Peace, at Last

“Great work,” a voice reverberates into my ears.

I open my eyes, but it remains black, but I am confident that my eyes are open. I can see only the darkness around me. Ah, it’s this weird dream again. I have to hear that annoying voice again.

“I was worried that you would give up for a moment,” the same voice speaks.

“It’s you again, isn’t it? The Annoying Voice in the darkness.”

“I’m honored to have such a nickname. Anyway, it’s routine. I have to show you this.”

A scene pops up in front of me showing me laying in my bedroom, unconscious, and his face is in peace. The sun starts to seep in the curtains and land on my face. No one was waiting for me to awaken this time.

“Don’t worry,” the ominous voice speaks, “they are safe. You have saved yourself and them. A momentous accomplishment you have achieved!”

“An accomplishment, huh? You think this is some kind of a game?”

“Far from it! But it is some kind of obstacle I was expecting for you to meet sometime. It was inevitable.”

“What do you mean by that? Could it be that you have orchestrated all of this?”

The voice laughs, “You think a man in your dreams could affect your reality?”

“I will believe anything at this point. You see, I am supposed to be dead before I entered this world. I don’t even know if this is the same world or a different one.”

“Such trivial worries, my benefactor.”

“Now you call me a benefactor? Why? What do I get? Can I go back and die in my original world?”

“At a time, if you succeed.”

“You are only confusing me all the more. I would like you to shut up.”

“You are free to leave. Just do the usual.”

I look at the scene in front of me and stretch out my arms to it.

While my hands approach the floating picture, the voice adds in one last sentence, “I will give you rest for a while for that is your reward.”

I wake up on the soft bed. No one is inside the room except me. Hopefully, nothing occurred while I was gone. I sit at my bed and look at the window seeing the sun rays shining through the fluttering curtains. “It’s sunrise,” I say that with certainty because I memorized that that window faces east. After I bask in the peaceful light, Lina enters the room with a tray full of food.

“Good morning, Deliruu-sama,” Lina sets the breakfast tray on the bed.

“Thank you, and you don’t have to call me with politeness. It’s weird.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s the Maid’s Code of Conduct.”

I cringe at this déjà vu. “Anyway, what is this Code of Conduct? Can I read it somewhere?”

“No, it is an invoked spell by the master’s maid.”

“A spell? What does this do?”

“When the master invokes this spell, the recipient of this spell can choose to accept or deny it. Once they accept it, they are bound to the master’s mana bank. The mana that the maid produces is transferred to the master at their will.”

“But what does that have to do with the politeness?”

“If we suddenly stop being polite to our master and our master’s guests, our mana bank would implode along with the master’s.”

“Oh, I see why you maids always insist this.”

“With that out of the way, how are you feeling, master?”

“I’m doing fine,” I say to Lina as I stretch my arms, “full condition!”

“That’s good. Anyway, I will have to attend to my other chores now. Please just call for me when you need me.”

“Alright, will do,” I say as she leaves the room then I start eating the delicious breakfast. “Wow, there are pork chops in here. I wonder if they have soy sauce, bacon, or rice?”

I go out to the field outside the castle where I usually train with Tina, but I don’t find her there. I decided to lie down on the trimmed grass and look at the blue skies. “No clouds today too, huh?” After laying down for a few minutes, I walk over to the edge of the mini-plateau where the castle and the field where I lay before are located. This point overlooks the kingdom that lay beyond the walls that surround the mountain where the castle is built. “Magnificent!” and I haven’t used that word in a long time. When was the last time I saw something and that word came up in my mind? Ah, yes, the first time I made my solo flight. The city was beautiful back then. Back then…” I trail off.

“Oh, what are you doing here?” I turn around and see who owns the voice. It is Tina.

“Tina!” I run to her, but realize how childish and worried I might have looked then slowed my pace. “How are you?” I say with a slight laugh and smile.

“You should be in your room resting right now. And the most who should be worrying is me— us, the Queen.”

“I’m sorry for making you guys— girls rather, worry. But I’m fine.”

“You sure?” Tina approaches me and hits my leg with her foot.

My leg which was hit kneels to the ground, but I quickly recover and stand up. Then I complain, “What was that for?”

“See? You aren’t even combat-ready.”

“Come on, leave me alone. I’m tired of being in the room all day. It makes me tenser.”

“Sure, you are,” Tina walks beside me joining me in my viewing of the kingdom. “You have gone through a lot, huh? Starting from the assassination of Pareyo, then rushing back to Lunis, then Ugibiris—”

“It’s okay. It’s healthy for my heart. Haven’t had this kind of thrilling experience for a long time.”

“Are you feeling empty?”

“Huh?”

“Like, does your body feel hollow?”

“I don’t get it.”

“After every casting, mana gets expended, and that mana is in your body. That’s why your body feels empty whenever you cast a spell.”

