CHAPTER 8 - Mother
New information that'll make my journey easier and save me tons of research time! Thank you, Rose! I promise I'll repay this favor someday!
"The Kings want to fight the demi-humans over some rocks that…"
"Stop."
I interrupt her since I already know the story; I don't need to hear it again.
Ugh, I hope that's not all the information she has for me. Come on, Rose, I trust you. You're one of the most important people in the country; even the Kings fight over you. You must have more significant information.
"The King already told me about the rocks that boost magical power."
"I see, but that's not all they want. They want to torture the demi-humans and take their lands. They want to search for more rocks."
So many "wants"… Ugh…
The demi-humans have the rocks, so the Kings of this country think they can find more rocks there.
And I don't think an alliance with them will happen, since the Kings want to torture the demi-humans. Rose said, "They want to torture the demi-humans and take their lands," not "They want to torture the demi-humans to get information about the rocks." That means they absolutely want to see the demi-humans suffer.
Ugh, damn it. This is unfair to the demi-humans… I guess. I still haven't heard the reason they're fighting so much.
Rose keeps talking while I think about this, but she's only telling me details about what the Kings want to achieve, stuff I already figured out.
They want to seize the demi-humans' lands to dig and search for more rocks, to enhance the power of their best warriors for the future war against the demons.
Eliminate the demi-humans out of revenge, since in the past, the demi-humans caused a lot of harm to humans.
And the most twisted part: experimentation. They want to experiment on the demi-humans to test their new weapons, both firearms and chemical ones. It reminds me of the human experimentation during World War II.
Those would be the main points I need to analyze further. The rest of what Rose says is unnecessary for my investigation, as she's just telling me how they plan to conquer the country with their army. Rose is giving me details because she thinks it'll be useful, but it's not. It's useless information. If I can't stop the war, I won't do anything else. I won't help the demi-humans by giving them that information, nor will I help the humans.
If my attempts to stop the war fail and the humans want to keep going, I'll just leave for another country and stop thinking about it.
I can't force the humans to surrender using violence, as that would mean killing innocents. I promised myself I'd only kill demons and monsters, not humans. I made a mistake with Sandro, and I don't want to repeat that mistake. I won't kill humans again.
If my attempts to stop the war fail, I won't be able to do anything more, and I'd rather not see the results of this war.
It hurts knowing that millions of demi-humans will die if I fail, but my mission is to train and defeat the demons, not waste time trying to stop a fight.
This war could last months, even years, and I can't waste time trying to stop it. If this world disappears, so will the other alternate worlds, so I have to prioritize saving the world over saving a country.
Sorry, demi-humans, but I'm not a God; I'm a human. I can't work miracles. I promise I'll do my best, but if I fail, I… Ugh… I'll just have to pray for you.
"That's basically what they'll do after victory. What do you think?"
"All this fighting over some stupid rocks… The demi-humans don't deserve to be killed. I'll go talk to their King. First, I'll find out if those rocks were found in a mine or if they appeared magically. If it's the latter, it means they're special, maybe sent by some God to help humanity defeat the demons, but I don't care—I'm going to destroy them."
"You'll destroy them?"
"Yeah."
"Why? Why not keep them? You'd be way more powerful, and our chances of beating the demons would increase."
"But I'm human; I make mistakes. If I get careless and the demons steal the rocks, they'll definitely defeat us. Putting something so important and powerful under my protection is a terrible idea. I'd rather take no risks and eliminate the rocks."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
If the rocks are as powerful as they say, the demons will constantly attack me to get them, and they won't send weak demons—they'll send powerful ones. I'm still a newbie; I have a lot to learn. If the strongest demons attack me, I don't know if I can defeat them, especially if I'm fighting while trying to protect the rocks.
If I fail, I'll die, and the alternate worlds will disappear. It's better to destroy the rocks and fight without any extra advantage.
"As long as the rocks exist, the problems won't stop. Humans won't let the demi-humans keep the rocks, and the demi-humans won't give them up even if it costs their lives. But if I destroy them, there's no point in continuing the war. The demi-humans will stay alive, and the demons will never get the rocks they're after. Sure, I might become way more powerful if I have the rocks, but the risk is too high, and if I fail, the consequences would be severe. Eliminating the rocks is the best option; it'll keep us safe for longer."
