2

"Beat him up!"

"Finish him!"

The crowd cheered as they partied in the warrior's demise on stage. They all sat, ecstatically waiting for the final blow in the duel of fates.

"Show no fear!"

"You still got this, buddy!"

"Get up! Pick up your sword and get up!"

From the lower barred cells of the arena, chained warriors were cheering their fallen comrade. They all loved each other uniquely. They'd cheer for each other's survival today and valiantly fight to the death the next.

That was the way of gladiators.

'*Ugh. Kcaahhh*"

Swimming in a pool of his blood, a black-haired man lay on the floor. Several wounds covered his body from head to toe. It was easier to note parts he wasn't mauled than his injuries. A Guiltyloe slowly approached the living lump of flesh. It was getting hopeless with each step of the terrifying Mabeast.

"Don't give up!"

"Fight till your last breath!"

"Make us proud, you stupid bastard!"

The crowd went wild as the Mabeast approached the fallen man. One cheered for his demise, while the other for his redemption.

"Haa. Haa" was all he could reply as his reaper approached undaunted.

'It's no use. I can't beat that thing. Might as well make it easy and die without any pain.'

He couldn't stand, move or retaliate. Even with the horrible wounds covering his entire body, the man was too afraid to have a painful death. At least this way, he'd die relatively pain-free as the adrenaline rush suppressed his bodily screams for help.

"C'mon, man! Don't give up! Didn't you tell me you had to save someone? That you'd save her once you get out of this place?"

'Ah, is that why I was fighting? I... I can't remember anymore.'

With the rapid blood loss, the man began to lose consciousness. He couldn't think nor remember much of this place and where he came from. With his last breath, he sighed as death's cold embrace claimed him.

'If only I were strong enough to never give up.'

*Crunch*

The beast's claws closed on the man, ending his thoughtless misery then and there.

"WHOOOOO!"

"GET HIM, MABEAST!"

"TEAR HIM DOWN!"

"FOR VOLLACHIA!"

'Huh?'

When the man opened his eyes, he expected the entrance to hell. Instead, his sight greeted him with the familiar view of the gladiator arena. The same crowd cheered his demise as the same Guiltyloe faced the man.

"What's going on?"

He was no longer in pain. He didn't feel confused. He could remember who he was. He padded his body in search of his wounds. If his previous demise made his head spin, he didn't know what rotation was now. His bodily flesh was restored anew as if nothing had happened. His blade held firm, sharp as ever, just like its condition before the deadly battle. Amid the confusion, his brain racked in pain as a mysterious voice slotted an idea within himself.

' Territory'

He couldn't recognize its nature, nor why it was there, but the moment those words echoed in his mind, it felt like it had been there from the start. He activated this mysterious power, hoping for whatever power to seep within.

And nothing happened.

"CruaAaAAAAHHHH"

The Guiltyloe's roar shook everyone present. Even the ecstatic crowd seemed afraid of the beast's blood-wrenching proclamation.

Yet, the man felt overwhelming bravery. He remembered how he arrived here, his parents, his gladiator comrades, and her. With the cries of his comrades, the crowd, the people he left, and the people he'll meet, he came to the only logical conclusion.

He could never give up.

"ORAHHHHHH"

The man matched the Guiltyloe's scream with his own. It was puny in comparison, but no one dared dismiss his resolve.

That was the Vollachian way.

He charged, speeding through the arena from one end to the other. He poured all his strength into this one final dash. At that instant, he was the fastest man ever to live.

*Splat!*

The man's epic charge ended as the beast whipped him with his tail, crushing him in two. The crowd went crazy at the sight and cheered harder and louder.

"WHOOOOO."

"YEAH, BABY, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR."

"FOR VOLLACHIA!"

With those final words registering in his mind, the man closed his eyes as his strength faltered again.

"WHOOOOO!"

"GET HIM, MABEAST!"

"TEAR HIM DOWN FOR VOLLACHIA!"

"Huh?"

The same scene repeated in the man's sight. He opened his eyes to see the same place moments before he had died.

"What's going on..." He mumbled to no one.

Perhaps his lack of intelligence, adrenaline, horrors of death, or his return didn't fully restore him? The man couldn't make heads or tails of the situation.

"Ah, who the fuck cares. All I need to do is beat the shit out of this monkey lion, and that's that."

With his newfound resolve, he charged once more toward the beast.

(Line Break)

Had it been tens, hundreds, thousands, or a number so large that it couldn't be counted? Regardless, only one fact remained in the man's mind.

"Don't give up."

It was the last straw he hanged to as he continued living through this loop of endless torment. The crowd was bombastic at the lone man who killed the legendary Mabeast alone. He had won. It was the mark of a true warrior following the values of the Vollachian empire.

"Hoo, has myneself found one interesting scrub?"

A fiery woman spoke from the spectators, eyeing the victorious man in the arena. The world worked for her, and fate led to this moment.

