CHAPTER 2: HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR BULLIES

Chersea.

The land of humans, beastfolk, dwarves, elves, and demons. Where magic and swords collide. Where mythical creatures like dragons, chimeras, and mandragoras either fly in the sky, swim in the waters, crawl, or tread the land. Yep, this was a typical fantasy world, though, honestly, I didn’t know such a place existed away from books until that saint, Maddie, summoned me.

All because of her boredom.

“And there you have it!” Saint Maddie smiled as she finished my introduction to the servants, paladins, and nuns working at her palace. “If you have questions, just keep them to yourself. I’m in no mood to answer them.”

“Yes, Your Holiness!” the battalions of maids, paladins, and nuns standing before her replied in unison. I got goosebumps as I watched them salute and pay respects to their saint. It was as if I was looking at a military parade.

“Alright, Kuro…” she then turned to me, “Same instructions as them. If you got questions, don’t ask me; go to my servants.”

“Uh…yes, Your Holiness,” I bowed. Though the saint was the one who caused my predicament, I still wanted to show my respect to her; at least, I won’t be an ass around people I don’t know.

Hmm…based on her smiles and swift, almost-dancing moves, one could tell that the saint was in a good mood. I guess she’s feeling fine this time, unlike when she summoned me. I can feel her utter disappointment back then.

Oh, and she began calling me ‘Kuro’ since I really couldn’t remember anything about my identity. She said she got my name from the color of my hair, which was black. Well, ‘kuro’ is the Japanese word for ‘black’; I wonder if Her Holiness knew about it. It’d be interesting if she knew some ‘Earth’ stuff…

I also accepted that arrangement, at least temporarily.

“Okay, I guess that settles it,” Saint Maddie stood up from her seat and waved her hand. That was the signal that she was about to retire to her private study.

Two maidservants immediately followed her.

And so, normalcy returned to the saint’s palace once again…and I hope.

“Why did Her Holiness allow a boy to live here?”

“Ugh…boys are natural-born perverts. Isn’t Her Holiness in danger with him around?”

“Of all that can be summoned, why is it a boy?”

Oi, I can hear you guys. It won’t hurt if you try to keep your disapproval of me a little more discreet, you know?

The maids went on grumbling, muttering, and backstabbing me. Some even threw me sharp stares from head to toe. Though officially neutral, the paladins glared as if they were memorizing my facial features. It felt like I was a criminal being taken in for mugshots, which made my desire to return to my world much stronger. But the saint had made it clear before that she couldn’t return me—

The way to do it doesn’t exist.

“Ah, Kuro!” Someone tapped on my shoulder; it was the Head Maid who saved me before. I think her name’s uh…err…

“Seems like your face is telling me you forgot my name. I’m Lilyhaven Tamriel von Leese!”

“Ah, yes!” No wonder I forgot; it’s too long and complicated to say.

“Well, you can call me Lily.”

“Oh, Head Maid Lily, yes!”

“Anyway, are you okay, Kuro?” Lily asked. I guess she’s concerned about the maids’ loud disapproval of my presence being allowed by the saint to stay in this place.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’ll just ignore the murmurs.”

“Will you?” her eyes pleaded with her gentle voice, “Those girls are mischievous, but it’s only because they love and respect Her Holiness.”

“Yep, I understand their anger towards me. Oh, and Head Maid, by the way…” I bowed before her, “I haven’t thanked you for saving me before.”

“Nah, don’t mention it. Besides, you also saved me back then. Remember when you pushed me away and almost got killed by the magic spells?” she smiled and shook her hands, “I think we’re now equal.”

“I see…” If she puts it that way, I guess it’s all good. But still…

“Ah, anyway Kuro, you have something you want to do?”

“Err…I don’t think I have anything in my mind,” I admitted, “Well, I’d like to explore around this place if that’s possible…”

“Oh, then let me be your guide then!” Lily slightly pulled my arm towards her as she pointed in the direction she wanted us to go.

“Uh…I don’t want to disturb you, though.”

“Nah, it’s fine! I can leave my work to my subordinates, anyway.”

I don’t think that’s a good idea, Head Maid.

“So, shall we go on a tour then, Kuro?”

