I remember meeting an important person which made me feel very uncomfortable even though I never once met him before. Looking back at it, it sure was a pretty scary experience.

*****

“This isn’t my lucky day, is it?”

I didn’t expect this kind of development in my first day in the fantasy world.

I’m currently hanging from a tree which has vines that caught and broke my fall. Just like I said, I fell. I fell from the sky.

***

When the light came back to my eyes, I suddenly saw myself falling down from the sky. I look back to the sky, only to find a black hole closing and then disappear.

While falling, I could see a town—no, city. No, it’s way larger than that. I could see a tall castle on a hill which stood out in the middle of this place.

“This scene could be breath taking if it isn’t also life threatening.”

I muttered to myself while falling down to, my death.

Lucky enough, I fell outside of the city into the forest. The trees that caught me have strong vines which stopped me from falling to my death. It performed like a net, a steel net to be accurate. I can’t cut the vines with all my strength.

I’m confident that I’m not some weak guy. It’s just that these vines are too strong.

I got tied up very tightly and could barely move my limbs. No matter how you look at it, I’m trapped.

“Hello! Is somebody here?”

I screamed for help, but my voice only echoed inside the forest.

“Damn. I’ve been hanging for almost an hour now.”

I wonder if people come to the forest.

No, no, no, I shouldn’t be negative here. First of all, mom put me into this mess. So she should be able to help me, or not.

“Yawn!”

--Damn. I’m getting sleepy all of a sudden.

I look around to see if there’s something dangerous around, but I feel like there’s no one but me.

--Might as well get a quick nap, this position of me getting tied up feels quite comforting anyway.

***

“ࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵ”

Huh? Is someone there?

I feel like someone’s poking my face.

I opened my eyes to respond to the sound.

To my surprise, a girl was standing below me while holding up a long stick while poking my face.

“Oh great, can you please lend me a hand? I kind of gotten myself stuck in the vines, you see.”

When I asked for help, the girl tilted her head while looking at me curiously.

“ࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵ”

Huh? What language is that?

“I’m sorry, I can’t understand. Can you speak English?”

“ࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵ”

Uhg! She might be cute, but I can’t understand her.

Talking slowly sounds dumb. Maybe she’ll understand if I struggle.

I shook my whole body while trying to set myself free at the same time.

Suddenly, the girl panicked while looking at me.

--Wait. I think I looked like I’m convulsing. Ah never mind. Maybe she gasped the situation.

The girl opened her bag which was hanging on her waist. She then took an old book and started reading on it.

--A manual? Is there a need to read one when you can just help me cut the—oh, the vines don’t break even with brute force.

The girl put her book on her chest and lifted her hand towards me.

“####### #### ## ###”

--This sounds a little familiar.

“## #### # ####”

--This is quite long. Is this some kind of special chant?

“##### ### #### ####”

--I’m getting sleepy again.

“# ##### [#### ####]”

The air around me became suddenly violent. The air swirled around all over my body.

It feels a little cold.

To my surprise, the airflow became stagnant and feels like I’m wearing it.

Suddenly, the steel-like vines were cut into pieces and released me. However, I fell on the ground, face first.

“ࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵ”

Even though I couldn’t understand her, I can feel her worry just by listening to her voice.

“I’m fine. My face broke my fall.”

--Idiot me, she can’t understand the joke.

When I stood up straight, she gave me a piece of cloth to wipe my dirtied face.

I’m lucky enough not to get even a single scratch from that.

“ࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵࡵ”

“I’m sorry. I still can’t understand--”

Just then, I remember something very important.

Mom gave me a translation item.

I searched my pocket for it and luckily, it’s still there and it’s not broken.

I hanged it in my right pierced ear.

After that, I could feel a warm feeling invading my head and then disappeared.

“Is your face okay?”

Suddenly, I could understand what the girl was saying.

“No—I mean, yeah. I’m alright.”

When I started talking, the girl got surprised and took a few steps back.

“You can speak my language now?”

--Is that really surprising?

“I think It’s because of my translation earing.”

“Translation earing? Isn’t that item very expensive?”

--Wo—ah. As expected. I thought this item was common in this world. If mom could make a lot of this, we could get rich in both worlds.

“Is that really that expensive?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Well… I’m not of this world. My mom gave this to me before sending me here.”

The girl tilted her head to the phrase “not of this world” and kept muttering it.

“So you’re from Earth?”

“More or less….”

She looked at me head to toe.

Seems like she’s making sure I’m not lying.

Then, something struck my head. Not literally.

“Shit! My backpack’s missing!”

I didn’t notice that my backpack is already missing from my back because of the situation.

Then the girl suddenly pointed above us.

“Is that the thing you’re looking for?”

