The atmosphere inside the royal hall grew noticeably quieter as the Red Dragon's massive corpse came to occupy a large portion of the chamber.
Even the knights standing guard by the entrance could not hide their shock.
They had all heard stories about dragons.
But seeing the complete body of a Red Dragon from such close range...
...was an entirely different experience.
Its crimson scales still reflected the light like polished metal. Its horns towered proudly above its head. Even in death, the lingering mana radiating from its body made the air throughout the hall feel oppressively heavy.
The Guild Master let out a long breath.
"...Magnificent."
He then turned toward the King.
"Your Majesty, please allow us to appraise it first."
The King nodded.
"Proceed."
Several monster material experts, the royal treasurer, and the Guild Master immediately gathered around the dragon's corpse. They opened their ledgers, carefully examined every intact part, and occasionally exchanged quiet words as they continued their assessment.
While the experts continued evaluating the Red Dragon's remains, several ministers slowly approached the throne.
One of them bowed slightly before speaking in a voice low enough that only the King could hear.
"Your Majesty..."
"That knight is an invaluable asset."
The King remained silent.
The minister continued.
"He defeated a Red Dragon entirely on his own."
"Even Hero Seraphina might not have accomplished such a feat without the support of an army."
"In my humble opinion..."
"...we must recruit him into the Kingdom of Etravia's military, no matter what it takes."
Several other ministers nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
"As long as he stands on our side, the kingdom's military strength will increase many times over."
"Especially now that the Demon King has returned."
The King's gaze remained fixed on Hax, who stood calmly in the middle of the hall.
After a brief silence, he slowly shook his head.
"No."
His answer left the ministers speechless.
"Trying to force a man like him will only produce the opposite result."
A faint smile appeared on the King's face.
"You all saw it yourselves."
"He did not come seeking a title."
"Nor did he ask for rank."
"The only reward he requested was a piece of land."
He paused for a moment.
"A man like that cannot be bought with power."
"If we push him too far..."
"...I fear this kingdom will lose his trust instead."
The ministers exchanged glances.
None of them could argue against those words.
The King looked back at Hax.
"Besides..."
"As of today, he is officially a citizen of the Kingdom of Etravia."
"That alone is more than enough."
His voice remained calm.
"A relationship built upon mutual respect will always last far longer than one forged through coercion."
Several of the ministers finally lowered their heads.
"Your Majesty is most wise."
On the other side of the hall, Hax remained standing quietly, waiting for the appraisal of the dragon's materials.
Whether he simply hadn't heard the conversation...
Or whether he simply didn't consider it important...
...no one could tell.
Nearly half an hour later, the Guild Master finally closed his ledger.
"Your Majesty."
"The dragon's body is in almost perfect condition."
"Every single scale remains intact."
"Both horns, every claw, its fangs, magical organs, mana core, bones, and even its wings are all exceptionally well preserved."
He drew a slow breath.
"If every one of these materials were auctioned separately across the various kingdoms..."
"...their estimated total value would reach one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins."
Silence once again filled the hall.
Several ministers unconsciously swallowed.
One hundred and fifty thousand gold coins.
It was enough to construct an entirely new fortress, train thousands of soldiers, or even fund an entire city for years.
The Guild Master continued.
"However..."
"The Kingdom of Etravia is currently in urgent need of dragon materials."
"We are reinforcing our military following the Demon King's recent assault."
He gestured toward the Red Dragon's corpse.
"Its scales can be forged into high-grade armor."
"Its fangs and claws can be crafted into powerful weapons."
"Its bones are ideal core materials for spears and enchanted bows."
"As for its mana core, it can serve as an energy source for numerous royal artifacts."
The King nodded slowly.
"And?"
The Guild Master turned to the final page of his ledger.
"If the kingdom purchases every material directly instead of holding an auction..."
"...we propose a total price of one hundred and thirty-five thousand gold coins."
The royal treasurer winced ever so slightly.
It was still an enormous sum.
But considering everything the kingdom would gain...
It was a worthwhile investment.
The King turned to Hax.
"What do you think?"
Hax considered it for a brief moment.
"Fair."
That was his entire answer.
No bargaining.
No negotiation.
As though he had merely sold an ordinary hunting prize.
The King chuckled.
"Then the transaction is approved."
Not long afterward, dozens of wooden chests filled with sacks of gold were carried into the hall.
The knights lined them up before Hax.
The Guild Master smiled.
"The total payment."
"One hundred and thirty-five thousand gold coins."
Without saying a word, Hax reached beneath his black cloak.
He pulled out an ordinary-looking dark leather pouch.
It wasn't large.
In fact, it appeared far too small to hold more than a few sets of clothes.
Yet one sack of gold after another disappeared into it.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
Every last sack vanished without a trace.
Several ministers could only blink in disbelief.
"...A high-grade Magic Bag..."
one of the royal court mages murmured.
Hax closed the pouch and tucked it back beneath his cloak.
In reality...
The moment each sack entered the pouch, the System immediately transferred it into his Spatial Inventory.
No one noticed.
The King then turned toward the Guild Master.
"Gilbert."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Please accompany Sir Hax while he remains in the capital."
