Welcome back, my dear readers! Sorry for my absence; I have been suffering from a bit of writer's block. Thankfully, I am back on track with all of the current projects, though, in the case of the reboot of the Fafnir Knight, I am asking for a little more patience. The reboot had been coming along great, especially after I got over the writer's block. But there is still more work that's needed before I am entirely finished. That being said, I am absolutely excited to show you the end results because of all of the new stuff I got to add.

Now on the main event here. I see that we have season two of this series currently airing, so we might get an influx of new readers and fics. That being said, I am watching to make a note of some of my future plans. (Trust me, I'm already making a bunch of changes.)

That being said, this is the chapter I had been waiting for to finally give the story something fresh that will hopefully blend well with this version of the universe.

Finally, I would like to note that I did go back fix a bunch of minor mistakes that somehow slipped past me in all of the previous chapters that somehow spilled passed me that first time around. This should make re-reads much better. Now with all of that covered, please, enjoy the chapter!


In Another World With My Smartphone: The Lost Hero

Chapter Ten: Encounter with the Scholar


"The very concept of history implies the scholar and the reader. Without a generation of civilized people to study history, to preserve its records, to absorb its lessons and relate them to its own problems, history, too, would lose its meaning."

-George F. Kennan


"Pain...so much...pain..."

"And so the cycle begins again..."

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...please...awake up, Alex..."

"Elze?"

"A new Hollow is born."

"What? What...who are you? What are you talking about?"

"I pray that you will awaken soon, Alex."

"Yae?"

"Yet, I wonder how you will fair when compared to the others who have lost their way?"

"Answer me, damn you!"

"I'll be by your side...no matter how long it takes..."

"Linze? Wait...are you mimicking their voices, you creepy fucker?! Show yourself!"

"In time, you will come to learn, young Hollow."

"Stop being cryptic and just give me a straight answer!"

"Seek the King...Seek the links to the past...Conqueror thyself... And maybe...you can break this curse..."

"Which king? What links? What curse? And what the fuck do you mean conqueror myself?"

"Hehehehe...We may meet one day...unless you lose your way."

"Lose my way?"

"Farewell...young Hollow."

"Hey! I'm not done talking here! Who are you!?"

CRASH!

Alexander Springfield awoke with a start as he heard large ocean waves crashing nearby. His vision, while blurry, detected the rays of a twilight sun. Dusk or dawn, he wasn't sure; what he was sure of was that he was somewhere new. As his blue eyes finally came into focus, the young man found himself lying on a hard wooden floor with nothing but an old ratty, moth-eaten rag to serve as a blanket for him. Thankfully, he was still fully clothed, so he at least had that going for him.

"Wha-where am I?" Alex said with a groggy voice, slowly sitting up to check his surroundings. It seemed to be a small shack made of ancient beach wood with several holes and no door that allowed the sunlight to peer through. His thoughts wandered to the last thing he could remember...which was healing Duchess Ellen. "Then how did I get here?"

"Oh, finally awake, are we?" said a sly feminine voice in amusement.

"What the hell?!" Alex quickly turned his head, expecting to find someone at the door, only to see a rather large and fluffy cat with bright blue eyes and a black and white coat. The boy blinked at the furry creature in confusion. "Am I hearing things?"

"Oh no, my dear young friend, you heard me correctly," the cat suddenly answered without moving its mouth, yet its face made it look quite amused.

"Holy shit!" Alex roared as he scrambled backward and bumped into the wooden wall opposite the fuzzy feline. "You can talk?!"

"My dear, considering what you've been through, is a talking cat really so out of place?" The creature replied with a giggle as it lay on the floor like a loaf, yet its long bushy tail remained up, slowly swaying side to side.

"Yes...and no..." Alex answered honestly after taking a moment to breathe. Between his original world of Quirks, meeting the Almighty, and the new world. A talking cat seemed relatively tame by comparison. Yet, something about how this creature presented itself made every hair on Alex's body stand on end. One thing was for sure, this was not an ordinary cat, talking or otherwise. Then again, for he knew he could just be dreaming again. "Who...or what are you?"

"You may call me, Shalquoir," the cat answered with a purr. "Enchanté. As for what I am, well, my dear boy, for now, I am just a cat, nothing more. "

"Rrrright," said Alex as he slowly rose to his feet, only to note just how tiny this wooden hut truly was as his head almost touched the ceiling. From here, however, he could better understand the landscape outside, leaving him with more questions. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"This is the land where the Shades of Interlopers come when they are close to despair," Shalquoir said ominously as she rose to stand on her paws and slowly paced towards the door. "A land betwixt the realms. As for how you got here...well, to the best of my knowledge, you had another brush with death. It's quite common for Interlopers to arrive here once in a while, and considering how much harder it is to kill you again...given your experiences with death already."

'God did say that he boosted my stats...' Alex recalled what the Almighty had told him. 'Wait, Interlopers?'

He remembered the last time someone had referred to him as an Interloper. The Shadow in his nightmares. It wasn't hard to guess what the word meant, as God had confessed that plenty of others had taken the same deal as he did to live in new worlds. While it seemed that there were other beings outside of God who were aware of their existence and roles between worlds.