"Looking at it that way, you're right. The King planned to give one of the rocks to Sandro, and even I agreed, but destroying them sounds more reasonable. Having them would increase our chances of victory, but if the demons steal them, we'd be beyond dead… But don't you think it's worth the risk? I was planning to form a team of heroes with the world's strongest adventurers. With the rocks' power, we'd go to the demon kingdom and try to defeat the Demon King. It's better to die trying to win. Our chances of victory without the rocks are pretty low anyway."
"A team of heroes, huh? I'd be lying if I said it couldn't work, because it could. But trust me, the risk would be too high. Please, believe me, destroying the rocks is the best option."
From what I heard, the Demon King is already here. According to the King's bodyguard, who was harassing me while I was building the bathroom, the Demon King is a coward who prefers to stay on his throne and send demons to do his work. How does she know all that? She said she got the information from a demon she captured and tortured. That means the Demon King isn't the powerful demon who'll destroy the world in the future—or maybe he is.
Maybe the Demon King is weak right now, which is why he stays on his throne, and in three or four years, when he gains power, he'll destroy the world.
Attacking him now could be a good idea, but if it turns out he's not the demon I'm looking for, I could die for nothing.
Attacking him puts our lives at risk, lives we could use against the real final enemy.
There's too much risk, and the alternate worlds are in danger. If I fail, the human race will perish, and we'll cease to exist in this and all alternate worlds.
I know the longer I wait, the more people will die, but the best option is to destroy the rocks and wait for the final boss. I'm absolutely sure I'll be ready to face him or her when the time comes.
Taking risks will only endanger the alternate worlds. The best option is to wait and fight when the real final boss shows up.
"Daniel, listen to me!"
"Huh? Oh… Sorry."
Rose started shaking my shoulders. Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts.
"Rose, I thought about it a lot, and I don't think the risk is worth it. The demons are a mysterious enemy to us. The best thing is to destroy the rocks."
"… My sister called me and said you come from another world. Is that true?"
"… Well… 50/50. My memories are from the Daniel of the other world, but my body is the Daniel of this world. Before the fusion, he told me… Well… I'm forbidden from saying it, sorry. I just ask you to trust me. The Demon King might not be the only danger we have to face."
"Not the only danger? I've heard about reincarnations of people from other worlds in this one, but this is the first time I've heard of a fusion of two identical people from different worlds. I'll trust you, Daniel. Reincarnated people brought peace to this world thousands of years ago, and I'm sure you're like them… Well, sort of."
Reincarnations? I see… There were people in situations like mine. But why is the world still medieval? I guess normal people were reincarnated, not scientists or super intelligent people. What a waste.
"Thanks for the trust, Rose. Want me to teach you my language? There's an app called 'Internet' on the phone; you can find everything there. You could make this world less savage and improve quality of life… Oh, but later, we have more important things to do. How many Kings does Soular have?"
"Internet? Wow, wow. Sounds interesting. The country of Soular is ruled by a single King, but you can't get to him easily."
"I know, but I have to try."
"Fufu. You're a great person, Daniel."
"Thanks, at least I try."
Honestly, I'm only doing this because I feel like I have to… I'm straying too far from my main goal.
"That's why I'm going with you."
"Truth is, I'd rather go alone. That place is too dangerous for humans."
"Don't worry, like I said before, I'm one of the most powerful sorceresses in the country. Not even Sandro or Lina could defeat me."
"That's exactly why. If someone like you comes with me, they'll think we're planning something. Plus, if they only see me, they won't consider me a threat. That's why I want to go alone."
"Alright, I won't insist, but please, be careful. The demi-humans attack any human they see, so be cautious."
Ugh, I know… But I won't defend myself; that'll cause more problems.
"I will."
"That's why I brought you a gift. It's one of the rarest books I've found, detailing the history of humans and demi-humans. I'm giving it to you because the real reason humans and demi-humans hate each other has been kept secret. Read it, and you'll understand what really happened. Humans think demi-humans are the bad guys, and demi-humans think humans are the bad guys, but this book tells the true events. Over time, the real story has been altered, but I assure you, this book contains the absolute truth. I wrote a brief summary on the first page."
She hands me two books.
"And this other one?"
"It's a book with 10 fairy spells. My family has never been able to use them, but I think you can."
Awesome, new spells, just what I need!
I pull out my phone and take pictures of the spells.
"Here, I don't need it anymore."
"Huh?"
I open the spell app and see the fairy-type spells.
"Now I have 23 fairy-type spells, thanks."
"If you take pictures of the spells, they save to your phone?"
"Yeah, I told you they save to the gallery, but it also creates an app called 'Spells' that lets you save and sort spells by use and type. I didn't mention it because they're saved in my language, so you wouldn't understand."
