Thomas hurt, body and soul. After the ringing in his ears stopped, he tentatively opened his eyes slowly. Soft morning light filtered in through large floor to ceiling windows. "What? This isn't my room and sure doesn't look like any hospital." Thomas thought as he gazed around the room. Wealth was stated without being overbearing in the ornate gold trim lining the room and marble floors for the room. A maid was tidying up the room, turning around when she heard movement on the bed.
"Master Thomas! Oh thank goodness you woke up. We feared that the fall from the horse was too much, your mother has been beside herself with grief."
"wuh--" was all Thomas got out before memories flooded his mind. Not his but at the same time he felt they had always been his. He had transmigrated into the body of the son of a nobleman. Born the youngest of four, his odds of inheritance were next to nothing. Still his bad luck from his previous life followed him because his eldest brother had spooked his horse during a hunt causing Thomas to fall.
"I'm sorry this happened to you. " Thomas said to the former owner of this body. "I promise thought, you will have your justice and we are not going to be settling for just being the fourth son. Determination lit a fire in his eyes, which sparked fear in the maid because Thomas had not said anything out loud for several minutes following the cry of pain. Running out the room, she screamed "I'll get the doctor!"
***Host found, initializing the Nobility System***
***Bite down on something host, this is going to hurt***
It could have been a second, it felt like a hour. Pain assailed Thomas as information flooded his brain. His golden finger had arrived with all the flair of a bull rampaging a china shop judging by the intense headache that resettled in his mind.
Thinking back on the anime and webnovels he had read as a child, he croaked out "status."
A blue translucent screen popped up before his eyes.
Name: Thomas Plantagenet
Age: 14
Level 2: 5/50
Health: 10/50
Mana: 0/0 (Core not formed yet)
Bloodline: None
Talent: Low
Strength: 6
Agility: 5
INT: 9
Charisma: 3
Wisdom: 5
What trash stats are these? Then again, I don't know what average is here yet. Thomas considered his situation as he heard footsteps approaching.
Bursting through the doors without knocking, a broad shouldered man in fine clothes raced to Thomas' bed and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Thomas are you alright? I came back from Court as soon as I heard what had happened. To think that horse would suddenly buck you off like that. Rest assured, it has been dealt with. "
Oh so that's the narrative my older brother concocted. Thomas knew that he could not challenge his brother's deception but that horse had been a gift from his late mother.
"Yes, father. I am alright." Thomas replied evenly, trying his best to display as little on his face as possible. I don't know who is friend or foe, even in my own family. Until then, I keep a low profile. Well...I will try to anyway.
***Missions updated***
Long-term concurrent missions:
Mission 1: Investigate the late Lady Victoria's death
Complete: Something doesn't add up on how she suddenly got ill. Question her top 5 closest aides to get to the truth.
Reward: 1,000exp
Mission 2: Generate your own wealth, start a business.
Select a business you would like to start and secure the necessary resources
Reward: 1000 exp
Mission 3: Select one of the betrothals incoming
Reward: 50 exp
Mission 4: You're lazy sitting in that bed, get outside
Complete 100 push ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats and 10 laps around the estate grounds
Reward: +1 to STR and AGI
Thomas dismissed the missions after glancing at them, he would read them in greater detail later. There was a lot to question the system about when the room was less crowded. The entire time his father was fussing over him, checking to see if anything was still broken; a man garbed in a dull grey focused his eyes on Thomas.
"I don't remember you." Thomas said carefully, looking directly at the man.
At this the old man bowed, showing a ring of brown hair with a noticeable bald spot directly in the center. "Apologies for not introducing myself, Master Thomas. My name is Friar Davis. I maintain the local church and was fetched by your father. He was afraid a demon had attacked his son, what with all the screaming coming from this room." The friar maintained a smile that did not reach his eyes locked on Thomas, looking for any attempt at deception.
Thomas let out a chuckle at the absurdity of the claim but then realized no one else laughed. *cough* "Friar Davis, thank you for visiting but no I have not been assaulted by a demon. I still suffer headaches from my fall but prayers seem to keep the pain at bay."
No way anyone buys that stuff.
"Simply amazing!" Friar Davis' eyes lit up. "To think the Lord would grace you with his healing light in your time of need, he truly is benevolent."
Turning to the first man, Friar Davis bowed. "Your Grace, I don't think you have anything to fear but we would delight to see the both of you this Sunday for service. As always Duke Geoffrey, it has been a pleasure."
Ah shit, so much happened I didn't have time to absorb I'm the son of a Duke. This is either going to be a cushy life or a real pain in the ass. So long as I can get justice for the original Thomas, I can figure everything else out after.
"Father, I would like to walk around the town. It's been so long." Thomas remarked, hoping to get out of this bed and to see the state of affairs. The memories of his body did not have him go outside the castle walls following his mother's death. Even the hunting grounds they used were still technically within the noble grounds.
"Ok, son. Let's go." Duke Geoffrey grinned.
A maid quickly helped Thomas get dressed in fine noble attire, the scratchy fabric had Thomas consider textiles as a potential business later down the line.
Stepping outside the castle, Thomas was surprised to see a carriage surrounded by 15 knights gleaming in the sunlight. Impressive armor on full display with a rigid posture forged from training.
The head knight, Renault bowed to the Duke. "We are ready to depart when you are, Your Grace."
"Lets move out!" The Duke commanded, everyone saddling their horse or in the nobles case getting into the carriage.
It was a 15 minute carriage ride from the estate to the outskirts of town, the thatch roofs of the poorer citizens coming into view first.
Skinny, dirty, emaciated. There were many names to describe the poorer townsfolk but none of them kind.
"Look well, son. This is the downside of a civilized society. The desire to help them is there but there are always those who don't want to be helped. After a while, you just stop trying." Thomas turned to look at the Duke whose eyes had taken on a heavier gaze, weighted by his responsibility to the realm.
***Don't worry, host. With me, you can make even the poorest citizen live like a king in other kingdoms.***
You're starting to get a little chattier, aren't you?
***You're imagining things, host.***