It was not cloudy today.
The gentle breeze, wrapped in warm sunshine, blew in from the open windows of the castle, dispelling the damp feeling of living by the sea.
Xia Zuoyi sneezed a little.
He withdrew his gaze from the group of seabirds flying by the window and looked at Butler Johnson, who was two meters away from him.
The old butler was in a mess. His hair was scattered on his forehead, his clothes wrinkled, and his hands tied behind his back as he knelt on the hard stone floor.
—He was found guilty of stealing the owner’s property.
He was crying bitterly and telling Xia Zuoyi about his former master-servant relationship, trying to impress the young master who had inherited the Earl’s title at the age of only six, hoping that the other would forgive him for the sake of the late Earl.
“God of Creation, I sincerely confess my sins…”
The old Johnson, who had exhausted all his acting skills, raised his head when he saw the little master, who had not spoken for a long time, started speaking. His expression was happy, thinking that things would finally turn around.
Xia Zuoyi’s voice was slightly childish but indisputable, “Needless to say, in the end, today next year will be your death anniversary. I don’t want to hear dead people’s nonsense.”
After speaking, he raised his hand slightly.
The knight standing quietly on the side understood and came forward, dragging the stupefied and pale old Johnson away.
After the maid also left, only Xia Zuoyi remained in the room.
He sneezed twice uncontrollably.
The cold caused by falling into the sea has not been completely cured, causing him slight headaches and nasal congestion.
Xia Zuoyi stretched out two slightly chubby hands, pulled the blanket, and wrapped himself in the shape of a Russian doll before comfortably nesting in the large chair and closing his eyes.
“System.”
【Buddha System 098 is at your service.】
The stickman with the number 098 above his head jumped out.
Xia Zuoyi: “Did the plot deviate?”
The stickman pulled a battery icon, which was blank after the battery was exhausted. It said that the plot deviated by 0%.
Xia Zuoyi sighed.
He traversed inside a novel.
A romantic Mary Sue novel with the background of Western medieval fantasy.
He was certainly not the Mary Sue heroine, but cannon fodder with a total screentime of ten chapters.
Within ten chapters: debuts, brain damage, death, finally convicted of sodomy, and tragically ends his life by hanging.
He fulfilled the role of a vicious tool man and plot bulldozer with due diligence.
And the old Butler Johnson was a cunning villain who set up obstacles on his path as a bulldozer—bewitching, deceiving, and seizing power just to usurp his ‘throne’.
Unfortunately, the Earl’s title could only be inherited by blood.
After learning the plot, Xia Zuoyi’s first solution was the old Johnson who embezzled the castle’s property.
However, the result was in sight—the plot did not deviate in the slightest.
According to the system explanation—everything in the novel was an established fate.
For example, the heroine and the hero must be together.
Another example was Xia Zuoyi’s inevitable death.
…
Even if Xia Zuoyi stayed away from the heroine and escaped being hanged, he would, later on, be burned, drowned, or fatally smashed due to various accidents…
Unless he changed the fate of the world.
It was obvious that the early completion of old Johnson’s scene did not affect the fate of the world, not even a bit. ‘Stingy.’
System 098:【The novel is centered around the heroine.】
【In other words, the world line outside the heroine is missing and incomplete.】
【For example, the book only mentions the Eastern Continent once, in two sentences, without too much description. The host is located on the Western Continent, so it is impossible to find the Eastern Continent in any case.】
【When the heroine dies, the world will collapse.】
Xia Zuoyi was not afraid of death. However, he did not want to die because of the brain damage of irrelevant people.
“What should I do?”
【This world is set in a fictional ancient Western medieval setting, but with fantasy and unrealistic elements added.】
System 098 gave an example,【In reality, in the Middle Ages, there were many religions, such as Christianity and Catholicism. But in this world, there was only the God of Creation, the God who created all things in the world.】
【The God of Creation loves the sacred flower Belanka. It is said that people who are favored by the gods can make the white sacred flower bloom bright red.】
…
Some of them were different from the real Western Middle Ages, but they also highly coincide.
System 098:【This world is undoubtedly backward and ignorant like in the Middle Ages.】
【In reality, after the Middle Ages, there will still be world processes. In the final analysis, it is the promotion of development. Please clarify the essence of development.】
Xia Zuoyi: “…Do you take part-time job exams for politics?”
