The servants guided us to our rooms through a luxurious hallway, on the walls were chandeliers with unlit candles, the afternoon sun was the only illumination, peeking through the windows. On the floor, a smooth red carpet that continued to the other side of the hallway softened our steps, although we were all dressed in school uniforms and so many shoes filled the hallway with echoes.

Upon arriving at our respective rooms, each servant approached a student and guided them to a particular one. I was no exception. I got a beautiful and elegant servant with reddish hair tangled in a bun. She wore glasses and behind them were blue eyes, their tone similar to a crystalline lake.

"This is your room, Young Master." She informed me in front of an old wooden door.

I turned the handle and was surprised that the weight of the door was not weak, in fact I had to use a little force to open it. I supposed that's why the maid didn't do it for me. Upon entering, a not very convincing looking bed, a rather large wardrobe and a small desk welcomed me to my new home. I didn't think I could stand living in these conditions for a long time. However, I had to resist, because it was my duty. Besides, I didn't have to lose hope, surely out there there was a way to get back to Earth. Surely...

At this moment, the maid interrupted my thoughts.

"In the closet you will find the clothes you will have to wear to dinner. I will look for you about fifteen minutes before and I will bring people with me to dress you."

"Ah, I can dress myself."

"That has no relevance, a hero has to be served in every possible way, because a hero's job is to protect humanity."

"But I would really rather dress myself, so please, I beg your pardon."

The maid sighed.

"I'm sorry, my job is to serve the heroes, however they are in a hierarchical position under the King and these are His Majesty's orders. In about three hours I will come accompanied by servants who will be in charge of dressing you in the appropriate clothes. Do you require something else or are you satisfied, Young Master?" said the maid.

I accepted, surrendered, that someone else dressed me. It was too uncomfortable for someone like me, insecure about my body. The last person who saw me naked was my mother and I was just a child. No, that didn't matter. I had to focus.

"Can I ask you something simple?" I asked, a little nervous.

"I'll be happy to help you. Tell me, what do you need?"

"What's your name?"

An awkward silence.

'What's wrong with this environment?' I asked myself in my head.

I quickly tried to explain.

"I was just thinking that if you were going to become my personal servant from now on, we should communicate more efficiently if we knew our-"

"I don't deserve your recognition." she whispered.

My passive skill revealed some sadness in her voice. It was impossible for me to know where she was coming from so I simply smiled and raised my hand for a handshake. I detected that the maid was starting to get nervous and quickly removed it. I forgot that the customs were so different.

"I'm sorry about that." I said between laughter and embarrassment. I cleared my throat and corrected myself, "I just want to know your name. You know, ever since I was transported to this world, all my companions changed their attitudes completely. I swear they seem like different people. Just a shell of their pasts. So, please, I need to talk to someone stable. With whom I can have a calm talk."

The red-haired maid looked down. Her mind thinking.

"Berry..." she whispered.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you, what did you say?"

"My name is Berry!" she proclaimed, raising her voice a little too much. I covered my ears in shock.

"I'm Adam. It's nice to meet you." I answered, with a face motivated to fight for myself, for my friends and to return to Earth. Yes, that was my goal. I would never forget it.

"Then I retire, Young Master."

"Wait." In response to my comment, Berry turned around before leaving the room. "From now on call me Adam."

"Um, Young Master, the Royal Code dictates that-"

"That doesn't matter. I want you to call me by my name, not a title. I want us to get along, without regard to any hierarchy. As friends."

Berry looked at me thoughtfully. Then her blue eyes cleared, her mouth formed into a smile, and she answered me.

"Okay...Adam."

Given this, I couldn't feel happier.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I'm warning you not to leave your room unless absolutely necessary."

"Because you said so?"

The edges of her lips curved upwards slightly.

"It's easy to get lost."

