"Knight, your papers are in order. Would you like a guide?"
"No need."
Henry put away his papers and entered the city with his attendant. This was Odoh City, the domain of an earl.
"Finally, freedom."
Bain led the warhorses and smiled. "Yes, sir. We'll reach our fief soon. No more suffering at the academy."
Henry smiled and shook his head. "Ha ha, academy life was tiring, but not suffering. We've been traveling for a month. Come on, I'll take you to a tavern to relax."
The two found a decent-looking tavern, handed their horses over to the stableboy, and went inside to order two cups of wine and a plate of smoked meat.
The owner saw Henry's weapons, armor, and noble crest, so he chose to serve Henry first, leaving him no choice but to apologize to the other customers.
Henry was a transmigrator. He had arrived in this world during the infancy of a second son born into a lesser noble family.
This world was incredibly strange. It had a familiar name—Calradia—but many things lay beyond his memories.
A twenty-four-hour clock, twelve months in a year, vaguely familiar cultural customs, a mishmash of surnames and currency systems, all kinds of Half-Orcs and other racial creatures...
Henry had originally thought he would spend this life finishing elementary and secondary school, then return to his family fief to help with the accounts and live out a stable, prosperous life.
But on the day he came of age, he received the Overlord Panel from Mount & Blade!
Henry immediately found his biological father in this world and insisted on enrolling in the Royal Knight Academy.
His grades in cultural studies were good enough, but the somewhat expensive tuition required his father's support.
"Henry, the cost of three years at the academy isn't a small sum. Our family fief consists of only three villages and one fortified manor. If I give you this money, I won't be able to offer you any help from then on... It will put your brother in an awkward position."
"I only need your help this once. Please, Father."
Henry's biological father in this world was moved by the word "Father." He remembered watching Henry grow from a babbling infant into the most educated man in the household. Tenderness stirred in his heart, and he secretly gave Henry the tuition money.
From then on, Henry sent a letter home every year, but he never returned home again.
Henry often shed tears in his academy dormitory. He had lived with his family in this world for eighteen full years!
But he did not regret it. Once he had cheats, he had to go out and make waves! If a transmigrator did not use cheats, what was the difference between that and wasting time in another place?
Overlord (Panel appears in full only once)
Owner: Henry Bro
Level: Level 8 (76/12000)
Free Attribute Points, Specialization Points: 0
LV.6 Vitality (Attribute Points 6/10)
One-Handed (Specialization 4/10)
One-Handed Skill Bonuses: ① Efficient Training (Personal Experience ×120%), ② Exceptional Grip Strength, ③ Iron Wrist (Control +1), ④ Innate Arm Strength (Endurance +1)
Two-Handed (Specialization 3/10)
Two-Handed Skill Bonuses: ① Mighty Strength (Your upper-body muscles are strengthened, Vitality +1)
, ② Meat Grinder (No one is willing to face your battle axe head-on), ③ Ripper (Enemy shields are no match for you)
Polearm (Specialization 4/10)
Polearm Skill Bonuses: ① Efficient Thrusting (Your spearhead is difficult for enemies to withstand), ② Infantry Elite (During melee combat, troop morale +3), ③ Lancer, ④ Piercing Heart (No one can stop your lance charge)
LV.5 Control (Attribute Points 5/10)
Bow (Specialization 4/10)
Bow Skill Bonuses: ① Rapid Firing (Bow loading speed is faster), ② Moving Shot (Muscle control is strengthened), ③ Eagle Eye (You can always more easily find an enemy's weakness), ④ Horse Archer
Crossbow (Specialization 3/10)
Crossbow Skill Bonuses: ① Quick Shot (Crossbow loading speed is faster), ② Moving Shot (Muscle control is strengthened), ③ Sudden Attack (Reloading speed is faster)
Throwing (Specialization 3/10)
Throwing Skill Bonuses: ① Knife Thrower, ② Axe Throwing Expert, ③ Javelin Skirmishers
LV.5 Endurance (Attribute Points 5/10)
Riding (Specialization 5/10)
Riding Skill Bonuses: ① Gallop, ② Warhorse Agility, ③ Natural Cavalry (Polearm Skill +1), ④ Mounted Archery Talent (Bow Skill +1)
Athletics (Specialization 3/10)
Running Skill Bonuses: ① Steady Breathing (Lungs strengthened), ② Endurance Bonus, ③ Swift Strides
Smithing (Specialization 2/10)
Smithing Skill Bonuses: ① Strong and Sturdy (Vitality +1), ② Muscle Growth (Control +1)
LV.6 Cunning (Attribute Points 6/10)
Scouting (Specialization 2/10)
Scouting Skill Bonuses: ① Road Traveler (Always able to find shortcuts), ② Vision Correction
Tactics (Specialization 3/10)
Tactics Skill Bonuses: ① Fearless Encounter, ② Rapid Formation, ③ Orderly Formation
Roguery (Specialization 5/10)
Roguery Skill Bonuses: ① Enemy Dread (Authority +1), ② Wanderer Affinity, ③ Superb Chess Skills, ④ Increased Loot, ⑤ Social Expert (Charm +1)
LV.4 Social (Attribute Points 4/10)
Charm (Specialization 3/10)
Charm Skill Bonuses: ① Approachable, ② Favor with the Opposite Sex, ③ Favor with the Same Sex
Leadership (Specialization 1/10)
Leadership Skill Bonuses: ① Loved by New Recruits (Morale +3)
Trade (Specialization 2/10)
Trade Skill Bonuses: ① Food at 20% Off, ② Fair Trade (Merchants might not treat you like a fat sheep to be fleeced)
Overlord Tutorial Quest
① Each personal level increase grants 1 Attribute Point and 3 Specialization Points
② Learning and using matters related to specialized skills can increase personal experience
③ Skill specialization cannot exceed ability level
These were the abilities Henry had gained over the past three years. Because of them, his cultural studies grades always gave his teachers headaches.
