Their mother—Lady Olivia—tried to hold the air together with small gestures.
"Here, Kael," she said softly, spooning more stew onto his plate. "You've lost weight again. Eat properly, alright?"
Kael blinked, caught off guard. "Ah… yes, thank you."
Her tone was calm, but her eyes trembled. She did it automatically, motherly habit outweighing disappointment. Her hands were thin and rough—once pampered, now worn from work that nobles shouldn't have to do.
Kael stared at the food, throat tightening.
In his old life, no one had ever done that for him. No one had waited for him to eat, no one had ever passed him a plate or asked if he was sleeping well.
He'd grown up in silence—parents gone too soon, life swallowed by routine. Meals had always been lonely, eaten under cold light, between overtime shifts and exhaustion.
Now, across this table, there was a mother. Two sisters. A family, however fractured.
And for the first time in two lives, he wasn't alone.
He forced down the lump in his throat and picked up the spoon. "It's good," he murmured after the first bite, voice rougher than he meant.
Olivia smiled faintly, the kind of smile that said thank you for trying.
The meal passed in silence. The clatter of cutlery and the faint hum of wind outside were the only sounds.
Kael caught glimpses of his sisters between bites—Maya's sharp profile as she stared out the window, Mia's small fingers fidgeting under the tablecloth.
They didn't say a word to him. But they didn't need to.
He could see it—the quiet disappointment, the unspoken worry.
Maybe they didn't believe in him anymore. Maybe they were just tired. But at least they still cared enough to be disappointed.
He set down his spoon, exhaling slowly. "I've really made a mess of this life, huh," he thought. "But… not anymore."
As the servants began clearing the dishes, Kael pushed his chair back and stood.
Everyone's eyes turned to him. He met them one by one—his mother's soft gaze, Maya's unreadable stare, Mia's quiet curiosity—and spoke firmly.
"Things will change around here very soon."
For a second, no one said anything. Then Maya arched an eyebrow, skeptical. Mia blinked, unsure.
Olivia, however, smiled again, small and patient, as though indulging a child's dream.
"Take it easy, Kael," she said gently. "One step at a time."
Kael smiled back, a faint curve tugging at his lips.
"One step at a time," he echoed. "Yeah… that sounds about right."
****
After the breakfast with his ne family Kael was standing in the lord's office.
The so-called lord's office of Duskmoor looked impressive from the doorway—broad oak desk, tall shelves, morning light spilling across dusty ledgers.
Up close, it was depressing.
Half the drawers jammed, the shelves sagged, and the mountain of parchment on the table reeked of mildew and panic. Crop reports, unpaid debts, eviction notices—it was a paper graveyard.
I'd been sitting there for hours, flipping through one disaster after another. The longer I read, the worse it got.
Empty granaries. Fleeing villagers. Farmers turning into beggars. Treasury balance: three gold crowns.
I dropped the last ledger and slumped back in the chair.
"Alright… fantastic. The whole estate's on life support. Where the hell do I even start?"
[If you are so confused, Host, shall I make a suggestion?]
I nearly jumped out of my seat. "Do you mind announcing yourself first?"
[Apologies. You were thinking too loudly. It was distracting.]
"Uh-huh. Go on, Einstein. What's your brilliant plan?"
[Primary objective: resolve the food crisis.]
[The barony's population is collapsing. Those who remain are starving. Farmers cannot harvest because the soil has lost fertility. Within six months, Duskmoor will be uninhabited.]
I rubbed my face. "Great. You're telling me to fix starvation when I can't even afford breakfast. What do you expect me to do—command the clouds to rain?"
[You currently lack that ability.]
"Really? You don't say." I groaned. "I've got no money to buy grain, no manpower, and no clue. How exactly am I supposed to 'fix' this?"
[Would you like a breakdown of available resources?]
"No, I'd like a miracle. But sure, throw in the breakdown while you're at it."
[Sarcasm detected.]
"Wow, sharp system." I leaned forward, glaring at the empty air. "You're supposed to be my golden finger, right? So far all you've done is narrate my funeral. What can you actually do?"
A pause. Then the voice turned offended—if code could sound offended.
[You dare question the Dominion System's capabilities? Insolent human!]
"Here we go…"
[I am an advanced administrative construct created to resurrect dying domains! My precision is unmatched, my analysis flawless, and my patience—currently wearing thin.]
"Uh-huh. Sure. Skip the brag reel and give me the features, smart-mouth."
[Fine.]
[1. Territory Overview Panel – full status of domain: population, morale, food, treasury, etc.]
[2. Loyalty Index – citizen trust level. Current rating: Abysmal.]
[3. Morale Index – motivation level. Current rating: Barely alive.]
[4. Mission & Reward System – assigns goals, grants rewards.]
[5. Map Interface – terrain, settlements, resources.]
[6. System Shop – exchange Dominion Points for items or knowledge.]
As the last line echoed, a translucent blue window bloomed in front of me, covered in glowing text and graphs.
▬▬▬▬ [TERRITORY OVERVIEW — BARONY OF DUSKMOOR] ▬▬▬▬
Population: 497 (↓ 23 this month)
Food Reserve: ≈ 2 weeks
Morale: 17 % — Hopeless
Loyalty: 22 % — Distrustful
Treasury: 3 Gold Crowns
Debt: 12 000 Gold Crowns
Agriculture: Soil barren / Rainfall low
Trade: Inactive
Guards: 22 (unpaid)
Infrastructure: Neglected
Administrative Efficiency: Non-existent
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
"…Sweet mother of spreadsheets," I whispered. "It's worse than I thought."
[Hence my earlier suggestion.]
I squinted at the hovering data. "Wait—why didn't you show me this before I spent two hours drowning in moldy paperwork?"
[You did not ask.]
I stared at the air, deadpan. "That's your excuse?"
[Affirmative. Initiative protocols activate upon direct query.]
"So you watched me suffer in silence because I didn't use the magic word?"
[Correct.]
I dragged both hands down my face. "You're the most useless genius I've ever met."
[Threat recorded. Estimated danger level: laughable.]
"Keep talking, toaster."
[I am not a toaster.]
"Prove it by helping."
[At last, a productive attitude.]
The blue screen shifted again, lines of new text appearing.
[Tutorial Mission Initialized — 'A Land of Hunger.']
Objective: Stabilize Duskmoor's food supply.
Reward: 300 Dominion Points + Unlock Basic Agriculture Upgrade.
I stared at it for a long moment, then let out a tired laugh.
"Well… it's not much, but at least it's a start."
[Acknowledged. Commencing progress tracking.]
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, standing. "Let's go feed a starving barony, partner."
[Please refrain from using sentimental nicknames.]
"Too late, toaster."