The question now what is this place, and how did this cat get into the mix of things?

"Interlopers, plural?" Alex questioned as he began to gingerly make his exit out of the hut, with Shalquoir following close behind him.

The American found himself in what could only be described as a long abandoned hamlet or village facing the edge of a rugged cliffside that led into a seemingly endless sea. Crumbling buildings, dead trees, and a random assortment of abandoned items littered the area. It was surrounded by several large mountains that seemed to isolate the town from the rest of the world. While the twilight of dusk gave the town an appropriately somber atmosphere that befitted its ruined state, while the fresh, decaying smell of salt water from the sea was strong in the air.

"This was a once vibrant little community," Shalquoir said quietly as she led Alex to the town's center. A massive hole seemed more like it was carved and constructed as it was too smooth to have been a natural sinkhole or another natural phenomenon. "Where Interlopers would gather from their various world to commune with one another. Often seeking wisdom or guidance from one another, especially since many would answer the call and play the role of Hero of their new homes. Often by choice, and yet a fair number of others found themselves thrust into the role instead."

'The role of the Hero...' Alex pondered as he glanced around the settlement. Occasionally he could have sworn to have seen an outline of a figure either standing or moving around. However, there were others, ones with more detail but still appeared transparent, that simply sat around, and while Alex couldn't see their faces. He could almost sense the hopelessness just from their body language. "So what exactly happened to this...community you spoke of? How did it end up like this?"

"Time," Shalquoir answered as she gently leaped on a small statue nearby the hole.

"Little by little, and bit by bit, many of your fellow Interlopers slowly fell into despair. Overwhelmed by the demands of their new lives or unable to reach their new goals as time continued to take what they held dear. One way or another, those who do not understand themselves will one day succumb to despair, and thus becoming powerful Hollows that haunt the realms."

"Hollows?" Alex questioned, remembering his earlier one-sided conversation with that strange voice before he had woken up. Regardless, he did not like the sound of that term. "What do you mean exactly?"

"Why...mortals could always become Hollow," Shalquoir explained cryptically with a breathy giggle that irked the young man. "But Interlopers whose true potential has been unlocked could use their Hollow nature to become very powerful indeed...but at a cost, of course."

"I...I don't get it," Alex followed up with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean by Mortals could always become Hollow? I don't have a clue what any of that means! Can't you just explain it to me?"

"Come now, boy," said Shalquoir with another laugh at his expense as the creature curbed her tail on the statue she stood on. "You seem brighter than the others that came before. Which isn't saying much for some of these poor souls. No matter what, one day, it should be made clear to you. After all, time marches on with or without you. Once you leave and return, you may have found the answer for yourself. And then you might just choose to stay here forever. Just like the ones who choose to remain here, unwilling to go Hollow in their worlds."

"I see..." Alex breathed out as his eyes wandered again to the outlines of other possible interlopers. There was only a handful at best, but Alex still wondered what this place was like in its heyday and how it could have done wrong. After all, surely the infinite amount of possible universes in the greater multiverse, there should, in theory, be a near-infinite amount of interlopers all going about their day...right? 'I just wonder...why God didn't tell me about any of this? Or is any of this even real? For all I know, I'm just having one hell of a dream.'

"So...how do I leave?" Alex questioned, hoping this was just a dream and needed to wake up.

"Try jumping," Shalquoir said with a laugh as she curled into a ball and looked at the giant hole. Alex gave the cat a sideways glance; on the one hand, he did find the creature both annoying and condescending. On the other hand, what other choice did he have? Then again, if it really was a dream, then does logic really apply?

Would he just wake up suddenly feeling like he had tripped or fallen?

"Before I go...can I take a look around?" Alex questioned, hoping to gain insight into some of the questions the cat wouldn't answer. Even if this was just a dream, given his...condition as an Otherworldly Transplant, these dreams or nightmares might just be part of the deal. It would make sense for God to put some kind of safeguard for those who might lose themselves with power like some of these Shades might have done.

"I don't see why not," the cat replied with a curious turn of her head. "This place belongs to the Interlopers like yourself. I am just a guest, curious to see what comes next."

"I'd like to go alone if you don't mind," Alex added, trying to keep his voice from sounding stern.

"Implying that I wanted to follow you?" Shalquoir retorted with another laugh as she hopped down the statue to literally roll on the grassy part of the ground. "My, my, someone has quite the ego. Then again, I haven't met an Interloper who didn't; it seems par for the course for an Interloper to think they are just so important."

Instead of retorting, suddenly embarrassed, Alex turned on his heel and began exploring this small settlement to his heart's content while escaping the cat's mocking laughter. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much to see; to Alex's disappointment, all of the buildings were dilapidated to varying degrees to the point that Alex was unwilling to risk seeing what might be inside. As the young man continued, he did find some broken stalls and ripped tents that barely clung together just outside of the central circle of buildings. Occasionally, he would see another Shade here and there, seemingly minding their own business, and would disappear if Alex attempted to speak or move closer to them.

