“Hunt: ‘I bought you.’... more>>

Ari: ‘I was bought by you.’

This is the land of the 【New Great Nation】 where witches and humans intertwine—.

One day, Hunt Duckarts, a nobleman, buys an unknown girl from the impoverished slum city of 【Stova】, which is the lowest-tier city.

The girl has a peculiar appearance, and a worn opera glove is unnaturally placed on her left hand.

Upon seeing the girl, he becomes certain.

‘Finally, I’ve found it. The key to reaching “that woman.”‘

The girl later comes to know.

His desire is to find the “Witch’s Limbs” and, moreover, to kill the “Witch of the Blue Rose.”

And to achieve that, he intends to use the girl’s power, as a vengeful man.

What exactly is the “Witch’s Limbs” he speaks of?

And why does he vow revenge against the “Witch of the Blue Rose”?

The girl named Ari, given a name by Hunt, was bought only to be exploited by him.

However, gradually, amid the bewilderment and fear she felt towards him, Arii begins to experience emotions she has never felt before…?

This is a story of a young fallen nobleman who lives for revenge and a lonely girl, a journey that will change their destinies—.” <<less

I went on an ocean fishing boat for 4 years to pay off 300 million won in coin debt, and my account is strange. But... more>> that was only the beginning of great fortune.
The story of Song Dae-woon, a legendary venture capitalist who is shaking up the global economy. <<less

This story is fiction. The characters, ideas, and events in the work are unrelated to reality.... more>>

Some games require agreeing to this statement in order to play.

Even if it's not necessary for the game, the game typically begins with a similar disclaimer guiding the player through the precautions.

Although the advantage of a game is the 'immersion' that no other medium can match, starting with such a statement disrupts the immersion from the beginning despite everyone knowing the work is fiction.

There is no mandatory need to include such a disclaimer, so why do it?

It is likely to emphasize a fact that everyone should always remember.

[The purpose of fiction is not to dictate beliefs existing in reality.]

This message is for the developer themselves.

[Nothing in fiction can replace reality.]

This message is for the players who will share the journey of the work's story.

So.

Do you agree?

**

The man with tattered clothes and an old sword said, "So, I *can* kill."

He did not have any particularly memorable appearance.

He was likely not a well-known person, at least, not to the mercenary he was killing.

The important fact was that the man who had been stabbed by the worn-out sword was now dying in front of him.

"Ugh..."

When the man pulled the sword out of the mercenary, the mercenary's legs gave way, and he fell to his knees. He no longer had the strength to resist.

He wanted to raise his arm to swing his sword, but he didn't have the strength to do so. He gritted his teeth and wanted to cast a spell, but he lacked the focus to do so.

"Why... you... how?"

Thus, the mercenary chose to give up on resisting and opened his mouth to speak.

Why had the man suddenly attacked him? He had only seen him collapse and moved him to a nearby cave.

What kind of person, what kind of thoughts had led him to do this as soon as he woke up?

The mercenary was so curious that he asked the question.

"How fascinating."

The man stroked his chin as he stared at the dying mercenary.

The sight of the man in his worn-out clothes pondering was somewhat terrifying.

Soon, as if he had reached a conclusion, the man broke his silence.

"I never knew I could attack an NPC. Is that how the game is made?"

"...What?"

The mercenary couldn't understand the man's words.

NPC, not knowing an attack would work, game. He couldn't make sense of any of the words the man said.

Having spent his whole life living as a mercenary according to his "setting," he could never understand what the man was saying.

'No, you must respond properly. Properly—'

But he couldn't continue his next words or even think about the meaning of his response, and the mercenary's consciousness began to fade.

A killing driven by nothing but curiosity, with no reason.

That was the first death experienced by NPC Aiden Oliver. <<less

Zolto Eshan, a young man from the countryside, has always hoped for a simple life. He wanted nothing more than to tend to his crops, work the fields, and care for his numerous Jamis (Jami are fluffy and hooved, ruminant creatures used for plowing fields and are known for their hearty appetites).... more>>

But then, on a fateful day, out of the blue, he was presented with an inheritance from a relative he had never met before. It turned out to be a dragon delivery service business. Yes, you read that right—a business that used dragons as a means of transportation to swiftly deliver goods.

