There Are Too Many Backstories in This Possession Novel – Chapter 1

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Let’s go back a little bit in time.

Even after the conclusion of the crappy novel “The Hero of Salvation,” which I loved reading, the author continued uploading updates to the announcement thread that compiled the novel’s settings.

As it was initially an unpopular novel that had reached its conclusion, it seemed like I was the only one increasing the view count on those announcement posts.

[If the story had gone down “that” route, the protagonist could have killed the demon king sooner.]

[Unbeknownst to many, the strongest weapon had been sealed within the Tablets of Teranto.]

[In truth, the protagonist died not long after the conclusion of this novel. The reason was due to poison.]

Even after the novel ended, the author continued revealing things like “The story was actually like this and like that” and unveiling various settings.

Frankly speaking, there were too many mind-blowing twists.

One day, a notice was posted: “I will no longer be updating the settings for this novel.”

I was disheartened but accepted it nonetheless.

After all, it was a completed novel, and I was the weird one clinging to reading the settings.

And a few days later, as I was crossing the street, I was run over by a truck.

When I came to, the world had changed entirely.

I was lying down with a young man and woman smiling down at me. I could see their lavish attire and a ceiling that exuded affluence.

There was only one conclusion – I had been reincarnated or reborn into some fantasy world.

A few novels and games came to mind, and I thought entering them might not be so bad.

As she spoke, the woman gently stroked me with a kind hand and warm gaze.

“Oh, look at our good child. You opened your eyes wide without crying.”

“Haha, he’s our blessed child. Already looking so dignified, a true son of the Deinhart family. Yes, you are already acknowledged by the celestials.”

The bearded man lifted me up, beaming a bright smile.

Wait, did he just say Deinhart…?

Could it be…my name is?

“You shall henceforth be known as Leonhart!”

That’s when I realized it.

I was screwed.

“Uwaaaaaah! (Oh no, dammit!)”

Of all the novels to be reborn into, it had to be “The Hero of Salvation”!

Not only that, but as the protagonist, no less!

Isn’t being reborn as the protagonist a bit too niche these days?!

An overly ordinary story. But in reality, it is a world with horrifying background settings lurking, aiming for the protagonist’s life.

And I had been reborn as that protagonist – I couldn’t help but wail.

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Time passed, and I turned 8 years old. It was my birthday.

There would be no day as important as this since being reborn.

Perhaps there would be none as important going forward, either.

Drawing back the curtains and opening the window, the cold winter air rushed against my cheeks and into my lungs.

In the lavishly decorated room, the dim light of dawn crept in, casting dreary shadows.

I gazed at the distant ridgeline visible from the estate, contemplating the hardships that would begin from today.

I needed to mentally prepare myself.

As my family had yet to wake me, I spoke aloud while seated on the bed.

“Achievement List.”

With those words, a window appeared before my eyes.

It was a list engraved with the core achievements I had to accomplish.

A list of 100 achievements stretched endlessly.

I briefly gazed at numbers 1 and 43.

If my predictions were correct, the names to fill those blanks would belong to the girls I would meet soon.

I closed the achievement list and opened the achievement reward window instead.

This was the reason I placed such importance on these achievements.

In other words, these achievements were fulfilled by directly checking or viewing the background settings.

What I focused on most was the reward for achieving all 100 achievements.

I believed obtaining the 100th reward was my only means of finding peace.

A world where I wouldn’t be poisoned by the holy knight.

Nor lose my family to the mage.

The dragon princess wouldn’t drive the world to ruin.

And finally, I wouldn’t be controlled by the true hidden boss.

Such an outcome.

I steeled my resolve.

I would absolutely protect my life in this world.

I had been reborn to bring peace to this world.

Then a cough escaped my throat, ragged.

Partly from staying out too long in the cold wind, but also…

Due to the *Frail* debuff afflicting me.

The young Leonhart in the original setting was frail until the age of enrolling in the academy.

This part was never shown since the novel began at the academy enrollment.

“Attaching such a pointless setting.”

I grumbled as I closed the window.

The author likely wanted to add some turmoil to the character’s life, but why create something never used in the novel?

“Leonhart, come out here.”

Then I heard my mother Reina Deinhart’s voice calling outside the door.

I straightened my clothes, donned a thick coat, and went out.

“Leonhart. Since it’s your birthday, I’ve prepared a gift.”

A gift, huh. I already knew about this gift.

Despite turning 8, her son had no friends, so she planned to hire an exclusive servant around my age.

The frail setting also meant I needed someone to care for me.

But considering the tasks I had for this “gift” and the thought of hurting my kind mother’s heart from now on, I didn’t feel so great either.

“Yes, Mother. Thank you.”

I followed along obediently with my softly smiling mother, feeling tension in anticipation of the upcoming encounter.

Where my mother led me, a modest young girl stood in an oversized maid uniform, nervously wringing her tiny hands.

She had her eyes slightly downcast, shoulders hunched like a small squirrel – just as the novel described, already like a little angel from childhood.

She was Nias.

In the story of “The Hero of Salvation” novel, she is the devoted maid and heroine to the protagonist.

However, the actual reality of this world was always hidden in the background settings.

According to those settings, she was this world’s hidden villain and demon king.