"I see… Try using one of the spells from the book!"
Wow, wow. She seems super excited. I hope the spells don't disappoint her.
"Alright."
I read the spells… Hmm… They're really interesting and amazing… The fairies of this world are the most fascinating race so far… I was lucky to meet Rose.
Hmm… Which one do I use? They all look so cool.
… Oh, this one seems interesting.
"Grein: Those with Light and Fairy magic can use this spell. It makes a person invisible for one minute. Then, they must wait a full day to use it again."
A whole day? Ugh, that's a long time. I should save it for emergencies.
"Use it!"
Alright, fine, only because you seem really excited about it. Plus, you gave me the spells, so it's only fair I show you.
"Grein!"
Hmm… I look at my arms for 5 seconds, but nothing happens.
… Ugh, what a letdown. I thought it'd work. I'm still visible.
"It didn't work. Did I say it wrong?"
"Incredible, it worked!"
Huh? It actually worked?
"It worked?"
"I can't see you, but you can see yourself."
Oh… That's pretty convenient… Fufu. This spell is perfect for pranks… Do I have time to go pull down Cris's pants? He did it to me once, and I haven't had a chance to get revenge.
"So you can't see me… I can think of a lot of fun things to do with this spell. I wish I had time to go down and prank Cris. How much time is left before the spell ends? About 20 seconds, I think."
Rose smiles. Huh? She's got a perverted look on her face… T-that's a mischievous grin… N-no… No… Don't you dare!
"Don't take advantage of me, Daniel!"
Noooooo! Don't scream! Uwaaah! Are you moaning?! What's wrong with you?! My grandma will get mad at me! Stop pretending I'm groping you! Arghhh! And stop grabbing your breasts in front of me! Damn perverted world!
"Huh?!"
"Now that you're invisible, you'll take advantage and touch my breasts! Noooooo, don't lick there, it's dirty!"
Uwaaah! People can hear us, and they'll spread false rumors about me! I'm new to this world; I don't want to be seen as a pervert—that'll ruin my reputation in the future!
"Calm down!"
I start shaking her shoulders.
Rose stops, no more moaning.
Phew. Thank goodness.
"You're not a man? The spell ended, and you didn't touch me."
"Why would I do that?!"
"Because that's what men do; they're all perverts!"
"But I'm not…! Well, a little, I admit, but I wouldn't dare mess with a girl."
Say no to harassment!
"Besides, women are just as perverted! I nearly went blind seeing a brothel with male prostitutes and old ladies coming out of there!"
"But men are more perverted!"
"Don't generalize!"
•
•
After arguing a bit about how men must be perverts and all that, I say goodbye to Rose.
I need to keep an eye on that noble flirting with my grandma. He seems like a good person, but I'm not taking any chances.
"Thanks for the spells. Don't want to come down to the party?"
"I don't like parties; they're so boring."
"And they are, but the food's delicious."
"I can't; I still have to talk to the King."
"Alright, take care. See you soon!"
I jump and descend from the top of the tower.
"I definitely need to memorize the spells."
•
•
(POV - Rose)
I see… Daniel's not a pervert… He's too good, but not entirely. He's not afraid to kill his enemies… He even killed Sandro just for sexually harassing his grandma.
A guy who's too good but can also be evil and cruel… He shows no mercy to his enemies… His personality is so strange.
People like him, who are really good, don't dare harm others, but Daniel doesn't hesitate to kill his enemies.
… It's too weird.
"But also interesting."
… Honestly, I've never felt aroused by a man… I never masturbate; I think it's a waste of time… But for the first time in a long while, I want to masturbate… Thinking about Daniel excites me too much.
"Fufu. You're getting more interesting every day, Daniel… Your grandma's an angel, and you have all types of magic… What's your past? Are you a descendant of some God?"
The Daniel of this world was too powerful. Why did he give you his body?
And your grandma from the other world was revived in this world and gained angel magic. Did she fuse with the grandma of this world's Daniel? Fufu. So much mystery surrounds you.
"I can't wait to find out."
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
I rejoin the others.
Ugh, that meeting gave me a new perspective on my mission. Thanks for everything, Rose.
"Where were you?" Liz said.
"I was with your sister."
Ugh, that sounded rude, but yeah, I was with her.
"She's here?!"
"She's at the top of the castle."
"I'm going to see her!"
Liz runs off. I guess she really wants to see her sister.
How sweet. I wish… no… I was going to say I wish I'd had a younger sibling, but my grandma could barely support me. If I'd had a younger brother or sister, they would've gone hungry.
