《Unwritten Tales of Another World》 ARC 1, Prologue ~what if~ ARC 1 The Fallen Millionbell --- Prologue ~what if~ --- "I''ve always thought that my World, the world known as Tellus, is a small place. There are kingdoms ruled by monarchs and knights that protect the royals, but there isn''t as many as the countries in reality. Since I''m not so good at portraying social, political, and cultural things, I''ve probably made more plot holes than I''m supposed to. I''ve added some important locations and landmarks where events happen, but my naming sense isn''t that great, after all. I don''t think I''ll ever be able to explain all the details of the magic system that well, either." The man adjusted his glasses and tried to smile. "That''s why I''m thankful for the people that have supported me until I got this far. My editor and my friends. The people who read my work. Some of you even followed my World''s development from before it even began." He took a deep breath, smoothing out any wrinkles on his clothes as best as he could. Despite the many times he straightened his tie to perfection, and how he never stopped trying to neaten up his messy black hair, his appearance can only be called average at best. "After nearly ten years, I can say with pride that the story of Tellus and its people is finally coming to an end. I''m happy, but I''m also sad that I...I...I can''t do this." At this point, the driver of his turbulent taxi ride took a sharp turn to the right, causing him to show an awkward grimace as he ended his mock speech. "You''ll be fine, Kazuki." "I''ve said before that I''m bad with crowds, and you still let them do this to me! What kind of editor are you?" Kazuki looked away from his reflection on the car''s side window and exclaimed at the sharply-dressed woman beside him. "The kind that helps her writer''s career," she answered. Even noticing Kazuki''s angry look, her face was as stoic as always as she fiddled around with the cellphone in her hand. "As a good editor, I fully support any attempts to make the general populace know that you exist." "Akiko...you know that I already have a lot of fans, right?" A few faint button beeps later, she held her phone''s screen in front of Kazuki''s face. "Your blog has less than 500 followers." Before he could say anything, she quickly switched to another page and showed it to him again. "Your novels sold an approximate total of...5900 copies so far." "That''s not a bad number -" "Let me rephrase. Five of your novels sold an approximate total of 5900 copies so far, not including the final one scheduled to be released next month." "...Fine, I have some fans, and the sales aren''t that great. B-but I still managed to write five novels! That has to mean that people like it enough for me to write that much - especially coming from only one series!" Akiko shrugged, returning her phone inside her pocket. "I''m honestly surprised that they''d publish these many novels from a mediocre writer -" "Hey, that''s kind of insulting -" "- but it''s probably because of its charm. With the most recent trends of stories about reincarnations, harems, revenge, overpowered dimension travellers, virtual reality, otome games..." Kazuki tapped her shoulder lightly, grabbing her attention. "Your bad habit is showing again." "Oh, right." Without missing a beat, she went on, "It makes sense that with a traditional storyline, your novels wouldn''t be an immediate choice to read, but those that do pick them up find themselves being immersed into the tale that you''ve created." "Hmm...did you come up with that opinion yourself, or did you take that from someone else''s words?" Kazuki wondered out loud, peering into his editor''s dark eyes as he does so. Although Akiko is a beautiful woman, her difficult-to-read expressions and cold aura has always intimidated more people than necessary. "The most recent review of the fifth volume. It might be the one that got you shortlisted for tonight''s award." She chuckled at Kazuki''s rapidly changing demeanour, from suspicion to surprise. "I take it you haven''t read it before. Want to know the rest?" "I''ll read it again later, but let''s hear it." "Alright, from the part where I left off of: the reviewer mentions that since the first novel, he has never stopped looking forward to reading the next instalments. The stories that you''ve crafted, he says, can be joyful to read about at one turn, and tragic at another. The world is both beautiful and desolate, whimsical and serious, and always full of character that readers can''t help but think of it as a place that actually exists. In fact, this is the series'' number one strength: its realistic portrayal of characters and the places they encounter, despite being a fantasy." Watching Kazuki''s happy expression, Akiko grinned mischievously and finished off her reading of the review. "Some parts of the author''s writing, though, are reminiscent of a children''s fairytale - a bedtime story that parents tell their children, more so than your usual light novel. Although it doesn''t deter from the overall reading experience, the overly simplistic parts of this work can be a jarring contrast to the rest. It is the reviewer''s hope that the author will revise them before publication, especially since it is rumoured that the next volume will be the last." "How come you''ve never told me about it when you were going through the manuscripts?" Kazuki asked after a while. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "It wasn''t that big of an issue to me. I think it''s just a matter of taste." "So...I don''t need to change my writing style at all?" "We''ll have to wait and see until you finish the sixth novel''s draft." Underneath the slowly darkening sky, the car continued towards its destination: the 15th annual Light Novel Awards ceremony. The writer and editor pair sat in silence for a moment, before the former broke it with a question. "Hey, Akiko...do you think some parts of my writing really sound like a bedtime story?" The woman closed her eyes, tapping her finger on the side of her chair in a rhythmical pattern. It took her a while to think about the answer, but she eventually nodded and replied, "There''s nothing bad about it sounding like that. But if I''m the one describing it? It''s like you were jotting down a story that someone else told you about." At Akiko''s comment, Kazuki looked down into his hands with an unreadable expression. "Is...is that so?" "Is there something you''re not telling me?" Akiko immediately shifted her attention onto Kazuki after