ã€ŠMy New Life In Another Worldã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    ¡°Ugh,¡± What the hell just happened? As I opened my eyes, I could faintly see stars orbiting in my vision. I am currently sprawled on all fours and my insides churned like hell. If I were to simplify it, then it feels like a really, really bad hangover. Not that I know what a hangover feels like in the first place. Cheers.

    I tried moving my body, but the feedback that I received were purely intense pain. Ugh, god. It hurts so much that tears started forming in the corner of my eyes. I tried turning my neck sideways, but it had never felt so taxing before. It hurts so much that I began doubting whether my neck was still fine or not. ¡®Is my neck¡­ broken or something?¡¯ I thought, ¡®....I just hope that I won¡¯t die because of this, it would be far too tragic¡¯. Still, when I saw the scene before me, the pain I was experiencing immediately lessened. My awful mood also turned for the better. Why, you ask?

    It¡¯s because that idiotic acquaintance of mine, along with his 3 other lackeys, are in a state way more miserable than mine. Their poses are so awkward that just by looking at them caused my eyes to burn. There is also the fact that they are producing indecipherable groaning sounds, and their complexion got worse as time passed.

    As a side note, please don¡¯t lump me in with those brainless imbeciles. Even acknowledging them as my acquaintances feels rather degrading, so please don¡¯t consider them as my ¡®friends¡¯. I even sincerely hope that they would all just die in a ditch somewhere ah. So, please don¡¯t call them my ¡®friends¡¯. This fact is so very important, that I have to repeat it twice.

    But, I digress. It seems that seeing such a beautiful scene had made me lose sight of my main objective. Back to the matter at hand, where exactly am I right now? Since even slightly shifting my neck almost made me black out, I could only try to make do with the tail of my eye.

    From what I can see, those guys and I are dumped in some sort of a big white room. The ceilings, walls, and even the floors were dyed in a pure white color. Not to mention, it¡¯s completely bare without any kinds of furnitures or at least something to mark this room as theirs. Umm, what could I say? Whoever owns this room, their taste must be very¡­ unique. Wonder if they had a grudge against every single damned thing that are not white in color?

    But, really. What happened? The last thing I remembered before I blacked out was walking somewhere when I heard a voice of someone shouting from behind me.Then, my shoulder was grabbed by the owner of the voice. Of course, who else could it be, except for that brain damaged idiot? However, just as I was to smack his hand away, my vision blurred and then I blacked out.

    As expected, nothing useful could come to mind. Shame on you memories of mine, you have failed me horribly, how disappointing. That being said, ...were we abducted by aliens or something? Hahaha. It seems that even being in close proximities with those idiots could infect me with their idiocy. Mental note made: Have to keep my distance from them for fear that I become a complete moron.

    While I was once again lost in my collection of useless thoughts, one side of the wall suddenly crumbled. Yes, you did not see it wrongly.

    THE. WALL. BROKE. DOWN.

    What. the. Hell!? This scene caused me to be very confused and my previously calm mind started to turn chaotic again. Why would, a perfectly fine wall, suddenly crumble down? Wait, no, that¡¯s not the point here. But, before I had the chance to reorganize my thoughts, the sounds of footsteps could be heard.. In roughly 10 seconds, the identities of those footsteps became clear.

    Again, what? A lot of people wearing heavy armors are standing straight behind a girl, seeming to be protecting her. The girl was probably around our age. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t really make out her face since my neck isn¡¯t responding. But, looking at the dress and those slender legs, this person must be a girl. Well, might be a fake¡­

    *Cough*

    ...I really should stop this line of thought. It¡¯s very unhealthy and it gives me chills. I should be more concerned about those weird armor-wearing guys. Who the hell still wear those kinds of attire in this time and age!? Talk about weird cosplay taste.

    More importantly, what are they doing right now? I mean, they¡¯ve been standing in front of us for quite some time now. Sadly, the uncomfortable feeling started to come back and I couldn¡¯t make out their expressions. I think they¡¯re¡­ panicking? The girl seemed to be talking to those people with the armors while making a lot of hand gestures.

    ...Can¡¯t you all just save the discussions for later? Ugh, my eyelids are getting heavier¡­

    I¡¯ll just take a nap for a moment then...

    ----------

    Some time earlier.

    Obnoxious ringing sounds could be heard from the inside of a certain person¡¯s apartment room.

    *Ring Ring Ring*

    The alarm rang noisily, but the figure under the blanket that was wrapped like a cocoon did not show any signs of waking up.

    *Ring Ring Ring* *Ring Ring Ring*

    The alarm snoozed for a moment before ringing again. Fortunately, this time the youth seemed to be awake as he smacked the alarm dead with the utmost precision.

    ¡°...Just 5 more minutes,¡± he yawned, ¡°...but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll end up oversleeping that way...¡±

    He then shoved the blanket that was previously wrapped around his body away, and lazily walked towards the bathroom to take a bath and do his morning routines. When the youth came out, the figure that was wrapped in a towel was stunningly ambiguous in gender.

    When the youth opened his wardrobe to take his uniform, he couldn¡¯t help but to take a second look at the figure that was reflected in the mirror. With a height around 160cm and smooth skin, if it weren¡¯t for his obvious adam¡¯s apple and slightly masculine face, he himself might have mistaken his identity as a bonafide man. Looking at his fragile reflection, he started to feel some irritation. However, he eventually let out a sigh and decided not to care about it anymore.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    After wearing his uniform, he went to make some toast and ate it very quickly before heading out.

    The distance between his apartment and school was neither too short or too long. It was just perfect to be used as an after meal exercise. Roughly 15 minutes later, he arrived at the school gates.

    The guard, who was obviously on shift since yesterday night, greeted the boy when he saw him.

    ¡°Ohh! If it isn¡¯t Ivan, so early in the morning as usual, huh? There¡¯s still an hour to go, you know?¡±

    Ivan smiled wryly and said, ¡°Of course, I just don¡¯t want to meet that guy on the streets. If I dally any longer, I might bump into him and I definitely wouldn¡¯t want that to happen. So, in a way, the thought of not meeting him motivated me to come earlier.¡±

    Hearing his explanation, the guard laughed until his eyes narrowed into slits. He patted Ivan¡¯s shoulders and looked at him with eyes full of pity, ¡°Must be hard on you, son.¡±

    The corner of his eyes twitched several times. While it was indeed true, being told in such a straightforward manner still made his heart feel a bit miserable. In the end, he could only weakly agree, ¡°...Yeah.¡±

    They exchanged some more words before Ivan went to his class. When he arrived at the classroom on the fourth floor, it was still empty. Well, it was to be expected. He then picked the seat beside the window and sat there before casually throwing his bag to the side.

    Feeling the wind softly blowing on his face, his expression turned drowsy.

    ¡°So comfortable ah,¡± He stretched his arms and leaned down on it before he quickly fall asleep.

    --------

    After a while, students began filling up the originally empty classroom and as the numbers of students keep increasing, their loud chatters also got louder in volume. Disturbed by those sounds, Ivan finally woke up from his small nap.

    Being in a same position for quite a while caused his body to be slightly stiff, so he started stretching for a while. His actions however, was stopped when he suddenly felt that someone was staring at him. He then slowly looked up only to see the face of that idiot right in front of his face, with a smile so wide that it almost reached his eyes.

    With hundreds of flowers blooming as the background, he cheerfully greeted, ¡°Ivan! Mor¨C¡±

    Unfortunately, his words were cut off when Ivan suddenly grabbed his face. His exceptionally stunning smile, which could win the hearts of men and women alike, did him no good in front of Ivan.

    ¡°Ow, oww, oww. That hurts!¡± The idiot complained in a slightly aggrieved manner.

    Without hiding even an ounce of his displeasure, Ivan coldly uttered, ¡°Scram,¡± before tossing the idiot back to his seat, producing a loud sound. The others did not mind it at all, in fact, this had became a daily occurrence in this class. At first, they were slightly shocked by Ivan¡¯s somewhat brutal actions, but after losing count of how many times the exchange had happened, they became too lazy to bother about it.

    The idiot then rubbed his nose feeling a bit wronged, and just as he was about to open his mouth again, the bell rang. Not even a second after, the door was opened and a strict looking teacher came in.

    ¡°The class is starting! Everybody return to their seats, open your books, and no more talking!¡±

    ¡°Rise! Bow!¡±

    Thus, the class started as per usual.

    ----------

    *Riiing* *Riiing* *Riiing*

    The bell rang thrice, signalling that it was time for break.

    ¡°Remember to revise what I just taught you, and don¡¯t forget to study for the test next week. Class dismissed,¡± The teacher reminded before leaving.

    ¡°Rise! Bow!¡±

    The class in unison said, ¡°Thank you, teacher!¡±

    Now that the class had ended, the idiot immediately searched for Ivan. But, when he turned around, Ivan had already disappeared from his seat like a gust of wind. The idiot was confused, and the person in question himself was now walking in the corridor while rubbing his temple, constantly sighing.

    ¡®...Am I supposed to spend my next 2 years in highschool with a shithead like him? ...I might even end up in a mental asylum before the year ends¡­¡¯

    He was thoroughly annoyed. That idiotic childhood acquaintance of his had always been like this for as long as he could remember. Repeatedly sticking to him like a glue, no, more like a parasitic leech. Now, it was getting worse.

    ¡®Does the word ¡®privacy¡¯ even exist in your dictionary!? Also, constantly flashing a smile here and there, do you think that you¡¯re a celebrity!?¡¯

    But, as much as he hated the guy, he couldn¡¯t deny it. After all, that idiot¡¯s looks were top notch. With a height of 180 cm, shortly trimmed blonde hair and almond shaped eyes, coupled with his well-defined face, his beauty was on the level where it could cause the world to crash and burn.

    ¡®Can¡¯t you see that every single girl in class will blush and turn beet red whenever you smile? Even the teacher also cleared her throat every now and then. Also, faced with those hateful glares from almost all the other boys in the class, how could you not realize anything!?¡¯

    Distressed, he found himself arriving at the school cafeteria and quickly started to line up before the others arrive. After buying some food and a box of milk, he quickly left the place.

