Chapter 2 -- Part 2 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

Once past the entrance, Han looked around the village.

“The houses look like they could fall apart by a stiff breeze,” Han said.

It seemed like the world had some structural engineering concept, considering they were built using bricks and the roofs had shingles. But, the houses clearly weren’t being maintained properly.

The walls had holes covered up by a mixture of grass and mud. Many of the bricks were cracked and damaged.

“This village lacks resources,” Helania observed the homes.

It was strange to see shingles instead of thatching, making him wonder about the technology of the kingdom. If the village were lacking in resources, it would make more sense for them to make the roofs out of the surrounding resources.

Han was surprised by how cheerful the villagers appeared.

“Despite how broken everything looks, the people are in good spirits,” Queen raised an eyebrow — impressed by the villagers.

Though the homes and walls looked dilapidated, the villagers were in good spirits. Despite life having taken a heavy toll on them, they went about their daily tasks with a smile.

Compared to his previous life on Earth, though the job may have been challenging, ordinary people didn’t age as much as the villagers.

He wondered if this was due to better nutrition or if the typical work was more straightforward with technological improvements. It only reminded him of how well off the Earth was for the vast majority of the global population.

Some families looked to be preparing meals in a communal kitchen, likely for a midday meal. Seeing them getting ready to eat made him think about Brittany.

“Brittany.” He thought in his mind.

A gentle voice responded. “Master, is there anything you require from me?”

“I was just thinking about you…”

“…”

Han smiled at the pause, imagining Brittany blushing from his comment.

“I would enjoy a steak dinner when I’m ready for my meal. Have the chef think up a good steak meal. I will contact you when I am hungry. Inform the chef that I will need two additional meals prepared since Helania and Queen are accompanying me.” He informed her.

“I eagerly await your command. I will let the chef know about your wishes.” Brittany acknowledged respectfully.

The ability to speak to whomever he wanted was convenient. A phone didn’t even compare. Instead of going through the process of selecting an individual, he could just think of the person and begin talking.

Han also thought about how his creations also prioritized him.

Their treatment brought up memories of how he’d attempt to contact people and not hear back until after days had passed.

Han wondered if CEOs and executives of large massive corporations felt similar, where everyone bent to their will.

The difference was how his creations would do anything with near-religious zeal. There was no doubt about their motives, unlike a typical employee. He knew his creations would kill themselves with a smile on their faces — no questions asked.

As he walked, villagers often glanced at them, trying to figure out who they were.

Han noticed their eyes checking out his clothing before glancing at him.

They also whispered amongst themselves, pointing at Helania and Queen.

“The fact that they’re observing me and not just Helania and Queen, I suspect it’s all our outfits,” Han pondered. “From the fact that kingdoms and empires exist in the world, clothing is likely a common symbol of one’s status.”

Thinking about clothes throughout history, there was a difference between those who had wealth and those who didn’t.

He was sure that his current outfit, the same outfit from Earth, and his creations, the ones he created, looked far superior regarding material and quality.

Han rolled his eyes slightly, not caring much for the attention.

Han could have changed their entire situation with a wave of his hands, but he didn’t feel like doing this. It was like playing a video game and going into the code to make alterations.

“Sometimes, playing a game involves dealing with storylines that I don’t enjoy as much. Tampering too much with this world would be like using cheat codes. What would be the fun of doing that?”

Though Han knew that his powers were broken, he still tried to limit his usage around making his experience more enjoyable.

Movement out of the corner of his eyes attracted his attention.

Han saw an older woman carrying a large basket on her head.

There was nothing special about the woman, but Han still felt himself observing her. It may have been the look of determination on her face.

Han made his way toward the woman — also getting a better view.

Coming up behind, Han quietly took the basket off of her head.

Startled, the woman spun around. Her eyes opened wide. There was a clear confusion, wondering who had taken her basket.

“Lady, please allow me to carry this for you.” He gently smiled at her, oozing with charm.

When the surprise wore off, the woman took a moment to see who he was. But, it only lasted for a moment.

Han watched as her mind was quickly putting things together.

“It’s not difficult to realize that I may be someone of importance, not only due to my clothing but also having two attendants,” Han was slowly starting to warm up to the world he existed in.

Having a formal hierarchy made interactions much easier for moments such as the one Han found himself in. There was no need to explain himself since the other person would automatically defer to him.

Han couldn’t help but think how people on Earth would quickly jump to conclusions. But living in a society where status was of significant importance, it wasn’t smart to say something before confirming the other party’s social status.