watching his strange reaction. "Did you really get your story ideas from someone else?" A nervous Akiko was something that Kazuki has rarely seen, so much so that he couldn''t help but laugh. Finally, he managed to say, "There''s...something about the story that I think you should know." Inwardly, Kazuki thanked her for not saying anything at the moment. The truth behind his ideas, and the reason why he started writing these stories: he never thought about telling anyone until now. They carry with them the memories of his childhood, of his beloved family, but not all of them were fond remembrances. "Everything I''ve written up to this point, besides the characters'' names and their stories, was never my own." He paused to take a breath and resumed his explanation. "I guess I''ve never told anyone about this. My World...has always been someone else''s. I grew up listening to stories about it - WATCH OUT!" /// What if he hadn''t told her anything? Hadn''t taken her attention away from her surroundings, had kept a comfortable silence? What if he had noticed the speeding truck approaching from her side of the car earlier, instead of barely saving her life at the very last moment? Instead of reminiscing about the past, lost in thought? What if he and the rest of them had managed to come out of the incident unscathed? Not just the unconscious driver at the front seat, and the editor whose desperate cries were the last thing he heard? What if memories of his past hadn''t flashed by? The first death he remembered was his kindhearted father''s, who passed away a few years after Kazuki and his sibling had been born. The next was his mother''s, a hardworking woman whose death could not be explained by normal circumstances, and remains a mystery even until now. Kazuki''s little sister, who used to be his only remaining relative, was the last person to leave him, as she lost her life in an accident ten years ago. It had only been a few days after she finished reading his first novel. No more what ifs. The news on tonight''s television channels told the tragic death of a novelist who was supposed to attend an awards ceremony for well-written light novel series, although his work was only shortlisted. But beyond the image known to his fellow novelists and dedicated fans, he was also a man who lost his life in order to protect his editor - the woman whom he would have married in a few months'' time - from getting hit directly by an out-of-control truck. A person who needed only one more volume to complete the continuation of the stories that his mother used to tell him and his sister. At the same time that Arima Kazuki breathes his last, another world awakens. --- - Author''s Notes - Here is the beginning of a rather long story about a writer stuck in his own light novel series as one of its characters. Is this...considered as meta? Was originally an exercise in writing with a 1st person LN-style POV (while also examining tropes inside the genre), but has developed into something completely different. The Tragedy tag is there for...reasons that will be evident as the story progresses. (Then again, the protagonist''s backstory told in this chapter can already be considered quite tragic...) I''ll try my best to realistically portray Kazuki having a normal Japanese 20-something year old man''s mind. But since a. I don''t live in Japan and b. I''m not a Japanese 20-something year old man, I''ll definitely make mistakes and stumble along the way. Apologies in advance about that. (Additionally, although it seems as if the protagonist''s novel is the greatest thing in the whole galaxy - or some kind of lesser equivalent anyway - you might be disappointed to find that I...can''t write a bombdiggity light novel like him. Sorry for making you look bad, Kazuki.) Despite the fact that I''ve planned out a bunch of the arcs (sort of), updates will be sporadic. I''ll try to finish up a few chapters of Arc 1 before I post something for next time. I haven''t written proper stories in a while, and my first language isn''t English, so please feel free to comment about any stiff-sounding passages and/or grammatical errors. Enjoy the read! Chapter 1 ~stranger meets stranger~ ARC 1 The Fallen Millionbell --- Chapter 1 ~stranger meets stranger~ --- Kazuki would never ask anyone to call him ''Master''. He''s been to a maid cafe only once in his entire life, back when he had just graduated from university. Hearing a teenage girl call him that in an overly cutesy tone had given him a strange feeling of guilt, and he was sure that it would never change. He wouldn''t want anyone to call him ''young'', either. Could he even be considered young if he was nearing his 30s? So imagine his bewilderment when he woke up in a luxurious Victorian-style room, saw a scary-looking red-haired old man dressed in a butler''s uniform hovering nearby with a tea set tray in hand, and heard that man use those two words in succession to him. "Young Master, you''re finally awake. I shall go inform Master Julius immediately," the old man said in a deep voice as he placed the tray on a wooden nightstand. Both objects looked like they would be worth more than one month''s apartment rent. And yet, they weren''t the only expensive-looking thing around. Just as Kazuki opened his mouth to say something, the butler-like man headed outside, closing the door behind him and leaving him alone in the middle of the overly-luxurious room. Even at first glance, for instance, those blue velvet curtains framing the window, which was probably twice as tall as he was, looked like they could feed him for at least three months if he were to sell them somewhere. Not that he was going to since he''d be caught and sent to prison before he could start pulling them down. ...And why was this bed ridiculously comfortable and why didn''t he have a bed like this back at home? He would never pull all-nighters - heck, he''d never want to do anything if he could just lie down all day in this plush, soft, fluffy, amazing piece of furniture! As dumb as it made him look, Kazuki had to pinch himself, whispering over and over again like a broken record: "Don''t be a hikikomori...you''re not a NEET, you''ve got deadlines to fulfil..." It took him a while to stop gawking at every shiny object or calculating their prices, but he successfully snapped out of his stupor. The first thing he usually did to clear his mind was to pace around the room, a habit that he obtained from Akiko when he got stuck writing his second novel. The ideas really did come rushing in much faster than