My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 45

§ 45 – Back to Ruben Again (2)

Sian took out his smartphone and immediately launched Mobile Lord.

With the founding day event now over.

Once he returned to the Imperial Palace and greeted Crown Prince Conrad, all the schedules would be finished.

He wondered if he really needed to return to the Imperial Palace.

But still.

He had left the hall in such a hurry.

It was necessary to properly greet Conrad.

But whatever.

He just needed to go through the motions and leave.

So, in effect, all that was left was to depart for Ruben.

However, the journey to Ruben wasn’t short.

With a hefty coin purse in hand.

If he made some in-app purchases in advance, they would be completed by the time he arrived in Ruben.

‘Let’s see…’

Sian browsed through the Mobile Lord’s options.

‘First of all…’

Sian pondered and pondered.

And in the end, this was what he decided to purchase first.

【Arnaise’s Blessing】

①【: Knights! Raise your swords of honor!】

[Effect 1] – Troop growth efficiency in the territory increases by +1,000%!

[Effect 2] – Knight training efficiency in the territory increases by +1,000%!

[Effect 3] – Endless fighting spirit surges! The territory’s troops and knights become immune to all mental attacks!

It was , a perk unlocked by achieving a legendary achievement.

A ridiculously overpowered passive that increased growth efficiency by a whopping 1,000%.

At first, he thought it was applied immediately upon unlocking the achievement.

But upon reflection, he realized that couldn’t be the case.

Because when he unlocked the achievement.

Mobile Lord had clearly said this:

《A hidden special item will be unlocked upon achieving a legendary achievement!》

Unlocked.

At first glance, it might seem like the effect was also unlocked.

But considering the case of Elodie’s Laboratory Lv.1.

It was clear that only the item was unlocked.

Meaning that application required something else.

And Sian knew that something else was an in-app purchase.

‘There’s no way they’d just give it to me this easily.’

Still, it was worth purchasing.

Because this passive applied not only to the territory’s knights and soldiers.

But also to Sian himself.

The current growth efficiency Sian was receiving was from the Soldier Training Camp Lv.1 effect.

And the growth buff from watching ads.

A total of +600%.

Adding +1,000% to that would make it a whopping +1,600%.

One hour of training would have the effect of a full 17 hours.

Sian needed to train not only the Demon Soul Asura Sword but also the Demon Soul Art.

This effect was absolutely essential.

Moreover.

‘The efficiency for soldiers and knights is applied differently… are they separate?’

And Sian could be considered both a soldier and a knight of Ruben.

So perhaps.

He could receive both, making it +2,000%.

Removing ads for 500,000 gold was tempting, but…

‘I can just watch some ads.’

Without hesitation, Sian tapped the perk item.

Tap.

《Would you like to unlock the perk?》

Soon, a confirmation window appeared.

As expected, he had to make an in-app purchase.

Sian tapped the confirm button once more.

Then the screen changed, and the words ‘Loading…’ appeared.

As he waited for the purchase to complete.

《Error: Unable to unlock perk due to an error.》

An error… an error notification appeared?

‘Error?’

Just as he was wondering what was going on.

A notification window appeared with the reason for the error.

And.

《Reason for error: Insufficient funds》

Click.

Sian’s thoughts came to a complete standstill.

No.

That couldn’t be.

It absolutely couldn’t be!

Sian touched the screen with trembling fingers.

And checked once more.

Soon, Sian was faced with the truth.

《 Unlock Cost – 500,000 G》

Click.

A sound rang in his ears as Sian’s thoughts froze again.

He rubbed his eyes several times and checked the screen.

But the screen remained unchanged.

No way.

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

Sian checked the amount in his inventory.

The amount he confirmed was 450,000 gold.

Money he had won from gambling at the founding day event…

No, from the duel with Nathan.

Of course, adding the 100,000 gold he would receive from Aria.

And the approximately 1 million gold worth of imperial treasures in his inventory.

That meant he had a total of 1.55 million gold coins.

But those were things he hadn’t converted into cash yet.

The only money Sian currently had on hand was 450,000 gold.

Which meant.

The amount Sian could immediately spend was 450,000 gold.

The perk unlock cost was 500,000 gold.

Amount lacking.

50,000 gold.

“……”

A heavy silence descended.

A surge of absurdity.

Just then.

Ding!

《When you’re stuck, try making an in-app purchase!》

.

.

“Don’t you fucking dare!!!”