Then there were the ones who just seemed...lost.

Some of the Shades simply sat in the shadows of the town with their heads down, while another lay under cover of one of the patchy tents in the fetal position. There were no words exchanged; however, it was as if Alex could almost sense the emotions these lost souls were feeling, just from their body language, feelings that he was all too familiar with both in his original world and the new one.

'I wonder...how they got like this...' Alex couldn't help but think as he felt so helpless to their suffering. If they genuinely were like him, individuals who died and were given another chance. He knew some of their pain from the loneliness linked to the painful memories of home. 'Then again...how many of them took their smartphone with them? At least I have something linking to my past life.'

Finally, unable to do anything, Alex continued his exploration. There wasn't much else to see, save for some kind of statue or monument built at the highest but stable point of the cliffside. The monument wasn't anything special, as all it seemed to be was some kind of obelisk with a plaque carved into the very stone. However, the plaque had been either been blank or whatever was once inscribed on it was long gone due to natural erosion, just like the rest of the strange town. The young man took a moment to look behind the statue and caught a glimpse into the endless sea with its waves constantly crashing against the cliffside.

"Despite how melancholic this place feels, the view is...beautiful," Alex said to himself as he took the time to appreciate the sight. That's when he noticed a path going up a small hill that went into the mountain itself. "I wonder what's up there?"

Ever curious, the American stepped off the memorial and up the newly discovered path along the cliff. As Alex went up the hill, he could get a better view of this strange little town of lost wandering souls and even spotted the vexing feline sunbathing nearby the hole in the town center. Given how little Alex had found in his short trip around town, it wouldn't be long until he would take the sly creature's advice to the plunge and hopefully...wake up from this strange dream.

'Are those...tombstones?' Alex wondered once he reached the top of the incline. Alex swallowed as he wondered now if it was possible to die here.

'I guess I could ask the cat when I'm done here...' Alex inhaled as he first looked at the biggest tombstone, which, while eroded as hell, still featured the design of a skull at the top. The American gently brushed the bits of sand and dirt to reveal the name to whom this gravestone was dedicated.

"Lord Momoga, Suzuki Satoru. The Last Master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and Ainz Ooal Gown. Well, that's one hell of a title..."

Ever the curious sort, Alex continued looking over the other graves finding that all of the names curiously seemed of Japanese origin. Yet held titles that seemed more common in medieval Europe than in feudal Japan.

"Suzuki Satoru, Takuma Sakamoto, Naofumi Iwatami, Hajime Nagumo, Yūto Suoh, Touya Mochizuki," Alex recited with a confused expression as he finished looking at the second to last grave. "All of these names are written in the Latin Alphabet. No kanji, and written in the Western style too...Is it just a coincidence, or were these all Japanese Interlopers? Well...there's one more grave to check."

Just like before, Alex carefully knelt and began brushing the debris that hid the name carved into the stone.

"HEY! WHO FUCKING PLAYING GAMES WITH ME?" Alex yelled out as he quickly stepped away from the marker. The adrenaline had kicked in as the shock of reading his own damn name was more than a little distressing and disturbing to American quickly searched the area, ready to throw hands at anyone who could have set up this rather cruel prank. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you asked, Alex didn't find a single soul.

'You know what? Fuck this place...Fuck this dead-ass town, fuck that cryptic-ass, creepy-ass voice, fuck that pretentious-ass cat. I'm fucking out...'

Alex stiffly made his way back down and back toward the center of town. He could see new Shades going hither and thither, seemingly exploring the village. May they also find other names along with their own when they reach the hill. Either way, Alex didn't care; he just wanted to leave this place and never return.

"Ready to go?"

Alex stopped just before the edge of the massive hole in the ground. He turned his head towards that damnable cat who was gently making her way toward him. It took everything in Alex's willpower not to kick the feline away. Instead, he managed to take a deep calming breath and look at the darkness that awaited him.

"Yeah...I just hope this works..."

"When you return, I hope you have answers to the questions you seek."

Alex turned to face the cat again, ready to tell it off. Yet, something about the cat's face and body language seemed, for the lack of a better word...sincere. Even her voice actually sounded more pleasant than pretentious or condescending. The creature sat up on its hind legs, tail curved to the side, while its blue eyes seemed to glow.

"Do I have to come back?"

"I cannot say for sure," Shalquoir answered with the slightest tilt of her head. "But if you do, you will be wiser."

"Good know..." said Alex with the mildest touch of sarcasm. "I guess until next time, then..."

"Until next time."

Alex looked back into the pit and took one last deep breath. It's not like this was his first time plunging into the unknown, after all! Only this time, instead of God, it was a cat in which he would have to put his faith in. With resolve in his heart and with nothing else left to lose, Alex took his greatest leap of faith yet. He didn't scream as gravity took hold of his body; he didn't close his eyes while he felt the pit of his stomach drop, and his balls began to clench as if he was going down a sharp roller coaster. All he did was fall deeper and deeper into the darkness, hoping that he would find his way back.


