Episode 140

[The contract procedure has been completed.]

[The contract has been activated.]

[The God of Contracts, Morpina, observes Player Taehyun Yoo and NPC Tuperus.]

The contract flared with light and then vanished. Though only two had signed, the terms bound every dwarf who had consented. Now, in addition to his fourteen High Elves, nearly fifteen hundred dwarves of the Rough Rock Tribe belonged to Balak.

"From now on, you will all settle in the city of Myol," Taehyun informed them. "I will return your tools and supplies. Work hard."

"You demon fiend!" Tuperus protested. "You should be sending us back to our temple!"

"You belong to Balak now. You will follow my orders," Taehyun stated calmly. "Besides, your temple is a ruin. What would be the point?"

The temple, once the heart of their civilization, was irreparable, and their villages had been stripped bare. The ruins were worthless. The dwarves' new purpose was to develop his territory. Yet, Tuperus was still fuming.

"Tch! Damn you, demon! If you expect us to work, you must provide a proper workspace! What are we supposed to accomplish in a city with no forges?!"

Taehyun paused. "…Aren't you upset about this whole situation?"

"Do not mistake our pride for weakness!" Tuperus roared, puffing out his chest. "We may be subordinates of a dungeon now, but our dedication to our craft is absolute! Since it has come to this, we will make this… Balak… the greatest dungeon on the continent! We will prove that dwarven craftsmanship is second to none!"

Taehyun could only blink, dumbfounded. This was the same dwarf who, moments ago, had been screaming about never surrendering. Now, instead of feeling resentful about his enslavement, he was demanding a better workshop.

"…My Lord," Jighart whispered, looking equally baffled. "No matter how I look at it, these dwarves are…"

"Yeah," Taehyun finished for him. "They've got rocks for brains."

The two of them were left utterly speechless by the dwarves' unwavering, if misplaced, confidence.

---

[1,485 dwarves of the Rough Rock Tribe have settled in the small city of Myol.]

[20 Low-Grade Smithies will be installed within the small city of Myol.]

The dwarves finally arrived in their new home. The existing residents, long accustomed to the presence of dungeon monsters, were hardly surprised. In fact, they seemed to welcome the newcomers. Taehyun, who hadn't expected anything close to harmony, was slightly taken aback.

"Hmph. Built by humans, just as I thought. The craftsmanship is pathetic."

"What do you expect? They were clearly made by fools who don't know the first thing about construction."

"Whoa, look at this," one of the dwarves grunted, pointing a stubby finger. "Traces of magic. Is there an alchemist here?"

Meanwhile, the dwarves were busy inspecting every corner of the small city of Myol, loudly critiquing its shoddy construction. In the process, they stumbled upon the faint markings of a transmutation circle and immediately sensed Larkan's presence.

"Demon!" another dwarf bellowed. "Is there an alchemist in this place?!"

"Yes, there is," Taehyun replied telepathically. "Why?"

"I—I want to meet him! Let us meet him!"

"I don't see why not," Taehyun sent back, a hint of amusement in his thoughts. "You should find him near the back of the city."

The dwarves taking an interest in an alchemist wasn't a bad thing. Their race had a deep, inherent appreciation for craftsmanship. An alchemist, a creator who wove new things from the magic of a transmutation circle, was bound to pique their interest. Besides, it was no exaggeration to say that Larkan was now the only alchemist on the entire continent. As fellow artisans, they were sure to find common ground.

And so, the dwarves swarmed off to find him. Larkan, deep in concentration as he transmuted a carriage, was startled by the sight of the stout figures rushing toward him like a colony of ants.

"Wh-what are you lot?!" he yelped.

"Ooh! To think we'd see an alchemist in a place like this!"

"Hey, look at that! A carriage with a novel design. Is he creating it with a transmutation circle right now?!"

"Hmm. I think this part would be more efficient if it were done like this…"

To create something new was a blessing from the gods, and a new design was a divine realm they had never before challenged. It was a fascinating marvel that ignited their passion for their craft. The dwarves' eyes lit up as they charged toward Larkan and the carriage.

'Taehyun!' Larkan's frantic voice echoed in his mind. 'What in the world are these short-stack bastards?!'