“Huh?”

When I looked above, my bag was hanging barely on a tree branch. It’s also pretty far up.

Without minding her, I instinctively hugged the tree and tried to climb above it.

No matter how you look at it, I look pretty stupid.

--I don’t care if I look stupid. That bag is important. All my clothes are there!

“Uhm… I could get it for you if you want to.”

The girl suddenly suggested.

Oh wait. She can use that magic stuff.

“It might be shameless of me, but please.”

I took a few steps back from the tree while keeping my eyes on my bag.

The girl once again read her book (probably a magic book) and started chanting.

“##### ##### ######## ### [Wind Lance]”

The wind around the girl suddenly became violent and swirled in one place and then flew upwards and cut the branch which my bag is hanging on.

I immediately caught my falling bag, with my face.

It happened so because I was directly under it.

“Are you alright?”

“My face hurts, but at least I got my bag.”

The girl giggled cutely at my joke, although it wasn’t a lie.

“Now that you got down from the tree and got your bag, where are you going off to now?”

Now that she mention it. I don’t have the slightest idea.

“I don’t know. My mom sent me here--”

Then I remembered—

“Oh that’s right. She gave me a letter.”

I inserted my hand in my pocket and pulled out the letter.

Luckily it’s not too crumpled.

I showed it to the girl.

To my surprise, her face went pale and took a few steps back.

“Are you a no-noble?”

“Noble?”

Come to think of it, mom told me I “had a blood of a noble” before teleporting me here.

“Probably, is that much of a big deal?”

The girl suddenly stood up straight and bowed to me.

“Please forgive me for my rudeness earlier, sir!”

“SIR-”

Hold up. You’re acting strange miss.

“Please don’t bow to me. I don’t know if I’m one or not.”

The girl looked at me and then pointed the letter which I’m holding.

“Sir, only nobles should have the letter of enrolment to the Magic Academy--”

After talking for a while with her, I got the gist of what it means to hold this letter.

According to her, nobles from various territories are sending a member of their families who have awakened their [True Sight]. Most of them came from wealthy, famous, and powerful households. She said that most of them are just sent there to learn how to use magic to earn more wealth and gain military powers. But those were just rumours though.

“I see… so that means that you’re a noble also?”

I asked the girl, only to have a head tilting answer.

“No, I’m just a maid. My master is a student in the Magic Academy.”

“You’re a maid?”

--So this is what a real life maid looks like, huh. I thought they wear frilly uniforms like the ones I see in TV.

“Please don’t stare too much, sir.”

Oops. I didn’t mean to stare.

“Sorry… but hey, I haven’t got a chance to ask. What’s your name?”

After I popped the question, the girl straightened up her long skirt and lifted slightly on the sides while bowing with her right leg behind her left leg.

She’s really revering me as a high class person. It’s making me feel slightly bad.

“My name is Ghena, servant of the Goldenbloom Household.”

So much grace, it’s blinding.

Isn’t she just a maid? She acts some kind of a princess.

--now… how do I do this? Should I imitate that gentleman style I saw from the movie last Friday? Maybe it’s the best choice for now.

I took her hand and kissed it slightly while bowing to her.

“My name is Key Godfre--”

What’s my Household name again? Oh right it’s—

“-Chardelier”

Her face slightly turned red when I kissed her hand.

I don’t know anything about this world’s culture so you can’t blame me if I made a wrong move.

“Is there any problem, Ghena?”

“N-no, sir Chardelier, I was just surprised a little.”

She pulled back her hand while covering her reddening face.

Better distract the atmosphere before it turns bad.

“So, miss Ghena--”

“Please just call me Ghena like you did a while ago, sir.”

She suddenly interrupted me and insisted her request.

“So, Ghena, what were you doing here in the forest? I might be wrong, but isn’t a girl inside a forest alone dangerous?”

Ghena’s eyes suddenly opened wide in surprise.

“Oh that’s right! I almost forgot mistress’ request.”

“Request--”

“Yes. She asked me to find some plant called [Grey Bloom].”

“Let me guess, it’s a flower which has grey colored petals.”

“No, sir, It’s a weed that looks like a flower. It’s very poisonous.”

Ghena looked at me with eyes saying “For you not to know even the basics of botany.”

You can’t blame me! I just got transported here an hour ago. There’s no way I’d learn about it in an instant.

“That’s a very fantasy-like name for a plant.”

““Fantasy-like” It’s a real plant you know.”

Oops, my thought slipped.

“God this is embarrassing.”

She slightly giggled from my small blunder.

“I’ve already acquired it. So all I have to do is deliver it to mistress.”

Then she started walking towards a certain direction.

“Are you going to the city?”

