A hunter who fails becomes the hunted.
Count Kanto Aspis is confident he knows this fact better than anyone.
Because he did advanced learning in a virtual reality where he hunted monsters with superpowers.
'Those were good times.'
He sometimes misses advanced learning.
He was an S-rank hunter who never failed a single hunt, the protagonist of that world.
Anyway,
'The Benator family is finished.'
They won't collapse immediately since their family history isn't short, but they'll be torn apart by their vassals until they do collapse.
'And Baron Ronan Marcus will be at the forefront.'
An S-rank hunter's intuition.
"Baron Marcus. Welcome."
"Thank you for the invitation, Count Aspis."
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The clumsy greeting from the boy whose baby fat hadn't completely disappeared was quite cute, but he couldn't let his guard down. His skills seen at the arena were that shocking.
Kanto wasn't meeting him purely on trust without any countermeasures either.
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Uniques who've served the family for generations are guarding him.
That doesn't mean it's okay to fight though. Uniques aren't just shields. Losing even one would shake the family.
He has an obligation as the head of the Aspis family to safely pass on all Uniques to future generations.
'Lucia is a loss.'
He sorely missed the absence of Knight Lucia, who he'd been nurturing looking a hundred years ahead.
Kanto affectionately patted his daughter's head for not properly monitoring her.
'Kanna. There won't be a second time...'
If she causes trouble again, he'll really send her to the convent then.
"You've already met my daughter, I see?"
"Yes. I'm glad the young lady returned home safely."
The baron, who glanced at Kanna, answered formally.
He's proud his daughter was born and raised quite pretty, but Baron Marcus also showed little reaction, as befitting a man who received advanced learning.
'Can't help it. He must have seen beauties like heroines in virtual reality until sick of them... hm?'
He tapped his daughter's foot, who was keeping her lips tightly shut and staying still, to give her a hint.
Even if you don't like the gentleman's attitude, you have to do what you must?
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"...We meet again, Baron Marcus. I'm Kanna Aspis, daughter of the Aspis family."
Still, advanced learning had its effects; at least his daughter's greeting when entertaining guests was elegant.
"Baron. That was an impressive duel."
"Still early stages— it's thanks to an easy opponent."
"I see."
It didn't sound like arrogance or bluster.
How should he evaluate this man who defeated a Master 2nd rank three levels higher?
It can't be helped if the knight the Fortis Kingdom is proud of seemed like an easy opponent.
'Of course he doesn't know.'
This boy very recently finished advanced learning and woke up. He has no way of knowing how amazing what he did was.
'What kind of advanced learning could produce such monstrous skills?'
Kanto recalled his own advanced learning.
He thought he'd awakened a useless superpower, but accidentally discovered a fraudulent way to use it and became an S-rank hunter.
Back then was really...
"Count?"
"...Ah! Sorry. Some embarrassing past of mine suddenly came to mind."
"It's fine. That can happen. I'm just curious why you suddenly called for me."
"I wanted to say thank you."
"To me?"
"Opportunities to see a lord fight are rare. Thanks to you, we recorded huge success."
A planetary ruler with nothing to lose has no reason to take risks.
He did plenty of dangerous things competing with siblings during his heir days, so he doesn't miss it either.
If such a lord fights directly, it means the territory or family's survival is precarious.
"So did you make some money?"
"A little?"
It was popular as expected. The only flaw is that many spectators were disappointed with the result.
'Everyone thought he'd lose.'
A duel between a count family heir and a baron!
The baron who couldn't afford to use a nexus had no chance of winning.
Commoners knew this well too, so they bet money without hesitation. And they were ruined.
"The baron seems to enjoy fighting."
He can't forget his face rejoicing the moment he saw Knight Teron's status window.
"Yes. But I only like the strong. I don't have a hobby of bullying the weak."
"Then you came to the right place. Count Aspis territory has had many strong people since long ago. Because of constant invasions from the elven world."
"Ooh..."
"If you don't need compensation, I can find opponents for you to fight. What do you say?"
"Great! Where are they?"
"...Don't rush. You have to give me time to find them, don't you?"
Baron Ronan Marcus liked fighting too much. He acknowledges the skill, but this isn't a personality that lives long.
'This is troubling.'
Won't he be more careful with his life if he has a wife and children?
He glanced at Kanna's face beside him.
She was the only unmarried woman left in the Aspis family.
"..."
Eyes that hate Baron Marcus who likes fighting too much!
She didn't show it outwardly enough to seem rude, but he could tell immediately because he's her parent.
'This won't be easy to persuade.'
The opinions of the parties don't matter in political marriages. But the Aspis family isn't poor enough to completely disregard his daughter's happiness.
'It's still okay, still.'
Economically it's always prosperous, but the front line blocking the elves' invasion is gradually being pushed back.
Lucia's absence, who was active at the forefront, will also become a problem soon.
'If it's Baron Marcus...'
Kanto plans to entrust Lucia's vacancy to Baron Marcus.
It'll be comfortable for now, but the baron is ultimately an outsider. The more his level rises, the weaker the Aspis family's forces become.
It'd hurt less if he felt like he was investing in a future son-in-law, but judging by his daughter's attitude, it was hopeless.
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"Master. I have urgent news."
Kanto looked back at the family's butler Ashpa, who suddenly interrupted the important conversation, and asked.
"Ashpa. What is it?"
"While we were away, pirates plundered a city."
