The Transmigrator in a Romance Fantasy is Obviously a Woman
If you think about it, the person who gets possessed into a romance fantasy novel is naturally a woman. Really, when you calmly consider it, that's just how it is. In the romance fantasy genre, possessions usually happen to women. Romance fantasy is a genre aimed at women from the start. Most protagonists in romance fantasy possession stories are probably women, right? With that logic—
Golden Chains is Kano Ameri.>
—that assumption turns into a pretty reasonable deduction.
1. She's such a diehard fan that she has the novel memorized down to the sweet details.
2. She was born with cheat-level talent.
In short, the protagonist of Golden Chains who got possessed is her. And I ended up getting possessed into it too.
'Ah, my head hurts.'
What can I say? True to the romance fantasy genre, everything's just moderately meh. Anyway.
A faint light bloomed over my fingertips. Thin silver lines sliced through the air like threads. Even the edge of the stone in the flower bed was cut smooth as tofu.
"Feeling cooperative now?"
In essence, I was in a situation where the novel's protagonist was threatening me. Wow. Talk about ridiculous. No matter how much of a third-rate villain I am, do you think a threat like this would work on me?!
"Hehe… What a pretty sword aura. So sparkly—it's like a swordmaster's all on its own."
Third-rate villain trait: Listens well to those stronger than him.
Third-rate villain trait 2: Skilled in survival tactics and flattery.
Too spineless? As if a mere extra would defy the protagonist! For a heaven-sent Confucian boy like me, insubordination like that is simply unthinkable!
"Right? Pretty, isn't it? But why the sudden formal speech?"
Did I overdo it? Nah, push forward.
"Aigoo. How could I dare use casual speech with a swordmaster lady? It's endlessly regrettable that mere formal words can't fully express my admiration."
"Pfft!"
Kano stifled a giggle, her face and voice flushing a bit.
"Right? Pretty! Actually, I can do this too."
Sizzle, crackle—
She swung her fingers excitedly, and the silver sword aura shattered into the air like fireworks, scattering in fine sparkles. Glittering lights enveloped us.
I stared blankly at the sight, cursing inwardly.
'Crazy, it's like stars are falling.'
"Impressive. Truly the next-gen swordmaster—!"
"Hehehe!"
Outwardly, I clapped and played along, but inside, it burned. Of course it did—I was jealous as hell of that transmigrator buff!
Oh heavens. Why possess me into a romance fantasy and make another transmigrator too?! And why dump all the powers on her?! I wanna shoot lasers from my fingers too!!
Huff, huff.
As I grumbled in resentment,
"Alright, so you'll cooperate now?"
Kano asked after her flashy sword aura demo.
In other words: Wanna get diced up sparkly-style? Or cooperate?
—A straight-up threat.
◆ Romance fantasies read so far: 1,381 works.
Comments on the web novel platform CocoaPage: 98,813.
Goods purchased: 38,713,000 won.
Seo Yu-jin was convinced that if anyone in Korea possessed into a romance fantasy, it'd be her. Probably no other reader was as sincere about the genre.
And so, after getting chewed out like a dog at work, passing out with cheap soju, and waking to a pristine white ceiling—
"Golden Chains?"
She instantly recognized the novel she'd possessed into and screamed.
"Nice!"
Possessing her favorite novel! She was a fervent reader of Golden Chains. The story was pretty standard. Plausibility? Pure author convenience. Judged on that alone, it was just average fare.
But 'The character outfits and visuals are insane!'
From the male and female leads to passing third-rate extras—perfect god-tier fashion descriptions infused with the author's soul.
'Looks are plausibility and narrative!' Possessing a blessed novel like this? As an otaku, nothing could make her happier.
But Seo Yu-jin wasn't naive enough to just ride the happiness train. Her romance fantasy big data was warning her.
To survive as an extra in this world, she had to read the original plot's flow and uncover the 'variable.'
The entity that flips the obvious story and adds tension: the dark side.
Turns out this guy's hiding a massive secret—ta-da! A core element in every possession story.
That was logical romance fantasy expert Seo Yu-jin's conclusion.
And sure enough, after her possession, the original plot started veering slightly off-course. Like that 'extra artist's seditious book' shaking up the imperial back alleys—a variable never mentioned in the novel.
Seo Yu-jin was certain. This novel had a dark side too.
She had to find that person.
So she'd been jotting notes and scouting diligently—
Thud!
—when she ran into a third-rate villain.
Ian Ashy. Second son of the Ashy Barony, mocked as the 'art beggar family.'
'Haaa. Insane. Third-rate villain but that visual.'
His neat looks and decadent gaze made her inwardly squeal 'Be happyyy—' with fangirl glee, but she tried to stay cool. He wasn't important anyway.
