“Eek! Help me!”

While walking down the street, a woman was robbed by a pickpocket.

The public security in Hestia’s territory had hit rock bottom.

The townsfolk simply watched the pickpocket escape, with no intention of intervening.

Was it because they were heartless?
Because they lacked compassion?

No, that wasn’t the reason.

‘Even if we help, nothing will change.’

What’s the point of catching a criminal?
In the past, people actively helped, but now, even if they did, it was meaningless.

Even when caught, criminals would be quickly released and roam around boldly.

It was a world ruled by criminals.

Knowing this well, criminals carried out such acts brazenly, even in broad daylight.

‘How foolish. Do you think someone will actually help just because you scream like that?’

The pickpocket mocked the distressed woman and quickened his pace.

Even if caught, there was no one who could punish him.

Hestia’s territory had essentially become a lawless zone, leaving the innocent townsfolk to suffer.

Thud!

As the running pickpocket turned his head for a moment, he collided with a massive wall.

“Ow! What the heck!? Why is there a wall here? There wasn’t one before!”

The pickpocket tilted his head in confusion.

Having roamed through Hestia’s territory, he knew the roads in detail.
There definitely wasn’t a wall here.

“What the…?”

As he raised his head, the pickpocket froze mid-sentence.

What he thought was a wall turned out to be a person.

It made no sense.

When he collided, he had distinctly felt the hard surface of a stone wall.

But what he assumed to be a wall was, in fact, abdominal muscles.

“What the… Abs? W-Whoa!”

As he looked further up, the pickpocket saw the face of the owner of those rock-hard abs.

He couldn’t help but gasp.

A ferocious scar ran across the man’s face, making his already menacing features even more terrifying.

But that wasn’t all.

‘What kind of muscles are those…?’

The muscles were no joke.

The pickpocket, who had some confidence in his physique, realized he was no match for this man.

“W-Who are you…?”

For the first time in his life, his uncontrollable temper seemed to vanish as he experienced a strange calm.

The man then coldly gave a command.

“Seize him.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Grab him!”

“W-Who are you people!? Why are you here!?”

The pickpocket turned to look at the faces of the people grabbing him and froze in recognition.

He knew them.

“Rick, Rirul, Raen, Radin, Kashan? What are you guys doing here!? Aren’t you supposed to be at the guard station!?”

They were the ruffians who had taken over the guard station.

But something was off about their appearance.

“Why do your faces look like you’ve been punched? And what’s with your clothes…?”

“……”

“Hey! Forget that! Let me go! You guys know me, don’t you? It’s me, Kenen! Kenen!”

“We know.”

“Then why!? Why are you guys listening to this man!? Huh!?”

Unable to understand their sudden actions, Kenen struggled, but he couldn’t escape their strong grip.

The muscular giant took the purse Kenen had stolen.

“Hey! Give that back! That’s mine!”

“I’ll return it to its rightful owner.”

“What!? Who do you think you are to return it as you please!?”

The man coldly looked down at Kenen, who shuddered under his gaze.

Then, the man slowly spoke.

“I am Hans, newly appointed captain of the Hestia territory’s guards, under the command of Lord Aiden Saronton.”

“…Captain of the guards?”

With that face?

In disbelief, Kenen glanced at the ruffians holding him, as if seeking confirmation.

They nodded, confirming it.

Who would have thought this man was the guard captain just by looking at his face?

His face and muscles screamed the opposite, as though he belonged to the underworld.

Just a moment ago, Kenen had barely held back, but one look at Hans’s face nearly made him bow at a 90-degree angle and surrender his stolen wallet.

He had the kind of face that demanded tribute.

“What’s going on? What’s the commotion about?”

“Hey, isn’t that the pickpocket?”

“Aren’t those the ruffians from the guard station? Why are they suddenly here?”

“Who is that big guy…? Is he the new captain?”

The sudden commotion had drawn the attention of the townsfolk.

From a distance, the woman whose purse had been stolen came running hurriedly.

“Ah… Um…”

“You’re the owner of this purse. Please take it.”

“Uh… Thank you!”

The woman flinched at Hans’s terrifying face but quickly bowed in gratitude, knowing he had helped her.

His face was scary.

But the fact that she had been helped was undeniable.

Of course, his overwhelming muscles were intimidating too.

“It’s nothing. I was merely doing my duty as the captain of Hestia’s guards.”

But this couldn’t be left unaddressed.

“You’re the captain of the guards?”

“That’s correct. As of today, I’ve been appointed captain of the guards by Lord Saronton.”

He made a point to emphasize it multiple times.

With the townsfolk’s attention focused on him, Hans decided the timing was right.

He cleared his throat lightly.

“I am Hans, the captain of the guards. From now on, I will be in charge of maintaining security in Hestia’s territory. If anyone commits a crime, report it to me, and I will personally handle it.”

“……”

For some reason, instead of reassurance, unease spread among the townsfolk.

Normally, such words would inspire confidence.

If someone else had said them, they would have clapped and cheered, full of hope for the future.

But when Hans said it…

‘Does he mean he’s taken over this territory? Like, “If anyone messes around here without my permission, they’ll pay”?’

It seemed his words were being interpreted in a rather dubious manner.

Just look at his face.

His body was so imposing that one punch from him seemed like it could be fatal.

He was downright intimidating.

“If anyone has complaints, feel free to voice them. I’m always open to discussion.”

