I tried to sleep again and again, but I just couldn't drift off. Why the hell not? Well, since sleep wasn't happening, I took the opportunity to raid the room. I got out of bed and began searching every nook and cranny of Xenos's quarters until I stumbled upon a letter.
[ Dear Mr. Xenos Estheros, you are cordially invited to enroll at St. Luminos Academy. Upon reaching the age of sixteen, please send a letter to the academy once more to confirm your intent to enroll. Sincerely yours. ]
"Wait, school? I got warped to another world and I still have to go to school?" I muttered, feeling like I was losing my mind. I shoved the letter into a drawer and continued my search. I piled everything I found in front of me. Let's see... what do we have here? A student ID, birthday cards with messages that looked completely insincere, and some photos. And what's this? A diary filled with nothing but emotional venting. I grabbed the diaries and tossed them straight into the trash. Why would anyone keep these?
I picked up the student ID to examine it. Astrea Noble Academy. Why does the name sound so low-quality? Whatever. Wait a minute... how did this idiot end up in Class S? He's supposed to be a total moron, isn't he? I sighed, realizing the school probably put him in Class S just because he's a high-ranking noble. Well, fine. I only have to stay at this school for three more years. Once I hit sixteen, I'll be heading to St. Luminos. The name sounds decent enough, and if I recall correctly, it's the best academy in Astrea. That should be a better fit.
I looked at the "pile of trash" belonging to Xenos gathered before me and stuffed the useless bits into the wastebin. I checked the clock; it was only 7:00 PM. Plenty of time left. Come to think of it, this place has some perks—the trash can is enchanted with a decomposition spell. However, it seems to have limits; it can't break down organic matter or living tissue. (I tested this by clipping a tiny bit of my own skin and tossing it in.) It turns out this trash can is basically a mana generator in disguise.
Tomorrow is the birthday banquet, right? Regardless, I turned my attention to a pile of clothes. I "restored them to a usable state" by stripping away all the cluttered ornaments, leaving only the plain fabric, buttons, and essential parts.
Finally, my eyes landed on a box secured with a sliding combination lock. I found a thin piece of paper and slid it into the side of the number dials. I slowly rotated them one by one; if the number was correct, the paper would slip deeper into the mechanism (Don't try this at home).
To my surprise, the code was 1-1-1-1. "Seriously? Who sets a code like that? Does it even mean anything?" I shrugged it off. Inside the box was an elegant silver necklace. At its center sat a breathtaking, fiery red gemstone.
"Whose necklace is this? Did he steal it from somewhere? Wait, even Orthia said this guy doesn't steal. So it must be a gift from someone... but who the hell would give him a gift? Whatever."
I put the necklace back in the box, locked it, and stowed it away on the desk.
Why does today feel so damn long? I'm utterly exhausted from having all of this thrust upon me so suddenly. Whatever, I might as well step out of my room for a bit. I took a shower and threw on some "clothes" before checking the clock—only half an hour had passed. I opened the door and walked out.
Down below, I saw servants busy setting up the birthday banquet for Xenos and Orthia. Or rather, for "Orthia." There were so many tables; how many people are actually attending this? The hall was drowning in flowers, and a massive banner hung there: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ORTHIA & xenos." The name "Orthia" was clearly written with meticulous care, while "xenos" looked like they didn't want to write it at all. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of Orthia stepping out of her room.
Wait, is that what Orthia looks like? I don't remember her being like this. A young girl with blonde hair and azure eyes. She's... quite "short" by the standards of where I came from. And why does she look bigger now? Last time I saw her, she seemed much smaller.
"What are you standing there for? Planning to throw something at someone again?" she snapped, her voice laced with "considerable" irritation.
Huh? I'm just standing here. But I guess it's not surprising she'd think that, considering I'm currently hovering over the balcony—and given Xenos's past track record.
"I'm not planning to throw anything at anyone."
"Hmph. Highly unbelievable."
"Believe whatever you want."
With that, she marched down the stairs. Now, I'm not being a creep or anything, but... why is her chest so flat it's practically non-existent? It really stands out. It's flatter than a man's chest. If it weren't for her face and hairstyle, people would probably mistake her for a boy.