Importance: F
That was Ian Ashy's rank in her database.
But chatting with him, he was oddly inscrutable. Solid talker, slippery like a fox.
In short, the type who 'doesn't get hooked easily.'
At first, she'd been pretty scared inside. In these worlds, bottom-tier villains are the wildest and scariest!
So to seize initiative, she'd flashed her transmigrator perk like 'Bet you can't do this? My sword aura's tasty and scary, huh?'
'…Oops. Got too hyped.'
How was that guy's tongue so slick? She'd expected defiance, but he groveled flat, clapping and hyping her as swordmaster, getting her all excited and overdoing it embarrassingly.
'Dangerous guy.'
He knew how to toy with hearts right in his palm. The moment Seo Yu-jin's mental eval of 'Ian Ashy' jumped from F to D+.
She'd thought a third-rater couldn't impact the main story, but maybe he was linked to the 'dark side' she'd been seeking.
'Still, after showing that overwhelming power, he'll be scared and cooperate nicely now.'
Just get his cooperation quick and done.
"Alright, so you'll cooperate now?"
But.
The eyes of the man who'd just been groveling and chanting 'swordmaster' turned icy and sharp in an instant.
Playfulness gone, gray irises sank deep like a predator eyeing prey.
"But. Can you really kill me?"
Seo Yu-jin froze at Ian Ashy's sly lip curl and the low, heavy voice piercing straight to the core.
◆ Flattery has skills too. Blind yes-man clapping doesn't last long. Even sweet praise gets old fast.
True flattery makes them crave your praise, scanning your intentions on their own.
In other words, flattery that hands you the initiative is pro-level.
"Think about it. Kill me, and that prophecy? Totally useless from the start."
So, I closed in on her, pressing the advantage.
"No matter how cool your sword aura is, it doesn't give me any reason to obey you. Right?"
I was taking control.
The threatening glow at Kano's fingertips fizzled out pathetically.
She pushed up her big glasses and stared at me, pupils quaking as she racked her brain. Then her lips curved into a smile.
"……Pfft."
She swallowed a gasp and let out a small laugh.
"You're right. My bad."
"No more threats from now on. Pisses me off."
"It wasn't really a threat… I just showed my hand first 'cause you're scary. Third-rate villains really are terrifying."
She calmly spilled her guts honestly.
"Got too excited and overdid it. Sorry."
Hmm. A clean apology. No reason to push further.
Well, no point beefing with the novel's real protagonist anyway.
"Okay. Deal agreed."
"So, about that."
Kano eyed me appraisingly and tossed out a proposal.
"Need a prophecy? I'll do one for you. Let's trade. Fair and square."
"…Trade?"
"Yeah. You give me one piece of info, I tell you about your connection to Lady Judith."
I stroked my chin, pondering.
Normally I'd dodge, but I had one pressing issue to solve.
"Ah. Then, do you know any place around the academy with a decent large-scale printing press?"
"Printing press?"
Kano's face twisted oddly at my question. She fiddled with her glasses, frowning.
"That… might be a bit—no, a huge stretch for you right now."
"Why?"
"Printing guzzles insane money and resources. Just one run drains massive mana. The magic stones used as fuel explode like crazy. But you're a beggar… art beggar."
As I clicked my tongue in disappointment,
"Still, it's not impossible."
Kano hurriedly added, reading my letdown.
"Pick the 'Art Department' in the upcoming academy department selection."
"Art Department?"
"Yeah. They have a few printing presses secured, I hear. Get lucky, maybe you can use one?"
Oh. Useful info. True protagonist material.
"Alright, my turn."
Kano licked her lips, pen in hand, approaching me.
"Be honest. At the entrance ceremony in the great hall, what's your deal with her?"
"Deal? Who?"
"C'mon, don't play dumb. Lady Judith. She slowed her steps, glanced at the pillar you were hiding behind, gave that weird, killer eye contact with a smile. Total romance arc chapter 1 verse 1 vibes?"
"Nonsense!"
I recoiled in horror without thinking.
The start of a romance arc? With that psycho villainess? Absolutely not. Never.
"No relation. Just yesterday at the opening banquet, I was chilling in the lounge, bumped into her by chance, traded some barbs. We just tossed family names around and that was it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Like that prideful, terrifying ducal villainess would have rational interest in a debtor like me? Use common sense."
Kano pouted at my firm answer, glaring at her notebook.
"Hmm, not yet?"
"Not what?"
"It happens, y'know. Romance clichés like 'You're the first guy to treat me like this.' Stuff like that?"
What the hell. That's the most horrific, cheesiest cliché.
How do I block that—
As I was about to ask Kano,
"Catch you later, Ian Ashy."
She was already waving from afar.