As Clay opened his eyes, it just happened.
'I became Marcus Durkton, a rich but lowly villain from a fantasy book I read years ago.'
As Clay could recall, it all happened in one evening.
After a tiring day of overworking himself, Clay passed out unconscious on his way home.
The next day, without recollection other than his endless work routines yesterday, Clay woke up in someone else's body in a fancy room he neither owned nor knew.
Clay then realized he had transmigrated as a filthy rich but trash character from a fantasy novel he almost forgot existed, a strange story he accidentally read years ago in some abandoned library.
'And it's been three days since I got here...'
Clay had made futile attempts to test his mind to make sense of what really happened. From sleeping for the past few days and feigning hope that everything would return to normal, nothing really worked.
Clay now accepts he is neither insane nor inside a funny dream.
'Basically, I'm stuck in this world, then...'
Although the novel he read has a good story, characters, and progression, it's a typical fantasy world where monsters lurk, gods dominate their lands, and humans establish civilization to defend and sustain themselves.
All in all, it is a world Clay would never dare to settle or consider.
'This world is still in its state where a war could break out all of a sudden.'
Moreover, although Clay could consider this transmigration a new life to consider, it is too late for him.
'The children... I have children to take care of.'
Being the owner and caretaker of a small orphanage was a considerable responsibility one could not just leave behind.
After all, Clay vowed to shelter his family with his life, especially now that most of his kids are still young and yet to be independent.
'Diego couldn't even light a gas stove himself.'
Sighing, Clay glanced around his unchanging surroundings—the fancy room filled with antique furniture, the paintings with curving borders, candelabras around the walls, and the Gothic windows on thick curtains.
Even after three days of living as Marcus Durkton, the novel's filthy rich but trash character, he still couldn't get used to the fancy sight of this young man's room.
'This is even larger than my apartment.'
Luckily, Clay got transported during a scene where Marcus was recovering from an incident that knocked him unconscious for a whole week.
That is, Clay excused that Marcus had lost his memories—which worked quite well considering how easily the maids and the alchemist believed his act.
'I got lucky, I guess.'
For Marcus' family, however, it somewhat concerns Clay that none of them have visited him yet.
'Marcus had lost his memories, but are they that busy to check him out?'
Clay knew Marcus was the second son of the esteemed Count Durkton, who was known as one of the pillars of the Golian Kingdom in terms of military force.
Ignoring his concern, Clay had one more problem to figure out.
Clay still couldn't figure out which part of the story's timeline he had transported into.
'I can't remember at what chapter or volume Marcus got knocked unconscious...'
Having no information about such makes it hard for Clay to plot his return plan for the future.
So instead, Clay recalled some details about Marcus Durkton, the young and villainous nobleman he had to play the role.
[ Marcus Durkton ]
Although not a worth remembering character, Marcus was notorious as a trashy young noble introduced in the early parts of the novel when the hero entered the Gilshire Academy.
As a naturally arrogant and insignificant character who does what he wants, Marcus excessively envies the hero's unmatched potential and magical ability.
Compared to the hero, whose talent and potential alone can rival a monarch in fair combat, Marcus missed any of those, leading him to despise the main character secretly.
In one scenario, Marcus secretly plotted to forge the academy records with his connections to expel the hero from the academy.
When this failed, Marcus got so furious that he kidnapped one of the female leads, which soon led to a one-sided duel against the hero.
Worse, after getting beaten to a pulp and exposed to all his misdoings, his father, Count Durkton, stripped him of his noble title and banished him to a faraway village.
And the story continued like how it was supposed to go.
To Clay, as a casual reader of the novel, Marcus was no more than a plot device for the hero's progression.
Clay would even forget Marcus in the novel if he weren't a Durkton, a renowned family that governs the Kingdom's military affairs.
And Clay has to play Marcus' awful role, a mere hero's stepping stone.
'How brutal is this...'
As Clay let out a long sigh, he slumped and rested his body on the comfortable bed.
'Fortunately, Marcus is not yet banished, which means his noble status remains intact...'
Clay was thinking for days about using Marcus' status to gather essential intel on how to return to his world.
From planning to contact the Church of Gimmel, thinking of possible artifacts related to transmigration, or reaching out to the avatars of the seven gods themselves, Clay couldn't figure out where to start.
'I really need to return home... the kids...'
As Clay let out a heavy sigh, a sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Young master, a pleasant morning," a man voiced, mild and respectful behind the closed door.
'Ah, the butler? What was his name again? Bill? Gil?'
"Young master, would you like to join the Lord, your father, for breakfast? The Count is already present as we speak. I believe the master bears a concern about your," the butler pauses to cough, then resumes, "sudden loss of memories."
'Ah, does he want to know if I still remember him?'
Thinking of a plausible, Marcus-like response, Clay utters, "I still don't feel well. Leave me be."
'That should do it, right?'
"But, young master," the butler clears his throat awkwardly, "has it been a week or so? Shall I summon the alchemist again? You know the Sword Ceremony you've been waiting for is tomorrow, do you not?"
'The ceremony...' pondered Clay, and in an instant, his mind raced as he almost jumped off his bed.
[ The Sword Ceremony ]
It was the highlight of the novel's third volume.
It was the day the hero challenged Marcus in a duel after learning that Marcus was behind all his misfortunes in the academy.
'Ah, shit...'
If the Sword Ceremony is by tomorrow, it only means that Marcus has already kidnapped Effelia, one of the female leads.
The hero must have just rescued her and will soon learn that Marcus was behind everything once she regained consciousness.
Clay was utterly devastated by this realization.
It is already damn awful Clay transmigrated as a lowly stepping-stone villain—but at a time right before the hero's revenge?
'Tell me this has to be a stupid joke.'
The Sword Ceremony was a highly anticipated deed for all aspiring squires across the Golian Kingdom, often hosted and overseen by the Durktons.
The squire's grace, swordplay, and techniques as sword wielders are all tested and highlighted in public, attracting all noble houses and military authorities as audience.
In the novel, the hero trespasses with a grand entrance and initiates a duel of honor with Marcus in the middle of the crowd.
The hero one-sidedly defeats Marcus, and as a condition under the contract of the duel, the loser has to surrender his noble status.
The Count stripped Marcus of his noble status and banished him to a rundown village without thinking twice.
And if Clay lets this happen, his return-to-his-world scheme will instantly crumble.
'I have to think of something...'
Feeling a sudden distress, Clay replies to the awaiting butler behind the door, "I'll follow... give me a minute to prepare."
The butler seemed to perk as his voice went lively. "That is great to hear, but would you like some help? I can summon your valets and maids to help you dress up."
"I don't need that."
"I understand... I will be waiting in the hallway for you, then," said the butler as he scuttled away with his footsteps growing faint.
Now, Clay had to think of something for the ceremony tomorrow to prevent Marcus' grave banishment.
Clay knew damn well he had to.
After all, it will decide his fate in this world.
Considering how the Count disowned Marcus after losing the duel without hesitation, Clay could tell a lot about Count Durkton as a leader and a father.
'Ha... just fuck me.'
