Dark Fantasy Normalized

0 – Normalization of Dark Fantasy

It lulls players into a false sense of security with a peaceful atmosphere.

And then it kills them.

All of them. Regardless of whether they’re heroines or not.

Another Tale.

A dark fantasy game notorious for its infamy.

Of course, I never played that game myself.

Killing heroines is a no-go in our industry. We were told not to eat, use, or even talk about such things.

I was the one watching from across the river, observing the vanguard who knew nothing and got annihilated, and the reckless rearguard who were about to meet the same fate.

For a while, Another Tale was all the rage.

On YouTube Shorts channels, videos titled [Epic Backstab Game Play Reactions] were uploaded, featuring edited posts from Another Tale gallery users.

Famous streamers played Another Tale themselves and uploaded videos of their agony.

Instead of playing the game directly, I would extract the essence through YouTube, galleries, and Namuwiki.

I joined the trend in the same way.

In short, I don’t know much about Another Tale.

I hardly remember anything about it.

I probably wouldn’t recognize the main characters if I saw them.

Unless you showed me the scene where that character dies, then it would be a different story.

It wasn’t a game that held much significance in my life to begin with.

If it had, I would have played it myself.

…But why is that?

Sometimes, that game comes to mind.

Out of all the many games, why that one?

A sudden thought.

Maybe. This world.

This fantasy world might just be the world inside Another Tale?

“…Nah.”

Of course not.

This world is too peaceful to be the setting of a dark fantasy.

*

About a year ago from now.

I became aware of my past life.

As a result, the self of a modern Earthling and the self of a character from a fantasy world merged to become who I am now.

Not much had changed.

I was still the young master of the noble Vendel family.

*

The Vendel family was what you would call a prestigious family.

The Vendel territory was far from the center, but that was a reflection of the previous head’s disinterest in politics.

Vendel had long been a renowned family of swordsmanship, producing many esteemed swordsmen.

In other words, the people of this house had eyes like hawks.

Human weapons who grew up practicing swordsmanship from a young age.

Thus, the first emotion I felt upon becoming aware of my past life was fear.

What would happen if my family realized the anomaly that had occurred to me?

This world is a fantasy world where all sorts of mysteries and wonders exist.

One day, our family’s self suddenly changed?

It might be possible on Earth, but here, it’s entirely plausible.

However, the problem is that in this world, those who swap bodies and souls like changing parts are the top priority for extermination, regardless of their kind.

A young master whose self suddenly changed?

The two choices that come to mind when you click are [1. Interrogate] [2. Torture].

Therefore, I tried my best to act as I did before my selves merged.

So that my family wouldn’t notice the change that had happened to me.

It was futile.

Before long, I realized that it was all meaningless.

The keen eyes of the swordsmanship family’s members were not something I could deceive!

– In a development completely different from what I had feared.

I.

Was an illegitimate child.

My mother was nothing but a servant.

She was pregnant with the head’s child, but that fact didn’t change.

The head was too noble to take my mother, a mere servant, as a concubine.

A child born of such a servant.

The family members paid no attention to someone like me.

They had no interest in the first place, so they couldn’t possibly notice any changes.

Even if they did notice a change, they didn’t think much of it.

I was confused.

Should I be happy about this?

I decided to think positively.

Yes. At least the biggest problem is solved.

Another thing. In this world, being called a b*stard was the most common and insulting curse.

Was I born immune to such insults?

It was as encouraging as being born an orphan immune to parental curses.

Having overcome the crisis caused by my past life’s awareness, I faced a new phase.

-So. What now?

I became the young master of a prestigious noble family in a fantasy world, but I was a b*stard.

The family members, as well as the retainers and servants, treated me as if I didn’t exist.

What kind of future awaits me if I stay here?

-Enlistment…!

In this world’s b*stard industry, there was a culture of volunteering for the military to gain recognition from parents.

Absolutely. Never. Ever. Will I. Do. That. I assure you.

In my past life, I was twenty-one.

I barely escaped the cursed yoke of military service through death.

There aren’t even smartphones here.

Without a second thought, enlistment was not an option.

So let’s think about it.

A b*stard, the family’s disgrace, declares, “I don’t want to go to the military like other b*stards?”

The family would listen attentively with sparkling eyes.

And then, they’d send me to the harshest unit with a charge of impudence.

Ultimately, I reached a very reasonable conclusion.

Escape.

No one would complain if a b*stard who was treated as non-existent really disappeared.

Under such logical judgment, the b*stard had been spurring on his escape preparations lately.

The b*stard who wakes up early is more independent.

The b*stard left the annex of the Vendel mansion, where the servants stayed, as soon as dawn broke today.

“Lord Rishir.”

There was a woman greeting the b*stard at the entrance of the annex.

It was Maya, my younger sister Roera’s dedicated maid.

“Maya, good morning.”

“Lady Roera requests a meeting. The time is today at noon. You can come to the front yard of the main building.”

Her attitude of skipping my greeting and immediately notifying me might seem somewhat arrogant for a maid, but this was quite an improvement.

The maid of Vendel and the b*stard of Vendel.

Which of the two has a higher status?

Without a doubt, it’s the maid.

Most of these maids were of noble origin.

Unlike me, who is only half, they are completely noble.

The retainers of the Vendel mansion treated me as a young master, but that was only a formality.

Their actions were fundamentally based on deep contempt.

Even Maya in front of me originally treated me as if I didn’t exist.

But now?

“…”

“…”

Look at that.

Maya bows her head slightly when our eyes meet.

This happened because I greeted her warmly every day.

A remarkable improvement indeed.

At this rate, they might as well treat me like an emperor.

Since becoming aware of my past life, my life has been improving day by day.

…But Roera wants to meet me?

That’s not a good sign.

When someone from Vendel seeks out the b*stard, it’s usually when they’re about to cause trouble.

“What should I do? I have an errand to run today.”

I just remembered something very important.

Spending time outside until evening to avoid running into Loera.

“Then shall I tell Lady Rishir that you will visit as soon as your business is finished?”

“Could you please tell her not to wait for me?”

“Of course. Lady Rishir would never keep the young lady waiting.”

No, she wouldn’t.

Oh, definitely not.

Of course, the young lady of the Windel family wouldn’t stay still if she was stood up, but that’s none of my business.

What can you do?

Tattle to your father?

What can your father do?

Kick me out of the family?

Bring it on.

Give me the industry’s reward.

“…”

“…”

Maya, who had raised her head, looked at me suspiciously.

But when I gave her a cheeky smile, she hurriedly averted her gaze and left.

I should go my own way too.

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▶Another Tale◀

This is another story.

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[Father]

[When I return from here, will you acknowledge me then?]

[Will you regret those harsh days you treated me so cruelly?]

[I believe you will]

[So please, God]

[Send me back home]

[Haven’t I suffered enough already?]

[“Please…”]

[The man sobbed]

[He instinctively knew]

[That he would die in this nameless snowy mountain where the icy wind howled]

[In that moment, his father’s face came to mind]

[The man had come here for his father’s honor]

[But the father he remembered still looked at him with contempt]

[From that moment, his sobs were indistinguishable from laughter]

[Before he could pour out all his emotions, his breath ran out]

[By the time his breath was no longer warm]

[He began to mutter while staring into the void]

[Alright]

[Alright]

[Soon, his breath stopped and his body went limp]

[At the same time, an ice pillar fell from above and pierced his crown]

[After a while, the b*stard rose]

[The b*stard stared in the direction of his hometown with lifeless eyes]

▶Fate 19: The Return of the b*stard

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▷Fate 19: The Return of the b*stard – Deactivated.

The corresponding perks are granted.

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