3

With the unofficial knighting and job interview over, Roswaal ordered the maids to prepare some clothing for their newest member of the Emilia camp. As a proper knighting ceremony would take weeks to prepare, for now, Rudeus would work as Emilia's assistant, a butler of sorts—a convenient position for someone of no rank to protect a royal candidate.

While an official ceremony hadn't occurred, and his current occupation was a servant, Rudeus was technically a knight, a noble in the lands of Lugunica. His existing wardrobe-consisted of an old mage cloak he purchased from the Demon Continent- was unacceptable for someone in his position. Its hems were frayed, with dozens of colored stains covering every inch and a peculiar patch fixing a fist-shaped hole on the back.

After the discussion, they agreed that Roswaal would get some well-suited clothing for Rudeus and provide an education for the man. His education would include the Lugunican tongue and proper noble etiquette. A knight, especially protecting a Royal candidate, was the pinnacle of respectability and honor. They followed their code of chivalry and represented the best of Lugunica. An illiterate knight would sully the values they uphold.

With the formalities out of the way, breakfast was concluded. Rem and Rudeus left for the dresser while the rest continued their daily duties.

"Raise your arms wide. I cannot fix your suit if you wail your noodle arms."

"Yes, yes, Rem-sama. Just be gentle with me."

Together in the employee dresser, Rudeus couldn't hide his slight excitement from his proximity with the maid. Sure, his little buddy down south was quiet, but his mind was as perverse as he was. He could still enjoy what little intimacy-taking measures gave.

"That will be all, Rudeus-sama. Rem will fix this suit and deliver it to you by tonight."

As it turned out, none of the suits from the Roswaal dresser fit the young magician. His young and lean build was too small for the male outfits. The female dresses had some sizes that fit, but he wasn't into cross-dressing. Rem decided it would be best to shorten a size or two to accommodate him. Rudeus was still relatively young. He'd grow out of his suit if they got a brand-new set his size.

"Dear sister will give you a tour of the mansion grounds. She will be waiting at the front doors. I will take my leave, Rudeus-sama."

With a court bow, the blue-haired maid left the dresser without turning back, leaving the boy to his devices.

"Her professionalism is something else. Is that how I should act too?"

With a shrug, Rudeus left the closet to meet with the sister maid.

"Hmm, Deru-us, you've finally arrived. Your sluggishness perfectly reflects your character."

Facing the large wooden double doors of the Mather's estate, Ram opened the conversation with her usual jabs and insults. Only an hour had passed since breakfast, and Ram had little time to get to know the newest hire. Yet, in her mind, it was dead set. He would be her new punching bag.

Rudeus didn't mind at all. He agreed with the senior maid's opinion of himself. He was slothful, and diligence was the cure. He decided to take her words to heart and act accordingly, as professionally as he could, just like Rem.

"My apologies. I'll try to be more diligent. Though, what's with the nickname? This feels… early."

"Hah, a Deru-us is a Deru-us. Now, follow me. You must familiarize yourself with the manor's layout."

The mansion was quite large, matching Roswaal's reputation. Its staff was expected to memorize the layout by heart.

"This hall houses the guest rooms."

...

"This wing houses additional rooms for permanent residents. Due to Emilia-sama's candidacy, the mansion was vacated by Roswaal-sama's orders."

...

"This floor houses the rooms for direct employees of the mansion. Until your knighting ceremony, you will stay in one of these rooms. Feel free to choose any you'd like."

...

"This is the master bathroom. Roswaal-sama enjoys taking long baths, but workers are also permitted to use the facilities."

...

"This is the kitchen where all the food for the mansion is cooked. I have my duties to attend, so I shall end the tour here."

With the lengthy tour over, Ram opened the grand double doors. But, instead of a medieval kitchen like the one from Roa, the same Grand library he stumbled upon was on display. In the middle were the little girl and Puck happily playing in a bed.

Rudeus had many questions. Weren't the doors connected to the kitchen? How did the library get there? Where did the bed come from?

Before he could voice those questions, he noticed the blonde girl's gaze, looking over her shoulder. It was then he realized he'd interrupted her private duties.

'Ah, it's best I don't mention this. They are my bosses now. I at least have the tact to act like I didn't see this.'

"Ehhem. I'm sorry. I'll pretend I didn't see anyth- WOAH."

"Betty did not permit you to enter the forbidden library, I suppose."

A gust of wind shot from the child's fingertips, sending Rudeus flying out of the room. His body rag-dolled on the floor and rolled several meters before stopping on the red carpeted floor.

"Ehahhh, that hurt you drill-loli!"

With a quiet disgruntle, he got up, clutching the back of his head. He'd barely been awake for a day, and the girl endlessly tormented him. He couldn't understand why the girl hated him.

Those thoughts paused as he saw the same open door leading to a typical kitchen. The library and the girl were nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Have I finally gone crazy?"

"That was Beatrice-sama's door crossing. Once she hides her presence, she is nearly impossible to find. She is contracted to protect the forbidden library by connecting it to one of the many doors of the mansion."

"Forbidden library?"

"Yes, Roswaal-sama is the greatest magician in the country. He protects many magical tomes from evil hands."

'Huh, so magical door crossing? I've never seen anything like that before! So, nobody can find it… I'm pretty sure I can find her if I use my Demon Eye.'

Rudeus activated his Demon Eye and scanned the hallway. Coincidentally, the door beside him showed the grand sight of books and shelves. With a hesitant and quiet knock, he opened to door and met with the same librarian playing with the magic cat, Puck.

