My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 270

270. Homecoming (1)

The lingering daze clouded his mind.

Xian quickly regained his composure.

“What’s going on?”

The situation demanded his attention.

Aria nudged his side, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He nodded lightly to Karis and the Beastmen who were bowing, then stepped aside, feeling a strange sense of awkwardness.

As he’d said, Xian needed to give them space.

It was the first time in centuries that the Beastmen’s leadership was changing hands.

They undoubtedly had much to discuss and decide amongst themselves.

His presence wouldn’t necessarily hinder them, but it was better to grant them privacy.

“Let me know when you’re ready to depart.”

With that, he exited the building.

Xian retrieved his smartphone and reviewed the reward list.

Arnaite Special, .

Its effects were considerable, but [Effect 3], Natural Qi, was what truly captured his attention.

『《Natural Qi》

▶The achievement holder’s body begins to resonate with the essence of nature, fully absorbing the Qi [life force or energy] that permeates the environment. (Magic Accumulation Efficiency +∞%)』
.
.
.
“Magic accumulation efficiency increases infinitely?”

Xian stopped dead in his tracks.

Infinitely.

Was such an effect even possible?

“What the…”

Xian was genuinely stunned.

How could such an absurd effect exist?

Then again, perhaps the effect was so extreme as to be impractical.

The body might not be able to handle infinite efficiency.

Xian knew this firsthand.

Hadn’t his own existence nearly collapsed because he couldn’t contain the magic of transcendence?

Accumulating magic with infinite efficiency would surely lead to a similar outcome.

“Not anymore, though…”

Of course, that didn’t apply to Xian now.

The Dragon Heart, imbued with Karze’s will, pulsed powerfully in his chest.

That boundless vessel could handle it. This was a ridiculously overpowered effect, tailor-made for Xian.

“But is it real?”

If it truly granted infinite efficiency…

He couldn’t help but doubt its veracity.

To possess truly infinite efficiency seemed impossible.

Yet, it was clearly stated in the description.

And Mobile Lord had been consistent with its rewards thus far.

He might have cheated with cash grabs, but the rewards were legitimate.

“Hmm…”

Still, disbelief lingered.

The only way to know for sure was to test it.

And to do that, as expected…

《 Unlocking Cost – 500,000 G [Gold]》

He needed to spend money.

Ding!

《When you’re stuck, spend money…》

Mobile Lord’s notification window appeared.

But the phrase was uncharacteristically subdued.

Usually, it would pop up with taunts like, “Try spending money!” or “Why don’t you try spending money!”

《Maybe you don’t have to this time…?》

This time, it seemed to be sensing his mood.

A stark contrast to the usual Mobile Lord.

Xian chuckled, understanding the reason.

He was about to check his remaining gold when he remembered.

“Oh, right. I left the inventory outside.”

Xian retraced his steps.

Emerging from the building, he spotted the inventory lying neatly on the collapsed ground.

Lucas stood guard beside it.

But someone else was with Lucas.

A woman… a familiar face.

Laura, the priestess who assisted Aria.

“So, that’s what you were doing.”

“I’m telling you, the Holy Maiden [Aria] was so worried…”

Lucas and Laura were chatting near the inventory.

“The Lord [Xian] can be a bit oblivious sometimes.”

“Our Holy Maiden is just as bad as Count Xian.”

They laughed and chatted, seemingly quite comfortable with each other.

A rather unusual atmosphere hung in the air.

“Hmm? Oh, Lord, you’re here?”

Lucas noticed Xian and straightened up.

Laura startled and looked slightly flustered.

“I, well… I’ll head back inside.”

She hurried past Xian and into the building.

Xian watched her disappear, then approached Lucas.

“When did you two become so close?”

“Laura healed my wounds. She checks on me occasionally to see if I’m alright.”

Lucas had performed admirably in the battle.

He had faced Aaron, the commander of the White Wolf Knights, and even stalled Kai and Durak until Xian arrived.

He had fought against the demons afterward, sustaining near-fatal injuries.

And Laura was a priestess who wielded divine power.

