Warmth. Softness. Fluff.
The moment I sank into the bed, I felt like I was being swallowed by comfort itself. The pillow was so fluffy I thought it might eat my head whole, and the blanket wrapped me in a cozy embrace while a gentle, cool breeze drifted across the room. This is heaven. Pure heaven. It was so relaxing that for a moment I actually thought everything that happened yesterday was just a bad dream. Honestly, I didn't want to wake up ever again.
…But then my throat reminded me it was thirsty.
I cracked my eyes open, and instantly froze.
This… wasn't my house. This wasn't even close. The place looked like a royal five-star hotel, the kind you'd only see in movies or some isekai manga. The interior gleamed like it belonged to a palace—gold plating on the walls, floors polished to a mirror shine, and furniture that screamed "I cost more than your life."
"…Wait. WAIT. This isn't a dream!?" I sat up straight, my brain short-circuiting. "W-what the actual—!?"
Yesterday's events slammed into me like a truck. The fight. The pain. The near-death experience. My mouth opened in a long groan as I buried my face in my hands.
"AHHHHHHHH… why meee…"
After a round of mumbling and cursing, I forced myself to think. Okay. Calm down. Assess the situation.
I didn't know what power (if any) I had. I didn't know what knowledge I carried. Heck, I didn't even know the name of this planet. If I tried exploring recklessly, I'd probably get skewered alive by that crimson armor guy from yesterday. Escape… I had to make an escape plan—
BANG!
The door flung open.
"Get up. Follow me to my office. But before that—wear these clothes."
A cute maid stepped in, holding neatly folded garments. Her voice was soft, but her eyes said "don't you dare refuse."
"The master says this is a gift for what happened yesterday," she explained calmly. "Your clothes are being washed, and your sword and armor are under repair. They should be finished tomorrow. Until then… please wear these." She placed the clothes on the bed, bowed, and left without another word.
I blinked.
"…That was fast. Too fast."
When the master himself walked by the door a second later, I almost choked. He was tall, sharp-eyed, and so ridiculously handsome he looked like an American supermodel ripped straight out of a cologne advertisement.
I couldn't help it—I felt pure, burning jealousy.
"Ugh… why do I have to wear the clothes he gave me? Is this humiliation…?" I muttered as I slipped them on anyway.
Once dressed, I opened the door. A maid was already waiting for me, expression unreadable. I nodded awkwardly.
"I-I'm ready."
She simply nodded back and began walking. I followed her down the corridor, my eyes darting everywhere.
The deeper we went, the more I was blown away.
"This house is HUGE… and so luxurious… what kind of ridiculous rich guy did I end up with!?"
The maid's footsteps echoed crisply against the marble floor, each tap tap tap making me feel more and more out of place. I trailed behind her like some lost puppy, trying not to gawk too obviously at the luxury around me.
Polished marble, golden chandeliers, crimson carpets so thick I was afraid to step on them—this wasn't just a house, this was a palace. Every corner had a statue, every wall had a painting, and every painting probably cost more than my entire bloodline combined.
"D-damn," I muttered under my breath, "this guy could probably buy my soul and still have spare change."
The maid must've heard me, because when I glanced at her, she was giving me that look. You know the one—like I was some filthy mercenary about to slip a vase into my pocket. Her eyes practically screamed:
'Touch anything, and I'll personally slit your throat.'
I laughed nervously and shoved my hands into my pockets, pretending to be totally normal. But every few steps, I could feel her gaze stabbing at me again.
Why does she keep looking!? I'm not stealing anything, I swear! Just let me breathe, woman!
The walk felt like it lasted hours, though it was probably only a few minutes. My heartbeat was ridiculous, thumping like a drum. By the time we reached a pair of massive double doors, I was ready to pass out from sheer awkwardness.
Without a word, the maid opened one of the doors and gestured inside. Her eyes narrowed, silently daring me to do anything stupid.
I swallowed hard and stepped in.
…And instantly froze.
This wasn't what I expected. The office wasn't polished and perfect like the rest of the mansion. Instead, it was cluttered. Books piled on chairs, scrolls scattered on the floor, and papers stacked so high they looked ready to topple. The desk at the center was a chaotic battlefield of ink bottles and parchment.
I blinked, my brain refusing to process.
"Uh… did I walk into the wrong room?"
My anxiety skyrocketed.
What is this? Is it a trap? A test? Am I about to get scammed instead of rewarded?
Then, a deep voice cut through my spiraling thoughts.
"You there. Introduce yourself."
My body locked up.
"…Eh?"
Wait. Did he just—did he really not know my name!? My brain short-circuited on the spot.
What the hell!? Isn't he the one who called me here!? Should I lie? Make up some noble name?
Panic won in the end. I blurted out the truth.
"M-my name is Patrick, sir."
The master gave a single nod, as if that was all he needed. "You're the last soldier I haven't rewarded yet. Here—ten gold coins, thirty silver, and twenty bronze."
He pulled out a small sack of coins from the desk mess and handed it to me like it was no big deal.
"Rest for today. You're free to leave tomorrow. Dismissed."
I stared at the sack in my hands, blinking stupidly.
"…That's it? W-what the actual…?"
But before I could stop myself, I found the courage to speak up.
"Uh, sir? Before I leave… c-could I maybe use the library? And if you have a training ground… can I train there today? I want to… you know… sharpen my skills a little."
For a moment, the master actually looked surprised. His sharp eyes studied me, then softened slightly with curiosity. A small smile tugged at his lips.
"…Yes, soldier. You may. Now go—I'm busy."
I bowed awkwardly, nearly tripping over my own feet as I turned to leave. My heart pounded so fast it felt like it might explode.
Behind me, I swear I heard him mutter something.
