"I had a hunch something was off, but this..." I let out a sigh, my gaze fixed on the system panel that displayed the unsettling news of being cursed.
"What kind of curse is this?" I inquired, prompting the system panel to switch to a different interface. Was this going to provide information about the curse?
Sure enough, the blue slate presented me with the details:
System Info
Curse: Fate
Information: An unknown curse placed on the host's current body by the world itself.
The closer the owner of the body gets to their fated death, the more the curse will work to make that fate come true.
The pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. Those hateful glances and odd reactions from the students in the auditorium were likely due to this curse. Ren, the character from the game, was destined to die by the end of this year. And now that his body was mine, it seemed the world was attempting to enforce that fate, even though the script had been altered.
"Fate, huh?" I muttered, the concept feeling eerily deterministic.
'Can't you just avoid the main cast to stay safe?' Blaze suggested optimistically, but I had my reservations.
"Nope, it's not that simple," I replied, swiping the panel to show him the curse details again.
System Notification [Muted]
!?!?!?!
The host has been ensnared by a Curse.
Curse: Fate
Caster: Nature
Current Impact: 0.1%
Cure: None
"See that 'Current Impact 0.1'? It'll increase as the year progresses, and the curse's effects along with it," I explained.
"That's a tough situation," Blaze commented, grasping the gravity of it.
The word "Fate" didn't come with a cure, which presented a significant challenge.
"You seem to know a lot about this stuff. Did the game have a curse like this?" Blaze inquired.
"No, actually. I was just speaking off the top of my head. My analysis might be off, though," I replied, removing the robe and sitting on one of the double beds.
"The top one is mine, and you can take the lower bed," Blaze hopped onto the upper bunk.
"..." Closing my eyes for a moment, I contemplated the situation. This curse felt like a countdown, but what would happen when it reached its end? Was it a countdown, or an inescapable judgement of my demise?
A new set of questions joined the existing ones, leaving me with a sense of uncertainty and a desire to unravel this complex web of fate that seemed to have entwined itself around my life.
"Mind sharing what's going through your mind and why you seem so composed about this death sentence?" Blaze inquired, though he appeared rather calm himself.
"I guess... well, it's hard to explain," he began with a sigh, "But after living for several millennia and witnessing some of the most bizarre occurrences in both this world and other realms, it feels like I've seen my fair share of bad luck but after I see you it all feels like everyone around us here to get you for some reason."
I stayed silent thinking about his comment but then left it just like as it wasn't worthy of time right now.
"That girl," I muttered, recalling Madam Vexa's face.
"Love at first sight?" Blaze playfully questioned, his tone laced with humor.
"Nah," I replied, still keeping my eyes closed, "She wasn't in the game, the illustrations, or any of the game panels. As far as my memory serves, I haven't come across her in any volume of the game, not even the side stories."
"Well, you did manage to memorize the entire criminal record book and Guild Master Alver's documents in a mere glance, so I have no doubts about your memory capacity," Blaze continued, his voice trailing off. "- But think about it, couldn't she just be an overlooked side character, much like your parents, Anabelle, Alver, Old Man Clay, or even the Gods?" Blaze's list grew longer until I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him to silence his barrage of speculation.
"Hey! Don't throw things at me while your eyes are closed! And let's not forget, it's the so-called 'game developers' fault for creating such an incomplete game!" Blaze retorted, clearly irritated.
"But this isn't a game," I finally opened my eyes and rose from my bed "..."
I strolled over to the wooden table, my fingers wrapping around the cool metal handle of the second left drawer. With a gentle pull, the drawer slid open smoothly. "It's a world based on the game, but it doesn't entirely revolve around the game, just a little bit," I explained, my words soft in the quiet room. My hand reached into the drawer, fingers brushing against the smooth surface as I retrieved the item. The glass made a soft clinking noise as it touched my hand.
Blaze's eyes widened, curiosity sparking in them as he observed what I held in my palm.
"This... is one of the reasons I chose this room," I stated, my gaze drifting to the desk's surface as I carefully placed the wine bottle down.
