Keith sat up, and the two of them faced each other on the bed. He calmly said, “He was my classmate from military school.”
Ghis responded with a long, meaningful “Oh.”
Long Shi really seemed like a difficult person to pursue. Did the original host really have to hang himself from that one tree?
What would happen if he chose not to pursue Long Shi? Keith thought that if the real goal was to take revenge on the powerful sovereign nation, then chasing after Long Shi, who was a native of Lanchi, wouldn’t be all that helpful. Winning him over wouldn’t bring much strategic advantage to the mission.
System: “Host, please don’t be reckless. If you deviate from the storyline, your revenge timeline will be cut in half. You’ll only have two and a half years left, and I won’t be able to grant you any magical tools. That’s hell mode.”
Hell mode? Keith was actually intrigued. He was already an SSS-rank gunner, one of the strongest offensive forces on the continent. Why worry?
System: “What? Please, I’m begging you. If I break, what then?”
Ghis casually brushed through his messy hair from just waking up and said, “Governor, you still haven’t told me why you were drinking so much last night.”
Keith couldn’t think of a good excuse. He definitely wasn’t about to say the previous host got drunk over failing to win over a Beta. So he made something up.
“Yesterday was my birthday. I dragged you out for drinks. Sorry for being rude.”
Since he just arrived here, using the birthday excuse wasn’t technically wrong.
“What? Your birthday? But I didn’t prepare a gift!” Ghis looked startled, a light blush creeping across his cheeks. He had eaten, drunk, and brought nothing at all. He suddenly seemed flustered.
He hurried to the sitting room, found his coat, and took off the brooch pinned to it. It had small gemstones inlaid and was at least somewhat valuable.
“A birthday gift. I hope you won’t mind.”
The brooch featured a green parrot.
“Thank you, Ghis.” Keith accepted it and turned it over in his hands. He didn’t plan on wearing it, but as he glanced between the brooch and Ghis, he realized the parrot actually resembled him quite a bit. “Do you like parrots?”
The name Ghis (which sounded suspiciously like “chicken floss” in his mind) was easy to remember and oddly similar to his own.
“Yes. I even keep a parrot. You’re welcome to visit sometime if you’re free.” Ghis smiled warmly as he spoke, clearly delighted by the topic. He hadn’t known Keith for long, but they got along surprisingly well.
Ghis buttoned his shirt and slipped on his coat. As he moved away from the window, sunlight streamed in through the curtain gaps. Keith instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes. His blind left eye could no longer sense light at all.
Ghis leaned closer and looked down at him. “I’ve sent my friend out to find medicine. I’m not sure if he’s succeeded yet. Let me take a look at your eye. Do you feel anything? Any pain? Maybe in time, we can heal it.”
The sunlight outside was harsh, and Ghis stood with the light behind him. Keith half-squinted as he observed him.
Standing this close, Keith realized that Ghis really was quite refined. His fox-like eyes, the beauty mark under one eye, and his carefully tailored clothes all screamed high-status noble. Yet his demeanor was subtle and unassuming. It was hard not to be curious.
If someone genuinely wanted to help him regain sight in his blind eye, it was only natural for Keith to want to be closer to them. No wonder the previous host had been so easily taken in by Ghis.
Keith still didn’t know Ghis’s true identity, or what motives he might have. It was strange that he was helping unconditionally.
He also had no concept of what second-gender types looked like here. He still didn’t know Ghis’s secondary gender.
Was it rude to ask someone directly?
Keith asked instead, “You can heal eyes? Are you a doctor? I don’t feel anything. It doesn’t hurt.”
Ghis straightened up and smiled. “I’m a mage, not a doctor. But I have a friend who’s a sorcerer. I’ll head back for now. If there’s any news, I’ll come find you. Or if you’re free, Governor, you’re welcome to visit my home.”
“Wait,” Keith said as he got out of bed. Standing behind Ghis, he noticed that Ghis was about half a head shorter than him, and his build was also slimmer.
He remembered the intel mentioning Ghis came from another region. He needed to ask more.
“Where are you from?”
“I’m from a mage family in Bane Perella,” Ghis answered casually. “Why? You look surprised.”
Bane Perella really treated this place like its own backyard. It was a colony, after all.
The Bane Perella family was the current ruling dynasty. Keith was now certain that Ghis had an important background, but he didn’t press the matter.
Though surprised, Keith kept his expression calm. “Nothing. We don’t get many mages here. Why are you helping me?”
Ghis gave him a thoughtful look. “You’re one of Bane Perella’s top snipers. It would be a shame for someone like you to be blind.”
That line made Keith uncomfortable. This body was not from Bane Perella, but he couldn’t argue. For now, he was clearly under someone else’s roof.
A dependent Alpha governor. How humiliating.
The Bane Perella Empire was unimaginably powerful. It had colonized many regions. All colonized areas were now collectively called the Bane Perella Continent.
Suddenly, shouting came from outside the door.
“Commander, you can’t go in. The Governor isn’t up yet.”
“Out of the way. Don’t stop me.” A man’s voice responded roughly.
A moment later, the door was forced open.
Long Shi entered.
He was tall and athletic, with bronze skin and a sword at his waist. As Lanchi’s military commander, he was both Keith’s subordinate and his childhood friend.
Keith didn’t look pleased. He had to face this hard-to-approach white moonlight every single day.
“Long Shi, what is it?” Keith asked.
Long Shi glanced around the room. His expression tightened when he saw the two of them had just gotten up.
“You two… you’re not even engaged. And you’re already doing this? Keith, I’m very disappointed in you.”
