I Became the Northern Duke's Bastard Son
The bastard son of the Northern Ducal House. The Astoria Empire, a nation illuminated by the radiant dawn, shining upon all its people. Among the five pillars that have upheld it even before that dawn broke, the guardian of the north. The incarnation of the giant wolf, nobly ruling the vast and frigid Northern Territory.
The Logres Ducal Estate of the North, single-handedly blocking the barbarians and monsters pouring in from the north.
And then.
Welcome to Dawn Star Academia.
You are now Ian de Logres, the bastard son of the Logres Ducal Estate.
Ian de Logres, the bastard son and second son of that family. That man is me.
One morning, I woke up to an unpleasant eye-stinging flash and realized I'd been thrown into a game.
What the actual fuck.
# Dawn Star Academia. A galgame dripping with every cliché from romance fantasy. How I ended up playing it? Nothing special. I was just browsing game platforms for a fresh dopamine hit when it caught my eye.
Apparently, it crammed four romance novels by the same author into one game. I hesitated because it was a female-oriented title, but since I wasn't planning to grind it seriously, I hit start without high expectations.
But damn, it was surprisingly addictive. True to the hype, there were four playable female protagonists, each from one of the stories: Iris Floria, the rural noble lady handling the healing route; Isabella von Eterna, the regressor princess on the regret route; Angelica di Olivier, the munchkin knight heroine; and Donnesia Kihano, the adoption-route youngest lady—later de Logres.
It was a total everything-but-the-kitchen-sink buffet. Like, "Couldn't pick a favorite, so threw 'em all in." Plus, the heroines were all gorgeous, so eye candy was a bonus. Cute, charming art style; compelling backstories and characters; addictive combat. And you could progress the story without even romancing anyone. Nice.
After collecting every ending and CG, clearing all achievements, and doing my usual restriction runs, I'd already hit playthrough 29.
As the credits rolled on the 29th ending, I went to shut down for work tomorrow—then bam. Some unidentified white screen flashed from the monitor, and next thing I know, I'm inside the game.
Fuck.
I didn't even leave a 5,700-character essay review. And it wasn't the 1,000th or even 100th run—just the 29th, and I get isekai'd? Getting possessed after a measly 29 rounds is ridiculous enough, but kidnapping me without prior consent? What kind of business ethics is this?
I stared at the status window popping up in my vision and clutched my face like my head was splitting.
Headache city.
Ian de Logres. Even accounting for finishing the 29th run and checking the wiki a few times, I barely know this guy. All I remember is he's the younger brother of Cassian de Logres—the legitimate heir and one of the male leads filling the "Northern Duke" archetype so common in romance fantasies.
Why? Because despite existing in the lore, he never appears in the game.
Even the artbook's character bios just said, "Logres bastard son, Cassian de Logres's younger brother." One line. Extras get at least an illustration, but this dude? Nada.
He's not even a MacGuffin. Just a total "why does he exist?" character.
...Hold up. Why the hell are his arms so thick?
I paused, staring at my arm. Not the scrawny thing from my modern life with zero exercise history—this was hulking muscle that'd make gym bros bow down. Even relaxed, my biceps throbbed visibly.
And my height... way taller now. I grabbed the hand mirror nearby.
"Damn, this face is brutal."
The mirror showed a seriously thug-faced uncle. My big bro—the heir from my memories—had that straight-up romance novel cover art vibe. Jet-black hair like midnight, sapphire-blue eyes. The kind of look screaming, "I'm the Northern Duke with a tragic backstory."
Me? My face screamed baggage of a different kind. Thick eyebrows, deep black eyes and hair inherited from Dad. Unlike bro, whose pretty-boy handsomeness would have the other party apologize first in a bump, mine looked ready to snap someone in half on accident. Add ~180cm height and jacked muscles synergizing with the rugged mug for maximum intimidation.
Politely: muscle macho alpha. Rudely: street thug. Totally different art style. Bro's pure romance fantasy polish; mine's like I crawled out of a fighting manga.
And get this—he just turned 20. How the hell does this face pass for 20? Add 15 years and I'd buy it. Same blood, same injections, but how so different? He could pass for a Northern barbarian chieftain, not a duke's bastard.
Mom wasn't some forbidden savage romance; she's a proper noble beauty. Probably some ancestor on Dad or Mom's side had this mug, and boom—skipped generations to land on me.
Genetic lottery loss, basically. Not every romance protag's family is full of hotties, I guess.
Small mercy: memory-Ian isn't a total scumbag despite the face. No fiancée about to jilt him over asshole antics, no maids with #MeToo dirt on him. Rep solid average, relationships neutral. Face causes misunderstandings, sure.
Not gunning for heir spot against bro. Not the neglected family outcast. No "hates his stepmom" drama. Resume's just "Northern Duke's bastard son." One line. Not even MacGuffin-tier; totally skippable.
A character with a loud appearance but quiet life—utterly baffling setup. That's the Northern Duke's bastard son: me.
# Status Window.
I mentally shouted it like a webnovel protag, and a bluish notification slid down, pulling up the familiar UI.
Identical. Exact same UI as in Dawn Star Academia—minus the heroine's name in the slot.
No HP/MP bars visible, either.
Initial stats: four total. Body covers strength, agility, HP, defense—combat basics. Mana for MP and magic. Mental for magic resist and mana regen. Luck for item craft bonuses, crits, haggling—pure RNG stuff, as I recall.
Dunno how it'll play in reality, but whatever.
Heroines each had a unique stat; I apparently don't. Even so, jackpot.
Normal starts without perks give 10 per stat. Ian's jacked body clocks Body at 50. Mental 30, Mana 15. Levels give 5 SP each, so visually level 1, but it's like starting with a hidden level 13 tucked away.
Trait perks, no doubt.
I tapped Traits, and three notifications popped out.
You were born with Dragon Power, one of the Logres family's abilities.
Your innate body rejects all wounds and grants the strength to shatter any hindrance.
◈ Initial Body +40
◈ Initial Mental +20
◈ Increased Regeneration
◈ Status Ailment Resistance
◈ +3 Body per Level Up
You've witnessed and lived 29 lives.
Your eyes discern others' tales, insightfully grasping and acquiring their stories.
◈ Target Name & Level
◈ Threat Level Assessment
◈ Item Appraisal
◈ Massively Increased Skill Acquisition
My hulking build's thanks to Dragon Power, probably.
"Damn, insane."
Initial stats are busted, but regen boost, status resist, and +3 Body per level? Two levels = three levels' worth. Insight Eye screams possession perk—op as hell. Names/levels, threats, appraisals, skill learning on steroids. Didn't see traits this good in 29 runs.
These are late-game exclusives after grinding unique traits. I got two from the jump.
Can't die with this setup. Plenty to handle upcoming events.
Buzzing, I checked the last one.
You must strive toward the unreachable stars.
The Knightly Stars watch your words, deeds, and actions, judging as your evaluators.
◈ Penalties for un-chivalrous acts.
◈ Rewards for chivalrous acts.
◈ The Knightly Stars are watching you.
....?
...What the hell is this?