"What an oddball… this is the first mercenary I've seen who asks for books and training instead of beer or coin."
Outside the office, I let out the biggest sigh of relief of my life.
He's actually… a good guy? Wait. Did I just break the stereotype?
I couldn't help but grin as I headed down the corridor again.
"…Man, this isn't like those manhwa where the rich guys are all arrogant jerks. Maybe my luck's finally turning around."
I walked out of the office, clutching the sack of coins like it was my newborn child. My knees still felt wobbly from the conversation, but hey—I didn't die, and I didn't get thrown out. That was progress.
Now came the real challenge: finding the library.
The mansion was huge. Every hallway looked the same—polished marble, golden candle holders, and enough expensive art to feed a small kingdom. I probably would've gotten lost in the first five minutes if not for the maid standing nearby.
She noticed me, tilted her head slightly, and gave that same "I'm watching you, mercenary scum" stare. My stomach twisted.
Ugh… here we go again.
I cleared my throat and tried my best to sound polite.
"Uh… excuse me, beautiful lady? Could you tell me where the library is?"
Her eyes narrowed immediately, as if I'd just tried to flirt with her. I panicked and waved my hands.
"N-no, not like that! I mean—I'm not hitting on you or anything—I just… uh… the master gave me permission to use the library! Honest!"
Her stare lingered for a few painfully long seconds before she finally sighed and motioned with her hand. "Follow me."
I let out a silent breath of relief and trailed behind her again. The silence was suffocating, so I tried not to think too much and just focused on walking. But that was impossible, because as soon as we turned the corner, my jaw hit the floor.
The library doors were massive—twice my height and carved with intricate designs of dragons and knights. When the maid pushed them open, a wave of air hit me, carrying the faint smell of old parchment and polished wood.
I stepped inside and froze.
Rows upon rows of bookshelves stretched as far as I could see, each stacked to the brim with leather-bound tomes. A chandelier dangled high above, casting a warm golden glow across the room. Ladders leaned against the shelves, and I swear even the dust in here looked expensive.
"This… this is heaven…" I whispered, eyes sparkling.
The maid gave me another suspicious glance, probably expecting me to shove books into my pockets, but I didn't care. My whole body buzzed with excitement.
Finally. A chance to gather information. A chance to understand this world.
I clenched my fists, determination surging through me.
"Alright, Charles," I muttered under my breath. "Step one: learn. Step two: train. Step three… survive."
I didn't even notice the maid rolling her eyes as she left me there, muttering something under her breath like, "Definitely an oddball."
But me? I was already darting toward the nearest shelf,
Just as I thought—thank God I didn't have to go back to square one and relearn how to read. My eyes darted across the pages easily, every word making sense. Phew. But then another thought hit me—writing. Could I write, too?
I glanced around and spotted a young woman stacking books onto a high shelf. Without thinking, I walked up to her.
"Uh, excuse me, beautiful lady… are you the librarian here?"
She turned her head sharply, confusion flashing across her face, followed by something that looked a lot like offense.
Crap. Did I just insult her?
Before things spiraled, I quickly waved my hands and explained my situation—hired mercenary, just finished my audience with the master, needed to learn more about the world. Still, her expression didn't soften. She just looked… annoyed.
So I cut straight to the point.
"Can I borrow a pen and paper? I want to write a letter to my family."
That was a lie, of course. No family here, no letter either. But it sounded less suspicious than, "Hey, I just got isekai'd and wanna test if I can write my own name."
With an exasperated sigh, she placed her books down, fetched the items, and returned. The way she slammed the paper onto the table screamed annoyed but professional. I thanked her sincerely—maybe too sincerely—and scurried off before she exploded.
I found an empty desk near a tall window, sunlight spilling over the table. Sitting down, I took a deep breath and pressed the quill to the paper. Slowly, I wrote:
"My name is Charl Patrick."
The words flowed out perfectly, my handwriting surprisingly neat. I blinked, then laughed quietly. Yes! I can write, too! Basic reading and writing—automatically unlocked. That's one crisis solved.
Feeling encouraged, I started scribbling down everything about myself: my past life, my death, my sudden reincarnation. I needed notes to keep my thoughts straight. Once I finished, I shifted focus to the real prize: the books.
Hours slipped by as I devoured histories, maps, and scraps of lore. The picture of this world slowly formed in my head.
This world was called Maharlika—a vast continent surrounded by five islands. Six races lived here: Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Dark Elves, Orcs… and the Undead.
The Undead part was barely explained, just a vague note of their existence. What shocked me most was the chapter on humanity itself. Once, humans reigned supreme across Maharlika. But greed and corruption consumed them. Their rulers, twisted by desire, became what the world now called the Demon Emperors.
I froze, staring at that line.
"Wait… so the Demon Kings here… were human?"
I searched for information on demons, expecting horned devils or monster lords, but all I found was a brief mention of "devils"—with no context. It felt deliberately vague, as if entire sections had been erased.
Are they hiding something? Or rewriting history?
Questions piled up in my head, but I didn't dare return to the "librarian" devil-woman to ask. She was beautiful, yes, but her glare could probably kill me faster than a sword.
Still, despite the gaps, I was… excited. This world was real. It had adventures, races, kingdoms, mysteries—and maybe, just maybe, a path to the kind of life I always dreamed of. I caught myself grinning like an idiot, imagining a party of companions, dungeons to explore, and maybe even a gorgeous elf girlfriend.
But excitement wasn't enough. There were still too many blanks in the story, and I needed to survive long enough to fill them in. I glanced out the window—the sun was already tilting toward afternoon.
Time to test myself. Time to find out what kind of power I actually had—magic, swordsmanship, or maybe some game-like ability. I clenched my fists, determination sparking in my chest.
I needed a place where no one could see me. A place to find out what I really was in this world.