—Pull yourselves together now, and don't you dare forget the gift for our Princess!!
—As you command!
Before heading to the throne room, the goods were unloaded in the palace's vast courtyard. In the very center of the courtyard sat a large ornamental fountain adorned with dolphin statues; at the center of the fountain, dull-looking dolphin figures stood back-to-back. As they passed through the arched gate of the palace, breathtaking in its marble craftsmanship, Yusha didn't expect the path leading to the main structure to look like this. The laid stone blocks seemed to have been left neglected for a long time; soil had filled the cracks between the marble blocks, and in some places, thin green weeds sprouted from between the stones. As if that weren't enough, the hundreds of varieties of flowers of different colors and heights lining both sides of the road created a natural harmony. As exciting as this strange path was, it was still not the kind one would associate with a palace. At the end of the road, the palace finally stood before them in all its weight.
They entered. As they moved through the corridors, the sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls. After a while, they stopped before the throne room. (Three soldiers waited on each side of the door; the guards in the front were more heavily armored than those behind them). The old man said something to the guards, and then the door opened. Yusha saw the Emperor sitting on his throne, his face covered by a metal mask and his hands clad in black leather gloves (The Emperor's appearance was inspired by Baldwin IV). To the Emperor's immediate right stood the Princess... with long silver hair and ice-blue eyes, her beauty was as striking as that of an elf.
(Seeing the "Hero of the Sword" before him, the Emperor focused his gaze on Yusha, sizing him up carefully).
(The old man spoke after giving the Emperor a formal salute):
—Your Majesty, I have completed the war preparations according to your command. On the road to the palace, we encountered the Hero of the Sword. He has graced us with his presence all the way to the palace.
Yusha took a step forward.
(He tried to give a salute similar to the one the old man had given).
(After saluting, he spoke with a booming voice):
—I am pleased to meet you, Your Majesty. I am the Hero of the Sword, MITSUKI YUSHA.
(The Princess lunged forward in a rage).
Fire was spewing from those ice-blue eyes.
—Who do you think you are, believing you can speak to His Majesty in such a manner!!
(Her voice grew even more violent):
—You arrogant, insolent brat... Even rudeness has its limits!! Did they not teach you any manners in your village, you monkey?
—Mariana!!!
That cold, harsh voice rising from behind the metal mask was enough to silence Mariana. After a brief silence, Princess Mariana had to slink back to where she came from. Princess Mariana couldn't even bring herself to open her mouth out of fear. The Emperor's aura was so oppressive that Yusha felt his skin crawl like never before.(The Emperor slowly rose from his throne and, in a friendly manner…)
—I am truly indebted to you for coming into my presence.
—We need your help…
(Yusha interrupts the Emperor)
—What kind of help could I possibly provide to you?
Mariana must have been so infuriated by this disrespect that the sound of her clenching her fist echoed briefly against the room's walls.
(The Emperor continued to speak without losing his composure)
—You carry these six essences specially created by God. If you so choose, you can stop the ancient beasts that are currently awakening. Perhaps you can even destroy what your great-ancestors could only halt; you can protect the people of this empire.
—I see, I see... you want us to make a sacrifice—just a small sacrifice.
(Yusha knew exactly what the Emperor meant: he was saying, "SACRIFICE YOUR LIVES FOR MY SAKE.")
(Regardless of the situation, Yusha was inclined to help, but he couldn't give his life for an Emperor—a man he didn't even know.)
—Precisely. For this, I grant you a few days' grace; think it over carefully.
—Arakawa, escort the Hero of the Sword to his room.
—Afterward, return to my presence; we have something to discuss.
[The old man bowed obediently and said, "As you command, Your Majesty."]
He told Yusha to follow him, and they left the Emperor's presence. As they walked through the corridors, Yusha felt the environment gradually change. Amidst the occasional portraits, vases, wall reliefs, and high-arched ceilings, Yusha felt quite small. [Yusha's height was 178 cm]. After making a few turns, they finally reached the section where the guest rooms were located.
(Arakawa, pointing to the room right at the beginning of the corridor)
—The room at the very front is yours, he said.
(Arakawa pulled a small card from his pocket and held it out to Yusha)
—You can use this card to enter your room.
(Arakawa handed the card to Yusha)
—Here you go.