"Adam Stales, that guy who used this room last year as a first-year, along with his small friend group, hosted a little party here," I recounted, my eyes focused on the elegant bottle of Eleven Wine. Its greyish glass veil held a certain allure, the vine-like cork adding a touch of rustic charm.
"The Eleven Princess brought these bottles with her to this humble abode to show her compassion to her prince charming but..." My fingers found the texture of the cork, and with a practiced movement, I pulled it out using my teeth. The cork released with a satisfying pop, and the smell of a rich, tropical forest immediately reached my senses.
"Since they weren't allowed to drink on the academy grounds, the oh-so Mr.Upright Protagonist said not to drink. So, this bottle was left here, and the next day they had to go to some kind of prom, so he forgot about it all along," I completed it.
"And what does that imply?" Blaze still seemed uncertain.
"It implies that the narrative on the academy grounds was progressing smoothly, unaffected by any disruptions caused by our actions," I clarified, my words aimed at shedding light on the situation.
Bringing the bottle's mouth to my lips, I allowed the sweet wine to slip smoothly down my throat.
"Let's be real, the main reason you picked this room was to have access to wine on the academy grounds, isn't it?" Blaze's question hung in the air, and I had to admit, there might be a grain of truth in it, just a hint.
I continued to take steady sips of the wine, feeling its effects slowly taking hold.
As I savored the taste of the wine, a faint warmth spread from my throat, making its way through my chest. The gentle buzz of relaxation began to envelop me, and I couldn't help but acknowledge that Blaze's assumption wasn't entirely off the mark.
I took another sip, letting the flavors dance across my taste buds. "Well," I began, my words slightly muffled by the wine's presence, "you could say that the confirmation of this room's history played a part in my decision. The wine is just an added bonus."
Blaze, his gaze fixed on the bottle and then shifting to me. "You know, I'm starting to think that your decision-making process might not always be as strategic as it appears."
"Whatever," I muttered, finishing off the last sip and swallowing down the remnants of a bottle of three-hundred-year-old elven wine, a treasure that could easily fetch four or five hundred gold coins in the market today.
"Anyway, about that girl Vexa, she's not a side character or NPC from my perspective, at least," I mentioned as I set the empty bottle down on the desk.
"And how can you be so sure?" Blaze's curiosity was insatiable, bordering on nerdy.
"Hey!! Zip that—" Before I could finish, Blaze pounced on me, covering my mouth with his fangs, and in response, I gripped his hand and...
Tud*
I threw him against the wall, watching as he comically slid down to land back on the bed.
"Her name... her nameplate," I yawned a bit, recalling the last glance I took at her nameplate.
"So, you were checking out her nameplate, huh? I thought you were just trying to get a peek at her breasts," Blaze muttered to himself, his assumptions way off the mark.
"It's Vexa Velcrow. There's no middle name though, for some reason," I relaxed in the chair, the effects of the alcohol making themselves felt.
"Vexa Velcrow... Velcrow!? She's from the royal family!?" Blaze's reaction was more amusing than concerning.
"Perhaps not pure royal blood, but still strong enough to command the daughter of a marquis. Cecelia isn't one to submit easily, so this might indicate she's been given strict orders from higher-ups," I tapped my finger on the table, pondering the implications.
"A royal and a second-year... quite striking and beautiful yet never mentioned in the game," I rolled my eyes back into my head.
Lost in my thoughts, pondering the mysteries surrounding Vexa and the intricate web of fate, I gradually felt a soothing warmth enveloping me.
The gentle pull of exhaustion tugged at my mind, and before I knew it, I had succumbed to sleep. The room's ambiance and the lingering effects of the elven wine combined to create a comfortable cocoon, easing me into a peaceful slumber where dreams and reality intermingled in the realm of the unknown.
The next morning dawned with a subtle brightness filtering through the curtains, gently coaxing me awake from my restful slumber.
"Umm... so you decided to start your academy dorm life with a round of alcohol?" The Headmaster's voice carried a mix of surprise and disapproval as he regarded me with a disappointed expression, his gaze making it clear that my choice had not gone unnoticed.
'Smokeball-...' I called for him but it looks like he's hiding under the bed.
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