The deafening uproar drowned out the morning cicadas. The savory aroma of charcoal-grilled meat mingled with the scent of freshly sawn pine. The once desolate and despair-filled atmosphere of the Verdant Territory had been replaced by the vibrant colors of life and the dynamic pulse of commerce.
Soft morning sunlight spilled over the temporary 'Free Market,' recently conjured into existence on the large clearing by the main road leading into the village.
Lloyd Weston stood with his arms crossed on the second-floor balcony of his partially repaired manor. His deep blue eyes gazed down at the crowd below with a feeling that was hard to describe. His body, once aching from low mana, was beginning to recover. His mana bar had regenerated to 45/100, the highest it had been since he reincarnated into this body.
"Pumping up the early-game economy is incredibly satisfying..." Lloyd muttered to himself, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile. "If this were a ranked match, establishing a smooth resource-gathering base like this is like having one foot in the winner's circle."
The former world champion let slip a quiet gamer joke before shifting his gaze from the macro view to observe the details.
The layout of this free market wasn't just a haphazard jumble of tents. It was ingeniously designed by 'Notch,' the Orc who possessed the [Genius Architect SR] talent. Notch had laid out the market in a herringbone pattern, forcing the flow of foot traffic to pass through every alley of shops without causing congestion. The main walkways were wide enough for two merchant wagons to pass each other comfortably. As for the shop stalls, they utilized latticed red pine, providing an airy and well-ventilated structure.
"Lord Baron Lloyd! Look at that, my lord!"
The hoarse but excited voice belonged to Elder Aura. The blind old woman sat in a rocking chair on the balcony, with Tim massaging her shoulders. "Even though my eyes are dark, I can feel the mana currents of their smiles... The people are happy. The sleeping land is finally waking up."
Lloyd turned and smiled at the elder. "This is just the beginning, Elder Aura."
Meanwhile, down in the clearing, a rather amusing commotion was brewing.
Frank, the giant young man possessing the [Holy General SSR] talent, stood firmly at the market's entrance in full leather armor. His large hands gripped a newly forged, sturdier trident. His face was a thundercloud, eyebrows knitted tightly together. His grayish-blue eyes swept over every passing merchant and traveler as if he wanted to eat them alive.
Two peddlers about to enter the market froze, their legs trembling as they met the giant guard's gaze.
"W-We're just here to sell silk, sir! We haven't brought any weapons at all, my lord!" one merchant hurriedly raised his hands above his head.
"You may enter... but don't even think about trying any funny business in my Lord's territory." Frank lowered his voice menacingly, prompting the two merchants to sprint into the market.
Swoosh!
A slender figure in dark green animal leather dropped down from the roof of the wooden archway, landing silently beside Frank. Sylvie Evergreen, the outcast half-elf, crossed her arms and shook her head with a teasing smile.
"Hey there, big muscle boy." Sylvie nudged Frank's side with her elbow. "The Lord ordered you to provide 'security,' not to act like a 'bridge troll' scaring off the guests. With you making that ogre face, who's going to dare come in and buy anything, huh?"
Frank whipped his head around to glare at the elf, his fierce face flushing slightly in awkwardness.
"I'm just being... vigilant!" Frank argued stubbornly. "This place is full of strangers. Who knows if there are spies from Baron Reinhardt hiding among them? I have to protect the Lord and the villagers!"
"By giving the evil eye to a silk merchant?" Sylvie giggled, her long pointed ears twitching. "Learn to relax a bit, will you? You're standing so stiff your muscles are going to turn into stone. Or... have you never seen this many people before, and you're feeling nervous?"
"I am not nervous!" Frank quickly denied, his voice cracking, but his awkward demeanor gave him away completely. The former impoverished farm boy wasn't used to standing amidst hundreds of well-dressed, wealthy people.
"Just admit it." Sylvie stood on her tiptoes to pat Frank's broad shoulder. "No one here is going to call you a freak anymore. They're only staring because you look like a towering giant, that's all. Smile a bit! A big smile, like this!"
Sylvie used her index fingers to push the corners of her mouth up into a wide, eye-crinkling smile. Her cheerful demeanor completely contradicted her dark past as an exile. But it was enough to make the grumpy Frank accidentally let out a soft snort of laughter, before quickly forcing his face back into a stoic expression.
"Quit playing around, you long-eared elf. Go take your position in the watchtower," Frank grumbled, though his fierce eyes had softened significantly.
Watching from the balcony, Lloyd shook his head with a smile. "This party is highly entertaining, huh."
