My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 83

§ 83 – Rebirth of Ruben (2)

Kwakwakwakwakwang!!

A dreadful explosion echoed.

Simultaneously, the entire Dark Forest trembled violently.

“W, what is this!”

“Uwaaaaaaak!”

The ground shook fiercely as if a massive earthquake had struck.

The vibration made it hard to even stand properly.

Kwaaaaaaaaahhhhhh─!!!

In the midst of it, a tremendous storm raged.

To be precise, the massive storm swept through the entire Ruben.

Kwarararara─!

All materials and structures caught in the storm soared into the sky.

Defense facilities outside the territory, including iron fences, moats, and guard towers.

Various facilities inside the territory: farmlands, warehouses, orchards, blacksmiths, roads, and so on.

The cash injection Sian had poured gold into.

The materials of all the buildings being constructed with that cash injection shot into the sky.

Could that… really be reality?

The sight, so majestic it was awe-inspiring, was hard to believe.

It was a wondrous spectacle that sent shivers down the spine.

“Th, th, th, th, that!!”

“No, no way…”

People’s words were disjointed from the lingering shock.

In fact, it was close to gibberish.

But ironically, that made the situation even more understandable.

If this were magic, what level of mastery would the mage who cast it have reached?

The strongest mage in existence.

The Archmage who reached the 8th Circle, Egrit Rothschild.

Even he, would he be able to recreate this scene?

Well…?

Everyone shook their heads.

A thousand years ago.

Elodie, one of the six Arnaise [legendary heroes of immense power].

The great mage who reached the 10th Circle.

And who was at the Exceed realm, maybe she could.

No mage alive could recreate this scene.

No, there was one being who might have been able to.

“It’s a demon! A demon has attacked!”

A demon who opposed the Arnaise.

A demon who was said to have disappeared a thousand years ago.

The people of Ruben knew of the demon’s resurrection.

They had even faced Nurvia, the Sloth Demon, one of the Seven Demon Lords.

It was clear that one of the Seven Demon Lords had committed this act.

Of course, it wasn’t really the work of a demon.

But the scene before their eyes could only be explained that way.

“What in the world…”

And Sian didn’t think much differently.

Of course, Sian knew the reason for the storm.

None other than the compensation for the emergency maintenance.

The instant completion tickets for all the cash injections Sian had poured in.

Kwaaaaaaaaahhhhhh─!!!

When those were executed simultaneously, such a storm must have occurred.

Sian stared blankly at the scene.

The raging storm continued for quite some time.

How much time had passed?

The raging storm began to subside.

The shaking ground calmed down as if nothing had happened.

And the scenery that was revealed in between.

Thud!

There was Ruben, completely reborn!!!

“Uh, uh…!”

“Wh, what is that…!”

The mouths of the territory residents, including Sian, dropped open.

An inescapable shock struck their minds.

First, the ‘Insane Steel Fence Lv.4’ surrounding the entire Ruben.

The steel fence, truly like an iron wall, made one wonder if it could even be breached.

Moreover, the ‘Bottomless Moat Lv.4’ surrounding it, of course.

Various defense facilities, including guard towers.

And that’s not all.

Various living and production facilities inside the territory.

They were all completed in an astonishing form according to Semir’s blueprint!

Impossible to believe.

But the scene was clearly visible before their eyes.

“……”

“……”

“……”

The absurdity felt by all the territory residents of Ruben soared high into the sky.

Numerous absurdities intertwined and soared high into the sky of the Dark Forest.

And this time.

“Crazy…”

Sian was no exception.

#

Ruben, where all the cash-injected facilities were instantly completed.

Ruben was completely turned upside down.

First, the dwarves of the territory.

The dwarves were thrilled by the architecture that had transformed Ruben.

Instant completion tickets were instant completion tickets.

But the intricacy of the buildings was immense.

Especially the ‘Insane Steel Fence Lv.4′.

The dwarves were truly astonished by the steel fence.

“The entire wall is covered in steel…?”

“M, my goodness… is that even possible?”

“What is this elaborate structure…?”

A structure conceived and created by transcendent artisans.

They didn’t know what level the transcendents were at.

But judging from the dwarves’ reaction now.

“Even the chieftain can’t do this…”

“Wouldn’t it have to be the chieftain’s ancestor…?”

Morkru, the Divine Craftsman, one of the six Arnaise.

It seemed to be about that level.

But then Semir reacted.

“Even my ancestor couldn’t do this…”

Somehow, it seemed to be at a level even higher than Morkru.

Was that why?

Ding!

[The dwarves of the territory have admired the architecture of the transcendent artisans.]

[Acquiring the know-how of the transcendent artisans.]

Sian was slightly surprised by the notification window that popped up even during the maintenance.

He wondered if the maintenance was already over and ran Mobile Lord.

