I was stunned by the sudden notification that popped up in front of me. Blinking a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining things, I quickly checked the details of the quest:
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[!!!NOTIFICATION!!!
QUEST RECEIVED: Welcome to the Another World!
1. You must uncover the identity of Naoki von Blackmore.
2. Flirt someone you meet.
Reward: 10 Goddess Point
Failure Penalty: Every woman in this world will hate you.
Accept or not?]
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I never expected my very first quest to sound so ridiculous.
"What the heck is this?! Hey, Envi, did you give me this silly quest on purpose?!" I yelled at Envi, my frustration boiling over.
"Ehh... I didn't! Not at all! ( --__ --)" he replied, his voice unconvincing and his dumb emoji making it painfully obvious he was lying.
"This is SO STUPID! I don't want to do it, especially when it involves flirting with someone! That's not my style!" I grumbled, crossing my arms in defiance.
"Hey, listen up! This is important. First, you need to understand what kind of world this is, you idiot! And as for flirting? It's easy! Just do it!" Envi shouted back at me.
Ugh, I had to admit the system wasn't entirely wrong. Understanding this bizarre world was essential... even if the way it handled things annoyed me to no end.
"Fine, fine. I'll go along with it this time. I'd rather not be hated by every single woman in this world!" I let out a long, exaggerated sigh before muttering, "Why couldn't you just explain this world to me from the start? That would've saved so much time."
"I'm too lazy for that," Envi said bluntly. "Go ask someone else instead. Maybe you can flirt with them while you're at it. Two birds with one stone! Isn't that genius? HAHAHA!"
This stupid system was somehow both wrong and right at the same time. But... the idea of flirting with someone made my face flush with embarrassment.
"Well, if I have to flirt, it'll definitely be with a girl," I mumbled to myself, already regretting the situation I was stuck in.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
"Um… Excuse us, Young Master Naoki. Are you awake?" I heard a few female voices from outside my room.
"Ehm… Yes, you may enter." I answered, trying to sound calm despite my nerves. This was my first interaction with anyone in this new world—I had to make a good impression!
The door opened gracefully, and three young maids entered the room with an air of elegance.
"Good morning, Young Master Naoki. We're relieved to see you've regained consciousness," they greeted me.
"G-Good morning?" I replied, surprised to see their cold, expressionless faces. One of them even looked visibly anxious and hesitant.
In my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, What's going on? Did I do something wrong? As I looked at them, they returned my gaze with wary eyes. One even seemed like she thought I might eat her alive! Am I… hated here? Naoki, it seems you've earned the punishment of being hated by every woman in this world. I could hear Envi's laughter echoing in my mind.
"Very well, Young Master, we'll begin by checking your injuries," one of the maids said, stepping forward to examine me as she started to undo my bandages.
"…!!!! No way!" She gasped, eyes wide, upon seeing that my wounds had already healed.
"Young Master Naoki, what happened to your body?" the maids asked, looking completely baffled.
"I don't know. I just woke up like this… although I do feel a pretty strong headache," I replied, pretending to be clueless. If they found out I wasn't actually Naoki, I'd be in trouble.
"Eh?! Does that mean your brain shifted?" one of the maids blurted out, before the maid next to her quickly whacked her over the head, leaving her with a visible bump.
"I apologize, Young Master Naoki. She meant, do you remember anything from before you woke up?" the maid corrected her, speaking in a tone full of curiosity.
"Y-Yes, that's right. I only remember my name and my family," I answered with a bit of hesitation, letting out a nervous chuckle.
"This is… a true blessing—ah, I mean, this is terrible news! We must report this to the Patriarch at once!" The two maids, flustered and anxious, hurried out of the room. However, the timid and frightened maid stayed behind, looking as if she wanted to escape too, but I stopped her. I think this is the opportunity to complete my quest!
"Hey, hold on! I have some questions for you." I held her back, but she continued to struggle, desperate to flee. What on earth… Do I look like some kind of villain here?
