Chapter 3: Troubles
Let me ask a question: What happens when the heir of a royal family screams?
The answer is simple.
Dozens of soldiers rushed into the room and surrounded everything in less than a second. The soldiers wore full metal armor and wielded giant swords, some of which could reach the length of my entire body.
One of them stepped forward and grabbed my hand in extreme panic. It seemed as if his heart would stop at any moment.
"M-my Lord, what did you do?" Well, although the wound on my hand was healing rapidly, a large portion of the cut was still exposed. In addition to the scene of the table and everything around it covered in blood, and then that scalpel that was also stained with blood...
I can already imagine tomorrow's rumors. Well, they won't be rumors since they're true...
"It's just an accident; calm down, won't you?" I still didn't understand what was happening, and this old man had already started chattering nonstop, so my anger was understandable.
"S-sorry, I just got worried about you, My Lord!" The old man apologized. Based on my memory, he was a loyal man to my father, who had isolated himself from the world for ten years due to a particular injury.
Alfred took care of the former Cassian as a mission from Maximus StarHold, the family's leader and Cassian StarHold's father.
One of the soldiers came up from the side and spoke condescendingly without trying to hide the contempt in his voice.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we must take you for an examination immediately.
"Before I could respond, the guard continued:
"It's an order from Lady Loana."
=+=
Ten years ago, when Maximus StarHold was severely injured and forced to isolate himself from the world, the Family Council took the responsibility to rule the West. Maximus had two wives. You can see the cliched plot already, right?
Loana is the first wife. She gave birth to Sera StarHold. Three years later, Maximus married another woman named Rose, who was already pregnant by him. One day, Rose gave birth to Cassian StarHold, but unfortunately, she died during childbirth, or perhaps because of a trick by Loana. Who knows?
The next day, Loana gave birth to Darian StarHold. Although his resemblance to Cassian was almost non-existent, everyone considered them twins. The only difference was Cassian's gray eyes and Darian's blue eyes. The plot is too cliche to continue; anyone who isn't brain-dead should know what happened next.
Cassian was diagnosed with a
His big sister was female, the council did not accept her as an heir, and his older brother was a garbage. However, only a year ago, when both reached the age of sixteen, Cassian finally awakened and became the official heir to the family since he was older than Darian.
The mother and son made ruining Cassian's life a mission and prevented him from using the power in his hand as the heir to the family because he was brain-dead. A middle-aged man grabbed my left hand and examined it for the tenth time.
"How is this possible?! How is this possible?!" He has said the exact words over a hundred times since I started counting.
"Can I leave now that I'm feeling well? I'm very sleepy..."
The doctor's head slowly fell back, then he sighed and took out a potion from a nearby safe.
"It's okay for you to go back to sleep, sir. Please drink this potion to avoid any accidents."
"..."
I looked at the high-level potion and didn't hesitate to accept it. To waste a high-level potion just like that.
"Ok then, thanks for your hard work." I said goodbye to the doctor and then hurried out. Three guards waited for me at the door and did not hesitate to return me to my room.
The floor was covered with a luxurious red carpet, which made me feel noble just by looking at it. The walls were painted crimson with gold borders, and the ceiling was decorated with gold and chandeliers for lighting. StarHold Family Mansion is massive. I can house a small village here.
It took me a few minutes to reach my room. Maybe it was because Loana had placed me in the far reaches of the palace. I wasn't sure and wasn't in the mood to think about it. I'm busy thinking about how I will cry on that comfortable bed.
I've just been kidnapped from my world; no one can't blame me. The soldiers opened the door for me and then closed it as soon as I entered. I felt that they weren't going to leave. Perhaps Loana had set them up to eavesdrop or for something else.
Anyway, I saw a troublesome person close to the wooden table.
"Alfred, what are you doing?" The man's back froze, and sweat trickled down his forehead.
"C-cleaning the blood." A quick sigh escaped my mouth.
"Get out. Leave the towel and water. I'll do it myself later."
"But-but" Well, my mind is already starting to explode.
"Get out already!" The pressure on me was simply too great, and I didn't realize that I treated my only supporter in the palace as if he were my sworn enemy.
"ok, Sorry…" Alfred hurriedly out and spoke in a low tone before closing the door.
"sleep well"
***
=+=
I opened my eyes to the unfamiliar ceiling again...
'Two days... won't I come back already?' I sighed, starting to run out of things to do to pass the time. I read part of the former Cassian memoirs and reviewed his books. Also, I was depressed since I came here and didn't want to leave the room.
It may seem immature, but can anyone blame me? I was kidnapped and sent to a different era in a world where everyone hates or despises me. An assassin could knock on my door at any moment... And the worst thing is that I created all these circumstances myself.
And I'm already talking to myself...
