“It’s already September.”
As I tore off the calendar marking the month of August in the year 1414 of the Nas continent, I was greeted by an image of falling leaves announcing September. Although it was autumn, the temperature in our territory in the northern part of the continent had already begun to feel like winter.
I read the letter placed on the desk in my office once more. It was a letter from Lord Batman, who was currently imprisoned. It had already been about a month since he was captured, roughly around the time we took over the Ronella territory.
<Dear Lord Jared! Please have mercy on me and allow me to live a normal life as your loyal subject! If you grant me this, I will gladly hand over the hidden treasures and connections of the organization that serves as my financial lifeline!>
“This fool still hasn’t come to his senses and is spouting nonsense. Is there anyone outside?” I called for my guards. Immediately, a soldier entered.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Take Batman and lock him in the most secluded cell right now, and reduce his meal rations by half. From now on, there’s no need to bring me any letters he writes. They must be burned on the spot.”
“Yes, my lord.” The soldier promptly left.
The Agresio Guard. This was the name of the elite unit I had recently established within my territory. It was formed by selecting the top 100 soldiers with the best skills and highest loyalty.
For now, it was still a small organization, as there were no high-level instructors available to train them systematically. Rakis was not skilled enough to take charge of the guard. Therefore, I was in discussions with Ella, as there was no one better than her when it came to training.
She had the necessary skills. However, she mentioned that she needed more time to focus on the education of Rena and Chloe.
Just then, “My lord! My lord…!” The urgent voice of Hayes grew closer from a distance. I kindly opened the office door first. Hayes rushed in, waving a piece of paper in his hand, and after catching his breath, he managed to speak.
“My lord! This! Please read this!”
It was a small letter. Noticing the special sealing, I realized it was a message from the spy I had planted in the royal castle of the Kingdom of Sinders.
<This morning, the king died suddenly.>
<An emergency meeting was held several times due to the lack of a succession will, but no conclusion was reached, and the meeting was adjourned.>
‘The Umbra cult has finally revealed its true colors.’ I had been receiving daily reports about King Deckard IX. Just yesterday, he had gone hunting with the princes, and now he was suddenly dead? It was highly likely that he was assassinated or poisoned. When someone dies, one can often determine the culprit by considering who would benefit the most from that person’s death. Right now, the second prince, Prathlin, was the prime suspect.
He wouldn’t have directly harmed his father, so he must have borrowed the power of the cult he belonged to.
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean, what should we do? What we need to do now is to be cautious and wait for the right moment without drawing the enemy’s attention.” I replied to Hayes in a calm voice. The king had died without leaving a word about his successor. It was obvious that conflicts among the princes regarding the succession would intensify.
“It seems that the first prince, Ian, is getting worse by the day… Recently, the chancellor has visited the royal palace three times in a week.”
“That’s definitely not good.” Calling the chancellor instead of a doctor indicates that the purpose is not treatment but rather pain relief. In other words, it’s a form of palliative care. According to the original story of <Paradiso>, Prince Ian had never been in such poor health. I had met Prince Ian in the first year of the story, so he should have lived for at least another ten years. But the fact that he was already on the brink of death meant that the future concerning Prince Ian was changing.
“At this rate, a war will break out!”
“That’s likely. Two tigers are trapped in the same pen.” I nodded. Everyone’s attention would be focused on Prathlin and Jess. Factions would start forming, and soon a civil war would erupt. The support for Prince Izuel was still lacking. However, the difference from the story was that Izuel had been in contact with Ian’s retainers. And I, Jared, who had not been part of the story, was secretly waiting in the shadows.
According to the news I had received, Izuel was taking care of his older brother, Prince Ian, closely. Whether that was genuine or just an act in preparation for the future, I couldn’t tell. But whatever the case, it was a good choice. There were many retainers who wished for peace and stability in the royal family surrounding Prince Ian. Although they might be weak in military terms, there were quite a few loyal retainers who could voice their opinions on important matters.
‘The civil war hasn’t even started yet. Until then, I must remain cautious and vigilant.’ I reminded myself of my goals and plans. Now was the time to focus all attention on the second and third princes.
On a dark night, I left the lord’s castle and walked along the forest path on the outskirts of my territory. This was not a casual stroll at night; I had come to the outskirts of the territory to meet someone in secret. It was a meeting that absolutely could not be known to anyone outside.
“I’m a bit late.” I was past the agreed time. Given the circumstances, I could understand the other party’s tardiness. So, I took the opportunity to check the state of the territory, which I had been diligently managing.
I slightly adjusted the interface so that the special situations marked in the content would only display detailed information when clicked.
