The sky was overcast, filled with thick clouds that painted it a dull gray. The clear spring sky had vanished, replaced by heavy, crowded clouds. Strong winds howled through the surroundings, their sound echoing everywhere. Though morning light still lingered, the sun was nowhere to be seen. Trees swayed, and flowers danced to the rhythm of the stormy wind, creating a scene that resembled a musical performance—where the wind played the melody, the plants danced, and the clouds clapped in applause.
Amidst this musical display, a large carriage rolled forward, pulled by two robust brown horses with black manes. Their hooves pressed against the ground in unison as they towed the carriage—a white vehicle adorned with blue patterns, its wooden windows fully open. The driver was alone, a stout man wearing a wide, slightly tilted cap. He firmly held the reins, guiding the horses with a calm demeanor.
Inside the carriage, seated behind the open windows, were four individuals. On the first seat, a young man with brown hair and acne-covered skin lay asleep, resting his head on the lap of a fox-eared girl with orange hair. She wore light clothing that exposed her chest, with two daggers strapped to her waist. Her long fox ears stood prominently atop her head. Resting on the floor beneath her feet was a wooden staff.
Directly across from them sat another pair. One was a young man with messy black hair and brown eyes, slouched with a bored expression, as though exhausted from the journey. He wore a leather chestplate and a metal armguard, and before him lay a cylindrical quiver filled with arrows alongside an ornate silver bow adorned with a green gem. His face clearly expressed frustration and irritation. After letting out a tired sigh, he muttered:
"Why didn't we continue the journey on wyverns? This carriage is ridiculously slow..."
"You're right. If we had used wyverns, we would have arrived ages ago," responded a short-haired black-haired girl with dark eyes. She was clad in a steel breastplate, resembling a knight, with a long spear beside her—a black-shafted weapon adorned with gold accents and a razor-sharp silver blade.
"We traveled a long way on the wyverns already. They wouldn't have lasted any longer. We had to switch to a different mode of transportation. After all, we're heading to the far east of the kingdom—it's an incredibly long journey," replied the fox-eared girl, Runari.
"Why is the princess so far from the capital in the first place?" asked the seated young man, Malin.
"It was the king's decision. He sent his daughter away from danger—she's the kingdom's sole heir," Runari answered while gently patting the sleeping Sebastian's head.
"Laos is working there, isn't he, Susan?" Malin asked.
"Yeah, or at least that's what I heard. He's a servant in the princess' palace," the lancer replied.
"Oh, I can't wait to see him. That guy is so lucky. While we're out here fighting for our lives, he's working as a servant. And on top of that, he'll get to return to Earth without any struggles. Damn, what a lucky man," Malin muttered.
"Exactly! The thought of him going back to Earth without fighting makes me jealous," Susan added—right before she was abruptly thrown to the floor as the carriage came to a sudden halt.
"Goblins!!" a voice shouted from outside—it was the driver.
At that moment, the carriage doors burst open, and Malin and Susan leaped out instantly. The scene before them was clear—several goblins had emerged from the nearby forest, likely on a hunting expedition. They carried daggers, while some wielded clubs, and they approached the carriage step by step. Their large noses twitched, and drool dripped from their jagged mouths. Suddenly, one of the goblins raised its club and leaped toward one of the horses.
In an instant, that same goblin collapsed at the horse's feet—but this time, it had no head. A short distance away, its severed head was impaled on a tree, pinned there by a spear that had pierced straight through it. Moments later, the spear shot back into Susan's grasp. Without hesitation, Malin unleashed a flurry of arrows, raining down like a meteor shower, killing the goblins in rapid succession.
Realizing they were losing too many of their kin, the remaining goblins retreated into the forest. However, it was clear that these two teenagers had no intention of letting them escape. In a blink of an eye, Susan spun her spear rapidly in the air with both hands before hurling it at the fleeing goblins. The weapon pierced through multiple bodies before suddenly accelerating, slicing off every last goblin's head, leaving none alive.
"Goddamn, weapon control like that is insane!" Malin exclaimed, his eyes wide as the wind rustled the leaves around him.
"Yeah… Rune is an incredible power system. And to think, I haven't even mastered 1% of it yet—amazing!" Susan replied as she recalled the spear to her hand.
With all the goblins slain, the two returned to the carriage, and their journey resumed. The carriage pressed on, heading toward the princess' palace through the overcast sky and relentless winds. This was just a glimpse of the journey undertaken by the three heroes—heroes sent on a mission to guard the kingdom's heir. The wind continued to push the carriage forward, carrying them toward their long-awaited destination.
