Overpowered Extra Noble in a Novel

The season had passed through spring and moved into a cool autumn, where the oppressive heat had subsided.

As was common in any village, the village at the edge of the empire, Ruben, was also joyfully reaping the fruits of its labor cultivated over time.

This was the twentieth autumn this world had seen since I had arrived.

This year, unlike last year, the surprisingly expansive fields of Ruben village were dyed golden, thanks to a bountiful harvest.

The heads of rice swayed gently in the refreshing breeze, as if bowing down.

The sky was clear and crystal, as if it were the day after the rain.

Watching the tranquil scenery of the golden fields soothed the worries about survival and the future that had tired my mind.

After all, even with the appropriate share given to the tax collector of the great lord, the fields were abundant enough to leave a good surplus. The extent of this year’s harvest in Ruben was so immense that it would look like a great bounteous year.

The village people often handed over about thirty percent of the harvest, so this time, it seemed the Manor’s warehouse would be filled to the brim, with some left over.

There is a saying that generosity flourishes when the barn is full, isn’t there?

With the reassurance that starvation was not an issue anymore, it was easy to appreciate the fields leisurely.

Even someone like me who had no interest in farming could feel this way, so imagine how the villagers felt.

Naturally, the faces of those preparing for the harvest were filled with joy and happiness.

However, the villagers stepping into the field were filled with tension.

“Absolutely no one should approach!”

“You’ll die if you collide! If you don’t want to end up a widow, stay back and watch out!”

Colorful, giant fences were gradually positioned beyond the field.

During the autumn harvest season, wild animals were especially rampant. Usually, boars and packs of wild dogs were the most common.

Of course, harvesting requires a minimum of safety.

One might think, why all the fuss over catching wild animals, right? However, the wild animals here are vastly different from those I had seen in my previous life.

‘Ordinary humans wouldn’t stand a chance against these beasts.’

The first wild boar I had encountered was as big as a house. Or maybe it was even bigger?

At that point, I was only about 130 cm tall, so perhaps I had perceived it as larger due to the height difference. Either way, its size was strange enough to kill with simple impact.

It wasn’t just the boar. All the beasts that appeared afterward were of enormous size.

I recall that there was considerable hardship in the beginning when we started hunting due to the size of these beasts. Now, the hunts run smoothly, but…

When you think about it, this is a world dotted with strange monsters all over the continent. Wild animals would need to be at least that large to survive out there.

Anyway, this has been going on for the fifth year in a row.

Perhaps because we’ve done it every year, everyone now moves in a well-organized manner. From my perch at the edge of the field, the fences have spread in a fan-like manner toward the mountains.

“Here it comes!”

“Just do as we’ve practiced! Whatever you do, don’t provoke it!”

Through the continuous shouts, a faint rumble of the ground could be heard. A heavy sense of movement, like a drumbeat echoing in my chest, was palpable. The faint vibration reached my feet.

This rumbling was usually a sign of an approaching boar. These beasts emitted their presence from afar, proportionate to their size.

Sure enough, a massive gray figure large enough to obscure the distant mountains appeared.

The boar rushing toward the field was truly gigantic. Its gray, muscular body was covered in scars of all sizes. The enormous tusks growing from its snout and the fierce expression suggested that it had been a formidable contender in the mountains.

‘This one’s a bit strange.’

The aura it emanated was similar to the monsters occasionally seen within the mountains.

“Master Cain! It’s coming toward you!”

With the worried cries of the people, I brushed off the dust and stood up.

‘Let’s catch it and see.’

There were no other beasts rushing toward us. This year’s autumn hunt seems to be wrapping up rather anticlimactically.

I glared at the eyes of the boar thunderously running toward us, shaking the ground.

As soon as the battle began, my heartbeat gradually increased. My breathing grew rough, and my body felt as if fire was rising within.

Despite the explosive force and breathing, I quietly drew my sword.

The clear and cool metallic sound of the blade leaving its sheath spread around and instantly extinguished the inner fire that seemed ready to consume my body.

As always, when I grasped the sword, the complicated thoughts and heat that troubled me disappeared.

Tightening my grip on the loosely held sword, I stopped my breathing.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The boar galloped powerfully without emitting a sound.

The vibration transmitted through my feet grew stronger, and soon the large, dull gray body of the creature was close enough to almost fill my entire field of vision.

The distance was within ten steps—just right.

I lunged forward and swung the sword.

Crack!

At the moment the blade met the boar’s tusks, a strong shock ran through my hand holding the sword, but only for a moment.

The sharp steel shattered the tusk and plunged into the boar’s fierce face. The sensation of tearing muscles and sturdy bones reverberated through the sword into my palm.

I suppressed the slight strain on my right arm and powered through, allowing the sword to penetrate the boar’s body without hesitation. In the end, the blade cleanly split the body in two.

A loud thud behind me and the slight trembling of the earth marked the fall of the beast.

“It’s…a mountain boar.”

“That big one was taken down with one strike!”

Ignoring the murmurs, I turned my gaze to the end of the fence.

At the end of the fence, I had stationed a hunter to observe approaching animals early on.

This hunter hunted animals alongside birds he had raised. Above his head, a large bird circled steadily at a constant speed.

The hunter, alternating between watching the bird and the ridge, waved his arms widely.

This meant there were no other approaching beasts.

As the intense tension was released, a breath I had been holding was let out.

“Hoo…”

I shook off the blade and turned my gaze to the boar’s corpse.

The blood slowly oozed from the fallen body, soaking the dirt floor.

The cross-section was incredibly clean.

It was so precise that if the two halves were pushed together, there was no sign it had been cut.

‘Feels good today.’

