Jowoon twisted his lips while reading the penalty. So it was not certain eh? Then he would have to make sure not to take on any quests that looked too difficult.
His eyes skimmed over the next function.
>The Affection Gauge (The Eye of Truth)
Description: Displays the name, status, and current emotional standing of any individual within the Host's line of sight.
Metric: Ranges from -100% (Bloodlust/Ardent Enemy) to +100% (Unconditional Devotion/Love).
Note: Understanding who wants you dead is the first step to staying alive and increasing your survival level.
Seeing the phrase 'Increasing Survival Level' at the bottom of the screen, Jowoon felt a small, bitter sense of relief wash over him.
'It means there's a way out,' he thought, his breathing finally slowing. 'If I follow the quests and monitor the affection levels, I can navigate this unknown world and tread with caution.'
Though, it was probably easier said than done. He knew that very well so his relief was shallow. He wasn't happy.
He was a 32-year-old teacher who liked tea and silence, now trapped in the body of a noble in a world where 'Survival' was a literal game mechanic.
"So I'm a side character in a story I don't even recognize," he muttered. "Yes, I'm definitely a side character."
As a teacher, he prided himself on his retentive memory, so there was no way he wouldn't know Julian Von Astrea as a main character in a novel he read in the past.
But that's not even the issue now.
The world felt too unreal, too dangerous, and so he was not confident that he would know what novel he was in simply by knowing the names of the characters.
The system pinged once more, giving him an announcement.
>[Time freeze will be disabled in 5, 4, 3...]
Jowoon grimaced. He didn't like that he would have to struggle to survive when the world had been so easy for him up until now.
Before, if he only stayed in his corner, trouble would not find him. But here, there was no guarantee that trouble wouldn't find him even as he slept at night.
>[...2, 1! Back to reality.]
At the last ping, the time freeze broke and everything started moving again.
'This is not my reality,' Jowoon thought. 'But I will live it until I figure out how to get back.'
He looked down at the girl and then he saw the affection level above her head.
Her name was displayed, and so was her affection level towards him, but he frowned, seeing how disappointing it was.
[Target: Vivi (Beggar girl) — Affection: 3% (plotting)]
It was almost plain what that plotting meant. Even after doing a big favor, she only held three percent affection towards him and was plotting.
She probably wanted to try to get all the gold coins she saw him bring out before.
Realizing this, Jowoon, now Julian, sighed and decided to be on his way.
He did not know where he was going, but if he called a carriage and told them to take him to the Astrea mansion, he would probably get to the front of his house and figure out the rest from there.
"Wait, mister," the beggar girl called and he glanced back. "There... There's blood on your coat."
As soon as she said that, he looked down at his coat, only to confirm that it was true.
The blood on his coat... It couldn't be his, could it?
He didn't feel pain or discomfort anywhere besides the burning in his throat, so it was probably not his.
The fact that he could not remember anything that happened before he possessed this body or what kind of person Julian was, made things a little complicated.
"Thank you," he said, dipped his hand into his pocket, and gave her a gold coin.
Her eyes glimmered and the affection level on her head flickered, moving from 3% -> 5%, still so poor.
Even if he knew the outcome, he did it anyway. Since she had probably been plotting to use him and get his money for herself, for someone her age, she must know how to hide it from the bullies.
This might as well be the last time he would help someone.
Now that he could see the affection level of every character before him, he wouldn't end up helping someone who would not appreciate it and only stab him in the back.
[Back to the ballroom scene...]
Julian lived in the Astrea mansion for three months, understanding his standing as a typical illegitimate child, and how he was hated by all.
He needed more knowledge of this world and went to the imperial library every chance he got. It was to the point he had come to know the librarian so well, but their affection level did not move beyond 11% for some odd reason.
He didn't dwell on it and continued with what he was doing.
And then he was told he would attend the princess's coming-of-age ball, the highlight of high society.
He was anxious, at first, but he self studied etiquette in order not to give himself away. Not like anyone would expect the illegitimate child of the Marquis to be well-versed in any of that.
The only good thing going for this lad was his handsome face which girls could just not get enough of.
That was the only reason why their affection levels weren't in the zeros.
"According to these gauges, almost everyone in this room feels somewhere between 'indifferent' and 'hateful' toward me," Julian mumbled to himself, his eyes scanning the ballroom once again.
Then, he sighed.
'I'm exhausted. If I stay here for much longer, I might not be able to keep up this composed act for much longer.'
He stared at his reflection in the glass, his odd colored eyes catching his attention.
His unique blue and purple colored eyes, his skin, his face... He was starting to believe this superficial exterior was what was keeping him alive till this point.
This was probably the perk of being handsome that he could not understand.
Then, the system window flashed red before his eyes, drawing his attention.
[NEW MANDATORY QUEST TRIGGERED!]
'Hm?' Julian looked at it with a little bit of interest.
Since he saw the functions of the system, this was the first mandatory quest he got.
Every other quest was small-scale and sudden too. Quests like, 'Avoid the Marquisette coming up the stairs' or 'Jump out the window to avoid the twins who plan to come into your room and humiliate you'.
It was all stuff regarding the household that was very much a battlefield to him, and during all that time, he never saw his father so why was there suddenly a question regarding him?
>[Quest Name: 'The First Impression of a Spare']
What an odd quest name.
>[Objective: Exit the ballroom without lowering the Affection Level of the Marquis Astrea or the Princess.]
>[Current Danger Level: Medium.]
>[Reward: +15 Survival Points]
>[Failure: Immediate interrogation by the Imperial Guards]
>[Status: uncompleted]
Was it because this was his first mandatory quest? The reward was quite generous.
Other rewards only gave him one or two survival points.
'I still don't know what the survival points are used for.' he thought, and just then the smell of expensive cedar perfume filled his senses.
"Julian?"
The voice cut through his thoughts. Julian turned his head slowly. Standing there was a man with pepper-red hair and purple eyes, looking at Julian with a bit of cold disdain on his bearded face.
Julian's eyes fell on the character description and then he realized it was his father.
[Target: Marquis Astrea (Father) — Affection: 15% (Disappointed)]