LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 70
An item from an SSR grade reward box.
It was... a short staff.
Too short to be a regular magical staff, almost as if... a miniature baton wielded by an orchestra conductor.
’Could it be?’
I cautiously held the staff in my hand, examining its stats.
[Maestro(SSR) Lv.35]
- Category: Staff
- Attack Power: 35-50
- Durability: 10/10
- Direct attacks with this staff inflict fixed damage of 1% of the target’s current HP, and randomly apply a buff.
《"Start the performance!" - Some cruel conductor》
“It’s the real ‘Maestro’...!”
Whirling the staff in my hand, I whistled in awe.
SSR grade exclusive weapons came with all sorts of unique stats and performances, and among them, this staff had quite peculiar abilities.
The base ability was the creation of magic blades. It generated multiple magic blades in thin air and allowed me to throw them at will.
There was also an unstated feature - the attribute of the generated magic blades differed from character to character.
If Lilly used this staff, she would produce blades of flame, and if Jupiter used it, she would conjure blades of lightning.
Since I had no magic attribute, my blades would be attribute-less.
Regardless, as long as I had enough MP, it was a great staff that enabled potent mid-range attacks.
Even though I wasn’t a magician, I could fight as if I were.
’But the most unique aspect of this weapon is the buff applied through attacks.’
When you hit directly with the staff, it not only inflicted fixed damage but also granted a fairly high-performance buff.
In the game, when it was the turn of the character equipped with this, they’d take a swing at their allies.
Sure, 1% of current HP did sting a bit, but the returned buff was much more significant.
’...Wait, so do I now have to hit my party members with this?’
An image momentarily flashed in my mind.
A scene where I am smacking each of my party members with the small staff in my hand...
’In the game, there were no repercussions for hitting an ally. But this is very much real.’
There would be definite backlash if I suddenly started hitting the kids with a staff. It could even ruin the trust I had built with them.
’How can I convince them and still hit them with the staff...?’
I stared down at the short staff in my hand, immersed in deep thought.
’Spank them when they’ve done wrong? Hit their palms? Make them prostrate themselves? ...No, can I really do that?’
Corporal punishment was out of the question due to our relationship, so spanking as a punishment wasn’t an option either.
’What could be a way to hit them with the staff that everyone would agree with?’
...And so, a strange night of pondering went by.
***
The next day. Morning.
[Stage 4]
- Time until the start: 10 days
With just ten days left before the next stage started, I made my way into town. The first order of business was to find the heads of the stonecutters and the carpenters’ guilds.
“Ah, the Margrave!”
“Has the Margrave arrived?”
The two men, who had been working together at a joint workshop, politely bowed as they saw me. I approached them, made quick pleasantries, and cut straight to the chase.
“We are to begin restoring the frontline base.”
“...!”
“The frontline base... you say?”
A hint of tension washed over the faces of the two guildmasters. I nodded solemnly.
The Frontline Base.
It was the wooden fort built right in front of the southern Black Lake, the very place where we fought the black spiders in the tutorial stage. The damage from that stage was so severe that it was currently left abandoned.
But now, it was time to start the renovation work.
“I don’t need to tell you both how vital the frontline base is.”
The two guildmasters nodded silently.
It was a defensive line built right in front of the lake from where monsters crawled out. If we could properly manage this frontline base, it would significantly reduce the number of monsters invading the city of Crossroad. It could potentially thwart any pincer movements the monstrous horde might plan as well. The problem, as always, was the maintenance.
It would bear the brunt of the first wave of the enemy, right at the front line. If it were to fall, all the stationed troops would likely perish.
“The monster invasions are becoming increasingly aggressive. Not just operating the frontline base, but even the restoration work poses a substantial risk,” I said, looking intently at the tense faces of the two guildmasters.
“However, for future monster frontline defenses, it is an essential task that we must undertake.”
“Yes...”
“We understand.”
