Sitting in front of desk in the dead of night, the glow of his monitor filled his retinas. It was the same as every other night; monotonously grinding in the same MMORPG as though it were his job.
["Zack Gray. Twenty-one years old. No job, not in school. My life is as you see it—nothing."]
The young man with shaggy, dark hair only let out a sigh once his character died in the game. Finally, he withdrew himself from the desk, stopping for a moment.
'…I need some fresh air,' he thought.
Putting on some slippers and a hoodie, he left the house, finding the night to be a wet one as it poured down. Cars passed through the suburban street as the countless droplets of rain pattered down.
Standing there as he took in fresh air, he felt a certain clarity about his misled life.
["Where did it all go wrong? At this point, it feels like it's too late. This is the kind of person I am—who I will be."]
It was a heavy weight on his shoulders, wanting to turn it around, though it felt like the first step was too arduous.
'…Maybe I can try differently. Maybe tomorrow,' he told himself.
As he rescinded his resolve, opting to turn back around to head inside, a sharp pain radiated inside of his head—
"Grrk…!"
Everything went blurry as though his eyes fogged up, seeming as though everything began to spin.
'What the hell…? It feels like my head is split open…' He thought.
Unable to stand, he collapsed on the sidewalk, gasping as the downpour rained on his body.
["I can't move. I can't yell out. This…isn't. Is this punishment for the life I've led?"]
Without so much as a single other person in sight in his final moments, everything went black.
Death—he was sure that's what it was, though oddly he found himself conscious of it.
'I'm dead…right? What's this?' He thought.
Drifting through the ominous void, the mystery in his mind was met by a prompt appearing in his vision—
[…Reassigning soul to new world…]
[…Identity: Zack Gray | Revoked…]
[You will henceforth be Leon Schoeller | Heir to the Schoeller Estate, the most powerful domain in the kingdom of Valiant.]
'What…? Leon…? My identity is revoked—? A new life?' He thought.
Disembodied in the void between life and death, he had a million questions, though little in the way of answers.
[…Integrating system into body and soul…]
[Lord System Activated.]
[Level: 0] [EXP: 0/100]
Without the chance to figure out what was going on, everything faded again until—
He opened his eyes, witnessing and experiencing years of a new life, flashing through.
"It's a boy!"
From his own birth out of the womb, held up as a newlywed couple looked at him with adoration in their eyes. It flickered by like a polaroid etched into his memories, finding himself likely years later—
"C'mon, Leon! You can do it!"
Waddling towards the enthusiastic parent, he found himself praised.
["This is…my life? My parents…this world, it's not Earth—it's a fantasy."]
—The flash through the fresh, otherworldly memories suddenly came to a halt as he found his eyes shooting open.
'…A dream? No…' he thought.
Sitting up, he yawned, discovering a room that he had never seen before, yet felt familiar. An exuberant bedroom, decorated with scenic paintings of a city within a volcano, an ethereal forest, and even a dragon's vale.
"—"
He looked at his hands, discovering them more slender than he remembered, a tad more pale. As he felt his face, it seemed different, though he couldn't confirm it merely by touch.
Grabbing a strand of his hair, it was a lighter shade; an oaken brown, softer to the touch.
'I'm definitely different—this is a new body. I feel younger, more spry…Did I reincarnate, for real?' He questioned.
Before he could confirm anything, he found himself suddenly greeted by the presence of someone else in his room.
"Ah—" He reacted, jumping and feeling somewhat embarrassed to have been feeling himself in front of another.
It was a maid with silken, scarlet hair, with her hands tucked in front of her body with a kind expression.
"Good morning, Young Master," she greeted.
"Who—" he began to ask.
As if acknowledging his curiosity, digital words appeared in his vision, revealing the woman's identity:
[Irene Vanderlouth] [CLASS: Maid] [Designated Lv: 6]
"Irene?—" He said, sitting up in the spacious bed.
The scarlet-haired woman bowed her head, "Yes, Young Master?"
"Erm…" He sat there, trying to think of what would be best to ask.
Though he remembered his past life clearly, bits and pieces of this new one started to become clearer. The maid certainly seemed familiar, calling upon memories of his youth, even finding scenes of her clearly scrubbing him in the bath.
'Woah…This chick has totally seen my junk! I mean, that was years ago—but still!' His cheeks reddened at the realization.
"Young Master?" Irene tilted her head in worry.
"Sorry…Guess I didn't sleep well," He laughed, opting to go along with it.
The maid smiled, "I hope you get proper rest tonight, then. After all, you're the new lord of the Schoeller estate."
