Chapter 8

The fiefdom was enveloped in deep sorrow.

All classes were suspended due to the messenger, and I had to wait in the cold stone-walled room, except for the three meals a day.

It felt as if I were a prisoner locked in jail.

I wanted to go wherever my heart desired, and with Bandiek dead, who could stop me? But the problem was Isabel, who was always on the lookout.

From her perspective, she must have regretted not being able to kill Bandiek and his three sons with her own hands, but to complete her revenge, she would surely seize the opportunity to kill the last one left—me.

‘Damn, what should I do? How can I change her mind?’

I even considered killing her. But it was a matter of life and death.

If I were to kill her, I should have done it before the news of Bandiek's death reached her.

At least during this period, Isabel was off guard, and when I played the game, I took the opportunity to kill her then.

The method was...

Poisoning.

Where would the poison come from?

In this game, almost every castle has a hidden dungeon in its basement.

The secret door leading to this castle's hidden dungeon was next to the fireplace in Bandiek's bedroom.

I knew the spell to open the secret door.

In the game, I secretly entered Bandiek's bedroom, went into the dungeon, obtained coins, and bought poison from the player shop to secretly put it in Isabel's food.

Coins were the currency used only in the player shop.

‘Phew, but Isabel never said she would kill me before the funeral, right?’

At least I would be safe until the funeral.

Three days after the messenger arrived, about two-thirds of the troops that had set out returned, carrying the bodies of Bandiek and his three sons, their faces pale and lifeless.

They managed to recover the bodies, but their heads and limbs were torn apart.

In their haste to escape from the giants, they couldn't even retrieve the bodies of the soldiers.

I had seen this scene in the game, but when I encountered the real thing, the smell of the bodies and their grotesque appearance made me feel like vomiting.

No matter how I thought about it, this couldn't be a game. Even if it were a virtual reality game, it would require an incredible amount of data to simulate the dried blood, the foul smell, and the maggots and pus oozing from the torn limbs.

Shaking my head.

Absolutely impossible...

Was this all there was?

The entire world I was in was a real, tangible reality.

I was certain that even with thousands or tens of thousands of supercomputers, such a world couldn't be created.

The fiefdom was awash with tears due to the many dead soldiers.

Meanwhile, just before arriving, I, unaware of the situation, had eaten an entire sar fruit, which is as spicy as the world's hottest pepper.

My face turned bright red, and I was streaming with tears and snot.

I usually can't handle spicy food, but this time, it was the spiciest sar fruit I had ever eaten.

My tongue felt like it was being torn apart.

Only one maid, who had prepared my meal, knew my condition.

The others misunderstood, thinking I was weeping for my father and brothers.

Winter and Autumn had some familiarity with me because I learned swordsmanship and horseback riding from them, but Summer, who showed affection, was unexpected.

“Look! The young master is crying. Is he that sad?”

“He seems to be in a daze.”

“I guess so. He lost his mother not long ago, right?”

“With his father and brothers all gone, what will the young master do now?”

“Poor thing, isn't he?”

“What will he do from now on?”

I could hear the maids whispering.

“Doden, it would be better to take the young master upstairs.”

Winter, who had become my next in line in the fiefdom, gave the order.

“Yes? Yes...”

Doden obediently helped me up and led me inside.

The next day, after breakfast and before class, Doden looked at me with something to say.

“Cough, cough. What is it?”

Now, speaking informally came naturally to me.

“Oh! I moved your belongings.”

Huh?

“Belongings?”

“Since the young master will inherit the title, I moved your belongings to the lord's bedroom.”

Finally, I'm free from the cold!

Tears streamed down my face without me realizing it.

“Crying, are you?”

“No, I'm just so happy. To be honest, it was really cold.”

If I hadn't overeaten and kept my body moving all night, I would have frozen to death.

In fact, I had frozen to death in the game before entering this world.

“...I'm sorry.”

“Cough, cough. You have nothing to apologize for, Doden.”

That evening, I entered Bandiek's bedroom for the first time.

It was so large that it could easily be divided into a dozen apartments.

I had seen it before when playing as Bandiek, but why did it feel so new?

Most importantly, the fireplace!

‘Great. So great.’

The fireplace, which emitted warm heat with a crackling sound, was so welcoming.

I felt like hugging it and kissing it.

