Reincarnation. It is something I thought of as nothing more than a fictional concept. However, that is not the case. I am now reincarnated into a world of fiction that I know and remember picking up in a certain CYOA.
Now? Now, I am Richard Helusian, a Viscount of the Yashuna Territory. I am now a noble in the Falena Queendom of the Suikoden universe.
What is Suikoden? It is a game published by Konami that I used to play a lot. I love the game, especially Suikoden I, II, and V. Where is the Falena Queendom? It is located in the Southern Continent of the world and is the main location of Suikoden V.
Speaking of the timeline, I was born in the year IS 422. Before fully taking control of this body, I fought in a war between the Queendom of Falena and the New Armes Kingdom. This war is also the reason why my parents died. They were ambushed when they departed for business in Sable. The New Armes Kingdom killed them both, and in return, I led an army and burned one of their fortresses to the ground.
Even though I do not have access to all the powers from the CYOA, I am still able to create a reputation as a great Mage on the battlefield. That is not the only thing that I've changed in the timeline.
Originally, Sialeeds Falena, the Princess of the country, was betrothed to one of the strongest nobles, but after declaring that she would not take the throne, she is now betrothed to me, and I agree with her demand of me not enter any part in the throne succession.
It is the work of the [A Significant Other] perk that allows me to have a soulmate. It does not change much, except that Sialeeds becomes someone close to me. I receive enmity from one of the strongest nobles in the country, but that is something I don't mind.
I will fight them sooner or later. Better to let it be known that I will not side with them than to have others speculate about my position in the upcoming issue.
Anyway, the Helusian Viscount is a very rich family. How? We have the biggest and most successful trading company in the entire country and the continent. Our ships reach as far as the City-States of Jowston in the center of the Northern Continent and the Zelant Kingdom to the west.
Not only that, but we also have five successful mines in our territory. Three of them are gold mines, while the other two are rune mines. Both of them are something that everyone wants—especially when you can sell the gold to the Global Bank that issues currency worldwide.
That sounds stupid, right? Letting a single entity control the world's currency. That is true, if not for the fact that the leader of the Global Bank is someone who holds a True Rune.
What is that? A True Rune is the foundation of the Suikoden universe. Without them, the universe will not exist, and each of them embodies a fundamental law of the universe. There are 27 of them, and each of them carries a massive amount of power. Not only that, but a true holder is also granted immortality.
Take the True Rune this country has, the Sun Rune.
It is the Rune that embodies the sun itself and contains the sun's power. It can destroy a country if the user can harness its full power. The True Rune that handles the Global Bank is the True Rune of Currency. That is the name given to it by the others because the user does not say anything about its true name. However, we know a few things about the rune.
It is a subtle rune that boosts the user's power the more people use the currency they create. The downside? If he uses that currency as a weapon, the rune will destroy the user from the inside out. The currency is sacred to the True Rune of Currency, and because of this, it will not allow the user to use the currency they create as a weapon.
The first user died after trying to use the currencies created in the name of the True Rune, which bankrupted a country. The death is messy as well and very painful. The current user follows the rule very strictly.
However, if they follow the rule, in return for everyone using a single currency, the user becomes one of the world's strongest individuals. The only reason why he does not unite the entire world using the boost the rune gives him is that the other users of True Runes made him swear under the name of the rune he carries that he will not conquer the world or attack a country unprovoked.
The last part is important because he sees someone creating a new currency as a slight to his being. The last time someone tried it, around 100 years ago, their country was destroyed by one person—the user of the True Rune of Currency.
Anyway, we can sell the gold to the Global Bank and get a lot of money in return. We do not sell all the gold; we keep 40% hidden in our vault for emergencies. My parents are not stupid, and I follow their footsteps because that is the right decision.
As for the rune mines, they contain water and earth runes. Water runes are great because we use them to move our ships throughout the longest river in the world, the Feitas River. This type of rune is something we use daily, and many people want them, making it a stable source of income for my family.
Earth runes, on the other hand… that is something not many people want, but when there are construction projects, this rune will be the first one people search for. Earth runes allow workers to move heavy stones more easily, but they still need specialized tools to carry them to high places.
At least it is a great tool to move materials from one place to another, as long as there is earth under them.
As for fighting, both runes are support runes. They give buff and healing spells to anyone who attaches the runes to their bodies. How? A runemaster will tie the energy of the rune into someone's body and turn it into a tattoo. When the rune is attached, it will grant spells that do not require mana to cast but are limited to a certain number of uses per day.
However, you cannot just attach a rune to someone without thinking. The spells they receive will depend on the affinity they have for certain runes. Someone with a high affinity for earth elements will receive the full spell list and have easier casting of other earth-based spells.
However, if your affinity is low, you will not receive any spells from the rune and can even hurt your body by forcing the rune into it. It can be lethal if you continue to let the rune remain attached to your body for a long time.
Lucky for me, the Falena Queendom has many people with an affinity for water. Sadly, it also has the fewest people with earth affinity. That is why my family decided to put most of the earth runes into specialized tools that allow non-magicians to use them to move all kinds of heavy materials.
In addition to the gold and rune mines, we also have a major tourist attraction in our territory. The Helusian Viscounty is the only territory in the country with a natural hot spring, which attracts many people.
Because of this, we also receive steady income from tourism and from taxes on all the resorts.
