Ginas tried to keep his face composed, though a trace of despair remained in his expression as he spoke calmly. “This matter must be handled with absolute secrecy. Will you also keep it from the steward and Sir Bloom?”
“I should inform Sir Bloom. As for Botello… he’s too old. I’d rather not burden him with this.”
If even Ginas, who was known for his composure, reacted this way, then Botello—an elderly steward—might be so shocked that it would affect his health. Both of them naturally excluded the other retainers, including the administrator, Graphny.
To think that, in such a critical situation, I only have two people I can rely on… Eira lamented the dire lack of capable subordinates as he opened his main quest window.
<Main Quest!>
[Territory Survival: Preparing for Disaster]
Save the territory before the time limit ends. (D-182)
✔ Achieve 60% territory support rate (23/60%)
✔ Recruit 5 loyal retainers (2/5)
✔ Reach Spirit GM’s final level (Incomplete)
Reward: ??% of the population survives
“Five retainers to recruit… That means there are five people worth recruiting in the first place. The two I already have must be Ginas and Bloom.” If he completed all three conditions, he could save the people of Solar, but it was still too early to be optimistic. The survival rate was still displayed as ??, meaning the number of survivors would depend on how well he accomplished his objectives.
As he had told Ginas, if the city burned down and only a few survivors remained to rebuild, then technically, Solar wouldn’t be completely wiped out. But that wasn’t what Eira wanted. If possible, he wanted to protect every citizen. He wanted to preserve the white-walled lord’s castle and the beautiful city nestled in the snowy mountains—without a single casualty. I need to push the support rate up to 60% no matter what…
Just as he was contemplating how to raise the support rate, he noticed something strange. The number 23% changed. It dropped to 22% right before his eyes.
“…What?” Eira waved his hand through the air as if trying to catch the numbers.
Ginas looked at him in confusion. “Eira, what’s wrong?”
“Wait a second. Why is this suddenly…?”
A few moments later, 22% dropped to 21%. Then, it fell again—to 20%. No! I need at least 20% to complete my pebble’s level-up quest! Eira watched in horror as it plummeted all the way down to 19%.
Just as he was mentally screaming, someone knocked urgently on the study door. It was Botello. “Eira, you must come quickly. A patrol guard has reported a fire in the city.”
“What?”
By the time Eira arrived, the fire was almost under control, thanks to Bloom’s swift command. Fortunately, there was a river nearby, and it had snowed just the day before. Thanks to these natural advantages, the fire hadn’t spread much and had been contained to five houses. However, the real issue was what caused the fire in the first place. That was also why his support rate had suddenly plummeted by 3%. Letting out a heavy sigh, Eira opened his territory status window.
[Territory Information]
Territory Name: Solar
Lord: Solar Singh Eira
Area: Approx. 2,300 zenta
Population: 156,346
Debt: 10,000 Cell (Monthly interest: 50 Cell)
Military – Level 1: (Warning! Knights and soldiers are overworked.)
Knights: 85 / Soldiers: 1,352
Public Order – Level 1: (Even daytime alleys are dangerous!)
Thugs, prostitutes, and drug dealers roam freely in broad daylight.
Commerce – Level 2:
Trade: A fantastic tunnel has been built! Trade with the outside world is now much easier.
Tourism: At least people no longer have to risk their lives to visit Solar.
Quarrying: Workers are flocking to the quarry. New jobs are being created!
Support Rate: 21% (Strong support in Dalum Village and the lord’s castle.)
Special Note: 180 days until destruction.
Summary: Not a holy land, and still too dangerous to be a proper tourist spot.
+ Additional Features Upgrade: Further territory development required.
Eira’s blue-gray eyes carefully scanned the details. The good news was that the support rate had returned to 21% after the fire was contained. Additionally, since opening the quarry, commerce had leveled up to 2, and a new category—public order—had been added.
But the real problem was why the fire had started. With the tunnel built, Eira had quickly moved to sell stone, setting high wages to attract laborers and skilled stonemasons. This influx of workers had created fierce competition, and from there, things spiraled out of control.
- Some officials had started taking bribes in exchange for jobs at the quarry.
- Thugs noticed the money flowing and demanded “protection fees” from workers.
- Brothel owners and drug dealers followed, setting up operations near the quarry.
- The workers reported these crimes to the guards, but the soldiers ignored them.
Eventually, one furious worker snapped and set a fire. One person was now in a coma, and three others had suffered severe burns. The arsonist had been arrested and would face punishment, but that didn’t solve the real issue.