"Ha! The damage?"
"Casualties are 5,602, which is few, but 8 soldier automatons guarding the city were killed."
"This is maddening."
The damage was too great. Losing 8 automatons to mere pirates in a situation lacking forces?
"Count. It seems my turn has come."
"Ah!"
Baron Marcus's words sounded very refreshing.
"Am I wrong?"
"You're right. But isn't it a shame about the meal we prepared? We also need time to find the pirates who fled."
"So not immediately?"
"Something like that."
The opponents are a pirate group bold enough to attack the count family's direct territory. The scale definitely won't be small.
'Elves might be backing them too.'
Charging in recklessly without any information is dangerous. Baron Marcus should know at least that much, right?
"I hope they're strong."
"I see..."
Seems he doesn't know at all.
'Not yet.'
He acknowledges Ronan Marcus's abilities, but abilities alone aren't enough.
It's not too late to think about it after he surpasses the Benator family.
"Kanna."
"What now?"
"It's nothing. Not yet."
Count Aspis affectionately smiled while patting his daughter's head again.
***
In role-playing games, there's always a character who periodically gives missions.
In this game, Count Aspis fills that role.
'I almost completely screwed up!'
Back then, it was good that I listened to helper Elise.
Count Aspis wouldn't give proper missions to a gamer who murdered his daughter.
Considering the game's freedom, there's also the possibility he'd hire assassins or invade my territory.
Let me listen well to Elise's words from now on too.
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"Young master. Good work. You caused trouble again."
"Me? When?"
After finishing a harmonious meal at the Aspis family's mansion, we used warp to instantly move to my territory dozens of light-years away.
Elise, standing demurely beside me as I lay sprawled on the plush sofa like a lounger, answered.
"You killed a knight from our home country at the arena?"
"Right. Mutual fault again. Right?"
"Yes. But I wonder about this time..."
The knight who already became experience points didn't matter. I ordered Elise, who was hesitating to answer.
"I want my own cheerleading squad."
"Cheerleading squad?"
"Yeah. You can make one, right?"
"It's not difficult. But if we draft automatons guarding the territory, the probability of being targeted by pirates increases."
"Pirates? Great!"
"...Are you serious?"
"I'm always serious."
If pirates come, I can raise my level. The territory's damage is a minor problem.
"If you're planning to lure pirates, it's better to give up."
"Why?"
"Because news that you killed a Master 2nd rank has spread widely, young master."
"Ah!"
"There are no stupid pirates in the world who attack a territory they have no chance against. Even if they come, it'll be while you're away from the territory, young master."
"They put annoying plausibility in the game."
"Think of it the opposite way. It has plausibility because it's reality."
Casually brushing off Elise's unfun scolding, I pinned my hopes on something else.
"Did you find adventurers to enter the temple?"
"No. There are no applicants."
"None? Not one? Why?"
"The grave robbers you captured, young master, were quite famous in that world. They're reluctant to challenge a temple those people failed at."
"They don't know romance."
"Because if you die inside the temple, they can't even retrieve the corpse. They can't revive like a game. The adventurers you're thinking of don't exist in reality, young master."
"I see."
A game without romance.
"But we achieved our purpose. Interest is cooling rapidly. Voices suspecting it's a nexus are gradually emerging, but not enough to worry about."
"We bought time."
I breathed a sigh of relief. Securing preparation time is very important in defense games.
"Also..."
"Wait. That's enough reports. Run the rest automatically. I'm going into training from now on."
It feels really good to be young again. But my movements haven't adapted to that feeling yet.
The weapon unfamiliar to me, the gladius, also remains as homework.
"There's an important report left."
"Handle it yourself."
"Are you saying an automaton can arbitrarily handle family problems?"
"That's... not right."
I immediately took a listening posture at Elise's sharp point.
Political marriage events are a trump card to use if I judge the game's progression is too difficult.
The blood transfusion ability only my sister can provide is also important.
"May I report now?"
"Go ahead."
"There was a group at school bullying Miss Shurin."
"Like school violence?"
"Similar. It naturally disappeared as Teresa stayed by the young lady's side."
"Good."
Seems like there'll be an event to convert the group that bullied my sister into experience points.
"From then on, an imperial princess started bullying her."
"Why?"
"Teresa's level is higher than the Unique the princess owns."
"I understand."
Jealousy.
A very clear reason.
"Young master!"
"Don't rush me. I'm thinking about how to help my sister."
"This isn't the time to worry about the young lady! Count Redin Benator declared war!"
"Hm? Really?"
War broke out?
"Really."
"On what grounds?"
"You're not really asking because you don't know, right?"
"Elise. Relax your expression. I know well."
I was bored having no way to raise my level immediately, so this works out well.
These kinds of events are always welcome.
"We must prepare immediately. If we ally with other vassals, we might have a slight chance..."
"It's fine if I attack first, right?"
"What?"
Elise tilted her head. With a look that questions the gamer's intelligence as a bonus.
What a truly rude helper.
"If we ally, we have to share experience points. Elise. Am I wrong?"
I have my own thoughts too.
"You're right. But so what? If you die, it's all over."
"It's fine."
I can just restart from the tutorial.
"Young master! Please see reality as reality! This isn't a game! If you die, you really die!"
"I've already decided."
"Young master...!"
"Count Benator, I'm going to meet him now."
You declared war, so I'm launching a preemptive strike.