"Please excuse me, Young Master."
Nina bowed and left the room carrying a food tray. Winfred had just finished breakfast, and today happened to be a day off from his studies. The days in this world were the same as in his previous world, following a cycle of 7 days and 12 months, with the days simply named the first day, the first month, and so on. In addition, in this world, there were also 4 seasons that changed every 3 months.
Winfred got up from his small dining table and walked over to the open window. Leaning against the window, he thought about the heat he had felt a few days ago when he met the Head Butler. The heat had come out of nowhere and honestly bothered him a lot, and he even thought that it might be related to the illness he had when he was Ryan. Could he have contracted the same illness, or was there something wrong with his new little body? He pondered this deeply.
Even he, who used to be quite active as a member of one of the Reaneus Saga game forums, did not know about his current physical condition. From the many notes, lore, and information that he remembered and read, none of them mentioned anything about a person suddenly feeling hot.
Winfred tried to comfort himself by thinking that someone had placed a curse on him that he did not know about and wanted to eliminate him, considering that anything could happen in this world. However, he dismissed that thought because if someone truly wanted to eliminate him, why not do it when he was asleep or alone, like right now?
"Ugh. This is going nowhere. Focus on the root of the problem."
Winfred shook his head and tried to refocus. First, he wanted to identify each aspect of the heat. Was the heat disturbing? The answer was yes, and it was also very uncomfortable when enveloped by the heat. Was the heat life-threatening? So far, no. Although it was uncomfortable, after a while it would subside and slowly disappear.
Did the heat interfere with his activities? No. For some reason, the heat only appeared at certain moments. Winfred deliberately tired himself out by running around in the garden, but the heat did not appear. He also changed his diet to eat more to see if it would trigger the heat, but to no avail. This meant that the heat appeared accidentally, was unpredictable, and he currently had no control over it.
Winfred then moved away from the window and approached one of the bookshelves in his room. He took a book with a slightly worn cover and went to the study table in the corner of the room. After sitting down, he opened the pages one by one until he found a blank page.
Indeed, this book was his personal journal for the past two years, where he recorded events, people, and new things he had learned in this world as a source of information. Picking up a pencil lying on the desk, Winfred began to write down his thoughts about the heat.
Most of the writing in the book was deliberately made unclear and peppered with slang from his previous life so that anyone who accidentally opened the book would find it difficult and confusing to understand. Finally, he reached the part where the cause of the heat appeared. While twirling his pencil and tapping the table with his fingers, he recalled the moments when the heat sensation appeared.
The first was when he realized that he had been reborn with his memories intact. The second was when he met his father, who had a serious aura as the head of the family. The third was when he found out that he was living in a game he had once played. The fourth was when the Head Butler introduced his name.
Winfred wrote down all the events above and then paused for a moment. He tried to find a common thread among the events that triggered the heat.
"Hmmm...what do they have in common? When I meet new people? No. When I first met people like Master Evan and Sir Conrad, that heat didn't appear. What about when I face someone powerful or someone with a lot of Mana potential? Hmmm... no, that's not it either. When I met Brother Ardyn and Sir Norrit, it didn't trigger either. Perhaps when I learn new things and information? Might be. But why doesn't that heat trigger when I learn new things about this world together with Sir Alcott? Huh..."
Winfred tilted his head and scratched it. He still felt unsatisfied about the heat and searched his mind again for an answer. Frowning, he thought hard once more.
"Reborn with intact memories, the head of the family with a serious demeanor, reincarnated into a game, and Sebastian as the butler... Hm? It feels familiar..."
Summarizing the four events into a short piece of writing, Winfred stared at his writing with a serious expression. And finally, he began to discover the source of the sudden heat that had struck him.
"Hey... don't these events seem familiar? I've seen and encountered them in several anime, comics, and novels on Earth before. Wait a minute, this is a cliché, right? Yes... that's right! The events I've experienced happen a lot and always appear in some of those medias!"
