Varocia : From Gamer to Mentor

The dinner started and ended silently, as if the earlier tension between Edith and Eden was all but a dream.

Eden greeted the Duke and Duchess with a polite nod, then departed with little more than a few words.

"You are Olgan Tenia, correct?" spoke the Duke of Magect, a figure whose fierce yet somewhat absurd appearance contradicted the warmth in his surprisingly gentle voice.

"Yes, uh... Your Highness. This humble one's name is Olgan Tenia. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He faltered slightly before stumbling over the title, following it up with an awkward string of sentences.

Truth be told, he felt rather bewildered. Weren't they vassals of the Blazane Empire? Regardless of a duke's noble rank, it seemed inappropriate for them to assume such lofty titles. Yet, with Edith referred to as "Princess", he felt compelled to respond with "Your Highness".

"Thank you for saving our daughter. Allow me to formally introduce myself: I am Laynart Magect Calantha, the Duke of Magect," he said, offering a slight nod.

"I am his unfortunate wife, Frida Magect Olenia, the Duchess of Magect," the duchess added, her smile warm.

The Duke sighed, "My lovely wife, why do you always introduce yourself as 'unfortunate' whenever you meet new people?"

She shot him a glare, "I will only be 'fortunate' when you decide to refine your ridiculous artistic sensibilities."

The Duke's smile deepened, "You're always so shy. When will you admit that you secretly appreciate my style?"

"Yes, I'll admit that I will divorce you one day and take the kids with me!" Her eyes sparkled with coldness.

"You really can't be honest with yourself, can you?" The Duke shook his head, a weary smile on his lips.

They seemed to have quite a unique.. uh... relationship, Olgan watched their 'playful' banter, nodding along in quiet amusement.

As their bickering continued, Duchess Frida turned her gaze to him, her smile softening. "I offer my heartfelt thanks for saving my daughter and for sharing your knowledge with her."

Duke Laynart smiled at him, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "In truth, we were secretly observing you in the training hall. There were many moments when my wife and I felt tempted to strangle you for your reckless methods and barbaric way of... what was your term again? Grinding? Exploiting? Yes, that's it. Fortunately, we managed to restrain ourselves and ended up witnessing your remarkably innovative approach to training."

"I-I'm honored," Olgan stammered, forcing a smile. So, they had been secretly watching us train all along!

"Yes, my dear father and mother. I'm truly blessed to have met Olgan; otherwise... I..." Edith's voice began cheerfully but quickly dimmed.

Duchess Magect rose and wrapped her arms around Edith in a comforting embrace. "It's okay. Even if you become the so called 'cripple', we will always love you."

"Mom..." Tears welled in Edith's eyes.

Duke Magect's expression softened, though he kept his gaze fixed on Olgan. "Now, we must reward you for your deed. What do you wish for?"

"Uhm... You want me to name it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, if it is within our power, we will grant it."

Olgan thought carefully about his request. Finally, he said, "Can I have a defensive equipment?"

"Is it because of your high Potential of SPR?" The Duke's tone was knowing, clearly informed by Edith. Olgan wasn't surprised she had shared that detail; given how she tried to conceal the truth from Olex, it was clear that individuals with high Potential of SPR were regarded as special.

Both the Duke and Duchess briefly glanced at the corner of the dining hall before looking away. "I don't think wanting such a reward will be useful for you," the Duke replied cryptically.

"Why?" Olgan asked, puzzled.

"I can't disclose that, but those who wish to harm you will think twice before acting," he said mysteriously.

Ah... the riddler, how I love such dialogues from game characters... Olgan almost rolled his eyes at the thought.

"Nonetheless, I won't try to dissuade you if you truly want the defensive equipment."

Olgan considered this. According to the Duke, he was safe for now, though the reasons remained unclear. If he approached this like a game plot, perhaps the original Olgan's family had been powerful enough to send guards to protect him in secret. But if that were the case, why had they allowed the 0riginal Olgan to fall and die?

He struggled to find any other explanation.

Resolute, he said, "I still want the defensive equipment."

Duke Laynart nodded and signaled for Aqualia to retrieve some defensive equipment from their vault.

As they waited, the Duke asked with a curious tone, "Do you want to join the Magect Guild?"

