"Luca!" Elda exclaimed.
Full of boundless energy, my red-haired little sister leaped out of her chair and hurried over to greet me. Her twin, Jarvis, however, lacked all energy and just nodded toward me from his seat.
Ah, she must have drunk all the sleeping potion on their ride here in this round again.
Elda eagerly took hold of my arm, tugging me toward the small table where I had shared meals and engaging games of chess with our beloved grandmother. However, this round, the twins were not alone at the table.
"My condolences," Duncan offered, his voice filled with genuine sympathy. He wore a sleek black silk face mask, occasionally lowering it to enjoy sips of his tea or savor bites of food.
"Thank you," I said and sat down.
Upon the round table, a delightful spread of dishes awaited, undoubtedly prepared by Arnold Bumblefudge. Knowing what I knew about him, I picked up several items to examine them. Yet, to my disappointment, none of them triggered the familiar blue notification screen.
I guess it only works for items the System deems of interest or significance.
Leona had flown off my head and planted herself on a plate of raw cucumbers and tiny tomatoes, obviously remembering Arnold's terrible cooking as well.
"Are Mother and Micah busy taking care of the estate's affairs?" I asked.
"Yes," Jarvis nodded. "We didn't arrive that long ago, but much requires their attention."
I solemnly nodded.
"Young master Jarvis."
A servant approached and placed a cup of dark, thick liquid before Jarvis, emanating a rich and enticing aroma. The fragrance wafted through the air, carrying notes of delicate florals intertwined with hints of nuts.
"What is that?" Duncan asked the question I asked in the prior round.
"Coffee," I replied.
Jarvis raised an eyebrow at me. "You know what this is? I'm surprised. I had this specially imported."
He picked up his cup and took a sip. However, his expression soured slightly as he tasted the brew.
"Luca, I don't suppose you also know how to brew this?" Jarvis asked, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. He proceeded to add milk and sugar to his cup, attempting to temper the bitterness. "I've tried making it several times, but it always turns out bitter. I must be doing something wrong."
I shook my head.
"Unfortunately, no, I don't," I replied.
"Shame," Jarvis said and turned back to Duncan. "So, as I was saying about the Yellow Fleshroot—" I had apparently walked in on them, engaging in an intense conversation about farmlands, crop yields, irrigation techniques, and the changing seasons.
"Jarvis has found someone to talk their ears off," Elda whispered.
However, Duncan clearly didn't seem to mind. His dukedom was responsible for producing the majority of crops within the Adovorian Kingdom, so it was little surprise how knowledgeable he was.
I frowned.
It made it even more apparent how incompetent his sister was in managing their territory in my first life. Unlike Duncan, she clearly had little knowledge and no interest in managing their territory's well-being.
Once breakfast ended, the twins bounced off in separate directions, leaving Duncan, Leona, and myself at the table.
Duncan looked about us to make sure we were alone. "Luca, from last night, what did Prince Chase mean about you being a Player?" he asked. "He inferred that the wizard that nearly killed me was also a Player."
I sighed.
"I don't know much about that wizard of yours, but being a Player is why I have lived multiple lives. I'm in some sort of strange Game where if I die, the world resets," I explained.
"What sort of Game is that…?" Duncan inquired. His gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What is its purpose?"
I took a moment to gather my thoughts, contemplating how to reveal the truth without overwhelming him. "The Game's objective," I began, carefully choosing my words, "is to protect Adovoria against an impending invasion from the Kobar Empire. Apparently, all of the summoned Players gave up, and the System selected me as a Player to save our kingdom."
"Then what about the Game twenty-or-so years ago?" Duncan inquired. "What was the purpose then?"
"I'm afraid I don't know much about it." I shook my head. However, my own curiosity was piqued. "But was there anything else you recall about the wizard? Anything strange he did or said?"
Duncan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"To say that his actions were anything short of extraordinary would be an understatement," he stated. "He would often fix his gaze on some unseen horizon, erupting into laughter or succumbing to fits of anger without apparent cause. However, the aspect that interested me was the nature of his magic. It was remarkably uncommon, as he would wield a simple stick and utter unintelligible words, bringing about magical phenomena."
I guessed that the gazing out was him interacting with the System.
Another thought crossed my mind, however. "Why was he staying at your estate?" I asked.
"He offered his services as a wizard in return for a place to stay," Duncan replied. "It was too sublime a deal to pass up for my parents, especially given how useful and rare individuals capable of magic are. However, with his outburst, he was obviously relieved of his position."
Duncan sliced his finger across his neck.
"He was killed?" I asked.
"Obviously," Duncan replied. "He attempted to murder the heir of the Genuiver Dukedom. What do you expect?"
"Peep!"
And here I thought those summoned Players were supposed to be more capable than the individuals in our world.
Leona piped in from the table.
