"Have you stopped crying, boy?" the duke asks me with a smile on his face.
"Yes, my duke. Elves are very beautiful, but surely there are other women in this world."
"Oh, yes there are! There are beautiful semi-humans, boy, some with bunny ears and others with a crocodile's tail. And how beautiful they are. Personally, I find the bunny girls more attractive"and he laughs. "They are very cute. If you win the great tournament of Endomyar, I'll arrange for you to have access to a bunny girl, or, who knows, an elf"and he winks at me with his right eye.
"Father, what kind of perverted behavior is this?" the girl with blood-red hair asks angrily, and because of this the temperature in the stable drops. Even the horses that were eating and neighing stopped quietly upon hearing the girl's cold voice.
"Oh, my daughter, why are you so upset with your old man?nYou know what, I'm sorry, you can leave, everyone can, except the slave and Delluzio. You're coming with me through that portal."
"That's the problem, father! As soon as something goes wrong, you use your authority!"
Use authority? He's a duke, if using authority is bad, then everyone with a little power is a vile being deserving of ultimate condemnation, that thing called death! And that didn't make sense, after all, authority exists to maintain respect and standardization in society, the unequal equality of society, and the well-being of all.
A leader's work is important on a level you can't ignore. So it didn't make sense for this red-haired girl to speak to her father, the leader of this land, like that.
If I raised my voice to my mother or father the way she raised her voice to her father, I'd get, at the very least, a slap in the face or a slipper or a belt.
Now I know what the three sisters' flaws are: Ana is sadistic, Ariny is proud, and... What was her name? It was... forget it, I don't want to know. Anyway, that girl's flaw was her arrogance. And from what I've heard, "arrogance always comes before a fall." I don't know who said it, when they said it, or how they said it, but I know that person is right; my uncle Kai had the same problem.
"I. Said. Everyone. Except. The slave. And Delluzio. Can. Leave. Now" The duke proclaims, trying to contain his anger." I love you very much, my daughter, but I don't want to have to educate you here in front of the slave. I hate raising my voice unnecessarily. Go to your room and stop being spoiled! It's a good thing I have at least one son with a brain, since you, my daughters, are too stupid to know how to be normal. Besides, if it weren't for my perverted mind, you probably wouldn't exist, Sara." If the atmosphere was already cold and uncomfortable before, now it's become tremendously worse. And from what I heard, the girl's mother was already dead...
The three of them leave the room on the verge of tears.
They were humiliated in a very direct way, but the one who was most humiliated was Sara. And I don't judge the duke for the choice of words he decided to use to make Sara behave, but I have to say that even I felt a little bad for the girl, and she wasn't entirely wrong; a duke shouldn't be talking about women as if they were Pokémon being caught in front of his subjects. As a man, I understand that he only acted this way to lighten the mood, but it didn't lighten it...
I apologize for you having to watch this garbage" the duke states. "She always acts like this on the day of her mother's death. I hope you understand, and also, don't mess with her on her mother's birthday."
"Yes, my duke, don't worry, I don't plan to bother Miss Sara in any way."
"Miss Sara?" the duke asks with a smile on his face while scratching his platinum blue head. Now that I think about it, Ariny is the only one who resembles her father, in the way she speaks and her handsome appearance. "You're the first slave to call my little girl 'Miss,' you know? And there's a reason for that. When you call a lady by her name, she interprets it as respect, but you need to be of the same social standing to do so. And when you use 'Miss' before her name, she interprets it as love, so be careful, young man. By the way, what's your name, boy…"
"Ethan, my duke; and I will be careful in how I speak and call the girls, but… how should I address them?"
Ethan, my dear, notice that I used "my dear" and not "slave," and he winks at me" call them madam, except Ana, just call her Ana, she'll like it. And Ariny, she likes to feel young, if you want, just call her Ariny, or Ary, that is, if she doesn't stab you in the head with a knife. Ha-ha-ha-ha!!
"Stick you in the head with a knife" doesn't sound very pleasant, and what scares me most is the fact that I don't doubt it could happen.
"Yes, my du…" But before I could continue, the duke…
He interrupts me.
