After dinner and the lesson from Garrick, I get out of the restaurant. At the door, the system appears in front of me, blocking my view.
«Accept your fate and help them, Zin.»
I walk back to home, tying the bag of money on my hip with angry expression as that thing keep continues suggest me to go help the Elf Kingdom.
"No mean no!"
I said, gripping my fist tight.
«Reject again, I will use force.»
It threatened.
"With what? By being useless?"
I chuckled evilly while crossing the market square.
A red system appears, the warning system from Chapter 7 with the same text.
My face darkens as I see that. But then I relax and sigh.
"I hate you... But fine..."
I mumbled to the warning system, pinching my nose angrily.
"Your systems are so stubborn about making me become the protagonist of this world, huh?"
I said, but no response from them.
As I am trying to say more, a voice come from behind me.
"Hey! Zin!"
I stop myself and recognize that voice; it's Sora.
I change my expression and turn around to meet him. He runs toward me with four people behind him. I recognize them all: Alice, the Elf Princess Serelith, and her guards.
"We meet again, Sora."
I said, trying to sound happy.
"And you too, Alice..."
Alice waves her hand to greet me.
"Hi, Zin, are you feeling better?"
She asked with concern.
"Yeah, I feel better now..."
I said, glancing at those elves.
"What are they doing here?"
Sora notices my glance and laughs.
"Oh, they will stay at your place for a while."
He said, not knowing my expression was starting to change.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
I suddenly get angry at his words.
"You let them, who were causing problems earlier at the castle, stay with me... and Alice?"
Sora laughs it off and tries to calm me down, while Alice stands and confused what are we talking about.
"I know that they did that to us, but your place is the only place they can stay."
He said sternly.
"And you won't dare to disrespect the princess, right?"
"Let me guess... King's order?"
I sighed.
"You are right."
Serelith, who has been watching us quietly, finally speaks up.
"I truly apologize for messing up your day, but I hope you will let us stay at your place."
She said, bowing down and begging as she did in the earlier meeting.
Those two guards of hers don't want to bow but have to do it for their princess. I look at them for a while and speak up.
"I'm not the house owner; Alice is. Go beg her, not me."
I said, pointing at Alice.
Alice, who has been quietly standing and watching behind us, becomes visibly nervous after being mentioned.
"I'm okay with you guys staying."
I sigh again as I think about this situation.
I sometimes hate these fictional characters...
System pops up with a comment.
«This will be interesting.»
Interesting my ass!
***
{The House}
We are all sitting at the table, except her two guards. Sora sits next to me, telling me what the King's order is, while Serelith and Alice are trying to be friends.
"That's His Majesty's order that he told me to give to you. And he truly apologizes for dragging you into this mess that you don't want."
Sora said, his eyes gentled as he reminded me that the King told him to deliver the apology to me.
"I understand... But I'm just a kid, and I'm too weak to fight like you guys."
I said, glancing at the system next to me.
«Yeah! Yeah! Weak Zin!»
I resist anger and continue the conversation with Sora.
"Don't worry..."
He said happily.
"...His Majesty is concerned about your safety, so he has prepared special training for you."
I drop a sweat when he finishes his words.
Shit! My peaceful life dream will be ruined!
I thought, finding a way to escape this situation.
"Tomorrow, you will start training."
He said with a mischievous smile.
That news hit me like a bolt from the blue, leaving me stunned for a while.
Sora laughs at my reaction.
"You will be fine... The worst thing that could happen is you will be unable to move for a few days after training."
He said nonchalantly.
"O-okay... I will try my best..."
I said, but praying in thought.
Please let me survive that stupid training, God.
Sora stands up and heads toward the door.
"Well, it's late; I will leave now."
He said, turning his head toward me.
"Good luck, Zin."
He opens the door and leaves.
I, with a tired look, turn my head, seeing that Serelith and Alice are already done making dinner and having a meal with the guards. I come toward them. I stop my step when I see both of the guards start to stare at me.
"So... How are you guys going to sleep?"
I asked awkwardly.
"She will sleep with me, and the first floor is for the guards."
Alice answered.
She made friends with them really fast, huh?
I turn to the elf princess and see her is happy, so I leave upstairs.
"But stay away from me."
I threatened, glaring at the elves.
"I will. I promise."
Serelith said, continuing to eat.
As soon as I reach upstairs, the system appears next to me.
«You have guts to threaten them. You can't even fight them.»
"I know... But I make them believe that I'm a dangerous person so they won't mess with me."
I said, heading to the bathroom, which is the first room of the second floor.
{Bathroom}
The inside of the bathroom looks decent, with wooden walls. One of them has a small rectangular opening, like an air vent. There is a stone bathtub at the end of the room, with a wooden toilet seat sitting beside the wall. Opposite the wall with the toilet is a stone sink with a mirror above it and a cabinet beneath the sink.