'They're newly settled dwarves,' Taehyun replied calmly. 'I suppose they respect you as a fellow craftsman. You have to build the carriage anyway, so try to get along.'

'Without a single word of discussion with me… Ugh! You bastards! Don't touch the carriage!'

And so, the dwarves of the Rough Rock Tribe began to adapt to life in Balak's territory.

---

[The residents of Myol have begun gathering herbs and magical ingredients from the Silent Forest.]

[The residents of Myol have begun plowing the fields in the Revived Plains.]

[Two Low-Grade Training Grounds have been installed in the small city of Myol.]

[The Rough Rock Tribe dwarves are complaining about the low-grade iron ore.]

[One Merchant Guild has been installed in the small city of Myol.]

[The Rough Rock Tribe dwarves are repairing the flimsy outer walls.]

The small city of Myol was steadily transforming. As operations began in earnest, it slowly entered the initial stages of commerce.

"Master Taehyun," Riel reported, "they say the merchant guild's exclusive carriage is complete."

"It finished faster than expected, probably because the dwarves lent a hand," Taehyun mused. "Shall we go take a look?"

He went to Myol himself to inspect the carriage. With the dwarves joining the effort, it had become a collaborative project, but the vehicle was completed exactly according to his initial design.

"Heheh! How is it, you demon fellow?" a dwarf boasted. "This is the technological prowess of our Rough Rock Tribe!"

"It's incredible," Taehyun admitted, genuinely impressed. "It's built far better than I anticipated."

"Hmph. Even a demon has a good eye."

It was a carriage that truly inspired admiration. The wheels utilized magic stones, a support stand was built to maintain balance, and there were even magic leashes to attach to the wyverns. It was a perfect dungeon-style merchant carriage.

Larkan, looking half-dead, staggered over and clung to Taehyun's arm.

"N-now… I can rest, right?" he rasped.

"Yes. You can rest for a while."

"Th-that's a relief."

Balak's alchemist collapsed with a thud. Taehyun offered a silent moment of condolence before having Raviz return him to the main dungeon.

Kovel, the merchant guild master he had appointed, approached with an excited expression.

"From now on, will our Balak Merchant Guild conduct trade using this carriage?"

"That's right," Taehyun confirmed. "Though for now, it's a bit much to call it trade. It'll be more about acquiring supplies and daily necessities."

"In that case, where will our first destination be?"

The integrated Dungeon Balak was steadily accumulating wealth, but it was difficult to conduct proper trade with Zen alone. Moreover, they were a dungeon's merchant guild. Instead of a warm welcome, they were more likely to be greeted with a volley of arrows.

"They'll be reluctant at first, but eventually, they'll have no choice but to acknowledge us," Taehyun explained. "As long as we maintain a symbiotic relationship with the raiders, Dungeon Balak will continue to develop and influence the entire West. Now, where do you think would be a good first destination?"

"Hmm," Kovel pondered. "Are you referring to a territory or city that has plenty of goods but is short on Zen? I don't believe any such place exists in the West right now."

"No," Taehyun countered, a sharp glint in his eye. "The Haven Territory recently abolished its slave laws. As a result, slaves across the West are abandoning their posts and scrambling to escape. With all the slaves flocking to Haven, the territories that relied on them are now facing a severe labor shortage. The nobles who opposed Count Dinen have also lost their raiders. Any of them who used slaves for labor and raiders to guard their merchant guilds will be in a very difficult position."

Taehyun opened the world map and pointed to the Depay Territory. Located between rugged mountain ranges, Depay had been unable to operate its merchant guild for some time. It lacked a transportation magic circle, and monsters were appearing on the mountain paths. Its finances were undoubtedly worsening, and its trade goods were likely compromised. On top of that, rumors were spreading that it couldn't repay its debts to other nobles. They had to be panicking.

"Caw! Caaaw!"

"Caw! Caaaw!"

"Cawk! Cawk!"

The wyverns he had summoned early on appeared, their crow-like cries grating on the ears. Still, they were the ones with the highest relationship stats.

"Th-those must be the wyverns that will pull our merchant carriage," Kovel stammered in awe.

