Chapter 1

https://novel.munpia.com/374081 The Lord of the Frontier Land

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1. Escaping the Rascal

I, Kammin, had two secrets.

The first secret was that I had been reborn into the world of a game.

Occasionally, my modern reactions made people think I was a lunatic or a rascal.

—Do you like me a bit?

Birds of a feather flock together.

A rascal prince who had run away from home was unexpectedly captivated by me, a mere peasant named Kammin.

After quite some time, the mischievous prince became a duke, and I grew from a boy to a young man.

On the night the investiture ceremony for the dukedom ended, I sought out the rascal prince, now Duke Gareth of Berth.

Gareth was sipping cheap wine with a wistful expression.

“You came.”

Gareth was the illegitimate son of the previous Duke of Berth.

An illegitimate son becoming a duke of a nation was something unheard of until then.

Even if you searched through the entire continent's history books, Gareth's case would be the only one.

‘Now the suffering is over.’

I, who had witnessed an impossible dream come true, felt a strange emotion.

It was as if I had shared the unbelievable journey of a novel's protagonist.

“Congratulations, Your Grace.”

“Thank you. No, thank you, Kammin.”

“Please don’t. I’m afraid others might hear.”

“Are you, a rascal, now showing respect? That’s hilarious.”

“Your Grace...”

“Anyway, this is my bedroom. It’s just the two of us.”

Gareth doesn’t even let maids into his bedroom.

The only one who can face him at close range with a sword is me, his confidant.

“Kammin, do you remember the day we first met?”

I remember that day as if it were yesterday.

“Yes. I was chasing a bread thief.”

Bread, given to peasants only twice a day, is like life itself.

If you lose it, you starve.

I vividly remember being stopped by Gareth as I was returning after catching and beating up that insolent thief.

I should have just run away then.

“Your agility was impressive even back then. I, Gareth Berth, who was considered the best talent among my peers, felt a sense of competition from a young peasant. The old folks of the family would have spit blood if they knew.”

Even as an illegitimate son, Gareth was part of the ducal family.

After being brought into the ducal family, he underwent harsh training.

Now known as the Lion of the East, he was only eight years old at the time.

Unable to adapt, he ran away and met me.

Gareth calls me a rascal, but the real rascal was him.

A reckless person like him reaching the position of duke is entirely due to the kingdom falling into chaos.

In troubled times, heroes are needed.

“Teaching you martial arts was just a pastime at first. But Kammin, you had a talent that surpassed mine.”

Actually, Gareth had misunderstood me.

I was just an ordinary person.

I didn’t have talent but a special ability.

My second secret was that I could learn anything quickly.

Among the various abilities I had given my character before being reborn into this game world, the most powerful was the effect of “Omnipotence.”

As a peasant, I quickly became adept at handling hoes, rakes, and plows, and after leaving the village with Gareth, I easily mastered swords, spears, and axes.

Thanks to this, I received the favor of Gareth, who was known as the embodiment of martial prowess.

“Flattery, Your Grace.”

“No, without you, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the dragon Drimul or the one-eyed Krutul.”

“Don’t mention that. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.”

Thinking about the monsters we faced is still terrifying.

When I first encountered the named monsters from the game, I froze.

A monster the size of an apartment building?

Are you kidding me?

That’s what I thought.

“Haha. I don’t like thinking about it either. But thanks to that feat, I eventually reached this position, and you played a significant role.”

Gareth’s face was slightly flushed.

From his sentimental words, it was clear he was drunk.

Is it time?

I opened my mouth, feeling anxious.

“Your Grace.”

“Call me brother when we’re alone.”

“...Gareth, brother.”

“Haha. It feels good to be called that, bringing back old memories.”

Both Gareth and I had a past of living as peasants.

Life in this noble territory is never easy.

But Gareth’s discomfort is not my concern.

I’ve been dragged around by this rascal enough.

I’ve helped him as much as I can.

This is supposed to be a healing game, after all.

“Brother, I have a favor to ask. Will you hear me out?”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s... I want to return to farming.”

“Return to farming?”

“Yes. How tumultuous has my life been? I want to retire and spend my remaining years in a quiet, peaceful place.”

Gareth’s eyes widened at my words.

“Didn’t you used to say you wanted thrilling adventures?”

“My heart was pounding too much. Even now, my heart is whispering to me to please retire.”