"Wow, that's impressive, Rudeus. How did you do that?"

Stumbling into the forbidden library twice in a row was unheard of. More and more questions piled up for the residents of the manor. The excited voice of the floating feline questioned the boy. Just who was he, and what was he capable of?

"Hey, Puck. I have a unique ability to see the near future. I used it to find the door leading here. Pretty neat, huh?"

Rudeus replied without a hitch. There was no reason to hide his abilities. They were his employers, after all. From his time as a freelance adventurer, Rudeus learned how essential it was to advertise your strengths to your employers. Many parties relied on their member's strengths and covered their weaknesses. Understanding each other's abilities was essential, especially if said members weren't individually well-skilled.

While the mansion residents weren't as tight as a typical party group, they were still his peers. Knowing each other now would be safer than paying the price later.

'Besides, it's not like I can lie to an empath….'

Puck, Beatrice, and Ram looked wide-eyed at the prospective knight. Just what was the world beyond the Great Waterfall capable of? An ability to see the future? Even the great Roswaal L. Mathers had no such magic.

"Enough! Betty did not permit you to disturb Betty's play, I suppose."

"Yes, yes. I was just leaving."

Rudeus remembered the excruciating pain earlier today. The last thing he needed was a sadistic lolita chasing him down a never-ending hall. He quickly left the girl and ended the tour of the mansion.

Under the bright sunny sky of the late morning, Rudeus stood on the grassy front field. On his back was a stone rod with rounded plates attached to each side. He followed the same sitting, then standing motion, grunting each time.

"12, 13, 14, 15. Uaagh."

With his final count, the lifter dissolved the barbell to dust with his magic. He squatted on the ground with satisfaction, mumbling sweet nothings to his calve muscles.

"Tindalos, Baskerville, how was today's workout? I added extra reps to make up for the last few days. I haven't given you boys enough attention these days, have I? Yes, yes, who's a good boy? You both are!"

Was he complimenting his muscles? Good thing nobody was here to listen to his rambli-

"Deru-us, what are you doing half-naked."

"YAAAAA!"

Behind the muscle brain, Ram, the head maid of the Mather's mansion, surprised the iron-pumped boy. He shrieked out like a mama crow crying out to her babies. His morning routine was sacred, like his daily praises to his goddess. To be interrupted like this was...

"Ram-sama, please make some noise. You scared me there."

"Are you a dog, Deru-us? *Sniff sniff*. Hng. You stink, Deru-us. Take that disgusting body to the bath."

Her words were particularly harsh, but Rudeus didn't let them bother him. He was beginning to think this was her way of showing affection to her colleagues. It fits some anime stereotypes from his previous life, after all. He'd have to test that theory when hiring a new maid or butler. He was too scared to ask her directly.

"Haaaaa, I don't think I've ever had a bath like this in 16 years."

Rudeus had few opportunities to rest in a warm, comforting bath. His home in Fittoa wasn't large enough to accommodate bathing equipment, and he was barred from using the master bath at the Boreas estate. To his dismay, the one time he stumbled on one was a few days after the rainy season of the great forest. None of the natural hot springs were operational from the intense weather.

Right now, Rudeus enjoyed the blissful peace of a warm soaking bath in the Roswaal mansion. While the baths were typically only used by guests, workers were still allowed to use them during off hours of the day.

"Uaaaah, I missed this so much."

"Ohhhya~, wha~t do we have he~re? Mi~nd if I joi~ned you, Ru~deus-kun?"

The heavenly teen turned around to see the lord of the manor buck naked. He flaunted his privates as if he owned the place. Wait, he did own the place! But this was still borderline sexual assault! Rudeus wished for a demon to take away his other eye. They were rotten after viewing that sight.

"No, you may not!"

"My~ oh my, to be reje~cted so so~on. You wou~nd me, Ru~deus-kun. As lo~rd of this manor, do I not ha~ve permi~ssion to use my own faci~lities?"

"Then why even ask in the first place!"

"We~ll, you see. As pa~rt of my staff, does that not mea~n you are my property as we~ll?"

As the creepy clown ended his proclamation of ownership, Rudeus bit the hand to grip his chin. He'd tolerate his mysterious boss, but slavery was out of the question.

"No~ hesitation at all~."

The two came to terms as they relaxed in the same warm pool of delight, sitting far apart since they weren't gay. The awkward silence continued until the eccentric clown broke the ice.

"My, my. I knew~ of your adventuring occupa~tion, but your~ body is littered with sca~rs. I'm quite i~nterested in the one on your che~st. Wou~ld you mind sha~ring that story with me~?"

Even with the most advanced healing magic, it was impossible to heal every would to perfect condition. Only God-tier spells could restore a body perfectly, and those weren't available to the common man, let alone Rudeus.

"I'm unsure how to take you eyeing my body, but sure. This was about 4 years ago when I fought the Dragon God Orsted. The strongest being in my world."

Now that caught the clown's attention. He'd already guessed his strength from Emilia. To fight toe to toe with the Bowel hunter was no small feat. Rudeus was powerful, and by proxy, his world must be powerful. To learn his future knight fought the strongest fighter in his world and lived to tell the tale? This was getting better by the second!

"Ho~. Would you mind de~lving into the sto~ry?"

