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1 – I Became a Lord

1 – I Became a Lord

Cover View

The territory simulation game “World Archive”

Starting as royalty or a lord, this game has achieved global success with its freedom to explore nearly everything imaginable, featuring diverse and captivating characters.

Having loved simulation games like “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” since childhood, I became deeply immersed in this game.

While working at my company, I enjoyed the game in my spare time, only to die from overwork and find myself possessed by the game.

………What the hell is this crazy situation?

It’s true that I liked the game, but I was just an ordinary gamer.

I didn’t leave 100,000 hateful comments like some people,

nor did I surpass 100,000 hours of playtime like others.

I was just a common gamer, more ordinary than a passing stone, playing casually after work.

And yet, I died from overwork and got possessed.

No… no matter how you look at it, this is too sudden, isn’t it?

Anyway, after a brief moment of confusion from this unexpected possession,

I adapted to this new world and came to this conclusion.

Hmm… I’m screwed.

* * *

Baron “Calix Crone.”

That is the character I have possessed.

This character, a young lord of the Crone family located at the southern tip of the Novarens Empire, was, in a word, “ordinary.”

His appearance was “ordinary,” his family was “ordinary,” his stats were “ordinary,” and his character traits were “ordinary.”

He didn’t even possess the special ability known as “Blessing,” which is typical for named characters.

If there was anything special about him, it might be his rich silver hair, a hereditary trait of the family?

Anyway, being such an ordinary character, the young lord and the title of baron had no significance in the game, practically being as inconsequential as air.

His importance was even less than that of “Baekhasain,” a character who gained popularity as a comedic figure due to having stats that didn’t even total 100.

Of course, my frustration wasn’t solely due to this.

Even though it was a small family and an ordinary character, it was still one of the families called the pillars of the Empire, so I could consider myself somewhat of a “gold spoon.”

From my perspective in my previous life, where I was working myself to death, being able to live the dream of a gold spoon was quite a fortunate situation.

The problem was the timing.

The time I possessed this character was the year 1162 of the Empire.

In a few years, the Empire would be engulfed in civil war.

Right now, the Empire is divided.

There are various factions such as the Princess Faction, the Prince Faction, and the Northern Grand Duke Faction,

and noble families are either supporting one of them for their own reasons or remaining neutral and watching.

This balance will inevitably collapse in a few years.

Whether it’s due to the “Assassination of the Emperor” or “Invasion of the Blood Clan,” it varies slightly depending on the route.

But eventually, that incident will occur, leading to the “War of the Throne” over the Imperial throne, and the main story of World Archive will begin.

And once that war starts, the territory of the Crone family will become the prime target for plunder and will be devastated.

It’s no surprise, as its location is highly susceptible to plunder.

To the west of the Crone family lies the Princess Faction, and to the east lies the Prince Faction.

Moreover, our family is currently not supporting either side, leaving us without protection from any faction.

Additionally, being close to the sea, we have accumulated an excessive amount of wealth through salt production.

This Crone family was clearly designed to be rich but powerless, easily plundered at the start of the game.

Damn it…

I had mindlessly plundered during gameplay, but now that I’m the actual character, it feels really messed up.

Realizing that my territory would soon be plundered, I locked myself in my room and pondered for several days.

And after a week, I made a decision.

“Is anyone there!?”

Clatter!

“Yes! My lord!!”

As I shouted, the door opened, and a knight who appeared to be a guard entered.

I immediately spoke to him.

“Call Hart Sugwan right now.”

“Yes! Understood.”

I summoned “Hart,” the Sugwan who manages the territory on behalf of my… or rather, Baron Calix’s, hands and feet.

I would now give orders as the lord I aspire to be.

From now on, I will become the “Beloved and Inept Lord.”

* * *

During the week I spent in my room, I thought a lot.

At first, I considered using the knowledge I had to grow the territory and align myself with a prince or princess for protection.

But that was too risky.

The endings of “World Archive” exceed 200, and depending on the route, major characters die like crazy.

Moreover, even if it seems like a specific faction will win, various random events occur to maintain balance, making it impossible to let my guard down until the very end.

No matter how much I tried to use my knowledge as a possessor to make my supported side the victor, the moment I hit an assassination event, I could lose my head.

The next method I considered was, conversely, becoming a villainous lord.

The reason the territory gets invaded when the main story begins is due to the wealth accumulated by the Crone family.

If I became a debauched villainous lord and squandered that wealth, the value of our territory for invasion would decrease.

However, after much deliberation, I dismissed that idea as well.

If I indulged in luxury by spending money, I would become a notorious bad lord, and the value of the territory capable of producing salt would still remain.

In that case, the likelihood of being invaded by another lord seeking to secure salt would increase.

What I needed was a survival route where the territory wouldn’t be invaded, and even if it were, I could survive and live a peaceful life without getting embroiled in political struggles.

For a week, I repeatedly pondered in my room, and while watching the rising sun, I envisioned the path to that route.

That was the “Beloved and Inept Lord” route.

“Lord Calix, did you call for me?”

“You’ve come, Hart Sugwan.”

