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The atmosphere of the village was eerily unsettling. There was already a severe famine causing widespread starvation, and with Prince Yubel and his army’s arrival, the likelihood of this place turning into a battlefield had drastically increased. Most villagers were trembling in fear, dreading what the future might hold.

Amidst a long drought, the parched village lay silent, its streets deserted. Two figures walked through this stillness—Repenhardt, who had just met with Prince Yubel and escaped the castle, and Siris, who had been waiting outside.

As they headed towards the inn where their companions were staying, Siris casually asked, “Did the discussion go well?”

“It went well enough in itself.”

For Prince Yubel, there was no reason to oppose Repenhardt’s views. In his current situation, he was as good as a head on the block—hardly in a position to choose between freshly baked or stale bread. Moreover, Repenhardt’s suggestion was something Yubel had always desired, making opposition even less likely. The discussion itself was smooth, without any obstacles.

“The issue is whether things will proceed as discussed.”

Repenhardt pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. It was one thing for Yubel to agree, but whether his subordinates, the nobles, would accept his opinion was another matter. Even Yubel, though he agreed with the idea, showed reluctance about its implementation.

-Given the current circumstances, there should be few who oppose your demands.

Repenhardt had claimed a territory that belonged to the son of Viscount Carsus, under the lordship of Count Gelfein. This land, located in the rugged Gloten Mountains in the western part of the Crovence Kingdom, was always plagued by monsters and wild beasts. Its main industry was mining, using dwarf slaves, and it was a place where few humans lived. Moreover, the mining industry was barely profitable anymore due to the depletion of ore veins.

The land was an enemy territory and had little value, something the nobles had no interest in. Count Gelfein’s support for Viscount Carsus was merely out of greed to absorb the neighboring domain. Offering such a land in exchange for military provisions worth a hundred thousand gold coins was a deal no one would oppose.

-But I am unsure what will happen after I ascend to the throne. If I propose a new law to emancipate the slaves, the opposition will be formidable.

That was Yubel’s concern.

Truthfully, Yubel himself wanted to free the non-human races from slavery as soon as possible. It was the only way he could live openly and happily with Finia. He didn’t even aspire to make her his queen; he just wished to keep her by his side, even if only as a concubine.

But realistically, it’s impossible. Even if he becomes king, he cannot wield absolute power. There are numerous nobles, rigid traditions, and a populace that still perceives other races as nothing more than slaves.

Can he truly overcome all these and achieve his desired outcome?

It was natural for Yubel to be skeptical. Even Finia, a dwarf, expressed doubts about the feasibility of it all.

“However, once the autonomous regions are legally recognized, it’s not entirely impossible.”

Walking along with Siris, Repenhardt spoke calmly.

“After all, an autonomous region is an autonomous region. Whether they bake bread with stones or stir it with a claymore, it’s an internal matter, and external concerns would be interference. Once the system is set up, I think it can somehow work out. It’ll be a headache in various ways, though.”

In his previous life, Repenhardt did not care about human opinions. He pushed everything through with force. While this made things proceed smoothly, it also caused severe side effects.

“This time, we must go slowly but surely. In a way that humans cannot deny.”

“That makes sense…”

Siris nodded. There seemed to be humans who would agree with his views, and his methods seemed realistic. If successful, at least the first step would be viable.

Then, a question suddenly arose.

“Lord Repenhardt.”

“Yes?”

“Did you know Prince Yubel from before?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve seen his face. I only heard rumors before.”

“Who won in the previous life then?”

It was a trivial issue, but still, curiosity lingered. Repenhardt smirked and responded without hesitation.

“Prince Carsus. In fact, in the previous life, Prince Yubel vanished like dew on the scaffold.”

And Prince Yubel would end up disappearing from history as a royal embarrassment with depraved hobbies. Originally, Prince Carsus was to become the king of the Crovence Kingdom. Hearing this, Siris frowned.

“…It’s not going to unfold according to history, is it?”

“If I hadn’t intervened, it would have.”

Repenhardt replied confidently. Of course, even he felt uncertain about what outcomes his significant interventions in history might bring. But…

“Actually, this is normal. Knowing what the future holds is actually abnormal.”

After all, it’s a reversed time.

After all, it’s a newly written history.

Repenhardt had already altered the known history from the moment he returned to this era, turning it into a past that no longer existed. It was no different from the fanciful stories concocted by minstrels.

“I am already living a new life, building hope for the unseen future, striving best as I can, just like everyone else,” Repenhardt murmured as if singing.

Sirius nodded at Repenhardt’s murmured words and whispered softly, “I hope it goes well.”

“We have to make it work. And I believe it will turn out quite well if humans start seeing orcs, elves, and dwarves not as slaves, but as comrades in arms.”

Repenhardt looked up at the cloudy sky, the last conversation with Yubel still circling in his mind.

-Your Majesty Yubel, I have something to discuss regarding the forces assisting you.

-What is it?

-They are orcs, dwarves, and elves. I am here representing their will.

* * *

The rest of the group was staying at a small inn on the outskirts of the village. When Repenhardt and Sirius entered, they were greeted by Sillan, Russ, and Tilla gathered in the hall.

“Did the discussion go well, hyung?”

“It’s going so-so? Seems to be going well so far.”

The group gathered around the fireplace in the hall, huddling close together. Russ muttered with an expression mixed with admiration.

“You’re starting off on quite an ambitious note, hyung.”

