I Became a Mythical Knight King

Chapter 63: Black Knight of Lothian (2)

The number of new members increased by twenty, made Yoo Seong Castle feel livelier than usual.

“Successor, it’s not just bustling—looks like we’re short on lodging, isn’t it?”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, it seems we’ve exceeded maximum capacity. No wonder people don’t look too happy.”

As René pointed out, upon closer observation, the soldiers near the lodging area had unpleasant expressions.

Inside the barracks, it was so crowded that everyone was packed tightly together, visibly uncomfortable.

“First, I’ll upgrade the barracks before anything else.”

Feeling somewhat apologetic, Yoo Seong spoke to no one in particular while investing points.

Soon, a notification displayed the time required for the construction of additional barracks adjacent to the current ones.

[6 hours, 29 minutes, and 42 seconds until the barracks upgrade is complete.]

Short-statured workers wearing yellow safety helmets began building at an astonishing speed.

“These are new faces—are they some sort of fairies?”

“Possibly.”

Considering that dwarves could be categorized as a type of fairy, it wasn’t unreasonable to think so.

The sight of the newly arrived workers, presumed to be dwarves, constructing the building was unexpectedly intriguing, enough to make Yoo Seong watch blankly until a knocking sound interrupted.

A servant had arrived with food.

“I’ll get it.”

René got up, dismissed the servant, and pushed the cart laden with food toward Yoo Seong.

Despite being a late-night meal, it included bread, soup, meat, and several noodle dishes.

“You’ll eat a lot, right?”

“Of course.”

Seeing the food, Yoo Seong realized he was hungry and quickly devoured it. René also joined him, eating while observing Yoo Seong Castle.

“But, Successor.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s not just the dining area. The toilets, baths, dining halls, pubs, and stables—all of them are overcrowded. The soldiers look unhappy too.”

René was right.

Facilities like the forge and the metal refinery were functioning fine, but all the convenience facilities were in a poor state.

Reviewing the details of each facility confirmed dissatisfaction levels:

Too many people.

Long wait times to use them.

Poor hygiene due to overuse.

Reading the soldiers’ complaints, Yoo Seong unconsciously broke into a cold sweat.

“Y-yeah. Basic needs must be met first.”

In the military, it was essential to ensure proper food and rest for optimal performance.

While some might scoff, soldiers deeply valued meals—not just as a source of nutrition but also as a means to relieve stress and maintain morale.

Yoo Seong quickly operated the interface to upgrade the toilets, baths, dining halls, and pubs by one level each.

Again, dwarf-like figures wearing safety helmets appeared, starting construction, which noticeably improved the soldiers’ expressions as they watched the work.

“Even Bianca looks happy.”

“Bianca?”

“The waitress at the pub. She’s quite popular among the soldiers, you know?”

René gestured toward a blonde waitress smiling brightly by the pub.

Indeed, several soldiers around her had heart-shaped expressions on their faces.

“By the way, the most popular among the soldiers is Sister Kate. But she’s more like an unreachable flower on a cliff—admired but out of reach. The realistically popular ones are Bianca, Melissa, and Lilia.”

“Lilia?”

“You don’t know?”

“Uh, no, sorry. I don’t.”

René narrowed her eyes briefly at Yoo Seong’s reply, then chuckled and pointed toward the dining hall.

“She’s the chef there. If Bianca is the sultry one and Melissa exudes healthiness, Lilia is pure and gives off a warm, comforting vibe.”

“I see.”

So Bianca was the sultry one, Melissa was the epitome of health, and Lilia was the pure-hearted girl.

Although René seemed to spend more time observing the Castle than Yoo Seong, how did she manage to pick up such detailed information?

‘Must be from observing the soldiers’ reactions?’

From heart shapes to emoticons—these subtle cues could reveal a lot if one paid attention.

Yoo Seong turned to René’s profile and smiled softly.

“Hm? Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing, just.”

When Yoo Seong smiled again, René tilted her head in confusion but soon returned her gaze to the Castle.

“Everyone looks happier now. It seems they’ve noticed you’re looking out for them, Successor.”

The entire garrison was outdoors due to the large-scale expansion, and as René had said, everyone looked pleased.

Nodding, Yoo Seong turned back to René and said, “While we’re at it, let’s supply meat and drinks and throw a party. We’ve won a big victory and gained new members, after all.”

“Wow, you’re amazing, Successor!”

Receiving René’s enthusiastic cheer, which seemed to represent the soldiers’ sentiments, Yoo Seong invested points into the dining hall.

Since the population had increased, the points required to distribute meat and food had also risen, but saving points on such matters was not an option.

‘So, this is how many points I have left.’

After using 190 points for expansions, festivities, and reinforcements, Yoo Seong was left with 350 points out of the 540 he’d accumulated from victory and achievements.

Passing the soldiers enjoying the campfire, meat, and drinks, Yoo Seong headed toward the forge.

The Level 3 forge was significantly larger, with many apprentice blacksmiths. However, upon attempting another upgrade, a condition appeared:

[Temple Level 2 required.]

It wasn’t just the forge.