"You will be mine. Ho, ho, ho."

Taking out a red fan from her bosom, the lady left the crowd towards the infirmary, where her prize would rightfully await her presence.

(Line Break)

"I don't recognize that ceiling."

The man woke up from the shaking vibrations of a moving dragon carriage. He felt the soft fluffy bed of a well-furnished carriage under his back. As he tried to get up, his whole body convulsed in pain. Still, he struggled through and got up, noticing the lack of strength in his left arm. He turned his head only to see a lump wrapped in white bandages. His hand was nowhere to be seen.

"Has myne scrub finally awoken? Thy should bow in the presence of myne divine self!"

On his left was a fiery red woman shouting at the man. To his eyes, she looked like an angel descending from hell. Her authoritative voice left no words for discussion. Her existence was that of the sun. She shone brightly above all, reigning on anyone who stood in her way.

"Thy should feel lucky to serve myne divine self."

The man just sighed and lay back on his bed. His head was spinning, constructing what exactly had happened to him. The scorching pain stopped him from moving as he let whatever fate had decided upon him.

"From now on, you shall be myne sword and do my bidding. I name thee Aldebaran."

"I don't recognize that ceiling."

Waking up from his slumber, Rudeus opened his eyes to a well-furnished room. He sat on a kinged sized bed with fluffy pillows and clean sheets. It's been a while since he slept in such luxury.

"I came to this new world, then met Satel... no, it's Emilia, isn't it."

Slowly, his memories resurfaced, one by one. His fierce battle against the Bowel Hunter, his erratic city tour with Emilia, and Reinhard's timely arrival all came crashing down.

"So, it wasn't a dream. I'm really in a new world, aren't I?"

Perhaps deep within his excitement to start anew, Rudeus secretly wanted to return to his friends and family. Even with skewed relations, he still loved and valued them. Would he be stuck here for the rest of his life? Will he have to start again from zero?

"HAH! Nothing will come agonizing over that now. It's time I start the day!"

With an uncharacteristic shout, he left the bed and inspected his situation. He wore a simple bathrobe instead of his usual shirt and red pants. His staff and sack were nowhere to be seen. Did the master of the house take them?

'Well, they'll probably return them later.'

He instinctively reached into his pocket in search of a cloth that was no longer there. For the first time since his encounter with Orsted, panic swept over the boy's mind.

"THE HOLY RELIC!"

The sign of Rudeus' sincere faith was nowhere to be seen. Roxy's pant-The Holy Relic, was the lifeline that never left him behind. It picked him up at his lowest and strengthened him when he was afraid. It would be fair to say, Rudeus wouldn't be the man he was today had it not been for the white fabric he prayed to daily.

'Where did it go? Did the mansion's maid take them? Could they handle the divine light of the Holy Relic?'

The religious man had dozens of thoughts revolving around his great master's undergarments. A gurgling rage hit the boy as a new objective appeared on top.

'To whoever took my goddess' sacred gift will feel the wrath of a thousand suns! Not even Orsted will stop me!'

He immediately took off, leaving the room, and ran across the hallway. Putting all his thoughts to speed, he ran, and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran.

After perhaps an hour of non-stop sprinting, Rudues calmed down from exhaustion. Each breath felt like his last as he struggled to find an intersection in the infinite corridor.

'What the hell? Is this one of those infinite corridors?' He asked himself.

'Am I trapped in the mansion? Did Emilia or Reinhard view me as a threat? Please, anyone, tell me what the hell is going on!'

It took another 10 minutes for the boy to catch his breath. He stumbled back up on his feet as a loud growl reminded him that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Or was it today? Time is confusing when you traverse through different worlds.

"Alright, the same doors, pottery, and furniture are repeating across the hallway. Maybe I need to open the right one?"

He mulled over his options, rubbing a non-existent beard on his hairless chin. It made little difference, though it made him feel intelligent.

"I can't open every single one of them. That would take too long... Could I use magic to counter this magical effect? It doesn't seem like anything from the four basic elements."

"Oh, maybe the Demon Eye can help?"

Rudeus activated the Eye of Foresight. The halls became two as they showed the possible near future of everything around him. With this, he walked to each door and acted as if he wanted to enter. The Demon Eye would react and show him the same empty repeating hall. He continued to examine each entry one by one until he could see their future paths just by willing to open them. This speeded the process significantly, and he finally found the outlier. The door before him led to a great library filled with thousands of books, top to bottom. In the center was a blonde-haired child intensely reading a black book. Despite her appearance, her presence felt otherworldly. The butterfly-like irises were the dead giveaway.

"Excuse me."

Rudeus politely entered the child's library. He deactivated his eye and greeted the young girl with the same Asuran bow. Emilia and Puck didn't seem to mind, so their views of etiquette should be similar.

"Hello there, young lady. My name is Rudeus. I just woke up and have no clue what's going on. Nice to meet you."