Startled!

Amelia looked startled by Sian’s shout.

Jerry was the same, rushing out of his room with a surprised look.

Gazes turned towards him.

“You said it was a legendary achievement ‘reward’!!!”

There, Sian was venting all the frustration in the world.

500,000 gold wasn’t just pocket change!

If the level of in-app purchases was also legendary, what was he supposed to do!

This was ridiculous.

This was truly ridiculous!

If this wasn’t ridiculous, then what was!

This wasn’t just ridiculous, it was utterly ridiculous!!

Of course…

It was a passive, so once applied, the effect would be permanent.

Moreover, the effect was enormous.

It was truly an overpowered passive.

But the price was just…

Ding!

《When you’re stuck, how about making an in-app purchase!》

.

.

Click.

Something snapped in Sian’s head.

A taunt that made his frustration surge.

If taunting had levels.

The Mobile Lord’s level would surely be Exceed!

‘Ha! You must think I only have 450,000 gold on hand.’

Alright, let’s go all in.

Sian turned his head sharply and shouted.

“Amelia!”

“Y-yes?”

Amelia snapped to attention and answered.

“Before we go to Ruben, let’s stop by Lucia for a bit!”

“Lucia…?”

Lucia, the empire’s greatest commercial city.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“I’m going to sell some of this!”

With that, Sian pulled out a small pouch.

And.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

An enormous amount of jewels poured out of the small pouch!

“……!!”

Amelia’s eyes widened.

No wonder, the jewels that poured out of the pouch.

There was absolutely no way that amount could fit in the pouch.

“A subspace pouch…?”

The question naturally arose.

Amelia’s expression was dyed with astonishment.

Whether he knew Amelia’s feelings or not.

“How much do you think I can get for all of this?”

Sian asked casually.

Amelia was speechless.

Truly…

A person who defied all common sense.

Amelia checked the spilled jewels with a dazed expression.

Gems that didn’t look ordinary at first glance.

She didn’t know who had crafted them, but.

The quality was the best of the best.

If she sold them all, she would easily exceed 1 million gold.

1 million gold.

Was this even a plausible amount?

And then.

“Some of these… have the imperial crest engraved on them?”

Some of the jewels had the crest symbolizing the imperial family engraved on them.

About 10% of the total jewels.

It wasn’t a large amount, but even that small portion was a significant problem.

Only members of the imperial family could use the imperial crest.

In other words, these jewels belonged to a member of the imperial family.

“Why are these here…?”

Amelia asked Sian.

Sian answered as if asking the obvious.

“Because I took them from the Imperial Palace.”

“…… Pardon?”

Amelia wondered if she had heard correctly.

What…

What did that even mean?

“Is it hard to sell the ones with the imperial crest? Each one is so precious…”

Sian wore a troubled expression.

But he soon nodded.

“Amelia, do you happen to know how to handle stolen goods?”

“Wow!”

What was that supposed to mean!

Last time, he was gambling in the Imperial Palace.

Now, it seemed he had even stolen something?

It seemed that soon.

He would be dragged away by the Royal Knights and have his head chopped off.

Her mind grew distant.

Thud.

Amelia’s mind snapped.

#

The week-long event finally came to an end.

However, the lingering effects of the event did not easily fade.

It was the largest festival in the empire.

And this time, it was the thousandth anniversary.

Because of that, more people gathered for this event than ever before.

Even after the event ended, many people did not leave and enjoyed the afterglow of the festival.

Squares, streets, pubs, restaurants.

The capital, Darkan, was bustling with countless people.

People were sharing stories about what happened at the founding day event, as if it were a snack.

There were many large and small incidents at the founding day event.

But ironically.

Everywhere you went, the topics of conversation were largely the same.

“They say the Saintess is not of this world. Is that true?”

“Haha! You must not have attended the event!”

“Isn’t it strange to attend? I couldn’t even get a glimpse of the venue, let alone wait.”

First of all, the Saintess of the Holy Empire.

She, who was called the reincarnation of Muriel, had never appeared in public before.

Most people only knew of the Saintess’s existence through rumors.

But this time, news broke that she would be participating in the founding day event.

Naturally, interest exploded.

“How is she? Is she really as beautiful as the rumors say?”

“Seriously! The moment I saw her, I felt a shiver down my spine… I thought the rumors were an understatement, not an exaggeration! It was worth waiting from before the event even started!”

“Heh…”

And indeed.

