My name is Erwin, and I am an ex-soldier, an engineer, once a praised hero of the war, and a pawn trying to change the rules in the gods game.

 

Months before, I was a retired man doing.

 

Later, I learned that I was initially going to play as a Lich King, an undead creature who rules massive hordes of reanimated corpses and kills any living being.

 

Yet, an internal conflict between gods put me in a weird position, where I am a Lich in terms of abilities, but not in reality.

 

As someone alien to the concept of modern fantasy, I am still trying to understand what the hell is happening around me, but something is clear.

 

I have enemies, allies, and a community of people under my rule. My acts are not only changing my but their fates as well.

 

Currently, I settle inside an Ancient Dwarven fortress with a massive city deep inside.

 

The city inside is surrounded by massive roots coming from a powerful and spiritual plant called The World Tree, an enormous lake with lots of fish and semi-dangerous in it, and finally a forest made from giant mushrooms.

 

If those gifts are not enough to sustain a population, soil inside the cave is suitable for farming, and giant magical crystals growing inside provide the light needed.

 

But that doesn't mean my job is an easy one. It is up to me to organize all of our workforces.

 

We need to repair the city into its old state, cultivate the land for farming, do fishing and cut mushrooms for food while a civil war is destroying the whole kingdom outside.

 

Then since I arrived into this world, I was raised from the bottom one time, and I can help others while doing it once more.

 

*****

There are three vital projects I am currently working on.

 

The first one is creating farmland and livestock. Livestock is hard to find, let alone developing a large enough herd to feed everyone, but cultivating land is not.

 

The second one is training elite soldiers with top-notch quality equipment. Our numbers are low, but with a seemingly endless amount of raw ores and a dedicated workforce capable of turning those materials into equipment and weaponry better than our rivals, I don't want the most but the best soldiers.

 

Lastly, improving our heavy weaponry and maybe building an engine that uses mana.

 

Our farmers expect the first harvest of barley in a month and a half. That means the first plan is going great.

 

Arthur (a seasoned veteran with lots of experience.) and Mel (not strong as Arthur, but he is a knight that can discipline a force and teach them most of the things they need.) are giving their days and nights into training our soldiers.

 

Lucky for us, the victory I gained two months ago with a surprise weapon gave our enemies a lesson and made them stay away from us, at least for now.

 

 

But once again, thinking. Forty goddamn thousand troops laid a siege on our fortress with only a couple of thousands ready to defend against them.

 

Good for us, most of their soldiers were newly conscripted peasants with no equipment or battle experience, and no one was waiting for an ancient abomination, monsters from caves, and simple rockets to be on our side.

 

Elite troops amongst them escaped the moment we started our counter-attack and left poor conscripts to die.

 

It was an expected slaughter, but it gave our enemies a message, we are here, a real force to be recognized.

 

Sadly, that doesn't mean I don't have my limitations.

 

Hollows, the abominations I talked about, are needed inside for their physical strength, and I only have two of those.

 

Other than that, I only hive five thousand troops, and unlike our enemy, I cannot just order my limited workforce to become soldiers without seriously hurting our development inside.

 

But by gaining victories against the other two factions and taking support from people of this land, I might recruit villages, towns, and maybe even cities into my side.

 

One negative after every positive. Our victories wouldn't come easy as the first time. In the next battle, I expect Leonard to be ready against me.

 

That makes the third plan more important than the rest in my eyes. I need more gunpowder.

If I can somehow get my hands on smokeless powder, I can build artillery, rifles, and even tanks! Surely no army of this era will wait for those.

 

 

But my limited chemistry knowledge is stopping me from going far than I do right now. Blackpowder is simple but not enough. I need more modern variants.

 

 

Congreve rockets sure gave our enemies a shock, but what if I had ones filled with TNT and propelled by a better fuel?

 

 

For my third plan to work, I need to make new connections. If possible, with one guild called Alchemists Den.

 

It appears that they specialize in chemistry and potion-making. With some gold, creativity, and technological development war brings, certain advancements won't stay as a dream.

 

There are just too many things to do, but not enough time.

 

"Edward!" Silvertower bashed inside my office. Yes, I finally decided somewhere as my office after two months. "We have a problem."

 

"For the sake of something! Just what now?"

 

"There is a man outside. I am not sure, but he is dangerous. I can sense it."

 

"Is there any sign of Lady's curse? The last spy took forever to find." Lady, a person I can call a puppet master, began sending her spies after I rescued Arthur.

 

They are a real pain in the ass.

 

I found him in the end, but I don't want to repeat this whole process.

 

"No, I feel something bad from him, but it is not a curse. It is not even magic."

At least that is good news.

 

"Okay, I handle him. Meanwhile, I want you to count the treasury, and if possible, I want to do some trading."

 

"Count as done."

 

*****

 

Flying around riding a Wyvern is surprisingly one of the things I like most about this world.

 

Fresh air in the skies, cold breeze touching my body. How sad that I cannot play the carefree hero like some and have real responsibility.

 

"Fionnlagh, drop me right front of the gate and keep your eyes open, my friend." I pat the Wyverns head right on the spot where I gave him a scar.

 

Thankfully, it is getting better every day, especially after new healers joined our community. I specially asked them to do what they could to heal Fionnlagh.

 

Wyvern nodded and landed right outside the fortress's main gate. Thankfully, this place is built inside a hollowed-out mountain and offers insane protection.

 

The only entrance is through the main gate and main gate alone. And Dwarfs, the asocial people they are, built a massive balcony right above the main gate with an entrance big enough for a Wyvern to pass through flying, so they can trade with other races with ease and see the sun every now and then without leaving their cave.

 

But no complaints, since it helps me a lot.

 

Wyvern used his wings as a parachute to slow itself once again and gently landed on the ground.