“Yes.”

“Can I come with you?”

“Isn’t that the place where you’re supposed to be going?”

“Excuse me?”

She paused for a while and tilted her head towards me.

“You have the letter of recommendation with the seal from the mages institute. That letter will serve as your pass through the gate of the capital.”

“Oh… So this piece of paper is very valuable huh, Quite unexpected.”

“To call it a ‘piece of paper’ just like that…”

Ghena was slightly taken aback with my comment just now.

“Anyways, it’s getting dark. It’ll be bad if night comes in Ghoul Forest.”

I understand the ‘getting dark’ part, but the words ‘Ghoul Forest’ sound a bit odd.

“Ghoul Forest is what place is called?”

“Yes, sir. It’s because some undeads tend to appear here.”

“By undead, you mean zombies?”

“Not just zombies, also evil spirits and dark monsters.”

It’ll be cool if it was a game, but this is real life.

It sounds pretty scary.

But it’ll be embarrassing to show my scared face in front of this, probably fearless, girl.

“Then… we should get going, you have some tasks to finish right?”

Ghena covers her mouth with one hand to hide her obvious grin.

“Sir, are you perhaps, scared?”

“No way, I’ve played many video games with zombies in it. They should be the ones getting afraid of me.”

--Half of it is true. I’ve trained my whole life for the zombie apocalypse.

“Video games, what is that sir?”

Video game doesn’t exist in Marzenthura? Didn’t expect that one…

Wait? If video game does not exist—No way! I’ll get bored to death here!

“Sir, is there any problem?”

It seems that I’ve made Ghena worry from seeing me falling out with my thoughts.

“So-Sorry didn’t mean to show you such a weird sight.”

Since we’ve been talking for a while, we didn’t notice that we’ve already arrived at the edge of the forest.

I could see the, probably, main road.

Anyone could tell that it’s the main road judging by the paved stone road.

“Hmm…. It seems that many merchants are lining up to enter the capital.”

Ghena said it while looking at the lined up carriages indifferently.

“Oh… so these are carriages. And as expected, they’re pulled by horses.”

--This is the first time I’ve seen a real horse since birth. Although I’ve seen it in the internet and TV, a live one still puts an impact.

“Are there no horses on Earth, sir?”

Ghena looked at me with curious eyes.

--It’s sparkling with curiosity…

“There are, although I haven’t seen one before.”

Technically I’ve seen one, but internet and TV doesn’t count.

“You believe the things you haven’t seen yet sir?”

Huh? Is this world have ‘To see is to believe’ concept or something?

“If that the case sir, that’s very problematic. People like that tend to get easily get tricked or swindled by evil doers.”

‘Evil doers’, huh, why not call them bad guys?

“Don’t worry Ghena, I won’t be.”

--Probably.

Ghena smiled at my carefree words.

***

When we arrived at the capital’s gate, a guard, taller than me, blocked us—no, me on the entrance.

But wait… isn’t he wearing a real metal armor? COOL! I haven’t seen one before.

“Hey brat, where do you think you’re going with little Ghena?”

It appears he’s an acquaintance of Ghena, quite unexpected.

“I’m just trying to get into the cap--”

“Huh?!”

He leaned his metal helmet towards me while making a Gangster-like voice, or expression.

Ghena finally noticed that I was blocked by the Guard and rushed towards us.

“Mister Frenel! Please don’t be rude to him. He’s a noble.”

“Huh….”

The armored guy fell silent after hearing Ghena. After a few seconds, he bowed on one knee.

I can hear his armor making clanging sounds from his vibrating large body.

Is he nervous?

“My apologies sir, I didn’t receive any notice about a noble arriving today.”

I should be the one apologizing.

But getting bowed at in public, sure feels slightly awkward.

“Ju-just stand up.”

“No sir. I’ve been rude to a noble. I’ll accept any kind of punishment.”

Is it just me, or they revere nobles as fearful people?

At any rate, if this continues on, I feel things would get bad.

“I won’t mind it. You’re just doing your duty as a Capital’s Gate Guard. For me, that’s a very noble work. I admire it.”

I learned lip service from the shows on TV.

TV could sometimes be helpful.

It seems that the guard was happy when I praised him.

He bowed once again (Although he was already bowing), to show his respect.

“Such praise from a noble, I’m very thankful.”

Don’t look at me like I’m a saint. It feels weird.

I then proceeded to the City after that fiasco. But before I could go further, the Gate guard, Frenel, gave me an advice to wear some robe or a long cloth to cover my clothes because the one I’m wearing right now attracts too much attention.

I guess my grey hoodie, jeans, and snickers would. They don’t exist in this world after all.

-End of Chapter-