Arc 1: System Of Unlimited Cunning.
Chapter 2: The Fire Kingdom’s Prince!
After getting back to his room, Jett quickly used the phone's search bar to locate the novel he wanted. He then tapped the "Transfer" button. Initially, he sensed nothing, but a second later, he fell into a deep slumber. After some time, Jett awoke in a completely different location.
Before Jett could survey his surroundings, a voice boomed, "WHO ARE YOU!"
Jett scrambled to his feet and glanced behind him, hastily raising his arms overhead. He couldn't fathom why armed men were surrounding him.
"Umm, where am I?" Jett inquired.
"What do you mean? You're in the room of the deceased prince of the Fire Kingdom."
"I'm in Prince Yue's room?" Jett questioned.
"Shut up! How dare you utter his name so casually!" Another man shouted. Jett realized these men were likely palace guards. Why had he been teleported to this specific location?
"I... I'm sorry. I don't know where I am. The last thing I remember, I was at home. Then, I woke up here with you all pointing spears at me," Jett explained, though the guards remained skeptical.
"So, you woke up not knowing where you are? Are you suggesting you were kidnapped and brought here?" Guard number 3 inquired.
"Yes, that must be it. One of my enemies must have plotted against me," Jett responded. One of the guards retorted, "You're saying someone went to the extreme of breaking into the palace just to frame you. Who are you that someone would go to such lengths?"
Jett is raking his brains on this. He never thought this would just happen, especially right when he came to this world. After just a few seconds of thought, he immediately said. “I am a merchant that travels around all the kingdoms. I am one of the few who does this since one has to have a massive trading business to even think of being able to. Because of that, it's a cutthroat space. I have more enemies than I can even count. So of course some of them will try to kill me and even frame me. This time it seems like they succeed in framing me.”
The guards examined Jett for a moment, searching for any signs of deception. However, Jett has practiced lying so that he could get out of anything, so of course, none of the guards could find anything wrong. Then, one of the guards inquired, "Please hand me your merchant card so we can verify your identity.
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Jett stares at them, with a puzzled expression prompting the guards to exchange glances. Then he asks, "How am I supposed to do that when I don’t even have any clothes on?"
The guards burst into laughter upon realizing the absurdity of the guard’s question. One of them went to retrieve clothes for Jett. After a short while, the guard returned with the garments. Jett quickly donned them, all the while listening to the guard speak.
"We'll have to detain you for now until we can verify with the merchant guild. Please provide your name and ID number for confirmation," the guards instructed
"I'm Jett, and I don’t have an ID number. Those are only for guild members, not for those who collaborate with them. If you inquire at the guild, they can vouch for me," Jett explained. He hoped the ID number was legitimate, and not a test. However, not knowing how they function, he couldn’t simply provide a random set of numbers.
The guards handcuffed Jett and began escorting him to the prison, treating him as if he were a malevolent criminal. Each guard flanked him on either side. Jett wondered if he had the scroll; he couldn’t feel or see anything. In his contemplation, he noticed a carriage departing from the castle, distinguished by the royal emblem of the Fire Kingdom. Thinking quickly, Jett surmised that this carriage might carry the Fire and Water princesses. If that were the case, Jett reasoned that he'd been transported to the very beginning of the novel, where the main character awakens in a field.
Jett then observed eight dark silhouettes darting across the building, trailing the carriage. Since the guards seemed oblivious to them, Jett chose not to draw attention. Having witnessed it all, Jett was now certain that he had arrived at the very outset of the novel. As he pondered other matters, one of the guards interjected, "We're here. You two, go to the merchant guild and make inquiries. Now, Jett, follow me." The guard gestured to two others who promptly departed, while he escorted Jett into the prison.
Jett trailed behind him, surveying his surroundings. He noticed individuals hanging on the walls, bound by chains. There were also others seated on the floor, leading Jett to surmise that those hanging were likely guilty of more severe crimes. The guards promptly ushered him into a cell occupied by five others, removing the cuffs from Jett's wrists.
"You'll be staying here for the time being until we can verify your statements," the head guard stated. He then turned to the other five prisoners and informed them, "This will be your cellmate for a few hours while we verify his claims. Go easy on him."
One of the five prisoners promptly responded, "Why would we bother with him? Three of us are martial artists, so it's beneath us to attack him, and the other two are weaklings."
The guards chuckled as they walked away, leaving Jett to sit on the floor. Jett began contemplating his next move, well aware that deceiving the guards could have serious consequences. Additionally, he needed to confirm whether the scroll was in his possession.
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