    ¡®Don¡¯t want to meet him again, after all. Especially not when he¡¯s with that troublesome party of his. Even dealing with him alone is already so troublesome¡­ would I not be sending myself straight to hell if I force myself to deal with those crazy bunch?¡¯

    Fortunately, he was able to find a quiet place on the stairs without being spotted by the idiot. It was quite an easy task to avoid him. After all, his good looks was like a magnet that attracts girls no matter where he went, so Ivan just needed to avoid the places that had a lot of girls in it.

    After quickly finishing up his food, he threw the wrappers into the trash bin and began walking along the corridor.

    However, his peaceful times did not last long. He suddenly heard the sounds of girls squealing and obnoxiously loud chatters from the other end of the hall.

    ¡°Hahaha, Felix, you¡¯re so funny!¡± A clear voice of a girl was heard.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± said boy embarrassedly laughed.

    ¡°Yeah! Yeah! It¡¯s Felix after all~,¡± another girl added.

    ¡°He''s just that dumb. Haha,¡± yet another boy entered the fray.

    Ivan, who recognized the voices, immediately stiffened up. He then quickly turned around and tried to walk away from the place. Alas, for the better or worse, Felix¡¯s, or rather, the idiot¡¯s eyes were just too sharp.

    ¡°Eh¡­? Ivan! Wait up! I¡¯ve been searching for you everywhere!¡± He started sprinting from his original position and said something that could have been misunderstood as a love confession.

    Unfortunately, despite his headstart, Ivan was clearly not a match for his speed as Felix grabbed his shoulder not so long after. Bubbling with rage, he was about to smack it away when suddenly¡­

    The ground started shining. Under the figure of 3 boys and 2 girls, round circles filled with weird runes appeared.

    ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Huh!?¡± ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    Surprised cries were heard, and before they were able to do anything, the light engulfed them. After a second, the light dimmed down. There, not even a shadow of those figures could be seen.

    The other passersby were thoroughly dumbfounded by the sudden development. They just stood there rooted like a bunch of scarecrows.

 Chapter 2 - So, Apparently, were heroes?

    Felix¡¯s POV

    ...It feels so comfortable¡­

    What¡¯s this¡­? It¡¯s so bouncy and soft¡­

    Ahh, am I in heaven...?

    ¡°A.h..h...H..ero¡­ Her...o¡­ W..a..ke¡­ up..¡±

    Ahh... It¡¯s so cozy that I don¡¯t want to get up. However, the uncomfortable feeling of being rocked back and forth finally made me open my eyes, albeit a bit reluctant. The first thing I saw after I opened my eyes was the sight of a very beautiful gorgeous looking girl. She had long wavy brown hair that reaches her shoulders, and her red face was also very cute.

    Uhh, wait, why is her face red?

    I lowered my sight and saw that my right hand was placed upon the sacred peak. So the soft sensation I felt earlier was actually¡­

    Thinking up to this point, I stiffened. Did I just¡­

    After realizing what I have done, I immediately leaped out from the bed like my pants were on fire.

    ¡°Uwaaah!¡± ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    However, it actually gave birth into a more awkward position where I was actually on top of this beautiful angel. Of course, as a gentleman, I immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss! Sorry! It was an accident! I swear!¡± and looked at her face, only to see that her originally red face became even redder like a ripe tomato.

    Is she mad at me? Uhh, this is bad.

    ¡°Sorry, Sorry!¡± I shouted, but she refused to spare me even a single glance.

    As I became more and more anxious, the words ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ increased both in volume and quantity. It wasn¡¯t until a while later did she say in a weak voice, ¡°U-umm, could you p-please m-move a little?¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± I blanked out and muttered, ¡° Of course¡­¡±

    Thus, I stood up and lent her a hand.

    ¡°T-thank you,¡± She managed to stutter out words as she took my outstretched hand.

    ¡°Your welcome,¡± I replied with a slight smile.

    That beautiful face of hers turned red once again.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with my face?¡± I asked.

    ¡°N-no, no! There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with your face!¡± She said flusteredly while waving her hands.

    Why is it that everyone always turn red whenever I smile? When I asked Sophie, she would only reply with, ¡®It¡¯s because you¡¯re an idiot!¡¯. I¡¯m having a serious blow to my confidence here.

    After a long pause of awkwardness, her face finally became normal again. Grabbing the hems of her maid dress, she said, ¡°Hero, please follow me,¡± and led me outside. More like stormed off the place without delay. Did I do something wrong again? Scratching my face awkwardly, I followed after her.

    When I got outside, however, I was stunned. Big, spacious corridors filled with countless adornments filled my vision. On every corner, there are many different kinds of potteries and ceramics that exuded ancient auras. Looking up, chandeliers that hung from the high ceiling had jewels and diamonds embedded on them. Not only that, there were also a lot of weird looking plants that I have never seen before, but still exquisite nonetheless.

    What... is¡­ this¡­? I immediately forgot about the questions I was going to ask earlier.

    Thus, I absentmindedly followed behind that beautiful big sis. The ¡®tour¡¯ was very silent, but I did not even realize it as my mind was occupied with the grandness of this place. Say, aren¡¯t those things worth a bunch? I think that even 5-star hotels won¡¯t have the luxury to amass such things and throw them everywhere like cabbages...

    If they had, then wouldn¡¯t those hotels be bankrupt by now? That being said, where am I right now? I just noticed, but wasn¡¯t I in school before? Also, where are Ivan, Sophie, Lyra, and Brian? I remember that I was walking with them¡­

    Just as I was about to ask something, the big sister announced, ¡°We have arrived, hero,¡± and opened a majestic-looking double door. Unknowingly, it seems that we have reached our destination. She respectfully stood at the side and gestured me to come inside. It seems that I could only swallow my questions this time. Well, there should be more opportunities to ask in the future.

    Flashing a smile, I said, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Again, she turned red all the while saying, ¡°N-no, i-it is my h-honor, Hero.¡±

    I walked past her into the room right away. Being escorted means that there are probably people inside, right? Better not keep them waiting then.

    ---------

    Ivan¡¯s POV

    I woke up, only to see a stranger attending me at my side. Using that idiot¡¯s standard, then this person would without a doubt be considered beautiful. She is wearing a one-piece maid dress that reaches up to her knees, and even though she wasn¡¯t stunning, her beauty was still quite apparent.

    But, I feel nauseated looking at her.

    She didn¡¯t look very surprised at the fact that I woke up, and only said, ¡°The king has assigned me to be your maid, Hero.¡±

    ...King? ...Maid? ...Hero? There are so many things that I could retort to, but most importantly,

    ¡°Where am I?¡± I inquired while looking at her with a deadpan stare.

    Without averting her gaze, she calmly replied, ¡°In the castle¡¯s guest lodging room.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Castle? What castle? I don¡¯t think that there are any ¡®castles¡¯ in the neighborhood...

    Feeling my doubtful gaze, she continued, ¡°Hero, I know that you must have a lot of questions in mind. However, I am incapable of answering all those questions. But please note this, I or rather, all us here are not your enemies.¡±

    Will a thief admit that he is the thief? I sneered inwardly. But, fine ah, I still don¡¯t even know what their motives are. Heck, I don¡¯t even know where I am right now. Rather than thinking about a problem that currently has no solutions, it¡¯s better if I follow their arrangements. At least, for now.

    ¡°...Fair enough,¡± I stood up and said, ¡°Then, what am I supposed to do now?¡±

    ¡°Now, I shall personally escort you to the dining room," she answered while folding my blanket in a very practiced manner. Then she added, ¡°Your friends are probably there already.¡±

    Friends? The corners of my mouth twitched slightly, but I didn¡¯t bother correcting her.

    ¡°Please follow me,¡± she said as she opened the door for me.

    I stepped outside, only to have my eyes blinded from the lavishly decorated hall. Countless priceless treasures were displayed everywhere. Golden rimmed frames, golden chandeliers, golden potteries. It was golden everywhere! Are you putting your riches on full display!? It was terrible, like seriously. To the point that I even felt the urge to put on sunglasses to shield my eyes from these blinding ornaments.

    ¡®Do you guys even know what modesty is!?¡¯ I roared inside my mind.

    The maid closed the door silently and bowed before taking me to where the dining hall is. On the way there, except for several maids and people who looked like guards, I didn¡¯t manage to see anybody else. The atmosphere was very silent, too. Is it midnight right now? There weren¡¯t any windows so I¡¯m not too clear about the time.

    In about 5 minutes, we arrived.

    She opened a really big double door, approximately 4 meters in height and width, and gestured me to enter. From her body language, it appears that she didn¡¯t plan to enter with me. Thus, I calmly walked into the room.

    Inside, the space spanned the size of a small auditorium. I think that 200 people would fit just fine. With the seat of honor placed on the furthest, there were over 50 chairs put on the really long table. In three of those seats, there sat the three party members of that idiot. Upon my arrival, they looked at me with subtle gazes. There were obvious traces of restlessness inside their eyes.

    Just to be safe, I tried looking around, but it seems that he hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Since there were so many seats, I was free to choose where to sit on. Even though I don¡¯t really like them, for a lot of reasons, I picked out the one directly facing them.

    The atmosphere was a bit awkward, but I don¡¯t really mind since I was busy observing the whole place. Apart from the door where I came from, there are 3 other exact doors on each side of the wall. Also, compared to the halls, this place was less decorated, but still gives off a sense of vanity.

    Perhaps, because they weren¡¯t able to hold the awkwardness anymore, the shortest girl with black hair opened up a conversation.

    ¡°U-umm, hello. Ivan, by any chance, d-do you know where we are right now?¡± She tried to converse with me using stuttering words and upturned eyes.

    I sneered inwardly. You think that¡¯s cute? Girl, you need to polish up your acting a bit. Even though your speech and gesture may be all that cutesy, your facial expression did not even conceal your dislike nor your derision to me.

    Though, even if you did, that ¡®thing¡¯ around you will still betray you.

