Chapter 11

The carriage shuddered with every turn of the wheels.

"Yawn..."

A yawn slipped from my mouth as the carriage gently rocked to and fro.

It had been three days since we left the forward base, making our way northward in the carriage.

Our pace was slow, burdened with caring for the injured – and I was one of them.

"So boring..."

I grumbled, sinking deeper into the plush seat of the carriage. The persistent ache in my back was worsened by hours of sitting.

"Lucas! Are we there yet?"

"We'll be there soon, Your Highness! Just a little longer!"

My shout was directed at Lucas, who was at the helm of the carriage, and his response was a familiar echo, having heard it no less than five times before.

Why was this conversation on a repetitive loop like a kid in car?

"Oh, geez..."

With a sigh, I sprawled on the seat, and a jingling sound drew my attention to my neck.

A necklace.

With my bandaged hand, I clumsily untied the necklace and cradled it in my palm.

More of a choker than a necklace, it was made of black leather, adorned with a metallic centerpiece.

'The reward for clearing the tutorial stage.'

Upon clearing Stage 0, a reward box had materialized in my inventory. This was the prize inside.

Initially, I was puzzled about what an inventory was, but it turned out to be a pocket dimension that spontaneously appeared from nowhere.

I wasn't certain if I had the power to store and retrieve items at will like some kind of Dora*mon, but well, it's a game world...

[???'s Necklace]

- Its function has not been unlocked yet.

- It will be usable after the story progresses.

A frown creased my forehead as I studied the enigmatic necklace.

There wasn't supposed to be a reward for Stage 0 as it was deemed unbeatable.

But I had prevailed, and this mysterious necklace was the fruit of my efforts, having emerged from the reward box. Its purpose, however, remained elusive...

'Well, its purpose will reveal itself in due time.'

I refastened the necklace around my neck.

A burn marred my neck from the recent battle, but it was a minor injury that had healed quickly, leaving behind a scar. The necklace served as a handy cover.

'Don't worry about this item, what about the others....'

I summoned my status window.

[Ash(EX)]

- Level: 5

- Title: Mad 3rd Prince

- Profession: Novice (Job selection now available!)

- Strength 2, Agility 3, Intelligence 5, Stamina 2, Magic Power 3

"Hmm..."

I let out a sigh while scrutinizing my vaguely increased stats. Their growth seemed sporadic, not indicating a specialized character, yet too low for an all-rounder.

Stat development in this game was entirely automated.

They primarily grew based on the stats utilized in battle... but occasionally, a random stat would increase as well.

'I'm leaning towards a DPS Tank.'

A character capable of dealing significant damage and taking hits was a DPS Tank.

In this game, the units with the highest survival rate belonged to the DPS Tank category.

I contemplated molding myself into a DPS Tank, but with my current stats...

Judging by the stats, they suggested a mage, but then again, they seemed too random to define a specific class...

'At first, I hadn't even picked a class.'

Thanks to the unpredictable job selection, I hadn't determined my character's growth direction yet. So, I opened the job window.

Every character in the game chose their profession at level 5 (all game characters begin at level 5 or above), with further class advancements offered every 15 levels.

You take the first class advancement at level 20, then at 35, and finally at level 50.

But I had started the game at level 1, and only just hit level 5, the point where I could choose my job.

[Available Jobs]

- Novice Knight

- Novice Wizard

- Novice Priest

- Novice Warrior

- Novice ...

The list seemed to stretch on forever, presenting every job conceivable in the game.

So, could I shape my character however I wished? Was this some kind of Wild Card?

If that was the case, I would've chosen a job based on its usefulness. But the problem lay at the list's end.

[Available Jobs]

- Novice Commander <Special benefit of 'Hell's Ironman' achievement>

A class category that I had never encountered during my gameplay was glaringly displayed.

'A commander?'

A bonus from the Hell's Ironman achievement. So, what was it? A secret class or something?

But a special or hidden class didn't guarantee excellence. There was a higher likelihood of it being a pitfall.

Opting for a job advancement tree without any information could lead to utter ruin.

So, if that was all there was, I would've bypassed it and safely chosen a familiar job. But the real problem was...

