God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 50: Episode 10 _ Tell Me Your Wish (3)

The Emperor’s hidden instincts were about to surface. ’I want to screw this bastard over, no matter what!’

How could someone be so good at saying such infuriating things? It wasn’t something the Emperor, who had just tried to get away with a freebie wish, should be thinking. But seeing Simin so shamelessly demand every little detail, he had a feeling that if he just gave in, he’d be tormented for days by the feeling of defeat.

So he racked his brain. The Emperor, who had once conquered the continent, was now scheming to get back at a single, insignificant adventurer.

"I know of a territory that fits your description perfectly."

"Oh! As expected of my father-in-law. Thank you."

He didn’t need to think long. He was the master of the continent. With all the vast lands at his disposal, how could he not find one place that matched both Simin’s conditions and his own criteria? A confident smile spread across his lips. ’Let’s see you suffer there.’

"I shall appoint you as a Baron."

[A title has been created.]

[You have acquired the title ’Baron of the Empire.’]

[You have acquired the title ’First Time Being a Baron!’]

[You have acquired the title ’First Time Being a Noble!’]

[You can now own a territory.]

[You can now own soldiers.]

"A Viscount or a Count would have been nice, but..."

The Emperor grandly ignored the muttered comment. He wanted to see the look on that bastard’s face when he arrived at his new territory as soon as possible.

"You may go. I will have a courtier guide you."

"Yes, well, thank you. But is there really a territory that meets all my conditions?"

"I assure you, it is far better than you can imagine. Especially if you plan to run the territory for adventurers, there is no better place. It is a crossroads leading to four kingdoms, teeming with all sorts of monsters, and I hear it’s riddled with dungeons that even seasoned mercenaries are reluctant to approach these days. If you manage it well, you will be able to earn as much money as you desire."

It was the longest sentence he had spoken thus far. Simin was about to rejoice at the slick sales pitch but narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You’re not sending me to a place that’s a territory in name only, where I’ll have to develop everything from scratch, are you?"

"Absolutely not."

’Sharp bastard.’ The Emperor flinched inwardly but navigated the crisis smoothly. He did intend to screw him over, but he hadn’t given him a completely empty plot of land. Knowing Simin’s personality, he would have stormed back immediately and cursed him to his face. While the Emperor was high enough in station not to have to tolerate such insolence, he was certain he would collapse from a stroke the moment he heard the insults.

"If you are so curious, go and see for yourself."

"Yes, well, I know this must be upsetting for you, so I’ll take my leave."

"How gracious of you."

It was a battle of shamelessness versus bluntness. ’Is it because my level is low, or because I’m an adventurer? He doesn’t seem to like me.’ Blaming the cause on his background rather than himself, Simin turned away. He had no desire to stay here any longer either. He had gotten everything he could! It was time to set off in search of a new gold mine.

Just as he was checking if he’d forgotten anything, Simin stopped in his tracks.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, I think you forgot something."

His voice was filled with caution. Even for Han Simin, the epitome of shamelessness, he needed to be careful with this part. It concerned the Emperor’s daughter, after all.

"I may be a son-in-law in name only, but if I go around getting cursed at, it’ll just bring shame upon your name, won’t it? So, to prevent such a thing from happening, shouldn’t you give me something to prove that I am the Emperor’s son-in-law?"

’So you’re aware you do things that get you cursed at!’ The Emperor marveled at Simin’s multiple layers of charm. Simin, in turn, pulled a golden plaque from his magic pouch.

"In the Ain Kingdom, they gave me this and said I was the King’s proxy or something. Surely the Empire has more class than to give me something less valuable than pure gold, right?"

The subtle comparison and condescending gaze did the trick. The provoked Emperor reached into his robes, pulled out a similar-looking plaque, and tossed it to him.

Simin fumbled to catch it, then immediately began inspecting it with meticulous care. It was smooth and looked good at a glance, but one could never be too sure.

"What is this?"