"With pleasure."
The Guild Master bowed before walking over to Hax.
"Is there anything I can assist you with, Sir Hax?"
Hax thought for a few seconds.
"I'm still unfamiliar with the capital."
"I'd like to purchase a large quantity of construction materials."
The Guild Master nodded.
"That will be easy."
"Timber, stone, iron, glass—even construction tools can all be found in the trade district."
Hax asked another question.
"Good."
"Where can I buy the largest supply?"
The Guild Master smiled.
"I know several suppliers capable of handling bulk orders."
He paused briefly before adding,
"Would Sir Hax also require construction workers? I can introduce you to the finest craftsmen in the capital."
"No need."
Hax answered without hesitation.
The Guild Master looked slightly puzzled.
"Then... your workers will be arriving later?"
"No."
"Then who will build everything?"
Hax replied in the same flat tone.
"I will."
The Guild Master blinked.
"...By yourself?"
"Yes."
Silence settled over the hall once again.
Even the ministers who were still present turned to look.
Constructing a single house normally required anywhere from a dozen to several dozen workers.
Yet Hax spoke as though he were merely stacking a few stone blocks.
The Guild Master finally let out a quiet laugh, though it sounded more like the laugh of someone who still couldn't quite believe what he'd heard.
"...Then I truly look forward to seeing the result."
Hax gave a brief nod.
"You will."
Behind his black helmet, Hax had already begun organizing a list of everything he would need.
Stone. Timber. Iron. Glass. Tools.
And...
A sizable plot of land.
A permanent base would be far more efficient than constantly moving from one city to another. There, he could access the System, conduct experiments, and develop new technologies without attracting unwanted attention.
----
Several days passed.
Hax finally arrived at the territory marked on the map given to him by the King of Etravia.
The journey to the western frontier took longer than he had expected. The paved roads gradually gave way to dirt paths. The farther he traveled from the capital, the fewer merchant caravans and adventurers he encountered.
Before leaving the capital, he had spent most of the money earned from selling the monster materials and the Red Dragon's scales.
Not on food.
Nor on clothes.
But on building materials.
Timber, stone, granite blocks, iron, nails, glass, and mortar.
Even a wide assortment of construction tools.
The quantity was staggering.
Dozens of cargo wagons arrived one after another, filling the courtyard of the Adventurers' Guild. The workers assumed some noble was preparing to build a small town.
Yet every time a wagon came to a stop, Hax would simply hold out the same black leather pouch.
One shipment after another vanished inside it.
Gilbert, the Guild Master, who had initially tried to maintain a composed expression, eventually found himself rubbing his temples.
"...Sir Hax."
"Yes?"
"Your Magic Bag..."
Hax turned to him.
"Is there a problem?"
Gilbert fell silent for a few moments before slowly shaking his head.
"...I think it's better if I don't ask."
As far as he knew, even the highest-grade Magic Bags could only hold the equivalent of two or three wag"1">
----
The main stone house now stood proudly atop the hill.
Its walls were built from granite blocks reinforced through magic, making them far sturdier than ordinary buildings found throughout the Kingdom of Etravia. The roof was simple yet broad, designed to withstand both heavy rain and the snowfall of winter. Around it stretched an open expanse of untamed grassland, while the western forest reached all the way to the foot of the distant mountains.
Hax stood silently for a moment, observing the first structure he had ever built.
Before him, the System displayed a brief report.
[Base Construction: Complete]
[Current Development Level: 1]
[Available Facilities: Residence]
His gaze swept across the empty land surrounding the main house.
"..."
After running several seconds of simulation, another window appeared.
[Future Population Projection Initialized.]
[Recommended Minimum Residential Capacity: 4 Buildings.]
"...Makes sense."
Although he was currently the territory's only resident, the System had already calculated the likelihood of future expansion.
Building while materials were readily available would be far more efficient than demolishing structures and expanding later.
Without hesitation, Hax withdrew another blueprint scroll from the leather pouch hanging at his side.
Three blue lights appeared at separate locations, evenly spaced around the main house.
Moments later, more granite blocks, timber, and other construction materials disappeared from his Inventory.
[Building Blueprint Activated.]
Heavy rumbling echoed across the hill once again.
Stones stacked themselves into place.
Wooden beams interlocked with flawless precision.
Stone roof tiles settled one after another.
In less than ten minutes, three smaller stone houses stood surrounding the main residence.
Their design was simple.
Each contained two bedrooms, a living area, a small kitchen, and a chimney.
There was no furniture.
No occupants.
Yet every one of them was fully ready for use.
Hax observed all four buildings from a distance.
The main residence stood at the center.
The three smaller houses surrounded it in an almost perfectly symmetrical arrangement.
"...That should do."
For now, it certainly looked excessive.
But to Hax, building ahead of demand was always more efficient than waiting until the need arose.
After confirming that every structure had been completed without flaws, he stored the blueprint back inside his leather pouch.
His attention then shifted westward, where the dense forest stretched beyond the boundaries of the land granted to him by the kingdom.
He still had no warehouse.
No workshop.
And no defensive walls.
In other words...