Zolto, who

Despised animals without fur and,
Having never run a business in his life, he suddenly found himself compelled to venture into the bustling city.

With no prior experience in this line of work and no previous knowledge of caring for such creatures, Zolto needed help with how to handle the situation. And then there was the matter of the massive debt that came with it.

This is a heartwarming slice-of-life fantasy that follows the journey of a young countryside man as he tries to rescue and revive his dragon delivery business. <<less

I grew up with the least popular profession, a barrier magician, and ended up in possession.... more>>

[Extraterrestrial Sovereignty]

It is possible to open and close the gateway to the illusionary world.
Control and manipulation of the illusionary world is possible.
Free operation of barrier magic lower in rank than the illusionary world is possible.
My abilities have transformed into something beyond barrier magic. <<less

Weren’t you supposed to bear me a son?... more>>

I became the protagonist’s sister, used and discarded by my family, destined to die.

I married the Emperor to save my youngest sibling, but the Emperor is acting strange?

“Ah, I never said I would bear one…”

“Really? Then, just follow my lead.”

“Um…?”

Approaching me languidly as if drunk on wine, he ran his hand through my hair.

“You will bear my son.”

“…….”

“Understood? Now, let’s head to the bedroom.”

What a terribly cliché and dull proposal, right?

But this man, he’s a bit dangerous.

And now, the youngest sibling and this man’s son too… My fake family is starting to obsess over me? <<less

It happened on the way to kindergarten, led by my mother.... more>>

A sweet, clear singing voice reached my ears, and I, a toddler wearing a yellow kindergarten cap, turned around.

In front of the vending machine attached to the stationery store I saw a mysterious woman in her twenties.

Startled, I pointed at her and looked up at my mother.

However, all my mother did was make a puzzled smile and say, ‘What is it? Do you want some juice?’

(My mom can’t see that lady.)

(Maybe she’s different. She’s not human.)

Since then, whenever we approached the stationery store, I would tug my mom’s hand to hurry and move away.

I had thought she was some sort of earthbound spirit or something, unable to leave the area around that vending machine.

But then, one day, I saw her walking around town and humming a tune with her umbrella open!

I fell into a state of panic!

After much thought, one afternoon, I mustered up the courage and went to the front of the stationery store alone to exorcist her—— <<less

Amelie Winterpool, the Empire's first noble-born witch.
A year ago, her first love ended as bitterly as it began.
Her unrequited love had a beautiful fiancée.... more>>

However...

"His Highness, the Grand Duke of Christan, is still unmarried."
"Uh… What?"

Her crush's engagement was called off.

* * *

It was merely a contractual engagement.

Now that the contract has expired, the Grand Duke is a heart-broken man,
Doesn't that mean I can have this man...?

Amelie's ruby-like red eyes sparkled.

"Your Highness! Contract with me, too! If you do, I'll make a potion that's good for your body every day!"
"Sorry, but I don't want to make a contract with anyone ever again."
"It's okay. Since we have plenty of time anyway. Even without a contract, I'll do my best to make you like me!"

To uproot the empire's severe witch hatred,
Amelie, who must diligently play her part,
She tries to win the heart of the man she wants at every opportunity.

There's no need to give up if there's no one to own him, right? <<less

"For some people, that person, he's neither a temptation nor a flutter of the heart; he's simply fate. No matter how much you try to evade, even if given ten thousand chances, one would still choose to dance on the edge of the knife and forsake the love on the shore."... more>>

For Shen Li, that person is Lu Changting.

Author's Guide:
Both perspectives of main and supporting roles are included, no breaking, no antagonism, a story about unrequited love, perhaps cliché, but unlikely to be overly tragic, with a Happy Ending.
If there are any similarities to other works, it's probably akin to Andersen's fairy tales.
Open to any feedback on writing style and plot, but not interested in nitpicking. If you dislike character portrayals, please exit at the top right corner.
Life's short, don't make yourself unhappy. <<less

“Listen to my song!”... more>>

He’s coming to conquer the 90s music scene.

