I open my eyes to see a room filled with luxurious decorations; it has been five years since I awakened in this body.
The previous owner took his own life under the pressure of discovering he had no talent for magic after the potential test at the age of twelve.
The mere thought of what he did makes me laugh. Useless—lacking talent, he chose the easy way out. Fortunately for me, this body adapted perfectly to my needs.
At that moment, my maid enters the room.
Adela is one of the best parts of my new life; even in the world of cultivation, her beauty would be praised: those deadly curves, her chest and hips, along with her golden blonde hair falling to her shoulders.
—Young master, you are being called for breakfast —the maid says, looking at her master with reverence.
—Come help me get dressed, Adela —I demand. She looks at me, blushing upon seeing me shirtless. The most handsome man in the Demor Empire—that was the title I held. She brings me a shirt and proceeds to help me put it on.
—Do you know why they're requesting my presence at breakfast? —I ask lazily. Normally, they let me sleep in without disturbance.
—I'm not sure. The young master will have to return to the Academy soon, but I believe it has to do with an engagement, master.
—An engagement? —I think—. I didn't believe I had any value for such matters. Though, when I recall how some women look at me during the banquets… I still wonder what kind of woman would be willing to marry someone everyone considers useless.
Now then, you may wonder why, if I am an immortal soul from another world, I am still seen as useless. The truth is that once I understood what kind of world I had arrived in, I realized there was no need to rid myself of that label. After all, although my soul was somewhat damaged, all my power still resided within it; it was only a matter of time before I returned to a state capable of erasing worlds and making entire galaxies disappear.
For now, however, I am only capable of wiping out the entire Demor Empire if I wish—something that even the strongest beings in this world seem unable to achieve.
As for the Varkas family, although it enjoys a respectable status within the empire, it actually lacks the influence necessary to be considered elite.
The families at the peak of power, aside from the imperial Demor family, are the dukedoms of Sterling and Valois. The former possess the strongest fire magic—or at least they usually do, I tell myself, recalling a certain woman from that family—while the Valois rely more on wealth than brute strength.
Then there are the duchies of Astaford and Vitalis. The former are always prominent, as they are fanatics of the sword; their strength lies in their knights, who can reach a level capable of defeating mages. The Vitalis family, on the other hand, is involved with the clergy—light magic, healing, and such matters.
There are some noteworthy marquis houses as well, but we'll leave that for another time. For now, what matters is the family I belong to: the Varkas. We are one of the many count families of the empire, tasked with governing the northernmost city—one that, while not poor, lacks the importance needed to attract much attention.
"Young master…"
I snap out of my daze and see my beautiful maid standing there, blushing, staring at what was clearly my growing erection.
"I think we still have time, Adela," I said with a smile, grabbing her by the waist and beginning to kiss her lips.
In my previous life, I always let some greater duty guide me. In this one, I decided to change that completely. I lowered Adela's head until she was facing my hardness; I sat on the bed and, with a nod, let her take the lead.
…
I arrived at the breakfast room later than expected. My father in this life was sitting at the head of the table, looking serious and clearly annoyed at having had to wait for me. On the other side sat my not-so-pleasant, but certainly stunning stepmother.
Harems were common in this world; my father had married two women, but my mother had died young and had given birth only to me and my older sister, Margery, who was looking at me reproachfully for having left her alone to deal with all this.
Also at the table were my stepbrother Elric and his sister Bethany. I had another stepsister, but she wasn't currently in the county; she worked as a minister at the palace. Her name is Rosalind, though I like to call her simply Rose.
"You shouldn't keep your father waiting, Cassian," Eleanor, my stepmother, complained.
I looked at her as if to apologise, but without really taking it seriously, and sat down next to Margery.
"So," I said dismissively, "what's all this fuss about this morning?"
"Little brother, don't you think you should stop acting so arrogant when your place in this family is hanging by a thread?" Elric added, trying to emphasise that I was useless.
It's not that he was wrong. To my former self, the test indicated that, at best, I could become a 2nd-circle magician, which in this world is tantamount to being a waste of space. He, on the other hand, has enough talent to reach the 6th or 7th circle with a bit of luck; he's not on a par with the geniuses, but I suppose he's doing quite well for the son of a little-known count.
In the families of dukes or marquises, there are talents who not only aspire to the 9th circle, but have awakened rare affinities such as ice, light, or space.
If you're unsure how power is divided here: from the 1st to the 3rd circle are the novice mages; they can cast a few spells, but their power is pitiful.
If I were to translate this into the cultivation world, they would likely be the beginners: from the 1st to the 9th level of Qi Refinement. From the 4th to the 6th, we enter the intermediate ranks; there aren't many at the 6th level, so they already enjoy influence.
These would be the Foundation Establishment level.
Finally, from the 7th to the 9th are the true powerhouses of the world; very few reach the summit. The 9th circle would be equivalent to the peak of the Golden Core.
I have my doubts as to whether the 9th circle is the absolute limit. It seems like a barrier for most, but all worlds usually have a path to eternal life, although it is more difficult if you follow the rules of a world as weak as this one.
I stopped rambling and turned my attention to my father, who was looking at me, waiting for a response to something I hadn't, of course, heard.
"Sorry," I said, prompting him to repeat what he had said.
"I'm telling you that next week we're going to the Marquisate of Windsteel. A banquet will be held to announce the engagement between his eldest daughter, Cassane, and you."
I didn't know what surprised me more: the fact that they were arranging an engagement for me, or that the chosen one was the daughter of a marquis. I had met Cassane briefly at the Imperial Academy in the capital of Demor, but she hadn't made enough of an impression for me to remember her in detail.
"Can I refuse, or has it already been decided?" I asked.
It wasn't that the engagement really bothered me; after all, although I didn't know her well, Cassane was a beautiful woman with an enviable status. However, the fact that it was being imposed on me so suddenly made me hesitate.
"It's decided," my father declared. "The Windsteels have offered something we cannot refuse."
I wondered how much money and land that "something" might amount to. It wasn't as if I was short of money, but even so...