Yes, I am exaggerating a bit. Anyway, I found out from the history books that were still intact that this world was Earth, which meant that I was sent 400 years into the future, not to a different world. I turn this conclusion into creating hope for a return.
And oh, how much I hate hope. I would have slept on this bed in depression for sixty years until I died if it wasn't for it. Well, I can live with it. It's just that I didn't say goodbye to my parents correctly and didn't see my loved one additional time...
My sister, Alin, is still a child, and I haven't experienced life as I should.
The biggest reason is the end of this world. Well, did you know about the existence of that cute white-haired uncle? The one who has killed billions of creatures and destroyed seven planets so far?
The one who is named
Yes, that lovely uncle's goal is to give everyone immortality, then throw the entire world into eternal fire, only for us to spend millions of years in the flames. Then, the planet finally explodes, and we are thrown into the universe forever with no escape!
And guess who made that sweet uncle invincible? Yes, yes, there is no need to praise me. Oh, right, right, I forgot something else. I guess the cute uncle will arrive on Earth in just ten years! Maybe I would accept it if it were sixty years, as I would have enough time to achieve my dream, but it's only ten years!
Yes, yes, and guess who's destined to defeat that lovely uncle? it's the person who wants to kill me at this very moment!
What an enviable position! I bet someone in this universe wishes to be in my position and switch bodies with me. Well, I'm waiting for that any minute now...
***
"Did you get the latest news?" Some lifeless people spoke in front of StarHold Palace.
"Yes, yes, the heir to StarHold and the person responsible for protecting us tried to commit suicide, and he was also talking to himself out loud in his room."
Cassian's story became a favorite topic at dinner tables or when joking with friends. How couldn't they when the person mentioned would be responsible for protecting them in the future?
"He couldn't even protect himself..." Amid their conversation, the two people heard the sound of whistles from afar, specifically from the gate of StarHold Palace.
"I heard Lord Darian passed the entrance exams of the Hope Academy." One person commented while looking at the vehicle that came out of the gate. It was painted entirely black, and its windows did not show the insides. The car floated at a height of 30 cm and quickly disappeared into the horizon.
"If he were the heir..."
When the royal gates nearly closed, people noticed a delivery car stationed inside. Someone sneered.
"I bet our 'Lord' ordered some things again to heal himself."
"Yes, he doesn't accept the reality of his disability; he is that weak in mind!"
"The worst thing is that one of these things he ordered costs several months of my life..." The lifeless men returned to their sterile conversation, discussing the lives of others rather than their own.
***
=+=
Boredom got the better of me for the fourth time.
"Hmm.." I opened my journal for the tenth time today and noticed the same things.
"Why did he stop writing his diary a week before he committed suicide?" For someone who had written a diary since the age of seven without even a single day off, it was strange that he had suddenly stopped. He wrote a sentence on the last page that bothered me.
—-------
<20-8-403>
The universe is not obligated to make sense to human minds.
The universe is not obligated to be kind to humans.
The universe is not obligated to explain its actions to humans.
—--------
The sentence sounded strangely familiar, and it bothered me a little. Yes, yes, he probably went crazy that day. I understood his sudden sadness; I would have been sad if I were in his place. Loana took advantage of the fact that he suffered from
Attending the academy was his dream since childhood, and he regained the hope of going there when he finally received his Legacy skill a year ago. But the universe is not obligated to be kind to humans.
Wait, am I just mouthing that crazy person's words?! I felt disgusted for a moment; no, I'm not brain-dead like him...I tried to console myself a little. Anyway…Since I'm not brain-dead, I can see Loana's next move. Well, it's very, very bad.
Since the previous body owner was too stupid, he exposed himself to vulnerability. The StarHold family inheritance conditions are clear:
1-The heir must be of pure blood.
2-The heir must be male.
3-The heir is the eldest male.
4-The heir must have the Legacy skill of the family.
And finally, the golden rule:
5- If the family leader (in this case, the council) deems it necessary to change the heir, he can do so with an acceptable excuse. However, the title cannot be relinquished except at puberty.
I am currently 17 years and six months old, approaching the puberty age of 18. The puberty requirement will save me six months. I must improve myself enough in this period to stay the family's heir.
Of course, I want to inherit this family due to its many resources. I mean, who wouldn't? Although the family inheritance may help Darian on his journey to save the world, I don't care. As I said, I've increased the Demon King's stats too much. Darian won't be able to do shit to him.
I will make sure to support Darian secretly from time to time. Of course, I will not lose anything from additional support. The more significant issue is how I will make myself strong.
Yes, a body that can't use mana, the essential energy that fighters and magicians rely on. Mana curses my existence every second; it hates me as if I just killed its parents. If mana were capable of killing me, I would have already died at birth.
I went to the large mirror beside the door and took a long breath."Status Window"