Chapter 44.8
CHAPTER 8: HERMES GUILD’S RAID
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Chapter 8) Hermes Guild’s Raid
“The confusion in the empire isn’t dwindling . ”
The Hermes Guild once again realized the emergency situation .
-Knight Myul has died .
-An infestation of rebels .
-Repeated failures of domestic affairs .
-The area conquered in the north is unstable .
These were comprehensive reports analyzing the current state of affairs in the Haven Empire .
Weed killing Myul seemed to have given players courage as hundreds of them attacked the Central Continent .
In the past, the Hermes Guild wouldn’t need to be afraid .
They had dominated the users through fear . Most of the raids were easy and they showed a shocking power through the broadcasts .
The development of the conquered areas in the north was being carried out slower than expected . They invested a lot of money and materials to build cities and facilities . However, it was hard for the Haven Empire to find slaves in the north .
No matter how advanced the technology of the Haven Empire, the northern users showed no interest . The users much preferred the free spirited atmosphere of the Arpen Kingdom as well as clean and accessible buildings .
There were many unexplored areas in the north and they could go to Morata if they wanted the benefits of a city .
Although the Haven Empire was clearly developed, it was hard to compare to Morata .
“I will use all my money to buy a house in the Arpen Kingdom! My family will also be moved there . ”
“Heh…give my money? I will pull out all my assets!”
It was a common side effect for slaves and residents to flee to the Arpen Kingdom . Sometimes beginners would start in the occupied areas .
“Are there many part time jobs here?”
“Only early skills can be found here . It really is the worst . The new buildings in the city are completely boring . ”
There were serious setbacks to their plan to develop that area . The conquered northern area was like a hippo eating money and materials .
Furthermore, the villages and cities springing up in the conquered areas were great targets .
Geomchi and his students . There were originally 200 users but that grew to 300 . They rode on bulls and enjoyed fighting the Haven Empire in the northern conquered areas . The knights of the Hermes Guild weren’t fools and organized a defense .
“They will be helpless in melee combat but first we need to stop them riding the bulls . ”
They were rampaging through the land of the Haven Empire . The commander of the northern conquered areas, Alcard set up a siege on the plains .
However, their sense of battle was fierce . It was the best place to fight and they tore through the Haven army .
Despite having knights, the army couldn’t withstand it at all . They encircled the army and laughed every time they dealt damage .
There were also some magicians among them . The magicians dealt damage while the avians that joined shot arrows from a distance . The avians moved over the Haven Empire conquered area .
Unlike their initial thoughts, the northern continent was just a hippo swallowing up money and resources .
The economic reconstruction of the Central Continent also wasn’t easy . A lot of money was invested in the Imperial Palace as well as the lords for local development .
The repair of war-torn buildings, maintenance and reinvestment in production facilities, ensuring secure trade routes, restoring the deteriorating security and raising the people’s loyalty all required money .
Despite the economic investments, it was useless as rebellions kept breaking out!
They thought the conditions would worsen 1~2 months after the war but steady investment over a period of time would stabilize it .
The Hermes Guild’s perspective was wrong .
The economy of the Central Continent had already shrunk due to the repeated wars . The Hermes Guild were the main ones responsible for this . They defeated their rebels and reigned supreme .
The thought of a glorious future was destroyed by war ravaged facilities and unhappy residents .
Taxes were gathered to rebuild the army and for long term governance . The Haven Empire’s funds weren’t strong enough to resuscitate the economy . A vast amount of gold vanished like water being poured into a dry, cracked rice paddy .
“These are temporary symptoms . The taxes will be sufficient to restore our economic power . The empire as a whole earns billions of gold . ”
“Are you out of your mind? We have to contain the rebels!”
“We will just suppress them . The rebels have already lost . ”
“What about the production facilities destroyed in battle or the decline in residents?”
“We will have to give up some areas . Leave the areas that aren’t useful . The residents will be forced to go elsewhere .
“Many users are criticizing us…if we abandon some land then the empire will receive even more criticism . ”
The atmosphere among the leaders of the Haven Empire was tense . They won in battles against the rebels . However, the internal affairs were crashing .
Early intervention after the conquest of the Central Continent was required but it was too late for regrets .
The meeting lasted all night and they realized the reality of the Haven Empire .
