BOPE 87

BOPE

Posted by zoe.zoe, Released on August 4, 2026

Chapter 87 …

Mortar Village was bustling from dawn, as everyone was busy cleaning up.

“Didn’t I tell you to remove the stones from the middle of the road?”
“And what about the moss on the fence? Did you get rid of all of it?”

Everyone was making final checks at their assigned spots. Today was the day their fully recovered lord would visit Mortar Village after a long time.

The village chief, Hop, in particular, was running around so much that it felt like two bodies wouldn’t be enough.

“Honey, take it easy for a bit. You need to think about your health too!”

His wife, Wuria, worriedly scolded him, but Hop didn’t even listen.

“This village is under the protection of our lord. We have to show him that we’re doing well.”

Wuria understood her husband’s intentions but was worried about how he had been running around without proper rest for the past few days. After all, he had been frail his whole life, constantly dealing with minor illnesses.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Chief!”

Hop was checking his list when someone knocked and called for him.

“Oh!”

“The carriage has arrived.”

“Really? I’m coming out right now!”

Hop dashed out of the door, excited. The streets were already filled with people who had come outside to welcome their lord.

Carrying an inventory full of food for the first time in a while, Donghee approached the entrance to Mortar Village, memories of that day flooding back. The tension from the black forest, fearing the sudden attack by the Quilen, came rushing back.

When the carriage finally stopped, Red Bear, who had been assigned to escort, opened the door.

“Waaaaah!”

The moment the door opened, an ear-splitting cheer erupted. Donghee blinked in surprise, looking around in confusion. He had expected some kind of welcome, but this was explosive—like being a top idol at the peak of fame.

“Long live the lord!”
“Thank you, my lord!”
“Waaaaah!”

Grateful cries came from every direction. Knights set up barricades around the lord to prevent people from rushing in all at once.

“Are you alright now, my lord?”
“Does any injury still hurt?”

The people asking had tears in their eyes.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Donghee answered in as strong a voice as possible to reassure them.

It took three times longer than usual to reach the chief’s house. Hop, who had been unable to come out because of the crowd, was moved to tears upon seeing their lord safe.

“Sniff… My lord… Seeing you safe like this… I have no regrets even if I die now. Ahh…”

Seeing an elderly man with white hair cry like a child made Donghee’s nose tingle. He couldn’t believe so many people cared so much about him. It was an overwhelming emotion he had never experienced before.

“I’m relieved to see you safe. I was worried seeing someone so powerless going out with just a stick.”

“Y-You saw that?”

Donghee recalled Hop’s desperate cries when the Quilen had grabbed him mid-flight. He couldn’t help but remember the sight of someone so weak trying in vain to save him, stomping their feet in panic.

“Thank you for trying to save me.”

“My lord…”

Hop started crying again.

After the wave of tears passed, Donghee went with Hop to inspect the site for the Durall Bread Factory. The builder in charge of the construction and his assistant accompanied them.

The factory site was near the southern border of Mortar Village, across the river from Idor Village. Donghee surveyed the area and stared long at Idor Village across the water.

It felt bleak and desolate, like looking north across the Imjin River.

Unlike Mortar and Enol, which were actively developing, Idor hadn’t even opened yet. Seeing it from afar, he realized how important it was to visit soon. He felt foolish for having delayed opening to avoid reducing favorability.

“The river is really dry,” he muttered.

Although the river was quite wide, the prolonged drought had nearly exposed the riverbed. Grace’s villagers had hardly remembered what it was like to enjoy pouring rain.

Hop, watching the river with him, had a gaze as dry as the riverbed.

“The Temra River used to have many fish, but now there’s neither fish nor sufficient water.”

“If we build the factory but water isn’t supplied on time, production will definitely be disrupted. I hope it rains.”

The builder glared at the cloudless blue sky.

The drought wasn’t just a problem for the Grace region. Streams and wide rivers alike were running dry.

“We need to find groundwater.”

There must be groundwater somewhere nearby, since there was a snowfield not far from this area. Maybe by upgrading the terrain information via Hidden Points, he could locate the groundwater.

Donghee checked the status window to assess the current state.

[Status Window]

Username: Chloe Grace
Occupation: Part-timer / Lord of Grace Territory
Abilities: Level 2 / Terrain Information Level 1 (Mortar Village only), Level 1 in Construction, Agriculture Advice available
Physical Level: 2 (Injuries fully recovered!)
Activity Radius: 4.5 / Underground studio, convenience store, Borimdang & surroundings, entire 1st floor of Mart
Traits: 3 / Some territories still poor. ★Obsessed with chocolate rolls, likes showing off small favors, terrible naming sense. Beginner-level Great Leader achieved
Villager Favorability: 85,000p
Inventory (Level 7): Storage . Base capacity (0/800)
Weapons: 18 Slingshots (0 ammo)
Hidden Points: 730p
MP: 1,390 / 86,400

After fully recovering from injuries, his Physical Level returned to 2. Having gifted 1,200 MP to a sulking Taechang, his Hidden Points were down to 730.

‘Can I convert villager favorability into Hidden Points?’

He had kept favorability high to avoid negative points when opening other villages. Now it had grown to 85,000.

Yes. You can convert villager favorability into Hidden Points. Would you like to proceed?

Yes. Please.

Conversion can be done in 1,000-point increments. Please specify the amount to convert.

Start with 50,000 points.

Even with 1,000 points, he had received useful information. There was no fear of negative favorability now. He wanted to use his abilities and information to develop his territory as quickly as possible.

Converting 50,000 villager favorability into Hidden Points. A fee will be charged for the conversion. Do you agree to pay the fee?

Donghee squinted at the blue status window, glaring at it.

“How much is the fee?”

The fee for converting 50,000 favorability is 500 points. Proceed?

Donghee reluctantly agreed, and the window deducted the fee.

Chaaaaarge!

Villager Favorability: 34,500p
Hidden Points: 50,730p
MP: 1,890 / 86,400

As expected, the fee went to Taechang’s MP, which meant he could deploy him more effectively—a net benefit rather than a loss.

Your current Hidden Points: 50,730. Open Hidden Shop?

Not now. Later.

If he displayed this information now, it could embarrass him in front of others. It was fine to wait a day or two for the groundwater location.

“Builder, start the construction. Make sure the factory has a daycare so women can comfortably leave their children. Focus on insulation to keep the kids warm. If any materials are needed, request them from Scrooge. He’ll support most things.”

“Yes, my lord,” the builder replied.

“And one more thing,” Donghee continued, staring straight at Idor Village across the river.

“We need to build a bridge connecting Mortar and Idor. Make it sturdy enough for carriages. Since the river is dry, construction won’t be difficult. Bring in experts if needed. Both Mortar and Idor villagers should participate and get paid daily wages.”

The lord’s instructions were decisive, as if he had planned everything long ago.

“Status Window. Open Idor Village.”