I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 1

There was a strategy game with an intriguing concept. It was a game where you competed to see whether magic or cannons were stronger.

Players had to lead an army to conquer the world. Depending on the player’s preference, they could choose a faction that primarily used swords and magic, or an faction that focused on muskets and cannons.

Traditional factions were strong when using conventional weapons like swords, bows, and magic, while Innovative factions excelled with firearms like muskets and cannons.

A Traditional faction that was strong from the beginning versus an Innovative faction that grew stronger as its technology upgraded. The balance was well-maintained, and the game itself was fresh enough to be considered a masterpiece in its own way, but it had one fatal flaw.

That flaw was the fact that there were as many as 1,000 playable characters.

In this game, you could play as countless characters, ranging from ordinary soldiers to emperors, with statuses varying from commoners to royalty.

Moreover, not all characters were available to play from the start. Specific characters would unlock only after meeting certain conditions, making it nearly impossible to clear all 1,000 characters.

Nearly impossible. I said it twice because it’s important. What does “nearly impossible” mean? It means it’s not entirely impossible.

[Title: Currently Clearing the 1,000th Character in “The Age of Gunpowder and Magic.” Come Watch Anyone.]

I set the room title and started the stream. Even though it was a stream without a mic or a camera, people began swarming in like bees.

[Clearing the 1,000th character? No way. I played for 126 hours and barely cleared two characters.]

[500 hours here. The battles in this game are insanely hard. I gave up at 3.6% completion because it was too difficult.]

[Sounds like bait. The game’s only been out for a year. How could anyone clear the 1,000th character?]

Many doubted, saying it was nonsense.

But as soon as I started playing, the doubters began to quiet down.

[Wow, the clear rate is 99.9%. That really means they cleared 999 characters. Insane.]

[So this really is the 1,000th character?]

[How many hours a day did you play?]

[Forget how many hours. This person’s a genius…]

Amidst the flood of comments, one stood out.

[Could they have used hacking tools or cheats?]

I blocked the nonsense-spewing user. Do they have any idea how much effort it took me to get this far?

And when I started playing as the 1,000th character, people began to be astonished.

[Whoa, what was that cavalry maneuver just now? Dodging arrows with your bare hands?]

I paused the game for a moment and typed in the chat myself.

[When shooting arrows with allies in front, they’re considered indirect fire rather than direct. Indirect fire follows a parabolic trajectory, so you can predict where the arrows will land. For more details, check out the guide I wrote on my blog.]

People were shocked to learn it was possible to dodge arrows. About 30 minutes later, the chat became lively again.

[I tried what the host said, but I couldn’t dodge. Predicting where the arrows land is doable, but issuing dodge commands to soldiers takes time, so reacting in real-time is practically impossible.]

[That’s why you have to quickly catch the incoming arrows and issue commands just as fast. If you’re even a little late, you’re just a pincushion.]

[The fact that it’s even possible is weird. My reaction speed is 0.25, but I can’t react as fast as you.]

[So how high is the host’s reaction speed? Unreal.]

[Looking at it now, it’s almost simultaneous with the enemy’s shot. Are they even human? Like a reptile or something?]

Everyone was making a fuss. It’s not that hard if you practice, but they’re all talking without even trying. Tsk tsk.

[Whoa, what’s with that light infantry wiping out heavy infantry? The AI says the enemy’s twice as strong, but you won with almost no losses.]

[I thought it was just physical skill, but their brainpower is insane too.]

[If this person were born in ancient times, they’d have unified the continent.]

[I want this man.]

Ignoring the chaotic chat, I continued clearing the game.

The further the game progressed, the more the chat was filled with astonishment.

Honestly, it was only natural. I had written simple guides online, but reading a guide and watching an actual clear video are two completely different experiences.

[Wow… What’s with sending cavalry through enemy artillery lines?]

[Is that even possible? Is this edited? This is broken.]

[Why does their infantry, which is clearly walking, seem faster than the enemy cavalry?]

That’s because I’m predicting the enemy’s movements, you fool.

If you know where the enemy is heading, you just need to get there first. As a result, I arrive before they do.

In the end, it’s all about strategy and tactics. If you excel in strategy and tactics, one regiment of your troops can be worth two of the enemy’s.

Why, aren’t there examples in real life? Cases where smaller forces defeated larger ones. It’s all because they used superior strategy and tactics.

By securing advantageous terrain, crafting solid tactics, and avoiding mistakes, you can overcome even unfavorable battles to some extent. Those who master this are remembered as great generals in history.

“The Age of Gunpowder and Magic” is no different. By securing terrain, crafting tactics, and avoiding mistakes, you can stay ahead of the enemy.

I continued to demonstrate flawless gameplay, and the game kept progressing toward completion.

And the moment I cleared the 1,000th character.

“Phew… I’m the first in the world.”

The moment I muttered that, the chat exploded. Suddenly, the screen began to change.

[Congratulations on clearing all characters! As a token of our gratitude, we would like to offer Siu priority access to beta test our next game. Will you accept? Y/N]

The moment I read the message, I was utterly shocked. The game company had sent me a personal message! And it was offering me priority access to beta test their next game. Afraid the message might disappear, I quickly spammed the Y button.

“The next game? Beta testing priority? Was this kind of perk even a thing?”

YYYYYYY

As I kept spamming, the Y button glowed, and the message disappeared.

“Done! I’m a beta tester!”

Just as I thought that and cheered, my head suddenly began to spin, and my vision darkened. Damn, what’s going on? Did I get too excited and spike my blood pressure?

Thud. I lost all sensation in my body, but I could still hear. I heard the sound of my body collapsing. Damn, I hope I didn’t hit my head. If I get seriously injured, I won’t be able to play “The Age of Gunpowder and Magic 2″…

—–

In “The Age of Gunpowder and Magic,” there was an empire that ruled over most of the continent.

If you ask how such a vast empire could exist, the answer is simple: “Arcadia Academy.”

This massive empire had established an academy in its capital to educate nobles. At this academy, they taught swordsmanship, magic, divine magic—basically everything.

The instructors were the best talents on the continent. As a result, the empire’s elites were on an entirely different level compared to those of other nations.

Yes, that’s the setting I know. But if there’s a problem…

“Student Rochefort, are you present? Student Rochefort.”

“Ah, yes! That’s me.”

I hurriedly responded. That’s right. I had become a student at the academy. And not just any student—I had possessed the body of an extra named Charles Jean Rochefort.

‘Of all the characters to possess, why an extra and not a main character…’

Charles Jean Rochefort was an insignificant extra. I wasn’t even sure if this character existed in the game. He was utterly mediocre, excelling in neither swordsmanship, magic, archery, nor divine magic.

On top of that, his family was unimpressive. He was the epitome of an NPC.

‘What should I do…’

If I gave up on clearing the game and decided to live as an extra here, I’d be safe.

“The Age of Gunpowder and Magic” was a game where you had to clear all 1,000 characters. If I had been transported into such a game, the escape method was obvious: I had to clear it as “myself,” not as a “character.”

In other words, conquering the world would allow me to return home. But how could someone like Charles Jean Rochefort even dream of world domination? Wouldn’t it be better to just give up and live comfortably here, using my future knowledge to make money and live a luxurious life?

‘But…’

Then again, I missed my family and friends back home, as well as the games I hadn’t finished playing. Living in a world without games would be torture for me.

That’s why I wanted to return home, no matter what.

‘Alright. Let’s not give up and try to clear it.’

However, since the character I possessed was Charles Jean Rochefort, a trash character, clearing the game through conventional means was impossible.

But if I changed my approach, it might just be possible.