The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World-Chapter 11: The Castelor
[You have received +1000 Plot Points!]
’Huh? So that’s how it works?’
It seemed like his action with Dain had nudged the story.
Ruvian doesn’t know whether it will lead to good or bad, but time will tell, and he hopes that it was the first one. He needed Dain to return to his former glorious days.
"Ah.."
’I was so absorbed with the situation that I forgot to test my editorial skills on them.’
’Well, I should do it next time I guess.’
After a few minutes of walking, Ruvian finally reached home. Avina called from the kitchen that dinner was almost ready, but he headed upstairs first to change out of his clothes.
He wasn’t expecting anyone to be back yet, so it surprised him to see his father, Dieren, already home from work.
He was in the kitchen with Avina, sleeves rolled up as he helped prepare the meal. Ciela was there too, hovering around them determinedly, even though she offered more trouble than help, but she looked proud of herself anyway.
Ruvian paused on the stairs, feeling a small tug of guilt. He changed quickly and came back down afterward.
When Ruvian came back downstairs, his mother turned toward him with a soft smile.
"There you are," Avina said, waving a wooden spoon.
"Come and help us a bit. Dinner is almost done."
"Sure, I just went to change my clothes a bit. What should I help with?"
Dieren looked up from slicing the roasted chicken and said, "You can take the bowls to the table. Ciela tried that before, but it was too heavy for her, so she can’t help with that."
"Who decided that? I was just... taking a break, stirring this first. I was planning to carry it after I’m done with this." Ciela corrected immediately without even turning from the counter. She was mixing a small bowl of porridge with great confidence and absolutely no supervision.
"But I can’t do two tasks at once, so big brother has to do it," she said with a puff.
Avina let out a laugh.
"Are you sure you are helping us dear, and not causing more problems?
Ciela gasped as if the accusation was a personal attack. Her eyes began to watery. She was trying her best to be a good helper.
"Alright, alright. I was just joking. You’re a helpful sweetie."
Ruvian smiled and helped with setting up the table.
With the last of the dishes carried out and the table finally arranged, the small commotion in the kitchen finally calmed.
Avina dimmed the stove, washed her hands, and wiped them on a cloth before heading toward the dining table to join the rest of them.
The table was filled with familiar dishes, nothing fancy, just the usual home-cooked food. The roasted chicken sat in the center, its skin golden and crisp, carrying a delightful scent.
Beside it, a bowl of porridge steamed softly, drifting and filling the dining room. There were mashed potatoes sprinkled lightly with pepper, a small tray of buttered carrots, and a loaf of warm bread that Avina had sliced into thick pieces.
Everything looked humble but still inviting.
For all the effort people put into grand dinners, nothing ever quite smelled like home the way a simple dine did.
Somehow, the sight of them taking their seats, chatting without a care, brought a foreign heaviness to Ruvian.
It felt like an echo of something warm and gone that he could not quite reach.
’I wonder when was the last time I had a lively dinner like this?’
It was so long that even he couldn’t remember it.
Without drawing attention to himself, Ruvian lowered his gaze and took his seat, as well. The Castelor household began their meal after offering their simple thanks for the food.
Soon, the table settled into a gentle rhythm, the soft clink of spoon against ceramic marking the passing moments.
After a while, Avina’s voice slipped in, smooth and deceptively idle.
"You were in the plaza today, were you not? What were you looking for this time?" Avina asked, passing a plate toward him. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"Nothing much," Ruvian replied after taking a quiet sip of water.
"I was just wandering around, checking if there was anything useful for my enrollment later. It did not go very well. I could not find anything that caught my interest," he reached for a piece of bread, turning it slightly in his hand as he spoke.
Well, he couldn’t tell them his real motive, though.
Avina nodded while serving porridge into Ciela’s bowl, careful not to overfill it. "I see. It’s alright. You still have plenty of time."
Dieren paused midway through cutting a slice of chicken for himself and looked up. "If you need help, we can visit the plaza together this weekend."
Ruvian let out a small, appreciative smile and placed the bread on his plate. He pondered for a bit before giving his earnest answer.
"Yeah, I think that would be great."
’...Damn it, I’m struggling with the pace of trying to fit in.’
Honestly, it was still difficult for him to fully settle into this life.
He could accept the simple fact of being here, the strange reality that he had transmigrated into a novel’s world, but accepting the people around him was another matter.
Sitting at a table that was not his, surrounded by a family that was not his... there was guilt in it, a small, persistent ache that reminded him he was living in a place that belonged to someone else.
Part of him wondered if he had stolen something precious without meaning to. Another part whispered that he did not deserve the warmth offered so freely around this dinner table.
But what could he do? He had no answers about what happened to the original Ruvian. And also no way to fix anything, even if he wanted to.
The world treated him as the only one who existed now, and at some point, resisting that truth would only turn into useless self-punishment.
He could not change how he arrived here, but he could choose how he lived moving forward. Whether this life was borrowed, given, or forced upon him, he was the one living it now.
From now on, he was a Castelor.
And if he was to carry that name, then he would bear the responsibility that came with it.
This family might not have been his in the past that he remembered, but they were his now, and he would do everything in his power to protect them.
At least, that was what he thought to lessen the guilt he felt.
After a while, Dieren asked:
"Do you need more money for the enrollment?"
Ruvian’s hand hovered over his spoon; the question caught him off guard.
’If Ruvian needs it, his father would give it without hesitation, no doubt about it.’
From the memory he inherited, it seems like Dieren always did his best to provide for his family. Ruvian could easily ask for a small amount, and Dieren would immediately give him some.
"No. It’s fine. I’ll manage on my own."
[You have received +10 Plot Points]
’Hm?’
Ruvian was too absorbed in the notification to notice the small change on Dieren’s face. His father’s expression had softened, almost tender pride, as if he were looking at a son who was slowly finding his footing.
After a beat, his father nodded and smiled.
"Very well."
Ruvian continued to finish his plate.
He knew well enough that his family was not wealthy. They lived comfortably as commoners, perhaps a little better off than most, but still a long way from anything resembling luxury.
And he also knew that Dieren carried worries of his own, which he certainly never shared with his children.
So, with that in mind, there was no sense in placing more weight on his father’s shoulders. Especially when this was something he could handle himself.
He had gone through the memories of the OG Ruvian carefully, learning what kind of answer would be best for both his family and for himself.
He also had found out a few weeks ago, from his memory, that before the acceptance letter arrived, his family had been hesitant about his enrollment.
Not because they doubted his ability, but because the cost itself was enough to make anyone hesitate.
Their concern had been practical and well–founded.
’Yet, the OG Ruvian managed to convince them that he would manage it. How stubborn.’
He told them that the academy allowed scholars to delay the first year payment until the end of their second year, a special system exclusive for the commoners.
Even so, with the leverage of the system, the price was nothing small. 4 years at the academy would cost 400 Gold, an amount most common families would spend a lifetime trying to save.
And that calculation did not include the basic necessities he would need once he actually entered the academy.
’Come to think of it... he did some minor labour jobs in the past since he was 12 to earn some savings.’
He had managed to save only about 1 Gold in total.
1 Gold was not nothing, but it was still nowhere near enough to make the path ahead feel any lighter.
’At the very least, the good thing is, I’m not planning on paying the academy fees in the normal way.’
’Also, I need to start planning on how to make more money before my enrollment.’
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[Chapter 11: The Castelor]
