NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1
Diving into the game and writing hate comments.
It’s a clichéd plot that’s painfully predictable.
But now, experiencing it myself is neither boring nor predictable.
Regret always comes too late, as the saying goes.
If only I hadn’t done that back then.
But honestly, who worries about being possessed after writing hate comments? It’s all just a joke.
[This game is trash. Even if you pay me, I wouldn’t play it. I’m curious about what goes on in the developers’ heads; it’s just data garbage.]
[And what’s up with this Eliya character? She can’t be defeated, and she doesn’t die? Is she the developers’ self-insert? How can someone make such a psycho character who kills anyone?]
[And if they’re going to release character endings as DLC, they should at least do it right… (This comment has been blurred out.)]
[If you have complaints, the developers should quickly release additional DLC. Especially about Eliya and the Bevel family’s backstory.]
└Playtime: 8,000 hours… This dude is serious.
└How did you rack up 8,000 hours in this trash game? LOL.
└But honestly, Eliya is pretty, except for the scar on her face, right?
└└For real, that scar is ruining her beauty.
└└I actually like scars…
└But does Eliya even have any events? It’s hard just to meet her, and she kills you the moment you get close.
└└She’s just difficult, but there are events. You can find one by searching for guides; that review writer has one.
└└└Doesn’t that mean you love Eliya? If you die, everything resets, and you have to start over from scratch.
└└└This is pure love, then.
└You’re about to get possessed soon.
Memories flash like a speeding light.
Just before possession.
I was furiously banging the keyboard in anger at that moment.
I don’t remember much of what happened after that.
Maybe I fell asleep, or maybe I fainted.
When I regained my senses, I realized I had possessed a character in a game called ‘Anyway, a Ruined Fantasy World.’
‘… I’m screwed.’
It’s not a problem that people die at a moment’s notice in this brutal world.
It is indeed a problem, but it’s not what I need to worry about right now.
I slowly lowered my head.
I checked my body.
I looked like a beggar in tattered rags.
My perspective was way too low.
Where did my adult body go? I have a kid’s body now.
A group of kids about my age stands aligned, waiting for someone.
I have no idea who I’ve possessed.
But I do know this situation.
‘Eliya’s Squire Selection Ceremony….’
One of the characters, Eliya de Bevel.
Not the main villain, nor an important character in the story.
She doesn’t really affect players at all.
That’s why she seems strange.
No matter what you do, you can’t defeat her and you can’t kill her.
In an open-world game where you can freely kill every NPC, she is the only character you cannot kill.
Attacking her is strictly prohibited.
If you become hostile, you’ll be burnt to death by Eliya.
Literally set ablaze.
Like her nickname, the ‘Mad Queen of Fire,’ she’s a wizard who wields strange fire.
Her temperament isn’t any better.
She’s a total psycho who casually talks back and enjoys killing people.
The scar that crosses her face is proof of her nature.
Despite being an unimportant character, she’s loaded with all sorts of bizarre traits that make her seem important.
Someone might ask.
Who would threaten you to go meet her with a sword in hand?
No one did.
But as a gamer, how can you endure things like this?
Anyway, she’s the kind of villain I’ve ended up joining for this selection ceremony.
I’ve possessed a character who’s infamous for killing her squire candidates when bored…
I can’t even distinguish whether I’m dreaming or this is real right now.
One wrong move and my life could end here.
Becoming a squire is a guaranteed death sentence.
With me as the possessor, what favorable skills do I have to be selected?
Maybe I’ll get lucky.
‘By the way, who am I possessed as?’
This game starts randomly with multiple characters, it’s like an ensemble drama.
There’s no clear protagonist.
I’ve tried all the starting characters, but I’ve never seen one like this.
I rummaged through my pockets for information.
I found something hard and sharp.
‘What is this?’
It was a shattered piece of glass.
‘Oh crap. That scared me.’
I quickly tossed it to the ground and covered it with dirt.
I’ll probably need to dig through my pockets again soon.
In a world like this, if a noble finds trash like this, they could lose their head on the spot.
‘No matter how I look at it, I look like a beggar or a slave or something like that.’
A chunk of glass and some crumpled paper fell out too.
What the hell is this character carrying in their pockets?
Or has their life been tough and destitute?
That seems likely.
The life of the lower class here is too harsh to describe in words.
‘Every quest related to the slums was overwhelmingly dark.’
