The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 114

When I first came to this world, the thing that shocked me the most was the existence of monsters.

Of course, AWS is a game set in a medieval fantasy world, so I knew that monsters existed.

However, knowing about them and actually seeing and experiencing them firsthand are vastly different.

To give an example:

Everyone knows about killer whales.

People know what they look like, and most are aware that they are often referred to as “Killer Whales” in English, given their status as gangsters of the sea.

And anyone with a bit of interest in killer whales knows that, apart from those that have suffered extreme stress in places like SeaWorld, there are no documented cases of wild killer whales deliberately attacking humans. (There’s even a case where one mistakenly bit a person thinking it was a seal, but spat them out after realizing it was a human.)

So, most people like killer whales.

Though they are ruthless predators, terrifying sea creatures, they are oddly gentle toward humans.

But what if you suddenly encounter a killer whale in the middle of the ocean without any warning?

An ordinary person would freeze up in fear.

Even though they know that killer whales don’t attack humans and are generally friendly, the fear would still be overwhelming.

That was how I felt when I first encountered a monster.

Except these things weren’t killer whales.

They were openly hostile to humans, and if they bit you, they wouldn’t hesitate to eat you.

Among these monsters were about ten kobolds — two-legged, hunched-over dog-like creatures.

They surrounded me on a quiet field by a winter forest, brandishing rusty spears and clubs studded with pieces of iron.

If a pack of wild dogs growled at you in the countryside, with houses just a few hundred meters away, you’d think you were in serious trouble.

But imagine that instead of houses, there was nothing but an empty field, and the dogs walking on two legs were glaring at you with glowing red eyes, their mouths frothing with saliva and steam billowing out in the cold air.

At the time, I had already killed dozens of robbers and criminals and had somewhat adapted to this world, yet I still felt a chill down my spine.

I did win that fight, though.

My shoulders, neck, and calves were bitten, and I had stab and slash wounds all over my body, but I killed eight kobolds and drove the rest away.

However, there was no thrill of victory.

I sat, panting heavily, leaning against a rock, trembling from the sheer terror of what I had just faced.

I realized then that I had seriously underestimated the fearsome nature of monsters.

If it had been a group of robbers or bandits, it might have been easier.

Robbers or bandits might be bigger, heavier, and more skilled fighters than kobolds, but at least they were human.

Monsters, however, were different.

Facing a hostile, unfamiliar creature you only “know” about in your head stirs up a far greater psychological challenge and a host of unpredictable factors.

And it wasn’t just me.

Most humans in this world felt the same way.

Except for mercenaries who had a lot of experience dealing with monsters, even the common soldiers stationed in castles or towns were afraid of them.

Some knights, especially those from high-ranking noble families, found it more difficult to fight monsters than humans.

After all, they rarely encountered monsters.

However, during the Dark Dragon War, when monsters flooded the world, almost anyone who wielded a sword eventually stopped fearing them.

They had seen and dealt with monsters so much that they became familiar with them, surpassing the level of merely “knowing” about them in their minds.

About 70 years ago, the people of this world overcame the primal fear of monsters through bitter experience.

As a result, they were able to drive back the monsters, and in turn, monsters began to fear humans, especially those wielding swords.

And then time passed.

As the years went by, monsters once again grew in numbers, just as they had before.

Of course, most monsters, out of fear of the “sword-wielders,” lived deep in forests or remote mountains, so ordinary people wouldn’t encounter them unless they lived near those areas or traveled far without proper protection.

And that meant that the primal fear of monsters, which had been overcome during the Dark Dragon War, was slowly but surely being imprinted on humans again over the course of 70 years, though few noticed.

Then, suddenly, monsters all over the world began multiplying by several folds.

“Isn’t it just small types of monsters like goblins, gnolls, and kobolds that have increased?”

“With double their numbers, we could probably handle it by hiring a large number of mercenaries along with our knights and soldiers.”

The initial shock and surprise from reading the report had subsided, and the merchants of Yazan and the stagnant powers of Souden were now casually discussing the situation.

Si-on, who had already anticipated this development, watched them calmly.

The people gathered here were all individuals born and raised holding wealth and power in the cities of Yazan and Souden.

The only monsters they had ever seen were those that had already been hunted or their remains.

They had never faced a monster that attacked humans with murderous intent.

That’s why they were making such naive comments.

“Then.”

At Si-on’s low, smooth voice, everyone fell silent and turned their attention to him.

“There is nothing more to discuss with you. You may return home after hearing the results of my negotiations with Yonas Hender and Mine Master Sminov.”

“……”

The merchants and stagnant powers exchanged glances but no one stood up.

They held wealth and power.

But if asked whether their wealth and power were absolute, they would answer “no.”

The merchants of Yazan, who had grown through trade and commerce, knew that there were kings, sultans, and great nobles who possessed even greater wealth than them, and the stagnant powers of Souden were, in the end, just vassals of the Garen Count’s family.

Moreover, they could not disregard the words of Si-on, who not only held the Hexagonal Seal and the key to Zaitz Garen’s vulnerabilities but was also treated with utmost respect by a member of the Oblas royal family.