Thanks for making me an only child, parents… though it's because my mom died when I was born.
Ugh, I'd better not say anything else; I'm just making it worse.
"Let's dance now!" Alex said with a big smile.
Alex grabs my hands, and we dance.
… Well… Ugh… Dancing is interesting, but the music is so boring. I wish rock existed in this world.
I glance at my grandma talking and laughing with that noble. She looks so happy… and that makes me happy.
As long as my grandma's happy, I'm happy. All I want for her is happiness.
But if they really fall in love, I'll threaten to kill him if he hurts or cheats on my grandma. Better safe than sorry.
…
…
…
Ugh… An hour passed, and I went to rest at the food table.
Dancing is more exhausting than I thought.
"Fufu. Enjoying the party, guest of honor?"
"I'd enjoy it more if there was rock music. What about you, Cris? I saw you dancing with that girl with glasses. Am I witnessing the start of a romance?"
"Nah, she only danced with me to learn more about you. At least she gave me a kiss on the lips as payment. Fufu. I like the women in this world. I jokingly mentioned the kiss, and she went for it."
Cris stood beside me and patted my head.
"What?"
"How you holding up? I saw my sister trying to talk to you, and you kept dodging her."
"She asked me to dance, but I said no."
"I see… Daniel, my sister messed up, I know that perfectly well, but… Well… We're in another world, far from our parents. She's taking it harder than I am. Could you at least treat her like a friend? You'll never be a couple again, but at least accept her as a friend. Or at least pretend to be her friend. I'm worried she might do something stupid."
"… Maybe later, in a month or two, when I feel better. The pain's still there."
"Yeah, alright, I get it."
"So, wanna dance with me?"
"Huh?"
"I want to talk with you more."
"Let's talk here. I'm not dancing with you! What would my fans say?"
"Stop joking and come on."
I grabbed his hand and put my hand on his waist.
"Noooooo! My reputation!"
•
•
We stayed at the party for two hours. I danced with everyone except Sonia. I even danced with Cris, but that was because I wanted to talk to him. I was feeling overwhelmed from dancing with the girls. My grandma seems really attached to that handsome noble, but I don't sense he's a bad person.
Nothing interesting happened, and I decided to leave. I need energy for tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep.
"You're leaving already? The party's not over," Rem said.
"I'm kinda sleepy. You guys stay; I'm heading out. Take care of my grandma. Call me if anything happens."
I leave the party… Rich people's parties are boring.
… Sonia asked me to dance a bunch of times… That girl won't give up.
I'll never go back to her.
I don't care about the future. I don't care if she changes and becomes a better person. I don't care about anything she does. I'll never go back to her.
"Never."
•
•
A couple of minutes later, I arrive at my new house.
"I'm so full."
I head to the backyard where the workers were, and I see only one of them is still there.
Waiting patiently for me, huh? I told them to leave when they were done.
"Young Daniel, I wanted to inform you that we finished building the bathroom, exactly as the instructions specified."
"Thanks. Remember to make copies of the instructions and sell them at the merchants' guild. Use the royalty profits to build the drainage system I designed and everything else."
"Of course, Young Daniel."
The bathrooms from my world will become popular in this one. It'll also create new jobs. The money from the bathroom sales will be used to improve the education and healthcare systems. I'll use my world's knowledge to improve this world… It'll be a long task, but it'll be worth it.
I pull out all the gold coins I still had.
"There's like over 100 coins. Can you split them among your coworkers? Consider it a thank you for their work."
"Thank you!"
The worker leaves, and I check out the bathroom. They broke down a wall of the house and added the bathroom so we don't have to go outside to use it.
"They did a good job."
I enter the house and go to the bathroom.
"They really did a great job!"
Wow, wow. It really looks like a rich person's bathroom. I feel like part of high society!
I check if the bathroom works. The toilet flushes, and the bathtub faucet has water. It even has hot and cold water! Awesome!
Inside the pipes that carry the water, there are two different rocks that change the water's temperature depending on which faucet is turned. That was Sara's idea in the design.
"Now I can finally bathe properly!"
I take off my clothes and start bathing. This feels so relaxing.
… Ugh… So relaxing.
I wash my face, my head, my private parts, and everything else.
Ugh, I needed a nice hot bath after a long day of work.
"I really missed this."
I close my eyes and sigh.
"Relaxing…"
"Wow!"
"Awesome!"
Suddenly, I hear the voices of two of my companions. Arghhh! What are they doing here?!
