Chapter Three: We All Play Roles in the Game of Life
1630 Words
“Why?” I frowned, “I specifically said no royal roles ever and you….you literally put me at the top of-”
{For more clarification, the host must visit the temple}
-Son of a…-
“Huh!? I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, you lousy gods!! Answer me!!” I yelled, “I said no royal roles. I hate noble games!!”
…
But of course, there was no reply, apart from the ‘system’, which goes offline in three days after my acclimation to the role. The gods of this world did not communicate in any other way except shamans, saints, and temples.
“How archaic,” I said dismissively, then clicked my tongue.
I can barely move in this body, and chances are the system will be offline by the time I make the trip to the temple. If they offer a tempting enough reward then, I might want to stick with the role. I guess it’s better to get ready for the role then reject it based on the reward, than be tempted by the prize and not have prepared for the position. That way, I still maintain the upper hand in terms of negotiations.
The gods were cunning, but as long as I could freely reject roles, which was a reward from one of my previous lives, then it’s nothing that I cannot handle.
“System, what is the role, in full this time, with the duration, back story, the whole enchilada….”
{Your full role: You are the Villainous Empress of the Cursix Empire, the behaviour of the body that you have inhabited has caused some strange and tense movements from the five ducal homes, Your goal is to turn the coward of the west, Aleu Diox Luciano, into the next tyrant Emperor}
{Duration: Three years}
{Key role number 1: Invite the female lead into his harem. }
{Key role number 2: Teach him the confidence of nobles}
{Key role number 3: You must die by his blade}
{Restrictions}
{You must not kill the male lead}
{You must not use spells, potions and enchantments on the male lead without his permission}
{No other restriction}
-No other restriction…meaning that he is already in love with the female lead. Otherwise, there would be specifications on harassing her.-
-Still, a maddening potion would have been more effective than playing around with them for three years.-
“s**t…” I sighed, “I hate tyrants.”
“Nothing else on the female lead?”
{Information on the Female lead}
{Name: Fuscia Greene}
{Status: Commoner}
{Relationship: Daughter to Aleu’s Childhood Nanny}
{Relationship Status: Unexplored Attraction}
{Characteristics: Pink hair as deep as the Theodore dutchy’s, and green eyes, showing some relations to the third saintess}
“Hmm… ‘unexplored attraction’? s**t, am I just playing cupid to people who can't sit down and talk?” I frowned, “Still, relations to the third saintess? That’s the initial female lead of the novel. Did she have a sister?”
“She did come from a farm in the west, but wouldn't they have risen in power together? Why is she a commoner if they are related?”
{Initiating the male and female lead’s back stor-}
“No! Stop!” I sighed, then rubbed my eyes. “I'm not looking to be bored.”
The body I was in was already at its limits, which is insane because all I did was breathe.
“Plus, it’s best to act surprised if any of them ever decide to open up.”
I doubt they will; my role implies that I act vicious. Well, whatever, I have died knowing less.
“I am in pain. Can we skip to skill synchronization?”
{Affirmative, however since the host's body is severely damaged and starved, the system is not working at full capacity}
“Right? What kind of leader has such a weak body?”
{Should the system initiate self-repair?}
“Yes, also, please show me the list of skills that I will pick from.”
{Understood: the host has initiated Self-Repair}
A warm feeling flooded my body as every cell in my being burst into life.
“Slowly, too sudden of a recovery can cause suspicions, especially if they have been feeding me poison.”
{Understood}
{Self-repair slowed by 12%}
{Because of the nature of the quest, the host is permitted to choose three skills from Azalea’s life and three blessings from your past incarnations}
“Seriously?” I smiled, “How generous, usually I only get one skill from the person I am inhabiting, then make excuses for the rest of my role.”
“Alright, project the list separately, mine coloured in yellow, the Empresses’ in red.”
{Understood}
Two screens appeared before me, to my left a pale golden-yellow screen with endless skills and to my right a crimson one with scanty skills.
