MTL - Sailing: Stealing Sauron’s Talents at the Beginning - Chapter 216

The world had started doomsday, and I struggled for a year, before I died under an enchanted beast’s claw. Heaven has given me another chance, back a day before the end happen. Will I be able to change my fate, and that of my loved ones? Now, I will start my journey on becoming the strongest on the planet that the Gods have changed into a game world.

- Description from Novelupdates

Religious and cultural schisms wreak havoc on its internal politics, while revolutions are brewing in neighboring kingdoms. The aristocratic houses play endless power games amongst themselves, and the Emperor desperately abuses what little influence he has left to keep his rivals down.Amidst all of this, Arnold von Hohenfels, first son of the Margrave of Hohenfels, finds himself in the unfortunate position of having to attend the Imperial Academy, a notorious battleground of wits and brawn for ambitious young nobles.Armed with a magical gift that is as much a blessing as it is a curse, he must learn to navigate the treacherous waters of aristocratic entanglements. In the name of his family’s ambition, he must represent House Hohenfels' interests in this microcosm of Imperial politics, deal with his formidable enemies, form alliances of his own, and somehow keep his brash cousin Friedrich out of trouble.Frankly, he would much rather be anywhere else.

Renji Takeda didn’t expect to die from drinking too much sake. He also didn’t expect to wake up as Leif Thorenvald, the second male lead in a romance novel.But wait—shouldn’t he have transmigrated as a villainess? Or maybe an omega in some steamy Omegaverse? Nope. Fate clearly enjoys a joke.Now he’s trapped in a story where the heroine wields divine powers, the villainess plots in silk gowns, and the dashing Grand Duke is destined to win the girl. And Renji? He’s the poor sap who gets rejected with a smile.There’s just one tiny issue.Renji is gay.So instead of sulking and chasing after a woman he has zero interest in, he tosses the author’s script into the chamber fireplace, packs his bags, and flees to the cold, quiet North to enjoy his second life in peace.Everything’s going perfectly... Until the Grand Duke, Alvar Ragnulfsson, shows up. The supposedly straight male lead is suddenly far too close—lingering stares, casual touches, and an interest that’s definitely crossing the “just friends” line.Suddenly, the overlooked second lead might be headlining a very different story.Between politics, divine powers, and a dangerously attentive Grand Duke, Renji has only one question:Is he rewriting the script... or is the script rewriting him?