if he were to sit down. "Here goes nothing," he told himself, shifting to the side of the bed. The surface seemed too far to reach, and somehow his legs and arms didn''t look or feel quite right, but it was probably because he just woke up. Kazuki was extremely glad that no one else was in the room as he lost his footing and fell flat on his face. With his right hand, he pushed himself upright, holding his throbbing forehead gingerly with the other. It was at this moment that he saw his reflection on the polished floor. And promptly froze for a solid minute before slamming his head down once more. "Ouch!" The reflection was still there, gaping at him as if he had grown an extra head. He might have, considering that the person staring back was as tiny as his childhood self, although it was still difficult for Kazuki to make out the features of this figure. Was his mind hallucinating because he hit his head twice? Or was the floor actually a disguised mirror that distorted the faces of everyone who looked at themselves in it? Dumb theories aside, his best bet was to rearrange the jumbled up thoughts in his brain. He chose an empty spot between the bed and the window, closed his eyes, and began to pace back and forth while mumbling: "My name is Arima Kazuki, twenty-nine years old, author of the light novel series ''What Remains of Our Broken World'' living in Tokyo, Japan. I was heading to the Light Novel Awards ceremony with Utsunomiya Akiko, my editor and fiancee..." Something fast moving in the corner of his eye. Bright lights, shining through the taxi window, and a warning that erupted out of his own mouth as he shielded Akiko from the brunt of the impact. There was blood, a lot of blood...and a blazing pain that wracked every inch of his broken body. Broken bones. Broken everything. Someone screaming his name, and - "I''m dead. I should be dead. Why am I not dead?" Kazuki whispered to himself - oh god, why did his voice sound like he never went through puberty - and prodded his body to check for injuries. Nothing, not even a scar adorned his thin, short figure. While at this thought, he stopped pacing abruptly. Had his body shrunk while he was unconscious? He wasn''t a tall person to begin with, but his current hands and feet were only about half as long as his previous ones. That wasn''t the only difference, though: his skin was as pale as the palest model that appeared on the billboards of the underground train stations, and his face felt ten times smoother and softer as if someone had dumped a handful of moisturiser on it. The only normal thing was his clothes, consisting of knee-length brown shorts, short-sleeved white dress shirt, and a thin black ribbon tied around his collar. Wait, no...it wasn''t normal at all. It reminded him a lot of what rich young boys wore in fantasy light novels with a western setting, including his. Where was his 7000 yen suit, a bargain purchase from his first year as a published author? Why was he barefooted, and where did his glasses go? Better yet: where did his poor vision go? "What are you standing there for?" Hearing a voice that appeared out of nowhere, Kazuki jumped in surprise, falling onto his back as he lost his balance. It was just his luck that for the third time, he managed to hit his head again. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. As he was about to stand, a helping hand pulled him back up, belonging to a fresh-faced youth with dark brown hair tied to the back with a dark blue ribbon. His silver-grey eyes peered down at the fallen Kazuki, a hint of concern hidden behind them. "That was a pretty big fall. Are you alright?" "I''m fine, thanks for..." Kazuki began to say until he noticed the other person staring disbelievingly at him. "Is something wrong?" The question brought the youth out of his stupor, but Kazuki suddenly found his head being prodded and swivelled around from left to right, top to bottom. The bump on it throbbed once in a while as he endured the examination. "Arion, did that fall do something to you? Do you feel faint or dizzy at all? What is one-plus-one?" "It gave me a bump, I''ll be fine as long as you stop poking my head, and one-plus-one is two - unless that was a trick question. Again, could you stop poking my head, please? I''m fine, really!" The look on the youth''s face was nothing but sceptical, but he nodded and gave Kazuki his much-needed personal space. "If you say so." "I know so," Kazuki said, and then added as an afterthought, "but why''d you think that there''s something wrong with me?" Could it be that he has noticed that Kazuki wasn''t whoever this little person was supposed to be? What was the name that he was called by...''Arion''? Could it be...? His question seemed to shock him once more, but the youth recovered from it by himself. "You''re usually a bit more...reluctant to say anything. I think this might be the first time I''ve heard you say this many sentences." Pondering over those words, Kazuki kept absolutely quiet, mercilessly crushing the guilt that welled up as he saw the glimmer of hope in the youth''s eyes slowly disappear, a product of his refusal to say anything else. Schooling his expression into blankness, just like Akiko''s, Kazuki waited until the other said something else. A minute or two must have passed before he sighed and, unexpectedly, patted Kazuki''s head. "You should get some more rest. That fall must have hurt you more than you think." Keeping to ''Arion''s'' character, Kazuki nodded and watched as the other left his side with barely a glance back. Immediately after the youth closed the door behind him, Kazuki dropped his deadpan and slumped tiredly to the floor. Arion is the name of a major character in his first novel. To be specific, Arion is the third and youngest son of the Millionbells, an affluent noble household. Born as a weak-bodied magic prodigy with antisocial tendencies, he had been disliked by many, including his two brothers and the rest of the family''s servants. The only person who genuinely loved him is his mother. "If I''m supposed to be Arion Millionbell, then..." The answer came to him as soon as he heard that name. In Kazuki''s story, the boy''s powerful, yet uncontrollable magic potential kickstarted his inevitable downfall, transforming him into an insane, world-hating antagonist in the early chapters of the series. There were details about Arion''s backstory that Kazuki couldn''t grasp since it had been a few years since he wrote about the character. Nonetheless, he could recognise the youth from earlier as the first worrywart son of the Millionbells. Unlike the rest of the family members, the youth continued to appear in the main story after the end of the first volume where he was first introduced. He was a travelling mercenary who joined the heroes'' party and became one of the protagonist''s most loyal comrades. However, there was only one piece of information that Kazuki cared about. The end of the first volume marks the end of Arion Millionbell''s life. His killer is no other than his oldest brother, Julius Millionbell. --- - Author''s Notes - Good luck, Kazuki. Sorry for making you suffer. ...Aside from that utterly sincere apology to a fictional character in the body of a fictional character, I probably should have mentioned some things before: 1. British-English spelling, unless I slip up and use American-English. 