Like someone who had just solved a difficult puzzle, Winfred opened his eyes wide and smiled sheepishly. Yes, it was a cliché in novels, anime, and comics where the protagonist experiences the same thing as him.
But the difference this time was that he was not reincarnated as the protagonist, but as an ordinary person who was not even mentioned or appeared at all in the entire Reaneus Saga series.
Winfred then made a few notes summarizing his findings. The first was that the heat sensation appeared when he experienced or witnessed clichés commonly found in entertainment media such as anime, novels, and comics.
The second was that the heat sensation always came when he experienced a cliché, it could not be delayed and did not depend on time or place.
And the last one was that the heat was temporary, meaning it took Winfred a few minutes to suddenly adjust to the situation. After making such a summary, Winfred thought again.
"Huh? This phenomenon doesn't exist in the game...even other media related to Reaneus Saga doesn't provide any clues or lore about this heat sensation...Could it be that this only happens to me? Then, what is the effect? Does it only give a hot sensation?"
Winfred mumbled to himself, but the moment was over when he heard Nina coming in.
"Young Master, I have finished my task. Shall we go then?"
"Oh...! Nina! Yes, let's go to the garden!"
Winfred hurriedly closed his notebook and tidied up his desk. He calmly acted like a child who had just been drawing and reading in his spare time.
"Have you just finished studying, Young Master?"
"Ehehe…You could say that, Nina. Let's go play in the garden!
"Understood, Young Master."
Winfred and Nina went outside together and headed to their usual garden. Along the way, he kept thinking about the effects of that heat...
***
The clear blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see, white clouds dotted the sky, and a gentle breeze brought the feeling of summer, putting Winfred in a good mood. After running around and picking some fruit with the permission of the workers nearby, he then rested and lay down under one of the shady trees.
Nina, who was accompanying him, also looked happy, her eyes gazing at the garden and orchard. Every now and then she smiled softly at Winfred, remembering his innocent and cheerful behavior throughout the day.
"I'm stuffed. I shouldn't have eaten so much for breakfast."
"If you suddenly reduce your portion size, the Head Chef will think there's something wrong with his cooking and assume you don't like it."
"Uhh...you're right. Head Chef Arren would be sad if I didn't eat his cooking heartily."
Nina chuckled as she watched Winfred take back his words. After that, Winfred and Nina spent their time talking to each other. Their topics of conversation varied, ranging from Nina asking Winfred what he had learned from Alcott, to Winfred asking what someone needed to become a maid, to their gossip about all the residents of Emerdine House.
Their conversation stopped when they saw two people approaching the shady tree where they were resting from a distance. As they got closer, Winfred and Nina began to recognize the two figures. One of them had bright red hair and was dressed simply but neat, while the other was a distinguished butler with shiny brown hair.
"Hey, little brother! You're here!"
"Miss Nina, Young Master Winfred, it's nice to meet you."
"Huh, Brother Gerdan? And Sir Karl too."
"Good day to you, Young Master Gerdan, Sir Karl."
Winfred was shocked by the appearance of his older brother, Gerdan, and his personal butler, Karl, here. For the past two years, he had only seen his two brothers from a distance, and this was the first time he had spoken to them directly again.
The reason he hadn't greeted them for the past two years was because he thought it would only disturb his brothers who were practicing Mana, plus Ardyn and Gerdan's servants looked stern and, based on the information he had, the servants did not allow anyone to disturb their Mana training except for a few people such as their mother, head family Victor, and their personal attendant.
"Brother Gerdan, what are you doing here? Also, you look tired and sweaty…"
"Oh, this? I just finished my physical training and exercise. See these muscles? Heh, this is the result of my hard work!"
Gerdan folded the sleeves of his shirt to show off his biceps. He repeatedly struck poses like a bodybuilder, and as Winfred saw, strong muscles were indeed beginning to form, even though his brother was only 12 years old. Gerdan had been training really hard for the past two years, Winfred thought.