"Sure. You are the boss. I was traveling down the Red Dragon mountains with two other friends. We were walking down the snowy path when both of my companions suddenly froze solid. They were afraid of something approaching us. A tall man with white hair and yellow eyes walked past us. He was the Dragon God Orsted. Of course, none of us knew it at the time. We started to have a pretty peaceful conversation. But that was the wrong choice, as one answer led to him attacking us."

"Ho~, and?"

"We didn't stand a chance. Ruijerd was the strongest warrior I'd ever *hic* met. He guided us through the different continents and took down beast after beast in one hit. When the Dragon God attacked, he blocked a single attack and clashed a few swings but flew across the floor. Our swordswoman Eris fared worse. He parried her attack with fingertips and sent her *hic* crashing against the wall. He then came to face me. We had some back-and-forth with our magic. I even scratched the man, which apparently was a fantastic achievement, but it wasn't enough. He held me by the throat and *hic* punched through my chest like butter."

"My~my. E~ven with the best hea~ler the Kingdom has to offer, I ca ~n't see how you~ managed to survi~ve~!"

Rudeus took a deep breath as his memories facing Orsted continued to flash through his head. This was supposed to be a relaxing bath, not an interrogation.

"I don't know myself. When I woke, Eris told me he had cast a healing spell on me and left. I've never met him since."

"Ah~ to wa~lk the line of li~fe and dea~th. You've lived qu~ite the exci~ting life, Ru~deus-kun."

"Eh, I'd prefer to avoid life-or-death situations personally. You only understand the value of life when you experience it first hand."

Roswaal could only smile at his new employee. Could his life get any better?

Rudeus chose his employee room to stay in, and for the rest of the day, he stuck with Emilia, subtly helping her studies. Roswaal had prepared several study books for the young half-Elf, and she diligently reviewed their contents. With each chapter, a triumphant shake danced from her shoulders. The sight was adorable to see.

With three years of tutoring experience, Rudeus tried to offer his help. He thought his knowledge of the Japanese government and his experience with Management Iseka anime could bring a fresh perspective. Those plans were quickly shut down as he realized he couldn't read the language of Lugunica. He sulked, keeping to himself, only leaving when his master called for tea. He desperately wished for those promised language classes, even if he had to face that demonic loli.

Once the sun had set, he accompanied her to the front yard. She mentioned something about a promise. Though, Rudeus didn't fully understand what she had to do. He lay down on the front yard's grass. Next to him was the silver-haired half-Elf performing a ritual with round sparkles of light. The sight was encapsulating. The little specs of luminance shone and shined brightly around the beautiful girl. He'd engrave the image into his brain.

'Yep, I have no regrets about joining. As depressing as my current condition is, I surround myself with beautiful women. That's a start.'

She finished whatever she was doing and walked towards the man on the grass. They were friends now. And friends spent time together, right?

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Rudeus. It was boring to wait, right?

"Not at all. You looked quite majestic there. What exactly were you doing?"

"Oh, right. You don't know much about this world, do you? Those were the lesser spirits I'm contracted with. In exchange for their strength, I promised to talk to them daily. Promises are important, so I try to keep them."

'Ah, this is how this world's magic must work. Spirits and contracts! How exciting!'

"Could you tell me more about it? I'd love to learn more about this world's magic. It feels completely different from what I'm used to."

"That's rea~lly strange. I thought magic would be the same everywhere. Have you never seen a spirit before?"

"Yep. Spirits exist back where I came from but don't look like that. The one spirit I met was a man wearing a fox mask. As for my magic, my master taught me that a tribe of Elves first created wind magic by communing with the forest spirits. That slowly evolved over hundreds of years and became the magic I use today."

He looked back at their late-night studies of the primordial powers of that world and its history. A warm heat filled his chest. Those memories took a special place in his mind. They were his treasured memories of his beloved master—the one person who brought him outside.

"That's rea~lly cool. So your world's magic stems from spirits, but nobody contracts with them? That's so preternatural."

"I... don't even know what that means..."

"Hmph. I'll let you know that I know a lot of words. I've been studying rea~lly hard."

"Of course, princess. Going back to magic, how does your magic work?"

Emilia looked down. The magic outside the Great Waterfall seemed quite unusual. Spirits have been a simple concept since she woke up from her slumber. It felt too foreign to imagine a world without her lesser spirits. That also meant the basis of his magic was different from hers. It perfectly explained the usual chants he spoke in the slums.

Their magic was different. What was common for her was not for Rudeus. She churned her mind left and right. How could you explain a concept to someone who shares little similarities with you? As difficult as this was for Emilia, she continued to ponder. She just read about debate skills. This was essential to her goal of becoming Lugunica's king! She couldn't falter now.

"Well, there are two types of magic. Regular magic uses a person's gate, and spirit magic uses the gates of contracted spirits."

"A gate?"

"Mhmm, a gate is a part of your body that regulates your mana. You've never heard of a gate before?"

"Nope, not at all. I don't remember hearing anything about a gate during my studies."

The girl put a hand to her chin. She'd never heard of a mage without a gate before. The concept felt so foreign to the half-Elf.

"That's rea~lly peculiar. I've never heard of a mage using magic without a gate. Puck, I know it's late, but can you come out?"

The ever-loyal Puck answered her call with a yawn after the girl's request. He looked tired at the ring, rubbing his face like a cat would.

"Lia. What's up? I don't have much mana, so I can't stay up for long."

"I'm rea~lly sorry for bothering you, Puck, but could you check Rudeus? He says this is the first time he's heard of a gate. I want to know if he rea~lly doesn't have one."

