Chapter 3: Let’s Burn Down the Lush Forest!

After being showered with unexpected gratitude from the people, I was honestly so shocked that I wanted to lock myself in my room for a month. But reality wasn’t kind enough to allow that. The timing couldn’t have been worse—a messenger from the royal capital had arrived. I’d hoped to show them the people’s hatred directed at me, but instead, they witnessed me being praised. How cruel this world is.

To make matters worse, it was the identity of the messengers that complicated things.

“Ahem, it’s been a while, Klaus-sama. I’m glad to see you’re as lively as ever,” said one.

“I observed your interactions with the people. To earn such trust from them—truly impressive, Lord Renford,” said the other.

The speakers were two figures I knew from my previous life. The first was Sophia von Solstia, a girl with long, translucent silver hair—the main heroine of Altena Fantasia and someone connected to me in this life. Even now, the Royal Family Ring I gave her gleamed on her left ring finger. The second was Marquis Orto Wyndham, a sub-character from the game. He was present during my audience with King Arden but didn’t speak directly with me then. In the game, he’s known for wearing an eyepatch due to a missing eye, a feature that, combined with his refined looks, made him popular among certain female players. But for some reason, he wasn’t wearing an eyepatch now—both eyes were intact. Something must happen in the next few months to cause him to lose one, as per the game’s timeline.

Back to the point. The real issue was why these two were here. Sophia, a princess, and Wyndham, known as the king’s right-hand man, shouldn’t be able to leave the capital so easily. After taking a sip of the tea Marie had prepared, I slowly voiced my question.

“So, why are you two here? The transmission spell only mentioned messengers from the capital.”

I spoke casually because, during our greetings, Sophia had asked me to drop the formalities and talk as we used to. Wyndham also insisted I treat him the same way, saying it wouldn’t do for him to be addressed formally while Sophia wasn’t. It suited me better anyway, so I went along with it. Sophia smiled, her glossy lips parting.

“It’s because of an order from my father… His Majesty the King.”

“From Arden?”

“Yes. I’ve been instructed to observe how Klaus-sama governs the territory that will soon be granted to him.”

“…I see.”

In short, surveillance. I’m set to receive a portion of the royal family’s territory from Arden. It makes sense they’d send Sophia, a royal, to keep an eye on me and ensure I don’t do anything unexpected. Then Wyndham spoke up.

“I volunteered to accompany her. As you know, Lord Renford, that matter hasn’t been fully resolved.”

“…Hmm.”

That matter—likely the incident where I sent back an invitation stained with tea. It seems Wyndham still hasn’t forgiven me for it. So, like Sophia, he’s here to monitor me and make sure I don’t cause trouble again. Now I understood why two high-ranking figures had come all this way—they were that wary of me. But on the flip side, this was an opportunity. If I caused chaos in the new territory, it’d be reported directly to Arden. Sounds like a chance to stir things up.

Feeling a bit more upbeat, we moved on to discuss the schedule. We’d depart early tomorrow morning, with only Marie accompanying me. The Renford territory would be left in Oliver’s hands, as usual. My only concern was leaving Milikator behind, but I had a plan for that. I’d talk to her later.

Time passed, and that night, in my room, I mulled things over. My strategy of good deeds had tragically failed. Apparently, in this world, working hard for the people only earns their gratitude—what a bizarre twist. Either way, I had no choice but to return to basics. I’d commit even greater misdeeds to finally earn the hatred I sought. That’s the only way to break this ‘everything you do makes people love you’ curse. At least, that’s what I believed.

The royal territory I’d be staying in starting tomorrow—whether it’s a thriving land filled with smiling citizens or not—didn’t matter. I’d plunge it into a sea of despair with my own hands.

“Just you wait! This time, I’ll definitely spread my infamy!”

With renewed resolve, I laughed heartily in my room, “Hahaha!”

◇◆◇

“And so, this is the territory granted to Klaus-sama—the Great Forest of the Underworld!”

“…What?”

