Outside the palace, in an area we see for the first time—a lush green land filled with hills and orange-laden trees—lies a small forest. Amidst the trees is a straight path leading to another part of these hills, clearly a rural region.
Within the orange grove, a figure clad in a deep blue cloak walked slowly along the path. Suddenly, he stopped, observing the oranges around him. He reached for one of the trees and picked an orange, then resumed his stroll, peeling it slowly, mirroring his deliberate steps. His face was hidden beneath the hood of the blue cloak, keeping his features as mysterious as his identity.
As he moved leisurely between the trees, savoring the orange segments, the sound of footsteps echoed behind him—soft, but laden with a sense of danger. Then, the sound ceased. Yet, the man didn't react and continued eating as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, the foliage around him rustled violently, and a goblin armed with a wooden club leapt toward him.
Calmly and without haste, the man removed his cloak, revealing a long blue sword sheathed in an ornate scabbard decorated with gold and blue patterns. The sword's blade was silver, with a hilt as black as the night. With ease, he decapitated the goblin, continuing on his path as if uninterrupted. The goblin's lifeless body collapsed behind him.
His journey was soon blocked by a group of goblins accompanied by wolves.
"What nostalgia! This scene reminds me of the old days when I got kicked out of the weapon shop because I only had two coins and had to fight goblins and wolves with a wooden sword. Hahaha!" the swordsman exclaimed, his voice loud, laughing as though speaking to someone else, though he was utterly alone.
"Alright, let me have some fun with you the old-fashioned way!" After this declaration, he placed his sword on the ground, walked to one of the orange trees, and cut off one of its branches. Then, holding the branch, he turned to the goblins and wolves and removed his hood.
His face was slightly aged, marked by a thin beard and mustache, a scar on his left cheek, perpetually closed eyes, and deep blue hair. His cheerful demeanor, with a constant smile, belied the ferocity of his actions. Despite his seemingly lighthearted face, his demeanor exuded both seriousness and brutality. Raising the branch like a sword, he declared with his eyes still closed:
"Let's begin!"
The goblins and wolves charged toward him, prompting the swordsman to crouch slightly, gripping the branch tightly. Then, with his eyes still closed, he muttered:
"Two wolves and three goblins..."
In a flash, he dodged the wolves' attacks and darted behind the goblins at incredible speed. Suddenly, he swung the branch with one hand as if intending to slice off their heads. A blue aura surged from the branch, slicing through the goblins' necks effortlessly. Their heads separated from their bodies and flew away.
With the goblins down, the two wolves lunged at him, baring their sharp, menacing fangs. The swordsman stepped back slightly, waiting for the wolves to come closer. One wolf bit down on the branch, while he kicked the other with such force that it spat out some of its innards. As the first wolf continued biting the branch, the swordsman stepped back once more, spun swiftly, and flung the wolf away with a powerful strike from the branch.
The two wolves fell to the ground, trembling as life slipped away from them. The swordsman returned to his fallen sword, picked it up, sheathed it, and resumed his walk along the path. Plucking another orange, he muttered as he peeled it:
"I hope someone cleans up this mess. I might have been a bit too wild. Hahaha!"
◆ ◆ ◆
Far from that terrifying swordsman, inside one of the spacious rooms of Tiana's palace, Sabrina sat on her chair, smoking her pipe while reading a book titled "The Most Famous War Strategies of the Kingdom of Yarum." Suddenly, she heard a fluttering of wings. A stunningly beautiful white owl appeared, passing through the closed glass window as if it were a ghost, before landing gracefully on Sabrina's desk.
"Has Gaziel approached the palace?" Sabrina asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke from her pipe.
She then stood up from her chair and left the room after ordering the owl to leave. Walking a short distance away, she descended to the second floor and called out:
"All servants, gather here."
At her command, everyone on the floor stopped what they were doing and gathered in front of Sabrina, one by one. Her call always promised a long explanation. Once all the servants had arrived, she began calling their names from a list in her hand. After confirming everyone was present, she addressed them.
"Gaziel will arrive soon. Naturally, he will inspect the servants' work, so give it your all to ensure he sees the second-floor servants are diligent," she said while surveying the group. Her gaze then shifted to Laos and Damiel.
"As for the reception servants, don't forget to welcome him properly... After Gaziel completes his inspection, he'll report everything he notices about you to me. So, good luck," she concluded.
With Sabrina's words, the servants dispersed, eager yet anxious to succeed in this inspection. Sabrina herself left the second floor and descended to the first, her cloak trailing behind her. Upon reaching the grand first floor, she attracted the attention of everyone present.
She walked briefly through the floor before stopping in front of a particular room. Standing outside the closed door, she spoke:
"Your Grace, Gaziel will arrive soon."
"That fool! He's so late!" Tiana's voice came from behind the door, followed by the sound of her approaching.
The door opened, revealing Tiana in a nightgown that left parts of her body exposed. Upon seeing the witch standing before her, she remarked:
"Do not prepare the first-floor servants to receive him. We'll punish him by denying him a proper welcome."
"But, Your Grace, this will upset the servants here, and no one will get promoted," Sabrina replied.
"I don't care," Tiana muttered.
"Do not inform anyone of his arrival except for the second-floor servants. For now, I'll prepare myself," she added, closing the door gradually.
"As you command, Princess," Sabrina responded with a bow.
Sabrina then left the room and wandered through the luxurious first floor before stopping at the palace's grand entrance. Her calm presence caused unease among the servants, as her standing by the door meant only one thing: someone important was about to arrive. However, Sabrina had told them nothing, leaving them bewildered in their places.