'It's changed again...' Linze wondered as she looked over Alex's strange device again.

The cylindrical symbol had gone from red to green, with the symbols going from 13% to 19% after the last hour or two. Again it seemed like a good sign that Alex was on the mend. As Linze tried the buttons again, this time, there was a new reaction. The black glass began to glow in a series of colorful patterns, the device itself seemed to rumble slightly, and finally, there was some kind of musical clime that played. As the music died down and the patterns froze, making strange images, the screen changed again to a new but surprising image.

'What in the world?'

The image was beyond lifelike, far more detailed than any painting she had ever seen. It was as if someone had taken a still out of time itself, while the picture was of Alex wearing some strange-looking clothes while standing next to a pretty woman with long sandy hair. The image was lined with different symbols that looked similar to the ones she had seen earlier, and there was even a tiny symbol that looked like the sun and the outline of a lock. Alex and the unknown woman were smiling wide, but something else stood out to Linze that was almost a little eerie.

'Why are Alex's eyes glowing?' Linze carefully turned her head to look at the sleeping boy again. For as long as she had known him, which wasn't long, admittedly, but Alex's blue eyes seemed just like any other's. However, considering that she couldn't see the woman's eyes as they were hidden behind a strange pair of black eyeglasses, for she knew it could have just been a trick of the light. 'How can she see with those on?'

Linze tried fiddling around with the device again, remembering that Alex could manipulate the device with just his fingers. However, as she tried to recreate the movements, she saw him both from the corner of her eyes. The glass would obscure the image, and a series of dots appeared instead. Confused, Linze tried touching the dots, which would do nothing except make them shake and create a new series of symbols hovering over them. Yet, unlike the previous marks, these ones looked vaguely familiar somehow. Linze tried the dots again, and the characters appeared again; Linze realized that they vague looked like letters from the Common Alphabet, albeit simplified.

'Wrong Pattern?' Linze was finally able to make out after a few tries. 'Was this how Alex learned to read Common?'

As Linze continued experimenting with the dots, she suddenly felt a jerk come from Alex's body, making her jump and drop the device in the sheets. Linze watched with her mouth agape as Alex began to stir awake. Slowly but surely, the young man's non-glowing but still bright blue eyes opened up. Relief began to spread through the young girl's heart and mind as she watched Alex sit up and blink his eyes in confusion.

"L-Linze? Is that yo—Oof!"

"You're awake!" The girl said with a sob as she threw herself to the young man, sending them back into the comfort of the bed. The poor girl couldn't help herself; she cried into his chest, happy beyond belief that he was finally awake. She felt the boy go stiff for a moment as her arms wrapped around him as tightly as she could while continuing to cry. There was the comfort of hearing his heartbeat normally. After a moment, Linze felt Alex's arms wrap around herself, his hands gently rubbing her back in reassurance. "You're awake...Alex...You're finally awake..."

"I'm...sorry for worrying you."

Linze looked up to see Alex's kind but sad smile. The boy gently began wiping the tears from her eyes with his right hand while his left continued caressing her back. Linze carefully shook her head, denying Alex's concerns. He was alive, and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. The silence that followed as Linze laid her head back on his chest bordered between comfort and awkwardness. The duo simply remained on the bed, resting in each other's arms as neither wanted to address how intimate their situation was. Every now and then, Alex or Linze would shift their bodies slightly. Each seeking a somewhat more comfortable angle and maybe taking a moment to explore the other for a moment or three. The former was surprised to discover just how soft the girl on top of him was. At the same time, the latter was more than a little surprised by the muscles she found that were typically hidden under the boy's clothing.

Suddenly, Alex let out a bit of a laugh as Linze brushed against the boy's stomach.

"Are you okay?" Linze asked with a blush, unable to look the boy in the face.

"Just thinking about...the weird dream I had while I was out," Alex managed to say hesitantly.

"Weird dream?"

"Yeah, it even had a talking cat," Alex followed up with a short laugh that was infectious enough to make Linze giggle a bit.

"A talking cat?"

"Yeah."

"Was it cute?"

"I guess? It was pretty damn fluffy, that's for sure...Hey, Linze?"

"Yes?" The girl followed as she turned to look at the boy's face.

"I really hate to say this, but could you please let me go?" Alex asked as he began looking a little strained. "I really need to use the restroom right about now."

"Oh!" was all Linze could say as she instantly got off the boy with a bright tomato-red face. "I'm so sorry!"

"No worries, no worries!" Alex quickly brushed Linze's fears aside, though little did she know about the relief the boy felt that he had managed to successfully hide the tent that slowly rising during their impromptu cuddle session. Finally, as Alex calmed down enough to return to normal, he slowly managed to get up to his feet, albeit with some difficulty.

"Hey, Linze?"

"Y-yes?"

"I'm sorry again, but can you please help me?" Alex said with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm still a little weak, and I have no idea where we are...let alone where the restroom is..."

"Oh! Right! I'll be glad to help you!" said Linze as she quickly hopped off the bed and carefully helped the young man to his feet.

