Chapter Three

The flamboyant man’s name was Pizzero. He was one of Otto’s closest confidants and a treacherous fiend unlike any other seen before. He was the archvillain who corrupted Otto and expedited the downfall of his territory. This traitorous man pulled wool over Otto’s eyes with flattery, all while accumulating vast wealth behind his lord’s back.

Recently, he had been funneling most of his ill-gotten coins overseas while colluding with the state of Solun. His actions were driven by a singular objective. Pizzero aimed to sell the crumbling Eiota to the Lord of Solun. He was determined to squeeze every drop of the territory’s wealth until the bitter end.

Oh, it’s that snake. Otto’s expression twisted into a scowl upon seeing Pizzero, the character who had consistently ignited his ire. Every time he tried to do something as Otto in the game, a series of notifications followed.

[Notification: Pizzero disagrees with your opinion!]

[Notification: Pizzero disagrees with your opinion!]

[Notification: Pizzero disagrees with your opinion!]

Shortly after receiving such notifications, Otto’s actions would invariably be canceled, and the reason was simple. Pizzero wielded significant influence within the territory, and his hold over Otto was formidable.

Of course, that did not mean he had complete authority over his lord. The player had the option to challenge Pizzero’s viewpoint, but they weren’t without consequences. Challenging him means risking encountering his array of devious strategies. Oppose his words three times, and he’ll immediately have me assassinated.

Getting rid of Pizzero was also out of the question—trying to remove him instantly resulted in certain death for Otto. The moment Pizzero stopped breathing, his spies, whom he had planted among the commoners, would instigate a rebellion.

Then, as if it were agreed upon, an army from Solun would launch an invasion. Hence, from the player’s perspective, Pizzero was an extremely bothersome entity to deal with.

“Please, my lord. Distributing the reserve grain? That’s simply not feasible.” The man approached the dais and continued, “The commoners are lazy and incompetent simpletons. Why should Your Lordship shoulder such responsibility? The commoners are ingrates by nature. They won’t appreciate the food generously handed out to them and will ultimately stick their grimy hands out for more.”

Following his words, a familiar notification window popped up before Otto.

[Notification: Pizzero disagrees with your opinion!]

Fortunately, Otto was no stranger to this type of situation. He didn’t bat an eye as he firmly stood his ground.

“My decision is final.”

“My lord...?”

“As their rightful ruler, I shall distribute the grains to my starving people.”

“My lord, why are you behaving this way all of a sudden? Those filthy swine deserve not a single grain of your—”

“That’s quite enough.” With a solemn tone, Otto silenced his advisor. “Do not question me any further. This is my order as your lord.”

“P-please, you must...”

“Today’s morning meeting ends here. You may return to your posts,” Otto announced before standing up from his seat. “Oh, and Camille?” He turned around and met the knight’s eyes. “Come with me. We have so much to discuss.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Another notification appeared.

[Notification: You have ignored Pizzero’s opinion!]

[Notification: You have offended Pizzero!]

[Notification: Pizzero’s mood sours!]

Brushing off the messages, Otto left the meeting room with Camille.

Sulk all you want for all I care, bastard. Otto wasn’t at all intimidated by Pizzero—he knew precisely how to deal with his treacherous subject.

* * *

“T-that ungrateful little...!” Pizzero’s hands shook with fury.

“Now, now, Pizzero. You need to calm down.”

“Are you all right?”

“There’s no need to get so riled up, my friend.”

His fellow disloyal subjects began chattering away.

“Lord de Scuderia’s decision must have bewildered you.”

“Bewildered?” Pizzero glowered at the man, his eyes narrowed and filled with malice. “I’m not bewildered, good sir! I’m merely flabbergasted by his poor judgment! Flabbergasted, you hear?”

The group of untrustworthy sycophants flinched at his thunderous response. Some of them even trembled in fear.

“He suddenly decided to distribute grain to the public without consulting us! Does that sit well with any of you? Ha! That damned fool of a—” Pizzero halted his rage-filled rant, recalling that he couldn’t openly insult the lord in front of so many people.

Something has happened to that damned fool of a lord. How dare he disregard my words! I’ll make you pay for that, Otto.

Gritting his teeth, Pizerro stormed out of the chamber. He must show the puppet lord what would happen if he tried to break free from his constraints.

* * *

First, I need to get Camille on my side. At the moment, he was the only person who could protect Otto. In a place where hardly anyone was worth their salt, Camille was the only character with the potential to become a hero. The knight’s progress had merely stagnated because he had to clean up the mess his lord had made.

“What’s the meaning of this? Neither your actions nor your words make any sense. There must be a reason why you’re doing this all of a sudden.” Camille wasted no time in posing his question as soon as he entered Otto’s study.

“A reason, you say...” Otto echoed the knight’s words with a wistful smile. “Why, to survive, of course.”

“What?”

“If this continues, I won’t have a neck any— Whoa!”

Suddenly, Otto let out a yelp.

Crack! Snap!

The moment he sat down on his chair, it buckled and shattered into pieces. It was another incident caused by [Random Misfortune], one of the effects of [Unlucky Scumbag].