    Also, if I accounted for the troubles that you caused me in the past, I would be having a big hole in my brain if I were to treat you kindly, yeah? So, against this one hell of a girl, I replied curtly, ¡°In a castle.¡±

    ¡°I-I know that we¡¯re in a c-castle,¡± she said as she fiddled her fingers, ¡°But, w-where exactly?¡±

    ...Hey girl, you think I would hella know?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask your mother?¡±

    With my sentence, the somewhat subtle atmosphere turned frigid in an instant. The guy that has the short trimmed hair glared fiercely at me,

    ¡°To Sophie, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I what?¡± I returned his gaze with the same indifferent look that I had since the beginning. It was as if our gazes had collided and created sparks in the air.

    Finally, the slightly older girl took measures and tried to calm us down.

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± She said, ¡°Let¡¯s not continue this anymore alright? We shouldn¡¯t have asked Ivan this question. After all, he was also taken without any explanations like us, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry too. It¡¯s also my fault for not thinking about his situation,¡± that annoying girl chimed in with some tears in her eyes.

    Heh, crocodile tears.

    The somewhat scary looking guy backed off with a snort, and that useless girl only hung her head down.

    ¡°Hmph! Sophie, it¡¯s because you¡¯re too soft that people are taking advantage of you! You need to know when to advance, especially against guys like him!¡±

    ¡°En,¡± she replied with a small nod.

    Then, that hoodlum glared at me again. Looking at this scene, that slightly older looking girl could only wryly smile.

    What a farce. So, I¡¯m the villain now? I feel like I¡¯m watching a stupid, tasteless mary sue drama.

    Just then, the door opened and that annoying idiot came in with a smile. That useless girl¡¯s eyes immediately sparkled and a smile blossomed on her face.

    ¡°Felix!¡± She said while clapping her hands excitedly. Even though the other two did nothing, the glimmer in their eyes told me that they share the same sentiment.

    ¡°Sophie! Lyra! Brian! And also, Ivan!¡± He shouted our names one by one. Ugh, can it not be worse than this? For the first time in the day, I rubbed my temples.

    He took the seat next to me like it was the natural thing to do. That useless girl, upon seeing this, bit her lips and stared at me resentfully like I owed her a huge deal of money. Of course, that idiot is totally oblivious to the change and I was too lazy to care about it.

    In a bright voice, he asked, ¡°Hey guys, do any of you know where we are right now?¡±

    The three of them shook their heads in unison.

    ¡°What about you, Ivan?¡±

    At his question, I rolled my eyes and when I was about to rebuke him, that useless girl cut in with, ¡°We¡¯ve already asked him earlier. He also doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    ...Are you really that desperate in vying for his attention? I rolled my eyes again. Don¡¯t worry girl, I won¡¯t snatch him away from you. After all, dumb people are best paired with one another.

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The idiot replied disheartened, ¡°Then, what are we going to do now?¡±

    Speak of the devil, just as he spoke so, the door behind opened with a creak, and a group of people came marching in. Seeing a girl in her teens leading them and also those weird armors, I could tell that they were the same group as the ones that I saw previously.

    ¡°Sorry for the wait, heroes.¡± The girl said lightly. Then, she walked towards the seat of honor with graceful steps. Every movement that she took exuded a certain noble aura that made people captivated.

    It seems that by looking at her blue colored hair that swayed in the wind and that elegant poise of hers caused our idiotic acquaintance here to be stunned silly. I could even hear a certain somebody clenching her teeth, but oh well.

    She sat on the highest seat and immediately said, ¡°First and foremost, I am both saying sorry and thank you to the five of you,¡± looking at our faces one by one, she continued, ¡°Sorry for summoning you arbitrarily, and thank you for coming here today.¡±

    Can you be any more shameless than this? The corners of my lips twitched incessantly. Basically, you¡¯re kidnapping us and now you¡¯re thanking us for accepting to be kidnapped. But, looking at the uninterrupted solemn atmosphere, I bet that these guys¡¯ minds are not here at the moment.

    But, what do you mean, summoned? And also, that hero, king, and maid thing?

    ¡°First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Selena Blackwinter, the second princess of the Blackwinter empire,¡± she declared, ¡°Today, I gathered you all here to explain why you had been summoned.¡±

    It seems that her explanation will be something that I wouldn¡¯t be able to forget in this near future...

 Chapter 3 - Unacceptable Reality

    Ivan¡¯s POV

    ¡°AHHH, what the hell!?!?¡±

    I rolled around in my bed while spewing profanities every now and then.

    As to why?

    Back to the moment earlier.

    -------

    ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Selena Blackwinter, the second princess of the Blackwinter kingdom,¡± she declared, ¡°Today, I gathered you all here to explain why you had been summoned.¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t know any Blackwinter Kingdom or some kind of the sort, just because of her presence alone, the solemn atmosphere began to pervade even deeper. But it seems that I was wrong.

    They began to whisper things like, ¡°Were we kidnapped to fill in the substitute roles of some TV show?¡± ¡°I think so¡­¡± ¡°But man, look at the sheer size of this castle and all those decorations, how much money do you think they had burnt?¡± ¡°Dunno, probably enough for a normal family to live comfortably for seven generations straight!¡±

    These guys¡­ I am rendered speechless. But, looking at their conjectures, it was quite plausible.

    Unfazed, the princess looked at us in the eyes, she said, ¡°First of all, do you know what heroes are?¡±

    That idiot immediately answered, ¡°Heroes are people who fight for justice!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. They are brave existences that will help people in times of need and give hope for those in despair.¡± She stopped, looked at us again, and continued, ¡°Then, do you all wish to become heroes?¡±

    ...I don¡¯t like where this conversation is going.

    Without a pause, that idiot said again, ¡°Of course! It¡¯s my dream to help every people in the world!¡±

    I rolled my eyes at his words.

    The princess smiled, but her tone became serious, ¡°Even if you have to kill people to achieve your dreams?¡±

    Stunned. That idiot¡¯s mouth was agape and was at a loss for words. We were also the same, why did she ask this kind of question out of the blue? Is this also a part of the TV show?

    ¡°Let me rephrase that question. If a noble was found out for his crimes like funds embellishments and heavy oppression, thus creating a poor economic condition at his fiefdom, must he be executed?¡±

    He hesitated for a moment before finally replying, ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that, but at least, they should atone for the sins that they had committed.¡±

    ¡°So, is that a yes or a no?¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s a¡­ yes?¡±

    She laughed at his answer. Not out of derision, but because she found it funny.

    With a hand under her chin, she sweetly said, ¡°Well, back to the topic again. I must congratulate you all.¡±

    ¡°...? What for?¡±

    She laughed and said, ¡°For becoming heroes, of course!¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± All of us exclaimed, surprised.

    Wait, wait, wait, what the hell is she talking about!? Us? Heroes? Hey Princess! I¡¯ve never agreed to this! Look, they are also unwill--

    ¡°We¡¯re heroes! Heck yeah!¡±

    ...Should have figured it out earlier. I forgot that they are idiots¡­

    Unable to depend on those idiots, I could only ask a question myself. The question that has been bugging me since I arrived here.

    ¡°Umm, so, princess, what do the heroes do?¡±

    ¡°Fight monsters and defend the nation, of course,¡± The princess lightly said.

    Monsters? What monsters?

    That idiot quickly cut in, ¡°Huh? Monsters? What do you mean by that?¡±

    The princess puzzledly said, ¡°Of course those monsters, what else?¡±

    As she said so, a holographic projection of a savage looking beast was envisioned from her hand.

    ¡°Wow! It looks so cool!¡± That useless girl blurted out excitedly, ¡°Is this a new CG?¡±

    ...Not a second after, she immediately covered her mouth. Apparently, she regretted it quite deeply. Will she get lashed on by the director?

    ¡°Pardon me, but what is this seegee that you speak of?¡± The princess questioned.

    ¡°U-um, nevermind¡­¡± That useless girl muttered.

    Ooh, so close. It seems that the developer had already taken this kind of situation into account and gave the actors a prior briefing.

    However, our idiotic friend here did not read the mood and still pressed on that topic

    ¡°Princess, perhaps, is this not a TV show?¡± He hesitantly asked.

    As expected, the princess¡¯ face turned into a frown. Just as I was about to enjoy the show of him getting lashed on, her reply made me restless.

    ¡°...What is this teevee you¡¯re talking about? Does it have any connections to the seegee that you mentioned previously?¡±

    Hey, hey. I¡¯m pretty sure that this should be the moment where the director comes in and say ¡°Cut!¡±, but where is he? Don¡¯t tell me¡­

    A ridiculous idea immediately formed in my head. I wanted to dismiss it, but for some reasons, I couldn¡¯t!If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    That idiot¡¯s face, however, was still as fine as usual, even holding a bit of excitement.

    ¡°That is to say, is this real?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The princess¡¯ face was bewildered.

    ¡°Eh, umm, how do I say this¡­?¡± That idiot was also clearly troubled.

    Unable to suppress the anxiety inside my chest, I said, ¡°Based on the world map, on which area are we right now? Also, that summoning thing. What did you mean by that, princess?¡±

    The princess¡¯ response was, ¡°We¡¯re in Hiems, the capital of the Blackwinter Kingdom. To be exact, on the Tempus Continent. Although, I¡¯m pretty sure that you wouldn¡¯t know anything,¡± paused and continued, ¡°Also, you all here were pretty much summoned using magic. Is something the matter?¡±

    Deadly silence.

    ¡°...?¡± The princess looked at everyone¡¯s eyes that are filled with confusion.

    The one with the slim athletic body, Lyra, fearfully asked, ¡°Umm, can you please show us what magic is?¡±

    The princess made a ¡®?¡¯ face and then it turned into one of realization. She smilingly said,

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    She opened up her palm and droplets of water began to condense above it. Then, from its original ball form, it froze and turned into a big snowflake.

    It was very pretty. However, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to appreciate it. That means that my conjecture hits the mark perfectly...

    Seeing our trance-like state, the princess opened her mouth and said, ¡°What? Haven¡¯t seen enough yet?¡±

    She waved her hands, and in but an instant, multiple holes with the size of a normal window each opened up on the walls. Looking at the sight outside, it was currently midnight and was snowing really hard.