But he still couldn’t connect.

It seemed to be a simple system notification, not something from Mobile Lord.

Perhaps that’s why Mobile Lord’s usual cheeky demeanor,

and its unique cheerfulness, were absent.

When it was happening, it was infuriating.

‘It’s a bit… bland.’

Seeing it like this, it was quite bland.

In any case, the dwarves had acquired the know-how of transcendent artisans.

“Oh… so it was possible to twist the structure in this way.”

“Then, couldn’t we do it like this as well?”

[The dwarves in the territory can now repair buildings in the territory, such as Blacksmith Lv (Level).]

Thanks to this, maintenance and repair costs could be significantly reduced.

That wasn’t all.

Sian had upgraded all the living and production facilities to Lv.4 this time.

“Huh…? Didn’t I just plant the seeds?”

“But the sprouts are already coming up?”

In the farmland, sprouts were coming up as soon as the seeds were planted.

“Oh my? I didn’t add anything special, but why does it taste richer than before…?”

“I, I’m going crazy…! Is this the taste of heaven!”

“Ahhh…!! Dana is the best…!”

‘Dana’s Ecstatic Restaurant Lv.4’ offered a truly ecstatic taste.

Even.

“Ellie… I think I have a bad case of body aches…? Huh? Why do I suddenly feel better?”

“Hey, you. Didn’t you get hospitalized yesterday with a fractured leg from working in the mine? But how are you at work now?”

“I don’t know. It healed in a day?”

Ellie’s Miracle Healing Center Lv.4 didn’t require separate treatment for common colds,

and even moderate to severe injuries were healed in an instant.

And that wasn’t all.

Whoosh!

“Oh…! Why is the firepower so strong?”

“It’s not just that. I can freely control the firepower I want!”

Clang! Clang!

The efficiency of the bustling Blacksmith Lv.4 soared like crazy.

And.

“Move, move! Ores to be put in the smithy are passing through!”

“These are barley to be sent to the brewery!”

“Freshly caught meat from the monster farm going to the restaurant!”

All the districts and facilities were connected by ‘Run, Run! Brick Road Lv.4’.

Moreover.

Crunch!

“Huh…? Why are they dying?”

“Huh? My body feels lighter today?”

The monster hunting speed of the soldiers also increased significantly.

“Come to think of it, I heard from the guys who went to the west that the monsters were incredibly weak?”

“Maybe… we might be geniuses…?”

The growth efficiency was going wild through the training center upgrade.

The soldiers were growing beyond just apprentice knights.

Like this, it was instantly completed and developed in a flash.

Of course, Semir’s blueprint was not yet complete.

But it would be hard to find a territory in the Empire that could compare to Ruben.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Haa…”

Sian unknowingly let out a deep sigh.

Sian calmly looked around.

Now that he had upgraded from Lord’s Manor Lv.1 to Lord’s Castle Lv.2.

Perhaps because of that, the office felt more spacious than before.

-The house has become huge!!

Thanks to that, Leia was very excited… well, anyway.

In that office, Sian was watching the situation in Ruben.

– (Basic Effect) You can grasp all the situations in the territory!

It was none other than the effect of the Lord’s Castle.

Of course, it was an effect that had been there since Lord’s Manor Lv.1,

but as it was upgraded to Lord’s Castle, he could grasp the situation more closely.

Sian once again checked the situation in the territory.

As expected, Ruben was running perfectly.

That’s why Sian felt even more regret.

“If it weren’t for the maintenance…”

That’s because if it weren’t for the maintenance, he could have strengthened the perks with fame points.

Then, S-grade equipment would be pouring out of the bustling Blacksmith Lv.4 by now,

and the soldiers would be learning S-grade aura and S-grade swordsmanship.

But Mobile Lord had run away for maintenance, so he couldn’t strengthen the perks.

That’s why he felt quite regretful…

Well, still.

“The maintenance compensation wasn’t too bad, considering.”

It wasn’t just not bad, it was amazing.

Instant completion tickets for everything Sian had spent money on.

Even when converted to gold value, it was easily over several million gold.

If it weren’t for this compensation, he would have wasted several months.

It was the most needed compensation in a situation where he only had about 5 months left.

So Sian didn’t feel too disappointed, even though he felt regret.

“It’s annoying that they ran away for maintenance…”

Sian decided to let it go this time.

“More than that, how much do I have to spend next time to make them faint [cause a system crash]?”

No, he was rather planning how to induce another maintenance!

Sian pondered over various thoughts and slowly got up from his seat.

In any case, Ruben had developed rapidly.

He was also steadily preparing for the war with Elandur.

Sian couldn’t just sit still either.

Compared to the old Sian, he had made great progress,

but he had to move diligently to catch up with Kyle.

Sian left the office.

