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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: I Became a Lord
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Territory simulation game World Archive.
This game, where you start out as royalty or a lord, became a massive global hit worldwide thanks to its diverse and captivating characters, along with the freedom to do just about anything you could imagine.
I've loved simulation games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms ever since I was a kid, so I got totally hooked on it.
While squeezing in playtime around my company job, I ended up dying from overwork and got isekai'd right into that game.
...…What the hell is this insane situation?
It's true that I loved the game, but I was just your average gamer, nothing more.
I wasn't the type to spam 100,000-character hate comments like some people,
nor did I have playtime pushing past 100,000 hours like others.
I was your run-of-the-mill gamer—far more ordinary than a random passerby— who just played a bit here and there after getting off work.
And yet, here I was, dead from overwork and possessed into the game.
No… even so, isn't this way too out of left field?
Anyway, my panic from the sudden possession didn't last long.
I adapted to life in this other world, sized up the situation, and came to a conclusion.
Hmm...I'm screwed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Calix Cron, Baron.
That was the character I possessed.
This young lord of the Cron Family, located at the southern tip of the Novarens Empire, was, in a word, ordinary.
His looks were ordinary, his family was ordinary, his stats were ordinary, and his personality was ordinary.
He didn't even have a Blessing, which is the special ability every halfway notable character possesses.
If there's anything special, maybe it's the lush silver hair that's a genetic trait of the family?
Anyway, this character was so utterly ordinary that, despite being a young lord and baron, he was complete background air in the game.
He had less presence than Baek Ha Sain—the gag characters whose combined stats don't even hit 100.
Of course, that wasn't the reason for my despair.
No matter how minor the family or ordinary the character, it's still one of the pillar houses of the empire, so it's got a solid golden spoon status.
Coming from my previous life of slaving away seven days a week, this was a dream come true. Very thankful.
The problem was the timing.
The moment I possessed this body was Imperial Year 1162.
In a few years, the empire would be engulfed in civil war.
Right now, the empire is fractured.
There are the Princess Faction, Prince Faction, Northern Grand Duke Faction, and so on—various powers at play.
The noble houses are all backing one side or another due to their own circumstances, or staying neutral and watching from the sidelines.
This balance is destined to collapse in a few years.
Whether it's the Emperor's Assassination or the Bloodkin Invasion depends slightly on the route,
but that event will happen either way, kicking off the War for the Throne over the imperial seat and the true start of World Archive's main story.
And once that war begins, the Cron Family territory where I am becomes prime plunder target number one and gets totally ransacked.
It's unavoidable—the location is perfect for getting hit.
West of the Cron Family is a Princess Faction house, east is a Prince Faction house.
On top of that, our family isn't backing anyone right now, so we have no faction's protection.
And since we're on the coast, we've piled up wealth from salt production that's excessive for a baron's house.
Richer than Croesus, militarily weak, and politically a pushover—this is exactly what the Cron Family was designed for: free game at the start.
Fuck…
I used to loot them without a second thought while playing, but now that I'm the victim, it really fucking sucks.
Realizing that staying put means getting pillaged as the neighborhood punching bag soon enough, I holed up in my room for days on end, agonizing over it.
And after a week, I made my decision.
"Anyone there!?"
Creak!
"Yes! My lord!!"
The moment I shouted, the door flew open and a knight who looked like a guard rushed in.
I spoke to him immediately.
"Summon Hart Steward right now."
"Yes! Right away."
I had called for Hart, the steward who served as the hands and feet of me… or rather, Lord Calix, running the territory.
To him, I would issue my first orders as the lord I intended to become.
From now on, I would be a beloved but incompetent lord.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
For that week in my room, I did a lot of thinking.
First idea: use my game knowledge to develop the territory and latch onto a prince or princess for protection.
But that was too dangerous.
World Archive has over 200 endings, with major characters dropping like flies depending on the route.
On top of that, events pop up randomly to keep the balance, so you can't let your guard down until the very end.
No matter how much I leveraged my possessor knowledge to push my chosen side to victory, one assassination event could lop my head off in an instant.
Next idea: go full villain lord the opposite way.
The reason the territory gets invaded at the main story start is all that accumulated wealth.
If I played a debauched villain lord and blew through it all, the territory's invasion value would drop.
But after agonizing, I scrapped that too.
Splurging like that would make me infamous as a bad lord, but the territory's salt production value would remain.
That would just invite other lords to invade and "exterminate the evil lord" to secure the salt.
I needed a survival king route where the territory avoids invasion as much as possible—or even if invaded, I survive without getting dragged into the political shitstorm and live peacefully.
For that week, locked in my room searching for that route, I racked my brain until inspiration struck while gazing at the rising sun in a moment of utter exasperation.
It was the Beloved but Incompetent Lord route.