At that moment, the only person who had remained silent, focusing solely on Si-on throughout the discussion, finally spoke up.

“Lord Salen, I have a proposal for you.”

The person who had dealt with Si-on firsthand, Belin, nervously continued, her voice laced with both reverence and fear.

“Our Spio Merchant Group would like to request an unlimited supply of mid-tier and above armaments produced in the Si-on Duchy, regardless of type. Of course, this excludes any quantity the Duchy itself requires.”

“……!?”

The merchants of Yazan widened their eyes in shock.

An unlimited supply request.

This wasn’t just a commitment to buy whatever was produced.

It also included a time frame.

If the producer continued to make armaments for ten years, the buyer would be obligated to purchase them for the entire duration.

In other words, the merchant group could potentially go bankrupt.

“What about the price?”

Though Belin’s shoulders trembled slightly at the nightmare of another prior deal, she mustered the courage to answer, having overcome her trauma.

“We can offer up to 20% more than the price negotiated with the Mine Master of Cheolsan. No, I’ll make sure to secure this once I return to the main house.”

The other merchants in the room, especially those from Yazan, were even more astonished.

Belin had just declared that she would break the upper price limit set by the Spio Merchant Group herself.

These merchants, who had sharp minds when it came to money, quickly made their judgment.

For Belin to push this far, there had to be a very good reason.

“We too…”

“Our merchant group as well…”

“I will provide an unlimited supply of short swords, short spears, battle axes, Norden helmets, and 32-layer gambesons for a year. As for long swords, shields, longbows, chain mail, and brigandines, we’ll supply up to 100 units per month.”

“Th-thank you!”

Belin could hardly hide her delight and bowed her head at the unexpected bonus.

Unlike the other merchants present, she knew.

She knew that the “mid-tier” equipment Si-on had just mentioned was used by the Si-on Duchy’s guards.

Although they didn’t include any monster materials, they were crafted by the Cheolsan Dwarves and classified as premium equipment used by top-tier mercenaries outside the Si-on Duchy.

In other words:

‘These are the items that will sell the most once the monster crisis hits!’

No matter how much trouble monsters caused, the small estates and second- and third-rate mercenaries couldn’t afford to buy expensive equipment made from monster materials.

In the end, weapons and armor made from monster materials would be used first by the military forces of wealthy royals or nobles, or by the best current mercenaries and knights.

In other words, the former would sell tens of thousands of 100-dien items, while the latter would sell a few hundred 1,000-dien items.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which would generate more profit.

Belin had hit the jackpot.

But the Yazan merchants, who were only focused on high-end equipment made from monster materials, had no idea why Belin was so pleased.

They were only slightly disappointed that their attempt to dip their toes into a potential moneymaker had failed.

At that point, the ancient monster decided to confirm for the merchants that what they missed wasn’t a sour grape, but rather an incredibly sweet, ripe green grape.

“The mid-tier general armaments that Spio Merchant Group’s representative Belin just requested are used by the guards of our Duchy. And you may not know this.”

“……?”

“Wherever you go in the Kingdom of Obla, you won’t find a mercenary group better equipped than our Duchy’s guards. Even less so in Yazan or the Kingdom of Guslander.”

“Haah!”

“Ugh!?”

The collective gasp of the merchants echoed through the room as the foxes, now aware of the existence of the green grape, let out sighs of disbelief, while the fox who had already snatched the ripe grape grinned slyly.

‘It’s fine. It’ll still be worthless.’

‘High-end equipment made from monster materials is still the best. I can still push that dwarven blowhard a bit more, so I didn’t lose out.’

“Haha! Congratulations, Belin. You’ll be able to recover some of the losses you suffered in Rozin.”

“Of course. The Spio Merchant Group still needs to survive.”

Haha…

Suppressing their urge to cry blood, the foxes feigned nonchalance.

“Now then.”

Si-on looked around at the Yazan merchants and the stagnant powers of Souden, who were still repeating “sour grapes… sour grapes…” to themselves in their heads.

“Is there anyone who would like to purchase the surplus long swords, shields, longbows, chain mail, and brigandines? These are…”

As if realizing something, Si-on narrowed his eyes and gave the sour grape foxes a meaningful smile.

“These are the same specifications used by the Duchy’s knights, famous for their monster-hunting prowess, the Elf Rangers, and the division that pulled off that job in Flandre.”

Bam!

Hands adorned with bracelets and rings shot up on both sides of the table at the speed of light.

One side wanted to secure the equipment with proven performance to sell, while the other wanted to obtain the gear that had been mistaken for “magic” after it had annihilated their troops.

The foxes finally stopped pretending they were fine and laid themselves bare before the green grapes.

And three days later, they realized that they had made one of the best decisions of their lives.

“Monsters attacked Portna, killing hundreds of residents and burning down half the farmland!”

“Three counties in the Count’s territory were attacked by monsters, forcing the Count to issue a full-scale military mobilization order! The damage is incalculable!”

The news came from Yazan and Souden via express boats.