The current tax income was 4 . 7 billion gold . However, that tax income was continuing to decline .
They managed to obtain 3 billion gold from the Kallamore area and other somewhat stable areas .
It was still a huge amount but considering the current status, no one was delighted . After some struggle, Lafaye finally said .
“Our military is becoming stronger through continuous battles against the rebels . The problem is that this isn’t what we want . If this continues, many residents will leave and the land will become barren . It won’t be worth keeping . ”
There were users who suggested giving up some areas .
“Will it become easier to govern?”
“If the land becomes barren then trade will shrink . It will be an immediate decline in the Haven Empire . The decline of the Haven Empire will be the worst possible situation if we want to unify the continent . Right now, we should maintain it for as long as possible . ”
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“That method is soft . ”
Lafaye presented a method .
Despite the development of the northern conquered areas being a failure, the guild leaders were strongly in favour of his plan .
They still expected to overcome the north but there were no apparent answers at this time .
‘Ruling is like this . ’
Sometimes it wouldn’t work properly .
The Haven Empire had made a mistake ignoring the users and residents . They conquered the land but didn’t hold on firmly to the people .
‘No, this isn’t just a problem in the Hermes Guild . The other guilds would have come to the same conclusion if they won . ’
Their biggest mistake was making light of Royal Road .
Lafaye and some leaders in the Hermes Guild had experience with other games .
They were online games that had worldwide popularity, especially Continent of Magic that had the highest popularity in decades .
The guild was solidly unified and set clear goals, eventually ruling after some careful preparations .
Afterwards, they ruled through military force . No one could challenge them or take away their right to rule . They had the freedom to exploit the users, no matter the complaints .
That was enough on Continent of Magic .
But this was Royal Road . The game had hundreds of thousands of people signing up every day .
Royal Road was a relaxing retreat away from daily life and there were new attractions to see . There were adventures but for some, virtual reality was just another life .
Many games claimed to have a new reality but none compared to Royal Road . A complete virtual reality .
Millions of users enjoyed Royal Road so thinking they could rule through dictatorship was a great miscalculation .
It was possible during the warring period between elite guilds but ruling the huge empire was impossible .
In short, Royal Road was a huge community so it was difficult .
If the users left for other areas, then their foundation would collapse . The difficulties of developing an economy under a dictatorship in reality also applied to Royal Road .
‘We need to change tactics… Our Haven Empire is falling right now . The military power is being sustained . There is still an astronomical amount of tax revenue . But the national strength of the empire will keep declining…it is really hard . ’
Lafaye kept in mind the decline of the Haven Empire .
The vigor of commerce and the bustle of the users had to survive .
Anyway, everything related to the fate of the Haven Empire would worsen if the national power was shrinking .
The massive decline of the Central Continent meant that rebels would keep rising .
Not only would they have to contend with the revived prestigious guilds, users would endlessly rise up to fight against them .
The military forces would be eaten by endless tedious battles and the internal affairs would fall even more .
At that time, the unified lords of the Hermes Guild would fight among themselves . The huge empire would shatter and split . Of course, the time it took for this to happen would depend on the Hermes Guild’s actions .
‘It is really difficult to achieve the unification of the continent . ’
Lafaye was aware of the cause and thought of a method .
‘All of this is due to the Arpen Kingdom . The Haven Empire wouldn’t have declined as much if it wasn’t for the Arpen Kingdom . If we reign with fear and don’t put any efforts into internal affairs…the foundation of the Haven Empire meant that it could last for the next 5~10 years . ’
However, the existence of the Arpen Kingdom meant there was a more severe backlash from the users in the Central Continent .
Until now, Weed had continued to feed water to the Hermes Guild . According to military intelligence, Weed had stirred up the prestigious guilds .
‘The tax rate of the Arpen Kingdom is so ridiculously low that I’ve ignored it . It is unprofitable when running a country . Of course, there is little need to invest in the military…yet he aimed at us with that low tax rate!’
This bad situation seemed to be due to Weed .
They had the perfect plan to secure the Central Continent but he built a kingdom in the north out of nowhere .
‘It is not over yet . Despite the weakened Haven Empire, we are still a powerful opponent . All the turmoil in the empire will be controlled if I erase the Arpen Kingdom from the map . It is time to raise the Haven Empire . ’
Lafaye was a little desperate and made a new plan .
