How to Survive as the Villain in a Strategy Game

Chapter 26

The port of the Imperial Capital was originally a bustling place, being a major maritime transportation route and a center of trade.

However, after Isak's rebellion, the port became as quiet as a dead mouse.

Most ships had left in search of safer places instead of docking at the Imperial Capital, so the wharves were full of empty spaces.

Therefore, it was not difficult to find the ship I was supposed to take there.

A single merchant ship, flying no flag, was moored at the wharf.

Zeta guided me to it.

“Where is this ship headed?”

“To the south of Apennia, to the free city of Fasa. I tried to prepare a ship as Your Highness requested, but this was the best I could do for now.”

“It's alright. Fasa is a good land.”

Apennia is a small peninsula region in the west.

And it is also the tutorial area for beginners in .

“Don't worry too much. I will definitely build up my strength and return.”

Despite my reassurance, Zeta could not hide the worry in her eyes.

My heart warmed up a little.

I briefly recalled the time I revealed my future plans in the meeting.

***

Belius's reaction to my grand plan was explosive.

“What? You're leaving the Imperial Capital? Are you crazy? After causing all this commotion, why would you abandon the Imperial Capital?”

Belius was as agitated as an angry wild boar, on the verge of grabbing me by the collar.

Before he could actually do so, Zeta stepped in.

“Duke Belius. Let's hear Prince Leon's story first. It's not too late to judge after listening.”

“Hah, fine. Explain. Make it convincing.”

I cleared my throat for a moment and then spoke.

“As you know, the situation in the Empire is not ordinary. Soon, lords from all over, aiming for the throne, will raise their banners and rise up.”

“Aren't you looking at it too bleakly? There might be some among them who intend to be loyal to the Empire.”

“The throne is vacant, so who would they be loyal to? At best, they'll declare neutrality and just watch how things unfold.”

“Hmm.”

I've already seen it all.

They're all in it together.

“But what we have now is, strictly speaking, just one big city and a small number of troops. We have no title, no troops, and at best, the advantage of occupying the Imperial Capital, which is hardly a good thing compared to other factions. Because a beggar is holding the most coveted treasure.”

Right.

What's the use of giving me one good starting point.

Other guys start with several times that.

And even that is half-burnt.

Who sets the difficulty like this?

is truly a game with terrible balance.

“How about you go around and persuade the lords like you did with me?”

Belius suggested, but I shook my head.

“That was possible because I was lucky. The situation is different now. Honestly, if Belius had known things would turn out like this, would you have sided with us?”

“No, I wouldn't.”

Glares poured in from all sides at Belius who answered so promptly.

Belius cleared his throat.

“No tactician would willingly walk into disadvantageous terrain.”

“Still, you could have at least pretended to think about it for a moment.”

“I'll do that next time. Anyway, so?”

The old geezer, he's so shameless.

But the fact that his judgment isn't wrong is what makes me even more angry.

“Since we can't gather strength from within, my judgment is that we must ultimately gather forces from the outside.”

***

Swoosh─.

I returned to reality at the sound of the crashing waves.

Zeta was walking beside me, with Theo following behind.

“Still, was it really necessary to fake your death?”

“Actually, that was the most necessary part of the plan.”

The status of a royal is like fake gold.

It glitters like gold and draws attention, but it has no substance.

At best, I'll just become an assassination target for the enraged Isak.

Besides, the name Akardi brings to mind the dead emperor.

It just means I'll attract unnecessary aggro.

The more my name is mentioned, the more people will remember who used to rule the Empire, and then there's no point in having declared neutrality.

In fact, there's nothing I can do even if I stay in the Imperial Capital.

To move secretly while hiding my identity, faking my death is the best option.

…That's my judgment.

But Zeta didn't seem reassured even after hearing my grand plan.

“Will it be alright not to take more guards? Wouldn't it be better to take at least some of the Emperor's Royal Guard?”

“I appreciate the thought, but taking too many will only make me stand out. And the defenses of the Imperial Capital will be weakened by that much, so that won't do.”

It's true that taking the Emperor's Royal Guard would be helpful for what I'm about to do.

But the existence of Snow Elves is too conspicuous.

The main activity areas of Snow Elves are Gardariki or Selan in the north, not Apennia where I'm headed now.

If a group of Snow Elves were to move around, someone with a keen eye might recognize them as the Emperor's Royal Guard.

Then my identity, which is known to the world as dead, would be revealed.

Then there would be no point in faking my death.

“To lower the guard of the warlords, I mustn't stand out too much. And a potential assassin might follow.”

“If that is Your Highness's will, then I understand. I will protect the Imperial Capital well until Your Highness returns.”

“By the way, where is Belius? Did he not come to see me off?”

Somehow, Belius was nowhere to be seen.

Still, I'm going far away, he could at least come to see me off, couldn't he?

Zeta smiled awkwardly.

“It seems he is upset. He went out this morning saying he was going to check the outer wall defenses.”

“I see. Please give him my regards.”

The old geezer, getting sulky over something so petty.

Just you wait.

I'll come back with a whole bunch of souvenirs.

That's right.

Zeta and Belius are not coming with me.

Instead, they will remain in the Imperial Capital and protect the city.

The reason the two of them can't both leave the Imperial Capital is simple.

If even one of them were to leave their post, there's no telling what might happen.

Fortunately, Belius and Zeta were a well-matched pair.

I'm not talking about romance, but that their personalities are like fire and ice, so they complement each other's shortcomings well.

I'm sure the two of them can protect the Imperial Capital well.

