Moving his finger, Ronan selected the [Y] option.
The blue screen dissolved, and a new one appeared in front of him.
[Ronan Ashbourne]
[Age] – 18
[Gender] – Male
[Class] – None
[Mana Core] – Stage 1
[Skills]
[Mana Control LVL 1] – You can control the mana in the air with beginner-level proficiency
[Fireball LVL 1] – You can cast a small fireball that will explode on impact
[Mana Recovery LVL 1 (passive)] – You can regain mana at a very slow pace
[Stealth LVL 1] – Allows you to hide your presence
Ronan stared at the screen in front of him in shock.
This was worse than he had expected.
The original Ronan wasn't just a bum. He was the king of bums.
He didn't have a single skill above level 1, and out of the four skills he had, only one of them was an attack skill.
This was a dead end.
I have to get stronger, fast. But sadly, there are only 2 days before the Academy entrance exam.
If he didn't make a move first, he wouldn't pass the entrance examination, causing him to be potentially banished from the family.
Ronan didn't actually know much about the entrance examination.
The main character, Luca, didn't take it after all. He had gained admission through a recommendation, meaning he had skipped the entrance examination.
But then something struck him.
The original Ronan had passed.
He had entered the academy and was part of the B class, which was in the middle of all the classes.
Is there something I'm missing? Ronan thought to himself.
Whatever the case was – whether the original Ronan had passed through luck or skill – he didn't have the luxury to dwell on it.
He had to find a way to raise these skills, or perhaps even acquire a new one.
Thankfully, he had an idea.
Ronan heard a knock on his door, breaking him out of his plans for the future.
"Come in."
Lucia came into his room, along with the two other maids, Mary and Susan.
"Is there any problem?" Ronan asked.
Lucia shook her head.
"I'm simply here to inform you that Lord Ashbourne has invited you for dinner with the family."
Ronan hummed in understanding.
It was the day before the Academy exam, and he probably had some things to say to his 'dear son.'
Although there was probably a better reason.
Ronan's twin sister, Irene.
She wasn't mentioned much in the novel. Ronan remembered she was quite talented, though, and that she didn't really like her twin brother all that much.
Irene was the best friend of one of Luca's love interests in the novel – Grace Love – and they were seen together occasionally.
But other than those simple facts, Ronan didn't know much about his twin sister.
It was at times like these that the memories of the original user would be helpful.
"Thank you, Lucia… is that all?"
Lucia paused.
"Yes, young master… The Lord has requested that you arrive on time."
She shifted a little while saying that, as if she didn't want to insult me.
But Ronan shook his head.
"Ease up, Lucia, I'm not going to get upset from something like that. Tell him that I will arrive on time."
Lucia nodded, keeping her expression calm, but he saw the way tension left her face.
Ronan sent Lucia away along with the two maids.
Lucia was interesting. Mary and Susan both showed him slight apprehension and obviously didn't seem to think highly of him, but Lucia was different.
It looked like she felt affection and concern for Ronan in a way the other maids didn't.
Perhaps there was some history there?
Lucia was the head maid, meaning she led all the other maids and they answered to her orders. Despite that, she seemed to attend to Ronan more attentively than the other members of his family.
Ronan wasn't sure, but he kept it in mind.
If he could make Lucia loyal to him before his father, he could gain a valuable piece to move around in the Ashbourne household while he attended the academy.
Ronan wiped his shirt and got up, walking towards the tall bookshelf in the corner of his massive room.
It looked like the books on the shelf hadn't been touched in years, as the ones on the top were collecting dust.
Ronan examined the covers of the books.
The books ranged from fantasy books to autobiographies to general knowledge.
Ronan picked up a book titled The Massive History of the Eastern Continent and opened it to a random page.
For the next four hours, Ronan spent his time learning about the world he was in.
The eastern continent was divided into three regions.
The Central Domain was where he was living now. It was controlled by the four great noble families – including the Ashbourne family. It was the most technologically advanced region, with academies, cities for trade, and politics.
The Northern Expanse was separated from the other two regions, and they held a strictly professional relationship with the other two regions of the Eastern Continent.
They valued strength over all. While the Central Domain relied more on trade resources and politics.
The two continents – while inhibiting different beliefs – cooperated. While the Northern Expanse was a smaller region, their military power was on par with the Central Domain. They only lacked resources.
Which is where the Southern Expanse comes in.
The Southern Expanse is an uninhabitable place, filled with mana creatures of all types. The further south you go, the more dangerous the creatures become.
Ronan's eyes gazed across the pages.
He flipped the page and kept reading.
The Ashbourne family was known as one of the four great families in the Central Domain. They specialized in fire magic and runic magic.
Ronan thought back to his skills.
Fireball.
That checked out.
Ronan finally closed the book, letting out a sigh.
The world he had been reincarnated in was far more intricate than he had read about.
The original novel was from the point of view of Luca, the main character. It didn't go into detail about the small intricacies of this world.
A knock.
Lucia didn't ask this time before she came in.
"Dinner is ready, young master. Please get ready–"
She paused.
"Never mind, it seems you are already ready. Would you like me to clean up the books you were reading?"
"That would be great, Lucia. Thank you."
Lucia nodded as she walked over to clean up the books. Mary and Susan were ready at the door, waiting to lead him to the dinner table.
Ronan followed them silently, a feeling of unease settling into his body.