1 Not from this world

And there I was, standing with grim face with hands up in the air, while dozens of rifle butts were pointed at my head.

Angry soldiers stared at me fiercely. One man raised his hand. He was the Crown Prince, or perhaps the king for now. "Adrian van Bosche, this is your last chance, tell me, where are the king and queen? Where are my mother and my father?

It was... a difficult question.

I could only answer, "It's too late, Your Majesty."

I could hear the shots ringing out and it seemed like my life was slipping away.

But, this isn't the first time I've lost my life.

Believe it or not, I'm not originally from here. Not from this world.

The world I live in is a modern age that has implemented a democratic ideology where all humans are equals.

Or at least that's what I've heard.

In reality? Well. You could say that I'm part of a cycle of structural poverty that won't stop in one generation. Even when my great-grandchildren are born, we may still be deprived. The phrase about the wheel of life turning is nonsense and justice is a lie.

Am I ungrateful and complaining a lot?

Ah, no, no. I'm grateful, really. I have a job, I can eat, and I have a home to return to. The three main needs are met, and most importantly I'm still alive. Well... even though I have to struggle half to death, anyway.

At least, in the midst of the endless fatigue and despair, I could entertain myself by reading comics.

As a child, I loved comics and once dreamed of becoming a comic artist. I was willing to steal just for a comic book (which I later regretted, because what idiot would steal money for a comic? From there, I started stealing comics directly from the nearest bookstore).

But, times have changed quite a bit. You can open anything with your mobile phone, and some you can access for free (yes, I'm talking about illegal sites, because... why not?).

There's a work I'm particularly fond of called Rise Chivalry Knight!

For an online comic, there's nothing special about the drawing style. You could even say that it's below average.

The story? Rubbish.

As the clichéd title suggests, it offers a clichéd story with a clichéd protagonist who has to face clichéd conflicts, meet a bunch of clichéd characters, interact with clichéd dialogues.

Cliché. Cliché. Cliché.

It was supposed to be a nauseating read that I had to abandon from the first page.

But, there's a saying that you can hate something so much that you love it.

That's what happened between me and this work. Not only did it stop at comics, I even looked for a connection to the novel medium. It's been written to completion.

I don't really like reading text that doesn't have illustrations, but it was the first time I could really 'enjoy' it.

To be honest, it wasn't too bad as an experience. There were some parts with concepts that could have been more interesting if they were polished a bit.

One of them is about the revenge that is promoted as the main motive of the protagonist, which is then related to a big war that changes the entire face of the world he lives in.

Instead of giving him a comical conclusion where he ends up with his loved ones, why not bring him to the harsh reality of the repercussions of his dark motivations?

Or perhaps, highlight how he deals with the revolution happening across the country? You may get rid of one bad leader, you may get rid of one authoritarian law, but there's no guarantee that the replacement will be any better, right?

Uh. I'm starting to sound like an annoying critic. I'm starting to be no different from my unemployed uncle.

As I thought that, a very loud siren struck my ears, along with a brightly shining penny lamp.

I still vividly remember its shape and colour. A flashy red van with dull wall paint.

I was bounced quite far. It hurt, ached, and stung. However, my tears could not come out. My eyes also became heavy.

When I opened them again, I saw a ceiling that was so high, complete with chandeliers that I could only see in films.

When I went to the bathroom to wash my face, I found myself looking in the mirror.

The figure behind the mirror was definitely not me, but the face was familiar.

It was Adrian van Bosche. One of the antagonists in Rise Chivalry Knight!

*#*

When I realised that fact, I decided against going to the bathroom. I didn't care about my bladder, which was already so full that it was bursting with an almost unstoppable urge to urinate.

If I were Adrian, then there was one fact I had to face: I would die a violent death.

That's the fate that must come for every antagonist in every story, anyway. Tragically, I would die first to serve as a means for the protagonist to gain power.

The main antagonist would send me on a foolish mission in which I would accidentally kill both the protagonist's parents and those closest to him. 

