Chapter 133:

‘Ah, I miss having soldiers who will run around at my command. Despite being called an emperor, how long do I have to work alone?’

I grumbled while farming items. I put legendary and hero-grade items into my inventory, took only light rare-grade items, and fed bulky iron-armored beetles to the land worm.

“Eek.”

“Huh?”

”…?”

At the sudden scream, I turned around and saw a girl with wide eyes staring at the huge rock I had lifted. Ignoring her, I lowered the rock.

Thud.

I covered the remaining items with the large rock as a landmark. Later, if this place was occupied, they could remove the rock and take away the items.

I knew monsters could use items, so it was definitely risky to just leave them lying around.

“Are you okay?”

“I appreciate that you saved me. I never thought I would survive…” The woman I rescued appeared to be in her late teens or early twenties. Initially, she seemed like a girl due to her emaciated body from prolonged starvation and suffering.

“How did you get caught here? No, more importantly…how were you able to survive alone?”

There was a mountain of bones. Tens of thousands of people had been burned alive. It was strange for only one person to have survived such circumstances.

‘Is she like the Priestess of the Holy Empire? Maybe that’s why the Flame Monarch spared her until the end?’

However, there was no sign of any extraordinary ability within her.

‘Even if I lack spiritual perception, I can still tell.’

The psychic energy within a body would affect it in some way—breathing, body temperature, posture, skin condition, etc. Based on my commonsense, she seemed entirely ordinary.

“I sang… Those devils… They said they wouldn’t kill me as long as I could sing. They did hit me a bit though…”

”…”

“I thought I would die while singing…”

Now that he mentioned it, her voice had been quite hoarse earlier. It had improved significantly now but still needed rest.

“Well, anyway.” I took out two teleportation incantation scrolls from my inventory. “We need to go somewhere for a moment.”

I looked at the dungeon, devoid of monsters and standing alone like it was piercing the sky. If we entered now, we could clear it within 30 minutes or, at most, two hours. However, I had no intention of doing so. If we attacked the Left-Handed Store directly, more places would need guarding, and the arrival point of the teleportation incantation scroll would be set here.

Previously, I had proceeded with sieges in the order of Stormwind Castle and World Tree’s Castle before returning, so the destination of the teleportation incantation scroll was currently set to World Tree’s Castle.

Pak!

We surpassed space and reached our destination instantly. Considering the distance between flower shops is six squares, this meant flying over 1,200 kilometers by bypassing Stormwind Castle in one leap.

“Kiiirrrk!”

“A human has appeared!”

I sighed at the sight of the confident Lizardmen gathered around their throne.

“Hah, these pests really…”

The battle didn’t last long. There were too few Lizardmen to even fill the Ten Directions Sword Stack.

”…Hmm?”

After finishing the fight, I noticed something unusual upon my return. The woman, whose hair was matted with blood and oil, and skin covered in scabs and broth stains, now looked remarkably clean, almost unrecognizable.

“Did you wash yourself? In that short time?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Although the new plain displaced much of the land, the pond and elf-made fragrances remained intact.”

Despite her disheveled state earlier, she had possessed considerable beauty. Now, she displayed exceptional attractiveness rarely seen even in District 34.

Wait, this is…not normal.

It wasn’t about her beauty but rather her immediate concern for self-presentation amidst these circumstances. Just minutes ago, she was captured by maings and subjected to brutal torture and assault. Although her wounds were healed with Songpyeon and potions, finding water to wash herself thoroughly, including her hair, seemed almost obsessive.

Considering the intense battle’s duration hadn’t been long enough to fully restore her stamina despite healing her injuries, her meticulous grooming bordered on manic behavior.

Is she completely fine now? No, her legs are trembling.

Despite this, her expression remained calm, making her quite an intriguing character.

“What’s your name?”

“I am Harmony, the prima donna of Great Hall, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty… You know me?”

