I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Hero Who Paved the Way for His Cousin, Episode 21
The next day.
Alex strapped his sword to his belt and came downstairs with Leo.
“I’ll be counting on you today, Leo.”
“Of course.”
“Have a safe trip, Uncle!”
“Safe travels, sir!”
Waved off by Leo and Sophia, Alex mounted Max and headed north.
It was to reach the Dungeon in the north.
[This time it’ll really be a Lowest-Rank Dungeon, right?]
“Yeah. Perfect for Swordsmanship training.”
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Beyond the North Gate stretched grassland. It remained undeveloped, being close to where the Dungeon lay.
“Come to think of it….”
[What is it?]
Alex slowed Max and gazed around.
“In the future, buildings sprouted up here too.”
[I see.]
[So it was a development zone.]
“Not so much developed as… a Dungeon appeared here. A few months later.”
[A Dungeon?]
“A Mid-Low Rank Dungeon. You could gather materials needed for Potion-making, and the territory flourished because of it.”
Because of that, rumors circulated in the ‘future’ that House Caldis might even be promoted to a Count’s household.
“From then on, the Lord’s Castle expanded its grounds, taller buildings rose, and the Mercenary Guild structure grew even larger.”
That was the developed Lord’s Castle that the Leo and ghost Alex of the ‘future’ had witnessed.
“But when the Demon Race appeared and threw everything into chaos, it simply remained a Barony, or so I heard.”
The world was in such turmoil that no one had the mind for matters like rank promotions.
“People fleeing the Demon Race gathered here too.”
[I see.]
[So our village received refugees and all that?]
“We did. Though not in huge numbers.”
Alex spoke while recalling the ‘future’.
“Many people died to monsters and Demon Race before they could even reach refuge.”
Those who sensed danger early and fled quickly managed to save their lives, but those who couldn’t abandon the lands and homes their ancestors had inhabited fell to monsters and Demon Race.
“Well, whether they fled or not, they all died in the end.”
When fighting the Demon King, the Last City had still stood, but with ‘Hero Leo’ dead, the Last City couldn’t have fared well either.
[Ugh….]
[It really is hopeless, isn’t it.]
Recalling how ‘Hero Leo’ had grieved upon hearing that Belo Village was annihilated in the ‘future,’ Alex’s face twisted into an involuntary bitterness.
Of course, Alex had wept alongside ‘Hero Leo.’ Though ‘Hero Leo’ never knew it.
[Hang in there! If you defeat the Demon King, something like that won’t happen, right!]
[The House Caldis might even become a Count’s household.]
“Maybe so.”
[I should be grateful to you. You saved the young lord and made us a Count’s household.]
[Well, the latter part I’ll never know for sure.]
Ibaek laughed with a chuckle. Alex couldn’t help but laugh as well.
That’s right. Just as Ibaek said, all they had to do was defeat the Demon King.
[But what happens after the young lord dies?]
[From what I’ve heard, the territory seemed to go about without major incident.]
When an heir died, various consequences followed.
“He had a younger brother, so there was no problem with succession. The Baron himself survived intact until then, from what I heard.”
Even with the eldest son dead, it wouldn’t have been a serious problem.
The Baron, his father, would have grieved greatly, though.
[Looks like the impact was less than expected.]
“Actually, there was one.”
Alex spoke as if something had come to mind.
Once one memory surfaced, others seemed to follow.
“The young lord had a fiancée, but because he died, she ended up marrying a different noble.”
[Isn’t that natural?]
[She can’t spend her whole life thinking only of the dead young lord.]
[Besides, don’t nobles marry for strategic advantage?]
Alex nodded, seeming to agree with Ibaek, and opened his mouth to speak.
“But the noble in question was a marquis, and apparently quite old. She was young enough to be his granddaughter.”
[That’s insane!]
[Then it probably wasn’t even her first marriage?]
“Right. It was probably her third or fourth. That’s why they didn’t even hold a wedding ceremony, or so I heard.”
[That’s absolutely mad!]
Ibaek’s fervent reaction found an echo in Alex.
It had been the same in the ‘Future’.
Everyone who remembered Young Lord Ethan Caldis had pitied her.
Besides, House Caldis was a noble family respected by the people of the territory.
[At least this time she can marry the Young Lord. That’s something to be grateful for.]
“True.”
Whether the Young Lord and his betrothed got along well or poorly, he didn’t know, but it had to be better than marrying someone old enough to be her grandfather.
[His betrothed ought to be thanking you.]
“Well, I didn’t save her for her sake.”
To be honest, he’d been trying to save Kane, not the Young Lord.
[Still, inviting you to dinner suggests he’s planning to give you a reward. Do you have anything in mind?]
Some people wouldn’t even acknowledge a debt if you saved their lives, but the Young Lord didn’t seem like that type.
[What do they usually give around here?]
At Ibaek’s question, Alex paused to think.
“I’ve seen soldiers become knights fairly often. I’ve rarely seen mages become retainers, but there are mages out there who’ll do it if the pay is good enough.”
[A stable job matters.]
“Some nobles give money or land instead.”
[Then we should just take money.]
[More money is always better!]
By then they’d arrived at the Dungeon district.
It was quite bustling with merchants, mercenaries, and the soldiers who managed the place.
[This place looks pretty much like ours.]
Since this was a Lowest-Rank Dungeon, high-level mercenaries weren’t around, but with two Dungeons nearby, there was decent demand.
Where people gathered, merchants chasing profit followed; voices hawking Potions, weapons, and other goods echoed from every corner.
Watching the scene unfold, Alex asked quietly.
“Ibaek. Don’t you think land instead of money could work too?”
[Land? Why would we need land when we’re always moving around?]
“To buy it up ahead of time.”