Would it be a discussion with words? Or a different kind of discussion?

Judging by his physique and face, it seemed like his fists might be quicker than his words.

“Let’s move.”

“W-What!? Let me go! I already returned the stolen goods!”

“Returning the stolen goods doesn’t erase what you’ve done.”

“But still!”

“Besides, judging by your actions, you seem to have no proper occupation. From now on, you’ll be working as a guard.”

“What!? Me, a guard? Pfft, what kind of joke is that? Do I look like someone who’d do that!?”

“Your friends said the same thing.”

“W-What…?”

Only then did Kenen notice something strange.

Why are those thugs listening to that guy?

“Don’t tell me…”

“…We’re guards.”

“We’re under Hans-nim’s direct command.”

“…”

The unbelievable had happened.

The least qualified people to be guards were now wearing uniforms, claiming to be guards.

“You guys… are you crazy?”

“…Do you think you’re any different?”

Initially, even they had no intention of becoming guards.

They’d said they’d rather die than do it—but they nearly did die for real.

Before that fist, everything was equal.

One punch crushed their resolve, and two punches made them rewrite their life mottos.

Hans, a former mercenary, knew exactly how to inflict pain without breaking bones.

Resistance was futile.

Just look at those muscles.

Punching him would probably hurt you more than it hurt him.

“There’s a severe lack of manpower, but at this rate, it’ll be easy to fill the ranks.”

Hans smiled in satisfaction as he dragged Kennen back to the barracks.

The townsfolk could only express their concern.

Could these scoundrels truly reform and become guards to protect the estate?

---

[Quest, “Reviving the Guard” has been completed.]

[Crimes in Hestia Estate will significantly decrease.]

[Residents will begin to wonder, “Can we trust this lord?” reducing the number of defectors.]

[New items have been added to the Building Owner’s Shop.]

---

The quest was successfully completed.

The rewards included a temporary halt to crimes and prevention of the residents’ exodus.

It was like putting out a critical fire for now.

“The problem is, it’s not over yet.”

Aiden opened his status window.

---

Name: Aiden Saronton
Race: Human
Title: Palisade Owner
Level: 7 (Experience: 1.00%)
Trait: [Building Owner]

Strength: 12
Agility: 12
Stamina: 12
Luck: 12

---

He was now level 7.

It felt good.

Without taking any risks or fighting, he could level up just by using his Building Owner trait and spending gold.

“This means I’ll need a lot of money.”

For the estate.

And to ensure a comfortable retirement, the estate had to grow larger.

Large enough that no one would dare look down on it.

So secure that no monster would dare approach!

To achieve that, initial investments were necessary.

Aiden opened the Building Owner’s Shop.

<Building Owner’s Shop>

• Instant Construction 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 Ground LV. 1: 3,000 Gold
• Blacksmith’s Forge LV. 1: 3,000 Gold
• Spirit Garden LV. 1: 3,000 Gold
• Medical Clinic LV. 1: 3,000 Gold

…

He scrolled down with his finger until he saw what he wanted.

Residential House LV. 1 – 1,000 Gold

This was a quest reward.

Judging by the description, it seemed to be houses for the residents.

He had 46,880 Gold remaining.

Aiden decided to invest some of that gold for the residents.

“These houses are too run-down.”

Homes that could collapse at any moment.

Houses that leaked when it rained.

In winter, cold winds seeped through the cracks, making it hard to tell whether one was inside or outside.

“That won’t do.”

A house is important for people.

It’s a place to rest comfortably, a base to always return to.

If the place where they made memories with their families was a wreck, who would want to stay in the estate?

Though he had temporarily stopped the exodus, the fundamental problem needed to be solved, or the cycle would simply repeat.

“I’d feel like running away too if my house leaked.”

Back in the other world, Aiden had once lived in a rooftop room.

It was a period of poverty when he moved in because it was cheap.

But cheap rent always came with a reason.

“The roof leaked, it was cold in winter, hot in summer, mold grew everywhere, and at its worst, there was no water.”

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

When he moved out, the landlord had raged, demanding he restore the moldy wallpaper and other damages to their original state.

Even though it wasn’t Aiden’s fault—the house was old, and the roof leaked—the landlord had refused to fix anything and placed all the blame on Aiden.

“Phew…”

He could still feel the resentment from back then.

Houses were important.

If people had good homes, they’d form attachments and want to stay longer.

This was an investment in the future.

Such investments now would provide a solid justification when collecting rent—or rather, taxes—later.

“I’ll reap double, no, triple what I sow.”

As this was an investment, he intended to recover it thoroughly later.

For an even more comfortable retirement!

Aiden moved his finger and purchased residential houses.

---

[You have purchased 25 Residential Houses LV. 1.]
[25,000 Gold has been consumed.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has…]

---

He had spent a large sum all at once, which caused his level to shoot up by four.

At the same time:

[You have acquired the title, “Today is Payday!”]
[Today is Payday!: Gain additional experience when using the Building Owner’s Shop.]

Along with the new title, a cascade of Gold burst into the air as his pocket opened.

A whopping 25,000 Gold—an amount equivalent to the cost of living for a commoner over 250 months—vanished with a single swipe of his finger.

[Construction of Residential Houses LV. 1 will begin.]
[Completion will take 2 hours.]

Rumble!!

The estate began to tremble as light engulfed it.

A grand transformation was underway.

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