    Next, with a wave of her hands again, those holes closed up. The princess observed our expressions before asking, ¡°Say, did magic not exist from where you all came from?¡±

    With difficulty, that idiot said, ¡°It.. does not.¡±

    Then, we all explained the situation and circumstances of our ¡®world¡¯.

    ------------

    ¡°I see. So magic was just a fictional thing, while technologies like carriages without horses and guns were the creations of ¡®science¡¯ that you spoke of?¡± She nodded with great interest, ¡°Also, you thought that you all were kidnapped to be used as ¡®actors¡¯ in an entertainment play?¡±

    ¡°Basically, yes.¡±

    Thus, the silence and awkwardness began to prevail once again. I want to hit that one hell of a princess real bad, but don¡¯t do that right now, me.

    I took a large breath in and out. Calm down. Calm down. Nothing good will come out if I do that.

    A while later, the princess opened up her mouth and said, ¡°...To be honest, we never wanted to summon people like you from other worlds as heroes, as it was supposed to be one of our last resort. However, the worsening conditions in both financial and military aspects of this kingdom finally gave us no choice.¡±

    She hesitated for a while before continuing, ¡°If this condition keeps deteriorating, then I believe that the kingdom will end during my father¡¯s reign. So, my question is, do you all still want to become heroes?¡±

    Silence. Nobody answered. Hmm, that¡¯s strange. This idiot, for once, clearly thought about the consequences of his choice.

    Then, with a resolute gaze, he said, ¡°I will. I definitely will become a hero! If there are no heroes, then what will become of this kingdom¡¯s fate in the future!? Therefore, for the safety of its residents, I will definitely become a hero and slay evil!¡±

    How amazing. I rolled my eyes at his speech.

    The princess, with small tears in her eyes, said, ¡°...Thank you.¡±

    He looked at us with shining eyes that practically said ¡®Let¡¯s become heroes together!¡¯

    I have so many things to retort to, but I suppressed it inside as it wasn¡¯t the right time to give him those snide comments.

    Then, Lyra raised her hand and asked, ¡°...Aside from slaying monsters, will we also be killing¡­ humans in the future?¡±

    Finally, someone who thinks quite ahead unlike that brain dead idiot.

    ¡°Yes. It is inevitable. Despite the existences of those monsters, the threat of wars is always present.¡±

    Hearing her answer,  Lyra¡¯s face paled before continuing to ask, ¡°Then, right now, are we allowed to change our decision and go back home¡­?¡±

    She replied unhesitatingly, ¡°I will respect your decisions regardless you become a hero or not. However, the summoning magic that we used is a one-way transfer only. That is to say, we are unable to return you to your homeland. Also, even if there is a way, we wouldn¡¯t be able to transfer you right away as the cost of summoning is around ten years worth of our kingdom¡¯s magic stone mining results.¡±

    Hearing her answer, except mine and that idiot¡¯s face, their faces paled greatly. Unable to contain his resentment, that hoodlum hit the table and snapped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around! What do you think of us!? Your act of summoning people is just a disguised kidnapping! We¡¯re just a bunch of high schoolers, and you want us to f**king kill!? Not only those dangerous looking monsters, you also want us to kill other humans!? Are you crazy!? You just said that you will respect our decisions and now you¡¯re telling us that we can¡¯t go back home!? Aren¡¯t you just a f**king hypocrite that forces us to become heroes no matter what!?¡±

    Woah, one hundred points for ya, boy. To think that you actually still have some common sense left within that idiotic brain of yours. I am astonished. To be honest, I feel the same as you right now, but, it¡¯s not as if there¡¯s no way out, so I held back myself from stating the ¡®facts¡¯.

    Of course, the guards, upon hearing his choice of words, began to emit some sort of scary aura, but the princess held them back with a wave of her hand. She said nothing. But, the look in her eyes clearly conveyed ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯.

    ¡°Tch!¡± He clicked his tongue as he couldn¡¯t come up with anything better. I am a hundred percent sure, if it wasn¡¯t for those guards, he would have lunged straight and given the princess a good beating.

    After that, we were all escorted back to our rooms by the maid that literally came out from nowhere. My heart almost fell off when a maid suddenly called me from behind. When we entered, there wasn¡¯t anybody else except us and I¡¯m pretty sure that the doors weren¡¯t opened during the talk. So, where did the maids come from? Such a mystery.

    ------

    So, that¡¯s the gist of what happened. This whole magic, monsters, and war thing are just beyond my comprehension. It feels like a dream. Yesterday, I was just a normal high school student with a slightly abnormal lifestyle. Now, I¡¯m suddenly in another world, forced to become a hero and was tasked to fight monsters and humans.

    That blue haired princess didn¡¯t even bother explaining what those monsters were. Also, regarding wars, is there any justice or evil? In the first place, war is just a method to determine disputes over resources. The winners will continue to strive on, while the losers will just become another name recorded in the annals of history.

    This development is just too much for my poor brain. But, it¡¯s not as if I had a choice in the first place, no? I hugged the pillow in my hands even tighter.

    Heroes. Magic. Monsters. War.

    That princess only demonstrated the smallest prowess of magic. From her words earlier, I can see that the technologies in this world didn¡¯t really develop well. Instead, it was replaced by magic.

    One example of such thing was the light bulb in my room. It seems that it was using magic, rather than electricity, to function. There was only a small switch with no cables to turn the lights off and on. I¡¯m quite baffled as to how it works.

    ...Magic, huh? Considering that even a weird thing like summoning that couldn¡¯t be explained with science exists, I reckon that magic could be used as weapons, just like firearms. But, why would the kingdom summon us then?

    Wouldn¡¯t they be better off creating weapons with that ten years worth magic power or something? Except¡­

    I narrowed my eyes. Except, the value of heroes far exceeds that ten-year magic mining whatever. If that is true, then wouldn¡¯t that mean heroes are probably equivalent to tactical level weapons or better? So, are heroes or better yet, humans with great war potentials, summoned from another world to be used as tools of war?

    ...huh?

    A realization dawned on me. Does it mean one hero could fight more than a hundred enemies simultaneously? That is to say, one person with a great strength is more valuable than a hundred cannon fodders?

    But, how? Magic?

    If I assume that by using magic, a person is akin to a moving missile launcher, then it makes sense perfectly! But, why do they have to summon people from another world? In the first place, is the usefulness of magic that great?

    Ahh!! So confusing! I scratched my head while rolling around in my bed incessantly.

    Rather than thinking about these matters, I might as well just sleep and ask her tomorrow. It won¡¯t change my decision anyway...

 Chapter 4 - A Girly Gorilla?

    The next day.

    Ivan woke up as he felt a tug on his blanket. He reluctantly opened his eyes and saw somebody standing next to his bed. Wearing the same dress, and that same emotionless face, she was no doubt the same maid as yesterday.

    ¡°Hero, it is time to wake up,¡± she said in a monotone voice, and added, ¡°It is currently 6.40 AM.¡±

    ¡°...Isn¡¯t it still too early? Wake me up again at 8.¡±

    Just as he was about to fall asleep again, the maid forcefully tore the blanket from his grasp.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. Breakfast is scheduled at 7.15 and you haven¡¯t even taken a bath yet. So, please wake up or else you will be late, Hero.¡±

    Having his blanket robbed of him, he could only begrudgingly force himself awake. Blinking his eyes several times, he then spoke in a sarcastic tone, ¡°What a nice service skill you got there, ms. maid.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, It is only natural that a maid must be competent,¡± she replied flatly.

    ...Sister, I wasn¡¯t complimenting you, alright!? And that face of yours, does it hurt to smile even only for a bit?

    Not bothering to care about her anymore, he picked up a set of underwear and clothes from the closet before he went to the bathroom. When he entered, a really big space that contained a complete set of bathroom utilities was revealed.

    It wasn¡¯t his first time entering, so he wasn¡¯t that surprised anymore. ''It seems that I will never understand how those filthy rich people think,'' he thought. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was poor, on the contrary, he came from a wealthy middle-upper class family of the society. But, it¡¯s just that, the idea of creating a big luxurious bathroom is too wasteful.

    ¡®Well, not that it matters anyway,¡¯ he mused to himself.

    He sighed internally. Putting his clothes on the hanger and proceeded to undress. Halfway through though, he suddenly stopped and scoured his surroundings. As expected, the maid was silently waiting on the corner from god-knows-when.

    Face expressionless, he asked, ¡°You. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t you know what privacy is? You¡¯re clearly worse than that idiot!¡¯

    Her reply curt, ¡°I will help you bathe.¡±

    ¡°Get out.¡±

    Bowing her head, she refused, ¡°As a maid, it is my du--¡±

    Her reply was cut short with Ivan¡¯s unyielding tone, ¡°Get. Out. Right. Now.¡±

    She stared at him for a while and said, ¡°Very well. However, if you still did not appear after 15 minutes, I will barge in.¡±

    After saying so, without waiting for his reply, the maid nonchalantly went off. Looking at her figure that was nowhere to be seen, Ivan could only rub his temples once again.

    ¡°...Can I ask for a change of maid? This one is definitely broken in the head¡­¡±

    -------

    Wearing a brown vest over a plain white shirt, coupled with a pair of stylish jeans, it was precisely Ivan. With the robotic-like maid leading him to the dining room, he looked around the corridor that left him nauseous yesterday with great interest.

    The wasn¡¯t any major differences except for holes that appeared on the walls. From those holes, he could see the garden outside that was piled with snow and the people that worked hard to clear them. The chilly breeze that the wind brought felt exceptionally refreshing to him.

    In no time at all, they reached the dining room. Just like yesterday, the maid opened the door and he went inside. As soon as entered, he was greeted by the captivating fragrances of food that wafted to his nose. He couldn¡¯t help but to stop and inhale a few breaths as the smell was just too good!

    ¡°Ivan! Come, sit here!¡± Felix excitedly flailed his hand around as soon as he saw Ivan.

