Reiger Brillhaut was a genius.
The reason for saying this wasn't that his comprehension was excellent or his natural talent was exceptionally high, but because the world had favored him a little more, naturally putting him ahead of many others.
Nor was Reiger Brillhaut someone of significant standing; on the contrary, he came from an obscure rural area, where his ancestors up to three generations had been farmers, and his grandfather had even been a slave, making it easy to imagine his humble origins.
But Reiger Brillhaut was undoubtedly a lucky person.
Because, he was born with an exceptional amount of Magic Power.
Realizing this, he was not content to merely be a farmer or a slave, so he abandoned his grandfather and family, who had planned to dedicate him to their master, and escaped from the rural land where he had grown up. He made his way into the territory of a major noble, where he attended the admission test held at the National Magic Academy.
Thus, his strong innate Magic Power smoothly alarmed the upper echelons of the Magic Academy, and he was admitted straight through to the continent's top institution, becoming a notable newcomer at the renowned academy.
The name of Reiger Brillhaut's genius originated from there.
His comprehension was not particularly outstanding, nor was his talent in magic extraordinarily high, but because he was born with outstanding Magic Power, he became a genius envied by everyone.
This was because, in this world, although everyone possessed Magic Power, the amount of Magic Power was naturally determined at birth and could not be changed by external factors later on.
In other words, the amount of Magic Power a person had at birth would be the amount he would have for life.
This condemned many from birth, unable to become Magicians through effort, however unwilling they might be.
Conversely, it allowed a select few with extraordinary natural gifts and copious amounts of Magic Power almost effortlessly to become Magicians, wield high-grade, high-power magic that others couldn't muster, and easily be hailed as geniuses.
Reiger Brillhaut was such a person.
Therefore, he was praised by many people.
Therefore, he was flattered by many people.
Many people gathered around him, including many prominent figures who sought to ingratiate themselves with him, offering him opportunities. Even the kingdom took him very seriously; it was said that the King had remembered his name.
So, the question arises.
What would become of a country boy of humble birth, with little experience, who had always lived as an inferior person but, upon arriving in a big city, found himself continually praised, supported, and flattered by everyone after withstanding the temptations of a glamorous world?
Like some protagonists in novels, would he strive hard, resist all temptations, and become the strongest to completely change his fate?
No.
At least, Reiger could say that confidently.
"In such an environment, the likelihood of turning bad is infinitely greater than the possibility of turning good."
The original owner had done just that.
Under the praises, flattery, ingratiations, and support of those around him, the original owner effortlessly forgot to strive hard, forgot to persevere, and fell into the sweet bombardment of others, unable to extricate himself.
The result was that the original owner had completely become an ignorant fellow, relying on the so-called "genius" title, immersing himself in pleasure with some noble offspring every day. Although not to the extent of bullying or overpowering others, he gradually became arrogant, prideful in his talents, believing himself to be a superior person, unwilling to associate with those of lowly birth, and hanging out with a group of noble youths.
Finally, the calamity that shattered the original owner's dreams arrived.
Just a month ago, after a night of frolicking with a group of noble youths, the original owner was seriously wounded in an attack as he was preparing to return to the academy. Not only was he severely injured and barely alive, but the "Gate" within him was destroyed, rendering him unable to use magic ever again.
The genius, from there, fell from the pedestal.
Realizing this, the original owner was overwhelmed with grief and died.
His last thoughts were not of regret for his actions up till then but refusing to accept the future where he might return to the life of an inferior person.
In such a scenario, Reiger arrived and took the place of the original owner, and was taken back to her own mansion by Yuri, who thought he had been successfully rescued.
For such an original owner, Reiger had no sympathy nor pity.
"This outcome could quite well be considered as reaping what one sows."
In his previous life, Reiger's situation was somewhat similar to that of the original owner, filled with deceptive flattery and sycophantic praisers.
However, unlike the original owner, Reiger had mostly seen through the true faces behind these smiling people, and he deeply despised these ulterior-motivated individuals and the environment he was in.
Now, having left his original world and arrived in this world of swords and magic, it was somewhat a liberation for Reiger.
With this mindset, Reiger hadn't originally planned to pursue the matter of the original owner being attacked.
However, the situation appeared to be more complex than Reiger had imagined.
"I have already ordered an investigation."
Mentioning this, Yuri's brows also slightly furrowed.
"Nothing was found?"
Seeing this, Reiger immediately guessed the outcome.