“Well, if you insist…”

“Alright! But first…” The Head Maid stretched her arms wide and smiled, “I welcome you to the Holy Palatial Gardens—the home of the Great Saint of Chersea!”

----------

According to what I’d gathered, the Holy Palatial Gardens was the most sacred place in the continent of Chersea…well, at least for humans. The saint’s official residence was here, akin to the Pope’s Vatican City back on Earth. However, if there were priests and nuns in the Vatican, they only allowed females inside this place for a long time.

“Well, you’re an exception Kuro,” Lily explained as we walked along the pathways, “Her Holiness feels responsible for summoning you, so she’d like to see that you’re able to adapt to your new environment at least.”

I guess the saint’s holy title isn’t just for a show.

“Just don’t tell everyone that she summoned you. In this place, only Her Holiness and I knew about it,” she winked at me.

“O-Okay?” To avoid questions and explanations, the saint introduced me to her servants as an ambassador from a faraway land. Honestly, I don’t mind if others learn about my ‘otherworldly’ background. But Her Holiness insisted I hide it, ‘or there could be unnecessary complications.’

Well, I’ll just let it go for now. As long as they are helping me, I will have nothing to complain about.

With the misunderstanding about my sudden appearance cleared, this was an excellent time to explore this world. And for that, I was glad that the Head Maid offered her expertise.

“This place is huge…”

“Yes, the Holy Palatial Gardens is small compared to other human kingdoms, but we’re still bigger than the greatest human city in Chersea,” the Head Maid narrated.

Well, that’s what she said. If I may compare it to a place back on Earth, I’d say it’s almost the size of a small city. Thick stone walls with moss surrounded the entire vicinity, interrupted by several great stone towers garrisoned by the well-equipped female guards, which they called ‘paladins.’

“Err…Head Maid, I’ve been wanting to ask about that colossal building over there,” I was referring to that massive domed structure that we could see a few kilometers away from the walls, “It looks like a church to me.”

“It is!” the Head Maid happily chirped, “It’s called the Saint’s Cathedral, and it is the largest and grandest human church in all of Chersea. Want to come and check it out?”

“Yes, please.”

After touring the walls, we immediately headed straight to the Saint’s Cathedral. I was amazed by the sheer size of the building, especially from the inside.

It’s like I’m in another world…

“This church can comfortably accommodate around 150,000 worshippers in one service!” the Head Maid proudly added that trivia.

Whoa! Back on Earth, I knew that the most prominent church—the Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican—could only accept 60,000 people. But this Saint’s Cathedral was of another magnitude…

Impressive.

The walls, pillars, and ceilings of the Cathedral were richly ornamented with colored bas-reliefs and paintings of…I guess those were scenes from their religion? Figures of horned men (I think they’re demons) fighting against armored knights and men-at-arms dominated the artworks. They were bloody paintings, I’d say…both in quality and in appearance. Some were about the daily life of Cherseans, like farming, fishing, and even feasting…

“…”

However, what caught my attention was that guy that always appeared at the top of the murals.

“Ah…looks like the Almighty Lord Gaius caught your attention, Kuro?”

“Lord Gaius?”

“It is said that he’s the god of this land,” the Head Maid shared, “I know little about history, but when Lord Gaius abandoned his divinity, he passed his powers to the Saints.”

“Abandoned? As in, he’s not god anymore? Why?” Hearing that from her made something within me turned on. See, I love history and the legends and myths surrounding it, so I couldn’t help but be curious about what she said.

However, the Head Maid shrugged, “Well, the Lord Gaius can decide on whatever he wants. Who knows what he was thinking when he stepped down from his divinity? We don’t have the answers.”

----------

The Head Maid took me behind the Saint’s Cathedral to a more familiar building for our next itinerary.

“Well, that is the Holy Chambers palace,” the Head Maid gently grabbed my head and turned it towards where she wanted me to look; I was still deeply thinking about our conversation about Lord Gaius. “This is where Her Holiness lives and receives her dignitaries. If you remember, here is where you got summoned, Kuro.”