Having Sylvie around was surprisingly effective at reducing Frank's tension. It was a moment of relaxation that the Verdant Territory had long craved.
While Lloyd was enjoying the atmosphere, the sound of wagon wheels grinding against the dirt road intruded. A medium-sized caravan consisting of five wagons pushed through the dust and parked at the edge of the clearing. Marcus Gray, the Economic Advisor, jumped down from the driver's seat with a beaming face.
"Lord Baron Lloyd! I have returned, my lord!" Marcus shouted his greeting from afar.
Wasting no time, Lloyd hurried down the stairs to personally welcome the middle-aged merchant.
"Sir Marcus, your caravan is much larger this time," Lloyd greeted, scanning the fully loaded wagons.
"Absolutely, my lord! As soon as the news of the 'sub-thirty percent import tax' leaked to the Free Merchant Republic, all the petty merchants perked up." Marcus laughed heartily, pointing to the wagons behind him. "I've brought the new batch of cast iron and farming tools as you ordered. And some peddlers from the Weavers' Guild asked to tag along... They said they couldn't stand the Veltyne Empire's tariff walls anymore."
Lloyd nodded in satisfaction. The "Low Tax, High Trade Volume" strategy was working its magic. Goods were pouring in to trade for the Verdant Territory's wild herbs without end.
But what caught Lloyd's eye the most wasn't the merchant wagons. It was the group of people wearing leather armor and shabby cloaks trailing behind the caravan. There were humans, short and stout dwarves, and a scar-faced man covered in old wounds. The weapons slung across their backs were the real deal, heavily worn from actual use.
"Who are they?" Lloyd whispered.
"Oh! That's a byproduct of you opening the trade borders, my lord!" Marcus explained excitedly. "They are freelance 'Adventurers'! Once they heard your territory was developing and welcoming outsiders, they followed the caravan looking for work... I heard you finished building a branch 'Adventurer Guild,' right, my lord?"
Lloyd turned to look at a two-story wooden building situated at the far end of the Free Market street. The building had been crafted with Notch's meticulous skill, featuring a beautifully carved wooden sign of crossed swords hanging out front.
"Yes, just finished it last night," Lloyd replied, the eyes of a master tactician gleaming.
Drawing in adventurers was a crucial step in his national defense strategy. Since he had no standing army, establishing a guild to hire adventurers to hunt monsters or escort caravans was effectively creating a 'paramilitary force' that required absolutely zero monthly maintenance costs!
The first group of adventurers marched straight into the guild building with curiosity. Tim, acting as the temporary receptionist, rushed to greet them and explain the quest board Lloyd had prepared.
"E-Rank Quest: Hunt mutant wolves at the forest edge in exchange for one mana ore fragment..." The scar-faced adventurer read the notice board before whistling. "The pay isn't bad at all! Plus, no oppressive nobles to deal with like in the capital. Boys, we're taking this job!"
A loud cheer erupted from inside the Adventurer Guild.
The atmosphere at the free market became increasingly lively. Merchants began setting up their stalls; shouts of bargaining, laughter, and the aura of circulating money brought a vibrancy to the Verdant Territory that the villagers had never dared to dream of.
Lloyd stood amidst the bustle. He looked at Notch, who was proudly admiring the market's structures; at Frank and Sylvie, who were arguing about how to search travelers; and at Marcus, who was ordering his men to move the steel into the warehouse.
Suddenly... the ambient mana rippled gently—something only Lloyd could feel!
Ding!
The familiar notification sound echoed clearly in his mind. It wasn't the blaring red crisis alert that made his heart drop, but a crystal-clear chime vibrating softly like a glass bell.
A brilliant golden holographic window flashed, superimposing itself over the bustling market scene in front of him. The light was so bright Lloyd had to squint slightly, but the smile on his face only grew wider.
[Tech Tree Unlocked Successfully: Free Market + Adventurer Guild]
[Conditions Met: Population 50+ / 1 Trade Route / Overseen by SR-Rank Artisan / 100 Silver Coins in Circulation**] **
[Development Results:]
Economic Growth: +300%
Unlocked Indirect Taxation System: Automatically receive 'Silver Coins' based on trade volume.
Territory Security: Can hire E to D-Rank mercenary adventurers.
Overall Morale: Maxed Out! (Units in the territory work 20% faster.)
"Plus three hundred percent..." Lloyd muttered to himself in excitement, his hand tightly gripping the wooden railing. "And I've unlocked the Indirect Taxation System (Passive Income) , too! Now, even if we cut import taxes down to pennies, as long as people come and trade in large volumes, the treasury will fill up on its own without having to extort anyone."