Eventually, someone stood in front of the kids.
A middle-aged man clad in pristine armor.
With epaulettes on his shoulders and an upright posture, he seems to be a knight.
A group of heavily armed knights stood beside him.
So he is indeed a knight.
And a high-ranking one.
‘Feels like I’ve seen that face somewhere.’
I might know most prominent figures, but I wouldn’t recognize those who aren’t featured in the game.
And even if I have, I might not remember them if their role is minor.
“Greetings, everyone.”
The middle-aged man spoke.
His tone as rigid as his posture.
“I am Gawain, commander of the knight’s order at Lady Eliya’s mansion.”
Gawain.
Hearing that name jogs my memory.
I think he’s one of the top characters in this universe.
He was also known as ‘The Master of Swordsmanship.’
‘Wait, was he part of the Bevel family?’
Not according to my memory.
That means the timeline of the game I know and the current timeline is different.
‘Wait. How old is Eliya right now?’
“Some of you may have come voluntarily, while others may have been dragged here against your will.”
Gawain surveyed the candidates.
And he was right.
There are scruffy kids like me and well-dressed noble kids among them too.
“But remember this: in front of the lady, all of you are equal candidates for squire. Understand?”
“Yes!”
The noble kids answered cheerfully.
The beggar children seemed to have deflated and remained silent.
“Good. Soon, the lady will come to check on you all. It’s just a simple greeting, so there’s no need to be overly nervous, but do watch your manners.”
“Yes!”
“I will now check your belongings.”
Gawain gestured.
A knight waiting nearby stepped forward and began rifling through the children’s belongings.
The noble boys frowned, uncomfortable with someone touching their person.
But they didn’t dare protest.
Not all nobles are the same.
The Duke of Bevel is a noble above all nobles.
Soon, it was my turn.
The knight rummaged roughly through my body.
His rigid gauntlets hurt quite a bit.
It was more painful because of my young body.
‘Glad I discarded that piece of glass earlier.’
As I sighed in relief, I heard laughter from beside me.
I glanced over only to find a chubby noble boy with a bowtie.
His hair slicked back with grease.
‘What’s up with this?’
What’s so funny?
It might have been a cough rather than a laugh.
But he does have a rather annoying expression, doesn’t he?
Next, it was that noble boy’s turn.
The knight retrieved a clattering object from the boy’s pocket.
“What is this?”
The knight asked.
“Uh… Lady Eliya…”
“How rude. How dare you speak the lady’s name.”
“I-I’m sorry! It’s a gift for the lady….”
The boy muttered back, voice trembling.
“I-it’s a wristwatch crafted by a clockmaker, made from the finest tin mined from the Balkans and high-quality gemstones…”
“That’s unnecessary.”
Thunk, the knight carelessly dropped the watch on the ground.
He crushed it under his steel boot.
The expensive looking gift was pulverized in seconds.
The noble boy turned as pale as a ghost.
He looked like he might cry any second.
“How dare you bring such a bribe to this place, knowing full well this is a crime? Didn’t we announce that bribery is strictly prohibited?”
“I-I am, um, sorry….”
Even though he was just a child, there was no mercy.
This world is a bit like that.
Child rights? What’s that?
Considering the times, is this even a historical accuracy thing?
“Crying over something this trivial is pathetic.”
“I’m sorry…”
The boy lowered his head.
The knight nonchalantly moved on to check the next person.
A few others brought ‘gifts’ that got caught up too.
Watching expensive gifts turn into trash right before their eyes made some kids break into tears.
Well, that’s how kids are.
But the knights showed no compassion.
Gawain cast a disdainful glance at the kids who cried openly.
“There are some pathetic fools even unfit for becoming the lady’s squire, let alone a mercenary…”
Tsk. He even clicked his tongue at the end.
The thorough inspection of belongings was quickly over.
“Now, we will escort the lady. Everyone, stand to attention.”
I instinctively stiffened and assumed a proper attention stance.
This is what makes physical education students scary.
My body reacts before my thoughts.
‘What should I do now….’
My goal is to get out of here.
There’s a definite method for it.
I just need to hurl some vulgar insults at Eliya or land a punch on her.
That’d ensure I’d get disqualified from the selection ceremony, and my own head would roll too.
It’s an almost certain outcome, but a big problem there.
‘How do I be rude enough to get disqualified without crossing too many lines?’
That’s a hell of a challenge.