In short, it was a foolish genocide.

And, yes, Adrian's character is indeed described as twisted. There's no sympathy to be had for him. I think that's one of the reasons why the main antagonist entrusted him with this inhumane mission. As for the other reason...

"Young Master!" 

The door to my room had suddenly been opened and a middle-aged man strode in as if nothing had happened.

"It's a surprise that you woke up early."

I smiled. This middle-aged man was named Geralt. The butler of the van Bosche clan who had worked even when Adrian's grandfather was young. "This is also a surprise. It's the first time I've seen a servant enter his master's room without permission."

"I thought you were used to this,"

"Huh?"

"You are awaited by the Lord Count in the Dining Room."

Switching the subject right away, huh.

"You can start dressing and getting ready from now on. Or... do you need my help to do so?"

Huh?

Ah, I forgot to mention.

This Geralt is actually... a disgusting bastard.

*#*

Adrian is indeed described as an edgy character. His madness is completely unrealistic. But, at least, it all has a reasonable beginning.

You might think that what Geralt just said was just a joke. Well, let me tell you, it wasn't a joke.

I mean, I could even see the look in his eyes that was so focused on me changing clothes.

Geralt's seniority has earned him the respect not only of the servants, but also of the entire van Bosche family. 

That was why any rumours about him would be swiftly dispelled. The spreaders would be immediately arrested, threatened, and severely punished.

Of all the rumours, the most popular was about Geralt's preference for men, especially young men.

Before this, there may have been countless victims. It doesn't matter if it was consensual or forced, no one would dare to bring it up.

And the latest victim is: Adrian.

You might be thinking, 'So what? He's the only son and heir to the Van Bosche clan. Geralt's not going to get away with this.', right?

The answer: Geralt got away with it, and with flying colours.

The current head of the Van Boshce family believed Geralt's word more than his own son. To prove his alibi, Geralt even paid four servants at once to give convincing testimony.

Adrian was punished by his father for allegedly making childishly cruel accusations. He was not allowed to leave his room for a week. Geralt was appointed to watch and prevent Adrian from running away.

An opportunity that was immediately put to good use.

Almost every night, when everyone was asleep, Geralt would enter the room and fondle Adrian's body, which was still a kid at the time.

Since then, Adrian has also received bad treatment from those around him. His brothers considered him cowardice and not worthy of being called a man anymore. His parents considered him a liar. The servants considered him a snitch.

Distrusted and shunned by everyone, Adrian chose to isolate himself and began an interest in forbidden abstract fields. Fields that studied demons.

"Hey, what do you think?" I said, who had put on a neat caramel-coloured tunic.

Geralt looked me up and down.

Look at that hungry gaze. He looks like stripping me inside his head.

Honestly, it gave me goosebumps too.

"Suit your taste, eh." I smiled and patted his shoulder. "You go ahead, I have a few things to do."

"Young Master, Lord Count doesn't like to wait."

"Yes, and because of that, I'm entrusting it to you to persuade him." Before Geralt could open his mouth again, I quickly put my mouth to his ear and said. "In exchange, I'll make sure that tonight will be very special."

It worked like a charm. Look at how his expression seems to be unable to bear it anymore. It almost made me vomit, but I had to do it anyway. "Good luck."

*#*

This was my first time exploring. This place is much bigger than any place I've ever been, but at least I have one definite clue that leads to 'that place'.

'Right by the back door. Behind the abandoned warehouse.'

Found it. 

Here it is.

I entered the warehouse in question. It was dark and full of the stifling scent of dust.

Fortunately, this wasn't where I was headed.

I reached for something in the darkness, and finally found its end around the wall of the warehouse.

I slid it open, revealing another room behind it that was brighter, but also more eerie.

It was full of strange objects in the form of religious symbolism, anatomical drawings of bodies, cages full of rats, and... a special cage that contained beetles.

I approached the cage, opened the lock, and pulled the beetle out of it.

The beetle landed and turned into a woman.

Not the ordinary woman, though.

It is a demon.