Dark Fantasy Normalized Chapter 1

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

Then, it kills them.

Everyone. Regardless of whether they’re the heroine or anyone else.

*Another Tale*.

It’s a notorious dark fantasy ga.

Naturally, I never played the ga myself.

In our industry, killing heroines is off-limits. We're told not to touch, not to eat, and not to even speak of such things.

I was the kind who watched from afar, seeing the early adventurers who got obliterated without knowing anything and the foolhardy latecors who were about to be obliterated.

*Another Tale* had a trend like that for a while.

On YouTube Shorts, there was a video titled [Reactions from Users Playing the Ultimate Backstabbing Ga], edited with posts from the *Another Tale* gallery.

Famous strears would upload videos of themselves playing *Another Tale*, writhing in agony.

Instead of playing the ga myself, I just picked the highlights from YouTube, gallery posts, and Namuwiki.

I joined the trend in that sa way.

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

There’s barely anything I rember about it.

If you showed one of the main characters, I probably wouldn’t even recognize them.

But if you showed a scene where that character dies, then it would be a different story.

From the start, it wasn’t a ga that held much significance in my life.

If it had been, I would’ve played it myself.

...So why?

Why does that ga occasionally pop into my head?

Of all the gas, why *that* ga in particular?

A sudden thought ca to .

What if... this world...

What if this fantasy world is sohow the world inside *Another Tale*?

"...Nah."

It’s not.

This world was way too peaceful to be from a dark fantasy ga.

Around a year ago, I beca a character in this fantasy world.

It was a phenonon known as reincarnation awareness.

Or, more accurately, it was possession.

I beca the young master of the Vendel family, rulers of the Vendel Territory located in the western part of the continent.

That was my new identity.

The Vendel family was, as people say, a prestigious noble family.

Vendel Territory was distant from the capital, a reflection of the forr head’s lack of interest in politics.

Yet Vendel’s influence still reached the central aristocrats. Its power ca from none other than military might.

The Vendel family had, for generations, produced renowned swordsn of great fa.

In short, the eyes of the people in this family were as sharp as those of ghosts.

From a young age, they were raised like human weapons, stabbing each other and honing their skills.

I had beco part of a family of people like that.

When I first realized this, everything in front of went dark.

How could I possibly fool the eyes of these human weapons?

This world was a fantasy world where all sorts of wonders and miracles existed.

Would anyone believe that one day, the soul inside their family mber suddenly changed?

On Earth, it might be hard to believe, but here, it seed entirely plausible.

The problem was that in this world, anyone found swapping bodies and souls was an imdiate target for elimination, no matter who they were.

What would happen if they found out I was possessed?

- Reveal yourself!

- I was possessed.

- Oh, of course. That makes sense.

There’s no way the conversation would go like that.

They would probably interrogate until I gave them the answer they wanted to hear.

And they’d do it in a dieval, barbaric way, fitting for this fantasy world.

There was no ti to worry about other things.

As soon as I possessed this body, my only goal was [Don’t Get Caught].

It was a pointless effort.

It didn’t take long for to realize that it was all aningless.

The eyes of the swordsmanship clan mbers were not so dull that soone like could deceive them!

But, as it turned out, that wasn’t the problem at all.

I... was a bastard child.

Cue bitter smile, end parentheses.

They didn’t care about a re bastard child.

And since they didn’t care, they didn’t notice any changes either. A completely anticlimactic conclusion.

I was confused.

Should I be happy about this?

I decided to think positively.

Yeah, at least the biggest problem was solved.

One more thing. In this world, being called a “bastard” was the most common and insulting insult of all.

Being immune to such an insult from birth?

That was as empowering as being born an orphan and immune to “parent disses.”

Having survived the crisis of being found out as a possessed person, I faced a new challenge.

- So now what?

I was born into a prestigious noble family in a fantasy world, only to be called a bastard.

Everyone, from my family to the retainers and servants, treated like I didn’t exist.

If I stuck around here, what kind of future would await ?

- The military...!

In this world’s "bastard community," it was common for bastards to volunteer for the military in hopes of gaining their parents’ recognition.

Never. Ever. Not in a million years. That’s not happening.

In my previous life, I had escaped the cursed fate of military service through death at the age of 21.

And there weren’t even smartphones here.

Without hesitation, I ruled out military service as an option.

Let’s think this through.

Would a bastard, the disgrace of the family, proudly declare, “I’m not going to the military like the other bastards”?