Long Shi had misunderstood completely, assuming they had slept together. As a Beta, he couldn’t detect pheromones, and the sight of the slightly messy bed disgusted him. He turned and left angrily.
What a massive misunderstanding.
Even though Keith had no romantic feelings for the original host’s “white moonlight,” he still needed to explain. Long Shi was his direct subordinate and someone he saw every day.
“So that was the Long Shi you mentioned,” Ghis said, thoughtfully.
He looked suspiciously like someone who had just spotted a rival in love.
Keith felt a headache coming on. “You should head back for now. I’ve got some things to handle. I’ll visit you another day.”
Ghis left.
The relationships in this world were complicated. The setting resembled nineteenth-century Europe, mixed with fantasy and ABO elements.
Keith washed up and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
He looked somewhat similar to his previous self, but the temperament was completely different.
This Keith had pale skin, soft golden curls, and a face that was elegant and noble. A perfect example of classical European aristocracy.
There was a scar under his left eye socket, likely from the colonial wars he had fought in.
He now played the role of someone enduring in silence, waiting for the right moment to strike back.
But how could he resist an empire as strong as Bane Perella? He did not want to end up like the previous host, disappearing in five years without ever regaining control of his body.
After freshening up, a maid entered to help him dress and place an eye patch over his blind eye.
Keith originally wanted to find Long Shi right away, but he realized he did not yet have enough information. He decided to stop by his office first.
Just as he arrived, his military aide handed him a letter.
“Governor, a letter for you.”
The golden envelope had a faint fragrance. Keith accepted it and sat down in his office chair.
There was no sender listed on the envelope. The wax seal featured the image of a lion, the crest of the Bane Perella royal family.
A sense of unease crept over Keith. After a moment’s hesitation, he opened the letter.
It was from the Queen of Bane Perella.
“Governor Keith, last time we discussed your marriage, you told me you were already interested in someone. I had originally planned to help you find a suitable partner, but then you said the person was a Beta.”
“I do not believe a Beta is suitable to become the spouse of a Governor. Who exactly is this Beta you mentioned? Do you prefer Betas in general? Unfortunately, I do not have any appropriate Beta candidates to recommend to you.”
“Perhaps consider someone else. I can make the decision for you. Preferably an Omega. If you have no one in mind, I can offer some suggestions.”
Keith’s eyebrows knitted tightly. This was a disaster.
The Beta the previous host mentioned must have been Long Shi. Back in their academy days, the original Keith had confessed to Long Shi, but Long Shi had not accepted. They had never even begun a relationship.
The Queen had likely guessed who the person was but chose not to say it outright. Clearly, she did not approve of Long Shi, most likely because he was a native of Lanchi.
She wanted Keith to marry someone from Bane Perella, both to ensure his loyalty and to increase her control over him.
This was already bordering on forcing a marriage. If he could not find a partner on his own, the Queen would assign one to him.
Apparently, arranged marriages were common in ABO societies. Keith, in his past life, had never even been in a relationship. He had always been too busy for love.
Now, out of nowhere, he was being ordered to marry. It was overwhelming.
All he knew about the ABO world was that Omegas could bear children, while Betas had very low chances. The Queen clearly wanted him to have children with an Omega. But Keith had no desire for children. They would only slow him down and get in the way of his revenge and combat abilities.
The thought of being forced to have a child with a complete stranger left him feeling hopeless. Was there any way to get out of this without having children, and still keep up appearances?
The system spoke up.
“What about Long Shi? If you do not complete your mission, I might malfunction. And the people who once had feelings for you will become hopelessly devoted to you.”
Keith replied calmly.
“I have my own plans. My fate is mine to decide, not the heavens.”
The system grumbled.
“You must be one of those transmigrators from that popular novel site.”
Keith believed that even being with Long Shi would not help him with his mission of revenge. He could not even get close to the Queen right now.
Long Shi’s family had served his for generations. Marrying Long Shi would only raise the Queen’s suspicions.
The Queen had only appointed him as Governor because of his unmatched combat power. If he married Long Shi, she might remove him from office or even throw him into prison. That would be the real version of hell mode.
Keith did not respond to the Queen’s letter right away, but he kept her words in mind. He knew better than to ignore her.
He then turned to the system.
“Tell me about the power structure of this world.”
It was still early. A good time to learn more.
The system began to explain.
“Sir, the highest talent level is SSS. Each profession is different, and even within the same rank, the damage output varies. Currently, heavy rifles deal the most damage, followed by standard rifles. A person’s talent level reflects their potential after full training and effort.”
“It is extremely difficult to raise talent levels. Unless a person experiences something extraordinary, their talent is usually set at birth.”
“Although the Bane Perella Continent places great importance on talent, most of the actual damage output comes from special weapons and support buffs.”
Keith asked, “Tell me more about these buffs.”
“Buffs come from support roles. In this world, support classes are extremely respected and stable. The most powerful support is the Pope, who can increase a fighter’s damage by 800 percent and provide high-level defense.”
“All the offensive buffs come from the Bane Perella Church. They have a monopoly. Other support roles can only offer healing and minor enhancements.”
“The original host once had a personal support officer for gun-based combat. That person could boost his damage by 400 percent, but he died in the war. Currently, all gunner and melee support officers in Lanchi who could provide offensive buffs are dead.”
“The Queen has full control over Lanchi and has ordered the military academy to stop offering support training for gunners and melee fighters. Without support, making a comeback is nearly impossible.”
Keith sighed.
“So, the original host left me nothing.”
The Pope was impossible to approach anyway. He would have to think of other ways later.
