The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 128

128. The Banquet

Two days after the ceasefire was declared.

The city was bustling.

Smiles lit up people’s faces, and the city throbbed with life.

With the city’s population now exceeding 40,000, the main streets were packed.

Luxury goods, gifts from the King of Man-gyeong, began to appear in the Man-gyeong market street.

Everything from snacks to ramen, watered-down alcohol, and canned goods.

All sorts of celebratory foods began to gather in the heart of the street.

-Groooooan!

Thump!

A small, scrawny ogre, used as a slave, began overturning carts in the center of the street.

These were used as giant tables.

Festive foods were piled high on the cart-tables.

People gathered around them in groups of three or five, raising their glasses.

It was a festival.

Returning to Man-gyeong, Ha Yun-ha walked through the alleyways and into the market street.

She could hear the lively chatter of the crowd.

“Bring on the booze!”

“I was there. I turned left, and that warrior bastard was crouching like this.”

“And then?”

“I stabbed him right in the crown! His skull was tougher than I thought.”

Ha Yun-ha navigated through the throng.

Women hurried by, carrying food.

Soldiers boasted about their heroic deeds.

“Excuse me, food coming through!”

“Anyone need a cup? Cups! Get your cups here!”

“Ah, you guys from First Avenue don’t know anything. Our Bisan-dong was… a real hell. A real hell, I tell you. See?! Damn. I got burned?”

“Bullshit. You should have seen those Dong-an bastards playing around with the buses. No matter how much they struggled, they wouldn’t go down, you know? Huh? You know?”

“What, you son of a bitch?! Are you disrespecting the suicide squad?! If Baek-je [ancient Korean kingdom] had Gyebaek [a famous general], Man-gyeong has our Bisan Suicide Squad! We wouldn’t have won without us.”

Some people were arguing over trivial things, fueled by pride and alcohol.

The soldiers who survived the war were genuinely celebrating their victory.

People poured into the streets to soak up the atmosphere.

The luxury goods bestowed by the newly enthroned King of Man-gyeong were flowing freely.

There were enough luxury goods in Man-gyeong for everyone to get drunk and still have plenty left over.

The drunken people soon turned to simple games and entertainment.

In the past, modern people could find joy in the smallest things.

But now, an era has come where they struggle to find pleasure even with abundant stimuli.

So people began to enjoy cruel spectacles.

From executions and slave viewings to brutal sparring matches.

Pow-! Whack! Pow-! Crunch!

Two prisoners, collared and chained, were exchanging blows.

The shouts of the numerous spectators echoed around the arena.

Each time a fist connected, flesh tore and blood splattered.

Citizens reveled in the spectacle of Dong-an warriors, brought from Dong-an, being pitted against each other in the arena.

“Push harder!”

“Kill him! Kill those bugs!”

“These bastards fought so well during the war, why are they so weak now?”

The match ended only after one of the combatants was beaten to death.

Besides the bloody fights, there were also musical performances and games.

Card games were also a popular source of entertainment.

Playing cards or Hwatu [Korean playing cards].

They even played card games with now-useless credit cards.

The only way for the Dong-an warriors to survive was to become playthings for the citizens of Man-gyeong.

Street magicians performed tricks.

Strongmen showed off their strength.

Stand-up comedians told jokes.

Monster chefs cooked bizarre dishes, and so on.

Citizens who had once lived in Dong-an, receiving attention and affection, were finding their place in Man-gyeong as well.

The remaining warriors were all confined to prisons or workshops.

“…….”

Meanwhile, Ha Yun-ha walked barefoot through the streets and looked up at the sky.

It was a clear day, without a single cloud.

If it felt like your lungs would freeze just by breathing during the second round of the cold wave, now it was complete spring.

An unidentified bird flew by and, needing a place to rest, landed on a worn-out utility pole.

Yun-ha stared blankly at it.

Then, she heard a voice.

“Ah- what is the world~~~~.”

It wasn’t Yun-ha who spoke.

Yun-ha blinked and turned around.

There, Choi Hyun-ji was holding a can of cola, grinning.