"Hmm. I'm not in the mood to do so, but I can never refuse my cute daughter's request! Come here, Rudeus. Let me check your magic affinity too."

"Uh, Ha. Sure!"

The boy replied on instinct. She was his boss now. If she wanted to scan his body, then he'd allow it.

"Alright, just stand still and breathe while I check your gate. Nyom, nyom, nyom, nyom."

"Woah, it's the same magical sound effect from before!"

Puck focused on the vast mana swirling inside the boy. He could sense the devastating quantity bubbling inside. He searched and searched and searched. He scanned every inch of his body and soul but couldn't find anything akin to a gate. Only a pool of mana with no faucet to lead it. It was strange, but this was the norm for the otherworldly mage.

"That's strange. I can sense your mana pool but can't find anything like a gate. Since you don't have one, I can't sense your magical affinity either. You really are a strange one, aren't you, Rudeus?"

The boy could only smile awkwardly at the spirit's words. He was different from the people of this world. He just hoped this discrepancy didn't come back to bite him.

"I guess from your perspective, I'm just an alien. But the people from my world draw mana from themselves using magical chants. Most are from the Human-tongue language, but some special spells are unique to the other languages."

"Rea~lly? But I remember that you didn't say anything while fighting Elsa. You only had to chant when you used healing magic."

"Ah, about that..."

With his unofficial knighting, Rudeus was feeling high as the sky. It wasn't the best outcome, but he was still proud of his new title. It resulted from his hard work in living life seriously. So, it embarrassed him when he had to explain his disappointing talent with healing magic.

"This is pretty embarrassing to say, but I'm a unique case. I can skip the chant for most magic. Not even my great master could use voiceless incantations. That said, I can't skip the chants for healing magic. I never figured out why and I couldn't advance further. I'm at advanced or saint tier in battle magic, but I'm only intermediate with healing and beginner at detoxification magic."

The young knight weakly spoke. He scratched his head in embarrassment. Perhaps if he was a better mage, he could have helped more peo-

'No, no, no, don't think about that. That's in the past. That is that, and this is this.'

"Alright. It's getting late. Why don't I walk you to your room?"

He held his hand to Emilia. He remembered from his past life's anime that this was an act of gentlemanly behavior. Even if it was just a title, he was a knight. He would work hard to live up to his new rank.

Emilia seemed a bit worried at the sudden change her knight showed. She wanted to ask just what was bothering him. He was her knight, but he was her friend. Friends helped each other, right? She looked at his hand, then his face. She opened her mouth to ask but was stopped by a fluffy feline gently pulling her ear.

"I'll tell you later, but something is bothering Rudeus."

She didn't respond to her father's words. She still wanted to discuss it with Rudeus but let it pass. She'll surely ask about it later. She took her knight's hand and walked side by side. With a gentlemanly stance, Rudeus walked his liege to her room and left for his own.

"Ha... What a long day."

Thankfully, the two maids prepared his room and left his uniform and belongings on his desk. He was happy to reunite with his trusty staff and locked box housing the Holy Relic.

Carefully, he opened the crate, revealing the divine article patiently waiting inside. He fell to his knees, held both hands, and prayed.

"Dear master Roxy, please give me the strength to continue. This new world is harsh and unfamiliar. I can't read or write. The people here don't trust me. Guide me through my tribulations as I learn to live in this unfamiliar world. Amen."

After a long hard day, his prayers to his master made him feel secure. She might be in a different world, but the divine presence of Roxy could be felt wherever he was.

He changed into his night clothes and quietly slept away the hours of stress and fatigue of adjusting to a new world.

"Puck, why did you stop me? What did you want to talk about?"

Under the shining moonlight illuminating the tinted window, a half-Elf questioned her father figure for his previous actions. She wanted to help her friend with his troubles, but he stopped her. How could he? He must have a good answer, or she would punish him by feeding him peppirs

"It's about Rudeus, Lia. I can sense he is a good boy but seems confused."

"Confused?"

The girl trusted his father's words when it came to reading humans. What could possibly be more assuring than the words of an empath? Still, she felt that Rudeus was a bit weird at the dinner table but nothing too strange. What could her father have found?

"It's that his inside thoughts feel different than his outside manner. He acts so happy and excited. But his feelings are complex on the inside. I don't know how to explain it any better. Sorry, Lia."

'My knight is... confused? He feels sad inside?'

"What... what do you think I can do for him? I'm his friend, so I have to help him!"

Emilia's resolve to help the depressed lad confused the floating cat. If he wasn't careful, she'd lose her daughter to that perverted fiend! Since when did they get so close?

'I'll have to be careful with Rudeus. He's behaving now, but one misstep, and he'll ogle over my precious innocent daughter!'

"I don't know, Lia. Human emotions aren't my strong suit, even if I can read them."

Emilia carefully pondered her options. Growing up, she didn't have many friends, so she didn't know how to comfort a friend in distress. Her book studies gave her political and historical knowledge, but nothing taught her how to be a good friend.

"Don't worry too much, Lia. You still have time to figure it out. For now, you should head to bed."

She followed her father's advice and dove under the covers of her soft fluffy bed. She fell asleep while the cute hovering cat sighed deeply before returning to his resting crystal.

"Ha... Ha... Ha..."

The snowing fields of the Northern mountains beyond The Duchy of Basherant were usually peaceful year-long. The tall mountains isolate the area from aggressive beasts. The extreme temperatures ensure little vegetation to survive. Only the most desperate of beings would dare enter the frozen wasteland.

