“Huh?” That was all I could think to say when I woke up on a stone floor that looked to be ancient by appearance.
Looking around, I can see the tequila bottle that I had bought from the convenience store down the street. Happy as hell that it was still whole and the liquid still in the bottle.
Name: Jeff Trance – check.
Memories still intact – check.
Most important anatomy still present – check (watched way too many gender bender manga to leave to chance).
Picking up the treasure, I looked around and saw Asian looking kids still passed out on the floor. Some wearing school uniforms, while some are in either their pajamas or civie clothes.
Shaking my head, I can only ask why the hell an American prior service grease monkey at the age of 33 was doing here with these youngsters in a place like this.
Sighing, I got up and looked around the room and found an old looking oak door that was just taller than my 5’11” body.
Heading over and opening the door, I can see old school torches lining the walls and people dressed in medieval armor in the hallway. There is even halberts, claymores, and a host of other weapons upon the individuals.
I guess one of them heard the door open and was behind it because they tried to shut the door on me. Thankfully, or should I say unfortunately, the door didn’t budge like they thought and ran off yelling something that I could not understand.
The others that were there all turned to me and raised their weapons, pointing them all in my direction. Causing me to lift an eyebrow over my scarred left eye at them.
They began to yell again, not even considering that I could not understand a single fucking word they were saying. So I just stepped out of the room, closed the door, and placed my back against the door as I leaned against it.
I guess it has been an hour later, the watch that cost me 300 dollars and survived my 4 tours and ten years of military service did not come with me here, as a woman dressed in black robes was rushing towards our direction.
Though the robes obscured her form, it also showed that she was at least fit in some way since her body was lithe and her stride strong. Her auburn hair and red eyes are showing confusion for some reason.
She reached the furthest guard dude, or I think it is a dude, and saw that she was about 4 inches shorter than that person. Being the tallest here, I can only assume that she is about 4’10” tall. I guess height here is a bit on the short side.
No small jokes allowed I guess.
Keeping a straight face, I move a few strands of my newly acquired silver hair that I got from the extreme shock of being hit in the face and survived by mortar shrapnel that hit me in my face. Hence the scar I now sported. I only survived because of my stubborn ass attitude and behavior in life.
I guarantee they will think the worse of me because of it.
The guards all began shouting over each other as they all tried to tell her something. And by the way they all became part of the wall, she was now annoyed by how they all wouldn’t shut the hell up.
As she stepped towards me, she slowed her stride as she neared 5 feet away from me as she lifted up her hand. She closed all but her right index before she placed it upon my head.
A searing pain caused me to see stars for a moment. But since it was only a tickle compared to my injured near her finger, I just grunted from the pain.
“Can you understand us now, young man?”
Her voice was like that of a woman who is trying to woo you into something, as her honey filled words I could finally understand.
Instead of speaking, I just nodded my head since I did not know if I could talk in her language.
Laughing at my answer, she simply said “you can speak our language as well. I placed our entire language, as well as the other languages that I know, into your mind. Are the others awake as well?”
“I see. As for those children, last I saw about an hour ago, they were all in dreamland” I replied as simply as I could.
I did not want them to know anything about me until I knew I could trust them. Even at 33, I still read mangas and other anime type literature, and watch enough anime that caught my fancy to know that not all summonings are the kind type.
And just because this fine piece of ass is behaving nicely didn’t mean that she held no hostilities towards the kids and me. And I sure as hell was not going to kiss some kings ass. 10 years with almost 8 years worth of deployments will teach you never to look someone with closed eyes.
Nodding at my statement, she offered me a tour around the castle that we were summoned in. And since it was apparently midnight now, the royal family is asleep after spending several hours summoning us.
Filing that tidbit away for future reference on certain conversations, I followed her with my bottle of tequila in hand.
Like hell I am going to give up my hard-won prize. I am just sad that my bottle of Wild Irish Rose and Moonshine were left behind. As they are the only thing to help me with the pain in my left eye.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” the lady asked after a few hours into the tour, not even embarrassed that she has yet to tell me her name.
“If I can” was my only reply.
Narrowing her eyes, she looked like she was trying to determine my answers without even knowing what I am hiding.
“How did you receive that scar?”
“Was fighting on the front lines. A piece of shrapnel hit me in the face” is all I said non-plussed since that all the people wanted to know these days when they saw me. My family even stopped talking with me when they found out that I should have died but somehow survived.
Tilting her head in confusion, I can only assume that she is trying to understand something that will gain her more information to keep me in line or something. I suppose if she is the head mage like I think she is, then her first duty is to identify any and all threats to her king and queen.
“What is that in that bottle that you are carrying around?”
“Liquor to help with the pain that my eye is in from time to time.”
