"Young master, young master!"
Waking from unconsciousness, he heard an urgent voice calling out for him. It was loud and noisy. Someone was shaking his body so hard that he swears that he was starting to become dizzy.
'...What the hell? What is this rough treatment? '
He quickly opened his eyes, and he was welcomed by the sight of a maid. Not just a maid, but a beautiful maid in her late teens dressed in a classical maid costume.
Staring at him, the maid let out a relieved sigh.
"Young Master, you're awake! Get up and please prepare for the day!"
The maid says this while she approaches the window. Sliding the curtains to the side and opening the window.
Seeing the maid, he guessed what happened wasn't a dream. He was now Rumpel. He left the bed and stretched his hands and legs for a bit.
"Well then, please head to the bathroom and take a bath, young master. I have left your clothes outside the bathroom, young master. Once you finish bathing, please go to the dining room. Master and Madam will be waiting."
The maid says this before leaving Rumpel's room. Once the maid was gone, Rumpel sighed and exited the bedroom. Walking to the bath, Rumpel recalled the identity of the long-blond-haired and brown-eyed maid.
From the original Rumpel's memories, the maid's name is Milyr. She is Rumpel's childhood friend and, at the same time, a servant of the Stelzehaut family. Milyr's family has been serving the Stelzehaut household since her grandfather's time.
' ..... Milyr would always wake up Rumpel rudely since he is a deep sleeper. '
Eventually, Rumpel arrived at the bathroom, which was located on the first floor of the Stelzehaut manor. From Rumpel's bedroom on the 2nd floor to the bathroom of the manor, the walk would take around 5 minutes. Just like Milyr said, his clothes are hanging outside of the bathroom door. He grabbed the clothes before opening the door and entering the bathroom to take a bath.
Even though he was transmigrated into a dystopian fantasy novel, which was dangerous for people from another world, Rumpel was lucky.
Lucky enough, he wasn't a named character in Noir Hero's Wrath. Not a supporting character, cannon fodder, or a mob character.
Some people may think that it was the opposite. But in this story, being a no-name character who isn't mentioned or described is ideal.
It was a saving grace, even if your fate or ending are unknown. In Noir Hero's Wrath, a named character that was in the supporting, cannon fodder, or mob is unlucky.
It wouldn't be a dystopian genre if there were no deaths involved, which in the story always comes from those 3 categories.
Heck, considering that this is a dystopian genre, most of the major characters aren't even lucky to have any messed up happening to them. The thing that mostly happens in the book is a tragedy.
Rumpel, being a no-name and non-mentioned character, got off lightly.
Other than being a no-name character, Rumpel lives in the 5th layer region of the Goetia Kingdom.
A place that wasn't too well protected, a location that wasn't too disordered and deemed as too hopeless and dangerous. What's more, he was an elite! The equivalent of a rich person's status in this world. He wasn't an 'Ordinary', which is an ordinary person or an 'Insect'. People who are homeless or live on the streets.
Stepping inside the bathroom, Rumpel came face-to-face with a mirror. In the reflection, a golden-haired and golden-eyed young man is staring back at him.
' Not bad! Rumpel's face is above average in looks! He belongs at the lower end of the handsome category! '
He was an average person in his past life, so this is a step up for him. As for his height...
' Maybe Rumpel's growth spurt hasn't yet arrived? '
Sadly, Rumpel didn't pass the average height for a young boy of his age.
After observing and checking out Rumpel's looks and heights, Rumpel removed his nightwear and started taking a bath. Some of the things inside the bathroom required the use of magic tools.
With the help of Rumpel's memories, he avoided making a mistake in the use of the magic tools in the bathroom. The Stelzehaut Household has a lot of magic tools in its mansion. They belonged to an upper-elite household in the 5th Region.
Soon, Rumpel will be finished bathing. He wore the clothes prepared for him by Milyr, taking care of his face and hair. Also, he cleaned his teeth before heading to the dining room.
He would meet Rumpel's parents.
According to Rumpel's memories, they were a pair of loving parents taking care of their son. Rumpel is spoiled and loved. For a dystopian setting, this is an unusual treatment.
In the novel, there is always a power struggle between siblings over inheritance or parents having a messed-up method of parenting.