“Generous my foot. There are hardly any skills on her list!” I frowned.
Her list read:
{Archery A, Art critique 34%, Ballroom dancing SS, Cryptology 13%, Embroidery B, History C-, Mana Disruptive Violin-SS, Oppressive voice 10%, Painting 28%, Piano C+, Royal etiquette SS, Swordsmanship B, Violin S}
“Hey! Why the hell are the units of measurement mixed up?”
{Key: SSS, SS, S – Beyond measurement, A: 100%-90% level of human mastery, B: 89%-80% level of human mastery, C: 79%-70% level of human mastery, D: 69%-60% level of human mastery, E:59-50% level of human mastery, F- anything below half proficiency in mastery}
“These...these are terrible. Save for archery and…hmm…Violin?”
The first emperor Allios was never talented in music. He was good with his sword. So this has to be a skill on the maternal side.
Still… it's on a mana level, which is insane.
Mana is lifeforce and thus different from individual to individual. Some people’s life force is so large that it manifests itself in various ways like singing, painting, fighting or even dancing. Some can add the energy to their sword and call it ‘Sword ki’, or ‘sword aura’, others to their cooking, while in others, though rare, the mana could manifest itself in the four elements. Magicians were scientists who studied the effects of mana in scripture and alchemical forms.
In Azalea’s case, she could use her mana with her violin skill, meaning that her mana was music leaning.
“If that is the case, why the hell is her piano skill only at C+??? From the looks of it, I only have to get it to S so that I can unlock the disruptive side of it.”
“Well, whatever, unless a war breaks out, I’ll be fine even if I take embroidery….” I said, then instantly sighed when I remembered that nobles are often targets of assassinations.
I turned to my screen, which read:
{Appraisal A, Divinity SS, Swordsmanship SSS, Royal Etiquette C, Luck C, Poison Immunity S, Bargaining S, Manipulation S, Daggers SS, Cooking A, Weightlifting S, Ballroom dancing F.....}
The list seemed endless.
“System, remove any useless skill for this role, like cooking, or I don’t know, cleaning?”
{Understood, skills unsuited to the role have been removed. However, once skills reach the S level, they have been permanently learned by the user. This does not work for blessings}
Some examples of blessings were Appraisal, puppetry, luck, divinity, quick hands, fast learner and hell, sometimes any skill below S level even if I had worked my ass off learning it, like braille or Cryptic understanding.
The list displayed after removing unsuitable skills and those permanently learned was still long, but it was more manageable.
“Alright, the blessings that I want from mine are; fast learner, appraisal and all its sub-branches….and..” I skimmed the list again.
Poison immunity is...irrelevant, I mean, I don’t die unless it is my time to die, so I’m practically immortal until the male lead kills me.
-Hmmm, let me go back to the Empresses’ list.-
My etiquette is poor, but so is my ballroom dancing, but I doubt I will be asked to tango any time soon, so Royal Etiquette it is.
“Add Archery, Violin, and its subbranches, and….”
“Lastly, royal etiquette,” I said, then magnified my list. “if I was working in the streets, the pickpocket would have been useful. Should I just take cryptology? It’s at D, meaning that I’ll probably have to level it up…well, I’m still better off than the Empress. Hers is at…?”
I paused then went back to her list.
“Thirteen percent, hah!...” I pursed my lips then went back to my list before I was further reminded of how I used to compare my grades with others when I was in school.
“As a villain, I don’t think I need luck. We are destined to fail, so…I guess cryptology, because I now have access to the archives, maybe I can find out some more things about this world.”
{Understood: Self-recovery dropped by 19% to enable multitasking}
{Self-recovery is currently working at 69%}
{The host’s body will be suspended in ‘sleep mode’ until synchronization is completed}
{The System will notify the host in case of any danger}
My eyelids felt heavy, and before I could help it, I fell back to the soft bed.
- Writer
