I had been reading in the library for about ten minutes before something suddenly clicked in my head. Wait... what was my twin's name again? Whatever, I can just use the amnesia excuse. I didn't want to stay in the library too long anyway, or people might start getting suspicious. I hurriedly made my way out, but at the entrance, I ran into a girl with blonde hair and azure eyes. She shot me a look of pure disgust before brushing past me into the library.
Who the hell was that? I didn't care much and kept walking. But as soon as I stepped out of the mansion, a realization hit me. Wait... blonde hair, azure eyes, standing about 151 cm tall... was that her? No, it couldn't be. Please, let it not be her. I was so lost in thought that I barely noticed my surroundings. Holy crap, this place is wider than a football field. What do they even need all this space for?
I walked toward the gate, intending to head out, but the guards blocked my path.
"And where might the Young Master be going?" Even though he addressed me as 'Young Master,' his facial expression was dripping with contempt. Well, whatever. It wasn't something worth overthinking.
"For a walk, I guess?" I answered casually, honestly not knowing what I was going to do outside myself.
"Are you sure you aren't going out to start another brawl or try to assault someone again?" As the guard spoke, he almost let out a snicker but managed to hold it back. Was Xenos's reputation really that bottom-tier? And where did my honorifics go? Then again, I couldn't really blame them, considering I haven't uttered a single polite sentence since I was born.
"I won't," I replied with feigned confidence. The guard eventually let me through, but I could still hear them whispering behind my back.
"What charge is he going to bring back this time?"
"My money's on sexual assault."
"I'm betting on a street fight."
I let out a heavy sigh. Having to pay for crimes I didn't even commit is such a pain. And if what that winged woman said is true, I shouldn't even have died and ended up here in the first place. Forget it. Thinking about it is just a waste of energy. But why is the city so damn far? I started walking. Damn it! This is exhausting! Why is this body so weak? I've only been walking for an hour, but I finally made it. I looked around. Why is every building so magnificent? Wait—I reached into my pocket and sighed again.
"Shit... I forgot to bring money..."
I decided to just keep walking; a little scouting trip should be enough for now. I can buy things next time. If I remember the records correctly, this guy hasn't actually succeeded in assaulting anyone yet, right? Good thing this body is still 'untouched.' I walked through the market, passing numerous stalls along the way. But there wasn't much worth buying—mostly just cooking ingredients, weapons, or artifacts. Is there nothing actually useful here? Suddenly, my eyes caught a bookstore, so I decided to head inside.
The interior was filled with books about magic. I found one that really piqued my interest: Magic Theory and the 13 Laws by Sir Harvard. Too bad I didn't bring any cash. Maybe next time.
"Hello there."
The voice behind me made me flinch. I turned around to see a girl with dark blue hair and bright blue eyes. She looked about my age, wearing simple clothes, yet she looked surprisingly elegant.
"Hello. May I ask who you are?" I asked, curious. Who just randomly greets a stranger like this?
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. My name is Luna. I am the daughter of Duke Lucian Valerius," the young woman introduced herself.
Eh... Valerius? Valerius... Oh! The Duke of Selene! But what is she doing here? Isn't that city way out by the coast? "Nice to meet you. My name is Xenos. Uh... just a commoner, My Lady." I said slowly, bowing slightly to show some semblance of respect.
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Xenos," she said cheerfully.
"Uh... you don't really need to be so formal," I replied. To be honest, this high-society politeness was starting to get on my nerves. It's actually quite irritating to listen to.
"I can't do that. Even if you are a commoner, I must remain polite. And also..." She trailed off. Oh, right. I realized I was still doubled over. I had been bowing for so long I forgot to stand back up. "Sorry, I forgot to straighten up," I muttered as I returned to a standing position.
"Eh? Can people really forget something like that? Well, never mind. Are you here to buy books?"
"Yes, but I realized I forgot to bring any money." I started to wonder if Xenos's supposed amnesia was actually starting to affect me. No way, right? Suddenly, a heavy yet faint voice echoed in my head.
(You don't have amnesia.)
I scanned the area, but there was no one there. A mysterious voice? Whatever... I'll just ignore it.
"Oh, you forgot your money? Your memory is truly terrible, isn't it? Should I buy it for you? I happened to bring extra." She opened her hand to show me her coins. Holy... three gold coins? A single book only costs about 20 silver. She definitely brought that much on purpose.
"It's fine. You should keep your money," I declined. I could just come back and buy it myself later.
"Hmm... You were staring at this one, weren't you?" Hey, she wasn't listening to a word I said. She reached out and grabbed two copies of Magic Theory and the 13 Laws by Sir Harvard—the very book I had been eyeing. She headed straight to the counter. I followed her, protesting, "I told you, you don't have to—"
She thrust one of the books into my hands before I could finish. "Take it. This is an order." I stood there, stunned. Was she just being incredibly kind or was she messing with me? I'm a Duke's son too, so technically, I don't have to take orders from anyone, but...
"Thank you very much for the book, Luna. But I really must be going now."
"Then, goodbye for now!"
I hurried away with the book in hand. Great, I ended up taking it after all. I brushed it off and made my way back to the mansion. When I arrived, the servants were scurrying around, setting up tables as if they were preparing for a grand banquet. I slowed down to eavesdrop on their chatter.
"Part of me wants to celebrate, but another part doesn't. It's Lady Orthia's 13th birthday, but it's also that brat Xenos's birthday too."
A birthday? Who cares? I hurried up the stairs, only to run into the same girl I saw at the library entrance. She glanced at the book in my hand, then looked at my face with a gaze full of loathing.
"Who did you steal that from this time?" she asked. Yep, it's definitely her. This was Orthia, Xenos's twin sister.
"Do I really look that poor to you?" I snapped back before heading toward my room. As I walked away, I caught her muttering under her breath.
"As terrible as that bastard is, he probably wouldn't resort to stealing... he has his own money, and that book doesn't even look expensive."
I entered my room and shut the door. Wait a minute... It just occurred to me. How was I able to hear her whispering so clearly from that distance? A special ability? I let out a sigh and sat down to read Magic Theory and the 13 Laws. After reading for a while, a thought crossed my mind. Tomorrow is Orthia's birthday party. Do I have to attend?
I thought about it for a second before reaching a conclusion. Nah, I'll pass.
There's really no reason for me to attend a twin's birthday party. Wait... if it's my twin's birthday, then it's my birthday too, isn't it? Well, I'm still not going anyway. I continued reading until I finished the entire book.
"I see. This is actually quite simple—just a bit of theory and a few laws," I muttered. Afterward, I sat in meditation to practice mana circulation, guiding it through the correct points of my body. I slowly organized the flow, bit by bit. I looked around before grabbing an empty notebook and started jotting down some notes.
"In this world, there is a substance called mana. It should be a type of matter... perhaps like photons that can emit light. But wait, it can be felt physically. So, what kind of matter is it? A wave? A photon? What if it's both? No, that's impossible... let's find the best possible way to explain it."
I sat in thought for a while before an idea struck me.
"This might work. If I define mana as a special type of quark combined with a special type of photon—where this photon doesn't just provide light but also acts as a sensor—if something triggers the sensor, the special photon activates the special quark within it, granting it the unique property to transmute matter."
"However, according to the 6th Law, that would require a massive amount of mana. That means mana must have an incredibly high density. Hmm... I see. I'll think more on this later."
I put down my notebook and did some exercise for a while until there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find a servant bringing me food. She handed it over hastily and rushed off. After finishing my meal, I exercised once more and then went to bed, feeling like today hadn't been much of an event