The stickman knocked on the blackboard, 【It is the emergence of new things and the extinction of old things.】
【098 intimately produced strategies for the host not to die. To seek progress—all-around capital construction.】
【Referred to as infrastructure.】
【It can not only avoid the inevitable outcome but also mend the world line and change the fate of the world from collapsing.】
098’s intimate strategy was indeed the best way that Xia Zuoyi could think of.
【Does the host accept: Yes. No.】
“Yes.”
As soon as his voice fell, there was a sudden change in his vision.
A three-dimensional map of the Western Continent slowly rose on the system interface.
There were seas, mountains, and water… There were also two empires, all small countries, and cities…
【Lighting up the host’s existing territory: Wissas (countryside)】
With the sound of System 098, a gray small city near the sea in the Kingdom of Gadaat instantly shimmered and became clear.
The area and population of the territory were marked on the top.
System 098:【From now on, Wissas will be the starting point of the host’s all-around infrastructure. The gray parts were the areas that the host would strive hard to get in the future.】
【Come on, host, 098 is optimistic about you.】
“…”
The Kingdom of Gadaat. A small country occupying a small territory on the map of the Western Continent.
Wissas. A small and poor territory on the remote seashore of the Kingdom of Gadaat. Oh, it was country.
He would aim for in the future… was the entire Western Continent?
Xia Zuoyi felt his head ache, “You really think highly of me.”
He noticed that at the top right of the system interface, there was a battery icon representing the plot deviation, followed by a white building icon. It said reputation value: 0.
“What is this?”
【 Given the host’s lack of knowledge reserve, 098 especially opened the all-around library for you. The host can exchange reputation value for the qualification of reading related books.】
【Note: Reputation value can only be obtained in the host’s territory.】
What was reputation value?
—It was the value of admiration from the people.
That was to say, it depended on the recognition of the people living in the Territory of Wissas to their lord.
Xia Zuoyi Desinia’s mother died in childbirth when she gave birth to him. His father, Matt Desinia, indulged in alchemy. He abandoned the administrative management of Wissas while significantly increasing the taxes in the territory…
The remote coastal “countryside” had naturally become even poorer.
Matt Desinia’s reputation could be imagined.
The whole Desinia family did not have an excellent reputation in the hearts of the commoners of Wissas.
After the accidental death of Matt Desinia, the Desinia family was inherited by Xia Zuoyi Desinia—a six-year-old young Earl who could not make a difference. In the eyes of the commoners of Wissas, he could not improve their lives.
—There was a long way to go.
Being able to exchange reputation value for related knowledge was good news for Xia Zuoyi.
The heroine lived in the Saint Airo Empire, one of the two empires, that often had conflicts and wars with the Anas Empire.
As for the Gadaat Kingdom—it was backward, impoverished, and inconspicuous, just waiting to be conquered by the male lead.
Before the plot developed, there was plenty of time for Xia Zuoyi to prepare a foothold in the capital.
It was a tough start.
Although he had the status of nobility and the title of Earl, there were also differences between Earls. It all depended on the location and scope of the territory.
Wissas ranked last.
Xia Zuoyi took a deep breath, “No wonder it’s cannon fodder.”
System 098:【Host, what else can I do for you?】
“None for the time being.”
After Xia Zuoyi finished speaking, the stickman pulled out a package from the frame of the system interface and carried it behind him.
【In this case, 098 will travel. Starting offline auto-reply mode. If the host has any problem, you can send a universe email to 098’s universe mailbox.】
Xia Zuoyi became dumbfounded, “You? Go traveling?”
【Yes, the universe is so big, 098 wants to see it.】
【Please rest assured that the return channel is fast and safe. 098 will bring gifts to the host when it comes back.】
Xia Zuoyi did not quite understand the system.
“Aren’t you staying to monitor the progress of the plot?”
【Please say the full name of 098.】
“…Buddha System 098?”
【Please be aware that 098 is the 98th in the Buddhism Series. It is necessary to implement the idea of Buddhism for the task of the host. To be a Buddhist system, one should have no desire, be peaceful, have no supervision, and all depend on the self-consciousness of the host.】
“…What were the other series?”
【Sand sculpture1 series, local tyrant2 series, secondary two3 series, krypton gold4 series…】
Xia Zuoyi: “Sounds like you’re more normal.”
【Thanks for complimenting 098, host.】
The conversation ended and 098 left.
At the top left of the system interface, there was a stickman avatar. He just had to click it if he wanted to send an email.
Xia Zuoyi opened his eyes. It was still sunny outside the window.
He lifted the tightly wrapped blanket and stood up on the back of his chair. The chair’s height was enough to allow him to look out the window at the magnificent Cogit Ocean.
