My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 46

§ 46 – Ruben’s P2W (1)

The scenery of Ruben came into view in the distance.

It wasn’t clearly visible yet due to the distance.

But even that glimpse of Ruben felt welcoming.

It felt like returning to a hometown.

Just then.

“Excuse me…”

A woman’s voice came from the side.

Turning to look.

There was a woman with a refined aura.

It was Dana, Jeri’s mother.

Dana had recovered a lot.

Her face, which had been gaunt, now had some flesh.

Her pale complexion was also regaining vitality.

Unlike the last time when she was almost a mummy.

Now, Dana could at least be called a person.

Perhaps relieved by that sight.

Jeri was lying on Dana’s lap, sleeping.

She hadn’t fully recovered yet.

But she would soon recover under Ellie’s care in the pleasant treatment center.

“Is that… Ruben?”

Dana cautiously asked Cyan.

There was a hint of fear in Dana’s face.

It wasn’t that she feared Cyan, but this place.

She seemed to fear the Dark Forest itself.

It was Cyan’s hometown-like territory, but not for others.

Ruben, located in the forbidden zone that even the Empire couldn’t handle, was truly a land of death.

Settling in a new land wasn’t easy.

Especially if that settlement was in the Dark Forest.

Perhaps noticing Dana’s worries.

“Don’t worry. It’s not as dangerous as you think.”

Amelia came to Cyan’s side and comforted Dana.

Dana waved her hands as if she had misunderstood.

“No. That’s not what I meant. If there’s someone like me who’s sick in such a harsh place, I’m worried I’ll be a burden… That’s what I’m worried about.”

Dana looked quite worried.

Amelia exclaimed, as if that was absolutely not the case.

“Of course not! Right, Young Lord?”

And asked Cyan as if seeking agreement.

Cyan nodded.

But…

“Why have you been eating something since earlier?”

“Huh? Oh, this?”

Gulp.

“It’s a sandwich.”

“Sandwich?”

Only then did Cyan notice the sandwich in Amelia’s hand.

“Dana made it for me. It’s reeeally delicious.”

Then Amelia took another bite of the sandwich.

“Mmm…! It’s so delicious!”

“I’m glad you enjoy it.”

Dana smiled at Amelia’s reaction.

“How does it taste so good? It’s not like there are any special ingredients?”

Amelia took another bite of the sandwich.

And stomped her feet at the taste.

“Young Lord, you should try it too! Really! It’s reeeally delicious!”

“Would you like one?”

Dana handed Cyan a sandwich.

Cyan accepted the sandwich Dana offered.

It was nothing special to look at.

Cyan took a bite of the sandwich without much expectation.

Crunch.

The bread crunched as he bit into it.

Then, the harmony of the ingredients inside was truly fantastic.

“… Crazy.”

Indeed…

Amelia had every reason to be so excited.

“Right? It’s really delicious, isn’t it?”

Cyan devoured the sandwich in an instant.

The sandwich disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Dana smiled like a mother and said.

“I made a lot, would you like more?”

“Me, give me more!”

Amelia took more sandwiches with a delighted expression.

Cyan looked at Dana with an admiring face.

It was no joke.

Even the head chef at Elanur’s mansion wasn’t this good.

‘I wondered where Jeri got her skills from…’

Soon, Dana said to Cyan.

“If you ever want something to eat, just let me know. I’ve received so much grace from you, Young Lord, that I can’t repay… If I can help in any way.”

Dana smiled.

And Cyan looked at Dana.

‘Wait. If that’s the case…’

A thought flashed through Cyan’s mind.

It was none other than the Level 1 Dining Hall in the territory.

As a facility in charge of the territory’s food.

It was responsible for the satisfaction of the territory residents.

It was a great improvement compared to when they were eating meals in Ruben.

But compared to the ordinary.

It was still poor.

Because there weren’t any particularly good ingredients in Ruben.

So much so that Amelia pouted as soon as she went to Lucia.

There weren’t even any skilled chefs to receive additional effects.

But Dana’s skill in making this taste without any special ingredients…

If Dana were to run that place…?

He felt like he had to P2W [Pay-to-Win, a gaming term for using real money to gain an advantage] as soon as possible.

‘Just you wait.’

Cyan fiddled with the smartphone in his pocket.

As he calmed his excited heart.

The scenery of Ruben was getting closer.

The scenery of Ruben was now visible at a glance.

And.

“… Huh?”

Cyan’s head tilted without him realizing it as he looked at the scenery.

The scenery of Ruben… was a bit strange.

