****
In a previous life, when China suffered a crushing defeat against Korea in a soccer match, one fan voiced this doubt.
"Out of China's 1.4 billion people, why can't they pick out eleven who are good at soccer?"
It was a self-deprecating sentiment laced with a sense of futility.
But what stuck with me more than the question itself was the response from the Chinese fans.
"That's because China's Messi and China's Ronaldo are out there hoeing fields in the countryside."
"What's the point of having a huge population if there's no system to nurture individual talent?"
"Only the kids with money play soccer here."
Back then, as a Korean, I just laughed it off.
But now, I realized those words weren't far from the truth.
Everyone is born with some innate talent.
Yet in this world, nearly every nation predetermined one's path based on birth, making it incredibly difficult to pursue excellence in any field, no matter the talent.
"I never realized how many people were walking the wrong path like this."
Even in our Reinhartz Kingdom alone, 99% of the population were commoners.
No matter how much better off they were than medieval Earth's peasants, the unbreakable wall of class status left commoners with only limited choices for their future.
Unless someone developed the Myriad Mirror that I possessed, this system would never change.
Thus, not a single word from those Chinese fans was wrong.
In fact, just looking at the talents I'd scouted with the Myriad Mirror brought a hollow laugh.
"Allen Lopez, the outcast knight of the Otis Count family."
"Barbara Anderson, a day laborer from a peasant background."
"Eric Jones, a soldier turned bugler just because he could play an instrument."
"Nicole Brown, the cheeky boy who came to sell adult magazines to the troops."
"Linda Noah, the camp follower from the neighboring unit, and so on."
These were living examples of true talent wasted.
Each possessed top-grade talent in one area, yet they'd veered off course into utterly unremarkable lives.
"Could I really become a mage? The mana sensitivity test came back negative."
"The equipment they used must have been faulty."
"But..."
Linda Noah, who shared top-grade talent specialized in magic alongside Allen Lopez, glanced at me cautiously before asking.
To recruit her, I'd bribed her family with 400 million roots and handed her a 100 million signing bonus, plus promised a hefty salary.
Naturally, as a commoner, she couldn't refuse such terms, but she clearly struggled to understand my motives.
And this bewilderment wasn't limited to Linda—it extended to the others sitting with us.
"You'll understand in time."
I gave her a vague answer on purpose.
I'd recruited them, but trust wasn't established yet.
No way was I revealing my secrets.
"There's no need to question it. Just follow the young master's orders to the best of your ability."
At that moment, Barbara Anderson, the burly day laborer sitting with us, scolded Linda in his gruff voice.
She flinched as the bear-like man leaned in, but soon nodded, scratching her cheek, agreeing it was sound advice.
Barbara, along with Nicole Brown—the only minor in the group—possessed exceptional sword talent.
Unlike Linda, who had taken a mana test early on, the two hailed from impoverished villages with no access to testing. Without my offer, they'd have wasted their lives on odd jobs.
As a result, they showed the most outward gratitude and loyalty toward me.
Of course, I wasn't the type to trust surface-level loyalty; I just saw them as easy to manage.
"Have you chosen?"
By the way, we weren't in the barracks right now. We'd slipped out to the royal capital, 100 km from the base.
I'd ditched our escorts and chained teleports to get here, making tails unlikely.
"Wait just a moment."
I'd shoved them into a luxury clothing store. The sudden visit was to spruce up their appearances as my people.
Except for regular knight Lopez, none had ever known financial comfort, so they hesitated to stand tall in the upscale shop.
"I'll take this one."
Bugler Eric Jones alone picked out what he liked with calm ease.
A choice blind to price.
I nodded approvingly at Eric.
"Good choice. It suits you all well."
"Can't tarnish my master's honor."
His brazenness, fitting for someone with such unique talent, appealed to me.
He had no aptitude for sword or magic.
But he was a rare case with "Political Acumen (Top-Grade)," "Administrative Skill (High-Grade)," and the trait "Eloquence."
In some ways, more valuable than magic or sword skills—he was the one I watched most closely.
"Don't worry about price. Get outfits that suit you."
Everything's hardest at the start.
With Eric leading by example and finishing his shopping, the others soon followed suit with the clerks' help.
"I still prefer something comfortable like a uniform over these."
Lopez picked and donned clothes resembling knight's regalia.
"You're not a soldier anymore."
Talent means nothing without proper training.
From now on, they'd receive tailored education not in a military unit, but in an external residence.
We were changing their appearances first to help them adapt to the new environment.
Not just clothes—we fitted them with accessories and the latest wrist-terminal devices, akin to Earth's smartphones.
Afterward, I led them to an upscale residential complex.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes, this is where you'll live."
A sprawling mansion with a fountain courtyard and thirty-two rooms.
A place ordinary commoners couldn't even dream of—this was their temporary home.
