Okay, someone suggested I read this and it's a hot mess of a story. What the heck is even going on?
First we have a protagonist who remembers his previous life after falling from an apple tree, okay so it's not full isekai, but more like he had a seance once and remembered who he use to be. Not quite the same as your entire conscious being transported over since the memories can fade over time, so fine. Then he learns to become blacksmith because he doesn't want to end up on the story route where he's married to Eliza. In his original life where this was a game, he was a side character married to a side character. The main character is suppose to get married to the prince and has to work through a bunch of suitors, so it's established that this is an otome harem game. He learns magic at an accelerated rate thanks to the librarian Moran who gives his the first three volumes of how to learn magic and he gets volume 5 after it is stolen by some supposedly notorious bandits who he defeats after eating a magic apple that makes him invincible (okay, was it really a magic apple or was he just saying that? no idea).
Then it's off to school.
He forces the main character Iris to accompany him, so that he can avoid the fate of being married to the Eliza, but once at school all he does is try to get on Eliza's good side. Including cheering for her during a race, constantly forcing himself into situations where she isn't looking for his guidance. Scolding her into apologizing to a subordinate (do we even know what happened with that? the entire subplot got dropped). Sharing is love of potato farming and promising to keep her secrets. Wooing her in a back and forth letter exchange after a misunderstanding where he's transformed in a cat (an ability that seems to be exclusively learned to get him closer to Eliza) and generally entrenching himself in the route that he, EVEN IN THIS CHAPTER, claims he does not want to be on. Dude, you are going about it the wrong way if you don't want to wind up married to her.
Then there's the subplots.
The relationship between Vein and Crossi which, wait wasn't Vein suppose to be one of Iris's suitors in the game? Other than the fact that he calls her pretty there's no interaction between the two. Also Crossi calls Kururi master, but he hasn't actually taught her anything. Veins the one doing all of the training.
Kururi seems to hate interacting with everyone in general considering his snarky and sardonic reactions to damn near everyone who tries to approach him. He was mad at Vein for not being talkative. Then mad again when forced to eat the lamb liver, but in typical Japanese manner doesn't voice his complaints. Okay, whatever. He's mostly hostile to Toto, until he find out he can make money off of him, and Rail (why does he even hate Rail? It's not really explained). He summons a bunch of carrot monsters, kicks them for no reason, kills one of them, then sends them away like they were garbage. Generally I would take something like that as being comedic if the MC didn't act like a douche so frequently.
After that we have the mysterious Level 5 magic book which has disappeared from the plot (along with Moran who should at least be able to give some details). The disturbing lack of other male options for a otome game main protagonist Iris. Until this chapter we didn't even have a hint of a second possible love interest for her. Maybe Kururi, but other than not wanting him to visit any brothel like locations, nothing has developed on that end.
We have royalty that can just leave the castle and visit wherever they like without any guards (happened twice, once with the Queen and the second Prince and once with the two Princesses). How the heck can two Princesses and both the first and second Prince just cut and run to another country and no one in the castle knows? The entire royal lineage from this kingdom are currently out on a weekend excursion without guards or retainers. Now we are back to building homes for the homeless.
He hasn't made use of his cat transforming ability. Hasn't really been blacksmithing (although his instructor said to do it daily so maybe we should just assume that he is). Rarely uses magic except when he wants to slaughter and insult his summoned minions (did he actually read the level 5 magic book? Could he understand it without the level 4 book?
The entire story is such a mess. I'll continue to check it out without expecting much.