“May I see your eye? I may be able to heal it for you.”
Sighing, I just shook my head stating that I would rather keep it as a reminder for my betrayal towards myself. As in, I trusted a foreign national who has given us good info in the past, only to be put into a trap that nearly cost my squad and I our lives.
Even though they had forgiven me since they, themselves, did not think about it also, I still won’t let that betrayal go lightly. As their squad NCO, I should have been better at looking into it more than just blindly listening. Yeah sure, I did all the basics in making sure that his information was legit, but that did not mean that blind trust and faith should have been given to the bitch.
Sighing herself, she backtracked a little asking “from your earlier comment, I am guessing you are older than you look and in your countries military?”
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I just nodded not giving her any more information.
“And those kids are part of your country as well?” she continued prodding for more info.
“As much as I would like to lie about it, the kids will tell you that we are in fact from different countries. And guessing from their clothes, they are in fact school kids.”
I hope that her happy smile was kind and not conniving. Knowing my history of the medieval period, being a true nut in finding the truth behind things of the past were I come from, everyone will try to use their immature nature to brainwash them into thinking something stupid. And I can guarantee that at least 3 of those boys will try to kiss their asses for the glory of becoming the hero they will be told they will be.
As for me, I have been called a hero so many time that I am sick and tired of being called one. Not that I will tell this broad that. Trusting in others has now become even more problematic for me. I have always been the cautious type, and when we were ambushed, I trusted others even less becoming even more cautious.
“Excellent!” she exclaimed as she continued to give me the 10 dollar tour of the place.
By the time morning came, she had shown me all the places that she was going to show me and led me to the kitchen area. Here, she got meat and bread from the cooks before bringing me a platter full of different pork and beef products. But the creatures that I could see that they butchered were not creatures that I recognized.
Some had anywhere from 3-7 horns on them with lizard-like faces that were as big as a fucking VW Beetle. Others looked like overgrown rabbits that some animes have, and the rest looked like mutated pigs.
Shaking my head a the absurdity of the things, I can only assume that we were summoned into a parallel universe or some cliché like that. At least it is fresh and not poisoned.
Finishing my breakfast of C-Rations, since it tasted the same, the woman took me into a room that had two chairs that can only be seen as thrones. Especially with all the gold and glittering gems that adorned them.
And here I thought my throne in my bathroom was the finest there is.
Sitting upon one of them was a man dressed pompously with a crown upon his head. How I head pompous looking idiots.
From a distance, I could see that he had on a smile. But as I got closer, I could see that it did not reach his eyes. Especially since I was still holding my fucking tequila.
Just before I could say “hello”, the doors opened and the 12 or so kids walked in in absolute awe. Like a bunch of star-struck teens with hormonal problems. And just as I predicted with a few of the mid-teen boys, they had the brown nose chip going on. As if they too understood what they could be in for.
Getting closer, a few of them began to whisper. But the boldest one stated hotly “what the hell is an American doing here? Since when are they even set up like we are in prophecies?”
Shaking my head, I let out a tired sigh not daring to answer that stupid question. The king even let out a tired sigh causing us to look at each other before we simple smirked and shook our heads again.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Numan. My wife and I summoned you all here to help with the threat of invasion from the different countries. Especially the demon army. There is the elven army, the beast army, dwarven army, as well as the elemental army that is threatening us. We implore you to help us defeat them at any cost.”
Giving a defeated sigh, I shake my tired head. Wishing I made a bet with someone just to get a bit richer than I already am.
The kids immediately jumped onto the prospect of being hero-worshipped. A few even went as far as to try and woo a few of the maids that are present. But when the Queen, Prince, and Princess walked in, I internally groaned as I realized what their new trophy is going to be. That is if they can pull it off.
“I am sorry your majesty, but I am still recovering from several wounds from a war that is being raged even now as we speak on our world. I will do what I can to aid, but I can not interfere. Even if I could, as a prior service soldier to my country, I would not give my all to what you are asking since you are not my countries leader” I state after the others have said their piece.
The bold one again decided to make snarky comments like “just like an American” and “why don’t you go back and get wasted like you westerners love to do so much”.
Finally, I turned to him, letting him see the scar on my face. As well as taking off my shirt for him to see the bullet holes, stab wounds, and a few others that I got from jealous women when I turned them down for another woman. But he did not need to know that.
“As I stated before. I am still recovering from my ordeal while my time in the war” I reiterated and left it at that.
Even if what I said what completely true, which it half is, I would not fight in some war that I did not know how or what started it all. For all I know, the princess could have insulted a prince from a different kingdom, and as a result, insulted the others as well.
Since I did not know the facts, I refused to lend my hand.