“Considering that, you two seemed quite affectionate.”

“We’ve been through some tough times together…”

Lucas subtly avoided Xian’s gaze.

Under Xian’s scrutiny, Lucas cleared his throat.

“It’s not what you think, Lord.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s really not.”

“I’m telling you, I didn’t say anything?”

Lucas pressed his lips together.

He maintained a strict military posture, revealing nothing.

Xian chuckled.

He shook his head and bent down to examine the inventory buried in the ground.

[Currently Held Gold] – 0G.

The screen displayed 0 gold.

The result of investing everything into expanding the inventory space.

The inventory contained treasures worth billions.

But that was their potential ‘value,’ not liquid gold.

Mobile Lord didn’t recognize untranslated assets.

Originally, he had around 1,300 gold, not 0.

It seemed to have been deducted for maintenance costs.

Without maintenance fees, the facilities in Ruben would cease functioning.

Buildings would likely corrode and collapse.

‘I need to return to Ruben and have Amelia convert them to gold.’

Xian straightened up.

He began to walk away.

“Lord? You forgot this.”

Lucas called out.

Xian had left the inventory behind.

“Ah, wait. I have somewhere to go. Please watch it until I return. Oh, were you going to see Laura?”

“It’s not like that… No, I really don’t have that kind of relationship with Laura.”

Lucas protested, sounding wronged.

Xian turned with an expression that said, “Of course.”

“With Laura?”

Xian couldn’t help but smile.

#

Hres gazed ahead calmly.

Hres, a member of the Shadow Moon Guild and Diana’s direct subordinate.

“The Beastmen are preparing to leave for Ruben.”

Hres spoke softly to the woman before her.

Diana, a silver-haired woman resembling moonlight.

“Are you sure… you’re okay with this? Leaving like this.”

Diana nodded indifferently.

“What’s not okay? Everything has been resolved.”

“But…”

“You know, Hres.”

Diana interrupted.

“I’m no longer the Luna [leader] of the Beastmen.”

Neither before nor now.

“There’s no place for me here.”

Diana said nothing more.

Hres remained silent.

A moment of quiet.

“What will you do now?”

“What else? I’m returning to where I belong.”

Diana, the leader of the Shadow Moon Guild, the pinnacle of the underworld.

In the darkness filled with ugliness. That was where Diana should be.

Honestly… she felt lost.

The Shadow Moon Guild was on the verge of disbanding.

Practically disbanded, not almost.

Hres was the only remaining member.

So honestly… she was envious.

The Beastmen, ending centuries of seclusion and entering a new world.

Those who were emerging from the darkness and into the light after hundreds of years.

Looking at those Beastmen, she wondered.

‘Perhaps… I’ve only seen the world through the eyes of an assassin. That’s what I thought.’

Kerner’s words echoed in her mind.

A former special assassin of Shadow Moon.

Currently, Ruben’s assassination instructor, Kerner.

When he was Diana’s subordinate, Kerner was the epitome of pessimism.

He believed the world was filled with filth and ugliness, and he didn’t know how to smile.

Ruben had changed Kerner.

The world called Ruben had shown him the beauty that existed.

Now, the Beastmen were moving into that world called Ruben.

‘I hope the guild leader will also see the world from a slightly different perspective.’

Diana honestly felt envious.

But Diana shook off her regrets.

Neither before nor now, there was no place for Diana here.

“At least say goodbye…”

“If I say goodbye, it will only cause trouble. You know the Great Chieftain… no, Karis’s personality.”

And I’ll have more regrets.

Diana spat out the last words as if swallowing them.

“Let’s go now.”

Diana stepped away.

With each step, she shed her regrets.

And then.

“Are you leaving already?”

Startled.

Diana froze at the unfamiliar voice.

“You’ve only just returned to your homeland, why not stay a little longer?”

Slowly turning, she saw a blonde man, Xian.

Xian walked past Hres towards Diana.

Hres stared at Xian with surprise.

Diana looked at Xian with bewilderment.

She hadn’t noticed him.

Diana hadn’t sensed Xian’s presence at all.