Broken trees shattered into pieces.

Soil debris as if the ground had been turned upside down.

Even the sturdy Level 1 wooden fence surrounding Ruben.

Most of them were broken.

“W-What is it…?”

Amelia also asked in surprise.

Instead of answering, Cyan got off the carriage and slowly moved his steps.

Soon, Cyan was able to face the soldiers and territory residents in front of Ruben.

And.

“Huh?”

“Y-Young Lord?”

“It’s the Young Lord!”

The people who found Cyan shouted in surprise.

#

“Hey! Everyone, come out! The Young Lord has returned!”

“The Young Lord?”

“Where, where!”

The cry announcing Cyan’s arrival spread like an epidemic.

It seemed like almost everyone in Ruben was out…

“Young Lord! You’ve finally returned!”

“We missed you so much when you weren’t here!”

Unlike the shattered scenery.

The atmosphere itself wasn’t too bad.

Soon, an old man walked out from among the people.

“You’ve come, Young Master.”

It was none other than Hans.

Hans slowly walked towards Cyan.

But somehow, Hans seemed to have aged a lot since the founding day event.

He was already old to begin with.

But now he looked like he was about to die any day.

Clearly something was going on.

“What the hell happened?”

At Cyan’s question, Hans shook his head.

“There was nothing to worry about. However…”

Hans slowly opened his mouth with a slightly dark expression.

“Ruben has been attacked by too many monsters.”

“Monsters?”

Cyan questioned and looked around at the same time.

The scenery was in a terrible state.

It seemed to be the traces of battle.

“Not only were they attacking dozens of times a day, but recently a group of trolls attacked.”

“What? Even trolls?”

Cyan looked greatly surprised.

That’s because trolls were by no means easy monsters to deal with.

Trolls are often characterized by their regeneration ability.

The regeneration ability to regenerate severed limbs in an instant.

That’s why troll blood was an essential element as a potion ingredient.

And this was none other than the Dark Forest.

Monsters that have undergone Over Drive have dramatically increased physical abilities.

In other words, trolls in the Dark Forest were virtually immortal.

“That’s right. Fortunately, we were able to prevent major damage thanks to the Divine Machine…”

They were now slowly reaching their limit.

That was Hans’ explanation.

“Hmm…”

Cyan thought for a moment and said.

“But why are monsters suddenly attacking like this? It calmed down after we annihilated the orc village last time.”

Of course, it didn’t mean it would continue to be calm.

But how long has it been?

Even if it’s the Dark Forest, there’s no reason for monsters to be swarming like this…

“Grayson said that a powerful monster located inside the forest has moved.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Cyan nod.

A powerful monster located inside the Dark Forest.

Because of that, the monster groups pushed out of the territory were coming towards Ruben.

“But even considering that, it’s true that there are too many monsters coming. It seems like there’s another reason… Lucas and Grayson have left to investigate the exact reason.”

“Hmm…”

Cyan could understand all the circumstances.

And Lucas and Grayson left alone to investigate.

It was really dangerous to travel through the Dark Forest.

But Lucas was a knight of the Expert level.

And Grayson was a skilled hunter who had lived in the Dark Forest for decades.

Even if it was the Dark Forest.

The two of them had more than enough skills to take care of themselves.

“But right now, Ruben…”

Hans muttered with a very worried expression.

An atmosphere unlike Hans’ usual self.

It seemed that the situation was much more serious than he thought.

Still, thanks to Hans’ appropriate response, there didn’t seem to be any major damage.

‘So much happened while I was away…’

Necromantic Territory, Ruben.

He really couldn’t let his guard down even for a moment.

Fortunately, though.

It wasn’t too late.

Cyan turned his head and said to Amelia.

“Amelia. Can I ask you to take care of Jeri and Dana for a moment?”

“Okay.”

With Amelia’s answer, Cyan looked back at Hans.

“And Hans.”

“Yes, tell me.”

“Tell the territory residents and soldiers not to worry. Don’t say anything else.”

“But…”

Hans sent a worried look.

But he quickly nodded at Cyan’s firm will.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Cyan went straight into the territory.

#

Cyan entered the inside of Ruben.

The internal situation wasn’t very good either.

It didn’t seem to be a big problem on the outside,

But some worn-out facilities were visible.

“The inside of the territory is in this state…”

As Hans said, the situation seemed quite serious.

After looking around the inside, Cyan took out his smartphone.

And immediately ran Mobile Lord.

He fearlessly entered the 【Territory Facilities】 section.

Then, numerous facilities were listed.