“Ow, I didn’t know about this one,” Otto murmured, groaning. Rubbing his bruised bottom, he whimpered in pain.

Camille was at a loss for words upon witnessing his lord’s plight.

“Now, where was I?” Otto asked.

“You said something about your neck...”

“Oh, right! I’m saying that I’ll lose my neck if this continues.” Otto smiled wryly.

“Why would such a thought burden you so suddenly?

“Well...” After thinking for a while, Otto replied, “Because this territory will either go bankrupt or a rebellion will break out. Oh, let’s not rule out the possibility of the Lord of Solun marching here with his army. There’s also the chance of a horde of monsters emerging from the western forests and wreaking havoc on my lands. In the worst-case scenario, I could be assassinated.”

“You’ve been aware of those all this time, and yet...”

“I know, I know. We’ll have to consider the long-term effects of my actions later.”

Camille still looked a little confused.

“Why don’t we just say I’ve finally come to my senses?”

“It’s a little too late for that, I’m afraid,” Camille said in a stern tone. “My lord, regardless of whether you have now realized your mistake, you must flee tonight. Nothing can be done any longer. Eiota is on the brink of ruin, and there’s no saving your reputation.”

“Big Brother,” Otto blurted out, his gaze never leaving the knight.

Camille was stunned, and he stood there frozen like a statue.

Big Brother. That was what Otto used to call him during their youth. It was an endearment that the knight terribly missed.

* * *

Otto and Camille were only four years apart in age. Worried that Otto might grow lonely following the early loss of his mother and being his sole heir, the former lord assigned Camille to his son. Thus, the two boys spent their childhood together, almost like true brothers from the same womb.

“Brother!” the young Otto called.

“Young master! You mustn’t call me that!”

“I don’t care! You’re my brother, and I shall call you that!”

“Absolutely not! It’s not appropriate! If His Lordship hears you, I’ll be severely reprimanded!”

“Fine,” Otto said with a grin. “Let’s only call each other that when we’re alone. Is that all right?”

“W-well...” Camille hesitated.

“Brother! Hey, Big Brother of mine!”

“Y-yes... L-Little Brother...”

“Awesome! I have a brother now! Yippee!”

Regrettably, as Otto matured, he grew increasingly resentful of Camille. He became jealous of the knight’s keen intellect and exceptional swordsmanship. His corruption began in earnest after succeeding his father, and the once-amiable pair had become permanently estranged.

Eventually, Camille became the sole bearer of the warm memories of their childhood, all the while yearning for the old days with his lord.

“Why did you call me that?”

“I need your help. I need my big brother’s help right now,” Otto stated, pleading with Camille to aid him. “Trust me. I know I am up against the wall. I’m also aware of the wicked things I’ve done until now.”

Even as the lord explained himself, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of indignation.

Damn it! I’m not the scumbag you think I am, all right? It’s Otto! All of this is his doing. The unscrupulous man who had committed all sorts of evil deeds was Otto de Scuderia, the video game character, not Dojin.

“I’m begging you to give me one last chance, a chance to redeem myself for the terrible things I’ve done.”

A shadow fell on Camille’s face. “But...”

“Please, Big Brother.”

Addressing Camille as his brother was akin to a trigger word that could turn him into an ally. As someone who still cherished the memories of his childhood with Otto more than anyone else, Camille couldn’t help but be moved.

“Just trust me this once, and I promise never to let you down again. Give me this chance to be a son my late father would be proud of.”

Finally, Otto uttered the second trigger word, his father, that would certainly make Camille his ally. The former lord—hailed as the greatest lord in Eiota’s history—was like a father to Camille as well.

“You haven’t forgotten my father’s will, right?” Otto asked.

The late Lord of Eiota’s parting will was as follows:

—Protect Otto, my child. This... I beg of you. Camille, my son, protect your brother...

The impact of those words was not lost on Otto.

Camille felt a shiver course through his body, and he released a shaky sigh.

I got him. Otto was certain the keywords did the job and that he had won Camille over to his side.

“Big Brother” and “Father” were the keywords that turned Camille into an ally. Dojin, before he was turned into Otto, had stumbled upon this revelation thanks to an item called Otto’s Diary. It was hidden away in the deepest corner of his bookshelf in his bedchamber. Within its pages, players could uncover Otto and Camille’s shared past and learn the trigger words to turn the knight into an ally.

Naturally, the sole individual privy to this information was Dojin. After all, no one in their right mind would invest countless hours reading through every book in that room. It was through Dojin’s diligent three years of studying Otto that this discovery came to light.

“I, Camille of the Knight’s Order,” Camille obediently kneeled before Otto and continued, “I accept your command, my lord.”

Afterward, another notification appeared.

[Notification: A change has occurred in Camille’s heart!]

[Notification: Camille’s feeling toward you has shifted from [Contempt] to [Sympathy]!]

Otto could always improve the knight’s approval of him. As long as it didn’t plummet to [Contempt] again, Camille stayed loyal to his lord in the game.

“Brother, there is something you must do for me.”

“Your order is my command, my lord.”

“Pizzero...” Otto’s eyes flashed red, and his demeanor seemed to grow more imposing. “He must be eliminated.”