Rudeus maintained his bow, waiting for the child to respond. Even if she was of no rank, better to play it safe than sorry.

"Hmm, you are polite for someone brought by that silly girl. I shall permit you to enter Betty's forbidden library, I suppose."

He took this as a sign of acceptance and raised his head to gaze at the librarian. She wore a vibrant red dress. Her blonde hair wrapped double drills on each side. Had Rudeus still been a disgusting lolicon, she would be the subject of his undevoted adoration.

"Well, nice to meet you too, Betty. Say, you wouldn't happen to know who took my master's pa- I mean my Holy Relic? I'm religious and don't feel safe disconnected from the symbol of whom I worship."

"Hmph! Betty has no memory of allowing you to call Betty, Betty. Nor does she know what this relic is, I suppose. Now come closer so I may examine you, human."

With a slight nod, Rudeus approached the drill loli. He might as well humor the young child. With only a footstep apart, the loli librarian held her hand on his solar plexus. He gazed at her actions with curiosity but didn't stop her. What could possibly go wro-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Every nerve in his body felt as if it were on fire. The sudden pain encompassed in a flash as he soon faced the floor, drooling snot and spit over his scrunched-up face.

"What. *pant* The hell. *pant* Was that?"

"Betty was asked to check if you were a threat and determined otherwise. Now shoo. That door will lead you to your room, I suppose."

Getting up was challenging, as he struggled to maintain his body weight on his four limbs. Terror creeping into his mind, he clawed towards the now-opened door, magically leading to his bedroom. Without looking back, he scurried to bed, scared of what the magic loli might do if he overstayed his welcome.

"For a mere human to have such a mana pool, how disgusting, I suppose."

"I recognize that ceiling."

The young boy woke up from his forced slumber. His memories with the drill loli jogged him awake as he had a new person to add to the "avoid at all cost" list alongside Orsted and Eris.

"What did she do to me, and why did it hurt so much?" He grunted.

"Sister, sister. It looks like dear guest has finally awoken."

"Rem, Rem. It looks like dear guest is confused as to where he is."

At the sudden introduction of two new voices, Rudeus sat on his bed and viewed a heavenly sight. A pair of twin maids stood side by side to greet the poor magician. They had red or blue bob cuts and wore elegant maid dresses. He was excited, to say the least.

'Huh, looks like little me won't come out, though.'

Still, even if he couldn't, he could admire the beauty of women.

With his invigorated mind from seeing two angels, Rudeus got up, faced the two maids, and made the most elegant Asuran bow he had ever made. First impressions were important in his mind.

"Greetings. My name is Rudeus. Pleased to meet you! I have no idea what's happening and have just one question!"

With a spin and a clap to emphasize his point, Rudeus pointed at the two maids to ask the question.

"Where is my Holy Relic?"

The religious zealot looked calm and reasonable. His smile was bright, and his tone could be considered amicable. Yet, the two maids shuddered in fear at the cultists standing before them. Had the concept of ambient temperature existed, would they have noted the room turned cold or hot? Either way, something changed in the room, exuding horror and desperation, and it all stemmed from the man in front of them.

"Ehh, dear gue-"

"I am quite the understanding person and prefer to handle things peacefully, but I cannot look over this transgression. My Goddess, whom I revere, has helped me to overcome herculean challenges. She helped me to overcome my fears. She guided me toward the light when I was alone and saved my life. So imagine my surprise when I woke up a few hours ago, only to see all my belongings, including the only artifact of her, gone?"

It was at this moment they knew they fucked up. They followed the usual strict protocol to examine and clean any items their guest brought home, but clearly, it was a mistake. No, it was not a mistake. They simply performed their job. But regardless of their intent, they had unknowingly offended the guest.

Bringing all their maidenly strength, the twins nodded and apologized to the devoted religion.

"Y-yes sir, we'll fetch your belongin-"

"Cool! Glad we sorted that out!"

The cold, threatening pressure dissipated from the boy's words instantly. The sudden change in tone gave more questions than answers. Just what caused his wrath, and what soothed him?

"I apologize if I scared you. It's just that this person is very dear to me, and I treasure the one thing that connects me with her."

The two twins were confused about what brought such a reverent reaction, but they knew better than to question it. They nodded ahead, afraid of what might trigger their unruly guest.

"Well, I introduced myself. I think I caught your name as Rem?" He asked, pointing at the red-haired maid.

"No, no, dear guest. My name is Ram. Rem is my dear sister."

"No, no, dear guest. I am Rem. That is my dear sister Ram."

"Well, nice to meet you, Ram and Rem. I assume you're twins? You look the part, but the idea of twin maids has been more of a fantasy. I never thought I'd see it myself."

Rudeus boldly commented on his fantasies in front of the twin maids. Had he no shame?

"Sister, sister, it seems we are being violated in our guest's mind."

"Rem, Rem, it seems our guest is an uncontrollable pervert."

"Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I won't deny being a perv, but I definitely caused a misunderstanding!"