“I will contact you whenever there is a change in the situation. What name should I use to contact you?”

“Leon Gryph.”

It's a name used in Schwarzwald in the north, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Besides, there aren't many people from the Empire in Apennia, so I think my identity won't be easily revealed.

“Just in case, I'm telling you, you don't need to overdo it. If you think it's dangerous, you can run away from the Imperial Capital.”

“Still, for the sake of the future, it would be better for the Imperial Capital to be safe. I will hold out in the Imperial Capital as much as possible.”

Zeta replied with a smile.

Zeta's resolve seemed firm.

So I couldn't stop her.

“Then I leave the rest to you.”

As I was about to leave, Zeta stopped me.

“Just a moment. Please take this. It is a humble item, but it will be helpful in the future.”

When I saw it, my eyes widened.

It was none other than a small magic pouch.

It was an item that could never be described as humble.

“Isn't this a magic pouch?”

In , there was a weight limit on carrying items.

A magic pouch was a useful and rare tool that lessened that weight burden.

Now that the game has become reality, its usefulness is beyond words.

Clicking a mouse a few times and actually carrying it and feeling the weight are two different things.

“Is it alright to give me something so valuable?”

“This is nothing. I have also put some gold coins inside.”

Zeta described it as a small amount, but when I peeked into the pouch, it was shining brightly with gold.

With this, it seems possible to advance the plan.

“Thank you very much, Your Excellency Zeta.”

“Duke Belius also contributed, not just me. I'm just sorry that this is all we could help you with.”

“No, I will definitely succeed and return.”

***

The free city of Fasa's merchant ship smoothly left the wharf, cut through the current, and headed for the Golden Sea.

I watched Zeta and the thousand-year-old city grow distant from the stern deck, then turned my back.

Theo was waiting with a strangely excited look.

“Why are you so excited?”

“This is my first time leaving the Imperial Capital, Your Highness.”

“You should call me Young Master now.”

“Oops.”

Realizing his mistake, Theo quickly slapped his own mouth.

He would have to get used to the change in address quickly.

Otherwise, something really big might happen.

Theo is the only attendant accompanying me on this trip.

It's also because Zeta begged me to take at least one bodyguard, and I thought I wouldn't be able to do anything alone.

So Theo had taken off the Royal Guard's armor and was dressed like an ordinary mercenary to hide his identity.

Fortunately, that disguise was sufficient.

Because Theo was not a well-known figure to the public.

It's the same principle as remembering a celebrity but not their bodyguard.

Besides, the Emperor's Royal Guard usually works with their faceplates down, so few people knew their faces.

That's why just changing his armor was enough of a disguise for Theo.

Anyway, I chuckled at Theo's excited state over such a trivial reason.

“So that's why you're so excited?”

“Of course! What other reason could there be?”

“You're a Snow Elf. Haven't you been to sea a lot?”

Theo waved his hands dismissively.

“Oh, that's all prejudice. These days, there are many Snow Elves who don't go to sea. I, for one, was mostly raised in Miklagard.”

“Were you?”

“I'm telling you.”

So for Theo, this was his first trip leaving the Imperial Capital as an adult.

Poor guy.

He's going to get sick of traveling from now on.

He has no idea how much he's going to suffer…….

Theo, who had been excitedly looking at the sea for a while, suddenly came to his senses and spoke.

“So why are we going to Apennia?”

“It's simple. Because it's the land of opportunity.”

“Opportunity? What kind of opportunity?”

I said to the bewildered Theo.

“We're going to start a mercenary business in Apennia.”

***

Why Apennia?

There are several reasons for that.

First, Apennia does not belong to the Empire.

This means it won't be greatly affected by the events to come.

Second, Apennia is a low-difficulty region that the developers recommended as a tutorial for beginners.

Without a unified nation, numerous small countries are in a state of chaos, making it easier to build up power than in other places.

Theo shook his head from side to side.

“I can't imagine the Young Master acting as a mercenary. Besides, how can you be sure there's work there when you don't even know what's there? Have you ever been to Apennia?”

“I don't know. I've never been there either.”

“What? You've never been there? Are you crazy?”

“I'm perfectly sane, you know?”

Theo's pupils wavered for a moment, and he looked like he wanted to take the captain hostage and turn the ship around right now.

It was clear that the blood of the pirates who once ravaged the Empire's coastline also flowed in Theo.

(According to the Snow Elf race lore.)

“I'm in a position where I have to follow wherever the Young Master goes, but this is a bit much.”

“Don't worry. You just have to trust me and follow. By the way, help me with some martial arts training until we get to Fasa.”

“Training?”

A look of astonishment filled Theo's face.

Why are you so surprised?

Is it that surprising?

“No, why is the Young Master suddenly asking to train in person? The Young Master who always made excuses and ran away?”

“This whole incident was quite a shock. I realized I need to know how to protect myself to survive from now on.”

“Well, I did save your life several times.”

I also learned something from this turmoil.

The enemies I will meet in the future will not be on the level of hares.

There's a high probability my life will be in danger even with a bodyguard.

So, the conclusion I came to was that I needed to become strong enough to protect myself.

Fortunately, was a game where it was possible to grow traits just through training, without achieving any special feats.

This meant there was a possibility that my currently trash-tier martial stats and traits could change.

Upon hearing my ambition, Theo grinned.

“If it's something like that, I can help you as much as you want. It doesn't seem like there's any place for you to run away to on this ship. I won't have to worry about chasing you around.”

“……Let's go easy.”

“I will try my best.”

Is it just my imagination that I feel a murderous intent in his voice?

I nodded with a look of resignation.