"Ethan, my boy, unless there's someone important present, like the king or a nobleman, call me Andy." He turns and points to Delluzio. "Although this little guy here is a great knight, you don't need to use honorifics with him either, call him by his name, without sir or knight.
"Yes..." I pause for a moment to think whether I should do what the duke asked or whether I should continue to call him duke. I was more inclined towards the second option, but there was something that prevented me from doing it. "Andy!" I finish.
"Very well.... Do you know why I called you here today, Ethan?"
"To enter the portal and defeat monsters?"
"Oh, boy, no! You barely know how to use a sword. I called you here because you are Macano's chosen one, and, as such, you need to answer the questions from the other world..."
"Questions from the other world?"
"Yes, boy, questions from the other world. When you enter a portal, you leave this layer of existence and enter another, with monsters and suicidal missions. The only way to leave this layer or different world is to complete the other world's mission. Since you've never entered a portal, Delluzio and I will go with you to protect you, and all you have to do is answer the god's questions."
"Will he appear? The Macano?"
"Yes, but you won't see him. Now, get up and put on the armor. I'll speak to a maid to prepare my daughters and you to go to Derylini school."
"Okay, Andy." And I put on the armor Andy left at the foot of a black horse. The armor, unlike Delluzio's, was snow-white, simple, and didn't have the white tiger symbol in platinum.
After a few seconds, Andy returns and we quickly enter the dark blue portal.
I was trembling with fear and awe; entering a portal to another layer of existence wasn't something I was used to doing.
No matter how clever the machines are, even they didn't have that capability. Entering the portal was like opening a door and going in; there was nothing special, and that irritated me quite a bit, since I was expecting something more... extraordinary.
As I stepped onto the vast, white, sandy terrain, as infinite as it was, I saw... nothing. For some strange reason, there were no monsters, and Andy seemed happy about it.
"Where are the monsters?" I asked, trying to unfocus my vision. I needed sunglasses; despite the world, the second layer of existence, being completely white with no visible objects, I could only keep my vision focused for a short time. If the two suns of Endomyar with the red and purple sky around them bothered me, then this starless white sky made me want to tear my eyes out.
"It's not common to have monsters on a Chosen One's first try; in fact, it was impossible until Macano chose me about fifteen years ago and made me defeat a demon. Since that was the only time a Chosen One had to defeat monsters on their first try, and I was Macano's only Chosen One, I thought maybe he would do the same for you."
"So what do I need to do?"
"Come!" Surprisingly, Delluzio opens his mouth for the first time in centuries. "Walk until you find two doors, with a question between them."
"Okay..."
"Well, Ethan, since there are no monsters and you only need to answer a few questions, we'll leave. When you exit the portal, you'll speak to a maid, and she'll take you to a carriage to go to school with them or wait for us. Treat Ariny and Sara with respect, and regarding Ana... do what she asks, just don't get her pregnant or anything like that, please."
"So, but... when will we see each other again, Andy?" I ask, my voice filled with concern. The man reminded me of my father before he died, from the way he speaks to the way he thinks and jokes. I wanted him to stay and teach me how to use a sword, or how to pick up women.
I almost called him father.
"Oh, my boy, don't be a princess!" and he laughs. "I'm going south to deal with a horde of monsters in the forest. Don't worry, I won't die, they call me a hero, boy, and I like to think there's a reason for that. At the end of your first year at the academy, we'll see each other again at the tournament that follows, and if you win the tournament and defeat the prince, I'll give you a great gift, with pointed ears." And before I could comment on what he said at the end of his speech, he leaves this layer of reality through the round blue portal.
I finally start walking. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk." And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk. And I walk.
Until I finally find the two doors that Andy had spoken of. Near the doors, in the...
Beneath them, I could see several flowers with diamond petals; I steal a few.
I hate to reinforce the stereotype that Black people steal, but I'm not Black anymore, so I guess there's no harm in taking a few more.
I look at the plaque between the two doors; the left one was as black as coal, and the right one as white as snow; there was nothing written on them, and I read: "Answer the question — Do you consider yourself Denis or Ethan? If you consider yourself Denis, enter the left door, but if you consider yourself Ethan, enter the right."