The Saintess was the Saintess.

“Especially when she was chosen by the Zodiac Sword… I really thought she was a goddess!”

Furthermore, interest was once again focused on her being chosen by the Zodiac Sword.

The Saintess chosen by the Zodiac Sword.

That meant.

She had defeated Kai Elandur and Panat Rorschild.

Meaning that the Saintess was the best talent of this generation.

Therefore.

“I heard that Sian Elandur was also chosen. Is that true?”

“Don’t even mention it. His Majesty the Emperor was so surprised that the venue was almost in chaos.”

“How could such a thing…”

People’s attention naturally focused on Sian.

No, in fact, the center of attention at this founding day event.

Wasn’t Kai, wasn’t Rorschild.

Nor was it the Saintess.

It was naturally Sian.

Sian Elandur.

The youngest son of the Elandur family, known as a good-for-nothing.

The fact that he was a bastard was not widely known.

But still, it was a story that those who knew, knew.

In any case, he was the typical representation of a ‘worthless’ person.

But such a Sian was chosen by the Zodiac Sword.

Sian became a hot topic.

Sian’s existence spread throughout the empire in an instant.

And people’s evaluation of such Sian.

It was truly all different.

“I knew rumors couldn’t be trusted… but Sian. After meeting him in person, he was more than I expected. I heard he’s the lord of Ruben…”

“I will send someone to find out more, Your Highness.”

“No. I will find out myself.”

Some had curiosity.

“Wasn’t he a good-for-nothing?”

“Indeed… Elandur is Elandur.”

Some had surprise.

“Ha! How could that good-for-nothing bastard… I can’t accept it!”

“He must have been up to something behind the scenes. Just like the good-for-nothing he is.”

“An arrogant bastard. He’s acting like a lord. Was it Ruben? That ruined territory. I’ll have to destroy it soon.”

Some had blind envy and jealousy.

“Did you hear that story? About Lord Sian saving a child from the slums!”

“Lord Sian… are you talking about that person who caused a stir at the event?”

“Yes! That Sian Elandur!”

“Hey, you! What nonsense are you talking about? What noble would save a child from the slums?”

“No, I thought so too at first. But, you know, Lord Sian is different!”

And some had respect and admiration.

And…

The Elandur Grand Manor located in the Elandur March [A territory ruled by a Marquis].

And the training ground on one side of that grand manor.

Whoosh! Whoong!

A man was wielding a sword there.

A cold, handsome man with an aura of chilliness.

Like a noble wolf standing in a snowy field.

He was none other than Kai Elandur.

The eldest son of the Elandur family.

A genius among geniuses, called the star of the empire.

Kai was wielding his sword alone in the empty training ground.

Swish!

Kai’s sword, embroidering the air, was fierce.

How could the sword wielded by Kai, who was at the early Master level, not be fierce?

Even considering that.

Kai’s sword was currently imbued with considerable momentum.

Whoa!

A sound like the air being torn apart erupted each time the sword passed.

At that moment.

Click.

Kai’s sword stopped for a moment.

Soon, Kai’s gaze turned to one side.

There.

A woman was standing there.

A composed posture and expression.

A noble dignity felt within.

She was none other than Isabel, the mistress of the Elandur March and Kai’s mother.

“I wonder if I’m disturbing you.”

Kai straightened his posture and answered.

“I was just about to finish.”

With that, Kai sheathed the sword he was wielding.

A stoicism that was almost rigid.

He was no different from his usual self.

However, Isabel could feel a somewhat different atmosphere from Kai within.

Isabel slowly opened her mouth.

“Don’t worry too much about it.”

Kai did not answer Isabel’s words.

At Kai’s appearance, Isabel lowered her gaze slightly.

The choice of the Zodiac Sword.

It was a matter of great interest at the founding day event.

The chosen one could spread their name throughout the empire with the honor of being the best talent of the generation.

And that was exactly.

The glory that Kai should have rightfully taken.

People compared Panat and Kai.

But those who knew knew were all guessing Kai.

Kai was known to be at the early Master level.

But the truth was that Kai was already knocking on the door of the mid-Master level.

There was a variable called the Saintess.

Nevertheless, they believed that Kai would be chosen.

But.

“I am currently persuading His Majesty to allow the Zodiac Sword to be chosen unofficially by speaking to the Prime Minister. The past cannot be undone, but since an exception has been made once─”

“Mother.”

Kai interrupted Isabel’s words.

