4 The First Trial - An Absurd Request
15 minutes zipped by, and once it hit the [00:00:00] mark, I found myself in a new room, a whole vibe shift from the ones I'd been in before.
Just a quick glance, and you could tell this room was on another level. The bed alone screamed fancy, but before I could let that sink in, the usual blue windows popped up.
[Welcome to the First Trial of Fate]
[Description: You have entered the [Spy x Family] World.
Background: You are Libert Mulling, eldest son of the Mulling Family, born and raised in Ostania.
Task: Defeat Yor Forger(0/1)
Difficulty Rating: Impossible++++
Conditions:
Keep your real identity secret from everyone except Anya Forger.
You cannot tell anyone about your knowledge of the future except Anya Forger.
Time Limit: 360 days
Tip: In 30 days, Yor Forger will be tasked to kill you.
Upon death, you will return to this day]
Suddenly, memories of this 'Libert Mulling' guy flooded my brain. The System conveniently filtered out the unnecessary bits, leaving me with the vital chunks.
But honestly, I wasn't into the life story of this Mulling guy. What caught my attention was the daunting task ahead.
Defeat who? Yor Forger?
Me?
Impossible.
At least, for now.
Once the initial shock wore off, I re-read the window. There were some key details to not overlook.
In a month, Yor Forger's on a mission to off me, meaning come nightfall, she's barging into 'my' place to get the job done, probably slicing my throat.
Knowing she's coming is an advantage, right? Well, yeah, if she was your regular assassin.
But I know nada about how she pulls off an actual hit, despite my anime and manga knowledge. I do know she aims for a painless kill, which is a small mercy, but still.
Even a cool cat like me started sweating a bit. Knowing you're gonna die is a heavy load, but hey, I've been down that road once already, so the jumbled feelings got sorted out real quick.
Silver lining—I kick the bucket, I'm back to square one. Face her once, know her moves better. Simple.
...In theory.
But let's face it, there's no fooling a top assassin like her, and there's no sprinting to the hills before she nails me. Garden's got a whole intel squad, and I'm just the rich kid, decent background, but not enough...
As I brainstormed on how I should even prepare for an assassination, someone knocked on my door.
"Libert-sama, are you awake? The Lord is waiting to have breakfast"
I almost forgot—I'm in some rich dude's crib!
Back in the day, my family wasn't poor but not rolling in it either. We were a bit below the middle-class mark. But this family? Money's practically raining on them. Still, that ain't the issue now.
"Yeah, I'll be down soon."
The voice belonged to Anna, one of the few 'maids' in this palace. I remembered how 'I' treated her, but truth be told, I ain't the world's greatest actor. If I try to be someone I'm not, I'd raise more eyebrows than if I just acted 'as usual', like she probably expected.
"..."
She didn't say another word as I rushed to prepare for breakfast. I needed to sort this before I could even think about prepping for the 30-day 'date' with Yor Forger.
---
After a few minutes, I was good to go.
Cracking the door open hit me with a little surprise. I saw and organized Libert's memories in my head, but being in the lap of luxury firsthand is a whole different deal.
Following my memory, I navigated my way down and ended up just outside the breakfast room.
Inside, I did a quick scan. Black-haired and eyed guy – supposed to be Father. Blonde with aquamarine eyes – Mother. Black hair and azure eyes – my supposed sister, Lily.
And then there's me. Same old Akira, appearance unchanged.
"Morning, Dad, Mom, Lily."
My greeting was too normal for Libert, but hey, I wasn't gonna play his act.
Bit of context: Libert's a real piece of work. He doesn't give a damn about anyone, and love's not in his vocabulary. All he cares about is the family fortune, which he constantly bugs his parents about. These folks bust their backs to make this family rich, afford a villa, put food on the table, and give him a cushy life many would envy, but he repays them by being a total jerk.
Not my style.
Sure, I'm not the warmest person, but I'm not heartless enough to stomp on my 'parents' hard work.
Taking my seat, the whole family, maids included, went dead silent. A few awkward seconds later, my Mother broke the ice.
"Libert... my son. Is something the matter?"
Imagine getting asked that just because you didn't throw a tantrum and you're a grown ass man of almost 19 years old.
I was the first feeling awkward about it, but gotta deal with it.
"No, Mother, everything's cool. Actually, I did some self-reflection. I have been a real jerk, you know? So, from now on, I will try changing my ways, to stop being a disgrace to the family."
In our social circle, everyone knew what kind of scumbag Libert Mulling was.
The family's embarrassment.
He was so rotten he was plotting to snatch all the family dough and bolt to Westalis. That's also why Yor's on a mission to off him.
Even if I prove I'm not into that anymore, Yor's still coming for my head, also my Trial would not be completed unless I defeat her, so this makes the situation a bit smoother.
With my mind buzzing with thoughts, I caught 'my' Mother sniffling a bit while smiling.
"At last, my son's growing up a bit..."
Before she can finish, my Sister butted in
"Mom, Don't be too quick to buy it. No way he's changed overnight! He's probably scheming something!"
Smart cookie. Yeah, I'm scheming alright, but it's just to dodge a supernatural assassin aiming for my head.
The big shot leading this family took it all in before he spoke.
"Libert, I have to ask you. Why the sudden change? What sparked it?"
I could spin a yarn, but I don't want to raise too much suspicion. No need for complex, hard-to-buy explanations. At the end of the day, I'm stuck in this loop 30 days at a time. It's not enough time for me to care.
"It's because I-"
[New Chain Quest!]
[Change In Personality]
[Description: Libert Mulling has changed. It's not unusual in teens, but everyone won't believe him until he has proven it
Tasks to Complete:
Enroll to Eden Academy(0/1)
Read a book in front of the maids(0/1)
Treat Anna to a meal(0/1)
On Failure: Yor Forger will receive the mission tomorrow
On Success: Level up(2)]
What a bad timing to cloud my vision.
"...I want to become a respectable member of society, Father. Someone told me if I don't want my life to be hard later on, it's better for me to do this."
It's actually something I was told in my past life, but that seemed kind of enough to convince him, even if he had some doubts visible on his face.
It was more important to take care of the 'Chain Quest' and explore its possibilities now.
