Chapter 27

Ragnasis.

And its meaning… World War!

It signified an era of great chaos where the entire continent would be engulfed in the whirlpool of war, leading to the birth of a new world.

“Ragnasis… Ragnasis…”

Wazir repeated the word.

His expression was so rigid with fear that it was hard to even approach him.

“To dare speak such words… Do you know what will happen to this world if Ragnasis breaks out?”

“I don’t know everything since I haven’t experienced it.”

…But that’s what he said. In truth, Otto had indirectly experienced Ragnasis.

He had experienced it countless times while playing the game <Feudal War>.

So, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that no one knew more about Ragnasis in this era than Otto.

“There won’t be a single day without battles on the continent. Corpses will pile up like mountains, and their blood will form seas.”

“Eeeh…!”

“The civilian casualties will be unimaginable. At least in the billions. Thirty percent of the continent’s population. In severe cases, up to fifty percent will die. And in the end, a new era will begin. A world led by the ultimate victor of the World War.”

“What basis do you have for such a conspiracy theory?”

“It’s a bit hurtful to call it a conspiracy theory.”

Otto took a sip of the wine in front of him to clear his throat and continued.

“Once the Arad Empire collapses, a war will break out under the leadership of the great powers, won’t it?”

“…!”

“And that war will soon spread across the entire continent. With the old order collapsing and control disappearing, how can the world remain calm?”

“To convince me, you need more detailed evidence.”

“I can provide plenty of evidence. For example….”

Following that, convincing arguments began to spill out of Otto’s mouth about why the World War would break out.

And those arguments were all true.

Because the scenario of the game <Feudal War> was set up that way, the World War was bound to happen.

‘This guy…?!”

The more Wazir listened to Otto, the more he was convinced.

In fact, the scenario Otto presented was the worst-case scenario Wazir had been contemplating.

Wazir, who was well-versed in the continent’s political situation, had vaguely predicted that a World War might break out.

“And the northern tundra continent beyond that sea….”

“Hold on.”

Wazir cut off Otto and had a maid bring more strong whiskey.

“It’s a cheap, low-quality drink, but it’s good enough for this moment.”

“Is my story worth listening to?”

“Go on.”

“Sure.”

And so, the conversation between Otto and Wazir continued for three hours.

As a result.

“What are you? What is your true identity?”

Wazir looked at Otto with an expression and gaze of disbelief.

“What kind of person are you to possess such insight?”

“Me? I’m just the king of a backwater kingdom. As you can see.”

Otto spread his arms wide and shrugged.

“To put it grandly… I’m someone preparing for the upcoming World War. Just that much.”

At that moment.

Ding!

A notification window appeared in front of Otto’s eyes.

[Notification: You have successfully recruited <Wazir von Basilis>!]

* * *

‘Ha! I never thought such a terrifying insight could exist in this backwater village!’

Wazir was completely captivated by Otto’s not-so-conspiratorial conspiracy theory.

Otto’s predictions were so convincing and plausible.

Moreover, they weren’t much different from Wazir’s own thoughts, so he could relate to them a lot.

“You told Camille that there’s no future here. Then, Your Highness, do you see no future in this land?”

Wazir couldn’t answer Otto’s question.

‘If a place has a ruler with such terrifying insight… the future, no matter how dark it may seem, cannot be dark.’

Otto spoke to Wazir again.

“This place is like a blank canvas. An untouched white canvas. It’s also the only place where you can prepare for the upcoming World War.”

“Are you saying you want to recruit me?”

“I do.”

Otto smiled.

“Isn’t it a very attractive job?”

“What makes it attractive?”

“You’ve worked for several great powers, but you’ve never built up a backwater village, have you?”

“Hmm!”

“What if the backwater village you build up unifies the continent and leads a new world? How would that feel?”

At that, Wazir’s heart began to race.

Thump thump!

It felt like he had returned to his youth.

Like the days when he studied politics, administration, and diplomacy, harboring great ambitions….

“What do you think? Would you like to work with me? I’ll make sure you don’t regret your choice.”

“Alright.”

Wazir accepted Otto’s proposal.

“But there’s a condition.”

“Go on.”

“You must not disappoint me. If you do….”

“You can leave without hesitation.”

Otto was confident.

Why?

Because Wazir wouldn’t be disappointed!

* * *

“The upcoming war requires a focus on technological advancements.”

“Does that mean the war to come will be different from the wars of the past?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh, I see?”

