The System's Purpose

"Damn!" Reiner was somewhat taken aback. This so-called Main Quest irritated him immensely. All he wanted was a little patch of land of his own in this world, where he could continue living comfortably as a noble.

He knew he was no chosen one, nor did he possess the ability to support grand ambitions. He did not want to bury himself in all this scheming and intrigue.

His only wish was to have a territory here and marry a noble girl from a family similar to his own. In his previous life, he had lived as tiredly as a dog. If he could spend this life free of worries, it would make his transmigration worthwhile.

He also knew these were chaotic times, and the Empire might soon be plunged into a long and drawn-out war. But he did not want to get involved. He knew his own limits. Although most low-ranking nobles were uneducated, with many of them illiterate country bumpkins, the highest-ranking nobles had received noble educations and learned political maneuvering from childhood. Reiner was simply no match for them.

If he insisted on trying to profit from all this, he would probably end up getting schemed to death by those great nobles before they swallowed his territory. He might as well wait until the war reached the northern border and then attach himself to some faction.

Although he had been thrilled when he first obtained the system, he had calmed down considerably over time. The system was not omnipotent. It was merely a tool that could help him live more securely. The lofty ambitions he had possessed just after transmigrating had long since turned into a complete lack of ambition.

His ideal was to peacefully remain a small lord in the Empire's northern borderlands, so he was extremely impatient when he saw this Main Quest.

Reiner continued reading and saw the following written beneath the Main Quest:

Quest Completion Reward: Lifespan increased by twenty years.

Quest Failure Penalty: Lifespan reduced by thirty years.

Thirty years of the Lord's lifespan will now be deducted. The quest is divided into five stages. Six years of lifespan will be restored upon completion of each stage, slowing the rate of aging. Upon quest completion, the lifespan increase of twenty years will officially take effect.

"Fuck!" Reiner cursed loudly. This was practically a forced contract of servitude. Worse still, thirty years of his life had already been deducted. Who knew how many years he had left? What if he just dropped dead next year?

"System!" Reiner shouted inwardly as he called up the system panel.

"Yes, Lord. I am here." The system's emotionless electronic voice sounded by Reiner's ear.

"Explain to me what this unrefusable Main Quest is about!" Reiner was filled with resentment toward this compulsory quest that had put an end to his leisurely future.

"Lord, the purpose of this system's existence is to help the Lord gradually develop and grow stronger. Becoming Emperor is the pinnacle for a lord. If this system cannot help the Lord become Emperor, then this system has no value in existing."

"Then can't I refuse this quest?" Reiner's face scrunched up as he asked the system.

"You may refuse. However, this system will explode due to a program crash. The Lord's safety cannot be guaranteed."

The system's voice remained cold and electronic. If Reiner had not known it was merely a system without emotions or thoughts, he would have cursed it out.

This was outright coercion. Reiner had indeed accepted things from the system before, but that did not change the fact that he had no great ambitions. There was a reason he had accepted the system's gifts and quests: at the very least, he needed enough strength to protect himself amid these chaotic times.

But now, this Main Quest had completely pushed him into the spotlight. He had no choice but to fight those outstanding figures of this troubled age to the death.

The system's cold voice echoed by his ear, while that string of pale blue text remained on his retina. Looking as though he wanted to cry but had no tears, he glanced at his right hand covered by a vambrace and viciously said inwardly, "Accept the quest!"

Quest accepted. Timing begins. Current time: 0/50.

Current quest completion progress: 0/5.

Regardless of what the system said, taking control of all of Goer Castle was still a good thing. It was true that he lacked ambition, but he still had to make something of himself. He could not stand spending his whole life cooped up as a minor baron in a tiny territory only a dozen kilometers across.

Even if he took a step back and became some local tyrant who bullied men and women alike, how many people could there possibly be in a place the size of a palm for him to oppress? At the very least, he needed to build up some capital for marrying a wife in the future.

"Baron, all of Goer Castle has now fallen under the rule of the Moreland Family. You may do as you please with anyone on this land," Sir Cord said excitedly as he removed his helmet.

After all, he too was a member of the Moreland Family. The expansion of the family's strength made him extremely happy, as it meant the Moreland Family's standing within the Empire had risen.

"Excellent! Now it is time for us to return home! I believe everyone is tired after three wars. A grand banquet will be held in the hall of Morland Castle. I hope you will all bring your families to attend."

Reiner removed his helmet, allowing his nearly shoulder-length hair to flutter in the cold wind. The long march had left a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead, making him look every bit the peerless handsome youth.

It had to be said that Reiner was quite satisfied with this body of his. Perhaps because the Moreland Family's bloodline came from the Imperial royal family, their genes were exceptionally good. Whether it was Sir Cord or Reiner's cousin Lumbard, both were remarkably handsome.

They also shared the same trait: soft, flowing golden hair that made them all look dashing.

Taking over Goer Castle had encountered no difficulties at all. They set off for Morland Castle with the spoils seized from the homes of Gwen Family members. Thirty percent of the spoils would belong to the soldiers, another thirty percent to the knights, and the remaining forty percent would go to Reiner.

After this string of battles and quests, Reiner had accumulated more than eight hundred Merit Points, enough to exchange for many things.

Well, Reiner had already chosen what he wanted to exchange for. After this series of battles, the Moreland Family's forces had been severely depleted, so he had to exchange for some soldiers from the system.

The pots, bowls, and miscellaneous household goods carried by the soldiers greatly slowed the army's march. Though helpless, Reiner could not order them to discard such clutter. From the perspective of his previous life, these things were worth practically nothing combined, but in this world, they were a considerable gain for any family. Even the knights were reluctant to casually abandon them.

This was the gap in productive capacity, the limitation of the era. Reiner had no way of changing it. By the time they had marched until evening, the troops had only covered around ten kilometers, leaving him no choice but to order them to make camp where they were.

The soldiers went to sleep clutching their spoils, as if those odds and ends were dearer to them than their wives.

It was not until around nine the next morning that Reiner lazily climbed out of his low camp bed. He had completely grown accustomed to this decadent noble lifestyle, where mornings did not exist.

This was the life he had dreamed of in his previous life—being able to sleep until he woke naturally. Yet back then, he had needed to get up early for work every day, with only a pitiful few holidays to enjoy such a life. Having suddenly gone from the miserable life of his past to his current life of luxury, it was no wonder he had been corrupted into having no ambitions.