Far away from the moving carriage, within the first floor of Tiana's palace, the air was filled with chaos. Servants bustled about, the entire floor buzzing with noise. Some carried tables, others arranged chairs, and a few lit incense. Everyone was working tirelessly, preparing for the arrival of the heroes. They ran back and forth in seemingly random patterns, some even shouting—like Bonnie, who commanded the servants in a loud voice:
"Bring the long table! You two, hang the other portrait of the princess, not this one! Make sure the tables look elegant… and don't you dare touch the princess' throne!"
"They've arrived. I can sense their aura," Gaziel muttered as he gazed out of the palace.
"What do you think of their aura?" asked Sabrina, standing beside him.
"Magnificent," Gaziel murmured.
The carriage finally arrived and came to a halt in front of the garden fence. One of the high-ranking servants, his ears drooping slightly, opened the garden gate and bowed to the advancing heroes. Then, he presented them with a tray of small pastries before bowing again and saying,
"Your presence, heroes, is a great honor to us."
As Runari followed behind Sebastian, the servant's expression shifted. His face practically screamed, What is one of our race doing with the heroes? Unable to suppress his curiosity, he stepped forward toward Runari and asked hastily,
"Wait, excuse me, but is she with you?"
"Don't you dare approach her again!" Sebastian growled, shooting the servant a terrifying glare.
The carriage driver immediately grabbed the servant, pulling him back to prevent any further trouble. The group then proceeded toward the palace gate and finally stepped inside.
Inside, a group of servants lined up in two rows, forming a path for the heroes to walk through. As the heroes entered, the servants tossed handfuls of flower petals into the air to honor their arrival. The heroes, exuding grace and nobility, walked forward as if they weren't just a bunch of teenagers from another world. Finally, they arrived at the princess' presence.
"Welcome, heroes. I am Tiana Yarum, princess of the great Kingdom of Yarum and its heir to the throne. I sincerely thank you for responding to my call and agreeing to protect me," Tiana declared as she sat upon her throne, gazing at the kneeling heroes with a regal air.
A moment later, several servants appeared, dragging a massive table into the hall. Once they positioned it in front of Tiana's throne, they invited the heroes to take their seats so the banquet could begin.
Before sitting, Runari suddenly rushed toward Sabrina and embraced her tightly, speaking to her with excitement. Once everyone was seated, the servants brought out the dishes, and the meal commenced. As the heroes dined, musicians began to play, filling the hall with their enchanting melodies.
"Who's that, Runari?" Sebastian asked, slicing a piece of steak with his knife.
"Oh, that's Sabrina. She helped me get a job at the royal palace," Runari replied, smiling warmly at Sabrina.
"I ask you to protect the princess with everything you have. The future of the kingdom rests in your hands." Gaziel said.
"We'll do everything we can," Sebastian affirmed.
"By the way, do you know how strong the two spies are?" Malin asked.
The conversation continued, revolving around the topic of guarding the princess. Words flowed amidst the melodies played by musicians—some of them enslaved, others free. After a while, the heroes decided to check on their friend, having learned he was on the second floor. Leaving the banquet table, they followed Bonnie's guidance toward the upper floor.
"You can stay with Sabrina until I return," Sebastian told Runari as he followed Malin and Susan toward the stairs. Runari hugged him briefly before happily returning to Sabrina's side.
◆ ◆ ◆
A terrible pain churned within my chest. A strange, suffocating ache that filled me with the overwhelming urge to disappear—to just die. I wasn't sure what this feeling was. It had to be sadness, but it was weird. I was sad, yet at the same time, something inside me was trying to comfort itself. Maybe it was because I had obtained the Astral Sword.
I felt miserable knowing those bastards would soon see me, yet a twisted joy welled up inside me when I remembered that I had become a spirit user... Those bastards. All this music, all this noise, all this grand reception—it's all for them. Fuck you! They're coming, and they'll stare at me with those eyes. At me! A mere servant on the second floor…
I could already picture it. God, I hope they don't pick on me. I don't know why, but I have a feeling they won't. If they do, I won't be able to hold myself back. I might just draw the Astral Sword and attack them... Yeah, I know I won't be able to control myself in that moment.
But could I even beat them? They have combat classes, and they've fought tons of demons. They must be insanely strong. How the hell do I expect to defeat them when I couldn't even take down a Slime King easily?
Still, it seems that even an NPC class is considered legendary. But why? It's literally called NPC—how the hell could it be legendary? Ugh, yet another confusing thing to add to my problems… Another distraction from those damn bastards who are about to come up here.
