Family

Family

After fiddling with the T3 Sniper Auxiliary Device for a while, David put it away and dragged his exhausted body to the bathroom.

He had recovered his memories as soon as he returned, and then discovered the Shadow Servant's secret. He hadn't had any time to clean the grime off himself.

After the explosion, he had been a complete mess. The water rinsing down over him eased much of his exhaustion.

Once he had washed up, he checked his injuries. The wound on his back had nearly healed after a day, and only a few scabs remained from the burns on his hands.

This body was many times stronger than the one he'd had in his previous life. A minor injury like this would have taken at least a week to heal back then, but in this world, the same injuries had mostly healed in just a few hours.

"Emma, prepare dinner for me, and add an extra serving of Fortified Meat!" After changing into clean clothes, David felt the hunger in his stomach and loudly instructed the Smart Butler, Emma.

He also recalled his memories of the Smart Butler, Emma. Everything about her, from her name to her voice, came from a hugely famous actress—his predecessor's favorite actress.

David couldn't help feeling contempt for his predecessor for using the actress Emma's name and voice for his Smart Butler, and spending a considerable number of Credit Points to acquire the rights.

He supposed that was just the nature of a shut-in. It was the same in his previous life as it was here.

Normally, David ate Fortified Meat only once a day. That was the amount his body needed, but after practicing the Eighteen Forms of Body Technique today, he could clearly feel that his body needed a great deal of energy. Ordinary food wouldn't be nearly as effective and might even affect his training tomorrow.

"Master, your Credit Point balance is only 1,320. That isn't enough to order next month's Fortified Meat!" the Smart Butler, Emma, reminded him while he ate.

Only then did David remember that his predecessor had poured his entire fortune into buying the materials needed for the frenzied sacrifices.

He sifted through his memories and quickly put his mind at ease.

His income wasn't low. Before his mother, Kathy, killed herself, she had already made arrangements for his future. He also owned two commercial properties in other cities, which were managed by an agency. They brought him an income of 20,000 Credit Points each month.

His predecessor had never paid attention to those properties and had no memory of where they were, but the 20,000 Credit Points in monthly income alone made it clear they were very valuable.

For most ordinary people, whose monthly income was only 3,000 Credit Points, 20,000 was already a considerable fortune.

So he had no need to worry about his living expenses. And even though he didn't want it, Hans still transferred 2,000 Credit Points into his Identity Bracelet as an allowance every month.

His current balance was low, but that would only affect the first few days of next month. Once the agency transferred the rent, he could return to his usual spending.

"Ding-dong! Ding-dong!" The electronic doorbell rang.

David stopped the Smart Butler, Emma, from going to open the door. He couldn't help complaining to himself about how unreliable she was. It was so late, and he was the only one living here. How could she just open the door to anyone?

He set down his dinner knife and opened his Identity Bracelet, bringing up the image of the entrance. His Identity Bracelet managed all the security systems in the residence.

On the screen, he saw a thin, middle-aged man wearing a standard Federation uniform. A golden badge on the front of his uniform glimmered faintly.

David immediately recognized him. This was the father of the body he now inhabited, Hans Kerr. The badge on his chest was the National Scholar insignia.

Now David understood why the Smart Butler, Emma, had prepared to open the door without asking him. Since Hans was his guardian, he didn't need David's permission to enter the residence.

And the fact that Hans had rung the doorbell showed that he was being extremely respectful toward David.

David still wasn't ready to see Hans, but he got up and went to the entrance to open the door.

Unlike the image on the screen, seeing the middle-aged man in person brought a flood of memories to David's mind.

Among them were memories of his predecessor's time with his father. His predecessor had cherished memories of him, too. Whenever Hans came back from the battlefield, he brought his son gifts and spent time playing with him.

Those memories of his father blended with David's own memories of the father he'd had in another world, pushing all of his predecessor's resentment aside.

"Father!" The moment he saw Hans, David couldn't help calling out to him.

Hans seemed surprised, but a relieved smile soon spread across his face. David hadn't called him that in years.

After Kathy's death, David had treated him like an enemy.

Hans thought this was a reaction to David having faced death. After all, David was still just a child.

"David, I heard about your accident this morning. It was so dangerous! Are you all right?" After a brief pause, Hans finally remembered why he had come and asked with concern.

Although his subordinates had told him that David was safe and had only sustained minor injuries, he had still been extremely worried when he heard the news.

He had tried to contact the Smart Butler, Emma at the time, but she told him David was resting, so he hadn't come over right away. Only after the Smart Butler, Emma, told him David was free had he hurried over.

"Father, I'm fine. Please come in!" David didn't know how to act around Hans, so he stepped aside and spoke softly.

Just then, he noticed a Hover Car parked by the roadside, with the faint silhouettes of two people, one large and one small, inside.

"David, your Aunt Bertha was worried, and Edie wanted to come see you too, so I brought them along," Hans explained quickly, noticing where David was looking.

Bertha was David's stepmother, and Edie was the son she had with Hans. Edie was three years old.

"Father, please invite Aunt Bertha and my little brother inside, too." David wasn't unhappy. He had received his predecessor's memories, but his feelings were still his own. He had his own way of treating his family.

His father, Hans, was not yet fifty. By the standards of the Interstellar Federation, where people lived to an average age of two hundred, he was still very young.

David also knew how hard things had been for Hans. The military had trained him as an Armored Warrior. After he enlisted, they discovered his talent, and he underwent grueling training in the military.

Military regulations left Hans little time to come home, keeping him from spending much time with his wife, Kathy. And after he went to the War Star to fight, Kathy's worry became a chronic illness.

Whether Hans or Kathy had been right or wrong—or whether either of them had been at fault—no longer mattered to David. Now he would simply take his predecessor's place and treat Hans, and the family he had in this life, well.

"All right, I'll go get them!" Hans was surprised by David's attitude, and excitement lit up his face. As he spoke, he turned and walked toward the Hover Car.

Watching Hans's unsteady figure, David felt deeply moved. He knew how powerful Armored Warriors were, but Hans had long since lost his formidable physique. His left arm and left leg had been replaced with the best prosthetics available, but even those could only let him live a normal life.

Hans had once been a Sniper Armored Warrior, a rare kind of Armored Warrior. It was precisely because he had lost his abilities as an Armored Warrior, and wasn't good at dealing with people, that he had stayed in Peilan City even after receiving the title of National Scholar.

"Big brother!" Little Edie ran toward David on his short legs, calling out as he came.

Although David's predecessor had strongly resisted Aunt Bertha, he had loved his little brother, Edie. From time to time, he even bought things and visited him at kindergarten.

From his memories, little Edie might have been the person his predecessor most wanted to be close to. When he was with Edie, his predecessor had no worries at all and could completely open his heart.

"Edie!" He smiled and opened his arms, lifting the little boy up. Then he greeted Bertha, who had followed behind them. "Hello, Auntie!"

Bertha was also stunned by David's attitude, but after a brief moment, she immediately smiled back.