And the place he headed to was none other than ‘Lord’s Private Training Ground Lv.1’.

It was a lord’s convenience facility that was created when he upgraded to Lord’s Castle Lv.2 this time.

And the effect was as much as.

– (Basic Effect) Growth buff +2,000%

– (Additional Effect) +1,000% when watching ads

The basic growth buff alone was 2,000%.

And if you watched ads, you could get an additional +1,000%.

But Sian had already purchased ad removal.

In other words, the growth buff was a whopping 3,000%.

Is it because it’s the lord’s ‘private’ training ground?

The buff efficiency was going wild.

It seemed to be because it was a concept of concentrating it on one person.

“It’s worth the expensive price.”

Well, it always was.

In fact, the problem was that he spent too much money, but the performance and value were definitely worth it.

Sian quickly moved his steps.

Arriving at the Lord’s Private Training Ground Lv.1.

The training ground was just a training ground.

If I had to compare…

The training ground of the White Wolf Knights that I saw at the Elandur mansion.

It was much cleaner than that, but smaller in size.

Alright, this is the Lord’s Private Training Ground.

Since it’s a training ground specifically for Sian, it’s better that it’s not too large.

Sian stood in the center of the training ground and slowly drew his sword.

The SS-grade sword emanated a jet-black aura.

At the same time, he reached for his smartphone.

However…

“Ah, now that I think about it, I can’t check the quests.”

He realized that the Mobile Lord [a game or app] maintenance wasn’t finished yet.

Because of that, he couldn’t access Mobile Lord.

He could see the simple system’s result notifications, but…

Sian couldn’t directly check anything.

“This damn maintenance timing, really…”

He was glad the maintenance compensation was decent.

If it wasn’t, he might have thrown his smartphone away in frustration.

Sian suppressed his disappointment and put his smartphone back in his pocket.

But it felt awkward to just turn around and leave.

“Hmm… Ah, right.”

After some thought, Sian made a decision.

He would attempt the strike that annihilated the Demon of Negation, Lich, the Asura Heaven Kill.

Although his version was infinitely inferior compared to Kyle’s.

Nevertheless, Sian had managed to make it his own.

So, to recapture that feeling.

“Shall I give it a try?”

Sian lightly raised his sword.

And then slowly closed his eyes.

A darkened vision.

Sian recalled the battle with Lich in the Kusla Mountains.

He remembered the feeling he had at that time.

Lich was strong.

The Demon of Negation.

From a distant, ancient era.

The beings who plunged the continent into chaos.

And the six Arnice [legendary heroes] fought against such terrible beings.

They cut down countless demons and finally protected the continent.

The Arnice fought against the Lich, whom Sian struggled against.

Kyle.

He fought, constantly cutting down.

The realm that only six people in the vast history of the continent had reached, Exceed [a state of heightened power].

Even that realm is far beyond Sian’s reach now.

Kyle, whom Sian seeks to emulate, has stepped into the realm beyond that.

Therefore, a realm that he cannot even dare to dream of.

Will the day ever come when he reaches that realm?

Well…

Kyle’s appearance that he witnessed in the battle with Lich.

And the long road that stretched out between them.

At the end of that road.

Sian couldn’t imagine himself standing side by side with Kyle.

Even in this moment of working hard every day, he doubts himself.

Sian’s thoughts drifted in a different direction.

Effort.

Sian didn’t really like the word “effort.”

No matter how hard you try, you can’t beat those who were born with talent from the beginning.

Commonly referred to as geniuses.

There were too many such geniuses around Sian.

He didn’t even have to look as far as Durak.

Nathan and Roswell.

Even Kai, who is called the star of the Empire.

Unlike Sian, whose talent was… lacking.

Their starting point was far ahead.

Does that mean those geniuses don’t work hard?

That wasn’t the case either.

Despite their innate talent, they work harder than anyone else.

The starting point is different, and the speed at which they run is also different.

That’s why Sian didn’t really like the word “effort.”

Because he couldn’t achieve anything just by trying.

Because if I did my best in life, but it still didn’t work out…

Then he felt like he was truly incompetent.

Because that was so scary and frightening.

In fact, that was the reality of effort.

It’s not passion. So it’s not hot.

It’s ruthless and cold.

So he hated effort, but…

On the other hand, he admired effort.

There are people like that.

There are those who fight stubbornly even knowing that it won’t work.

Even knowing that they will obviously lose.

Even though they know very well that it won’t work even if they try.

There are those who foolishly continue that fight.

At first, Sian really laughed at them for being stupid.

Because what can’t be done, can’t be done.

But now that he looked back.

He thought Sian actually admired them.

Their ruthless and cold efforts.

The only way to never lose in a fight that you can never win.

Their efforts to not end that fight.

Sian actually admired them.

Kyle’s distant realm.

