“Are you saying that you happened to get the treasure of a fairy by chance?”

“Yes.”

Aiden concealed the nature of the trait or anything related to it.

In The Knight of Destruction, there are no settings involving traits or hunters.

If he were to explain it, he’d have to reveal that he came from another dimension.

‘And if she finds out that the owner of this body has changed during that process…’

It could be a major shock.

So he wanted to hide as much as possible about this aspect.

He didn’t want to see her hurt.

“I see… by chance…”

Aiden explained to Bianca this way:

While traveling, he stumbled upon the fairy’s treasure.

It was a precious treasure to the fairies, and by returning it, they rewarded him in this manner.

It was fortunate.

Thanks to the fairies’ presence, he could come up with such a story on the spot.

It was sloppy and full of holes, but it worked for now.

“Then the palisade too?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“My goodness… how could such small beings manage something like that…”

Fortunately, she seemed to believe him.

Bianca’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, not fitting her age, as she marveled at the fairies.

It was understandable that she found them fascinating.

In The Knight of Destruction, fairies are depicted as mysterious beings found only in fairy tales.

Even the protagonist never met such a race.

‘And yet, here I am, treating fairies like mere laborers…’

Bianca stared at the fairies for a while longer, then left, saying the cleaning wasn’t finished yet.

Aiden also observed for a while, but ten hours felt too long.

“Isn’t ten hours too much? No, maybe not that long after all?”

As an E-rank hunter who had once worked at construction sites out of financial desperation, Aiden had some perspective.

Depending on the scale, building a garden could take six months to a year.

So ten hours wasn’t that unreasonable.

Still.

“Isn’t there a way to finish this faster? Something…”

“Are you, by any chance, looking for a quicker way to construct—”

“Sh*t! What the—!”

Startled by the sudden voice behind him, Aiden reflexively cursed and threw a punch.

“Guh… Argh… Why are you hitting me!”

“What? Alfredo? You scared me! Didn’t I tell you to make some noise before approaching!”

“But hitting someone is outrageous! This is defamation of character! There was nothing about this in our contract!”

“No… Sorry for hitting you. I was just startled. But wait…”

Aiden tilted his head.

“Contract? What contract? Did we even have a contract?”

“Uh… What contract are you talking about? I don’t know anything about that.”

“……”

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

From his expression and gaze, it was clear that Alfredo was feigning ignorance.

Well.

If Alfredo didn’t want to talk about it, Aiden wouldn’t press further.

He respected others’ privacy.

“Fine, forget it.”

“Oww… My nose, my beautiful nose! What if it gets crooked…”

“Anyway, why are you here all of a sudden?”

“Because you called me, of course.”

“Called you? I didn’t call anyone.”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to speed up the construction? That’s why I came.”

“You came because of that?”

“My purpose is to support you, Aiden-nim. Above all else, solving your dilemmas and giving you advice is my priority.”

“…You didn’t just run away because you didn’t want to clean, did you?”

“……”

He avoided eye contact.

This guy.

Claiming to be a cleaning expert, but wasn’t he just bluffing all along?

It was a reasonable suspicion.

“Fine. Anyway, is there a way to finish faster?”

“There is.”

“What is it?”

Adjusting his monocle, Alfredo flicked his fingers.

A message appeared.

[The Building Owner Shop has been updated.]

[The ‘Instant Completion Ticket’ for construction is now available for purchase.]

“…Instant Completion Ticket?”

“Precisely! By using this, you can instantly complete any ongoing construction!”

In short, it was like a completion ticket—something commonly seen in mobile games.

And now, it had made its way into the Landlord Shop.

Aiden opened the Landlord Shop.

<Landlord Shop>

• Instant Completion – ??? Gold.
• Lease Agreement – 300 Gold.
• Palisade LV. 2 – 6,000 Gold.
• Guard Post LV. 1 – 3,000 Gold.
• Herb Garden LV. 2 – 6,000 Gold.
• Soldier Training Grounds LV. 1 – 3,000 Gold.
• Blacksmith LV. 1 – 3,000 Gold.
• Spirit Garden LV. 1 – 3,000 Gold.
• Clinic LV. 1 – 3,000 Gold.

“Why is the price showing as question marks?”

“Of course! The price of the completion ticket is calculated based on the remaining time.”

“How much is it?”

“Think of it as 500 gold per hour.”

An outrageous price.

Considering that the monthly living expenses for a family of four as commoners were about 100 gold…

500 gold was equivalent to five months’ expenses.

