Chapter 3
I smacked the pillow with its flattened stuffing onto the floor and tried to organize my thoughts.
Fortunately, there were several differences from the original story.
1. In the original, the Altard family would’ve been completely erased from the imperial nobility.
But now, it still exists.
That means… all the effort I put in during my previous life wasn’t completely meaningless.
I had a lot, and I worked hard to win over the people of the empire by being generous and forward-thinking, so the imperial family probably couldn’t fully wipe us out.
Thanks to that…
2. Although the Altard family lost the title of Grand Duke, it survived as a Ducal House!
Granted, we were given the desolate land of Rogas as our territory…
But Rogas!
No one knows yet, but this place becomes the setting for Part 2 of the novel.
In other words!
It’s overflowing with resources.
3. Since the protagonist changes, Part 2 begins 30 years after Part 1 ends.
Still, the fact that Altard remains means there’s hope.
What I need to do is crystal clear:
1. Pay off the mountain of debt!
2. Regain the title of Grand Duke for Altard.
3. Recruit the Part 2 protagonist to my side.
4. ★Get revenge on my awful “family member”!★
5. ★★Become a filthy rich bum!!★★
6. ★★★Clear Altard’s false charges!!!★★★
And ultimately, I’d rebuild Altard, suck all the honey, and live comfortably.
“Right now, it’s during the events of Part 2.”
If that’s the case, there’s something I can quickly cash in on at this point.
With my thoughts in order, I rushed out of my room.
* * *
I began exploring the mansion again in search of someone trustworthy and useful.
I needed someone with decent strength and stamina.
Unable to find anyone inside, I stepped outside, only to be greeted by what looked like a jungle.
The grounds were completely overgrown with vines all over the walls.
My head throbbed, but I forced myself to ignore it, deciding to postpone dealing with the mess.
How long did I wander?
Finally, I found someone near the stables.
“Hey!”
I called out as I ran toward the man feeding a horse.
The middle-aged man in a shabby tunic turned toward me, eyes widening.
“Your Grace? What brings you all the way out here?”
But his familiar-sounding voice and strangely familiar face caught me off guard.
Especially that little scar on his cheek—it tickled at my memory.
Come to think of it, when I had just turned twenty, there had been a punk mercenary boy with a scar just like that who became the successor to the butler of House Altard…
“…Albus?”
“Yes, it’s Albus.”
Limp, limp.
He approached me with a limp, scrutinizing me closely.
The youthful face I remembered overlapped with his now wrinkled one, leaving me speechless.
The Albus I remembered had been a bit cocky but a very quick learner.
He’d originally been a highly skilled mercenary.
“Tried to assassinate my dad for a few coins and got caught,” I recalled.
The butler back then had been impressed by the boy’s stamina and adopted him, choosing him as his successor and teaching him everything.
It had been 30 years, so it made sense he’d aged. Still, it was a relief to see a familiar face.
But…
“Your leg…”
What happened to his leg?
At my unintentional question, he paused briefly before brushing it off.
“Oh, this? I was punished long ago… The bone didn’t set properly, so I limp a bit. But it’s no problem. I can move just fine. Still strong.”
He thumped his leg on the ground and laughed awkwardly.
His faint smile somehow looked bitter.
“So what brings you all the way out here, Your Grace? You know you can’t cause any more trouble.”
Albus looked genuinely worried.
Given how Eve Altard’s reputation was in the gutter thanks to the staff’s scheming, it made sense.
“I’ll have to deal with those bastards too.”
Still, it was fortunate to have run into Albus.
He was someone I could trust.
Well… maybe. It had been 30 years, after all.
“But he’s still here, isn’t he?”
With nothing to my name, I had no choice but to believe in Albus’s loyalty—especially since he was still sticking around this ruined ducal house.
Clenching my fist, I spoke solemnly.
“Albus. Can you climb a mountain?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I saw something valuable on the mountain behind us. If we can get it, we can pay off all our debts. Grab a shovel. Let’s go.”
“Your Grace, what kind of nonsense is this now? No. Absolutely not.”
Albus frowned and shook his head. His eyes showed deep fatigue.
And I didn’t blame him.
Eve Altard had sometimes been forced to do ridiculous things as a pawn in the servants’ gambling games.
If she didn’t comply, she’d go hungry all day. As a child, she had no choice.
“It’s a ducal command!”
I shouted like a stubborn child.
If he wouldn’t cooperate willingly, I’d have to force him.
“Grab a shovel and head for the base of Mount Rogas.”
“…”
Luckily, Albus didn’t argue any further at the mention of a ducal command. But his face was filled with resignation.
* * *
“Huff, huff…”
And so, here I was, dragging Albus along as we climbed the vast mountain range stretching behind Rogas.
Why climb a mountain to pay off debt?
Because in novels, northern mountains are always full of undiscovered resources.
Even better, I knew exactly where those resources were in the mountain behind Rogas.
“Huff, huff…”
I was out of breath.
Despite my gasping, Albus kept a stern face and didn’t lift a finger to help.
“How much farther are we going? It’s getting late. Let’s head down and come back tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?
You want me to climb this mountain again tomorrow?!
Are you insane?!
“No. It has to be today.”
“The sun’s setting.”
I fell silent.
What I was looking for could only be found at night, so going down now wasn’t an option.
“Please stop being so stubborn, Your Grace.”
Albus looked visibly upset now.
“You’ve been wandering these mountains for four hours! Don’t you know how dangerous Rogas is at night?!”
Sure enough, the sky was growing dark.
And yes, Mount Rogas was dangerous.
But dying from wild animals or starving on the streets after bankruptcy made no difference to me.
“I know it’s dangerous.”
“Then why the hell…?!”
At Albus’s protest, I stopped walking and turned around.
He stood just behind me, looking at me with eyes full of frustration and blame.
“I don’t blame him.”
A once-glorious house that rivaled the imperial family had completely collapsed, and its only heir was immature and had a ruined reputation.
“Even if it’s dangerous, you’ll protect me, right?”
I said, almost playfully.
Albus’s eyes widened.
He was the type who pretended not to care, but secretly loved being recognized by others.
“You’re super strong, after all, Albus.”
I flashed a big grin to seal the deal.
