“Help?”
“It is a long explanation.”
Ark sighed and scratched his head. Yes, the pair who appeared with Ark was Bread and Redian. The reason that Bread and Redian came to Lancel was because of Ark’s plan. They had been drinking together when Ark had been contacted by Roco about Lancel village.
‘Wait? Wouldn’t Roco only contact me if the situation is really serious?’
Naturally having people with a lot of power would be good. And Bread and Redian were known as the strongest pair in Bristania! Dragging those two along would certainly help. Of course, even with the misunderstanding those two wouldn’t traverse the continent to help Ark. But didn’t those two have a weakness? Ark came up with a crazy idea.
“Damn, I’m sorry but I have to go.”
“What the? Why? Weren’t we just beginning to drink?”
“A slightly serious problem as occurred in a village I know.”
“Village? A serious problem? What?”
“I don’t know yet. Just that some guys are trying to attack the village.”
“Attack the village? But why do you have to go to the village?”
“That village is a special place to me. Did you hear Baekgu’s words? After I rescued the Wolrang clan, they immigrated to a new village. The place I guided them to is the village being attacked. If the village is attacked and the Wolrang family exterminated than it is my responsibility.”
“The village where the Wolrang live?”
Bread suddenly ate the bait.
“The users are attacking the village where dogs live peacefully!”
Bread had a crazy dog mania! That’s why he rescued Baekgu from the thieves. Thus Ark let him know that the village where the dogs were gathered was in danger. The next sentence was bait for Bread.
“Those guys would definitely abuse the animals.”
“Damn…..! Where is it? Guide me there right away!”
As expected, Bread threw away his wine glass and jumped up.
“Wait a minute, you idiot!”
Then Redian spoke in an irritated voice.
“Where on earth are you planning to go? We already have some work to do. Now that we’ve settled things with Ark and the seal on the dungeon is released, shouldn’t we go back to capture the dungeon?”
“But the dogs. The dogs! If I don’t go than the dogs might die!”
“I don’t care, I already followed your actions earlier but no more!”
Redian frowned and turned her head. Then Bread started sweating. But Ark also prepared some bait for Redian.
“It’s not just the Wolrang. The Meow will also be sacrificed……”
“Meow?”
“The cat clan. There are also a lot of Meow living in Lancel village.”
While Bread loved dogs, she was weak to cats. After coming to Paradon, he learnt that Bread and Redian loved dogs and cats. It was to the extent that they fought verbally over it. Of course Redian’s ears pricked as soon as he brought cats into the conversation. Ark put on a fake pained expression and deliberately murmured.
“Ahh, it is so dreadful to think that the Wolrang and Meow might be killed……”
Before he could even finish, Redian threw away the chicken leg she was eating and jumped up. Then she said to Ark and Bread.
“What are you doing? Isn’t it urgent?”
Thus Ark was able to attract Bristania’s strongest pair to help him. Well, it was good until they went nuts after seeing the Wolrang and Meow at the town hall. Thanks to Bread and Redian sticking to the Wolrang and Meow, the meeting couldn’t progress. Ark sighed and muttered.
“Hey, you guys should go explore the village.”
Ark made one of the Wolrang and Meow their guides and drove them out of the meeting.
“Hmm hmm, then let’s start meeting again.”
Ark said while coughing awkwardly. The residents stared blankly at the two people who disappeared before concentrating again.
“Those two people……well, it’s lucky that you came. First, let me tell you the situation in the village……”
“That’s okay. I heard it while coming here.”
Ark waved his hand and interrupted Galen’s words. Then he deliberately glared at the residents and said.
“What on earth have you been doing?”
“What? The meeting for a counter of course……”
“Meeting?”
Ark shook his head with outrage.
“It has been six days (game time) since Shambala brought the information to me. The remaining time left isn’t that long. Yet the only thing you have done is have meetings?”
“It’s because of that damn cat! She has to comment every time I give an opinion…..”
The Wolrang elder stood up and pointed to Hassan. Then Hassan grabbed her beard and also shouted.
“I wouldn’t comment if you didn’t keep on talking nonsense!”
“Nonsense? Aren’t the raccoons the one talking nonsense?”
“No, why are we being dragged into this?”