"Enough about me. I heard the results of your appraisal ceremony are out?"
"That's... right, Brother. What's wrong?"
"And according to the rumor, you don't have any attributes? What is that!? That's so lame!"
"Young Master Gerdan!"
"What is it, Karl? That's the truth, isn't it!?"
Karl tried to reprimand Gerdan for speaking carelessly in a slightly raised voice. Although maids and butlers must obey their masters' orders, there are times when they must also advise their masters if they are acting recklessly and are about to damage their own dignity.
Winfred was a little surprised by Gerdan's words, but considering that they had come from the mouth of a 12-year-old child, he calmly responded while pretending to be innocent.
"But... I can be as strong as Father!"
"Hm? Heh, like Father, you say? Keep trying if you think you can reach the same level as him! I'm the one who's going to be like Father!"
Nina was about to complain to Karl about Gerdan's words, but she changed her mind when she saw Winfred's innocent and confident response. She herself knew that among the servants working for the Emerdine family, her position was on the lower side, so sometimes she couldn't just say whatever she wanted like she did now.
Winfred and Gerdan were exchanging words about who would become as strong as their father, while Nina and Karl watched from the sidelines, feeling that such a minor argument wasn't too out of line... until a strong gust of wind disrupted their conversation.
"Whaa!? Karl! Why is there suddenly such a strong wind!? This...! It's Wind magic!"
"That's... Brother Ardyn!"
Not far from the shady tree where four people were standing, a man with long, shoulder-length blond hair and a maid with sharp black eyes approached them. Yes, the blond man was Ardyn and his personal maid Zune. Ardyn was wearing a luxurious dark green robe decorated with black lines, and on his right hip was a small light brown magic wand.
Upon reaching the shady tree, Ardyn and Zune stopped and looked at the four of them, followed by Nina and Karl, who bowed and greeted the new guests. Then Zune returned their greeting, and Ardyn called out to everyone.
"Nina, Sir Karl. And my two young brothers, Gerdan and Winfred."
"Good day to you, Brother Ardyn. Oh, and Miss Zune too."
"Hahaha! Brother Ardyn! Finally we met after several days! Without further ado, let's spar!"
"Hah... Gerdan. Every time we meet, you always ask me to do that. Is that all you think about?"
"It's no problem, right!? Besides, I'm sure you've mastered some powerful magic... Like what you did just now!"
Winfred was shocked to discover that the strong wind was actually caused by Ardyn. This meant that Alcott's words about Ardyn's attributes and profession were true, he possessed the attribute of Wind and is a Mage.
"I did it because I saw you two arguing. I'm sure you've both had a formal education, but remember to always maintain your honor and dignity as members of the Emerdine family. Speaking of which, what were you two talking about?"
"Ohh! Listen, Brother! Our little brother said he wants to be like our Father even though he doesn't have much talent!"
"I'm serious! I can be like our Father!"
Ardyn was quite shocked to hear Gerdan's words about Winfred. He also knew that Winfred was a gray child, but he didn't expect his hot-blooded younger brother to openly taunt Winfred about his talent.
Ardyn then looked at Karl and Nina, who both spontaneously nodded and bowed slightly in his direction. Seeing that the two servants didn't make a big deal out of it, Ardyn continued his conversation.
"There's nothing wrong with someone aspiring to be strong. Just so you know, the leader of the Imperial Guard doesn't have attributes like Winfred either."
"Huh!? No way! This is the first time I've heard this! Powerless but he can become the leader of the Imperial Guard!?"
Gerdan was shocked to hear this news. On the other hand, Winfred knew who Ardyn was referring to because that particular individual was one of the important NPCs in the third game. It seemed that not all noble children had access to information outside their residences, such as Gerdan right now.
