An ending truly worthy of my shitty life. Alright, enough of feeling sorry for myself. This life is a chance to rewrite my story. Time to find out what's going on here. Who is she... he? Who are you? How should I address you? Are you the help system that the previous person mentioned?
— Yes and no, Alex. For now, yes, I will play the role of your system's consciousness, but I am not it. My name is Mela, and I am an apostle of the god of life. Before you ask: yes, the very same god who spoke to you earlier. Originally, I shouldn't be here, but thanks to you and the interruption of the memory synchronization, I am here now as your system, with the mission to help you on your journey.
— Stop talking nonsense. Ha, am I supposed to believe you're doing this for my good? Because I was a good person or something like that? Stop spouting rubbish and tell me what interest you have in bringing me here and helping me?
An awkward silence followed, and then Mela spoke again, but her voice was different… more human and full of mixed emotions.
— Okay, human, you're starting to irritate me slowly. How can a pitiful, trashy mortal who has never achieved anything in life speak this way to an apostle of a god? Do you know what an apostle is? In the hierarchy of heaven, I am just beneath the god. Just being near such scum like you makes me nauseous.
— So now you've shown your true colors, huh? Good, I dislike when people wear masks while talking to me. My intuition told me from the beginning that you were not honest with me, which raised my doubts, but now we can talk. And to answer your question: I don't know what an apostle is and I don't care. Why am I here? What do you want me to do?
— Pfff, even for a mortal, you have a nasty character. I could tell you everything, but it would be faster if you accept the memories of the previous owner of this body. You will need these memories anyway.
— I won't lose my identity?
— No, if your will is stronger than that person's, nothing will happen, and you will only gain the memories.
— Will it be as painful as before?
— No, it will be a quick process.
For a moment, I wondered if she was telling the truth, but frankly, I don't have much of a choice. Soon I would need to leave this room, so I needed those memories.
— Alright, give me those memories.
At that moment, the world seemed to split in two; I felt immense pressure and fell to the ground, struggling to catch my breath.
— Fuuuck, you said it wouldn't hurt.
— Whaaat? When did I say that? I only told you that it would be a quick process and that the pain would not be comparable to the earlier one, because it would be much greater due to the increased speed of the transfer.
She laughed, then told me to endure it, or I might lose my sanity.
— What a bitch!!!
Afff, I didn't have the strength to say anything else, I gritted my teeth again and hoped the pain would subside soon. After a brief moment that seemed like an eternity, the pain subsided, and I slowly began to rise from the ground. After straightening my back and looking ahead towards the mirror, I started laughing hysterically.
— HAHAHAHAHAH HAHAHAHAHAH I knew I was in a tough situation, but now after seeing those memories... To say I'm in a difficult situation is an understatement. This is something else, it's far beyond the scale of normal difficulties. I'm totally screwed.
I took a deep breath and slowly started to sort everything out in my head.
— Alex, are you alright? — I heard the now familiar female voice, much gentler this time compared to the previous one. Did she think I had gone mad after the transfer?
— Give me a moment, I need to sort this out – I said.
So that's how it is, not only am I in another world and in a new body, but it has to be this game. It was a game called "Chronicles of Arkadia," a romance game set in a fantasy world featuring RPG elements. In recent years, it had been quite popular in my world. Although I wasn't interested in it myself because I dislike such themes, I succumbed to the general wave of excitement among the gaming community and bought it. It was the worst money I ever spent. I hadn't played such crap in a long time. Although the graphics were indeed superb and the character-building and exploration system was well-developed, the plot and characters were a complete waste. The typical main character appears out of nowhere, awakens a great talent, gets accepted into one of the larger houses, and then starts building his harem while staying at the academy and saving the world. I never finished it, which will undoubtedly be problematic. I know the game has three parts, while I never even finished the first one, haaa I'm knee-deep in trouble.