“With new weapons, magic, and the emergence of vastly stronger individuals, the strategies and tactics used in war will completely change.”

“Go on.”

Otto and Wazir continued their conversation late into the night.

Otto, with his extensive knowledge of the game <Feudal War>.

And Wazir, a scholar among scholars in the game.

Their conversation went on and on, with no end in sight.

“Snore… snore…!”

Meanwhile, the chamberlain Olive, who had been drunk since early evening, was lying on the table, drooling and sleeping.

“…A soldier merely follows orders.”

The pedantic veteran Spunner, who detested complicated discussions, quietly left and headed to his quarters.

And Camille….

‘His Highness has such knowledge and insight….’

Camille was greatly shocked when Otto revealed his true nature.

He had thought Otto had reformed after a bit of a rough patch, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

‘Could he have been acting the fool all along?’

Even if there was no real reason—though there wasn’t—Otto might have hidden his true self and deliberately committed tyranny.

A person can change, but to this extent, it felt like a completely different person had taken over.

But it didn’t matter.

‘Lord… Perhaps the hard times are over.’

Camille smiled, thinking of the previous lord, Orics.

Otto’s transformation made it feel like a great upheaval was about to take place in this land, which had previously had no dreams or hopes.

* * *

With the addition of the three heroes, the Kingdom of Iota began to change rapidly.

“What a mess! There’s not a single competent person! Not a single one! And the finances are a mess too! The administration is a disaster! How have you been handling your duties, you fools?!”

As soon as Wazir began running the government, he transformed into a terrifying demon king and started berating the administrative officials.

“Ugh! It’s a good day for a run! Excellent! From now on, everyone here will run until they vomit! Execute!”

Spunner began implementing his hellish training program to turn the soldiers of the Kingdom of Iota into human weapons.

“Knight! Knight! Knight!”

“Eek?!”

“How long are you going to lie there? Get up! Get up! Get up!”

Olive, as the chamberlain, began to reform King Otto’s trashy living habits one by one.

As a result, the Kingdom of Iota began to come alive.

The village, which was embarrassing to call a kingdom, started to take shape.

But the more this happened, the more Otto weakened.

As January 1st approached, the <Absolutely Terrible Person> curse worsened, and his body began to deteriorate severely.

“Bringing in an old man who’s already retired and trying to send him to the other world first? What a despicable thing!”

“Please calm down, Your Highness.”

Camille tried to calm the furious Wazir.

“Geniuses die young, right? Is that what’s happening to him?”

“No, it’s because of a curse.”

“A curse…?”

“There’s a situation. It’s a problem that will be resolved soon, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Is that so? Hmm… If that’s the case….”

Wazir was worried enough to see how bad Otto’s condition was.

He could barely walk, had heart attacks once a day, and his skin was pale and his lips blue due to poor blood circulation.

To anyone, he looked like a terminally ill patient with a clear prognosis….

“Are you alright? Are you okay?”

Camille asked Otto, who was sitting in a wheelchair and looking out the window.

“Look at that tree.”

Otto pointed to a large tree outside the window.

“There are only a few leaves left.”

“It’s winter, so it’s natural, isn’t it?”

“When all the leaves fall… will I die too?”

“…What?”

Camille frowned, thinking it was a ridiculous thing to say.

“Like those leaves that were born in spring and lived through summer, I too….”

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and the leaves that were barely clinging to the tree fell one by one.

“…”

Otto, who had made a joke, was speechless at the absurdity of it.

“Is it really trying to kill me…?”

At that moment.

“Gasp!”

Otto clutched his chest, suffering from a sudden heart attack.

“Your Highness!”

As Camille hurried to lay Otto down and was about to perform CPR,

“Who’s trying to die without permission?!”

Olive, like a runaway train, pounced on Otto.

Then, with his large, pot-like palm, he pressed down on Otto’s chest, attempting CPR.

“Cough!”

“Snap out of it! Hurry!”

“Gah!”

“I won’t let you die!”

“Cr… Cracking… ribs… Cracking… Ugh!”

“Breathe! Breathe!”

Olive then brought his lips to Otto’s to perform artificial respiration.

“Eek?!”

Otto tried to avoid Olive’s artificial respiration, but it was in vain.

Due to the heart attack, his brain wasn’t getting enough oxygen, and he lost consciousness.

“…Why did you say something so unnecessary?”

Camille, watching Otto receive artificial respiration from Olive, sighed deeply and shook his head.

That mouth.

It’s the mouth that’s the problem