Chapter 3: Our Lord Has Gone Mad (1)

Six months have passed since I became aware of my past life.
Surprisingly, not much had changed.

The main scenario was still six months away,
and what the lord of a remote territory could do was quite limited.

‘Couldn’t they at least give me a status window.’

No matter how many times I shouted ‘status window,’ all that came out was a translucent… sigh of breath.

It was time for a twist to prepare for the start of the dark fantasy.

***

There is a stable method to conquer the solar eclipse.

Gathering and nurturing the strongest heroes possible during the prologue period.

Of course, that was based on the game’s standards.

As a player, I could recruit heroes through gacha or real-money purchases, but now, well.

I, with my shabby fief that was embarrassing to even call small and remote, had absolutely nothing to appeal to heroes with.

It made sense, as the heroes I raised in TeLe were all top-tier characters in the game.

By now, they would be individuals playing active roles or holding important positions in places like the Mage Tower, the Imperial Palace, the Dragon’s Lair, or an assassination guild.

How was I supposed to summon them to Seorigol?

‘Are there no transmigration perks?’

The world is truly indifferent.

If there’s no status window, at least give me some kind of tangible perk.

— I was just getting tired of such complaints one day.

I headed to the academy.

Believe it or not.
I was a student at the Empire Imperial Academy, where only the most outstanding students of the empire gathered.

It was my first time attending in six months.

The Empire Imperial Academy.
And within it, the luxurious classroom of the Department of Fief Management, where only the elite of the elite were said to gather.

Dazzling morning sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the expensive clothes, accessories, and people glitter even more.

Into that brilliant scene, I moved my feet as inconspicuously as possible.

The old, faded suit, tailored by the only (former) tailor grandpa in Seorigol, looked exceptionally shabby.

“Oh my, look over there. Isn’t that Ian Darkest?”

Damn it.
I wanted to sit down quietly without being noticed.

Almost as soon as the cadets noticed my appearance, the air in the classroom began to grow cold.

The voices of students engaged in pleasant conversation died down, and gazes filled with curiosity, contempt, or outright ridicule were fixed on me.

“……”

As if used to it, I found a seat in the very back corner.

“What’s he doing here? I think it’s been almost a year.”

“Looks like he hasn’t been expelled yet? He’s holding on tight.”

“Tsk, tsk, to think I have to be in the same classroom as a bastard like that… It lowers the dignity.”

“Rumor has it that his trash fief, Seorigol or something, is on the verge of bankruptcy? Did he come to borrow money?”

In the past, these were the kinds of open insults that would have made me flare up at every single one.

In fact, I had fought a few times and a disciplinary committee was even convened.

However…

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The effect [Unyielding Heart (Lv. 2)] has been activated.
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For some reason, I found it more bearable than before.
Is this an effect of becoming aware of my past life?

I ignored the whispers coming from all directions and straightened my back.

This place, the Department of Fief Management, is a sort of privileged department where the children of the most prominent noble families in the empire, or royalty, gather.

They can substitute the academy’s classes or exams with just the management performance of their vast and wealthy fiefs.

In other words, if you had a decent fief, you could get an academy diploma with relative ease.

A department where only the elite of the elite, who could essentially buy their diplomas with money, gathered.

For someone like me, Ian Darkest, who had a fief in name only and was of illegitimate birth, my very existence was an impurity.

Therefore, every time I came to the academy, I was quite timid.

It felt like I was receiving the same persecution at the academy that I received from my family.

A noble’s illegitimate son was still an illegitimate son outside.

—That was my past behavior, at least.

Having accepted the soul of a modern person, I honestly think I’ve become a bit more brazen.

Even now, only thoughts like ‘So what?’ or ‘What are you going to do about it?’ filled my head before disappearing.

No. To be perfectly honest.
It’s not that you guys are great, it’s that your parents are great, right?

“Alright, everyone be quiet.”

As the white-haired Professor Valerius stood at the podium, the commotion subsided.
His gaze, which was scanning the students, lingered on me for a moment.
Briefly, he opened his mouth.

My eyes met the professor’s through his thick glasses.

“Maintaining just enough attendance to not get expelled may be an efficient strategy, but keep in mind that you are taking a risk. It can be grounds for expulsion.”

I know. I know.
I want to attend as much as possible too, but what can I do when I know a disaster is coming soon?

Graduating from the academy was a high priority for me as well.

It’s just that there’s something more important right now.

“Come forward in the order you are called. First, Alberto from the Valencia Viscounty.”

As the presentations began, the classroom buzzed with energy again.
However, that energy was filled with a show of wealth and success, and a subtle sense of competition.

“Our Valencia fief, this quarter, succeeded in securing an exclusive contract for the fur trade route with the Eastern Forest region, increasing our trade volume by 70% compared to the previous quarter. In particular, the fur of the rare magical beast, the ‘Snow White Fox,’ is immensely popular in the imperial capital…”

As the first presenter, Alberto, finished his presentation with a haughty lift of his chin, a round of applause erupted.
The next presenter, Emilia, the daughter of a duke, was even more impressive.

“As you can see, our fief, through cooperation with the Magical Engineering Research Institute this quarter, has developed a mass-production process for ‘Mana Focusing Crystals’ and has applied for a patent. This will bring innovation to the empire’s magic industry in the future, and the expected profit is…”

A series of success stories, so grand they made me dizzy, kept coming.
Mithril mines, operation of giant merchant guilds, construction of new cities, investment in magical research…
Each of their fiefs was like a small kingdom.
I just listened to the presentations silently, recalling the miserable reality of Seorigol.
I had struggled for a whole year, but my achievements didn’t even come close to theirs.

