Chapter 2

Chapter 1. I'm a Lord? - Chapter 2

Jared gulped down cold water and vigorously wiped his face with a wet towel.

Each time the towel touched his face, he could feel his jiggling cheeks.

Although he felt extremely bad, he decided to accept this as his new body.

No matter how much he denied it, his pig-like body wouldn't suddenly turn into a slim and handsome one.

"Phew, I'm out of breath just from washing my face. Can a human body really be like this?"

After drinking some water,

and wiping his face,

he naturally wanted to lie down on the bed.

Before he knew it, his body was already leaning towards the bed.

Jared forced himself to stand up.

While his body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, his mind began to work quickly.

'First, let's think this through.'

He decided to break it down step by step.

First, this world is the setting of the game he used to play in his past life.

In his past life, the only pleasure he had was the game, and he invested all his free time in it, except for work.

In a way, he was a fossil, or rather, a rotten fossil.

That's why his mind was filled with layers of accumulated knowledge and memories, character development plans, and strategies for managing a fief.

He had almost memorized the bug reports of the game, which had caused various issues.

He had been the top power blogger for nearly ten years, posting about the game, so theoretically, he could be considered almost a grandmaster.

Of course, everything wasn't perfect.

In the game, he wasn't a standout powerful player, but just an average user.

Apart from the title of a theorist, he was just an old fossil who had played the game for a long time. That's how he felt.

'The Nas Great War, known as the Continental Civil War, is a story five years from now. In other words, I have five years of leeway.'

Jared laid down the premise.

There are still five years until the entire continent is engulfed in war.

That means he has five years to grow himself and his fief.

He laid down the next premise.

'With such an endless amount of knowledge about the game in my head, not using it would be a waste. I have an advantage that others don't have. There's a lot of honey to be sucked from this world without anyone knowing. Tricks, bugs. There are many, aren't there?'

The advantage of overwhelming knowledge!

Using this, he could secure a favorable future ahead of others and enjoy benefits they don't know about.

Of course, he had to consider variables, but he could taste the sweet honey first!

'In my past life, I was an ordinary office worker, but now that I've been reborn, I'll succeed properly! It was a dream, after all, to become the strongest hero and a renowned ruler who unifies the world in the Nas continent.'

He firmly set his goal.

Always setting big and small goals for motivation was something he enjoyed in his past life.

Even if he was just a low-level employee in reality, he always had big dreams.

Even when his colleagues mocked his unrealistic dreams, he would confidently declare that he would become the CEO of a large company someday.

Why should this life be any different?

In fact, knowing the future that he didn't know in his past life, the possibility of achieving his goals was much higher.

'Then I must live. I must survive! I need to understand who I am to have the leisure to understand others.'

Jared jumped up from his seat.

Although the sagging belly tried to dampen his rising enthusiasm, he ignored it.

And he moved.

Following the memories of his current life, he headed towards the study, where his memories were still vivid.

* * *

As soon as I entered the study, the first thing that came to mind was to secure the Mind Eye skill.

It's a unique skill that can't be shared with others.

'I absolutely need the Mind Eye skill. The skill I used to obtain through tricks in the game! With this, managing the fief will be much easier. It will also give me a significant advantage in scouting promising individuals.'

Mind Eye, a passive skill.

A skill with a plausible name, it allows you to scan an opponent's stats and tendencies.

Depending on the user's ability and level, it can provide more detailed information.

So, the higher the level, the more benefits it offers.

For example, it can show affection levels, secret erogenous zones, and even loyalty.

'Whether I'm managing a fief, commanding vassals, or waging a conquest war, the Mind Eye skill is essential. I need to get it before understanding the fief's situation. If someone else meets the evil spirit Isabella first, I might lose the chance. Every second counts!'

I hurried.

The Mind Eye is a unique ability of the evil spirit Isabella.

It can only be obtained through a contract with her, and no one else can get it, nor can it be duplicated.

In other words, there is only one human in the entire Nas continent who can obtain the Mind Eye through a contract.

It's an advantage I can't afford to lose.

'Fortunately, today is the 1st, the only day each month when Isabella can be summoned.'

Today is January 1st.

Whether it's a good omen or not, the date is perfect.

'Right now, this is the only artifact I can use for the summoning.'

Recalling my memories, I thought of the artifact I could use to summon Isabella.

A large amount of mana is required to perform the ritual to summon a high-level evil spirit.

However, with my current magic power of 75, it's absurdly insufficient, and there is only one possible item.

The artifact left to me by my father, Baron Barrett—now that I have fully awakened my current life's memories, he is my father.

'Use this artifact for a meaningful purpose in your growth!'

My father's last words are still vivid in my mind.

He probably hoped it would be used as a meaningful auxiliary tool in the process of magical refinement.