It is impossible to approach that realm.

But if I don’t give up walking this path.

If I don’t stop fighting.

Someday… Someday…

Wouldn’t I be able to stand next to Kyle?

At least, wouldn’t I be able to see his back up close?

Sian’s sword moved.

The slash that Kyle taught him, the thrust.

It’s not just swinging and thrusting the sword.

Sian’s sword flowed.

In his memory, in his senses, the sword that Kyle showed him in the past came to mind.

And he was getting used to it.

But that wasn’t an easy task that could be accomplished just by getting used to it.

That’s why what Sian needed now was effort.

Sian’s talent is still… lacking.

It’s not just lagging behind others, it’s plummeting.

That’s why the current swordplay was also quite clumsy.

Sian was ironically feeling joy.

So this is how you use a weapon called a sword.

My body could move like this.

The sound of swinging the sword.

The sound of moving the body.

-You… you are now…

From somewhere, Leia’s voice drifted in.

Was she here to watch Sian train?

Of course.

But right now…

Crack—.

A sound tickled his ear.

For some reason, his body felt lighter.

Sian slowly opened his eyes.

Through his opened eyes, he saw Leia with a shocked expression.

And from one end of the training ground to the other…

Crackle.

A long scar was etched into the ground.

Ting!

A notification sound rang out.

[Demon Soul Asura Sword Beginner Proficiency 83.9% (+15.8%)]

“Haha.”

Sian couldn’t help but smile.

#

Sian finished a long training session and returned to his office.

He had increased the proficiency further, but unfortunately, he didn’t complete the beginner stage.

Still, he managed to raise it quite a bit.

The remaining proficiency was about 9%.

With the growth buff [an increase in stats or abilities] active, it seemed like he could complete the beginner stage very soon.

Sian returned to his office.

“H, how did you do that just now?”

Leia fussed over him, clinging to his side.

“I really thought you were Kyle!”

“Come on now.”

Sian said as if it were absurd.

How big was the gap between Sian and Kyle right now? She needed to say things that made sense.

But Leia didn’t seem to think so.

“I’m serious! It was a little different afterward. But at first… At first, I really thought you were Kyle! You really are…”

Leia looked quite surprised…

Well, it must have been quite similar.

“I’ve said it many times, but I am not Kyle.”

Sian shook his head and sank into the chair in his office.

As he was soothing his tired body…

“Hmph…”

A rather ominous sound was heard.

He looked over.

Leia was looking at Sian with a strange expression, as if she knew it all along, and as if she had found a delicious prey!

“Heeeee…”

Leia’s nasal voice echoed through the office.

Then, Leia started circling around Sian.

Soon, Leia came closer to Sian.

Leia’s long hair brushed against Sian’s neck.

A trickle.

Cold sweat ran down Sian’s cheek as various thoughts swirled in his mind.

Knock knock.

“Young master. It’s Hans.”

Hans’ voice was heard from outside the office.

“Tch.”

Leia frowned with a very disappointed face.

Sian sighed deeply inside.

“Come in.”

Click.

As soon as Sian finished speaking, Hans opened the office door and entered.

And why was Hans acting like that again? Hans’ expression was also quite strange.

“What’s wrong?”

“That is…”

Hans couldn’t easily open his mouth. To be exact, he didn’t know how to explain it.

Sian waited patiently for Hans.

Soon, Hans opened his mouth.

“We have a guest in Ruben.”

“Huh? A guest? Who would visit Ruben?”

Sian tilted his head without realizing it.

Because a guest…?

Ruben was a territory located in the Dark Forest. Ruben had made a lot of progress now, but it was still a dangerous place infested with monsters. Skilled mercenaries, of course, even adventurers who were blinded by money turned their backs on this place.

A guest came to such a Ruben?

“Who is it?”

“That is…”

Hans began to hesitate again this time, and this time, he didn’t open his mouth easily.

“Who is it?”

Sian urged Hans with an impatient heart.

And…

“It’s Princess Elena…”

Sian could immediately understand why Hans had hesitated. It seemed like he didn’t understand it himself, not that he was hesitating.

“…Princess?”

It took Sian a long time to understand these words.

He really wondered what was going on. He really wondered what was going on!

Why would a princess suddenly come to Ruben! No, why would someone like a princess be in Ruben!

“What is this…”

An absurd situation.

At that moment…

Ting!

Suddenly, a cheerful smartphone notification sound rang from his pocket.

Sian wondered what it was and took out his smartphone, and the screen that appeared…

『[Story-Linked Quest] – ‘The Truth Kyle Faced’』

It was none other than a story-linked quest.

The 7 Demon Lords, Nurvia of Sloth. The Demon of Negation, Lich.

The story quest that had been silent even after facing them was in a sudden situation.

“…What is it?”

It started to show an absurd reaction.