The door opened, and an elderly man with a kind face and a white beard entered.

This man is our family’s current Sugwan, Hart Ansus Sugwan.

If Calix’s memories are correct, he is a 70-year-old man with not many working days left.

I’m sorry, grandfather.

I’ll have to abuse you a bit to survive.

“I apologize for suddenly locking myself in my room.”

“It’s alright. It’s only been three months since the lord passed away… It’s perfectly understandable.”

Hart Sugwan was like a grandfather to Calix.

He probably thinks I’m just temporarily holed up in my room due to the shock of my father’s passing.

Well, it’s true that I went into my room due to mental shock, so it’s not entirely wrong.

I began to act as much as I could recall the memories of Calix.

“I’ve thought a lot in my room. How to govern the territory following my father… how to improve the lives of the commoners…”

“I see… sniff! I’m sure the late lord would be moved to see Lord Calix thinking of the commoners.”

Hart Sugwan shed tears, as if he were looking at a grown-up grandson.

Not a bad impression.

“So, it’s sudden, but I would like you to execute my orders.”

“Whatever you say, I will carry it out as the hands and feet of the lord, under the name of the Ansus family.”

Hart Sugwan’s eyes sparkled as he prepared to accept my orders.

To him, I said the words I had prepared.

“From today, double the wages of the serfs.”

“…………Lord Calix, I think my ears have deceived me due to my old age. Please say that again.”

“From today, double the wages of all workers in the salt fields of the territory.”

At my words, Hart Sugwan’s expression visibly darkened.

The look of a grandfather seeing his grandson was nowhere to be found, replaced by a gaze that seemed to say, “Is this kid crazy?”

“L-Lord! That’s not possible! Suddenly raising the workers’ wages will strain the family’s finances! And…”

Still, after 60 years of experience as a Sugwan, Hart Sugwan quickly managed his expression and began to speak to me.

I interrupted him with a gesture and stated my prepared words.

“Hart Sugwan… do you remember our family’s motto?”

“From the lowest place…”

“Think of the highest place… My father always told me to think of the motto when governing the territory.”

I spoke with a deep contemplative expression, leaning against the window.

I wanted to convey that this was not a simple, impulsive thought but a decision made after deep contemplation.

“I have never once thought about them until now. How hard and how much they suffer, those at the lowest place.”

“Lord…”

“So, I want to take care of them first, those at the lowest place…”

Upon hearing my words, Hart Sugwan had a tearful expression.

He seemed moved by the fact that the young Calix in my memories had shed his childishness and commanded as a lord, upholding the will of the previous lord.

“Since the lord has thought so deeply… my thoughts were too shallow. Please forgive me.”

Hart Sugwan apologized to me.

After discussing additional details regarding the compensation, he left the room.

“From tomorrow, I will double all wages as per the lord’s words.”

“Thank you… Hart Sugwan.”

Hart Sugwan bowed and closed the door as he left.

Bang

“…Is he gone?”

Once Hart Sugwan left, I slumped into the chair, feeling drained.

As I took off the uncomfortable cloak, I felt a cool breeze coming in.

“Wow! Acting as a thoughtful lord is tougher than I expected. Ugh, it’s uncomfortable!”

To understand why I suddenly doubled the wages while acting as a thoughtful lord, I first need to know my mentor.

The person I have taken as my mentor is “Yoo Sun.”

Yes, that Yoo Sun, the son of Liu Bei from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

Yoo Sun is an icon of ineptitude, but he wasn’t a tyrant.

Though inept himself, he was a ruler who listened well and governed smoothly when capable ministers were present, which earned him a decent reputation among the people.

After the fall of the Shu Han, his relatively good public sentiment combined with his ineptitude led to the conclusion that it was better to keep him alive and use him rather than kill him, allowing him to live comfortably until his natural death.

Living comfortably and dying peacefully like Yoo Sun!

That is my current goal.

To achieve that, I need to be a beloved lord who is popular among the commoners but also an inept lord who leads the territory to the brink of ruin, causing no worries.

The order to double the wages was the first step toward that goal.

Overnight, the expenses the family would incur doubled.

Surely, it won’t be long before this expenditure leaves the family bankrupt, and my ineptitude will be known throughout the land.

Of course, the territory must not be completely ruined, so I can restore it at an appropriate time, and there should be no problem.

With a perfect plan, I happily sipped the tea left by the maid.

It was truly a perfect plan.

– Two months later –

Bang!!!

“Lord!!!”

Two months later, Hart Sugwan suddenly burst into my office, nearly breaking the door.

I was so startled that I almost swore, but I calmed myself and asked Hart.

“Damn! Ahem… Hart Sugwan? What’s going on? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“The… salt fields!!!?”

“The salt fields? Did something happen there?”

Last week marked the salt harvesting period in the salt fields, so it was certainly a time when something could go wrong.

What could have happened to make Hart Sugwan so alarmed?

What is it? Did a dam burst or something?

“The production of the salt fields has increased by 300%!!”

“…What!!!!!!!?”

In that moment, my perfect plan began to unravel.

Something… something was starting to happen.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Becoming a beloved lord.

Let’s begin!!