2. No OP protagonist (at least, that''s the plan for now). 3. The story will be fairly lengthy, spanning multiple arcs and (sort of) Loads and Loads of Characters. If I ever finish writing it out. 4. The Action and Adventure parts of the story, like its Tragedy, will arrive a bit late. For now, there''s just Fantasy, Drama, and Originality. (And a bit of Slice-of-Life, although I''m still on the fence about adding that genre.) Kazuki may be in Arion''s body, but that doesn''t mean he''s already accepted his role as Arion. If the character perspectives get confusing, do drop a comment (with, perhaps, some advice) and I will fix it as soon as I can. Also: holy cannoli, I use a lot of ellipses. And I use hyphens instead of em dashes because I''m lazy at formatting. For you grammar aficionados, please say the word if it gets too unbearable to look at! /// A selection of rants that you may want to disregard: - Why, European nobility ranks, why? Why are you being so uncooperative? You know what, I''m just going to default to ''noble household'' until I figure these things out. - I don''t understand how this arc is so hard to write out, despite already being planned completely from start to finish... - Need to rewrite that ending, it''s not worded right - still not sounding great - wait, did I just pass out while writing this? ...Huh? Is this the fifteenth edit already? - This is one of the best-worst productive procrastination methods I''ve ever gone through. Oh, wait... Chapter 2 ~peculiar changes~ ARC 1 The Fallen Millionbell --- Chapter 2 ~peculiar changes~ --- "Black hair. Silver-grey eyes. Neat rich noble clothes. Fictional character turned real..." No matter how many times Kazuki pinched his cheeks or slapped himself, the hazy reflection on the floor still looked like a live version of Arion Millionbell, taken straight out of the illustrations in his light novel series. It took him almost the whole day to admit that he wasn''t dreaming up the whole thing, but now his mind was clearer than ever. He dragged his body towards the bed and dove headfirst onto it. Comfortable sheets swallowed his tiny form, trying to lull him to sleep, but all he could think of was the fact that he was no longer on Earth. By some strange occurrence, he has managed to land himself inside his own novel''s world, Tellus. The main issue, though, was that a fictional character had called him by the name of another fictional character. Just like in those reincarnation or soul transfer plots, there was a high chance that he has become Arion. Between being dead and taking over the body of a boy that will be dead in a couple of years, he wasn''t sure which one was worse. Actually, that wasn''t entirely true. At least he still has a fighting chance with the latter. The most obvious way out of that particular predicament was to make sure that Julius likes Arion enough to not kill him. If Arion doesn''t die, Kazuki doesn''t die. Simple. "Excuse me, Young Master." Logically, if Julius was his soon-to-be murderer, it made sense that Kazuki become his friend before the youth would think about killing him. Using sympathy to survive was a bit cowardly, but he''ll take any chance he can get when fighting against his own convenient plot devices. "Young Master?" It would also be a good idea to get on as many people''s side as possible. Part of the reason why the original Arion descended into madness was because he had no one to cling to, surrounded everyday by people who only wanted to experiment on his magic. "Young Master Arion." "Huh? Oh, you''re from before..." Kazuki said when he noticed the other person in the room. He set aside his mental planning for later on, shifting his attention to the red-haired man nearby. An odd expression crossed the man''s - or rather, butler''s face when he heard Kazuki''s words, but it was gone as soon as he placed a bowl at the bedside table, next to the untouched tea tray from before. Without saying another word, he left the room, this time without closing the door. Alone again in the room, curiosity got the better of him, and he shifted to the side to peer into the bowl''s contents. The broth inside was light brown, with a slightly musty and fishy smell. Back when he was writing his novels, he based the food and drink items in the story from cuisines from various countries on Earth. The predominantly western setting allowed him to use recipes not only from Japan, but also from all over Europe and the Americas, changing their names slightly to suit the fantasy theme. It shouldn''t be that bad, Kazuki told himself. With a vaguely similar hue and scent, he expected it to taste like the dashi broth used in oden: a bit salty and sweet, but warm and comforting to the stomach, especially in cold temperatures. One sip later, he couldn''t be further from the truth. It was the bitterest thing he had ever tasted in his entire life - even the pencil ends he had chewed on absentmindedly hadn''t been that bitter! To call it a broth would be a compliment; it was, at best, a medicinal concoction. Had it been Arion that drank the ''soup'', he would''ve left it at its original place to rot, or thrown its contents onto the floor out of annoyance. Kazuki, though, reminded himself that some healthy goods were supposed to taste bad and downed the concoction in one go, ignoring the scream in his mind that told him to spit it out. "Ugh, it''s so bad..." he muttered under his breath. As soon as he finished the last drop and returned the bowl to the bedside table, he poured out some tea for himself, ridding his mouth of any foul-tasting remnants. In the midst of enjoying his drink, Kazuki completely missed the shocked look on the butler''s face, who had been watching him from behind the