From that day forward and the days to come, Aria made frequent visits to our county –specifically, to spend time with me.
At first, her visits were seemed innocent enough–just two children playing together.
Before I knew it, six years had slipped by, and Aria and I had become the closest of friends.
In her presence, I discovered all the nuances and complexities that differ from the version of Aria I knew only through the confines of the romance fantasy game –a truth that transcended that boundaries of two dimension on a screen.
Spending more time with her, I found my heart softening, if only temporarily. The image of her that day began to flicker in my mind.
There had to be a reason for a such a drastic shift in her personality, didn't there?
After all, the Aria I knew in reality seemed to be vastly different from her character depicted in the game.
Despite my age – sixteen years old, with the accumulated knowledge of nineteen years from my previous life — I couldn't shake off the foolish notion that I could somehow alter the course of her destiny.
In the game, it was mentioned that Aria harbored little to no affection for Corrin, I first thought that I hope, perhaps I could slip out under her radar and avoid drawing too much attention from her.
But to my surprise, she not only took an interest in me but also openly display her affection for me.
Hahaha.... A part of me wanted to entertain the foolish notion of the positive that such a opportunity presented.
After all, how often does I get the chance to experience youthful love with someone so breathtakingly beautiful?
Thinking about the possibilities would be endless for which I could have the chance to romancing other heroines in the game.
I should have been the luckiest man alive, shouldn't I?
But alas, fate had other plans for me — plan that were cruel as they were inevitable from the moment our paths cross, I was inexorably bound to her, and my destiny irreversibly entwined with hers.
My fate? To meet my demise at her hands.
Hers? To either become the partner of the main protagonist in this world or to become the Reaper that brought the ultimate destruction, depending on the path that protagonist chose.
Back in my original world, I used to watch isekai stories and that they all have these three simple patterns – the wonder, the cheats, and the harems.
But why am I end up having the short end of the stick?
And also another good question, why am I paired up with this world's strongest yandere, of all things?!!!
It seemed like a cruel joke.
Haaah..... a small part of me was tempted to give up, taking my own life right there and then than waiting for my deathflag raise by my fiancée in a desperate bid of returning to my original world. But deep down, I knew such foolish thoughts were mad, not to mention futile.
Especially when faced me with this....
[ Status ]
[ Corrin Ashfallen ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Origin: Nobility ]
[ Class: Knight ]
[ Level: 7 ]
[ Strength: F ]
[ Intelligence: F ]
[ Power: F ]
[ Skill: D ]
[ Agility: D ]
[ Endurance: D ]
[ Luck: 0 ]
[ MOV: 120 ]
[ ATW: 63 ]
[ Skills info...]
[ Shadow Movement ] – [ Martial Arts ]
[ Temperal Stance ] – [ Martial Arts ]
[ Heat Seeker ] – [ Martial Arts ]
[ Special Traits ]
[ Crazy Heart ]
[ Description: Evil people will have the tendency to be drawn towards you, certain liking or more ]
[ Overall: A person who's fated to be brings happiness and be surrounded with happiness ]
Just the sight of this neatly arranged status window in front of me there was something that filled me with a seething rage.
How in the actual fuck am I supposed to be a person fated or destined to be bring and surrounded by happiness?!! And what the hell was that "Crazy Heart" trait?
I had never heard or seen anything like it in the game.
Was it even a real thing exist?
Or maybe there is better question, is this what the devs were doing before releasing this hidden gem game onto the masses, isn't it?
Don't fucking telling me that there is actually more crazy than this "Crazy Heart" trait that devs put into the game like guinea pigs in a science experiment, then putting to towards the dense – of – a – black – hole game files.
Is that it, isn't?!!!
"...."
The mere thought of it made my blood boil.
The notion that evil people would have drawn towards me, even liking to me probably more than that — well, it would explained a lot, didn't it? It was probably one of the many factors as to why Aria had fallen for me in the first.... place....
"..."
NO GOD! PLEASE NO!! NO!!! NOOOOOO
Oh this is so bad, I meant really, really bad.
Just the mere notion of it, really begun to see that everything was raises hell let LOOSE!!!
Truly, even my supposed "trait" supported my role as a Saintess's fiancé. It was almost laughable, if it weren't so infuriating.
What if, That I didn't fell into the world of generic romance fantasy game but rather, a adult verion of that.
