspicious of Cyan’s words.

But Cyan didn’t say anything else.

Hans had no choice but to follow Cyan’s words.

Hans took the territory residents out according to Cyan’s instructions.

And now.

“······”

Hans still couldn’t shake off his suspicion.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Cyan.

There was also what Cyan had shown him so far.

But even considering all that, Cyan’s words really didn’t make sense.

Hans looked at the distant scenery of Ruben with complex emotions.

And just then.

“I heard your name is Hans.”

Someone approached Hans and spoke to him.

He turned his head to look.

There stood Asrandiz, the former Forest Keeper of the Dark Elves, a black-haired man with a stern atmosphere.

Asrandiz, who looked middle-aged, unlike Hans, whose hair was graying.

In terms of appearance, Hans was older.

However, the lifespan of Dark Elves was different from that of humans.

He looked like a middle-aged man in his 40s, but the years Asrandiz had lived were immense.

Of course, he didn’t ask in detail.

However, Hans had vaguely heard that Asrandiz was over 100 years old.

“Thank you for helping our elves. I’m a little late in saying this… but I really wanted to.”

“It’s my job. Don’t worry about it.”

Hans gently shook his head.

Nevertheless, Asrandiz bowed his head to Hans and continued speaking.

“It is true that the work you had to do helped the elves. It’s not that I’m not grateful for that fact.”

Hans, who was in charge of Ruben’s administrative affairs.

Hans took the initiative to help the Dark Elves adapt to Ruben.

He did not discriminate or exclude them just because they were of a different race.

And because they were strangers from another land.

Hans helped the Dark Elves as if it were his own business, like his own family.

Perhaps without Hans, it would not have been easy to adapt to Ruben.

Asrandiz bowed his head to Hans sincerely.

Hans couldn’t say anything else to Asrandiz’s sincerity.

A moment of silence.

Soon, Hans slowly spoke.

“How are you all settling in? Have you adapted a little?”

“······”

Asrandiz didn’t answer Hans’s question.

Usually, he would say it’s okay, even if it was just empty words.

Asrandiz couldn’t even bring himself to say that.

And Hans fully understood Asrandiz’s feelings.

That’s because it was a situation where he couldn’t even say it was okay.

It was more difficult than he thought.

For different races to live together.

Even humans have trouble living under one roof.

Not to mention if the races are different, and the lifestyles themselves are different.

It was fortunate that Ruben’s vicinity was the Forest of Darkness.

If it weren’t for that, they wouldn’t have been able to stick together.

Above all, Ruben didn’t have a World Tree.

Elves raise forests, and forests raise elves.

This is the identity rooted in the elven race.

However, Ruben couldn’t protect that identity.

Therefore, Ruben was not a suitable place for Dark Elves to live.

But.

“We will adapt soon.”

Asrandiz was saying this.

And not only Asrandiz but also other Dark Elves were the same.

Because if it wasn’t here, they had nowhere to live.

Dark Elves abandoned by the world.

There was nowhere else on the continent to accept them.

The last stronghold of the abandoned.

But Ruben….

Couldn’t embrace them.

“The Young Master will find a way.”

“We will just follow the Forest Keeper’s opinion.”

Hans and Asrandiz swallowed each other’s words like that.

And the two slowly turned their gaze to the scenery of Ruben.

Fantastic for humans to live in—.

“······ Huh?”

“······ Hmm?”

In an instant, Hans and Asrandiz’s heads tilted at the same time.

That’s because of the scenery of Ruben they were seeing now.

“Ruben… is gone?”

The majestic figure of Ruben, which had been there just a moment ago, had disappeared!

“Ah, no…?”

“W, what is this…?”

Hans and Asrandiz were greatly embarrassed.

And just then.

Krrrrrrrr…!!

The ground they were standing on vibrated greatly.

At the same time, Kwarrrrrrr!!

A huge explosion that seemed to turn the world upside down erupted.

“W, what!”

“What’s going on all of a sudden…!”

The gathered territory residents were greatly embarrassed and stirred.

And the territory residents looked around, searching for the source of the sound.

“There! Look over there!”

Soon, someone shouted, pointing to one corner with their finger.

People’s eyes moved along the finger.

And there, none other than the appearance of Ruben could be seen.

To be exact.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!!!

Krrrrrrrr!!

The sight of Ruben collapsing was visible!

“······ Huh?”

“······ Huh?”

In an instant, people’s expressions floated away.

And once again.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!!!

Krrrrrrrr!!