“You’re basically buying time with money?”

“Exactly.”

Aiden hesitated.

There were eight hours left until the herb garden’s construction was complete, which meant 4,000 gold.

It was hard to justify spending that much.

He still had countless buildings to purchase from the Landlord Shop.

Even though he had a stash of several tens of thousands of gold stolen from Rex’s slush funds, it was still a hefty expense.

“You’re hesitating a bit?”

“Obviously.”

“Then how about this?”

Alfredo flicked his fingers again.

[Hot Deal Shop!]

[For a limited time, purchase the Instant Completion Ticket at a discounted price!]

[Buy within 30 minutes for just 500 gold!]

[Don’t miss this opportunity!]

“……”

Suddenly, a hot deal appeared.

“What’s this?”

“Exactly what it looks like. No matter how much time remains, you can buy the ticket for 500 gold.”

“……”

“Oh, please don’t look at me like that. You can only use this once.”

Reading Aiden’s expression, Alfredo clarified firmly.

“It’s just a special service. Like those free samples in supermarkets—how else will you know what it’s like unless you try it?”

That made sense.

There’s a saying, “There are people who’ve never tried something once, but no one tries it only once.”

People don’t spend money on things they know nothing about.

They need to know the value first.

“Try buying it just once.”

“Alright.”

Honestly, he was curious.

What would the herb garden look like after purchasing this?

As Aiden pressed the button…

[Hot Deal! Hot Deal!]

[You have purchased the Instant Completion Ticket!]

[500 gold has been deducted.]

A vibrating sound began to hum.

Flap-flap!!

The fairies’ bodies started glowing with a dazzling light.

The fairies, who moments ago had looked drowsy, now seemed energetic.

Almost like they’d just heard someone shout:

“Today’s pay is triple!!”

Screeeeeeeech!

A fairy blew a whistle sharply, and with a lively sound, the fairies began moving at an incredible speed.

Swish!

Tap-tap!

Knock-knock!

The speed was incomparable to just moments ago!

The fairies moved so fast it was hard for even Aiden, with his landlord buff, to follow them.

It took just two seconds.

A task that hadn’t even reached the foundation stage was completed.

[The herb garden construction has been completed.]

“So? Isn’t it amazing?”

Alfredo asked for Aiden’s thoughts.

Aiden gave an honest answer.

“That was awesome.”

---

[Herbal Garden LV. 1]

Blessed by a fairy, the garden maintains a perfect environment for growing herbs.
You can use the seed shop.
The types of seeds available for purchase in the seed shop increase with the level of the herbal garden.
Number of herbs that can be cultivated: 0/30

---

The herbal garden was not overly large but couldn’t be called small either.

Wooden pillars were erected, and the ceiling was covered with glass to let in ample sunlight.

Inside, fields were prepared for herb cultivation.

“This is nice.”

Instant construction completion privilege.

Though it came at a high price, it was tempting.

Time could be bought with money.

It might not be needed if there was no rush, but it seemed like it would be handy in urgent situations.

“Now, about the seeds…”

When Aiden wondered about how to get seeds, a hologram popped up again.

[Herbs Available for Purchase]

• Ration (10 units) – 1 Gold
• Lycen (10 units) – 5 Gold
• Black Out (10 units) – 10 Gold

This seemed to be the seed shop mentioned in the description.

Three types of herbs were available for purchase.

“Is it like this?”

There was no need to go out of the way to find herb seeds; they could be planted using this function.

“Ration is a hemostatic agent, and Lycen was an antipyretic, right?”

Both were herbs mentioned in the original story.

The protagonist used them as medicine when short on money, so Aiden remembered them clearly.

Potions were expensive, and getting treatment from a priest was burdensome; these herbs were convenient alternatives.

“Then, could I also grow potion herbs in the future? That would be amazing…”

Aiden muttered as he selected the Black Out herb, which he needed the most.

[Consumes 10 Gold.]

His pouch opened, and 10 Gold disappeared.

Then, a portal opened, and a fairy emerged, fluttering around to plant the seeds before vanishing.

[Ready for harvest in 36 hours.]

This message appeared above the spot where the Black Out herb was planted.

Thirty-six hours.

It was remarkably quick.

In the original story, there was an episode where Black Out herbs were cultivated due to Argos’ poison.

‘Back then, it took over a week, but here it’s just 36 hours?’

“Is it thanks to the herbal garden?”

Unlike the palisade, whose effects weren’t visually apparent, the herbal garden’s impact was tangible.

