Ch.1Something Seems Wrong

The world I lived in was harsh for soldiers, and cruel to the disabled.

Especially cruel to a discharged soldier with a crippled leg like me.

So I don’t think it’s my fault that I became a game addict reeking of alcohol and cigarettes.

Though looking at what I’ve become, maybe it is my fault after all.

—-

“…sir, …Lord…!”

I reflexively woke up to shouting from beyond the room.

So noisy in the morning, who’s yelling like this?

Shouldn’t they consider the rights of gaming addicts who play until dawn?

My stomach felt queasy and my head throbbed, probably from drinking all night.

It felt like someone was grabbing my brain and shaking it, making me want to vomit.

A morning no different from usual.

Drinking, sleeping, waking up with regret.

And drinking again until falling asleep.

The hair covering my face irritably tickled the tip of my nose.

I irritably brushed the hair away with a jerky motion.

Several long strands tangled in my fingertips, causing a stinging pain as they were pulled out.

Wait a minute,

Long hair…?

“What the fuck…?”

What’s with this voice?

I bolted upright in shock at the voice that came out.

This was no time to worry about hair.

Instead of my rough, smoky male voice ruined by cigarettes, a drunken woman’s voice flowed from my throat.

It wasn’t even Korean. I naturally understood the meaning, but the pronunciation was clearly foreign.

Long hair and a changed voice.

A body that somehow felt strange.

Anyone would be confused and panicked by such a sudden change.

But in times like these, one must remain calm.

I calmed my mind and assessed the situation.

First, my hair—still black, but changed from my unkempt, matted mess to long tresses reaching my waist.

Arms—still muscular but surprisingly smooth and slender, with much lighter skin. Clearly a woman’s arms with some exercise.

Chest—large.

The body I looked down at was clearly not mine.

Then, perhaps my legs…?

With a trembling heart, I carefully lowered my gaze below my waist.

They were there.

My legs were attached.

From firm thighs through calves to toes.

Beautiful, healthy legs stretched out before me.

“Ha, haha…”

Laughter escaped me without realizing.

Between my legs, there was indeed nothing.

Well, I used it enough in the past, so it was time to part ways.

Anyway, I understood the situation now.

This was undoubtedly the legendary TS possession that could only be achieved with 5,700 characters.

Though I’d never written even 57 characters, let alone 5,700.

I may have lost my third leg, but I regained two legs in exchange for one—seems like equivalent exchange, doesn’t it?

Without a mirror I couldn’t see my face, but my body seemed healthy and impressive.

Right?

Looking around now, this room wasn’t mine either.

Instead of my cramped studio with moldy wallpaper slapped on concrete, this was a spacious tent lined with leather.

What I’d been lying on wasn’t a bed but a mattress of straw covered with fur.

The overall interior was nomadic, like something from 500 years ago, with a long sword leaning by the headboard.

It seems this isn’t a modern setting where streamers live well, but more like a game or novel possession. I’m not sure.

“Lord Haschal, are you awake?”

The man’s voice that had woken me called again from outside the tent.

Haschal, is that my name? I still don’t know who that is.

Anyway, I should get dressed first.

I should tell that person to wait.

Should I speak informally? Judging by how he addresses me with honorifics, he must be my subordinate?

“Wait a moment. I’ve just awakened.”

“Yes!”

When I tried to come up with an appropriate response, the language and speech pattern ingrained in this body naturally emerged.

Whether it’s possession adjustment or whatever, at least I won’t arouse suspicion with my speech habits.

I stretched my leg out of the bed to put on the clothes hanging on the wooden rack.

It felt somewhat awkward moving a part I hadn’t used for a long time, but fortunately my legs moved as I intended.

I lowered my left leg to the floor, then my right.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

Then I applied strength and stood up.

I stood.

At last.

A tingling pulse rising from my toes awakened my heart.

Joy streamed down my cheeks.

I had no idea where this was or whose body this was.

The suddenly female body felt incredibly strange, but none of that mattered.

I had regained my legs.

—-

Once I stood up, the rest was easy.

I walked to what looked like a clothes rack and examined the hanging garments.

Two thin pieces of cloth and pants made of animal hide.

Leather boots that came up to the knees. A thick cloth top.

Armor made of thick fur with silvery metal or animal scale plates attached.

All the clothes smelled of sweat, as if they’d been worn for a long time.

Anyway, these cloth pieces seem to be underwear judging by their shape and smell… and the rest are clothes to wear over them.

I took the smaller cloth piece, placed it below and tied both ends to make panties, then wrapped and tied the larger piece around my chest.

Though touching my breasts and private parts felt unfamiliar, given the situation, it didn’t feel particularly stimulating.

Let’s not think too deeply about it.

The leather pants were more flexible than expected, while the shoes were hard enough to be used as weapons.

Meanwhile, the top was a tank top-style cloth garment that revealed the stomach and arms, proving this world was from a game or novel.

…Honestly, it’s a bit ridiculous that only the top is designed this way.

There were five types of armor.

A short cape in shawl form, a long skirt, metal plates for the shins, and similarly plated gloves.

And a scale vest covering the back and chest.

Fortunately, these weren’t armors difficult to put on alone.

After putting on the armor pieces and attaching the sword that had been leaning by the bed to my waist.

Surprisingly, despite looking quite heavy, the armor didn’t feel heavy at all.

It seems this body is much stronger than I thought. That’s good news.

After getting properly armed and dressed, I sat down on the wooden chair inside.

I don’t know who’s outside, but I need to meet them to understand the situation.

“Haaaaah…”

A sigh escaped me unconsciously from the tightness constricting my chest.

It’s been a long time since I felt this nervous.

It’ll be fine. The speech seems to translate naturally.