While nowhere near as strong as her older sister, Linze still managed to support Alex's weight as they awkwardly walked toward the door. Thankfully a set of the Duke's servants were just stationed outside their room. The butler quickly assisted Alex the rest of the way to the privy. While the maid was on her way to inform the Duke that Alex had finally awakened. This simply left Linze to return to Alex's room and fix her mess while replacing Alex's device in the pocket of his pants where she had originally pulled it from.

"One day...I'll have the courage to ask him...and to tell him...how I really feel..."


'I should have known than to underestimate the boy considering his vast magical capabilities,' thought Alfred Ortlinde as he quickly walked down the hall and towards the guest chambers while trying to make an air of decorum to his servants. Cursing his busy schedule. According to Charlotte, he knew Alex could have awakened anytime between today and tomorrow at the latest. Still, the treatment had evidently been more potent than they had expected. Thankfully, his servants quickly followed his instructions and did their best to inform him immediately. However, the message had arrived a little over an hour later as he had been in a meeting at the King's palace when the runner came. 'Thankfully, Ellen will be able to cover for me now that the meeting is over.'

"How is he doing?" Alfred asked the butler who was stationed outside of Alex's room.

"He is still a little weak but in good spirits, Your Grace," the Butler answered with a bow as he relayed the remainder of his report. "Per your instructions, Sir Alexander had been treated with the best hospitality we can offer. He has taken a bath and had his clothes laundered. In addition, he was served a hearty meal upon request, per Master Willcraft's instructions."

"Is he alone?" Alfred questioned, hoping to catch the lad to speak to him privately.

"Indeed, Your Grace," said the Butler. "Ms. Silhoueska is currently in the privy, and while a message was also sent to the Viscount Swordrick's estate to inform Sir Alexander's remaining party members. They have not arrived yet."

"Excellent," Alfred responded with a proving nod before carefully opening the door and peeking his head in first. He found the young man reading a book about magic while the tray that once held his meal was set aside with the empty dishes set neatly. Though Alfred did note that Alex seemed deep in thought as his eyes scanned the book's text. Satisfied with what he saw, the Duke knocked on the door to get Alex's attention. "I do hope I am not interrupting you, my young friend."

"Oh, shi-Umm! Hello, umm...Your Gr-ace!" Alex stammered with a twitch as he was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts.

"At ease, my young friend," Alfred reassured the young man with a warm chuckle. "Please forgive me for scaring you."

"J-just caught off guard," Alex admitted with a laugh as he calmed down.

"Indeed! May I come in?"

"Oh, and umm...Of course! Please come in," Alex nodded and sat up straight while setting aside the book. "Oh, and umm...Thank you for your generous hospitality, Your Grace."

"Not at all, my young friend," said Alfred as he closed the door and drew up a chair. "It is the very least I can do for everything you have done for my family and me."

"Regardless, I do appreciate it," Alex responded as he motioned to his tray and comfortable bed. However, the young man's face turned from grateful to awkward. "So I am going to assume this isn't just a social call."

"What makes you say that?" Alfred asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Call it intuition," Alex answered apologetically, though his voice carried a confident edge. In reality, Alex had secretly used Long Sense to eavesdrop on the servants who had been gossiping while working nearby when he had been bathing and returned to his room. Then again, Alex also knew from experience and his studying his world's history that governments loved having powerful people on their payrolls. "So please, sir. With no offensive meant, let's be frank about what you would like from me."

"Very well," said the Duke after sitting up straight and taking a deep breath. "Let us get down to brass tacks then. Initially, I simply planned to give you and your party a handsome reward for your services thus far. However, now that I know the extent of your powers..."

"You would like to have my services full-time?" Alex finished up with a raised eyebrow.

"Ideally, yes," The Duke answered honestly. "However, I am not a fool, and knowing your powers, I fear there would be little we could do to stop you if you decided not to accept and go anywhere else."

'Good, he's aware that I have my limits,' Alex thought as he nodded along to the Duke's offer.

"Therefore, rather than having you pledged to my service," The Duke continued. "I was hoping to instead have you on retainment for special jobs that can use your talents-Nothing like assassinations or espionage, mind you!"

The Duke saw the look on Alex's face when the term special jobs was used and was quick to clarify.

"For example," the Duke started up again after clearing his throat. "Next month, we have two significant events occurring, and I believe that it might be tied to the attempted kidnapping of my daughter."

"Okay," Alex said with another nod as his interest was sparked. "Do you have a suspect?"

"Not yet," the Duke answered with a tired sigh; this would prove to be a stressful month to come. "What do you know about the Kingdom of Mismede, young Alexander?"

"Not much, honestly," Alex replied as he rattled his head about the nation to the south. "The only thing I know is that it largely consisted of a Demi-human population."

"Correct," the Duke is with a nod while crossing his arms. "However, the Kingdom of Mismede only formed about twenty years ago. During the reign of my father, the previous King of Belfast. Before then, Mismede was split into several small nations divided by the races."

"Was there some kind of unification war?"

