You know how sometimes a novel has a crappy story, but there's that one character/s you love so much that you keep reading just for them? Well, the novel I'm reading on my phone right now is exactly that. A classic reincarnation-into-a-fantasy-world hero tale. I've been reading this damn thing for days! Why? Because I've got a crush on the main character's mom.
Yeah... okay, I know how that sounds, but it's not as weird as it seems, alright?
That motherly nature of hers… how she looks like a cold-hearted woman but actually has this massive, warm heart; how she starts from nothing and becomes powerful; and in the end, how she's ready to risk everything for her son. I've read hundreds of chapters of this average-ass novel just for her. And here I am now, sitting on the school bus, still reading it.
The story's your typical reincarnation arc—MC dies in the modern world, gets reborn in a fantasy one, grows up (thankfully skipping the boring baby phase), and then we hit the academy arc. That's where he first encounters the story's main villain.
The antagonist is a man who had a hell of a miserable childhood and a total shit life.
He's actually the illegitimate son of a noble. His mother was a mistress, and he grew up in absolute poverty. They lived in a damn stable. But thanks to his mother—who he treasured more than anything—he somehow managed to survive and push through life.
Until she got sick.
After she died from her illness, he killed his own father for never helping her. That's how a villain was born.
Sure, the plot is full of clichés, but the way the author pulls them off makes it surprisingly bearable. And damn, the guy writes female characters so well that I honestly kept reading just for them.
Eventually, the bus arrived at the university stop. I shut off my phone and rubbed my tired eyes. Dragging my sore ass off the seat, I stepped out and walked toward my best friend, who had spotted me from afar.
The moment he saw me, he raised his hand and said, "What's up, my N-word?"
Yeah, he's never gotten tired of that joke. My name's Noah, and ever since we became friends, he's been making this stupid "N-word" pun.
I shouted back at him: "Don't you assholes know I hate being called that, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS?!"
It was a meme between us. A few weeks ago, one of our teachers had told the class not to call him "mister" because he didn't like it. Then someone called him "mister" anyway, and he'd lost his shit, yelling exactly like that. We've been making fun of it ever since. Just regular dude banter.
"Why the fuck you yelling like that?!"
A voice came from behind me. I turned toward it instinctively.
A group of guys were walking toward us. The type you can recognize instantly—the kind that smokes weed day and night, probably been in jail at least once for theft, and picks on people just for fun.
"I said, why the fuck are you yelling? You got something stuck up your ass?" one of them sneered in that classic lowlife thug tone.
In moments like this, you really don't know what to do. I was almost sure they had a knife. Or worse, a gun. But my pride wouldn't let me back down or apologize. So I kept my mouth shut.
Just like I feared, one of them pulled a knife.
"You scream again, and I'll cut your dick off. Got it?"
"…Got it," I said helplessly. Dying here today over a dumb joke wasn't on my to-do list.
"Good boy," he said, and they turned to leave.
And then, right on cue, my dumbass friend decided to open his fucking mouth.
"You pulled a knife, huh? Then you better use it, tough guy!"
Time literally stopped for a few seconds.
"You pulled a knife, huh? Then you better use it, tough guy!"
He actually said it. My brain short-circuited. Who the hell taunts a guy with a knife?!
The thugs froze mid-step and turned slowly. You know in cartoons when a character gets angry and their eyes narrow? Yeah. That happened. One of them said, "What did you just say?" but the way he said it made my skin crawl. It was the voice of someone about to stab someone.
And yet, my idiot friend was still grinning.
"You don't just pull a knife and start barking threats, man. If you pull it, use it."
That's when I finally understood why my mom always told me to make good friends.
This dumb, shit-stained bastard had a death wish.
One of the thugs didn't even hesitate. He slashed with the knife—aiming for my friend. But I jumped on the way.
Why? I don't even know. Maybe those hero stories had fried my brain. Or maybe I was just a purebred dumbass.
The knife went right under my ribs.
Let me tell you something: real life isn't like the movies. Time didn't slow down. There was no dramatic fall in slow motion. I just collapsed instantly.
And all I could think was,
"Goddamn, this fucking hurts..."
As my shirt soaked in blood, I could hear my friend yelling and the thugs running off. Someone leaned over me. I couldn't see clearly, but I had a good guess who it was.
"Bro! Bro! Why the hell did you jump in?!" he was shouting in a trembling voice.
"Don't worry, man... we'll see each other in the afterlife... we'll meet again," he said, trying to stop the bleeding with his hands.
"We're not a married couple, you fucker..."
And then… death was a lot quieter than I expected. A kind of darkness settled in, and... peace? No. No peace. No bright lights either. Just... darkness.
And then—
I opened my eyes.
But they weren't my eyes.
They were sharper, older... I was in someone else's body. Fuck, did I fall into a coma?
I looked up at the ceiling. Nothing there but an old-fashioned chandelier.
I jumped out of bed. The room was completely different—Victorian or medieval European vibes, with heavy wooden furniture. I spotted a small pocket mirror on a giant dresser, picked it up, and stared.
This wasn't me. This was literally someone else's face. A damn handsome dude, with a sharp jawline and deep blue eyes. His hair was slicked back neatly. My hand looked huge, holding the mirror—definitely taller and broader than my original body.
I noticed the sunrise out of the corner of my eye, then dropped the mirror and rushed to the large wooden door. The moment I stepped out, I saw a few women in gray and white uniforms carrying large buckets of water.
They looked like maids—and they looked shocked to see me.
"Lord Leonardo! You're up early today. Shall we bring your water to your chambers now, or do you have another request?" said the older one.
"Did you just call me... Lord Leonardo?"
My mouth hung open in disbelief. No way. This couldn't be happening. There's no way I'd just experienced the kind of shit that only happens in anime or light novels or other shits.
"Who am I? Tell me my full name."
She looked confused, but answered, anyway.
"Please don't jest with me, my lord. You are the head of House Argenholt. Count Leonardo Argenholt."
I nearly passed out. I'd reincarnated into the very novel I'd been reading on the bus... but even worse, I was now the guy who's the first one killed by the villain in the story! The father of the damn villain!