Chapter 7 - The Price of Survival
The Price of Survival
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Translator: Dusky90
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Price of Survival
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"You want to borrow money?"
The Sorun Lord Percival was dumbstruck by the request made by the Lota Lord.
He never thought in his life he'd receive a request to borrow money from his nemesis, Lord Lota.
"Yes, sir."
"The Lota Estate must be in quite a difficult situation. Considering the fact that you're asking us, the Sorun Estate, to lend you money."
"It is true that the situation is not favorable."
"Hmm."
"In that case, please be gracious."
Percival was amused by the request of the Lord of Lota.
'Hmph, Otto de Scuderia, you lowly fool! You have nowhere else to borrow money, and you come to me. You must be in a hurry. Very well, then. I'll lend you the money.'
As far as Percival was concerned, Otto was incapable of repaying the money.
And if he did?
He could legally call in the debt, and if the Lota estate went bankrupt, he could enter bloodlessly to collect the debt.
They could swallow the Lota Estate whole without having to go to war, or spill a drop of blood.
"Okay, fine. I'll lend you the money."
"Are you sure about that?"
"I can't turn my back on my neighbor's difficulties."
"Thank you!"
"But there is a condition."
"What is that?"
"In exchange for lending you the money, if you fail to pay back the interest and money on the promised date, you will have to surrender the rulership of Lota. If you accept these conditions, I will lend you as much money as you need."
"Thank you for your consideration, my lord."
The officials of the Lota Estate readily accepted Percival's terms.
"Whatever terms he wants, just get the money. Just make sure it's overdue by at least two weeks.
It was only because of Otto's insistence before leaving the Lota Estate that he was able to accept Percival's frightening terms.
Needless to say, the bureaucrat didn't trust Otto at all.
"Yeah, well, what do I care if you want to destroy your Estate, I'll just get my overdue salary. It's none of my business if the Sorun Estate eats me or not.
He just did what Otto told him to do.
From a subordinate's point of view, whether it's Otto or Percival, a lord who pays well and doesn't bully is the best.
"You have 100 days. On the 100th day, you will pay back the money you borrowed, plus interest."
"I understand."
"Let's draw up a contract."
"Yes, my lord. I have also prepared the Seal of the Lota Estate here."
"You're very prepared, aren't you? Hahahahahaha!"
Percival let out a boisterous laugh, and immediately gave the amount Otto requested in gold bars.
'This will be my territory anyway. The people of the territory will be my subjects or serfs, so it's a bit of an investment. I'll do what my ancestors have failed to do for the last two hundred years.'
Percival was excited at the prospect of acquiring the Lota Estate.
* * *
Two days later.
The Sorun Estate sent a caravan full of gold bars.
"How brilliant."
Otto looked at the crates and marveled.
When would Otto, an ordinary gamer from Korea, ever see so many gold bars?
[Lota Estate].
Public Sentiment: 31 / 100 Cautious
Food: 9/100 Very Dangerous
Finance: 37 / 100 Cautious
Security: 37 / 100 Cautious
As a result of borrowing the money, the estate's finances have increased from 30 to 37.
For now, he had achieved his goal of dousing the urgent fire.
"Camille."
"Yes, I am here."
"Use this to pay all the overdue salaries, buy food, and distribute it to the people. There's no need to save it, you can spend it all."
"Your orders... I will obey."
Camille obeyed Otto's orders without question.
'Is this the last supper?'
Camille realized that this might be the last paycheck he would ever receive as a subject of the Lota Estate.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't guess what Otto was thinking, and he didn't trust him, so he decided to take what would happen.
'Let's see....'
Otto opened the status window and checked the state of the territory.
The effect of the money was evident immediately.
[Lota Estate]
Public Sentiment: 43 / 100 Cautious
Food: 36 / 100 Cautious
Financial: 7/100 Extremely Dangerous
Security: 47/100 Cautious
When he released the money, his finances went back to where it was, but his public sentiment, food, and security went up all at once.
'Phew. At least the immediate crisis is under control.'
This allowed Otto to breathe a sigh of relief.
A few days later.
"What are you going to do now?"
Camille asked Otto.
"I told you, I have a plan.", Otto insisted to Camille.
"So what's that plan?"
"You'll see. It's been three days, right? Eleven days to go. In eleven days, I'll show you the destruction of Sorun."
"And if your words don't come true...."
"Then we'll all die together."
"Do you really think so?"
Camille gave a cold smile.
His hand was once again on the hilt of his sword.
"I, I... will I die first? Haha... hahahaha...."
Otto broke out in a cold sweat and shuddered in fear at Camille's murderous intent.
'S-Scary bastard....'
The following day arrived.
"What are you doing?"
Camille asked.
"Can't you tell? I'm lying down and eating grapes. Ah, I'm sleepy. I think I'll take a nap.."
[Geez, you're an asshole] The curse made him hungry and sleepy at every opportunity.
So whenever he had free time, Otto would laze around eating treats like this.
As for sex drive... no, not a word. Could be mentioned.
"Didn't you say you were going to bring the Sorun Estate to ruin?"
