Chapter 180:
The [Book of Carnage] was the most mysterious and dangerous of all the items in the game [Territory Wars].
It utilized the souls of sentient beings as an energy source.
In other words, to fully utilize the power of this book, murder was essential.
The method involved killing sentient beings, storing their soul energy in the book, and using it when needed.
Of course, the mana consumption was enormous, but compared to gathering soul energy, it wasn’t much of a burden.
As such, the Book of Carnage was an item that had to be used very carefully.
If he went around killing every living being he could in order to gather soul energy, there would be dire consequences.
The notoriety that follows.
Misfortune escalates exponentially, and grudges are spun like spider webs.
The murders committed in the process of gathering soul energy come back as boomerangs, returning in full force.
The memories of the previous owners before Otto’s eyes were meant to be a warning to him about the Book of Carnage.
The illusions vividly depicted the terrible deeds committed by the owners who had been enthralled by the power of the book, as well as the miserable fates they met.
The price of senseless killing.
In other words, it was meant to be a warning about the karmic price of blood.
*Whiirr*
And the illusion vanishes.
“Huu…”
Otto patted the Book of Carnage and vowed to himself.
‘I must not get consumed by this book. Only when I really need it. I must use it sparingly. If I get carried away with greed in the name of gathering soul energy, I too will be corrupted.’
The Book of Carnage was a powerful item in the game, even in the game of Territory Wars.
Now, in the real world, he had to be even more careful.
If he were to get blood on his hands in an attempt to unleash its full power, the consequences could be horrific.
Worst of all, the people closest to him could turn against him.
‘Just thinking about it is horrifying.’
Recalling the memory of being overthrown by his own subordinates after indiscriminately using the Book of Carnage, Otto shuddered.
Game Over.
He’ll never forget that moment when he was about to win the game and a rebellion broke out.
The sheer terror of that moment….
‘I need to be careful, very careful. If it’s bad enough in the game, it’ll be worse in real life, so I have to be extra cautious.’
He reminded himself, before leaving the Sanctuary.
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Leaving the Sanctuary, Otto spoke with Conrad, the Patriarch of House Kuntachi.
“So, what are your plans after this?”
“I’m thinking of gradually expanding into the continent.”
“Hmm, expanding onto the continent, huh.”
After hearing Otto’s answer, Conrad smiled contentedly but couldn’t help but ask if he was still worried.
“How can it be possible? The kingdom of Lota is on the fringes. Its geographical location is far too unfavorable for continental expansion.”
Conrad was right.
The kingdom of Lota, tucked away on the western fringes of the continent, would have to travel further east to expand.
The challenge was that the road wasn’t easy.
If the Kingdom of Lota were to advance eastward, it would have to cross the Kashmir Mountains.
But in order to cross the Kashmir Mountains, they had to traverse a 20-kilometer-long trail of ledges carved into the cliffs.1
And that wasn’t all.
Mountains over mountains.
Once they crossed the Kashmir mountains, they had to come up against some fairly powerful Kingdoms.
These three kingdoms were by no means easy foes.
Of course, the Kingdom of Lota was a rapidly growing emerging power, but its strength was still far from sufficient.
At this point, it couldn’t compete with any of the three kingdoms and win.
“If you rush to the mainland, you may end up as a colonial subject.”
Conrad knew the geopolitical disadvantages of the Lota Kingdom all too well, so he advised Otto.
“Why don’t you build up a bit more strength and then make a more stable advance?”
“No.”
Otto shook his head.
“There’s no time to lose. We need to go in now.”
“Why? Isn’t that too hasty?”
“On the contrary, we’re already running late.”
“Hmm?”
“Because the optimal timing has already passed.”
Otto’s reasoning is that the campaign had taken significantly longer than planned to enter the mainland.
His journey to Caliphate had dragged on longer than he’d expected, and they’d lost the best time to push across the frontier.
‘We should have struck out at the end of winter, Haa.’
Otto had good reasons for that.
The current situation in the three kingdoms was very unstable.