Eira had also imprisoned the corrupt officials. Using physical magic, he had “gently” encouraged them to confess. Here’s what he learned:
- Every single one of these officials had a negative affection score toward him.
- They had been accepting bribes from criminals.
- They were deeply religious—visiting the temple daily and donating a portion of their bribes every ten days.
In short, this was a corrupt triangle of money, religion, and crime. The fact that officials linked to the temple harbored resentment toward him was a dangerous sign. Naturally, one name came to mind.
Attera de Act.
He was the high priest I met when I first arrived. Eira remembered seeing him distributing food in the slums. At the time, it had seemed like an ordinary charity effort… but now, he wasn’t so sure. He needed to investigate further.
However, Solar was a deeply religious land. If he wasn’t careful, this could become a major problem. His father had severely oppressed the temple when he was alive, despite governing such a devout territory.
Wait a minute… Could that be why these officials all hate me? What exactly did my father do to them?
As he walked, deep in thought, Eira suddenly stopped. His gaze landed on a small, rundown house. From this distance, he could tell no one was home. His pebble’s level had increased enough to provide detailed notifications.
[Information: This is an old, abandoned house. The owner is currently absent.]
Eira glanced around. “Not home today?” Since returning from Volni, Janus had stopped wandering or sleeping on the streets. Even though he had lost all his money gambling, he had somehow managed to get a house and had been lazily living there ever since.
Just as Eira was about to activate his navigation feature to track Janus down, he heard dogs barking fiercely nearby. At first, he ignored it. Then, he realized—one of the barks sounded… strange. His floating pebble displayed a notification. [Bow Wow.]
…What? Following the sound, Eira turned a corner—and stopped in his tracks. Janus was squatting in the street, picking a fight with a dog.
“…Janus, what are you doing?”
Janus grinned and turned to face him. Eira sighed. He had no way to fight a dragon. But he could at least make one fall in love with him. Smiling, he reached for Janus’s arm.
“I brought lunch. Let’s eat together.”
Janus smirked and lazily strolled toward his house.
Eira followed Janus into the house, setting the food down on the old wooden table. Janus, who had been lounging lazily, leaned in with interest. “What did you bring?”
“Stuff from the castle kitchen. Fresh bread, roasted meat, and some stew.”
Janus whistled. “Must be nice, being a lord and all.” He reached for a piece of bread, tearing it apart with his teeth.
Eira watched as Janus ate, then casually asked, “So, where did you get this house? You were broke when you left Volni.”
Janus, chewing, grinned. “I just took it.”
“…You stole a house?”
“No, I just moved into one that no one was using. It’s not stealing if no one’s living in it, right?”
Eira pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s literally the definition of squatting.”
Janus shrugged. “The owner’s been gone for months. I doubt they’re coming back.”
Eira sighed but let it go. It wasn’t like he could force a dragon to find legitimate housing. Instead, he focused on his real goal—keeping Janus’s mood up. Raising his affection level was still the best way to prevent Solar’s destruction.
As they ate, Eira casually brought up another topic. “By the way, do you know anything about the temple here? Specifically, the high priest, Attera de Act?”
Janus raised a brow. “That guy? Yeah, I know him. He’s been around for a while. Does a lot of charity work, helps the poor, all that noble priest stuff.”
Eira frowned. “And?”
Janus licked some sauce off his fingers. “And he’s suspicious as hell.”
Eira’s eyes sharpened. “You think so too?”
Janus smirked. “I don’t think, I know. That guy’s too smooth, too well-connected. People like him don’t do things out of pure goodwill.”
Eira tapped his fingers on the table. “Figures. I was planning to look into him anyway. There’s something going on between the temple and the corrupt officials.”
Janus stretched lazily. “Well, if you need information, you’re asking the right guy. I hear things.”
Eira leaned in slightly. “Then tell me.”
Janus chuckled. “Not for free.”
Eira narrowed his eyes. “…What do you want?”
Janus’s grin widened. “Kiss me.”
Eira froze. “…What?”
“You heard me. Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”
Eira stared at him, then sighed heavily. “You really are a damn dragon.”
But in the end, he leaned forward.
Just before their lips touched, Janus’s smirk deepened. “See? You’re already falling for me.”
Eira rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away. If this was what it took to keep his land safe, then so be it.
Janus would never know, but as Eira kissed him, a familiar notification popped up in his mind.
[Janus Lehzadeth’s affection level has increased by 3.]
Eira smirked inwardly. One step closer.
Little Pink Starfish 
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