"Solid mithril."

"What?!"

He was so shocked that he dropped the plaque. He quickly snatched the mithril plaque from mid-air, his mouth agape.

"Holy crap. Mithril? The stuff that’s fifteen times more expensive than pure gold by weight?"

"Mithril with 100% purity," the Emperor said smugly, "is ten times more expensive than such an impure comparison."

Even Han Simin was taken aback, his bravado momentarily failing him. ‘Wow... I knew he was rich, but this is on another level.’ So his friendly, neighborly vibe was just a facade?

A wide grin spread across his face. He considered checking the plaque’s stats, but since his level was too low to even start the second act of the main quest, it seemed pointless. For now, the mithril stamped with the Emperor’s seal would be more than enough.

"Well then, I’ll be on my way. You take care too, Your Highness. Bye!" She didn’t respond.

"Farewell," the Emperor said.

Peace returned to the once-bustling imperial palace. The Emperor leaned back on his throne, pressing his temples against a throbbing headache. "Hah. That adventurer had better be useful."

"I don’t think you need to worry, Father," the Princess said with a gentle smile. "Who else on this continent could possibly give you this much trouble?"

She gazed at the spot where Simin had disappeared, her eyes full of adoration. "Your Majesty, please assign me some attendants. I want to return to how I was before."

"Already? You can rest a while longer."

"No, I want to recover as quickly as possible so I can help him." She continued, "And I want to find the one who cast this curse."

"Very well," the Emperor agreed. A venomous look entered the Princess’s eyes—the instinct of one who shared the Emperor’s blood. The Imperial Palace, which had curtailed its public activities during the Princess’s affliction, was slowly preparing to stir back to life.

5.

With a light heart, Han Simin left the palace without a second thought and immediately departed from the capital. He might have looked like a jobless bum wandering from place to place, but in reality, he was busier than anyone. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

‘First, check the territory. Then, visit that Legendary Enhancement Master’s tomb. After that, it’s time to start making some real money.’

He hadn’t secured a lump sum, but he now had a performance-based income stream. It was the logical path to take. The work itself would be incredibly boring, his leveling would be slow, and it wouldn’t benefit him personally in the slightest, but so what?

‘As long as I make a lot of money, that’s all that matters.’

After all, money was the reason he’d started playing in the first place. He liked gaming, sure, but now that it was his profession, he couldn’t just do the fun stuff. He needed money to have fun anyway, and there were endless ways to relieve stress in the real world once he was rich.

Guided by an escort, he walked without rest. The territory was about a seven-day journey away. His request to have it located near the Ain Kingdom had been granted, making the travel time reasonable.

"Nice. I finally have my own land."

It was a dream he’d had since first setting foot in the Empire, a dream he never thought would come true. And yet, here he was. He hadn’t just become a building owner; he was now a nobleman with a vast territory. It was an unexpectedly huge windfall, but he didn’t panic. Instead, he slowly began to paint a picture in his mind.

‘It has to be an entertainment district.’

Minimum investment, maximum profit. A territory designed to fleece players exhausted from hunting and dungeon raids. High-class accommodations for those indulging in drink and women. What a beautiful design! He already felt like a millionaire.

"Heh heh."

Of course, he would need a lot to make it happen. Fortunately, Simin wasn’t the type to live on fantasy alone; he already had a more concrete plan taking shape.

—"Simin!"

He paused, confused. A voice shattered his concentration. He almost looked around before realizing it was the guild chat.

"What is it?" he replied.

—"Where are you?"

"Where do you think? I’m in Fantastic World."

—"...That’s not what I meant."

"Tsk, tsk. Yeseul, you’re getting old. Can’t even take a joke." He pictured her cute, pouting face and smirked. If he’d been busy, he would have hung up without another word, but at that moment, he was so bored he was considering making small talk with his escort. "I’m in the Empire right now. Why?"

—"I was just wondering when you’d be back."

"And what are you going to do when I get back?"

