— Even so… this Eduard's physique is truly garbage…
The words died in my throat.
I kept recalling the statistics I had seen earlier.
No reaction.
Those statistics were based on the physiological standard of an average adult.
Theoretically, an average adult should have values close to 1 in all attributes.
Even considering that this body was only fifteen years old…
Those numbers were ridiculously low.
— Hm?
— That's not right.
A thought arose quickly.
— It's possible that the bodies of people in this world are naturally stronger.
— Biochip, scan the bodies of the people around me and show me their statistics.
["Bip!"]
["Task established."]
["Beginning statistics collection."]
Immediately, three-dimensional holograms began to appear before me.
Semi-transparent bodies.
Overlaid on the people sitting in the dining hall.
Cold numbers accompanied each of them.
["Name: Unknown."]
["Gender: Male."]
["Strength: 0.8"]
["Agility: 1.3"]
["Vitality: 0.8"]
Another.
["Name: Unknown."]
["Gender: Male."]
["Strength: 1.5"]
["Agility: 0.9"]
["Vitality: 1.0"]
Another one.
["Name: Unknown."]
["Gender: Female."]
["Strength: 0.7"]
["Agility: 1.3"]
["Vitality: 0.7"]
I swallowed dryly.
— So that's it…
— The bodies of these people are naturally stronger than those of my previous world.
My gaze inevitably returned to my own statistics.
— And the former owner of this body…
— Is inferior even to an ordinary girl.
I felt a strange discomfort.
Something close to shame.
Not for myself.
But for him.
I examined the dining hall more carefully.
Everyone there was young.
Around the same age as me.
Then my eyes landed on a fragile girl.
Small.
Delicate.
She looked like she could break from a slightly stronger push.
Even so…
Her statistics were significantly better than mine.
That hit me like an invisible punch.
A silent despair spread through my chest.
— Fuck, my stats are so bad it looks like the previous owner died of AIDS and not from a beating.
Suddenly.
["Alert!"]
The sound was different.
Louder.
More aggressive.
The interface changed color.
Red.
It flashed three times in a row.
["Name: Unknown."]
["Gender: Male."]
["Strength: 3.3"]
["Agility: 2.5"]
["Vitality: 3.2"]
My entire body tensed.
— Average stats above 3.0…
I whispered, incredulous.
I followed the line of data to the corresponding target.
— Incredible…
It was him.
The academy's servant.
That stitched-together aberration.
The man standing behind the food distribution table.
In the center of the dining hall.
— From my memories, these servants are not mages…
— And even so, he is already this terrifying.
— What would a true Mage be like, then?
That question echoed in my mind.
Suddenly, I felt something grow inside me.
Interest.
Curiosity.
An almost restless hunger for the profession of Mage.
To the point that I grew anxious to arrive at the academy as soon as possible and investigate everything.
Dissect it.
Analyze it.
Understand it.
But that enthusiasm did not last long.
My body protested.
I was tired.
Very tired.
I needed to rest.
Besides, everyone around me was talking among themselves.
Laughing.
Exchanging stories.
And no one called me to join them.
Not that it truly affected me.
But… it was still irritating.
According to this body's memories, each apprentice had their own room on the ship.
So the decision was simple.
I'll go to my room.
I left the plate on the table.
As I turned to leave, an idea arose.
Curiosity had always been my greatest drive.
And in this new world, it seemed even sharper.
Almost instinctive.
A mental command flowed naturally.
— Biochip, how many people are in this dining hall?
The answer came immediately.
["Bip!"]
["Calculating..."]
A floating hologram appeared before my eyes.
Numbers began to rise.
["1"]
["2"]
["3"]
["4"]
…
I watched in silence.
The value increased rapidly.
Before I realized it, it had already passed fifty.
My eyes narrowed as new categories formed.
["56 apprentices"]
["25 magical servants"]
["Several men in white robes…"]
["Elevated status."]
["High probability: True Mages."]
An involuntary smile appeared on my lips.
I tried to analyze them more deeply.
But something went wrong.
["Interference detected."]
["Unknown force field."]
["Scan impossible."]
I sighed.
— Even with the biochip…
— I am still extremely weak in this world.
Doubt cast its shadow for a moment.
But I did not allow myself to sink into it.
With a firm expression, I turned and left the dining hall.
The ship's inner corridors were lit by brass lamps.
Each had thick glass.
Inside, a yellow flame flickered softly.
Shadows danced along the surrounding walls.
After walking for a while, I reached my room.
I slipped my hand into my pocket.
Took out the key.
Inserted it into the lock.
Turned it.
Pushed the door open and entered.