The Kingdom of Slaine was ruled by a terrible tyrant, and the country was in disarray.
The Kingdom of Loredin had suffered a disastrous famine last year, and food had been scarce all winter.
The Kingdom of Baltin was paralyzed by the worst snowstorm in its history.
But as spring passed and summer approached, things were going a little differently.
The food shortage in the Kingdom of Loredin was slowly improving, and the heavy snowfall that had plagued the Kingdom of Baltin was already winding down.
“Before fall at the latest. I must advance before the Loredin Kingdom is able to overcome its food shortage.”
“Are you saying that the situation in the three kingdoms is such that this is an opportunity?”
“Perhaps it could be the last chance. Who knows when such an opportunity will come again?”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Conrad nodded his head.
“Well, if you’re this Conrad’s grandson, you should be able to do that, Hmm. Very well. This old man will help you.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll provide you with additional knights, mages, and magic swordsmen.”
“Is that really true?”
“Of course. If my grandson is advancing onto the continent, wouldn’t it be appropriate for this old man to provide that level of support?”
“Thank you so much!”
Otto’s face blossomed with a smile at the mention of Conrad’s support.
The Lotan army had long suffered from a chronic shortage of manpower, with a particularly severe shortage of skilled personnel such as knights and wizards.
In order to raise high-quality personnel, training is essential, but more importantly, time is needed.
But the Kingdom of Lota was a newborn Kingdom.2
With its history too short to develop skilled personnel internally, realistically, it had no choice but to supplement them from outside.
But even if they could bring in talented people from the outside, there was no way they would be decent.
Would skilled knights and mages really come all the way to a place like the Kingdom of Lota, unheard of in the countryside, just because they were needed?
Furthermore, it was also safe to expect no loyalty from the high-level talent brought in from the outside.
Under the circumstances, additional knights, mages, and magic swordsmen would be a welcome addition.
For Otto, it was like rain in the middle of a drought.
“But you must succeed in advancing to the Continent. Do you understand?”
“I won’t let you down.”
“Good.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Conrad looked approvingly at Otto.
“Oh, also.”
Otto adds in.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d leave the matter of Elder Alphondal’s new medicine to me.”
“Of course, I intend to do so. Isn’t it Elder Alphondal’s request for you, as the next head of the family? It’s only fitting that you take charge and proceed accordingly.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
Otto gave the old man one of his biggest smiles.
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Meanwhile, Qasim, who had also stopped by Claw Island, returned to the Kingdom of Lota after completing his mission uneventfully.
“You want me to take care of this child?”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
Qasim went straight to Head Maid Olive and presented Marianne to her.
“Such an unfortunate circumstance. I see. I’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you, Head Maid, for your consideration.”
“Is it Marianne?”
Olive stepped toward Marianne.
*Stumble*
Marianne stumbled backwards, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer size and intimidation of the imposing Olive.
*Swoosh.*
Olive’s massive bulk crashed down on Marianne.
*Shudder*
Marianne trembled like a startled rabbit.
“H-Help….”
At the moment when terrified Marianne was about to scream for help.
“You must have been through a lot.”
“…..!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you here. As long as I’m here, no one will treat you badly.”
Olive hugged Marianne tightly, reassuring her.
“If anyone bullies you, you must tell me. Anyone who does, I will beat them to death. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Head Maid….”
“In the palace, no one is allowed to mistreat the maids.”
Her words were true.
The servant-maids of the Kingdom of Lota were not mere servants.
They were quasi-aristocrats, civil servants, and professionals in their own right.
‘It’s a good idea to entrust her to Head Maid Olive.’
Qasim smiled and walked away.
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Upon returning to the Lota Kingdom, Otto immediately began working on the groundwork for the continental expansion.
No matter how late they were, they had to hurry to complete their advance to the mainland before fall.
Because when autumn arrived, the food shortage in the three kingdoms, especially the Loredin Kingdom, would be almost resolved..
“Before autumn arrives, we must set out to the Mainland, so be prepared.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
While preparing the army, Otto called Ego to have a chat.