---

Sitting on the uncomfortable bed prepared for me, I went deep into my thoughts and analyzed my current situation. Summoned to another world as a hero, greeted by a strange old man and assisted by a pretty maid. It was the typical beginning of an anime. The question would be: Am I the protagonist or is someone else? Who will be the one to defeat the Demon Lord? Would we even be able to put an end to it? I never messed with anyone in my life. I was inexperienced in fights of all kinds. In fact, it was impossible for anyone to know. There was Gary and his friends, but I don't think they got very far. Another question running through my head was that anger I felt directed at me. Both on the way to the throne room and in the latter, an intense gaze from someone in particular gave me chills and a hell of a headache. I had not yet discovered its origin, but I hoped that it would not get worse.

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I decided not to get lost in my thoughts and there was a loud squeak as I got out of bed.

My eyes focused first on the desk. At first glance it looked like a normal desk, where you could sit and write a text or study a book. However, up close you could see the cobwebs and dust accumulated over time. This room had not been used for years and the state of the objects in it was an obvious sign of this. This one had a drawer in each corner. I opened them out of pure curiosity and, evidently, they were empty.

Now it was time to check the closet. There wasn't much to write home about other than it was too big for my taste. Its size was a little disproportionate to the length and width of the room. Inside, there were a couple of elegant dresses and jackets that hadn't been washed in a long time. From all the dust I started coughing. Had no one thought to clean this? I cursed the King in my mind.

I decided to lie back down in bed. The screeching sounded again. I felt mentally exhausted. I closed my eyes and slept without dreaming.

---

I woke up to another screeching noise from under my bed. It didn't sound like a person. It wasn't really a sound I knew. However, I was too terrified to look at what creature it came from. In this world were there monsters under the beds? Why couldn't I be transported to a more peaceful world? Why?!

Okay, it was time to get brave and look under the bed. It was an incredible feat for the screech to continue to sound non-stop.

Slowly, I placed my hands on the bed and lowered my body until my face was in front of whatever that sound was.

My vision turned dark. The moonlight was not strong enough to illuminate that area. The screeching stopped suddenly. I tried to concentrate, but it didn't work. I heard footsteps. The sound was light but it was getting closer. And closer. Closer. Even closer-

What? Was? That?

A red-eyed rat with horns and eight legs and if that were not enough, wings. A true aberration. A failed experiment of God was inches from my face, preparing to attack me, I was sure.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Just then, three knocks were heard on my door and the rat disappeared in black smoke. I coughed a lot more than I did with the dust in the room. I even felt a little dizzy. I never ran as fast in my life as when I went to open the door. Berry stood before me with a smile.

"Time to get dressed, Young Master."

I just looked at her. Berry stood doubtfully with her head tilted to the side.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried.

"Hey..." I stayed for a few seconds thinking about what happened. I fixed my eyes on hers. "I told you to call me Adam."

"Oh."

---

I didn't tell her about what I witnessed. Should I have done it? Well of course yes. However, as a professional procrastinator, I was an expert at putting off important things until later. I decided to let the servants dress me even though I was a completely independent person who was capable of dressing myself. A couple of elderly butlers ended up doing the job.

Leaving my room, Berry led me through the extensive hallways until I reached a gigantic dining room. It was true that I was going to get lost if I walked alone. Castles are unnecessarily complex.

Three long tables stood side by side with luxurious plates full of food waiting to be devoured by our empty stomachs. There was another table in front and a little above the others. The middle chairs were two thrones similar but inferior to the ones we had seen before when we saw the King and Queen. The chairs next to them must have belonged to important people.

"Hey, Adam, this way!" Marcus exclaimed.

There were already several people sitting at the tables. I approached my friend who was waving his hand in the air hoping I would see him. There was an empty spot in front of him and next to Sue. Rick was to Marcus's left and Brian was nowhere to be seen.

"We were arguing about the state of the rooms. Don't you think it's terrible that heroes like us have to live in these conditions from now on?" Marcus asked as he grabbed a couple of grapes and popped them into his mouth.