Diana looked at Xian with a flustered expression.

“If you leave without a word, Karis will be very disappointed.”

Xian spoke calmly.

Diana regained her composure.

“It’s none of the Count’s business.”

“Well, that’s true. I have no intention of interfering in family matters.”

I have quite complicated family matters myself.

Xian smiled.

“Why did you come to find me?”

“It’s nothing special…”

Xian continued quietly.

“How about coming to Ruben with me?”

“…?”

Diana’s eyes widened.

She hadn’t expected those words, and her surprise was evident.

“I don’t think it’s that surprising…”

Xian continued.

“I think you’re wondering why.”

Diana remained silent.

She was surprised, but she was also curious about his reasons.

Xian smiled.

“Because Ruben needs Diana.”

“I’m… needed?”

Diana couldn’t understand.

The Ruben she had seen was a perfect territory.

A heavenly utopia unlike anything else in the world.

And Diana was the leader of Shadow Moon.

A woman of the underworld, where criminals ran rampant.

Although Diana gave those criminals rules and prevented indiscriminate crimes.

She was still the leader of criminals.

There was no way Diana would be needed in Ruben.

Ruben was a paradise that had taught Kerner, who was full of pessimism, how to smile.

A person like Diana was not needed in such a paradise.

Shadow and light. Extremes.

Diana and Ruben could not coexist.

Yet, Xian was making this offer.

Could it be because she was Karis’s sister?

Because I am of the Great Chieftain’s bloodline?

Is that why he’s willing to accept me too?

If that’s the case…

“Ruben has an intelligence agency.”

Xian’s words came suddenly.

Xian continued.

“It’s an agency that collects information, as the name suggests. It grasps the political situation of the empire, as well as the flow of funds and materials, and even trivial rumors. It collects and analyzes all kinds of information in the world, including politics, economy, and industry.”

None other than 《See-Through! Intelligence Agency Lv.1》.

It was a building and facility built by spending a whopping 3.5 million gold.

“But this… isn’t working properly.”

However, this intelligence agency was not functioning properly at present.

To be precise, it could be seen as just a building standing there.

“As you know, information is not so easily obtained. Even if you get information, it’s not easy to judge its authenticity. There’s too much false information rampant in the world these days.”

It wasn’t an easy task at all.

It wasn’t just a matter of being easy.

The ability to collect information was a skill in itself.

It was also not easy to predict things based on the collected information.

There was no need to even mention sifting out false information in the process.

These were matters that even seasoned information experts struggled with.

It was a task that required both outstanding talent and considerable experience.

“But my territory residents have been stuck in the Dark Forest their whole lives. They are excellent at beating up magical beasts… but they are practically clueless when it comes to the ways of the world. Things related to information are just not working out…”

Isn’t 3.5 million gold being thrown on the ground?

Xian looked at Diana as he uttered the last words quietly.

And only then could Diana understand Xian’s proposal.

“Are you saying you want me to take charge of that intelligence agency?”

Xian nodded once instead of answering.

“Are you serious?”

“Does it sound like a joke?”

Diana stared at Xian quietly.

Xian looked back at Diana without avoiding her eyes.

The proposal itself seemed light at first glance.

However, Xian’s gaze and actions were sincere.

So Diana had no choice but to ask.

“Are you making this offer as the new Great Chieftain?”

I know what Xian’s proposal is.

I also know in what sense he is trying to employ Diana.

But on the other hand, I couldn’t shake off the question of why?

There was no reason to bring a criminal from the underworld into Ruben.

It would be enough to pick a cleaner and more capable person.

The continent was vast, and there were many talented people.

In the first place, wasn’t Ruben a perfect utopia?

Even Elantur couldn’t do anything about the territory, so there would be many talented people who wanted to come to Ruben.

There was no need for Diana.

Yet, he was giving Diana this offer.

“I will refuse if it is sympathy from you as the new Great Chieftain. I will refuse even more if it is because of my brother. I’m sorry, but I’m no longer a member of the beast race.”

Diana turned her back without any regrets.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the offer.”

