God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 102: Episode 20 _ The Sin of Loving More(5)

8.

Han Simin, who had spent the night laughing and teasing Kang Yeseul in reality without logging into the game for the first time in a while, lay down in the capsule.

It was an unexpected gain for Han Simin, who had intended to buy gold since he called them anyway, rest his body, and browse the FW community!

“She’s really a handful, that friend.”

Even so, when he recalled that memory, he couldn’t help but shake his head.

He knew she was an open-minded kid, but to think she would actually carry out such a penalty!

In this dangerous world!

He felt the Specialists’ trust in him anew.

Should he call it touching?

In reality, it was just Kang Yeseul falling into her own trap while scheming for some daily fun.

Cherishing the video on his phone, he logged in to the game.

The shaking vision and changing scenery.

“Wow.”

If buying a home was the dream in reality, the construction site where he was realizing the dream of buying a castle in the game appeared!

It looked like money was pouring out every hour, but he tried to ignore it and comforted himself.

“My lord, you have arrived.”

“Oh. Mr. aide. You’re working hard.”

“Not at all. It is only because of you, my lord, that we can be this busy. Haha.”

“Hahaha. That is true.”

Since the development of the territory was heartwarming, the conversation between the two was also heartwarming!

At least for now, since the path they were running towards was the same, there was no friction.

However, Han Simin did not forget that eventually, the direction the aide wanted for the territory and his own ideal were different.

“Mr. aide, is the territory revenue coming in well?”

“Of course, my lord. There are many visiting adventurers, and many have settled down completely. Moreover, since we are essentially exploiting the adventurers for most of the construction costs, the actual remaining profit is quite substantial.”

“Ho-oh.”

’Huh?’

Han Simin, who had probed with that thought, showed interest in the Aide’s words, which were unexpectedly very similar to his own ideology.

’When was this pig like this?’

“Adventurers are just dogs and pigs who only know about leveling up and completing quests anyway. Just soothe them appropriately, praise them, and milk them dry as much as you can.”

“Do not worry, sir. I am truly glad that your thoughts and mine align.”

’Was I wrong? Was he hiding his true nature all along?’

A gentle smile and a bulk that induced carelessness!

’So that was it. I was deceived.’

He knew the aide cared for the territory, but to think their ideologies were this similar!

“I feel the same way. To think there is someone like you, Mr. aide. It’s truly reassuring. Haha!”

“Hahaha! Please take good care of me!”

’This is too satisfying!’

Han Simin beamed and held out his hand.

The aide grasped it.

Throughout raising the territory, he had always worried that the damn aide would ruin it or betray him!

To see this side of him.

Of course, Han Simin himself acknowledged that the aide was a type of human who couldn’t be trusted at all, but he could be certain of one thing: as long as he could achieve his goal, he wouldn’t betray him until the end.

And Han Simin was prepared to find his own utopia while achieving the aide’s goal.

“Our territory will become the best territory on the continent.”

“I will trust only you, my lord.”

One who wants the revival of the territory, and one who wants money to be generated from that revival!

A heartwarming meeting confirming each other’s sincerity belatedly!

“By the way, do we have any spare funds?”

“I apologize, my lord. We ordered additional materials for the watchtower installation this time, so...”

“Ah. Yes.”

Even so, nothing changed.

Han Simin was still the one watering the plant, and there was no hole for money to come out of the investment yet.

Han Simin, who became sullen in an instant, moved his steps.

Nobles riding fancy carriages were arriving at the territory one by one.

* * *

Morning office hours.

The Emperor was receiving a report.

“The auction for Viscount Simin’s leather armor is scheduled to be held today in the Rich Territory.”

“Hmm. Is that today?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Documents piled up like a mountain.

Countless problems to solve.

As the master of the Empire and the master of the continent, not only the Empire’s affairs but all important political situations of the continent flowed to the Emperor.

Even though they were filtered and filtered again so that only the content the Emperor absolutely needed to hear came up, it still lasted from morning until lunch!

Naturally, the ability to maintain neutrality and judge quickly had to be cultivated.

In the midst of that, the Emperor showed interest.

A scene showing how much interest he had in Han Simin.

“That leather armor, did you say it was Mythic grade?”

“Yes, that is correct. Your Majesty.”

“How much is the defense?”

“In the Knight Tournament, it blocked a sword imbued with the Royal Knight Captain’s aura, but in reality, the influence of the armor taken from Your Majesty’s treasury seems greater, and strictly speaking, it is judged not to be to that extent.”

“Hmm.”

“We can only know by testing it directly. Your Majesty.”

Still, it was Mythic-grade equipment handed down only in legends.

Even if it was made of wolf leather, if it contained the blessing of a god, it was bound to transcend limits.

The Emperor, who had been solving other tasks while listening to the story, clasped his hands, rested his chin on them, and fell into thought.

“Is the princess coming of age soon?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll need a gift for the coming-of-age ceremony.”

And using the princess as an excuse, he wore an intrigued smile.

“Giving her something I already have would lower its value since it’s practically hers anyway. If it’s a Mythic-grade armor, the only one on the continent, it would be perfect as a coming-of-age gift for the princess who will rule the continent.”

“I will prepare it, Your Majesty.”

“Contact the Magic Tower. I will go personally.”

“...Yes, Your Majesty.”

As soon as he made the decision, the Emperor stood up from his seat.

The documents were still piled up like a mountain, but for him, who ruled the continent, there was no such thing as compulsion!