Xia Zuoyi muttered to himself, “Marine economy…”
The most valuable and useful thing in the poor Wissas Territory was probably the right to use the waters of the Cogit Ocean.
In the novel, the Cogit Ocean, the most expansive ocean on the Western Continent, connected two inland rivers—the Volley River flows through the Anas Empire and the Abutin River flows through the Saint Airo Empire.
And the farthest end of the Cogit Ocean was the Eastern Continent.
Xia Zuoyi’s chubby fingers crossed the back of the chair, thinking silently.
At this moment, the system made a beep.
A mail was delivered.
Xia Zuoyi wondered to himself, ‘The system did not take long traveling.’
He poked open the shaking head of the stickman.
The email popped out—【Dear host, I forgot to give you the book-wearing bonus. I have chosen the bonus of infrastructure strategy as there is a natural asphalt mine on Pal Mountain adjacent to Wissas. Attached is a map showing the detailed location.】
And then there was a JPG image at the back.
Xia Zuoyi was startled, “Natural asphalt mine.”
He knew that this was a widely used waterproof and anti-corrosion material in civil engineering.
It had to be said that the bonus provided by the system was very practical.
The only question was how could he bring Pal Mountain into the territory of Wissas and become his own private property.
Gazing at the gray Pal Mountain on the map, Xia Zuoyi became lost in thought.
For the time being, let us put the problem of Pal Mountain on the shelf.
Xia Zuoyi called the young maid, Kelly, and asked, “Where’s the man who rescued me from the sea?”
Kelly looked a little nervous. Her sweaty hand scratched her skirt, “My lord, he’s in prison.”
Xia Zuoyi frowned slightly, making Kelly even more nervous.
After the old Butler Johnson was dealt with vigorously, she could not help but realize that the little Earl in front of her was different from the old Earl who was extremely addicted to alchemy and ignored the government affairs of the castle…
She was a little worried about the innocent Udit Jensen.
Xia Zuoyi Desinia was swept away by the waves because of his playfulness and because the old Johnson was careless and negligent.
At that time, there were a lot of male servants, but the only one who did not hesitate to save him was Udit Jensen.
After being rescued, Xia Zuoyi Desinia had a high fever.
In an era when an illness could kill people, Udit Jensen was convicted.
The charge was that he did not rescue the little Earl earlier, causing the little Earl to become unconscious with a high fever.
It sounded ridiculous, but such charges were completely feasible throughout the Western Continent.
The aristocratic privilege was above all else.
The lives of civilians and slaves were as low as dirt.
Udit Jensen should not have been convicted.
However, if Xia Zuoyi Desinia died, the old butler Johnson would be the first to bear the brunt. To shirk responsibility and escape punishment, he naturally wanted to find someone to be the scapegoat.
High-rank “officials” were killing people.
Udit Jensen had no way to resist.
Xia Zuoyi had no idea he was in prison. He said, “Bring him here.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Udit Jensen was quickly escorted into the room and made to kneel on the cold floor.
Life in prison, even for two days, was probably difficult.
His face was pale, his lips were dry, and there was a little stubble on his chin. However, his hair was neatly combed behind his head, and although his clothes were slightly dirty, there were only a few wrinkles, and they just stuck to his body because of the moisture.
He took care of himself well and his spirit was not dampened by the unreasonable charge. His expression was plain, without the slightest fear or anxiety.
Xia Zuoyi retracted his gaze. His decision to let him go after giving some rewards changed.
“Name.”
The tender voice sounded.
Udit Jensen raised his eyes, which had been lowered since he entered.
He saw the little Earl sitting in the middle of the wide chair, his feet not quite reaching the floor. There was no redness on his round cheeks caused by high fever, showing only a healthy color.
“Udit Jensen, my lord.”
“Want to get rid of the charges?” Xia Zuoyi said, “I can give you a chance.”
‘Of course’, Udit Jensen thought. “Please make it clear, my lord.”
“Serve by my side. If I am satisfied, you will naturally be made innocent.”
“…Yes, my lord.”
This request was a bit strange and puzzling for Udit Jensen.
Because it was so easy.
After all, serving the Earl was his duty and responsibility.
Before, being a second-class manservant, he was not qualified to serve the Earl directly. His main work was to clean the castle and cultivate the fields.
It was the most tiring work with the most meager food.
But now, in addition to closely following the Earl, he just had to work hard meticulously. His treatment was much better than before…
Especially after the great disaster, the little Earl became clever and calm. There were no deliberate acts of making things difficult for him.