    Only then did he notice that he was the last one to arrive. The stupid quartet had already begun eating. He treated the idiot¡¯s voice as air and sat down in the opposite direction from the group.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t move too much when you¡¯re eating!¡± Sophie berated Felix as she helped him wipe the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Hehehe, sorry, sorry. My bad,¡± Felix smilingly said.

    Not paying any attention to them, he simply ate in silence just like Lyra and the hoodlum guy. Looking at their complexions, they seemed to be having a not so good time. He wanted to have a peaceful time to himself, however, it was naught but a wishful thinking on his end. Because that idiot wouldn¡¯t leave him alone.

    ¡°Hey, hey, Ivan. How are you feeling right now?¡± Felix stared at him curiously.

    In a natural way, he treated his words like air again. Not bothered in the slightest, he kept asking,

    ¡°Hey, hey. Did you sleep well yesterday?¡±

    ¡°...¡± He continued to eat.

    ¡°That princess yesterday, what do you think of her?¡±

    ¡°...¡± He maintained his silence. He could also feel that venomous stare from you-know-who, but he just disregarded it once again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. There¡¯s no need to hold back your opinion!¡± He ¡®whispered¡¯ in a small voice, ¡°I know that you think she¡¯s beautiful, right? Right? I also think the same!¡±

    ¡°That blue-colored eyes and hair, also that sexy figure of hers. Woah, so stunning!¡± He said in an excited voice.

    ¡®You got guts. Even though there are no maids right now, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re all hiding in the vicinity. Are you not afraid of them reporting your vulgar speech to the princess? In the past, forget about talking, just a look at the princess and immediately off with your head!¡¯

    Ivan rolled his eyes at him. Even if you didn¡¯t say anything, he would still continue talking himself. So, Ivan remained impassively as a bystander. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that everyone would feel the same. Take Sophie for an example. The moment he talked about the princess, her eyes lit up in a very scary manner. It was as if she couldn¡¯t wait to tear the princess apart.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    At that exact moment, the Selena came in.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said as she took a seat. As expected, the atmosphere turned down a notch. She asked, ¡°Did you all rest well?¡±

    ¡°...Umm, yes. We did.¡± Felix answered.

    ¡°I... see. That¡¯s¡­ good then.¡± Selena said with clouded eyes.

    Ivan rolled his eyes again at that his acquaintance of his. He thought, ¡®Well, for you and me, maybe yes. But, for the three of them, can¡¯t you see those eye bags and pale faces? Who are you going to deceive with that stupid answer on yours?¡¯

    She took some food to her plate and ate silently. Felix stopped talking, and the others just did nothing. As she did not eat too much, she finished her breakfast in a short moment. Wiping her mouth, she stood up and suddenly bowed.

    ¡°I apologize for my rudeness yesterday!¡±

    Doing that kind of action suddenly made the group somewhat flustered. Lyra, being the oldest, said, ¡°P-princess! Please raise your head!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! In the first place, why did you apologize to us?¡± Felix hurriedly added.

    ¡°That¡¯s because, without taking your feelings into consideration, I forced the roles of heroes unto every single one of you!¡± Selena said.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Brian disdainfully snorted with a sarcastic tone, ¡°Even if you did apologize, what will change? We¡¯re already here, and you can¡¯t just send us back to our world. So, what we do in the end won¡¯t change, right? Oh. Mighty. Princess. Selena.¡±

    ¡°Brian! You¡¯re being too impolite! The princess apologized out of goodwill, you know?¡± Sophie cried out.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± He snorted again but didn¡¯t argue back.

    However, Selena did not get angry. She said, ¡°No, it is to be expected that you all hold some kind of resentments to me, or to this country. I have discussed the matter with my Royal Father last night, and after a lot of considerations, we came up with a compromise.¡±

    She stopped talking for a while, looked at the group meaningfully, before finally continuing.

    ¡°Regardless of your final decision about being a hero, we will still take full responsibility for your wellbeing here. If you choose not to become heroes, then we will provide a suitable job for every single one of you.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Really?¡± Lyra said with shining eyes. In her heart, she thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t this quite good already?¡¯

    ¡°Yes,¡± Selena nodded affirmatively, and said somewhat hesitant, ¡°This might be selfishness on my part, but, won¡¯t you all give me time? To introduce our country to you all in hope of becoming heroes! Please!¡±

    She bowed again. This time, Felix kneeled on one knee in front of her and with a serious face filled with certainty, he said, ¡°Princess! You don¡¯t need to be sad! Even if the others won¡¯t become heroes, as I said yesterday, I will definitely save this country!¡±

    With tears in her eyes, Selena said, ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Once again, Ivan rolled his eyes. ¡®What¡¯s with this bullsh*t drama I¡¯m seeing,¡¯ is what he was thinking at the time. On the other hand, Sophie was staring at the princess with eyes filled with malice that seemed to want to devour the other party alive. Brian was yawning, and Lyra was mulling deeply.

    After the emotional scene ended, with a bright smile on her face, Selena said, ¡°Therefore, I will now bring you to learn magic!¡±

    ¡°Huh!?¡± The party was dumbfounded. Aren¡¯t the scenes progressing a little too fast¡­?

    ----------

    ¡®Thus, here I am,¡¯ Ivan thought as he stood inside a really big room that looked like a witch¡¯s house. Cylindrical tubes filled unknown reagents of multiple colors were present everywhere in this room. Herbal aromas and weird stenches were mixed too deeply that it was impossible to distinguish which was which. It was also filled with books and shelves to the brim, resembling a small library if not for those dubious apparatuses.

    ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯m going to find the owner of this room first,¡± Selena said mysteriously.

    The five of them were left there as the princess went to the back of the room. Meanwhile, the five of them began to explore the room.

    A short moment later, someone¡¯s gleeful voice sounded.

    ¡°Hey! Look at this!¡± Felix picked up a small test tube rather excitedly. Then, he walked over and thrust it in front of Brian¡¯s nose.

    ¡°What?¡± He asked as he retracted his neck out of fear. From his experience, he could tell that anything that Felix picks will always be something weird.

    ¡°Come on, come on. It¡¯s nothing dangerous~¡± Felix urged him to try.

    After a series of persuasion, he finally sighed and brought his face in front of the test tube.

    He only sniffed it slightly, but his face was already turning green.

    ¡°Felix! What the hell is that!?¡±

    However, that wasn¡¯t the end. Soon after, Brian fell to his knees and consecutive farting sound came from his butt as he clutched his stomach while whimpering pitifully.

    ¡°Phhht¡± ¡°Phhhttt¡± ¡°Phhhttt¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Felix laughed uproariously. Sophie and Lyra also tried to hold their laughter in.

    ¡°Y-you... You!¡± Brian could only glare at him with annoyance.

    Then, not being satisfied yet, he picked up 3 random test tubes and searched for the figure of Ivan. However, since Ivan was very experienced with this fellow¡¯s bad habit, he had gone into hiding the moment Selena left them alone. It was quite easy to hide with all the huge random equipment and shelves.

    Having lost his target, he switched his attention to his next victims. The girls, who saw Felix¡¯s passionate gaze, felt their lives threatened. Retreating several steps back, their faces paled.

    ¡°Hey, hey~,¡± He said with a creepily cheerful tone as he inched closer. However, the girls¡¯ eyes weren¡¯t looking at him. Rather, they were focusing on the figure behind him. Even Brian was in a trance-like state.

    ¡°T-that,¡± Sophie pointed at his back, ¡°T-there¡¯s s-something¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± He turned his body, but before he could see what was happening. He felt his feet in the air. Yes, his feet were literally dangling in the air. He was hugged and lifted into the air.

    ¡°Oh, my~ What a handsome fella~¡± A deep baritone voice reverberated in the air. Felix could feel something rubbing against his face, and it left him annoyed. He tried to wriggle out of the hug, however, the person behind him seemed to be determined to squeeze the daylights out of him as his hold become tighter, causing him to be suffocated. After a while, Felix finally gives up to his futile struggles and shouted.

    ¡°R-release me!¡±

    ¡°As you wish, handsome~!¡±

    He fell to the floor and heaved his chest in relief. But, when he saw the figure behind him, he felt his soul being sucked out of his body.

    ¡°M-mons--¡±

    Before he had the chance though, he was smacked unconscious by a single palm of the figure. Literally.

    ¡°Oops~ I overdid it~¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­ I wish that you can control your strength better, Charle. Even I was scared the first time I saw you,¡± The princess said that as she appeared a bit late.

    ¡°Ohohohoho~¡± He laughed ¡®cutely¡¯.

    Even Ivan, who finally decided to appear, decided to hide once again. Why? Who wouldn¡¯t!?

    Imagining a male figure who was like 2 meters tall, people¡¯s thought would probably lead to a muscular and gallant figure. However here, what would happen if the said figure was wearing a heavy makeup and a dress while having a muscular body? No need to answer; one¡¯s moral value will most definitely fall to rock bottom.

    He had a skinhead hairstyle. His face was decorated with glamorous eyeshadows, fluttering eyelashes, and other numerous skin toners. On top of that, he had the body of a professional bodybuilder. Yep, just the mere sight of him would be guaranteed to send chills down to the very spine of adults! Ivan thought that no matter how hardcore his tastes were, he definitely won¡¯t fall for this kind of thing!

    ¡°Ohohoho~ I thought that there are 5 people, yes?¡± Charle walked like a model and counted, ¡°One, two, three, four, oh! There¡¯s one at the back!¡±

    ¡°I almost missed y--¡± He suddenly paused. His eyes bulged out and his breathing became rough. It seemed as if steam was flaring out of his nostrils. Without any warning, he dashed to Ivan at breakneck speed.

    Of course, Ivan who saw this, felt his scalp tingling. But what can he do? He wasn''t an athletic person, so even if he tried to dodge, it probably won¡¯t work. He wryly smiled as he resigned himself to his fate.

    Just like Felix, Charle lifted and hugged Ivan tightly.

    ¡°SOOO CUTEEE~!! WHAT A DELICATE FLOWER~~!! THIS CUTENESS IS TOO POWERFUL FOR MEEE~~!!¡± Charle roared passionately as he spurted blood from his nose.