Before he had a moderate, long term plan to weaken the enemies but now he was placed in an urgent situation .
“All representatives of the Hermes Guild will pass down this command . ”
Lafaye was originally the head of the guild . Even now, Bardray was busy with hunting and wasn’t at the meeting so Lafaye made all major decisions .
“There will be no more waste in the Haven Empire . Reduce the support for the colonization of the north . Maintain only a minimum amount of support . And all parties should stop their extravagant acts and lower the tax rate by half . ”
“Half is not possible!”
“It will be difficult to maintain our military forces . Other investments won’t do . ”
A backlash instantly appeared .
Lafaye shook his head .
“If we don’t take this opportunity now, it will be gone . The tax revenue will keep on falling even if we don’t reduce it by half . We should use a considerable amount of money to expand trade and production . The rebel activities will also die away . ”
There was huge potential hiding in the Haven Empire .
Lafaye thought that promoting the activities of merchants would help in tax recovery to a certain extent . Even if there were still rebels, the military power of the Haven Empire could still suppress them .
“And there will be an eye for an eye . We will treat the Arpen Kingdom in the same manner as Weed . ”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“Since Weed and the northern users are attacking us, there is no reason to continue with our previous plan for crushing the Arpen Kingdom . 30,000 troops will infiltrate the north to kill . They will launch guerilla attacks against the north . All villages and cleared land will be burnt . ”
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The 30,000 troops would be divided into elite groups of 100 and would spread throughout the Arpen Kingdom .
They would deal damage that the Arpen Kingdom would find difficult to handle .
‘Yes…pay them back using the same method . ’
The users were impressed .
Lafaye’s plan was finished .
“I would like volunteers from the Hermes Guild up to 20,000 people . They will be dispatched to the north as revenge for the indiscriminate hunting and killing in our dungeons . Of course, hide and kill as much people as Weed did . ”
The Haven Empire decided to do the same thing as Weed .
If Weed created a swirl then the Haven Empire would make a storm .
‘Amazing . ’
‘There is definitely a high chance of success . ’
The eyes of the Hermes Guild leaders sharpened .
It was difficult to reconstruct the internal affairs of the empire but this was a field they were experienced in .
They would completely destroy the Arpen Kingdom while maintaining the Haven Empire . A strategy that killed two birds with one stone .
They could also state that it was retaliation for Weed and the Arpen Kingdom’s attacks . However, they were warned to move logically instead of recklessly .
‘We won’t be stubborn about a formal war . We will just sweep them all up . ’
The raiders from the Haven Empire were dispatched to the north .
The next day, the players of the Hermes Guild set off for the north . Unlike a normal march, they moved swiftly by using the teleport gate and the magicians . Within a few hours, more than 2,000 people were able to arrive in the north .
“The first units will be at Mordred and Vent . Act freely within that area . ”
“Yes!”
They continued arriving one after another .
“The second units will kill in the port city of Varna . ”
“Who should we kill? The non-combat professions like merchants as well?”
“There is no limit . Kill all levels and ages . ”
They would act secretly in the north but their aim was indiscriminate killing .
Around 50,000 people lost their lives to the hounds released in the Arpen Kingdom .
“Kuaaak!”
“The enemy! The enemy has appeared!”
Among them were three raids to villages of the Arpen Kingdom .
They prevented people from entering the villages, destroyed the growing crops and killed the residents .
“Hehehe, there will be no looting . Burn it all!”
“Yes, Captain! It is cool playing with fire . ”
There were NPC knights and soldiers who often participated in wars in the Central Continent .
The Haven Empire also needed to consider the usefulness of the treatments received from the various religions .
-Hide the fact that you are from the Haven Empire .
The 30,000 troops secretly destroyed villages in the Arpen Kingdom .
Peaceful villages near rivers, lakes and in the mountains became targets .
There was the indiscriminate slaughter of residents of the Arpen Kingdom and even users were the subject of attacks .
They split into units of 20, 30, 50 or 100 people according to their goal of combat or sabotage .
Sometimes they were wiped out by hunting parties of high level users but dozens of villages were destroyed in just one day .
Many residents were killed and facilities destroyed in the Arpen Kingdom .
The 20,000 Hermes Guild users were active from the next day . They went to hunting grounds and dungeons and watched the users .