Instead of letting the others try to give my word for me, I asked as politely as I could “if you permit me, I would like some coin so that I may travel from town to town on the frontlines and get what information I can to help.” Help with me getting the hell out of here and explore what I am guessing is my new home.
Maybe I can finally find a wife and settle down. But I highly doubt I can. I have never really felt at ease around other humans. But I can at least find a place to call my own out in a forest or something before I die.
Giving me what looked to be a piercing look, the King debated internally before the Prince said: “with you as crippled as you are, that is probably the best we can use you for.”
Not even bothering to look at the primpy ass, I kept my eyes on the King. Who I guess made a decision that was in my favor since he declared that I would be given 500 platinum coins so that I can gear up with weapons, armor, rations, and a horse. And since I was never one to just take money without seeing what significance such an amount was, it turned out to be as follows.
10 bronze = 1 copper
10 copper = 1 silver
10 silver = 1 gold
15 gold = 1 platinum
30 platinum = 1 ruby
I guess since I was not swayed by the human nations needing help, he did not want me around. Bowing as was polite I guess, I took my leave and got the coins promised.
Just as I left the castle, I heard one of the guards say “I guess not all soldiers are stupid. Maybe if the King and Prince didn’t look down upon others, maybe they could have gotten this one to help out better. I mean, even injured, he looks like he could still hold a blade.”
I guess from all the looks I got since I have yet to put my shirt back on, I am guessing that this world has not found out about advance martial arts and stuff.
Thankfully there were no mages to see what all I had since I doubt they would let me go if I had any. Better to play the fool than be the fool.
Later that night, after spending all day searching and requesting armaments using the king's name, I was finally able to get a room with food being delivered as I opened my bottle and took 3 swings in rapid succession. I was now waiting for all my orders to be complete, which will be in 2 days if they are to be believed
God, I love that burn.
I know that doctors say not to drink with these types of injuries, but my eye just won’t stop hurting until I drink something strong. Hence the moonshine.
As for what I ordered, I had a pack made as similar to that of a molley pack as I could get them to. I even asked if they could make different colors of the same clothing, to which they said they could.
Next was the armorer. Here I had them custom make a falchion into a bit longer and denser, by at least a third, version of the ones they mass produce. I even saw a chainlink shirt for sale that I did not hesitate to buy since I will need some armor.
Just as I finished off two-thirds of my bottle, a knock resounded on my door and a muffled “your food sir” by one of the girls I saw downstairs. And from the perturbed look on her face, she misunderstood my confused look about why a 12-year-old was delivering my food.
“Those types of things are down the street, sir. Ranging from wolf-king to fox-kin, light elf to moon elf, and even a few demonesses. Starting from when their moon flow begins to about 17 years old” was all the child said making my happy moment turn into a neutral-faced persona. Especially if those said girls start their periods about the same time the girls from my world starts theirs. About 10 or 11.
If I ever catch a bastard trying that in front of me, I don't care about the internal injuries I have. I kill the bastard. In the most ugliest way I can.
Cue the internal evil laugh.
After telepathically kicking her out, in my dreams at least, I sat down to try and force myself to eat after hearing what the bitch just said.
Halfway into my meal, another knock occurred. Getting up from my meal, I opened the damn to find the girl's father standing there with an unhappy look to his face. Sighing again for what seemed like the millionth time today, I can only surmise that the girl treated my blank stare at her as me being mad that she was off the menu.
“Before we get into an argument over something that did not happen, I will just say that what she told me about minors being used as sex toys at the age of 11 did not sit well with me. And the only reason I found that out, is she assumed my confused stare about why a 13-year-old was delivering food to a stranger. A male stranger at that.”
Nodding at the misunderstanding, he was a bit confused about my former statement as he asked “what do you mean about those beasts? They are not even human! So who da hell cares ‘bout em!?”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I decided to use an old trick I was taught by a commanding officer I once had.
“Picture if you will, a man having his way wife an elf girl no older than 13. Picture her face as she becomes distraught as her eyes begin to become lifeless as she now thinks of herself as soiled. Can you see her?”
Not understanding where I am getting at, he just nods with a confused look.
“Good. Good. Now. Put your daughter in her place. How do you feel now?”
With that, I slammed the door in his face.
Not even a few seconds later, he was pounding on the door as hard as he could. Instead of opening it again, I just used it as a massage treatment. Courtesy of the innkeeper.
Of course, a soldiers life is not complete unless they have the law hounding them within 30 minutes of them bitch slapping some – whether it be mentally or physically. So I finished my food in record time, grabbed what little I had, and left the room via the window.
Guess I will need to find a different place to sleep. Well, the place does have a flat roof, and the sky is clear. The weather feels warm. So napping under the stars on the bastard who is now telling the patrolmen of our talk.
But in his words. The ass.