"Hiikkh!" she squeaked in fear.
"Relax! I just want to ask why I'm in this injured state," I said, trying to calm her down as I guided her to sit on a nearby chair. Slowly, her breathing steadied, and she finally found the courage to speak.
"Well… you see, Master Naoki, you were suddenly found lying in front of the Blackmore mansion gates, covered in injuries. I heard you were out on the Blackmore Family's mission. But you came back defeated and badly hurt," she explained, her face still clouded with anxiety.
"I see… but I can't remember any of it. Did I face a strong enemy? Hmm… it's all a blur." I responded, genuinely puzzled by her story.
"Perhaps you can think about that later, Nao. Focus on what you need to do from here on...you know..teasing her HAHAHAHA," Envi replied with happy.
"SHIT! but you're right, Envi. Wait… can the maids see you?!" I asked, startled as Envi appeared beside me.
"Of course not, you fool! Only you can see me, since I reside within your mind!" Envi replied, exasperated.
"Haha, well, that's a relief. At least I can speak to you freely." I sighed, feeling more at ease.
"Well then, thank you for explaining things… um, what's your name?" I asked, realizing I didn't actually know the names of any of these maids. I couldn't just keep calling them "the maids" forever.
"E-Eh… I never expected Master Naoki to ask for our names," she said, looking a little flustered. "My name is Vivin, and the two maids who were just here are named Rosan and Elan."
"Alright, Vivin. I apologize if I frightened you. Thank you to you, Rosan, and Elan for taking care of me." I offered her a small, sincere smile.
"…!! No need to thank me, Master Naoki. This is just our duty as maids," Vivin replied.
"Okay, Vivin. I want you to explain to me about this world we live in, and who I actually am. I need information because with this amnesia, it's hard for me to function without it," I said, trying to convince Vivin.
"Y-Yes, Master Naoki. But... this might take a while," Vivin said, preparing to explain everything to me.
"But before that, Vivin... um... could you... sit on my bed, I mean, next to me? I feel like I'd be more comfortable listening to your explanation if you're a bit closer," I said, my face turning red. If it weren't for that stupid quest, I wouldn't be asking her to do this.
"Hiiikh!! M-Master Naoki, that's... too close... I can't..." Vivin's face flushed, her eyes darting around in confusion.
"Come on, just sit here..." I gently pulled her hand, guiding her to sit beside me.
Vivin looked incredibly nervous, but she finally began explaining the information I desperately needed.
....
Based on Vivin's explanation, I could understand that I was now in a world of swords and magic. There are three main continents here: the Human Continent (Eldaris), the Special Race Continent (Celestians), and the Demon Continent (Doomspire).
Eldaris is located in the west and is home to human kingdoms. Celestians is in the east, populated by special races like Elves, Beastkin, and Dwarves. Meanwhile, Doomspire lies in the north, dominated by the Demonic Race under the rule of the Demon King. The thought of demons frightened me, but the idea of meeting a real elf filled me with excitement.
Right now, I was on the continent of Eldaris, where three major kingdoms hold power: the Mercenary Kingdom of Gildoria, the Grand Kingdom of Solara, and the Hero Kingdom of Braveheart.
Gildoria is the kingdom of mercenaries, mostly composed of adventurers, and the Adventurer's Guild plays a vital role there. It's ruled by the Adventurer King.
The Grand Kingdom of Solara is the center of magic studies and is ruled by the Sorcerer King.
Braveheart is the Hero Kingdom, where nobles play a big role in politics, and the kingdom's knights and sorcerers are responsible for maintaining peace." Vivin's explanation left me wondering where exactly I was now.
"I see... So which kingdom am I in?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
"You're currently in the Kingdom of Braveheart. It's ruled by the Hero King, Aslan von Braveheart. This kingdom has five major noble families, each descended from a Hero. That's why Braveheart's main strength lies in its Five Heroes, who are all subordinate to the King. A Hero is the highest rank for the kingdom's knights and sorcerers." Vivin's explained clearly.
