Chapter 5

Survival is key.

Staying alive until he gets awakened is his top priority.

That means donning an armor.

The problem is, Otto, or gamer Kim Dojin, had never worn armor before.

“Ugghhhh….”

The first armor he ever wore was very heavy, uncomfortable, and stuffy.

On top of that, the character’s physical strength was so low that he couldn’t even move easily.

As a result, Otto was forced to stumble around, unable to steady himself properly.

‘I should be safe from any assassination attacks now, and my chances of dying in a sudden accident will be significantly reduced.’

The decision was right.

*Bang!*

While traveling to the meeting, the <Lightning Bolt out of a Blue> effect was triggered, and a brick fell from the city wall and struck Otto in the head.

But thanks to his helmet, he was spared a smashed skull.

That wasn’t all.

“Die, you son of a… huck?!”

As he rounded the corner, he was nearly assassinated by a guard who had a grudge against Otto, but he managed to get away with it.

It was impossible to kill Otto, who was heavily armed with armor, with an ordinary dagger.

“Just banish him.”

Otto showed mercy to the guard who had tried to assassinate him.

“My lord, you can’t do that, this is the man who tried to kill you!”

“I suppose he had reason to.”

“But….”

“I am the one who must beg for forgiveness.”

With that, Otto walked over to the captured guard and clasped his hand.

‘Tsk. I can’t believe I have to apologize for something I didn’t do, what an asshole.’

Otto grumbled to himself, but tried to soothe the captured guard.

His name was Hansen.

He was the one who held a grudge against Otto for the horrible things he had done to his sister a year ago.

“Hansen. I have done unforgivable things to your sister and your family. I understand that you tried to kill me, and that is righteous revenge. I acknowledge it.”

“…….”

“My sins… I regret them deeply. So I will not punish you. Leave this place with your family.”

Otto had his servants bring him a pouch full of gold coins, which he handed to Hansen.

“What difference does this make… will a few coins make my sister’s suffering go away?”

“Of course not.”

Otto shook his head.

“I’m just trying to atone. The money is the least I can do to show my sincerity and apologies. If you want revenge, you can come back anytime. I’ll welcome you anytime.”

With that, Otto strode off to the council chambers.

‘It’s hard to apologize for something you didn’t do.’

However, as he became Otto de Scuderia, it was unavoidable.

Even the character’s karma would now belong to the gamer Kim Dojin.

* * *

“The lord is coming.”

At the sound of the servant’s voice, the front door opened, and Otto entered.

“Huh?”

“Why is he suddenly wearing armor….”

“Hehe.”

The servants were puzzled to see Otto heavily covered in armor.

It’s not even wartime, so why is he wearing armor….

“Everyone, it’s a good aach… ugh!”

With a loud crash, Otto was lying on the ground.

“…”

“…..”

Everyone was at a loss for words.

‘He must have eaten something wrong.’

‘I don’t know what the hell he’s trying to do.’

The vassals had a hard time adjusting to Otto’s sudden change.

It was odd that the world’s greatest bastard had suddenly come to his senses.

The sudden execution of his closest confidant, Pizero, was also unusual.

‘You never know what kind of shit he might do. It’s best to be careful.’

‘People don’t change easily. I must be on my guard, for I do not know when he will show his true colors.

The servants were only more on edge.

The Otto they knew was an unfathomable psychopath.

That made the new behavior all the more frightening.

“Something’s blowing in the wind again…”

Camille closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his face as if he were tired.

“Mm-hmm.”

Otto pushed himself up with difficulty and staggered back to the throne.

“What’s the agenda this morning?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Camille responded.

“Our estate is not in a good state of financial condition at the moment.”

“I suppose so.”

“Yes?”

“Go ahead.”

“Yes.”

Camille gave Otto a report.

“The finances aren’t just bad; at this rate, we’ll be bankrupt in 30 days.”

The Lota Estate’s financial situation was abysmal.

[Lota Territory].

Public Sentiment: 41 / 100 Cautious

Food: 9/100 Extremely Dangerous

Finances: 7/100 Extremely Dangerous

Security: 37 / 100 Cautious

The Finance, which stood at 11 yesterday, had decreased by 4 overnight to 7.

“The food reserves we’ve stockpiled are nearly depleted, and the provisions for the commoners are already stretched to the limit. We’ve managed to staunch it somewhat by confiscating Pizero’s possessions, but it’s still not enough.”

Camille said with a serious expression.

“We can barely afford to pay the interest on his lordship’s debt. I’m already two months behind on my salary, and if you can’t pay me this week either….”

“Everyone must have been feeling awful, haha… Hahaha….”

Otto shuddered at the mere thought.

He’s already two months behind on his salary.

What if it goes to three months?

A rebellion develops among the Knights and Soldiers.

‘My head will be hung on the ramparts. Ugh.’

He imagined his head dangling over the ramparts, and his legs wobbled from nausea.

“It’s an emergency.”

“I know.”

“The question is how….”

“Why wouldn’t there be?”

“What?”

Camille scrunched up his face.