[Acquired Skills]

- Passive: Unyielding Commander

- 1st Skill: ??? (Available after 1st job advancement)

- 2nd Skill: ??? (Available after 2nd job advancement)

- Ultimate: ??? (Available after final job advancement)

The issue was the acquired skills!

The passive skill I had unlocked during the last battle was titled [Unyielding Commander]. Wasn't this a clear hint nudging me towards the commander tree?

The skill I had unlocked was:

[Unyielding Commander Lv.1]

- A skill born from an unyielding spirit that never surrenders, no matter the circumstances.

- Grants immunity to mental abnormalities to all allies within a 10m radius.

This was a solid skill.

No, it was an exceptionally solid skill.

From the game's middle stages, enemies who were magic users casually cast spells inducing abnormal mental states.

Confusion and fear were standard, and in extreme cases, they would even cast mind control.

Characters with high Magic Power could resist it, but characters with low stats would face a challenge every turn.

There was an instance when Lucas fell under mind control and nearly annihilated my team, leading me to abandon that game round and reset.

So, from the middle stages onward, it's practically a cheat skill. Yes, it's outstanding, but...

'In the early stages... it's pretty useless...'

In the initial stages, most of the enemies are simple-minded monsters charging head-on. Few, if any, cast spells inducing abnormal mental states.

Naturally, it would be advantageous to maintain our allies' mental health unscathed.

However, when contrasted with Lucas's [Man of Steel] and other such passive skills, it was somewhat underwhelming... What I truly needed at this moment was a skill that could prove its worth instantly.

"Ah~ What a headache."

As I contemplated the path to tread for future survival, I found myself tugging at my hair, tormented by the looming headache.

"Your Highness, I see Crossroads!"

The voice of Lucas pierced the silence.

"At last!"

I leaned out of the carriage window to catch a glimpse. So there it was.

On the horizon not too far off, a city fortified by iron walls made its presence known.

***

Crossroads.

That was the designation of the fortress nestled at the very southern tip of the world.

This fortress was erected to stem the ceaseless influx of monsters spewing forth from the 'Black Lake' in the south.

Once upon a time, it was the empire's mightiest fortress, housing tens of thousands of soldiers. It boasted iron-fortified walls, a moat teeming with holy water, and bristled with an impressive array of cannons and ballistae.

Yet, over the past dozen years or so, as the monster onslaughts dwindled, the empire withdrew its troops from here, deploying them to other battlefields instead.

The world was perpetually at war, and the front lines maintained by the empire were not solely here.

In lieu of military forces, mercenaries were hired.

These mercenaries were enlisted, their nationality or skill level notwithstanding. To put it bluntly, the empire required human shields to hold this front line.

Those displaced from human conflicts, retired veterans, or novices lacking prowess were drawn here.

With the inflow of these expendable lives, the fortress experienced a surge in establishments like restaurants, inns, and banks.

Over a dozen years or so, the fortress grotesquely expanded into a city-like formation.

At some point, people ceased referring to Crossroads as a fortress. Instead, it gained new monikers.

Monster Front. Fortress City.

And to taunt the mercenaries blinded by greed, racing towards their demise, it also earned less flattering epithets.

Suicide Street. City on a Grave.

'So this is Crossroads.'

I muttered under my breath, passing through the southern city gate in the carriage.

'I didn't fully grasp its size when I observed it through the game screen... it's larger than I anticipated.'

In the game's administrative mode, my perspective was restricted to a bird's eye view of the city, and in the tower defense mode, I was engrossed in frantic sprints along the walls. I hadn't truly appreciated its magnitude.

But experiencing it with human eyes like this had a distinct impact.

'And it's more rundown than I presumed!'

I furrowed my brows, surveying the worn-out infrastructure.

The walls, which had withstood the monsters' assaults for years, were frayed due to neglect.

The moat was utterly parched, and the city's interior, having undergone hasty expansion and reconstruction, was in a state of disorder with no coherent zoning.

'Several areas require urgent attention.'

This was humanity's last line of defense.

And... the location destined to be my city.

'So, I'm to be the lord of this city?'

Back on Earth, I didn't possess a single property to my name. Who could have foreseen that my aspiration to own a place of my own would materialize so abruptly.

Despite being trapped in an alien world, putting my life on the line under less than ideal circumstances, I wasn't feeling all too wretched.