Alex turned his gaze toward the grassland they’d passed earlier.
“Once a Dungeon appears, lots of people will come.”
[Oh. Can individuals own Dungeons here?]
“No. The Dungeons belong to the Lord. But the land around them—that belongs to whoever owns it.”
Alex looked again at the bustling Dungeon district, and his thoughts drifted to Caldis Territory in the ‘Future’.
“Just collecting rent from buildings and vendor stalls could be enormous.”
[Ooh! That’s not bad!]
[See? After a Regression, real estate is the way to go!]
At Ibaek’s enthusiastic reaction, Alex smiled lightly.
[Come to think of it, we could buy up land wherever new Dungeons appear in the future!]
“As long as we have enough money.”
Ibaek’s excitement dampened at Alex’s comment.
[Yeah, that’s true.]
[The landowner might not want to sell.]
“And depending on the noble, some actually confiscate all the land around their Dungeons.”
[That’s the class system for you!]
[Though our world isn’t much different.]
[When a good opportunity shows up, thugs interfere or guilds blackmail people with dirt on them.]
The world seemed to be the same everywhere.
“And…”
Alex spoke matter-of-factly.
“If you mark it as private property and block access beforehand, you won’t have people getting sucked into the Dungeon when it forms.”
[Ooh! Just like the Hero’s uncle!]
Ibaek chuckled. Alex’s lips curved up slightly.
[Do you know exactly where Dungeons appear?]
“I’ll take a closer look on the way back.”
If I can’t remember the details clearly, I’ll just have to claim as wide an area as I can.
“Though I’m not sure they’ll actually grant me the land.”
[Fair enough.]
[I’ve had my fill of kimchi broth.]
[Ah, now that you mention it, I’m craving kimchi. Kimchi fried rice, diced radish kimchi, napa cabbage kimchi….]
Alex let Ibaek’s voice drift past one ear as he rattled off the names of other-world dishes in a sort of trance, heading instead toward the soldier who managed Dungeon entry.
He presented his Mercenary Badge and handed over the entrance fee. He also paid a small sum for Max.
[You have to pay a fee?]
“Dungeon maintenance cost, you could call it. At least they don’t confiscate the Monster Byproducts here.”
Some noble somewhere charged an exorbitant entrance fee and took over fifty percent of the byproducts.
[Wow.]
[So these kinds still exist even while the world’s falling apart.]
At Ibaek’s remark, Alex examined the Dungeon entrance.
The small opening—barely wide enough for three people to pass through—announced this as a Lowest-Rank Dungeon.
[You’re not forming a party?]
“Hmm. I think I can manage a Lowest-Rank solo.”
Alex paused, thinking, and surveyed the area around him. Several mercenaries were visible.
[No mages though.]
Well, that was obvious.
Most of the mercenaries here were barely beyond novice level—the sort who didn’t even know which weapon they handled best.
And around them, he spotted Caldis soldiers and knights who looked sharp and focused. Likely they were being more thorough ever since the Contaminated Dungeon incident the other day.
[Looks well-managed.]
“Yeah. Don’t see any con artists or backstabbers lurking around. Though I suppose you don’t really know until you run into one.”
Going in alone seemed feasible.
At worst, he could always escape.
“Let’s go in then.”
Alex drew his sword and picked up the Wooden Shield he’d bought on the way, then stepped into the Dungeon.
A faint sense of displacement washed over him, and soon a new landscape appeared.
A forest.
[Another forest.]
“It’s the most common terrain.”
It would be strange to see lava or glaciers in a Lowest-Rank Dungeon.
Alex drew his blade and began walking.
The creatures here were Slimes, which attacked by spitting mild acid.
[Do you destroy the core here too?]
“That’s right.”
You had to pierce the soft outer membrane of the Slime and stab the core inside. Then you’d collect the Slime’s body fluid in the Leather Pouch you’d brought.
“The fluid is acidic too, so you have to be careful.”
[Same as goblins, then. Our monsters work the same way.]
Ibaek, who’d been marveling at this, spotted something and asked.
[What’s that?]
There were two soldiers there, seemingly guarding a wooden cage. Inside the cage was a Slime.
“You remember how I said the Dungeon vanishes once all its monsters are eliminated? If you hunt carelessly and kill everything, it’s a disaster. So they keep some in reserve like that.”
Alex explained.
[Oh. In our world, you clear a Dungeon by destroying its core. That’s interesting.]
[So if that Slime dies by accident, does the Dungeon clear?]
At that, Alex laughed and walked a little farther, turning to the side.
There, hidden behind the trees, were two more wooden cages. Of course, two more Slimes were trapped inside them.
“Naturally. You have backup reserves.”
[Hahahaha!]
Ibaek burst out laughing. Alex couldn’t help but join in.
The two soldiers watching the Slimes shot wary glances at Alex as he approached. He gave a slight bow and turned away, putting distance between them.
“They’ve probably hidden more reserve Slimes somewhere else too.”
[Yeah, they had them pretty much on display.]
Despite being Lowest-Rank, the Dungeon was a revenue source for the territory. They wouldn’t manage it carelessly.
Alex moved deeper in.
From various places came the soft squelching sounds of Slimes moving about, mixed with the clumsy attacks of novice mercenaries.
“Aaaah!! My clothes are melting!”
Cries of pain from those suffering the acidic fluid.
[But have you ever fought a monster before?]
[I did bring down a Goblin Shaman, but that was only because I’d half lost my mind and hurled spells at it from a distance.]
Ibaek was right—this was my first time fighting face-to-face.
In the future, I’d existed as a ghost with no capacity to fight, and before the Regression, I’d been nothing but an ordinary farmer.
“So I need to be careful.”
Alex focused his mind and sensed the Mana around him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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