Show Me Your Stats!

Merchants who had been to Solar before looked around in awe at the familiar landscape. They had actually passed through the mountain range and arrived at Solar via the tunnel. Memories of the grueling hell they’d endured crossing those mountains in the past flashed through their minds.

Hess waited until the merchants and mercenaries were done marveling, then clapped his hands to draw their attention. Once all eyes were on him, he gave a faint smile, his face pale from fatigue.

“Now that I've proven the road is safe, I’d like to propose a trade.”

“I'll sell food and fabric to Solar!”

Ronya shouted, raising his hand. But his voice was drowned out by others yelling their bids, each one undercutting the last. Watching the merchants argue and slash prices, Hess—Solar’s Lord Ayra—opened her mouth with a curious expression.

When her clear voice rang out, the crowd quieted.

“Let’s put food and fabric aside for now. I’d like to propose a different kind of trade.”

With that, the mage Hess—Ayra of Solar—smiled sweetly.

“This tunnel. It's flat, right?”

The merchants nodded.

Just like when she’d tricked some innocent junior back in the labyrinth into helping with her experiment, Ayra continued gently, voice smooth as silk.

“It’s warmer than outside, isn’t it? Easier to bring in carts, right? Wide enough to transport even larger animals than horses, yes? And no ambushes inside a cave, right?”

The merchants kept nodding enthusiastically.

Then, out of nowhere, Ayra changed the subject.

“As a devout follower of Lord Morunka, I’ve always thought this: Lord Morunka is the god of the mountains—the ruler of the white peaks. Doesn't pure white seem the most fitting color to honor Him?”

Some looked puzzled, wondering what she was on about. But a few sharp ones had already caught on, eyes sparkling with realization.

“Imagine sacred relics or temples made from white stone. Picture it—a pristine white temple carved from snowy rock, three eternal white flowers enshrined on your household altar.”

Ayra closed her eyes, face serene, inviting them all to visualize it with her. With her elegant features and calm voice, it was almost dreamlike.

“And the flowers—just the tips—are painted a soft, gentle red. Like crimson blossoms blooming in snow. Isn’t that worth far more than some carved wooden symbol? Imagine a statue of pure white. Or even an entire building. Wouldn’t the rich and pious be happy to pay top coin for something that beautiful?”

The moment Ayra saw the perfectly smooth, tunnel-like path, she’d immediately known what to sell.

Solar had barely a handful of flat land, no mines, and weather so frigid it made farming or raising livestock nearly impossible. Most of the territory was mountainous, and the people got by through hunting beasts or demon creatures. A cold, poor land.

And yet, the first thing that had impressed Ayra when she arrived—

Was the white Lord’s Castle. And the houses built from the same pure white stone.

Solar had nothing but rock, rock, and more rock. The white stone was so bright and clean it was hard to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) tell it apart from the snow. There was a reason people believed Lord Morunka had laid his body to rest here—it was surrounded by jagged white peaks like spears stabbing the sky.

There was so much stone that even the castle and villagers’ homes were all made of it. Ayra had actually been relieved that she didn’t need to pay to rebuild the castle walls—it was that common.

To most, stone doesn’t seem valuable. But good stone is expensive. Stone used in castles and fortresses? Even more so.

Solar’s white rocks were both durable enough to resist erosion and soft enough to carve. They’d formed a whole basin. And there was so much of it that every house had a stone-carved symbol of Morunka.

Yet no one had thought to sell the stone.

And it made sense.

Who the hell’s going to carry stone over something like the Himalayas?

Even carrying straw and cloth was risky—taking a full month for a round trip. Now imagine lugging heavy stone through those frozen, winding paths, constantly threatened by demon beasts or landslides.

Meanwhile, Sobletz and Bolni had rich forests—most buildings were wood. White stone structures were nonexistent. Even the main temple in Sobletz was built from rough, dark granite. Only the small statue of the mountain god near the entrance was white—and even that was streaked with gray veins.

But people loved pure white and pure black. Whether in games or real life, #ffffff and #000000 were always top sellers.

“Don’t you think the mountain god would prefer something made from the mountain itself?”

With a graceful sweep, Ayra cast an illusion spell.

White stone relics, sacred offerings, and even a pure white Lord’s Castle shimmered before the merchants' eyes. The magic added a pale glow—like an airbrushed photo, more beautiful than reality. Many of the merchants were Morunka followers, and Ayra noticed a few of them fondly clutching their worn wooden talismans.

She smiled brightly.

“To anyone willing to sell food and fabric at a fair price, I will grant priority trading rights to stone from the sacred land where Lord Morunka rests.”

And it wasn’t just any stone. With the Morunka brand stamped on it, Solar Stone could become a holy luxury product.

As the merchants’ eyes gleamed with greed, Ayra pulled out a small stack of contracts and waved them.

“Take this certificate directly to the Lord’s Castle and find Chief Administrator Hess Lu Jinas. Now then—auction starts! First three merchants only!”

❄

“Sending a fast letter to Solar is 1 Cell. To Sobletz, it's 40 half-Cells.”

This time, Ayra handed over 140 half-Cells without hesitation. A huge amount.

One message was for the Chief Administrator of Solar, to explain the current situation. The other was addressed to Dalrok Logia, the High Elder in Sobletz.

Its contents were as follows:

Dear High Elder Dalrok Logia,

I hope this letter finds you well.

I trust your body has recovered under Lord Morunka’s divine grace since the incident.

By chance, a remarkable opportunity has arisen.

(omitted)

Thus, as all of this is undoubtedly the result of Lord Morunka’s blessing, I intend to donate a portion of the profits from selling sacred relics, statues, and stone to the temple.

Also, since the path was once occupied by demon beasts, perhaps the priests of Bolni could offer blessings to those who pass through? It may ease their worries.

Like a grad student begging a tenured professor to review their thesis, the tone was excessively polite and formal.

But in essence, it meant this:

Solar has started exporting sacred stone under Lord Morunka’s divine brand. Bolni might try to interfere. In exchange for a share of the profits, would the temple mediate—and perhaps even let Bolni’s clergy take a cut by managing the cave path?

The soldiers who had once imprisoned Dalrok Logia had worn the emblem of Sobletz. That meant the Lord of Sobletz had attempted to use the High Elder as a political hostage—proof of how powerful Morunka’s church had become.

If those involved in his abduction were staying on Joban territory, then the Joban household must be closely allied with Sobletz.

Ayra made a mental note to watch the Jobans.

Though the church headquarters was in Sobletz, the city was a secular port—more business than faith. In contrast, Bolni bordered the mountains and had an even stronger religious presence than the capital itself.

So if Morunka’s clergy managed the cave, Bolni’s interference could be reduced. The commission would sting, but it was the only option for now.

Solar wasn’t yet strong enough to face Bolni head-on.

“If we just sell some stone, we won’t have to worry about interest for a while.”

The biggest win was securing a safe route into Solar.

Even without other resources, where people traveled, money followed. The closed-off territory could finally use its biggest asset—religion.

If we earn enough from selling stone, I’ll lobby the headquarters to officially declare Solar a holy site... Then the crowds will pour in. Inns, restaurants, souvenir shops. Who knows? We might even strike a vein of ore while digging stone.

Lost in her happy daydream, Ayra sighed and opened the Territory Window. A new menu had been added: Commerce.

[TERRITORY STATUS WINDOW]