"Wait, I am—?" He asked in surprise, getting up from the bed.
Irene looked at him just as confused, "Yes…? Your mother and father sadly passed a few weeks ago. You read the letter left to you by the late Lord Schoeller, yes?"
Though he had vague memories in his mind of the new life that had accelerated, the details were still foggy. As he glanced at the bedside table, he found a letter sitting there.
"Right…Yeah," he said, picking up the handwritten document.
["Dear Leon, my firstborn and only son:
Should you receive this letter, I have passed. Fortunately, the family has more than a capable head ready to take over.
Even in your youthful age, I believe you will be a better head than I ever was, Leon. Remember, you're not alone; the maids and butlers loyal to the Schoeller family will assist you.
Good fortune, my son.
Noel Schoeller."]
As he set the letter down, a part of himself felt a certain sadness. Somehow, he could hear the gruff, but kind voice of his father, even if it felt like only moments of his life passed.
"Young Master…" The maid called his name. "Are you feeling well?"
He slid out of bed, nodding his head as he quickly threw on the lavish, black coat waiting beside it, "Yeah, I'm great. So, what's on the agenda today?"
"Right…Today, you have swordplay lessons with Sir Charlemagne. Then after that, lessons in magecraft with Beatrice," Irene informed him.
"Swordplay and magic lessons? Sounds fun," he mumbled to himself in thought as he got dressed.
It was an uneasy feeling; without ever having felt he consciously experienced the room, he naturally knew where everything was. The way he got up and dressed himself felt as if he'd done it countless times already.
As he walked over to the other side of the room, he found a tall mirror, discovering his own reflection—
"Ah."
The appearance was definitely much different from his past life; he looked more like a prince, with clear skin, azure eyes, and a face that was both handsome and beautiful.
'Woah…I'm a looker. It's not just that—I'm fit, too. I feel strong,' he discovered, touching his own stiff abdomen.
"Young Master?—" The maid called out.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, spinning around, "—Ah. Just making sure I look presentable."
["This second life…It's like I fast-forwarded through my childhood. I experienced all of it…I can recall my memories, but it takes some effort."]
As he left his room, the hallway reached both ways seemingly endlessly. The immaculate, tan walls were decorated with paintings, with antiques on display throughout the halls.
'Damn…This is all mine, isn't it? Just how rich am I?' He thought in awe.
As he strolled down the exuberant hall, gawking at the treasures on display—ranging from golden armor to jewelry—it all felt natural.
'It's weird…As I'm walking, the memories are surfacing. I know my way around, sorta,' he thought, running his hand over the wallpaper.
He found his way to the dining hall, with a table far too long and silverware too lavish just for a single person.
"Your breakfast, Master."
A plate was served to him from who he assumed was the chef; a man of slicked-back silver hair with rolled up sleeves to his white uniform.
[Vander Klaum] [CLASS: Chef] [Designated Lv: 8]
"Oh, thanks," he said, looking down at the steaming plate.
It was packed with a fresh steak and fluffy eggs, which made his stomach yearn just from the aroma.
'This isn't a "game world", but everyone that works here…They have a class and designated level. Is this part of my "Lord System"?' He considered as he ate the fresh meal.
As he guided the steak into his mouth, he noticed the way he ate was with more etiquette. It wasn't intentional, though natural.
There was too much left unknown, though he knew one thing for sure—this was a blessed second life.
'The lord of a powerful estate like this…I couldn't ask for more,' he thought.
—
After finishing his meal and exploring the massive boundaries of the mansion, he wandered the mansion. What was on his mind was his "System" and what it entailed, pondering how to get more answers.
'Maybe it functions similar to a game…Let's try,' he thought, stopping by the staircase.
"Status," he commanded.
To his surprise, it worked as the words appeared in his vision through a glow like that of a game's user interface:
[Level: 15] [EXP: 1200/5000]
[Physical Attributes: 48 | Rank (B) Knight]
[Magical Attributes: 62 | Rank (B+) Senior Mage]
"Wow…So, I'm as strong as a knight and have the magic of a senior mage is what I'm getting? If I'm that strong already, I'm pretty well off," he mumbled, putting his hand to his chin.
As he swiped his hand, the showcase of his abilities instead brought forth a miniature recreation of the mansion itself.
[Mansion Level: 5] [Current Rooms: 50]
[Maids: 4]
[Butlers: 3]
[Guards: 3]
The land around the estate was also shown, allowing him to see every angle of the region under his rule.
'Woah, is this only visible to me? This system stuff is pretty handy. Is this entire place connected to my system? The mansion's level…' he thought, moving his hand to spin around the recreated land.