I look up at the corner of the bathroom; I see a blue crystal cover with a glass cube, with pipes connecting to the bathtub and sink.
Magic crystal?
I thought, getting inside the bathroom.
The system suddenly pops up.
«You remember something?»
I'm confused and close the door.
"Remember what?"
«You said that you would rather die than help the Kingdom.»
"No, I did not."
I interrupted, with a poker face and waving my hand in denial.
«STOP LYING!»
I ignore it and remove my clothes. I remove my white shirt with stitches and put it on the hanger.
"Go outside, system, I don't want you to watch me shower."
«Fine...»
I open the door a little for it to fly outside and close it.
I turn to the mirror above the sink. I look at my body that's now firm that perhaps made by stats and running and fighting few days ago, with bandages for a while and remove the bandages. Some cuts and bruises behind those bandages are now revealing themselves in front of me.
"Heh, those aren't even worse than what I got from that world."
I chuckled, not noticing the change in the body.
I remove the bag of money from my hip and put it on the sink deck. When I am about to pull down my pants, I put my hand in my pockets like I usually do from the old days. My eyes widen as I feel a hard rectangular thing inside the pocket.
Could it be...
I thought and pulling it out.
"My phone...?"
I said, surprised that It on me all day.
I am more surprised to see the screen doesn't even have a crack when it was with me all the time during the fight.
What a... magical screen protector...
I notice that there is a fingerprint that's not mine on the screen.
Someone touched it...?
I thought, putting it down next to the bag of money.
That phone is properly dead...
I remove my black pants and head to the bathtub. There are two handles for water, like in the modern world. I open the one that has a smoke icon that represents hot water a little, and open the one that has an ice cube icon that represents cold water a little also to balance the water for me to shower.
I wait for a while before getting inside the bathtub.
{Downstairs}
Alice and Serelith are having a conversation together on the couch right now, and those two guards are sitting at the table and drinking some hot water.
"Is he really the guy that the King mentioned?"
Serelith said, concerned.
"Yes, he is. He is also the person helping us find a way to kill the boss in Monster Raid with fewer casualties than anyone has ever achieved."
Alice said, praising me.
"I heard about his achievement, but the enemy that awaits him in our kingdom is a demon..."
She said, lowering her voice so that only Alice could hear it.
Alice freezes at her words, but gets back to herself with confidence.
"Don't worry, the King knows what he's doing."
Alice said, getting up.
"Let's go upstairs with me to see our room."
"Y-yeah..."
Serelith replied; there was a slight hesitation in her voice.
{Upstairs}
I open the bathroom door, holding the towel I got from the cabinet. I stand in front of the system with no shirt on. Right hand I hold the towel and wiping my hair to dry, and the left hand holding my shirt.
"Check this out, system."
I said enthusiastically.
"My body is now clean, but surprisingly, my body looks different... Looks firm now."
I said, finally noticing it.
«Amazing!»
The words on the screen change with a comment from the System.
«But not cooler than other people like adventurers.»
It's mocking with no hesitation.
I sighed.
"Hopeless system..."
I mumbled to myself.
I turn right and head toward my room, with the system floating behind me like a tail.
I don't notice that the princess and Alice are already upstairs, hiding near the stairs and watching me walk through the hallway in the middle of changing.
"Does he always walk around like that in the hallway?!"
Serelith asked.
Her face is turning crimson as she covers her eyes with her hands, peeking through her fingers.
"This is the first time I've seen him do that..."
Alice said, her face just as red as Serelith's.
Serelith notices that there is a scar in the center of my palm.
"Is that a scar on his hand?"
Serelith asked, staring at my hand.
"I don't know... He got this before being summoned here, and no one ever asked him about that before..."
Alice and Serelith quickly hide behind the stairs wall as I turn my head back.
«Something's wrong?»
I say nothing and turn back and return to my room.
As soon as I get inside the room and close the door, both Princess and Alice finally sigh with relief and head to their room.
{My Room}
I put the towel and my shirt on the hanger. I turn off the magic light on the table and head to the bed. I climb up and lie down.
Seeing me about to sleep without my shirt, the words in the system change.
«Wear your shirt when you go to sleep.»
I notice that and sigh.
"No, and goodnight."
I said, wrapping myself in a blanket.
«...»
It slowly disappears and lets me have a peaceful sleep this time.
***
The night has passed, and the sun has risen. Outside, it looks like it's five o'clock in the morning. I wake up as the sun almost fully rises. My face looks tired, and my hair is slightly messy. As a habit, I try to reach for my glasses, but a second later, I stop myself.