half-open door. /// "I - I''m sorry, Young Master Arion!" "He''s here! Quick, run away before he sees us!" "S-s-so scary..." Nine profuse bows, fifteen escapes, twenty-seven screams of terror, and more whispered slanders than he can keep track of. Kazuki knew that his notes on Arion called him an antisocial brat who hated the world. Unfortunately, it seemed that the world had decided to hate him back as much. Did he also mention that he got lost while looking for the dining hall? In his defence, he had been staying inside the same bedroom for the past few days with his meals being brought to him at regular intervals. Contrary to his belief, the Millionbell manor was enormous, with more space than a family of five could ever need. Granted, the servants outnumbered them by at least five times, but the number of rooms were just ridiculous. He''d rather not think about the whole estate... Note to self: even when writing about a minor location, always specify its size and contents. Somehow, Kazuki''s search led him back to the first hallway he departed from. Turning around a corner, he nearly collided into a auburn-haired young girl hovering in front of his bedroom door, carrying a large pitcher of water that looked too heavy for her. He was barely a hand''s reach away from her, but she hadn''t discovered his presence yet, something that he was thankful for. After having dozens of high-pitched shrieks assault his eardrums, he didn''t think he could take any more. "Don''t panic...i-it''s only Y-Young Master Arion..." If Kazuki hadn''t heard her words, he would have thought that she was at the verge of a minor breakdown. With her ragged breathing and trembling hands, it was a miracle that she could hold up the pitcher in her hands properly. Was Arion really that scary? Although the original character might have committed numerous crimes, the current one was just a sickly child. Kazuki could confirm that he looked just as described in the books after he saw his reflection in a mirror yesterday. Short and fluffy black hair, silver-grey eyes, and a rather fierce glare for a 6-year old. At least, Kazuki had assumed that Arion was currently at that age. Since taking over the boy''s body, he hadn''t heard any signs of Arion''s previous personality appearing or fighting to take over; nor was he able to see any of this body''s memories prior to his soul''s arrival. It was both a blessing and a curse. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "...He''s not a demon, he''s not going to suck your blood and blast you with magic, or m-make me q-quit my job..." The girl''s words brought him out of his thoughts, but he also had to do a double take at that. Also, why would firing someone be worse than, say, all the other murderous things that his rumoured self could have done? Steeling his resolve, he carefully approached the girl from her side, taking care not to stand too close. "Excuse me, I -" "AAH!" Before he could finish his sentence, the girl threw the pitcher''s contents at him, drenching his face and clothes with water. Considering that she hadn''t looked at him properly, it must have been a nervous reaction. "Y-you''re the - the - I''M SORRY!" And suddenly, there was a prostrating servant near his feet. To be honest, it was a bit too much for his newly-occupied brain to handle, but he finally managed to squeeze out a few words. "...It''s fine. It was an accident." "PLEASE DON''T KILL ME - huh? W-what?" When she lifted her head to look at him, there was only utter confusion in her bright blue eyes. "Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. No chance that he''d forgive me after that..." "No, you''re not dreaming." "I''m not?" She paused, staring blankly at Kazuki for what felt like forever before doing something that sent Kazuki running after help immediately. After all, what could he do to help the girl if he was the one who caused her to faint? Another note to self: whether it''s a background, minor, or major character, always fully write out their background stories and don''t leave anything up to chance. /// "Did you hear those rumours?" Recently, many of the Millionbell manor''s inhabitants had begun to notice something very strange going on with the littlest master. "What rumours - oh, the one about Young Master Arion? Has he finally gone insane from all that magic in his brain, I wonder?" Julius Millionbell, the first person to see that so-called strangeness, had dismissed it as being an aftereffect of his little brother''s accidental fall. Or perhaps, he was just in denial because Arion had accepted his help and thanked him. Of all the crazy things that could happen! "Sheesh, you''re so sceptical about magic...anyway, a couple of minutes ago, I''ve heard from the cook that the Young Master actually asked for seconds at yesterday''s dinner!" Basilio Ilvarn was the second person. He was the red-haired butler, the first person that Kazuki saw as Arion in Tellus. "That''s nothing special! Have you heard about what happened when Mister Leo brought his medicine broth? The one that we stopped giving to him?" "Don''t tell me...he actually drank something like that? It''s probably only a sip or two, but usually he''d throw the bowl at us." "That wasn''t what happened, apparently..." "Huh? So he did throw it away!" "No, he - he drank the whole thing!" "...WHAT!? W-well, you definitely haven''t heard about the kid from the West Wing!" The third person was a girl who didn''t exist in the original story, a mob character without a past or future. "The one that threw the water pitcher on the Young Master?" "Ye - how did you know!?" "Everyone knows. She fainted, woke up in her room afterwards, and somehow managed to not anger the Young Master and not get fired. They even said that the Young Master himself was the one who got help for her!" Soon after, there came the fourth, and the fifth and sixth witnesses to Arion''s descent into someone that wasn''t completely Arion anymore. Many of them saw it as being one of the strange child''s latest quirks. Days later, with no signs of the young master returning to his normal behaviour - if acting harsh to everyone was considered the norm - the servants could only watch and wait. Eventually, it had become somewhat of a game to see how different Arion had become. One particularly cheeky gardener populated the young master''s room with all sorts of flowers, half-expecting him to throw them all away. Instead, Arion kept the flowers intact and said nothing about it to anyone, despite the fact that he preferred to keep his room empty. They