During the graduation competition, Henry became the most dazzling student of his cohort. As the top-ranked student, he received an investiture from the academy dean—the King himself—and became a noble with real authority: a Knight!
Citing unrest among the Foreign Races beyond the Eastern Grasslands, the King granted Henry a border fief with a village on it. It would become the beginning of Henry's path to supremacy!
However...
"What?! You said West Lyme was destroyed?"
Henry had only taken one sip of the delicious wine when he heard customers in the tavern say that West Lyme had been destroyed.
That was the village on his fief! The pitiful assets of his fief were all in that village!
The customer was startled and hurriedly explained.
It turned out that more than ten days ago, a band of Centaurs had raided the village, plundering all its grain and a large number of its people. The entire village had been destroyed.
Only a few people had escaped, and all of them had been so terrified that they fled overnight.
Revenge? Those frightened out of their wits only wanted to run. You could never guess what someone would do next.
Henry was completely dumbfounded. He had considered that his fief might be poor. He had considered that it might be a mess. He had considered every possible problem with development. He had just never considered this.
Good news: he had arrived at his fief. Bad news: his fief was gone!
The owner has arrived near the fief's boundaries. Overlord Panel Phase 2 is activating...
Henry: ???
Huh? He had thought Overlord was already the limit. There were actually stronger experts?
Activation failed...
Tutorial Quest issued.
Quest: Rebuild Village
Requirement: Population of more than three hundred, with corresponding basic housing.
Friendly reminder: Do not take shortcuts. Strive for yourself, Overlord!
Henry stared at the words "Tutorial Quest" on the panel before him, and the corner of his mouth twitched. So after struggling for three years and reaching level eight, he was still a newbie in the end?
The customer saw Henry's noble crest, thought for a moment, and continued, "My lord, the earl is mobilizing troops. It seems he plans to launch a counterattack against the invading Foreign Races.
Quite a few villages have been destroyed recently. Even three Barons and seventeen Knights have died."
Henry immediately felt better. He had only lost his fief, while they had lost their lives.
Henry paid the bill for the customer who had answered his questions. It was not much money, just a casual favor.
"Bain, finish eating and drinking. We're going to visit the earl here."
Bain drained the wine in two gulps, finished the meat on the plate, then went out to fetch the horses and followed Henry away.
Bain had been with Henry for three years. He was a beggar Henry had picked up off the street back then. The academy had a rule: students with excellent grades could bring one attendant to study alongside them.
The two followed the main road all the way to the tallest and sturdiest building in Odoh City—the Earl's Mansion.
"Halt. The earl is holding a meeting." A guard immediately stepped forward to stop Henry.
Henry displayed his crest, handed over his papers, and said, "I am the King's vassal, but my territory was destroyed by Centaurs. I need the earl's help."
After checking his papers, the guard immediately reported to his captain, then returned to Henry. "Knight, please wait here."
Henry nodded and waited outside. The guard brought him a chair. He was only a lowly guard and did not want to offend a noble.
No matter how low a Knight's rank was or how small his fief was, he was still a noble.
After a while, the captain hurried back and said to Henry, "Knight, please come with me. The earl invites you to join the meeting. Your attendant may rest here."
Led by the captain, Henry arrived at a hall and waited. The captain went inside to announce him, while a fierce argument raged within.
