My name is Seishi Shinseina, and I was transmigrated into a game I used to play.
The game was a classic RPG called Chronicle of Kingdoms.
At first glance, it was your typical hero-saves-the-world kind of story. The hero gathered his companions, defeated powerful monsters, uncovered ancient secrets, and eventually challenged the forces threatening the kingdom.
But there was something strange about the game.
No matter what ending the players tried to achieve, one of the main cast members would always die.
At first, players assumed that the developers had simply designed the game that way.
However, after countless dedicated players sent messages to the game company demanding an explanation, the company eventually released an official statement.
There was a true ending.
That announcement reignited the entire community.
Players returned to the game and began searching for the hidden ending.
They completed every quest.
Collected every important item.
Unlocked hidden areas.
Maxed out every party member.
They tried almost everything imaginable.
Yet the result remained the same.
Someone from the main cast always died.
Eventually, the game slowly lost its popularity, and most players moved on to other games.
So, you might be wondering...
How am I so certain that I am inside the game?
The answer is simple.
Because right in front of me was a screen that shouldn't exist.
A status window and a quest.
[Character Information]
Name: Neil Arcanum
Class: ???
EXP: 0/100
Level: 1
STR: 3
MP: 0
DEF: 2
AGI: 2
INT: 7
LUCK: 10
Main Quest: Save Princess
Reward: 100,000 System Points
Penalty: Curse of Red Skull
Curse of Red Skull: Lowers the player's stats by 50%.
[System Shop]
Black Iron Sword — 500 Points — Grade E
Celestial Ripple — 5,000 Points — Grade ???
Light Touch — 2,000 Points — Grade C
Chapter — The Forgotten Brother
My name is Seishi Shinseina, and I was transmigrated into a game I used to play.
The game was a classic RPG called Chronicle of Kingdoms.
At first glance, it was your typical hero-saves-the-world kind of story. The hero gathered his companions, defeated powerful monsters, uncovered ancient secrets, and eventually challenged the forces threatening the kingdom.
But there was something strange about the game.
No matter what ending the players tried to achieve, one of the main cast members would always die.
At first, players assumed that the developers had simply designed the game that way.
However, after countless dedicated players sent messages to the game company demanding an explanation, the company eventually released an official statement.
There was a true ending.
That announcement reignited the entire community.
Players returned to the game and began searching for the hidden ending.
They completed every quest.
Collected every important item.
Unlocked hidden areas.
Maxed out every party member.
They tried almost everything imaginable.
Yet the result remained the same.
Someone from the main cast always died.
Eventually, the game slowly lost its popularity, and most players moved on to other games.
So, you might be wondering...
How am I so certain that I am inside the game?
The answer is simple.
Because right in front of me was a screen that shouldn't exist.
A status window.
And a quest.
[Character Information]
Name: Neil Arcanum
Class: ???
EXP: 0/100
Level: 1
STR: 3
MP: 0
DEF: 2
AGI: 2
INT: 7
LUCK: 10
Main Quest: Save First Princess
Reward: 100,000 System Points
Penalty: Curse of Red Skull
Curse of Red Skull: Lowers the player's stats by 50%.
[System Shop]
Black Iron Sword — 500 Points — Grade E
Celestial Ripple — 5,000 Points — Grade ???
Light Touch — 2,000 Points — Grade C
My stats were ridiculously low compared to the main characters.
And the main quest wasn't even something I was supposed to complete.
But there was something else that confused me even more.
I had already discovered that I had transmigrated into the body of one of the heroine's brothers.
Eirlys Arcanum.
She was one of the main heroines of the game and a genius magician who appeared only once in a century.
She eventually became one of the hero's most important companions, providing the party with both powerful magical support and valuable resources.
Her brother, Neil Arcanum, was two years older than her.
According to the game's story, he was supposed to die when he was ten years old.
However, the game never explained how he died.
He was nothing more than a small part of Eirlys Arcanum's backstory.
So why?
Out of every main character, side character, and random extra in the game...
Why did I end up in his body?
Wouldn't it have been better if I had transmigrated into some random side character?
At least then I wouldn't have to worry about dying as a child.
Click.
Suddenly, I heard the door to my room opening.
I turned my head.
A maid was standing in the doorway.
The moment she saw me, her eyes widened.
She looked as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Hell..."
Before I could say anything else, she turned around and ran away.
I tried to get up.
But my body was incredibly weak.
I barely managed to move before feeling my strength disappear.
This body is seriously weak.
I decided to lie back down and rest.
I'm sure the maid remembered something important and ran off to take care of it.
At least, that was what I assumed.
"Thud... thud... thud..."
Footsteps soon echoed through the hallway.
I looked toward the door.
A couple and a young girl appeared at the entrance.
They stopped the moment they saw me.
The man looked completely shocked.
The woman was on the verge of tears.
The girl standing beside them also looked stunned.
Slowly, the three of them entered the room.
They walked toward my bed.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat, preparing to speak.
But before I could utter a single word, the woman and the girl rushed forward and hugged me.
Then they began crying.
It took me a moment to understand what was happening.
The crying woman, the girl, and the man standing behind them with a faint smile...
They were Neil Arcanum's family.
"Neil..."
"Sob... sob..."
"My child..."
"Sob..."
"I'm really glad you woke up."
The woman and the girl continued crying.
Neil's mother and sister.
For a moment, I didn't know how to react.
It felt incredibly strange.
These were characters I had once interacted with through a screen.
Characters that had never been real to me.
Yet now they were standing in front of me.
Real.
Alive.
And crying because they thought I had almost died.
I wanted to remain still.
But somehow, my body moved on its own.
I returned their hug and gently patted their backs, reassuring them that I was alright.
Suddenly, I felt a large hand placed on my head.
I looked up.
Neil's father was gently caressing my head.
His eyes were filled with warmth.
I knew these people were supposed to be nothing more than game characters.
Yet, for some reason, I felt emotional.
I couldn't explain why.
Perhaps...
Some of Neil's original emotions were still lingering within this body.
Whatever the reason, I decided not to question it.
I simply remained silent and enjoyed the warmth I was receiving in place of the original owner.
It might sound like a cliché.
But I had been an orphan in my previous life.
I had never experienced something like this before.
This was the first time I had ever felt what it was like to receive love from a family.
After some time, everyone finally calmed down and separated.
My father looked at me with concern.
"How are you feeling, Neil?"
He seemed genuinely worried about my condition.
"I'm alright, Dad."
I paused.
"I'm just feeling very hungry."
His expression immediately softened.
Snap.
He snapped his fingers.
"Sam, tell the cooks to prepare the best nutritious food."
He paused for a moment.
"Also, bring the best vitality potion from the treasury."
"Yes, Master. Everything will be done soon."
The butler suddenly appeared at my father's command, almost as if he had materialized out of thin air.
I tried to move and get out of bed.
But the moment I stood up, my legs nearly gave out.
I almost fell.
"Careful, baby!"
My mother and sister immediately rushed forward and supported me.
"Thanks, Mom... and Eirlys."
My mother frowned as she looked at me.
"It seems your body is extremely weak."
She sounded worried.
"You haven't received proper nutrition since last year."
My eyes widened.
"What did you say?"
"Since last year?"
My father nodded.
"Yes. You suddenly collapsed after returning home."
He looked at me seriously.
"But I'll tell you everything in detail during dinner."
He smiled slightly.
"For now, let's eat first."
"Sure, Dad."
I rubbed my stomach.
"I really am hungry."