The caravan trudged into the city, taking the main thoroughfare.

The townsfolk poured out onto the streets to witness the spectacle, their expressions anything but cheerful.

Why would they be? Their freshly assigned lord and commander, namely me, had barely survived after sending troops straight into the fray.

However, the initial gloom on their faces soon morphed into surprise.

All because of the cargo hauled by the wagon tailing mine.

"Hey, is that..."

"Can't be, are those all magic stones?"

Their murmurs confirmed that all was going as per the plan.

Brazenly stacked on the wagon behind were hundreds of Black Spider Legion's magic stones.

In this world of magical civilization, magic stones were as valuable as oil.

Magic stones, extractable from monster carcasses, were the city's most important strategic resource.

They were also the primary reason we could hold this front line, even with the heavy toll on human lives.

But recently, as monster activity dwindled, so too did the magic stone harvest. The city's revenue was waning.

Yet, I had vanquished the Black Spider Legion and amassed nearly 400 magic stones.

These were monsters between levels 55 and 60, hence, the magic stones were of exceptional purity.

A rough estimate would value them exceedingly high, enough to alleviate budget concerns for a bit.

'If you've conquered a stage deemed unbeatable, this level of reward is to be expected.'

At this juncture, the citizens' trust in me was beyond abysmal.

The situation mirrored the game. At the game's inception, the citizens neither trusted the player nor harbored any liking for them.

But by the third year, the citizens would regard the player with affection and unwavering loyalty.

In the end, there was only one way to their hearts.

Money.

Spent judiciously and resolutely.

As I was mulling over how to utilize the proceeds from these magic stones, the carriage had already reached the lord's mansion.

"We've arrived, Your Highness."

Lucas, alighting from the driver's seat, opened the carriage door for me. I stepped out unhurriedly.

The lord's mansion at the crossroads.

This antique beauty of red bricks and marble was showing its age but retained a certain charm. It was quite expansive.

'It's a far cry from the single room I used to inhabit.'

While I was marveling at this...

"Oh dear, oh dear, my lord!"

A man burst through the mansion doors and hurried towards us.

"I'm so relieved that you're safe, my lord!"

He was a young man, his ash-grey hair in disarray, peering through thick glasses.

The man who had been bounding towards me corrected his form of address as he came to a halt in front of me.

"No, no, I shouldn't call you lord. Please forgive me, Your Royal Highness!"

"It's fine, you can call me lord."

I chuckled, assuring this grey-haired young man. He then clasped my bandaged hand and broke down in tears.

"Lord, I feared terribly that you might have sustained injuries!"

This character, radiating an undercurrent of crafty servility, was named Aider.

In the game, he acted as an NPC responsible for city management, meaning practically all administrative duties in Crossroad were dealt with through him.

From constructing facilities to recruiting troops, to managing minutiae of the system....

The same likely held true here. City management tasks would be executed in partnership with him.

"Please come in! We've prepared a warm bath for you, and dinner is ready! Tonight, just rest!"

With considerable fatigue weighing me down, my intent was indeed to recuperate for the day.

Following Aider's lead into the mansion, I looked back at Lucas and gave a nod.

"Let the soldiers rest. Lucas, you too, take it easy and catch some good sleep."

"But, Your Highness, your protection..."

"We've had enough for today. Rest well, and we'll resume tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Lucas conceded.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

After a respectful bow to me, Lucas headed towards his quarters, which seemed to be on the ground floor.

Aider ushered me to my room on the second floor.

"Come, my lord! A hot bath will erase your journey's weariness and the lingering scent of battle~"

"Right, lead the way."

Accepting Aider's offer, I stepped into the bathroom adjoining my room.

A roomy tub filled with warm water exuded a soothing fragrance.

I had gone too long without a proper bath. I yearned to purify myself at the earliest. With bandaged hands, I awkwardly fiddled with my shirt buttons.

However...

"But honestly, 'RetroAddict', that was rather remarkable."

I stiffened at the voice originating from behind.

"Who would have expected you to conquer the tutorial in such a manner, it never crossed my mind."

"You...?"

Taken by surprise, I swiftly turned around.

Aider, who had shut not only the room but also the bathroom door, beamed at me.

"Why the secrecy? Yes, it's me! I am the director of 'Protect the Empire', Aider~"