Suddenly, in a chilling moment, all the servants fell to their knees as if gravity itself had pulled them down. They collapsed, gasping for air, struggling against an overwhelming pressure. Desperate to rise, they muttered:
"It's Gaziel's aura! Why didn't anyone warn us he was coming?!"
The massive palace doors creaked open, revealing a tall man in a dark blue cloak. He removed the hood concealing his face and greeted them with a smile, his eyes closed:
"How are you all?"
"I've told you a hundred times, knocking on the door is enough. Why do you insist on using your aura to announce your arrival?!" Sabrina said calmly.
"Oh, Sabrina, you look absolutely stunning today," Gaziel replied, his gaze wandering over her.
"I was hoping for a proper welcome this time. It's been so long since I last visited the palace," he added.
"You're getting nothing. This is your punishment for being late again, old man!" Tiana shouted, approaching in one of her elegant dresses.
"Tiana! You look gorgeous as always! Haven't you found your life partner yet? And by the way, I'm still in my forties, so stop calling me old—it's cruel!" Gaziel retorted.
"I won't find a life partner until you find one, you old geezer!" Tiana shot back, glaring at him.
"I didn't think my delay would upset you this much. Besides, I assumed Adalos would have sent one of his heroes to guard this palace. So, I thought a little adventure to reminisce wouldn't hurt, right?" Gaziel said, averting his gaze from Tiana's angry face.
"He did send a hero," Tiana replied, stepping back.
"Really?! I'd love to meet him!" Gaziel exclaimed.
"He's just a servant and doesn't have a combat class," Sabrina interjected.
"What? A servant from another world... so he's the one with that aura," Gaziel murmured.
"The aura has appeared since his arrival to this palace... It seems that people from other worlds have their own special auras," the witch repeated.
"Where is he?" Gaziel asked as he browsed through the servants on the first floor.
"On the second floor, you'll find him there," Tiana repeated.
"The second floor! Why did you place a hero as a low-ranking servant?" he asked.
"None of your business," the princess replied.
"Fine, follow me. We have many topics to discuss," Tiana added, stepping away from them.
"When you're done, go up to the second floor. I've prepared them to welcome you," Sabrina repeated as she also withdrew.
◆ ◆ ◆
Laos' POV
I was standing with Damiel, waiting for that bastard, while I was holding my chest. Just a little while ago, I felt a terrifying aura hit my body. It wasn't just me; Damiel felt it too. It was horrifying. Man, I almost cried, but Damiel told me it was the aura of that bastard who's about to arrive, and it's the way he enters the palace... Fuck him, does he think we're in Bleach?!
It doesn't matter. He's the head servant, so if I do well, my chances of getting promoted will increase. Sabrina said he's going to inspect every corner of the floor and observe the servants... Yes, this is my chance, my golden opportunity. I can't let it slip away!
As I was thinking about the opportunity, I heard footsteps. It's him! I prepared my stance, and so did Damiel. We were completely ready. Then the footsteps got closer, but in the end, it turned out to be Sabrina. Oh my god, I got so excited. Fuck.
"He'll be here after a while, get yourselves ready," Sabrina repeated as she continued on her way to the third floor.
I was nervous, just when that bastard would arrive?, after a while of waiting, I was so bored that I forgot all this and just hoped that this reception was over, so I could have sex with Maris again, after all, sex had become my only source of happiness in this fucking palace.
A minute... ten minutes... half an hour... an hour... Oh my god, where is that bastard? Fuck, I forgot! We're just low-ranking servants, maybe he's forgotten about us. What a fucking arrogant guy. If only I were stronger... Ugh, this palace pisses me off the more I delve into it. Then it happened...
A terrifying aura crept up from the first floor and reached us. It wasn't as strong as the previous one, but it was still terrifying. Then Damiel said as he prepared himself:
"It's Gaziel!"
This is so tense. I feel a lot of pressure. Why am I so scared? He's just a man; I won't suffer if I talk to him, right? Fuck, I'm so nervous. I just want to go back to my room. Then I heard the sound of his footsteps as he climbed the stairs, step by step, until he appeared fully. He was tall, and it seemed he was older, due to some faint wrinkles on his face. He might be in his fifties.
He approached us, then I bowed to him and extended my right hand, then I said:
"Welcome back, sir. Please take this handkerchief."
At this moment, a terrifying silence spread, making me incredibly anxious. My heart started pounding as if I was about to start a fierce battle, but all that was happening was that the head servant bastard stood in front of me with that aura.
"Are you the hero from another world?" he asked, but I couldn't lift my eyes to meet his.
"Me? Yes," I replied nervously.
"You look very strong. Why don't you have a combat class?" he repeated as he placed his hand on my shoulder. Oh my god, it's really heavy. Or is he doing that on purpose?
"I don't think I'm good at fighting. I'm weak," I answered.
"Really! Oh, you look like the people in ancient legends, hiding their power, but in the end, it turns out they hide immense strength and scare everyone! Aren't you one of them?" he asked.
"No, no," I answered. Huh, does he think I'm a protagonist from one of those stupid isekai stories? Unfortunately, I'm not. I'm just a fucking teenager who enjoys fucking a girl in this fucking palace.
"You're interesting, we'll talk later," he repeated as he walked away from us and continued his way through the floor.
After he left, I felt an itch all over my body. Fuck, does anxiety cause itching? Oh my god, I was so nervous while talking to him. He's really terrifying. Ugh, he reminds me of the traditional stories, where there's a retired swordsman training the kingdom's knights. This is so fantasy-like. Yes, I think he's strong, stronger than Sabrina even! But who cares about this bastard's strength... All that matters to me right now is getting a promotion, and all of that depends on this terrifying man.