The former RTS World Champion let out a long sigh of relief. The pressure that had felt like a heavy boulder crushing his chest was completely lifted.
He closed the system window and looked at the Verdant Territory with different eyes. It was no longer a crumbling ruin waiting to collapse, or a borderland no one wanted. It was a 'Base' that had just been upgraded to a new era!
"Lord Baron Lloyd, what are you smiling at all by yourself?" Marcus Gray, having just climbed the stairs to join him, asked. The middle-aged merchant carried a thick ledger, his face drenched in sweat but looking incredibly happy.
"I'm just admiring our handiwork, Sir Marcus," Lloyd turned to answer. "And how are things on your end? How do the numbers look?"
"Landslide profits, my lord!" Marcus slapped the ledger loudly. "In just half a morning, fifteen groups of petty merchants have come to set up stalls! Our first batch of wild herbs was bought out completely. We even managed to mark up the price by another ten percent from what was agreed, all because the alchemists who tagged along were bidding against each other for them!"
"Excellent," Lloyd nodded. "And what about our food supplies?"
"No worries at all, my lord! I've bought up dried meat and wheat from the peddlers and stuffed the warehouse full." Marcus laughed heartily. "Our territory now has enough provisions to last three solid months. Plus, the silver coins in the treasury have hit the hundreds... We are free from starvation, my lord!"
Marcus's report filled the balcony with an aura of pure joy.
Notch, who had just come upstairs to inspect the balcony's structure, raised the back of his hand to wipe a seeping Orcish tear. "Sniff... I never thought the ruined walls I saw just a few days ago would become a market this beautiful and bustling. Thank you for giving a foolish artisan like me a chance, my lord."
"Who's calling you foolish, Notch?" Lloyd turned and smiled at him. "If you hadn't drawn up that herringbone layout, the merchant wagons would be crashing into a chaotic mess in front of the village right now. This is the handiwork of an SR-Rank artisan, plain and simple."
"SR again... I truly don't understand your vocabulary, my lord." Notch scratched his head but smiled broadly, revealing his fangs.
"My Lord!" Frank shouted from below the balcony. The giant youth stood next to Sylvie. "The situation is secure, my lord! The adventurers who took the quest to hunt wolves at the forest edge are starting to bring the pelts into the guild. Our territory is one hundred percent safe and sound!"
"So safe it's boring, you mean," Sylvie put her hands on her hips, muttering cheerfully. "I even had my bow drawn, waiting to see if some stupid bandits would wander in so I could use them for target practice. But it's just a bunch of pot-bellied old men buying silk... Sigh, what a killjoy."
Lloyd looked at the smiles and laughter of each of his subordinates.
The loyal Frank, the talented Notch, the precise Sylvie, the clever Marcus, and Elder Aura, their emotional anchor... Seeing the bond of this team slowly washed away the 'loneliness' that used to gnaw at Lloyd's heart in his past life.
In his previous life, he was a World Champion standing at the very top—alone. No teammates who synced with him, no one who understood the pressure he carried. Just a cold computer screen and lifeless trophies.
But in this world... he had a 'family' who shared life and death, building this kingdom from scratch together.
"This is it... This is what a true victory feels like," Lloyd thought, a warm current washing over his heart.
However... in the real world and in the board game of power, there was one ironclad rule Lloyd had learned throughout his life:
A victory that comes too easily and looks too perfect... is almost always just a smokescreen for a looming disaster.
CRASH!!!
The deafening sound of splintering wood and goods smashing against the ground erupted from the center of the free market, completely shattering the warm atmosphere and the laughter!
Lloyd flinched violently. He immediately leaned over the balcony railing, looking down toward the source of the noise. Below, Frank and Sylvie whipped around in a panic as well.
The crowd of shoppers scattered in a wide circle. Screams of terror echoed out.
At the intersection of the market's second alley—the expensive spices and silks section—a merchant was kicked so hard he flew backward, crashing into a wooden stall pillar and snapping it in half! Fine silk was soiled in the dirt, and expensive spice jars shattered across the ground.
"You! You foreign merchant scum! How dare you bump into my goods wagon!"
Four burly men, wearing merchant clothes that didn't quite fit them, were aggressively yelling at another group of merchants. They didn't stop at words; they viciously kicked the ribs of the man groveling on the floor!
"Ouch! I-I didn't bump into you! You guys shoved into me!" The unfortunate merchant cried out in pain, trying to raise his hands to shield his face.
"Got a smart mouth, huh?! Are there no laws around here?! If not, I'll teach you a lesson myself!"
