Chapter 4

His name is Pijero.

A trusted confidant of Auto de Scuderi, the most trusted of the trusted.

A sycophant unparalleled in the world.

A notorious traitor who hastened the corruption of Auto and the downfall of the Iota fief.

This despicable man, with his flattery and honeyed words, clouded Auto's eyes and ears, while amassing a vast fortune behind the scenes.

Recently, he had been secretly transferring most of his accumulated wealth abroad and colluding with the enemy, the Solun fief.

Why?

To sell the Iota fief, on the brink of ruin, to the Solun fief.

He intended to suck out the last bit of marrow until the very end.

‘That bastard.’

Auto's face contorted when he saw Pijero.

Pijero was a character who invoked all sorts of annoyance and anger.

Whenever something was about to be done?

[Notice: Pijero opposes your opinion!]

[Notice: Pijero opposes your opinion!]

[Notice: Pijero opposes your opinion!]

With such messages, the action would be canceled.

The reason was simple.

Pijero's influence within the fief was so great, and his control over Auto was so high.

Of course, Pijero's opposition didn't have a mandatory effect.

The player could go against Pijero's opinion.

However, they would have to pay the price.

‘He'll obstruct everything. If I go against his opinion three times, he'll try to assassinate me.’

If the player tried to rashly eliminate Pijero?

Game over.

The moment Pijero died, the spies he had planted would incite the fief's people, and a rebellion would break out.

The Solun fief's army would also take this opportunity to invade.

Thus, from the player's perspective, Pijero was an incredibly troublesome and difficult character.

“Lord, what do you mean by distributing food?”

Pijero approached the throne and said.

“The reason they are starving is because they are lazy and incompetent. How can you, Lord, take responsibility for that? The people are inherently ungrateful. Even if you bestow them with kindness, they won't recognize it and will only demand more food.”

A familiar notification window then appeared.

[Notice: Pijero opposes your opinion!]

But Auto, who had experienced such situations countless times, firmly opposed Pijero without batting an eye.

“My decision will not change.”

“Pardon?”

“I will distribute food to the starving people of the fief as the lord.”

“No, Lord. Why suddenly? To those pigs….”

“Enough.”

Auto cut Pijero off.

“Say no more. This is an order as your lord.”

“Lord?”

“The morning meeting is over. That's all.”

With that, Auto stood up from the throne.

“And Camille.”

Auto turned to Camille.

“Follow me. I have something to discuss.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Then a notification window appeared.

[Notice: You have ignored Pijero's opinion!]

[Notice: You have offended Pijero!]

[Notice: Pijero's mood has worsened!]

Ignoring the notifications, Auto left the throne room with Camille.

‘What does it matter if he's in a bad mood.’

Auto was not at all bothered by Pijero.

Why?

Because he knew exactly how to handle Pijero.

* * *

“Y-You…!”

Pijero trembled with rage.

“Calm down, Pijero.”

“Are you alright?”

“Calm your anger.”

The sycophants gathered around Pijero, each saying a word.

“You must be confused.”

“Confused…?”

Pijero glared.

“Is this something to be confused about? I'm just flabbergasted! Flabbergasted!”

As Pijero raised his voice, the sycophants shuddered.

“To suddenly distribute food! Without even consulting us! Does that make any sense? Ha! That fool….”

Pijero tried to suppress the words that were about to burst out of his mouth due to his excitement.

Even Pijero couldn't openly insult the lord in a place with so many eyes and ears.

‘That damn brat must have eaten something really bad. How dare he ignore my opinion. We'll see about this.’

Pijero clenched his teeth and stormed out of the throne room, determined to correct the behavior of Auto, whom he had thought was his puppet.

* * *

‘First, I need to win Camille over to my side.’

Camille was the only person who could protect Auto.

Moreover, in a place where there was no one else with any potential, Camille was the only character with the potential to grow into a hero unit.

His growth had merely been halted by cleaning up the mess Auto had made.

“What are you thinking? Why are you doing this suddenly?”

Camille asked Auto as soon as they arrived at the lord's office.

“Why….”

Auto smiled bitterly and repeated the question.

“To survive?”

“Pardon?”

“If things continue like this, my head will… Ack!”

