Arc 1 – Andras Wolfwood
We are in the Kingdom of Riel, in Wolfwood. The Wolfwood House, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, rules this land. Wolfwood is the kingdom's third largest city, located in the southeastern part of Riel. Here lies the kingdom's greatest forest, the Forest of Wolves: a vast wilderness filled with wolves, monsters, goblins, and who knows what other creatures.
The sight of wolves is an everyday occurrence in the surrounding villages, but the people have learned to live alongside them. Order is maintained by the Wolf Knights, who serve the Wolfwood House.
Wolfwood Castle, five years after the Demon King's rebirth
One morning, as the rooster crowed for the first time, the five‑year‑old Wolfwood noble boy stirred from his deep sleep.
"Good morning, young Lord! Did you sleep well? Did you have pleasant dreams? Shall I bring you a glass of water?" asked the maid as she approached his bed.
Hmm… where am I? Ah, I remember now. My mission… thought Andras to himself.
"Good morning! What is your name?" he asked.
"My name is Marta, young Lord!" the girl replied.
"Very well, Marta, bring me that water! Every morning must begin with a glass of pure water."
"Here you are, young Lord!" she said, handing him the glass.
"This 'young Lord' business is too much! It's annoying! Don't tack it onto every sentence. Once is enough—I know who I am!"
"Yes, young Lo—… Yes, sir!" she corrected herself awkwardly.
Andras jumped out of bed, threw off his pajamas, and in nothing but his underwear began doing push‑ups.
"Excuse me, if I may ask, what is the young Lord doing?" Marta asked.
"I was trying to knock out a hundred push‑ups, but it seems I can't even manage one."
"Ah, playing at being a knight, I see. You must have watched the knights in the courtyard and now you're imitating them."
I had forgotten that, in essence, I had been reborn. And this new body of mine is only five years old. Damn it… I'll have to start building muscle all over again, from scratch, Andras muttered to himself.
Then he looked around the room and once more addressed the maid.
"What is all this with toys, and not a single dumbbell in sight?" Andras muttered as he looked around the room.
The maid fell silent, not understanding what the young lord wanted from her.
"You know what, Marta? Gather up these toys, put them somewhere, and get them out of my room!"
"As you command!" the girl bowed.
"Wait! These hand‑carved figures are beautifully made. Do they depict knights? All carved by hand… incredibly precise work! The wooden carvings will stay, but I'll need a shelf cabinet to display them."
At that moment Marta suddenly began to cry. Andras stared at her in confusion.
"Now why are you crying?"
"It's just… those wooden figures were carved by my father. And… and I was so happy when the young lord praised his work. We've never received such praise before. That's why… I'm just so very happy!"
"Hmm, I see! This work truly deserves praise, as does your father. As a reward, you shall receive a fine bottle of wine and a day off to enjoy it."
"Thank you so much, young Lord! You are so kind‑hearted!"
"Bring your father to me sometime—not right away. I want to ask him to carve me a figure of my own choosing."
"Yes, as you command, my Lord!"
"And arrange for those shelf cabinets as well!"
"As you wish, I'll discuss it with the Lady of the House!"
"And who is that?"
"Why, your mother, my Lord!"
"Of course I know… I was just testing whether you did."
"Oh, I know! I couldn't be a maid if I didn't!"
"Very well, Marta. Now leave my room, I have things to do!"
"But my Lord, I must dress you first."
"What? How old do you think I am, that I need to be dressed?!"
"But you're only five years old…"
"Oh, right… but I am a Wolf, and wolves learn quickly!"
"How clever you are, my Lord! Just as expected of a great Wolfwood noble!"
"Fine, but now off you go!"
"I'm going, I'm going, my Lord!"
That day Marta walked through the castle halls with such a wide smile that the other maids thought she must have found herself a man.
Let's see… this outfit isn't so bad. I liked the black color, and the hand‑stitched wolf pattern looked downright cool. What's my new name again? Ah yes… Andras Wolfwood. In my previous life I was also called Andras. Coincidence, or just Uriel's idea of a joke? Doesn't matter.
