Chapter 355: You're an Otaku Too!
English—he was a fellow transmigrator!
Though Flugel, originally Japanese, wasn't particularly good at English and spoke with a heavy accent, as a graduate of a proper Japanese school, he couldn't possibly mistake the language.
When Roy asked his name in English, Flugel's expression was priceless—delight, shock, astonishment, panic, and then silence.
The delight came from hearing his native world's language again in this otherworld, stirring a sense of homecoming. He had wandered this world for so long; homesickness was inevitable. Flugel wasn't some protagonist from an orphanage like in X or Y—back on Earth, in Japan, he had parents and family. He hadn't realized how much he missed them until he found himself alone in this unfamiliar world.
But that joy quickly faded. As a young man who had already "experienced society," he wasn't naive enough to think that meeting someone from his world guaranteed peaceful coexistence. There was always the possibility of mutual slaughter!
After scrutinizing Roy, Flugel felt even more stifled.
He had thought he was the protagonist of a light novel, transmigrated to another world. But not long ago, he'd heard of a man from the west called "Baruusu the Wasteland," whose actions screamed "transmigrator." And now, in the Kingdom of Lugunica, he encountered another one. Was this not a solo isekai story but an ensemble cast?!
Forget Baruusu—he hadn't met him, so no comment. But just looking at this "pretty boy" in front of him, Flugel felt the heavens were unfair. Roy's attire and demeanor screamed success, and he was so much more handsome. Gods above, why let me transmigrate only to meet someone better-looking and more impressive?!
Flugel glanced at Satella beside Roy, then at Shaula by his own side. Though Shaula was quite the lively beauty—someone pre-transmigration Flugel wouldn't have dared approach—comparisons were cruel. Next to that silver-haired half-elf, she paled like earth to heaven.
Fruegel was on the verge of tears, wishing he could cry out the famous lament, "Since there is Yu, why must there be Liang?"
Though countless thoughts raced through Fruegel's mind in an instant, his face betrayed only surprise as he responded, "...What are you talking about, my lord?"
Fortunately, Japanese had plenty of honorifics like "my lord," so Fruegel didn't feel too humiliated using it. Otherwise, as a modern person addressing another transmigrator with such a title, most people's pride would have been unbearable.
Fruegel's feigned surprise was convincing, but he was no Oscar-winning actor—his earlier shifts in expression had already exposed his true thoughts.
Roy understood the other man's pretense of ignorance. In an unfamiliar world, one had to remain cautious even when encountering someone from their homeland—no, precisely because the other was also a transmigrator, extra caution was necessary.
However, Roy and Fruegel were fundamentally different kinds of transmigrators. Though both hailed from Earth, they weren't from the same Earth. In fact, Fruegel's Earth and this otherworld were two sides of the same world in the grand scheme of things.
Roy didn't play along with Fruegel's act. Instead, he cut straight to the point. "...Stop pretending. You should understand what I'm saying."
This time, Roy switched to Japanese.
Hearing the familiar language of his homeland, Fruegel's expression flickered.
"Or perhaps you need a more... persuasive approach before you'll admit it?"
As soon as Roy finished speaking, an eerie, tangible aura of malevolent magic radiated from him—far surpassing that of an ordinary Campione, reaching the level of an "aberration." The sheer density and volume of his magic distorted the air, making it hard to look directly at him. Fruegel even saw, to his horror, the space around Roy warping under the weight of that overwhelming power.
How terrifying was this magic? Fruegel had wandered many places in this world and met countless people, yet he had never encountered—or even heard of—anyone with such immense magical power. Perhaps only the legendary dragon, "Volcanica," could match such reserves.
But Volcanica wasn't human—it was a divine dragon, the pinnacle of dragonkind!
At that moment, Fruegel suddenly wished he knew nothing at all. Ignorance might have made him fearless, but unfortunately, he had studied magic and could sense magical energy.
This world recognized six major magical attributes, and Fruegel was most proficient in "yin" magic—a genius in his own right. It had once filled him with pride, thinking himself exceptional as a transmigrator. But now, compared to Roy, even disregarding skill, the sheer difference in magical reserves was enough to crush him outright.
Becoming a Campione was already a miracle achieved by mortals, yet Roy's total magical power dwarfed even that of a Campione by several times. How could someone like Fruegel ever hope to compare?
Handsome, charismatic, and impossibly strong—were you cheating? Was this otherworld just a game, and you some legendary pay-to-win warrior?!
Fruegel could only scream internally in frustration.
Suppressed by Roy's overwhelming aura, Flügel had already turned pale. At this moment, his disciple Shaula stepped forward with determined resolve, gritting her teeth as she stood protectively before Flügel. Though visibly terrified, she urged, "...Master, you need to run! This person... he's too strong. I'll find a way to hold him back!"
Even just standing before Roy made Shaula feel suffocated, yet she forcibly opened the 'gates' within her body, channeling mana to confront him with the magic she excelled at. For her teacher, she was willing to sacrifice herself!
Witnessing Shaula's willingness to die for his sake, Flügel was deeply moved. This time, he dropped his usual act of foolishness and spoke rapidly, "...My name is Shaula! Though unworthy, I bear the widely known title of 'Sage'!"
The moment he finished speaking, Shaula turned her head dumbfounded, staring at Flügel with grievance in her voice, "...Master, you're using my name to swindle people again! Your name is Flügel, and Shaula is mine!"
An awkward silence fell over the scene. Flügel broke into a cold sweat, on the verge of tears, suddenly suspecting this disciple might actually be his nemesis. Are you seriously not here to sabotage me?!
Roy watched the foolish master-disciple pair with amusement, while even Satella beside him pursed her cherry lips, her violet eyes glimmering with faint mirth.
"Flügel? That's not your real name either, is it? The pronunciation is German—it means 'wings.'"
Just as Chinese web novel readers and writers all recognize the trope of "Long Aotian," many chuunibyou in Japan love using German to appear sophisticated, leaving traces of the language across numerous works.
"Using 'wings' as your name—are you hoping everyone will become your wings?"
Roy's remark unexpectedly eased Flügel's tension. If the other man recognized this meme, it meant he was an otaku. And otaku are all good people!!