Yes, I recalled. However, I panicked back then and didn’t have time to appreciate this palace’s size. Compared to the Saint’s Cathedral, the Holy Chambers were smaller—if I reckon, about twice smaller than the former’s size. The main palace building was five stories high, with four three-level ‘wings’ extending into the four cardinal directions.

“This wide place in front of the Holy Chambers where we stand right now is the Courtyard,” the Head Maid pointed out, “Visitors often pass through here if they seek an audience with Her Holiness. And this is where we met for the first time.”

This is where I fell from the second floor, huh?

Then the Head Maid turned our attention to that castle-like structure to the left of the courtyard, “That one’s we call the Palatial Armory. It serves as the barracks for Her Holiness’ guards—the Paladin Corps. Back in the old times, that place served as a bastion of defense against invading demon armies.”

“I see…” the paintings from the Cathedral flashed through my mind once again. I guess this place has its share of demon invasions, eh?

“I’d like to introduce you to the head of the guards, but apparently, she’s away for an errand from Her Holiness herself,” she added, “Now if you’ll look over there…”

I followed her in the direction she suggested. A four-story building stood there, with much simpler decorations than the rest, except the Palatial Armory.

“That’s our quarters. We simply call it the ‘Servants’ Quarters’.”

“Oh, so that’s the place where you guys stay?”

“Yep.”

I better keep off from that area, then.

The Head Maid continued, “If you don’t know yet, Her Holiness’ household has different departments and responsibilities assigned to each servant, like the Kitchen Department, Laundry Department, Cleaning Department, or so on. As the Head Maid, I am the overall person in charge of the daily upkeep of this place.”

So, she’s a big shot here, I reckon.

“Anyway, look this way, Kuro!” the Head Maid said, pulling me to the other side of the courtyard, where another massive six-level building was located.

“That is?”

“I presume you love reading, Kuro?” the Head Maid took a deep breath before asking, as if she were excited to bring me here. Yep, you’re currently looking at the Saint’s Library. Inside is a vast collection of various literary works, from simple cooking books to dangerous forbidden tomes of magic. It is one of the three great repositories of all written books in Chersea.”

“Oooh…” Honestly, that information fascinated me. I could feel my blood tingle at the mere mention of books; I was a bookworm back on Earth.

“Well, you can access most of the books in there anytime. For the more restricted sections, you’ll need permission from Her Holiness herself.”

You got it. I’ll keep that in mind.

The Head Maid continued our tour around the Holy Palatial Gardens until we covered everything—from the multitudes of souvenir shops and guest houses to the equally opulent animal stables. She even showed me the various gardens and fountains maintained by Her Holiness’ zealous servants.

That tour was interesting, though it exhausted me before it even ended.

“…”

“So, there you have it, Kuro!” the Head Maid offered me something to drink as we rested in the palace kitchen, “I hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did.”

Though tired, I smiled at her, “Yes, thanks for making time for me.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it!” she patted my head, then whispered, “If it’s you, I can always find the time.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing,” she quickly retorted and continued, “You know, if you run into trouble, you can always tell it to me. I’ll be glad to be of service!”

“Ah, thanks!”

The Head Maid’s kind; I’m happy I became friends with her first.

----------

Anyway, since they allowed me to stay in one guesthouse for free, I decided to help with the maintenance at least. I asked the Head Maid if she had anything for me to do. I thought I could contribute something as a guy.

“Hmm…I guess you could help sweep the pathways in this area,” the Head Maid pointed at her map. Some of the fallen leaves are being scattered by the wind. The broom is over there.”

After giving me further instructions, I went to my area of responsibility and began cleaning.

As of this moment, there were no visitors since it was time for the saint to rest. The pathways were virtually empty, save for the occasional pair of patrolling guards or a group of maids coming back and forth, minding their businesses.

“…”

Hmm…I thought I had swept this place clean enough earlier. However, why does it seem like I have done nothing at all?

“…”

Oh…, it looks like I already know the source of the problem.

I saw a maid coming over from the other end of the pathway and dumping dried leaves on the spot where I just cleaned. And then she went away. I thought it was just one isolated incident, but another maid appeared and did the same.

And another.

