The Hater's Touching Memories

"Where is she?" I asked, deftly slicing through what looked like a chicken. 

Shana, standing beside me, responded with a stammer, "Milady left right away to Asherante to inform herself about your recovery, Milord."

What a stellar big sister. Didn't even get a simple 'I'm happy that you survived, little brother.' Well, I shouldn't have expected that from Solana.

Smirking, I continued devouring the meal. It was undeniably more delicious than what I used to eat back on Earth to maintain my form, which was pretty pointless in this world since I had no more abs. Curse this body.

"Not enough spices in this thing and too cold," I pushed away my half-eaten plate with a grumble. "Just because I'm in the Starfrost Household doesn't mean I have to endure frigid meals for God's sake."

Upon hearing that, Shana and the others gawked at me, eyes slightly widened. "What?" I raised an eyebrow in question, but they quickly shook their heads.

Taking a sip of water, I set the glass down, tapping my finger rhythmically on the table, unaffected by their stares.

Lost in thought, I pondered my current weakness. I was supposed to join Elysyphel in a week, but the current me would get crushed and end up in the last ranks, regardless of any exam. 

Unacceptable.

I have always been in top 3 even at highschool.

Maestro was probably having a field day, laughing his ass off at my predicament. But I wouldn't let him have the last laugh. If he was indeed the culprit behind bringing me into this insane novel, it meant he possessed divine abilities.

Can you imagine someone with such powers creating a world like this?

What a waste of divine abilities. He should've crafted something like Tolkien's world; it would've been more entertaining, even if I might have kicked the bucket sooner.

The top priority should be to raise my strength. I highly doubt Maestro tossed me into this world solely because I criticized his darn novel; there has to be a deeper reason. If I want to know why then getting stronger is a must.

I barely scraped Rank 3, whereas the protagonist, Aidan, is probably chilling at the peak of Rank 4 or just below that. Being behind him was the last thing I wanted. Fortunately, I lucked out and landed in the body of someone from high nobility, the son of one of the most potent Dukes. So, there should be...

"Is there an Arcana Library here?" I shot the question at Shana, glancing her way.

"Yes, Milord. But most of the Arcana and Skills are in the Household in Asherante. Duke Starfrost didn't want to let important Arcana and Skills linger here in Adrencia," she responded.

Figures. It was already surprising that there was a library here.

"Lead me there," I declared, wiping my mouth with a napkin as I stood up.

Given my current Rank, I had to carefully select my Skill or Arcana; I couldn't take on more, as my current body wouldn't be able to handle it. I could have also venture to Asherante and directly chose a powerful Skill from the great library that belonged to the Starfrosts for centuries. But, no way. I wasn't keen on encountering Solana Von Starfrost's third-rate siblings. I vividly remember the cringe-worthy Arc when Aidan had to deal with those embarrassing siblings. Spare me another second-hand embarrassment.

The Starfrost Estate in Adrencia, even though it was the main one, was predictably vast. It was hard to believe that this Jykrain guy was living there all alone. If it were me, I would've been in heaven, free from the clutches of that useless family.

A slight correction, their family had nothing to do with mine.

Now, brace yourself for the touching moment as I stroll down the seemingly endless corridors. 

Feel free to skip if you're not invested in the details of my life. I've also skimmed through enough of Maestro's maestroesque ramblings about the protagonist's tough life, and honestly, do I care? 

Nah. 

What about his backstory? 

It's the usual: "He killed my daddy, so I am taking vengeance. I will make him regret." 

Holy hell! 

What an imagination, Maestro! 

James Cameron will gladly take you as co-producer for the next Avatar in 2045. Hope you're still alive by then!

Back to my touching moment, something I need to cherish as I'm likely stuck in this world for at least a year.

Even though I found my parents and sister annoying, deep down, I knew they cared for me, and the feeling was mutual. It was just my pride that prompted me to leave my parents' house early, eager to prove my worth. Despite their reluctance to see me go, my parents didn't lift a finger to stop me back then. Not because they didn't care, but because they trusted me that much. The only one genuinely annoyed by my departure was my dear sister, who apparently needed a bodyguard always close. Talk about a tsundere little sister.