"Earl John! We've lost our fiefs! We can't produce that money right now!"
"Earl John, although I am only a Baron, we are all vassals of the King. You should send troops to help us rebuild our fiefs!"
"Earl, we can provide money to get your troops moving, but it's too much. We don't have that many Denars right now!"
The more Henry heard, the worse he felt. The situation did not seem good.
"My lord, the earl requests your presence."
Henry entered, found a seat near the edge, and sat down.
"Who is this newcomer?"
"Henry, Henry Bro, a graduate of the Royal Knight Academy. I am the Lord of West Lyme, a vassal of the King, with the rank of Knight."
The person beside Henry said happily, "I am Knight Boman. I once attended the Royal Knight Academy as well, and I am a vassal of the King... It seems you were the best student of your class."
Henry was somewhat puzzled. "Why do you say that?"
Boman lifted his chin and said, "Because I was the best student of my class."
Henry laughed twice. So he was praising himself.
"Yes, the former best student, Knight Boman. Your fief was destroyed, and didn't you run back as well?"
"You! Fas! Didn't you run away too?!"
The earl seated at the head of the table slapped the tabletop, and the two immediately stopped arguing.
The earl rubbed his head. Boman and Fas had been arguing for four or five years, as far as he could remember.
He could not understand it. They were two Knights, and their fiefs were nowhere near each other. What was there to argue about every day?
He had thought they would settle down for a while after their fiefs were destroyed, but they were still the same as ever.
"Knight Henry, I am Earl John Hoyland, master of this city and a vassal of the King. Your territory was destroyed before you even arrived. I am deeply sorry."
Henry nodded. "Thank you for your concern, Earl. May I ask whether you can provide me with assistance?"
John shook his head. "Look around you. There are five Barons and more than twenty Knights in this hall, not counting you. I'm sorry, but I cannot provide assistance to such a large number of nobles."
So everyone in this room had lost their fiefs...
Henry shook his head, rose to his feet, and said, "I hope the earl can lead us in submitting a joint petition to begin a new round of expansion! We need the Temporary Pioneer Act to attract those mercenaries to fight for us!"
As soon as Henry spoke, the people in the hall were tempted. The Empire had not fought a Pioneering War in decades.
"Knight Henry, tell us your idea."
Henry cleared his throat and said to everyone, "What would it matter even if we rebuilt our fiefs? Wouldn't we still be threatened by those Half-Orcs?
If the King activated the Temporary Pioneer Act, countless ambitious people from across the Empire would bring their considerable resources to our Eastern Border.
Those people could draw away a great many Half-Orc armies for us.
You must all still have plenty of Gold Coins. The mercenaries who come along with them will become a ready-made army for us!"
At this point, Henry excitedly waved his arm and asked, "Don't you want more fiefs? Don't you want to raise your ranks?
Submit a joint petition and activate the Pioneer Act! More land, higher ranks, more subjects, more troops, more wealth!"
Henry had been thinking about how to profit from this loss ever since he was at the tavern. In the end, he came up with a plan: get everyone excited, then charge outward!
All the other nobles looked toward John. They agreed with Henry. It was time to launch a Pioneering War and make the Eastern Grasslands rise again.
The earl was tempted as well. If he could gain even a small new fief during this Pioneering War, he would only need two years to turn it into fertile land.
"I agree with Knight Henry. I will immediately send people to contact all the nobles invested by the King in the surrounding areas and seek their opinions.
This meeting is now over. Tonight, I will hold a banquet to welcome Knight Henry."
The other nobles left one after another, bidding farewell to Earl John.
"Knight Henry, you may stay temporarily in my residence. All these nobles temporarily displaced from their lands are staying here as well." John did not begrudge Henry a meal or lodging. Maintaining goodwill with the surrounding nobles was necessary.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Earl. Will the King agree to our request?"
Earl John nodded. "The King is an ambitious ruler. No one would refuse the chance for greater achievements."
Henry chatted with John about a few miscellaneous matters, then rose and took his leave. Led by one of the earl's servants, he found his attendant Bain, who was squatting on the ground playing with ants.
"Bain, we'll be staying here for a while."
"Sir, then I'll go organize the luggage now."
Bain left with the servant, while Henry waited beside the flower bed in the small courtyard.
What exactly is Overlord Phase 2? Henry's thoughts ran wild.
"Knight Henry, what are you thinking about?"
Henry turned around and saw Knight Boman approaching. He answered, "I was thinking about whether my plan is feasible."
Boman nodded approvingly. "The King will agree. The Empire has enjoyed peace for too long. It needs a war to eliminate the dangers lurking within."
Before you continue