That question was… uncomfortable.
I am Denis, but I died as Denis, and I was reborn in this body that isn't mine, so does that make me Ethan, or do I remain Denis? As I said, this body wasn't mine, and I know nothing about the person who had this body before, so what am I? I can't be a hybrid; I know nothing about this person whose body I stole.
Oh, wait, that's exactly what I am. I am a greedy thief with a perversion for beautiful elves, and I stole a body. A BODY!!!
Anyway, why do I think about it so much? This new life of mine isn't mine, it's Ethan's, and I am Ethan, so... And I enter the door on the right.
Fortunately, when I exit the right door, I come across two more doors.
The left one was black and the right one white. This time, the diamond flowers at the bottom of the doors, stuck to the white sand and earth, had doubled. Being the honest person I am, I pick a few and stuff them into the only pocket the armor Andy gave me allowed.
This time it was written: "Would you be willing to seduce women who look at you with disgust (the chosen ones of the gods) in order for one of your desires to come true?"
I enter the right one.
From what I understand, the left means no, and the right yes. I am willing to do anything to bring Julia from Earth to here. And if I don't succeed, I'm also willing to do anything to have a harem full of beautiful elves.
This time, the flowers multiplied by three, and since I no longer had room in my pocket, I decided to leave the flowers in their proper place. The sign read: "And men...?"
No!
And I enter through the left.
That seemed to be the last question, and I say this because there were no more diamond flowers and both doors were gray.
The sign stated a condition without a consequence: "If you ever meet someone like you, but with different ideals and an almost identical mission, but with a different ending," And the condition ended there.
, for some reason, was extremely tired, so I enter through the left door and don't think about it anymore. When I exit the portal, I notice that in my left hand, I was wielding the sword Andy gave me and in my right the decapitated head of a green humanoid monster, with two tusks sticking out like an elephant. The sword was bloodied, and blood dripped from it and the orc's head onto the sandy floor of the stable. Ana blushed before me, Ariny trembled, and Sara vomited on a maid.
Fortunately, the only person I cared about in this place looked at me with a smile and nodded.
From what I understood, those questions were asked by the god of life and death himself. And they were asked with a purpose. So if I seduce the chosen ones of the gods, even if they hate me, then I will get a wish granted. Maybe I should start with her... And I calmly looked at the beautiful, spoiled girl with blood-red hair as she vomited.
I was sure she was vomiting because of me and not because of the orc's head I was carrying in my right hand. Besides, is that even an orc? What if it is a goblin?
And it was at that moment that I remembered that I was now in a magical world, and in a magical world, anything was possible. And if I needed information, I could just go to some magical library at the academy of... Deryryry? Derilyli? No, I think it was Derylini or something like that. Before I start thinking about elves, seduction, and chosen ones of gods, maybe I should stop for a few minutes to train my memory.
"Ethan, are you ready to embark on this quest and conquer a beautiful elf?"
"Yes, my duke!" I decided to go back to using honorifics; after all, the girls were present, and from what little I know of them, I'm almost certain they wouldn't react well if I called him Andy.
"Are you ready to be a strong man, like me, capable of moving mountains and saving beautiful ladies from furious dragons spitting pure lava?"
"Yes, my duke!!" I replied with more enthusiasm in my voice. The way Andy spoke was motivating; it was good to hear the man.
"And you are, too, ready to become one of us, noble! With a kind heart and a powerful hand, capable of cutting down the worst of enemies and evildoers?"
"Yes, my duke!!!"
"Then, my boy, know that you have my respect. You will be a great man in the future, and I..."
"I hope to see you here in a few years to take one of my daughters or help me in a battle against the damned Aryster! You, today, on the day my first wife died, are one of us. Now, take this seal and take my daughters to Derylini safely. Besides my respect, you have my trust!"
And so, I grasp the family seal and shout to the heavens.
"Yes, my duke. I will become great and strong enough to have the right to call you by your first name, I will become great and strong enough to take the hand of one of your daughters, and finally I will become great and strong enough to fight in the war by your side. The great duke has my respect and adoration."