Drinking? Oh…

  David, or Akash as Lillian called him, was lying next to the pile of empty glass bottles, so that’s why she must’ve gotten that impression. Besides, his current body’s previous owner used to drink a lot for someone of his age, even by this world’s standards.

  “Lord Legilus? I see,” Akash stood up, dusting off his pants, then gave her a smile despite her cold demeanor. “Then, we should get going already. He must be waiting already.”

  He could see the hallway through the door’s opening behind Lillian’s figure, and it looked vast. The walls were painted in a golden hue, and the floor looked like his previous world’s quartz.

  David waited for Lillian to lead the way, but she kept standing in front of him.

  Then, he turned his attention back to her face, and he saw her squinting her eyes at him.

  “You’re way too enthusiastic to meet your father today,” she took the lead after making her comment. “You’re in a good mood. Maybe you scored with one of the new maids already?”

  David followed closely behind her, and he was grateful that she couldn’t see the look on his face. His eyebrows were raised, and his eyes were wide open.

  What kind of messy life did Akash lead, and why do I have to take responsibility for it?

  He couldn’t see her facial expression from his position, but he could only sigh.

  “It’s the booze, Lilly. The meeting with Dad looks much more bearable this way,” then with a chuckle, he teased her, “Hell, even you look a little cheerful now that I’m a littttle tipsy.”

  He enacted his best impression of a drunkard; he didn’t want this snarky maid to pay too much attention to him. It was better for them to overlook him as the usual good-for-nothing Akash that they were comfortable with, instead of the malevolent spirit David, who took over the Ven Hoebert family’s ugly duckling’s body.

  “Whatever. You’re as unimpressive as always.” She chuckled

  Even maids treat Akash with disrespect, huh? David wasn’t a fan of her words. From the memories he acquired, he knew he was just a bastard, but still.

  “You like your job as a maid, don’t you?” David spoke in a soft voice, then continued after laughing for a bit, “I might be unimpressive, but I can make magic happen in this house!”

  “Magic? Like wooing young maids, then firing them to keep their mouths shut?” She kept walking through the hallway without turning towards him, but her voice cracked towards the end.

  David wasn’t a fan of Akash’s deeds from what she insinuated, and the little bit of memories that he processed already. Being a womanizer was one thing, but firing girls that he slept with was the stupidest thing ever.

  Did he think he’d protect his reputation that way? As if they can’t tarnish his name outside his father’s manor…

  “Well, I was talking about real magic, but you sure have a wild imagination,” he shrugged, “but hey! If that’s what rocks your boat, then you know where to find me.”

  “Oh god, you’re even worse than usual…”

  “Thanks, it’s been quite a while since someone gave me such a heartfelt compliment.” David was engrossed in the role he’d been playing, and he was enjoying it.

  “It wasn’t a compliment!”

  “You love me, Lilly. Don’t you?”

  “Ughhh, can you stay silent until we reach your father’s headquarters? People are walking next to us; they might get the wrong impression.”

  “What wrong impression? The fact that you’ve fallen for me, and only grown to realize it?”

  “That’s not true!” He didn’t expect the serious-looking Lilly to make such a flustered response, but here he was.

  Ahh, this is enjoyable! I guess there is a positive side to living as Akash.

  David kept teasing Lilly, and her responses grew softer as they interacted. Being transported to another world was a huge ordeal, and teasing the cute maid provided him with an opportunity to escape reality for a bit.

  “Alright, we’ve arrived. Make sure you mind your manners around your dad. Blaming your lousy behavior on alcohol won’t fly with him, but I bet even someone like you understands that,” Lilly noted.

  “Thanks for worrying about me so much, but I’m not ready for anything serious yet!” David wasn’t sure why he behaved this way, but it must’ve been Akash’s womanizing that rubbed off on him alongside the memories package.

  He didn’t mind it for now, as he had a bigger fish to fry.

  He knocked on the door, then opened it upon hearing a harsh, stony voice telling him to enter.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Go ahead,” The voice said.

  David entered the room, and he saw two men inside.

  The older one was sitting in a black velvety chair made of fur, and in front of him was a large wooden red desk with a golden nameplate on it.

  Baron Legilus Von Hoebert, but I don’t recall seeing this language before on Earth.

  He could understand the words perfectly, but the only language he’d ever known was English. The ‘gift’ that the system gave him included fluency in a new language, as it seemed.

  After staring at the nameplate for longer than he ought to, he looked back at his father.

  Legilus’ hair was dark blue, just like Akash’s, but it was trimmed to ear level. His beard was majestic, and his features were sharper, with wrinkles all over his face. His body was covered in many layers of clothing; thus, it wasn’t possible to ascertain whether his muscles held strength.

  What set him apart from Akash the most was the color of his eyes. The Lord’s eyes were crimson, and as deep as the night itself. They were present, always scanning for information, as if they couldn’t get enough of reality.

  “Sit,” His father motioned to the only empty chair in the room, to which he nodded and allowed himself to rest on top of it. It was made of a dark type of wood, unlike the soft material of his dad’s chair, but he couldn’t complain.