[Territory Information – Krivia Territory]
[Grade / Affiliated Country: E / None]
[Internal Affairs - Agriculture: 211 / 300]
[Internal Affairs - Commerce: 257 / 300]
[Internal Affairs - Security: 412 / 500]
[Internal Affairs - Science: 211 / 300]
[Internal Affairs - Loyalty: 287 / 300]
[Military - Total: Currently 5048]
[Special Situation 1: (omitted)]
[Special Situation 2: (omitted)]
‘Good, it’s going smoothly.’ I felt satisfied. The Krivia territory had now been rated as grade E. The reason was simple: I had conducted a consolidation operation to merge the existing Mayorca and Ronella territories into the Krivia territory. Until recently, I had been a lord with three territories, but now I had become a lord with a single consolidated territory. Territories rated E are generally referred to as medium territories. In other words, it was on par with Count Capri’s Misery territory in terms of scale.
Of course, the consolidation of territories was not without its challenges. When merging territories, the internal affairs statistics are adjusted based on the territory with the lowest values. Therefore, the stats of the old Krivia territory, which had been nearly at 100%, were reduced to align with the lowest, which was the Ronella territory. For that reason, while there were no maximum internal affairs statistics, most of the values were still above 70% progress.
‘I need more talented individuals. While the consolidation of the territories has made the roles of Julian, Abila, and Obren easier, I still need one more person to assist me. My current subordinates have their limits.’ The more talented individuals, the better. For now, thanks to Julian’s exceptional special traits, there were no issues in managing the territory. However, it was necessary to prepare for the unexpected. For instance, if Julian were to fall ill or need rest due to overwork.
In <Paradiso>, there were quite a few events related to illness and overwork. As one ages or if the workload becomes too heavy, it was not uncommon for retainers to ‘burn out’ occasionally. <Paradiso> was a game that significantly increased realism not only in RPG elements but also in strategic management, so these aspects were quite detailed.
Just then, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was Princess Maira, Izuel’s younger sister.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Lord Jared.”
“I’m sorry to hear about the king.”
“It’s alright. It was sudden, but I’m trying to maintain my composure as much as possible.” I could sense the determination in Maira’s expression as she pressed her fingertips against her nails, trying hard to suppress her sadness. It must be painful. After all, her father, who had raised her, had suddenly passed away. It was not a death one could prepare for.
I cautiously began to speak. While sadness was present, what was more important was the state of the kingdom.
“Can you tell me the news from the royal palace?”
“Prince Ian’s condition is worsening. According to the chancellor, he likely won’t make it past this month.”
History had certainly changed. If someone of the chancellor’s stature was giving a terminal notice, it meant it was most likely true. This indicated that Prince Ian’s condition was serious, even if approached conservatively. Had I intervened in the succession of the Sinders Kingdom, causing a turning point in history? That was the only thought that came to mind. Of course, that didn’t mean I was going to cancel or change my plans.
“Princess.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I will tell you exactly three things from now on. Please engrave these in your heart and make sure to convey them to Prince Izuel as well.”
“Understood.”
“First, someone will likely come to me. I’m not sure about Prince Jess, but Prince Prathlin will definitely come.”
“I’m aware of Prathlin’s interest.”
“I will respond ambiguously. I won’t say I belong to any faction, nor will I say I will join one.”
“That means you won’t publicly assist Prince Izuel until the time comes.”
“Yes, that’s correct. It’s a choice that brings only losses without any gains.”
“Please continue.”
Maira seemed to be calmly grasping the essence of my words. If Izuel was a warm-hearted and gentle person, Maira possessed the coolness and decisiveness that he lacked, making her an excellent supporter for him.
“Second, Prince Izuel must not get involved in the civil war. Please tell him to mediate the conflict between the two princes while increasing contact with Prince Ian’s people.”
“Are you suggesting to recruit them?”
“Something a bit weaker than that, just light contact would be good. Prince Ian’s people wouldn’t want a civil war.”
“That’s right. The atmosphere of the meeting flowed that way too.”
“And third, gather any information related to the Umbra cult and the two princes by any means necessary. I will provide you with more devices.” I handed over the video devices I had prepared in advance to Maira and added, “We must wait for the right moment. We only have one chance for a decisive strike. Until then, we must quietly sharpen our blades and wait.”
“Understood, Lord Jared.”
“There will surely come a chance to set everything right. Trust me and leave it to me.”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry, Lord Jared.”
“Nothing has truly begun yet. It’s not the time for thanks or apologies.”
“Well then, I will take my leave.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Maira’s figure vanished from sight. The darkness quickly concealed her, and the wind blowing from the front erased her presence.
“Huh.” I let out a sigh and was about to turn back to the territory when suddenly, “You brat, I’m here!” A loud voice called out from the front, and I was startled, stepping back. Upon closer inspection, it was, “Lord Berhard?”
It was him. The person I had to meet to advance to the fifth class! The appearance of the Great Mage Berhard had arrived.