Another burly man roared before reaching under his cloak, drawing a short iron mace he had hidden away! It wasn't a weapon standard merchants carried for self-defense; it was a weapon meant for destruction!
Smash! Crash!
The group of four thugs didn't just aim to hurt the other party; they began wildly smashing and destroying the surrounding stalls! The bamboo structures Notch had meticulously crafted were struck down by iron maces. Unrelated merchants' goods were kicked and scattered everywhere.
"Ahhh! Help! There's a fight!"
Panic spread through the market like wildfire. Other merchants hastily packed up their things, fleeing for their lives. Wagons collided with each other, resulting in utter chaos.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?! Stop right there!"
Frank roared. Wasting no time, the giant youth charged through the crowd straight to the scene, driven by his instinct to protect. Frank thrust the shaft of his trident into the chest of a man who was about to smash an herb stall, sending him flying backward three paces!
"The territory guards are here! Run!"
But instead of showing fear or fleeing at the shout... they smirked!
One of them let out a sharp, long whistle.
Suddenly, from other corners of the market... over ten more burly men disguised as merchants and laborers drew hidden maces and daggers. They rushed in, surrounding Frank from all sides!
"Frank, watch out!" Sylvie yelled. She drew her bowstring back, nocking an arrow and aiming from a distance, but the chaotic, running crowd made the elf hesitate, afraid of hitting innocent bystanders.
Lloyd, watching the incident from the second-floor balcony, widened his eyes. His deep blue eyes trembled. A sharp pain pierced his temples as the brain of the former world champion rapidly processed the 'anomaly' unfolding before him.
"This is no accident..." Lloyd muttered, his tone so icy that Marcus, standing beside him, felt goosebumps.
Marcus turned pale. "L-Lord Lloyd! Merchants having arguments is normal, but no sane merchant draws a weapon and smashes other people's goods like this! Destroying market stalls is like smashing their own rice bowls!"
"Exactly..." Lloyd ground his teeth, his hands gripping the balcony railing until his knuckles turned white. "They aren't merchants... The way they walk, their footwork, the timing of them drawing their weapons simultaneously the moment Frank stepped in... This is a systematic 'Baiting' tactic!"
Lloyd read the situation with crystal clarity.
If it were just a brawl, they would have simply tried to beat up their opponents. But their actual goal was to destroy property as much as possible, create the loudest noise to terrify people, and most importantly... it was perfectly timed for when the market was at its most crowded!
"This is a 'setup' designed to destroy the Verdant Territory's credibility..." Lloyd analyzed rapidly. "If this free market is perceived as unsafe, where thugs are allowed to smash things at will... the next batch of caravans will never dare step foot here again! The indirect taxes will drop to zero!"
"Baron Reinhardt..." Marcus groaned, his voice trembling. "This is Baron Reinhardt's retaliation! He didn't send an army to attack the town; he sent 'saboteurs' to destroy our economy from the inside!"
Clang! Smash!
The sound of clashing weapons rang out. Frank used his [Steel Bulwark] talent to conjure a protective golden light, charging and swinging his trident to hold off the dozen burly men. Even though he had superior strength, the tight encirclement and the obstructive crowd prevented him from fighting at full capacity.
"My Lord! I'll shoot them all down right now!" Sylvie shouted from below, ready to put an arrow through every single one of their skulls.
"Don't shoot, Sylvie!" Lloyd bellowed back down. "If you kill them while they're wearing merchant clothes, Baron Reinhardt will use the excuse that the Lord of the Verdant Territory 'ordered the murder of innocent merchants' in the middle of the market! That is their true objective... forcing us to use excessive, lethal force!"
Sylvie froze, biting her lip hard in frustration. "Then what am I supposed to do?! Just let them smash Notch's market to pieces right before our eyes?!"
It was the most subtle and dirty economic attack imaginable. This card played by Baron Reinhardt struck squarely at Lloyd's fatal weak point!
If he used decisive, lethal force = He would be accused of assassinating civilians, terrifying all other merchants.
If he held back and let Frank tank them = The market would be destroyed, and his credibility would be pulverized.
The victory that seemed so sweet and perfect just minutes ago had been violently dragged back down into the abyss of crisis.
Lloyd's eyes widened, his brain processing hundreds of options in a fraction of a second. Cold sweat trickled down the side of his face.
"Since you want to play dirty underworld games..." Lloyd murmured, his deep blue eyes gleaming fiercely like a demon's. "I'll open a brand-new board... one that you won't even have time to defend against!"
The young Baron of the Verdant Territory was about to make a decision that would break the rules of this world forever!
(End of Chapter 11)