*Schluk Schluk Schluk*

A single streak of red accompanied dozens of small pucks and holes between the open plane of white water. They paved the way towards a fallen red angel, struggling to stand after falling from the heavens.

"Aghh. EhhAhhh!"

*Schluk Schluk Schluk*

The angel struggled to pick himself up with only a sack and staff. He only had one hand left on his body.

*Schluk Schluk Schluk*

His back rested atop the warm snow. The sky looked gorgeous today. The sun shined bright without a single cloud obstructing the view. It seemed like it would continue till the end of the world had the world been flat.

"Hnnng, haaah."

Each breath was harder and harder to draw. He felt the calming darkness swirl over him as time passed on. When would it arrive? When would it settle? When will he catch up?

*Schluk Schluk*

"Why do you not use voiceless incantations to heal yourself?"

'Ah, there he is.'

The man grabbed the angel by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He didn't feel his neck crumble from the man's grip strength.

Or was he unable to feel anything below his neck?

"No matter, just die-

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Haaa, haa, ha."

Rudeus woke up in his worker's chambers. He was sweating bullets of steam all around his face. His heart raced faster than his hour-long dash across the infinite hallway. His breathing barely kept up with the blood splurting in his veins. He clawed. He clawed at his arms, scratching through the fabric and skin. He'd had night terrors of Orsted before, but never had it been this bad.

"Rudeus? Is everything good? I was communing with the spirits when I heard screaming."

Emilia's voice from outside his room broke his thoughts back to reality. He still held his red arms in his hands, but at least he stopped the scratching.

'Eh? Ah. Oh. Oh, I'm back. It was a dream. It was... just a dream... Eh?'

"Oh, I'm ok. I just had a bad dream. Did I sleep in? I was planning to wake up early. Oh, what a bad employee I am."

He masked his distress, covering it up with his worry about sleeping in.

"Not at all. It's still early in the morning. I just woke up earlier than usual. You don't have to wake up for another hour or two."

"Oh. Ah, is that so? Now that you mention it, I don't know how to read the time. Well, anyways, I'm fine. I'll see you at breakfast. Take care."

That confirmed it. He couldn't fool the half-Efl beyond the door even with his alluring words. For her, it was the final nail in the coffin. Her knight was under distress from... something. She'll let him rest for now, but she'd undoubtedly help him later.

Satisfied with her investigation, she said goodbye to the practicing knight and left to begin her morning studies.

"So, you want me to accompany you to the nearby village?"

On the third day of Rudeus' new employment, his liege, Emilia, asked her knight to follow her to inspect the magic barrier protecting the village.

"Yes! The barrier is rea~lly important!"

The barrier consisted of multiple gemstones sparsely placed around the village's perimeter. Together, they formed a warding force that repelled any mabeast from entering the town. While the barrier was effective against the magic beasts of this world, they could still be accidentally tampered with by people. Thus necessitating periodic maintenance by the residents of the Roswaal manor.

While this was the cover story for her departure, the true goal was to help her knight relax. In one of the stories Emilia read, a great hero helped a troubled friend by sharing a drink in town. The moral of the story was the importance of taking a break, but that flew right over the half-Elf's head. To her, she saw a troubled person heal after visiting a village. That was enough to set this grand plan to help her knight. A nice visit to Arlem Village!

"Of course, Emilia. Your word is my command."

While the sudden visit was strange, Rudeus had no qualms. If those were the orders of his master, then a good knight would follow. Especially if those orders were to help and protect innocent people.

"Great! I'll see you at the front gate in an hour!"

Excitement bubbled inside her, and she skipped to her room to prepare. Leaving the teenage servant dumbfounded.

(Line Break)

Arlem village was a small farming town half an hour from the manor. The size and theme were more akin to Buena Village. In contrast, Buena wasn't surrounded by a dense forest or a day away from the capital.

A cold chill ran down Rudeus' spine. Buena village was reduced to a desolate wasteland. The Displacement incident annihilated the land while teleporting every villager across the world. The stark contrast was unsettling to the boy. With a practiced smile, he made sure not to show his turmoil.

Though, he was not alone in this venture. Rudeus came to the village at the orders of his master, Emilia. Emilia wandered off to tend to the magic crystals as soon as they entered the town. While his purpose was to protect and help Emilia, she was adamant she did this alone.

The story described an eventful day of booze and brothels, but Emilia didn't know what pubs and hookers were, and Puck refused to explain them, saying they were things she should never involve herself with. In truth, Emilia had no clue what to do after visiting the village. Without anything to do, Emilia excused herself and hoped the visit was enough to help Rudeus.

With nothing to do, Rudeus ventured into the town. As a knight under Roswaal's orders, it was technically within his duty to protect the land and its people. He'd have to know the place to attend to his duties.

"Mister, are you new? I haven't seen you before!"

As Rudeus was lost thinking about Fittoa, a group of children gathered around him. The seven kids circled the boy with curious gazes. The village rarely had visitors during this time of the month. The traveling merchants left a few weeks ago and wouldn't return for another month. There was no reason for someone to visit, yet here was a mysterious man with a weird-looking stick.

Eyeing the little ankle biters, Rudeus kneed down to their eye level on the floor. Rudeus wasn't the best with kids. He had little experience with toddlers. The most he had was his short interactions with his sisters Norn and Aisha, and they didn't go well, to say the least. His estranged relationship with Paul ruined his relationship with Norn, while Aisha correctly eyed him as a pervert even before they met. While he did manage to bridge the gap with Aisha, that was primarily thanks to Lilia's indoctrination. Aisha was an intelligent girl. Sooner or later, she'd learn how rotten her brother was.

