I met a friend for the first time in a while, ignored my alcohol tolerance, and drank until I passed out.
When I woke up, I had become the eldest son of the Count’s family.
“What the hell?”
I found out later that the name of the person I was possessed by was Ian Balthazar.
He was the eldest son of the Balthazar family, which was steeped in darkness and curse.
When I first heard the name of the family, it felt like a simple sense of déjà vu.
I had a memory of hearing it somewhere before, but I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was—a vague feeling.
That feeling turned into certainty when I met my so-called younger sister.
“Congratulations on your broken engagement, you jerk brother.”
The one who blurted out such disrespectful words was my so-called younger sister.
To be more precise, she was the younger sister of the body I had possessed.
It’s natural for a younger sister to curse her older brother, but this felt a bit different.
If a typical relationship with a younger sister is that of love and hate, this was one of outright contempt.
It felt like the gaze of a blood relative seeing someone who ruined their family by falling into illegal gambling.
“What do you mean broken engagement?”
“Ha! Are you pretending to forget? Get lost, it’s disgusting.”
Without answering my question, my sister shoved me roughly and disappeared.
After she vanished, I turned to the attendant who had been following me.
“Who was she?”
“…That was Silvia Balthazar. She’s your sister, young master.”
Silvia Balthazar.
The moment I heard that name, the déjà vu turned into certainty.
The Balthazar family was one I had encountered in a game I used to play.
I denied the possibility that flashed in my mind and asked the attendant.
“Is the head of the family named Tiran Balthazar?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
While it’s not uncommon for family names to overlap, it’s rare for the names of the head of the family or their children to be the same.
Denying the arising possibility, I reviewed the family tree.
It wasn’t just the names of the head of the family and sister. The cousin’s name was ‘Emilio’ and the uncle was ‘Gerhardt’.
Moreover, the family motto of the Balthazar clan was as follows.
[Even if the soul shatters, blood will be connected.]
Every little detail matched exactly with the settings from the game I used to play.
I clasped my head and let out a hollow laugh.
If I had reincarnated into a game, I might have dreamed of using my knowledge to excel—just like the clichés.
But if this world wasn’t merely a dark fantasy background of a Souls-like game, I might have been able to.
After trying countless times to clear that game, now I had to do it all over again?
After long contemplation, I arrived at a conclusion.
“Let’s get out of here.”
The Balthazar family was destined for ruin.
The head of the family, having lost his wife, would turn every family member into a monster.
That was a constant no matter what choice the player made.
The mad head of the family, Tiran Balthazar, would inevitably transform all members into monsters.
Staying here would result in becoming a monster or being eaten by those who had turned into monsters.
That night, I stopped by the armory and grabbed a set of leather armor and a steel sword.
Silvia tried to leave the family but was stopped by me.
“Where do you think you’re going? Is running away your next plan since this isn’t working out? You’ve really gone too far.”
“This family will fall. I need to escape before that happens. Silvia, let’s run away together.”
If Silvia stayed in this family, the chances of her becoming a monster were high.
Silvia widened her eyes.
“Damn, answer me. What have you done to our family?”
“I…”
I opened my mouth to explain but soon closed it again.
Silvia right now had no intention of believing whatever I said.
No matter how much I tried to convince her in this state, it would only be a waste of time.
“Take care.”
Silvia didn’t try to stop me.
That day I left the Balthazar family.
***
After leaving the Balthazar family, I headed north.
Since the first Demon Beast appeared 400 years ago, the North had been swarming with monsters.
In the game, the Central Empire was holding the North at bay, allowing other countries to remain intact.
But as the game progressed into the later stages, the Northern Front collapsed and the Empire fell.
As a result, the entire continent was thrown into chaos by the monsters.
I tossed kindling onto the campfire.
I didn’t think I could do anything alone.
I couldn’t believe that just clearing a game once or twice could translate to real-life capability.
But that didn’t serve as a reason not to act.
In order to survive on a continent that was about to fall apart, becoming stronger was absolutely necessary.
“Damn it, how am I supposed to learn the Energy Accumulation Technique if it’s only available there?”
The Energy Accumulation Technique.