"Do you know what I found? A cockroach. A fucking cockroach!" Rick cursed, definitely annoyed.

If you only knew what I found.

"How do you know if it was a cockroach? From what you described it could be any insect." Marcus replied with a frown.

"I swear. Even though it doesn't look anything like a cockroach, or any insect I know, that was something disgusting. It beat the record I had in my head since that spider I saw in a magazine."

Beside me, Sue was timidly looking down. When I called her, her shoulders suddenly lifted and she looked at me with blushing cheeks. She was in love with me. And I'm not saying this because of my passive ability. I already knew it before. Well, she confessed at the school exit. It wasn't very romantic to be honest. However, I gave her credit for trying. I rejected her, of course. My feelings were directed towards another person. An unattainable person for me. I wonder what had become of her.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

It was really a rhetorical question, I already had all the information about her emotional state thanks to [Emotion Reader]. That meant she was of a lower level than me. I never thought about how to use this skill correctly now that I thought about it. I would have to do something about it. I would analyze it in detail when I returned to my room. Or I'd just sleep. What if that rat came back? Bah, it was probably a type of insect or rodent from this world. Like the one Rick saw. I was still terrified anyways.

Before Sue could answer my question from five seconds ago, and although understandable because it was time for her to answer (it was just a damn yes), Marcus asked another one.

"By the way, did you hear about what happened to the Princess?"

We all turned to see him.

It's true, the Princess. The old man who welcomed us mentioned something about her. I couldn't remember it well. What was it?

"The one who fell and now is unconscious. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. How can someone fall into a coma after falling off the stairs?" Rick asked.

"Are you stupid, Rick?" Marcus asked. "Any strong impact to the head can do that."

"But the old man said her butler saved the Princess." I interjected.

The doors to the main entrance opened. The faces that appeared were not a good sign. Gary and his minions. The most hated group of the entire class. All strong brainless idiots. As Student Council President, I had to deal with these assholes all through high school. Always bothering Brian. We exchanged glances. He tried to hide his anger, however he was not strong enough to do so. Even so, I noticed an enormous aura of power or whatever that was emanating from him. He lowered his head in greeting and sat at a table separate from ours.

A few seconds later Brian entered. Terrified, with wounds that, no matter how small, were too noticeable to ignore. Surely the idiots from before were responsible. I raised my hand for Brian to see us, but he ignored us and walked to a different table than Gary's and ours.

"What's wrong with him?" Rick asked irritated.

Nobody gave an answer.

A couple more people came in and finally Miss Wright. Missing since we were transported. I noticed she was down. A little angry. She sat on the corner of the nearest table and kept her eyes on her plate.

The bustle got bigger and bigger while we ate. The tables in front continued to have empty seats. The guards' heavy stomping was enough to silence us.

"His Majesty, Ruler of Mortals, Chosen by the Five Gods, King Jeremiah Davias VI!" proudly proclaimed one of the guards who seemed to be of higher rank because of a red ribbon he wore on his shoulder.

The King entered the room through a door in the corner of the room, climbed the stairs to his throne and sat down.

"Her Majesty, Blessed by the Grand Cardinal himself on the day of her birth, Queen Trina Davias!"

It would seem like a television program introducing the presenters if it weren't for the guard's powerful voice.

He kept calling people and I was surprised to see the old man from before sitting in one of the important chairs. He didn't seem like someone that special, but boy was he. I wished him the best of luck.

Once the introduction was over, the crowd continued in silence waiting for a word from the King. Unfortunately, he didn't say a word. Slowly, the inside of his eyebrows were positioned downwards. This was not good at all. I wasn't able to use [Emotion Reader] on someone as powerful as the King, but his feelings were too noticeable. What was it that was bothering him so much?

In response to my question, the main doors opened and a ragged, dirty and tired man entered the room breathing heavily. The sweat ran through every part of his body and his smell reached my nostrils, forcing me to cover them.

"Your Majesty, you won't believe what I saw!"