That night, as always, the grueling training that began at dawn finally ended late into the night. "Snore, puff. Snore, puff." As soon as the training was over, Lena, who had left the embrace of Ella, fell into a deep sleep in her room at the villa. However, Ella, still full of energy, was walking towards a small table at the training ground. It was a daily ritual: enjoying the happiness of one bottle of wine as a way to end the day.
Usually, Ella would be left alone after training, but for some reason, Chloe was there today. Ella asked, "Chloe, why aren’t you resting?"
"I thought I’d get some fresh air."
"It seemed like you were a bit distracted during the training today. Are you worried about the war in the territory?"
"I was curious why Lord Jared didn’t ask for your help. Honestly, he could’ve easily asked for it."
"Jared is someone who clearly separates public and private matters. Since he invited me for educational purposes, he didn’t see it as a war matter. No host asks a guest to guard their house, do they?"
"But wasn’t there a chance the territory could fall into enemy hands?"
"Well, if I were to look at the results, it seems Lord Jared has been preparing for war for a long time."
"Indeed… From the first time I met him, it seemed like Lord Jared was looking ahead into the future."
"I thought the same. He sees and thinks a step, or even more, ahead. Besides, he knows a lot. He's not your average knowledgeable person."
At Chloe's words, Ella nodded. Ella often had the chance to converse with Jared while educating Lena because Jared visited the villa at times to check on Lena’s progress. During those times, Jared would sharply assess Lena's achievements and cautiously give advice to Ella.
At first, she wondered if a lord who knew nothing about swords was trying to lecture her. But upon listening to him, it wasn't the case; he knew more about swordsmanship than she imagined. He even knew quite a bit about lost or rare sword techniques. Moreover, he provided opinions about which sword techniques suited Lena, who was being trained in "defensive-type" skills. She thought it might be meaningless advice, but surprisingly, 99% of what Jared said turned out to be correct. Ella found herself nodding in agreement, acknowledging the parts she could not refute.
Chloe carefully continued, "In fact, while you were teaching Lena shield defense techniques, I had quite a few opportunities to converse with Lord Jared."
"So, what did he say? I was curious about what you two talked about. I wondered if the young man wasn’t trying to charm our Gray Elf disciple."
"Ah! That wasn't it."
"Be cautious. Men can't resist a pretty woman. Even if they talk innocently while smiling, behind the scenes, they imagine you without clothes."
"……." Chloe turned red, unwittingly caught up in the same imagination. But looking back, Jared didn’t seem like that kind of lecher. Rather, he surprised her by being unexpectedly calm and serious during their talks.
"He asked if it was hard for me. Normally, Gray Elf warriors prefer to grow safely in their habitat, so he wondered why I was out in the rough world."
"Hmph, how nosy."
Ella snorted but, realizing she might’ve gone too far, added briefly, "It seems he’s quite interested in you, Chloe."
"Lord Jared knew. About my father’s tragic fate at the hands of the Black Orc."
Ella was startled by Chloe’s words and asked, "The story of the Gray Elves? That's not something easily known unless one is of Gray Elf origin. I learned it from you, Chloe."
"Yes, so I was surprised too. Then he told me not to lose my composure. Not to limit my growth to simply avenging the Black Orc, but to look even farther."
Chloe clenched her fists tightly. The conversation with Jared made her recall the hatred and anger from her father's death. But soon, she calmed her expression, using Jared’s advice to coolly control her emotions.
"Lord Jared, what a mysterious person. Since he identified us at first glance in the tavern, how does he know everything?"
"Until now, I’ve never been interested in anyone other than you, Master."
"And now?"
"I'm intrigued by someone. I want to look deeper into who this person truly is."
"That person is Jared?"
"Yes."
Ella's question was met with Chloe’s nod. "Oh, does he seem like a man to you? Come to think of it, you, who rarely speak, are quite talkative today."
Ella hit the mark. It had been a long time since she had such an extensive conversation with Chloe. Chloe was a woman of silence unless it concerned her interests. But Chloe shook her head calmly.
"It's not like that. From him, I sense a different insight and intuition from you, Master. He seems to keenly penetrate the past, present, and future."
"I felt the same, but I’ve always wondered why such a person remained stuck in a small northern territory until now."
"I think Lord Jared was waiting quietly for a moment to rise, like today’s battle."
Her eyes shone coldly. Despite wandering from city to city with Master Ella for a long time, she was never curious about anyone. She was growing slightly tired and bored of wandering after leaving the Gray Elf settlement. But meeting Jared brought a new turning point. He became someone she wanted to watch with interest. It wasn’t an affection as a man, but as a person-to-person interest.
"If you’re interested in him, watch carefully. Anyway, there’s still a long time to spend in Crivia territory."
"Yes, Master."
"Just promise, if any other feelings arise, tell me."
"Yes?"
Chloe was puzzled by Ella's cryptic words, and Ella shrugged with a smile, "I plan to share a drink with our young lord soon. People’s true selves show when they drink."
"Master, again…."
"Hoho, that’s why being free is nice. You’re not tied down physically or mentally to anyone. I'm curious too. I want to delve deeper into this Jared person."
At Ella's subtle words, Chloe's expression darkened slightly. It seemed a man had appeared on the radar of her master, who had left many romantic rumors in her wake.
It was the dawn of April 30th. Only yesterday at dawn, I was in the Crivia territory, but today, I was at the lord's mansion in Mayorca territory. It was my first time seeing the mansion, having just concluded the ceasefire agreement with Ronella territory.
