Chapter 02: MOM

The tense atmosphere in the hall slowly eased and became a little strange. Perhaps due to the unusual response that occurred in the midst of this gripping situation this noon. Even the sky above seemed to choose to remain silent. Not taking sides.

Ah, I didn't understand. Seeing the frozen expressions on the Green King's face and the soldiers scratching their heads, I honestly had no idea whether my response was wrong or not.

I mean, this is a duel, right? A duel shouldn't be a bad thing.

It's a game. Another card game.

One of the soldiers pushed me, asking me to keep my distance from their ruler. It was quite rude, but I ignored it. Because in terms of caste, I was indeed not his peer.

Suddenly, the Green King erupted in laughter. He laughed so hard that one of his teeth fell out. He ordered a servant to pick it up before correcting his posture, which had become dwarfed due to the previous incident.

“You don't understand,” said the king. “It seems that your vessel hasn't told you anything. How funny. You are a clown! You will perish! I will shatter every piece of your existence as easily as chewing peanuts with my molars!”

Honestly, if I had never watched anime with exaggerated antagonists in them, I would have said his attitude was second-rate acting in a third-rate movie. But he seemed to be serious, which made me even more confused for no reason.

He laughed once more, bigger than ever. Making my eardrums vibrate even longer.

“Servants! Prepare the arena and take him there. Also, give him some of your clothes, for it would be shameful for me to fight a challenger naked. My pride must be preserved.”

"Yes, My Lord."

The servants requested by the king immediately dragged me away through a long corridor decorated with magnificent pillars. Along the way, there was nothing but artistic carvings that you might only see in Europe if you've ever vacationed there.

“Eh? Where are you taking me?”

I tried to resist, but it was useless. The servants, both men and women, had tied me up like a pig ready for roasting. I was held high above the ground, and they moved without hesitation. It was terrifying.

After entering the room, they put me down on a chair and presented me with a large mirror that showed my hair to my toes. Still naked, you know. The female servants left the room, which was quite nice and neat, then four men stared at me intently. They surrounded me like animals in a zoo.

“Excuse me... Can I help you with something?” I asked politely, hoping they would stop staring at my naked body with such intense gazes.

“It looks like we'll have to dress you up a little more neatly,” said a dashing old manservant. Then he turned to the handsome young man next to him. “Inform Princess Cynthia about the arrival of this new Challenger.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Eh, Sir? What does that mean? Aren't they both servants?

Ah, no; that's useless. There are more important things I need to know first than asking about the social status of the strangers in front of me.

“You guys are talking about Challenger? What does that mean?”

The three of them were still measuring my arms, shoulders, thighs, and chest circumference.

Two of them were focused on their work, apparently they had lower positions than the charismatic old man in front of me.

“So it's true you don't know anything?” he asked.

And I nodded.

He smoothed his white beard, which was combed more neatly than Hitler's mustache.

“Challengers are people who come from another world,” he explained. “You and thousands of others in the past usually have immunity to physical or magical attacks from the inhabitants of this world. That's why when you fell from the sky, you didn't suffer any injuries.

”You are also given the ability to read and speak the language of the inhabitants here without having to open any dictionary. Your body structure has also been adjusted to fulfill your role in this world.“

My role? What does that mean?

”So this isn't some kind of illusion or simulation in, you know, a machine?"

I still wanted to reject this reality. Otherwise, how could I possibly have such abilities? Because it felt quite difficult and like an excessive case of chuunibyou that needed to be treated asap.

“I understand your anxiety. All Challengers who come here are generally overwhelmed with deep confusion just like you. Therefore, I will only give you an outline of who you are and what you must do in this world.”

I swallowed hard. It seemed to be more serious than I had thought.

I was simply a private employee who had nothing but my title as WCS champion in the card game, Grand Monarchy. Other than that, there was nothing worth mentioning in my resume. Just a boring, ordinary guy.

And when this boring guy suddenly received an important role in a foreign world, of course his heart would pound, jumping around. It would be a lie to say I wasn't excited at all. However, as someone who has lived and worked at the Black Company for the whole of my life, I have learned one important thing.

Don't rush into anything. Stay calm and observe the situation closely. And that’s what I will do.

Just like in a card game, everything must be carefully thought out.

“Please explain it to me, Sir.”

He chuckled a little. I thought I said the strangest thing? 

“No need to call me Sir. I’m just the head butler here. Call me Sebastian.”

Sebastian? A popular name even in another world, huh? 

“I'm Rayleigh. Sebastian, please elaborate.”

One of the male servants who had left earlier now knocked on the door. He brought me a complete suit. Two others helped me put it on, and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked too handsome.

Is this the effect of expensive garments? Or is it because the mirror is slightly concave?

The point is, I looked like a respected individual, a noble, living in a prosperous kingdom. I was so impressed of myself just now.

Okay. That was enough of flattery, and it seemed that Sebastian was about to explain the Challenger-thing to me.

“The Challenger is an absolute threat,” he said. “All the rulers on this continent fear your existence. That's why when King Gobshill, the king of this country, realized your real identity, he immediately intended to kill you on the spot.”

His words sounded contradictory to me.

“I can't be hurt by physical attacks or magic, right?”

“That's right. The very existence of the Challenger is an anomaly on this planet. However, that doesn't mean you are an omnipotent figure who cannot be eliminated.”

His tone was tense. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“What do you mean?”

“Your immunity comes from the Law of Supreme. So it's easy for anyone to finish you off, they just need to use the rules of this law on you.”

“You mean through a duel?”

He nodded. “A duel is the easiest way for someone to defeat a Challenger and take everything they have.”

I see. No wonder the King Goblin laughed so hard before. Apparently, he really wanted to finish me off. How stupid of me. I thought he was just someone with an exaggerated reaction, similar to the clowns in the anime series I watched. I had to learn again.

“But I have nothing,” I said. “I don't even have clothes.”

Sebastian shook his head. “There is. Every Challenger will have a powerful skill that can cause a great shock to the countries of this world. In addition to eliminating threats, that is another thing that the King Gobshill is after.”

There was no doubt in his eyes. Even someone like me could see it clearly. The burly middle-aged man in front of me conveyed everything with humility. A pure honesty.

However, I still didn't know what skills I possessed.

“How?”

Sebastian walked to a cabinet in the corner of the room, opened it, and took out a gold-framed box with a gem on top. He returned to me and opened it. A card. It was the same size as a typical OCG card. But the frame was made of gold with a mesmerizing shine.

“What is this?”

“This is the fastest way to find out your true power.”

He handed me the card, and when it touched my hand, light exploded like a burst of sunlight in the sky. It colored the entire light white, dispelling the darkness that was even hiding behind the furniture in the corner of the room.

I covered my eyes until the light subsided. There were no noticeable changes when the atmosphere returned to normal. All the furniture, Sebastian, and the servants were still standing near me. So what was the point of that fancy card?

Before I could sigh in further confusion, a feeling of nausea rose in my belly. I couldn't hold it back, the wave of discomfort moving faster and fiercer like an erupting volcano. It burst and expelled all the contents of my guts, which should have been empty.

“Yawn~ Finally, I can show up.” From an egg that I vomited, a cute, soft-furred creature hatched. It looked at me with hopeful eyes. “Mother, I finally found you.”

“...HUH?”