The open door called to attention with soft knocks as a beautiful silver-haired half-Elf made her presence known. With a pink dress, flowered hairpin, and the pink clip she got from the lost child, Rudeus' blood rose sharply to his head.

"Can't you wake up more peacefully, Rudeus?"

The boy could only scratch his head at the magnificent sight as he eyed her head to toe. Just how beautiful could a woman be? An uncontrollable grin appeared as he continued to view the half-Elf.

"Good morning, Emilia. Looking as beautiful as ever!"

"Good morning to you too."

Between the duo glancing smiles at each other, the blue-haired maid pointed at the man, drawing her master's attention.

"Take a look at this, Emilia-sama. Dear sister and Rem were violated in the minds of that man."

"Please listen to this, Emilia-sama. Rem was held prisoner and shamed by that man."

The red-haired maid joined without missing a beat, teasing the brown-haired pervert.

"Now, now. Don't tease him too much, you two." Emilia kindly replied.

"Yes, Emilia-sama. Sister is very sorry."

"Yes, Emilia-sama. Rem is very sorry as well."

Satisfied with their playful apologies, Emilia walked past and stood before the reddened Rudeus. He had never woken up to such beauty in both lives.

"Rudeus, are you feeling alright? Does anything feel off? You exhausted yourself rea~lly hard yesterday and fainted."

"Huh, oh, not at all. I feel groggy from waking up and a bit prickly from that drill-loli, but other than that, I'm good. I'm still confused about what happened to me, but I assume you brought me with you? Thanks for not leaving me alone. It's been a while since I slept in such a fancy room."

"Not at all, Rudeus. I should be the one to thank you. You helped me with my insignia and saved my life. I can never make it up to you."

Rudeus could only smile, looking at the kind-hearted girl's sincere gratitude.

'Ugh, that smile is worth a million Asuran gold coins!'

"Well, after I get dressed, could you show me around? I'd like to get my daily exercise in. As they say, you can't skip leg day!"

"This place is huge! It's like a football field rather than a yard."

On the front fields of the Mather's estate, Emilia and Rudeus stood side by side on a well-maintained grass field. The mansion looked three times bigger than the Boreas estate he stayed in as a child. Surrounding the villa was a dense forest of shrubs and trees, with no other building in sight.

'Heh, as magnificent as this is, I prefer the romanticism of a walled medieval city.'

Breaking the boy's treasured memories of Roa, Puck flew out of his hiding spot to greet him.

"Good morning, Rudues. Beautiful day isn't it?"

"I couldn't agree more. I was stuck in a revolving hallway for an hour, then tortured by a certain librarian, but other than that, my day has been going pretty nicely."

Emilia held her hand in worry hearing the boy's words. Wasn't that a bad way to start the day? Just what had happened last night for all that to take place?

"That doesn't sound too nice, Rudeus. Don't hesitate to let me know if you feel tired or bad!"

The sudden innocent declaration pinched the young boy's heart harder. It only pained him more to realize his severe condition prevented any advances from happening. Just how better could this waifu be?

"Good morning, Puck. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard yesterday."

Puck flew down to Emilia's hands, landing softly in the comfort of his daughter and contractor.

"Morning, Lia. I almost lost you yesterday. I can never thank Rudeus enough."

"Speaking of Rudeus... Thanks for saving Emilia yesterday. If there's anything I can do for you, just ask. I, the great spirit of fire, the Beast of the End, will do my best to compensate you!"

Rudeus was excited to hear the cat's words. He didn't know what great spirits were, nor did he understand the implications of his mighty title, but he did understand he got on the good side of a beautiful girl's father and got a "favor" he could cash in any time.

'God. This must be like those genies. "You helped me, so I'll grant you one wish." type of deal. Well, in that case, there is only one thing I could ask a magical cat.'

"If that's the case, allow me to pet your fur whenever I want!"

"Heh? Is that all?" Emilia asked.

"Yep. I'm a simple man with simple needs. The satisfaction of petting a magic cat can't be denied!"

The first-rate fur enthusiast tackled the flying cat and tickled every inch of its mystical body.

"Eh, he. Ha ha ha. Rudeus that tickles Ah."

"You asked for this. There's no stopping me now. I'll pet you until I'm satisfied to my liking!"

And so, the furball and the fur master continued their skirmish with a worried-looking Emilia pondering how his father fell so low in seconds.

"Oh, you're so soft and lovable. You remind me of the sacred beast!"

"I can feel what you're thinking, but I'm surprised you said it aloud. Oh, don't worry, Lia. I can't say his mind is pure, but I can't sense his malice or ill intent. He's a good boy but needs supervision."

The girl pondered her father's thoughts. Just what made him a good boy but have impure thoughts? Why did he need supervision? She swore to herself to ask her father more about the boy's inner thoughts.

"You rea~lly are a strange boy, Rudeus."