The demon king had lived a supremely noble yet solitary existence for an immeasurably long time. And that supreme nobility had birthed a bitter loneliness none could reach.

The pain of living forever alone, an empty hollowness in her chest.

Unable to bear the loneliness, the demon king needed someone to share her existence with.

Yet she was also someone who could never be honest.

So she conceived an evil scheme – to hypnotize a hero and have him defeat a fake demon king she created to make him a legend while controlling him from behind the scenes.

As outrageous as it was, she had to hatch such a plan to reach out to someone.

To achieve this, the demon king once killed herself. And was then reborn in human form.

At the age of 8, to meet me at 8 years old.

Even just looking at her now, she was simply a pretty young girl nervously awaiting the young master she would serve… But I resolved not to be deceived.

Whatever her circumstances, according to the background settings, her intent to use hypnotic drugs to control me remained the same.

“Greetings Young master! I’m Nias!”

She was 8 years old.

A girl gave a pure smile despite trembling as she greeted me.

That trembling was no lie.

Despite having experienced death once before, the demon king was now just an 8-year-old child.

While Nias inherited the demon king’s memories, she was mentally still an 8-year-old child.

According to the settings, the demon king’s reincarnation only transferred memories. At the same time, her mentality, magical power, and brain were severely limited by the constraints of her childish body.

Yet, I had to make a poor first impression on this child.

For a moment, I considered outright verbal abuse but held back, considering my mother present.

“Mother, I have a question.”

“Yes? What is it?”

I pinched my nose with my thumb and forefinger as I spoke.

“Do commoners normally have such a stench?”

Even if I had to meet the achievement conditions, an 8-year-old couldn’t outright swear in front of their mother.

My mother’s face stiffened slightly at my words.

“Leonhart! Even if she’s been hired as a servant, you can’t say such things!”

“…Ah, my mistake. I’m sorry, Mother.”

*Ding!*

Immediately, an alarm sounded, and a window appeared before me. It seemed she sensed my intentional behavior.

*Ding!*

Simultaneously, Nias was experiencing an emotion she had never felt before when reigning as the demon king – something strange and unfamiliar.

In the original story, Nias never displayed any masochistic tendencies.

Of course not – this was part of the background setting.

The original protagonist had always treated his exclusive maid kindly, so Nias never had a chance to be aware of such tendencies.

But I…would not do the same.

*Ding!*

Once started, there was no stopping.

Just look at that number: 10,000.

It was a threshold that could not be met unless I began from childhood.

Nias was still puzzled by her newly awakened tendencies.

Which meant insults would definitely provoke displeasure for now.

I lifted my head after closing the window.

Nias was sniffing herself, her face flushed red while checking for odor.

Her eyes looked ready to swell up with tears.

Sensing my gaze, Nias suddenly leaned in close to me.

“Y-Young Master! Do I…really smell? There’s no way…”

She gently swept aside her glossy black hair, revealing her well-shaped round ears and pale nape.

Even her ears had turned red.

“Take a sniff. I worked really hard bathing.”

Nias pleaded with wide, round eyes.

“No, I must have been mistaken. You don’t smell or anything. My apologies. My name is Leonhart Dyschan Deinhart. Pleased to meet you, Nias.”

I smiled as I spoke.

Nias cupped her reddened cheeks with both hands, beaming in genuine delight.

“I-I’m pleased to meet you too, Young Master. I’ll serve you with all my might, to the point my bones break!”

The girl offered a deep bow in greeting as if practiced endlessly.

She bowed so deeply that her head tilted forward, about to topple over, so I reflexively caught her forehead to right her up.

“No need to be that diligent. You’ll fall over.”

“Heheh.”

*Ding!*

Oh no, this is bad.

If I keep this up…I may fail to achieve an important achievement.

I quickly formulated a countermeasure, and then turned to my mother.

“Mother, I’d like to speak with Nias alone for a bit…”

“Oh, of course. I’ll give you two some privacy. Get to know each other well.”

After my mother left, I turned my eyes to Nias.

Still tense and flustered, her voice trembled as she spoke.

“Y-Young Master. So from today, I will…”

“Why are you so ugly?”

“Eh? Eh…?”

“A filthy commoner. Shameless, dirty.”

Then I leaned in close, whispering into Nias’ ear.

“I wasn’t mistaken about the smell either. Disgusting.”

Hearing my insults, Nias looked past bewilderment, on the verge of tears.

Seeing her sorrowful expression, a pang of guilt hit me, but I could no longer stop.

“You’re not going to apologize for your ugliness and stench?”

“I…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Young Master. In your presence I will…”

Nias tightly grasped the hem of her skirt with both hands as if forcibly restraining herself.

“I’ll stay away…so you don’t smell me…hic. I’ll keep my hideous face out of sight…as low as I can…I’m so sorry…”

*Ding!*

These actions were all separate from satisfying her masochistic tendencies, aimed at achieving different achievements.

However, several ding sounds followed, along with multiple notifications popping up.

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

.

.

.

*Ding!*

Various negative reputations piled up. And then a final window appeared.

*Ding!*

Oh, I’m screwed beyond measure this time.

Without even having to begin, the plot had already gone balls up.

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