Gathering their stunned gazes as jaws dropped, I spoke.
"Butlers and servants are already hired. From now on, you won't need to worry about anything but your training."
I operated my terminal, transferring 20 million roots each to theirs.
"Separate from your signing bonuses, here's your advance pay."
20 million roots monthly, 240 million annually.
Terms identical regardless of prior status.
To win their hearts, secrets were needed, but the simplest way was money.
Monetary rewards not only motivated them but also demonstrated my own capabilities.
So I never skimped on spending.
"We'll do our utmost to meet your expectations."
Lopez, their de facto leader, saluted knight-style. I nodded.
"Prove my judgment right, and the rewards will grow accordingly."
For everyone except the knight Lopez, this was like hitting the jackpot.
Beaming at their excitement, I flashed a benevolent smile.
"I'll understand if effort doesn't yield quick results."
But unlike the gentle smile, my next words carried a chill edge.
"Don't slack off and disappoint me. And don't go blabbing unnecessarily to put me in a tough spot."
Violate that, and they wouldn't escape unscathed.
The five swallowed hard and replied gravely.
"Yes!"
Satisfied, I added more.
"If anyone tempts you to betray me with bribes, don't overthink—just report it. I'll pay double whatever they offer. No betrayal, and you profit—best of both worlds, right?"
Of course, getting caught trying to game that would mean doom.
"Bribes...? Could our families be taken hostage?"
"Unlikely."
My only real enemies now were Cedric and Anna.
Foolish as they were, they wouldn't touch another lord's subjects.
"But if it somehow happens, report it immediately. Even if those thugs get what they want, they won't spare commoners like you. Better I hire top mercenaries to rescue your families."
Soon, this mansion would fill with my recruits.
My task was creating an environment where they could bloom worry-free.
Extravagant spending? No—this was investment.
Investment in quality human resources.
***
I didn't return to base right away.
When the time came to clash with Anna and Cedric, I'd need a safe haven for Mother.
A sort of safehouse?
But first...
"Gah!"
There was a rat to deal with.
"Hey."
I waved at the knight, who'd foolishly followed me into a deserted alley and now dangled by his collar.
"L-Lieutenant Colonel? What is this?"
"How'd you find this place? I thought I'd shaken you."
I snatched the dagger from his belt and asked the flustered man.
His name was Berto, a regular knight at aura user level, reporting my situation to Cedric.
I'd considered ignoring him at first, but the Myriad Mirror's recent scan piqued my interest, so I decided to subdue him.
"What do you mean, sir?"
"I already know you're the rat Cedric planted. Want to die? Or answer my questions?"
I nodded at Arsia. She fluttered her white dress hem and slammed the burly knight to the ground with inhuman strength belying her petite frame.
"Guh!"
Berto gasped at the impact beyond imagination, summoning his aura to flee. But an aura user like him couldn't escape Arsia, who'd reached aura expert.
Seeing the formless energy ripple around her like heat haze, Berto's eyes bulged in disbelief.
That was the signature phenomenon when an aura expert reinforced their body.
"My God..."
Realizing Arsia's level, he truly believed she might kill him.
[Relationship: Neutral / Hostile Faction]
[Status: Fear, Panic, Acceptance]
Her identity could ignite a threat to my safety.
Cedric wanted me to wither away.
If it leaked that Arsia wasn't just a lover but a disguised bodyguard knight, his wariness would spike.
That would lead to the worst outcome, so eliminating witnesses was the logical step.
"I checked the Teleport Management Bureau. You have a connection to Young Master Cedric."
To save his skin, he spilled the truth.
"I see."
The Myriad Mirror confirmed he spoke facts.
I tapped his cheek with the confiscated dagger; his face paled further.
To the terrified man, I wove Myriad Mirror info with lies.
"I've known for a while you've been reporting on me to Cedric. But something stood out."
"Yes?"
"For someone following his orders, you weren't openly hostile toward me. Felt like you collected intel half-heartedly."
Not bullshit—he grasped his own position perfectly—Berto looked like he'd seen a ghost.
His gaze lingered on Arsia, he groaned softly, and swallowed.
"You've already prepared countermeasures against Young Master Cedric?"
From his view, that was the only explanation.
He had intel-gathering skills and a high knight flawlessly concealing her aura.
Impossible without his own faction, obviously.
Thus, to him, I became far scarier than Cedric.
Cedric started with everything; I endured intense scrutiny without backing. Worlds apart.
I smiled, letting him think what he would.
"How did you..."
"Enough."
Savoring his shocked face, I pressed the dagger to his forehead.
"Don't want to die?"
"Y-Yes."
"Then side with me."
"..."
"Not asking much. Just report the same from now on. Nothing special today beyond gaming. Total shut-in gamer."
As the dagger nicked his brow with my question, he quickly agreed.