Schulzation: Restart

Part 3: Straynoodle

Part 3: Straynoodle
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The ceiling in his room looked darker than usual. With shaky hands, he slowly removed the PulseGear and put it beside him. The ceiling was a bit brighter now.

A smile formed on his thin face. "I-I wish..."

Someone knocked on the door. It creaked open and footsteps soon resounded.

"I heard from the Viscount. You're playing a virtual game with his son?"

It was the duke. Chassid gulped. His father's voice was lacing with anger and contemplation.

He put the tray of food on the bedside table, narrowly missing the wire connecting Chassid to the machine holding his life.

"You still wouldn't learn huh? You get all these things for free and give nothing in return but shame to the family. Playing for twelve hours straight! Ha!" The Duke raised his fist. "Don't wait for this to reach your face. I pay no exception even if you are my son."

The emphasis on every word he said made Chassid's body stiffen. "I-I'm sorry."

"Ha! Can I use your apology in bringing back the honor of our family? No!"

"I'm sorry."

"Enough! The princess is marrying someone else. And that position was supposed to be yours. You know what it means? It's the end of our family and it's entirely your fault!"

"I-I can become a cyborg."

The duke's eyes burned with rage. He inched closer to Chassid's face and grabbed his arm. "You can't. Cyborgs can't take up any position in the government and they are frowned upon by the nobles and the imperial family. You only have two choices, die or do something."

He released his son's arm in a harsh manner and slammed the door shut, which made Chassid shudder.

The maid came rushing in to his room because of the sound.

They were both silent while the built-in machinery in Chassid's bed was feeding him. After that, the maid left the room without a word, carrying the empty food tray.

Chassid listened to her footsteps and turned his head to the PulseGear. Recalling what happened in Schulzation made his lips form into a bitter smile.

---

The princess was staring at nothing in particular while weakly stabbing her food. The emperor was discussing about her marriage, wars, territories, borders and the implementation of a new law.

"What are you doing?" The empress' eyebrows are furrowed.

"I'm eating."

"Where are your manners?"

The sound of the utensils hitting the plate echoed in the room. She pushed the chair back with an ear-splitting sound. Her mother throwing all sorts of insults as she left the dining hall.

Straynoodle sighed. The night sky looked extra beautiful and the wind carried a hint of warmth as it passed through the terrace. She was high up, and the specks of light from the buildings down below look no any different from the stars.

'He might be somewhere here. As far as I know, no other empire or kingdom can make a virtual world except us.'

She turned around, her wavy hair was fluttering softly. The scent of her perfume mixed with the gases in the air.

'I wish I'm as free as when I'm Straynoodle.'

"There you are." Her fiancé grabbed her arm and flashed a fake smile.