And then, as she was about to take another step and leave.

“I made a statement that could be misunderstood.”

Xian’s words came from behind.

Turning around slowly to look.

Xian admitted his mistake and waved his hand slightly.

“I’m not making an offer to someone named Luna.”

Xian’s two eyes looked at her.

“Diana.”

Xian’s two eyes were looking straight at Diana.

“I am not making an offer to Luna, the princess of the beast race, but to Diana, the guild leader of Shadow Moon.”

Diana’s mind went blank for a moment.

In the meantime, Xian’s voice was heard again.

“And I’m not making an offer as the new chieftain of the beastmen. As you saw earlier, the chieftain is still Karis.”

“······”

“I’m just the lord of Ruben.”

Xian smiled slightly and continued.

“Count Xian Ruben, the lord of Ruben, is making an offer to Diana, the guild leader of Shadow Moon. It’s a kind of scout.”

“······ I’m a criminal in the underworld.”

“At the same time, you are also the head of the best information guild in the empire.”

Xian shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“I think it’s an offer that can be made to the best talent on the continent. And… wasn’t it Diana who gave the rule to the chaotic underworld? I heard that… you were taking care of children who had nowhere to go?”

“How did you know that…?”

“Kerner told me. He said he was taken in like that too. After he became an adult, Diana told him to live freely, but Kerner himself remained in the Shadow Moon Guild.”

“······”

Diana was speechless for a moment.

“We don’t call such people criminals in Ruben.”

Xian continued.

“And since the story of the beastmen has come up. I heard that… Diana was ignored a lot when she was young.”

That… because you couldn’t use the power of the Yongin tribe well.

Xian carefully uttered the last words.

“As I said, there are no talents related to information in Ruben. So if Diana comes, she will be in charge of everything from training talents.”

“······”

“And the beastmen are now the territory residents of Ruben.”

Xian smiled and said.

“Take this opportunity to pick out the beastmen you didn’t like in the past. It wouldn’t be bad to educate them harshly as a form of revenge. Educating those who ignored me in the past. Well, you know, something like that.”

Then Xian chuckled.

Of course, Diana didn’t laugh.

She just stared blankly at Xian.

Another moment of silence followed.

“······ Is there also an option to refuse?”

“Of course. I don’t force you.”

Xian spread out his hands as if it were a truly pure offer.

That’s why Diana couldn’t help but think he was annoying.

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“Yes? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the image the Count showed me.”

“The image I showed you…”

Xian tilted his head as if he really didn’t know.

Diana chuckled again at Xian’s appearance.

That image of not backing down from the fight against the demons.

That image of not sparing his own life for the sake of the people.

And even the generosity to accept the beastmen.

“You show me that kind of image and say that there is an option to refuse the offer?”

Diana was truly speechless.

With that, Diana turned around and left the spot.

The silver hair resembling moonlight fluttered and blurred her vision.

“So. What’s your answer?”

Xian asked Diana as she left.

Diana glanced back, showing only her profile.

The gracefully shining profile and the falling silver hair.

It created a somewhat dreamy atmosphere.

Soon, Diana slowly opened her mouth.

“Do I need to swear allegiance like my brother?”

Diana took another step and left.

“Of course not.”

Xian could only chuckle softly.

#

Ruben, located in the Dark Forest.

The conference room of the lord’s castle located in such Ruben.

“Are you saying that all the workshops in the territory… have stopped operating?”

Semir nodded slightly at Hans’s question.

“It’s not just the workshops. All the facilities in our commercial district are not functioning properly.”

“The same goes for the production facilities in the agricultural and livestock districts.”

Amelia and Grayson continued to report.

“Our magic district is the same…”

“So are my laboratories.”

Following that, Sera and Jerry’s gloomy voices continued.

“All of Ruben has stopped operating…”

Hans’s expression hardened.

Ruben’s facilities suddenly stopped.

Because of that, Ruben was completely paralyzed.

“We’re managing to hold out with what we’ve produced so far.”

“But we can’t hold out forever.”