As Gawain turned his head to the left, he knelt down.
I looked where he was bowing.
A girl approached.
She was about the same height as my child body.
Her ankle-length skirt fluffed out like an umbrella.
Dressed in red and black lace, the gown gave off a vintage vibe, making her look like a doll.
A maid held a glamorous parasol beside her.
Another maid spread out a red carpet in front of her.
The girl walks regally on the crimson rug, as if it was woven from the blood of the people.
With hair as dark as her demeanor and a haughty chin held high.
Her cold red eyes looked down upon the assembly.
With a feline gaze and a teardrop mark beneath her right eye.
She looked just like the Eliya I knew.
Except she looked years younger.
She was short and had chubby cheeks.
About the same age as my current body, I reckon.
‘She didn’t have a scar back then.’
“I greet you, Lady Eliya.”
Gawain was the first to kneel upon seeing her.
The children awkwardly mimicked this as she walked by.
“I-I greet you, Lady Eliya….”
Whether she cared or not is another matter.
Eliya walked slowly, surveying the candidates.
It didn’t seem like she even heard the greetings.
The distance between the candidates lined up and her was quite significant.
A distance that would never close.
That red carpet she stepped on looked like an insurmountable wall.
Eliya looked down from high atop her wall.
“Greet Lady Eliya.”
The kids all averted their eyes, fidgeting nervously.
Of course, it made sense.
What if they made eye contact and ended up on her bad side?
‘So, if I make eye contact, am I disqualified?’
Daring to look directly at someone of such high status is considered rude.
But it’s not enough to warrant execution.
‘It’s perfect for getting disqualified, though.’
“U-u-u-eliya, I-I-I greet you, my lady….”
The noble boy next to me trembled as he stuttered his greeting.
He bowed his head, dripping with cold sweat.
Next, it was my turn.
I looked directly into Eliya’s eyes.
I didn’t bend a knee.
Her stride halted as she was about to pass.
Her bored and uninterested gaze locked onto me.
I didn’t flinch.
If anything, I bore a slightly defiant stare.
Looking at her face reminded me of everything I had unfairly endured in the game so far.
Without realizing, my eyes hardened.
“……”
Eliya, who had been looking askance, turned towards me.
Right at me.
A bewildered Gawain, the knights, and the other candidates all turned their attention to me.
I felt a shiver of nervousness ripple through me, but I didn’t show it.
I needed to be disqualified here.
With firm steps, Eliya approached me.
Her polished shoes stepped off the red carpet.
Treading upon the dirty ground.
The distance that seemed indecipherable between the candidates and the lady was swiftly closing in.
The knights fumbled in their attempt to stop her.
As she stood before me, she was slightly shorter than I was.
Yet she maintained her gaze looking downwards.
Eliya’s petite lips moved.
“Bow.”
She commanded me.
I hesitated to respond.
I wasn’t someone who would kneel just because someone told me to.
But I also considered whether not kneeling would lead to execution right away.
It didn’t matter what I thought.
“This insolent brat!”
A knight rushed in, pinching my knee and pressing down on my shoulder.
“Ugh….”
My knee hit the ground, and my face crashed to the floor.
The knight held my nape down.
Even if it hurt, I held it back.
If just enduring this meant I could drop out, it would be worth it.
Live first, then sort things out.
“Lift your head.”
Eliya commanded.
The knight grabbed my hair and raised my head.
I still didn’t look away.
Eliya tilted her head slowly, observing me.
Then, she reached her hand out.
Her gloves felt scratchy.
A long sleeve covered her wrist.
Through the gap, I thought I caught a glimpse of a red mark.
Her small hand grasped my chin.
“A-Angel…!”
The knight gasped in surprise.
“Quiet.”
Eliya silenced him.
She held my chin, staring closely at my face, then slowly tilted her head.
She twisted my face around to examine it.
Her gaze as she observed was crescent-shaped.
She was smiling, right now.
“Interesting.”
She released my chin.
An unreadable emotion glittered in her smiling eyes.
“Get rid of everyone but this one.”
“…….”
I, of course, and everyone else here was baffled.
After dropping that bomb, Eliya turned and left, accompanied by her maid.
I stood there, dazed, while watching her retreating figure.
It took a while before I shook off the confusion.
‘…Huh?’
Something seemed off.
Very off.
At that moment, a familiar phrase popped up in my mind.
[Tutorial completed.]