episode_0468

“If there were stocks here, I would have invested in construction right away. It’s a shame.”

With the number of buildings to be constructed not just a few, the construction sector is expected to thrive for the time being.

However, where there is light, there is also shadow.

The problem this time was once again food supplies.

We might have to release combat rations again.

The prices had already risen due to the increased demand from the locust monsters, and they were soaring even higher due to the anomalies.

The combat rations, priced at the original level, were still selling well, adding to the sense of crisis.

“The situation is already bad, and now even the price has become cost-effective.”

Normally, to make a profit, a typical leader would have raised the price of combat rations, but I had prevented that from happening.

“Since crises keep coming like this in the future, I wanted to say to be well prepared, not to give up. It’s not about giving up.”

Saving the world is not something I can do alone.

So, gathering everyone’s opinions is important.

“With this incident, people will realize that leaving the contaminated areas alone is not safe. Mona Hwangtae said that she will actively push for the eradication of contaminated areas in the military.”

The anomaly story was a perfect event to awaken the minds of those deeply immersed in peace.

Originally, in the main scenario, characters would go around in circles, raising children and advancing the story, but I planned to use this scenario very effectively to stimulate people’s sense of crisis.

“It was nice to explore various maps, but I don’t have the luxury to do that in reality.”

I planned to proceed in a way that would not go to places where there could be problems if the children did not go, and places where great profits could be made if they did go.

And to do this, Talia’s cooperation was more necessary than anything else.

※ ※ ※

“Could you tell me more about your abilities?”

“Yes, of course.”

When I went outside and brought back bad news, the nobles seemed more clueless than I expected about the difficulty of breaking through.

“I can use abilities related to water and wind, and I have been working on tasks where I sprinkle water in areas where it doesn’t rain after receiving requests.”

“You are doing a great job.”

Just because someone can handle water doesn’t mean they can make it rain.

It was not easy to generously sprinkle rain that would be helpful for farming.

“What about others?”

After carefully memorizing the ability of the nobleman who could make it rain, I listened to the explanation of the next noble’s ability.

Most abilities were familiar and popular rather than unique.

“Do you all hope to take risks and escape outside? There are no disadvantages to leaving.”

“No one would want to stay. Everyone is fed up with living here. They all want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“That’s right.”

Even though all the nobles mentioned taking risks, they did not change their minds.

So, there was only one thing I had to do.

Do my best to help them leave.

“It also includes keeping an eye on them closely from nearby.”

There was no one who stood out clearly yet.

If the anomalies were artificially created, there was a possibility that one of the nobles gathered here could be the culprit.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe that a person had created such a storm, but as long as I speculated that the cause was inside the shelter, I needed to suspect anything and everything.

“If one of them is the culprit, would it be beneficial to let them out?”

It was necessary to do something rather than doing nothing and bring about some change.

I had to prevent time from passing meaninglessly like this.

“I honestly didn’t expect you to help me this much. I was worried for no reason.”

As the meeting related to the escape was coming to an end, the nobleman expressed his gratitude for unexpectedly helping me.

“I just did what I had to do.”

“Haha! It’s reassuring to have a junior like you who works so hard for the country.”

“Well, I’m worried because the country is in chaos. Wasn’t it peaceful during our time? That’s why it’s right for someone qualified to be in an important position…”

“Oh, don’t be reckless. Let’s talk about that only among ourselves.”

After Princess Mona ascended to the throne, strange phenomena began to occur in the empire.

But it was wrong to blame Princess Mona for it.

“Do you really think that the current situation is all because Princess Mona ascended to the throne? Until she ascended, the empire was peaceful.”

“Hmm, let’s stop here. This friend is sensitive, so please understand. In this environment, emotions can be unpredictable.”

“If we safely leave this place, I hope you will be grateful to Princess Mona. The reason I am here is all because of her orders.”

“Hahaha! Of course, that’s how it should be.”

The nobleman felt uncomfortable about becoming burdened with an awkward relationship while still needing my help, so he tried to end the situation on a good note.

I also had something to gain from them, so I suppressed my discomfort.

‘Princess Mona ascending to the throne among the royal family would be a great blessing for the empire, but judging based on just the present situation is short-sighted.’

At least that man didn’t seem like someone who would plot such a sinister scheme.

***

As the days passed, the typhoon became more ferocious, and we had to finish our preparations as soon as possible. The nobles wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Everything fell into place, and the plan to escape through the typhoon progressed quickly.

“Have all the luggage been moved?”

“Yes.”

The commoners who had been staying on the first floor eventually moved to the second floor as the water rose up to their knees.

The already difficult and exhausting shelter life became even more uncomfortable as the space narrowed, and everyone showed signs of fatigue.

“As I mentioned earlier, today we will assist the nobles on the third floor in their escape.”

“Yes. But you’re not really going, are you?”

The upper-level officials and commoners, who realized that the cramped environment was much more uncomfortable than they had expected, did not strongly oppose the idea of the nobles leaving.

Some even welcomed the idea of being able to live more comfortably on the first floor again once the nobles left, as the third floor would be completely empty.

However, the idea of all the nobles leaving made the remaining people anxious.

So when I assured them that I would return, they finally felt relieved.

Of course, some still doubted and were suspicious.

“They’re not coming back.”

“We’re all going to die….”

“Hey, shut up, you guys!”

“It’s okay. At least within two days, they will be back. I came here in the first place to investigate and solve the cause of the strange phenomena. I have no intention of leaving until this place returns to normal.”

“Even if you say that, will anyone really believe it?”

“We have to believe it, what else can we do.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll be off.”

“Safe travels.”

The nobles had already boarded the ship with their luggage.

“Can’t we just not go at all?”

“I can do it, but for now, I plan to conserve my strength. Just endure this much. After all, you didn’t come prepared for everything to be easy, did you?”

“Ugh, getting hit by rain hurts the skin. Ptuh!”

As soon as I open my mouth to speak, rain enters my mouth.

The raindrops falling heavily sound louder and more painful than what the eyes can see, and I know this best.

I have always wandered and harmed in that rain.

Complaining about a little pain like this will never lead to escape.

“It will get heavier, and it will pour so much that you won’t be able to keep your eyes open. If you want to escape, you must endure this much.”

“Alright, I understand.”

The noble who complained about the pain of the rain clears his throat in response to the warning.

“The outside will be much harsher and more shocking than you anticipate.”

“We are prepared for anything, so you don’t need to worry.”

The noble’s sharp response to my question about whether I will be okay seemed to hurt his pride.

Feeling like I can’t do anything more than nag, I decided to keep my words to a minimum.

“Now, we will move. Hold on tight and make sure your weight doesn’t shift too much to one side.”

After giving the instructions, I skillfully steered the boat, moving it.

Squelch, squelch.

Splash-

Sometimes, the boat would hit objects floating down the river, but I skillfully avoided the larger ones that could cause trouble.

The journey would be long, but in this situation, losing the boat would be a big problem, so I had to act carefully.

“You’ve been around the waterways a lot, but you handle the boat really well.”

“It’s not just about handling the boat well, but also about going against the current. It’s much harder than it looks.”

“Can’t you see my muscles flexing?”

The nobles were not just resting inside the boat.

A noble with the ability to enhance strength was providing great help in navigating the currents.

“Yes, that’s right. Your strength makes it much easier.”

“Oh, I didn’t come out for a while, so I didn’t know the whole city had turned into a ghost den… Ugh! Pfft!”

“Hehehe! Don’t open your mouth wide. As you can see, everything is flying around in the wind.”

The other nobles had been shielding their faces with cloth-like material since earlier.