“Isn’t it too young to retire?”

“I’m too old to get married.”

The marriageable age in this world is as young as 16.

“I’m a peasant by birth. I want to find a suitable bride.”

“Suitable bride? With the knighthood you earned through your contributions, marriage proposals are pouring in like a flood.”

“You know my taste is a bit special.”

“Black hair, black eyes?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. A guy whose ideal type hasn’t changed in over ten years, I can’t understand that.”

Gareth’s nature is that of a rascal.

That includes his relationships with women.

Being by the side of a hero and a ladies' man, I’ve faced all sorts of temptations, so I came up with this ridiculous excuse.

People with black hair and black eyes are very rare in this world.

Does it matter if they have black hair and black eyes or blonde hair and blue eyes?

As long as they look beautiful to me and we get along, that’s all that matters.

At this point, Gareth seemed to recall something.

“Indeed, you’ve had a tough time. It would be good for you to rest a bit.”

“I don’t want to rest a bit; I want to rest for the rest of my life.”

“Hmm, I didn’t realize you were that stressed. Alright, I understand. How can I refuse a request from my brother Kammin?”

I was skeptical.

Would this persistent and stubborn rascal really stop here?

“You have a perfect place to rest.”

“A rural area?”

“A frontier of frontiers. It’s a distant territory that came with the dukedom. The land of a family that lost all their children to illness, and they needed a new lord. It’s far from the Berth territory, so I needed someone trustworthy... You fit the bill perfectly.”

“Great. Where is it?”

Especially the part about it being far from the Berth territory appeals to me.

“It’s a land called Haloon at the western end. It’s so far and remote that there will be many challenges, but I believe you can handle it.”

The Berth territory is in the northeast of the kingdom.

If Haloon is at the western end, it’s an impossible distance to travel back and forth.

I’m very pleased.

As a lord, I won’t have to see Gareth often.

If I do well, maybe never.

“I understand.”

“Kammin, you’ve worked hard by my side. I hope you can spend your time there as you wish.”

Gareth patted my shoulder.

“Oh, no need for a formal farewell. I drank a lot today, so I’ll sleep in tomorrow.”

He’s definitely drunk.

But I can’t leave it at that.

I took out a small scroll and laid it on the table.

“Please write the order for my appointment as lord. I need something to prove I’m the lord, don’t I?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

Being a peasant by birth and a duke by force, Gareth often ignores procedures.

Cleaning up the mess is naturally left to me and his subordinates.

The moment I took the scroll, a system window appeared before my eyes for the first time.

That’s right.

The game I was sucked into is called “The Lord of the Frontier Land,” a healing game.

The game originally starts with the player as a lord.

Hunting monsters and such were just one of the quests to earn money and materials by recruiting and commanding subordinate characters.

For some reason, I ended up doing those things myself.

Maybe it’s because I was born a peasant.

Unfortunately, the prologue was ridiculously long.

But now that the game has properly started, I can finally enjoy the healing aspect.

* * *

The place I arrived at after a long journey was a quaint rural village.

Riding through the western main road of the kingdom and a desolate path, you’ll find a small village by a lake.

To the west is a vast forest, to the north is a lake, and to the south is a grassland.

In short, it’s a perfect location that satisfies the ideal of living by a mountain and a water source, as our ancestors used to say.

‘Is this Haloon? The view is amazing. I should build a tall watchtower.’

Sitting alone in a watchtower, enjoying the lake view with a drink...

Mmm.

There’s no greater luxury.

As I approached the village, I saw land that had been partially cultivated.

It’s a typical frontier territory.

It looks like barren land, so it won’t be easy, but it seems more fulfilling than dealing with smelly monsters and traps.

As I entered the village, a system window appeared like a signpost.

...357 gold?

I was skeptical.

It was a smaller amount than the money I currently had.

The state of the territory seemed worse than expected, but it was fine.

“...Experienced players enjoy playing as paupers.”

I, who survived from being born a peasant.

I can overcome this level of hardship.

Even if it’s not exactly like a game, the advantage of having a system is something I’ve already experienced.

If there was no system?

I would have been torn apart long ago, following Gareth, the hero.

...This is fine.

It’s fine.

But... I need to say at least one thing to vent my frustration.

“Gareth, you rascal, you tricked me again. Ha.”

Anyway, this illegitimate son is no help to me at all.

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