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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 1: I Became a Lord
『World Archive』— A territory management simulation game.
In it, you start out as either a member of the Imperial Family or a Feudal Lord, and you're granted the freedom to do just about anything you can imagine, with a colorful cast of characters.
The game became a global sensation, a massive hit across the world thanks to its limitless possibilities and irresistible charm.
Ever since I was a kid, I was hooked on strategy sims like ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’, so of course, I dove headfirst into this one.
While working my day job, I’d sneak in playtime here and there. That’s how I ended up dying of overwork... and found myself ‘inside’ the game.
……What the hell is this madness?
Sure, I ‘liked’ the game—I'll admit that much.
But I was just a regular gamer, okay?
I wasn’t one of those trolls writing 100,000-character hate comments or a no-lifer clocking 100,000 hours of playtime.
I was just... normal. One of the masses.
A mid-level corporate drone who’d game casually after work—less important than a pebble on the road. That kind of normal.
And yet... I died from overwork.
And then I got isekai’d—like, literally woke up inside the game.
No, seriously—What the hell is this nonsense?
Well, after freaking out for a bit over this ridiculous twist of fate, I managed to get a grip, adapt to this new world, and size up the situation.
And the conclusion I came to?
Yeah… I’m screwed.
＊ ＊ ＊
『Calyx Cron』, Baron.
That’s the character I ended up inhabiting.
He’s a young feudal lord from the Cron family, located at the southernmost edge of the Novarens Empire. In short, he’s the definition of 'Ordinary.’
‘Ordinary’ looks, an 'Ordinary' family, 'Ordinary' stats, and an 'Ordinary' personality.
He didn’t even have a『Blessing』—the kind of special ability pretty much every named character in the game is born with.
The only thing remotely distinctive about him was his family’s hereditary trait—a thick head of silver hair.
In other words, he was such a painfully ‘average’ character that, even with the title of Baron and being a young lord, his presence in the game was practically nonexistent.
To put it in perspective, he had even less narrative weight than the comic-relief squad known as the『White Inferiors』—a group of four characters whose combined stats don’t even break 100.
Still, that wasn’t what made me despair.
Even if it was a minor noble house and a bland character, the Cron family was still considered one of the ‘Pillars of the Empire’—so technically, I’d been born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
Coming from a life where I worked Monday through Sunday with no breaks, suddenly living a privileged life in luxury felt like a dream come true.
The problem… was the timing.
The point in time I found myself in was the year 1162 of the Imperial Calendar.
And just a few years from now, the Empire would descend into civil war.
Right now, the Empire was already fractured.
There were the 『Princess Faction』, the 『Prince Faction』, the 『Northern Duke’s Faction』, and more—all jockeying for power.
The noble houses were either backing one of them for their own reasons or sitting on the fence, watching the situation unfold.
But this balance of power would inevitably collapse within a few years.
Depending on the game route, it could be due to the 『Emperor’s Assassination』 or the 『Bloodline Invasion』.
Regardless of the route, the pivotal incident happens, and that sparks the 『War for the Throne』—the start of the main storyline in World Archive.
And when that war begins, the Cron territory—where I am now—becomes Target No. 1 for pillaging and gets completely wiped out.
It’s almost inevitable, given how vulnerable the territory’s location is.
To the west of the Cron lands lies a house loyal to the 『Princess Faction』, and to the east, a house backing the 『Prince Faction』.
Our family? We’re neutral—not aligned with anyone, and therefore protected by no one.
And to make things worse, our lands border the sea, and we've amassed a fortune from the salt trade—far beyond what’s typical for a baron’s house.
Basically, the Cron family was designed in the game to be rich, weak, and politically isolated—the perfect punching bag when the story kicks off.
...Shit.
When I was just playing the game, I raided this place without a second thought—but now that I’ve become its lord, it seriously pisses me off.
Knowing that doing nothing means my land will be looted into oblivion before long, I locked myself in my room and agonized over it for days.
And then, a week later, I made my decision.
“Is anyone out there!?”
Clunk!
“Yes, my lord!!”
As soon as I shouted, the door burst open and a knight—probably one of my guards—rushed in.
I looked him straight in the eye and gave the order.
“Summon Steward Hart. Immediately.”
“Yes, sir! Right away!”
I had just called for Hart—or more accurately, the steward who runs the estate as the right-hand man of Lord Calyx.
To him, I would begin issuing orders as the kind of lord I intended to become.
From this moment forward, I will be—a 『Beloved and Incompetent Lord』.
＊ ＊ ＊
For a week, I spent a lot of time locked in my room, lost in thought.
At first, I considered using my knowledge to develop the territory and attach myself to either the Prince or the Princess to gain their protection.
But that was far too risky.
『World Archive』 has over 200 endings, and depending on the route, key characters die off wildly.
Moreover, even if one faction seems like it will win, countless random events occur to keep the balance, so you can never let your guard down until the very end.
No matter how much I, as the one who has taken over this character’s body, tried to use my knowledge to help the faction I supported become victorious, if I got caught in an assassination event, my head would roll just like that.
Next, I considered going the opposite way—becoming the villainous lord.
The reason the Cron territory gets invaded once the main story begins is because of the wealth accumulated there.
If I became a wasteful villainous lord and squandered that wealth, my territory would lose its value as a target for invasion.
But after much thought, I dismissed that idea as well.
