Part 2
Akira opened his eyes with difficulty.
The first thing he felt was moisture.
The second, dust.
And the third... indignation.
"Is this... the floor?"
He sat up slowly.
His back hurt.
One boot was sunk into a puddle of stagnant water, and a dried petal was stuck to his forehead.
He looked around: cracked walls, columns creaking in the wind, a royal carpet covered in dust, and worst of all—
"Am I... sitting on a throne?"
There he was, somehow seated on a massive stone chair that looked more like a cheap high school theater prop than a seat worthy of a monarch.
A cobweb hung right above his head, as if trying to crown him in a symbolically depressing ceremony.
"So this is the kingdom I'm supposed to save? Looks more like a haunted house on clearance."
He got up, brushing himself off with resignation.
His clothes were still damp, and his phone vibrated nonstop in his pocket.
[SPN – Narrative Parody System: Update completed.]
[Tutorial Mode: Active.]
[Welcome to Faraluz.]
[Current state of the kingdom: ruins.]
[User's mental state: mild confusion with risk of denial.]
Akira sighed heavily and put the phone away.
"I knew that raggedy god was scamming me…"
At that moment, a small pink figure floated right up to his face.
"Congratulations! You've been summoned as the new king of Faraluz."
Akira took a step back.
"What? Who are you?"
The creature hovered confidently.
She had sparkling wings, an absurdly oversized bow that defied physics, and a voice full of enthusiasm... although it sounded a little forced.
"I'm Minu, and I'll be your unreliable guide."
"I think you meant to say 'trustworthy guide.'"
"Nope, I said what I meant," she replied, handing him a crumpled piece of paper. "Here's my résumé."
Akira cautiously unfolded it.
"It says here you have no work experience... and your special skill is 'sleeping eight hours straight.'"
"That's right. Impressive, isn't it?"
"Well... yeah. I don't know anyone who can sleep that long without waking up."
"See? I told you I was special! But don't worry, as you evolve as a king, we'll all grow too. And who knows? Maybe someday I'll have something else to put on that résumé," she added, striking a pose of fake confidence that crumbled at a glance.
"And about this 'king' thing? This place looks like an abandoned theater. Is it a kingdom of ghosts? Or zombies?"
"Close enough. According to my records, this used to be the shining Kingdom of Faraluz. But it's been years without a monarch. Actually, the last king moved to another kingdom, took all the gold, and left the castle empty..."
"Little by little, the place faded away. The people left, and with them, the magic."
"I see... That sounds... really sad."
"Yeah. In fact, I was assigned as your fairy guide because no one else wanted the job. But when I saw your hero profile, I thought: this guy... might just become a great, kind king," Minu said with emotion that was clearly forced.
"Thanks... No one's ever cared about me that much," Akira replied, somewhat touched.
They hugged each other, like protagonists from a heartwarming anime slice-of-life scene.
"Also, there's a job shortage... and I've already been fired from three previous gigs," she added, completely ruining the moment.
"...That was totally unnecessary," Akira said, feeling the magic of the moment collapse along with the dust falling from the ceiling.
"Well... it is what it is," Minu said, shrugging.
She then flew toward a corner and switched on an old spotlight that flickered twice, as if deciding whether to explode or give up. The beam of light illuminated a forgotten corner of the hall.
"Presenting to you, the first—and perhaps the only—maid in all of Faraluz...! The incomparable, irreplaceable, and completely useful... Cecilia! A vampire of... eighteen years old, I think!"
Akira blinked, blinded by the spotlight's glare.
The light revealed a girl standing beside a column, as if she had been there all along.
Long white hair, pale skin, clear eyes, and a perfectly spotless maid uniform.
She stood completely motionless.
"Since when has she been there?"
"She's always been there. She's just... very quiet."
"And what was that about 'eighteen years old'? Aren't vampires supposed to be centuries old?"
"She's a novice vampire... you know what I mean," Minu said, elbowing him conspiratorially.
"No, I really don't."
"Just go with it! It's part of the charm. Plus, look at her... she's like a collectible doll."
Cecilia didn't say a word.
She only bowed her head with an unsettling elegance.
Her gaze was so intense that Akira felt his blood freeze for a moment.
"Well... yeah. She's beautiful, no denying that."
