A New Start, A New Bond
“……”
Morning sunlight streamed through the window, gently tapping against my eyelids. I naturally lifted them, squinting as I stretched with a yawn.
“Haa.”
What can I say? It had been ages since I'd woken up to such a refreshing morning. Rubbing the sleep from my still-drowsy eyes, I chased away the remnants of slumber. Then, with clearer vision, I rolled my gaze around the room.
“Hm?”
Something felt off. The room was far bigger than I expected—no, this wasn't my room at all. I'd opened my eyes in a completely unfamiliar place, as if my memory had cut to black.
“This isn't... my room?”
And the interior design? It was miles from modern. If I had to guess, it looked like something straight out of the medieval era.
As my mind sharpened, a primal unease crawled up my spine, sending chills down my back.
Chirp chirp chirp chirp—
Amid it all, leisurely birdsong filtered into my ears. Could you even hear birds like that in the city these days?
“……”
I turned my head, and what caught my eye was a glass window twice my size. Where the hell was I? Drawn like a moth to flame, I rushed to the window and peered out.
And then... I doubted my own eyes.
What I saw wasn't the familiar world. No clogged rush-hour roads, no towering skyscrapers.
This... couldn't be Earth, right?
What lay before me was a vast garden.
“……”
A meticulously manicured expanse fit for a king, complete with gardeners tending it as naturally as breathing.
“……?”
At this point, confusion set in. Was what I was seeing real? Or was I dreaming? I pinched my cheek, and sharp pain confirmed it wasn't a dream.
“Ow—wait, is that my voice...?”
Only now did I notice my voice sounded totally different from usual.
“Uh...”
My viewpoint was lower too... actually, my whole body felt smaller.
Still disoriented, I scanned the room again. That's when I locked eyes with a face that looked terrifyingly unfamiliar—yet somehow familiar.
He was staring right at me.
“Uh...”
Despite his youth, his eyes burned with the fierce sharpness of a beast.
“H-hey...?”
I blurted out a greeting without thinking.
“Ah?”
“H-hey? Huh?”
The boy met my gaze, mimicking my words and waving hand exactly. Wait a second... that was a mirror?
A mirror?
Yes... the face staring back was my own.
“……”
What the hell was going on? Overnight, I'd become someone else in a different world.
And that face... it looked familiar. No way...
As the question lingered, the answer hit me like a truck.
“Arnold Stenman?!”
The face in the mirror was the infamous villain from the game I'd played.
Right now... I was so confused I couldn't even steer my thoughts straight.
The room looked like something out of the past, and my reflection was me—but not quite, in a way that felt oddly familiar.
Me... Arnold Stenman?
Did that mean I'd been transported to another world? This was insane...
So what now? First things first, calm down.
“Haa...”
I took slow breaths, steadying my dizzy head. How much time passed? Reality still felt slippery, but it was better than before.
“Mm—”
Rubbing my temples, I sank into thought. It was disorienting as hell, but some human instinct kicked in—my mind grew eerily calm in crisis.
“So... I've ended up in the game world, right?”
Yeah, stay calm... Analyze the situation.
I must've possessed the game character Arnold. In other words, isekai'd. It sounded ridiculous, but...
“……”
With this undeniable reality before my eyes, I had no choice but to believe it.
“But why Arnold of all people...”
Arnold Stenman. The main villain in my favorite male-oriented RPG. The sole heir to a notoriously ruthless noble family.
“...”
But that was just the rumor. Born under a corrupt noble, he was treated like scum his whole life unjustly. Unable to endure the witch hunts, he fell to the Demon King's whispers and died at the protagonist's hands.
So what to do? Honestly, no time to ponder.
Survive, obviously.
And judging by my appearance, I was younger. Roughly five years behind the version I knew from the game.
That meant I'd arrived before the story started. Easier to survive than canon.
“Anything useful around?”
Time to check the room. For a noble's quarters, it was sparse—fitting for the unadorned Arnold. The only standout was a leather book on the desk. No title.
“……”
I swallowed dryly, tense as I opened it.
But... I tilted my head. Empty? Not a single word.
Dang, what a letdown. My bubbling excitement deflated like a popped balloon.
“No wonder it looked pristine—no stains. Totally blank.”
Disappointed, I went to set it back. Then—a spark.
“But... can I use this?”
An empty book. Perfect for a diary or notes. Found in my room now, so it was mine.
Why not jot down what I know?
“……”
Flipping pages, I started scribbling game info and plot points with the quill. No need for it all now, but organizing for the near future made sense.
“……”
Gripping the unfamiliar feather pen, I crammed max info into one volume.
“Gotta include this too...”
I noted timeline events from the protagonist's view and Arnold's entanglements.
Time flew; I finished a solid chunk. Add more as I recall.
Wiping sweat from my brow with my hand, I closed the book.
Now, time to head out?
“……”
I approached the door. Gripping the cold handle, worries flooded in.
“Haa...”
Anxiety swirled, yet a thrill bubbled up, making my heart race.
“Hup...!”
Steeling myself, I flung the door wide.
Then—
“Ow—!!”
Something collided from the other side with a thud, followed by a fragile cry.
Thud!
“...!”
Startled, I yanked open the adjacent door and peeked out.
“Wha... Y-young master?”
There stood a girl my age in maid attire, pretty-faced with promise.
“...?”
Who? No memory of her in the game...
“You okay—?”
Guessing it was my fault, I reached to help her up.
“Eek...?! Y-young master!!”
But as my hand neared, she freaked, scrambling to kneel and bow low.
“I'm sorry!”
She kowtowed like she was drilling the floor, voice cracking on the verge of tears.
“No, no... that's not...”
Flustered, words failed me. It happened so fast, I couldn't process.
“P-please forgive me!!”
I'd hit her with the door, so I should apologize. Yet here she was begging.
“No, it's fine—”
I tried to reassure, reaching to steady her trembling shoulders.
“Please, spare me...!”
But she sobbed like she'd committed a capital crime, dodging my hand as if it were cursed.
“……….”
Why? Then it hit me. Right, I'm Arnold...
“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!”
She'd treated me like this since childhood?
“Young master, please forgive me!”
What was I supposed to do?