"What a coincidence, Young Master. I heard the main library usually free of visitors at time like this. How about we look for information about that esteemed person at the main library? Or we can ask the Head Butler and Master Evan for more details."
"Hahaha! You're right, Karl! Let's see if what Brother Arydn said is true or not. Ahem! Well then, excuse me everyone!"
Sensing an opportunity, Karl tactfully persuaded Gerdan to leave the place. He felt that if they stayed there any longer, he was afraid his master would say or do something careless again, considering that social etiquette was not his master's strong point. It didn't take long for Gerdan and Karl to leave, leaving only four people under the shady tree.
Ardyn looked at his little brother and imagined how difficult the path would be for him if he really wanted to become as strong as their father. Even so, he remained cold and expressionless because he was the firstborn and heir to the Emerdine family... something his mother had told him repeatedly.
"Do you want to be like our Father? Then hone your combat skills and magic. Although...your attributes are lacking, it doesn't rule out the possibility of becoming like him."
"Brother Ardyn?"
Ardyn approached Winfred and then stopped in front of him. Ardyn looked directly at Nina, and Nina was confused about what Ardyn was going to do because of his expressionless face. Meanwhile, Winfred tilted his neck slightly upward to see Ardyn's face.
In his mind, Ardyn was still the same as two years ago, possessing a strong, commanding aura of leadership. He also noticed that his older brother had grown taller compared to two years ago. He had the same thought when he saw Gerdan earlier.
Ardyn then gathered Mana in his hand and cast a small Wind spell no bigger than the palm of his hand. Winfred knew that spell, it was "Breeze," an Apprentice-rank that produced small whirlwind commonly used in everyday life.
"I assume you already know about my attributes and profession. I won't take up too much of your time because I have things to do after this. I will transfer my Mana to you, but only a very small amount. Feel it carefully, do you understand?"
"Young Master Ardyn..."
"Believe in me, Zune. You do know how much I put effort into my training, right? It's just a small amount. Nina?"
"It's a bit dangerous... but... Young Master Winfred…"
Nina wanted to express her disagreement, but the person in front of her was the eldest son of the Emerdine family, and not to mention his mother's family also had a much higher status than hers.
"Nina, Miss Zune. It's okay. I know that Brother Ardyn won't hurt me... at least right now."
"If... if you say so, Young Master... but I beg you to be careful, Young Master Ardyn."
After receiving approval from Nina and Winfred himself, Ardyn held Winfred's forearms and began to transfer some of his Mana. Winfred did not know Ardyn's intentions behind this action, but he had a strong feeling that his brother had no malicious intent and seemed to want to help him.
It didn't take long for Winfred to feel the Mana his brother had given him. His forearms felt like they were soaking in a sauna, hot but what he felt most was the same heat he had experienced during 'that' moment.
"I think that's enough."
"Huh? Just now..."
"I hope you learned a valuable lesson from what I did earlier. Oh, and please keep this a secret, understand? Well then, excuse me."
"O-Okay, Brother Ardyn. Please take care..."
"Young Master Winfred, Miss Nina, please excuse me."
Without further ado, Ardyn left the place, followed by Zune. Winfred tried to say something before his brother left, but his thoughts got in the way. During the Mana transfer process earlier, Winfred felt the same heat he had experienced during 'that' incident.
In other words, that hot sensation was the manifestation of Mana appearing within his body. If that was indeed the case, then this unique condition of his body was something only he had experienced in the entire Reaneus Saga series, no one else had the same condition as him…
"I think I understand now..."
"Young Master Winfred? Is there something wrong?"
Nina's words just now faintly entered his ears. The feeling of heat, clichés, Mana, reincarnation... finally he came to a big conclusion about himself. He thought that he didn't get any special abilities, systems, or cheats when he was reborn into this world, but it seemed he was very wrong. Winfred took a deep breath, and with full awareness, he realized... that his "cheat" in this world was to transform cliché moments into Mana.