And another…

And another—

“Oi. What’s the big idea?” I was a little pissed, but I took the diplomatic course. I knew it would not do well for me to annoy someone in this place, not only because I was a stranger to them, but also because I was unable to fight their magic spells.

“Hiii!” the maid almost jumped in surprise, “I swear I didn’t want to do this! Big sis ordered me to!”

“‘Big sis’? From what department are you?” I asked. Since they organized the maids into different departments, my hunches told me that this ‘Big sis’ was the leader of this maid’s department.

“Like I’ll tell you!”

Oh yeah, you’re doing something nasty. Of course, you will reveal nothing about your stupid plans.

“I’m sorry, but please don’t talk to me!” After dumping her load of trash, she hurried away and disappeared. I couldn’t even get angry because everything was so sudden.

However, at least I know someone is working behind the scenes to expel me here.

“Well, it’s not like I want to stay here forever as well…”

Honestly, it’s not easy to adjust to a new world…much more when almost everyone hates you.

“Hey Kuro, how’s the cleaning going?”

“!!!”

“I’m sorry. Did I startle you?” It’s the Head Maid.

“Haha…” I took a deep breath, “Please don’t just appear behind me like that, Head Maid!”

“Sorry, I just passed by. Anyway, anything wrong? You seem to take long at cleaning.”

“Ah, it’s going well,” I replied. I considered telling her about that maid earlier, but eventually relented. I never wanted to get into trouble with the people I’d be working with for some time by ratting out on them. And I’m an adult, anyway; fighting kids for trivial matters was foolish.

“I see,” the Head Maid nodded, “Well if you’re done, you may take your break.”

“Alright. Thanks!”

And I was alone again. Looking at the large piles of fallen leaves that those maids dumped disheartened me.

However…

“I guess I should continue doing this instead of whining.” With that, I went ahead with my chores.

----------

In between breaks—and there were many since there were thousands of servants working here—I would go to the Saint’s Library and read books occasionally. Because I was new, I needed to learn about this world I was currently in, and this library was a better place to start.

Considering this was a foreign land, I was surprised that I could read and converse normally with the people here. Generally, when one arrives in another country, they spend time and resources in learning the local language.

“…”

My summoning may be related to the non-existent language barrier. I guess that’s something to be thankful for…

“!!!”

Something hit me on the head. Though not that painful, it’s still annoying. I turned around to see a thin book on the floor. I knew someone threw it at me and quickly hid themselves to make me look stupid.

Ha! That’s typical bullying. Of course, I was already a grown-up adult, having lived for 25 years. Such a childish display would not affect me.

“!!!”

Another book hit me from behind my head. Picking up the poor thing, I didn’t even flinch.

Ha! Try harder.

“!!!” And another. Harder.

And another…

“For fuck’s sake, what the hell do you want?” I finally reached the boiling point so that I couldn’t help but shout. After all, it’s getting painful, being repeatedly whacked with several flying books on my head and my back.

“Err…I want a peaceful space for my reading pleasure, I guess?” My eyes almost popped out of their sockets when I saw the saint behind me.

“Uh…sorry,” I quickly apologized to her, but explained my actions.

“Well, yeah,” Her Holiness understood my predicament, “I was waiting for you to react violently; getting hit by those books is painful after all.”

If you already know something’s happening, why did you just watch, you stupid saint?

“Ahem. By the way, I can read minds.”

Sorry.

“It’s alright. By the way, I’m impressed that you can take a beating and be patient with it.”

“Well, almost. I got angry at the end, though.”

“Anyone would. But it took you some time before you exploded, so I’m impressed.”

To be honest, the sincerity of Her Holiness’s words made me happy—so happy that I didn’t know what to say other than, “Thanks, I guess. It seems like I gained that patience from my old-world job.”

“Which is?”

“I teach,” is as far as I remember about myself. Any more than that was a blank spot in my mind.

The saint’s eyes became round, but she had a cheerful expression. “You’re a scholar, then?”

“Nope. I’m more like a person who specializes in teaching,” I said, making some familiar gestures that I had made back in class. I look almost identical to a scholar, yet I’m not one. If I remember, my work is a ‘teacher’.

