After the maid left, Roland discarded his feigned gentle demeanor.
Peace returned to the room once more.
Aside from collecting the title pages of the Book of Truth, there was another matter he needed to figure out right now.
Why had he transmigrated into the body of Roland Morningstar Lucifiel? This was a game he had personally developed. Even now, though his soul had already fused with the body, he still didn't view this world as completely real.
Even if this world truly existed, transmigrating into a character he himself created was far too much of a coincidence.
【Original Sin · King of Pride · Lucifer】 could only be considered a catalyst.
Or perhaps something else had been at work in the middle of it all.
Something had occurred that even he knew nothing about.
The Lucifiel family's manor was lavish in the extreme. In a certain room of the residence, the youth stood before a mirror, scrutinizing himself with an inquiring gaze.
He possessed long, snow-white hair like the accumulated drifts of the northern lands and polished-gold pupils. White hair and golden eyes were the standard features of the Lucifiel family. Combined with the deterrent power of the Grand Duke, members of their family were easily recognized when out in public, which was precisely why Roland had been unwilling to linger in the Avalanche Domain.
“Tsk, tsk...”
Driven by the memories of his past life, he couldn't help but add a few words.
“This flawless character model paired with an impeccably noble status really complement each other nicely. Just looking at it, the future looks bright enough to blind the dog eyes of any worker from my past life.”
Unfortunately, his predecessor actually had quite a reputation out in the world.
After all, as the son of a Grand Duke, he was one of the most prominent second-generation nobles in the empire.
His status alone was dazzling enough that countless eyes watched him. The slightest incident would be exaggerated into all sorts of anecdotes, serving as gossip over tea or conversation after meals—some admiring, some envious, and some mocking.
In the game, Roland Morningstar Lucifiel's early-game character backstory hadn't been fully detailed. Now, through this world, all the character settings were filled in—for instance, why he hadn't taken the Imperial Academy's entrance examination early on to study there like the other main characters.
In the persona Roland Morningstar Lucifiel had fabricated for himself,
he played a role similar to a shadow.
Indeed, the King of Pride had forged a gentle disposition for himself—one that ran entirely counter to the tendency of most nobles to fight and show off their strength. Whenever a talented young noble from the north wanted to engage in a duel under the banner of "friendship first, competition second," he would always politely decline.
Regardless of who the opponent was, even if it was just an obscure lesser noble.
Naturally, Roland saw right through their intentions.
They simply wanted to use his status as the Grand Duke's son to stage a duel. If they won, beating the Grand Duke's son would highlight their own talent even more; if they lost, losing to the Grand Duke's son wasn't embarrassing for them. It was quite a clever calculation.
His prolonged low profile and displayed mild temperament even led many malicious speculators to begin spreading bold rumors.
Seeing that the party involved never stepped forward to refute the rumors, and that the Grand Duke's estate turned a blind eye,
these self-righteous nobles grew even bolder.
They claimed that the grand son of the Grand Duke was actually just a useless waste with no talent for the transcendent path, which was why he didn't dare accept challenges from other nobles.
Roland had always turned a blind eye to these rumors and gossip.
It was nothing more than the barking of low-grade beasts.
Why would a normal person lower themselves to argue with a dog?
Aside from those petty noble schemes, however, there was another reason—and the most important one—why Roland never agreed: a bunch of vermin weren't worthy of competing with him. Just standing on the same stage and breathing the same air felt utterly sickening to Roland.
As for wanting to compete against the King of Pride?
That was an even greater height of ignorant disrespect.
Roland had never bothered to deal with people whose intelligence was questionable.
Nor had he ever regarded them as human.
At the same time, as one of the ultimate super bosses near the end, a central figure threading through the entire plot, and the primary mastermind behind the scenes in the early to middle stages, the King of Pride was certainly no waste. On the contrary, his base stats were frighteningly high, and his talent and abilities were to such a degree that geniuses would weep and monsters would drop to their knees.
His character traits were too numerous to count.
It was precisely because he was far too arrogant.
The original Roland Morningstar Lucifiel had never believed he could learn anything at the academy.
And indeed, that was the case. The current Roland was already a Fifth-Rank warrior and Fifth-Rank mage, while simultaneously possessing extraordinary achievements in multiple domains.
Meanwhile, at this exact moment, the pseudo-protagonist of this era and the empire's surface-level rising star—the most talented individual, namely the Imperial Princess—was estimated to be merely around the First or Second Rank.
At the Imperial Academy, ordinary instructors were only around the Fourth to Fifth Rank.
Most theory instructors hadn't even surpassed the Third Rank.
This was why Roland Morningstar Lucifiel maintained a transparent, invisible role during the early and middle stages of the story. These people simply weren't worthy of competing on the same stage with him, or even qualified to learn alongside him; it would have been nothing more than a waste of time.
Of course, these were only a minor part of the reason.
The primary reason was his position as the seat of 【Pride】 within the 【Original Sin】 organization, as well as being the financial backer and investor of the Church of the Fallen Mother Goddess. The informant who had met him earlier in the town beneath the Avalanche Domain was himself a cultist of the Fallen Mother Goddess.
With such identities, he truly had no desire to expose himself to the sun.
It was far better to sit comfortably behind the scenes and watch good drama unfold after good drama.
In any case, suspicion could never fall upon him, the grand son of a Grand Duke.
As he pondered, time slipped by minute by minute.
In the blink of an eye, evening arrived.
A rhythmic knock sounded on the door.
“Young Master, dinner is served.”
“Understood, I'll be there shortly.”
Roland called back, walked down the long corridor, and arrived at the dining room. Though called a banquet, it was actually just the two of them: himself and his younger sister, who was three years younger than him. She was only fourteen but remarkably precocious, having inherited the Lucifiel family style as well. Apart from them, there were only the maids waiting nearby.
“Good evening, Brother.”
Her face held no expression.
She possessed the same white hair and golden eyes, with features so delicate they were almost unreasonable. However, she was just as cold as his nominal father, exuding an air of aloofness that gave her an ethereal quality. She greeted him purely out of politeness.
“Good evening, Lucia.”
Roland replied with a smile and sat down across from Lucia. The relationship between the two couldn't be considered good, nor could it be considered bad. One was outwardly gentle while looking down on everyone from the bottom of his heart; the other inherited their father's style, acting cold and lofty toward everyone like a brat who considered herself mature.
The long table was laden with various delicacies. Whether judged by appearance or aroma, they were exceptionally perfect, bringing delight to the eye just looking at them.
“Have you all eaten?” Roland didn't dig in immediately. Even facing such a spread—and truth be told, he was indeed a bit tempted—he still asked in accordance with his persona, “If not, you're welcome to sit down and join us.”
“We have already eaten, Young Master. Please do not worry.”
The head maid bowed slightly in greeting.
“That's good, then.”
Having spoken, Roland finally began his meal.
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