A little while later.

After Loton, who had been spouting insults about Lartania, was dragged away by other knights.

“Whew-”

A low sigh escaped the Emperor of the Empire as the question from a knight assisting her reached her ears.

“Are you not planning to visit Lartania?”

“Lartania, you say.”

The Emperor muttered with a peculiar expression, absentmindedly stroking her chin.

For a while, she pondered something seriously, her expression inscrutable, making it impossible to discern her thoughts, before she finally replied.

“I’m not planning to visit, and I won’t summon them either.”

“…Is that so?”

The knight responded in a tone that suggested he didn’t fully understand, and the Emperor replied,

“Yes, there’s no point in visiting an ally who doesn’t need help. Besides, we’re not really in a position to help right now anyway.”

The knight nodded firmly, as if he instantly understood her intent.

Indeed, as she said, the Empire wasn’t in a position to help anyone at the moment.

“I have misspoken.”

The Emperor briefly looked at the knight who had bowed his head.

“…I hope our ally continues to grow well.”

She murmured softly, her peculiar expression replaced by a gentle smile.


Even after explaining the dangers of the Hammer of Enhancement and its absurdly low success rate to Shadra, who still refused to give up, Kim Hyunwoo reluctantly handed her the Hammer. He realized that the heroes within the territory needed some education about the Hammer, so he gathered them.

Thus, five heroes stood before Kim Hyunwoo.

Elena, Lani, Shadra, River, Mila.

But as soon as he saw the five heroes, Kim Hyunwoo quickly figured out which ones needed to be educated about the Hammer of Enhancement.

First, he sent Lani back, who, with a bit of cream on her cheek as if she had been making cream buns, tilted her head in confusion, not knowing why she had been summoned.

Likewise, he sent River back, who also seemed unsure why she had been called, though her eyes showed a subtle mix of curiosity and expectation.

That left three.

“…I’m here to talk about the Hammer of Enhancement…”

As soon as Kim Hyunwoo began speaking, the heroes immediately reacted.

Elena subtly averted her gaze and began fiddling with her pigtails nervously.

Shadra, who had been begging to buy the Hammer of Enhancement just moments ago, now wore a sullen expression.

Mila, who had fully taken on the role of Mercenary Guild branch leader and was still diligently training the soldiers, looked embarrassed for a moment, then quickly cleared her throat and corrected her expression. 𝐫𝘈₦Ȯ₿Ëᶊ

“…Is there anyone here who hasn’t bought the Hammer of Enhancement?”

Kim Hyunwoo asked cautiously.

As expected, no one spoke up, and Kim Hyunwoo began his explanation.

He talked about the appallingly low success rate of the Hammer of Enhancement and how enhancement could be a fleeting dream.

“But, it…does make you stronger, right?”

As soon as Elena asked this after his explanation, Kim Hyunwoo nodded.

“That’s right. Just to be clear, I’m not calling you out or trying to criticize you for this.”

From Kim Hyunwoo’s perspective, there was no reason to stop the heroes from using their own means to enhance their combat power.

Nevertheless, Kim Hyunwoo had gathered the heroes to at least make sure they understood the minimal chances of success with the Hammer of Enhancement.

Additionally.

“From now on, if you want to buy the Hammer of Enhancement, come talk to me. I’ll give it to the heroes of Lartania at cost.”

Even Kim Hyunwoo had no intention of overcharging the heroes of Lartania, so he made this announcement.

“Then I’ll take ten thousand right away-!”

“But the limit is one thousand per person. Maybe more if production increases, but not for now.”

Kim Hyunwoo ended his speech, curbing Shadra’s enthusiasm.

And about two weeks after Kim Hyunwoo had dealt with the Hammer of Enhancement situation.

A ★★★ hero, 'Golden Witch' has entered the territory.

[The Tienus Merchant Group has arrived in the territory!]

Adria had arrived in the territory.

About an hour after the notification window appeared before Kim Hyunwoo, he met Adria, who came to his office holding two wooden boxes.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. I wanted to stop by earlier, but it took longer than expected to procure the items you requested.”

Adria said this as she handed the two wooden boxes to Kim Hyunwoo.

“This is-”

“It’s the items you mentioned. Yggdrasil’s Branch and Eldra’s Warmth.”

At her words, Kim Hyunwoo nodded in gratitude to Adria and then carefully opened the box.

Yggdrasil's Branch

Grade: ??

¤ A branch from Yggdrasil, known as the World Tree

¤ While the Continent does not have a World Tree, branches like these can occasionally be obtained from monsters that cross over from other worlds

Eldra's Warmth

Grade: ??

¤ A crystal containing the warmth of Eldra, a being from another world

¤ The crystal continuously emits a faint warmth and will remain intact unless subjected to a special process

A notification window appeared as soon as the box was opened.

Kim Hyunwoo read the notification and, after confirming the presence of the ornate branch and small gemstone, closed the box and spoke.

“These were hard to get, so thank you for obtaining them so quickly.”

“Don’t mention it. Besides, I’ll be charging the full price-”

Adria said this with a bright smile, and Kim Hyunwoo nodded as if it was only natural.

