Finally, the voices in my head have stopped pestering me, but I still don't feel entirely synchronized with this body. I guess having a previous owner leaves a lingering aftertaste. I checked the clock. The birthday banquet, huh? I sighed. Might as well get it over with.
I searched for something wearable. Aha! A black shirt and denim jeans. Wait, do jeans even exist in this world? Well, if they're here, I'm using them. I pulled them on immediately, but then—
"Ow! My arms are killing me. I guess I pushed it too hard with the workout yesterday."
I strapped on my wristwatch and glanced at the box on the desk. "Should I wear it? Eh, why not."
I flipped the box open and put on the silver necklace. My shirt completely hid the fiery red gemstone, leaving only the silver chain visible. I looked in the mirror. This guy's face really doesn't suit an all-black outfit. I stood there thinking for a moment; just wearing black wouldn't be enough. That's when I spotted something—hair dye?
How the hell did this get here? Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming urge to change my hair color. "Screw it, let's do this."
I stripped down and headed to the bathroom to dye my hair alone. Once finished, I checked my reflection. Much better. I got back into my clothes and looked around the room. I definitely need to find time to buy more clothes; I can't keep wearing this same style forever, even if it's not strictly "necessary."
"Is there a jacket or something?"
Nothing. I love black shirts, but wearing just a shirt to a formal banquet would be weird. Then, I found a white coat. "Yeah, this should work." I threw the coat on immediately. "Wait! Why isn't there a single speck of dust on this? Whatever."
I checked the time—6:00 AM. I stepped out of my room. As expected, it was still quiet. I spotted Orthia downstairs; she was sitting alone, sipping tea and seemingly talking to herself.
"Uh... you do you," I whispered to myself.
I slowly made my way down. I caught a glimpse of Orthia's face—she looked confused, like she had just seen a ghost. She stayed frozen like that for several minutes, but I didn't pay her much mind. I still had plenty of time, so I headed out of the manor—and this time, I made sure not to forget my money.
Once I reached the city, I looked around. "Now, where was that bookstore again?"
"Hello! We meet again, don't we?"
A woman's voice called out from behind me. I turned to see Luna Valerius. What was she doing here?
"Oh, hello."
"By the way, Mr. Xenos... did you dye your hair?"
Seriously, why do people ask the obvious? Are they blind? Or is this just the standard "welcome home" question here?
"Uh, yes. I'm not a big fan of blonde."
"Oh, I see. Your face really didn't suit blonde hair anyway. It's good you dyed it; this color fits your features much better."
I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or insulted.
"Thanks for the compliment. So, where are you headed, Lady Luna?"
"I'm on my way to the birthday banquet for the children of Duke Estheros. I just stopped by to browse some books again. And what about you, Mr. Xenos? What brings you here?"
"I'm here for books as well."
"Did you forget your money again this time?"
Sigh. Of course, she had to bring that up. "No. I didn't forget it this time."
"Good to hear. By the way, would you like to accompany me to the banquet? My father isn't coming, so there's an extra seat in the carriage."
"Uh, no thanks. I'll pass."
"I see. Well, I'll see you later then."
She began to walk away, but I stopped her. "Wait! Lady Luna, which way was the bookstore I visited last time? I... forgot."
As soon as she heard me, she burst out laughing. "You really do have a terrible memory, don't you? Just walk straight, and when you hit the three-way intersection, turn left."
"Thanks a lot."
I hurried toward the bookstore, feeling a wave of embarrassment. I can't believe I actually forgot the way. As soon as I reached the bookstore, the first thing I did was grab the books that were "absolutely" necessary. I wouldn't survive this world without data. I snatched up basics on magic, swordsmanship, history—anything that would keep me alive. I even picked up books that nobody bothered to read, like the detailed mechanics of the Awakening Ceremony; apparently, only priests read those, but I had a hunch they'd be useful. Well, a "hunch" at least. I threw in a few novels and, last but not least, a guide explaining "Power"—whether it be magic, other forces, or even contracts with living beings. This was the most essential thing for my new life. Finally, I grabbed one more massive tome that everyone ignored: an incredibly thick encyclopedia of every academy in existence.
I lugged the whole pile back to the manor. The guards looked absolutely stunned as I hauled the books inside. Not surprising—the chances of the "old" Xenos touching a book were practically zero.
I managed to sneak the books into my room without being spotted and dumped the mountain of paper onto my desk. I started by skimming the one about schools. So, schools for minors (you come of age at 16 in this world) are pretty much like the ones in my old world—just studying and exams, nothing fancy. However, the "Academies" are a different story; they focus heavily on practical application, though they still have theory exams. How exhausting. I set the book down and stepped out of my room. It was already noon.
Orthia was busy chatting with the servants, and Xenos's father was nowhere to be seen. Looking out the window, I saw a carriage approaching the manor. It bore a crest... Wait, the Valerius family crest? I froze for a second. Damn it, what should I do? I told her I was a commoner. If she finds out, she'll probably scream at me for "disguising myself to hit on girls" (or worse). Sigh. If Xenos hadn't been such a troublemaker, people wouldn't assume the worst, but I can't really blame him since I'm the one using his body now.
"Forget it. The carriage is already inside the gates. Whatever happens, happens."
Just then, a young woman with silver-blue hair stepped out. Who's that? She was wearing a deep blue dress. Good grief, why is it so long? It looks incredibly cumbersome. She made her way into the manor.
"I'm too lazy to go back to my room. I'll just stay out here."
Orthia immediately went over to greet her. Thanks to this body's heightened senses, I could hear every word of their conversation.
"Hello, Lady Orthia. It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl with silver-blue hair said. Wait... her voice sounds exactly like Luna's. Don't tell me it's actually her?
"The pleasure is mine, Lady Luna," Orthia replied. It is her! When the hell did she change her hair and clothes?
"How have you been lately, Lady Orthia?"
"I've been well, though I've had a bit of a headache over my studies. By the way, when I saw you in town earlier, you had navy blue hair. Why has it returned to silver-blue now?"
"Oh, I wanted to see if silver hair suited me, so I tried on a wig. It turned out it didn't really fit, so I took it off. Oh! Speaking of which, where is your twin brother?"
So that's it. She was wearing a wig. But why did it look so damn realistic? No, Orthia, don't you dare...
"He's upstairs. You can go up, but be careful. Actually, I'll just call him."
Son of a...! She looked straight at me. I have to go down, don't I? Fine. I started walking down the stairs. There's no hiding it anymore.
"Eh? Mr. Xenos? What are you doing here? I thought you were a commoner?" Luna asked, confused.
"Wait, this bastard told you he was a commoner?" Orthia turned to snap at me instantly. "Are you planning to trick her and lure her away for something perverted?!"
"Sigh... believe whatever you want," I replied, feeling drained.
"Ehh... are you really Lady Orthia's twin? You're nothing like the rumors," Luna spoke up, seemingly defending me. "He was kind and polite—even if his memory is as short as the rumors say. I don't think he was trying to lure me away."
"What? This guy, polite? Impossible!"
I tried to use the moment they were talking to sneak away unnoticed, but of course, Orthia caught me and dragged me back.
"Where do you think you're going?!" She turned back to Luna. "The 'short memory' part is right, but 'polite' and 'kind'? Where?! I haven't seen a drop of kindness from him in my entire life!"
"Look... can you just let me go? Can't I just have one day of peace and quiet?" I said to her. Orthia looked at me with total bewilderment. "What's with that face? Is it really impossible for a person to change their personality? Even if it is hard to believe..."
Finally, she let go. I hurried back upstairs and stood right in front of my bedroom door.