Putting her questions aside, she smiled at the two's antics, happy that her friend was adjusting well to her new home.

"Emilia-sama. Our lord, Roswaal-sama, has arrived and requested our presence. Please follow us inside."

The three followed the two maids and entered the dining hall. Rudeus was disappointed he couldn't start his daily routine, but it can't be helped. Duty called first.

Rudeus' face went pale as he saw the same well-dressed loli from the library. He hadn't insulted the girl to his knowledge, yet received pain he'd never experienced before. And worse of all, he still didn't know what the girl had done to him.

"Hey, Betty! Have you been doing well and being lady-like?"

Emilia and Puck entered the dining hall. Puck cheerfully called out to his old friend. With his duties protecting Emilia, he hasn't seen her in a while.

"Bubby!"

The sadistic child turned docile as soon as her butterfly eyes registered the magic cat. She held her hands tightly and smiled excitedly. The dignified, aloof person was nowhere to be seen. She hastily walked towards the magical cat with her hands opened flat.

"I've missed you so much, Bubby. Will you stay with me today, do you suppose?"

"Sure thing, Betty. Let's finally relax together."

"Yay!"

Holding the cat in her hands, she ran across the dining hall, praising Puck like two good friends going out on the weekend.

"Bewildered, aren't you? Beatrice is so taken with Puck. She doesn't talk to anyone else much." Emilia asked.

"Who even says bewildered these days."

Their banter was cut short as an eccentric tall man entered the dining hall. The tall man had dark blue hair, heterochromatic eyes, pale white and purple makeup, and a clown outfit. Only insane perverts would have that kind of fashion sense! Rudeus grimaced at the sight of the strange man.

"My, my. How rare to see you here, Beatrice! I'm so ha~ppy to see you di~ne with me."

"That boy is enough addle-brained fool for me, I suppose." Beatrice spat.

"Betty was only waiting for her Bubby!"

'With the way, he dresses and that creepy word tic, there's no other explanation. He's koo-koo in the brain. One wrong step and he might just violate me in ways unimaginable. I should tread carefully, just like I always do.'

Rudeus hesitantly took his Asuran noble bow towards the man. He couldn't find it to respect the deranged clown, but he'd bow down for safety.

"Greetings. I am Rudeus, a guest staying here at the mansion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Ah~. What a bright, polite boy you've brought with you, Emilia-sama. Plea~se raise your head, for I~ am the lord of this manor, Roswaal L. Mathers. Plea~sure to make your aqu~atance as we~ll, Ru~deus-kun."

Rudeus was sweating bullets. Not only was the man a creep, but he was also the lord of the manor.

'Yep, good call to go overly polite. Screw up once, and you'll be kicked without your stuff. Hopefully, we can get along.'

"Now, now. With introdu~ctions out of the way, why don't we~ sit and dine and enjoy a lo~vely feast!"

"Wow. This soup tastes divine! I don't think I've had food this good in a while!"

With the interesting first impressions out of the way, the manor residents sat down in the dining hall and enjoyed their breakfast. The food tasted outstanding, as Rudeus hadn't eaten anything since coming to the new world.

On the head of the table sat the lord of the manor, Roswaal. Behind him, the two maids, Rem and Ram, stood silently, observing the dinners. It reminded him of when he had to stand still waiting for the Boreas family as a tutor.

How time flies.

To Roswaal's left sat Emilia, and next to her was Rudeus. His seat choice caught the eyes of all in the room, but no one called to question it, as Emilia seemed happy with the arrangement. On Roswaal's right were Beatrice and Puck, playing with their food rather than enjoying it.

'Well, one of them isn't a person. I guess their views of etiquette are different from ours.'

Rudeus mused over the odd but endearing duo across the table. He couldn't believe the same merciless torturer was giggling happily with the cat. No complaints, though.

"EmHmmm. Despi~te her appearance, Rem is an e~xcellent cook."

"So, this was cooked by the one with blue hair, Rem-san, right?"

"Yes, sir. I do the cooking in this house. My sister is not very good at cooking."

"Then I have to say once more, this tastes amazing. I haven't had home-cooked food in a while."

He smiled brightly as he continued to devour another spoonful of Rem's cooking. Despite his ravening hunger, he still had good table manners. His time with the Boreas family engrained proper etiquette in the man. He was technically a noble in his old world, after all. The mansion residents looked surprised at his noble-like behavior. They assumed the man was savage from his apparel and lack of information.

"You truly are a strange man, Ru~deus-kun. You arrive at the ma~nsion of Margrave Mathers, in the Kingdom of Lugu~nica, and you sa~y you don't know a thi~ng about the country."

"Well, I'm not quite sure how I ended up here. I remember going to bed, and when I woke up, I was standing in the middle of this city. Is something bad going on?"

"Well, it is not in an agreeable state."

The playful tone and word tic were gone. He eyed the boy. Though, his smiling face did not waiver. Roswaal was dead serious. He cannot allow a single mistake from now.