"Perfect! Moving on," Minu said, dragging the flickering spotlight toward another dark corner of the hall.
The light revealed a ghostly figure, floating with dignified posture. He wore an elegant suit, a monocle that hovered within his translucent aura, and held a ledger in one hand.
"This is Don Eustacio, the first and only accountant in Faraluz's ten-thousand-year history."
"I knew this kingdom would have ghosts..."
"Look on the bright side," Minu added. "He's never run a deficit! Eh? Eh?"
She raised an eyebrow, fishing for approval.
Akira stared at her with a neutral expression.
"That joke was so bad it made an onion cry. And there aren't even any onions here."
"Alright, alright, no need to get stuck on the details..."
The ghost nodded solemnly, as if approving his own failure.
"And finally, the general of your troops. A knight with dragon blood: Sir Rigoberto."
"A Dragopaladin?"
"Or Paladragon."
"Or... whatever," Minu added, slipping on a pair of glasses and consulting a crumpled sheet that looked like it came from another universe.
The light revealed a knight in shining armor... though visibly dented.
A badly-fitted helmet covered half his face, and his ceremonial lance trembled slightly in his grasp.
"My... king," Sir Rigoberto said, his voice firm yet a little shaky. "The honor of Faraluz lives on as long as I breathe. And... well, as long as my back doesn't give out again."
Akira ran a hand down his face.
"Is this serious?"
Minu landed beside him, arms crossed proudly.
"Welcome, Your Majesty. This is your kingdom. Your troops. Your grand beginning."
At that moment, a burst of confetti exploded from somewhere, followed by faded paper bits fluttering down randomly, as if someone had thrown them from a dying fan.
"That'll cost us at least two months of salary," Don Eustacio noted solemnly, jotting it down in his floating ledger.
[SPN: Non-refundable confetti. Cost charged to the kingdom's budget.]
[Current balance of Faraluz: –1,000 Flux.]
Akira frowned.
"Tell me this is a joke..."
Cecilia stepped forward, maintaining her perfect composure, and bowed gracefully before him.
"Please, Akira-sama. Do not abandon us like the heroes before you..."
"We will be loyal to you," added Sir Rigoberto, mirroring the bow with a tremble befitting his rusted armor. "Even if our joints aren't so convinced anymore."
"Please, help us rebuild our kingdom," said Don Eustacio solemnly. "If I could kneel, I would. But..." He glanced at his ghostly form. "I have no knees."
Akira remained silent. The echo of the empty hall was the only response.
A ruined castle.
A charming vampire girl with an aura of tenderness.
A ghost accountant.
A worn-out knight.
An inexperienced fairy guide.
And him—with a broken cellphone and a glowing catalyst he had no idea how to use.
"...I'm so screwed."
But then, he straightened up.
Took a deep breath.
Looked around as if he had just accepted his role in a play he hadn't even realized he was starring in.
"Fear not, people of Faraluz!"
"I, Akira Usagi, swear by the honor of my family... and the children I'll never have... that we will restore the glory of this kingdom!"
He grabbed his katana—and to his surprise, found it intact and gleaming, as if it had never seen a day of battle.
He raised it high with determination.
"With this sword... and maximum effort!"
His subjects cheered in the abandoned hall. Even the cobweb over the throne seemed to applaud.
At that moment, his cellphone chimed with a triumphant tone.
[SPN: Quest completed]
[Reward: Crown + 10,000 Flux]
Out of nowhere, a golden crown materialized atop his head.
It wasn't overly extravagant, but it shone just enough to leave no doubt about his new status.
[SPN: Activated]
[New Quest: Restoration of Faraluz]
[Kingdom Balance: –100,000,000 Flux]
[Financial State: Bankrupt.]
Akira stared at the screen. The enthusiasm froze on his face.
"...This kingdom is so screwed, it could be part of Latin America."
"But at least you're gloriously screwed with a crown!" Minu added, floating with mock solemnity.
"I'm only not firing you because I need a guide..." Akira muttered.
And then he smiled. A small, resigned—but genuine smile.
"Alright then... show me the kingdom!"
"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.
It might not have been what he was expecting when he walked out of the manga store that afternoon.
But curiosity stirred within him.
And for the first time since arriving, he actually wanted to see how far this story would take him.