If the trajectory of the story is the same, Victor will die ten years from now. Because of this, he has to make preparations. You never know how much fate would interfere, even though he doesn't believe in the concept of fate. But because he is going to make changes (he already did), he has to also prepare for the consequences of those changes. Not everything that will be expected in the future in his first life might happen again. It could be good, but it could also be worse than before. For example, in this life, the war with Aztos ended early. He wasn't sure if the same result would happen regarding the negotiations with the representative of the capital and whether or not the letter for his return from the emperor would also be included with the delegation.
There are also other major scenarios he has to tackle, like what if his brother will not get the throne? What if the sixth prince gets the throne instead? What if Julian is not the one chosen for his marriage? He almost lost his breath when he thought about the last one. He probably would not care if the other princes took over the throne so long as he gets Julian and gets out of there. So, to ensure that what he wants will happen, he has to plan.
He did try to write down some details and events that would happen and what to do with them, including their contingency plans – something he learned when he took an MBA back on earth after his sisters pressured him to take it when he started his business. And he was thankful to them for making him take it, for it has helped him grow his business to where it was - even after his death. However, writing with a quill and dipping it with ink was not fun. It was more work with his struggling not to get ink blots on the paper or to smudge it as the ink tends to dry slowly. He missed the convenience of a ballpoint pen. He contemplated how people were able to write so well with only parchment and a quill for so long in both Astoria and Earth.
Victor also needed to assess his skills and assets. This is why he has been practicing his abilities and evaluating his financial accounts. He did ask for the financial accounts of the army as well, and he discovered that only 15% of the resources were given to them since the beginning of the war. It is a miracle the Blue Rose was able to survive despite the lack of food, potions, and access to clean equipment and hygiene supplies. They should have starved or died of diseases by now.
Rufus, on the other hand, was amazed at how he was able to calculate that fast. He has always struggled with arithmetic but Victor still struggled – mostly on how to use the abacus which is standard in Claes but no longer a relevant tool in modern Earth. Well, Victor has to thank learning the basics of accounting and financial management. He wasn't that great, but in the future, he is going to need to train someone to help him manage this. He can't do everything on his own - a mistake he did in his first life because he was paranoid about everyone (even the people who cared the most about him) and it made him develop trust issues.
Another thing he noticed is that he has been overloading his magic. When he was trying to practice his spells on the practice grounds, he accidentally blew up the base of a mountain. It wasn't the first time too. Left and right, whenever Victor tries to use magic, he is releasing too much mana. Astoria is a world with built-in magic and if one has magic, they have to be careful about using it.
Mana is the energy source of one's magic. One could use magic or manipulate magic by using the mana inside their bodies. The amount of mana varies from person to person but one could increase the level of mana storage they have inside through practice and cultivation. However, it is not unlimited and the progress is not always fast and can be very difficult and time-consuming (this is why those with high mana levels are rare). One has to be careful not to exhaust or drain their mana too low as this could lead to their death.
Some spells do not require as much mana as others and using too much mana over a spell that does not require that much mana is wasteful and risky because one could drain themselves without enough mana for magic. This is a big deal in the middle of the battle. Losing too much mana means not enough left to save yourself or even escape to survive another day.
This is why Victor in his first life has never used too many high-level spells because it took so much of his mana like his famous firestorm spell he summoned in the battle of Berdun, the battle that made him famous. That spell was one that Victor created himself in the past but the range was pretty small before he escaped from the demonic rift. That event did amplify his spell but he still could almost pass out using it.
Because of that, he got promoted to Captain in the Blue Rose. To the eyes of the Blue Rose, he is seen as a hero but Victor already knows that among the general public in the empire, he was dubbed the "Demon of Blue Rose" or the "Tyrant", whichever word was used to describe him in the gossip grapevine. In a world without social media, rumors are usually the best way to know what is going on and because most of the population is illiterate, it is difficult to spread accurate information through written communication alone. So, most of the information is transferred by oral communication, and miscommunication and misconception can happen and mostly even be weaponized by some nobles to get their way. When rumors proliferate or go out of control, sooner or later it becomes the truth in the eyes of the public.
So, this is what happened to Victor and the Blue Rose. Nobles in the capital including some of the royal families were curious about how the Blue Rose was able to obtain magic for their nonmagical members and one particular woman in the royal family wanted to drag his name through the mud by labeling him a tyrant just so she could push his name away from the throne and push her asshole son to it. So, they wanted to make it easier to dissolve the Blue Rose and obtain their magical cores.
In his first life, the dissolution of the Blue Rose did not result in a positive result for them. They were experimented on and tortured and those members who were hired in other regiments experienced inhumane discrimination. Even though they all have magic, they lack the magical knowledge and concepts to properly use it and the years of neglect from the capital resulted in them being malnourished that their magical core has been focused on repairing their body to stay fit and healthy instead of being able to use magic for other means. Most of them also come from commoner households so they did not have the same rights as most nobles or those coming from influential commoner families.
But what Victor noticed was that despite overloading his spells, he does not feel drained. Even the healer staff found no problems. It did not stop Rufus and Jason from becoming worrywarts. General Aster just thinks they are overthinking it.
But the biggest difference was when Victor entered his space. Every magical user has a space. The size varies, and only very few people can enter it, although those with larger mana reserves tend to have a bigger space. Victor is one of those people who can enter his own space. The first time he did that, Rufus almost went nuts looking for him as it took him hours to figure it out. The man didn't leave his side for a month after that.