“I see…” Her Holiness nodded, “So that’s why the library attracted you, huh? Intelligence is indeed a good thing. Well, since you’re something like a scholar, would you want permission to bring out the books here? Just don’t forget to return them when you’re done.”

“Ah! Thank you, Your Holiness!” That offer was helpful to me; aside from the fact that I could finish them faster when I was taking a break, bringing books to my room gave me a safe place to indulge in reading.

“Anyway,” the saint laughed softly, “looks like those kinds of books got attached to you, huh?”

My heart froze when I saw the titles of the books that were thrown at me: ‘A Treatise on Bed Pleasures,’ ‘How to Make Your Partner Happy in Bed,’ ‘Magic Spells on Increasing Sexual Potency,’ and other dubious titles about ‘that.’

“Don’t worry,” Her Holiness smirked, “It’s pretty normal; you’re a boy after all.”

Someone’s bent on making me look like a rabid pervert.

“You aren’t?” she read my mind again.

“I’m not!” I snapped at her. Well, to be more precise, I am. But I put my urges in their proper place.

By the way, what I was reading back then was ‘The Basic Principles of Magic.’

----------

“Is everything alright Kuro?”

“Err…yes, I guess? By the way Head Maid…”

“Hm?”

“Why are you here?”

“Oh!” the Head Maid quickly composed herself. She suddenly came rushing to the library, crashing through the doors, “W-well, I just passed by. And then I heard you suddenly shout earlier. But then I saw you talking with Her Holiness, so I didn’t dare to disturb you…”

“Ah, I see…” Wait—don’t you have something else to do?

“I’m cleaning outside the library.”

“Oh…”

“Well, about why you shouted earlier, was there anything wrong?”

“Nothing. Just a couple of flying books hitting my head.”

“Ha?” the Head Maid grabbed my head and shuffled my hair as if looking for something, “You didn’t injure yourself, right? Let me see!”

“I’m fine, I’m fine! I got a thick skull after all.”

“Right!” she sighed with relief, “It’s nice to hear that!”

“Haha…you’re kind, Head Maid,” I laughed softly, “If I may put it this way, you’re my angel in this strange world!”

“Oh…thank you!” I didn’t notice it, but the Head Maid’s face was red, “Err…uhm, K-Kuro…”

“Yep?”

“W-would you l-like to h-have something to e-eat?”

Now that she mentioned it, I was getting hungry. Well, I guess it’s time for me to stop reading and head to the kitchen to grab a meal.

----------

And so, the moment came when I had to sleep. Even though there was still light outside after I ate, I was exhausted. Since it looked like I had nothing else to do, I headed to my room and laid down to rest…

Haa…what a peaceful day…

Or so I thought.

“…”

Of course, I wouldn’t be able to sleep if there were spikes on my bed, and it must be the maids who put those there.

I guess I had no other choice…

I carefully removed those spikes, and I went to sleep once I ensured my bed was safe.

----------

The next thing I knew, I was disturbed from my slumber the moment I heard the door of my room creak open. With half-open eyes, I checked on who had gone inside…

“…”

And yes, my suspicions are on track; it’s no other than the stupid maids.

“Hey, is that guy sleeping?”

“I’m sure he is. I put some sleeping powder on his food earlier.”

Ah, that’s why I felt lethargic earlier: they spiked my food. Since I wanted to know what they would do next, I kept pretending to be asleep. Maybe that sleeping powder wasn’t that effective; I woke up after all.

“So, what should we do?”

“Big sis wants to throw him away outside the Holy Palatial Gardens. Help me tie him up so we can drag him later.”

“What if he wakes up?”

“Put this cloth in his mouth so he can’t make a noise.”

So, the nervous maid headed over to the other side of my bed to put a gag on me. Her companion tied a rope around my feet to prevent me from doing something. Just as they were working…

“Hey.”

“Kyaaaaa!”

With their mission busted, the pair quickly dashed towards the door. Though I had let those incidents go in the past, this time, I decided I wouldn’t let them run. I lunged forward and caught the foot of the nervous maid. She fell face-flat on the floor, prompting her companion to attack me to free her.

“Let her go, you pervert!”

I got scratched and kicked on my face, and they stepped upon my hands, so I had to let go of the foot. And with that, the maids escaped.