It was the new power devised by humanity, which was on the brink of destruction after the appearance of the first Demon Beast.
By accumulating the energy known as ‘Energy’ in one’s body, one could unleash inhuman power.
As a power designed to combat the monsters, the Energy Accumulation Technique could only be learned in the North, where monsters run rampant.
There was an alternative called the Academy, but to enroll, I would need the family’s assistance.
In any case, it meant that I had no choice but to go into the Northern Front.
“Two enlistments. My mind is hazy.”
That sucks.
But if I didn’t do something like that, surviving in a continent that was going to go to hell would be impossible.
Once the Central Empire collapsed, all kinds of lunatics would fill the void.
From intelligent monsters to religious groups enticing people to become monsters, and even cultists flowing in from the East.
Ah, it’s overwhelming.
Can I survive?
***
As if to prove it was a dark fantasy backdrop at the end of the century, the road to the North was long and treacherous.
At times I encountered bands of robbers, and at other times I stumbled upon monsters.
-“Hey you! Hand over all your money!”
-“Graaah!”
Each time I either ran away like a coward or drew the stolen sword with a heavy heart.
I had never swung a sword properly, but oddly enough, a swordsman’s techniques seemed to be ingrained in my body.
It was a fact I realized too late; the Balthazar family was a prestigious knight family.
Though they didn’t produce aura users, they had raised outstanding knights for generations.
It was undoubtedly evident that the swordsmanship that Ian Balthazar had trained in as a child lingered in my body.
Still, since I had not trained directly in swordsmanship, I faced difficulties.
There were times I hesitated even though I could kill, resulting in being stabbed, and times my arm was bitten.
Every time, I gripped my mind and thrust the sword erratically.
Was there a physical talent embedded in this body? Each time I escaped death, my swordsmanship gradually became more proficient.
By the time my body was covered in scars, I could slice through robbers without taking a hit.
“We’re almost there. Just a little further, and…”
I glanced at the map and fell silent.
The Central Empire, the size of Russia, was incredibly far from the Northern Front.
This is terrible.
I don’t understand why there aren’t any transportation means like buses.
Even on a carriage, it was still far.
***
After a long journey of a year and a half heading North, I could see the end in sight.
Having passed through countless hellish places during that time, I looked like a beggar.
My unkempt beard stuck out in every direction, and the leather armor I wore was in tatters.
Even the sword of Balthazar, which used to be a fine blade, had developed cracks.
I stopped by a nearby village for a refresh.
I equipped myself with a new set of leather armor and a steel sword from the blacksmith.
I had enough money thanks to the robbers and monsters I had been slaying along the way.
While climbing the snowy mountains again, I spotted a carriage being attacked by monsters.
As I got closer to the North, the number of monsters continued to increase.
I decided to help and get a ride on the carriage.
“Ugh, ugh!”
“It’s a monster!”
I charged towards the creature that took the form of a wolf but looked crudely made as if a child had played with clay.
It was a monster I could face on the front lines, but it was an inferior specimen compared to the average.
Being this weak was why it could crawl down from the Northern Front.
I swung my sword, slicing its front legs while it rolled in the snow, and decapitated the monster.
As I became proficient in the swordsmanship of the Balthazar family, this level of monster was easy.
“Excuse me, may I hitch a ride on the carriage—”
“Thank you! You just saved the Lady!”
“…What?”
When I turned around, a woman with fiery red hair was sitting on the ground in awe.
I just wanted to get on the carriage…?
As it turned out, the attacked carriage belonged to the Duchy of Nordelheim, carrying the duke’s daughter.
She was headed to the Duke in a hurry with no escort to deliver an important letter.
It was a coincidence that our destinations aligned, allowing me to hitch a ride.
“Hero, is there a reason you’re going to the Northern Front?”
“I’m going to fight the monsters there.”
“Wow, that’s great! I’ll ask my father for help!”
Wait, something seems to be going wrong here.
By the time I realized the oddity, it was already too late.
“Thank you for saving my daughter. You came to protect the North, right? Haha! Don’t worry, I’ll help you make great achievements!”
Ian Balthazar.
Assigned to the front lines.