"Lord Calix, you called for me?"
"Ah, there you are, Hart Steward."
The door opened, and in walked a kindly old butler boasting a fine white beard.
This was Hart Anthus, the current steward of our house.
If Calix's memories were right, he was a 70-year-old grandpa with not much time left before retirement.
Sorry, Grandpa.
I have to survive, so I'll be abusing the elderly a bit.
"Sorry for suddenly holing up in my room."
"Not at all. It's only been three months since your late father passed… You more than deserve some time to grieve."
Hart Steward had been like a grandfather to Calix.
He probably thought I'd shut myself away from the shock of losing my father.
Well, the mental shock part was true enough, so not entirely wrong.
I channeled the memories of Calix as best I could and started my performance.
"I've done a lot of thinking in this room. About how to rule the territory in Father's stead… how to make life better for our people…"
"I see… Sniff! Seeing you think of the people like this, the late lord would surely be overjoyed."
Hart Steward teared up, looking at me like a grandson come of age.
Not a bad opening.
"So, on that note, I'd like you to carry out my orders, abrupt as they are."
"Anything at all. On the honor of House Anthus, I shall be your hands and feet and make it happen."
Hart Steward's eyes gleamed, ready for my command.
To that Hart Steward, I delivered my prepared line.
"From today, double the serfs' daily wages."
"...Lord Calix, I must be getting old—my ears are failing me. Could you say that once more?"
"From today, double the daily wages for every worker at the territory's salt pans."
Hart Steward's expression turned grim at my words, plain as day.
The grandfatherly look was gone, his eyes screaming, 'Has this kid lost his mind?'
"M-My lord! That won't do. Raising the workers' pay so suddenly will strain the family's finances! And…"
True to his 60 years as steward, he quickly schooled his face and began advising me.
I cut him off with a hand gesture and spoke my next prepared line.
"Hart Steward… Do you remember our family's motto?"
"From the lowest place…"
"Think of the highest… Father always said to keep it in mind when ruling the territory."
I spoke facing away from the window, with the expression of someone deep in contemplation.
Not some snap decision, but one born of profound reflection— that's what I wanted him to believe.
"Until now, I've never once thought about them. Those at the very bottom, how hard they have it, how much they suffer."
"My lord…"
"So I want to start by taking care of those at the lowest rung…"
Hart Steward looked ready to burst into tears at my words.
He must have been moved, seeing the boyish Calix from memory finally shed his youth and honor the previous lord's will with a true lord's command.
"To think you've pondered so deeply… My thinking was too shallow. Forgive me."
Hart Steward bowed in apology.
We discussed the details of the compensation further, then he left the room.
"As per your words, milord, we'll double all wages starting tomorrow."
"Thanks… Hart Steward."
He bowed to me one last time and shut the door behind him.
Bang
"…He's gone?"
The moment Hart Steward left, I deflated and slumped into my chair.
A cool breeze wafted in as I shed the uncomfortable cloak.
"Whew! Being lord is tougher acting than I thought. Ugh, so stuffy!"
To understand why I put on this thoughtful lord act to suddenly double the wages, you first need to know my mentor.
The one I chose as mentor right now was Liu Shan.
Yes, that Liu Shan, son of Liu Bei from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Shan was an icon of incompetence, sure, but he wasn't a tyrant.
He was a ruler who listened well to capable retainers and handled politics smoothly, earning decent popularity among the people.
After Shu fell, his good public opinion plus incompetence led to the verdict that he was better kept alive and used than killed outright. He became the Duke of Anle and lived to a ripe old age.
Live peacefully to a ripe old age like Liu Shan!
That was my goal now.
To achieve it, I needed to rule in a way that made me beloved by the people—tons of popularity, but drive the territory to the brink of ruin to prove zero competence. A worry-free incompetent lord.
Doubling the wages was the first button on that path.
The family's daily expenditures would double overnight.
Soon enough, it'd drain the coffers dry and spread word of my incompetence nationwide.
Of course, total bankruptcy would be bad, so I'd revert it at the right time.
Perfect plan. I sipped the tea the maid had left, thoroughly pleased.
It really was perfect.
- 2 Months Later -
Bang!!!
"My lord!!!"
Two months later, Hart Steward burst into my office, nearly splintering the door.
I barely held back a curse from the shock and asked Hart,
"Shit! Ahem… Hart Steward? What's going on? Bursting in like this in such a panic."
"The… the salt pans!!!"
"The salt pans? Did something happen there?"
It had been harvest season at the salt pans for the past week—a prime time for accidents.
What could have Hart Steward so rattled?
What? Did a pan crack or something?
"Salt production has increased by 300%!!"
"…What!!!!!!!?"
That was the moment my perfect plan started crumbling.
Something… something had begun to happen.
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