“Of course. I’ll definitely pay, so just let me know the amount.”

After hearing the price from Adria, Kim Hyunwoo decided to pay it without any haggling and soon engaged in some light conversation with her.

“By the way, where exactly do you plan to use these items you acquired?”

This conversation arose during their chat.

“You mean the branch and the crystal?”

“Yes, last time I heard you were going to use them to break a curse, but as far as I know, neither of these materials are directly related to curses.”

Adria said this with a slight laugh, asking if she had delved too deeply, but Kim Hyunwoo waved his hand dismissively.

“No, since you acquired the items for me, I can at least tell you this much.”

He explained what kind of curse he intended to break with the materials he had acquired.

“So, it’s a curse related to…love, is that right?”

“That’s right. I didn’t know either, but they told me I had such a curse.”

“Is there really such a curse?”

“I’m not sure about the details either, but it seems like it exists. In fact, I’ve definitely felt it a few times recently.”

As Kim Hyunwoo spoke, Adria seemed about to make a serious expression, but then she realized something and nodded several times as she spoke.

“Indeed…that makes sense.”

“Sorry?”

“Oh, no, I just thought of something suddenly.”

Adria said this with a somewhat awkward laugh and then asked.

“My Lord, when do you plan to break that curse?”

“…Well, since I’ve gathered all the materials, I plan to try breaking it today. There’s no reason to delay now that everything’s ready.”

“I see…today, huh…”

At Kim Hyunwoo’s words, Adria nodded with a meaningful expression.

At that moment.

“…!”

Giral, who had been eavesdropping as usual from outside Lartania’s hill, couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock at the mention of a curse he was hearing about for the first time.

Until now, whenever he met with merchants, a barrier had always been erected to prevent anyone outside from knowing what was going on inside, so this was truly the first time he was hearing such information.

Stunned by the revelation, Giral immediately started running towards where the Red Eyes were to deliver this news.

Some time ago.

“…!”

Since that incident with Giral, she had become very awkward around him and had been watching the Lord of Lartania’s castle from a completely different location, when suddenly, Loriel’s blank expression shifted.

‘Wait, if that’s the case-!’

She quickly realized something.

She realized that her Master, who had been depressed and staring blankly at the ground ever since that day, now had a new opportunity.

So, without hesitation, she left the area.

When no one was left on the hill overlooking Lartania.

In what was once the Norba Kingdom – now just a gruesome barrier, no longer worthy of being called a kingdom.

“Finally-”

The Hero King, having endured terrible pain and consumed all the barriers, began to move towards Lartania territory with determined eyes.

,

A little while later.

After Loton, who had been spouting insults about Lartania, was dragged away by other knights.

“Whew-”

A low sigh escaped the Emperor of the Empire as the question from a knight assisting her reached her ears.

“Are you not planning to visit Lartania?”

“Lartania, you say.”

The Emperor muttered with a peculiar expression, absentmindedly stroking her chin.

For a while, she pondered something seriously, her expression inscrutable, making it impossible to discern her thoughts, before she finally replied.

“I’m not planning to visit, and I won’t summon them either.”

“…Is that so?”

The knight responded in a tone that suggested he didn’t fully understand, and the Emperor replied,

“Yes, there’s no point in visiting an ally who doesn’t need help. Besides, we’re not really in a position to help right now anyway.”

The knight nodded firmly, as if he instantly understood her intent.

Indeed, as she said, the Empire wasn’t in a position to help anyone at the moment.

“I have misspoken.”

The Emperor briefly looked at the knight who had bowed his head.

“…I hope our ally continues to grow well.”

She murmured softly, her peculiar expression replaced by a gentle smile.


Even after explaining the dangers of the Hammer of Enhancement and its absurdly low success rate to Shadra, who still refused to give up, Kim Hyunwoo reluctantly handed her the Hammer. He realized that the heroes within the territory needed some education about the Hammer, so he gathered them.

Thus, five heroes stood before Kim Hyunwoo.

Elena, Lani, Shadra, River, Mila.

But as soon as he saw the five heroes, Kim Hyunwoo quickly figured out which ones needed to be educated about the Hammer of Enhancement.

First, he sent Lani back, who, with a bit of cream on her cheek as if she had been making cream buns, tilted her head in confusion, not knowing why she had been summoned.

Likewise, he sent River back, who also seemed unsure why she had been called, though her eyes showed a subtle mix of curiosity and expectation.

That left three.

“…I’m here to talk about the Hammer of Enhancement…”

As soon as Kim Hyunwoo began speaking, the heroes immediately reacted.

Elena subtly averted her gaze and began fiddling with her pigtails nervously.

Shadra, who had been begging to buy the Hammer of Enhancement just moments ago, now wore a sullen expression.

Mila, who had fully taken on the role of Mercenary Guild branch leader and was still diligently training the soldiers, looked embarrassed for a moment, then quickly cleared her throat and corrected her expression.

“…Is there anyone here who hasn’t bought the Hammer of Enhancement?”

Kim Hyunwoo asked cautiously.

As expected, no one spoke up, and Kim Hyunwoo began his explanation.