All of this is possible because of my powers from the CYOA. One is called [Golden Rule (Type-Moon)], which allows me to gather money easily, as if fate itself is helping me. There is also the upgrade coming from the synergy between this power and the [Golden One] and [Fate Breaker] powers.
The [Golden One] power is also something I can use to increase my wealth.
When I created this build, I was thinking about how to become the wealthiest person in the world, and this is the result. I release a sigh and look out of the window. Other than becoming the richest person in the world, I didn't have anything else in mind when I created this build.
I shake my head and release a sigh.
What am I thinking? I reincarnated into a new life after a hard past life. I should be grateful and enjoy this second life. Yeah. That is a good goal in life, right? Enjoying life and facing everything life throws at me.
I get off my chair and take a deep breath. For now, I want to test some of my powers and see what kind of things I can do with them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|Richard's Perks shown in the chapter|
[A Significant Other]
Through a stroke of fate, you either have or will soon find your soulmate. Maybe you've yet to meet them, or maybe—if you are a reincarnation—you already have prior history together; every single detail is completely up to you. You can leave this entirely to chance, or you may optionally choose now whom this may be, anyone of your choice. Either way, when you next cross paths, you'll both immediately and unmistakably know that you're meant for each other.
They are matched to your ideal in every way, and you are the same for them. Whether it's a romantic interest, a friendship, or anything else—you're perfect for each other. You get along easily and flawlessly, your bond is unbreakable, you're both willing to go to hell and back for one another, support each other to be the best versions of yourselves, and every bit of love is reciprocated. All you need is each other, and even if that's all you had, it would still be the happiest time of your life.
If you genuinely want this level of relationship or to develop one with someone in the future, you'll find that things will very quickly and organically progress to this level.
You can optionally extend this perk to affect any and all companions you purchase.
== Line Break ==
|Richard's Powers shown in the chapter|
[Golden One]
You can create and manipulate any kind of money, currency, and wealth, including notes, coins, gold, jewels, and any form of currency currently used (even digital currencies like Bitcoin). However, this power does not apply to goods used in barter. The money will always be perfectly legal and not draw the attention of the IRS or any other revenue service unless you purposefully try to attract it.
With this power, you will never be poor. Do try not to crash the world economy.
[Fate Breaker]
You. Have. Risen! Through great internal struggle, you have surpassed the chains of fate. The slings and arrows of misfortune no longer find purchase upon your being, leaving your fortunes untarnished and unfettered. To those who observe you, it will appear as if you are walking on the very clouds themselves—impossibly and preternaturally lucky in all of your actions and pursuits.
[Golden Rule (Type-Moon)]
You are destined for riches, manifesting as the skill Golden Rule, an undeniable mark of fortune woven into your very existence. Whether through wealth, beauty, physical perfection, or sheer charisma, prosperity follows you as though ordained by fate itself. The burdens of financial struggle, physical decay, or social rejection seldom touch you, for you embody the essence of abundance in all its forms.
However, the Golden Rule does not create wealth from nothing. The skill begins at E Rank, meaning that while fortune favors your efforts, riches must still be pursued. Luck and circumstance will often conspire in your favor, but you must take action to claim what is rightfully yours. Unlike those who struggle to make ends meet, your work yields exponentially greater rewards, as if the world itself seeks to repay your ambition many times over.
As your wealth and status grow, so too does this skill. The higher its rank, the more effortlessly prosperity comes to you, ensuring that each success paves the way for even greater fortune. Money, influence, and admiration accumulate like an avalanche, growing larger with every step forward. Whether through legitimate enterprise, beauty and charm, or cunning and force, the path to opulence is yours to walk—one where misfortune dares not tread, and where every effort is met with boundless reward.
== Upgrade ==
[Destiny's Spoils]
{Golden Rule's Upgrade}
The one who defies fate and the one whom fortune favors—these two truths intertwine, creating a path where prosperity and possibility walk hand in hand. No longer are you merely breaking free from fate's grip; you now seize fortune itself. The luck that shields you from misfortune also ensures that every step forward is met with abundance, as though the world rushes to fill the void left by the destiny you shattered.
Where before you had to work for your wealth, now even the smallest effort tends to yield disproportionate rewards, as if the world itself conspires to enrich you. Golden opportunities present themselves more frequently, businesses flourish under your hand, and gambles—both literal and metaphorical—have a way of paying off far beyond reason. Your prosperity no longer comes solely from effort but from the sheer impossibility of your existence: a being unshackled from fate, yet embraced by fortune's hand.
[Gilded One]
{Golden Rule's Upgrade}
To be rich is one thing—to be wealth itself is another. No longer are you merely favored by fortune; you are its very manifestation, a living embodiment of prosperity in its purest form. Where others seek riches, you define them. Where others struggle for wealth, you dictate its flow. You are not just fortunate—you are golden incarnate.
Golden Rule now starts at EX Rank, for there is no longer a distinction between you and the concept of wealth. Riches do not merely come to you—they orbit you, as if drawn by an immutable law of existence. Every venture flourishes, every opportunity turns to gold, and financial constraints simply cease to be a concern. Moreover, with Golden One, your command over wealth is no longer limited to acquisition alone; you create and shape riches at will, bending the world's economies to your desire. Money is not something you earn—it is something you decree into being.
You are no longer just wealthy. You are wealth itself.