 

"Be careful." I jumped down and began moving towards the rumored man.

 

And as I got close enough to see his face, the bastard decided to enter inside of his cart and ignore me.

 

If I see even a single person doing something rational in this fucking world, I will break my fucking teeth.

 

"I am the current ruler of this fortress, I suppose you are here for something, but I cannot talk with you while you hide inside your cart."

 

I give him ten seconds. If he doesn't come out, I will destroy the cart. "You have ten seconds to go outside, or consequences will be heavy."

 

The sound of things moving around and dropping on the wooden floor came from the cart. I suppose the man is leaving it. "Sorry, in a second."

 

And as he said just a second later, he is out. Still a little far from me, or probably from the Wyvern behind me, but at least I can see him.

"Sorry for my behavior, but may you order that thing to go a little away." This guy is clearly scared of Fionnlagh. But who wouldn't be?

 

"He stands where I order him to, and he will not move, not even an inch. Now, tell me your name, your occupation, and the reason for your visit."

 

"Of course, your land your rules."

 

Is he trying to win time for something, or is he only a scared and dumb guy?

 

"Answer the damned questions now!" I shout with a voice imitating my drill sergeant.

 

The man jumped away out of fear and bowed towards me. "Sorry, sorry. My name is Perez."

 

"And what you do, Perez?

 

"I like to call myself master of the Wonders Cart, collector of exotic materials, and the man with a thousand tricks."

 

"And what is that a thousand tricks you are talking about."

 

"Let me show you."

 

Perez climbed inside his cart and came out with three bottles in his hand.

 

"As you can see, I have water in these bottles, crystal clear, colorless. But when I do this." He threw one of the bottles to the ground.

 

The glass bottle cracked open. Liquid spilled on the ground got a dark brown color, but nothing else happened.

 

"Is that all you have? Water that can change its colors." I raised one of my eyebrows.

 

"No, absolutely not." He threw another bottle on the ground and two liquids mixed.

 

Suddenly a chemical reaction began, and flames started rising from it. And what a flame it is! It looks like a man trying to reach the moon.

 

"And now, I will kill it." He threw the last bottle and extinguished the fire in an instant. What an enjoyable science show and a potential military weapon.

 

"Ta-da, by using nothing but water, I can create flames and stop them in desire, and of course, I have lots of services similar to this."

 

"What chemicals you used, I suppose the first one reacted with the oxygen on the air, and the second one created a flame, then the third one was to stop the whole reaction."

 

Perez got a little shocked. "No, there are no chemicals, only magic, and magic alone!"

 

"Then should I kill you because of the use of dark magic?" I suppose this guy has some chemistry knowledge, and I want it.

 

"Well, of course, people using black magic are problematic, but I am just a humble alchemist. And my lord, please don't be like ignorant peasants. You are smart enough to understand the basics of my act."

 

He is scared of that simple threat. How unamusing.

 

"Cut the crap, and answer the last question, why are you here?"

 

"Money." In an instant, he answered right away.

 

"Do you think we have any?"

 

"I don't know, villages are suffering from the heavy war taxes, and cities are barely standing because of the war. And I am sorry to say, but I am no member of the Alchemist guild, thus limiting where I can work."

 

"And the reason why are you not a member? For me to hire you for your services, I require proof of your worth."

 

"Well, I was a member, then something something, half of the guild building blown up, and I barely escaped with my life."

Explosives, if it is stable, then better. "I want to see it now." And possibly design a new explosive charge for our current rockets.

 

"Can I see the cause of the explosion?"

 

"Yes, I mean, it is weird, but I carry that thing around. Well, only a small amount for bandit encounters and such."

 

Perez climbed back into his cart and got out with a glass tube in his hand.

 

Yellow solid chunks stored inside the tube, and while it is only a guess, he might have discovered TNT or something similar.

 

I took a couple of steps back, just in case of the magic of this world making the explosive much deadlier than it already is.

 

Meanwhile, Perez put a fuse on the small glass tube and placed it on the ground just a few meters away from his cart.

 

He lit the fuse and began running away from the explosive. After the fuse stopped screeching, a short silence happened, then, boom.

 

Tube exploded and roared like thunder. With the impact, snow, dirt, and dust got up from the ground and created a cloud.

 

I cannot calculate the proper diameters of the explosion or its strength, but with an amount so little, that is sure an impressive explosion.

 

Thinking about unleashing a volley of thousands and thousands of fuel-propelled rockets with charges filled with this explosion makes me excited.

I can hear the screams of my enemies. No, I cannot, because orchestra of death coming from explosives suppressing their voices!

 

"Good show, then can I ask you something. Do you have the knowledge of how to make this thing, or did you buy it from somewhere?"

 

"It is my creation, and I still have the equipment to make more if you are interested."

 

"Very good." I smiled. "Here is my offer. For your services in chemistry, I am offering monthly payment, food, and accommodation."

 

Perez started thinking or acting like thinking. I can sense how excited he is because of my offer.

 

"My services with you, sir... May I learn your name?"

 

Did this idiot come here without even knowing anything about me?

 

"Erwin, the Lich King."

 

"Lich King! But you are alive, and you are not undead. How?"

 

"Please don't tell me you came here without knowing my identity."

 

"Well, I came here by luck, I was escaping from a group of bandits, and they stopped when I arrived here. So, I supposed this place was a castle."

 

"Just." I palmed my face. "Are you in or out."

 

"Well, what chance I have right now? But! Promise me you are never going to turn me into an undead slave."

 

"What sort of image do Liches even have. No, I don't turn people into undead slaves."

 

"Huh? That's good the hear, then wait for a little, I will prepare my carts in a second."

 

"Good, and be fast. Gates won't stay open for long."