A clean and organized room.
That's all Reis remembered ever asking for from the heavens. Or at least the power to magically clean his living space at will. Wouldn't that be the best power against a home that seemed to have declared war against him? He was truly desperate.
Was it too much to ask for? In that case, dropping a broom on my head wouldn't have sufficed as retribution?
He glared at the awfully shiny room that greeted him the moment he opened his eyes. So this was the grand wish fulfillment? Heavens and genies definitely went to the same school, or at least had the same training.
"What would you like for breakfast, Your Highness?" The elderly attendant asked. She pulled the curtains that had been adding to the gloomy atmosphere. But it wasn't a despair that could wither away with a ray of sunshine. He needed the sun in the room to lighten this gloom.
"Poison would suffice if you can arrange some," Reis answered without much thought, but regretted it instantly.
The woman's gentle smile disappeared, changing into one of fear and worry.
'I didn't mean to say that out loud.'
"How could you say something so ominous first thing in the morning?"
Reis blinked. 'I just went through the most ominous thing in my life! What else am I supposed to do?'
The butler rushed in, hearing the outburst. "What happened? Did something break?"
Reis could only stare at the overly emotional staff in disbelief.
It's just words. He wouldn't take poison no matter how pissed off he was. That felt too much like losing to whatever the hell was behind this.
But these people took it seriously. Way too seriously.
Then again... 'I'm no longer in a position to joke about dying, I guess.'
"It was a joke," he muttered, but no one seemed to believe him. This better not be a suicidal character.
Reis didn't want to deal with that. It was too annoying, and he didn't have the mental energy to pull it off.
On the contrary, he didn't want to deal with anything at all.
"I leave breakfast up to you, Agnes. But nothing sweet," He ordered calmly, feigning his expression.
The bitterness inside him didn't give him the appetite for sweets right now. "I want to take a bath."
"We'll prepare it right away!" The servants scrambled through the room to prepare everything. Reis waited patiently for them to finish while reassuring the butler that he really was joking.
Within minutes, everything was ready, making Reis envy this guy's life.
The moment the fancy doors of the bath closed, Reis's composure cracked. The calm expression morphed into one of panic.
With a thud, he sat square on the floor, leaning against the door.
This was so messed up! No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out why something like this happened. How in the world did it happen!?
The ugly blue system screen popped up as if it were waiting for him to be alone and panicked, making him flinch.
|Greetings, Host.|
Earlier, he mostly heard a mechanical voice. But now the screen was back in full glory, earning a deathglare.
|The 'System' is here to help you with missions, supplies, and skill attribution.|
|The tasks will be updated according to your future choices.|
|Current Mission Status: No mission has been assigned.|
Is this how it wanted to start? He didn't even know who this was. But somehow, he knew who those people outside were. It made no sense.
And this wretched screen was giving him mission status first thing in the morning?
|Current Physical Status:
Health:45/50
Stamina:30/50|
|Other statuses are being updated.|
|Memory Synchronization: 60%|
|Character information:
Name: Ioannis Reis Caelestis
Age: 18
Job: 3rd Prince of Vidalia
Objective: Undecided.|
Reis stared at the stacked screens, reading the character info over and over. "Out of everything in the world, it just had to be a prince," he muttered. "I'd rather be thrown in the middle of a war zone than this."
|To make it easier for you, your original name has been synced with the character name.|
'Wowww. That makes it sooo much easier.'
Ok.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Panic wouldn't do him any favor. With that in mind, he decided to take things one at a time.
Reis pushed himself up to get back on his feet. The small stone pool with marble carvings that could be reduced to being called a bathtub was at least 50 meters away.
So before going there, he walked to the mirror. An unfamiliar image stared back at him.
It wasn't exactly unfamiliar; the face was almost the same as what he looked like around the age of 18. But combined with the golden blonde hair and purple eyes, it was a completely different vibe.
And unlike his teen self, who had looked like a zombie under the pressure of academics, this person was full of vitality, as if he hadn't worked a day in his life.
Then again, what would a young prince have to do anyway? "I bet he'd be the first to die on a battlefield." Weak characters with low stats like this guy were usually good for that purpose. A fodder.
And currently, the 'he' in question was himself, so it wasn't exactly good news. "At least he's not the heir apparent." That would have been a bigger headache.
Reis didn't have much knowledge about royal structures, systems, or anything related to them in Odyssey. He only ever focused on hunting and building stats and didn't bother learning about every little thing.
What he knew was the general idea that applied to all forms of government, not just hierarchical royalty.
It's a world of schemes and mind games.
"I've seen enough of it for one lifetime."
He could be a scapegoat, a sacrifice, or even a mindless beast meant to be killed. But the world of politics, scheming, and backstabbing...it wasn't for him. Reis was a lover of peace. As in, his own.
He dove into the water, submerging his whole body. The water was just the right temperature between cold and warm.
"Nothing would come out of being angry at this point. I need to clear my mind to figure out the next step before the mission is announced."
The memories weren't fully synchronized, which was likely why he couldn't accurately recall everything. But there was enough to draw a picture of his current circumstances. This character was the third prince, not a part of the direct administration, nor was he involved in other annoying matters. Being a royal wouldn't be a problem for now.
But for how long will it be safe?
Reis didn't know, nor did he want to. He planned to leave before that. "There shouldn't be any problem if I want to leave." That was the target. Before figuring out whether he could get out of this or not, he needed to get away from here.
The king had enough children; one being missing won't be an issue. That's how it usually was in the upper class.
"I just need to prepare enough to be able to survive the outside world."
Until then, he was more than happy to enjoy the luxury this place had to offer.
~
Outside, Agnes had already prepared breakfast. "Are you sure His Highness is alright? To say something like that–"
"Don't worry, Ms. Agnes," Keith assured her. "Perhaps he was in a bad mood. I'm sure it's nothing serious."
Although he said so, Keith himself was a bit worried. The prince was so short-tempered that who knows what would set him off?
"But he's taking so long," Agnes spoke, "He even refused to let the servants help him."
"You know how he is…" Keith refuted. "I'll call for–"
*Click*
Reis stepped out and found the two of them anxiously standing by the door. He ignored them because that seemed like what this character would have done and sat down at the table for breakfast.
The two didn't waste any time coming forward to serve him.
He ate silently, savoring the taste of the food he didn't know the names of.
"Are you truly alright, Your Highness?" Keith asked.
Reis looked up. 'I guess they really are worried.'
"Mmhm. I just slept wrong last night. I'm fine now."
They didn't need to know the extent of the 'wrong' in question.
Keith sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to attend the family lunch today."
|Mission Activated.|
Reis spat out the tea he had just sipped, going into a coughing fit.
"Your Highness!" Agnes rushed forward to give him water. But he was sure water would also go down the wrong pipe now.
Did this thing do that on purpose?
|With the Ascendency Trials fast approaching, there's a lot to do. You need to familiarize yourself with your new family and prepare for the approaching ceremony.|
'Ascendency trials?'
Was there an event like that in game? He couldn't remember. Maybe it was something unrelated to the class he used.
'Like a coronation? Why are you making it sound like a deathmatch?'
|Task Category: Preparatory.|
|Meet the Royal family of Vidalia.|
|Your next task will be updated upon completion.|
|Side task: Learn to tie the shirt strings properly.|
He looked down at the straps of the shirt he spent ten minutes on.
|Your image will be affected if you go like that.|
You've got to be kidding me…