Auto let out a scream.

Bang!

The chair shattered into pieces as soon as he sat down.

The cause was one of the effects of the curse <Curse of the Wretched>, which was <Lightning Strike>.

“Ugh… I didn't know this. Ugh!”

Auto grumbled, clutching his buttocks and groaning.

“…”

Camille, seeing this, was so taken aback that he shut his mouth tight.

“Where were we?”

“If things continue like this….”

“My head will be on the line.”

Auto laughed awkwardly and continued.

“Why are you suddenly thinking this way?”

“Why not.”

Auto replied.

“Soon, a rebellion will break out or the fief will go bankrupt. If not, the Solun fief will invade. Or, the monsters from the western forest will sweep through our fief. In the worst case, I might be assassinated.”

“Knowing this….”

“Let's deal with the right and wrong later.”

“…”

“Just say I've come to my senses now.”

“It's too late.”

Camille said coldly.

“If you've come to your senses now, pack your bags and run away in the middle of the night. The water has already been spilled. Iota is already ruined. There's nothing we can do now….”

“Brother.”

Auto said casually.

“…!”

Camille was shocked and froze like ice.

Brother.

In his childhood, Auto de Scuderi used to call Camille that.

It was a nostalgic term for Camille.

* * *

The age difference between Auto and Camille was only four years.

The late lord, worried that Auto, who had lost his mother and was an only child, would be lonely, had assigned Camille to him.

So, Auto and Camille spent their childhood together, like real brothers.

‘Brother!’

‘M-Master! You shouldn't call me that!’

‘No! I want to call you brother!’

‘Absolutely not! If you call me that, it will cause a great scandal!’

‘Then I'll only call you that when we're alone! Is that okay?’

‘T-That….’

‘Brother! Hug!’

‘Mm.’

‘Hehe! I have a brother! Hehehe!’

However, as Auto grew up, he gradually became twisted.

He had envied Camille's excellent swordsmanship and intelligence.

After becoming the lord, he began to corrupt himself, and the two drifted apart.

Thus, the good memories of their childhood had long been cherished only by Camille.

“Why are you calling me that suddenly?”

“Help me. I need your help, brother.”

Auto asked Camille.

“I know the situation is difficult. I also know how terrible I've been.”

Auto felt a bit wronged as he said this.

‘Damn. That's not me. That's Auto the brat.’

It was the character Auto de Scuderi in the game who had committed all sorts of atrocities, not the gamer Kim Dojin.

“Still, give me one last chance. A chance to make up for what I've done.”

“But….”

“I'm begging you, brother.”

The term "brother" was one of the commands to make Camille an ally.

Camille, who cherished the memories of his childhood with Auto more than anyone, could not help but be moved by the term.

“I promise, if you trust me once, I won't disappoint you again. Give me a chance to be a son my late father would be proud of.”

Auto input the second command to make Camille an ally.

The late lord.

The most excellent lord in the history of the Iota fief.

A father-like figure to Camille.

“Do you remember your father's last words?”

The late lord left the following words to Camille on his deathbed.

Take good care of Auto… I… I ask you this. Camille… my son… take care of… your brother….

…so he said.

Shiver!

Camille shuddered.

‘That's it.’

Seeing Camille's reaction, Auto was confident that the commands were working.

"Brother" and "father" were the commands to make Camille an ally.

How did he know this?

There was an item called "Auto's Diary."

It was tucked away in the last slot of the bookshelf in Auto's bedroom.

Through the diary, the player could learn about the two's past and acquire the commands to make Camille an ally.

Of course, only Kim Dojin knew this strategy.

Who would search every corner of the map and read every book on the shelves?

It was the result of three years of research on the character Auto.

“Knight Camille.”

Camille knelt on one knee.

“I accept your order, Lord.”

Then a notification window appeared.

[Notice: Camille's mindset has changed!]

[Notice: Camille's affection towards you has changed from <Contempt> to <Sympathy>!]

The affection could be increased gradually.

As long as it wasn't <Contempt>, Camille wouldn't betray the player.

“Brother, we have work to do.”

“Just give the order.”

“Pijero….”

Auto said.

“We need to eliminate him.”