“They are just beginners . Their teeth hasn’t even been sharpened yet… Still, my mission is to wipe out everything . ”
“How funny . Hunting these kids is like cracking eggshells . ”
It couldn’t be helped since the Arpen Kingdom had a 90% ratio of beginners .
The Hermes Guild were tense as they infiltrated the north thanks to Weed, but they didn’t need to be .
“Kill them all!”
If the entrance of the dungeon was blocked, it was sufficient to slaughter the users inside . Even if the news was reported to nearby villages and cities, this wasn’t the Central Continent .
When Weed appeared in the Central Continent, the Hermes Guild had issued a huge bounty . There were also traps for Weed that didn’t have any effect . The infamous Hermes Guild users were the ones who were decimated by Weed .
It was rare for the Hermes Guild to receive any attacks from the users of the Arpen Kingdom . News of the uproar spread to the cities but it wasn’t easy for them to become organized .
Only users over level 400 could deal with them but they were relaxing in Morata . Although some users left the cities, they just fell into a trap . Dozens of Hermes Guild users were waiting and easily swept them up .
By the time a day passed, quite a few high level users in the north had lost their lives . There were also more than 100,000 novice users who flocked to their deaths .
“We should have done this sooner . ”
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“Weed is only one person . We should always use the easy path . ”
“This is the Versailles Continent . He shouldn’t make fun of Royal Road . ”
A murderer from the Hermes Guild called Dronan laughed while in hiding .
He was enjoying himself in the Arpen Kingdom . There were 30,000 murderers in their midst but the northern users couldn’t grasp the situation .
The 20,000 Hermes Guild users that infiltrated feasted on the bloodshed .
“I feel sorry for these guys . ”
“Yes . There will be several days of rest before we go cause an uproar . ”
“We will draw public attention . ”
“Kukukuku, too easy . ”
“Life is easy . I did well to join the Hermes Guild . ”
The Haven Empire made a commitment to send more troops . Unlike Weed who was working alone, they had the strong support of the empire .
The Hermes Guild users caused fear as they ran wild in the Arpen Kingdom . Even the novice users in the north couldn’t rest properly as they were engulfed in a nightmare .
The brutal strategy to bring an end to the Arpen Kingdom was moving .
The people in the Central Continent were laughing at the hardships of the Haven Empire .
“Good . This is what they get for acting so condescending . ”
“A nemesis . The empire has a lot of weaknesses . ”
“Can we see any benefits if we attack with swords? Those Hermes Guild wannabes…”
“Stop it . We can’t go out of the city . Haven’t you heard the story of their retaliation?”
The reputation of the Hermes Guild went down due to Weed and the rebels .
There were also people involved with the Hermes Guild in the Central Continent .
“The vitality of the city is dead . ”
“It is due to the rebels . Well, there doesn’t seem to be as many people as before…”
“There are lots of empty seats, even at the markets . ”
“Quite a lot of people moved to the north . ”
People were complaining about the economic downturn .
Unlike before, the big cities were quiet .
There were still famous tourist cities but it was hard to find a party to hunt with .
Even the dungeons weren’t as bustling as before . Many required an admission fee so the users were now resting .
There were people gathered to nap under huge trees on hills near the cities . It was comfortable as the users remembered their busy lives in the past .
The only places with good business were the restaurants and taverns . The taverns were talking about the Hermes Guild’s recent raid on the north .
“Isn’t the north screwed this time?”
“I don’t know . There doesn’t seem to be any countermeasures from Weed . ”
“I heard the corpses are in the hundreds . ”
“Ah, indeed . ”
The users in the Central Continent had similar thoughts .
‘No matter how hard I think, there isn’t any way to stop them . ’
The killers were high level users in the Hermes Guild . They could easily break out of any encirclement .
The novice users of the Arpen Kingdom would be helpless . Even walking 10 minutes away from the cities would be an active death zone . Those trying to move to other areas were likely to die .
By isolating and blocking the main roads in the Arpen Kingdom, the economic strength would be cut in half . Then the army would be mobilized and the kingdom would be wiped out in just a few days .
“That can’t happen . Is it that hard to fight against the Hermes Guild?”