    Ivan, who was in his embrace right now, felt his head spinning from that powerful roar. He thought, ¡®Is this a weirdo factory? If not, then why the hell do they keep popping out one after another!? First, a robotic maid that doesn''t understand privacy, and now a perverted gorilla! What next!?¡¯

    He felt extremely vexed.

 Chapter 5 - The Soul Testing Pillar

    Ivan¡¯s POV

    After a while, that guy released me and proceeded to fix that hoodlum¡¯s condition by feeding him some kind of shady looking liquid. Next, he woke Felix up by shaking his body, roughly. My condolences¡­ not. Then, he snapped his fingers and chairs came out from nowhere. Was that magic?

    ¡°Cough~ Test, test,¡± The muscular figure took a seat, and said, ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Charle Archard. In the future, you can just call me big sis Charle~¡±

    He put his hand on his face and added a wink at the end of his sentence.

    ¡®Gross!¡¯

    Apart from ghosts and bloody aliens, this might become my newest nightmare yet. His face that was fully decorated by rouge sent the creep outta me. Not to mention that weird attire he¡¯s wearing...

    I sighed internally. If only he wore normal men clothes and wiped that obnoxious makeup off his face, he might be in my strike zone. I mean, I could tell from the outline of his body that he is quite toned, and while all kinds of makeup are covering his face, it¡¯s pretty obvious that he is fairly good-looking. I could feel my blood boiling just from imagining it.

    What a waste, ah.

    Cough, cough. Anyway, while I was lost in my own thoughts, Selena, who noticed our obvious discomfort, took over the helm.

    ¡°Um, long story short, Charle will become your magic teacher in the future.¡±

    ¡°Eh...!?¡± That idiot uttered a long sighing sound filled with displeasure. The faces other three aren¡¯t so great either. Well, that includes me too.

    ¡°Ohohoho~ Even though I¡¯m this beautiful, my skills are the real deal, you know~?¡± He said as he puffed out his face.

    ¡®Oh please, no one is complimenting you. And please stop. That doesn¡¯t look cute at all,¡¯ I said. In my mind, of course. I don¡¯t want to be sent flying from his slap after all.

    Looking at our faces that were filled with mixed emotions, he grinned, ¡°What? Are you doubting my skills?¡±

    ...Yeah, we do. Our expressions told him the truth. He coughed once and said,

    ¡°Actually~ You know~ What are you using to speak right now?¡±

    ¡°...? It¡¯s our mouth of course!¡± That idiot interjected.

    ¡°No, no. I mean, the language~ What language are you using right now?¡± Charle asked again.

    He answered, ¡°Of course it¡¯s--!!¡±

    ¡°...!!¡±

    His voice got stuck in the middle. At the same time, we all just realized that¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re not using your native language, yes?¡± Charle grinned.

    That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t even realize that we''ve been using a foreign language all this while.

    ¡°B-but, it feels so natural that I didn''t feel any difference!¡± That useless girl cried out.

    ¡°...And you¡¯re saying that this is your deed?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ohohoho~¡± Charle laughed with a smug expression that seems to be saying ¡®praise the great me!¡¯.

    Lyra raised her hand and asked, ¡°What will happen when we go back home? Will we still be able to speak again normally? Or is this magic that you speak of permanent?¡±

    He replied, ¡°No, no, no~ At best, it can be said to fall under the category of semipermanent magic. Since you all obviously can¡¯t speak our language, I¡¯ve only used magic to translate the meaning of the words that you wanted to express. That¡¯s why things like ¡®teevee¡¯ or ¡®seegee¡¯ that doesn¡¯t exist in our world can¡¯t be translated. Also, when you all return home, its effect will automatically disappear.¡±

    Hmm, I must say, this is pretty amazing. Honestly, even though I feel irritated at their irrational kidnapping, I¡¯m deeply intrigued by this magic thing. Perhaps, I might stay here indefinitely¡­?

    ¡°So, what¡¯s amazing about that?¡± The idiot said that sentence like it was the most natural thing to do.

    This is why idiots are idiots. I rolled my eyes at his words, the others also did the same. Fortunately, Lyra was nice enough to provide him an explanation.

    ¡°It is very amazing in so many ways. Felix, if you were to study another foreign language, how much time would it take for you to be able to talk fluently?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, probably a year?¡± The idiot said as he scratched his head.

    ¡°That is if you had a teacher and other dictionaries to learn from. Also, it¡¯s only on the level of daily lives. Then, to be able to write, speak, and hear just like a native. How long do you think would it take?¡± She pointed a book as an example.

    ¡®Introduction to Alchemy¡¯, it wrote. Huh? So this meant that we could also read those weird characters? Hmm, hmm, this magic is even more high-tech than what I had imagined.

    ¡°Umm, probably a lifetime?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly a lifetime, but probably more than ten years. Now, somebody shortened that duration into just a moment that doesn¡¯t even exceed a few minutes. Do you think that it¡¯s not amazing?¡±

    ¡°Umm, yeah. It¡¯s very amazing¡­¡± His voice kept getting smaller and smaller until it was no different than an incoherent mumbling.

    Meanwhile, a certain giant was getting all fidgety out of bashfulness. He said, ¡°Ohohoho~ you¡¯re overpraising me~ In the first place, it only works in certain situations and all I did was improving the magic formation that my predecessors left~¡±

    Lyra replied, ¡°But, no matter what, you¡¯re still amazing for performing this feat, Big sis Charle.¡±

    ¡°Ohohohoho~ You¡¯re such a nice kid~¡±

    Then, the pleasantries continued for a while.

    ---------

    ¡°Alright, since you all are going to learn magic, let me hear your impressions on it,¡± the princess said.

    Having recovered, the idiot naturally answered first, ¡°Magic is magic! A supernatural thing that looks cool!¡±

    His friends smiled wryly at his answer. I rolled my eyes. But, even though it seemed childish, our answers did not differ much from his.

    ¡°...Is that so,¡± The princess glanced at Charle, ¡°Your answers are not wrong, but it doesn¡¯t touch the topic at all.¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough. Let me explain.¡± Charle put on a serious expression on his face. Seeing that, we picked up our ears to hear what he¡¯ll say next.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Actually, magic is nothing hard~ You just use your mana to do what you want and bam! Magic it is~!¡± He said with a wink.

    ¡°...¡±

    ...What? Is this person really a teacher? Look! Even the princess next to you is facepalming, exasperated at your conduct! Your awesome image from earlier was shattered instantly, you know!?

    ¡°...Then I¡¯ll explain it. Let us first start with the history of magic, shall we?¡± The princess dejectedly explained, ¡°Thousands of years ago, the world wasn¡¯t as peaceful as it is now. Giant dragons roamed the continents, lawless demihumans created chaos at every corner of the world, monsters wildly feasted upon humans, and many such atrocities occurred every day. The human race was a race of slaves, suppressed at the bottom of the food chain. Such was the fate of the race that had no other advantages except for the fact that they had extraordinary reproductive power.¡±

    ¡°Eh, but aren¡¯t humans capable of using magic?¡± The idiot asked.

    ¡°They can now~ But at that time, they couldn¡¯t~¡± Charle replied.

    ¡°...?¡±

    The princess said, ¡°It is just like what he said. At the time, magic was something that humans feared greatly. It didn¡¯t even occur to them that they are capable of using magic. Then, suddenly, a group of mysterious humans capable of magic appeared out of nowhere. From then on, magic became widely spread and we were able to fight back the races that previously oppressed us. But, before long, the group disappeared without a trace just like how they came.¡±

    ¡°Where did they come from?¡± Lyra asked.

    ¡°We are also unsure about the details,¡± The princess shook her head, ¡°However, the fact that we can use magic is true.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes~ There are many rumors surrounding the group. Some said that they came from another world, passing by coincidentally and took pity on us. Others said that they sacrificed their souls to the devils to obtain the power of magic and taught it to other humans.¡±

    To be honest, there are many too many holes in the explanation and it sounds more like a fairytale than an authentic historical moment. But, since there are no other sources, I¡¯ll just believe in it first.

    ¡°Well then, enough of the history lesson. Before I teach you magic~ let¡¯s take a simple test first, yes~?¡± Charle clapped his hands and the chairs took us flying to the depths of the laboratory.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± I leaked out a sigh of admiration. Even though I¡¯ve ridden an airplane before, the sensation of flying with a chair experience is a new one for me. Magic is pretty convenient, huh?

    Before long, we arrived in a spacious hall where there is nothing except a pillar in the middle. The pillar spanned 3 meters tall and its width was probably 1.5 meters wide. I¡¯m quite surprised that something like this could exist inside the castle.

    ¡°Alright~ We¡¯ve arrived~!¡± Charle grinned and sent out a wink, ¡°That pillar over there is called, the Soul Testing Pillar~! Just like its name, the purpose of this pillar is to measure up your soul power! Easy to remember right~¡±

    ¡°Umm, why does it need to be measured?¡± The timid Sophie asked.

    The princess replied, ¡°Because, the results will determine if you have the talent for magic along with your aptitudes.¡±

    ¡°Results..? Aptitude? Eh... Does that mean that not all humans can use magic?¡± This time, it was Lyra¡¯s turn to be surprised.

    ¡°Ohohoho~ of course not,¡± Charle said rather mockingly, ¡°If everybody could use magic, then not to mention the threat of monsters, the human race would probably fall down from the inside first.¡±

    The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°...Let me explain the mechanism,¡± The princess broke the ice, ¡°The moment you touch the pillar, it will shine in a certain color. Here, we follow the color order of rainbows; red being the worst, and violet being the best. In short, the deeper the color is, the better.¡±

    ¡°Well then, who will be first?¡± The princess looked at us, and then added another sentence, ¡°Even if your results are unsatisfactory, don¡¯t worry. The kingdom will still take care of you. It¡¯s not like we couldn¡¯t afford to provide for one or two.¡±

    ...Was that supposed to be a taunt? I guess not. No matter how nice she is, it seems that the arrogance of royalty is deeply etched into the bones, huh?