“No one here is unaware of the rumors about the Human Empire. Most dismiss them as falsehoods, but none can ignore the divine prophecy floating in the void.”

As I listened to her explanation:

A prima donna, huh?

A prima donna refers to the leading female singer in an opera. This concept isn’t well-known in places like the Eight Kingdoms or Ming Dynasty, where the arts haven’t significantly advanced. Therefore, it indicates that she likely originates from the Holy Empire.

‘So, she’s both an actress and a singer.’

On Earth, celebrities held immense status within society. They were loved by many people, and they made a lot of money. Their social influence was greater than most high ranking government officials.

‘That is why so many dreamt of becoming a celebrity.’

It wasn’t strange for someone with good singing voice to become a singer. It also wasn’t strange for someone who could act well to become an actor. These people had found their talents.

However, what was reality like?

Even if one possessed enough intelligence to become a professor, they would try to become a celebrity if given the chance. Even those destined to be diplomats tried to become celebrities when presented with the opportunity. Those with business acumen became celebrities. Young individuals, who had potential to become guild masters, willingly chose to become celebrities if given the chance.

One didn’t have to look far for examples. Lia was a class 5 mage, yet she had become an idol.

If one could do it…if one could succeed at it, everyone would want to enter this field. It brought money and fame. One could achieve self-actualization through this coveted profession.

‘However, things were different in Ardenia.’

Even if someone possessed talent in art, they had to suppress their talent here. This wasn’t a world where artists were respected. Even if you became the prima donna of a large theater, you were basically treated as a high-class prostitute when nobles called upon you. In this barbaric Midland, having artistic talent and ambition was more of a burden than anything else.

Despite living in such a world…

There were some who took pride in their talents. They felt joy towards their abilities.

”…Don’t push yourself too hard.”

I summoned the landworm and headed towards Stormwind Castle. This battle was simple once again.

‘Damn it. It isn’t even 100 monsters. I have to come here personally for this paltry number…’

It seemed like I needed to build a Hero-grade castle with a small garrison. In the future, legendary monsters would extend their influence inland, so eventually, it would need to be upgraded to mythical grade… but at present, my hands were tied, and I couldn’t do anything.

Zzang!

At that moment, the pad on my waist vibrated. When I touched the screen, Flower’s image appeared through the accepted video call.

“It is the regular report.”

“Anything special?”

“The Kingdom of Chrome has been subjugated by the Human Empire.”

I deliberately didn’t touch the Chrome Kingdom. There was no value to it. I already had too much work on my plate, and what could be gained from the remnants of a dying kingdom with only a few million people and scarce resources?

“The nobles wouldn’t have surrendered easily.”

[Haze-ssi went alone and resolved the matter.]

Despite being remnants, she single-handedly dismantled a kingdom. It was indeed legendary but not surprising given her capabilities. With her reputation in the Chrome Kingdom, combined with her stats and skills as a Player, reaching the pinnacle of sword mastery meant no one dared oppose her.

“Hmm. What is the current population of the Human Empire?”

“The total population of Chrome Kingdom and Ahjins is approximately six million people. The number continues to grow as refugees arrive upon hearing the news.”

“What about citizenship papers?”

“As of now, we’ve issued them to around 1.7 million individuals. Since acquiring citizenship is their top priority, the process has been speeding up.”

“How’s the monster situation?”

“We occasionally get raids from hundreds or even thousands of monsters, but they’re easily repelled thanks to our castle walls. Additionally, the frequency of attacks has decreased significantly due to the underground tunnels created by the land worm. However, farms sometimes suffer damage, so the Shepherds Regiment patrols regularly.”

Everything was progressing smoothly, although there were some issues.

“There have been conflicts between elite soldiers and regiments over who gets to guard the castle walls.”

“So they’re not trying to get out of guarding duties; rather, they’re fighting over who gets to do it?”

[Guard duty at the castle walls is currently the fastest way to level up.]