"After all, the country is without a king on the throne! There's no need to be alarmed. It is public knowledge, but you're timing and appearance are quite strange, to say the least."

'Oh no. Don't tell me he'll silence me under a political ploy! Lord Saurous got caught, and it didn't end well for him. Philip tried to tangle me into his coup, and I didn't like even a second! I never asked to be part of this!'

'Ok, Rudeus, calm down. You haven't done anything yet, but it's clear you've contacted an important political figure in the country. One wrong move, and you'll be six feet under. But what's done is done. You can't back up now since you're acquainted with Emilia. If you decline, he might try to silence you, or his political rivals will try to catch you for insider information. Joining him and entering his protection is the best move forward.'

"The Council of Wisemen runs the country, and they are actively working on selecting a new king to represent the country. Emilia-sama being one of them."

"What! You're a princess, Emilia…sama?!"

'Ahhh. I just wanted to help the pretty girl, but now she's a princess! How typical can this fantasy world get? Hnnnng, I didn't want to get sucked into politics, but it can't be helped. That's just my luck. I'll have to live with my choices.'

"It's not like I wanted to hide it from you. It's why I was reluctant to take your help. And please, you don't have to use honorifics… You see, the stolen insignia is proof of my candidacy for the throne."

She pulled out the same purple insignia and placed it on the table for all to see.

"The gem glows bright red if a candidate holds it. You rea~lly saved me yesterday, Rudeus. I would have lost the qualifications if it weren't for you!"

"Of course, Emilia. It was my pleasure to help a beautiful woman like you…"

'Ah! Intrusive thoughts winning me over! Keep it calm, Rudeus!'

"Ah, so I'm starting to get the picture now. In the middle of a national crisis, I suddenly appeared out of nowhere, contacted a Princess, and entered her house as a guest… That would make me look incredibly suspicious."

"Indeed, Rudeus-kun. I'd like to thank you for saving Emilia-sama, but it would be best if you could explain your side of the story."

The young boy began panicking as he had to explain the concept of isekai and other worlds. Just how much can he tell? Would they even believe them? Would they think him a spy?

'Damm. There's no way out. I can't find a way to weasel out of this. Worst-case scenario, I use Deep Mist, find my stuff, and run like hell. Alright, calm down. You still have a chance to explain. Telling the truth would probably be the best. You aren't the best lair. You can't make a believable story right on the spot. Besides, it's not like you have family or someone they can take hostage over you… '

"I see. Well, I thought about it and came to only one conclusion, but I'm unsure if anyone will believe me..."

He took a short pause to emphasize his next point. It was perfectly effective as everyone looked towards the boy with curious gazes.

"I think I was transported from another world."

"..."

"Eh?"

"..."

"Hmm, inter~esting theory, Rudeus-kun. Do~ tell me how you arri~ved at such a conclu~sion."

The eccentric clown broke the silence. The rest seemed too stunned to accept or reply. They were mulling over the implications of a man from another world. Was he a waterfall survivor?

"Well, I was just thinking about my first day here. I went to bed in the city, Pipin. It's the third largest city in one of the three Great Magic Nations in the northern region of the central continent, The Duchy of Basherant. But when I woke, I was in the middle of this city. Everyone spoke and wrote in a different language than I'm used to, and judging from your reactions, you guys don't know any country called The Duchy of Basherant, right?"

The group looked stunned as they digested the information dump Rudeus threw on top of them. Perhaps it was of doubt or amazement. His words were unbelievable. Storys of people from beyond the Great Waterfall would pop up here and there, but most were fake claims made by depressed individuals seeking attention. Yet, the boy sitting there didn't seem to be lying. His story was too specific to come up on the spot.

"Uhh, I'll take the silence as a yes. Eventually, I stumbled upon Emilia here, and the rest is history."

"Hmmm, intere~sting indeed, Rudeus-kun. Perhaps you are lying, but I have fa~ith you are telling the truth. Indeed, I have ne~ver heard of the Three Great Ma~gic Nations nor another co~ntinent. Would you be so kind as to expla~in more about this wo~rld you came from?"

The clown's smirk widened at the words the curious boy spoke. He seemed satisfied with his boy's explanations. His intent glare didn't stop as he continued to eye the boy from another world.

'Hmm, I'm surprised he trusted what I said. I'd ask the same question if I were in his position. He may be much to handle, but the clown's better than I thought. Perhaps I should indulge in his curiosity a bit.'

"Well, sure. My world is divided into five different continents: the Central continent, the Demon Continent, Millis Continent, the Begaritt continent, and the Heaven continent. I'm from a small village called Buena Village in the Fittoa region of the Central continent. The people spoke many languages, three of which I'm fluent in. I met my master Roxy and trained under her for about a year. I was then sent to teach a young noblewoman and spent another few years with her. After some trials and tribulations, A magical disaster sent me to the Demon continent. I worked as an adventurer, a mercenary of sorts, to get by. It took me three long years to return home. After that, I continued my adventuring career and ended up in this new world."