She playfully approached Ha Yun-ha and put her elbow on her shoulder.

“The bird is a bird, and the sky is the sky~. What is the world~~~~ Emptiness? Yeah. Yeah. The world is empty, and the only thing of value under the sky is this cola…!”

Gulp, gulp!

“Kyaa-! I’m dying. Seriously. Ah, I’m going crazy because of this.”

Ha Yun-ha glared at Choi Hyun-ji, who was drinking cola like the star of a beer commercial.

“…What. I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“Hehehe. No, no. Your back looked like a poet. So this older sister expressed your feelings in a poem.”

“It’s totally lame.”

“Yeah, yeah… This older sister originally dreamed of being a poet. Huh? Hey. I majored in Korean literature, you know?”

Yun-ha ignored her and walked forward.

People were coming and going, a sea of faces.

Choi Hyun-ji quickly followed Yun-ha.

“Where are you wandering off to? Are you going to get lost again?”

“Wherever I go. What’s it to you?”

“You? Yooouuuu? …Too stiff. Call me ‘unni’ [older sister – term of endearment]. Unni.”

“I’d rather bite my tongue and die.”

“Woo-ah.”

Yun-ha turned into an alley.

Her house was in a villa complex assigned to players near the Man-gyeong market street.

It was a self-governing district specially designated by Kang Si-on, where all the players of the Man-gyeong forces lived.

Of course, Choi Hyun-ji lived upstairs from Ha Yun-ha.

“Yun-ha jjang [Korean slang for ‘the best’]. Wait, wait.”

“…Jjang?”

Yun-ha turned to look at her as she was about to enter the villa.

She was still holding a cola in one hand and clutching her waist with the other.

“The King wishes to see you in person. Let’s go to the palace.”

“…….”

Yun-ha looked at Choi Hyun-ji, then lowered her head.

* * *

Kang Si-on was soaking in the bathtub, staring at the ceiling.

Water droplets were beading on the bathroom ceiling.

The water droplets clung precariously, about to fall, and then finally plunged into the bathtub.

Drip-.

A small water droplet created a ripple, spreading across the surface of the water.

At that moment, a subordinate’s voice was heard from outside the bathroom.

“I have prepared clothes and towels for you to change into.”

“…….”

“If you need anything else, please ring the bell once. That is all.”

The subordinate said, leaving a blue bell on the bathroom shelf.

When Si-on didn’t answer, the subordinate moved away.

He was still gazing at the ceiling.

Once again, drip-.

A small water droplet created a ripple, spreading outwards.

Si-on submerged his face in the water and then lifted it again.

His brown hair spread across the surface of the water, then stuck to his face when he raised his head.

He swept the wet hair back and pinched both sides of his nose to clear the water from his nostrils.

He was leisurely enjoying his bath.

Kang Si-on didn’t indulge in sexual desires like the other executives, nor did he smoke or drink.

He abhorred hedonistic acts.

Because even one indulgence could corrupt his mind and body.

It was a habit that had taken root since he was young.

For him, survival was the top priority.

For him, the best rest was simply lying in the bathtub and feeling comfortable.

If he could have one more thing, it would be a novel, but this was enough for now.

Si-on was happiest at this moment.

“…….”

A time when he was alone in a public bathhouse, soaking in hot water, looking at the ceiling without a single thought.

Not thinking was rest and peace for him.

Si-on brought up the status window while lying down.

[King of Man-gyeong: Kang Si-on]

[Capital: Man-gyeong]

[

●Possessed Cities: 35

●Number of Citizens: 40,851 (Injured 8,356 / Minor 2,103, Serious 6,253)

●Ranking within the Region: –

●Resources:

Food 835 days (+105), Drinking Water 431 days (+150), Luxury Goods 2,805,190.

●Drinking Water: 431 days (+150)

●Approval Rating: 98.12

●Power:

Troops 5,851 / Weapons 15,109]

War causes many losses, but it also brings many gains.

The territory and population increase, and the power also improves.

Above all, the exclusive currency of the lords increases significantly.

The amount of gold currently held by Kang Si-on was approximately ten million gold.