“Oh, I see…”

High-level monsters respawned without fear after losing their memories upon death, but the castle walls prevented them from overwhelming the kingdom. Plus, siege weapons could be utilized there as well.

When you think about it, this really is the sweet spot.

In the Human Empire, one’s level directly impacted their stats. Naturally, every Player coveted guard duty at the castle walls because it allowed for rapid leveling with just a pull of the trigger.

“To secure a position, they must first manage law and order or patrol for a certain period.”

“I will relay your orders to the unit commanders.”

“And the contest?”

“We have received eighty-two entries so far. Over four hundred submissions were made, but as you requested, we’ve rejected those that didn’t meet the minimum requirements.”

“Yes, at least one volume is necessary.”

I quickly reviewed the situation and then addressed the most important matter.

“Prepare for an expedition. Send Regiments 1 through 3 to the castle of the World Tree, and Regiments 4 through 6 to Stormwind Castle. If they successfully defend both castles until they can be fortified and made habitable for residents, I’ll promote them to Division status under Flag Corps.”

“I will inform Captain Bigman after notifying the units.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes, and Your Majesty…”

Her hesitant tone prompted me to inquire, “Is something wrong?”

“You have been away for too long.”

I chuckled bitterly at her words. “Things got complicated here. It seems I need a break, so let’s help establish the Flag Regiment before returning.”

“Yes, sire! We shall proceed immediately!”

Hearing her joyful response, I ended the call and turned towards Harmony sitting on a nearby bench. Then, I paused.

”…What?”

Harmony had undergone another transformation during our conversation. Her golden hair was neatly braided high up, adorned with a white silk dress, and subtly enhanced with makeup around her cheeks and eyes.

“What…? I get that she changed her clothes, but how did she do her makeup and hair so quickly?”

He scanned the room for any other presence but found none. It seemed Harmony had done it all herself.

It doesn’t seem like she’s trying to seduce me…

Judging by her makeup and attire, this wasn’t about capturing one person’s heart; rather, it was meant to impress countless individuals. She looked like an idol stepping onto a stage.

“Coo… Cooo…”

Incredibly, she’d fallen asleep dressed like this. Despite being uncomfortable, she sat upright, perhaps to preserve her hairstyle and makeup.

“What kind of creature is she…?”

This wasn’t just for show; she genuinely believed in this persona. Her unpredictable nature transcended dimensions, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.

At that moment, Harmony opened her eyes.

”…Ah. Your Majesty, you’re done.”

“Yes, but what’s with your outfit?”

“It’s a kind of…battle attire. We’ll be visiting Ignition soon.”

“Ignition?”

Confused by the unfamiliar term, I looked at Harmony for clarification.

“Ignition is a city created by the Flame Monarch. He gathered all humans from the desert region there. Currently, approximately one million people reside…”

The sheer number stunned me.

“One million…?”

Considering the current monster crisis, such a large population seemed absurd and raised questions.

“It wouldn’t be difficult for the Flame Monarch to gather them all if he decided not to kill them… But wouldn’t there be food shortages with that many people concentrated in one desert area?”

“The Flame Monarch’s subordinates kept delivering supplies endlessly. I suppose it makes sense since feeding livestock is the owner’s responsibility.”

Her words made jae-yeon realize something.

Wait, these monsters run their own factory.

The hind legs of wild boars weren’t the only food ingredient dropped by monsters in Revenge. The sirloin steak from bison found on the Kinell Plains located in the southern part of the continent was another example, and numerous other monsters also provided ingredients.

And with endless materials provided by the Flame Monarch…

“Hellhound meat.”

“Ah, yes. That was its name,” Harmony nodded. One million people… This information couldn’t be ignored. It was especially true for the Human Empire, which needed countless more population. I looked at her while thinking:

‘I can’t handle one million people alone right now but there is a need to understand the situation and take some measures. Perhaps it might be possible to gather those one million people around the castle.’

Finally, I made up my mind.

“Tell me the location.”

It was time to expand the population.