These buildings were only the beginning.
---
Hax unfolded the territorial map given to him by the kingdom. The borders of his land stretched across a vast area, reaching almost to the forest on the western side.
If he wanted to expand his base, he would need far more materials.
Stone could be quarried from the hills behind the houses.
But high-quality timber...
It would be far more efficient to harvest it directly from the forest.
Without wasting another moment, Hax headed west.
The farther he walked, the denser the trees became.
The air grew cooler, while the songs of birds and the chirping of insects gradually replaced the silence that had blanketed the hill where his base stood.
A few minutes later, the System generated a report.
[Oak Detected]
[Ash Wood Detected]
[Ironwood Detected]
[Construction Material Compatibility: High]
"...Not bad."
He continued walking while mentally noting each type of tree suitable for construction.
But before long—
Something that wasn't marked on the kingdom's map appeared before him.
A thin column of smoke.
Wagon tracks.
And then...
The voices of children.
Hax stopped in his tracks.
Beyond the trees lay a small village.
It wasn't large.
Perhaps only twenty or thirty wooden houses surrounded by modest wheat fields. The wooden fence encircling the village had weathered badly over the years, with several sections already beginning to rot. An old well stood quietly in the center of the small square.
"...A village."
He looked back at the map.
There was no settlement marked here.
"...The kingdom's map is outdated."
At that very moment, a loud crash echoed from deeper within the forest.
CRASH!
A massive oak tree toppled cleanly to the ground.
Hax turned toward the sound.
Between the tree trunks stood a young man, no older than his late teens, carrying a large axe over one shoulder.
His black hair was slightly messy.
His clothes were simple—a linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
He wasn't built like a knight, but it was obvious his body had been tempered by years of hard labor.
What caught Hax's attention wasn't the young man's appearance.
It was the tree stump in front of him.
The cut was perfectly smooth.
Exceptionally smooth.
Almost as though it had been sliced by a precision machine.
The young man let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright... just three more trees."
He raised his axe once more.
A single swing.
SWISH!
The next tree immediately crashed to the ground.
Hax watched silently.
A few seconds later, the System began its analysis.
[Skill Observed]
[Unique Skill Candidate Detected]
"..."
Efficient.
Far more efficient than ordinary logging methods.
The young man only noticed Hax's presence after felling the third tree.
He turned around.
Then froze.
"...Huh?"
Standing silently among the trees was a towering figure clad in black armor, far taller than most men.
"...Y-You are...?"
Hax studied him for a moment before answering in his usual flat tone.
"I'm simply looking around this area."
"This area...?"
The young man glanced around before scratching the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
"Then you've wandered pretty far."
"There's nothing here except the forest and our little village."
Hax shifted his gaze toward the settlement beyond the trees.
"Is that your village?"
"Yeah."
The young man nodded.
"It's called Westhill Village."
"It's not much. Most people make a living from logging, hunting, and a little farming."
Hax looked once more at the map the kingdom had given him.
The village truly wasn't marked.
"...The kingdom hasn't updated its maps."
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
The young man merely blinked, clearly not understanding what Hax meant.
Silence settled over the forest once more.
Hax's gaze drifted back toward the neatly felled trees.
The surfaces of the stumps were so smooth that almost no torn wood fibers could be seen.
"..."
The System within him continued its analysis.
[Skill Observed.]
[Estimated Efficiency: 99.8%]
[Suitable for Large-Scale Construction.]
Hax's eyes settled once again on the axe in the young man's hand.
"Five trees."
The young man tilted his head.
"...Yeah?"
"In less than three minutes."
Hax paused briefly before continuing.
"Your efficiency is exceptionally high."
The young man scratched his head again, smiling sheepishly.
"Hehe... I've just been doing this since I was a kid."
Hax said nothing further.
But behind his black helmet, System windows continued appearing one after another.
[Unique Skill Analysis Complete.]
[Skill Classification: Specialized.]
[Current Efficiency: Extremely High.]
[Potential Value to Base Development: Excellent.]
"..."
He looked at the old axe in the young man's hand.
The axe itself was ordinary.
It wasn't magical.
Nor was it an artifact.
What was extraordinary...
Was the one wielding it.
The young man was beginning to grow uncomfortable under Hax's unbroken stare.
"Um..."
"Is there something on my face?"
"No."
Hax answered briefly.
"Then..."
The young man let out another awkward laugh.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Hax remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.
"I'm calculating."
"Calculating?"
"How long it would take you to cut down this entire forest."
"..."
"...Huh?"
The young man genuinely had no idea how to respond.
It was far too strange.
Who in their right mind calculated how long it would take to clear an entire forest upon meeting someone for the first time?
Meanwhile, deep within Hax's System...
A simulation finished running.
[Projected Time Required with Current Subject: 19 Days.]
[Without Subject: 247 Days.]
The difference...
Was far too great to ignore.
Hax turned his gaze toward the small village beyond the trees.
Then back to the young man.
"...Interesting."
Just a single word.
Yet for the first time since building his base...
Hax had found something that wasn't stored inside his Inventory.
Someone.
Who might prove far more valuable than thousands of logs.