3-Memories of the pre-life
It all started with an unusual phenomenon that occurred at the beginning of this year.
As soon as the new year dawned, what appeared to be a huge crack appeared on the moon shining in the night sky.
The large arcing lines that crossed the surface of the celestial body caused an immediate uproar.
All sorts of outlandish rumors were flying around, saying that it was a harbinger of a natural disaster or the work of demons living on the moon.
Anxious people and scoundrels who wanted to take advantage of the chaos and increase their earnings immediately started to stir up trouble and quarrels here and there.
However, Her Majesty, the beloved Queen Valtrude, dealt with this situation swiftly.
First of all, she ordered the Magical Research Institute and the state religion, Shinmyoukyo, to investigate the cause of the situation.
The great scholars and priests turned over various old documents and poked their horns together, and came to the conclusion that this was a good omen.
It was also fortunate that this was the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Holy Vilnia.
Immediately, the Queen sent out a large announcement that it was a good omen, and the panic quickly subsided.
In fact, the change in the moon was a natural consequence of the fact that there was no immediate problem.
Even if something slightly unusual happens in the sky when we look up, we are human beings who do not care if it does not affect us.
The anomaly was named the moon smile, and most people quickly returned to their daily lives.
But I was going against the flow and could never go back to my normal life again.
Because the moon reminded me of that.
I remembered that this world was just like the games I had played.
I don't know if I can call it my previous life, but it seems that I used to be Japanese.
I have no brothers or sisters, and I live an average life with average parents.
He had an unremarkable school life and an unremarkable job. His hobbies include playing video games and watching movies.
He was able to do the work he was told to do, but he did not take an active role.
I had my fair share of friends, but no close friends or lovers to whom I could reveal my true feelings.
When I think back, my life has been uneventful.
I don't remember what happened to my parents, or how I died.
Perhaps it is because it is painful.
On the contrary, what I remember clearly for some reason are the contents of my favorite games.
Among them, the one that remains in my memory the most is Dragonia Chronicles.
Also known as "Dracro," it was a simulation RPG of the monozukuri genre.
It takes place in a medieval style, with the familiar worldview of fighting monsters with swords and magic.
It is a game in which the main character, who is an alchemist-like profession, collects materials in various places and makes various items to fulfill requests (quests).
The first game was released in the late stage of the early generation of home consumer consoles, so it is in the retro category.
A sequel was released a few years later on second-generation consoles. This game was also quite a hit.
After that, the manufacturer itself was absorbed by a major company, and only the brand name remained, but the series itself continued until the latest model.
The second game, which I also played a lot, is one of the most famous among them.
The game begins with the protagonist, now sixteen years old, opening a workshop as an alchemist in a remote village.
From there, he plows fields, raises chickens and cows, builds a herb garden, etc. The game sells a slow life, but has a high degree of freedom, and branches off into various routes depending on the choices you make.
You can take a village development route with a royal ending where you marry the village chief's daughter, or a wealthy ending where you become the owner of a large workshop in the royal capital.
There is also an ending where the player becomes a master of alchemy and marries a homunculus, or an academy president who builds an alchemy school.
However, the most famous ending is the one where you fight a giant dragon that destroys the world.
This route is, in a word, extremely difficult.
In the Dracro series, you can train your companion units, but you need to raise them all to near max and have the best weapons and armor to fight the hidden boss.
In the beginning, there were no reports of clearing the game, and the difficulty level was so high that it was thought to be a depressing end just to watch the human race die out.
What started out as a heartwarming nurturing game has turned into a full-fledged strategy SLG about bloody human conflicts.
This route, which was too different from the original, became extremely popular among a certain segment of the population.
There is even a rumor that the twist that can be called a different game was left behind by the director who disappeared from the industry after making this game.
Aside from that, it's hard to believe that this world has the same race, history, terrain, and name as Dracula 2.
And to make matters worse, we seem to be on our way to the most difficult route.
The evidence of this is that moon in the sky.
That's not a smile or anything.
It's a dragon's eyeball about to open.
After three years of slow awakening, the dragon will unleash a terrible light of destruction that will turn the world into a sea of fire.
As the countries that have been fighting over resources are cruelly destroyed, the protagonists join forces with their supposed adversaries to fight the final battle.
This is the hot story of .......
When I first got my memory back, I was so excited.
It's a world just like my favorite game, Dracula 2.
