“It’s comfortable for us since it’s quiet, but…… don’t you feel somewhat uneasy?”
As of late, the atmosphere of the Yukrain Mansion had settled into an unusual calm. Silence was, rather, an extraordinary occurrence in this estate renowned as one of the most magnificent in the capital.
“Hey, don’t say that. You’ll jinx us for no reason. Stay put, stay put.”
The rare tranquility was awkward for the maids and attendants, but having continued for a straight week, they had grown somewhat accustomed to it.
“Ah, could it be that things are going well with the young head of House Peuhaireuden?”
At the young maid’s question, the head maid shook her head.
“Hah. As if. If anything, it’s quite the opposite.”
“Really? It’s the first time he’s remained in seclusion for a week, so I’m confused. He isn’t even checking on the cleaning.”
“Let him rest easy while he can. You never know when he’ll start riding us again……”
The servants exchanged various bits of gossip regarding their master’s eccentric change.
“Has something like this happened before?”
“Well. It’s been ten years since Family Head Dekyulrein settled here……”
Their master was such a famous and temperamental figure that there was no shortage of topics, and the stream of conversation was not easily broken.
It was then.
Squeeeeak──
The front door swung wide open, and haughty footsteps echoed through the hall.
Clack— Clack—
A cold, yet ominous reverberation.
The maids rose in a hurry and scurried to line up before the unexpected visitor.
“……Where is that man?”
The noble guest who inquired so sharply was a beauty with black, bobbed hair.
“Yes, the master is currently……”
The mistress’s younger sister, Yeriel—equally notorious for her temper. At her entrance, the maids bowed deeply.
“Guide me.”
The attendants dared not even meet her eyes as they escorted her.
Together, they ascended the mansion’s central staircase to the highest floor, stopping before the great doors of a room that occupied the entire story.
Knock knock—
There was no response.
Knock—knock—! Knock—knock—!
After knocking nervously several more times, Yeriel could endure it no longer and flung the door open.
“……Hey!”
Inside the tidy room, a handsome man with a disheveled expression lay sprawled.
His hair gleamed softly like blue crystal; his fair, fine skin and straight, intelligent features were today exceptionally dulled with darkness.
He was more than enough to sway the hearts of many women, but Yeriel paid no heed to such things and lashed out.
“What are you doing!”
The attendants trembled at Yeriel’s insolent way of speaking.
Yet the master of the mansion and family head, Dekyulrein, who had been subjected to such insolence, merely muttered in a low voice.
“……I thought I would awaken after a few sleeps. But I do not. It seems I am still inside a dream.”
At his words, the maids reached a certain conclusion.
As expected, things must have gone terribly, terribly wrong with the young lady of Peuhaireuden!
“Again……”
Yeriel seemed to understand his words in a similar way and pressed her fingers to her brow.
In this very place, the name on everyone’s mind except Dekyulrein’s was “Yulri von Deia Peuhaireuden.”
The second daughter of the northern Peuhaireuden family and the current fiancée of “Dekyulrein von Grahan Yukrain.”
Publicly, the two were promised in marriage, but the feelings they held for each other were insanely different.
Dekyulrein seemed to truly love Yulri, but the emotion Yulri felt for him was nearly akin to loathing.
This was not mere speculation; it was already common knowledge.
“Will you stop thinking about that woman already? You’ve canceled all your lectures too—what do you think you’re doing?”
“……Lectures?”
“Yes!”
Yeriel pulled documents from a luxury clutch and threw the bundle of papers onto the bed.
“You’re the one who said you’d handle it personally. Yet here you are, wallowing like a pathetic wretch—are you trying to disgrace the family name?”
“……”
“Today’s is at the university, so you must attend! Unless you want to lose that prestigious professorship too!”
“You…… are truly bold.”
Dekyulrein scoffed. At that moment, Yeriel’s temper twisted. A vein bulged on her pale temple.
“I’m not bold—you’re just an idiot! You pathetic bastard!”
A truly vicious string of curses. The maids trembled greatly, yet the master himself showed no reaction whatsoever.
In the past, he would have punished her. How could he have become so listless?
If only he would stay this way forever.
“……I understand, so leave.”
“Hmph.”
