Snack time had ended.
While the main party members chatted amongst themselves, I lay flat on the floor, lost in my thoughts.
'There's about a month until the next stage.'
[STAGE 5]
- Start in: 28 days
Stages 5, 10, 15, 20... These stages that were multiples of 5 were a kind of boss stage.
They boasted a level of difficulty that could not be compared to the normal stages we had previously completed.
Perhaps because of this, the preparation time was usually quite generous. This time, we were given over four weeks.
'I have to prepare thoroughly.'
Stage 5 was the biggest hurdle in the early part of the game.
In other words, if we could overcome this, we would have no major issues progressing in the game for a while.
'Just a little longer, and everything will fall into place.'
Money, items, soldiers... they would all soon form a virtuous cycle that continuously reproduced.
When not prepared, all resources and elements are scarce, leading to what we call the 'wasteland phase'.
Once the waterwheel starts turning, all resources begin to interact organically and the game becomes smoother.
'Of course, the difficulty of this game is a bit strange...'
I stroked the necklace around my neck.
The Rebel's Necklace.
And the Dark Event.
The interference of an unknown enemy trying to ruin the game.
'...It's something I can't deal with right now.'
I took my hand off the necklace.
It was a problem I couldn't solve yet.
At least I could detect the Dark Event in advance and prepare for it.
'If I move forward carefully and diligently... I'll eventually reach it.'
In the end, there's always only one answer.
I do what I can.
'Let's organize what needs to be done until the next stage.'
There were three main tasks.
First, city administration.
Second, free exploration.
Third, military reinforcement.
Let's start with city administration.
Having a four-week buffer, I could focus more on administration rather than combat.
Not only did I need to upgrade the ongoing tourist city tech, but I also had to handle the main flow of finances.
'The financial management is getting tight.'
There was a significant amount of money invested in the tourist city tech, but actually, just running the city was incredibly expensive.
I may have splurged a little. Ahem!
The huge sum of money I made during the tutorial is slowly running out.
There's money I earned in later stages, but as more goes out than comes in, my balance is decreasing.
'There's still some leeway, but at this rate, it's only a matter of time.'
There were two main options here.
Start a new business to increase the sources of funds, or
Improve the existing sources to increase the flow of funds.
I chose the second option.
'What new business could I start in such a remote city? A tourism industry?'
Of course, money would be poured into the tourism industry, but that's primarily for attracting high-tier heroes. This was by no means a business-oriented approach.
The direction I envisioned for the improvement of financial supply was clear.
'Improve the manner in which we sell magical stones.'
The magical stones had three major stages: production, processing, and sales distribution. They had to go through these phases before entering the market.
Our army basically handled the production. I had established a fairly symbiotic relationship with the guild members who processed the stones.
If I were to make a favorable offer, they would undoubtedly come under my command.
Now, it was time to slowly take over the line of sales distribution.
'Once I control distribution, I can sell magical stones at much higher profits.'
Of course, to take over distribution entirely, I would have to establish a logistics system.
Crossroad was a remote countryside located in the southern part of the continent.
It was no easy task to distribute the magical stones produced here across the continent.
That's why the task was usually delegated to existing merchants.
So, if I were to get involved in distribution, would I need to start from scratch and create a new distribution line?
'No, there's no need for that.'
I just needed to find a capable new merchant and persuade them to join the industry.
I would grant them a monopolistic position and, in return, drastically cut their commission.
For a new merchant, it's an opportunity to rapidly grow their business, and from my perspective, it's a chance to skyrocket the profit margin from selling magical stones. It's a win-win situation.
And I am someone who had played this game hundreds of times.
I know where that 'capable new merchant' is, who their leader is, and how to bring them on board.
'It's about time to make contact.'
That should suffice for the matters related to city management for now.
Next is free exploration.
This posed quite a problem.
'Free exploration... should be attempted once the injured have fully recovered.'
Currently, our next base, 'Basecamp,' is occupied by hostile force NPCs.
'They are high-level and outnumber us.'
Hostile force. The Nightcrawler Squad.
At least a dozen of them, forming two full parties.
Clearly, their average level is higher than ours, and who knows how many more there could be.
We need to attack with our maximum available force.
It would probably be safest to set off once Jupiter and Godhand have recovered.
'Will they both be able to return...'
Jupiter experienced a magical power surge. Godhand suffered severe injuries, losing both arms.
Our core force, the SR-ranked individuals, are all heavily injured. It's a wonder none of them are dead.
'I hope they return to the front line within four weeks, but I must also prepare a Plan B if that doesn't happen.'
This leads us to the third task at hand. Military fund replenishment.
Well, replenishing military funds is a constant job, but this time, it's a bit different.
'We have ample time.'
Four weeks would be enough for the Mercenary Guild to refill twice.
There would be enough time to sufficiently reinforce the troops. The walls and various fortifications could also be perfectly repaired.
But four weeks would be too long if all they needed was perfect maintenance.
'I need to go the extra mile.'
It wasn't enough to just amass troops, they needed to be thoroughly trained.
If heroes were reinforced and new parties formed, they had to be melded into a unified force through real battle.
