When I first transmigrated into this world, fear of the foreign tribes was at the forefront of my mind.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel excited, recalling the success stories of countless protagonists from transmigration novels.
Through transmigration and regression, they gained advanced insights and information from the future, allowing them to achieve great feats more easily than others.
On top of that, they mingled with beautiful heroines, envisioned building a harem, and were constantly praised and admired by those around them.
…It’s all complete nonsense.
A world where everyone is endlessly kind to the protagonist, a world shaped by the author’s convenience, doesn’t exist in reality.
Human society isn’t that soft.
Especially in this conservative and rigid medieval society, the limitations of one’s birth played a significant role in determining success.
Being half-royal and half-commoner was a shackle for me.
That’s why, even after multiple regressions, I chose to rely on the princess rather than directly seize the throne myself.
In short, the so-called “special privileges” were a joke.
The limitations of one’s birth were something nearly impossible, if not entirely impossible, to overcome.
Of course, it’s too early to think only negatively.
There were certainly differences from before.
The emperor wasn’t yet ill, and I hadn’t been swept up helplessly in the political turmoil. And perhaps…
“If only you had helped me back then!”
Suddenly, a memory from the first loop after my transmigration surfaced.
At the end of each loop, I would face a girl I never really spoke to, and her words suddenly came back to me.
“Back then. Could this be a clue?”
I had investigated this matter during my numerous regressions.
However, even after scouring all the books in the imperial archives, I found only a few brief mentions of interactions with the foreign tribes.
There was nothing substantial.
It was as if the records had been deliberately erased.
No matter how little interest the empire had in the foreign tribes, the lack of information was suspicious.
So, while I still felt frustrated and negative, the emergence of a new variable gave me some motivation.
Even though the fear of the final loop remained, I decided to stake my fate on this new change.
“……So, are you done talking to yourself?”
The blond man in front of me, Kyle, was looking at me with a bewildered expression, clearly unable to hold back any longer as he raised an eyebrow.
Ah, right.
I had called him here and then forgotten about him.
Kyle, the son of a merchant from the Kingdom.
I first met him during my initial loop when I was investigating the First Prince’s forces.
In every loop since, he had been a great help to me.
After leaving the Kingdom, which looked down on merchants, and settling in the Empire, he took over his father’s business and awakened an incredible talent for commerce, expanding his trade network across the nation.
By the time the foreign tribes invaded the continent, he had amassed the greatest wealth and become the head of a major trade guild.
A significant part of his success was due to his vast information network.
The intelligence organizations he set up in each branch of his trade guild were highly competent, sometimes even handling information more valuable than that of the imperial intelligence agencies.
Of course, his competence was one thing, but personally, he was also a fun guy to talk to, which is why, along with the Saintess, he was the first person I sought out in every regression.
“With a guest right in front of you, you still drift off into your own world and mutter to yourself. Even after seeing all sorts of people, I still can’t get used to it.”
“Your Highness talking to himself is one thing, but usually, he just stares blankly, then suddenly starts crying or gives a creepy smile. Honestly, it’s quite terrifying.”
Kyle’s complaint was accompanied by Yuria’s vivid account.
“Hey, Yuria. I’m still a prince, you know? Calling my smile ‘creepy’ is a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
“But it’s true, though.”
Well, she’s not wrong.
I wanted to say something, but it was clear I’d only get more criticism.
In situations like this, it’s best to quickly change the subject.
“By the way, didn’t you say you were heading to the Kingdom for a trade trip? Why did you suddenly change your route and come here? Something about the trade guild?”
“Ah, well, now that I’ve got a connection with an imperial prince, of course I should show my face often. You’re like a lottery ticket that hasn’t been scratched yet. Haha.”
“A prince with no real power is just a name. I can guarantee you that lottery ticket is a dud.”
As I self-deprecated, Kyle, who had been laughing, pulled out a document from his briefcase and placed it on the table.
“I looked into what you asked. You wanted me to find out everything I could about the foreign tribes, right? Honestly, considering the cost and time, interacting with them isn’t profitable. But hey, when the major shareholder speaks, I can’t exactly refuse.”
“Get on with it!”
Back when Kyle was short on funds and in need, I invested all my resources in him, so my influence over him was even greater than in previous lives.
I asked him to investigate the foreign tribes, and he quickly brought me the information.
This regression point was two years earlier than before, and the biggest difference was that interactions with the foreign tribes hadn’t been cut off yet.
Of course, given the distance, the frequency wasn’t high, but the fact that interactions hadn’t ceased was significant. It suggested a lot.
The ‘event’ hadn’t happened yet.
“Call it prejudice, but I initially thought the foreign tribes were warlike and aggressive, but they’re actually quite quiet and mild-mannered. It was surprising.”
“Quiet and mild?”
The foreign tribes in this timeline, two years earlier, seemed different from the ones I knew.
In every loop, they crossed the border, destroyed everything in sight, and always found new ways to corner me.
Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake in your investigation?
Ignoring my strange expression, Kyle continued.
“Recently, there’s been some tension between the foreign tribes and the Empire’s northern territories. Some factions of the foreign tribes crossed into imperial territory, laid down mats, and just stayed there. They claim they were forced out by something and had no choice. On the other hand, the northern territories are furious, saying they can’t just invade with weapons and are preparing to retaliate, accusing them of territorial ambitions.”
This is new.
I hadn’t experienced this in previous loops.
I perked up my ears and listened intently.
“However, there hasn’t been any direct conflict yet. To resolve this issue, the foreign tribes—specifically, the Bow Tribe, I think?—are sending an envoy to the capital.”
“…An envoy!”
‘Why didn’t I have access to such crucial information in previous lives?’
It was puzzling, but I felt like I had grasped an important clue.
Based on my past experiences, for reasons unknown, the foreign tribes would eventually enter a period of war.
Given the Empire’s indifference, if not hostility, towards the foreign tribes, it was inevitable that relations would deteriorate further.
The point is, if I miss this opportunity, it’s over.
The Bow Tribe has always been the leading force in invading the Empire.
So, it’s even more crucial to befriend them, even if it means facing opposition from all the nobles in the Empire.
“You, let’s work together.”
“Huh? Aren’t we already working together? More importantly, Your Highness, your eyes are spinning. It’s kind of scary.”
“There’s something perfectly suited for you.”
*
In a small carriage heading towards the capital from the rugged northern lands, a girl with lustrous, neatly braided hair was dozing off, leaning against the wooden wall.
The beast that came to her in her dreams brought her the familiar sights of her homeland.
The vast northern grasslands.
Livestock grazing on the vegetation, young men of the foreign tribes managing them, women milking the animals and preserving the food, and children gathered together, playing sword fights on horseback.
In the midst of nature, all of this harmonized, and the Bow Tribe’s village was peaceful. Yes, until the anomaly appeared.
The anomaly.
The atmosphere changed in an instant.
A dark, gloomy mood began to envelop the grasslands.
Soon, a red tide covered the once-blue sky, spreading in all directions, turning into flaming arrows.
The flaming arrows rained down on the Bow Tribe’s village, and the fire quickly consumed the flammable huts, the rising flames signaling the beginning of the catastrophe.
“I-It’s the infected! Run, quickly!”
The sound of fire spreading in all directions and the screams of terrified women and children began to echo across the grasslands.
This was a dream, no, the beginning of a nightmare that tormented her.