"Our scouts and spies confirmed that there were skirmishes between each race's more-independent-minded groups," the Duke answered with another nod. "However, to our surprise, it was surprisingly peaceful and quite diplomatic compared to other nations. That said, while the Kingdom is formally united under its first High King: Jamukha, King of the Beastmen. It is more accurate to call Mismede a confederation, with each race still having its own monarch to represent them. While the High King is voted to serve as the nation's figurehead and leader in foreign affairs."

"That does make sense to have a more decentralized form of government to prevent one of the races from gaining an advantage over the others," Alex commented with an impressed nod. "But what does this have to do with the kidnapping attempt?"

"Before, during, and a brief time after the unification of Mismede," The Duke started up again as a look of shame appeared on his face. "We had a series of border clashes with the Demi-humans that bordered our lands. These clashes proved to be quite...devastating for both the people and the nobility of the South throughout the years. My father had...foolishly dragged us into a war with the Regulus Empire during that time and refused to answer the Southern lords' call for their defense. Even after the war was over...our coffers were left nearly empty. We couldn't afford even the chance of another war that could have been sparked if my father had launched a full retaliation against the raiders."

"So your father let the southern region of Belfast burn, huh?"

"He did..." Alfred said softly as a look of defeat appeared on his face. "Which only further fueled the hated that many already had for Demi-humans. When my brother took the throne eight years ago. He did his best to mend our relationship with the Southern lords. However, he also began the initial steps to begin a diplomatic relationship with Mismede. These steps have finally culminated into a sizable amount of Demi-humans immigrating here, and we are now we are expecting an envoy to begin negotiations for a formal treaty next month."

"Ah," Alex realized where there was going. "I'm going to assume that many important lords are coming to the negotiations for their own input on the treaty? Lords that might not be too happy with the deal to begin with because of a bloody past, huh? And given that you're the younger brother to the King, your input would be more sizable, right? Kidnapping your daughter hoping you would favor the kidnapper's demands does make sense."

"Correct," Alfred responded with a half-smile.

"Wait...you mentioned two events...yet you've only told me about the negotiations for the treaty," Alex noted as he placed his hand on his chin.

"Indeed," Alfred breathed out. "Considering that we should have most of the Great Lords in attendance for the treaty and considering how long the journey is for most of them. The King plans to host Crown Princess Yumina's engagement ball to find the Princess a future husband."

"Oh..." Alex let out as he realized what he meant. Even assuming this country doesn't practice Male-preference rulership, a Queen's consort could still be in a powerful position to influence policy. "Alright...but what exactly would you need from me?"

"In short, you might have foiled Sushie's kidnapping," said Alfred as he finally composed himself and fixed his coat. "However, if one or more of the Lords at the meeting was indeed responsible, they could have other insidious plans to influence or harm either event to go into their favor."

"In short, I'm your ace in the hole if anything goes wrong," said Alex as he pieced together what these possible jobs would entail.

"Indeed," Alfred admitted. "That being said, if by some chance I am proven wrong, and nothing goes awry. I will ensure that you are still generously compensated for your time."

"Well...I won't deny that any additional funds aren't welcomed," Alex commented as he thought about his future restaurant. "But...I have to admit...aren't you being a little too trusting of me? I mean, who's to say that with this information, I won't just sell my services to the highest bidder?"

"I have thought about that," Alfred confessed with a nod. "However, it was your party members that convinced me that you are nothing like that."

"Wait...what?" Alex said with a genuine look of surprise plastered on his face.

"Indeed," said Alfred with a now confident smile. "The girls are not difficult to read and spoke in earnest about your deeds and character. In short, unless you are all collectively pulling one of the greatest cons ever conceived. I believe I can trust you, which is why I'm offering you these vital jobs, not just for the sake of my family but for the continued peace of the realm and the world at large."

"Please," Alfred continued as he bowed his head towards the young man with his hands on his legs. "I humbly request your assistance."

"Alright," Alex said softly after a minute of thinking it over, though not without internally cursing his typical instincts. "I'll help you, sir."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, my young friend," said Alfred out of a sigh of sheer relief with a broad smile that formed on his face. "Now, regarding the de-"

Unfortunately for the Duke, the door slammed open, interrupting the two. Alfred and Alex turned to see an angry-looking Elze Silhoueska with Linze and Yae standing right behind her, mortified by the girl's stunt. Yet, before anyone could comment, Elze's face went from angry to tearful as her vision tunneled at the sight of Alex being awake. In an instant that would make you think she was using Boost, Linze threw herself into Alex's arms, tackling the boy down as she sobbed into his chest.

Alfred chuckled as he saw Alex was quick to comfort the girl who was practically begging for his forgiveness. Considering that he had gotten the most important part out of the way, Alfred was content to give the party some time to catch up. The Duke could quickly hammer out the remaining details before they left. As he made his exit, Yae and Linze were quick to bow and apologize for Elze interrupting their meeting.

"Fret not, my ladies," Alfred reassured the two with a kind chuckle. "We were just having a friendly chat and had just finished up when you arrived."