A man who simply wanted to sing, Park Taegong.

Through a deal with a time-trading merchant, he gets to live a second life…

The shoulders of South Korea stir at the song of one man! <<less

Su Yue, equipped with a supermarket space, traverses from the end of the world to the famine-ridden 1970s, becoming the daughter of the wealthiest man in Lucheng.... more>>

After transmigrating, her family members died or left, leaving only her behind. With a vast fortune, Su Yue shouldered her burden and moved to a place where nobody knew her.

However, the new neighbor, Sister Yang, is overly enthusiastic and on the first day of moving, she secretly selects a potential match for her. Su Yue promptly declines.

"He's skilled and earns a lot every month!"
Su Yue isn't short of money: Rejected.

"He's just a year older than you, a handsome young man! Very good-looking!"
Can he be as good-looking as her: Rejected.

"He's good at cooking, can make anything delicious!"

Reject...
"Well, maybe I can consider it."

However, when Su Yue sees the real person, she realizes that what Sister Yang said were all true!!

The man's appearance breaks her stereotype of the 1970s. Su Yue's long-dormant heart begins to stir.

But...

"But he's only eighteen, and I'm only seventeen!"
"Sigh! What's the big deal? You can get married after being together for two years! With your looks, hurry up and have a beautiful baby to make others envy!"

????
"Is this something a minor should be hearing?!"

...

Qiao Jingming has outstanding looks, extraordinarily handsome, and is recognized by the neighbors as the face of the neighborhood. He's a bit cold and doesn't talk much.

However, one day, the aloof Yan Wang surprisingly becomes Su Yue's exclusive cook!? While others gossip, the two parties involved ignore the rumors and enjoy themselves.

Later, after being a "male nanny" for a long time, there are more and more idle gossip.

Su Yue thinks: "Rabbits don't eat grass near their burrows because the grass near their burrows isn't 'fresh' enough. And this grass near my burrow, can handle the living room, the kitchen, repair appliances, change light bulbs, has excellent earning ability, and is practically a household necessity! Why hesitate to marry him? I've been annoyed by those envious looks for a long time!"

Qiao Jingming thinks: "After being a cook and nanny for so long, I should get some 'salary' to justify my hard work. When can I bring her home openly and pamper her?"

So, the two quickly agreed, got their marriage certificate, and became a model loving couple of the 1970s! <<less

“Takuya, I’m going to give you this house.”... more>>

“…… Eh?”

Muramatsu Takuya, a 25-year-old single salaryman, was suddenly told by his father on a certain holiday morning.

He was not sure if he could keep the house he was going to get from his father or not.
He is worried and comes up with a great idea.

“Let’s start looking for a marriage partner. ……”

He decided that if he had no partner, he should go to a place where he could meet someone.

The next day, while heading to a marriage counseling center, he happens to meet Oishi Miyu, a cool and beautiful childhood friend, for the first time in several years.
The two were happy to see each other again and reminisced, but when Takuya told her about his marriage hunting activities, Miyu’s behavior changed drastically..!

“I-if you’re going to get married, it’s got to be with me! If you’re looking for a marriage, it’s okay with me!”
“Eh!?”

A sweet romantic comedy that begins with marriage! <<less

Ji Je-hyuk, 21 years old. Because of his tall stature and neat appearance, he’s been constantly confessed to and was dated by many. Still, his relationships always ended up with him getting dumped. The reason is always the same. He simply never held hands with his partners throughout their relationship. Je-hyuk truly wanted to change that, but because of trauma-induced compulsions, connecting with someone was too difficult for him.... more>>

Then, one day, he receives a proposition at a drinking party.

“Want me to teach you how to love?”

Yoon Si-hoo is popular, but despite having flirted with dozens, he was never in a relationship. And so, Je-hyuk drunkenly accepts the offer from his only friend since high school.

