Kingdom Simulator: I, a Fallen Noble, Build a God-Level Kingdom!-Chapter 61: My body needs a powerful remedy

"This time, I’m looking for recruits who are sharp-minded and not afraid of heights. I’ll have a single tall pole set up outside the town. Anyone who can climb to the top and stay there until the hourglass runs out will have passed the test. I’ll provide the hourglass too. Whoever makes it through will get an annual salary of twelve gold coins."

After Romon finished explaining his requirements, the mayor and the surrounding townsfolk looked completely puzzled.

What kind of soldier was he recruiting with these criteria?

Sharp-minded, no fear of heights—what kind of unit was that?

"Lord, can ordinary folks like us try?" someone in the crowd asked.

"Of course. This round of recruitment is meant for the common people. Even if you used to be a farmer or herdsman, you’re welcome to give it a shot."

"Wonderful! I want to try! Twelve gold coins—that’s more than I’d make in years! And now I can get that in just one year!"

"Lord, when does the selection start?"

"Lord, I’m not afraid of heights!"

As the townsfolk crowded around, Romon simply said, "The selection will start tomorrow—at the latest, the day after. The mayor will oversee the tests and give me the list afterwards."

Then he turned to the mayor—this was not something anyone could refuse.

He put a hand on the mayor’s shoulder and spoke quietly, "Find someone right now to set up a sixty-meter-high pole outside the north gate. It must be sturdy and able to hold a person at the top. The hourglass is also your responsibility—make sure it runs for a quarter of an hour."

Feeling the pressure from Romon’s grip, the mayor quickly nodded. "Yes, Lord."

...

Two days later.

Romon received the mayor’s list. He’d originally planned to recruit 3,000 people, but he’d underestimated just how much of a challenge a sixty-meter pole would be for ordinary folks.

In the end, only 600 names were on the list.

The mayor had kept separate tallies for climbing and remaining at the top. Out of all the participants, only 1,800 climbed as high as 30 meters, 1,100 reached 50 meters, 800 reached the summit, but only 600 could stay until the hourglass ran out.

The dwarven factory’s production quota was 3,000 drones, but there were only 600 operators—once again, they were facing a talent shortage.

But there was no way around it for now. He could only grit his teeth and start training this batch.

By midmorning, Romon personally led the 600 recruits to the dwarven factory complex.

Most of them were sturdy young men. Because of the local diet, people here were prone to high blood pressure and cholesterol as they aged, so climbing high automatically weeded those people out.

"Lord! Is this really your territory? Incredible! This place used to be a death zone, and now it’s a paradise!"

"Lord, are we going to train here?"

"Lord, I..."

There might only be 600 people, but when they all started chattering, the buzzing was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

Fortunately, to ensure better instruction, Romon had brought the knight order along as teaching assistants today. Anyone who dared to slack off would be dealt with by the knights.

Facing the rowdy crowd of 600, Romon simply cast a glance at the knight-commander, Mayus.

Mayus understood instantly and barked an order to the knights. In just one second, the 100-strong knight order had the 600 recruits perfectly silent.

Romon didn’t even need to say a word to calm them.

"Lukoff, bring out 300 Magitech Drones," he commanded.

In the past two days, the dwarves’ production far exceeded that number, but Romon had no intention of letting this batch of novices handle more.

The key to a first test flight was spatial density. If all 600 drones took off at once, the sky would be overcrowded. If even one rookie lost control, it could trigger a chain collision—and if things got really bad and someone accidentally hit the fire button, the whole operation would be ruined.

Losing one or two drones was tolerable for Romon, but if all 600 were destroyed, he’d genuinely lose his temper.

Soon, the dwarves wheeled out 300 Magitech Drones, setting the control sticks and goggles in place for each one.

The commoners had no idea what these things were; they stared at them wide-eyed with curiosity.

Mayus, on the other hand, was deeply intrigued. He had a good memory and could recall what the second-generation models looked like. These machines were clearly different—meaning the dwarves had already made a new technological leap!

No matter where you were, that would be considered a miracle.

No matter how brilliant the dwarves’ research, there had to be a limit. Creating something from nothing, then refining it to this degree—in such a short time—was astounding.

And this kind of machine had never been recorded in any book. For the people of this world, it was completely alien.

Mayus looked at Romon. Either Romon had stumbled upon a treasure trove and won over a unique group of dwarves, or Romon himself was extraordinary—not just any ordinary Lord!

Standing before the 600 recruits, Romon began the lesson: "What you see before you are third-generation Magitech Drones. The joystick at your feet controls takeoff, landing, and movement in all directions. The goggles on the ground will let you see exactly what the drone sees—you’ll get to experience what it’s like to fly in the sky."

