[Traveling Back and Forth] The 'Madman' Becomes the Empire's Heir

[Outside the dream, I'm mentally ill. Inside it, I lead the people of a star system in reclaiming their culture.]

Since moving out for work, Kong Mengyou has started dreaming every night.

At first, she thought she was just under too much pressure, but each night's dream picked up where the last one ended.

The dream was a science-fiction world of bizarre wonders, and she became an unregistered merchant drifting from planet to planet. Using things from her own world that made no sense there, she helped the people understand their history.

But anything she used or gave away in the dream would disappear when she woke up the next day.

The dreams felt too real, and combined with the blows of real life, they left Kong Mengyou unable to tell dreams from reality. Every day, she existed in a state that was neither fully awake nor asleep.

She lost her job and was diagnosed as mentally ill, spending her days in a daze at a psychiatric hospital.

Until one day, she discovered the secret of the dreams.

*

After generations of migration, the Lester star system had lost countless traditions. Just as its people finally settled down, they faced a cultural rupture.

Then a merchant from another planet appeared out of nowhere, bringing all sorts of strange and wonderful things.

A pile of compressed rations spared a wasteland squad from going hungry. A box of paints won a mercenary's protection. A handful of soil solved the problem of being unable to grow plants. A few classic books quelled the desire to rebel.

These items saved countless lives and helped the people of the star system gradually learn about the culture they'd lost.

The first time the emperor of the empire saw her, he knew she was his long-lost and only daughter.

[Reading Guide]

1. A short story about a strong woman in space, with one female lead and multiple male leads.

2. The present and future worlds appear in alternating sections, which may feel disjointed.

3. Some of the arguments may be a little dubious. If you can't accept that, feel free to stop reading.

Theme: You may think you're dreaming, but the world in your dream is real, too.