My family would perk up and listen attentively.

And then they’d stuff into the harshest unit, charged with the cri of insolence.

In the end, I ca to a very rational conclusion.

Self-removal from the family registry.

Escape from Vendel.

In other words, independence.

A bastard who’s treated as if they don’t exist won’t be missed if they’re really gone.

With that logical reasoning, I had been actively preparing my escape.

The earlier a bastard gets up, the more independent they beco.

And so, as the sun rose, this bastard left the annex where the servants of the Vendel estate resided.

“Lisir-nim.”

At the entrance of the annex, a woman greeted .

She was Maya, one of the Vendel family’s maids and the personal maid of my younger sister, Roera.

“Oh, good morning, Maya.”

“Young Lady Roera requests a eting with you at noon today. You’re to et in the main courtyard.”

Ignoring my cheerful greeting, she delivered the ssage matter-of-factly.

To so, her tone might seem disrespectful for a maid, but this was already an improvent.

Who ranks higher between a Vendel maid and a Vendel bastard?

The answer: the maid who serves the young lady.

Besides, the young lady was a noble by birth.

It was only natural for her to look at a bastard as if I were an insect.

When I first possessed this body, Maya had treated as if I didn’t exist.

But now, look at her.

When I glance at her, Maya hurriedly averts her eyes.

It’s because I greeted her warmly every day that she acts like this now.

That’s what I call progress.

Far from disrespectful—she’s practically an angel.

...But wait, Roera wants to et ?

That’s not a good sign.

The only ti anyone from Vendel seeks out a bastard is when they’re about to raise hell.

“What a sha. I have business today.”

Just thought of a very important task.

Spending the whole day outside to avoid running into Roera.

“Shall I inform her that you’ll visit once your business is concluded?”

“Please tell her not to wait for .”

“Of course. You wouldn’t keep the young lady waiting, after all.”

Like hell I wouldn’t.

Oh, definitely.

Naturally, Roera wouldn’t take being stood up lightly, but that’s not my problem.

What could she do?

Complain to Father?

And what could Father do?

Kick out of the family?

Yes, please.

I’ll take that reward.

“...”

“...”

Maya glanced at suspiciously, but I gave her a brazen smile, and she quickly averted her gaze, leaving to my own devices.

Now, it’s ti for to go my own way.

Lisir goes on to ponder his future, considering the best course of action. Should he try to curry favor with his family? Absolutely not. Instead, he chooses the path of independence—escaping the Vendel family and going out into the world on his own.

But before that, there is a ssage: Roera, his younger sister, has requested a eting. Maya, her personal maid, informs him of this while maintaining the distant attitude typical of soone with higher status, despite being a servant. Lisir, knowing that nothing good can co from this eting, decides to avoid it altogether. He gives Maya instructions to tell Roera not to wait for him.

As Maya leaves, Lisir reflects on the absurdity of the situation—being a "bastard" in a prestigious noble family ans he’s treated as if he doesn’t exist. But that also ans, if he were to truly disappear, no one would care. That suits him just fine. He’s determined to leave, quietly and without causing a stir, before anyone can demand anything of him.

---

[Father]

[If I return from this place, will you finally acknowledge ?]

[Will you regret all the harsh days you subjected to?]

[I trust you will.]

[So please, oh God,]

[Send back ho.]

[Have I not suffered enough?]

“Please…”

The man sobbed.

He instinctively knew that here, in this naless snow-covered mountain swept by icy winds, he would die.

And in that mont, a face ca to mind—his father’s.

The man had co here for the honor of his father. Yet, the face he recalled was still full of contempt.

His sobbing soon beca indistinguishable from laughter.

Before he could let out all his emotions, his breath ran dry.

His breath was no longer warm.

He stared into the empty air and mumbled,

“Alright…”

“Alright…”

And as his breath stopped and his body slumped lifelessly,

An ice pillar fell from above, piercing through the crown of his head.

Monts later, a bastard stood up.

With lifeless eyes, the bastard looked in the direction of his holand.

▶ Fate 19: The Bastard Returns

▷ Fate 19: The Bastard Returns - Deactivated.

You have received a special reward.

---

This concludes Chapter 1, which introduces the main character's reincarnation into a bastard's body in a fantasy world, the nature of his noble family, and his determination to escape their neglect. The translation retains the tone of dark humor and the protagonist’s cynical, self-aware voice.

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TL NOTE:

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