"Incredible, the bathroom looks so nice!" Liz said.
"The bathrooms in your world are amazing, Daniel!" Alex said.
I open my eyes and see Alex and Liz in front of me.
Sexual harassment! That's sexual harassment! Why did they barge into the bathroom without knocking?!
"I-I'm bathing, get out!"
I cover my private parts. Arghhh! The water's so clear and transparent, they might've seen me naked! Uwaaah! I want to crawl into a hole and die!
"We just followed you to see what you were really up to," Alex said.
"I thought you came here to make out with my sister," Liz said, joking.
"Make out?!"
I'd never kiss a girl I barely know!
I grab my shirt and transform it into a towel.
"Close your eyes!"
They both turn around, I get out of the tub, and wrap the towel around me.
"Now, please…"
I push them both out of the bathroom.
"I need to bathe. Bye."
I get them out and close the door.
"So boring, let's go," Alex said.
"It's common sense!"
"Good thing you got them out. They almost ruined our fun."
Huh?
I-I turn to my left in fear. Uwaaah! When did Rose get in the bathroom?! And why is she naked in the tub?!
I cover my eyes immediately. And you, don't you dare betray me! Don't get up, don't get up!
"Fufu. Are you that happy to see me?"
Noooooo! Traitor! I told you not to get up!
"Get out of the bathroom right now, or I won't teach you my language, and you'll miss out on new inventions and discoveries!"
"Booo. Don't be a party pooper, Daniel. There's plenty of room for both of us. Come on, don't be shy."
"5, 4, 3…!"
"Fine, fine, I'm leaving."
I hear her get out of the water and walk toward me.
"Y-you can use the bathroom after me! Respect turns and privacy!"
"Yeah, yeah."
I hear the door open and close.
Ugh… That was so awkward.
I open my eyes… Good, the bathroom's empty.
"Damn perverted world."
•
•
Liz and Alex leave the house, their faces completely red since there was no need to keep pretending.
"D-did you get it?"
"Y-yeah."
Liz pulls out her phone and shows Alex the picture they took of Daniel… And they took it while he was undressing.
"Send me the photo."
"Wow… According to the anatomy books I read, penises aren't that big. How big do you think it is? 25 centimeters?"
"I'd say about 27 centimeters when erect," Rose said, standing behind Liz.
"Uwaaah!"
Liz hid her phone and stepped away from her sister.
"H-hi, sis."
"That's sexual harassment, Liz."
"… I'm sorry."
"But I'll forget it happened if you send me the photo too," Rose said, smiling.
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
I felt a shiver… Why do I have a bad feeling?
"Ugh… I'm sleepy."
•
•
A few minutes later, I finish bathing and get ready for bed.
Freshly bathed and changed, I lie down on the bed in one of the rooms.
"I guess they'll take a while to get back."
I pull out my phone and start looking at the spells. In total, I had 164 spells to memorize, and I started reading them.
…
…
…
Ugh… Most of the spells were kind of stupid; only about twenty or thirty were useful. The dumbest were the earth-type spells, like, for example, a spell to turn yourself into dirt and die, a spell to create an earth sword, which I actually used and it broke in one hit, a spell to make dirt appear in your hands, etc. I memorized the spells. The really useful ones were the fairy spells, light spells, and wind spells.
"What a long night!"
The others still haven't arrived, so I'd better sleep.
"I guess they'll take a while to get back."
I take off my shirt and try to sleep.
…
…
…
La… lala… Ugh… I'm still worried about my grandma; I can't sleep. I trust the girls, but they're not that powerful. They have phones to call me if there's an emergency, but I'm still worried… Huh?
I feel someone climb onto the bed.
Ugh, no, Rem, I told you, you can't sleep with me.
"Rem, you have your own room now; you can't sleep with me."
"I'm not Rem, darling."
Huh?
"That voice is… Shit!"
I open my eyes and see the King's bodyguard on top of me.
Uwaaah! My virginity's in danger! Damn crazy woman!
"W-what do you want?"
"I just want to know something. How is it possible that you have all types of magic?"
"My grandma's an angel… And I guess my mom's a demon… I think the genes mixed. Now get out."
"Your grandma's an angel, and your mom's a demon? Interesting. I'm leaving, but this won't be the last time we talk."
She licks my face, and I turn red. Why the hell did she do that?!
"Huh?! You're crazy!"
She laughs and climbs out the window.
"Now I'm even more scared of her."
Is everyone in this world weird?
I close the window and go back to sleep.