It was enough to purchase most of the items listed on the trade market.

Until now, Man-gyeong had no suitable allied forces or trading groups, so Si-on only purchased items through auctions.

In order to secure gold and develop the forces, the items of inventors scattered throughout the league were needed.

For example, water mills using hydropower, street paving, medical technology, and information on monsters.

Each time these were purchased, the forces could grow exponentially.

Quite a lot of gold would be spent on this war recovery as well.

“…….”

And there was a new resource gained through this war.

Si-on picked up a red ore that had been placed on the edge of the bathtub.

He knew about the existence of this ore through Jin Jae-hee.

Red ore.

The inside of the ore was transparent and sparkling.

This was a new resource in this era.

To be exact, it was more accurate to see it as an alien substance.

The history of mankind is divided before and after the development of gunpowder.

Mankind has developed scientific civilization through gunpowder.

Gunpowder was a resource that has been with mankind and history from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

This red ore was also a resource like gunpowder.

The more ore you get, the more powerful you can make your forces.

At first, Park Ji-soo tried to use this resource to gain an advantage in future rounds.

Of course, since Kang Si-on won the war, he now monopolizes all the resources.

Now, how to use this red ore remained a task for the forces.

One week after the ceasefire declaration.

The leaders of Man-gyeong were constantly running around, working to repair the damage.

Those who had been soldiers and were now laborers again also jumped into the restoration work immediately after only two days of rest.

At the forefront of the restoration work were the 30,000 Dong-an warriors captured during the war.

This was a groundbreaking reward for the existing Man-gyeong citizens.

War needed rewards.

The biggest reward for workers is rest outside of work.

Until now, Man-gyeong’s workers had been working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week.

However, now that they have secured sufficient labor by enslaving Dong-an warriors, it was enough for Man-gyeong’s citizens to work only 6 hours a day, 5 days a week.

This was the result of a thorough calculation by the Chief of Order.

Man-gyeong’s workers were enthusiastic about the king’s groundbreaking reward.

Even immediately after the war, his approval rating remained at 98%.

This overwhelming approval rating that Kang Si-on had built up during the last round would surely be a great strength for Si-on.

At that time, a man entered the bathhouse.

He was the 2nd Army Commander.

Si-on was still in the bathhouse, and the 2nd Army Commander addressed him.

“On the day of the ceasefire declaration, there was a shooting at Anyang Station platform. After dispatching an investigation team, soldiers were found dead, naked, with gunshot wounds.”

“…….”

The sound of gunfire and reports of soldiers dying were concerning.

This was something that could not be simply overlooked.

Over the past two days, they had dispatched reconnaissance teams twice.

They claimed to be rescue teams dispatched by the government and illegally invaded Man-gyeong.

In fact, external forces causing trouble was nothing new, but this time it was different.

Because they had guns.

Si-on washed around his neck with water and thought.

‘Administrator’s benefits? Or is it modified?’

The situation became complicated.

“I’ve never heard of guns. Moreover, they are people dispatched by the government of the Republic of Korea. I can’t believe it, and I can’t leave them alone. I will take care of it. Just give me the troops.”

The 2nd Army Commander said with a determined voice.

But Si-on’s thoughts were different from his.

He was only thinking about leaving the forces now, and in order to do so, he had to stabilize the inside. Selecting the next leadership as soon as possible was Si-on’s current concern.

To solve this problem as quickly as possible, he thought he should first talk to the leader of those guys.

If they refuse to talk, he will have to solve it with force.

“Troop mobilization is not allowed yet. Let’s observe the situation.”

Si-on got up from the bathtub.

Chwareureuk- [sound of water flowing].

The streams of water flowing from his body cascaded back into the tub.

The information he heard from Jin Jae-hee was about key players and forces that shook the foundations of the league.

The future of minor details is unknown.

Jin Jae-hee was a player who started the league in the Gyeongnam area.

But there should be no problem.

No matter how much they struggle, they will not be able to stop Man-gyeong’s growth in the future.

Even if those guys are forces that have inherited the roots of the Republic of Korea.