If I spent money recklessly and indulged in luxury, I would become a notorious bad lord, but the value of the salt-producing territory would still remain.
Then, there was a high chance that a rival lord would invade to seize the salt by defeating the evil lord.
What I really needed was a survival route—one where the territory wouldn’t be invaded under normal circumstances, and even if it was, I would survive without getting caught up in political struggles and live a peaceful life.
For a whole week, I agonized over finding that route, and one morning as the sun rose, I was struck by a vivid vision, and I finally found it.
That route was the 『Beloved and Incompetent Lord』 route.
“Lord Calyx, did you call?”
“Ah, Steward Hart, you’re here.”
The door opened, and an elderly steward with a kindly face framed by white whiskers stepped inside.
This was Hart Ansus, the current steward of our family.
If Calyx’s memories were correct, he was a 70-year-old man, with only a few years left to work.
I’m sorry, old man.
I’ll have to put you through some hardship to survive.
“Sorry for suddenly locking myself away in this room.”
“No, my lord. It’s only been three months since your father passed… you have every reason to feel this way.”
Steward Hart was like a grandfather to Calyx.
He probably assumed I had shut myself in out of shock from my father’s death.
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
Recalling Calyx’s manner as best as I could, I began to speak.
“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking in this room… about how to govern the territory after my father’s passing… about how to improve the lives of our people…”
“I understand… (sniff) A lord who cares so deeply for his people like you surely would have made the late lord proud.”
Steward Hart shed tears, clearly moved, as if looking at a grown grandson.
Not a bad performance.
“So, although this may come suddenly, I want you to carry out my orders.”
“Anything you say, my lord. In the name of the Ansus family, I will be your hands and feet.”
Steward Hart’s eyes shone with readiness to follow my commands.
To him, I delivered the plan I had prepared.
“Starting today, double the wages of the workers.”
“…Lord Calyx, I’m afraid I must be hearing things. Could you please say that again?”
“Starting today, double the wages of all workers in the territory’s salt fields.”
Hart’s expression darkened immediately.
The kind grandfatherly look vanished, replaced by eyes that clearly said, ‘Is this guy insane?’
“L-Lord! That’s impossible! Suddenly raising the wages of the workers will strain the family’s finances! And…”
Still, after sixty years as steward, Hart quickly composed himself and began to speak more calmly.
I cut him off with a gesture and said what I had prepared.
“Hart… do you remember our family’s motto?”
“From the lowest place...”
“Think of the highest… Father always told me to remember our motto when ruling the territory.”
Turning my back to the window, I wore a face full of deep thought.
Not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one born from careful consideration.
“I’ve never once thought about them until now. How hard it must be for those at the very bottom, how much they suffer.”
“My lord…”
“So, I want to take care of those at the very bottom first…”
Hearing my words, Steward Hart looked as if he might cry.
He was probably moved by the sight of the young Calyx shedding his childishness and inheriting the will of the late lord by giving orders as the new lord.
“My lord, now that you’ve thought this deeply… I realize my own thoughts were too shallow. Please forgive me.”
Steward Hart apologized to me.
After discussing the details of the increased wages, he left the room.
“From tomorrow, I will double the daily wages for all workers, as you have ordered.”
“Thank you, Steward Hart.”
He bowed and closed the door behind him.
Thub.
“…Is he gone?”
After Hart left, I slumped down in my chair, feeling drained.
Removing the uncomfortable cloak, I felt the cool breeze flowing in.
“Wow! Acting as a lord with thoughts is tougher than I thought. Ugh, this is uncomfortable!”
To understand why I suddenly doubled the daily wages while pretending to be a thoughtful lord, you first need to know about my mentor.
The person I’m modeling myself after is 『Liu Shan』.
Yes, that Liu Shan—the son of Liu Bei from the Three Kingdoms.
Liu Shan is known as the icon of incompetence, but he wasn’t a tyrant.
Though incompetent himself, he listened well to capable ministers and governed smoothly, which earned him a decent reputation among his people.
After the fall of Shu, the public opinion and his incompetence combined to a judgment that it was better to keep him alive and use him rather than kill him, and he lived comfortably as the Duke of Anle until his natural death.
To live a comfortable and long life like Liu Shan—that was my goal.
To do that, I needed to be a beloved lord—adored by the commoners and popular with the people—but also so hopelessly incompetent that I nearly ran the territory into the ground, without being seen as a threat.
The order to double the wages was the first step toward that.
Overnight, the family’s expenses doubled.
Soon enough, this expense would drain the family’s fortune and announce my incompetence across the land.
Of course, I wouldn’t let the territory completely fall apart, so I would restore things in time to avoid any real trouble.
Feeling satisfied with my perfect plan, I drank the tea left by the maid.
It was truly a perfect plan.
—Two months later—
Thub!!!
“My lord!!!”
Two months later, Steward Hart stormed into my office, nearly tearing the door off its hinges.
Startled, I nearly swore but held myself back and asked Hart.
“Ahem—! Steward Hart? What’s the matter? Why are you rushing in like this?”
“The… Salt fields!?”
“Salt fields? Did something happen there?”
It was the salt harvesting season starting last week, so accidents were definitely possible.
What could have happened to shock Hart so much?
Did a dam break or something?
“The salt production has increased by 300%!!”
“…What!!!!!!?”
At that moment, my perfect plan began to unravel.
Something… something was starting to happen.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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