He continued, "Remember three things! First: As beginners, all your movements must be slow. Very slow. Incredibly slow. I’m saying it three times—if anyone messes up later, I’ll deal with them myself! Second: Do not mess with any of the buttons on the joystick. All you’re allowed to do is move the stick! Third: Once you start, your perspective will shift instantly. During takeoff and flight, your body will instinctively feel weightless, so at first, you’ll be training while sitting down. Gradually, you’ll learn to overcome that sensation. By the time you’re on the battlefield, I’ll have you running while you control them! Understood?"

"Understood!" all six hundred answered in unison.

Romon nodded, then began having them come up in batches to start learning.

All six hundred had been carefully selected, so there were few cases of motion sickness or vomiting—unlike the dwarven engineers, who had to grit their teeth and endure nausea, forcing their bodies to adapt through repeated, intense tests.

Under such mental pressure, mistakes were inevitable, but overall efficiency was high.

By the end of the day, out of three hundred Magitech Drones, only one had been damaged, and all six hundred operators had mastered the basics of flying the Magitech Drone.

Next, all that was needed was to integrate marksmanship, flying, and team coordination. Once that was done, this corps of drone operators would truly be complete.

With 255 operators, he could take a whole town. With 600, Romon was determined to ensure that even a king-ranked priest would never return alive!

Of course, aside from the Magitech Drones, there was another key figure he had to pay attention to—the Elven Queen, Akalaisi.

Though the combination of 600 operators and third-generation drones was already formidable, an extra layer of insurance meant greater safety.

Romon disliked taking risks. He’d rather over-prepare than fall into crisis from lack of preparation.

So, after finishing the operators’ training, he immediately returned to the castle.

The sun was setting, casting orange light into the halls and lending the castle a unique charm.

Romon made his way to the guest bedroom. After several days of rest and care, the Elven Queen Akalaisi’s complexion had returned to normal, and she could move about without difficulty.

However, the anxiety was still visible in her eyes—a reflection of her strength not yet restored.

Knock, knock. Romon rapped lightly at the door, though he was already stepping inside.

"Please come in, Lord Romon." Akalaisi was sitting by the bed, a slender, pale leg visible. Seeing Romon enter, she quickly stood to greet him.

She had studied human customs; though she was the Elven Queen, as a guest in another’s home, she knew she had to respect the rules. One must always know who was in charge.

"Akalaisi, how are you feeling?"

"I’ve been eating the Heart of Flower Demon every day, but I feel like it’s becoming less effective—maybe my body is building up a resistance," Akalaisi replied honestly. "My wounds have healed, but I still feel weak, as if I can’t muster any strength."

"That’s normal." Romon sat down casually at the edge of her bed. "It’s just the recovery process. When humans are seriously injured, it’s the same—sometimes the muscles even atrophy, and it takes a long period of rehabilitation."

"But I... I must do something to help you. I can sense your anxiety. Every day, your mood grows heavier. Are you waiting for something?"

Romon looked at Akalaisi, a little surprised—the Elven Queen could see right through his thoughts?

Since she would need to step up eventually, there was no point hiding things. He might as well be honest. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"I’ve been declared upon by other Lords. Before long—perhaps in just a few days—they’ll come to attack, leading king-ranked priests and their armies. That’s why I’ve been working day and night to shore up our defenses," Romon explained.

King-rank—Akalaisi was familiar with that level of strength.

But when it came to priests, her worries lessened by half.

"If I could recover to my peak, I could at least hold off a king-ranked priest for you," she said. "Lord Romon, I have a request. My body needs a powerful remedy to stimulate it back to life. If I keep languishing like this, the elves will only become a burden to you. I want to help."

"A powerful remedy? You mean..." Romon wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about medicines. Was this "powerful remedy" some kind of poison, or a stimulant? He wasn’t sure.

"I need something even stronger than the Heart of Flower Demon. I’m confident that with such a medicine, my body will quickly come alive again," Akalaisi said, full of confidence.

Hearing this, Romon couldn’t help but ponder.

Just then, Talia happened to pass by the guest room, and upon catching their conversation, poked her head in.

"Hehe, good evening, Lord Romon. I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose. Um, I actually know of a medicine even stronger than the Heart of Flower Demon!"

Romon glanced at Talia’s hair, damp and matted with sweat, and immediately knew—she must have spent her work hours dungeon-diving again!

"Go on."

"It’s the boss of the third floor—the Flower Demon Queen. She’s the same type of monster as the regular Flower Demons, so the materials she drops should be of the same kind. In my experience, materials dropped by bosses are always better than the regular kind."