Yeriel sniffed and walked out. Even she had no desire to keep looking at the pathetic wretch who had become a mere ruin after being rejected by a woman.
“Y-Yes, Lady Yeriel. Shall we prepare a meal for you?”
“No need.”
“But you’ve come such a long way. Please, just a moment!”
“I said no!”
A number of attendants hurriedly followed after her.
The master’s mood seemed poor today, so the best course was to avoid being seen…….
* * *
“……A lecture.”
I looked at the documents Yeriel, Dekyulrein’s sister, had handed over.
The lecture title was “Imperial Royal University Distinguished Professor Dekyulrein: A Basic Understanding of Magic and the Proper Mental Attitude toward Mana.”
Furthermore, the table of contents was as follows:
1. Classification of Magic by Attribute and Lineage.
2. A General Understanding of Spells by Magic Lineage, such as Destruction, Support, Summoning, and Spirit.
3. Proper Mana Usage…….
“Who knew magic was so endlessly varied.”
In a world overflowing with magic, where has science gone…… They say sufficiently advanced science is scarcely different from magic, and yet.
I muttered such meaningless nonsense and flopped onto the bed.
“……Sigh.”
A week had passed.
Before I knew it, a week had gone by in the blink of an eye.
During that time, I had failed to discover the reason I was trapped here.
I thought it was a dream, but it was not. I thought it was a lucid dream, but it was not. I thought it was VR, but it was not.
The most plausible reason was that I had been struck by lightning and kicked the bucket. Therefore, that I was experiencing the afterlife……
Anyway, I had become the character modeled after me in that damned game, “Dekyulrein von Grahan Yukrain.”
For reference, Dekyulrein was essentially the central link of the entire game—a named villain who was the nemesis of countless named characters, or something like a mid-boss for the player.
The enemy of my parents—the enemy of my lover—the enemy of our village—the enemy who stole my achievements—and so on.
A villain clearly woven solely for death and tribulation, with no doubt many more who held grudges against him.
Of course, Rain had said this character had a small twist, but who would have thought that twist was me possessing him…….
“He dies in almost every route, after all.”
True to his nature as a villain, he dies almost inevitably.
Whether the player kills him directly, has a named character assassinate him, dies fighting a named character on a whim, or is assassinated—he dies one way or another.
Like the purple bald head from that famous hero movie.
“More importantly, this……”
I organized the papers Yeriel had thrown and left behind.
Holding them in one hand, I quickly skimmed through them; the lecture was scheduled for today.
“……I ought to go.”
It would be my first lecture ever, but I could not simply remain idle. I couldn’t afford to be a lazy bum any longer.
I had to move somehow to obtain information; I needed to figure something out before deciding whether to go back or not; but more than anything……
[ Primary Survival Objective: Become an existence necessary to the game. ]
[ Side Quest: University Lecture ]
◆ Shop Currency + 0.5
Those bizarre sentences flickering at the corner of my vision.
Because of them and Yeriel, I needed to resume activities soon. Not only was his sister Yeriel among this bastard’s “death variables,” but that “shop currency” was quite important as well.
Fortunately, the knowledge? Attitude? Experience? needed for the lecture wasn’t much of a problem.
──「Comprehension」──
◆ Grade
：Unique
◆ Description
：The ability to comprehend something. Can be activated by consuming mana.
──────
Before being trapped in this world, I had added 「Comprehension」 under the mistaken belief that it was 「Empathy」.
I believed in its performance.
And with good reason—it was nothing less than Unique grade. A Unique grade that only appeared in the late game, which even the character I had played failed to obtain.
“Let’s wash up……”
I rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. Undressed and turned on the shower.
A clean environment, pleasantly hot water, a showerhead with good pressure. Everything was to my liking.
Having finished washing up neatly, I opened the door to the dressing room. The room, larger than my apartment, was filled with all manner of valuables and suits.
I chose my clothes by instinct alone.
A white shirt and a noble navy suit. A blue tie and intellectual glasses. Over that, I donned a coat, sprayed on a perfume befitting the overall impression, and swept every strand of hair up neatly without a single one out of place.
Then I looked in the mirror.
“……”
Honestly, this much styling should come off as cringeworthy, but instead it looked noble. The overflowing ego was incredibly arrogant, yet elegant dignity clearly coexisted with it.
