Chapter 91

Otto, who had returned from the Havre plains, began to earnestly develop the Iota Kingdom.

The core of Otto's policy was the relics.

Through the *Book of Harmony*, Otto continuously educated the people.

Additionally, he appointed Helmut as the commander of the eastern border region and installed the *Resolution of the Margrave* to fortify the stronghold.

Then, he built a massive pasture, installed the *Priamos Terracotta*, and started raising the Tatar breed of horses, which were a specialty of the Havre plains.

After that, he brought in warriors from the Konyrat tribe to train the Iota Kingdom's cavalry as instructors.

By uniting the people through relics, fortifying the borders, and training the cavalry to enhance military power, Otto leveraged the power of the relics.

That was the power of the relics. The core content of the game *Feudal War* was to grow the force one managed.

Since relics provided tremendous help in growing a force, it was hard to deny that they were a key item.

The effort required to develop a specific aspect of a force was drastically reduced with or without relics.

‘With this, the basic foundation is laid.’

Otto confirmed that the Iota Kingdom was beginning to function as a state and sought to develop himself.

Training.

Taking the crisis he faced in the battle with Togril as a turning point, he decided to hone his martial skills.

And it was a necessity.

When experiencing the world through the game, controlling a character was all it took.

However, actually becoming the character and fighting was a completely different story, so Otto had no choice but to gain experience and become stronger himself.

Therefore, Otto decided to visit the Kuntach family after a long time.

It was winter, so there was nothing much to do, and his level had risen, allowing him to acquire the second power of the Invincible Emperor. So he decided to make the trip now.

“Let’s go, Camille.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Otto left the Iota Kingdom secretly with only Camille and headed for the Kuntach family.

On the way to the Kuntach family.

“Why are you sneaking out like a rat in the middle of the night?”

“What? A rat?”

Otto glared.

“You are, after all, the king of a country. Do you think it’s normal for you to sneak out of the palace in the dead of night to visit your grandmother’s house? And it’s not like you’re inspecting the people’s livelihoods, is it?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Why are you trying to move quietly?”

“Well, I have to come and go quietly, don’t I?”

“What’s the reason?”

“If I go openly, my grandfather will be a nuisance.”

“Huh?”

“He’ll probably try to keep me there. Ugh. Just thinking about it makes me tired.”

Currently, Conrad had very high expectations for Otto and was very concerned about him.

After all, to Conrad, Otto was the future of the Kuntach family itself.

How else could it be that Conrad received daily reports on Otto’s every move through the swordsmen he had dispatched to the Iota Kingdom?

Not to mention, he sent letters almost every week, urging Otto to visit the Kuntach family.

So, Otto had no choice but to sneak out of the Iota Kingdom like a rat, as Camille put it.

“Our visit to the Kuntach family must be a secret. Got it? We have to come and go without anyone knowing.”

“Then why are you bringing me?”

Camille frowned.

“Can’t you just come and go quietly by yourself?”

“I’m bored.”

“...”

“I need someone to attend to me along the way.”

At that moment, Camille barely managed to suppress the urge to curse, which was rising from deep within his throat.

‘This guy is really something.’

As the commander of the Iota Kingdom’s royal guard, Camille had a lot of responsibilities, and to call him out just because Otto was bored and needed a servant was...

“Why are you calling me? There are people like Kairos who have nothing to do and just drink all day.”

“He’s too noisy. Can he move quietly? He’ll just cause a commotion and announce, ‘I’m here!’”

“Oh.”

Camille inadvertently agreed with Otto’s words.

Indeed, Kairos was so noisy even during covert operations and assassinations that he often got caught by the enemy.

* * *

Otto and Camille successfully infiltrated the palace of the Kuntach Principality.

Thanks to the increased level of the *Piercing Vision* skill, they could see through walls and easily avoid the guards.

As they approached the entrance to the *Sanctuary*.

“Then, have a good night. Hmph.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Rest well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I know. I’ll be waiting.”

Otto, noticing his grandfather Conrad talking to Julius, the descendant of Emperor Argon, and then parting ways, tilted his head in confusion.

“What? Why is he here?”

Otto was surprised by the unexpected appearance of Julius, whom he had not anticipated.

Of course, Julius was not an ordinary merchant but a great merchant who operated across the continent.

In reality, he was like the CEO of a global company.

So, it wasn’t strange for Julius to meet Conrad, given that he had extensive connections and friendships across the continent.

