Chapter 19: Pioneering The Labyrinth (4)
Merilda stared blankly at Elena moving in the distance, inadvertently thinking to herself.
How envious she felt.
She was envious of her.
So very envious.
The fact that she was so casually by the Masters side made her feel like she could die of envy.
So envious that she wanted to kill that woman right here and now-
Merilda forcibly restrained herself as her hand involuntarily started to rise.
She coldly assessed that killing that woman right now would gain her absolutely nothing.
Furthermore, the moment the Master found out about it, if ever.
Merilda momentarily felt as though her breath was being choked off, but she quickly shoved the malicious thoughts aside and looked at Elena again.
Seeing Elena, who didnt realize how blessed she was, Merilda suddenly wished she could be her.
Of course, objectively speaking, there were too many differences between Merilda and Elena.
So much so that comparing them one by one would be ridiculous.
Yet, Merilda wanted to be that woman.
If it were possible, Merilda was willing to give up everything she had built up to this point right here, right now.
At least for her, the chance to return to the Masters side.
To start over by the Masters side held value beyond anything else.
Therefore, Merilda, looking at Elena with endless envy but also with hatred,
With a grit of her teeth,
involuntarily raised her hand again as she saw Elena entering a room, biting down hard,
But then,
forced herself to lower her hand once more.
As a beastfolk, she barely suppressed the destructive impulse rising instinctively within her and looked with bloodshot eyes at the room into which Elena had walked, located on one side of the Lords castle.
All too familiar to Merilda.
The door with several nail marks on the handle.
My room
That was originally Merildas room.
The very first room the Master had given her.
Ah
Tears began to well up in Merildas eyes without her realizing.
All she saw was Elena entering a room, but to Merilda, that scene felt significantly meaningful.
Uh
The tears brimming in Merildas eyes spilled over.
She felt as if she had lost a place to return to.
At the same time, it felt as if the Master was erasing her presence.
Erasing and overlaying-
That pain was so unbearable, Merilda clutched her chest.
Tears flowed from her hate-filled red eyes.
Sob sob-
And her gaze remained fixed on the door of what used to be her room, now Elenas.
She could not stop her self-loathing and grief until the day broke.
It has been a week since Elena was gifted with two hand axes.
Hero Name: Elena
Title: X
Stars: 1 Star
Affection: (Measuring)
-Stats-
Strength: 23 Agility: 29
Intelligence: 18 Luck: 18
Comparative Efficiency: 23% (Efficiency is low due to the lack of specialized personnel!)
Production Status:
Iron bars / In production. [Daily production / 3 units]
Helmets / In production. [Daily production / 3 units]
Light armor / In production. [Daily production / 2 units]
Its definitely low.
The forge is running with an absurdly low number of people, perhaps because not many refugees from specialized professions like blacksmiths have come in.
I wish it could be roughly completed within two weeks.
[Are you planning to pioneer the Labyrinth?]
Right.
Kim Hyunwoo was planning to pioneer the first and second layers of the Labyrinth to coincide with Elena reaching 2 stars.
And, of course, soldiers were needed to pioneer the first and second layers of the Labyrinth.
Actually, it seems like Elena could be sent alone.
Despite thinking this, Kim Hyunwoo needed soldiers because of affection levels.
A Labyrinth is basically a place where anything can happen, and sending a hero alone could certainly lower affection levels.
I cant do anything that would lower affection levels, especially if I want Elena to grow quickly.
Knowing how powerful the stat correction rate from affection is, Kim Hyunwoo did not want to do anything that might lower the correction rate.
Above all, there was another reason Kim Hyunwoo wanted to enter with the soldiers.
We need to secure a base, you know.
[A base, you say?]
Kim Hyunwoo nodded in response to Lorias question.
Im thinking of creating a safe zone, a resting space, inside the Labyrinth.
[A resting space inside the Labyrinth?]
Kim Hyunwoo grinned at Lorias puzzled question.
Its better to do business with everyone rather than just a specific class, right?
With that, Kim Hyunwoo immediately got up from his seat as if organizing his thoughts.
I need to visit the forge.
He said.
[For what reason...?]
I need to increase the labor efficiency.
Kim Hyunwoo said with a smile in response to Lorias question.
Tienus Merchant Group is an incredibly large trading company that travels across the entire continent, and to put it a little exaggeratedly, they sell everything that exists in this world.
Therefore, every territory in the Southern Continent hopes that the Tienus Merchant Group will visit their lands.
The items they sell can only be bought from them, and once the Merchant Group visits a territory, the dissatisfaction among its people noticeably decreases.
For this reason, while every territory wanted the Merchant Group to visit, none of them pressured the Merchant Group to come.
Even the Eastern Clan, known as the most powerful force in the Southern Continent, did not recklessly pressure the Tienus Merchant Group.
There were two reasons for this.
One was that if relations with the Tienus Merchant Group soured, it was always the territory that suffered.
The other was because of the guardians that appeared when the Tienus Merchant Group was tampered with.
For these two reasons, the Tienus Merchant Group could travel the Continent freely without even needing soldiers.
The owner of the Tienus Merchant Group was a girl with red hair.
If youre talking about Lartania territory, you mean the place thats completely ruined in the Calan Kingdom?
Yes.
Hmm, Lartania territory has been revived-
The woman known as the Golden Witch in the Southern Continent, Adria, listened to her assistants words.
Shall we go take a look?
If you say so, Ill prepare immediately.
Lets go then, well it might not be much.
She muttered this with her characteristic calculating smile.
There might be something that person wants.