First, they discussed the new drug that Elder Alphondal had developed.
“So you are asking me to find a way to mass-produce the new medicine cheaply?”
“That’s right.”
“Understood. I will look into ways to source raw materials in bulk at a lower cost.”
“Oh, and.”
Otto brought up his main issue.
“I need you to start spreading the word around the realm that Otto de Scuderia of Lota has rebelled, unified the region of Kashmir, and established a new kingdom.”
Even though Lota is just a small estate, it still has a mother country, a centralized government.
The mother country of Lota Estate was the Baltin Kingdom, one of the three nearby Kingdoms.
To be precise, 80% of the [Kashmir Region], where the Lota Kingdom is currently located, was the territory of the Baltin Kingdom.
Excluding the Kingdom of Roshan, Lota, Sorun, Racene, Orth, Theoden, and Vecium.
And yet, the Baltin Kingdom was completely unaware of what was happening here in the Kashmir Region.
Or more accurately, they simply ignored it.
The Kashmir Region was so remote and insignificant that bothering to pay attention to it would only waste administrative resources, causing unnecessary headaches.
Moreover, due to the sudden emergence of the Roshan Kingdom in the middle, it had been about 50 years since the Baltin Kingdom had neglected the Kashmir Region.
As a result, the fact that most of the Kashmir region belonged to the Baltin Kingdom existed only ‘on paper’.
This is how Otto, a mere rural lord, was able to establish his Kingdom without any interference from the Central Government. freёweɓnovel.com
“Why are you scratching at the seams? Haven’t you done a good job of pulling the wool over the eyes of the Baltin Kingdom?”
Of course, Otto had been very good at controlling information.
Before the inspector could even take a look around, he’d quickly send him back with bribes and treats.
They’d been paying their nominal taxes and tribute.
Even in the name of long-gone Estates.
“Your Majesty, if the Baltin Kingdom ever learns of the existence of the Kingdom of Lota….”
However, if the Baltin Kingdom ever found out the truth, it was clear what would transpire.
In the past, they would have simply ignored it and forgotten about it, since there seemed to be little to collect in taxes, but now it was a different story.
The Kingdom of Lota is quite a tempting prey now.
It was no different than spoon-feeding the Baltin Kingdom.
In other words, letting the Baltin Kingdom know about their existence was practically an invitation for them to eat the Lota Kingdom.
“Ei~ You really don’t know anything? The Baltin Kingdom isn’t stupid.”
Otto was certain that the Baltin Kingdom was aware of the existence of the Lota Kingdom.
“Even if they don’t know everything, they probably have some idea. They might just find our actions amusing and let us be. There’s nothing for them to take from us, so bothering with us would only lead to losses for them.”
“Mmm.”
“So, get the word out, there’s a confirmed discovery of a magic stone mine in the Kingdom of Lota.”
“What?!”
Ego was baffled.
To spread the word about the discovery of a magic stone mine?
If that happens….
“Your Majesty! Then the Baltin Kingdom might actually come knocking!”
“You want me to spread that rumor?”
“Yes?”
“Please, let them come in.”
Otto smirked.
*Flinched!*
Instantly, Ego was stunned to see Otto’s handsome face look like the devil.
Ego wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
‘I haven’t seen that look for a long time.’
Camille had seen that look on Otto’s face before.
In the past, when he was negotiating with the other estates regarding the Roshan Kingdom, Otto’s expression was exactly like that.
It was the face of a vicious schemer who had driven his enemies deep into their own death throes and spun them into a malicious cycle of abuse.
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TL/N:
1. Kashmir Mountain Path (Ref: A plank road on Mount Huashan, Shaanxi Province, China)
A road built on a rough cliff-like area. It is served by hanging it like a shelf. It is also called angle or janggak. It is also conveniently called the cliff road.
2. From Lota Estate – specific parcels of land or properties, often with individual ownership or management.
Then changed to Kingdom of Lota – a more centralized and organized entity, possibly with a hierarchical structure. (After taking ownership of nearby Estates starting from the Sorun Estate and so on.)
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