“Especially matters related to defense…”

The most urgent of these was, of course, Ruben’s defense.

Currently, Ruben was at war with Elantur.

Above all, magical beasts were rushing into Ruben almost every day.

Now that functions such as barriers and guard towers had all stopped, Ruben was directly exposed to the threat of magical beasts.

So almost all personnel were being diverted to security and defense.

“There are too few personnel to be seconded elsewhere.”

But there was a limit to that too.

Ruben’s chronic problem was the shortage of manpower.

Until now, they had somehow managed to endure with the efficiency of Ruben’s facilities.

But that was slowly reaching its limit.

Even if the efficiency of the facilities was good, they could only operate if there were people.

But because there was a shortage of manpower, they were working overtime every day.

On top of that, the facilities had stopped operating, so it was literally collapsing.

As one thing collapsed, everything related to it began to collapse in succession.

‘Of all times, when the young lord is away…’

Hans’s expression continued to darken.

Xian had left to strike Elantur’s elite forces.

But his return was considerably delayed.

It had been quite a long time since contact had been lost.

Above all, the news that had been heard a while ago.

The White Wolf Knights, including Durak, had returned to Elantur.

But Xian’s news had been cut off until now.

Durak had returned, but Xian, who had gone to strike Durak, had not returned.

Could it be that Xian was already dead there…

‘Don’t think useless thoughts.’

Hans shook his head strongly.

But even if he tried to shake it off, the thought kept clinging to him.

He had to keep his mind straight, especially at times like this.

Right now, he had to solve the immediate problems.

“Lady Leah. Kendrick. I’m sorry, but I think we’ll have to withdraw the soldiers. Could you two possibly move around more to fill that void?”

Leah, the Thousand-Year Wraith.

Kendrick, the Master-level Death Knight.

The two beings that could be said to be Ruben’s greatest power right now.

In fact, they were able to do this because Leah and Kendrick had stepped up.

If these two hadn’t been there, they would have needed more soldiers and knights.

But now they had to withdraw even more from there.

So Hans asked for Leah and Kendrick’s opinions.

But why was that?

No answer came from Leah and Kendrick.

Wondering what was going on, he looked there.

-······!

-······!

Leah and Kendrick were looking surprised for some reason.

Leah’s gray-white eyes, which had no pupils, were wide open.

Kendrick’s dark blue eyes were flickering greatly.

It was as if they were shocked by something.

He wondered what was going on for a moment.

-Hans! Declare a state of emergency throughout Ruben right now!

Suddenly, Leah shouted and rose from her seat.

“Yes? What’s going on all of a sudden…?”

-No time to explain! Right now!!

At the same time as those words, Leah drew up a dark magical energy.

A terrible evil spirit bloomed, and wailing sounds echoed in her ears.

A thought of death that no being could easily oppose.

However, Leah’s expression was trembling with fear.

As if facing some powerful enemy.

It was as if Leah was facing a being that even she could not handle.

-Kendrick. This is…

-I don’t think we can guarantee a victory even if you and I attack together. Assess the situation and evacuate, Madam.

And that was the same for Kendrick as well.

Leah and Kendrick were tense at the same time…?

Those overwhelming two beings were predicting defeat even if they rushed in at the same time?

-Hans. Evacuate everyone.

-Withdraw the soldiers and the Black Lion Knights as well. It’s not a being that can be handled at the level of the members.

Leah and Kendrick’s words were heard at the same time.

“······!”

“······!”

“······!”

The people gathered in the conference room, including Hans, were shocked.

And at the same time.

Kugugugung···!

A great tremor was felt throughout Ruben.

And people could feel it.

A presence that seemed to press down on their entire body.

A terrible sense of oppression that seemed to suffocate them.

And.

Hey guys!! I’m here!!

Some familiar voice.

“······ Huh?”

“······ Huh?”

“······ Eh?”

For a moment, people’s expressions went blank.

Their minds floated away, and their absurdity soared high into the sky.

Only.

-Xian···?

-Lord···?

Only Leah and Kendrick’s dumbfounded voices echoed in the conference room.