“Oh, right. Read that somewhere.” I lied. “Well, I don’t particularly feel empty.”

“Air Sabre, was it?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s an Ace-class Magic, you know?”

“Is it?” I awkwardly laugh, “Well, didn’t know.”

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Thank you, I said. Do I need to say it again? Idiot.” Tina looks away.

“No, no, just couldn’t believe my ears.” The rare times I have ever been thanked by anyone.

“And what does that supposed to mean?”

“Didn’t mean anything in particular.”

Tina narrows her eyes at me, “You think I’m an ungrateful brat, do you?”

“No-no, not at all. I meant something else— actually, do you think you are an ungrateful brat?”

“N—no! You know what, since you are such an idiot, I will train you today.”

“Are you serious? No—no, anything but that! But not today!”

Tina laughs and walks away into the castle, while I stand and watch her from a distance, chuckling for a second. I suddenly didn’t have any thought of a task, and since it’s the early hours of the day, I decide to spend the time exploring the town. I have checked out various stalls of fruits and meat and haven’t found anything peculiar as I would expect. Then I end up in a strange stall. Compared to the other stalls brimming with people lining up, this stall is deserted.

“Welcome!” A male shopkeeper greets, “Please if you would spend the time to look at our specialties!”

I look down to where his hands are pointing and discover he is selling, “Fried Spiders!?”

Some people stare at me for a moment because of my raised voice, but they continue their chores unimpeded.

“Yes! These are very delicious, I tell you!”

“Then why is it that no one is buying these?”

“It’s because these people…” the man leans forward to me and I lean in response, “don’t know the secret of how delicious spiders are!”

“Eek!” My body hair all rose and I recoil away from him. “I—I don’t think spiders are delicious.”

“But have you tried it?”

“No…”

“Then you can’t form an opinion based on nothing!”

“Well for one, I don’t eat insects, and I don’t think anyone does. And this actually isn't insects but an arachnid.”

“An ara— well, whatever! If you try them now, I will cut you a deal!”

“Tell.”

“One gold for five special fried spiders!”

“Wh— are you serious!?”

“Told ya it’s a great deal!”

“No! It definitely isn’t! And how much do these things go for anyway?”

“One gold each!”

“You have to be joking.”

“I am not! I will give you this deal!”

“No thanks. I will be going now. Excuse me.”

“No, wait! Customer, please!” The shopkeeper runs up to me and kneels, “My f—family, they are going to starve!”

“Then why don’t you feed them those?”

“N—no! I mean, our house is mortgaged, and I wouldn’t be able to earn soon, but just one gold coin would be enough!”

“That’s entirely your fault for selling such niche product.”

“But it earns well!”

“It’s better if you sold a more conventional product. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

The shopkeeper holds my hand and bows his head as he breaks into tears, “Please if you have any mercy on my family, don’t kill them!”

The passersby start a commotion around me.

“No! This isn’t what you think this is. It’s wrong!”

“Please, take my life instead!”

“You got to be kidding me!” I pull my hand but he grasps it further down. “F—fine! I’ll buy your— gah!”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

The payment is made, and I have five unwanted items on my hand.

“Try it,” the shopkeeper says. “It’s bad to waste food you know?”

I gulp as I scan the fried spiders.

“The legs are the greatest tasting par—!”

“Shut up! I don’t need your commentary right now!” I close my eyes and trick my brain into thinking they are the bitter-tasting vitamins my parents used to force me to take, and I still take them to this day. Well, not until after I was in this world anyway. “Woah!” The crunch is superb. What breading did they use? And it somehow tastes like nachos and chicken? “T—this is good!”

“I told you! Here!” The shopkeeper offers a bowl with black liquid in it.

Wait, could it be that this is soy sauce? “I’m digging in!”

After a few minutes, I am indulging in these appetizers. “Can there be any bigger spiders? More please!” I toss one hundred gold coins planning to take home the fried spiders, but once I receive them in the bag, I can’t stop my hands from getting my hands on them.

“We had that on our menu! It’s just that the adventurers don’t sell them anymore. Not until the cave collapsed.”

“What cave?”

“The cave to the east from here. You should be able to get the finest spiders and the biggest ones too, but it isn’t possible. The entrance collapsed.”

“Here is a deal,” I lean close to him, and he does the same, “I’ll get you all the spiders you want, and you will get me the biggest friend spider!”

“Oh! Are you for real!? But such a task is—!”

“I’ll do it! I am the First General after all!”

“You are!? I am sorry for my impoliteness!”

“Don’t worry about it. In business, sometimes that is needed! But, is the family situation, that you told me, is true?”

“Uh… about that…”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll help you. We got a deal?”

“We got a deal!” We shake our hands and I head back to the castle to prepare for my little adventure!