In the old study of my grandfather, a room filled with countless stacks of aged documents of the family, stored in a rather chaotic manner, sunlight streamed through the window, striking the golden-yellow eyes of a young man standing there.
He had a well-proportioned build, dressed in a suit and a long coat, each piece deep black.
On his hands, black gloves clutched a pale cream envelope tightly.
Today, the grand mansion felt quieter than usual, a silence heavier than normal, and all of this was because my grandfather had passed away that day...
Thieval Resester — the name of the elderly man with white hair, nearly a hundred years old, yet still remarkably robust and healthy.
He was loud, foul-mouthed, and often boasted about meaningless incidents from his past as if they were great achievements.
"Hahaha… dear Disvel!! Do you know? Back in my youth, I once jumped off a high mountain and hit the ground headfirst… and yet, I didn't die!!"
The image of the white-haired old man in memory floated before the young man.
"That sounds utterly ridiculous… and why are you even telling me this?" His own younger voice replied coldly.
"Heh…" Every time I remembered those events, a headache always came. Was it because I was too stressed lately? Or maybe I should rest more?
But honestly… I never liked my grandfather's behavior all those years, and as a child, I often wondered, "Why do some adults remain so foolish even when they grow old?"
Yet now… hearing of his passing, my chest felt strangely tight, almost suffocating.
"Oh, dear…" the young man whispered, then fell silent, staring at the vast, azure sky outside the window.
Why did this atmosphere feel so familiar…?
He thought, standing amid the silent room, memories flashing through his mind — among them, the image of the white-haired old man.
Thieval Resester had died of a sudden heart attack, which was hardly surprising considering his age — but who would have thought? That old man, who teased everyone daily, would suddenly leave without warning!
"Ugh!!" The headache!!
Clutching his temple with one hand and bracing himself against the desk with the other, the young man felt his consciousness slowly fade, along with an indescribable pain… Yet after a while, it finally subsided.
"Looks like I really need to take a break sometime," I said, standing again, glancing around the room, recalling fragments of the past.
When I was a child… very young, barely able to speak… even then… there was only suffering.
"Master!!!" a servant's voice cried out, face filled with panic, staring at my younger self writhing on the floor, feeling a pain no one could understand.
I don't even know if I was sick, but often a strange pain would appear on my forehead without reason… a pain so intense, nothing could surpass it.
As a child, I endured it constantly, until over time, it gradually lessened, and I almost forgot it…
But just now, what was that? That familiar pain… could it be coming back? Was I going back to that hell?
"Calm down… there must be a way out. Maybe I'm just too stressed…"
My whole body trembled with fear… I could feel it. No matter how hard I tried to talk myself down, it didn't help.
I tried to stop trembling, yet my strength was gone. At that moment, as my eyes wandered to something to focus on, I noticed an old photograph hanging on the wall.
"What's this?"
It was a photo of a young man in a brown cloak holding a shovel… perhaps a younger version of my grandfather.
Slowly, my trembling subsided, thanks to him…
No!! Impossible!! I couldn't accept that I was saved by that old man…
While standing there, a black butterfly suddenly flew past. Following it, my eyes landed on a pale cream envelope on the desk.
"Finally… 'Grandfather's Last Will,'" I said, picking it up, unaware that just a few lines inside would almost make my eyes roll back in disbelief.
—
To: Disvel, you foolish boy!!
From: Your extraordinary grandfather
You idiot!! Born handsome, with a well-proportioned body,
yet why, oh why, are you still single at this age?!
Do you know how wild I was in my youth!? Girls everywhere!! Why can't you be like me!? You're shaming the ancestors!!
But forget that for now, because I have something far more important to tell you.
If you are reading this, it means I am dead.
And this is my final request… no!! My command!!
Disvel, only you are worthy…
Go—
Not telling! You'll find out yourself!
—
The message ended there. No coordinates, no treasure, only the old man's messy handwriting and the faint scent of ink on the paper.
"Even the last words are absurd… Is this really what grandfather left behind?"
I sighed, placing the envelope on the desk that once was his.
"I'm still a minor, of course I'm single…"
A sense of relief appeared in me.
But… was this really all grandfather left? Just a silly envelope, almost devoid of meaningful content?
As I pondered this, my eyes fell upon an old black book next to the envelope.
"Huh!?" What was this book? When did it get here? How did I not notice before?
It was just an old book, black cover with faint gray edges… yet it gave off a faint new scent.
"Remember, Disvel… whatever is in my study… you must not touch!!" A memory of my grandfather floated through my mind.
"Why, grandfather?" my younger voice asked.
"Because… it's mine… hahaha!"
Without thinking, I reached for the book.
Then, suddenly, a strange white light emerged from it, and my consciousness began to fade.
My body's balance collapsed for some reason…
I could not control myself…
"What… is happening?"
I said, collapsing as the strange white light floated before me.
The book… could fly?
The light gradually faded, revealing the black book, now astonishingly turning white.
The pages began to open on their own, revealing words:
You have been chosen to inherit the Record.
Red letters appeared before the young man… and then, everything went dark.