"I did, didn't I?"
"And you're just lying around eating grapes?"
"I told you I had a plan."
"...."
"Well, just wait a while longer. Why are you so impatient? Why can't you get me a plate of strawberries instead of lying there?"
"You already had two plates of grapes, and you're eating again?"
"Because I'm not eating because I want to eat."
"Then who wants to eat?"
"The baby in my belly wants to eat~."
"......?"
"Yay~ I want to eat strawberries~ Yay~."
"Relax," Otto advised Camille.
Camille walked away, not even bothering to reply.
The Next Day.
"Are you going to lie around today too?"
Camille questioned.
"Oh come on, I said wait and see!"
Otto exclaimed.
"Didn't you promise that you would trust and support me? Can't you trust me like that? Well then, if you can't, I guess you can depend on your brother! Believe in me! Just trust me!"
"I'm sorry."
A few days passed, and the date Otto had promised was two days away.
"What is the lord doing right now?"
"Yes, my lord."
The knight replied to Camille's question.
"My lord is currently having a drinking party with some merchants who have visited our estate."
"Drinking in broad daylight...."
Camille's expression turned sour.
'Is it true that he can't get rid of his bad habits?'
For a moment, he regrets giving him the benefit of the doubt.
"Knight Commander, we're in trouble!"
A sudden report came in.
* * *
"What's going on?"
"Currently...."
A Ranger from the Lota Estate answered Camille's question.
Rangers were elite soldiers who performed various duties in the mountainous terrain, such as spying, scouting, and conducting guerrilla operations.
"They say a large group of undead is approaching our territory from the mountain passes to the north."
"A large group of undead?"
"A large number of skeletal soldiers, and a small number of skeletal mages. The way they are traveling in formation reminds me of an army. It looks like someone is controlling the undead horde."
"How large?"
"They seem to be on the scale of a regiment."
Generally speaking, a regimental size meant a troop of 1,500 to 2,500 men.
And a force of that size would be....
'Unstoppable...'
As far as Camille was concerned, if that undead army came in, it would be the end of the Lota Estate.
They simply didn't have the military strength to deal with a regiment-sized undead army.
That wasn't all.
If skeleton soldiers and skeleton mages were moving in regimental formations, there had to be someone commanding them.
A Necromancer of considerable skill, or a high-level undead monster like a Lich, had to be behind the scenes.
An undead army alone would be nearly impossible to deal with, and with such a powerful entity at the helm, the odds were stacked against them.
"What about the distance? How far is it?"
"I think they'll arrive at our territory tomorrow morning at the latest."
Even the distance was too close.
"All troops, stand by in combat readiness as of this hour."
"Yes, Knight Commander!"
"I...."
Camille started to walk away.
"I will report this matter to my lord."
* * *
Camille immediately set out to find Otto.
But Otto was not at the bar.
"The lord said he was tired and left the bar to rest. He also mentioned that he wanted to take a nap, so he should be in his bedroom."
"I see."
Camille was informed of Otto's whereabouts by the servant, and immediately headed for the lord's bedroom.
However,
"The lord has not been in the bedroom."
When Camille went to the bedroom, he found that Otto was nowhere to be found.
"Hear me, all of you, find the lord at once. Now."
"Yes, Knight Commander!"
But after an hour, a couple more passed, with no sign of Otto.
'He's been drinking in broad daylight. Where the hell is he, sprawled out and sleeping?'
In the end, Camille was forced to respond to the situation on behalf of his lord, Otto.
"Inform... the estate... everyone. Tell the people to prepare to flee, and the knights and soldiers... stay behind and defend the Estate. We will stay here and buy time for our families to flee."
Camille made his decision, and an evacuation order was issued for the Lota Estate.
The residents of the estate were bewildered by the sudden evacuation order, but when they heard that an undead army was approaching, they rushed to escape.
Led by Camille, Lota's 1,500-strong army prepared for battle, ready to die.
The knights and soldiers were equally unwilling to be killed, but only a few fled.
All of them had family members who had fled to safety....
That night.
"Has there been any news regarding the lord yet?"
Camille sought out Otto.
He should have been sober enough to crawl out from under the rock by now, but it was strange to see no sign of him so late at night.
"Has anyone seen the lord, have you looked everywhere?"
Then.
"Uh... knight commander?"
One of the guards approached Camille and said.
"I think I saw the lord around a while back."
"Is that so, and when did you see the lord?"
"That, that...."
"......?"
"The lord... earlier in the day, he got on his horse and went out by the rear gate."
"On horseback? By the rear gate?"
"Yes."
"Why would the lord go out the rear gate?"
"I overheard him talking to himself... and I distinctly... heard him say that he must move quickly if he is to live."
"What...?"
"He also said that if I stayed here, I would only get killed."
The moment.
"... Okay, then."
Camille closed his eyes tightly and clutched his face in exhaustion.
"... You."
"What...?"
"Bastard..."
"Knight Commander...?"
"Otto, you son of a bitch!!!"
Loud roars erupted from Camille's mouth.