“The frontline base is far. Moreover, work can only be conducted between defense battles, which means this will be a long-term project. Start the restoration slowly but surely.”
I pointed to the piles of timber and stone stacked next to the workshop.
“First, we need to secure and transport the materials. I will, of course, provide the necessary expenses for the materials and labor. You both need to identify what’s required for the restoration and submit the approvals to me.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“We will faithfully fulfill your trust.”
“This is a task for all of humanity. I count on you.”
I completed the payment for the restoration work right then and there.
After all, whether it’s machinery or human, a little lubricant helps get things moving.
***
Next, I headed to the smithy.
It was bustling with activity since morning. The moment I entered, the blacksmith guildmaster rushed over.
“Welcome, my lord! Are you here to check on the cannon mold we’re casting?”
“No, there’s no rush on that.”
The Black Queen was already completed a few days ago. I had no intention of rushing the remaining three pieces.
"I came today because of the equipment disassembly."
I gestured to Lucas, standing behind me. Lucas piled equipment onto the workbench.
It was a collection of damaged equipment from before.
An SSR-grade cavalry spear and shield of Evangeline that I had smashed... by mistake.
And also, an SSR-grade cavalry spear and shield of Evangeline’s from the last battle that got ruined.
Together, four pieces of SSR-grade equipment were damaged.
It was fortunate that no one had died, but with the loss of such high-grade items, it felt like a boiling stew in my gut.
Especially since two of them were broken due to my mistake!
"Could you extract magic cores from this equipment?"
Equipment disassembly involved melting the item to salvage the material components.
For intact equipment, there was about a 50 percent chance of recovering a magic core of the same grade. The problem was with damaged equipment.
Depending on the degree of damage, the probability of recovering a magic core sharply declined.
If lucky, one could recover the magic core completely, but usually, one only got little bits of other materials that went into making the equipment.
’Give me back the magic cores, please! Please!’
While I was pleading internally, I stood solemnly on the outside, befitting a lord.
The head of the blacksmith guild nodded with a grave face.
"I will do my best, Your Highness."
"I’ll be waiting for the results."
After watching the damaged equipment enter a large furnace, I left the blacksmith’s workshop.
Melting down the equipment and salvaging the materials would take a day or two.
’I hope to salvage at least one magic core...’
I boarded the carriage parked at the entrance of the blacksmith’s workshop, praying.
The last workshop I needed to visit was the Alchemist’s workshop.
***
"We’ve been researching the golem’s glove fragments you left with us last time."
The Alchemist’s workshop.
The guild master who had led me inside pointed to the interior of the workshop.
The alchemists were analyzing the golem glove fragments I had partially recovered during the last free exploration, and a large quantity obtained from this stage.
"There’s magic civilization technology from hundreds of years ago embedded in it. Once the analysis is finished, it will help increase the durability of our armor and walls."
In this way, upgrading on our side is possible through research, in the case of certain monster legions.
Golem glove fragments, in general, increase the tier of armor. It should be helpful.
"I also came today for the aqua artifacts."
I instructed while looking alternately at the guild master and Lilly.
"We need to reinforce the anti-air artifacts. Do we have any in stock?"
"Do you mean anti-air... to intercept enemies in the air?"
"That’s right."
In ’Protect the Empire,’ there are several laws regarding the appearance of monster legions.
One of them is that a flying monster appears at least once within every five stages.
For instance, at least once among stages 1~5, and at least once among stages 6~10. And so on.
"’One has to confront a flying monster at either Stage 4 or 5.’
If it appeared at Stage 4, then it was best to start preparing now.
If it appeared at Stage 5, things would become a bit more complicated.
Stages that are multiples of 5 functioned as boss stages, where the quantity and quality of the monster hordes were vastly superior.
If a flying monster showed up then, you had to be prepared anyway.
So, the aim was to begin stocking up on anti-air artifacts from now on.
“Sort out a list of all repairable artifacts that have anti-air capabilities.”
