Transmigrated into the Gacha Game I Abandoned for 10 Years

Chapter 64: Diplomacy (2)

A few days later.

When the completion of the walls was improving day by day,

“Lord! It’s lunchtime!”

“Oh, thank you as always, Lani.”

“Ehehe, it’s nothing.”

Kim Hyunwoo, having expressed his gratitude to Lani who brought food as if she had been waiting for lunchtime, ate with her with a satisfied expression.

🔸️ Meat Curry 🔸️

It's a diced curry with thickly cut meat

[Buff Effects]

Defense +5

[Permanent Effect]

After eating food on an empty stomach more than 40 times, Strength Stat permanently increases by +2. [Limited to 1 time]

※This is a dish made with Lani's sincere feelings for Kim Hyunwoo! When 'Kim Hyunwoo' eats the food, the condition for 40 consumptions disappears, and the Strength Stat immediately increases by +1. [Limited to 1 time] [Completed]

As Kim Hyunwoo put the food in front of him, notifications popped up, and while pushing the curry into his mouth, he suddenly opened his status window.

Hero Name: Kim Hyunwoo

Title: King of Logs

Star: ?? Stars

-Stats-

🔸️Strength: 23↑

🔸️Agility: 21↑

🔸️Intelligence: 8↑

🔸️Luck: 10

🔸️Magic: 10↑

-Traits-

Indomitable Heart: Quickly regains composure in any situation if desired

[Data corrupted]

‘It’s really increased a lot.’

Compared to before, Kim Hyunwoo couldn’t help but marvel at how much his stats had increased, to an unbelievable extent.

Even though his repertoire was becoming similar recently and the increases weren’t steady, the fact that just eating a meal could boost his stats this much was unbelievable.

Therefore, Kim Hyunwoo, wearing a satisfied expression, saw Lani, who had come to share lunch and dinner with him, happily pushing curry into her mouth.

“Ah, does it taste a bit strange?”

Seeing Kim Hyunwoo staring at her, she, clearly brighter than before but soon showing a hint of anxiety, prompted Kim Hyunwoo to wave his hands and say,

“No, it’s not that. I’m just grateful you always make food like this.”

“He… hehe, it’s my job, after all-”

Lani answered, blushing.

“If it’s okay, I’ll cook for you once too.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yes. I’m not very good, but I think I can do it once as a token of my gratitude.”

Having shared lunch with her, Kim Hyunwoo started working as usual and was soon receiving a report from Elena, as he normally did.

‘Once the walls are completed, I’ll have to upgrade the Lord’s castle to the next level.’

As he was thinking this while looking at the status window,

“Excuse me-”

“Yes?”

Elena spoke up.

“Ah, this isn’t about the report, but I’m just a bit curious about something. May I ask?”

“Yes, anything. I’ll answer anything I can.”

“That, after the envoy from the Duke of Landaron left, you wrote a letter, right? I was curious about what it was…”

Elena spoke, glancing around subtly.

“Ah.”

Kim Hyunwoo smiled upon seeing Elena, who, although not overtly showing it, seemed clearly worried.

“If you’re worried, there’s no need to be. The King of Norba Kingdom will take care of it properly.”

“Yes…?”

He said so.

In the Norba Kingdom, among the three dukes who hold the highest position next to the King, the territory of the Duke of Landaron, who owns the Lanmaier territory, boasted an enormously large territory fitting its power.

Furthermore, as if to demonstrate that he was the most militarily powerful among the three dukes, numerous soldiers in the Duke of Lanmaier’s territory were dedicatedly training in several barracks.

“Hmm-”

The owner of the territory, who was intently watching the soldiers training for a long time in the castle of the Lanmaier territory, which was incomparably larger than the castle in Lartania.

“-How about the wyvern’s aerial attack?”

In response to Duke of Landaron’s question, the secretary bowed deeply as if afraid of upsetting him and said,

“It is expected to be completed within this week.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

The Duke of Landaron, seeing the secretary bowing deeply, smiled as if pleased…

Snap-!

“Gurk-!”

He soon kicked the head of a man lying beneath his feet.

The blood scattering from the man’s head splattered around instantly, dirtying the ground in an instant.

After looking at the man who was no longer moving, in his final his death throes, the Duke of Landaron clicked his tongue, and immediately, the attendants waiting on both sides quickly moved to drag away the man who was no longer breathing.

What remained were only the bloodstains on the carpet.

The maids, bowing their heads as much as possible, cleaned the bloodstains, but the carpet, already darkened with blood from numerous occurrences, did not come off.

The secretary, watching this for a while, unknowingly swallowed his breath.

No wonder, since the one who was just killed like an insect by the Duke of Landaron was his senior secretary.

Of course, it was fair to say that his senior secretary’s fate was entirely his own fault.