Yusha opened the door to his room. Right next to the entrance, there was a relatively small bathroom. Inside the room, there was a small kitchen area, a fireplace, a folding table, and a wide bed that stood out more than anything else in the room. He relaxed as soon as he entered his suite; finally, he was alone with his thoughts.
—I hope I never cross paths with that grumpy girl again.
When Yusha thought about it, it wasn't very likely they would meet again anyway. He would change his path the moment he saw that stupid girl. Today had exhausted him. With the fatigue of the day weighing on him, he threw himself onto the bed without a second thought. At that exact moment, a rustle and the sound of a yawn came from the bed, as if someone were already there. Yusha recoiled instantly. There really was someone in the bed. His heart raced. Who was lying in his bed? The person stirred again...
As the person in the bed—a girl—sat up, Yusha and the girl locked eyes.
—Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
—AAaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
As soon as the girl saw Yusha, she scrambled to the other end of the bed in terror. Yusha, seeing the girl in front of him, bolted toward the door.
—Who are you, and what are you doing in my room?
—I was going to ask you the same thing!
The screams in the room must have spilled out into the corridor, as several voices could be heard outside the door. Then, Princess Mariana's furious voice rang out.
—What are you waiting for? Open this door!
(The door flew open with a sudden, violent kick)
BAAAAMM!!
Upon seeing the girl huddled in fear on the bed, Princess Mariana threw a heavy punch at Yusha with a sudden movement. As soon as the blow landed, Yusha collapsed where he stood. When he lost consciousness, a strange silence filled the room. No one had expected the Princess to go that far. Ten minutes had passed since he fainted, and his consciousness was slowly returning.
—He's waking up... I think he's waking up.
(Yusha's eyes were slowly opening.)
Yusha saw two faces hovering over him. One was that damn beautiful princess with her silver hair; even just seeing her was enough to make him angry now. The other person was a girl with red hair and green eyes. Unlike the Princess, she was sweeter and more sincere; she was still casting a healing spell on him. Yusha stood up. He shrugged his shoulders as if shaking off the grogginess and then leaned forward slightly.
—I apologize.
His voice was flat. There was neither regret nor anger in his tone. It was an apology made simply because it had to be said.
(Yusha walked right past Princess Mariana. He didn't even make eye contact. He didn't listen. He simply headed toward Arakawa, who stood behind the princess.)
—Where is my room?
—Forgive me for mixing up the rooms; your room must be the one right next door. I offer my sincerest apologies, please forgive me.
(Without saying a word, Yusha opened the door to the next room) Yusha entered his room. Mariana could no longer tolerate this disrespect; she felt she had to speak with him, but she was stopped by Aide Arakawa.
-Don't go after him, my Princess. Perhaps we should leave him be for today. The events are still fresh; you should wait for things to settle down. I'm sure he will listen to you later.
Yusha finally made it to the room assigned to him. As soon as he closed the door, he threw himself onto the bed—checking first, of course, to see if anyone else was already there. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. He just stared. His only thought was how things had managed to get to this point.
He couldn't wrap his head around it. Getting out of the dungeon, traveling to a different world, the way the people in the palace treated him... Everything he had experienced in a single day was strange—downright absurd, even. He wrestled with his thoughts for a while longer, his pensive eyes fixed on the ceiling. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
However, his sleep was short-lived. He woke up a while later, feeling absolutely starving. His stomach was growling. If I don't eat something soon, I'm going to die of hunger, he thought to himself. Just as he was about to get out of bed, there was a knock at the door. He had a visitor.
(Then, a gentle voice was heard)
-May I come in?
-Please, come in.
(The door opened)
A breathtakingly beautiful girl with long red hair cascading down her shoulders and striking green eyes stepped inside. [Yusha cursed himself for not looking closer at this girl when he had stumbled into her room earlier.] Yusha sat up quickly. He recognized her face instantly; to him, she was the true victim of today's events. He began to apologize for what happened, but the red-haired girl simply shook her head. She said it didn't matter and that it was clearly just an accident. She had learned the truth of the situation—Aide Arakawa was an elderly man, and it was only natural for him to mix up the rooms, wasn't it? She spoke with a smiling expression.
(Seeing her smile, Yusha found himself grinning like an idiot as well)
Yusha's eyes flickered for a moment to the food container in her hand.
(The girl politely held out the container)
—"I made a bit too much food and didn't want it to go to waste. So, I set this portion aside for you."