This was likely the effect of the traits “Majesty and Grace” and “Aesthetic Sense,” as well as the personality “Noble Etiquette.”
In reality, I could not utter words or commit actions that violated etiquette. No matter how hungry, I couldn’t shovel food into my mouth recklessly; I couldn’t spout whatever words I pleased; I had to conduct myself with utter refinement and culture.
Moreover, from my perspective, doing so felt natural.
It was as if my very personality had changed entirely—inefficient etiquette felt more comfortable than sitting cross-legged.
To the point where crude and ignorant sights even spawned contempt and scorn within me.
“……I won’t get devoured by this guy, will I.”
This character had particularly many peculiarities in the “Personality” department.
Just looking at what was recorded in the system log: “Noble Etiquette,” “Elitism,” “Mysophobia,” “Authoritarian,” “Cultured Obsession,” and so on.
Those personalities were almost certainly infectious to me.
Therefore, even this “duty” to give a lecture felt utterly natural to me. Because I am an outstanding and noble aristocrat…… like hell.
“Woojin.”
I glared at the handsome man in the mirror and muttered.
“Kim Woojin.”
I will not lose myself.
I will not be swallowed up by this beggarly wretch of a character.
“That is your name.”
Woojin, written with the “woo” (宇) of house and the “jin” (眞) of truth.
A physically healthy Korean male, objectively tall and handsome, but what someone might call a pathetic loser.
“A pathetic, lazy bastard.”
That’s me.
Slap—!
I struck both my cheeks and stepped out the door.
* * *
Clack— Clack—
Clear, regular footsteps. Long legs moving smoothly.
Truly, a gait of such dignity that not an inch was out of place.
Displaying a demeanor that even I found admirable, I stood before the car in the garden.
“Greetings, Master.”
A vehicle with an antique design that might have existed in the early modern Ford era. In this world, it symbolized wealth.
“I shall go.”
“Yes, sir!”
As I entered the back seat the attendant had opened, some small, plump fellow was already seated beside me.
“……?”
Beneath the flipped-up hood of his robe, I looked at a face that was cute but stiff.
“P-Professor! Good noon! Here, here it is!”
The fellow spoke in a nervous voice and held something out. It was a bundle of papers.
“……Tell me, are you a mage?”
“Yes? Ah, y-yes…… I-I'm under your guidance, Professor…… for three years already……”
“I was joking.”
I laughed nobly and looked at the papers.
I had thought they were related to the lecture, but they were a script. Every word from beginning to end was recorded.
I suppose I need only recite it as is.
Well, as if Dekyulrein would have prepared a lecture himself.
To begin with, this bastard was all flash and no talent. His possessed traits weren’t even “Genius” or “Prodigy,” but “Magic Mediocrity,” so this script was exactly what I wanted.
“Good work.”
“……Yes?”
Yet the mage flustered at a single word of praise.
Honestly, this praise made my guts twist too. It was clearly an infection of the “Personality,” but I had to overcome it.
I clenched my eyes shut and added one more line.
“You’ve had it rough. Rest until we arrive.”
“Ah, ah yes! Yes! Understood!”
The mage kept his head bowed and remained still as a corpse. But seeing the edge of his mouth peeking out from beneath his robe twitching with satisfaction, he seemed pleased by the praise.
“……”
I read the script in my hand. However, the texture of the paper was off-putting. It felt dirty. Next time I ought to wear gloves…… no.
Setting that aside.
I knew the game’s setting to some extent, but thanks to the more reliable “Comprehension,” the script’s contents were understood in no time.
I had been studying for the lecture for about thirty minutes when—
“……?”
An interesting scenery appeared outside the window.
I naturally turned my gaze that way.
And I smiled a smile even I could not understand myself.
——The outside world bathed in the noon sun, brilliantly flowing like shimmering waves.
At the entrance, the statue of the First Emperor stood tall; a path harmoniously connected by vibrant flowers and trees.
Various buildings filling the vast grounds, and soft cascades of light descending as if bestowing a blessing from on high.
The entirety collectively known as the “Imperial Royal University.”
This body—Dekyulrein’s workplace.
Having become a reality surpassing 3D, everything reflected on my retinas…… was the result of my designs.