The metal refinery and most of the newly unlocked facilities also required the temple to be at Level 2 before they could be constructed.

‘Looks like upgrading the temple is the next step.’

Upgrading the temple required a hefty 200 points.

But since it was crucial, Yoo Seong invested the points without hesitation.

As dwarves began constructing the temple, René turned to Yoo Seong and asked, “What’s the new facility?”

“Right now, it’s a tannery—a specialized facility for leatherworking that was previously handled alongside blacksmithing. It’s surprising this wasn’t introduced earlier, considering its importance.”

The tannery required 30 points, which seemed fair for such a late-coming facility.

After building the tannery next to the forge, Yoo Seong was left with 120 points.

René, looking at the newly completed tannery, furrowed her brows slightly.

“Hmm, the pioneering invitation ticket hasn’t appeared yet.”

“It’ll probably unlock once the temple reaches Level 2. That seems to be the pattern.”

In fantasy management games, upgrading the main structure often unlocked the next stage of facilities.

René checked the time required for the temple upgrade and frowned again.

“Ugh… we’ll have to wait quite a while.”

“No helping it.”

The temple upgrade required 120 hours, meaning five days of waiting.

“Now, the question is how to use the remaining points.”

With 120 points left and most construction blocked, there were still options for investment.

With the forge now at Level 3, new equipment had been added for various units:

[Elite Infantry]

Weapon Enhancement: 20 points

Light Armor: 20 points

Helmet: 20 points

[Heavy Infantry]

Axe-spear Enhancement: 20 points

Mace: 20 points

Shield Enhancement: 20 points

[Pegasus Cavalry]

Lance Enhancement: 20 points

Throwing Spears: 20 points

[Elven Archers]

Elven Bow: 40 points

[Heavy Cavalry]

Horse Armor: 20 points (Increases defense, reduces speed)

Heavy Armor: 20 points (Increases defense, reduces speed)

Shield Enhancement: 20 points

Lance Enhancement: 20 points

It had been a while since I found myself in a situation where there were so many things I wanted to do, but not enough points to go around.

Although the scale of battles had increased, leading to a significant boost in points earned, the tiers of the units had also risen, making the points feel much more expensive.

‘Should I focus my points on a couple of units for solid reinforcement, or spread them out for overall improvements?’

After a moment of contemplation, Yoo Seong decided to invest 60 points into the elite infantry unit, proceeding with all three upgrades.

‘The elite infantry serves as the base unit.’

Since they were the most numerous and versatile, focusing on strengthening the elite infantry was the correct choice for now.

‘The next issue is…’

While reinforcing the heavy infantry was also important, the pegasus cavalry’s throwing spears and the elven archers’ elven bows caught his attention.

‘Adding throwing spears would enable ground attacks from the sky.’

Even though the number of spears wasn’t infinite, the ability to attack even a few times was crucial.

It gave the heavenly cavalry a ranged attack capability.

‘The elven bows, on the other hand, would further extend their already long range.’

Both were absolutely necessary.

Thus, Yoo Seong allocated the remaining 60 points to the throwing spears and elven bows.

This left him with 0 points.

As Yoo Seong felt a mix of satisfaction and emptiness from completely spending all his points, Rene spoke up cheerfully from the direction of the forge.

“Wow! New equipment has arrived!”

Looking over, Rene smiled brightly.

Perhaps because they were high-tier equipment, production had taken time, so they weren’t immediately ready for use. However, the production process was visible in the forge.

“I’m looking forward to seeing them equipped later.”

Yoo Seong nodded at Rene’s words and then turned back to observe the soldiers.

Everyone was eating, drinking, and chatting merrily, but Jimmy, who had been trying to talk to Bianca, seemed dejected and had a downcast expression.

“Cheer up, Jimmy.”

“Cheer up, Jimmy.”

Yoo Seong and Rene spoke simultaneously, looked at each other, and shared a small laugh before turning their attention to the knights.

Kate, Vanadain, Diana, Hector, and Roland, the five knights were enjoying a quiet meal at the tavern rather than mingling with the soldiers, seemingly to avoid making the soldiers uncomfortable.

“What kind of person is Roland?”

“I don’t know him well, but maybe he’s similar to Ruan?”

“Oh, I see.”

Rene nodded as if she understood, and Yoo Seong chuckled softly before closing the Castle interface.

Exploring Yoo Seong Castle had been fun, but there were still a few unfinished tasks to wrap up.

“All right, Rene, let’s level you up next.”

Rene clenched her fists with determination at Yoo Seong’s words, though she had been reluctant to see the Castle interface close.

“Yes! I’m counting on you!”

Royal Mage: Rene Baltois
Level: 10
Points Available: 30 pt
Equipment: Oak Staff / Mage’s Robe
General Skills: Magic Enhancement Lv6 / Combat Meditation Lv1 / Summon Warhorse Lv1
Unique Skills: Magic Storage Lv1
Unique Spells: –

[Class Upgrade for Rene: 10pt]
[Rene acquires Magic Enhancement Lv7: 20pt]
[Rene acquires Unarmed Combat Lv1: 3pt]
[Rene upgrades Combat Meditation to Lv2: 5pt]
[Rene upgrades Magic Storage to Lv2: 5pt]
[Rene acquires a new spell: 5pt]
[Rene upgrades Summon Warhorse to Lv2: 5pt]
[Rene enhances Strength: 1pt]
[Rene enhances Agility: 1pt]
[Rene enhances Stamina: 1pt]

“As expected.”