A ridiculous, teenage smirk spread across Yusha's face. He took the container from her hand and started eating without losing a second; the food was absolutely delicious. He ate rapidly so it wouldn't get cold, taking bite after bite. (He looked like a brown bear eating everything in sight before going into hibernation). The girl sat cross-legged in front of him, silently watching him.
[Her eyes were fixed on Yusha's face; she thought he was incredibly sweet. He was so handsome, so polite, and so cute—even the way he ate reminded her of a panda.]
(In reality, he was a total BROWN BEAR; I'm not kidding, a literal BROWN BEAR).
She watched him eat with such gusto, thinking he was like a child. After a while, the girl took a deep breath; she wanted to address what had really been on her mind regarding today's incident.
—"I'm sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have reacted so suddenly."
Yusha stopped eating abruptly.
(Surprisingly, he actually can stop eating when he wants to).
He chewed and swallowed the last bite, then looked her straight in the eyes.
—"Didn't you just tell me Aide Arakawa mixed up the rooms? Why are you blaming yourself now?"
(The girl paused for a moment, then a small, sheepish smile appeared on her lips)
—"Ah... that's right."
—"Well... I suppose I shouldn't bother you any longer. If you'll excuse me."
She rose gracefully and headed toward the door. Right then, Yusha sprang from where he was sitting and instantly caught her by the wrist. His cheeks began to flush deep red. His heart was pounding as if it were about to leap out of his chest.
(He spoke with a trembling voice)
—"Wait... Please, wait."
The girl slowly turned back toward Yusha. Her cheeks were flushing too. (Because this idiot is already making his move on her). Moreover, she couldn't say a single word and kept averting her eyes. Yusha took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and spoke:
—"Could you tell me your name? I'd like to address you by it."
His rapid heartbeat raced even faster, but he wasn't the only one suffering from this condition.
(The girl answered in a shy tone)
—"Yui Miya."
Then, she spoke in a timid, thin voice.
—"A... And what is your name..."
(Before Miya could even finish asking, Yusha answered)
Yusha chuckled involuntarily when he heard her, a slight smirk settling on his face. While Miya was so excited she could barely get the words out, Yusha was teasing her.
—"Mitsuki Yusha," he said, giggling.
—"Oh, I see. I'm pleased to meet you, Mitsuki."
The moment Yusha heard that, his giggling stopped. He wanted to be called by his name, Yusha, not Mitsuki!
Finally, Miya quickly pulled her hand away and hurried out of the room. Yusha thought he might have gone a bit too far, but he didn't dare go after her.
As for Miya, she barely made it back to her room, her heart still racing wildly. He was incredibly attractive. Even his laugh made her heart flutter like crazy. Thank God she had hidden her face at the last second and managed to escape to her room with an excuse. If he had seen her face, she would have been mortified; she had turned as red as a tomato. Thank goodness, thank goodness she had escaped. Time was at a standstill. He was bored to death. He paced back and forth in the room, occasionally stopping to just stand there. No matter how hard he tried to distract himself, he always came back to the same conclusion: "DAMN IT, THE ROOM WAS EMPTY; THERE WASN'T A SINGLE DAMN THING TO DO." Yusha stopped for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly in discomfort. How could he have possibly forgotten to thank Miya?!
(He was a total ox.)
Going to her door now just to say thank you would seem equally stupid and insincere, especially since two hours had already passed.
(Anyway, I'll do it the next time we meet, he thought to himself.)
(Yusha was dying to talk to Miya again, but he really needed to choose the right time; otherwise, he'd be totally misunderstood.)
To clear his head and test the sword he found in the dungeon, he decided to leave the palace. Grabbing his blade, he stepped out of his room. Walking through the long corridors, he encountered demi-human servants. They couldn't take their eyes off him—he was captivatingly handsome—but these stares made Yusha feel incredibly uneasy. He quickened his pace. Eventually, he made it out and headed for the forest stretching behind the palace. He tried various movements and chanted different phrases to awaken the sword's abilities, but it was all in vain; he got no results. However, this madman had no intention of giving up. So, he continued to repeat the same movements over and over and over again until the sun began to set. He didn't want to feel like a worthless piece of shit. He was a hero, after all, and he needed an ace up his sleeve.As the sun neared the horizon, a piteous cry for help echoed from the depths of the forest. The moment Yusha heard the voice, he plunged into the woods without a second thought, sprinting toward the source. He batted away branches in his path while carefully placing his steps to avoid tripping over the roots snaking across the ground. The forest grew increasingly dense, yet Yusha continued at full speed, undeterred.