A few days later, I stood before a land shrouded in dense magical energy, dominated by overgrown, colossal trees. As Sophia had said, this was the Great Forest of the Underworld, a special field from the game teeming with powerful monsters. Naturally, no citizens lived here, meaning there’d be no one to spread my infamy no matter what evils I committed. In other words—

“Klaus-sama? Why are you suddenly spacing out?”

“I was…”

“What?”

“Tricked!”

I shouted with all my despair. And who could blame me? I never imagined I’d be brought to a place like this!

“K-Klaus-sama? Why are you suddenly yelling?”

“It’s nothing. But seriously, is this really the territory being given to me?”

When I brushed off Sophia’s question and asked, she nodded without hesitation.

“Yes, of course. The largest territory owned by the Solstia Kingdom, yet an untamed land no one has ever successfully governed—the Great Forest of the Underworld. His Majesty has indeed entrusted it to Klaus-sama.”

“…”

Why? Why did it come to this? I was supposed to be reveling in the screams of Arden’s cozy subjects by now. Instead, I’d been given an uninhabited wilderness. It seems Arden truly despised me. Why, though? All I did was show a little defiance…

Back to the matter at hand. I could chalk it up to Arden’s harassment, but there were other possibilities. The most likely was resource acquisition. The forest’s dense magical energy fostered unique minerals and plants, though it was also home to powerful monsters. Having defeated two Demon King’s army executives, it wasn’t unreasonable for Arden to think I could handle it.

“Hmm, that must be it.”

With my genius intellect, I saw through Arden’s intentions. Indeed, with my current strength, I could stroll through this forest like it was my backyard. But—and this is a big but—I wasn’t kind enough to meet such expectations so easily. To vent my mounting frustration, I came up with a divine solution. Yes, this was it! With barely contained excitement, I smirked and turned to Sophia.

“Sophia, since this is my territory now, I can do whatever I want, right?”

“Huh? Y-Yes, of course. The basic governance policies are entrusted to you, Klaus-sama, but…”

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”

I had her word. My smirk deepened as I stepped forward from the group, channeling all the anger that had been building since arriving into raw magical energy. My body was instantly enveloped in an overwhelming, high-density aura, exuding such pressure that—

“K-Klaus-sama? Why are you suddenly channeling magic…?”

“Lord Renford!? This magical energy—”

“What a force! We can’t even push back against it!”

Sophia, Wyndham, and the escorting knights all voiced their confusion. Only Marie remained calm. I fixed my gaze on the Great Forest of the Underworld before me. Arden wanted me to extract this land’s abundant resources. But I’d never bow to authority. To further enrage the king and achieve my grand goal, I’d betray his expectations spectacularly—by wiping out every resource in this forest!

“Everyone, step back. This is my answer.”

“Klaus-sama, what are you—”

Before Sophia could finish, I thrust both hands forward and chanted:

‘[Excessive Barrage: Explosive Inferno]’

In an instant, a torrent of flames erupted, swelling as it consumed oxygen and magical energy, accelerating until it crashed into the tallest tree in the forest, triggering a massive explosion. In moments, the surrounding area was reduced to a scorched wasteland.

“Kyaa!”

“What power!?”

“What in the world…”

Sophia and the others gasped in shock at the impact.

But that was just the beginning. The true power of this technique was yet to come. The Great Forest of the Underworld was designed to recover quickly, absorbing ambient magic to regenerate even if part of it was burned. That wouldn’t do. So—

BOOM!

CRASH!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-CRASHHHH!

Reacting to the influx of magical energy, the flames triggered relentless explosions, obliterating the very soil needed for regeneration, magic and all, in a complete devastation. My plan succeeded flawlessly. After five minutes of hellish destruction, the entire visible landscape was reduced to ash.

“…Success.”

At the very least, all resources within sight were gone. Over time, some grass might sprout, but it’d be average at best—nothing like the original forest. If I kept pushing this aggressive “development,” Arden’s plans would collapse in no time.

“““…”””

Sophia and the others stood dumbfounded, staring at the scorched earth in bewilderment. Seeing their reaction, I laughed triumphantly in my heart, “Hahaha!”

◇◆◇

Sophia von Solstia, the first princess of the Solstia Kingdom, had come to the Renford territory with a specific purpose: to observe and learn how Klaus would govern the Great Forest of the Underworld. When her father, King Arden, proposed this task, she agreed without hesitation.