They gradually started holding hands, experiencing intimate moments while they practiced dating, the contact and the stimulation were things Je-hyuk had never felt before, and he realized he liked Si-hoo. Afraid of losing him, Je-hyuk, while harboring an unrequited love, begins to hope for reciprocation from Si-hoo, who seemed to be opening up to him at one point. Eventually, Je-hyuk mustered the courage to confess, but Si-hoo gave him an unexpected answer.

“Sorry, Hyuk, you’re not my type. I must have misled you.”

After Sihoo’s rejection, their relationship took a turn for the worse, and before Je-hyuk knew it, Si-hoo went to study abroad, and the two of them parted ways like that.

However, six years later, under unexpected circumstances, they meet again.

Read this If: You want to see the process of someone falling in one-sided love with a skilled partner and that unrequited love becoming mutual. <<less

Confessing to my first love, once again. With time rewinding, I can redo the youth of that summer!... more>>

When I woke up, I had returned to my junior high school self─.
My job was going nowhere, I had no money, and though I was popular with women, I'd become a worthless adult who had given up on my dreams. I blamed everything on my life during junior high school, and in particular, on her—Akimiya Hazumi, my first love. Just when I was grumbling about this, I was involved in an accident and found myself time-leaping back to my junior high school days. Back then, I was a nondescript mob character, but now I had groomed my appearance and unleashed my adult social skills. Before I knew it, I was successfully reliving my ideal youth! Using my memories from the past, I managed to save the beautiful gal, Chigasaki, on my way to school, and cleared the troubles among the popular boys and girls in my class.

All that was left was to uncover and change the truth behind the incident from "that summer" when the sunflowers were in full bloom—an incident involving Akimiya Hazumi, the root cause of the downfall in my life─. <<less

A cat-like sister… She’s talented and beautiful. A second-year university student. Kind to others but lenient with herself. And especially strict with her older brother.... more>>

As for her foolish brother… he’s just average. Oh, and he’s trying to make a living writing novels. He’s troubled by a tyrant named “little sister.”

Surprisingly, the two of them get along quite well.

Yes, that’s right. To the point where they don’t look like siblings, but rather like lovers. <<less

Even though we had only met for the first time, I felt like I knew that voice.... more>>

Fraulia was a teenage nun who lost her memory due to an accident. One day, she delivered papers to Beritt, a doctor, on behalf of her friend who was reluctant to do so.

Beritt was feared by the children in Fraulia’s abbot for her unkind and dark demeanor, but Fraulia did not have that impression of her. She even felt like she knew Beritt's voice even though it was her first time meeting her.

Fraulia wasn’t scared of Beritt and decided to get to know her better. However, she had to promise the abbot that she would not physically touch Beritt for reasons unknown. <<less

She was an utterly ordinary woman.... more>>

From a family that favored sons over daughters, to a job with meager pay, and a husband who was taciturn.

She thought she would forever remain ordinary until one evening when her husband didn't come to pick her up.

Misfortune struck suddenly, and she began to live in darkness, fearing that someone might say she attended a party that night or that someone might mention she wore a dress that night.

She feared her husband accusing her of infidelity and her family condemning her as immoral.

Until everything became unbearable, her typically silent husband sat on the couch, finished his last cigarette, and looked at her crying in the corner, utterly broken.

"What have you done wrong?" he asked.

Then he took her hand, called the police, hunted down the culprit, and appealed. 

Using his remaining life and risking his life, he sought justice for her, sought fairness, and gave love.

The road is long, life has cliffs, but there is always an end to this despair.

[The story of a heroine who, after being hurt, stands up again with her husband's support, facing her original family, facing herself, learning love and life.]

PS:

1. The heroine is not a perfect victim; she starts off weak but gradually grows stronger.

2. Dark beginning, healing ending, complete HE (Happy Ending), overall tone of "though thousands may oppose, I'll go forward," so it won't be overly sweet or cheerful, but the ending won't be stifling.

