Chapter 3

"Let's just see the ending. Then maybe I can return to my original self, right?"

But seeing the ending with this worst character...

Ugh, it's not easy.

I set up the character as a complete villain.

"But I can't just die like this, can I?"

So I decided to do my best to survive.

"First, I need to prevent Winter, Summer, and Autumn from leaving after the news of my father's death."

The way to keep these three in the manor...

It's simple. I know exactly what each of them wants.

"Sigh, but to recruit the other commanders besides these three, I'll need a lot of money."

Money can't solve everything, but with money, many things can be easily resolved.

"I also need to become stronger."

If the one who should be the lord is weak, there will always be those who refuse to follow.

I don't need to be the strongest, but I should be among the strong.

In terms of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, I need to be at least as strong as Yan Baihu, who has a strength of 70.

Someone like Han Xian or Do Gyeom is out of the question.

In this world, a strength of 70 means being able to use Aura.

My title also needs to be elevated.

Van Dyke is a baron, and I will inherit his title, making me a baron as well. However, there are knights and mages I can't recruit with just this title.

"I need to be at least a count."

It would be better to be a duke, and if I become an emperor, that's a whole different story.

If I become an emperor, that's already the end of the game.

"Ugh, so I need to be a billionaire, able to use Aura, have a title of count, and have good character, right?"

There are those who are attracted only by good character, regardless of money, fame, or power.

Why do I want to recruit commanders?

Because the game gets easier each time I recruit one.

If I aim for an ending where I become a Swordmaster or a Grand Mage, commanders aren't that necessary.

But if I want to cultivate the manor and build up my power, I need middle managers, and that's what commanders are.

There's also an ending where I recruit all the commanders.

"First, before the news of my father's death, I need to build up my stamina."

With this weak body, I can't do anything.

Exercise?

Not the answer.

For now, it's about eating.

I'm on the verge of malnutrition.

I also need to find hidden Easter eggs.

Zap, zap.

My head started to throb from all the thinking.

"Ugh, enough thinking. I'll die from a headache if I keep this up."

I stopped thinking and started running to keep my body moving so I wouldn't freeze to death.

If I stayed still, my fingers and toes would freeze, and I couldn't bear it.

With this weak body, I would freeze to death even in a warm room, so I understood why.

***

I spent the night wide awake, feeling suicidal dozens of times due to incessant coughing and hemoptysis.

The next morning, I had a feast that commoners could only dream of.

It was just soft bread, soup, an apple, and a piece of dried meat, but in this world, it was a sumptuous meal that only nobles could afford.

Choking back tears, I realized I could eat and survive another day.

"Let's eat. Eat and survive until the end."

Munch, munch.

My heart wanted to eat quickly, but my weak body would surely get indigestion if I did.

So I ate slowly, chewing each bite dozens of times before swallowing.

After finishing my meal, I asked Dudden again.

"Again?"

"Ahem. I'm so hungry..."

"But still, that's a bit much..."

"Ahem. I need to look healthy when Lord Van Dyke returns."

I used Van Dyke as an excuse, knowing it was Dudden's Achilles' heel.

My stomach was so shrunken that even a little food made me feel full, but I needed to eat more to build up my stamina.

To avoid freezing to death and because I was still growing.

Van Dyke was a giant.

His three older brothers were also taller than average.

Since I have Van Dyke's genes, I should be able to grow big if I eat well.

How tall was this character at his largest?

I'm not sure.

Around 180 centimeters? Or taller?

But it's hard to compare with my current state.

This is the first time I've had so many status abnormalities, and they will hinder my growth.

"Ugh, I understand."

Mentioning Van Dyke, Dudden reluctantly brought me a new plate of food.

After eating twice, I asked for more.

"Hey! Young master! Three breakfasts?"

What? Is he going to hit me?

If my brothers asked, he would have brought it without a word.

Just because I'm a bastard, he's ignoring me?

I'll be the lord of this manor soon!

Despite my inner scream, my voice was weak.

I didn't want to cause trouble for myself.

"Ahem. I'm... so hungry..."

"Damn, okay!"

Regardless, I received a new plate and ate.

Not just in the morning, but also at lunch and dinner, I ate three times each.

I ate voraciously, like a possessed person.

At first, I didn't feel the strain from hunger, but it became exhausting to continue.

But I couldn't stop.

As I mentioned, I needed to build up my stamina, I was still growing, and there was a hidden Easter egg.