Dermond and Sonne Stelzehaut. That is the name of Rumpel's parents. Eventually, Rumpel arrived at the dining room, where a few servants greeted him. Two of the chairs placed around the long rectangular dining table made of stone are occupied, while the rest are vacant. There is already a set of breakfasts on the table.
Rumpel sat in one of the vacant seats before greeting Rumpel's parents.
"Mother, Father."
The two nodded in acknowledgment. Looking at them, it seems that Rumpel has inherited his golden eyes and golden hair from his middle-aged-looking father. It is a Stelzehaut household trait. On the other hand, Rumpel's mother has silver hair and blue eyes. The thing that Rumpel inherited from her mother is his facial structure.
After the acknowledgment, the three of them started eating silently. To Rumpel's surprise, the food is delicious.
He remembered some of the characters in the novel mentioning that the food they ate tasted like crap.
' Maybe that's only because those people are insects or ordinary people? They couldn't afford any delicious food. '
On the other hand, maybe it was a privilege for people who live on the upper layers to have delicious food.
The characters that have once mentioned their food tasting like crap are from the 7th to 9th layers.
While eating breakfast, Rumpel and his new parents are silent. According to the memories, it was normal behavior and a tradition of the Stelzehaut family to eat as peacefully as possible. All of the talks and conversations always happened after eating.
A few minutes later, Rumpel and his parents finished eating their breakfast. Wiping her lips, Rumpel's mother, Sonne Stelzehaut, asked her son with a smile on her face.
"Are you ready to try again, Rumpel? With your home studies and training, I'm sure this time you will be accepted to the Phenex Academy!"
She widely smiled while gazing at her son intensely with her blue eyes. The expression on her face disturbed Rumpel. She looks so manic and desperate.
Now memories of the original resurface in his mind.
Rumpel Stelzehaut, a failed elite of the 5th layer, failed the entrance test of the Phenex Academy three times. Among the Stolas Domain and the 5th Region, he was considered a laughingstock. Not just for the other elite families. But ordinary people and insects surely mock him for his reputation as a failure. Because even some of them is successful in Phenex Academy exam in their first try.
The Original Rumpel Stelzehaut has failed three times trying to take the entrance exam at Phenex Academy and fulfill his dream as a mage.
From a very young age, Rumpel's mother would always tell Rumpel stories of how great the mages were while straying away from the topic of heroes. When Rumpel started dreaming of becoming a 9th Circle mage, Soone Stelzehaut encouraged her son's dreams with so much support and fostered them in every way she could as she raised Rumpel.
Years later, Rumpel, a 12-year-old hopeful boy, took the entrance exam to Phenex Academy.
The first time, it was a shock. But his parents encouraged him to try again next year. Maybe his parents were right. Rumpel could try again.
The second time, Rumpel failed once again. It was a blow to Rumpel's confidence and ego. He did his best, but it resulted in nothing. His mother encouraged him once again while his father stood, saying nothing.
Last year, it was the third attempt. The homeschool tutoring, Rumpel's physical training, and hard work were futile once again. His father wasn't disappointed; he was merely accepting. On the other hand, Rumpel's mother replied that Rumpel could try once again. He just needed to work harder.
From that point on, the original Rumpel's hope and dreams of becoming a mage ended. He understands that he would merely remain a magicless human. All of his hard work and the money that his parents put into his homeschooling for the basic lessons of magic are useless.
It was futile.
However, his mother once again looked at Rumpel with a strained smile on her face, saying...
"There's still time; you could try again, Rumpel! "
Wordlessly, the original Rumpel could only nod, while his father could only sigh. Rumpel's mother is a magicless human, while his father forever remained a 1st Circle mage of the wind element.
From the memories, Rumpel learned of Rumpel being tired of working hard for futility yet unable to say anything, afraid that he would disappoint her. He was so useless that he wasn't able to repay his mother's support for his dreams.
Rumpel's assessment earlier was wrong. One way or another, there was something wrong with every family in this dystopian world.
As much as the original Rumpel tried to follow his mother's whims and once tried again at the Phenex Academy, where she also failed her entrance exams, Rumpel has no plan to continue and cater to her every whim.
"Mother."
"Yes, dear?"
"I give up."