were subtle gestures that the young master would have normally despised, but Kazuki didn''t mind any of them at the least. The servants'' talks spread as far as Arion''s two older brothers and their mother. No one really knew how to handle this new version of him. Kazuki himself also felt the same as he desperately tried to adjust to a new life in a foreign world and a new body. His bedroom may be fit for a king, and the meals - minus that one bitter abomination - were as delicious as any top-ranked restaurant''s food in Tokyo, but the disadvantages outweighed the bonuses of becoming the youngest son of a rich family. Tellus'' lack of modern toiletries and amenities was one of his problems, but nothing could beat the cold reception he received from the inhabitants of the manor. By the week''s end, Kazuki''s head had already been spinning back and forth as he tried to recall every detail he wrote about the young noble boy. There was supposed to be an explanation as to why Arion ended up as an antagonist, and why Julius became a travelling mercenary, but he couldn''t pinpoint the reasons down. One particular piece of the puzzle continued to elude him, floating somewhere in his mind: If Arion and Julius were the only two Millionbells with any kind of significance in the story, then what happened to their other brother and parents, and all the servants that worked for them? When Arion''s father arrived home from the capital at the beginning of a new week, eyes stormy and face as pale as a sheet, Kazuki immediately knew what the answers were. It was, after all, the first step in Arion Millionbell''s path to self-destruction. --- - Author''s Notes - I''ve missed my own deadline! Oh, the shame! The horror! For the love of mango sago and pumpkin pies! Other than that, I have nothing else to say besides a big sorry. Mostly to myself, probably... It''s more or less filler, but it does have some information here and there that may or may not be relevant in the future. But I don''t like fillers that much, so I don''t like this chapter. Bummer. Expect the next one in - actually, don''t expect anything yet. Before the next post, I''ve got to change the summary to something easier to read... Chapter 3 ~rude awakening~ ARC 1 The Fallen Millionbell --- Chapter 3 ~rude awakening~ --- Preparing a welcoming for Arion''s father return wasn''t exactly Kazuki''s idea of a quiet Monday morning. Why didn''t he just sleep in, instead of getting stuck in an impromptu meeting with the present Millionbells at the waiting room? "Arion, if you are feeling unwell, don''t hesitate to inform one of us." Eyes the same hue as Arion''s gazed at Kazuki evenly, showing no sign of worry despite the speaker''s words. If memory serves him right, the sharp-looking black-haired woman sitting in front of him is named Theresia. Crazy genetics must have played a huge role for her, since she barely had any wrinkles on her face despite being a mother of the Millionbell boys. With a stoic expression, she reminded him of Akiko back on Earth, except that the editor still smiled and joked around with him. Beneath her cold exterior, Akiko''s heart was warm. Theresia''s seemed like it''d be as warm as an iceberg. During his time in the manor, Kazuki hadn''t seen nor heard from her until the moment she gathered her sons together to discuss the letter that arrived late the day before, written by Elias Millionbell, Arion''s father. The man''s message was brief: the family, including all of the servants were to gather each person''s most prized belongings as they could, prepare a few carriages for travel, and await his arrival. They executed the first two instructions without much protest, although each Millionbell questioned the motives behind them, but the last one exploded into a flurry of activity that ended with Arion needing to be on his best behaviour. Piece of cake for the 29-year old Kazuki. "I told you, Mother...he''s just weird, like usual. Give it another day or two, and he''ll jump back to being a brat!" the person standing next to Theresia exclaimed heatedly - and wasn''t it ironic that Arion had been called a brat by the actual brat around here? The brown-haired, grey-eyed boy with a near-permanent scowl was Lucian, the second Millionbell son and hater of all things that had to do with his younger brother. In fact, for a reason that Kazuki knew he had never written down, Lucian hated Arion''s very existence, judging by the glares that the boy gave him in the past week whenever they crossed each other''s paths. Damned plot holes... "Lucian, don''t talk about your brother like that." "I''m sorry, Mother...but -" The oldest Millionbell son in the room leapt into the conversation just in time, cutting whatever excuse his younger brother had at the tip of his tongue. "Lucian, didn''t you mention that Father promised to buy you a new magic tome?" "Ah, you''re right! Let''s go and wait for him, then!" Both of Arion''s brothers dashed away, leaving Kazuki alone with Theresia. After what seemed like half of his lifetime, Kazuki cleared the hush with a small cough. "...Should I leave too?" "You''ve never needed my permission to leave before," Theresia said after a while. The look that she gave him was as sharp as ever, but there was a glint in her eye that would have missed his observation if he wasn''t paying attention to her. Of all the people that would dare confront him about the discrepancies between the real Arion and Kazuki''s traits, why couldn''t it be someone that he had information about? Besides her personality, he hadn''t developed Theresia''s much, since she was just one face amongst the many that he killed off. Wait...why would Theresia be amongst them? Before he could get his head around that notion, Theresia spoke, "I hear that this new daydreaming habit of yours has been going on for almost a week." At the rate that he was going, before the end of the first novel''s storyline, someone would find out that Arion isn''t really Arion. If that ever happens, how could he explain his condition without sounding like a complete lunatic? Instead of cross-examining him, Theresia stood up from her seat. "Your father should be arriving very soon," she said as she followed the invisible trail left by Julius and Lucian. "We should join the others." "Yes...Mother." And again with her suspicious look! Maybe he should have said ''no''. Maybe he was supposed to call her a casual ''Mom'', or even the overly affectionate ''Mama''. Maybe he should have just shut his mouth, except that it tended to blab faster than his brain