“It is difficult for people to have a unified opinion in such a mess . They will be fighting amongst themselves for days . ”
“People’s opinions can match as well . As long as there is a clear enemy and land like the battle at the Earth Palace…but the Hermes Guild won’t appear where there are a lot of people . They invade empty villages and act separately from users . ”
“The condition of the fight are too favourable for them . These guys are trying to unify the continent . ”
“Those guys will use any method . ”
The atmosphere while drinking was heavy .
The northern users seemed to be at a disadvantage . The Arpen Kingdom that grew like a weed in the north’s barren land was being destroyed .
The people of the Central Continent were mourning it .
In a wide underground space somewhere in Morata .
Despite the thousands of people gathered, it was dead quiet . There was a wide clearing with a clear river in the centre of the underground space .
Finally sound emerged from someone’s mouth! A female user wearing white clothes exclaimed .
“The day we have been waiting for!”
Then people replied in unison from every direction .
“Grass . Grass . Grass . Grass!”
“Porridge . Porridge . Porridge . Porridge!”
They shouted at exactly the right moment .
The Grass Porridge Cult that had already conquered the north and was sprinkling its seeds in the Central Continent .
These people were the core members of the Grass Porridge Cult .
No matter how hungry they were, they would not starve to death if there was grass porridge . The men drank grass porridge as hangover soup in the morning . The females were even more vicious and ate grass like it was rice .
The activities of the Grass Porridge Cult didn’t stop with just eating grass porridge .
Without any exceptions, they had to participate in large constructions sites in the north as well as pay contributions .
Helping the needy or novices wandering around . They also took care of people in the cities and dungeons . No matter the level of the users, it was a great honour to be part of the Grass Porridge Cult!
Due to their activities, it was inevitable that members of the Grass Porridge Cult would die . The female user standing in the centre was called Lemon .
“You know about the Versailles Continent . There was a period full of chaos, pain and destruction . People trampled on others while trying to live . However, I realized something after drinking grass porridge . It is clear and pure! People have to live for the sake of this world!”
“Oh, grass porridge!”
“Since then, I have received the truth about grass porridge . No longer is the burden heavy . A merciful miracle that will never end . I will drink it even if my nose is clogged!”
“Ohh, merciful grass porridge god . ”
“The Arpen Kingdom is a haven for the Grass Porridge Cult . The Grass Porridge Cult can’t allow the continent to become a mess again . ”
The Grass Porridge Cult members exclaimed after hearing Lemon’s words .
“We will follow you!”
“I will honour the dead of the Grass Porridge Cult with my sword . ”
This event was relayed through taverns of the Arpen Kingdom . The live coverage from the broadcasting stations surpassed 30% ratings .
The bulletin boards were also paralyzed .
Title: Calling all Grass Porridge Cult members .
All rise .
-Jump!
-For the honour of the Toadstool Porridge unit!
-Hahaha, I’ve been waiting for today .
-27 members of the Chicken Porridge unit .
-Office workers . Complete the vacation requests .
-Ginseng Porridge . Kukukuku .
-All seniors of the Crab Meat Porridge unit, listen .
-27 members of the Chicken Porridge unit . Now where…should we make Brandy Chicken Porridge?
-Chicken Porridge seniors, I am honoured . Brandy with chicken porridge sounds perfect . I will finish my work in Morata .
-5 members of the Chicken Porridge unit, allegiance! Shall we go?
-The Bamboo Shoots members are disruptive so please don’t leave comments on this article .
Title: Bamboo Shoots Porridge unit . Are you finally gathered? And for the curious…
Hello . I have been a member of the Bamboo Shoots unit in Royal Road for one month . I started in Morata and it is an honour to talk to seniors .
But I was wondering . How many members are part of the Bamboo Shoots Porridge unit?
-At least 10 million .
-10 million is nothing . There are 20 million .
-Ladies and gentlemen, have you been in Morata lately? It is at least over 30 million .
-Just look in the big cities . Don’t look down on us . This area is also filled with people .
-The avians . Please note that more than one million eggs hatch a week .
-For sure…it is more than the population of most countries
-Are the orc and dwarf bamboo members included? They are a few hundred million themselves .
The Grass Porridge members continued to gather on the various internet message boards .
A video of 100 kindergarten students singing the grass porridge song attracted great popularity . Videos of the Grass Porridge Cult also attracted attention overseas .
And unlike the Central Continent, the access rate of users in the north started to rise .
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