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Brian said with a deep voice.

    ¡°Wish you luck, baby~¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my~ How cold~¡±

    Well, enough of it. He stepped forward and then touched the pillar. Moments later, the pillar shined brightly in blue.

    Looking very pleased with a wide smile, Charle announced, ¡°Alright~ Blue, High grade~ The next one please step forward~¡±

    ...What? We were at a loss for words. Just like that¡­?

    ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t told me my result yet!¡± Brian yelled from the pillar, probably out of anxiety.

    ¡°What, didn¡¯t I just announce it?¡± Charle looks confused. Then, the princess whispered something to him before he nods in understanding.

    ¡°*Cough*, sorry sorry~ I forgot to explain~ Red and Orange are the color of normal people¡¯s soul. They are only able to use a bit of magic, meaning that they might as well give up on becoming magicians. Yellow and Green are the promising ones. With some effort and luck, they have chances of becoming magicians. Blue and Indigo, given enough time, will definitely mature into high-level magicians. Meanwhile, Violet is very rare, to the point that only one will appear in a century. I don¡¯t need to elaborate further, yes~? They are existences that can¡¯t be measured using common sense. Oh, by the way, the intensity of the light will determine the ¡®purity¡¯ of your color.¡±

    ...so, this means that he¡¯s got a pretty rare talent huh?

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m pretty good then,¡± The hoodlum let out a breath of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Lyra said. She walked on to the pillar and touched it lightly. The shined in blue, but unlike that hoodlum, it was dimmer.

    ¡°Blue, Low grade~ Next!¡±

    ¡°Phew~¡± She heaved a sigh of relief.

    This time, it¡¯s that annoying girl¡¯s turn. She resolutely said, ¡°Wish me luck!¡±

    That idiot shouted, ¡°Go, Sophie! You can do it!¡±

    She took a deep breath and touched the pillar. Just like before, it shined brightly, the difference is just the color. Shockingly, it was Indigo!

    This time, Charle and the princess showed up a pleasantly surprised expression.

    ¡°Indigo, High grade! Wow~ You got some real talent there, girl~¡±

    ¡°Hehe, thank you,¡± She muttered bashfully.

    When she got back, the idiot smiled, ¡°You¡¯re awesome!!¡±

    She only smiled in response, the red color on her face deepened.

    Then, that idiot turned around and asked me, ¡°Do you want to go first, or--¡±

    I replied, ¡°You go first.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Don¡¯t you cry if you can¡¯t surpass me later! Hahaha!¡± He said confidently. I rolled my eyes at his words. Why is he even treating this as a competition? That said, I¡¯m quite curious as to what color he¡¯s going to get.

    He walked on to the pillar and just like everybody else, touched it. The next moment, it shined brightly in blue. Once again, these two outsiders seemed surprised. Just as Charle was about to announce the result, the color on the pillar changed to dim Violet.

    This time, all of us were stunned. The most intense changes occurred on the princess and Charle. Their emotions are all over the place.

    Judging from ¡®that¡¯ around her, she seemed to be genuinely happy. But, as for Charle¡­ what is that? Vigilance and hostility...?

    Probably noticing me looking at him, he turned his head to me and with a smile that didn¡¯t reach one¡¯s eyes, he asked, ¡°What is it, baby~?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, you haven¡¯t announced the results yet.¡±

    He slapped his forehead, with an expression that seemed to say ¡®I forgot!¡¯ and then said, ¡°Violet, low grade! You¡¯re really wild, baby~¡±

    ¡°Umm, thanks?¡± The idiot scurried away quickly. When he returned back, he was congratulated by his party as usual. Then, he turned to me and said, ¡°You¡¯re the last! Quickly! I bet you can¡¯t surpass me!¡±

    I rolled my eyes again. Wait, how many times did I roll my eyes this day? Oh well. I walked calmly to the pillar and took a deep breath. ¡®I hope it won¡¯t be disappointing,¡¯ I thought. Then, I outstretched my hand and touched the pillar.

    It didn¡¯t take a second for the pillar to change color. All I could see was a blinding light in front of me. I closed my eyes and when the light subsided, I turned my body to face them. What I saw was a scene where everyone was left with hanging jaws. ...What?

    I asked, ¡°The result?¡±

    In a shaky voice, Charle said, ¡°V-violet, High grade!¡±

    ...What? Again, what?

    Expressionless, I asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that only one Violet will appear in a century¡­?¡±

    Charle¡¯s and the princess¡¯ mouths twitched.

    ...Bro, do you think we know!? Since when did a violet even appear as a buy one get one free!?

    ---------

    ???

    In the dark void hidden somewhere, an old man suddenly opened his eyes. The gaze that contained ancientness seemed to pierce through space as he shook his head continuously, ¡°Finally¡­ after waiting all these years¡­ he appeared¡­¡±

    Seemingly speaking to someone, he commanded, ¡°The one whose arrival I had awaited¡­ Bring him¡­ to me!¡±

    When his sentence ended, several blurry figures seemed to be quickly dispersing from that place, following the order of that old man. Then, the surrounding space trembled as his laughter echoed in the vast expanse of darkness, ¡°Haha...hahaha...AHAHAHAHA¡­¡±

    ¡°...Soon¡­¡± As he said so, he slowly closed his eyes and fell into a slumber once again.

 Chapter 6 - An Introduction to Magic

    A month later.

    Morning, in the mage¡¯s training ground. There wasn¡¯t anyone there except for a few dummies and a short boy.

    ¡°Wind blades.¡±

    Following the boy¡¯s words, several transparent sharp blades sprung forth from his hand and hit the wooden dummy log.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Each and every blade left a deep gash on the wooden dummy log that was about a meter thick. The previously fine dummy became ragged in just a few seconds.

    *Clap Clap*

    A really tall man suddenly appeared from boy¡¯s back and gave a hearty applause; with Charle being his identity.

    ¡°Oh, my~ How amazing~! It hasn¡¯t even been a month, and you¡¯re already a peak rank 1 mage? Really, the talent of a violet soul is truly too godly~! It leaves us commoners in the dust~ I¡¯m so envious, you know~ How are we even going to live from now on?¡±

    The boy turned his small body, revealing an androgynous male face, and flatly said,

    ¡°Is that what a rank 4 mage should say to a newbie¡­?¡± He looked at the sun that hung on the horizon, and continued, ¡°That aside, aren¡¯t you supposed to be in the knight¡¯s training ground right now, Charle? So, why are you still here?¡±

    Charle replied coquettishly while twisting around his big body, ¡°Of course it¡¯s to see you, Ivan. My super duper cutie angel~ For you, I can even ditch training, you know~ It¡¯s not really a big deal~¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ivan said. Then, without any noticeable signs, he suddenly cast what seems like magic on the soles of his feet. Immediately after that, he dashed and left to the corridor in the opposite direction without any further ado, leaving behind a cloud of dust on his trail.

    The man that was left behind could only shake his head disappointedly, ¡°Sigh, really, that child~! Always so cold towards me~ I¡¯m so sad~ Naughty boys are cute, but honest and obedient boys are the best...¡±

    Then, as if he had been struck by an inspiration, his mouth curved up into a grin, ¡°Hmm? Then, should I try to ¡®discipline¡¯ him? Ohoho...ohoho...OHOHOHOHO~¡±

    ...The man¡¯s creepy laughter continues to reverberate in the training ground.

    -----------

    Ivan¡¯s POV

    ¡°...What was that?¡± I shivered. My back suddenly felt chilly for no apparent reason. Shit, it must¡¯ve been that gorilla¡¯s fault! Always appearing without any notice and scaring people like that, he sure got a hella lot of time to waste, huh?

    ¡°...Haa,¡± I unconsciously leaked out a sigh. It¡¯s been a month since I arrived in this world. Apart from my new training schedule for magic, nothing has really changed. The idiot is still an idiot, and that party of his too stays the same. My daily schedule was to eat, train, picking a fight with those guys, sleep, then repeat. Oh, if there¡¯s something worth mentioning, it was about the meeting with the lord of this place, in other words, the king.

    But, really. I didn¡¯t even register half of what he said during our meeting, as his speech was twice as long as the school¡¯s headmaster annual greetings! It was simply torture! With all those bullsh*ts like ¡®For this kingdom¡¯s peace¡¯ or ¡®You shall be awarded by riches¡¯ or ¡®Rise to prominence, Heroes!¡¯, truth be told, I don¡¯t care about that!

    Old. Man. I. Don¡¯t. Give. A. Damned. F**k!

    Not to mention, with how dark ¡®that¡¯ in his surroundings, I feel nauseated looking at him! Compared to that robotic maid, it felt worse! Even though I myself don¡¯t understand what I am seeing all this time, I knew that a person like him is always up to no good. So that¡¯s why I hope that I don¡¯t meet him ever again.

    ...Wait. I did remember something important, the promise of providing us with a luxurious life even if we didn¡¯t choose to become a hero. As we all could guess, no one chose that. I was going to, but...

    ¡°...But, I just can¡¯t give up on magic.¡±

    The speculations I had before, all of them are true. The value of the heroes and that ten-year magic stone mining results, just can¡¯t be compared to each other. Why? Because our value is supposedly indeterminable.

    First of all, the people of this world are pretty weird. In that body of theirs that doesn¡¯t even exceed 2 meters in average, some people hold the power to topple mountains and overturn the seas. They could even crush stars and explore the vast expanse of outer space...

    Cough, cough.

    It was just an exaggeration on my part, sorry. Anyway, what I meant is, they could have the power to rival an entire army on their own. That is to say, one super strong person could slaughter an entire army or even the nation itself! When I heard that, I thought that it was incredulous. Like, who doesn¡¯t!?

    A superhero comes from god-knows-where, punched out to produce a force comparable to a meteoric impact, and destroys a single continent in just a few seconds. Psh, come on! Even third-rate movies these days are better than that.

    But, that was exactly what happened. At first, I thought that magic was a type of energy that was used to fuel weapons or daily appliances, just like electricity. I thought that the trick Selena or Charle used was due to them holding some kind of remote control. But, oh boy was I wrong. That notion changed when Charle demonstrated the might of magic to us.