There was no possible way his sisters would accept him.

"Hi there… My name is Rudeus. I work at the Roswaal mansion. Nice to meet you all!"

He wouldn't make the same mistake. With his occupation, he'd have to have good relations with the villagers, including the children. With a small knee-bow, he introduced himself to the children surrounding him, following his polite-to-fault policy.

Arlem village was nearby the Roswaal mansion. With Roswaal's current occupation, it was common for nobles and knights to visit the village. Yet, outside of a few rare cases, the majority ignored or looked down upon the village residents. The children didn't care, though. They'd still walk up and welcome any visitors and receive warm or cold welcomes.

They struck gold with Rudeus. Throughout their limited time, nobody has lowered their head to them.

Brimming inside the chaotic mind of toddlers, they grinned menacingly at the mage.

"Uh, that smile on you doesn't match your childlike innocence, kids…."

They would not leave him alone.

"Ah, that should do it. Rudeus! I finished fixing the barriers!"

She calls out excitedly as she turns around.

"Eh? Rudeus?'

A few hours have passed since she left Rudeus to inspect the barrier. Without thinking how much time had passed, she expected her knight to stand beside her, despite abandoning him earlier. Only then did she realize she had left him alone.

She turns in a sprint, bringing dust and dirt from the ground. Emilia wasn't one for exercise, but her Elven strength compensated for her bookworm life.

"Ahhhh! I was supposed to help Rudeus today, and I completely forgot about him!"

She hurries back to the village. She could still accomplish her original goal of this visit.

Within minutes, she's back at the village, clutching at her knees, barely panting. With a worried look, she quickly moves to search for Rudeus. She left him before the town, but he wasn't there when she returned. Of course, he would wander off alone with nothing to do for an hour!

Then, Emilia noticed a small crown on the edge of the village, only separated from the forest by a perimeter fence circling the entire town. A group of children was circling someone sitting next to the wooden wall. She could see who or what this person was doing, but the coos and chants from the children hinted something special was happening. That was enough to draw her towards the small crowd. As much as Emilia disliked groups, her magic cloak was enchanted with a recognition spell, preventing most lookers from focusing on her. It only took a few steps to see just what was ensuing.

"Woah! That's so cool, oni-chan! Can you make one for me too!"

"Me three!"

"Me forth!"

"Well, I'd love to make more for everyone here, but it's getting late. You should all get back home before your parents start to worry."

In the middle of the village children, Rudeus was sitting on the ground, chipping away at a stone sculpture in his hand. Despite answering the children's questions occasionally, Rudeus gave his full attention to the conjured figures in his hands.

The material looked like the "Ruijerd" sculpture he gave to the lost girl in the capital. The same smooth marble-like stone was chipped away in his hand. Though, the design looked quite different. Instead of the proportionally accurate method, the sculptures were now much more "simplified". Their heads were made much bigger while their body was shortened. Much of the designs' details were omitted, optioning for a much smoother and simpler look.

"Oh, ah, Emilia! Are you finished with the barrier?"

With a small smile, Rudeus broke away from the glowing stone forming in his hands and greeted Emilia. He was still wearing his new uniform, a simple black suit and tie. While one would worry about damaging the fabric, Rudeus had already solidified the ground he was sitting on, and his stone magic didn't create dirt to dirty his clothes.

"Eh, Rudeus, I'm rea~lly sorry for leaving you alone for so long. I didn't think it would take this long…."

"It's alright. The kids here didn't leave me alone to feel bored. Right guys?"

"Yes!"

He explained what had happened to him for the past hour. When they heard his unusually polite approach, the village kids "kidnapped" him. They went to work, gathering every other kid from the village. Soon, a swarm circled around Rudeus, demanding whatever entertainment he could offer. Children have an innate sense of hierarchy as they learn to socialize with the people around them. Seeing Rudeus, a well-dressed outsider, lower himself triggered their innate sense of order, and they began bullying him to play. They initially started with physical activities, tag, hide-n-seek, etc., but once they learned that the boy could use magic, they pressured him to show more and more of his spells. After a round of healing and detoxification magic to heal the local residents, the children strapped him down to make sculptures of them with his earth magic.

Emilia couldn't help but feel a bit guilty leaving Rudeus alone. This was supposed to be her plan to cheer up the seemingly sad knight. But, looking at Rudeus, who returned to work on his sculpture, she could see his eyes glint with light. She hadn't noticed this before, but his demeanor had been quite reserved since meeting him at the capital. Now, however, Rudeus seemed a bit livelier. Only a faint smile covered his mouth, and a tinge of shadows circled under his eyes, but his eyes lit up.

In short, regardless of Emilia's efforts, the trip positively impacted the boy.

Emilia joined the children with a small smile and asked Rudeus to make another figure of her own.

"Alright, kids, what exactly did you want to show me?"

"Here!"

Meili was a 12-year-old girl with purplish-blue hair and green eyes. She seemed overly shy to the young man-child who visited the village. Though, that didn't make her isolated from the other children. Some village boys seemed to knowingly or unknowingly have a crush on the purple ankle biter. They wanted to hang out with the strange-eyed boy and the girl. Hitting two birds with one stone, they practically dragged her out to play.