What am I even doing...?
I question myself sleepily.
I have no school and don't need glasses...
I thought, slapping my face to wake up.
The slapping sound is loud but not loud enough to wake up everyone who is sleeping in the house. I finally wake up and look around the room. The room looks simple, and the weak sunlight from early morning is shining into my room.
I slowly get off my bed, stretching. I move to the hanging where my shirt and towel hang. I grab the towel that's now dry and the shirt. I turn my head and look at the space.
"System? Are you there?"
I asked the space, but no response.
I wait for a while before going out of the room. I open the door. The hallway is kinda dark, but I can able to see everything around the hallway because of the weak light of the sun shining from my room to the hallway.
I'm now heading to the bathroom, planning to get inside for a quick shower.
{Bathroom}
I open the door, seeing Serelith inside the bathroom, washing her face at the sink. She wear a pink and white nightgown that looks slightly large to her that she borrow from Alice. She notices the door and stops her action. She turns her wet face and looks at me. I stare at her for a while before closing the door behind me.
"This is probably a dream..."
I said, heading to the toilet seat.
Her gaze follows my movement till she stops at the toilet seat.
"W-what are you doing? I'm still here, you know."
She said, surprised at what I'm about to do.
With no expression, I turn to her. I walk toward her and grab her hand. My grip is not strong but firm. I open the bathroom door and move her outside the bathroom before closing the door and locking it.
She's bewildered for seconds before knowing that she is outside the bathroom.
"Wait, what?! Hey! You can't just kick me out like that!"
She said, banging at the door quietly so as not to wake everyone up.
I am inside the bathroom, ignore her banging, and go do my thing on the toilet seat and go shower.
***
About time the sun finally fully rises, Alice, in her pink and white nightgown, same as Serelith, wakes up, sees the empty spot next to her, gets out of the bed, and leaves the room. As soon as she leaves the room, she sees Serelith sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and leaning on the wall next to the bathroom door.
"Princess? What happened?"
Alice asked, yawning.
Serelith starts sobbing, not answering Alice questions.
A princess like me? Humiliated by that Chosen? So unfair!
She thought, frustrated.
The door suddenly burst open, with me having a towel over my wet hair. Serelith, who is sitting next to the door, gets jump-scared, feeling like her heart just flies away from her own body. I turn and look at them.
"Oh! Morning!"
I said casually, forgetting what had just happened.
"Morning..."
Alice replied.
"Nice dress..."
I commented on her sleepy state and dress.
She suddenly snaps out of her sleepy state and starts to feel frustrated and embarrassed. She moves her hands and covers herself with them. She starts going back to her room to change her outfit, leaving me behind with Serelith, confused.
"What's wrong with her?"
I start to notice someone under me, so I look down and see the princess is sitting on the ground, looking up at me.
"Does elves' culture like sitting on the floor like that?"
I asked, pointing at Serelith.
Serelith's face is red with anger and embarrassment.
"No, we are not!"
She said angrily.
Confusing at her sudden anger, I decide to go back to my room.
"I think I will go prepare for what kind of training the King is going to give me, so bye for now."
I said, heading back to my room.
{My Room}
System appears as soon as I get inside my room.
«Is it time for you to be training, right?»
The system commented.
"The first thing u say is training? Are we joking right now?"
I said, sighing.
"I think I will be going to training soon."
As soon as I finish my sentence, a loud knocking comes from downstairs, signaling people coming for me.
"Heh... It's about damn time."
I said, heading out of my room again.
I open the door, seeing Alice and Serelith. They have both changed back into their normal outfits, Alice wearing her armor and Serelith wearing her dress. They both go downstairs, and I quickly follow them.
{Downstairs}
As soon as I reach downstairs, I see two elf guards already awake and at the door. The door is already open, and the person behind that door is Kael Draven. The same guy from the Monster Raid, Kael wears practical adventurer gear with light armor, a wolf-shaped sigil on his chest, and an eyepatch over his right eye.
Shit! I'm so dead!
I thought, feeling a shiver.
Alice looks surprised when seeing Kael.
"Kael? Why are you here? I thought you were on a mission with Arthur?"
Alice asked.
"His Majesty has delayed that mission for me to help the kid from the Raid to train."
He said, chuckling.
He suddenly looks cheerful when he spots me.
"There you are! You will come with me!"
He takes a leap and appears in front of me. He starts dragging me away from the house.
Elves look surprised by that action, but Alice stops them because she knows Kael well enough. I, being dragged by Kael, let him do that instead of struggling to get away.
Well... There is no way to escape...
I thought, sighing at this situation.
...This is Hell.
While being dragged, a phone that is inside my pocket lights up the screen unnoticed; I don't even know that it's still alive.