The raccoon representative jumped up and once again the meeting room became a mess. When the elders got into an argument again, several beast clan members frowned. This situation had repeated for two days. Galen just sighed as he lost all his willpower to break them up.
“Stop!”
The shout was like a bomb had exploded. The cry emerged from Ark’s mouth and swept like a storm through the meeting room. When the stormy voice swept past, the excited elders instantly shut up. The effects of advanced Intimidation combined with charisma had overwhelmed the audience. In fact, normally he wouldn’t use Intimidation on the residents of Lancel village. If he used Intimidation then he could lead the dialogue but if it failed than the intimacy would fall by 50%. Since it was his hometown, having his intimacy with the Lancel village decrease will be a significant loss. Yet he didn’t have time to worry about the results of Intimidation.
‘……What I was concerned about has happened.’
In fact, it had weighed on his mind the whole time. Just before Seutandal rose, Lancel had been connected to Haman fortress using the dimensional gate. At the time, most of the residents had helped Ark but some of them were users as well. And some of them had posted about the experience on the bulletin board. Of course, the Hermes alliance would notice and realize the existence of Lancel village.
‘Even if I only visit Lancel sometimes, it is possible to call it my hometown. I guessed that those guys would take some action.’
But he never imagined that they would attack the NPCs of the village like this. Of course, the Hermes alliance had targeted the NPCs in Seutandal. There was no reason for them not to aim at the NPCs in village.
But Seutandal was different from Lancel. If they occupied Seutandal with the Nakujuk then they would be recognized as the power there. However, Lancel was a part of the Schudenberg kingdom. Even if they plundered it, the village couldn’t be occupied.
‘Lancel doesn’t have a lot compared to other villages the same size. If their reason was looting than they wouldn’t bother to target Lancel. As expected, their target was him. There’s no doubt about it since Shambala said that their main goals are my store and the Magic Tower.’
The main point was why it was occurring now. Presently the Hermes alliance had suffered significant losses thanks to the destruction of the lawless port. Of course, when thinking about it than those guys wouldn’t leave it alone. But he had expected retaliation against Seutandal not Lancel. So Ark had often checked the situation in Seutandal through JusticeMan. However they had unexpectedly aimed at Lancel.
‘Why are they attacking Lancel when the lawless port had just been destroyed…..?’
After such a large loss, what reason why they have to waste hundreds of guild members to attack Lancel? But Ark soon discovered the reason why.
‘The stolen goods brought from Seutandal!’
20% of the stolen goods from Seutandal had been brought to Ark’s store thanks to his tip. Of course, the Hermes alliance suffered a significant loss when the lawless port was destroyed but the confiscated goods were also a large part of their investment. The warehouse where the stolen goods were stored in the lawless port was leased to other pirates. In addition to leasing the warehouses, they were also responsible for disposing of the stolen good.
‘If they confiscate the stolen goods then it will become the property of the Hermes alliance! If they have the stolen goods then they can recover from the loss of the lawless port.’
That was Raiden’s thought. But in this situation, they couldn’t attack Seutandal to take back the stolen goods. Then they somehow received information that 10,000 gold worth of goods was being carried to Lancel?
‘That is enough reason to attack Lancel despite the various risks.’
And if they really succeeded in attacking Lancel…..
Not only would they steal the goods worth 10,000 gold, they would also plunder the stock kept for Ark’s store! But there was even more. Ark had a significant investment in the real estate of Lancel. He was 100% convinced that he would make a profit so he hadn’t regretted the investment. Whenever Ark received some profit from his store, he would invest it back into the village. Therefore he currently had a 4% stake in the village. Ark’s investment strategy of investing 200 gold for every 0.1% share had increased to 250 gold. It had grown 25% within a few months. In other words, Ark’s current real estate worth was 10,000 gold!
‘Of course, there is no way to govern Lancel even if I have a stake in the real estate. But if those guys attack they won’t just take some goods. If the village suffers serious damage……’
The real estate market would fall to the bottom! It would be an astronomical loss! Ark would suffer tremendous losses the moment Lancel was plundered. Ark’s dream of a trade route through Ark’s store, the real estate price jump, the lawless port commission etc. would be ruined. No, those thousands of gold could have a huge impact on people’s lives. But such an important battle was being affected by the emotional quarrels of these people! There was no time to consider his degree of intimacy with the NPCs.
‘I have to defend the village!’
“