[Sir. Wanderer, please stop this pointless stalling and sign the contract to complete your mission as soon as possible!]
"No way in hell! Send me back right now!"
Inside a dilapidated farmhouse, a young man with pitch-black eyes shouted angrily to himself.
The young man had delicate, sunny features, a white towel wrapped around his head, and a plain longsword hanging at his waist.
His name was Siegfried.
This outrageously chuunibyou name was the product of his late father's delusions. In any case, he was a pure-blooded Chinese, born and raised on Earth in China.
Seven days ago, he had woken up to find himself in this unfamiliar world, and then…
[Ding! Wanderer Siegfried, welcome to the Kiran Continent. I am your supervising historian. You may address me as Chagnon.]
[Elves, dwarves, beastfolk, dragons, demons—in this sword-and-magic fantasy world filled with diverse races, I will assist you in surviving and growing stronger.]
[Please sign the contract with me, correct history, and enjoy your journey through another world to the fullest.]
Siegfried remembered it clearly: when the voice said the words "correct history," it had spoken so softly it was almost inaudible, exactly like the tiny-print disclaimer clauses in shady corporate contracts.
How could he possibly fall for something like that?
"Listen, I'm not interested in isekai adventures. Any idiot knows which is better—996 blessings back home or risking my life here! Just send me back already. I've got a family to support."
[Of course that is possible. Sign the contract, complete the mission, and I will return you to reality.]
"Fuck!"
Siegfried gnashed his teeth in fury.
If this had been a couple of days earlier, he could have kept stalling and outlasting Chagnon's patience, but not anymore.
"You! Come out! Hands on your head, no resisting!"
"You over there, get down! I said get down—don't you understand?!"
"Hand over all your grain!"
Noisy shouts approached. Siegfried peered through a crack in the door.
Several soldiers wearing round helmets were brandishing spears, going house to house arresting villagers and looting their possessions. They would reach the rundown farmhouse he was hiding in very soon.
Yes, this village had the misfortune of being raided.
"Damn it, send me back now!"
Siegfried's expression darkened, his voice already carrying a cold edge.
[Are you really going to stand by and watch this village get plundered? You have inherited the memories of this world's Siegfried. Those memories are not fabrications.]
"Unbelievable. Even systems these days have learned moral kidnapping?"
His eyelids twitched at the words, but the other party wasn't entirely wrong. He did indeed possess some extra memory fragments.
Those additional memories showed that he had been an abandoned infant, his most distinctive traits being black hair and black eyes.
On the Kiran Continent, that genetic marker belonged exclusively to the Miran family.
That family had produced countless heroes, a legendary lineage that had protected humanity since ancient times.
Naturally, Siegfried had been treated as a future hero and revered by the villagers.
Twenty years had passed. The village elders had raised him as their own, showering him with care. The children looked up to him as a role model, eagerly following his wild adventure ideas.
Those memories felt as vivid as real experiences—familiar yet subtly strange.
[One thing I wish to clarify: I am not the one who brought you to this world. You did that yourself.]
[The moment your consciousness replaced the original owner of this body, history was already altered.]
[Correcting history is your obligation. Saving the village is your responsibility.]
Siegfried weighed the words carefully before finally letting out a helpless sigh.
"One request, one question."
[Go ahead.]
"Do not interfere with my actions."
"And what do I get out of this?"
[Each time you complete a mission, you will gain a powerful and extraordinary ability that will help you dominate this other world.]
"That's the bare minimum. Anything else?"
[You will receive a feature-rich Wanderer's Handbook that automatically records your glorious deeds and spreads them across all realms.]
"Not interested. What else?"
Historian Chagnon fell silent. Just as Siegfried was about to propose his own terms, a phantom image suddenly appeared in his mind.
It showed a dignified, gallant female knight with light-brown hair.
She wore only a tight white tank top on her upper body, accentuating the generous curves of her chest and the toned lines of her abs.
At that moment, she was removing the armor from her legs, revealing a jade-like foot clad in a white garter stocking, still radiating steam.
Even though it was only an image, Siegfried could feel an overwhelming wave of feminine allure crashing over him. His eyes glazed over, and for a long moment he was speechless.
[In addition, you may also…]
"No, no, no—what was that just now? Aren't you going to explain?"
[I assumed you weren't interested, so I skipped it.]
[She is the leader of the bandits outside. Defeat her, and there is a chance she will become your companion.]
