Prologue 2

"...and done. I have finally finished Chapter 18."

After countless nights and days, I have finally completed the 17th volume of my novel series titled Grinfall. Leaning back in my chair at the desk, I held my head with both arms and stretched my back, sighing in relief.

"This series is going to be the death of me one day."

I found myself once again in my room, working late to finish this chapter. My name is Takagi Yoshihiro, a 25-year-old from Saitama. I can still recall the last time I visited there, maybe around 7 months ago? I moved to a small town in Gunma called Nakanojo. It was after my grandfather passed away, and I was the only one in the entire family to inherit all of his property. I have no idea why I was chosen, perhaps because I lead the saddest life among my family members. I never really spent much time with the old man, except during my childhood. When I turned 6, I lived with him for a year. I can still remember what he was like. He would always read stories and books to me, which was probably our favorite thing to do together. My grandfather was a famous novelist and author who also sold a lot of manga. My personal favorite was The Great Elf Man, which was popular among all my classmates.

Getting up from the chair, I glanced at the time on the clock—it read 5:08 in the morning.

"Oh no, I'm going to be late for work. My shift has already started!"

Ring... ring... ring...

I turned to my phone at the corner of my desk, shocked.

"Oh no..."

I answered the call, and on the other end, my boss screamed through the phone.

"Hey, Yoshihiro! You're late again! This is only your second week, and you have somehow managed to be late almost every other day! Don't even bother showing up, you worthless brat!"

Click...

"I'm such an idiot," I muttered as I slapped my face. That's the third time I've lost a job in this area. Let's not even talk about how many times I've been fired back in Saitama.

Grandpa's house is enormous, probably the biggest in this town. He was quite wealthy. The house was built on the side of a large river, truly a breathtaking sight every time I looked out the window. He also left me with his fortune, and I receive a monthly income from his book sales. So, why do I need a job, you may ask? Because my life is pathetic. In this mountainous region, there's no way I'll ever meet any girls.

"I mean, what's the use of having such a big house if I have no one to show it off to?" I cried.

Deciding to walk over to my bedroom, I had to pass through the numerous other rooms my grandfather had. There were more rooms than he needed; he probably only used three while living here. Each room was a guest room with nothing extraordinary inside. The only other rooms I frequented were the game room, the office room, and my bedroom. Once I reached my bedroom, I walked over to my bed and buried my face in the pillow.

"I need some sleep."

I laid there until I drifted off to sleep.

—

I woke up around 6 in the afternoon and headed to the kitchen to make myself some ramen. It was time to start planning for the next volume of the novel. This novel is a very intriguing piece that my grandfather left behind. You could say it was his last work before he passed away. Unfortunately, he never finished it, but in his notes before he died, he expressed his wish for the story to be continued.

"Hmm, I wonder if I were to die like grandpa, who should I leave all this to? Maybe my youngest nephew," I pondered aloud. He was the cutest angel, and perhaps my favorite among them all. After considering that, I slurped some more ramen and said, "Okay, focus," as I clicked my pen and turned to a fresh page in my notebook. It was time to get to work on the next volume. If I ended the last chapter with the god being summoned, maybe I should delve into that further.

"Hmm, perhaps I should have a time jump, but how far into the future should he be summoned?" I mused. I began jotting down ideas for the chapter and laying the foundation for the story.

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. After three weeks of dedicated work, I finally completed the planning.

"Hehe, yes! It's time to start writing!" I exclaimed.

I made my way to the office room and took out some luxurious paper. I'm not sure where my grandfather bought it, but he had a lot of it. The paper was smooth to the touch and, for some odd reason, it felt wonderful to write on. I'm not a skilled writer or anything, I just write for fun. If anything, it's to honor my grandfather's last novel.

I grabbed a pen and began to write.

"A millennium after the demon king's summoning spell, many important events took place. For example, the end of the 3rd era in Grinfall occurred in 1254 after the subtle rise of the human race. Today, in the year 736 of the 4th era, marks 1000 years after the demon king summoned his creator, a..."

As I finished writing that last sentence, my body suddenly felt strange, and my vision started to blur.

"What's happening?" I exclaimed.

I coughed up blood, spilling it all over the floor, and felt myself losing consciousness. I glanced down and noticed a few ramen cups that read, "Warning: Do not eat in excess amounts." Was I dying?

My eyes grew heavy, and I could feel myself losing awareness.

After a while, a blinding white light exploded, and I began to regain my senses. Gradually, my vision returned, and I could see my surroundings.

"Where am I?" I asked, as I observed the floor around me and started to regain feeling in my body.

"Have I been reincarnated or something?"