“I can’t miss this chance to be by Klaus-sama’s side!”

She was enthusiastic, but of course, she didn’t intend to merely observe. As his future partner, she believed she could support him. On the first day of governing the Great Forest of the Underworld, when Klaus shouted in shock, Sophia found it puzzling but recalled what Arden had told her. The reason Klaus was granted this land was that he’d requested it as a reward for defeating the Demon King’s army executives. However, as Sophia knew, this was an untamed land that had defied development for centuries. Even with Klaus’s prowess, turning it into a livable place would be daunting.

Arden and his aide, Wyndham, suspected Klaus’s true aim was to monitor Marquis Markovar. But Sophia shook her head, thinking, (No—there’s no such thing as impossible for my Klaus-sama!) True, the challenge was immense, and even Klaus would struggle. But with the months they’d been given, she believed they could find a way forward. She was determined to support him fully. Yet, she hadn’t fully grasped just how extraordinary the man she’d spend her future with was.

And then came this moment. As Sophia wondered if he’d start by surveying the soil, Klaus spoke.

“Sophia, since this is my territory now, I can do whatever I want, right?”

“Huh? Y-Yes, of course. The basic governance policies are entrusted to you, Klaus-sama, but…”

“Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”

Confused by the sudden question, Sophia nodded. Then Klaus began channeling magic with fervor.

“K-Klaus-sama? Why are you suddenly channeling magic…?”

“Lord Renford!? This magical energy—”

“What a force! We can’t even push back against it!”

The magical pressure was far beyond that of a mere survey spell—it was as if he intended to destroy the land with full force. But that was foolish. Records showed that many who tried to develop this land through such means had failed. (Even Klaus-sama can’t be so reckless—) Sophia started to intervene but stopped, captivated by the serious expression on his face, reminiscent of when he’d given her the ring.

“Everyone, step back. This is my answer.”

“Klaus-sama, what are you—”

Before she could finish, Klaus chanted:

‘[Excessive Barrage: Explosive Inferno]’

A torrent of flames shot from his hands, hitting a giant tree and causing a massive explosion that turned the area into a wasteland.

“Kyaa!”

“What power!?”

“What in the world…”

The overwhelming firepower matched his feats against the Demon King’s executives. But Sophia knew this alone was meaningless. (The forest’s greatest trait is its immense magical energy. Burning the trees won’t matter—it’ll absorb magic from the surroundings and regenerate quickly. This is just a temporary fix!) She analyzed calmly. But what truly shocked her came next. At the point where Klaus’s flames landed, a lingering mass of magical energy triggered a relentless series of explosions. Five minutes later, the entire area was a barren wasteland, not a trace of magic left.

“““…”””

Sophia and the others stood frozen, stunned. Coming to her senses first, Sophia realized her mistake. (What was I thinking? Just because no one succeeded in the past, I assumed Klaus-sama would fail too… Such common sense doesn’t apply to him!) Now she understood why she’d misjudged. Hearing the task’s difficulty, she’d assumed even Klaus would struggle, creating an opportunity for her to help. Her desire to support him had blinded her to reality.

(This won’t do. As Klaus-sama’s partner, I must see his true strength clearly!) In that regard, Marie, his attendant, seemed to understand everything, remaining calm. Sophia felt a twinge of jealousy. A princess shouldn’t be shaken by such things. Taking a deep breath, she faced Klaus, who spoke with a smug expression.

“Well, Sophia? Do you see now that you can’t measure me?”

“…Yes, Klaus-sama. I’ll strive to improve from the ground up!”

“? Uh, alright. That’s fine.”

Her unexpected response made Klaus look puzzled, as if thinking, What’s she talking about? But the lovestruck princess didn’t notice. Instead, she set a new goal in her heart. Her original plan to support Klaus in developing the forest had collapsed, but she wasn’t one to give up.

(His back is still so far away… but I won’t give up! In the days we spend together, I’ll catch up to you, even if just a little!)

And so began Klaus’s days in the Great Forest of the Underworld.