Rudeus gave a summary of his adventurers from his old world. He tried to remain as objective as possible. His skewed storytelling let to an argument with his father. He didn't want to make that mistake again.

"Wait, Rudeus, does that mean you had to leave your family and friends behind? That sounds horrible!"

Emilia was the first to speak up as she commented about the boy's familiar situation. She didn't have many friends or family to grow up with, but she would be devastated if her father figure, Puck, suddenly disappeared to another world.

"Ah, about that..."

Even with his newly found determination to lead a new life, his friends and family were still a sensitive topic for the world-hopping boy. Even with his deranged relationship with his father, he couldn't deny his love for the man. Not to mention the other dozen friends he made as he traveled the northern territories searching for his mother, Zenith. Yet, he still believed that the people he loved either died, hated him, or would grow to hate him for his sloth.

"I haven't been the best son to my family, and most of my friends either left me or didn't make it. Even if I can never return, I don't have any attachments to my old world, so I'm good."

Emilia and Puck showed side glances at the boy. Even with his bright attitude, he seemed disingenuous. Puck didn't sense he was lying, but his expression and inner thoughts didn't match. He could never let this bother his lovely daughter. He'd have to talk about this to Lia.

Beatrice simply stared at the light-brown-haired boy. She didn't care what happened to him, so why pay attention?

Ram stayed quiet the entire interaction. She was just a maid. If her master said nothing of it, then she had no say in the matter. Her sister Rem stayed quiet as well. Though, she did seem to stare intently at the man.

"Rudeus..."

"Ah, it's all good, Emilia. It's a new world, so a new me! There's no point in thinking about the past. It's time I remake myself to the best version in this new world!"

"We~ll, in that case, allow me to we~lcome you to our world, Ru~deus-kun. I hope it has bee~n to your liking so far. Now, mo~ving on. There is the ma~tter of your heroic dee~ds yesterday. Not only have you he~lped Emilia-sama obta~in her insignia back, but yo~u've also sa~ved her life! As her spo~nsor, I feel inde~bted to you. If there is any~thing you'd like, then I sha~ll do my best to gra~nt it to you!"

With his inviting smile, Roswaal opened his arm wide in anticipation of his career's savior.

'Aha! This is my chance! This is how I'll enter his ranks and fall under his protection! Emilia's a royal candidate. If I try to leave, her rivals might try to extort me for information. Yeah, I've made good friends with Emilia. Joining her grants me political protection. But If I offer myself immediately, Roswaal might become suspicious. I'll have to ease my way into his employment. Hmm, what to do, what to do... Ah! I got it! The perfect strategy to inconspicuously enter his employment.'

"Well, in that case, could I stay here and learn about this world? I can't read and write, and I don't have a place to stay. So it will be the perfect way to ease into this new world. Actually, why not just hire me? As I said, I'm well educated and have experience working as a tutor for a noble family and years of experience fighting beasts as an adventurer. If you have a position available for a magician guard or worker, I'll happily accept!"

"Hoo~. What an exci~ting proposition. Indeed, while I am the grea~test mage of this Kingdom, I cannot always aid Emilia-sama. You've already pro~ven your abilities after facing the Bo~wel Hunter yesterday. While you may not be familiar with the swo~rd, I can rank you as her pe~rsonal knight under the Mather's house. It would be mo~re akin to a mage-knight in your~ case."

All those in the room seemed surprised as the lord of the manor accepted his terms. Wasn't this too fast?

'Wow, he took that surprisingly well. Paul always told me I'd be a mage-knight when I was a kid. Perhaps this was my calling after all? Though my only experience with knights was Paul and Theresia, neither gave good representations of a proper knight…'

"Well, I'd gladly accept this position. I'll be in your care."

"Not so fast Ru~deus-kun. While I head the Ma~ther's family, you will work u~nder Emilia-sama. Emilia-sama, are you fi~ne with the boy's employment under your na~me?"

Emilia was still recovering from Rudeus' shocking origins. She was still contemplating how someone could accept leaving behind their past like that. What kind of world did the wonderous mage have to deal with?

"Eh? Oh, of course. Sorry, it was a lot to take in. I don't know much about being an employer. Shouldn't you make the call, Roswaal?"

"Indee~d, you have little expe~rience living as a noble, but your rank fa~r outranks me as a Ro~yal ca~ndidate. Therefore, it's only appro~priate for you to decide your camp members, espe~cially your per~sonal knight, Emilia-sama."

Emilia kept quiet as she pondered the meaning of Roswaal's words. Indeed, she was in a position to rule the Kingdom one day. That was much responsibility to take over. If she couldn't work on handling a single worker under her, how could she be worthy of taking the throne?

'Please, Emilia. I don't want to be the target of your political rivals! Please accept me as your knight! I will work my best to support you in your candidacy!'