For dinner, I only ate soup and secretly kept the rest in my clothes, eating it slowly in my room, shivering like a bear preparing for winter.

Despite the coughing and hemoptysis, I forced myself to eat.

I wished for a warm ondol, but even a small fireplace would have been nice.

It was so cold I couldn't sleep, but putting something in my mouth and chewing helped me endure the cold and pass the time.

My binge eating soon became known to everyone in the castle.

Some pitied me, wondering how long I had gone without food, while others whispered that a nobody had gotten lucky.

Regardless of what others said, I decided to focus on eating for a while.

Thanks to my binge eating, I didn't freeze to death.

Moreover, after eating non-stop for 10 days, I finally obtained it.

The first Easter egg.

The second characteristic I possessed, following the title of "Genius."

As the name suggests, "Great" means my stomach has grown.

The enlarged stomach can digest large amounts of food, and the excellent digestive system prevents illness even from spoiled food.

Even poisons.

The improved digestion also helps in building strong muscles and bones.

'The best part of this characteristic is that I don't have to worry about vomiting or indigestion. And it will improve my malnutrition.'

But isn't it too easy to get an Easter egg?

I could say that, but actually, binge eating for 10 days is not easy.

Three times a day, nine times a day, for a total of 90 meals over 10 days.

The key is to eat continuously without missing a single meal.

***

After breakfast, I met the three potential brides.

When they entered the room, they were so radiant that I thought they had reflectors or lights above their heads.

In other words, they glowed.

These were the beauties created in the game to enchant men, with faces that rivaled actresses and figures that were unrealistically perfect.

Their curves were exaggerated, and their waists were S-shaped...

Wow, they were mesmerizing.

What about me?

Am I not a man?

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart raced.

'Seeing them in person is different. Calm down, calm down!'

I had played this character dozens of times and seen these brides many times, yet I was still nervous.

I had even married them in rotation.

As for the bedroom...

Of course, there was none. This game isn't rated 19+.

But now that it's real...

Is it possible?

Even in the game, I felt that this place was a remote rural area far from the capital.

Moreover, I was a baron's bastard and recently a commoner.

How could three such beauties be potential brides for someone with my conditions?

It's a scam, a scam!

It would never happen if I weren't the protagonist!

'Wait a minute!'

A chilling thought crossed my mind.

'Am I really the protagonist?'

I assumed I was the protagonist because I became this character, but no one had called me the protagonist.

'In genre novels, it's common for the protagonist to enter the story as an extra. Am I an extra?'

I was slightly confused.

'Is the protagonist growing somewhere else?'

This game has many characters to choose from, so it's not specific to one.

Even Van Dyke could be the protagonist.

'If I'm not the protagonist, there's no ending...'

Zap, zap.

Ah! My head started to hurt again.

"Cough, cough. Ugh~!"

Drip, drip.

"Oh, blood!"

"Ugh, blood..."

"..."

I started hemoptysis in front of the three beauties.

They all frowned simultaneously. I was embarrassed, but I couldn't control my body.

'Damn, I don't know. Is it important whether I'm the protagonist or not? It's not like I'll commit suicide over it.'

Returning to reality was secondary.

Death here could be permanent, so I needed to survive.

They say even a dung heap is better than the afterlife!

My head hurt, so I stopped thinking.

I tried to maintain a calm expression despite the piercing pain in my head.

"Hem, this is Lady Lea Alfredo."

The setting is medieval, and as the names suggest, the atmosphere is European.

I'm not sure if it's Eastern or Western Europe.

Anyway, among them was a beauty with an Eastern appearance, white skin, and black hair—Lea.

She was slightly over 150 centimeters tall, very slim, and looked like she would fall over if touched.

She must weigh over 40 kilograms.

Despite her slimness, her curves were well-defined...

At first glance, she was cute, but the more you looked, the more she seemed sexy.

Dudden called her a lady, but Lea was the daughter of a fallen baron.

She came here for 100 gold to pay off her father's debts, who had sold the manor due to gambling.

100 gold is a fortune for a commoner, but for a noble who once had a manor, it's a pittance.

The 100 gold naturally went into her father's pocket?

No, no!

It went straight into the pockets of loan sharks.

If I chose her as my bride, her father would receive an additional 100 gold.

A beauty like Lea could fetch thousands of gold in the slave market, but for just 100 gold...