He talked about the appallingly low success rate of the Hammer of Enhancement and how enhancement could be a fleeting dream.

“But, it…does make you stronger, right?”

As soon as Elena asked this after his explanation, Kim Hyunwoo nodded.

“That’s right. Just to be clear, I’m not calling you out or trying to criticize you for this.”

From Kim Hyunwoo’s perspective, there was no reason to stop the heroes from using their own means to enhance their combat power.

Nevertheless, Kim Hyunwoo had gathered the heroes to at least make sure they understood the minimal chances of success with the Hammer of Enhancement.

Additionally.

“From now on, if you want to buy the Hammer of Enhancement, come talk to me. I’ll give it to the heroes of Lartania at cost.”

Even Kim Hyunwoo had no intention of overcharging the heroes of Lartania, so he made this announcement.

“Then I’ll take ten thousand right away-!”

“But the limit is one thousand per person. Maybe more if production increases, but not for now.”

Kim Hyunwoo ended his speech, curbing Shadra’s enthusiasm.

And about two weeks after Kim Hyunwoo had dealt with the Hammer of Enhancement situation.

A ★★★ hero, 'Golden Witch' has entered the territory.

[The Tienus Merchant Group has arrived in the territory!]

Adria had arrived in the territory.

About an hour after the notification window appeared before Kim Hyunwoo, he met Adria, who came to his office holding two wooden boxes.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed. I wanted to stop by earlier, but it took longer than expected to procure the items you requested.”

Adria said this as she handed the two wooden boxes to Kim Hyunwoo.

“This is-”

“It’s the items you mentioned. Yggdrasil’s Branch and Eldra’s Warmth.”

At her words, Kim Hyunwoo nodded in gratitude to Adria and then carefully opened the box.

Yggdrasil's Branch

Grade: ??

¤ A branch from Yggdrasil, known as the World Tree

¤ While the Continent does not have a World Tree, branches like these can occasionally be obtained from monsters that cross over from other worlds

Eldra's Warmth

Grade: ??

¤ A crystal containing the warmth of Eldra, a being from another world

¤ The crystal continuously emits a faint warmth and will remain intact unless subjected to a special process

A notification window appeared as soon as the box was opened.

Kim Hyunwoo read the notification and, after confirming the presence of the ornate branch and small gemstone, closed the box and spoke.

“These were hard to get, so thank you for obtaining them so quickly.”

“Don’t mention it. Besides, I’ll be charging the full price-”

Adria said this with a bright smile, and Kim Hyunwoo nodded as if it was only natural.

“Of course. I’ll definitely pay, so just let me know the amount.”

After hearing the price from Adria, Kim Hyunwoo decided to pay it without any haggling and soon engaged in some light conversation with her.

“By the way, where exactly do you plan to use these items you acquired?”

This conversation arose during their chat.

“You mean the branch and the crystal?”

“Yes, last time I heard you were going to use them to break a curse, but as far as I know, neither of these materials are directly related to curses.”

Adria said this with a slight laugh, asking if she had delved too deeply, but Kim Hyunwoo waved his hand dismissively.

“No, since you acquired the items for me, I can at least tell you this much.”

He explained what kind of curse he intended to break with the materials he had acquired.

“So, it’s a curse related to…love, is that right?”

“That’s right. I didn’t know either, but they told me I had such a curse.”

“Is there really such a curse?”

“I’m not sure about the details either, but it seems like it exists. In fact, I’ve definitely felt it a few times recently.”

As Kim Hyunwoo spoke, Adria seemed about to make a serious expression, but then she realized something and nodded several times as she spoke.

“Indeed…that makes sense.”

“Sorry?”

“Oh, no, I just thought of something suddenly.”

Adria said this with a somewhat awkward laugh and then asked.

“My Lord, when do you plan to break that curse?”

“…Well, since I’ve gathered all the materials, I plan to try breaking it today. There’s no reason to delay now that everything’s ready.”

“I see…today, huh…”

At Kim Hyunwoo’s words, Adria nodded with a meaningful expression.

At that moment.

“…!”

Giral, who had been eavesdropping as usual from outside Lartania’s hill, couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock at the mention of a curse he was hearing about for the first time.

Until now, whenever he met with merchants, a barrier had always been erected to prevent anyone outside from knowing what was going on inside, so this was truly the first time he was hearing such information.

Stunned by the revelation, Giral immediately started running towards where the Red Eyes were to deliver this news.

Some time ago.

“…!”

Since that incident with Giral, she had become very awkward around him and had been watching the Lord of Lartania’s castle from a completely different location, when suddenly, Loriel’s blank expression shifted.

‘Wait, if that’s the case-!’

She quickly realized something.

She realized that her Master, who had been depressed and staring blankly at the ground ever since that day, now had a new opportunity.

So, without hesitation, she left the area.

When no one was left on the hill overlooking Lartania.

In what was once the Norba Kingdom – now just a gruesome barrier, no longer worthy of being called a kingdom.

“Finally-”

The Hero King, having endured terrible pain and consumed all the barriers, began to move towards Lartania territory with determined eyes.

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