Is It Worth Not Making Me Dead?

Of course, I was curious how I'd ended up in another world, because it was possible that if it was someone from here, that same person could have contributed to my death in the other. But at that point, I was more concerned with what they wanted from me and what they would do to me. Then we could play detective and uncover the truth about my arrival. I just hoped there wasn't some grand role to play behind it, no one to convince me I was hero material. Besides, it was clearly visible how my appearance was in this world, not impressive, and I didn't feel or discover any supernatural powers. I had to rely on my intellect, and I wasn't considered a genius either; I was just average.

The prince didn't keep us waiting long; I'd even say he was lurking nearby, because my kidnappers practically left, only to reappear a moment later. However, he refused to reveal himself and remained in the shadows, hidden behind one of the clunky wooden columns supporting the ceiling.

"You know that an interesting man was caught at the wall. He seems crazy because he says he's not of this world. Do you know anything about this?" she asked bluntly, already suspicious.

"I just checked what all the fuss was about, but I wasn't interested in the details," the prince replied.

"Really? I thought you wouldn't resist such an opportunity," she said sarcastically, turning her attention back to me without waiting for her brother's response.

"I don't know what you're implying."

She rolled her eyes; clearly, their relationship wasn't exactly the epitome of beautiful sibling love. I wondered where the source of this mutual animosity lay: the power struggle or their differing personalities. It wasn't hard to guess that the dominant figure in this relationship was definitely the princess. I was consumed with curiosity; I wanted to know what he looked like, to compare them, to see the differences, and to understand why the prince allowed himself to be treated this way, since I assumed their status was equal.

"If you have nothing to do with this, you can leave," she said, making sure he left the room through the side entrance. "Now, what do we do with you?"

"Let me go so I can explore the area?" I suggested with my best smile.

This remark surprisingly made everyone laugh, and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed. At least I managed to make the princess smile genuinely, a point for me and a glimmer of hope in my heart.

"You might be good as a jester, but right now I don't need one," she stated with some resentment. "If you don't know anything about this world, I don't need you. Get rid of him," she told my captors. "Decide for yourselves what will be easier for you. It's a shame I was foolishly deluded that something would come of it." She shrugged and stood up. "The plan remains the same."

This time, they didn't hold back and took me by the arms, intending to lead me out of the room. I started to struggle, frantically thinking about what else I could do in this situation, recalling all the movies and anime I'd watched. I needed options! As an act of desperation, I shouted after her to wait and talk to me some more. We were already on the threshold when she decided to give me another chance; I had clearly captivated her, maybe with my charm after all. I was brought to my knees before her majesty.

"My lady, what did you need me for?" I asked. She stood over me, deciding it probably wasn't even worth sitting on the throne for me.

"I want information about people, and since you looked like a lunatic, it was worth trying to get it from you at a small cost. No sane person would do that," she replied, and at least she was kind enough to explain what she meant, unless it didn't matter to her, because she'd already sentenced me to death.

"Why?" It slipped out of my mouth faster than I could think, but the princess smiled at me pityingly.

"You would know if you were here." She leaned over me and patted my cheek. "I'll say we're simply not on friendly terms. The wall you were smashing into is a symbol of our division and the border of our territories." She looked at me closely for a long moment. "You do have a strange aura, but I'm not particularly interested in delving into the subject, so I still consider you useless to me."

I figured I might like her under different circumstances, but not when she so casually pronounced my death sentence. I quickly analyzed the information I'd gathered so far and the information she'd just presented me with. It dawned on me. It might not have been the best idea, considering I didn't know all the details, but it offered a chance to prolong my life in this world.

"Spy, I'll be your spy," I announced.

Fortunately, this suggestion intrigued her. She ordered my captors to leave us, much to their obvious displeasure, and asked me to continue. Still, I preferred to remain on my knees. It was better not to get up; my legs would probably have trembled, and feigning confidence would have backfired.

Since people in this world aren't your allies, and you need information, I can get it for you. They'll certainly trust more a human from another world, but still a human. Besides, I don't know what it's like there; they might not even realize I'm not from here. I'll just need a little time, if your plan, my lady, allows. I'll find out everything you need. More, I'll do anything, so please just let me live.

I wanted to tell her all the details right away, afraid she wouldn't want to ask. She considered my words for a moment, then laughed, this time ominously. When she calmed down, she motioned for me to stand and approached the matter with a cool calculation.

"Indeed, I hadn't considered that solution. Perhaps your background and ignorance will prove useful. Just remember, we're making a deal now; it's binding on you regardless of what you learn later. You're a spy in my service in exchange for your life. You answer directly to me, and we'll discuss the details soon. I need to decide who else to involve..." She pondered for a moment. "Stay here. I'll call someone from the staff to set you right while we discuss the rest of the details. You stink terribly, human."

Well, she was absolutely right.