Sure enough, Yuri nodded.
"The assailant is deeply hidden, whether it was the attack a month ago that left you severely injured or the assassination attempt half a month ago, the attackers were all hired underground operatives. Following their trail, it's impossible to find out anything."
Indeed.
Half a month ago, Reiger was attacked once again.
Originally, Reiger had thought that the original owner was attacked purely because he had offended someone or had been disliked or envied by someone.
However, during the period he was recovering at Yuri's place, someone had infiltrated the mansion under the guise of a servant and launched an assassination attempt on Reiger during the night when everyone else was asleep.
Fortunately, although this mansion was just one of Yuri's villas, its protection measures were thorough. There were always people patrolling and standing guard, and a magic alarm system was in place. That was why Yuri was able to rush to Reiger's room the instant the assassin sneaked in and apprehend the intruder.
Otherwise, Reiger wouldn't be lying in bed now, he would likely be lying in a graveyard instead.
This was clearly abnormal.
"To hire an assassin who even knows how to sneak into this mansion, the opponent is not only well-hidden but also seems to have a complex identity," Reiger said in a calm tone that made Yuri wonder if he was even the victim.
Nevertheless, Reiger's statement was correct.
Even though it was just a villa, the ability to infiltrate this place indicated the perpetrator's profound capabilities.
After all, this was the place where she—Yuri Franzel—lived.
To be able to hire an assassin of that caliber, the person's identity background and capabilities must definitely be remarkable.
"I really want to know what would make such an important person target me," Reiger said with a smile to Yuri, seemingly unaffected.
Yuri looked intently at Reiger before she finally spoke.
"I will continue the investigation. In the meantime, you can rest assured here," said Yuri. "You also shouldn't be disheartened by your current condition. Although rare, there are indeed ways to heal a completely damaged 'Gate.' I will keep an eye out for you temporarily, hoping you won't give up on yourself."
"I will," Reiger noncommittally nodded and said, "Thank you."
"No need," Yuri responded with a gentle smile, blooming beautifully like an orchid.
After chatting for a few more moments, Yuri stood up.
"I won't disturb you any longer. Rest well," she said.
After speaking, Yuri gracefully moved away, leaving a faint fragrance behind as she exited Reiger's room.
Reiger watched Yuri leave, his heart far from as calm as he appeared on the surface.
"Who could it be?"
Reiger tirelessly recalled the original host's memories, considering everyone the host knew one by one as potential suspects.
It wasn't just the noble youths; he doubted even the common folk whom the original host scorned, and even the old acquaintances from his rural days—still, he found no answer.
"There are still too few clues."
The original host's memories might not necessarily be reliable.
Perhaps, the mastermind was someone the original host had overlooked or even failed to remember.
If it were Reiger, he would never let such things happen.
His experiences in a previous life had already instilled the habit of suspecting everyone in Reiger, ensuring he never intentionally overlooked any individual.
It was also because of past experiences that Reiger understood something deeply.
"The opponent certainly hasn't given up yet, and will continue targeting me, sending someone to kill me."
Yuri's prestigious status and her highly sensitive and critical environment meant that the perpetrator was so determined to kill Reiger that they sent an assassin—it was ample proof of their resolve to kill Reiger.
This made Reiger, who also suffered from such matters in his past life, feel very insecure.
"Next time, what kind of person will they send?"
"Will it be someone even more troublesome than the last?"
"Will Yuri be able to arrive in time to save me then?"
All these questions told Reiger just how unstable and unsafe his current situation was.
Moreover, Yuri's rescue wasn't without reason.
If it wasn't for some reason, given the barely existent relationship between the original host and Yuri, which could even be considered a stretch, she definitely wouldn't have sheltered Reiger for a whole month, and saving his life when he was near death would have been commendable enough.
Reiger didn't want his life to depend entirely on someone else.
He had to protect himself.
He had to find a way to break free from his current powerless state.
Clearly, this was going to be very difficult.
With the 'Gate' completely broken, Reiger couldn't use even the simplest magic in this world of swords and magic. How could he protect himself?
Fortunately, Reiger was not completely out of options.
Closing his eyes, Reiger submerged his consciousness into his mind.
In a blur, it seemed that within a sea of consciousness, he glimpsed an object.
A dazzlingly brilliant cube radiating breathtaking light, completely transparent.
Reiger touched it with his consciousness.
The next moment, a thought was directly perceived by Reiger.
'Dimensional cube, activate.'