If I’m careful with my actions, I won’t arouse suspicion.

“I’m ready. You may enter.”

“Yes. Excuse me.”

Immediately, a sturdy man lifted the leather entrance of the tent and entered.

He was an Asian man with a large build, at least 180cm tall, wearing thick leather armor.

A body so well-trained that muscles showed clearly through his clothes.

Scars from cuts and tears covered the exposed skin.

And a fierce face that looked like it could chew people alive.

He looked exactly like a Mongolian bandit from the steppes.

Even during my military days, I’d never seen someone so ferocious-looking.

The pressure to not reveal my identity intensified about five times.

If I got hit by those fists, my skull would probably cave in.

The only part of the human body that can safely cave in is the nipple.

The man knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

…Let’s try talking to him.

I want to ask his name, but if he’s my close associate, asking would immediately arouse suspicion.

So I’ll give up on that.

“So, what’s the matter so early in the morning?”

“I apologize. You haven’t yet given orders about what to do with the prisoners we captured yesterday…”

“……Prisoners?”

“Yes. Twenty young ones and thirty-two women. As you ordered, we had the young women serve the warriors, but no warriors wanted to receive women who can’t even ride horses. Shall we sell them all as slaves?”

Good heavens.

Are these guys really bandits? Am I a bandit leader?

This is dizzying.

“…Is it really necessary to sell them as slaves?”

“Pardon? Th-that’s a bit…”

When I asked if selling them as slaves was necessary, the man suddenly stammered as if confused.

I suppose selling them as slaves would bring money.

But wrong is wrong, no matter what.

I don’t want my first act after possession to be selling women and children as slaves.

I don’t want to do such a crazy thing.

“It’s not necessary, is it?”

“…Yes, it’s not necessary!”

When I cut him off and pressured him, the man agreed while sweating nervously.

Why is he so flustered? As if I’m frightening.

My position must be much higher than I thought.

Thanks to the man’s attitude, the pressure I initially felt had completely disappeared.

“Good. Just send them back to their families. We don’t need slaves.”

“Back to their families…? Ah, understood. I’ll tell the warriors to do so.”

The man bowed his head even deeper.

His back, which I looked down upon, was soaked with sweat. Does he sweat a lot?

“Is there anything else?”

“Yes… as you ordered yesterday, we’re preparing to withdraw, so attendants will soon come to pack up Lord Haschal’s ger.”

“I see. You may go now.”

“Excuse me.”

As soon as the man left the tent, my body went limp and a headache surged.

I pressed my left hand against my throbbing temple.

The confusion of the possession moment and the joy of standing on two legs had faded.

Only a sense of helplessness remained in the face of this shocking reality.

A female bandit leader…? What is this?

There was no such protagonist in any novel I’d read or game I’d played.

If the role involves attacking people and selling them as slaves, it’s not a protagonist but a villain.

And villains are usually slaughtered by protagonists.

……If it’s a beautiful villainess, it could be even more miserable.

For now, I need to find out exactly where I am without arousing suspicion.

If I’m really lucky and some content I know appears, I’ll recognize it immediately.

Then I’ll know what to do next.

—-

“…?!……!!”

“…!”

“…….!!”

There was some commotion outside.

What’s going on? Come to think of it, didn’t he say they were preparing to withdraw? And that they’d send attendants?

I listened carefully to the noise from outside.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Please, please spare me…!”

“Mom! Mommy! Mo-“

“You said you’d spare us if we did as told! Why…?!”

The noise was,

No.

It felt like all the blood in my body drained to my feet.

Screams, the screams of people being slaughtered.

Without thinking, I grabbed my sword and rushed out of the tent.

And I saw it.

A slaughterhouse unfolded before my eyes.

Men in armor were swinging weapons at bound women and children.

A woman impaled on a spear screamed and thrashed her head, a child cut down by a sword writhed and called for their mother.

Decapitated bodies twitched and spewed blood.

Corpses piled up on blood puddles that soaked and overflowed the dirt ground.

The men were butchering people silently, without any expression.

What… is this?

What is this insane scene?

My spine felt frozen and my fingertips trembled.

The revolting stench of blood mixed with excrement flowed into my head with every breath.

I feel sick. I desperately fought back the urge to vomit, gritting my teeth.

If I threw up here, they might discover I’m a fake.

In front of these beasts.

Then, what would happen…?

“Lord Haschal?”

I jumped at the sudden unfamiliar voice beside me and turned my head.

A man with sunken cheeks and a gloomy impression was looking at me questioningly.

Behind him followed women who appeared to be servants.

“Are you alright? You don’t look well. Perhaps you’re still fatigued?”

His tone was remarkably calm.

As if he couldn’t imagine I would be horrified by this atrocity.

“No… I’m fine. But what exactly is happening there?”

“Pardon? We’re disposing of the prisoners as you ordered.”

“…I ordered this?”

What the hell is he saying?

I told them to send them back to their families.

“Didn’t you order them all executed like the village men? That’s what Centurion Jahan reported…”

Ah. So the families of these people had already been killed by these crazy bandits.

That’s why that big man, Centurion Jahan, was flustered—he understood my words as an order to kill everyone.

So is this all my responsibility?

No. No. I didn’t know. It’s not my fault.

It’s not my fault.

I clenched my left fist to hide my trembling.

It was too late to stop it. All the prisoners writhing in the sea of blood were already dead.

I couldn’t question it. Seeing how they did this immediately after hearing my words, this must be normal for them.

Saying anything now would only arouse suspicion.

“No… Jahan was right. That’s what I ordered… I must not be fully awake yet.”

“You did drink five bowls of that strong liquor last night. Even you would be tired, Lord Haschal.”

The man nodded, smiling slightly as if his question had been answered.

I couldn’t smile.