The worst case would be yelling at a noble when one was low-born.

Curtsying to Han and his attendants, all she could say was, “M-my lord, there is no need for you to do this!”

“What kind of man would I be if I allowed such a charming lady to carry such a heavy burden?” He softly spoke to her. “Where are you taking this so I may send it to its destination?” Han inquired, stopping any further protest.

The woman pointed in the direction she was walking while making sure not to show Han her back.

“I need to take these to my neighbor’s house.” She told him.

Seeing him indicate that he would follow her, the woman continued to walk. She clasped her empty hands together as she led the way — not knowing what to do with them in her unusual predicament.

Looking closer at the woman, Han guessed she was in her mid-thirties. She had her hair tied in a single braid down to the base of her back. It gently swung back and forth to the rhythm of her steps.

She wore a simple one-piece dress, conservative with how the skirt went down to her ankles and sleeves covering her arms.

“What do we have here?” Han’s eyes slid down the woman’s back.

Even though she looked older, her butt was shapely and probably maintained by her continuous working environment.

“Those hips aren’t bad either. I’m surprised she doesn’t have hundreds of kids with hips like those.”

Han was mesmerized by how they swayed.

Breaking away from enjoying the woman’s body, he asked, “Why are you taking…,” Looking down, he noticed it was various roots and plants, “plants to your neighbor’s?”

Looking back at him, she said, “I go out of the village to gather various plants for food. The villagers pay me a couple of coppers for my services.”

The smile she made was tinged with sadness.

“That is rather commendable for a lady such as yourself.” He told her, slightly impressed by how hard these people work to survive.

She said, “I am no lady, my Lord. I am just a simple village woman.”

“Do you have a husband or family to help you?” He probed.

Looking down, she murmured, “My husband was killed by a monster in the forest nearby. He would hunt them to gather various parts to trade with the traveling merchant.”

Her eyes were hollow.

“My family passed away from a sickness that hit this village several years ago. Now, I search for items that now only help me to provide food for myself but also pay the taxes to the King.”

Though this sounded like a painful memory, her voice didn’t fluctuate much. This was probably due to how difficult her life was — numbing the pain.

Gathering the plants for just a few coppers sounded like a very arduous task.

His parents were very similar, working hard for meager pay compared to his friend’s parents, who were often financially well off. Memories of his childhood rose to the surface before being pushed back down.

Even with all his powers, he couldn’t shake off the memories of his past and how powerless he had felt. The world was a playground for only a few, while everyone else was abandoned to struggle.

He remembered sleeping in his car while attending school cause he couldn’t afford a place to stay. Later, a friend offered him to sleep on the floor for no rent. It had been good for a short time, but his roommates demanded payment. Even though these people considered themselves pious, they still expected his money to live like a homeless person.

It made him question humanity and how they claimed to be altruistic but were often self-serving.

Reaching their destination, the woman knocked on the door of her neighbor.

A fairly nice-looking couple answered the door.

It was soon replaced with a flash of disgust upon seeing who was at the door.

It was never as strong for him, but Han had seen enough people look at him that way to recognize it.

“I have returned with the food you have requested.”

The woman motioned to the basket that Han had in his hand. Her voice was cheerful and upbeat.

Glancing over at the basket, the woman sneered, “You expect us to give you money for trash like that? They’re all butchered by your poor gathering skills.”

“Even the last ones we requested were all torn up and low quality,” the man chimed in.

With how they hadn’t even clearly looked at the items in the basket, Han knew this was a regular tactic used on the woman.

Looking annoyed, the man said, “Even though they look horrible, I will at least give you a piece of copper for the bunch. I don’t want other people to accuse me of theft, so this amount should cover it.”

He walked away from the door

While the man was away, the woman glanced at Han and then at Helania and Queen. She quickly looked away.

The man soon returned with a single copper piece. Tossing it at the woman, he accused, “Next time, I expect you to do a better job, or else we won’t give you even a single copper. I’m sure some people would be grateful and do a better job than you could.”

The woman poked at the man, which made him raise his eyebrows in confusion.

She whispered to her husband something, likely about Han and the two.

It was then that the man noticed Han, Helania, and Queen.

The two of them bowed before hurriedly closing the door.

Han looked at the single copper coin on the ground.

The woman bent down and picked up the single copper coin from the ground. She didn’t defend herself and instead just took the abuse the couple was giving her. “Thank you for your patronage,” She said to the closed door.

The woman took the basket from Han’s hands and placed it in front of the door.