“Understood, Your Highness!”
The Alchemist Guildmaster and Lilly darted off towards the warehouse.
As the two of them were busy rummaging through the warehouse, I fell deep into thought.
’Fighting against flying monsters is quite different from conventional defenses.’
Land obstacles or barricades became meaningless, and the height of the walls also lost their effectiveness.
Even long-range sniping could not proceed smoothly.
In such circumstances, monsters rapidly approached from the sky and forced a melee battle.
In other words, a close-quarters combat was inevitable.
’The usual tactic of thinning the enemy ranks with long-range firepower is useless. We need to construct a solid and stable melee line.’
Thinking about the melee line gave me a headache, so I held my forehead.
I always said it, but we lacked manpower!
’If only we had one more decent sub-party...!’
It’s not that I haven’t recruited any additional characters.
However, they were all N grade, without any outstanding characteristics and at low levels.
They could be useful if nurtured, but they would never carry the same weight as the main party.
’Why are there so few useful ones?!’
The main party consisted of two SSR grade vanguards, an SR grade area mage, and a cheat sniper, a luxurious composition.
Starting from the sub-party, the talent pool had completely dried up. Even though Stage 4 was soon approaching, we were in a hurry.
’We need to recruit some good ones quickly...’
That’s when Lilly and the Alchemist Guildmaster returned to me.
"Here’s the list of repairable anti-air artifacts!"
"Let’s see."
I took the list and scanned through it.
"Hmm, good. This one, this one, and this last one... three. Prioritize their repair and position them on the walls."
"Understood! I’ll get to the repairs right away!"
As soon as I gave the order, Lilly disappeared into the workshop with the list.
Hey, you don’t have to worry that much, I won’t take you to dangerous places anymore...
Accepting the polite bow of the Alchemist Guildmaster, I exited the Alchemist workshop.
"Phew."
Beside me, who was taking a deep breath and loosening my collar, Lucas grinned.
"You’ve worked hard, my lord."
"Nah. I just walked around giving orders."
I grabbed the water bottle Lucas handed me and took a gulp. Lucas stretched his hand toward the carriage.
"Is your duty done? Let’s return to the mansion. You still need more rest."
"Anyone would think I was at death’s door, huh."
You’re the one playing the delicate flower, not me.
I handed the water bottle back to Lucas and nodded toward the city’s interior.
"We need to go one more place."
"Haven’t we already visited all the workshop facilities?"
"We have seen all the workshops. But there’s another place I need to check."
I offered a slight smile.
"I’m going to construct a new facility in the city. Today, I’ll meet the people who’ll be working there, and find a suitable location."
"What kind of facility? A new defensive installation? Or perhaps, a knight’s training facility for your exclusive legion?"
"No, it’s not related to defense."
Opening the system window and pulling up the city’s entire map, I searched for a suitable location with my eyes.
"I’m going to build a casino."
"...Pardon?"
With a tone that suggested he couldn’t understand, Lucas responded a beat later.
I repeated myself.
"A casino, Lucas. A casino. A place where nobles and tycoons can legally gamble."
"..."
"Specifically, I’m thinking of erecting a hotel with an attached casino. I wonder what would be a good location..."
Watching me with a stern face, Lucas gradually softened into a warm smile. What’s with him? Why is he looking at me like that?
"As expected, you are truly unique, my lord."
"Huh? Why?"
"You can’t get rid of your reckless tendencies, can’t forget the taste of gambling, and now you’re thinking of building a casino in this backwater town... I, Lucas, can only admire your consistency."
"I’m going to hit you, you bastard!"
I almost hit Lucas with the magic wand I recently acquired. I should apply a buff to make it sting more, the cheek of him!
"That’s not it, Lucas! Listen carefully! This is not for my amusement!"
I raised my index finger and declared earnestly.
"I plan to lure other hero characters with it!"
--TL Notes--
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