But I intended to use it for the ritual to summon Isabella.

The reason I hesitated for a moment was one.

The artifact used in the ritual would lose its life force and decompose, turning into a pile of ashes.

It would no longer function as an artifact after bearing the curse of summoning an evil spirit.

In other words, my father's legacy would be lost.

But given the impoverished state of the fief, there was no money to buy a finely crafted, expensive artifact.

This was the only means available.

'Anyway, it is a meaningful means for growth, so I believe you will understand.'

After rationalizing it to myself,

I knelt in a corner of the study.

Now it was time to perform the ritual.

The ritual to summon the cursed evil spirit to me!

The beginning of the trick to obtain the Mind Eye through a contract with her.

"Leveller, Orilignus, Jermar, Himedrio."

With my hand on the artifact, I chanted the incantation to summon Isabella.

Rumble! Rumble! Boom!

Sizzle!

The artifact began to react violently, emitting dark red smoke.

It was a summoning ritual of an evil spirit, exuding a dark aura.

-Kyahaha! Kyahahaha!

From the gaps in the smoke, a high-pitched voice, like nails on a chalkboard, burst out, and soon a large female figure appeared.

It was the evil spirit Isabella.

As expected, she was a plump, large-bodied evil spirit, just like in the game.

Even my own large body, which wouldn't yield to anyone, was only about half her size.

When our eyes met, Isabella took a step closer and asked,

-Hmm, did you call me?

I nodded.

Isabella asked me again,

-Foolish human, what do you want so much that you called me?

"I want the Mind Eye."

-Mind Eye? What a greedy desire! You want to see inside others?

"Of course."

I answered calmly.

If I showed fear or extreme tension, Isabella would lose interest and leave.

I can only summon her once in my life. There is no second chance.

Moreover, she is a busy evil spirit often called by other beings.

If I miss this opportunity, I might never get the Mind Eye.

-Hmm.

Isabella seemed to ponder my answer for a moment.

Then she lowered her head towards me and asked in a quick, urging voice,

-What is most important to you? Think of it right now! Tell me now!

'Good. A chance to get a hidden skill!'

Isabella wouldn't know.

That she had fallen into my trap.

She had been caught in the trick I prepared!

When users contracted with Isabella in the game, they often lost valuable artifacts or large amounts of gold coins pointlessly.

Why? Because when Isabella told them to think about what was most important to them,

they subconsciously thought of valuable things.

If I had received such a question without any preparation, I might have thought of the safety of the fief or my father's artifact.

Then, at that moment!

Whatever I thought of would be taken by Isabella.

If I thought of the fief, the entire fief would be cursed by the evil spirit, leading to its destruction.

But I thought of 'it' as I had prepared.

Then, in the next moment!

Isabella's thick lips, which could have held three plates if cut, split open, and she began to laugh loudly.

-Kyahaha! What kind of artifact this time! Or how much money will I get! I will take whatever you thought of! A beautiful woman? I like that too. I'll just eat her and absorb her beauty!

She was enjoying herself, as if drinking a bowl of kimchi soup.

It wasn't a new reaction; I had seen it in the game before.

Soon, her smug expression would turn into a face of disappointment!

"O God, look upon me with favor."

I prayed in a low voice and closed my eyes as if in enlightenment.

If I could get the Mind Eye from Isabella, I was prepared to make 'this level' of sacrifice.

-What?

Isabella's surprised voice echoed as my body floated up.

Then, the formless body of Isabella became clearer and soon turned into a tangible shape.

As if drawn by a magnet, my body and face were pulled towards Isabella.

It was a forced process of the contract, a one-way highway that couldn't be reversed!

-You! Why are you getting closer to me! Stay back, don't come!

Isabella tried to push me away, but she couldn't escape due to the contract.

In the past, artifacts or gold coins would have flown into her hands in a whirlwind.

But today was different.

What she would take was my first kiss. Lips, pure and simple!

Because what I thought was most important was 'my first kiss as a lifelong virgin, preserved for 34 years in Shin Tae-ho's body.'

"Isabella, the contract is already fulfilled. You should accept it like me."

I closed my eyes softly.

-No! I don't want to! I don't want to!

I heard Isabella's screams but ignored them and sang the national anthem.

"East Sea and Baekdu Mountain..."

My heart became devout, and my mind felt at peace.

And after a while.

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Against my will, as if I were a puppet of God, a deep kiss with Isabella began.

I only felt the sensation of human flesh meeting human flesh. ...That's what I thought.

-This is impossible! This is impossible! Grrrr!

She screamed, and I remained silent.

For the sake of getting the Mind Eye, my lips were a small price to pay.

As long as I could forget that my first kiss was taken by an evil spirit.

For a long time, 'we' faithfully and very sincerely fulfilled the contract.