It took about two days to return to the lord’s castle after defeating the monsters.
During that time, Kyung-hoon tried everything to log out.
He even waited for the game to force a shutdown.
To put it simply, he failed to log out.
‘Sigh, who would’ve thought I’d actually get stuck in the game world?’
At this point, even Kyung-hoon had to admit it.
‘This isn’t a game. It’s reality.’
At first, he thought it was just the result of a massive update that made the game feel incredibly realistic.
The AI’s reactions, the scent of grass, and so on.
But even the most realistic game has its limits.
And even the latest online games didn’t have AI this advanced.
He even had to relieve himself.
It was harder to deny that this was reality.
‘I’m going to lose my mind.’
How did it even come to this?
He couldn’t believe the situation he was in.
‘If only I hadn’t chosen Schrantz…’
No matter which character he had chosen, the situation wouldn’t have been this bad.
If the original reality was hard mode, the situation he was in now was hell mode.
‘I just wanted to enjoy some mindless fun and then quit.’
Now that he realized the game had become reality, his head started to ache.
‘I can’t even use save and load cheats now.’
This meant there was no going back if he made a mistake.
“Young lord, we’ve arrived at the lord’s castle.”
At Oswell’s voice, Kyung-hoon, who had been lost in thought, looked up and saw the castle at the end of the road.
‘Sigh… What else can I do now?’
If this was reality, he had to survive no matter what.
‘At least I know a lot about the game world. If I use that knowledge, maybe I can find a way to get through this.’
Since he knew things the natives of this world didn’t, he had a huge advantage—no, an overwhelming one.
Quick adaptation to reality and an overly optimistic personality were Kyung-hoon’s strengths.
‘I’ll just have to do my best.’
In the end, Kyung-hoon decided to live as Ian von Schrantz.
In reality, he had no parents, and the friends he could call had long since drifted apart due to their busy lives.
The fact that there was no one to worry about him was somewhat of a relief.
Upon arriving at the castle, a grand welcoming crowd greeted him at the entrance.
All the servants of the castle lined up on both sides, and among them, a middle-aged man stepped forward to welcome Ian warmly.
“Welcome back, my proud son!”
Hugo von Schrantz.
The lord of the Schrantz County and Ian’s father.
‘Wow, his presence is overwhelming.’
Even at a glance, you could feel the massive muscles beneath his clothes.
But despite his intimidating appearance, he was…
Thud!
“You’ve worked hard, my son!”
…a doting father to the extreme, earning him the nickname “ultimate dad.”
“I can’t breathe.”
“Haha, my apologies. I didn’t mean to squeeze so hard.”
It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t breathe, but more that he was embarrassed.
Though he looked eighteen on the outside, inside he was a man in his thirties.
Being embraced like this in front of unfamiliar family members made him feel a bit ashamed, even if they were just game characters.
But the family members showed no reaction, as if they were used to it or simply indifferent.
‘And that kid over there…’
Ian’s gaze fell on a brat who was glaring at him with clear disdain.
His younger brother and heir, Hubert von Schrantz, who looked no more than two or three years younger than him.
‘So I have a little brother now.’
Hubert was clearly unhappy to see Ian.
Ian was the person he hated most in the world.
From childhood, Ian had bullied him, and as he grew older, he continued to cause trouble, tormenting the household with his reckless behaviour.
Of course, Hubert had no reason to like him.
‘And to top it off, he even lost the heir position to his younger brother. What a failure.’
That was the reality of Ian von Schrantz, the man Kyung-hoon had now become.
‘At least it’s a relief that even if I achieve something here, it won’t threaten his position.’
It’s a common occurrence.
Those in power often try to suppress or eliminate anyone who threatens their authority.
The only silver lining was that his current achievements weren’t significant enough to pose a threat.
‘Well, things will change from now on. But as long as it benefits you, don’t worry. I won’t threaten your position.’
He had no intention of living a complicated life, worrying about this and that.
“I heard you charged into the monster horde alone.”
Hugo’s voice brought him back to reality.
“Yes.”
“Didn’t you think it was dangerous?”
Hugo asked with a stern expression.
‘Is he angry?’
It was a natural reaction for any parent whose son charged into enemy lines alone.
Of course, if he had known from the start that this wasn’t a game but reality, he would never have done such a thing.
‘Well, even if I had known, I might’ve done it anyway.’
He knew the enemies’ weapons couldn’t harm him much.
Plus, he was confident he could strike and retreat safely.
“…I was thinking about how to break the Greenskins’ morale,” Ian lied, unable to tell the truth.
“Good. That’s the kind of thinking someone raised in Schrantz should have. Hahaha! As long as you’re not hurt, it’s fine.”
Hugo slapped Ian’s back heartily and laughed.
It felt like he was saying, “You won anyway, let’s have a drink!”
What a manly mindset.
‘But why does he keep slapping my back so much?’
Though the armor absorbed the impact, the sound was like a hammer striking metal.
Could a human hand really make that sound?
