Rise of Shaun Rodriquez, the Baron's Illegitimate Son

Chapter 2: Adjusting to the New World (1)

As soon as Shaun heard the unfamiliar voice, he spun around. However, there was no one there. He was completely alone in the room, just like he had been to begin with. The only other person had been the maid, who had shown up and left. Thinking he might have been imagining things, he was going to pretend he hadn't heard it when he heard it again.

[Dear user, please don't ignore us. It's very important that the user listens.]

This time, a message popped up right in front of him. It was so sudden that he jumped back and hit his back against the table. With a groan, he leaned against the table while placing a hand on the spot that hit the table. That had hurt. The pain just amplified the feeling that this was real. Of course, he had known it was real after being bombarded with memories and feeling cold water on his face.

Shaking his head, he focused on the more important matter at hand. "Who or what are you?"

[I'm the system that has been sent to support you, dear user.]

[Once it was sensed that a native of this world had actually transmigrated here, I was dispatched to assist you.]

Shaun frowned. "Explain."

[Well, you're not supposed to be here.]

Unsure how he was supposed to react to those words, he calmly asked, "Can you elaborate?"

[I don't have the authorization to tell you everything, but in simple terms, you weren't supposed to reincarnate into this world or regain your past life's memories.]

[Once this blunder was sensed, I was sent to be your partner and help you in every way I could.]

He blinked. That was a lot to process, but he was strangely calm about it. It was actually quite unnerving how quickly he assimilated into his new life. Shaun wasn't even batting an eye at the appearance of the system. He supposed it was thanks to having memories of both his lives that he wasn't running around like a headless chicken.

"I see, so does that mean if I want revenge, you'll help me?" he asked as he slowly got dressed.

[If that's what the user desires, then the system will help as long as it doesn't break the rules.]

"What are the rules?" he asked as he took a moment to admire himself in the mirror.

[That isn't something I'm allowed to tell the user, but I can tell the user when the user is about to break the rules.]

"I'll allow it," he said reluctantly.

Shaun didn't know enough about the system to be able to tell if it was safe to ignore its words or pick a fight with it. He had read plenty of webnovels where the system could either be a legitimate ally or a horrifying enemy. Until he was completely certain of where it stood, he couldn't act too rashly. The last thing he wanted was to experience another early death.

Once he was done dressing, he took one look at the clock and grimaced. He was supposed to be having breakfast with his family in the dining room, but he was clearly running late. The maid from earlier was probably supposed to wake him up earlier so he could arrive on time. However, he wasn't really surprised she hadn't said anything. This wouldn't be the first time he was late.

Recalling all the previous times he had a meal with the family, he scoffed. Honestly, it couldn't really be called a family meal. While he would love to skip out on the event, he couldn't. For one, he needed to eat. The servants weren't going to save food for him if he didn't arrive during the designated meal times, and he wasn't going to try sneaking into the kitchen to steal food. He wasn't going to stoop that low.

The other reason was because of the rumors he had been hearing and his memories of his past life. Like any generic fantasy story, the world was being threatened by a demon king, and the only ones who could defeat him were the heroes. The heroes meant to defeat the demon king were going to be summoned or had already been summoned. Unfortunately, since he was practically a nobody, he didn't have access to such valuable information.

If he went to breakfast, he might be able to glean some more information about the matter. The chances were slim, but he wasn't going to waste it by doing nothing. He needed to be more proactive if he wanted to make the most of his life.

As he was about to leave the room, he stopped with his hands on the handle and asked, "System, is it possible for you to be less eye catching and be more discreet? If anyone finds out I'm talking to you, I'll be in big trouble."

[Of course, dear user.]

The message vanished, leaving no traces of the system anywhere. Of course, he didn't think for a second that it was gone. Even though he had no proof, it felt like the system was lingering over his shoulder like a pet. As long as it didn't cause trouble, he was going to ignore it.

Entering the hallway, he spotted a couple of maids down the hall. The moment they saw him, they had disgusted expressions on their faces. He could feel his own disgust rise up at how they were disrespecting him. While a baron family might be at the bottom of nobility, he was still nobility. They should treat him with respect.

However, he didn't act on his anger and simply ignored its existence. It was quite easy to pull off since it was a tactic he nourished for a long time. Acting out now would only give him grief later in the future. Passing by all the servants, he soon found himself standing in front of the dining hall. His heart raced at the thought of seeing his family, and not for a good reason. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open.