The purpose of a space is usually for storage. Only, "Why is this so big?" Victor asked when he looked around the dark space. He saw some food, some clothes, and his swords and other weapons but he did not hit the invisible wall.
He walked around but walked for so long in a dark empty space without knowing the sky and the ground is very eerie. That was the disadvantage in a space. One could not see where the beginning or end is and it is rare for one to even enter their own space. Victor is one of the few who has that capability.
He does not recall this to be this big. Is this some sort of cheat he got after his rebirth? He doesn't recall talking to gods about such ability. When he was back on Earth he discovered the genre of "isekai" as a teenager online and he went down the rabbit hole and got obsessed with stories related to transmigration and reincarnation and the most popular were always have either a game-like system, a cheat, or they transmigrated to a past, future or even a novel.
Well, Astoria is a novel series.
No harm in trying. "System?" Victor asked.
…..
Huh. Nothing. He shrugged. He didn't exactly expect to have a system. After all, if this was the case, he should have seen it when he got back. Also, Astoria has no system-like rules in its world. Besides, being overpowered with your own systems would be a dream come true in his opinion.
Wait.
Is that a door?
There is a door in the middle of his space. It was practically glowing in the dark. It is a green door with stained glass of what looks like yellow flowers and vine-looking designs. He has seen this door before. It was the front door of his old home.
In his second life, Victor returned home after retirement to his parents' old farmhouse where he and his siblings grew up in. The farmhouse was among the assets his parents left for him. The house holds so many of his family's memories and Victor loved that farmhouse. Before his death, he willed it to his niece, the one he raised, who shares the same sentiment as him about family so he knows it will be taken care of.
But why is this door here?
If he opens it, will the family of his second life be in there?
Why does he feel expectant?
Victor opened it and habitually turned on the lights using the switch next to the door and lo.
He is inside a modern living room. His living room in his second life. He turned around and see nothing but empty space outside the door.
The house looked the same as he left it in his last life.
But why is it here? Did he also transport his house when he got reborn? What about the house in real-time on Earth? His niece who was supposed to own this? What happened to his family?
So many things got into Victor's thoughts he got really confused and dizzy.
Ugh.
Victor grabbed his head, he seems to be running out of breath, and felt himself collapsing.
"Victor? Victor? Wake up, man!"
Victor felt himself being lifted and felt intense pain on his face.
Did somebody just slap him!?
"Young master! Do not slap his highness!!!!" an angry Rufus yelled.
"The f*ck Jason!" General Aster yelled.
Urghh. Victor sat up from the ground.
"Victor? Victor? You alright?" The man's face appeared right in front of him. His face is too close that Victor can even smell his awful breath. The man needs a mouth wash. Victor raised his hand and SLAP!
"Owww" Jason grabbed his face. "You slapped me."
"You slapped me first."
"I thought you were dead," Jason said.
Victor glared at him. "So, your response to find out if people are dead is to slap them?"
"What else am I supposed to do?"
"Call the healer," Victor said exasperatedly. He forgot how idiotic Jason can be sometimes.
General Aster rolled his eyes at the two immature imbeciles. But he was more surprised by Victor's behavior. The man is acting more and more "human". He used to be so closed off towards others that it is difficult to get along with him.
"Let me help you, your highness." Rufus helped Victor up, struggling to stand up and still looking dizzy.
"General." A soldier came into the tent. "The delegation has arrived."
The tent suddenly got quiet.
"They are late." General Aster frowned then looked at Victor, "You think you can meet them?"
Victor looked at him. "No. I believe you should be the one who will talk to them and lead the negotiations."
"Are you sure?" General Aster looked confused. Officers need to be present in times like this, especially Victor. As a prince, he would help create the necessary image and rapport for the delegation.
"Yes," Victor answered. "You are the general. You are already the most important person in the army and the focus of the conversation should be with you. Knowing those "assholes" in the capital, they probably would focus on me to create tension between us." Because they are that kind of people in Victor's eyes.
"They'll still disrespect me regardless."
"I am not in the right condition to talk to them either," Victor said.
General Aster looked at him thoughtfully. "Understood."
In his last life, Victor did meet the delegation and those people were assholes. They tried to undermine the General and act coy with him. They were trying to create conflict in the army and make fun of both the General and him. It was a tactic to demean their reputation and make them less of a threat but it also distracts them from the Aztos contract.
At least this time, they will be more focused on the negotiations and Aztos will not get a raw deal. In most cases, the nation that was defeated in the war was often exploited or enslaved but in Claes, this is not always the case. They need the order to establish and absorb the nation as part of the empire. The royal family of Aztos is already gone, except for a few that were in hiding but the citizens of Aztos don't need further suffering. Only, Duke Umbel put so many overlooked terms in the contract that Aztos suffered. Victor personally was not aware of what happened at that time, but the novel showed what happened to Aztos.
The once beautiful kingdom of magical pools turned into a wasteland and people died, being tortured and bullied for no reason to the point that the Prince of Aztos who has been hiding fought back at Claes. Victor was even seen as the villain that leads to their suffering even though he was not the cause of it directly. While being part of the empire is not seen as a good thing, at least the people will suffer less for now because the General will be able to focus on the terms for the people of Aztos.
"Your highness, you need to rest."
"I'm fine Rufus, I'll go out."
"I thought you don't want to deal with the delegates?" Rufus asked.
"Oh no. I don't want to. But I want to see the drama." Victor said as he left the tent stealthily. Rufus looked confused about what the prince just said.