Chapter Two

My knees buckled, but I managed to prevent myself from collapsing right then and there, albeit barely. Cold sweat trickled down my back, and my hair stood on end in fear. My heart was pounding like a drum and my limbs were trembling like tree branches swaying in a storm. I had never had any near-death experiences before, so it took me a while to process what had just happened.

The commotion drew the attention of two knights and four servants, who hurried into the hall.

“Are you hurt, my lord?”

“Are you all right?”

Despite their kind words, none of them approached me for a closer inspection. Their cautious behavior was not unwarranted, as they were afraid of facing my wrath.

Otto de Scuderia was renowned for his cruelty and merciless nature, so much so that the mere title of a tyrant seemed too mild a term to describe him. Regardless of who got on his nerves, he harbored no reservations about striking them across the face. Should his anger escalate further, he wouldn’t hesitate to resort to lashing them with his whip.

Violence was a distressingly regular occurrence with someone meeting their demise nearly every month. For instance, Otto once blamed a gardener when a bee stung him. The poor gardener was then forced into a wooden cage filled with angry bees to be stung to death.

On another occasion, he had both hands of his barber severed for a minor shaving error. These horrific stories were just the tip of the iceberg, though. Otto’s history of cruel deeds was so extensive that it would take a troop of scribes to list them all down.

His subjects, as a result, were constantly wary around him and made sure to never get on his bad side. Those who chose to keep their distance from him were the kind ones. As they said, when one sowed evil deeds, their misfortunes accumulated. Many of Otto’s subjects held deep grudges against him.

Which means I’m surrounded by enemies. I must stay on my toes. I steadied myself and fought to regain my composure. As if being cursed with [Unlucky Scumbag] wasn’t bad enough, this character was weak as a dimly lit candle before a storm. No one—including me—knew when or how a blade might strike me from an unknown assailant.

“Uh... my lord?” one of the knights asked cautiously. “Are you hurt? Please say so if you are.”

Slowly, I turned to look at him. “I am unharmed. I’m quite well, in fact.”

The knight’s eyes widened. “M-my lord...?”

“Thank you for asking, though,” I said.

The knight stumbled backward with a gasp. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. The others mirrored his dumbfounded expression. They hadn’t expected Otto to say such a thing.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I grappled with the realization of the trash-like existence Otto had led.

“M-my lord,” the knight called again, taking an uncertain step forward. “Would you like for us to find the person who installed the chandelier? Or perhaps you want us to cut off the limbs of the servant who cleaned the ceiling and—”

I interrupted, “No, there’s no need for that. You will do no such a thing. Do I make myself clear?”

“B-but...” the knight stammered. “Then what do you—”

“I will not punish anyone. It’s not a big deal, so let’s just forget it. I... need to lie down for a bit.”

Searching through my memories, I made my way to Otto’s bedchamber. I need to calm down and gather my thoughts.

For that reason, I required some time to myself.

* * *

The knights and servants appeared somewhat disoriented as they watched the lord leave.

“He didn’t snap at us.”

“And he even thanked us. I didn’t know he was capable of saying something like that.”

“He usually hollers and breaks things like a madman whenever he’s angry.”

They scratched their heads, deeply puzzled by their lord’s recent change in behavior.

“Shh. Keep it down, will you?” The knight who had fearlessly asked Otto gave his peers a warning look. “Lord de Scuderia’s wrath might return at any moment, so stay vigilant with your words for now. Have you all forgotten already? Heads roll whenever that man wakes up on the wrong side of his bed.”

A sudden silence descended upon the group. They quietly acknowledged that even the devil took a break from his infernal responsibilities.

A rare day off... the knight thought.

* * *

A few days passed. I rose from my bed and gazed into the mirror. There was no trace of me—Kim Dojin—in my reflection. Instead, Otto de Scuderia stared back at me, his blonde hair framing his handsome face. Right now, I was one of the hundred lords in Territory Wars.

Let’s try to get used to this body and this world. It’s not like I have any other choice. I had resigned myself to this fate and decided to accept everything wholeheartedly. I somehow managed to overcome the initial shock and adapt almost immediately.

Time was not on my side—a few days was not long enough to process everything. On the flip side, I was a master gamer who had painstakingly crafted a perfect build for Otto after enduring countless hours of trial and error. I knew my future as Otto held little promise.

My reputation is down in the gutters, my treasury is nearly empty, and I have no one to confide in. Not to mention, I’m surrounded by people who hold grudges against me. I must stay sharp from here on. There was a good reason why I was the only one who had successfully completed the game using Otto.

I just have to do what I did before, trust my research, and follow my build. I felt my pulse slow down as I delved into thought. I straightened myself up and took a deep breath.

What should my first move be? I should toss leveling out the window. Overleveling one’s character to breeze through the game only applied to other characters—Otto was a sad exception to that strategy. Attempting to level as Otto was like pushing water uphill. His starting level was negative ninety-nine, after all.