Cyan scrolled down.

Soon, a facility caught Cyan’s eye.

『[Fence Upgrade] – 《Sturdy Stone Fence Lv.2》 (20,000G)

▶How was the sturdy wooden fence!

As expected, the foundation of defense facilities!

Of course, you easily defeated the monsters!

Huh?

Far from easily defeating the monsters.

The fence broke down?

Oh… dear!

That’s what I told you!

It boasts the strength of steel.

But it’s not as strong as real steel!

Then is this steel or wood?

Ha ha!

But don’t worry too much!

Because there’s an upgrade for you!

It’s called Sturdy Stone Fence Lv.2!

Ta-da!

This is literally a stone fence made of sturdy stone!

Even transcendentals have processed it, so it boasts the same strength as real steel!

Of course!

This is also slightly weaker than steel!

If it’s as strong as real steel, is this a steel fence or a stone fence?

But if you have this stone fence, everything is okay!

Mediocre monsters, tusha tusha [onomatopoeia for defeating enemies]!

Stop worrying about empty house robberies!

Now, go out with peace of mind with the Sturdy Stone Fence Lv.2! 』

.

.

It was none other than the upgrade of the fence.

The upgrade cost a whopping 20,000 gold.

Considering that the last sturdy wooden fence Lv.1 was 5,000 gold, it was a whopping 4 times the cost.

It wasn’t an upgrade.

It was virtually like building a new one.

That’s why he couldn’t easily upgrade it in the past.

But.

Click.

That was not the case at all now.

《Purchase complete!》

A notification window popped up saying that the purchase was completed with a simple touch.

With this, the broken fence would be reinforced on its own.

But.

“We need to reinforce the defense facilities even more.”

Cyan had no intention of ending here.

The Dark Forest, where monsters swarmed.

To stop those monsters, a mere stone fence was not enough.

Especially if a powerful monster moved.

The current defense facilities were woefully inadequate.

『《Deep Moat Lv.1》 (50,000G)

▶It’s not just the wall that prevents the enemy from approaching!

Is it difficult to just raise the wall?

Are you worried about the durability of the wall?

Then try installing this moat!

Dig up the land around the wall and bury all the attacking enemies!

Huh?

What if the enemies crawl out from underground?

That’s no worries!

The depth is a whopping 30M!

If you fall, it’s literally a pit of hell!

Moreover, it’s filled with water, so if you fall, you’ll drown!

Even has a temperature control function, so you can even boil it!

Huh?

If you fill it with water, it will stagnate and rot.

Wouldn’t it smell bad?

Oh! It’s no problem!

This ‘Deep Moat Lv.1’ has an automatic purification function!

Always clear water in all seasons!

Take a bath on hot summer days!

Of course! You’ll need something to supply mana!』

.

.

“Deep Moat? Sounds good?”

A defense facility that digs up the land around the wall to prevent enemies from invading.

This way, he wouldn’t have to rely solely on the durability of the stone fence.

Moreover, it was said that he could boil water, so it was equipped with an attack function.

It seemed that the mana supply was a problem.

But at least in Ruben, it didn’t mean much.

He could just pick up a mana stone from the mine and plug it in.

In the end, the problem was the price of 50,000 gold…

Click.

That wasn’t a problem at all either.

《Purchase complete!》

The purchase completion notification window popped up again.

Cyan continued to look at the facilities.

『《All-Seeing Watchtower! Lv.1》 (30,000G)

▶Is it difficult to know where the enemies attacking the territory are?

You’ve built a strong wall.

Are you afraid of enemies digging tunnels or flying in the sky?

Then install this ‘All-Seeing Watchtower! Lv.1’!

This ‘All-Seeing Watchtower! Lv.1’ clearly shows the location of all enemies attacking your territory.』

.

.

Click.

《… Purchase?》

Suddenly, the status of the notification window became strange.

But that was only for a moment.

The notification window recommended a new facility.

And.

Click.

Cyan pressed the purchase button before the explanation came out!

There was no need to read the explanation.

Just one thing.

He just had to look at the performance of the facility.

If it seemed to show excellent performance in defense.

Click.

He just bought it!

And.

“Ah, while I’m buying, I should buy a few more Divine Machines.”

The Divine Machine was literally a castle-raping weapon.

Its firepower was enormous.

But it seemed that one unit was a bit lacking.

And the price of the Divine Machine was 20,000 gold per unit.

Originally, he would have trembled even when buying one unit.

Kugugugugugung [rumbling sound effect].

Cyan fearlessly purchased five Divine Machines.