And within this adult version, the devs make this version of Corrin isn't a disposable character that thrown into narrative at all but instead a freaking villain that would snatched away the heroines of the main protagonist's harem.
That would've really explained in having this fucking trait.
Or, maybe it could the opposite where this time the heroines themselves were all turned Yandere like Aria, and the moment they knew that I romance all of them would definitely raised my deathflag.
Oh god. I don't like where is this going....
It's going very dark swirling spiral, so very dark, that I forgot and now that I think of it, an almost all–F status and occasional D's not to mention that my luck wasn't even labeled as letters but number, an actual zero was like a gasoline that was added on the fire.
Ha–ha–ha–haaa.... I wanna cry right now.
It's just madness, and stupidity. That's what this status meant, just by looking at this.
It's been almost ten whole years since I started living in this world. Yet, my stats remained stagnant, unchanging no matter how much I trained or building up muscle.
Corrin may have been originally designed as a disposable character, hence the lack of strength, but added this dark revelation was way beyond my pay–grade.
Is this what my new reality really is?
Shouldn't be this just at least some sort of generic not, degeneracy.
I mean, this isn't that what transmigrators, reincarnators, transporters, aggressors, and the like always have.
So please, don't be that kind of route...
Sighing heavily, I pushed myself up from the comforts of my bed and hurriedly made my way to the bathroom.
It was still super early in the morning, the sun hadn't even risen yet, but I couldn't afford to waste more time lamenting over either blackhole conspiracy or my unfortunate circumstances.
Imperial Era Year 1268
"This is the day."
[ Mission: Attend the Academy ]
As I glanced to my side, a golden screen materialized, distinct from the usual blue ones.
There were the mission screens, a unique feature that only appeared when the mysterious system had a task in store for me.
I didn't fully comprehend the purpose of these missions, but I hunch they were specifically designed to keep me on track with main events in this based the narrative from the game.
When the mysterious system first appeared before me nearly eight years ago, the initial mission it bestowed upon me was simple: "Live and be free."
But as time passed, the mission became progressively more specific, like for example a culminating in the task of making Aria fall for me — a challenge that I surprisingly managed to accomplish, despite that I was practically trying to avoid her.
Probably thanks to that fucking trait.
Now faced with yet another mission.
I could feel it that this is the moment I waiting for ever since arrive to this world.
Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to ignore these missions altogether, but you know what happened as I learned the hard lesson when defying the system's directives came with dire consequences.
.... Around four months ago, I diverged away from my usual mission of Aria fall on me and the love she needed as I went to guide the protagonist to meet with my favorite heroine.
However, as I doing that was met with constant noise blaring inside my head, rendering me unable to focus on the task at hand.
Fortunately, the protagonist had listened to my hints very well and managed to meet her in time.
But I snatched dire consequences – a certified bad luck ending as Aria made sure to solidify our bond by officially making me as her fiancé.
Now I would likely be stuck with her for the rest of my already counted life.
Although, this mission were okay for now, as this where the true plot of the main story began in the game.
[ Warning: A consecutive fail in missions will result in bad end.]
Not to mention the warnings personally gave to me.
Seriously, I'm just the Fucking goddam background character, so why bother me all of these missions.
Well, no use thinking too much about all of this now....
There were bunch of things that I wanted to do, but what I liked the most were....routes. No matter what, I must find my own route set for me in this world because that way....
I would get my happy ending.
"Oh, Corrin, you're here early."
A burly man with a crooked beard, clad in amor greeted me outside before enveloping me in a bear hug. Despite his appearance were a bit intimidating, he was probably the gentlest person in our family — this world's current father and the count, our head of the household.
Count Gray von Ashfallen.
He looked positively elated as he tussle my hair.
Well, considering that his child was about to embark on a journey to the academy, hailed as the most prestigious and noble learning Institute in the Empire to date, probably the world would any father be happy.
"Seriously, Corrin. I'm so proud of you, man. To think that my cute boy has outgrown and becoming a man, proved that just how long I've been away from the family. Haha, oh Celestina and I really raised you well despite my absence."
"If only would that your mother was awake at this time, she would say the same thing."
I just nodded and smiled at his proud remark.... As someone who grew up with no parents, the loving and caring atmosphere the count and my mother gave me really....
It was a truly new experience to me however I don't mind this feeling like I filled up of warm drink. Weird and surreal at the same time.
