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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Prologue
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Food fattens the body, but a hobby soothes the hunger of the soul.
Just as you need to diligently eat three square meals a day to stay healthy...
If you don't enjoy your hobbies, your soul will eventually fall ill.
Some people throw themselves into games, others into sports like soccer or basketball. There are countless hobbies in the world. And hobbies often come suddenly, like fate.
You might think something's totally not for you and avoid it your whole life, only to stumble into it by chance and become utterly hooked. That's being chosen by a hobby.
My hobby is TRPG.
Tabletop Role-Playing Game.
For those who don't know, it's the ultimate evolution of playing house or RPGs doodled in notebooks.
Back in my college days, my girlfriend at the time—someone I started dating out of the blue—recommended it, and I had no choice but to give it a try.
I still remember it vividly. My first session was Lost Mine of Phandelver, and my first character was a Barbarian named Barrian, who referred to himself in the third person. His concept was wielding a mammoth bone left over from a meal as a weapon.
Barbarian Barrian's grand fantasy adventure went through all sorts of twists and turns before spectacularly crashing and burning.
Just as a masterpiece remains a masterpiece even in summary form, a total disaster retains its bitter aftertaste even in recap. Barbarian Barrian was captured by a suddenly appearing Northern Grand Duke (male/16 years old/pretty boy/Swordmaster/level 20) and drowned in a pit of sewage. The moment the session ended, I broke up with my girlfriend.
The pain of heartbreak didn't last long. I fell head over heels for TRPG, my new plaything.
The infinite freedom, the endless expansiveness to spread your wings of imagination, the unity and satisfaction of weaving stories with others...
Sure, there were villains who abused that infinite freedom to shatter my mind now and then. Actually, quite a lot of them. But compared to rerolling characters, it was a minor risk.
TRPG, my love, my light, my life, my respite, my soul...
The one salvation that heals my weary soul in this harsh life!
There were plenty of heartaches and hardships, but the joy of TRPG was an irreplaceable part of my life.
Even now, as I'm about to die after getting hit by a car, isn't TRPG the first thing on my mind?
If there's such a thing as the next life.
And if I could choose my hobby for that next life.
I'd pick TRPG again...
TRPG...
No, screw that. I just want exercise to be my lifelong hobby.
How the hell did I get hooked on something like this?
Damn it.
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"S-So, you're saying you're going to use illusion magic to create an entire world and play some kind of... TRPG?"
"Yes."
Even after reincarnating, I just can't quit it.