His gaze fixed on her.

Kai slowly opened his mouth.

“Please tell the Prime Minister to withdraw the matter.”

“……”

“I’m fine.”

Isabel quietly stared at Kai.

At that moment.

“Young Master Kai.”

A voice calling Kai was heard from one side.

There, Lerrit, the chief steward, was slowly walking over.

Lerrit continued.

“The Lord is looking for you.”

Kai nodded once towards Lerrit.

And looked back at Isabel and said.

“Then.”

With that, Kai suddenly left the spot.

Isabel silently watched Kai’s departing back.

At the same time, a face came to mind.

“Sian…”

Clench!

Isabel’s eyebrows furrowed as she clenched her fist.

#

Inside the carriage heading to Ruben.

Sian touched the screen of his smartphone with trembling hands.

Tap.

《Perk purchase complete!!》

《Knights! Raise your swords of honor!》

《Charlotte’s Pride descends upon the territory!》

Ding!

《Troop growth efficiency in the territory increases by +1,000%!》

《Knight training efficiency in the territory increases by +1,000%!》

《Endless fighting spirit surges! The territory’s troops and knights become immune to all mental attacks!》

With a single tap, numerous notification windows appeared on the screen.

At the same time, countless gold coins began to evaporate into the air.

The amount was a whopping 500,000 gold.

The amount that could feed a family of four for a full 1,388 years…

‘…… Bullshit.’

Sian muttered to himself without realizing it.

Honestly, was this…

Was this really plausible?

1,388 years.

Not 1,388 ‘days’, not 1,388 ‘months’.

A full 1,388 years.

Was it even possible for that enormous amount to evaporate with just one tap!

Really.

It was a feeling he never got used to, no matter how many times he experienced it.

When would he ever get used to this feeling?

“…… Haa.”

He probably wouldn’t get used to it even if he lived his whole life.

But Sian wasn’t too disappointed.

Now that he had learned the Demon Soul Art.

He could earn a lot of profit through the refinement of mana stones.

More than anything.

‘Now then, the remaining amount is…’

Sian calmly counted the gold coins in his inventory.

From the 450,000 gold he won from the duel gambling.

Adding the 100,000 gold he received from Aria.

Adding the 1 million gold he earned from selling the imperial treasures in Lucia.

And then subtracting the 500,000 gold for the he just purchased.

‘1.05 million gold.’

A whopping 1.05 million gold.

More than all the money Sian had earned in Ruben combined.

In fact, it should have been more than that.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t sell the treasures with the imperial seal.

It wasn’t that Amelia couldn’t handle stolen goods.

But the imperial treasures transcended the concept of stolen goods.

Nevertheless, it was an unimaginable amount.

And Ruben had made a lot of progress compared to before.

But there were still so many things lacking.

There were roughly facilities essential for life.

But there were only facilities essential for life.

There were almost no transportation facilities such as roads.

More than anything, due to Ruben’s location in the Dark Forest.

They had to suffer from the threat of monsters every day.

They had found some stability by annihilating the orc village last time.

But since then, there were still many monsters that made orcs look like nothing, such as trolls and ogres.

In particular, the powerful monster that had settled in the Dark Forest.

There was no telling when that powerful monster would head to Ruben.

So, he had to upgrade the defense facilities, which were still just wooden fences.

He also had to purchase weapons such as Singijeon [Korean arrow-launching catapult].

Now that he had purchased Charlotte’s Pride.

He had to gradually cultivate various ranger and special forces, including knight training centers.

In addition to the additional research facilities due to Jerry’s recruitment.

There were so many things to do.

In other words.

‘Round 2 begins.’

Sian entered the 【Territory Facilities】 section.

He had been taunting him so well.

It was time to show him what a spending spree was.

Just then.

Ding!

《Excessive gaming can interfere with normal daily life…!》

.

.

‘Ha! That’s a joke.’

It was too much for a pot calling the kettle black.

In the first place, this Mobile Lord itself wasn’t normal.

‘What a load of crap.’

Tap.

Sian snorted and pressed the X button.

And just as he was about to enter the 【Territory Facilities】 section again.

“Lord. We’re almost at the Dark Forest territory.”

Amelia’s mumbling voice was heard from the side.

It seemed she was munching on something with her mouth full…

Anyway, it seemed they had almost arrived in Ruben.

“Hmph, let’s see when we get to Ruben.”

Sian swallowed his disappointment and put his smartphone away.