It had been a month since they left Grand Forge. During that time, Repenhardt’s party had been frantically exploring various ruins across the regions. They had explored a total of ten sites so far! It would be more accurate to say they had pillaged rather than explored. After all, it wasn’t truly exploration since Repenhardt already knew all the information.

“No one would believe us if we said we explored a ruin every three days. But it wasn’t entirely impossible either.” With the aura wielder Russ and the dwarf warrior Tilla joining, and Repenhardt having regained some of his magical powers, they had more than enough ability to conduct the explorations. Having the official answer sheet, so to speak, allowed them to save a lot of time. They were able to plunder the relics like a whirlwind.

Russ smirked as he recalled those days.

“Honestly, it was tougher hauling out relics than dealing with demons in the ruins.”

Of course, as they plundered various places, the number of their Infinite Pouches, which compressed contents nearly tenfold, had significantly increased. They now had more than ten such pouches. But no matter how much they reduced the volume and weight, the sheer amount they had to carry around was undeniably cumbersome.

Sillan nodded in understanding at Russ’s words.

“That’s right. It’s a good thing I’ve been building my muscles.”

“…Really? If someone who can carry one water jug can now carry two, I don’t see much of a difference.”

“Ugh! But soon, I’ll be able to carry three!”

“It’s still just water jugs, isn’t it?”

Russ and Sillan exchanged jokes and laughed. Repenhardt let out a baffled chuckle.

“…Anyway, I ended up carrying more than half of it myself…”

Thus, having salvaged a wealth of relics from the Silver Age, Repenhardt was able to amass a considerable fortune by selling the more valuable items to the Taoban Trading Company. They had not just collected relics from ten sites, but had thoroughly scraped them clean, making the total sum substantial. Moreover, the fifteen hundred gold coins he had invested in the Taoban Trading Company had multiplied in value, thanks to the famine, now amounting to over thirty thousand gold coins. Even after allocating shares to Sillan and Russ, Repenhardt’s total assets were nearing sixty thousand gold coins. Both of them also had about ten thousand gold coins each deposited with the Taoban Trading Company.

Russ, caressing his sword, smiled.

“It’s not just about the money, but I’m more pleased about the opportunity to earn fame, hyung.”

After wrapping up their relic-looting expeditions, Repenhardt’s party had entered the Kingdom of Crovence and he shared his plan to join the civil war with his companions. Sirius and Tilla would have no reason to object, but Repenhardt was a bit worried about how Russ and Sillan would react; surprisingly, both showed enthusiasm and agreed.

“I have already sworn to follow you, hyung. Besides, gaining renown is inevitable if I am to return to my family. If I can elevate my name on the battlefield, my goal will come nearer,” was Russ’s response.

“I’ve already agreed with Mr. Repen’s intentions, didn’t I? Why bring it up now? Besides, while exploring ruins is fine, a pilgrim should really be among the people,” was Sillan’s reply.

With both readily agreeing to follow Repenhardt, there were no hesitations left. Repenhardt’s party immediately headed to find Yubel in the Viscountcy of Delphia and successfully met with Prince Yubel as planned.

Just then, the innkeeper came into the hall carrying a generous spread of food.

“The meal is ready. Please eat your fill~.”

Thanks to Repenhardt’s group being connected to the Taoban Trading Company, the inn was enjoying an unexpected windfall. Knowing full well that there was no food, Repenhardt had made a request from the start to have all the necessary ingredients delivered here through the Taoban Trading Company. For them, it was as if food had miraculously fallen from the sky. Currently, in the Kingdom of Crovence, food was even more precious than money. The innkeepers treated Repenhardt’s group as if they were saviors descended from heaven.

“Please let us know if you need anything at all.”

“Yes, thank you for your efforts.”

Sillan, polite as ever, represented the group in offering their thanks. As the landlady modestly retreated, the group began their long-delayed dinner. Midway through gulping down ale, Sillan suddenly asked.

“Ah, Mr. Repen. There’s something I’m curious about.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Did we actually have a hundred thousand gold pieces?”

Sillan had calculated, and all their assets combined did not exceed eighty thousand gold pieces. Yet, Repenhardt confidently declared one hundred thousand. With Finia present, it couldn’t have been a lie. But given Repenhardt’s nature, it seemed unlikely he would secretly hoard funds. Hence the confusion.

Repenhardt grinned.

“So it’s not actually ‘one hundred thousand gold pieces’, but ‘grain worth one hundred thousand gold pieces’.”

The Taoban Trading Company was currently reaping massive profits thanks to Repenhardt’s investment. Amazed by Repenhardt’s actions in the Duchy of Chatan—where he mercilessly killed the second-largest trading guild’s leader—Siebolt recognized his exceptional insight and decided to invest all available resources to buy grain and transfer it to the Kingdom of Crovence. Had a famine not occurred, such an act would have been financially suicidal, but Siebolt boldly executed the plan. It was a gamble based on viewing it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if not for Repenhardt, they would have been doomed either way.

Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and Siebolt quickly became the owner of the second-largest guild in the Duchy of Chatan.

It was natural for Siebolt to feel gratitude and awe towards Repenhardt. However, this didn’t mean he foolishly made Repenhardt the owner of the trading company. No matter how grateful he was, he remained a businessman. Instead, he promised that Repenhardt could purchase grain at the original cost price, not the current market price—a merchant’s way of repaying someone who had greatly helped and expanded the guild.

In other words, the ‘grain worth one hundred thousand gold pieces’ that Repenhardt mentioned was, in reality, an amount that could be bought for merely three to four thousand gold pieces.