Despite the room's size, it was impossible to warm the entire space, but Mingu, who also liked warmth, moved around in my pocket, showing his joy.

“Hehe, Mingu, this will be our room from now on.”

The bed next to the fireplace was so large that several adult men could lie on it together.

Bandiek was a big man, but this was overkill.

I lay down on the bed to feel its softness and fell asleep immediately.

I had been severely sleep-deprived.

Even when I tried to sleep to stay warm, I could only manage a few hours, divided into two or three sessions.

So, I did get some sleep, right?

Someone might say that, but sleeping in intervals doesn't help with fatigue.

You have to experience it to understand; words can't describe it.

The funeral for my father and brothers was held three days later.

As a result, the memorial service for the dead soldiers was also delayed.

During this period, I caught a severe cold and had to be supported by a maid to attend the events.

I was fine in the cold, but moving to Bandiek's room and relaxing a bit seemed to have made me catch a cold.

Interestingly, this made Winter, Autumn, Summer, and everyone in the fiefdom show affection towards me.

I received affection unintentionally, and if this is what luck is, then it is luck indeed...

Before the coffins were buried, I briefly saw the bodies of my father and brothers, which had been carefully stitched together by the undertaker.

This was why the funeral was delayed for three days.

The fiefdom was once again enveloped in deep sorrow, not just for my father and brothers but for the many dead soldiers.

This was a significant problem.

We needed to deal with the unslain monsters and prepare for the upcoming fiefdom battles, but with the significant loss of troops, how could we fight?

Fiefdom battles?

Yes.

This character faces many challenges from the beginning. Shortly after Bandiek's death, a noble from the surrounding area, Count Mokabi, attacked the fiefdom.

For no good reason.

I am still pondering how to stop him.

It's a tough situation, but I know I can't fail. I'm studying how to achieve the best outcome.

After the funeral, a meeting was held in the study.

I had never been in my father's study before.

I sat at the center of the round table, with Winter, Autumn, and Summer on either side.

Appoint Summer, Winter, and Autumn as commanders.

‘Ugh, again?’

It felt like they were constantly pressuring me with life-and-death decisions.

Did they bring me to this world to slowly kill me?

But I knew how to get these three people, so it wouldn't be difficult.

“Master, the monsters that couldn't be slain are causing trouble in the north, but they will retreat northward as the weather warms in spring. The most urgent issue now is to go to Count Obien and get the baron title approved.”

Count Obien, who ruled the Ainstap region, where the Berger region belonged.

I had seen the ending with this character, and it was relatively easy since the starting title was baron.

I had seen the ending smoothly.

“The title is hereditary, but since our region is under Count Obien's influence, his approval is necessary.”

“Although you are the only heir, it's important not to offend the count.”

The advice continued.

I nodded silently.

There was much more discussion, but I listened quietly.

Summer, who had been talking about the fiefdom's revenue, finished and looked at me, frowning.

“Master? You haven't said anything. It would be good if you could say something.”

Winter and Autumn seemed to agree with Summer.

“Cough, cough. What I want to know is... will the three of you stay by my side?”

I was now comfortable speaking informally to others.

“...”

Was it an unexpected question?

An awkward silence fell between us.

Huh?

What?

Are you going to leave?

I started with Winter, the eldest and the next in line in the fiefdom.

“Winter?”

“Yes.”

“Cough, cough. You know I can't do without you, right?”

“...Yes.”

His face wasn't bright.

Did it feel like he was being forced to agree?

I understood Winter's feelings.

Can this young boy really handle being the lord?

Until recently, he was a commoner, poorer than a slave.

He was an orphan without a mother.

Bandiek acknowledged him as a son, but there were doubts.

“Cough, cough. Autumn, you know I can't do without you, right?”

“...Yes.”

The answer was the same, but the expression was no different from Winter's.

“Summer...”

“I know.”

Summer took the initiative.

“But if the lord only shows weakness, I might be disappointed and return to the magic tower.”

Summer was a magician invited by Bandiek with a significant donation to the magic tower.

“It's been over ten years since I left the magic tower for this fiefdom. I took on the financial management because there was no one suitable, but I haven't had time for my magic research, which I find very regrettable.”

I understood her point.

‘But Summer, you have almost no talent as a magician. Accounting, which involves numbers, suits you better.’

She can handle magic, but only at a basic level.