NOVEL WEB Chapter 1
A warm breeze blew in spring.
Under an exceedingly clear blue sky, a vibrant green plain was spread out before him.
And there. A carriage was moving along the plain.
“Ugh…”
Letting out a low groan, the boy gazed at the scenery outside the carriage.
Light brown hair reminiscent of hazelnuts and sparkling emerald-green eyes.
Skin as white as snow, often hidden from the sunlight, and thick black-rimmed glasses.
With an appearance that gave off an impression of being harmless, he was quite the soft-looking boy.
His name was Rudell.
Rudellheit Weinstein.
A not-so-special low noble family from the outskirts, the only child destined to inherit the Count House of Weinstein.
And he was also a being fundamentally different from the others in this world.
“Looks like you’re tense.”
A man sitting across from him spoke up, addressing the groaning boy.
Slightly darker brown hair than Rudell’s.
Yellow eyes reminiscent of topaz.
A man with thick glasses resting over soft eyes, giving a warm impression due to his slender physique.
His name was Carlos Weinstein.
Rudell’s father and head of the Count House of Weinstein.
At the same time, he was a man known as Karl among those who were familiar with him.
“Of course… how could I not be tense?”
Mumbling in a sulky tone, Rudell replied to Karl’s words.
“It’s the birthday of ‘that’ Duchess Lagrind.”
Duchess Lagrind.
Full name: Leje El Lagrind.
Part of a prestigious family so renowned that there wasn’t anyone in the kingdom who didn’t know of them.
The only daughter of the Lagrind Dukedom.
And simultaneously, she would become a central figure in the great events that would unfold in the distant future.
If you were to ask why he knew this fact, the answer was surprisingly simple.
It was because this world was the one he’d read about in a novel long ago.
Seven years ago in winter.
While working part-time at a construction site, he lost his life in an accident.
The last feeling he experienced was the sensation of falling endlessly downward.
What followed was an infinity of darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, everything had changed.
The landscape around him, the people looking at him…
Even his own appearance.
He had no idea what had happened, but he had been reborn as Rudellheit Weinstein, a minor character akin to Extra C from the novel.
At first, it had been confusing, but after seven years, he had fully adapted to his new life.
“I can’t believe this day has come…”
With an exceedingly gloomy voice, Rudell looked out the window.
“I want to go home.”
He didn’t want to get entangled with the characters from the novel if he could help it.
And rightly so, as the content of this story was brutal and had a touch of decay.
Main characters dying in an instant was common.
The side characters and extras were swept away like dust.
After the last battle, most characters except for the protagonist and heroine died, making the story incredibly tragic.
In other words, it meant that if he got involved with medium-sized characters, he, who was merely an Extra C, would find it hard to survive.
“I just want to live a normal and quiet life…”
Someone once said that.
Living normally is the hardest thing in the world.
Feeling the deep meaning of those words, Rudell let out a short sigh.
“We should be arriving soon.”
Carlos sitting across from him said, and Rudell turned his head following Karl’s gaze.
“Wow…”
And from the gloomy expression he had just moments ago, a low voice of wonder escaped his lips.
The massive city surrounded by high walls.
The central city of the Lagrind Duchy, also one of the five largest and busiest cities in the kingdom.
People referred to it as ‘Lagrandria.’
“Incredible…”
He couldn’t help but be captivated by the size and splendor of the city that far exceeded what he had imagined while reading the novel in his childhood.
The overwhelming presence that could overshadow the Count’s domain was as refreshing a shock as he had ever experienced from living in what was essentially a slightly larger village.
Even compared to modern-day cities, it boasted an immense scale.
The buildings made of the unique white stone of the Lagrind Duchy and the people dressed in clothes reminiscent of modern Europe were enough to grab his attention.
It felt like he was on a trip.
As he stared blankly at the scene, Rudell felt his heart pound in excitement.
But that was only for a moment.
“Cough!”
With a low cough, Rudell turned his head to calm his rising spirits.
What was he getting excited about?
This place wasn’t exactly a location for leisurely travel.
It was a world of survival where the strong preyed on the weak, and the weak couldn’t survive.
The very world of nobles.
It was common for families entangled in political struggles to fall, making way for others.
If high nobility lived such lives, how much worse would it be for the Count House of Weinstein, merely a marginal family?
“You don’t need to be that tense, Rudell. No one is going to eat you, right?”
Gazing at him while calming his breath, Carlos said this, but even so, Rudell couldn’t relax.
There are things in the world that are better left unknown.
Knowing what would happen in the future but being able to do almost nothing about it left Rudell feeling helpless.
“In any case, no one will pay attention to us here. We just need to make our appearance and leave.”
“I hope that’s true.”
He shouldn’t get mixed up with any potential threats.
Thinking that along with a short sigh, Rudell looked at the scenery passing by outside.
So, the carriage carrying the two made its way down the road for a moment.
“Wow…”
Looking at a distant structure that was starting to come into view, Rudell let out a low exclamation.
An enormous building that could rightly be called a castle rather than a mansion.
The grand mansion and its surrounding spires boasted an overwhelming presence.
The sheer magnitude made Rudell feel as if simply observing the mansion was enough to cause him to shrink in intimidation.
“That’s the Duke’s Mansion.”
“It’s incredible…”
Even by the standards of a modern Earth dweller, the mansion’s size was astounding.
As the mansion drew nearer, tension began to rise in Rudell’s heart.
“Let’s get ready.”
“Yes, Father.”
In the world of nobles, every detail, from attire to etiquette and behavior, could become a weakness.
Adjusting his outfit along with Carlos, Rudell let out a short sigh.
As they did so, the carriage carrying them arrived at the entrance of the mansion, and Rudell let out a low groan while looking out the window.
“Oh my God…”
A line of carriages filling the entrance of the mansion.
The Lagrind Dukedom was known as one of the most prestigious families in the kingdom.
As such, the entrance was bustling with guests from all over the kingdom, with hardly any space to step.
“I’m already feeling tired.”
Carlos, watching the scene, frowned as if he had a headache while waiting for their turn.
Moments later, their turn came…
“Please present your invitation.”
A man appearing to be a servant of the mansion spoke to them as they arrived at the checkpoint.
At the same time, Carlos took out an envelope stamped with the Lagrind Dukedom’s seal from his pouch and handed it to the servant.
“Welcome, Lord Weinstein. We hope you enjoy your time at the Dukedom.”
Checking the invitation in the envelope, the servant bowed his head to Carlos.
As the guards blocking the entrance stepped aside, the carriage they were in rushed toward the Duke’s mansion visible ahead.
“Phew…”
Meanwhile, a sigh filled with tension escaped Rudell’s lips as he watched the Duke’s mansion drawing closer.
He must avoid getting entangled with the Duchess if he could.
A second life gained by chance.
Once was enough for a futile death.
He wouldn’t let this second life meet a similar end.
With that resolve in his heart, Rudell gazed at the approaching Duke’s mansion.