Chapter 4: Our Lord Has Gone Mad (2)

Silence fell around them. Cassian Leonhardt furrowed her brow at the word disaster, then, after a pause, parted her lips.Her expression carried a hint of suspicion.

“A crisis? On this continent? In just six months?”

Yes. It’s not just a crisis, but a great catastrophe—one that will wipe out more than half the continent’s population and push the national system to the brink of collapse. But there’s no need to explain all that and be treated like a madman.

I read her expression. Clear disbelief. And underlying it, a contempt for me.

‘She’s mocking me.’

The corners of Cassian’s mouth curled upward—subtle, but unmistakable.
I heard a short snort.
Her eyes, usually cold and composed, narrowed, failing to hide her contempt.

“Darkest. Do you realize what you’re saying? What’s your proof? There’s been no report from the Empire’s Mage Association or the Imperial Observatory. So where exactly did you get this information?”

“The proof… I can’t reveal it. But it’s certain.”

I knew how it sounded—bold, reckless. But it was the truth. I couldn’t exactly say the game scenario was my proof.

Cassian stared at me for a moment, as if in disbelief.
Her gaze swept down from my head to my toes.
In that silence, I knew what she was thinking.
She wasn’t considering my words—she was evaluating me.
As if observing some rare insect.

This was a pure disregard.
In noble society, it was a direct insult—one that stomped on another’s honor.
The old Ian Darkest wouldn’t have let it slide. He would’ve challenged her to a duel, had to, because that’s what honor demanded. A noble’s pride was meant to be worth more than life itself.

But I am different now.

The romance of a fantasy world?
That noble tradition of dying rather than losing honor?

‘Don’t make me laugh.’

Now that I had regained my modern memories, those beliefs meant nothing—fit to be thrown to the dogs. Better to live, even if it meant rolling in filth. Honor didn’t put food on the table.

With a change in mindset, the world looked different. The past me—bound by the trauma of being an illegitimate son, desperate to be recognized by my family, constantly shrinking under the stares of other noble sons at the academy—felt pathetic.

So what if my fief is a bit small and poor?
So what if my status is that of an illegitimate son?
Weren’t those well-born nobles just lucky enough to have good parents?

This brazenness—or rather, this realistic way of thinking—was holding me up.

Thanks to it, I could face Cassian’s blatant contempt with composure

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The effect [Unyielding Heart (Lv. 3)] has been activated.
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“Watching your downfall is enough to make me sick, Darkest.”

She concluded and started packing her bag.

…Just as I expected.

I had tried to use my academic connections as a last resort, but nothing changed.

Well.

Even if there were kids who believed me, they would try to protect their fiefs.

But I couldn’t back down like this.

“Cassian. Think about it again.”
“…….”
“This isn’t just a baseless fear. If what I’m saying is true, your fief won’t be safe either. You need to prepare.”
“…….”
“Besides, my fief is in a worse state. Any help—however small—would be appreciated. Couldn’t you lend me even a handful of your family’s troops, just for a few days? Of course, I’ll pay formally. Even a portion of the mining rights to the vein buried in the mountains of Seorigol—

Before I could finish, Cassian burst out laughing

“Ha! Darkest! You’re truly out of your mind! A continental disaster? Monsters? And now you’re trying to scam me with mining rights?

You expect me to believe this nonsense and send my family’s precious troops to that forsaken land?

You must have completely lost it. Maybe it’s the bankruptcy weighing on you.

You’re not trying to stop a disaster—you’re just trying to chase away your creditors with soldiers, aren’t you?”

Cassian’s gaze swept over me once more, filled with contempt.
As if she were looking at filth.

“Approaching me was a mistake from the start, Darkest. Go find some other fool.

No—maybe worry about your debts instead. The s*ave traders might be knocking at your fief’s gates soon.”

Cassian, as if deciding I wasn’t worth another word, gathered her documents and turned away sharply.

Over her shoulder, I caught sight of a few students still lingering in the classroom, snickering at me.

***

It was a wasted effort.

After Cassian’s rejection, I went to the academy administration’s emergency support department—just in case.
But the result was the same.
My application wasn’t even accepted.