"Luca!" Elda exclaimed.
Full of boundless energy, my red-haired little sister leaped out of her chair and hurried over to greet me. Her twin, Jarvis, however, lacked all energy and just nodded toward me from his seat.
Ah, she must have drunk all the sleeping potion on their ride here in this round again.
Elda eagerly took hold of my arm, tugging me toward the small table where I had shared meals and engaging games of chess with our beloved grandmother. However, this round, the twins were not alone at the table.
"My condolences," Duncan offered, his voice filled with genuine sympathy. He wore a sleek black silk face mask, occasionally lowering it to enjoy sips of his tea or savor bites of food.
"Thank you," I said and sat down.
Upon the round table, a delightful spread of dishes awaited, undoubtedly prepared by Arnold Bumblefudge. Knowing what I knew about him, I picked up several items to examine them. Yet, to my disappointment, none of them triggered the familiar blue notification screen.
I guess it only works for items the System deems of interest or significance.
Leona had flown off my head and planted herself on a plate of raw cucumbers and tiny tomatoes, obviously remembering Arnold's terrible cooking as well.
"Are Mother and Micah busy taking care of the estate's affairs?" I asked.
"Yes," Jarvis nodded. "We didn't arrive that long ago, but much requires their attention."
I solemnly nodded.
"Young master Jarvis."
A servant approached and placed a cup of dark, thick liquid before Jarvis, emanating a rich and enticing aroma. The fragrance wafted through the air, carrying notes of delicate florals intertwined with hints of nuts.
"What is that?" Duncan asked the question I asked in the prior round.
"Coffee," I replied.
Jarvis raised an eyebrow at me. "You know what this is? I'm surprised. I had this specially imported."
He picked up his cup and took a sip. However, his expression soured slightly as he tasted the brew.
"Luca, I don't suppose you also know how to brew this?" Jarvis asked, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. He proceeded to add milk and sugar to his cup, attempting to temper the bitterness. "I've tried making it several times, but it always turns out bitter. I must be doing something wrong."
I shook my head.
"Unfortunately, no, I don't," I replied.
"Shame," Jarvis said and turned back to Duncan. "So, as I was saying about the Yellow Fleshroot—" I had apparently walked in on them, engaging in an intense conversation about farmlands, crop yields, irrigation techniques, and the changing seasons.
"Jarvis has found someone to talk their ears off," Elda whispered.
However, Duncan clearly didn't seem to mind. His dukedom was responsible for producing the majority of crops within the Adovorian Kingdom, so it was little surprise how knowledgeable he was.
I frowned.
It made it even more apparent how incompetent his sister was in managing their territory in my first life. Unlike Duncan, she clearly had little knowledge and no interest in managing their territory's well-being.
Once breakfast ended, the twins bounced off in separate directions, leaving Duncan, Leona, and myself at the table.
Duncan looked about us to make sure we were alone. "Luca, from last night, what did Prince Chase mean about you being a Player?" he asked. "He inferred that the wizard that nearly killed me was also a Player."
I sighed.
"I don't know much about that wizard of yours, but being a Player is why I have lived multiple lives. I'm in some sort of strange Game where if I die, the world resets," I explained.
"What sort of Game is that…?" Duncan inquired. His gaze filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What is its purpose?"
I took a moment to gather my thoughts, contemplating how to reveal the truth without overwhelming him. "The Game's objective," I began, carefully choosing my words, "is to protect Adovoria against an impending invasion from the Kobar Empire. Apparently, all of the summoned Players gave up, and the System selected me as a Player to save our kingdom."
"Then what about the Game twenty-or-so years ago?" Duncan inquired. "What was the purpose then?"
"I'm afraid I don't know much about it." I shook my head. However, my own curiosity was piqued. "But was there anything else you recall about the wizard? Anything strange he did or said?"
Duncan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"To say that his actions were anything short of extraordinary would be an understatement," he stated. "He would often fix his gaze on some unseen horizon, erupting into laughter or succumbing to fits of anger without apparent cause. However, the aspect that interested me was the nature of his magic. It was remarkably uncommon, as he would wield a simple stick and utter unintelligible words, bringing about magical phenomena."
I guessed that the gazing out was him interacting with the System.
Another thought crossed my mind, however. "Why was he staying at your estate?" I asked.
"He offered his services as a wizard in return for a place to stay," Duncan replied. "It was too sublime a deal to pass up for my parents, especially given how useful and rare individuals capable of magic are. However, with his outburst, he was obviously relieved of his position."
Duncan sliced his finger across his neck.
"He was killed?" I asked.
"Obviously," Duncan replied. "He attempted to murder the heir of the Genuiver Dukedom. What do you expect?"
"Peep!"
And here I thought those summoned Players were supposed to be more capable than the individuals in our world.
Leona piped in from the table.