----------

“Her Holiness had commanded us never to hurt this man,” the Head Maid said, the irritation in her voice apparent as she called an emergency meeting of all the maids at the Holy Chamber’s courtyard. The patrolling guards heard the commotion in my room and rushed to check it.

Of course, I had to explain everything, and they reported it to the Head Maid.

“So, it is my prerogative to know who planned the attack in his room,” the Head Maid said, turning to me and showing everyone my injuries. “As you can see, his face had bruises, and his hand suffered wounds. Because of your insolence, it disturbed Her Holiness from her rest and had to come and heal him. Do you understand what you have just done?”

No one from the maids dared to answer. The atmosphere was thick and suffocating, and everyone hid their friends’ deeds. But everyone knew that interrupting the saint’s sleep for something as stupid as this was not a trivial offense.

“Ah, everyone! Her Holiness has arrived!”

Everyone bowed down before the saint, who was wearing her sleeping dress, and didn’t hide her annoyance at what happened. Of course, not wishing to stand out, I also joined the bowing crowd.

“Head Maid,” the Saint spoke, “if I may add as well, Kuro got repeatedly hit with books earlier in the library. This is contrary to what I ordered.”

“What?” the Head Maid was red, and her voice was heavy and stern, “You didn’t tell me about this, Kuro.”

“Ah…I forgot.” Well, of course, I didn’t forget. But I never wanted further trouble for something so childish, so I said nothing.

“Yep, Kuro wanted to keep it to himself because he didn’t want trouble,” the saint read my mind and broadcasted my thoughts to everyone.

This girl…

“I hate liars,” the Head Maid muttered, but I heard it anyway. My chest was heavy, and I averted my gaze from her.

“Well, Head Maid,” Her Holiness sat on the garden chair in front of everyone as she talked, “Why don’t we ask Kuro for the identity of those unruly maids who dared to violate my order.”

“Kuh…”,

The eyes of the people in the courtyard immediately fell on me. To be honest, from where I stood, I could adequately tell who among them had attacked me in my room. Deep inside, there’s a triumphant feeling welling up that’s saying…

Time for revenge, fuckers!

However, there’s something that’s bugging my mind…

“Uh…Her Holiness…”

“Yes, Kuro?”

“If I identified my attackers, what will you do to them?”

“Punish them of course.”

“Like?”

“Remove them from their work. Their entire department,” she casually said, along with the light waving of her hand, “The leader should be responsible for the misconduct of her subordinates.”

Man, that’s harsh.

But now that I think of it, it’s almost the same on Earth. Companies would dismiss their employees for not following instructions, or in the worst cases, they would get fired because they were not well-liked by their peers and bosses.

No matter what world you are in, the principles are the same, huh?

Oh well, it’s how society worked.

----------

“Uh…are you sure of your report, Kuro?” the Head Maid asked me with a doubtful stare.

“Yep.”

“Then what about the story you told the guards earlier?”

“It’s a lie.”

I heard her sigh, “Though I know this is quite hard to believe—you doing some strange exercise before going to bed and ended up injuring yourself, I guess we’ll stop with our investigation for now. However, I will still look into those flying books at the library.”

“Sure,” I replied. My eyes went towards where Her Holiness sat. I knew she could read my mind, but she remained silent as I told those lies to the Head Maid.

“…”

Her face had the ‘I-know-what-you-just-did’ expression. Yep, she read my mind.

The Head Maid dismissed the entire servant staff, having yet to identify anyone. If you think I was being a good person, I was not. It’s just a strategy of putting out a small fire before it gets too large. Imagine if I identified my attackers and they got dismissed. The other maids would be afraid, of course. But will it be enough to stop them if they hate me that much?

I didn’t want to create a living hell out of my potential workplace. These girls are fanatics!

“…”

Well, I guess the trouble’s dead for now, so I think I’d return to my room.

“If you’ll excuse me…” I went on my way back.

“Kuro,” it was the saint. She had a nasty grin, “I guess I’m wrong about you being boring; what you did is interesting.”

“Uhh…thanks, I guess,” I replied curtly, not wishing to talk to anyone right now.

This is stupid.