“Emergency disaster support can only be reviewed once the Imperial Command officially declares a threat level of 3 or higher. A formal request from the lord of the affected area and a damage prediction report must also be attached. Your claim… I’m sorry, but it doesn’t meet the submission requirements.”

The administrator’s eyes, looking at me over the documents, were no different from Cassian’s.
That same look—What kind of madman came to spout nonsense?

In the end, I left the academy building with nothing.
Dragging my tired body to a campus bench, I slumped onto it, exhaling slowly.
The sunny sky and the laughter of students felt surreal.

“Look, it’s Ian Darkest.”
“He was hilarious during his presentation earlier. Did he actually say his debt was 50 million Rene?”
“You know what’s even funnier? He said the world is going to end! Puhaha!”
“Isn’t he crazy? A guy like that should be expelled.”
“Shh, he might hear you. But did he really come to beg? Who’s he lying to this time?”

Why is the weather so good that the gossip goes straight to my ears?

Just let it rain.

I leaned back on the bench and sat down as if I was going to collapse.

‘I guess it was never going to work.’

Cassian Leonhardt.
A 5-star hero who would later make her fief great with ruthless fief management based on data.

But right now? She was still a late bloomer—her abilities too weak to be useful.

I had thought she was the most likely person to recruit. But maybe because of that, it was even more impossible.

“Sigh.”

Slowly tilted my head to look at the sky. Beyond the spire of the academy, there was a dazzling blue sky. A perfectly peaceful scene.

“Six months from now.”

Soon, that sky will be blood-red…

I felt my heart sink coldly, but strangely, I wasn’t afraid.

Perhaps it was due to the numbness honed by 999 bad endings.
Or maybe it was something else.

A quiet acceptance, the kind that comes when there’s nothing left to lose.

It was then.

“Hey.”

Something bright blue flashed before my eyes.
Ack!
A surprise attack?

While my eyes were distracted by the sudden attack, I heard a ‘gurgling’ laughter in my ears.
“How boring.”

The light that was terrorizing my eyes disappeared, and a face took its place.

Straight hair in a pink bronze color like luxurious silk, eyes raised sharply like a cat’s, small lips smiling at me.

Roela Amelia.

She was the youngest daughter of the Amelia family, a rival family of the Darkest family.

Since our families were rivals, we couldn’t possibly be close.

Look at her, not even a greeting, but shoving a shining jewel in my face.

“Look. You’ve never seen such a beautiful magic stone, have you?”

There is something sad about our relationship.
Unlike me, an illegitimate son, Roela was a proper child, and the Amelia family was more successful than the Darkest family.

That was the reason why I was bullied by her.

On the outside, she looked like a noble lady delighted by a sparkling stone—but it was also the reason her beaming beauty didn’t fool me.

“If you came to tease me, go away. I’m not in a good mood.”

“You’re not in a good mood because you see me…? What?! H-How dare you talk to a lady like that!”

“What kind of lady are you? You’re a bully.”

“A-A bully? Y-You, you…!”

Roela’s face turned red and blue.
I pointed to her hand.

“See, you are a bully.”

She, who had been clenching her fist tightly, was startled and unclenched it.

“Th-Thiiiis…!”

Perhaps thinking that admitting it would be a defeat, Roela tried to raise her finger, open her mouth, and bite her lip, searching for a way to counterattack.

Even so, you’ve lost.
Give it up, Roela.

“Anyway!”

Is she just going to pretend it never happened?

She suddenly shoved the shining ore at me again.

“Look! A magic stone from my fief! Your fief doesn’t have anything like this, does it?”

It was indeed a high-purity magic stone, too good to ignore.
A magic stone that usually only gives off a faint light is sparkling on its own like that?

A premium magic stone.

‘Aish, I’m so jealous.’

Why don’t we have something like that in our fief?
I could understand why Roela was so excited and showing it off.

“They say our fief has mountains of this stuff buried!”
“Ah. I see.”

Ignoring her words, I gathered my things that I had placed next to the bench—a few books borrowed from the library.

[Introduction to Monster Ecology]
[Basic Fortification and Defense Strategies]
[Militia Management in Crisis Situations]

“Hey! Don’t ignore me! I heard that you’ve been talking nonsense again. What? A disaster is coming?”