The room was simple.
A bed.
A chest.
A few windows along the wall.
Nothing special.
I didn't think much about it.
I locked the door.
And then threw myself onto the bed.
— Uff~~
— What a long day.
...
Two months later.
…
The ship, driven by mermaids enslaved by the mages, still impresses me — but never in a positive way.
We passed through only a few kingdoms.
Some more beautiful and wealthier than others.
Even so, nothing seemed to truly bring us closer to our destination.
The cold wind slipped through the cracks of the cabin.
The constant creaking of wood.
The endless swaying of the ship.
All of it made rest nearly impossible.
Then, suddenly—
BANG!
The door to my room burst open with a loud crash.
I immediately sat up in bed, heart racing, staring at the entrance—after all, I hadn't locked my room today.
Before I could understand what was happening, a sweet aroma — strawberry — filled the air.
— Eduard… are you okay?
The voice was soft.
Melodious.
Strangely familiar.
My heart skipped for a moment.
I looked more carefully.
— Lucy?
— Come in, please.
My voice came out more rigid than I intended.
She stepped inside.
And for a moment, the room seemed smaller.
Lucy had a presence that drew attention effortlessly.
Confident posture.
Well-kept clothes, typical of a rich and spoiled girl.
Her white cowgirl hat contrasted with her black hair.
The white knee-high stockings and boots she wore made her look even hotter.
Around her waist, there was a belt and a miniskirt.
Her red eyes reflected the dim light of the lamp.
It was an uncommon beauty.
Striking.
But I forced myself to remain calm.
I was not the former Eduard.
— Yes, I'm fine.
— What do you want?
My response was cold.
Distant.
Almost indifferent.
I saw the shock pass quickly across her face.
The words she intended to say seemed to falter.
Silence stretched for a few seconds.
Then, with some hesitation, Lucy took a small glass bottle from her pocket and placed it in my hands.
— This… is a wound medicine.
— If you drink it, it should help with the pain.
I examined the vial.
Simple.
But clearly valuable.
I lifted my gaze back to her.
For a brief moment, I saw something different in her expression.
Genuine concern.
I took the bottle carefully.
— Thank you, Lucy.
She smiled faintly when she heard my gratitude.
Soon after, she turned and left.
I admit that watching her from behind made me understand, even against my will, a little of this body's former owner.
The door closed softly behind Lucy.
The sound of her footsteps fading down the corridor was all that remained.
The room fell silent again.
— It was clearly the previous Eduard who troubled Lucy… so why did she come to apologize? — I murmur to myself.
A look of doubt takes over my face.
Nothing made sense.
I had prepared myself for a confrontation.
Or for some kind of obvious manipulation.
But none of that happened.
She seemed genuinely remorseful.
— Is there something wrong with her brain? — I think, frowning.
My logic screamed that something was out of place.
Even so, her expression had seemed far too sincere to be mere acting.
Whatever it was, it still wasn't clear to me.
My gaze drops again to the small glass bottle in my hands.
The vial looked simple.
But now the sweet strawberry scent had been replaced by a stronger odor.
Medicinal.
Almost aggressive.
— Did I judge her wrong before? — I think.
— Could Lucy really be a pure-hearted virgin princess? —
The question irritates me the moment it forms.
Something doesn't add up.
Following old habits from my previous life, I don't hesitate.
I speak in a low voice.
— Biochip, analyze this medicine and its components.
The familiar sound echoes immediately.
["Beep!"]
["Task established!"]
["Initiating scan!"]
["Unknown components."]
["Initiating simulated experiments!"]
I watch in silence.
The mental laboratory shifts into full activity.
Simulations.
Projections.
Calculations pile up before my eyes.
Then the results begin to appear.
And something is wrong.
Very wrong.
["Components identified..."]
["Poison detected."]
My heart sinks.
["Toxic compounds found: substances and neurotoxic agents interfering with optic nerve function."]
["Effect: permanent blindness after prolonged contact."]
["Estimated duration: 5 years."]
— Wait… blind for five years? — I say out loud.
My expression twists between shock and disbelief.
Anger begins to boil deep in my chest.
The bottle in my hand, once harmless, now feels like a cursed object.
If I had drunk this without questioning it…
Blindness would have only been the beginning.
My fingers tighten around the vial.
— I was wrong… — I murmur, my voice cold.
— That girl is extremely sinister.
The memory of Lucy's remorseful gaze crosses my mind.
Every gentle gesture.
Every soft word.
All of it now feels fake.
A well-rehearsed mask.
What she handed me was not help.
It was a weapon.
...
1625 Words
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