"I know you don't like to chit – chat especially the time is limited, but I give you one piece of advice, so listen to me well.... never ever get yourself into a fight with someone of higher status than you, got that? Trust me, it will be more peaceful that way." He said with a hearty laugh, his expression hinted a sense of nostalgia crossing his face.
He let go the of his warm hug as he scanning me from head to toe before nodding to himself. "Did you meet Lady Aria."
"Not yet...." I replied.
"Well then, you should go see her before you go. Last time I heard from grand duke that she was awfully sad yesterday when she tell him about the news and urging a request to visit you, knowing full well that yourself the one delivered the news.
I knew that all too well. After all, that was a week ago when the I visited Gloryfield's Residence for the first time since living in this world just to delivering the news of my journey to the Academy in which that woman almost tie me up in her bed and never let me go. Fortunately, mother was coming with me and just in time, saved me from the awful fate.
"I do just that, but no promises."
Hearing my reply, the count smiled and patted my back before pushing me forward.
"Ah, before I go, father..." I turned around to face the count.
"?" The count was nodded, curious about what I had to say.
"It is time that I could see that "Thing"." I cryptically said to the count.
"Sure, we still have some time to play catch up." He said taking me to the one place that I need to see.
In the game, its was mentioned that Corrin didn't fulfilled his promises to his parents as he went astray away from the path he seeks and become something that led him being on the deathbed by his fiancée.
Coincidentally, I forgot to mention from before that there is more of what happened when we moved towards the outskirts of Valhailm City.
On that day, there's was a report that a certain activity in the road were taking where there is a demon beast was roaming, and it was been ambushed our ride as it ate both household's coachman and horse. Both my grandfather and mother were able to take out the smaller demon beast, but the real problem comes after that.
As I was still asleep inside the carriage, a large seven-colored hive beetle demon beast was raised the carriage in the air as use its giant insect claws to crushed the carriage in half while I was sleeping inside, it made my mother screamed to my name as I fall towards the ground and the demon beast was about to eat me whole.
Luckily, a large ball of fire coming from afar as it went and hit the demon beast and wake me up from my deep slumber, seeing that "thing" in action as fighting head on with demon.
And now, the count was here in town, I want to see it again in a while since the last I see that while I still amnesiac mode.
"This is the "thing" you wanted to see, Corrin" The count asked.
"Yeah..." I replied, gazed something inside the hangar.
What was in front of me is mech known as the Silhouette Knightmare Frame (SKF unit), and this thing that saved my life.
At that time, my father and the grand duke were the one's that noticed the report which they took action and made an excuse of scouting patrol on that road.
And the one who pilot the mech as head on fight the demon beast was my father.
"Haha. I remembered very well, that day where you ran towards the unit and the first you said was "It's a robot"."
"Really, I didn't know that."
It seemed that some of my memories from previous life were somehow were slipped through despite that small part was from the image in the game played as catalyst for me to say that.
"It's a knight that runs on magic, huh." I muttered as remembered the count's words on that moment.
"Father, do you think I could pilot this."
"You like that, Corrin, would you want to be a knight runner when you enter the Academy?" He asked.
"Yes, I had planned it from the very beginning ever since the incident ten years ago." I admitted.
"Then you know what is to lacking as become one, Corrin."
"I know, it's better late than never, father."
"But hey, since my class was knight, might as well become the runner, right?"
"HAHAHA. It seemed that you rubbing too much of my sense of humor, then you also know that both of them were expensive, Corrin."
"I could asked the grand duke to get you a recommendation for the mage class at the Academy including some money for class change."
I shake my head as I already know it by memory.
In the game, the requirements needed for being a knight runner class is that the protagonist had been trained both at martial and magical aspect before also become one.
Also, there is also another requirement of using "second class" medal for it change my class. As mentioned by the count himself that both of them needs large sums of money.
I remember very well the I had to work countless hours and hours of every fandom site for me to researching for a perfect guide to actually get to that class.
Seriously though, this game for being hailed as hidden gem it felt was still like a scam.
Right now, my class was knight. I really have long journey ahead of me. Yes. This is what I want, for the sake to myself, and the sake for former Corrin both in the game and this world.....
"Father, I will earn it. No matter if I work countless hours or challenge myself in the deepest dungeon. I will become a knight runner." I declared in the depths of my heart.
This is the route I set to take.