An enormous explosion erupted throughout Ruben.

Following that, the entire land was shaken as if a major earthquake had occurred.

A thick fog of dust rising.

People couldn’t understand the situation that was unfolding at all.

“W, what is that…!”

“Ruben… is collapsing?”

That’s because Ruben collapsing.

That was something that didn’t make sense.

What kind of place was Ruben that it would collapse?

A natural fortress and an impregnable castle.

Even monsters had become Ruben’s specialty.

Such Ruben had now become a place that could never collapse.

No, there was only one thing.

“Demons! Demons have attacked!”

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

At the same time as the shouts erupted, Ruben’s soldiers formed ranks.

Ruben’s soldiers gathered around Lucas.

Ruben’s knights lined up around Kendrick.

The troops, who had completed their battle readiness in an instant, drew their weapons.

And with tense faces, they watched Ruben as the dust fog slowly subsided.

The scenery of Ruben that appeared as the dust fog subsided.

Drip.

Ruben’s troops, who were forming ranks, stopped their bodies all at once.

That’s because the scenery of Ruben that was visible now.

So, the scenery of Ruben visible in the distance.

Everywhere the eyes reached.

Everywhere the gaze reached.

The entire Ruben, the scenery of Ruben.

Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!!

Kukwakwakwakwa!!

Was being completely overturned and rebuilt!

A wondrous sight that sent shivers down the spine.

Is that… is that really reality?

“······”

“······”

“······”

People were just standing there, frozen like statues.

#

Cyan’s office located in the Lord’s Castle Lv.2.

Thump thump!

Bang!

With a great commotion, the door to Cyan’s office burst open.

And a series of people poured in.

“Young Master!!”

“Lord!!”

“Forest Keeper!”

-My Lord!!

-Cyan!!

Hans, Grayson, Lucas, Amelia, Asrandiz, Kendrick, Leah.

They called Cyan by their respective titles.

And they could see it soon.

One corner of Cyan’s office.

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!”

Cyan was bursting into laughter!

Thud.

The bodies of the people who had poured in stopped with a thud.

Their expressions floated away, as if they didn’t understand the situation.

A situation where they didn’t know what was going on.

“Lo, Lord….”

A low voice was heard in the meantime.

Everyone looked at that place all at once.

There, the chief of the dwarves, Semir, was looking at Cyan with a terrified expression.

“Kuhahahahahaha! Keuahahahahahahak!”

And Cyan’s laughter was heard again.

People looked at Semir with their respective eyes.

Although they were different eyes, the meaning was the same.

A question as if asking what had happened here.

But.

“D, don’t ask me….”

Semir just shook his head with a dazed expression.

And the words that followed.

“I, I don’t know either….”

Semir had a face that really didn’t know anything.

No, to be exact, it was a face that didn’t want to know!

“Weren’t you with the Young Master?”

“That’s right, but….”

Semir didn’t know how to explain this at all.

“H, how should I explain this….”

It wasn’t a joke, he really didn’t know!

That’s because Semir had only made the blueprint that Cyan had requested.

Cyan accepted the blueprint and then took out a strange object from his chest.

Then suddenly Cyan’s expression hardened.

Again, Cyan trembled.

That was all.

That was all Semir had seen.

It was just that.

“Keuhahahahahahahahak!!!”

Suddenly Cyan had gone crazy like that!

No, that wasn’t just going crazy.

“Th, that’s crazy….”

Madness.

Yes, it was madness.

“Try being cocky like last time!!”

That was definitely madness!

Kwarrrrrrrrr!

Kwakwakwakwakwang!!

A huge explosion erupted outside the Lord’s Castle at that moment.

Outside the window they looked out, the entire Ruben was being completely overturned.

It was truly a redevelopment site.

No, that couldn’t even be fully expressed by the word redevelopment.

“The laws of the world… are being overturned…?”

Asrandiz’s words echoed softly.

Asrandiz, who was the Great Magician of the 8th Circle [a high rank in magic].

Although he had lost his power now, his magical knowledge was still there.

And as Asrandiz expressed it, that was a landscape where there seemed to be an error in the laws of the current world.

But an error occurs in the stern laws of the world?

Does that make sense?

People lost their words.

Only.

“Oh? You’re really being cocky? Ha! Let’s see if you can still be cocky even if I do this!”

Cyan’s two eyes flashed.

“10 million gold is being thrown in…!”

Kuguguguguguk.

“Damn it!!!!! My money!!!”

Only those two eyes were emitting a red glow.