“Is there… a way?”

“Of course~.”

“What is that method?”

“We can simply borrow it~.”

At that moment.

*Ssskkk.*

Camille’s hand touched the hilt of his sword.

“Now, wait!”

Otto exclaimed, shouting at Camille in surprise.

“You can listen to me first!!! Why are you so quick to judge!!!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Camille said, trying to control his anger.

His reaction was completely understandable.

They were already in debt and facing a major financial crisis, and yet all he could say was that they needed to borrow money….

“That’s right, let’s borrow it! We need to douse the immediate crisis!”

“Where can we borrow money? The debt your lordship already owes us is huge. Who would lend money to you?”

“There’s someone out there who will lend me money!”

“Who?”

Camille glared at Otto with a look that said, <What kind of idiot would lend money to someone like you?>

“If we borrow from the lord of the Sorun Estate… Ugh!”

Otto had to scramble away before he could finish his sentence.

“…Just die.”

The enraged Camille lunged at Otto, brandishing his sword with a sharp edge.

“Stop him!”

“Sir Camille, please hold your ground!”

“My lord, dodge!”

The servants had to scramble to stop the enraged Camille from cutting down their lord, Otto.

The idea of borrowing money from the Sorun Estate was enough to make even his only loyal servant, Camille, lose his composure.

* * *

Lota and Sorun have been feuding for 200 years due to their close geographic proximity and overlapping activities.

Can you imagine how much fighting there would be between rural fiefdoms on the fringes?

One can’t simply guess.

The less powerful ones are more desperate to protect their own rice bowls.¹

Even the smallest piece of territory would be highly valued.

As a result, Lota and Sorun have fought dozens of wars over the past 200 years.

But borrowing money from Sorun?

This was not something that would normally come out of the mouth of an Lota lord.

What’s the difference between that and saying he’d sell the entire estate?

If they borrowed money from Sorun, the Lota estate was doomed.

It would give the Sorun estate a legal excuse to take over the Lota Estate.

This was at a time when Otto’s reign of misrule had weakened their economic and military power.

Sorun was just waiting for an opportunity to swallow up the Lota Estate.

“Now… you’re saying that?”

Camille glared at Otto, his eyes blazing.

“You’re suggesting that you want to open your hands to the Sorun Territory… now?”

“Ugh.”

“Just die.”

*Slash!*

Camille’s sword sliced Otto’s throne in half.

“Aaaah!”

Otto flailed for his life, trying desperately to coax Camille to stop.

“Now, W-Wait a minute, you’re… you’re supposed to listen to the end of what a person says!”

“Go ahead and talk.”

“I have a plan, okay?”

“There’s… a plan, really?”

Camille glared at Otto in doubt.

“I do! There’s a plan!”

“What is it?”

“Uh… it’s….”

Otto couldn’t quite explain his plan.

‘How do I explain this?’

He was stumped, trying to reason with Camille.

He knew what was going to happen in the near future, and he could use it to his advantage.

The problem was, explaining it to others was far less convincing.

“Because… it’s money I don’t have to pay back, is that it?”

“Why don’t you have to pay it back? Are you saying that the Sorun estate is doing some sort of charity work all of a sudden?”

“Not really.”

“Then what is it?”

“The Sorun Estate is soon to be destroyed.”

“What…?”

“It’s going to collapse in exactly two weeks, Uhh. So there’s no need to pay back the money we borrowed. Because there won’t be anyone to collect it.”

“On what basis do you expect the Sorun Estate to be destroyed?”

“Uh… it’s….”

Otto stuttered.

” It’s just… a feeling?”

“…….”

“You mean to tell me that in just two weeks, the Sorun Estate will be… Argh!”

That day.

Otto had to spend the entire day on the run from Camille, who was trying to kill him.

* * *

That afternoon.

Otto decided to send a messenger to the Sorun Estate to request a loan of money.

“Thank you all for trusting me as your lord. I hope I can live up to your expectations… huh?”

Otto was slightly miffed by his subjects’ reactions.

“What do you plan to do if we are annexed by the Sorun Estate?”

“It’s been a pleasure, everyone.”

His people didn’t believe him.

Despair.

Whether he borrowed the money or not, it was a foregone conclusion that the Lota estate would fall into financial ruin.

And so, in the spirit of letting things happen, he had agreed with Otto.

“What are you going to do now?”

Camille asked Otto, watching the messenger’s back as he walked away.

“I have a plan.”

Is that plan a prayer for rain, by any chance?”

“Not really.”

Otto’s eyes glanced toward Camille.

‘Ugh. I don’t know who to blame but you, Otto, you fucking asshole. If you’d just been a little nicer, I wouldn’t be in all this trouble.’

Otto grumbled to himself, then turned to Camille.

“So what’s the plan….”

“….?”

“I’m going to make it happen. In just two weeks.”

Otto said with a smirk.

 

** ** **

TL/N:

1. For Koreans, rice is more than a grain; it is a staple and life-giving sustenance. A “rice bowl” refers to one’s source of income, which may vary in size and strength.