could catch up. "Apologies, agreements, amicabilities," Theresia murmured. "How peculiar." With those final cryptic words, she left Kazuki with more mysteries than he could possibly solve. /// Here was the dire situation that Kazuki hadn''t anticipated until far too late, unfolding right in front of his eyes. One distraught Julius consoling a bewildered-looking Lucian, check. Theresia with a frown deeper than her usual, check. Elias, the stern-faced brown-haired man who had just returned home, yelling out orders at the servants as he darted here and there...check. "You - you were not the culprit," Theresia started to say, only to earn a vicious glower from her husband. She didn''t shy away from it, but she said nothing else. "What use is the truth?" Elias'' words were calmly spoken, yet the man couldn''t hide the anger behind his stormy blue eyes as he tore through his belongings. "When the High Court spoke against me, I knew that there was no hope left to salvage. Charged with orchestrating the murder of a viscount''s son, all ranks and titles revoked by the king regnant..." There were two large powers that dominated most of Tellus: the humans, and the demons. Six noble families, each ruling over a territory - the closest equivalent to a country on Earth - made up the human empire''s High Court. They act as monarchs of their established regnancies, bowing down only to the descendants of the first human hero that drove back the demons and established a safe haven for humankind. "Other families have done worse, and yet they were never punished for their crimes...so why now?" Theresia''s lament was proof of the unjust social hierarchy in Kazuki''s story. Even with Elias'' prominent standing as a high-ranked noble serving in the Fifth Regnancy, once accused of a crime by a member of the High Council, he couldn''t do anything to defend his innocence. None of the other families would dare go against them. The last one that tried had been wiped off of the face of the world. It wasn''t a surprise to Kazuki, since the human empire he wrote about was a breeding ground for the corrupted and nepotistical aristocracy. Sometimes, or probably all the time, it was worse off than the demons'' lands. Just thinking about all the events revolving around them could turn Kazuki''s brain to mush... "What will become of us? Of the Millionbells?" Julius spoke up amidst the awkward silence. His face bore a grim expression, unfitting for a youth who looked like he was barely in his teenage years. Delivered by Elias, the reply held no hint of emotion, "All of our assets will be seized by the regnancy. What will happen to it afterwards...I have yet to hear any other news." Lucian, who had been silent all this time, was the first to react. The boy was only nine, a mere three years older than Arion, but Kazuki saw that he understood the consequences of this issue. "All of our assets! Where will we go from now on?" "I have contacted the previous Millionbell head regarding this...incident," Elias explained, shoulders hunched as if bearing the weight of the world. If Arion was only six, the man should only be in his mid-thirties, but the stress and grief made him look at least a decade older. "You haven''t spoken to him in ages...how did he take the news?" Theresia approached Elias from the side, attempting to guide him to a nearby chair, although he ignored her help and remained standing in place. "Rather well. Anything signed under his name will remain in his possessions," the man continued. "As for us, the High Council allows us to take our personal belongings, as long as we - and the servants - are able to evacuate the premises by the end of this afternoon..." So that was why Elias'' letter told them to pack before he arrived, Kazuki mused. Rather than rushing to gather their belongings and miss a few precious items, it was better for them to prepare beforehand. A pity that the lunch banquet specially prepared by the cooks would go to waste. "...and head immediately to the Millionbell''s original estate." "The first Earl Millionbell''s home..." Theresia trailed off, recalling the last time she set foot into the place. "Is there no other choice? Won''t your father shelter us for the time being?" How can the memories of that place cause her to react that way? Was it better to stay with Arion''s grandfather, the previous Millionbell head whom Elias seemed to have very little contact with and none of the children had ever seen, than move to this alleged ''first Earl''s home''? "The day that man acknowledges me as his son," Elias said bitterly," is the day my dead body arrives at his doorstep. No more questions - get ready to leave." The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. /// Half an hour until the appointed time. The day was somewhere in early May. The weather was mild without a dark cloud in sight. Twelve housekeepers, cooks, and chefs that worked for the Millionbell family had departed earlier, thanked by Earl Millionbell for all the years of good service and paid the remaining sum of their monthly wages. Kazuki had thought that the servants would be glad to quit, considering that his notes described Arion''s father as a rather unlikeable persona, but some showed their gratitude profusely, and some even cried as they parted ways with the Millionbells. On the other side of the spectrum, while Elias and Theresia carefully guarded their expressions, Julius and Lucian looked absolutely miserable, left behind by the people they had grown up with for almost all their lives. As he watched the two brothers, Kazuki wished that he hadn''t completely overridden Arion''s memories with his own. Perhaps, if Arion were to become a part of him, he would feel a bit sad, too. All he could feel was guilt, because it was his fault that all of this happened. The conspiracy against Elias Millionbell? A subplot that Kazuki devised and easily forgot since it wasn''t that important for the main storyline. If he had to compare it to a game, it was like a missable side quest that didn''t bother anyone except for gamers looking for perfect completion rates. In the end, only two servants remained in place with their belongings all packed and ready to go. "Basilio Ilvarn, at your service." The red-haired butler, first person that Kazuki met, bringer of terrible-tasting health concoctions, and apparently now a permanent presence in Arion''s life. His brown, nearly red eyes darted from one Millionbell to the next, settling on Kazuki for a heartbeat longer than the rest before shifting back to a distant look. Kazuki