A few minutes later, a clearing appeared through the trees. When Yusha reached it, he realized that slave traders were raiding a family caravan. The father of the family lay motionless on the ground in a pool of blood—he had already drawn his last breath. The mother, backed against the wagon with her two children, was frantically swinging an old pitchfork. Occasionally, she would grab whatever item she could find from the wagon's cargo and hurl it at them. Although her throws weren't perfectly accurate, they managed to keep the men at bay for a moment. But the outcome was inevitable; the men were closing in. The family's eldest son, perhaps ten or eleven years old, was trying to soothe his younger sister, who was sobbing uncontrollably behind him. As the woman swung the pitchfork once more, a tall, burly, bald slave trader caught it. He yanked it toward himself with a violent tug. To avoid losing her balance, the woman was forced to sacrifice her only weapon. The end was now certain.
The woman retreated in despair, shielding her children with her own body.
The man responded with nothing but a smirk and approached her. He drew closer and closer. With a filthy desire gleaming in his eyes, he reached out toward the woman—but his hand stopped mid-air as it was severed from his wrist and tumbled to the ground. The man screamed in agony. He clutched his stump and scrambled back, seeking refuge among his companions, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. If he couldn't, he would be dead within minutes.Two slave traders lunged at Yusha, but he took two steps back as they closed in. With a sharp flick, he cleared the blood from his blade. Then, he charged. He swung his sword in a blur; after a split second of silence, their arms were severed from their torsos. Yusha didn't stop; his rage was spiraling out of control, as if the sword itself were forcing his hand. Breathless, with blood dripping from his steel, he turned to the remaining men.
"NEXT," he said in a cold, bone-chilling voice.
The survivors were paralyzed with panic and began to retreat in terror. They believed him to be the Great Meian Tenkan, a supreme being who awakens once every 2,000 years, feared even by the Great Heroes.
[Meian Tenkan: A sword-wielding demon known for legendary speed and cold-bloodedness. You cannot see him; he appears before you without warning, usually hunting his prey at sunset. He possesses blonde hair and large green eyes. He never leaves a wounded victim alive; for 2,000 years, he has satisfied his hunger by consuming four humans daily, eating only human flesh before entering a two-year slumber.]
They ran for their lives. Some crashed through branches, while others tripped over roots, scrambling to get away. Even the slave trader with the severed hand tried to move, attempting to flee despite the agony, but his terror was so great that he fainted after a few steps—collapsing where he stood, having soiled himself in fear. Once Yusha was certain the danger had passed, he lowered his sword. He glanced at the family one last time and prepared to return the way he came. Unlike the people at the palace, they weren't looking at him as a hero; they were staring at him as if he were a monster waiting to devour them.
He took a few steps, ready to leave.
(At that moment, the woman thanked him, though her voice trembled with fear.)
(She had every right to be afraid; in this world, blonde hair did not exist—not even among demons. It was so rare that, coupled with those green eyes, it was said to belong only to Meian Tenkan.)
(Of course, these were all folk legends; such foolish dogmas weren't believed within the palace walls.)
—"I am truly, truly grateful to you for saving us from this nightmare."
Yusha didn't know what to say; he remained silent. To him, words spoken after a "thank you" often felt insincere or like unnecessary obligations. It was better to say nothing. After a brief hesitation, the woman spoke again:
—"Could you... could you perhaps escort us to a safe place?"
To be honest, Yusha didn't feel like helping. He didn't know why, yet his conscience prevented him from simply walking away.
In the end, even if reluctantly, he helped.
First, they buried the fallen man—the children's father—beneath a nearby beech tree. They gathered the scattered belongings, and Yusha secured the goods so they wouldn't fall again. Then, the children went to their father's side one last time to say their goodbyes.
—"Aren't you going to visit your husband one last time?"
—"No, I don't want to see him... it would only make the pain grow..." (But before she could finish her sentence, she burst into tears and couldn't help but go to see her husband—the love of her life—one last time.)
(Shortly after, they returned from the grave and climbed onto the wagon.) -Giddy-up!