Although I did it, it was an impeccably clean strike.

The original plan was to stab it and knock it down, but the leftover force allowed me to push through, resulting in the beast being cleanly cut in half.

‘If I’m this strong, I could probably shatter stones with my bare hands.’

Ever since I awakened to the memories of my past life at the age of ten, the strength that emerged had grown powerful enough to cut through house-sized boars.

With this power, I’d need to return to the manor and practice controlling it. With the money I’d saved now spent, if I destroy any furniture, I won’t have the means to replace it.

‘Maybe I should visit the master.’

The elderly man with whitened hair and a single arm came to mind. He was probably enjoying a peaceful nap at the moment.

I shook my head and redirected my attention to the people working.

“Malcolm! Please take care of the clean-up. The boar can be shared like before.”

“Yes, Master Cain! I’ll separate the best parts and send them over.”

Nodding at the spirited replies from Malcolm and the men,

The scent of animal skins and blood would prevent other animals from approaching for some time. Now that we’ve caught the alpha, that time should be longer.

There was nothing else to do in the field, so I decided to head home and exercise.

I messed up the hair of the local children who were looking at me with sparkling eyes and continued walking.

“It’s a fine day.”

The clouds floated peacefully, and it was a tranquil day.

Compared to my previous life, there’s no extra entertainment in this plain village life. The most exciting rumor going around was that the timid youngest child in the village had drawn a map with his own urine.

Someone might say the village of Ruben is quite boring, but I’m fairly satisfied with life here.

It’s much more leisurely than being overwhelmed by debts, and I prefer it this way. Working 140 hours a week almost killed me, and I needed some relaxation.

‘Died from overwork, huh.’

Died from overworking, not from an accident or illness.

Who would have thought I’d actually end up in a situation I only ever read about in news articles?

While raising younger siblings alone and trying to pay off our parents’ debts was an inevitable choice.

It was unavoidable, but thinking about how I ended up dying from work alone at a young age without even having a chance to fall in love was extremely frustrating.

‘But, I’ve been reborn.’

A world just like the novels I read in my previous life.

Born, of all places, in the ambiguous Altain Empire.

Though there were a few small points that caught me off guard, I was ultimately given a second life.

I somehow possess some great power, and the era provides a suitable stage for using it.

While focusing on keeping healthy and taking things slow, I planned to travel around when the time is right.

Work? That’s something I’ve moved on from.

I didn’t want to die again.

Just as I was contemplating this grand plan for the future, I arrived in front of the old Manor.

“Huh?”

Instead of the empty space the Manor usually presented, there were people gathered around.

Beyond the gathered people of the Ruben village, a group clearly different from the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere of the village was visible.

Knights armed with shining metal armor. Soldiers holding long poles with banners.

The heavily imposing presence of a large, ornate carriage stood in front of the orderly rows of soldiers and knights in front of the Manor.

“Ugh…”

This was a remote corner of the frontier, far from the main areas of the empire.

There was no reason for any noble who could mobilize armed knights and soldiers to casually visit such a backwater village.

They weren’t here for leisure either.

This carriage wasn’t the one belonging to Lord Hasen either, the noble who governed the northeastern regions including Ruben village.

The insignia on the banner was both familiar and strange. A symbol that any noble with a title in the Empire would recognize.

‘The Royal Family.’

A crow holding a silver bellflower.

This emblem represented Lord Palenburg Altine, the rulers of the Altain Empire.

“Phew…”

I cautiously weaved through the gathered crowd to reach the front of the Manor. The rigid handmaiden Rani greeted me with a wave.

“Master!”

A middle-aged noble in splendid formal wear turned at Rani’s call.

“…Are you Cain MacBilian?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

Despite the strange sense of foreboding, I answered, and the middle-aged noble nodded. Looking around his surroundings and pulling out a grand gold-embossed document from his robes, he unfolded it.

A large piece of paper with elegant handwriting and the emperor’s seal embossed at the bottom—this was the imperial decree.

As it was revealed, the soldiers raised their banners high.

“Bow down and show respect!”

The serious declaration made the villagers fall flat on the ground in unison.

Even children who were staring blankly at the noble quickly knelt down, pulled by their parents, presenting quite a unique sight as everyone uniformly bowed down.

As I went through the remembered formalities and maintained a bow, the middle-aged noble cleared his throat and loudly proclaimed.

“In the name of the great and benevolent sovereign, Empress Iris Palenburg Altine, I declare the commencement of the Noble Selection! The selected candidates should promptly prepare their belongings and enter the palace to attend the Selection!”

Startled by the unexpected words, I raised my head, forgetting etiquette.

Looking at the middle-aged noble for an explanation, but he remained stern with his head held high, holding up the imperial edict.

“The Noble Selection?”

“Shh! Be quiet, person! Don’t you see the noble speaks?”

Voices of the villagers quietly conversing while listening to the imperial decree reached my ears.

‘No way.’

The Noble Selection?

The ridiculous test to select the empress’s husband?

I thought it had been conducted in spring and summer already, but its repetition suggests that no one has passed yet.

Moreover… come to think of it, the emperor’s envoy rarely came to this frontier to announce the Selection.

I had only heard casually through Lord Hasen about the Selections that took place in spring and summer before.

‘No way, surely!’

Thud!

When the knight stomped his foot, the villagers fell silent.

The middle-aged noble confirmed the quiet and reinforced my doubts with another loud proclamation.

“In the honorable and glorious role as a potential consort to Her Majesty, the candidate Cain MacBilian is to enter the selection with full preparation. That is all!”

As my suspicion turned to reality, there was no way to suppress the rising frustration but to mutter,

“What the hell….”

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