If the matter wasn’t resolved quickly, it wouldn’t be the Emperor waiting—it would be his subordinates suffering the consequences.

The attendant followed, barely concealing his shock.

’To think he would move this impulsively.’

Aside from the days when he was conquering the continent, the attendant had never seen the Emperor display such drive.

’Is he truly the son-in-law who stole His Majesty’s heart?’

At the same time, rumors that the princess was sparing no effort day and night on her appearance, as well as her swordsmanship, were also linked to Han Simin.

It was the auction hosted by the son-in-law who had garnered the intense interest of both the Emperor and the princess!

A teleportation magic circle, which would not normally be active unless it was a wartime situation, opened toward that very place.

9.

The overwhelming presence Han Simin displayed at the Knight Tournament had been imprinted in the minds of the nobles. Even though nearly a month had passed, many nobles personally traveled all the way to the distant Rich Territory.

Some had to return immediately after the Knight Tournament without even a chance to reorganize in their own kingdoms, so that chaotic atmosphere flowed directly into the territory.

Of course, that was only for a moment.

"Oh my. Welcome. I will guide you this way. A lodging fitting for a noble has just been completed in our territory. It is luxurious yet affordable..."

"What? Affordable? What do you take me for?"

"However, the territory’s highest-grade hotel is, after all, a place for extravagance, so..."

"Ahem! Do you want to die? Do you know who I am? Do I look like I have no money!"

"Oh my. I apologize. I will escort you immediately."

Thanks to the aide, who was confident he could lose even his thick belly fat if it were for the good of the territory, the nobles began to settle in and find the leisure to look around.

The adventurers they naturally encountered watched this spectacle with fascination.

"Wow. So those people are nobles."

"Even in the kingdom’s capital, they were always inside carriages, so it was hard to see them."

"I’m envious. If you become a noble, you make a lot of money, right?"

"I heard they’re staying at the Rich Hotel. The prices there are so high even Warren Buffett would say it’s expensive."

"I need to level up quickly."

Conversely, the nobles didn’t even make eye contact with the players.

"Perhaps because the lord is an adventurer, there are many adventurers here."

"As expected, the lowly slave mentality cannot keep up with adventurers."

"Should I take a few back to our territory?"

As time passed and the promised auction time approached, everyone arrived at the newly built auction house.

"Greetings!"

Han Simin appeared.

He was wearing nothing but today’s auction item: the Leather Armor Set.

* * *

’Why is he wearing it?’

As everyone held that question, Han Simin broke the silence.

"Everyone must be curious as to why I am wearing the item I intend to sell, dirtying it in the process."

The audience watched in silence.

"However, there is a problem that needs to be solved, so I inevitably came out wearing it."

Silence filled the room.

His words pierced the nobles’ intentions. Expectation and interest formed among the audience.

"Everyone must have thought about it. You must have seen it. I definitely blocked a knight’s sword and was fine, but you suspected that the Leather Armor Set wasn’t the only thing I was wearing back then. Yes. That is correct. At that time, I definitely wore armor of a similar level underneath the Leather Armor Set."

Gasps echoed through the hall.

And then, the confession flowed out.

The nobles murmured.

They had roughly guessed it, but they hadn’t expected to hear it admitted so openly. What scammer in the world confesses to a con, then boldly declares he will sell the very item used in the deception?

Suspecting a lie and living while being deceived is vastly different from buying an item while knowing the truth.

"Ah. Please, everyone, sit down for a moment. I haven’t finished speaking yet."

Han Simin spoke leisurely, watching a few nobles who were about to rise from their seats.

Of course, some nobles left without listening to his words. But most seemed to have decided to hear him out until the end.

Because they were curious.

’Why would he say such a thing?’

"Ahem. It seems those who were going to leave have left. Then I will finish my story."

Although a few had departed, Han Simin remained relaxed. That composure only fueled the nobles’ interest further.

Was there an advantage great enough to justify revealing his own weakness?

"At that time, it wasn’t one hundred percent the efficacy of the Leather Armor Set that blocked the knight’s attack. I admit that. However, to survive a frontal attack from a sword imbued with the aura of a knight commander of a kingdom—and a thrust to the heart at that—I had no choice but to wear other armor as a safety precaution."

The audience listened intently.

"Honestly, if you buy this, you aren’t going to wear only this without anything underneath, are you?"

Silence answered him.

’That’s true.’

At the strangely persuasive words, the nobles nodded unwittingly.

None of them had come to buy without a plan. They had thought about how they would use it, and most planned to wear it underneath their magnificent plate armor.

Then, would it really be any different?

For the nobles who didn’t know it was a Special-grade armor set taken from the Emperor’s private treasury, the established theory was that the defense of the armor worn on top was much higher.

So their anger subsided.

’It doesn’t matter, does it?’

"Still, I have prepared something for those who might feel uneasy."

As the atmosphere settled, Han Simin delivered the final blow.

The thick curtains covering the back of the stage rose, revealing a massive iron cage.

And inside it, a single trapped monster.

"Everyone. Say hello. This is the Level 90 monster, Diglet."

The crowd gasped.

"From now on, I will personally prove that I can remain unharmed after being hit by this guy. Wearing nothing else. Wearing only the Leather Armor Set."

Han Simin shouted heroically and walked straight into the cage.

As the human who had oppressed him appeared, the mole let out a shriek and swung its fist.

THUD!

The fist that struck his chest created a dull sound that echoed through the auction house.

* * *