    It happened like two days after we were summoned. With the princess also tagging along, he took us to the training grounds. Then, without telling us anything, a light started to gather on his right arm, and he suddenly punched the ground.

    I still remember that scene since it occurred not too long ago. His punch made out a huge dust cloud and created a deep crater under him. Yes, not a hole, but more like a small crater. It spanned around three meters in width, and a meter deep. Can you imagine if he punched a human with that fist? Poof and they¡¯ll be blown to bits. Since he wasn¡¯t holding anything in his hand and I saw it up close, I instinctively knew that it was ¡®his¡¯ own power. People fight wars using weapons and technologies, but in this world, their own body is their greatest asset. Of course, that also includes equipment and the likes.

    In short, even if I chose to become a servant in the castle, my life still wouldn¡¯t be guaranteed. Who knows when the war will start? If I were to be put in a dangerous situation then, will they come to my aid? Surely not. What importance does a lowly servant hold? If I were them, I would send any extra help to the frontlines or keep them beside me as guards. So, in this dog-eat-dog world, only by relying on your own power will you be able to survive.

    I clenched my fists tightly, thinking about my uncertain future. Making a decision to become a hero and all that is pretty great, but¡­ the burden that comes along with every decision I make is just too much. Not having any power is plain suicide, while having some ability would just make you as yet another useful chess piece. I can¡¯t help but feel powerless. I couldn¡¯t decide my own fate; not in my former world, and not here either.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Haa,¡± I leaked out a sigh again.

    Unconsciously, it seems that I have walked to the dining room. Just perfect since I¡¯m hungry. I entered the room and saw that quartet, wait, it should be quintet now, eating their breakfast with sleepy eyes.

    ¡°Felix~ Say ahh,¡± that Sophie fed Felix some food.

    With a look that screams out ¡®I just woke up 5 minutes ago¡¯, he opened his mouth, ¡°Ahh¡­,¡± and chomped it down with one bite. That useless girl got her cheeks reddened in a bout of happiness.

    ¡°Haa,¡± it seems that sighing has become a habit for me now. Sometimes, I feel really jealous of an idiot like him. Passing his days relaxedly without any stress, and to keep fooling around just like this. Truly, the happiness brought by ignorance.

    Lyra is reading a book, while that hoodlum is busy tinkering with something. Meanwhile, the princess is eating her meal elegantly. I wordlessly took a seat and ate my meal in silence. I didn¡¯t talk to them since I don¡¯t find any merits in doing so. Furthermore, apart from the neutral Lyra and Selena, I¡¯m on bad terms with the others. I quickly finished my breakfast, and the others did so too. The princess opened up the daily morning conversation by asking me a question.

    ¡°Did you train magic by yourself again?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is that so. Working hard is a commendable trait, but please don¡¯t overwork yourself, okay?¡±

    ¡°I shall keep that in mind.¡±

    Useless perfunctory greetings. Just get straight to the point.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get this short. Today, all daily training schedule will be cancelled. Instead--¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± The hoodlum interjected.

    ¡°Brian, let the princess finish first,¡± Lyra admonished him.

    ¡°...Sorry, my bad.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. Anyway, today¡¯s training schedule is all cancelled and you¡¯re free to use this day to rest. Instead, we¡¯ll be going to the dungeon--¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± The idiot suddenly woke up from his stupor and shouted.

    I rolled my eyes. Like seriously, we¡¯ve been interrupted twice already.

    ¡°When!?¡± He asked.

    Lyra sighs quietly, and said, ¡°...Felix, just sit down and listen to the princess. Seriously, you guys should go and learn from Ivan in times like this.¡±

    ¡°Oops, sorry. My bad, hehe. And, Hi Ivan!¡±

    ...Is there something wrong with his brain? Obviously, I  ignored him just like usual, and he sat down without minding it.

    ¡°Selena, then, then,¡± he urged the princess to continue. He was shaking all over, but rather than out of fear, it should be from excitement.

    ¡°Yes, I will continue. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be going into a dungeon nearby to let you all experience real combat. But, please be rest assured. Since the only capable fighters right now are only Felix and Ivan, the five of you won¡¯t be playing an active part in the subjugation. Instead, you¡¯ll be watching the process of real-life combat.¡±

    Hmm, so it¡¯s nothing serious after all. I thought we¡¯ll be fighting against the monsters tomorrow, like without any prior experience whatsoever. Not to mention, with the exception of me and that idiot, the other three are useless.

    I¡¯ve already reached peak rank 1 mage, and that idiot should already be able to use that aura thing from his knight training. Meanwhile, the other three are¡­ to put it nicely, they¡¯re just cheerleaders. I¡¯m not blaming them or anything, they¡¯re not trashy at all. Actually, just looking at their talents alone, they wouldn¡¯t lose to the elites in this country. It¡¯s just, that idiot¡¯s talent and mine are close to being called cheat existences.

    I mean, normal people have to receive intense training for years if they wanted to be able to use offensive magic or that aura thing. People aren¡¯t supposed to be able to use those in like, a month. So, the trio who are only a breath away from being able to use these superpowers could actually be considered as geniuses.

    ..That gorilla can¡¯t be judged with common sense though.

    ¡°Then, it¡¯s more like a field trip?¡± Lyra asked.

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±

    Lyra heaved a sigh of relief, while that idiot got depressed.

    ¡°U-umm, do we need to take anything with us?¡± That useless girl asked.

    The princess replied, ¡°No, the daily necessities will be taken care of us. So, you can just observe tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then. Tomorrow, right after breakfast, we¡¯ll immediately depart to Fienas. If there are more questions you want to ask, you can find me in the garden. Excuse me. By the way, Charle will also accompany us.¡±

    Right after the princess said that, she left the room. That despairing look on that idiot¡¯s face was really funny.

    Of course, I soon followed after. Don¡¯t wanna get pestered by that idiot all day after all. You should just nicely spend your time with that useless girl.

    ----------

    ¡°Magic, the power to bend reality to your liking. An existence that is real, and yet illusory at the same time; an abstruse power that can bring miracles, or even calamities depending on the user.¡±

    In this quiet library, a boy with short black hair was seen holding a book in his hands. He quietly recited the text from the book that was titled, ¡°An Introduction to Magic¡±. Several similar books are also found in his vicinity.

    ¡°...Magic can be used to affect reality itself by changing the properties of Mana. The source of Magic itself, that is Mana, can also be used directly to amplify an already existing phenomenon.¡±

    The sound of flipping pages echoed quite clearly in the deserted library. He continued to read pages upon pages, and even compared other books by placing them open. Soon, he limped down in his chair again.

    ¡°Haa,¡± he leaked out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve read these over and over, but I still don¡¯t understand they mean.¡±

    He opened up his hand, and blue light started to gather on it. It soon formed a little floating ball on top of his palm.

    ¡°Mana, the origin of Magic. The fuel of magic that exists almost everywhere in nature. It could be found in both organic and inorganic things.¡±

    Then, the small blob of blue light slowly turned red and at the same time, began to emit heat.

    ¡°This should be what it meant to change the properties of Mana, right? Just by willing it, Mana will change its attributes according to the user¡¯s desire. How convenient.¡±

    But, what he didn¡¯t know is that, changing the properties of Mana is not that simple. Most people would find it really hard just to control Mana, let alone changing its properties. In a sense, this was the demarcation line between normal people and those with talents to become magicians. He was only having an easy time because of his cheat-like talent.

    ¡°Now, let there be fire!¡±

    The red blob suddenly turned fierce and started to burn vigorously. It wasn¡¯t really dangerous as its size was only as big as a flickering candle.

    ¡°Pfft, that chant is so embarrassing,¡± The boy blushed from the words he uttered himself. He shook his head and the expression on his face turned normal again.

    ¡°Now, according to theory, Magic uses up Mana in order to bring changes to reality; just like how I use electricity to charge up my phone. Hmm, not a bad comparison,¡± he muttered to himself.

    ¡°That being the case, it should be possible for fire to exist freely just by solely relying on Mana. A preposterous logic, I know,¡± He put his other hand on his chin, seemingly to stroke a nonexistent beard.

    ¡°And yet¡­¡±

    A shapeless spherical wall of wind suddenly enveloped the ball, forcing the air to scatter away. The next moment, the flame inside was extinguished.

    ¡°...It couldn¡¯t exist in a vacuum, without oxygen. I wonder what went wrong?¡± He scratched his hair confusedly. And yet, it didn¡¯t conceal the tinge of excitement in his eyes.

    ¡°In the first place, Magic itself is an act of defying normal logic. Like how it was possible for the princess to freeze flames, which is an impossible feat, the same should be able to be done to this! Theoretically, It should be doable to use just Mana as a fuel to produce flame! WHY CAN¡¯T IT WORK? AHHHH!¡± He shouted in frustration.

    ¡°QUIET!¡± The white-haired librarian rebuked him. His voice shook every nook and cranny of the library. Despite already having one foot in the grave, his voice was still as thunderous as ever.

    The boy could only meekly reply, ¡°Yessir! I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The old man harrumphed. ¡°Ivan, I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re a hero or savior or warrior or whatever, but if you¡¯re going to make a trouble in MY library, you WILL have to cross over my dead body!¡±

    Having said so, he turned away and left.

    ¡°Librarians are always so scary¡­¡± Ivan said in a hushed voice. He patted himself and continued, ¡°Well, it seems that my experiments should be postponed right now. I should probably ask the princess or that gorilla tomorrow.¡±

    He glanced at a nearby map, and murmured, ¡°The trip to Fienas would take at least half a day. Not to mention the time we¡¯ll spend there. I think it should be around 3 to 4 days? No worries, there¡¯s ample for me to ask. Also, I should be able to get my hands on some materials. Hehehe, not a bad deal¡­¡±

    Suppressing his excitement, he left the library in a composed manner.

    The old librarian who saw this snorted, ¡°What a weird kid,¡± and continued to finish whatever business he needed to do.