Even newly recruited soldiers needed to be skilled enough to be immediately utilized on the front lines. Four weeks would be enough time for this.
'I hope we get a good influx of troops this time.'
Useful heroes needed to be recruited. So that if necessary, parties could be formed to replace Jupiter and Godhand.
'I'll have to stop by the Mercenaries Guild soon.'
As I was pondering this, I turned over in my bed.
"?"
There was a young man standing far away, watching me.
'Who is that?'
He was a young man.
Eyes wide open, pursed lips, and a small build reminded me of a chick. Perhaps in his early twenties? He looked quite young.
As our eyes met, the young man approached and opened his mouth.
"I meet you here, sire."
"Uh... That is."
I frowned and tried to remember, but I couldn't remember well. Eventually, I just asked.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Dion. Dion Egart."
"Ah!"
Then I remembered. This friend was one of the N-grade heroes I recruited.
I'm sure I've set him up as a subordinate party in the game many times, but to be honest, I can't remember all N-grade heroes individually.
Especially if they don't have any special skills or characteristics.
The same was true for the N-grade heroes I recruited. They were all ordinary, only formed into sub-parties, and used as reserves.
I just thought of them as slightly stronger regular soldiers.
So, I didn't remember his name properly. Feeling a bit guilty, I gave a smile.
"Do you have something for me, Dion?"
"..."
Dion, who had been staring at me for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.
"I have a complaint, sire."
"Huh?"
At the sudden words, I widened my eyes.
What did you just say? A complaint?
"Hmm?"
"What's going on, what happened?"
The main party members, sensing the unusual atmosphere, turned their eyes this way.
Unfazed by the gaze, Dion pointed behind him.
"We five have been together for almost a month now."
Behind Dion stood four of his party members. They seemed to have come to take a bath together.
"But other than blocking the rear of the front line, you didn't ask us to do anything. The monsters didn't even come there."
"..."
"We are mercenaries, sire. A profession that makes a living by establishing a military record."
Dion stood arrogantly, yet assertively.
As was befitting of a mercenary, he put forth his demands.
"I understand if you underestimate us because we're young and inexperienced. But what I can't stand is rusting away without gaining any worthwhile experience."
"..."
"Please send us to the frontlines. We'll show you we can handle ourselves."
The five N-grade mercenaries declared this, confidently pulling their shoulders back.
I looked at these audacious N-grade heroes and furrowed my eyebrows.
Would you look at these guys?
***
N-grade heroes.
True to their N-prefix indicating 'Normal,' they possess the lowest stats among all hero characters.
Sure, there are ones with unique traits or decent skill sets that are selectively employed.
But the reality is that most don't make the cut. Typically, they were assigned to maintain the frontline with regular soldiers.
'It was like that in the game, but reality is definitely different.'
I surveyed the five N-grade heroes who stood at attention before me.
Their stats were mediocre. Their skills were ordinary.
But their eyes were filled with determination.
Particularly this guy, Dion. He seemed to be the party leader.
'He's ambitious.'
He has aspirations. Even with N-grade stats, he has a desire to improve.
This kind of character is useful. After all, those who change the world are those who aim higher than themselves.
'But ambition alone doesn't move the world.'
The world doesn't bow to will or effort alone.
In the end, what's needed is one thing.
Competence.
"You seem pretty confident for someone who talks big."
With a smirk, I motioned my chin towards Dion.
"How do you plan to prove that you guys can handle yourselves?"
"We request a duel."
Dion gestured towards my main party members, huddled behind me.
"Allow us to spar with your personal party. Wouldn't that be sufficient?"
"Hmm."
I couldn't help but grin.
I hadn't expected this.
"Presumptuous..."
"This is going to be fun, fun indeed! When are we doing this?"
Lucas frowned at the newcomers' challenge, while Evangeline laughed with genuine amusement.
"Eeek?!"
"Your Majesty, my leg! My leg hurts!"
And then Damien and Lilly were actively trying to weasel out of the situation. I knew they would.
"I appreciate the proactiveness of your challenge."
Slowly rising from my seat, I confronted the challengers.
"Alright! But I get to decide the venue and time of the duel, agreed?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. When would you prefer?"
"There's no need to go far. Let's do it right now. At the nearest place."
My response seemed unexpected as the N-grade party twitched.
"We can't exactly have a free-for-all in a peaceful bathhouse... How about borrowing the military's training grounds?"
I gestured toward the barracks not too far off.
"And seeing as you're all my personal troops, it'd be unfair to face you all at full power, considering you're still greenhorns."
I positioned myself behind Lucas and Evangeline, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.
"I'll only send out my two front-line knights. Sound fair?"
"Are you sure it's fair... for you, your majesty?"
Dion smirked with confidence.
"Sparing us the mage and the sniper, that seems overly generous, your majesty. It puts us at a distinct advantage."
"No need to worry about that."
Thump. Thump.
Lucas rose from his seat, unclenching his fists. Evangeline gave a grim smile as she loosened her shoulders.
The two SSR-ranked knights exuded an overwhelming fighting spirit.
I chuckled lightly.
"You might want to worry more about not breaking any bones."
No, they should be thankful if only bones are broken!