Now, Meili was at the forefront of their new adventure. She wanted to show something to the young mage. Petra and Lucas, two of her village friends, enjoyed playing with it, and surely the boy would also enjoy it.

She left the gang behind as she walked up to the village fence. She crouched down and picked up a small puppy. The little critter nestled comfortably in her arms.

"Ah, so that's what you wanted to show me? It seems really calm for a wild pup. Does it have a name?"

The girl just shook her head. It never dawned on her that her pets should get a name. It felt foreign but oddly comforting.

Rudeus instinctively petted the small dog. It growled at his advances at first but was docile to his touch. It reminded him of his time with the sacred beast. After a chance encounter with a local smuggler, Rudeus' Dead End party reached Zanport. Since Ruijerd was a Superd, they had to smuggle him across the sea. When they arrived, they found themselves in the middle of a Beast Children smuggling operation. They promptly defeated-no slaughtered everyone was involved. After all, they did kill a child, and Ruijerd would never tolerate child abuse, let alone murder. Amid the chaos, Rudeus was mistaken for one of the smugglers and taken prisoner by the Beast people of the Great Forest. After a week of captivity, his party members proved their innocence and stayed with the Beast folk during the dangerous rainy season.

A prophecy foretold that the Great Beast would leave to accompany a great hero to save the world. During their stay, the sacred beast, which was really just a large fluffy dog, escaped its dwelling and played with Rudeus. It was then that Rudeus discovered his abnormal enjoyment of soft animal fur.

The little pup in front of him was nothing in comparison. It had short sharp hair, and some spots were even hairless. It didn't show any discomfort, so it wasn't sick.

He reached up on the patchless spot on top of its head. The moment he touched its sacred spot, the beast chomped on his hand, leaving two distinct bite wounds.

"GHAA!"

"Rudeus!"

"Awww, you made her angry, Rudeus, Rudeus."

"You're terrible with girls, Rudeus, Rudeus."

The village kids toyed with the agonizing man for manhandling a woman. They laughed at the boy's anguish, not knowing how deeply their words pierced his heart. Only Emilia shouted in concern for the boy.

"I just got hurt, and you all just laughed at me. You kids are being mean!"

He cried himself as he left to rejoin Emilia. He muttered a beginner detoxification magic and a beginner healing magic. The wound wasn't severe, but an infection could be dangerous. Who knew what kinds of diseases that dog carried?

(Line Break)

The red sky illuminated the region when the two reached the Mather's domain. The trip was supposed to take only two hours, but they'd spent the entire afternoon.

Surprising both, Roswaal came out to greet the two. He dressed like a well-mannered man for once. You could convince someone he was an ordinary man if he scraped his makeup.

"Oya~, I did not expect Emi~lia-sama to be here, but thi~s will have to do."

"Greetings, Roswaal."

"Formal clothes?"

"Well spotted. I'm see~ing someone who is a ha~ssle to deal with in normal atti~re, so I had no choice but to wear normal clothes."

"A visitor?"

"Not exa~ctly. I'm go~ing out. Some troublesome ne~ws has rea~ched me. I'm not expected to be home tonight. So Rudeus, as the unofficial knight under the employment of Roswaal, I ask you to take care of things while I'm gone."

"Um, sure. I mean, yes, sir!"

Satisfied with the quick reply, Roswaal walked down the path and patted Rudeus on the shoulder. They locked eyes with an intense emphasis on their closeness.

"I'm counting on you too, Rudeus-kun. Take good care of Emilia-sama."

Those words came under his breath loud enough for Rudeus to hear.

Despite the missing word-tic and intensity, Rudeus thought nothing of his employer's words. It was just a typical order to the newest recruit. Without waiting for a reply, Lugunican's Greatest Magician levitated above the ground, and soared through the skies at an exhilarating speed. He disappeared in a blink of an eye.

'Woah, people can fly in this world? I gotta learn how to do that!'

He thought back to his failed attempts to fly. During his stay at the Great Forest, Rudeus used a combination of wind magic and earth magic to fly. He successfully launched himself airborne but failed to control his mid-air flight. He crashed and landed, breaking both his legs. Luckily, Ruijerd was nearby to rescue him, and his healing magic mended his bones back to shape.

He attempted his flight again while rescuing his half-sister Aisha from the Shirone Kingdom Royal guards. Using Earth Lance, he launched him and Aisha up in the air, away from the approaching guards. He still failed the landing and broke his legs once more.

Ever since that day, he had given up on flying, but seeing Roswaal effortlessly lift himself off the ground reinvigorated his need to fly.

"I gotta ask him to teach me that!"

"Haaa, finally, the day's over."

It was a tiring day for him, and he felt unusually fatigued. It was nearing midnight, perhaps an hour or two before. Too tired to care, he jumped on his bed and immediately crashed.

...

"Deru-us, come out this instant!"

He had yet to get an hour of sleep before being interrupted by the senior maid.

'Ahhh, what now.'

"Coming..."

He sluggishly got out of bed and greeted the red-haired maid. She stared at the man as if to drill holes through his skull. Even in his sleepish state, Rudeus could tell something was wrong.

"Deru-us, your slothful nature needs rest, but the situation needs your attention."

Even with the joking remark, her tone was dead serious. Something had gone wrong, and they needed the mage knight's help. Rudeus picked up her distress and slapped his cheeks to wake himself up. He felt slightly better, but the lingering lethargy kept him from his usual joyous state. This was unusual. Rudeus had taken multiple all-nighters for some quests. Why did he feel so tired all of a sudden?