After gradually adapting, Udit Jensen became more comfortable with his new duties.
As for Xia Zuoyi, he was testing his ideas.
Udit Jensen was indeed a man of careful thought and serious work.
He would observe Xia Zuoyi’s habits of waking up and going to bed. After silently jotting it down, he would arrange everything appropriately and reasonably.
He would pay attention to what Xia Zuoyi had to do every day. He would study it and familiarize himself with it in advance to ensure that he could answer immediately when asked.
Udit got along well with the servants in the castle and was impeccable in terms of manners, bearing, etiquette, and so on.
What was more, he did not hesitate to save others. He was still calm after he was put into prison, paid attention to his manners, and did not let himself show his predicament. This was the main reason why Xia Zuoyi decided to change his mind.
During this period, Udit gave him a surprise.
“You can read?”
Xia Zuoyi was a little surprised because Udit quickly sorted out all the books he accidentally dropped.
“Yes, my lord. My great-great-grandfather was awarded the Baron title,” Udit replied.
On the Western Continent, titles were all hereditary, only the last, Baron, could be awarded by merit.
In addition, civilians had no chance of promotion.
It was hard to be able to read and was even harder to be baronized.
‘If you get it and then lose it, you must experience significant changes.’
Now, Udit Jensen had no relatives and only friends. Xia Zuoyi had no intention of poking his wounds. No wonder he was not like an ordinary manservant. Having some etiquette was very good.
The investigation was over.
Xia Zuoyi said directly, “Are you willing to be Desinia’s butler?”
Udit’s pupils contracted.
He did not expect this so he was unprepared to hear this sentence. From a second-class manservant to being the butler, the leap in position was a little huge. He could not help being frozen in the same place for a moment.
But he reacted quickly and bowed his head, “I am willing, my lord.”
The sun shone from the window to every corner of the house, bright and warm. Even the fine dust floating in the air was clearly visible.
Xia Zuoyi sat on a chair as if he was enveloped in golden light. He stretched out his hand, “From today on, you will be loyal to me.”
Udit knelt down on one knee, put his little white, short, and chubby hand on his forehead, and said softly and devoutly, “I will always be loyal to you.”
The author has something to say:
Xia Zuoyi: I am a man who wants to conquer the Western Continent. The whole Western Continent will be my territory.
Translator’s Notes:
Hi everyone~ To get out of my translation slump, I decided to edit the previous novels I have on this site. If you see [Edited] before the chapter title, then it was already edited. Enjoy~~
- In the NU forum, ludagad explained it as The closest term is “wacky”. A person who behaves in unexpected, silly, odd ways, in the sense it makes them the comic relief. “沙雕 is generally used humorously to describe weird or stupid but funny behaviors or lame jokes, as with a lot of memes. “- taken from some Reddit post explaining the Chinese term. ↩︎
- Nouveau riche; wealthy people; local bosses. ↩︎
- Funny or silly; chunibyo or middle-second syndrome. ↩︎
- To pay online; pay premium. ↩︎
Yaoi Wonderland 
“I left the MC’s name in Chinese even though the setting is in Western Continent XD to at least commemorate the fact that he’s transmigrated or traveled inside a book. Don’t worry though, it only happens to MC’s name.”
I don’t understand what you mean by that. Are you saying that in the original work, he is referred to by his new body’s name, not the name from his first life?
If that’s the case, then shouldn’t you translate it according to the name the author uses instead of switching to the name from the first life?
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Sorry for the confusion I mean the author uses MC’s name in his first life but I got confused by google translate and sometimes it gives me Sha Zoe, Shazoe, or Xia Zoe. Besides MC also has a surname Desinia which again, confusing, because isn’t MC’s surname Xia? Anyway, thanks for pointing it out though, hope it helps you in reading the story.
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I’ll edit it out later to avoid confusion for other readers 😅😊
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can you put the title of the book somewhere? I came from EoC through novelupdates and saw that you are translating other novels, but i can’t figure out what they are called besides the abbreviation TLIAII. I need to mark the book and reading progress on novelupdates. Thank you!
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It’s called The Lord Is Addicted In Infrastructure, you can find it on NU 🥰🥰
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thank you for translating this 💕
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Mm… properly used vocative commas. Translator-sama, I love you.
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“In reality, in the Middle Ages, there were many religions, such as Christianity and Catholicism.”
Hmmm ಠ_ಠ
Anyways, I like that the author set it up so that MC can access information on infrastructure. That’s way more reasonable than having him somehow “remember” tons of useful information.
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