With a quick sigh, Emilia looked toward Puck, then Roswaal, before finally locking eyes with the boy in question.

"Rudeus, as my knight, you will be expected to support me in any way you can. Under the oath of the Kingdom, you'll vow to protect me from threats and even sacrifice your life for my sake. Are you fine with that?"

Despite her efforts to seem authoritative and scare away the boy she called friend, there was a hint of tremble and worry within her voice. Everyone seemed to notice this but didn't dare interrupt an unofficial knighting ceremony.

'Does she feel like I'm not up to spec? Is she worried about my allegiance? Paul was the knight of my village, and he didn't seem like a person to pledge his allegiance.'

'Well, whatever the case, I need to show my resolve to Emilia that I'm fit for the job, and the best way to do this is...'

Rudeus stooped up from his chair as his thoughts stopped. He knelt towards Emilia. His right hand pointed up as he extended it towards his new liege. Emilia looked flustered. She was still studying the concept of knighthood, but she understood the basics and the severity of Rudeus' actions.

To everyone's eyes, Rudeus was taking an oath as a knight.

"Emilia-sama. I will be honest. I do not understand the concept of knighthood or what it feels like to be loyal to someone. Despite that, you showed kindness to those in need when I met you. Even in your crisis, you refused to ignore the crying streets needing help. You extended your hand to the poor and injured. I believe these are excellent qualities of a true leader."

He paused his speech and raised his head to look at Emilia's bright red face. He could see her teary eyes on the verge of crying.

"If you allow me to become your knight, then I shall swear under the sun, the stars, the moon, and to my master. I shall protect you from any threat, aid you in your quest, and support you however I can."

'Alright, I have no clue what I've just thrown out. I just followed a vow from a fantasy anime I watched... 50 years ago? Damm, I'm old. But it isn't entirely false. Emilia was the pinnacle of a kind angel the other day. If I had to follow someone, I'd choose her over an authoritative general. If this helps me live in this world and help a kind-hearted, beautiful woman, I'll take it!'

Rudeus lowered his head once more. He waited for a response from the half-elf to whom he had just sworn his allegiance. He waited, and waited, and waited, an-

'Wait, did I screw this up! Dammit, I should have followed Skyrim's vows. This is a European-style world. Of course, the western devs would know bett-'

"Rudeus, please raise your head."

The bell-like voice of Emilia interrupted the otherworldly mage's thoughts. A hint of nosiness twined her beautiful voice.

His eyes met with the smiling face of a tearful Emilia. Streaks of tears fell down her cheeks as she struggled to compose herself. As much as her smile reassured Rudeus, he was freaking out when he saw her bawling her eyes out in front of everyone.

"Do you, do you rea~lly mean what you said?"

"Yes! Of course!" He immediately replied.

'I can't back down now. I have to feel completely genuine and show my resolve.'

Rudeus trembled as he waited for her reply. He was hopeful his words worked, but fate had a way of screwing with him, time and time again.

"But *sniff*, I'm a half-Elf with silver hair."

"I heard you, and before I heard you, I saw you, and that's what I choose to believe."

"You might be *sniff* hurt if you follow me. People might not like you."

"If that's the case, I shouldn't be close to people like that in the first place."

"You rea~lly don't mind it's me?"

"I don't. Really, I'm excited."

With both hands, she wiped off her tears falling. She stood up from her chair and faced the boy swearing his allegiance to the half-devil like her.

"If that's the case, then I happily accept. Rudeus, please stay with me, and help me become the ruler of this country."

She held out her hand, grabbed her knight's hand, and pulled him up. Rudeus took the hint and stood up to face his new liege in the eye.

"Of course, Emilia-sama. Though, I hope I can still call you Emilia when we're alone. It'd feel too stiffy since we're friends first, right?"

'AH! Why. It was going so smoothly. Why did I let that slip? Why am I so stupid!'

Despite his immediate thoughts of panic, his words had the opposite effect on the Elf. She was worried about losing her first proper friend. Walking along the city with him made her feel whole, confident, and happy. She thought she'd lose that intimacy if they had professional relations. Hearing his playful words reassured her that she didn't lose a friend from the Royal Selection.

"Rudeus, you nincompoop!" She howled.

"What even is a nincompoop?"

"Thank you, Rudeus. I'll be in your care."

Opposite the newly formed liege and knight, Roswaal smiled at the sight of his plans turning in motion. He'd be able to fulfill his long dream finally! It was going better than he thought.

"Oh~my. What a lo~vely moment we have here!"

"Rudeus-kun. You are now offi~cially recognized as Emilia-sama's prote~ctor. It will take ti~me to plan for your knighting ce~remony. So, for now, you'll wo~rk under the gu~ise of a servant. Is this fine with you?"

Rudeus could only smile as he made his decision before he kneeled before his new liege.

"With every cell of my body."

And that was how the otherworldy mage became the knight of the silver-haired half-Elf.