《…》

No words came to mind in the notification window.

It seemed that the Mobile Lord had broken down.

“Hmm…”

Cyan looked at the P2W facilities.

Roughly this much…

The defense equipment was complete.

But.

“Did you think it would end here?”

Cyan had no intention of ending here at all.

Why?

[Gold Coins Held – 800,000 G]

There were still 800,000 gold left in the inventory!

“Hahaha! Surely you didn’t just try to provoke me with this!”

Cyan’s eyes began to glow.

And perhaps in response to Cyan’s provocation.

Ting!

The items of the territory facilities popped up one after another on the screen.

Thus began Round 2!

『[Pleasant Treatment Center Upgrade] – 《Fantastic Treatment Center Lv.2》 (5,000G)

Click.

《P-Purchase!!》

『[Blacksmith Upgrade] – 《Hot Blacksmith Lv.2》 (6,000G)

Click.

《Complete!!》

『[Fertile Farmland Upgrade] – 《Abundant Farmland Lv.2》 (5,000G)

Click.

《P-P-Purchase…?!》

『[Mine Upgrade] – 《Safe Mine Lv.2》 (6,000G)

Click.

《Purchase!!!》

『[Dining Hall Upgrade] – 《Delicious Cafeteria Lv.2》 (7,000G)

Click.

《Complete!!》

『[Monster Ranch Upgrade] – 《Frolicking Monster Ranch Lv.2》 (7,000G)

Click.

《P-》

『[Soldier Training Center Upgrade] – 《Elite Soldier Training Center Lv.2》 (6,000G)

Ting!

《E-Excessive P2W is a waste of property!》

Click.

“Huh?”

I think something different just popped up.

I couldn’t see it because I pressed it as soon as the notification window popped up.

“Oh well.”

It must have been something necessary for the territory.

Click. Click.

Cyan fearlessly P2W’d the facilities.

#

Cyan’s gone.

“Don’t worry. It’s a common occurrence. Everyone is so skilled at dealing with monsters that there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Amelia reassured Dana and Jeri.

Dana nodded as if she was okay.

But Amelia could see the fear in it.

“Just a moment.”

Amelia slowly moved her steps.

And approached Hans and asked in a voice that no one around could hear.

“Is the situation… very serious?”

“To be honest… yes.”

Hans nodded with a dark expression.

“Is there no way?”

“As of now, that’s right. As you can see, the fence is almost completely broken, so it’s no longer easy to defend. If a group of monsters rushes in again in this situation…”

Hans couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

The monsters that kept rushing in.

The immortality of the trolls that wouldn’t die even if they were killed.

If it weren’t for the firepower of the Divine Machine.

It would have been over then.

“…”

“…”

A dark darkness fell on the faces of Hans and Amelia.

Ruben, which was just beginning to resemble a territory.

The founding day event was also successfully completed.

They thought that the only thing left for Ruben was bright hope.

But they never thought that things would go so wrong…

Amelia slowly raised her head.

None other than the place where Cyan left.

Cyan was heading inside the territory with some thought…

“… Huh?”

Amelia’s expression suddenly went blank.

That’s because the sight that Amelia saw.

Ttukttakttukttak [sound of construction].

It was the sight of the broken fence being repaired on its own.

“W-What is it…?”

The fence that had been destroyed just a moment ago?

Looking closely, it wasn’t even a repair.

It was being built with a stone fence that was even stronger than the wooden fence.

Just then.

Kugugugugugung…!!!

Suddenly, the ground began to shake greatly.

“Oh, what’s going on suddenly!”

“Earthquake? No, this isn’t an earthquake…?”

“S-Surely the monster groups are attacking again?”

“Everyone, prepare for battle!!”

At the sudden shaking, the soldiers raised their weapons.

And.

Chwararararak [sound of something collapsing].

Kugugugugung…!

The soldiers lowered their weapons as they were.

A magnificent sight unfolding throughout Ruben.

It was a sight they had experienced once before.

But…

This time, it couldn’t even be compared to that time.

Literally, it was at the level of completely overturning Ruben itself.

Chwarararak!

New buildings were created throughout Ruben.

Pababababak [sound of something exploding]!

The land around the wall was split and a deep moat was created.

The sight was beyond a territory…

A fortress.

It was not enough to call it an impregnable fortress.

Ruben was being reborn.

Ruben was newly dressing up.

People’s mouths were gaping open.

Eyes full of shock.

“I, I can’t… I can’t…”

“Ugh…!”

“W-What is this…!”

No one was making a sound properly.