3. Several hundred thousand words, not your typical romance.

Content tags: Inspirational Life

One-sentence summary: Boundless remaining years, with you ahead.

Theme: Never give up on love for life, brave battle against evil forces. <<less

【Handsome straight cop/Mixed-race metros*xual forensic pathologist】... more>>

They are working together to solve a series of strange cases!

Every serious case tells a story of life and death, laughter and tears,

all awaiting your investigation… <<less

One day, a villainess came to the nursery school.... more>>

“Anyway, these kids are just unbearable!”
“Does it even make sense to have a child at this age?”
“What’s so great about constantly chasing after tired little ones all day long…”

Setting aside the dislike for kids…

Since she arrived, for some reason, the kids seem to have started gaining weight.

“It’s all because of the contract, isn’t it?”

She says so…

…as she feeds them homemade snacks. <<less

It tells the story of a young boy who forms a contract with a troublesome goddess and their journey of love and battles.... more>>

In a time long ago, there was an era where beautiful goddesses fiercely competed for the throne of world rulers. At some point, the goddesses with fangs, disguising themselves with the facade of love, began to peacefully guard the human world.

A young boy named Soujou Shouma, encounters and falls in love with a goddess who secretly came to the human world. After making a promise to meet again someday, he works hard to grow and become a man worthy of the goddess. As a schoolboy, he is appointed as the president of a company.

However, in the modern era, abnormalities occur in the divine realm of the goddesses, known as the Heavenly Realm. The uncontrollable goddesses engage in violent battles reminiscent of ancient times to decide the next creator god – the ruler of the Heavenly Realm. This conflict’s flames even spread to the human world.

Upon learning of this, Shouma, in order to fulfill his first love and protect world peace, decides to utilize his company in a special way for the goddesses. He teams up with one of the strongest goddesses, Elvina, who shares his interests, and as the company’s president, joins the battles! <<less

Everyone loves her.... more>>

They look up to her noble status, make efforts to catch her eye, and kiss the back of her hand as if it were the natural thing to do.

Except for one, Valentin.

"You're the first person to look at me with such disdain."

"You're the first person to annoy me to this extent, Your Highness."

What? How dare you feel uncomfortable in my presence?

Just wait. I'll make it even more annoying for you! <<less

I am an abandoned black cat. Having not even been named, “I” met a human man one day. For some reason, he couldn’t leave me alone, someone who didn’t know love. Which is why, I decided to go live with him.... more>>

— Naming me Alexandria? You’ve got to be joking! Just imagining it gives me the chills. Oi, youngster, do something about this. Hmm, “Kuro”, huh. That ain’t too bad. You can call me that.

—

This is the story how “I” not wanting to live, loved people so much that I prayed to cling onto my existence for the first time in my life. A story of how I spent 14 years with a human family. <<less

Three Days of Happiness is a novel by Sugaru Miaki, also known as Fafoo. It’s a rewritten version of the story originally posted to 2ch.... more>>

The premise of the story revolves around a shop where one can sell away the remaining years of their life, and the consequences of doing so.

"I Say A Little Prayer" is a short related story which was posted along with the novel’s release. It spoils some things about the main story, but nothing major. <<less

This is a short story of a Mackerel meeting with the Emperor.... more>>

Rank 3rd in Syosetsu's top 100 in Funny category as of 11/27/22.

A good read for a break from long novels and chapters. <<less

Born to a house where women were only seen as tools to birth children, I was already in my twenties. I was standing on the crossroads of life.... more>>

At my fingertips were close to fifty photos of different men. They were the marriage partner candidates my father had prepared.

Those who took the initiative and volunteered because they wanted his company, and those that were recommended to strengthen our ties with other companies. There were various reasons, but I was to marry one, and build up a child.

That was my reason for existence in this house.

I don’t think I can love another.

I wonder how everyone believes in something so shapeless as love. It was only a marvel to me.

That I couldn’t do something any standard person could must be because I was a person who was never properly loved.

I put a break on the countless unanswered questions I held since my birth, and stared down at the photos around me.

That I chose him was truly a coincidence. <<less