"Still..." said Linze as she fidgeted nervously.

"We swear it will not happen again," said Yae as she kept her head bowed.

"Very well," said Alfred with a firm nod to set the girls at ease. "Now that you are all here, I assume you will be back on the road tomorrow?"

"Umm...I mean, we didn't even make initial plans to stay until Alex collapsed," Linze answered honestly. "I thought we would leave the same day Alex woke up."

"Nonsense," Alfred said with a wave of his hand. "Stay one more night. We can finally have a banquet to celebrate, and then you can be on your way tomorrow morning. Plus, I can finally give you all your reward for saving Sushie and helping my wife."

"Your kindness knows no bounds, my Lord," Yae said with another bow, grateful for another day in such luxurious accommodations.

"Not at all!" said Alfred with a smile. "It will be a few hours, but that should give you all plenty of time to get ready and changed. My servants are still available if you need fresh and laundered clothes."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

"Indeed."

"Until dinner, then," said Alfred as he exited the room.


When Alex initially woke up, Linze had been able to catch him up on everything that had happened up to that point. Now with the rest of the party here, Alex had finally caught up with everything else, including the completion of their original mission and Yae wanting to formally join their party. Between all of this, his strange dream that kept bubbling in the back of his mind, and the Duke's job offer, there was a lot for the young man to process, but he decided to tackle them as they came.

"I personally don't have any issue with you joining us, Yae," said Alex as the girls had waited for his input. "As long as you're sure about it, I won't say no to another set of skilled hands."

"I'm very sure about my decision," Yae answered confidently. "Speaking with Master Swordrick helped me to open my eyes, and it was thanks to all of you that I managed to reach this point of my journey. I believe fate had to lead me to meet the three of you, and joining your party would serve as the next part of my quest."

"Then all I have to say is: welcome abroad to the team, Yae," said Alex with a broad smile as the Silhoueska twins cheered.

"Thank you all for having me," Yae said with her head bowed as she accepted hugs from the twins.

"I can't wait to show you around Reflet!" Elze proclaimed with a grin. "We help you book a room where we're staying and then get you listed up with the Guild!"

"It is nowhere as fancy as the Capital," said Linze with a happy smile. "But for us, it's home, and once you've ranked up a bit, we can start taking quests here in the future."

"Speaking of which," Elze was quick to interject. "We should at least swing by the local hall to get a peek at what type of quests they carry!"

"Don't forget about the shops to see if we can get some new gear!" said Linze as she dreamed of getting a new wand or maybe some new books.

"Maybe we could eat somewhere nice too?" Yae suggested as she would love to try some other dishes.

"Oh, if you want some good food, wait until you try Alex's cooking," said Elze as she pointed their current leader out with her thumb. "He's made some amazing stuff for us!"

"You can cook, Alex?" Yae questioned, surprised by the revelation.

"I've dabbled," Alex answered with some humility. He knew how to cook and could follow recipes found online, but he had never actually created an original dish. "They're mostly dishes from my homeland."

"Even so, they were delicious," Linze followed as she remembered how good the French Onion Soup was.

"Well then, I'm quite excited to try something new!" said Yae with a gleeful smile now that she was hyped up by the twins.

"I'll see what I can do when we return home and..." Alex froze as this was the first time he had ever referred to Reflet as his home. It was a bittersweet feeling, but there was a reassurance there that he didn't have before. Knowing that despite the circumstances...he had somewhere to call home again. He had people who seemed to actually care about him.

"Alex? Are you okay?"

"Huh?" The young man was snapped out of his thoughts as the three girls had gathered around him again, each looking concerned by his sudden silence. The young man instantly shook his head to compose himself as he managed a smile. "Sorry, my brain froze as I realized that there could be some amazing ingredients here in the Capital to make something really good!"

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Linze questioned as her hands began to anxiously fidget again.

"We still don't know if you need more time to recover after all," Yae replied concernedly.

"Girls, I promise you that I'm much better than when I first woke up," said Alex answering their worries. "Sure, I'm not at 100% yet, but I can walk now without support and even managed to use a little bit of magic just to make sure everything was normal."

"Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful!" Elze piped up with a slowly increasingly red face. "So tonight, it will be my turn to help restore your mana."

"Eh?!"

"Oh, dear..."

"Umm...come again?" said Alex with a blank expression as he could feel his face was also slowly turning red. He knew exactly what she meant by that, considering that Linze had explained it earlier to him. On the one hand, there was something very appealing about possibly getting to cuddle with a girl again. On the other hand, Alex had been unconscious when Linze made the decision, so he avoided any initial awkwardness until he woke up. Now, considering that he was wide awake and as much as his hormones wanted an excuse, he couldn't justify it. He didn't want to force Elze to do something she didn't want to do. "I mean...I'm already on the mend since, according to Linze, if I just keep magic usage to a minimum for the next few days, I should be back to normal even without your help!"

"No!" Elze quickly shot up, face the shade of a tomato. "We're not taking the exist, and don't get the wrong idea. This is just to make sure you heal quicker! I can't have my sister do all of the work! She has her own mana pool to think about!"