—"Aww, because I miss you, of course."

"I’m hanging up."

—"Wait! Ugh. Are you really going to be like this?"

‘You’ve still got a long way to go,’ he thought. ‘Your reactions are so predictable. You must have been teased relentlessly as a kid.’ He chuckled, and Kang Yeseul seemed to realize he was joking.

—"You’ll regret this, you know."

"Gasp! I’m sorry."

—"In case you forgot, I’m the only daughter of the Hanshin Group!"

"...Playing the silver spoon card? How cheap."

—"Hmph. That’s the kind of woman I am."

"Yes, yes."

—"Be nice to me, and money will be on your way! You get it?"

‘Get what? I can see plenty of ways to squeeze money out of you even if I’m not nice to you,’ he scoffed internally. "Seriously, what’s up?"

—"Seolah asked me to check when you’re coming back. We need you to power-level us so we can climb the ranks. We already dropped five spots because we didn’t hunt yesterday to meet you."

"Alright, alright. I’ll head over as soon as I’m done here, so keep hunting hard."

—"Okay. Come back soon."

Her nagging was only natural; he was their employee now, a fact cemented over drinks. He was just as eager to join them and start collecting his hourly wage.

"Let’s pick up the pace a little," he said to his guide.

"Yes, understood."

He decided to make a quick stop, take one look around the territory, and wrap up his business swiftly. ‘What’s there for me to do, anyway? I’ll just tell them my grand vision for the future and order them to get it done.’

He was counting his chickens before they hatched. An illusion that shattered the moment he arrived.

* * *

What was this? He was speechless at the breathtakingly awful sight before him.

"Wow."

This was a total shithole. Resentment toward the Emperor instantly bubbled up inside him. He had expected it to be bad, but this was just too much.

"This is the place," the guide announced.

"...I know."

"Here is a map detailing the territory’s location and its surroundings."

Noticing Simin’s expression, the guide quickly unfurled a large map, but there was no way Simin could focus on it. So what if it was close to the Ain Kingdom and bordered other nations? It was true that there were plenty of dungeons and high-level hunting grounds nearby, but... ’Shit!’ Why couldn’t he stop cursing?

"...He certainly gave me a vast expanse of land."

And the "land to be pioneered" he’d thrown in as a bonus wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind. The territory was practically an open house, welcoming humans, monsters, and every stray dog and cat that wandered by.

"Hah."

Simin realized he had been a bit of an ass. What goes around comes around, he supposed. He’d been too arrogant. Who was there to blame but himself?

"Damn it."

It felt like looking at a rural village in the 1960s, right after the war. There wasn’t a single trace of modern civilization to be found.

"Goodness! Our new lord. I heard you were coming!"

Just as he was lost in despair, a pig of a man came waddling over, a greasy, servile smile dripping from his face. His hands were poised as if ready to beg at a moment’s notice. A classic scenario immediately popped into Simin’s head.

‘Is this pig the bastard who’s been running my territory into the ground?’

He must have been threatening and exploiting the simple residents, running the place however he pleased in the lord’s absence. His layers of fat were proof, and his sly face guaranteed it. And that wasn’t all. The land he had imagined as a mighty fortress looked like it could be overrun by a dozen people armed with sickles and hoes.

Rage surged through him. "You son of a bitch."

How dare he do this to ’my’ territory? A furious kick flew in place of a greeting. There was no way the man’s sluggish body could dodge it.

"Ack!"

The pig went flying with a heavy thud. A wave of satisfaction washed over Simin. Right. All he had to do now was punish this villain, force him to repent, and set things right. But his hopeful thought was cut short by an unexpected twist.

"Oh no! Mr. Aide!"

"What’s going on?!"

"Who are you! Who do you think you are, kicking our advisor!"

Simin was confused.

One by one, the residents, drawn by the commotion, rushed to the pig’s side, their faces etched with worry.

‘What? I was wrong?’

* * *