"I'm running low on cash. Maybe I should ask for a quest? No, I know that jerk the System will just give me something impossible. I'm better off hunting monsters. But where? The sewers? No, I'm too weak. Outside the Dome? Too weak. Grandma Zina's house? Still too weak. Shushus LangLong is roaming past Rarirush County, but getting there is out of the question for me.
Right now, my body was sprawled on the bed, smartphone in hand, scrolling through a web novel titled Transmigration into the Future Era. Maybe I should try training without those narcotic mushrooms?
Whatever. Today is the 8th day of the Month of the Lizard. In twenty days, the Month of the Cow begins, and I'll be heading to the Academy."
Knock-knock.
"Who is it?" I called out.
"Dinner is served," Elkar's voice came from behind the door.
"Understood," I replied.
After a few more minutes of lazy idling, I got up and headed down to the dining room. The whole family was there father, mother, brother, and sister. Bowls of Griffin soup sat on the table. I had never tasted Griffin meat before, so I picked up my spoon and started eating with genuine enthusiasm.
In this world, Griffin meat is a luxury. They used to be common livestock, and farmers still breed them, but overhunting has made them a rarity.
"Tomorrow is Bo Wu Lan's birthday," my father said suddenly. "We're going."
"Fine," I said.
I finished my soup quickly and moved to leave.
"We'll be choosing a maid for you soon," my mother added.
"What?"
"We're hiring you a maid. If you have anyone in mind, bring her by," she said.
"Alright," I muttered.
Someone in mind? Me? I don't even have friends... probably. Then I remembered: noblemen are assigned personal maids at this age. Back when I was playing as a commoner from the slums, I never had to worry about this. I should probably turn down the maid offer that's what the "real" Sven would do.
I sat at my desk and opened a book on spellcasting.
[Many scholars remain silent on this matter. Until now, no one has systematized this knowledge except for the Fae and the Heavens; they are able to...]
"Ugh, what a drag. This author is full of it. No beginning, no end just a mess. I should just go to sleep; I have that birthday party in the morning. Wait... I might get caught in a contradiction. If the original Sven told Bo Wu he loved her, and then I show up and ignore her, it's going to look suspicious."
Because of that, I spent the entire night scouring their social media on DIDbu. For six hours, I stalked the accounts of Karl, Edward, Sang Wu, Bo Wu, and Lin Wu. I studied their interests and thoughts like I was a pro hacker from a movie.
By the time I finished, it was dawn. After barely two hours of sleep, my father woke me up. Groggily, I washed up and dressed in a long tunic, suspender jeans, polished boots, and a Line brand cap. Then, my father loaded me into his black car.
The drive took about four hours. First, we drove over the asphalt of the pre-fab city blocks, then through open fields for two hours, until we finally arrived at the "Golden Dragon" estate outside the city.
Stepping out of the car, I saw a massive, two-story white mansion in the Rococo style, featuring floor to ceiling panoramic windows.
A page with a thin mustache and long legs met us. He bowed and led us inside. My father took me to the drawing room where the guests had gathered. Everyone had a pre assigned seat. My father sat at a round table with the other clan heads. Honestly, they weren't even trying to hide the fact that this "birthday party" was just a business meeting.
Not my problem. I took a seat at the large round table reserved for the children of the Count-level families. There was exactly one empty spot left for me. As soon as I sat down, Sang Wu Lan greeted me.
"Hey Sven, long time no see," Sang Wu said with a smile. He was the son of the Golden Dragon patriarch. His skin had a slight orange tint, his cheeks were a bit puffy, and his messy hair was a bright, golden yellow. He wore white robes with wide sleeves and baggy black trousers.
His sister, sitting to his right, squeezed his knee slightly before speaking.
"It really has been a while. Do you even remember how long? Oh, silly me, I'm such a scatterbrain," Lin Wu said, her voice so flirtatious that half the teenagers within earshot cringed in disgust. She was dressed in a yellow Lolita-style dress.
"I don't really remember myself," I said. It was weird they were 14 and 17, but they talked like middle-aged politicians. Their clumsy attempts to mimic adults were hilarious. I picked up a teacup that refilled itself automatically and took a few sips, observing the table.
To Sang Wu Lan's left sat Karl Jergal, son of the "Black Hound" chief. His skin was inhumanly pale so white it seemed to reflect the light—and he had a few small breakouts on his forehead and cheek. His hair was jet black and slicked back, contrasting with his blue eyes. He wore a black tuxedo.
Opposite him sat his sister, Sarah Jergal. She shared the same sickly pale skin and black hair, but had dark eyes. Her dress was a red, loose-fitting ballroom gown. I set my tea back down.
And last but not least: Laya Gredal, sitting between Sarah and me. She was of the Kyocin race a half-fox. She had a fox tail and ears; her skin was fair, though darker than mine. She wore a dark dress.
Bo Wu herself sat at a separate table that had been joined to ours. At that second table, there were at least seventeen other people or rather, creatures.