Suddenly, the music stopped. The melodies came to an abrupt halt. So, the feast is over... Are they coming?! As the noise from the first floor faded, my heart began pounding violently. The fear inside me swelled so much that I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. My heartbeat sped up, racing as I waited for them to climb the stairs... Then, I heard them... Voices... Voices that dragged up so many memories... Yes. It's them.
"Get ready—they're coming," Damiel muttered, straightening his posture the moment he heard them as well.
I waited for their arrival, forgetting all about etiquette or formalities. I didn't care about any of that—I just wanted to see their filthy faces. God, I feel like I'm about to pass out from the tension. This is hell. It hurts. It's terrifying. Their voices grew closer and closer, their footsteps growing louder. And then, after just a few seconds, the first face appeared. And the moment I saw it, memories came rushing back... Memories of waiting in a long line for ice cream at Jack's food truck. Memories of cheating on tests. Memories of playing basketball in gym class.
All these moments flashed before me the instant I saw the face of someone from my world. A girl. Not particularly pretty, not ugly either. Her short, damp hair clung slightly to her face. She wore armor, looking like a knight straight out of some Epic Fantasy tale. It was Susan.
"Laos! Hello!" she said as she climbed the stairs, staring at my face.
"Hello!" I replied, unable to look her in the eyes, shifting my gaze to the others following behind her—Malin and Sebastian.
"Laos!! I haven't seen you in a while," Malin said as he ascended the stairs. Oh, are they not planning to bully me?
"Well, well, well, look at what we have here," Sebastian muttered… Fuck, he's gonna do it!
"Laos! What's this? Why are you here?" Sebastian added, staring at my clothes.
"I work on the second floor," I answered honestly, hoping to earn his sympathy and avoid any bullying. But for some reason, I just couldn't look them in the eyes. I'd glance at them for a second or two before looking away.
"You look thin. Don't you eat here?" Malin asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"How did you react when you got the NPC class?" Sebastian asked. Shit! That bastard—he's planning to tease me now.
"..."
"Lucky for him, this is the best thing that could've happened to him in this world," Malin said.
"How?" I muttered.
"As you know, we fight demons, and it's not fun at all… In fact, we—"
"We suffer… We're suffering," Susan interjected, finishing Malin's sentence.
"So working as a servant in the princess' palace is actually the best thing that could've happened to you after we got summoned… That makes you the luckiest among the nine of us," Malin added.
"Really? Is the battlefield that bad? Don't tell me it's messing with your minds?" I asked, sounding like an ignorant fool.
"Of course… Some of us even developed trauma, especially Stephanie. She's in bad shape… Honestly, we're all struggling mentally. We witness millions of corpses and brutal battles right in front of us. Of course, it takes a toll," Malin replied. No way… Stephanie, the most feminine girl I've ever seen. Poor thing.
"You'll get used to it," I said with a faint smile.
"Oh, that reminds me! We have hope of returning to Earth," Susan said, cutting into my conversation with Malin.
"How?!" I can go back to my world… No, no, no, I don't want that!
"If we complete the mission we were brought here for… which means saving this kingdom from the demons," Susan answered.
"Really… Well, I wish you guys the best of luck," I replied.
"Well then, work hard, NPC!" That son of a bitch Sebastian sneered.
"I'm just messing with you. Does that bother you?" he added with a mocking chuckle.
"Not at all. In fact, from this conversation, I realized that being an NPC is better than being a mage," I shot back.
"But I got myself a beautiful girl friend," he whispered slyly.
"And also, that princess—Jesus, she's insanely beautiful and sexy. Honestly, I envy you for working here! Hahaha!" Malin added.
We laughed and chatted a bit more, but what mattered most was that I wasn't bothered. On the contrary, I felt something nice, as if flipping through the pages of an old photo album. I actually enjoyed talking to them—talking to people I could truly understand, people I could converse with comfortably. Yeah… It wasn't the conversation I had imagined. Instead, I felt some happiness… No, a lot of happiness!
"Well, we have to go. The princess is coming out soon. Let's meet again, Laos!" Malin said with a smile.
"We'll work hard until we return to Earth!" Susan declared.
"Get yourself some girls! I've seen plenty of beauties in this palace… Come on, show us what you got, Mr. NPC," Sebastian muttered.
After that, they bid me farewell and descended the stairs. I watched their backs as they walked away, dressed in outfits unlike any ordinary clothes—this was gear straight out of an RPG. It was all so fantasy. And as I realized they had gone a little further, I muttered:
"W outfits y'all!"