I was moved by the familiar scenery, and felt nostalgic for the smelting materials that I used to handle without paying attention to them.
After a full day of excitement, I began to have doubts.
It is hard to believe that there is a reincarnation in a fictional game, let alone in a different era or country.
I wondered if someone was playing a grand prank on me, or if I had finally lost my mind.
But when you consider the demons and beasts that didn't exist on Earth, and all the magic, including alchemy, it's hard to believe that it could be a trick.
There were other definite game-like features, and I decided to accept them.
After thinking about it for a long time, it's not like I could get a clear answer.
Finally, I realized the situation again and despaired.
I know this because I've played a lot of games and read strategy books from end to end.
............ It's not too late to start now.
If you don't develop your friends and items from the very beginning of the game, you have no chance of defeating the vicious final boss.
After the sign of awakening appears on the moon, there are so many important events you've missed that you'll need to press the reset button.
Of course, even if the game is just like the game, we can't say that this reality is perfectly synchronized with Dracula 2.
In the game, I started out as a sixteen-year-old boy full of dreams and hopes, but now I am a twenty-six-year-old man who is tired and weary of work.
There are other minor differences as well, so it is quite possible that they are just similar.
In that case, however, there is even less hope.
The protagonist is the protagonist and can be the protagonist only because he can stay behind the screen.
In this actualized world, I'm just an alchemist.
I don't feel like I can go into battle with pomp and splendor, or add famous people (characters) to my ranks with cool speeches and persuasion.
I don't even feel like doing it.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to just sit back and wait for my demise.
But as is usual in any world, who said what is more important than what was said.
If I, a mere alchemist and a pan-racial man, go around telling people that dragons will wake up and the world will be destroyed, it is obvious that no one will believe me.
Besides, the source is from the game.
I would never believe it either.
So I thought of something that even an unknown citizen could do, and the result was to spread rumors secretly in various taverns.
This is the perfect time to do it at the bar, where rumors can easily spread.
Don't underestimate the fact that this is just a story of a drunkard.
In the Dracula world, where entertainment is scarce, the tavern is an excellent place to exchange information.
It is understandable that it was an important facility in the game.
In the first year of the game, when the moon was changed, there was a bad harvest.
If we start spreading rumors of bad luck now, it will be accepted easily.
In addition, in the second year, there will be an epidemic, and in the third year, there will be a great disaster.
As long as they have a sense of crisis in the first year, they will take practical measures as soon as possible.
All we have to do is to spread the word about the disasters that are expected to occur in the future.
If the rumor comes true, more people will believe it and it will spread more easily.
Once we get to that point, all we have to do is sneak in a rumor about the Dragon of Doom.
Once the country starts to understand the situation, there is no more room for individuals.
In the game, a team of twenty could defeat the last boss.
In the game, a team of 20 people could defeat the last boss.
............ No, probably not.
In real life, it would be several thousand kilometers long.
However, with my knowledge of the game, I should be able to stand my ground and keep my human resources as low as possible.
And now I have the power to do so.
And that's how I pictured it, but at the very beginning, I got tripped up by an unsavory colleague.
Well, there were a lot of uncertainties and I didn't expect it to work out in the end, so I'm not so sure about this. .......
Besides, I've found the next clue.
In fact, I was ordered to open a workshop in a remote village.
For some reason, I had forgotten that it was the village of beginnings, the initial starting point in Dracula 2.
And at my current level, I must have met the requirements for that thing to appear near the village.
If that's the case, I might still be able to make it.
While I was thinking about this and that, before I knew it, I had arrived at the boarding house.
I glanced behind me, then quickly entered.
"Oh, welcome back. What's up? You're up early today.
The person who called out to me was a beastly woman with triangularly pointed ears.
She wore a s*xy serving dress with bare shoulders, which suited her well even though it was the middle of winter.
Her name was Enni. She is one year older than me and is also the landlady of my boarding house.
She runs a diner on the first floor of the house where I am staying, and several people are eating at a table.
Perhaps because it was past lunchtime, the restaurant was relatively empty.
The restaurant was relatively empty. Where's Olli?
You're talking out of the blue. He's inside, taking a breather.
I nodded and made my way to the counter in the back.
As I stretched my neck to peer into the kitchen, I saw a large, bear-like man in a white apron, just tipping his mug.