However, based on Otto’s knowledge and experience, Julius and Conrad were not that close.

“Why is that?”

“Julius met with your grandfather?”

“Julius... the merchant from back then? The descendant of Emperor Argon?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t it possible for them to meet?”

“Well, it is. But Julius is a shady guy.”

Julius was the most notorious villain in the game *Feudal War*.

He approached players with moderate to high skills, offering various forms of support and showing kindness.

Then, he gradually infiltrated and took over their forces by pretending to be a loyal vassal.

Once the player grew to the point of being a candidate for the continent’s hegemony, Julius would rebel.

So, any player with decent skills would be wary of Julius.

Otto, who had been betrayed by Julius before he was incarnated into this world, was naturally cautious.

“Wait a moment.”

“Where are you going?”

“Where am I going? I’m going to keep an eye on Julius. I need to figure out what he’s up to.”

“Your Majesty!”

Camille called out urgently, but Otto had already disappeared down the corridor.

“...Are you trying to get me caught?”

Camille muttered in disbelief as Otto left him behind.

Camille had night vision but lacked the *Piercing Vision* skill, so he couldn’t see through walls.

Thus, it was difficult for him to move around the palace of the Kuntach Principality without being noticed.

* * *

After leaving Camille behind, Otto immediately headed to where Julius was staying.

He hid on the ceiling and positioned himself above Julius’s room.

‘I can’t hear from here. I’ll have to listen closely.’

Otto pressed his ear to the floor in the ceiling space to eavesdrop on Julius’s conversation.

“You have returned, Your Majesty.”

A voice was heard.

‘Your Majesty? What Your Majesty?’

Otto was puzzled by the use of “Your Majesty.”

The title “Your Majesty” was reserved for emperors.

It couldn’t be used casually, and even if it were, it would only be a laughing matter.

It wasn’t something that could be used among friends; it was a title reserved for the emperor of an empire that controlled at least a third of the continent.

“The conversation with Conrad went well.”

Julius’s voice was heard.

“We agreed to establish trade with our merchant guild. The terms I offered were too good for him to refuse.”

“Well done, Your Majesty.”

“What about the Iota Kingdom?”

“They are currently focusing on internal affairs and building up their military strength.”

“What about Otto de Scuderi?”

“He is reportedly training and building his physical strength every day, but the details are unknown. The palace’s security is unexpectedly tight, thanks to the meticulous and thorough Knight Commander Camille.”

“I see. Tell the informants to gather information without overstepping their bounds.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There’s no need to rush. Now that we have established a connection with the Kuntach family, there will be more opportunities to interact with Otto de Scuderi. We will observe him slowly. He is still just one of our potential vessels, and we need to observe him further. Understand?”

“Your words are wise.”

“What about the Black Cross?”

“They are quiet.”

“My descendant.”

“Yes, First Emperor.”

Otto couldn’t understand the conversation at all.

‘What is this? Calling him “Your Majesty” and “First Emperor”? Is Argon calling his own brother a descendant? What is this nonsense? Is it some kind of code?’

But it didn’t seem like a code.

‘What is a “First Emperor”? Is it because he will become an emperor? No, that doesn’t make sense. The Overhauser family isn’t that delusional. Who could be called a “First Emperor”? The only “First Emperor” could be Emperor Argon, right?’

At that moment.

“To rebuild the Grand Empire of Clarese, the safety of the imperial family must be the top priority. We cannot let the Black Cross discover our true identities. Remember this well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If I succeed in rebuilding Clarese, I will first root out the Black Cross so thoroughly that their existence will be forgotten. I did not expect that the traitors who caused me so much trouble in my lifetime would continue to threaten my descendants. It is my fault.”

“How can it be your fault, First Emperor? They are merely fanatical followers and devotees of the fugitive Kairos. It is more our fault for not rooting them out and being threatened for so long. Do not worry too much. We will take care of the Black Cross.”

“Perhaps Kairos was better. Although he fled and his fate is unknown, he never stooped to such low tactics.”

“Could the Black Cross be a secret society founded by the fugitive Kairos? His descendants might have continued the lineage.”

“It is not possible.”

Julius said firmly.

“Kairos is not that kind of person. He is a man among men, a hero worthy of being my brother. He may have been resentful of my betrayal, but he would not have harbored any lingering desire for the throne and engaged in such low tactics. If he were alive, he would have openly formed a rebellion against me.”

At that moment.

‘Huh!’

Otto was so shocked that he had to cover his mouth to suppress a gasp.