Regardless, it would be an outright insult to my family if I were to compare them to the clowns in the Starfrost House. My dad, a successful computer engineer, taught me the ropes of being a man, while my formidable mum, a doctor, filled in the rest. In a nutshell, she molded me into the person I am today. If you find me annoying and condescending, trust me, you haven't met my mum. I'm practically a sweetheart compared to her.

And while I detested admitting it, May, my sister, taught me something even more crucial, despite her apparent obliviousness. While my parents treated me as ordinary, May regarded me as someone who could handle any situation. In her eyes, I was practically Superman without the embarrassing red underwear thank god. The image of her saying those words with that childish face stuck with me.

Any man with pride would feel compelled to live up to such expectations—except Maestro, that is.

That single belief shaped who I am now, just striving to live up to her vision of me. Trust, in my book, was really important. Take, for instance, the shivering maid walking ahead of me, fearing for her purity. I designated her as my personal maid because I trusted her fear and disgust toward me. That was sufficient. Never let anyone underestimate you in any situation.

My only current weakness was my strength in this fantastical world, and it was the most challenging of weaknesses because you can't get stronger in a matter of months. By getting stronger I meant being at the top of this world in strength. I couldn't be considered strong if I knew there were more powerful monsters in this world.

There was a ranking system, and believe me, as a Rank 3, I was dreadfully weak. If memory serves me right, there should be around ten Ranks of strength, but I assumed there were more, not yet introduced. You might argue that it's apparent because there are only two hundred chapters, but I have a more refined theory.

Maestro was too preoccupied playing Tetris between the protagonist and his rival. I kept telling him that current readers preferred '0+1' over '1+1,' but he didn't heed my advice.

If you didn't understand the equations above, I have good news for you: you are mentally sane. As for the others, well, you might be a hopeless case. Sorry.

Is this how those Japanese goody-two-shoes dealt with the harshness of reality? I suppose useless monologues really keep my mind working at a hundred percent of its should-capacity, but for them, it's more the author's choice to reach the expected word count promised to the editor.

I genuinely have no intention of losing my sanity just because I'm in another world. On the contrary, I have to be twice as imaginative and initiative.

"We have arrived, Milord," Shana said, stepping away.

A handprint mechanism adorned a small column. This wasn't surprising. This world seemed to be significantly advanced technologically. Placing my right hand on it, I waited.

"[Initializing…]" a genderless voice echoed from the column.

"[Analyzing the Handprint... match found.]"

"[Retinal Analysis…]"

"Inform me next time, Superman," I grumbled after receiving a red laser in my face out of nowhere.

"[Match found. Welcome back, Young Master Jykrain Kenel Starfrost.]"

The Duke spent more time finding a long-ass nice sounding label for his son than taking care of said son. Funny.

When it was over, the silvery metal doors split in two symmetrical halves like those doors in futuristic movies. As I stepped inside, I noticed that Shana wasn't following me.

"Shana. Shana…for God's sake, Shana," I held my forehead as Shana shivered at each utterance. "To whom does this place belong?"

"Milord, the Duke prohibited anyone else apart from the—"

"I prohibited my mum from entering my room without my permission, and guess what? I received a slap in response," I rambled, recalling a fond moment. "So…" I beckoned her with my index finger. "Don't waste my time."

She gave up and advanced toward me.

"Ladies first," I stated, giving her a commanding stare to move ahead. Shana's face turned even paler as she walked ahead. Ignoring her, I observed my surroundings.

Disappointing.

I anticipated some traps activating to eliminate any strangers, but after a mere handprint and retinal analysis, it seemed safe to enter this place. Could it really be this easy to breach a Duke's property?

Under normal circumstances, no one would dare enter a Duke's property, but...

Tracing the wall of the narrow tunnel with my fingers, I pondered for a moment before exhaling. I would have to alter this mechanism so that only I could enter this place.