The man with the rounded animal ears was three years older than me.
This is another old friend of mine, who runs this boarding house and diner with his wife Enni and their children.
............ What's up, bro? Brother.
Olli asks with concern, a froth of malt liquor around his mouth.
Although we are not related, Olli and Enni are from the same orphanage.
Olli, my older brother, is a big but sensitive man who is usually reluctant to speak in public.
However, he was an excellent cook.
But he was an excellent cook. So I'm going to a village in the countryside until things cool down.
Oh, yeah? Are you okay?
I let out a small breath at that question.
I had told them about the situation to some extent, but I had no intention to involve them.
But in the end, I ended up causing them a lot of trouble.
This was all due to my carelessness.
I heard that the Knights had spotted us, but no one was following us.
After I left the workshop, I stopped for a while and looked behind me a few times, just in case I was being followed.
Olli's small eyes narrowed even more at my words.
I've seen the same face on the street three times this morning. It's the same woman with the black ears.
You've been following me. ...... I'm really sorry.
Don't worry about it.
He drank the rest of his mug in one gulp and continued with a difficult look on his face.
It's better to leave now. What about the luggage?
We'd better pack quickly. I'm sorry about the room.
Don't worry about that either.
I ran up the stairs, pushed open the door and ran into my room.
As an alchemist who deals with large amounts of materials, you need to be organized on a regular basis.
Thanks to that, I'll be able to finish packing soon.
First, I went to my desk and put away all the neatly arranged alchemy tools and instruction books.
Next, the closet.
I don't have a taste for clothes, so I only have a few, but I put them all together and added them to my luggage.
I also put away my new shoes, underwear, and socks, and the shelves are now completely empty.
The bed, desk, and chair were left as they were.
This is the least I can do for the trouble.
As I was leaving, I couldn't help but look back.
I've lived in this room for over ten years. How could I not be attached to it?
After a few moments of contemplation, I shook my head, closed the door, and headed downstairs.
When I returned to the first floor, Enni was waiting for me with his arms outstretched.
He hugged me tightly on the head.
I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. If anyone from the Order comes to see you, make it clear that you have nothing to do with me. And you can do whatever you want with the stuff in your room.
You idiot. You have nothing to apologize for. You did it because you thought it was the right thing to do. So be proud of yourself.
You haven't had lunch yet. Take what you can get.
I bit down hard on my teeth at their casual, kind words.
I put the package away like a magician, and they laughed with a twinkle in their eyes.
"This way. Follow me.
Olli opened the door to the cellar on the galley floor and quietly beckoned me in.
A small, inconspicuous wooden door appeared on the far wall between the large barrels and burlap sacks.
It leads to the sewers. Can you get to it?
Yeah, we'll be fine.
The underground canals of King's Landing are famous for being the home of slimes.
I took out my magnetic white light lantern and quickly refined a demon repellant.
I'll be sure to call you when I get settled.
All right. Make sure you eat three meals a day.
Give my regards to the children.
Olli grasped my hand tightly and nodded his head.
After using a potion to keep the slime away, I headed west through the sewers.
In the game, this is the event stage where you break into the royal castle, but I'm not in the mood for any fun.
I walked on in silence, knee-deep in the numbingly cold sewage with its terrible smell.
After walking for about thirty minutes, I finally found a ladder that led to the top.
When I stepped outside, I found myself in a familiar alleyway.
I quickly
I casually blended in with the crowd and made it to the carriage stop in front of the west gate.
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any guards from the Order at this gate.
I guess they don't have the manpower to deal with a little guy like me.
Without any particular blame, the carriage drove through the gate and out of the capital.
I was relieved to feel the vibration in my lower back, when my empty stomach suddenly made a noise.
His stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten lunch.
I took out a package from the item list and unfolded it to reveal a sandwich.
My favorite, an egg sandwich.
As you bite into it, you notice something at the bottom of the package.
It was a few silver coins.
That's enough money to last Olli and the others ten days.
Barnabas, Olli, Enni, and their children do not appear as NPCs in Dracula 2.
In the text, they are just people who live in King's Landing.
Still, they're all important people who've lived in this world and had something to do with me.
As my eyes burned with various thoughts, I downed the most delicious egg sandwich and muttered to myself.
"Absolutely. I'll definitely help you. ......
I really thought so, even after all this time.
And so my safe life took a tumultuous turn for the worse.