"And now, you're Master Naoki von Blackmore, the first son of the Blackmore family. The current head of the family is your father, Count Tetsu von Blackmore. Since you're the eldest of three siblings, you're the designated heir to the family headship and also the Hero representing the Blackmore family."
Listening to this, I couldn't help but notice that my name, Nao, sounded quite similar to Naoki. Even the name Blackmore had a hint of Japanese to it. Was this a coincidence? I wondered silently.
"Now, I'll explain how combat works in this world. Swordsmanship, and the use of other weapons, are standard skills here. You can also use magic by chanting spells and casting various elemental or specialized spells."
"In the Kingdom of Braveheart, those with talent in swordsmanship or other weapons usually become knights, while those skilled in magic can become royal mages," Vivin continued.
Hearing this, I couldn't help but think to myself, "So, Naoki is supposed to be a Hero-class knight... even though his swordsmanship is still at level 1? Argh, what has this Naoki guy been doing all this time?" I groaned in frustration, the weight of the ridiculous situation starting to wear on me.
"And now that body belongs to you, so are you saying you're an idiot too? Hahaha!" Suddenly this shit system, Envi, mocked me.
"Huh?! What did you just say? I'll have you know, I was the top of my class in my year back on Earth! Even though... I never managed to land a decent job, T_T." I retorted with a pout.
"Hmm, I wonder why Naoki ended up being a failed Hero. Well, I guess I'll find out over time." I muttered to myself, a little irritated.
"Okay, Vivin, you've explained a lot to me. Thank you so much..." I said, gently ruffling her hair with a smile.
"Hikkh! Um... y-you're welcome, Master Naoki..." Vivin stammered, her face turning bright red, looking like she might pass out any moment.
Suddenly, a quest notification appeared:
[!!!NOTIFICATION!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING YOUR QUEST!
1. You must uncover the identity of Naoki von Blackmore (Cleared)
2. Flirt someone you meet (Cleared)
You get a reward of 10 Goddess Points!
---------------------------
Finally, that ridiculous quest was over.
"Heh, so that's how you flirt with women. Not bad... HAHAHA!" Envi laughed, clearly satisfied with the outcome.
...
After a short while, one of the maids returned.
"Excuse me, Young Master Naoki. The Patriarch has invited all core family members to dine together. He would like to discuss your condition as well," she informed me and gestured for me to follow.
"Alright, I'll be there shortly," I replied, still a bit confused. I'd need to be on my best behavior in front of the Patriarch.
Quickly, I put on my clothes, tidied myself up a bit, and followed the maid to the dining room. As we walked through the corridor, I observed the Blackmore mansion. The walls were lined with dark-colored bricks, accented with gold trim. Various ornaments and portraits displayed the Blackmore family crest—a black raven spreading its wings within a circle. I couldn't help but question their design choices; it all looked so gloomy and ominous.
When we arrived at the dining hall, I saw four people already seated around the large rectangular table. They all looked at me with disdainful, almost mocking eyes, making the air in the room feel heavy and oppressive. I could feel the tension tightening around me.
But what caught my attention most was the man in the center—there was no mistaking him. This was Patriarch Tetsu von Blackmore. He had a muscular build, dark hair streaked with gray, and looked to be around fifty years old. A faint scar ran over his left eye, giving him an intimidating aura that made it clear he was not someone to be taken lightly.
Suddenly an unexpected notification appeared, it looks different from before:
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[!!!NOTIFICATION!!!]
Scenario: Join the Blackmore family for a meal.
If you follow this scenario, you will get a MAIN QUEST!
If you ignore it, your family on earth will be in danger.
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What is this? Why do I have a bad feeling? Why does it have to be my family on earth? I can't ignore this!
...