The difference was palpable.

“This Building Owner trait is incredible… Wait, what’s that?”

Aiden noticed an icon next to the [Ready for harvest in 36 hours] message.

It was a clock-shaped icon.

When he clicked on it:

[Instant Completion Ticket – 10 Gold]

“…”

Even herbs weren’t exempt from instant completion privileges.

---

Aiden urgently purchased an instant completion ticket for one Black Out herb.

When the fairy appeared and danced around, the herb grew rapidly.

It wasn’t a sacred ritual, but it felt like a tribal dance performed to offer a sacrifice…

“So, drinking this will cure it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

“What? You’re not going to drink it?”

Hans looked skeptical.

It was natural.

Barely a day had passed, and Aiden had returned claiming to have brought a cure for an incurable disease.

And it was merely a tea brewed from an herb.

‘Is he trying to scam me?’

But there was no motive.

Why do people work out?

To tear muscle fibers through weight training and then strengthen them through recovery.

Eating protein also serves the purpose of muscle development.

To deceive someone, a reason is needed.

Aiden was a nobleman.

Even if he had been abandoned by the Saronton family, he hadn’t been expelled from the family.

In contrast, Hans was merely a mercenary.

Aiden had no reason to deceive him, nor would he gain anything from it.

Hans came to a conclusion.

“I’ll…”

---

The Hestia Territory Guard Post.

Normally, this was a place where the militia tasked with maintaining the territory’s order should gather.

A sacred space akin to a police station, now tainted by ruffians.

“Hahaha, this is great!”

“Bring more booze!”

“Hey, that’s the last bottle we barely managed to get. You planning to finish it all today?”

“So what? We’ll just buy more when the next caravan comes.”

Ten men were drinking and casually exchanging vulgar banter.

They were notorious thugs in the Hestia Territory.

Their arms and backs bore tattoos of unknown origin.

Since the disbandment of the guard, they had occupied the post, terrorizing the locals.

“Ah~ I’m drunk~ I’ll be back after taking care of something~”

“Alright~”

A drunken man felt the urge and got up to handle his business.

Through his hazy vision, he noticed an intruder entering the guard post.

“Who are you? Do you even know where you are? Get out now! Are you asking to die?”

The man acted as if such incidents were routine.

It had happened many times.

Even though the guard was disbanded, people still came pleading for help.

No matter how much they begged, clutching at his pants, he would shove them away without a care.

‘Annoying pests. They keep coming back even after being chased off.’

Today, he decided to deal with it thoroughly so they wouldn’t return.

With that thought, he focused his gaze on the intruder.

“…”

The figure was large.

The man wasn’t small himself.

Normally, he would meet someone’s face when looking straight ahead, but all he saw now were massive mounds leading to a plain.

As he lifted his head higher:

“…!”

The man’s face froze in shock.

The drunkenness vanished instantly, and his rationality returned.

His legs trembled.

“Y-y-you… W-who are you…?”

Ordinarily, he would have spoken informally, but his survival instincts forced him to use honorifics.

‘If I use informal speech, I’m dead!’

An indescribable sense of intimidation!

The oppressive aura emanating from the enormous pectorals was terrifying.

Twitching.

The two muscular mounds seemed to have a will of their own, pulsating with life.

“Whoa, calm down, Calton, Carlton, not yet.”

The intruder stroked his pectorals as if soothing children.

‘Did he just name his muscles…?’

“You asked who I am?”

“Y-yes…”

“I am Hans, the new captain of the guard as of today.”

“…The guard captain?”

With that face?

The man’s expression turned incredulous.

Look at that face.

The scar running horizontally across it only worsened his already intimidating look.

‘He looks like someone from the underworld!’

The guard captain was supposed to be the epitome of order and security.

But his face screamed chaos and violence.

Though he restrained himself, the man felt an urge to bow.

Such a waste of talent.

“Why? Got a problem?”

Flex.

His muscles asked the question.

If there was an issue, they invited him to speak up.

Look at that clenched fist.

It seemed to say he’d resolve grievances through “dialogue,” but it was clear the conversation would involve fists, not words.

The message was clear.

“N-no, not at all! W-we’ll leave right away!”

They had to run.

Instinct told him to avoid entanglement with this person at all costs.

“Immediately!”

“No need for that.”

“Pardon…?”

“We’re short on people in the guard.”

Hans’ lips twisted into a terrifying grin.

“This works out perfectly.”

“…”

That day, the man realized.

Their peaceful days were over.

‘We’re doomed…’

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