Scanning the servants, I noticed that most of the lower-ranking ones were female, while the middle ranks started to have men mixed in. And of course, the Head Butler is a man. It feels like this family has some serious gender bias going on. By the way, does Xenos have any other siblings? Whatever, I'll find out if they show up.
Wait, who's that? Quite tall, dark blonde hair, and blood-red eyes.
According to Xenos's notebooks, that would be his father—Albert Estheros. Man, I'm going to have to face a lot of people tomorrow, aren't I? Sigh. This is going to be exhausting. I looked around the manor; no matter how many times I see it, this place is massive.
Actually... where the hell is Xenos's mother?
Wait, now that I think about it, Xenos hasn't mentioned his mother even once in his memory journals. Hmm… Oh, I remember now. It seems Xenos's mother passed away long ago. Even Xenos himself can't remember her face because she left when he was very young. The only thing he probably knew was that she had azure eyes—otherwise, there'd be no way to tell where he and Orthia inherited their eye color from. Suddenly, I saw Orthia climbing the stairs, heading straight toward me.
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she asked, as if trying to drive me away. She probably thought I was plotting something again.
"No."
"By the way... why are you dressed like that?"
"Huh? Oh, this? It's comfortable."
"Ugh, do whatever you want. But if anything happens tomorrow, you're dead."
A chill ran down my spine. Why the hell is she so scary? She turned and disappeared into her room. I decided to walk downstairs. The servants glanced at me briefly before returning to their frantic preparations. I wandered through the hall, passing an endless row of tables. Each one was crafted with such precision—definitely not my style, but then again, this banquet was never meant for me in the first place, was it? I explored every corner of the ground floor until I returned to the main hall, where I ran into Xenos's father.
"What are you doing?"
"Just taking a walk, Lord Duke."
"Since when did you start calling me 'Duke'?"
Without another word, he turned his back on me and headed upstairs. Sigh. Is this how a normal family acts? I don't know. I've been alone for so long that I've forgotten what a "family" even feels like. Well, since I have one now, I should probably spend some time with them, even if it's dysfunctional. But honestly, I still can't accept that I am Xenos. In my mind, "Phukan" and "Xenos" are still two different people.
I hurried back to my room and immediately started exercising. I pushed myself as hard as I possibly could…
I sat up in bed abruptly.
"Did I fall asleep while exercising yesterday? Is this body really that weak?"
I quickly showered and got dressed before heading out. I glanced at the hall clock—it was only 5:00 AM. No one else was awake yet…
"Why the hell did I wake up so late? I usually wake up at four, don't I? Well, whatever."
Suddenly, the door to the adjacent room swung open. Orthia stepped out, rubbing her eyes as she turned toward me. She blinked, staring in disbelief.
"Huh?" She looked completely bewildered. Ah, I get it. This guy must have been a notorious oversleeper.
"You're actually awake?"
"Obviously. Did you think I was sleepwalking?"
"Whoa... I must be dizzy. Maybe I need to go back to sleep for another round."
"You're not dizzy. Stay awake."
"I guess so. So, what on earth possessed you to wake up this early?"
"Uh, I don't know. Maybe because there are fewer people around in the morning."
She didn't give a reply. I glanced at her dress—it looked... somewhat manageable, though still cumbersome. And of course, the dress wasn't low-cut. Obviously not, since she has nothing to—STOP! Why the hell am I thinking about this?
She headed downstairs, and I hurried back into my room to meditate. That's when I finally found the culprit. This guy.
"Hey, you! Body-snatcher! What's so fun about stealing someone else's life?"
"I'm not a thief, damn it! I was transmigrated here! You should show some gratitude—you're dead, but your body survived because of me! By the way, where the hell are we? It's completely empty... Is this my subconscious?"
In the books I've read, the environment of the subconscious reflects a person's mind.
Suddenly, a blinding light erupted. Both Phukan and the original Xenos turned toward the radiance. The light gradually took the form of a woman with grey wings—the same woman who had sent Phukan into Xenos's body.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't quite finish tidying things up."
Wait, how is she speaking? Aren't we inside a subconscious?
As that thought crossed Phukan's mind, the woman grabbed the original Xenos's soul. In an instant, she vanished, taking the original spirit with her and leaving Phukan behind in a state of utter confusion.
I snapped my eyes open and immediately checked the clock. Thankfully, only five minutes had passed.