  In front of him sat another guy. One that looked just like him, down to the ponytail of dark blue hair. The only differences were the other party’s dark crimson eyes and a slightly more muscular body.

  Upon making eye contact with him, David nodded, to which the other guy nodded back.

  The name Zarag popped up in his mind, and he was sure that it was the guy’s name. Half-brother to Akash, but the two of them seldom interacted for the most part.

  “I take it you understand the reason behind this summoning?” His father leaned back on his chair.

  “…No.” David didn’t, and no matter how he tried to think of a reason, nothing appeared in his mind.

  “As a man, you must be conscious of your actions and their consequences. Ignorance only serves to undermine your reputation.” Legilus frowned.

  “I was sitting in my room when Lillian called me, and she didn’t mention any reason.” David felt the pressure, and he did his best to stay calm in his chair. “I don’t know, my lord. Please enlighten me.”

  He was afraid that his father, Lord Legilus, was trying to fish for a confession or admission of misdeeds, and David wasn’t going to give him that, and he couldn’t do it even if he had to.

  I really don’t know! I just got here! David thought.

  “It’s for your final test of aptitude,” Legilus smirked, “We know that your results in the primary test were… less than satisfactory, but we hope the final test reveals our bloodline’s talent in you.”

  “I hope I don’t disappoint you, my lord. It’ll be my honor to serve as a strong backbone to the family.”

  “And for that purpose, you’ll spend the next three months training with me,” Zarag said, “We know that the bloodline isn’t as optimal in your case, that’s why I’ll supplement you with teachings and first-hand experience.”

  Zarag was insinuating that Akash’s bloodline wasn’t good enough, and this felt like an insult to David.

  “Your mother would be proud if you were to end up as a strong member of the Von Hoebert household,” Legilus smiled, “For a whore, to have a son of our household is great honor for her, and you’d serve as a great legacy for a commoner like her if you prove to be an accomplished man.”

  If his brother’s words disgusted him, then his father’s made his innards turn, and he felt like he could throw up at any moment.

  His father was talking about his late mother as if she was a piece of meat, and this pissed him off. It was true that she worked in a brothel, but she was a human being like any other.

  They think they’re better than her just because they’re nobles… David wanted to spit on their faces and leave, but he held himself back.

  The reason was that magic existed in this world. Real magic, like in video games, where you could kill a person five kilometers away with a homing projectile.

  From what he could glean, he was at the age where people discovered their hidden magical talents, and the primary aptitude test that he took didn’t reveal satisfactory results for someone of the Von Hoebert family.

  That must’ve been the reason why Akash was drinking himself to death before I took over his body.

  “I’ll try my best,” David bowed as he sat, then kept looking at the ground. He was afraid that he’d commit a regrettable act if he kept looking at his father, so he refrained from doing so.

  “Lillian will tell you about the schedule of our training,” Zarag stood up from his seat, then turned towards the door. “Our younger twins are already showing promising results. It’d be painful for you if your younger siblings surpassed you. Make sure to tell me if any of your stats improved during training.”

  David nodded once again and kept his head low. His older brother went on his way, but he stood still, waiting for what his overbearing father would say.

  “As the son of a Baron, you have a burden of performance, whether you like it or not. Don’t disappoint me, Akash. You’re dismissed.” Legilus said, before shooing David away with his hand.

  “I’ll do my best,”

  As soon as David got permission, he stood up and left the room.

  He vaguely remembered the distance that he and Lillian took to reach his father’s headquarters. Thankfully, the path was straight, and he didn’t need to take any turns to get back to his room.

  As soon as he arrived at the door, which said ‘Akash, Second Son of Legilus Von Hoebert’, he entered the room and closed the door behind him with a thud.

  He walked until he was in front of his bed, then he let himself fall face-first.

  Getting fired from his job back on Earth, finding out that his mom wasted all his savings, and miraculously getting them back with a little extra after sacrificing some blood.

  Then, he was thrown into what looked like a caricature of video game worlds from his world.

  Two sets of memories in his mind, and his sense of identity was shifting in real time.

  He was David. He was also Akash.

  I guess I’ll just be Akash for now, it’s much easier on my mind if the name matches the body.

  He had a mother back on Earth, one who needed someone to take care of her. He also had one in this world, but she was already dead

  He wasn’t even sure which of the two of them was real enough, but he knew that his mother from Earth needed him, and at least she cared about him in her way.

  Unlike his father and older brother. Both had hopes for him, but only as long as he did well in the final aptitude test of magic. They were already disappointed with his primary results in the test he underwent nine months ago when he turned seventeen.

  I’d better find a way to support myself in the next three months, in case I turn out to be a failure in magic.

  He’d already decided his long-term and short-term goals. Find a way to return to Earth, to take care of his mother, and become strong and capable enough to fend for himself.

  He already knew that this world was game-like, and status screens were a real thing, but he hadn’t checked his status yet. He couldn’t ask anyone for the way to access it, as it’d draw unnecessary suspicions, so he set out to experiment on it.

  “Status Screen,” Akash whispered.