could have sworn that Basilio had something else going on about him. The butler wasn''t a major character, but one quirk made him stand out from the rest of the supporting cast. If only he could remember what it was... Saving that thought for later, he moved his attention to the other servant, a emerald-eyed young woman with the most beautiful long golden hair Kazuki has ever seen. She also cast her gaze on each Millionbell, standing in place. Why hasn''t she spoken at all? "Primera? You''re coming with us, too?" Julius said after a while, eyeing her with a contemplative look. The girl nodded without smiling or saying a word. Take that familiar-sounding name, add her refusal - or rather, inability to speak into the mix, and eureka! There was only one person in the whole story that matched the description. Primera Vithar, a mute mercenary travelling with the hero''s party to find a way to get back her missing voice, stolen from her when she was a child by an insane magician. She may be an important character, but Kazuki didn''t remember the fact that she used to be a servant of the Millionbell family. One thing he did know, though, that she was met with a tragic end: as soon as she got her voice back, she was killed by said magician''s apprentice, who became one of the toughest enemies that the protagonists had to face. Her last breaths were dedicated to a childhood tune that she had always wanted to teach her friends. A song that strengthened the heroes'' hearts and became the anthem to their victories. Kazuki fought his hardest not to blush because if he could write something that sappy what other sorts of embarrassing events had he managed to come up with back then? No wonder the last part of that book review Akiko read to him said that his writing was somewhat childish. The power of friendship? Had he ran out of other ideas when he wrote that? "This may be the last time we will be able to see this place," Elias murmured, eyes roaming over the manor he has lived in for nearly his entire life. "Basilio, Primera, load the carriages. We should be leaving soon." While the two servants left to do their work, Elias and Theresia headed towards their carriage. The coachmen they had hired didn''t make a move to open the door for them, but neither of them seemed to care. "I - I''ll go first," Lucian said weakly to his brothers, although he mostly avoided looking at Arion directly. "I''ll, um, see you there." The boy dragged his feet to another carriage behind his parents'' and entered, closing the door behind him. Finally, there were only Julius and Arion left, standing side by side. "What will become of us now?" Hearing Julius whisper to himself, face downcast and utterly lost, Kazuki opened his mouth and murmured, "I''m sorry..." "Huh? Why are you apologising? You haven''t done anything wrong." The guilt in his heart grew deeper. What would happen if he told the truth? How many events will change if Kazuki gave Julius the knowledge of their future? "Arion? Are you...feeling a bit unwell?" "I''m -" not fine at all, can''t you see that Kazuki was the cause of everyone''s suffering - "fine. I''m fine." "Oh. Um, I see. If you start feeling tired, you can tell one of us and we''ll...figure out something." Like Kazuki''s talk with Theresia, awkward pauses and suspicious stares filled the conversation between brothers. "Basilio and Primera should already be finished with the preparations. We should be going now," Julius ended, not knowing what else to say. "I''ll...stay here for awhile." "If - if that''s what you want to do," Julius conceded. He left Kazuki alone, staring at the Millionbell''s manor. The construct had been the first place in Tellus that he lived in, even if for only a week. "What am I supposed to do now?" he muttered to himself. "What happens after the fall?" The conspiracy against Elias Millionbell could never be resolved, and the man would spend the remainder of his life in anger and grief. Theresia - oh god, apparently he killed her off. Julius joins the hero''s party, presumably because the family starts falling apart. Something happens to Lucian - what could it be? And finally, Arion becomes an antagonist. His confrontation with Julius occurs in the capital of the Fifth Regnancy, with the former destroying nearly half of the city with his uncontrollable magic. How did Arion end up there in the first place? "Y-Young Master Arion..." Unexpectedly, a small voice from behind interrupted his thoughts. Kazuki turned around and froze when he recognised the other person. "You''re...the girl who fainted?" "I didn''t mean to do that!" she exclaimed, cheeks red with embarrassment, before remembering that the person in front of her was the rumoured ''demon'' amongst the servants'' gossip. "Eep! I ap-p-pologise f-for the outburst, Y-Young Master!" "It''s fine," Kazuki told her. "What''s your name?" "I-It''s Sant, Young Master." A mob character. Supposedly non-existing in his notes, and yet she has a name. What reason did she have to approach Arion? "I thought you had left with the other servants." "N-No, I didn''t go...b-because I would like to remain with the Millionbell family!" The appearance of an additional character that Kazuki had never created. Dozens of things that he needed to know, but couldn''t recall. So many things to consider, so little time. Sometimes, Kazuki wondered if dying in that traffic accident back on Earth would be preferable to this miserable new life. --- - Author''s Notes - Thank you, dear readers, for your patience! The third chapter is finally out, after rewriting and editing the sequence of events for the nth time already! I wish I could write faster than this, but...sorry. Worldbuilding, commence! Basilio Ilvarn, Primera Vithar, and Sant join the party! Feels like there''s already Loads and Loads of Characters, even in the first few chapters... Also, it has been decided: the Millionbells are earls (and countesses). Was about to make them dukes (and duchesses), but when I think of what would happen to their duchy...probably not a good idea. Two things that Kazuki does too much: 1. Wonder about things. 2. Ask questions to himself. There are so many mysteries planned out that I''m inclined to add the ''Mystery'' genre...except that it doesn''t exist in this site. Too bad. Why is my writing pace so. Incredibly. Slow. Must I write out every single interaction? Can''t I just, y''know, make things go boom and whapow-slash-whoosh right now? Um, I''ll stop complaining to myself. ...Once in a while, autocorrect adds a ''p'' in front of ''regnancy''...