Roela shouted nervously.

“If you really think a disaster is coming, why don’t you ask your great Darkest family for help? Oh, right. You’re an illegitimate son, right? I wonder if the main family would even care.”

“……”

“Oh? No answer? Strange?”

Roela circled around me, tilting her head.

“You’ve changed a bit, haven’t you? The old you would get all flustered and act like a fool whenever the family was mentioned. Like a dog afraid of being abandoned by its owner.”

She was right. The old me was like that. Because I was an illegitimate son, I tried everything to earn my family’s recognition and was always careful around the main household.

But now that I am imbued with the soul of a modern person.

Frankly, the family’s recognition was worthless.
What was more important was what I had.

It was to protect and nurture my Seorigol fief, which was insignificant but entirely my own.

That was the only way to have a future.
In this damn dark fantasy.

“So, what’s your scheme this time? Are you trying to extort money from someone again using the disaster as an excuse?”

I let Roela’s taunts go in one ear and out the other as I finished packing my books.

“I have pride.”

At Roela’s mocking words, I turned to look at her without realizing it.
She flinched at my sharp gaze and took a step back.

“…Heek! W-What! Why are you looking at me like that!”

Roela, trembling but still glaring at me with venomous eyes.

‘Should I ask her to lend me soldiers?’

That thought vanished like melting snow.
It would be better to entrust a sheep to a wolf.
Her family and the Darkest family were mortal enemies.
If she sent troops, it wouldn’t be to save Seorigol—it would be to celebrate its destruction.

“Hah. Forget it.”

I spat out briefly and turned away.

“No, do it! If you have something to say, say it! What kind of nonsense are you going to spout now! Well. I’ll listen, okay?”

Roela followed me, screaming.
So noisy with her chattering.

There’s no need to increase my burdens. I had to go back to Seorigol now. Six months.

“Forget it. Go away.”
“If you’re thinking of asking for a favor, go ahead and try!”

Roela shouted triumphantly.

“…If you get on your knees, I might listen! It would be quite amusing to see you break that pathetic pride of yours! I might even listen to your nonsense, you know! Ehehehe!”

“…What? Nonsense?”

I stopped in my tracks without realizing it.
I turned back to her.

“Hic?”

She hiccuped.
She must have been surprised that I suddenly turned back, but I had no intention of being considerate.
I strode towards Roela.
And grabbed her by both shoulders.

“W-Wha… Whaaa…!”

Roela’s face turned red, probably from a mix of embarrassment and anger.
Her usual composure was gone, and her pupils were shaking wildly.

Thump-thump.
We were so close that I could hear her startled heartbeat.

…I should probably tell her this. Even though our families were rivals, it would be better—for the continent, and for me—if her fief endured rather than crumbled.
The more people who survive, the more cards I’ll have to play someday.

I locked eyes with her and spoke clearly, my voice firm.
“Protect it well. Your fief.”

“…What?”

Roela made a stupid sound.

“Even if you have to pour all the resources you have into it. You must.”

I let go of her shoulders.
Then, without hesitation, I turned and walked toward the academy’s main gate.

“Hey… Hey! You’re just leaving like this?! When are you coming back next time!”

I thought I heard Roela shouting something behind me, but I didn’t care anymore.

My battlefield now is not the academy.

It was my small and shabby fief—the one that had to survive the coming disaster. Because it’s Seorigol.

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[Record]

▶ The Boy Who Cried Wolf

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There was a boy.

He often spouted outrageous things.

He asked to borrow money to fend off wolves attacking the village.

He begged for a doctor, claiming someone was dying.

Some helped him at first, moved by kindness.

But soon, they realized—

The boy never stopped asking for help.

Tired of his endless pleas, people dismissed his words as lies.

Then, one day—

“Everyone, snap out of it! Monsters are swarming in from outside!”
The boy desperately tried to warn them.

No one believed him.

Out of a hundred people, ninety-eight laughed at him.

One was half-convinced, half-skeptical.

Only one believed.

A typhoon always arrives as a gentle breeze.

And soon—

Crack—Crack—

The sound of bones being crushed echoed across the continent.

Tales of Legend.

This is the story of those who survived the disaster.
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