Was the cold sweat running down his back just his imagination?
“Well, everyone worked hard.”
Hugo’s gaze shifted to Oswell, who was kneeling behind Ian.
“You’ve worked hard too, Oswell.”
“Not at all, my lord. Thanks to Young Lord Ian, I didn’t have much to do.”
“Haha! No need to flatter him. You were his swordsmanship instructor, so it’s only natural he’s achieved this much.”
Despite his words, Hugo’s lips curled up to his ears at the praise for his son.
“You’re too kind. This achievement belongs solely to the young lord.”
“Enough. I’ll reward you separately, so consider it done.”
“…Yes, my lord.”
Oswell was so uninterested in wealth that Hugo had to insist on rewarding him.
Hugo’s gaze then turned to the knights and soldiers further back.
“You’ve all worked hard. It’s a relief that not a single life was lost! I feel secure knowing I have you all. Just as Ian has rewarded you, I will also provide a separate bonus. Rest well until tomorrow, and those injured should recover fully before returning to duty! Dismissed!”
“Yes, my lord!”
The soldiers’ morale soared at the announcement of a special bonus for the expedition.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
At Hugo’s coughing, a servant approached with a handkerchief, but Hugo raised his hand to stop him.
“I’m fine. Step back.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“The weather’s turned chilly suddenly. I must be catching a cold. You should be careful too.”
“Yes.”
“You must be tired from the long journey. Go inside and rest.”
“Yes.”
Finally, Ian was able to enter the castle.
The next day.
After returning and heading straight to his bedroom, Ian immediately collapsed into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up until much later.
The fatigue from riding and camping during the journey had accumulated, leaving him asleep all day.
“…Still the same, huh.”
He had hoped that maybe, just maybe, he would wake up back in reality after a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Knock knock!
“Young Lord Ian. Are you awake?”
At the soft whisper, Ian turned his gaze toward the door.
“Yeah, I’m awake.”
Hiccup!
“…?”
A hiccup sounded, and soon the door opened cautiously.
Maids with nervous expressions entered the room, carrying something.
A delicious aroma wafted through the air.
“Did you bring food?”
“Yes, young lord. Would you like to eat?”
“I will, but why did you bring it all the way here?”
It was customary for nobles to dine with their families.
In Meta Pangaea, it was rare for any character to deviate from this basic setting.
The maid glanced around nervously before answering cautiously.
“Y-young lord, you usually have trouble waking up in the morning, so we were told to prepare fresh meals at all times, just in case…”
“….”
‘What a brat.’
Ian shook his head in disbelief.
According to the maid, this meant he was a lazy person who never woke up in the morning.
He felt sorry for the maids who were doing unnecessary work.
“Bring it here.”
Still, he was hungry, so there was no need to refuse.
As the maids placed the dishes one by one on the table in the room, Ian sat down and began to eat.
‘It’s delicious.’
The taste was on a completely different level from the preserved food he had eaten during the journey.
‘But why are they so nervous?’
Ian noticed the maids were trembling, their eyes fixed on the floor, clearly tense.
‘Don’t make eye contact. The spoon might fly at you.’
‘If you don’t want to get hit, act like you’re invisible.’
Unaware of what they were thinking, Ian focused on the meal, feeling a strong hunger.
The warm soup and soft bread delighted his palate.
The food disappeared quickly, as if he were hiding it from someone, but he still felt a bit unsatisfied.
‘I’m still not full.’
“Hey…”
Flinch!
When Ian held out his plate, the maids instinctively raised their arms above their heads.
It was as if they were defending themselves from something.
“What’s wrong? Why are you doing that?”
“W-we’re sorry! We apologize for disturbing you! Please forgive us just this once!”
[The maids feel threatened.]
“….”
A message window appeared, stating that the maids felt threatened, even though he hadn’t done anything.
Stunned by their reaction, Ian froze for a moment before noticing bruises peeking out from under one of the maid’s collars.
Come to think of it, the other maids also had signs of injuries here and there.
Finally understanding the situation, Ian rubbed his forehead.
‘What the hell has this guy been doing in his own house?’
He knew Ian was a troublemaker, but…
‘This isn’t just being a brat—this is being a full-on tyrant!’
How much had he tormented the household for everyone to be this terrified of his every move?
This must have been why the Intimidation skill was so high when he first checked the skill window.
It wasn’t something that stood out much in the game, so he hadn’t realized.
‘Or maybe I just skipped through the minor dialogues and didn’t notice.’
Faced with this unexpected situation, Ian frowned.
‘Even if I tell them I won’t act like before, they won’t believe me right away.’
It would be a miracle if they didn’t become even more suspicious.
People’s perceptions don’t change overnight.
‘I’m surrounded by enemies, and I don’t need to invite unnecessary suspicion.’
“Bring more food.”
“Huh?”
In the end, his choice was to act as naturally as possible.
“I said bring more. I’m not full. Fill it up.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
The maid carefully took the plate he handed over and scooped more soup into it.