The best part is that now having the previous person's memories, or rather Leo, specifically Leonard Ferris, son of a princely family of the Nelis duchy, which is located in the kingdom of Hestia. There are five kingdoms in this world, three of which are human, one is a beastkin kingdom, and one belongs to the elves. There are still the demons, but no one recognizes them as a kingdom, similarly with the vampires. If I remember correctly: Hestia is the largest human kingdom lying in the south, Frostheim in the north, and in the central point the last human kingdom – the smallest of all – Crestoria. To the south is the kingdom of elves Silvermoon, and the beastkin kingdom, Lunaria. Theoretically, I am, or rather this body is, the prince of one of the larger duchies in this kingdom. But combining fragments of the game's story with those belonging to Leo, I know it's not the case. I really don't have anything to look for here.
From the moment when my father, Michael, departed, I was left with a stepmother and her two daughters. All three have despised me for as long as I can remember. The fact that I've lived this long is a miracle. Age-wise, I am younger than Leyla and older than Margaret. Theoretically, as the only male heir, I am the successor, but in practice, there is no way my stepmother, specifically Althea, would allow me to take it. Besides, it's too much of a hassle, so I don't want it anyway. Leo never wanted it either – it didn't interest him. Since I can remember, he always loved only the sword and wanted to devote his life to studying and honing his swordsmanship. In his youth, he was a genius among geniuses with immense talent and potential. He was admired by all. Everything changed when his sisters awakened, and he did not. Then it turned out he suffered from a rare condition called "mana deficiency," which blocked his mana channels, preventing mana from flowing properly to the core. This caused general weakness and the impossibility to use mana significantly without risking his life. He was ridiculed and despised by everyone except his father. Despite that, Leo didn't care and kept focusing on his goal. Everything changed when his father died in a tragic accident, protecting his son. Leo wasn't able to help in any way and was killed before his eyes. For a nine-year-old boy, it was too much; he gave up on his dreams and put the sword away. Since then, he lived in the prison of his own mind; nothing mattered to him, living day by day. From the memories I have, he planned to commit suicide today, or rather it's more accurate to say he did it successfully, given that I'm here. Pfff, what a broken man, how could something like that break him. But on the other hand, I feel a slight sadness thinking about it – probably because of the emotions that built up over time, which were passed on to me. Alright, enough pondering, I won't get anywhere with it anyway. Time to find out what this god and this whole mission are about.
— Listen, Mila or whatever your name was.
— It's Mela, never forget that. It's a great honor for you to speak with me. You better address me as "great and honorable."
— Yeah, right, forget about it. We're gonna have to put up with each other for a while, I suppose, so let's set some rules. I'll call you by your name and forget about any reverence and piety from my side. As it stands, I don't worship any gods, especially not their bootlickers.
— HOW DARE YOU!! YOU MERE MORTAL DARE...
— Enough — I quickly cut her off before she could finish her sentence. — I don't care. I just want a peaceful life with as few interactions with you as possible. Tell me more about your god, what does he want from me? Why did he bring me here? And what is this world? I remember it from the game I played. Am I in the game? — No, it can't be that simple — I thought.
— Ha, alright, listen, human, this world is not a game, it's real. The game in your world was only based on it, something like a prophecy, but that's irrelevant. Let's not dwell on the details. The important thing is that what's happening in the game and how the characters behave there doesn't have to be consistent with what's here. Everything can happen differently, and the knowledge you possess may become meaningless, especially if you interfere strongly in some crucial events.
The goddess of life and all magic, specifically my lady, the great Isis, brought you here for two reasons. The first was that she didn't like the ending of your story and wanted to give you a second chance. She was moved by your sacrifice for a friend you barely knew. And the second reason is that this world has a foretold end, or rather a tragic end, full of destruction and despair. As you know from the game's ending, or maybe not, five years from now, four great calamities, ancient creatures, bringing chaos wherever they appear, will awaken. This world will fall under their yoke, and all living creatures will perish.
— And what about the hero? Why should I deal with it? I'm just a mere extra. The star of this world, the heavens' favorite, should take care of it.