In practical terms, trying to level up using this character was farcical. Those familiar with the game knew that he required no leveling until a certain point.

First, I must improve his public image. The real focus of Otto’s playthrough in the opening act of the game was to improve his negative public image by eliminating any potential chances of rebellion in his territory.

Eiota was like ticking a time bomb. Otto’s subjects and the common folk had endured enough of his misdeeds, rendering the territory ripe for rebellion. Even the tiniest spark was capable of setting off the citizens at this point.

And if a rebellion took place, I’d be doomed. I would be put in chains, and the enraged citizens would force me to the guillotine. Without a doubt, my head would be hung below the castle gate for the crows to pick at. To prevent such a terrible ending, I needed to mend my relations with my subjects.

The meeting should commence soon. In Eiota, a meeting chaired by the lord was held every morning without fail. Otto hadn’t attended them in years, though.

Let’s do this thing. I promptly left my bedchamber.

“Lord de Scuderia?”

The guards stationed at the chamber’s entrance were taken aback and hurriedly followed me, unable to conceal the surprise on their faces.

* * *

“The Lord of Eiota is here!”

A servant rang the bells to announce Otto’s arrival.

“What did he just say?” someone asked.

“Goodness me, I must still be half asleep.”

The members of Otto’s court collectively furrowed their brows at the servant’s announcement. It had been over three years since their lord last attended a meeting. The idea of Otto joining the early-morning meeting seemed absurd. Oh, were they in for a surprise?

“I can’t believe it...”

“Lord de Scuderia actually came to this meeting? But the sun has barely risen!”

Everyone began to doubt their eyes, rubbing them just to make sure they weren’t hallucinating. The sight of Otto in the morning was so unexpected. In fact, many of his subjects believed their lord wouldn’t attend the meeting even if Eiota were on the brink of collapse.

“What is going on...?” Camille, a young knight in Otto’s service, winced and closed his eyes, feeling uneasy at his lord’s sudden appearance.

“What’s on the agenda today?” Otto asked, taking his place on his rightful chair atop a dais.

What madness is this? And what sort of chaos does he intend to stir up in the wee hours of the morning? This is so unlike him. I’ve heard rumors of him burrowing in his chambers for days without saying a word.

Otto’s subjects shifted uncomfortably.

“Is there a reason why Your Lordship is curious about the proceedings of this meeting?” Camille inquired.

“Does a lord need a reason to be curious about the meeting’s agenda concerning his domain?”

“Well…” Camille hesitated, his face marked by a desire to say more.

Otto saw through the knight’s facade and smirked. I bet he wants to say my curiosity has come far too late.

Camille had every right to pose that question. Originally an orphan of common birth, he was elevated to knighthood by the former lord’s favor. Nowadays, he practically ruled Eiota in the lord’s absence. However, even his proxy authority had its limits.

Camille is perhaps the only person I can trust here, but if he were to turn against me, he’d be the most fearsome enemy I’d have to face. Should the territory’s populace grow even more discontent with Otto’s governance, it would be Camille who would take up arms and lead the rebellion, ultimately slaying him before taking his own life. He would have to take his own life, of course, because killing a lord he was sworn to was the worst act a knight could commit.

“Goodness, dear Camille, just proceed. Pretend that I’m not here.”

The knight gave a slow nod. “Yes, my lord.”

And so the uneasy meeting commenced.

“A starving couple and their daughter hung themselves and...” The grim nature of the first item set the tone for the rest of the meeting. “Monsters have become increasingly active in the western forests. One of the outlying outposts was attacked last night, and four soldiers were...” Not a single positive development was reported. “There is some unusual activity happening in Solun. Scouts have reported frequent military drills near the border.”

The situation was dire. Oh, yeah. It’s a dumpster fire.

The state of Eiota mirrored Otto’s expectations.

“This is our state of affairs, my lord.” Camille directed his attention to Otto, his gaze almost accusatory, as if he were blaming the lord for the current state of the territory.

“Firstly,” Otto began slowly, “distribute the reserve grain to the starving populace of the territory.”

Gasps resounded through the air.

What did he just say? There must be something wrong with my ears! Otto’s subjects were bewildered.

“Why, my lord?” Camille asked. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

Otto shrugged. “Didn’t you say my people are starving?”

“The state’s finances are in shambles. Releasing food supplies now might lead us to insolvency.”

“Insolvency, ruin, or whatnot, my people’s lives must come first. Death seems more inviting than further starvation for them, so I think I can bear a little debt on my own.”

“My lord...”

Otto tilted his chin up. “Sir Camille.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I order you to distribute the grain to my people.”

“As... you wish.”

Suddenly, a shrill, nasal voice cut through from the side. “Hold on, my lord! You must retract that order!”

A flamboyantly dressed, middle-aged man barged in, effectively seizing control of the meeting.