"Hiss…"
[Shall I continue listing the benefits you will receive?]
"No need." Siegfried tightened the towel around his head. "I've suddenly decided that pretending to be a hero and saving the world sounds pretty interesting."
[…]
[Let me confirm: you agree to sign the contract, correct?]
"And let me confirm: you won't interfere with my actions, right?"
After three seconds of silence, both spoke in unison:
"Of course!"
[Of course.]
In the next instant, a brilliant white light burst from Siegfried's body.
[Ding! Wanderer Siegfried, you have been officially registered under Historian Chagnon.]
[Retrieving wanderer personal information…]
[Retrieval complete!]
Name: Siegfried
Male, 20 years old
Race: Wanderer
Alignment: Neutral
Class: Villager
A young man with slightly unusual appearance living in a remote village. You awoke inside his body. You are obligated to fulfill his destiny.
Specializations: Fraud 81% (Master), Cold Reading 73% (Expert), Acting 65% (Expert), Ruthless Strategy 60% (Expert), Diplomacy 55% (Proficient), Criminology 55% (Proficient), Swordsmanship 19% (Beginner)… (47 items total)
Strength: C
Agility: C
Magic: E
Intelligence: A
Luck: B
Charisma: B
Overall Rating: C
[Binding Wanderer's Handbook…]
[Binding complete!]
[Your mission has been issued to the Wanderer's Handbook.]
With a sense of intuition, Siegfried snapped his fingers.
A handbook with a black cover materialized in his hand and opened automatically:
Time: Year 526 of the Radiant Era, Month 2
Location: Kiran Continent, Kingdom of Moen, Border of Count Konsuton's territory, Toshima Village
Background: Half a year ago, King Charles I of the Kingdom of Moen died suddenly without cause. Eldest Prince Frederick colluded with Duke Bylan to launch a coup, attempting to control the rightful first heir, Princess Kriemhild, and usurp the throne.
Princess Kriemhild's older brother, Second Prince Roderick, mobilized the palace guard to resist, bringing the kingdom to the brink of civil war. In the chaos, Princess Kriemhild escaped the capital under escort and vanished. Afterward, both princes dispatched search parties under the pretext of "protection" to locate the missing princess.
Warning: Due to various irresistible factors, the civil strife that was originally expected to end within half a year has been indefinitely prolonged. You must correct this history.
History Correction:
Reclaim the divided northern, southern, western, and eastern ducal territories, occupy the capital Ondsores, end the civil war, and unify the kingdom.
Time Limit: 3 years (1094 days remaining / 1095 days total)
Mission Objectives:
End the civil war: 0/1
Reclaim northern Alves ducal territory: 0/1
Reclaim southern Bylan ducal territory: 0/1
Reclaim western Simon ducal territory: 0/1
Reclaim eastern Garawi ducal territory: 0/1
Occupy capital Ondsores: 0/1
Current phase missions:
1. Defeat the army invading Toshima Village: 0/1
2. Locate the whereabouts of any royal heir: 0/1
Completing the phase missions allows you to choose to end this journey, settle rewards, and temporarily return.
Siegfried closed the handbook. Chagnon's voice rang out once more.
[Before you set out, I suggest you use the handbook to appraise the sword at your waist.]
Siegfried looked puzzled but drew the longsword and performed the appraisal.
A flash of white light passed, and lines of text appeared on a blank page.
Siegfried's eyes widened slightly. "So it's that kind of trope. A bit cliched, but I like it."
After a pause, he asked, "How famous is the Miran family in this world?"
[Household name. Even children stop crying at its mention.]
"Damn."
Siegfried wasn't surprised in the least.
Heroes, after all, were the kind of scum who would barge into homes, rummage through every chest and drawer to loot the very last gold coin, and then chat with the owner as if nothing had happened.
"Waaah, villain! Let me go!"
"You little brat, get out here!"
The clamor outside was now only steps away from the dilapidated farmhouse.
Siegfried quickly skimmed through the various functions of the Wanderer's Handbook, then held his longsword against it. The sword dissolved into white light and flew into the book.
"Chagnon, anything else you want to say to me?"
[Sir. Wanderer, welcome to the sword-and-magic Kiran Continent.]
[Feel free to go wild and make a grand spectacle!]
Siegfried tugged at the corner of his mouth and slowly pushed open the door.
"No doubt about it."