He had messed up trying to curry favor with the Duke of Landaron by offering him a beautiful young lady from the Antalia territory, which was in a vassal relationship with the Lanmaier territory, along with the Mala territory.

In other words, he met his end by trying to show off prematurely without having brought the young lady to the Duke of Landaron yet.

However, even considering that, no one dared to say in front of the Duke that it was not a matter deserving such a miserable death.

Apart from his violent temper, he had grown the Lanmaier territory even larger than his father had.

Therefore, the secretary, who had been bowing deeply for a long while not to cross him, said,

“What about Lartania?”

Immediately after hearing the Duke of Landaron’s question, he answered right away,

“We have already sent a diplomat. Judging by the time, he is probably on his way back after the meeting…!”

Seeing the secretary speaking with his head deeply bowed, the Duke of Landaron nodded in satisfaction and thought about the Lartania territory.

Certainly, ten years ago, it was a territory of such immense size that no one did not know about it, but now it was nothing but ruins with nothing left.

However, in just a few months, it had grown steeply enough that even he had heard of it.

…In fact, up to that point, the Duke of Landaron might have harbored some curiosity but would not have sent a diplomat as he did now.

After all, no matter how much the Lartania territory develops, its essence remains that of a small territory.

Moreover, Lartania was situated far too away from the Lanmaier territory, and it did not have any good resources or special products in its vicinity.

Rather, seeing this, he wanted to applaud the Lord who had rebuilt the territory to this extent from nothing.

Even though he had grown the territory larger than his father, it seemed impossible to grow a territory in such a short period from nothing…

…even if ‘he’ were to help.

“…”

Anyway, thus, the Lartania territory was nothing more or less than an object of curiosity for the Duke of Landaron.

Yes, originally, that is.

‘But if Magic Stones are involved, the story changes.’

Magic Stones are clearly a rare resource.

An estate that could endlessly mine such Magic Stones aroused too much greed in him, no – in all the lords, including him.

Simply obtaining an estate that could mine Magic Stones endlessly would greatly facilitate the plans he was currently making.

Therefore, unlike other territories that were just beginning to assess the situation, the Landaron territory had immediately sent a diplomat to force a choice upon him.

Using force in this manner was not exactly diplomatic, but on the contrary, for Lartania, taking over the territory in this way was deemed the cleanest handling of the situation.

As time passed, more territories, whether strong or weak, would become interested in Lartania.

The Duke of Landaron already smiled with pleasure at the thought that the Lartania territory was as good as his.

Regardless of what choice the Lord of Lartania made at this point, his territory was bound to fall into his hands.

‘…If I get my hands on Lartania, I could move my plans up by at least a year.’

Thus, the Duke of Landaron thought with a smile.

And so, a day later.

The Duke of Landaron, who was waiting upon hearing that the diplomat was due to arrive soon, heard,

“Yo-Your Grace!”

“What is it?”

“The King has made contact…!”

“…The King?”

“Yes, that’s right…!”

He frowned upon the secretary’s following words.

The King of the Norba Kingdom.

The Duke of Landaron, who could be considered second in command, recalled the face of the King, who had strangely pressured him to increase his military power from time to time, and wore an annoyed expression, but soon rose from his seat.

No matter how well one does in the Norba Kingdom, one cannot ignore the King.

“The Sword of Norba Kingdom greets its Master.”

With that thought, the Duke of Landaron headed straight to the communications room and immediately bowed and greeted upon seeing the King’s face as he entered.

[Duke of Landaron, come to the palace immediately.]

“Yes…? What does that mean…?”

The moment the Duke of Landaron raised his head at that, he realized something was wrong.

[Right now! Jump to the Kingdom at once!!]

No wonder, for in his eyes, the King of the Norba Kingdom was shouting with a very angry expression.

“……”

Hearing that, the Duke of Landaron frowned inwardly.

One of the Four Kings of the Red Eyes, Ryu, suddenly asked out of curiosity while looking at Merilda, who was sitting on a hill, flicking her tail and looking towards the Lord’s castle.

“Boss.”

“Why?”

“Why are you looking from so far away?”

“…If I get closer, I’ll be spotted.”

“Ah.”

Ryu nodded at Merilda’s words.

Certainly, she knew that the lords could detect strong beings who entered their territory.

Therefore, Ryu, while looking at Merilda and thinking, suddenly exclaimed as if a good idea had come to him.

“Boss, shall I lend you something good?”

He quickly took off a brooch he was wearing on his head and handed it to Merilda.

“…What’s this?”

Seeing Merilda looking at the brooch with a puzzled expression, Ryu said,

“It’s an artifact. As far as I know, if you wear this, you can enter the territory without being detected. With this, you can observe the Lord more closely, can’t you?”

Ryu, who had obtained it at some point and had only been using it as an ornament, handed the artifact to Merilda with a smile.

“…!”

Merilda’s eyes widened as large as lanterns.