— Yes, you're right, that should be his task, but depending on the decisions he makes and the path he follows, there's a high chance he might not succeed. The goddess didn't want to take the risk and looked for alternative solutions, new variables that could influence the future, and she found you. You are that variable, at least that's what she believes. Personally, I think it's a mistake, and someone as useless as you won't achieve anything and might only make things worse.
— Ha, this is probably one of the few moments when I agree with you, lady apostle of licking celestial butts. I have no intention of interfering, let the hero handle it, as it should be. I have other problems on my mind. For me, surviving until tomorrow will be a challenge, let alone thinking so far ahead. This world is meaningless to me, only my survival matters. I'm not going to play the hero that I'm not. People will never appreciate your sacrifice and what you give up for them — I thought, recalling certain events from the past but quickly dismissing the thought. — You won't force me to comply?
— I could if I wanted to, but I won't. The goddess gives you a free hand, believing in your good will. She is convinced that there is still goodness in you.
— She can think whatever she wants, but I know my own truth. I'm a bastard with a nasty character who sacrifices others without hesitation. I won't hesitate to kill someone if it ensures my safety.
— Alright, enough of this chat, I need to go to my stepmother's audience. Too much time has passed, at this rate, I won't even survive until this evening. Ahhh, this lousy game — I hissed while slowly dressing in formal clothes. Before leaving, I threw a quick glance in the direction of the mirror. — Mmm, not bad for such a loser. This outfit isn't too bad either, even I, despite having no sense of fashion, can tell. I look like a celestial being that has just descended to grace others with my splendid beauty. If I had such a body on Earth, I would definitely have my own fan club. No, what am I saying — I'm convinced that a religion would be founded worshipping me as the god of beauty.
With slight reluctance, I turned away and started making my way towards the door. Time to take the first step towards my freedom. As I walked, I pondered my uncertain future.
— Why this character? — I asked rather unexpectedly.
A moment of silence ensued, followed by an unexpected answer:
— Your soul is similar to the soul that previously inhabited this body. Thanks to this, the whole transmigration process went very smoothly and without any complications, plus the owner voluntarily left this body. Is that enough of an answer?
— Yeah, I'm always unlucky. Not only did I end up in such a tacky game, but I was also compatible with the body of a guy who wasn't even shown in the first part of the game. From what I remember, he was only mentioned once as someone not worth bothering with because he's a total failure.
It took me a few minutes to get there. This palace is bigger than I remembered from my game. My room was on one of the higher floors, so I had to go through a few levels to find the audience hall. The corridors were majestic, just like the entire building. Damn rich people. Shades of blue, silver, and white dominated here. It felt like the walls were emitting an icy aura, trying to freeze the hearts and minds of those walking through them. A complete contrast to my room, I wouldn't be surprised if it weren't for Leo's memories. He never liked ice, so despite it being the dominant element in his family, his father completely changed the decor of his room.
Most of the walls were covered with intricately crafted winter frescoes, depicting scenes from the ice kingdom: shimmering snowy landscapes, frozen waterfalls, ice castles, and much more. Along the corridor, mirrors in silver frames were placed at intervals, reflecting the winter light cast by crystal chandeliers hanging high above. The marble floor in a heavenly white shade, in some places, you could see blue veins breaking the sterile whiteness, as if the entire castle was a living creature with frozen veins.
— I definitely don't feel comfortable here — I thought as my eyes fell upon the majestic doors leading to the audience hall.
With each step, a delicate echo was heard, reflecting the coldness of this place and increasing the pervasive sense of silence, as if the entire space was frozen. I took a deep breath, held the air in my lungs for a moment, and then released it, calming my breath and suppressing the fear budding in my heart.
— Time to enter the lair of the snow dragon — I thought, lightly pushing the large double doors made of dark wood, inlaid with silver details and adorned with motifs of icy feathers and snowflakes.
When the doors fully opened, I closed my eyes for a moment and gathered all the mental strength I had, knowing that this was my "do or die" moment. I'm betting everything on one card.