"Umm...Sis?"

"Considering that all I can use is Boost, I can afford to take a hit to my mana reserves!"

Alex was about to comment sarcastically that if that was the case, then wouldn't Yae, the only one who couldn't use magic, period, be the better choice? But considering that would put Yae on the spot and because Alex was having his mind blown by what he was seeing in front of his very eyes. In his previous life, Alex's luck with women was to the point of non-existence. Sure, he could talk with girls casually and had a few friends who happened to be girls. But he had unfortunately never had a girlfriend, having been repeatedly shot down literally every time he had tried to ask a girl out.

Sure, it was only a couple of times throughout his whole school career before his untimely demise, but you get the point.

Now? Alex wasn't sure how to feel about any of this. Between his previous luck and watching anime (which was not and should not be used as a guide for meaningful relationships or understanding women.) Yet, he was currently seeing a textbook example of a fucking Tsundere. This would explain a lot, but he also feared that he could just be his mind, hoping that his luck with women might finally turn around. Again, citing his previous lack of experience and because he was afraid of overstepping any possible boundaries, he wanted to play it cool but also err on the side of caution until things could get cleared up.

"So we're sharing a bed tonight, and I'm not going hear any arguments, got it?!"

"Got it," said Alex, desperately trying not to sound too excited because the hormonal side of his brain was most definitely celebrating. 'What have I gotten myself into? What am I, harem protagonist? Get fucking real, man. Just play it by ear and keep it cool. I'm not against having a relationship as long as it doesn't cause needless drama. I've got enough on my plate already..."

"Okay, now that we have our immediate plans for the future worked out," Alex started up as the silence in the room started to drive him a little stir-crazy. "We don't want to be rude to the Duke and his family, so about we freshen up before dinner starts?"

"I've already bathed this morning," Linze commented, only to have her hand grabbed by her sister.

"Nothing wrong with taking a second bath now, right?" Elze said as she was in a hurry to avoid looking at Alex.

'Except wasting water,' Alex thought with a chuckle.

"You coming, Yae?"

"Ah...yes! I could use a bath as well!" said Yae, who had been caught off guard but welcomed the chance to take a much-needed bath.

As the girls made their exit. Alex settled this moment to finally check his phone but stopped when he noticed fingerprints on the blank screen. Considering that Alex typically used the fingerprint scanner to unlock his phone and how tiny those fingerprints were, Alex had a good idea of what had happened.

'I knew that Linze was smart...but damn...I need to be more careful...' As far as Alex knew. God never placed a restriction about telling anyone about his true origins or even about the phone itself. He could tell the girls the truth, but should he? He knew that that kind of world-shattering information would cause a massive uproar in his original world. What would happen if the secret got out here? Considering that the last thing he wanted was to be viewed as a messiah figure,if he ever had to reveal the truth one day. Then he would at least keep quiet about God lest he gives anyone the wrong idea. 'Fuck it...I'll check my phone tomorrow. I'm sure we'll split a bit to explore the city. I'm just too out of it to check up on my old world...especially after that weird ass dream...at least...I really hope it's just that...a dream...'


Author's Commentary

There are no words to describe how happy I am to finally get to this point.

I initially struggled with this chapter's opening scene as I couldn't decide how to start it. Ultimately, I decided to only tease Lord Aldia initially instead of having him make a full-blown appearance.

Fans of Dark Souls, specifically Dark Souls 2, should recognize the modified version of Majula I decided to employ for this story. While not called Majula in this story, I won't kid myself. It's Majula. I always found Majula to be the best of all the hubs in Fromsoftware's Soulborne series (In my opinion). Everything from the design, the music, and the atmosphere was just perfect for that game and perfect for this story.

Of course, there is Sweet Shaquior the Cat, who again was modified to fit this story. Those familiar with Dark Souls and the meta-commentary about how player characters go Hollow might understand what I am doing with this story. Then there are the graves...Oh boy, I cannot wait to show how and why those markers exist and how they will influence the story. We also finally have further links to the other Isekai stories I have tagged.

Now regarding Alex's budding romance with the twins. I hope readers catch that Alex isn't a clueless/ dense protag, but instead aware of the possibilities while still being insecure about where he stands. Linze still needs to build up the courage, and Elze is sending mixed messages.

The conversation with the Duke was again for some world-building, foreshadowing, and to make future events seem less contrived. (Again, Touya arriving just in time to get roped into saving the King from the poison is the kind of thing I wanted to avoid.)

Plus, like I said before, I want the background characters to have some kind of agency and remain active participants in the story, even if it doesn't always involve Alex.

Finally, Linze sneaking a peek into a glimpse of Alex's previous life wasn't just a one-time thing. We can expect things to only escalate as the story continues. As the phone proves to be much more than what anyone expected.

We will briefly line back up with the canon story, but we still have time before meeting Yumina. That being said...I have decided to import a character from one of the isekai stories that I think will not only gel well with the current group but should make a future arc more interesting in the long run.

Anyways, that should cover things for now!

Until next time!

-ZX