He stepped toward the mirror by the window. So this is what my new body looks like. Not a shred of muscle on me, but I'm only five years old. No problem. If I start training now, I'll rebuild myself within two years.
He examined his face. Not bad… not bad at all. Though still very young, he could grow into a handsome man. Compared to his previous body, at least. Back then he wasn't ugly, but not handsome either. Average—so much so that he never had the confidence to seek a girlfriend who matched his taste. But enough of that… he had to focus on his mission.
He reconsidered the situation. The alternative future… too long to say. Let's simply call it the Evil Future.
In the Evil Future, the original Andras Wolfwood was a spoiled noble brat. At the age of eight, the White Witch was brought to him from the orphanage—then just a half‑elf girl chosen as a maid by the Wolfwoods. Half‑elf… so she must have long ears like the elves? Damn, I can't wait to see her! When will I meet her? At eight… so I still have three years. Three years to whip this body into shape and make a good impression.
The Evil Future Andras had abused, humiliated, and terrorized Noelle, the half‑elf maid, from the very beginning. What a bastard the former owner of this body must have been! He deserved it when Uriel erased his soul and replaced it with mine.
He recalled the dark turn of the story. At fifteen, Noelle went mad from the abuse, and her elven magic became uncontrollable. In a single instant she killed Andras, and destroyed the entire Wolfwood House. Only ruins remained where the castle once stood. Three years later, at eighteen, the Hero hunted her down, for she had become so deranged that she joined forces with the Demon King and became one of his generals.
This won't be an easy path. His master's words echoed in his mind. The Demon Generals' strength rivals that of the Hero's Party—and some are even stronger.
"If you encounter a Demon General, run immediately! Don't play the hero, just escape! Your mission isn't to defeat demons, but to save the Hero from the White Witch!" said Sakura Dry, the Valkyrie Knight, his master.
Unfortunately, Uriel could do nothing with the White Witch's soul: her soul energy was far too great. If she had displaced that soul, it would have caused disruption in the balance of the worlds. The only thing she could do was replace an ordinary soul. The Evil Future's Andras Wolfwood had just such an ordinary soul—and he was the one responsible for creating the White Witch. Replacing his soul was the best choice.
But it couldn't be just any ordinary soul. It had to be someone who could be trained quickly, and who would remain loyal to the end, like a valkyrie. Fortunately, in the World of Earth, such souls exist. They call us gamers.
On Earth there is no magic, so every soul is ordinary in terms of soul energy. Our souls are never touched by magic, so we never develop in that way. But we gamers possess a special sensitivity to the supernatural. Because of our passion for fantasy worlds, we can adapt quickly when reborn into another world where sword and sorcery reign. I understand why Uriel chose a gamer's soul for this mission.
But why me, specifically? It is an honor, but I do not know the answer. That was Uriel's decision, and surely she had her reasons. When she summoned my soul, I accepted the opportunity at once. In the World of Earth I had already died. Why should my soul wander endlessly in the cycle of worlds? If my memories were erased, I would cease to exist. Even if I were reborn, without my memories I would no longer be myself.
This was an opportunity where I could remain myself, and moreover in a world where elves and dragons exist. The world of Neptunia is better for me than Earth. I had no reason to refuse. My soul, my decision.
We quickly discussed everything with Uriel, and then the training began. For two years I trained under my master's guidance: from her I learned swordsmanship, and from Eli I learned magic. Two long years, without a single rest day. It was hard, but I enjoyed it. In soul‑form it is much easier to push past limits, and you don't need as much rest as when living in a body.
I am an ordinary soul, my magic is ordinary, my swordsmanship is ordinary—but I completed the training of the valkyries. My master said I would be fine. My mission is not the Demon King anyway, but a half‑elf girl: I must protect her. I am confident, unafraid, without doubt. I can do it.
The Evil Future's Andras, the one who caused the White Witch to curse the Hero, is no more. Or rather, he never was, for his soul was erased at the age of five. My only task is to prevent the White Witch from ever coming into being.
The plan is simple: Noelle went mad because of suffering. So it is not enough that the Evil Future's Andras no longer harms her—for they haven't even met yet. I must prevent anyone else from hurting her. This world is dangerous.