“Huh?”

“When you reach Level 10, you unlock a class upgrade.”

“Uh…something like a promotion?”

“Yeah, right now it’s Royal Mage, but after the upgrade…it’ll be something like Royal Senior Mage?”

The name was slightly underwhelming, but Rene seemed delighted and smiled brightly.

“Wow, it sounds experienced and impressive!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, I really like it.”

Her eyes seemed sincere.

“All right, let’s proceed with the promotion.”

“Yes!”

As Yoo Seong invested 10 points, new rays of light emerged.

[Royal Senior Mage]
[All stats slightly increased.]
[Acquired the Book of Camelot.]

“Oh.”

Checking Rene’s status window, Yoo Seong saw that the equipment list now included the Book of Camelot.

“Rene, try summoning it.”

“Uh, okay. I’ll try. It should be similar to summoning the staff, right?”

Muttering to herself, Rene moved her hand, and a large green book materialized in midair.

“Wow, it’s heavy.”

The book had a green cover with golden lines, and its sheer size—about 30 cm tall—made it look cumbersome.

Despite Rene’s increased strength, she still groaned as she placed it on the ground.

[Book of Camelot: A magical tome left by Camelot’s great mage Merlin. Contains the shared spells used by Camelot’s mages.]

Rene’s face lit up with excitement as she flipped open the cover.

Although the text seemed tiny compared to the book’s size, Rene’s eyes sparkled as she read the lines.

“Wow, this is amazing. It looks like so much fun!”

As expected of a mage, she seemed utterly captivated by the tome.

While Yoo Seong couldn’t quite share her enthusiasm, he nodded and checked her status window again.

‘The remaining points should go into further enhancing Magic Power, right?’

Raising it from Level 6 to Level 7 had consumed a staggering 20 points, but it was a worthwhile investment.

‘Truly befitting of a Celestial Witch.’

In Fantasy Monarch, character growth elements like Magic Enhancement or Stamina Enhancement were capped based on the character’s inherent potential.

It could be seen as a systematic interpretation of talent, and breaking through Level 6 to reach Level 7 was already a remarkable feat.

‘But Rene is a Celestial Witch.’

She would likely be able to enhance her skills up to Level 10, at least.

‘Honestly, I think she might go even higher.’

Smiling faintly, Yoo Seong refrained from interrupting Rene, who was engrossed in the magical tome, and opened Jillian’s status window instead.

Royal Saint: Jillian Ynatri
Level: 4
Points Available: 20 pt
Equipment: High Priest’s Robes
General Skills: Surveying Lv3 / Shieldsmanship Lv1 / Horsemanship Lv1
Unique Skills: –
Unique Prayers: –

[Jillian acquires Holy Power Enhancement Lv1: 5pt]
[Jillian upgrades Shieldsmanship to Lv2: 5pt]
[Jillian acquires a new prayer: 5pt]
[Jillian enhances Strength: 1pt]
[Jillian enhances Agility: 1pt]
[Jillian enhances Stamina: 1pt]

‘Jillian is still quite modest.’

Perhaps because she was only Level 4, her status remained humble.

Yoo Seong raised her Holy Power Enhancement to Level 3 and used the remaining points to unlock a new prayer.

‘I’ll have to ask Jillian tomorrow to find out exactly what the new prayer does.’

Unlike spells, prayers didn’t display detailed descriptions in the status window.

Imagining Jillian becoming stronger while sleeping peacefully, Yoo Seong shrugged and gently tapped Rene, who was still absorbed in the tome.

“Rene, Rene.”

“Huh? Yes?”

“Let’s head back to our rooms for now. It’s late, and we need rest to meet the lords tomorrow.”

“Oh…Yes, you’re right.”

As Rene reluctantly turned her gaze from the book, Yoo Seong smiled wryly and closed the tome himself.

“That’s it for today. I’ll keep the book safe, so make sure you get some rest tonight, all right?”

“What? That’s not fair! You’re confiscating it?”

“It’s not confiscation; it’s safekeeping. I’ll give it back tomorrow.”

Though she looked like she wanted to protest, Rene nodded and got up.

“Huff, I got too excited because of the book. All right, I understand. But make sure you get some good rest too, Successor.”

“I will, don’t worry.”

Saying so, Yoo Seong pushed the cart aside and dramatically climbed into bed.

Rene squinted at him.

“Successor, don’t forget to brush your teeth before sleeping.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Caught off guard, Yoo Seong quickly started brushing with the water left out, and Rene smiled faintly, bowing lightly.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Goodnight, Successor.”

“Goodnight, Rene. Sweet dreams.”

“You too, Successor.”

With a final smile, Rene left Yoo Seong’s room.

The following morning, after breakfast, Count Carian requested an audience with Yoo Seong.