"A carriage that flies through the sky," Taehyun said with a small smile. "Aren't you excited?"

"I am beyond excited! To think such an opportunity would come in my life, having only ever lived in a village… It is a great honor, Dungeon Master!"

"Their cries are a bit annoying, but they have the best stats. Do a good job."

Taehyun watched the members of the Balak Merchant Guild with satisfaction.

'If I can't challenge the Haven Territory, I might as well exploit it. Thanks for setting the stage for me, Gelix.'

---

"The merchant guild just departed," Riel said. "There are no raiders at their destination, so I doubt they'll face much of a threat."

"Good," Taehyun replied. "Then shall we make Balak A-rank? Riel, how many B-rank magic stones do we have?"

"We have enough to reach A-rank. However, with our current Zen reserves, it will be difficult to operate a dungeon befitting that rank."

"We can work on that gradually. For now, let's open the box we got as a Faction War reward."

Thanks to the Temple of the Subterranean Race, he had gathered more than enough B-rank magic stones. It was time for the original Balak to ascend. But first, Taehyun used the B-rank Random Reward Box he had obtained.

[You have opened the B-rank Random Reward Box.]

[You have obtained a B-rank Combat Maid Outfit from the B-rank Random Reward Box.]

Inside the box he had opened with some anticipation was a stylish outfit: a black one-piece dress, a white lace-trimmed apron, and a neckline that revealed the collarbones. It was a maid outfit—the fantasy of all men. And a combat one at that.

Taehyun blankly held it up. Riel, standing beside him, tilted her head slightly, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"If… if that is what you desire, Master Taehyun, I could try it on…"

"I haven't said anything yet."

Her high favorability made her eager to serve him in any way possible. Taehyun sighed and checked the item's information.

[Combat Maid Outfit]

[Rank: B]

[Restrictions: Level 50 or higher, Archer or Scout type classes]

[Description: A Unique-grade combat maid outfit. Focusing on ease of movement, it increases movement and reaction speed when worn. It also increases the damage of ranged attacks.]

'A Unique-grade piece of equipment,' he thought. 'And with stats perfectly suited for an archer. But as for a soldier who could wear this…'

Mederia from the second Balak immediately came to mind. Among his current B-rank archers, she was the most fitting candidate.

His mind made up, Taehyun stood.

"Hm. For now, it would be best to give this to a centaur."

"Master Taehyun, you know that's impossible, don't you?" Riel deadpanned.

"…I was just kidding. Call Mederia."

"Understood."

Riel contacted Kinjo. While waiting, Taehyun intended to begin the upgrade to A-rank. Just then, Mederia appeared in the Master Room. She calmed her ragged breathing and bowed her head.

"I-I'm sorry for being late."

"Weren't you dealing with a raid party?" Taehyun asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you just ignored them and came here?"

"I took care of them in an instant," she replied quickly. "For what reason did you summon me? Actually, it doesn't matter if you called me for no reason at all…"

Her complexion was pale, a clear sign of how many magic bullets she must have been firing. Taehyun sighed and handed her the combat maid outfit. Mederia tilted her head for a moment before accepting the clothes.

"What's this?"

"I called you because I got a piece of archer equipment that's perfect for you. From now on, this is what you'll be wearing."

"Thank you, Master Taehyun! To do all this for me…"

"No, it just came out of a reward box…"

"I'll go try it on!" she exclaimed, her face beaming.

She hurried out of the Master Room, presumably to change. Taehyun sighed and was about to sit down again when Mederia returned, now wearing the maid outfit.

"H-how do I look, Master Taehyun?"

"It suits you very well. How does it feel when you move?"

"Uhm… for something that looks so cumbersome, it fits my body perfectly. It's become much easier to move. Though," she added, blushing as she covered the part of her chest exposed below her collarbones, "it is a slightly… embarrassing outfit."

"It does suit you well, doesn't it, Master Taehyun?" Riel remarked, her voice deceptively sweet.

"Why are you glaring at me? All I did was hand it to her."

"Did I say anything?" Riel asked innocently. "Let's just take the magic stones to the room with the crystal sphere."

She was already taking the lead, marching ahead.

---

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