“Next is… Ian Darkest.”

As Professor Valerius called my name, the air in the classroom turned cold again.

“Pfft.”
“Heh.”

Outright snickers erupted from here and there.
I slowly rose from my seat and headed to the podium.
The numerous mocking gazes were sharp on my back.

I displayed Seorigol’s data on the magic blackboard.
It was just a few crude and simple charts, incomparable to the splendid graphics of the other students.

“Seorigol fief, interim report.”

I opened my mouth, speaking in a dry voice, trying to exclude as much emotion as possible.

“Fief population, 15. No change from the previous quarter. The main sources of income are potato and oat cultivation…”

— “Pfft. Did you hear that? Oats.”
— “Potatoes, huh — you’re growing a truly high-end crop.”

“…herb gathering from the nearby mountains, and… a minor profit from a recently discovered small-scale iron vein. Quarterly income, 9 million Rene.”
(TL: 9 million Rene is about 9 million Won, or roughly $6,600 USD.)

Snickers could be heard from various parts of the classroom.
9 million Rene in a quarter.
It was probably less than the other students’ monthly allowance.

“Next are the expenditure items. Increased costs for land improvement and seed purchase to improve food self-sufficiency, costs for wall repairs and construction of defensive facilities… and, a significant increase in the cost of stockpiling emergency supplies in preparation for unforeseen disasters.”

As I continued, the students’ ridicule grew louder.

— “What, is someone invading? Why is he building defensive facilities?”
— “I wouldn’t take that tiny piece of land in the middle of nowhere even if it was free.”

“…As a result, the net loss for this quarter is 15 million Rene. The cumulative debt has increased to 50 million Rene, including unpaid taxes. That is all.”

After the presentation ended, a moment of silence fell over the classroom.
Then, as if unable to hold it in any longer, laughter exploded.

“Puhaha! A net loss of 15 million Rene? I feel like selling one of my horses to pay it off for him!”
“Disaster preparedness? What kind of disaster could possibly hit a hick town like that? Did a wild boar attack?”
“A debt of 50 million gold? That guy’s going to be sold off to the s*ave market soon, isn’t he?”
“Well, who told him to be born an illegitimate son? He’s getting what he deserves for crawling into the Department of Fief Management without knowing his place!”

Jeers and taunts washed over me like a wave.
Even Professor Valerius just coughed uncomfortably, seemingly with no intention of stopping them.

Perhaps he too considered me a nuisance.

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The effect [Unyielding Heart (Lv. 2)] has been activated.
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<!> Level Up!
[Unyielding Heart (Lv. 2)] -> [Unyielding Heart (Lv. 3)]
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I returned to my seat nonchalantly.
It was the expected reaction.
No, actually, this was rather mild.

In the past, there were guys who threw filth during my presentation.

The class flowed by and eventually concluded.

“That will be all for today’s class. Everyone, do your best in your fief management, and improve any unstable financial situations, such as deficits, as soon as possible.”

It was obvious he was saying that for me to hear.
Well, even for the Department of Fief Management, my class participation rate was the worst of the worst, so it was understandable that the professors disliked it.

I subtly avoided the professor’s gaze and scanned the classroom.

Although I had attended the class solely to maintain my student status, I also had a goal I wanted to achieve.

When the class ended and the students began to pour out like a tide.

I didn’t leave my seat and approached a student.
Cassian Leonhardt.

She was the second daughter of a mid-level count family, and was a student with a relatively rational way of thinking, not arrogant in nature.

Of course, she probably didn’t consider me an equal, but at least she didn’t openly despise me.

Since her fief wasn’t large, like mine, she was the type who was always engrossed in its development.

“Cassian.”

At my call, Cassian, who was organizing her documents, looked up with a slightly surprised expression.

“…Darkest? What is it?”

Her voice was laced with caution and a hint of annoyance.

“Do you have a moment? I have something important to talk about.”

Cassian scanned me with a suspicious gaze.

“If you’re here to borrow money, I refuse.”

Hey.
Anyone would think I’m some kind of money-crazed person…
Ah. Right.
I did borrow a few times.

Ahem.

After a slight cough, I looked her straight in the eye and said,

“It’s not about money.”

Lowering my voice, as seriously as possible.

“I came to give a warning. A warning that might help you, and… perhaps your family.”

“A warning?”

“Yes. It might be hard to believe… but a terrible disaster will soon befall the entire continent. According to the information I have, it’s in six months.”

“A disaster? Darkest, you’re joking. The world is so peaceful these days…”

“I’m not joking. The sky will turn black, and monsters will rise from the ground. It’s not a simple natural disaster. It will be a calamity of a kind that… twists the very laws of the world.”

The conclusions I had reached while preparing for the eclipse so far were twofold.

First, no matter what, this is not a disaster I can stop on my own.

Second, if you don’t have teeth, use your gums.
Even if I can’t summon heroes, I’ll secure as many sidekicks as possible.

Therefore, I would create a sense of fear in the department and elicit their cooperation.

Among them, the most likely person was Cassian.

“A disaster is coming?” Her brow furrowed.