"Alright, I'm awake. What's going on, Ram?"

"The village chief arrived and informed us that the children had gone missing. We need your help defending the estate from a preemptive attack."

She continued listing specific tasks and areas that needed to be watched. None of them reached the boy, though. His mind went blank when he heard the words "children" and "missing".

After years of traveling with Ruijerd, Rudeus developed his incredible sense of responsibility and justice regarding children. He would always try to talk things out and avoid conflict as much as possible. But when children were getting hurt, he wouldn't stop and watch.

He hurriedly searched for his staff and spoke out.

"Ram, I'm going back to the village to search for the children."

"No, Deru-us. Your duty is to protect the mansion and Emilia-sama. Leaving would render her defenseless if this is an assassination attempt."

He paused at the girl's words. She wasn't wrong per se. This could be a trap to get the guardian's attention away from the manor. Leaving would play directly into the enemy's hands if this was a coordinated attack. Rudeus couldn't sit still, twiddling his thumbs while children were getting hurt. He could never look at Ruijerd if he abandoned them.

"Still, I can't leave them out there to die. If they're a trap, I'll fall right in their hands and stop them."

"Deru-us, that is remarkably stupid, even for you-"

"Ram, doesn't it seem strange? If this was a trap, then who would it be luring? Roswaal had already left the premises, and my employment as a knight was a tightly held secret. The only person an assassin would be wary of would be Beatrice. It feels too weird to be a trap to me."

Ram contemplated the boy's words at heart. His reasoning was sound, surprisingly, for the idiot delinquent. But was it enough to leave the premise to help the village folk?

"Look, I'm not asking you to follow me. You can stay here and defend the premise while I investigate the village. If there were an intruder, Puck, and Beatrice would be more than able to protect the place. Worst case scenario, you all hide in the forbidden library and wait until sunrise."

"That is not your decision to make. Roswaal's orders were to-"

"Ram!"

Across the hall, a distressed half-Elf ran towards the two. She wore a thick cardigan over her night clothes. Rudeus got a bit excited looking at the thinly dressed woman. He patted his pants to realize his little me still refused to come out of his shell.

'Haaa, it really can't be helped.'

"Emilia-sama, what brings you here?"

"I heard everything from Rem. If the children are missing, we can't stay here. We need to head to the village and help them now!"

Emilia returned to her pseudo-authoritative voice—the voice she used on his first day in Lugunica. But unlike last time, Emilia didn't use any archaic vocabulary. She sounded confident for once.

"But, Emilia-sama. If the mansion were under attack, we would play right into our enemies' hands."

This didn't shake the half-Elf's resolve. It only worked to harden her choices.

"That won't do, Ram. I can't leave the village alone. What kind of king would I be if I left them to die?"

Rudeus knew very little of politics and country leadership. He was in no position to judge a Royal Candidate. Yet, if a king's resolve and righteousness were deciding factors, he mused Emilia would be an excellent choice. Her incredible beauty and large breasts were also crucial to him.

'Wait, that's not what's important right now.'

"See? If this is the orders of Emilia-sama, then as her knight, I have no choice but to follow her words."

He faced Emilia and dropped to his knees. He presented his staff like a sword in both hands. This was his first official mission as the knight of a Royal Candidate. He had to look the part.

"As your sword knight of honor, I, Rudeus, is honor bound to follow your orders. I will rescue the children and protect the village of Arlem."

He put as much emphasis on his words. This time, he followed the knightly dialogue of a Western RPG he played many years ago. The details were lost, but he remembered that the knights took orders by kneeling during a cutscene.

"Oh...um, please rise, my knight!"

Emilia fumbled her words. She studied knighthood and their honor-bound dignity to follow their lieges orders. Rudeus' performance was a bit off, but she understood its meaning. He was a foreigner, so it was expected some details didn't match up.

Rudeus rose to his two feet, satisfied with his gesture. With this, he'd permanently tie down a spot under Emilia and receive the political protection of Roswaal.

"I, Emilia, order you to protect the village or Arlem."

"Great, then I'll be on my way-"

"And I'll be coming with you."

Her last words stunned both the maid and the amateur knight. She spoke in the same determined language as before.

'I feel like this is a bad idea. Aren't princesses supposed to be protected in large castles? Is it really ok for her to charge into battle? Some kings participated in war, too, but this feels wrong.'

'Actually, maybe not. She's my boss. She can do whatever she wants. All I have to do is follow her words. That's why I'm her knight, to follow her orders to a T.'

"Emilia-sama, I cannot advise that. Roswaal's orders were to take care of the mansion. Your protection is also included. You should wai-"

"Sure thing Emilia. Let's head out! Ram, can you inform Beatrice and Rem of the situation?"

"Deru-us, what are you sayi-"

"Orders are orders, Ram. If Emilia says she'll come, then she can come."

His tone was much stronger than he intended. He wanted to let Ram know that this was their boss' plan. Ram looked at the man with confused eyes. Why did he suddenly take such an aggressive tone?

"...understood, Emilia-sama. I shall call Rem and Beatrice-sama and inform them of our plans."

She bowed deeply and ran through the hallway. The elegance of her maiden appearance was gone, but drastic times called for extreme measures.

"Alright, Rudeus, wait for me at the front gate. I'll get ready and meet you there. Let's go and save everyone at the village!"

Her resolving orders began their plan to save the Arlem village children.