"Wow… This is like a palace."
I was astonished at the mansion’s grandeur, easily ten times larger than my estate in Crivia territory. It made me wonder how much of the blood of the territory’s people was squeezed to build such opulence. The background behind this luxurious construction was largely due to Lord Horgus’s will, but his family's influence was even greater.
In fact, his wife and children enjoyed a lavish lifestyle far more than Horgus and spent the territory’s money extravagantly. As a result, all of Horgus's family, except for Horgus, who already paid with his life, were imprisoned in an underground cell.
My plan was to quickly hold a public trial to reveal their crimes clearly and sentence them to imprisonment with no parole. Of course, the Horgus family’s wealth was confiscated and became my possession. For now, I intended to keep it as a backup, but if needed, I would use it for the territory's finances.
"Lakis is late."
I was waiting for Lakis to arrive. Of course, I wasn’t expecting just him alone. Lakis and the security squad he led had to come. This dawn, I planned to eradicate every criminal organization within Mayorca territory. To overturn the rotten state of Mayorca territory, a war against crime was essential. Drugs, illegal slave trade, abductions, human trafficking—the condition of the territory was at its worst. The previous lord was too busy satisfying his own greed, so it was impossible for the territory to have been properly managed.
I decided to assess the state of Mayorca territory first.
[Territory Information – Mayorca Territory]
[Rating / Affiliated Country: F / None]
[Domestic Affairs - Agriculture: 011 / 050]
[Domestic Affairs - Commerce: 027 / 050]
[Domestic Affairs - Security: 013 / 100]
[Domestic Affairs - Science: 023 / 100]
[Domestic Affairs - Loyalty: 014 / 100]
[Military - Total Troops: Currently 403 (excluding Crivia Territory's forces)]
[Special Situation 1: The drug cartel 'Detrahre' has a base in Mayorca territory. Frua, known as the godfather of Detrahre, is currently pursuing aggressive business expansion targeting the ‘Crivia Territory.’]
"Horgus, how terribly did you manage the territory’s statistics for everything to be this awful?"
It was serious. It felt like seeing our territory from the time when I first awoke, yet worse. The devastated statistics of agriculture, commerce, and science in domestic affairs could be overlooked, but the security and loyalty were utterly deplorable. The reason was clear. Because of the organization noted in Special Situation 1.
"So Detrahre originated here. In just five years, all of North Nas Continent will fall under Detrahre’s influence. When the Holy Demon War breaks out, they will become the lackeys of the Demon King’s army."
My expression twisted with displeasure. The terrifying thing about a drug cartel, like in my past life, was how they extended their tentacles into law enforcement and administration. Based on that power, they manipulated governance and security within their influence, conveniently changing situations to their liking.
I recalled memories of Frua. As soon as the Holy Demon War started, Frua surrendered to the Demon King’s army and became one of their lackeys. Frua made so much money from the drug business that every inch of his body was covered with expensive artifacts, making him a notoriously difficult name to take down.
"Frua was known for making quick decisions and executing them swiftly. He’ll come to a conclusion one way or another before dawn. If not already."
I planned to attack Frua tonight. There wouldn’t be another chance to catch him, not if he moved his base elsewhere. If that happened, it would result in a half-hearted cleanup with the cartel’s roots and remnants left scattered all over. If the heads among the top echelons aren’t severed, the organization would inevitably resurrect.
"Besides, I want the artifact Frua possesses."
There is a grand cause of realizing justice, but I particularly want to get my hands on the artifact he holds.
"The Tears of Mahat III."
That’s the name of the pendant. Mahat III, resting in an ancient tomb beneath Mayorca territory, is its owner. The ancient tomb was a dungeon I had always planned to raid once I'd acquired Mayorca territory. Currently, no one else but me is aware of its existence due to it being buried deep underground and the entrance conditions being extremely stringent. The location of the ancient tomb became known only after the Holy Demon War. That’s about ten years from now.
Then.
Frua discovered that the pendant he had been wearing, “The Tears of Mahat III,” was the necessary artifact for entering the ancient tomb. Along with his subordinates, he infiltrated the tomb, using the pendant as the sole key. As a result, Frua successfully pillaged the tomb, acquiring numerous high-quality artifacts.
Then… he emerged again on Nas Continent as a monster of unmatched power. Hence, at the beginning of the story of <Paradiso>, the protagonist went through numerous trials to confront this monster, undergoing what could truly be called hellish labor.
Thus, just like Lenna, the wall of weeping, Frua had become a villain, widely cursed by players as the 'Tyrant's Resurrection.'
Just then.
"My Lord! We've found him! Frua has left his base and is heading east. He seems to be trying to get to Ronella territory!" Lakis ran in, breathless, delivering this urgent report. Immediately, I activated the quest. It was an immediate choice to tackle both the security and loyalty issues that had completely fallen apart under Horgus’s rule of Mayorca territory.
[Quest 'Hunting the Tiger' has been activated.]
[Eliminate the leader of the criminal organization, causing the collapse of his followers and organization. Upon eliminating the leader, induce psychological stability among the territory’s residents to maximize security and loyalty. However, to meet the quest requirements, the organization’s leader must be at least 30 levels higher than you.]
"Tonight, I go hunting!"
My fists clenched with anticipation. After conquering Mayorca territory, it was going to be the official debut of my new role as lord, seen by the territory’s people, who had now become mine.