"H-huh?" The question caught Olgan off guard, stunning him.

The Duke smiled and continued, "I'll be direct. Your talent is extraordinary. I have seen countless individuals choose the Mentor path, but none possess your potential. You are worth recruiting into our family."

Olgan considered this unexpected opportunity carefully. Honestly, there was no reason to refuse such an offer. He would gain protection, resources, and many privileges exclusive to a duke's family.

Yet, the thought of living in such an asymmetrical environment filled him with unease. Perhaps a minor concern since the castle appeared normal, but unsettling nonetheless.

After a few moments of contemplation, he nodded, "I will join the Magect Guild."

Upon hearing this, both Edith and Lenna's eyes sparkled with joy, especially Lenna. But Lenna quickly masked her happiness, returning to her usual cold demeanor as she casually nodded at him.

The Duke revealed a warm and welcoming smile. "Then welcome to our family!" He paused for a moment before adding, "If your artistic sensibilities align with my own, I'll promote you to the rank of our adoptive so—"

Bong!

"Hold your tongue or your pride-filled wardrobes shall be burned to a crisp!" Duchess Frida wielded the blunt edge of her blade, bringing it down hard against his head. Her expression showed a cold fury, a wave of murderous intent radiating from her.

"N-no, anything but my clothes! I'm sorry!" The duke's voice trembled with fear as he began to plead desperately.

They sure get along well... Olgan thought.

In that instant, the gibberish murmur of the Voice of the World filled the air, accompanied by a familiar hologram appearing before him.

[The Guild Master, Laynart Magect Calantha, has invited you to join Magect Guild.]

[Do you wish to accept? Yes/No]

He pressed "Yes" and then turned his attention to his Status Interface.

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Guild: 1. Blazane (Rank: Citizen) 2. Magect (Rank: Adoptive Child) 3. None

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Eh? Before he could voice his confusion, another resounding bong echoed through the air.

Bong!

"Stop playing around, or I will truly reduce all your wardrobes to ashes!" Duchess Magect's voice grew fiercer than before.

As they 'playfully' bickered, Olgan noticed Edith and even Lenna joining the conversation, their laughter ringing out like a warm embrace, inviting him to share in the joy.

Family... he sighed, his thoughts drifting to his family back on Earth and the original Olgan's family which he has no impression of.

Edith, sensing his downcast mood, gently tugged the duchess's sleeve.

Duchess Frida turned to Olgan with a kind smile. "Don't be so stiff. We're not like those prideful and arrogant nobles; you can be informal with us."

"Haha, yes, that's true. But my lovely wife, I'd appreciate it if you dropped your shy act and spoke kindly to me as you just did with Olga-"

Bong!

Olgan watched them with a smile, then heard the Voice of the World once more, accompanied by a hologram.

[The Guild Master, Laynart Magect Calantha, has demoted you to Private Instructor]

Thinking of their antics and Duchess Frida's words, he decided to blend in with a joke. "I actually admire your artistic sense, Your Highness Duke Magect."

"Really?! It's wonderful to have a kindred spirit join our family!

"Oh, just call me Guild Master or Duke Magect from now on; no need for all that formality," he said, waving a hand, smiling warmly at Olgan.

Yet, a chill crept down Olgan's spine, emanating from the person sitting beside the duke.

He glanced over to see the duchess glaring at him, her eyes filled with a fierce intensity, as if she wanted to skin him alive.

Keeping his composure, he forged ahead with the punchline, "In fact, I think it would be a brilliant idea to let Duchess Frida burn all your wardrobes. Then, once they're half-charred, we could quickly extinguish the flames—wouldn't that make your clothes even more artistic with those random, asymmetrical burns?"

All of them were stunned by his words, their face turned blank.

An extreme silence descended upon the dining hall, wrapping the room in a heavy stillness.

There goes my most powerful Level 0 [Talk-no-jutsu]. I shouldn't have said anything! he felt a flush of embarrassment.

Then he offered a wry smile, spreading his hands, "Haha, that's just a jok-"

[The Vice Guild Master, Frida Magect Olenia, has promoted you to Adoptive Child]

Olgan's words instantly caught in his throat, rendering him utterly speechless.