Re-Estize Kingdom

Four years before the Common Era.

The Re-Estize Kingdom.

The Royal Capital.

Though it was the heart of the entire nation, everywhere except the main thoroughfare was drab and gray. The gray stone paving was riddled with fine cracks and eroded edges.

Most of the surrounding houses were one- or two-story European-style buildings, all showing their age.

But the closer one got to the center of the Royal Capital, the neater and cleaner both the streets and houses became.

The air was fresh.

Yet everything about his surroundings told Tang Zheng that this was the New World!

Clink, clink, clink—

Clang, clang—

The constant metallic clatter came from the weapons carried by adventurers on the street knocking against their armor.

Hawkers shouted from the shops on both sides, their assorted signs glinting faintly in the sunlight.

They added to the bustling atmosphere.

Luxurious carriages made their way through the street with some difficulty, but never stopped. Most people stepped aside for them of their own accord.

Many people wore armor, while a smaller number wore mage robes, making them stand out in the crowd. Others wore brightly colored, peculiar-looking outfits.

All in all, it was quite a motley assortment.

Over the past few days, the entire Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom had filled with people arriving from all over the country.

In such a lively atmosphere, most people would have found their spirits rising along with everyone else's.

But one person did not.

Tang Zheng wore a cheap long-sleeved shirt and drab gray trousers, blending into the crowd without attracting any attention.

His mood matched the color of his clothes.

Beyond bewilderment, what he felt most was a fear that clung to his heart.

The merriment belonged to everyone else.

Tang Zheng had only transmigrated to this world yesterday, but he had already more or less figured out his situation.

This was the world of Overlord. More precisely, it was the New World where the Great Tomb of Nazarick would arrive in the future.

So Tang Zheng was panicking.

Other transmigrators ended up in the real world of "Overlord," where they endlessly ground levels and spent money on [YGGDRASIL], obtaining a wealth of World Items and Special Classes.

Then they descended upon this world with invincible power, or simply joined the Great Tomb.

He, however, had transmigrated directly to the New World. Had his circumstances been anything like theirs, Tang Zheng would not have been panicking this badly.

The only thing that gave him a little peace of mind for now—

Was the timing. There were still more than four years before the Great Tomb of Nazarick arrived.

How could he be certain of that?

Because of the Royal Tournament—the competition held before the king!

Gazef, who would become the strongest man in the Kingdom, had earned the title of "Warrior Captain" only after winning this tournament.

And today was the climactic showdown between the future "Warrior Captain," Gazef, and "Nail Clipper," Brain.

It was no exaggeration!

This match had drawn the attention of adventurers and commoners throughout the Kingdom, which explained the surging crowds and extraordinary bustle in the streets.

Though he had been nothing more than an ordinary person before transmigrating, reading so many novels had its benefits. At least he had been able to calm down quickly.

Only after hearing about Gazef, Brain, and the Royal Tournament had Tang Zheng confirmed which world he had entered and when.

"Four years before the New Calendar" was naturally not how this world counted its years. It was a dating system Tang Zheng had adopted from video creators in his previous life.

After all, according to the Bone Lord's story, the Great Tomb would rule the world sooner or later. Calling it the "New Calendar" clearly made sense.

As for why he could understand this world's language?

This New World had some sort of world law governing "language translation." Not only could people from different countries understand each other, but even different races could do so.

As the Bone Lord had quipped, it was as though the entire world had eaten translation jelly.

Of course, understanding speech was one thing. He clearly could not read the writing.

The coarse fabric of his clothes rubbed against his skin and made him itch, leaving Tang Zheng uncomfortable. Compared to his current circumstances, though, that was hardly worth mentioning.

He had no idea why he had transmigrated. He had simply been lying on the bed in his rented room, and in a moment of haziness, he had ended up here.

What a clichéd way to transmigrate.

Tang Zheng grumbled inwardly, with a touch of self-mockery.

He was an orphan anyway and had always been alone. Even if he suddenly disappeared, he doubted anyone would care.

Fortunately.

This climactic showdown between two commoners had drawn an influx of adventurers and ordinary people.

Compared with the scantily clad adventurers, or those in equally strange outfits, Tang Zheng's pajamas and shorts had not been particularly conspicuous.

Perhaps because of the differences between races, faiths, and countries, clothing in this world was not especially conservative.

Once he had confirmed the situation in this world and calmed down—

Tang Zheng had immediately found a shop and sold the enamelled gold pendant around his neck, the only thing besides his clothes that he had brought into this world.

He received three gold coins.

It had cost him roughly two months' salary. He had intended to give it to his former girlfriend, but they had broken up before he could, so he had simply kept wearing it himself.

169 copper coins = 13 silver coins = 1 gold coin.

[PS: The currency system in the Bone Lord's New World probably isn't decimal. In the anime, Sebas once bought a Magic Scroll for 1 gold coin and 10 silver coins. If it were decimal, he should have paid two gold coins.]

[Some video creators have proposed two possible systems: base 13 and base 20. Personally, I think base 13 is more appropriate.]

Above gold coins, there were also Platinum Coins, Gem Coins, Mithril Coins, and so on.

Three gold coins were clearly worth considerably more than his gold pendant, which weighed only about ten grams.

The shopkeeper had obviously been willing to pay that price not merely for the gold, but for the enamel work on it.

In this New World, where craftsmanship was generally primitive and most things could only be accomplished through magic—

The man could make dozens or even hundreds of times his investment simply by reselling it to some noble young lady.

Tang Zheng understood that, but he also understood that his circumstances did not allow him to haggle.

Next, he had spent five copper coins on a cheap set of clothes and one silver coin on a shortsword.

He currently had 2 gold, 11 silver, and 3 copper coins left.

He had spent the other five copper coins on a few loaves of rye bread.

More than four years left, so I can rest easy... like hell!

Tang Zheng stamped his left foot hard against the ground as he stepped forward. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he cursed inwardly.

Before transmigrating, his only hobbies had been novels and anime. Naturally, he had also read all the novels behind the "Overlord" anime.

So he knew perfectly well: was there any difference between having four years left and the Nazarick Underground Tomb arriving tomorrow?

Tang Zheng felt there was none.

Everyone in the Re-Estize Kingdom before him, himself included, was destined for destruction.

There seemed to be only two paths ahead.

Either he would die in the fallout of the war between the Sorcerer Kingdom and the Re-Estize Kingdom—if such a one-sided slaughter could be called a war.

Or he would be lucky enough to survive and become a subject of the Sorcerer Kingdom.

But...

Tang Zheng looked up at the magnificent, timeworn Royal City built atop a distant hill, and his anxiety deepened.

Could I really keep my identity as a transmigrator hidden from that group in the Nazarick Great Tomb?