As I got involved in the matter with the knight, I ran off immediately. Although I could not avoid the fight, battling there would cause me too much trouble. I should get to a place with fewer people and more open space.
Oh, I think this place is fine. Well, it took me a lot of effort to run, but they are just flying with the help of magic. But come to think of it, if they are using magic, they could have flown at a higher speed and caught me. I think they are also trying not to cause too much trouble. That works better for me. Still, I should also do something to get rid of them.
I asked him, "Why are you here?"
He replied, "It is our duty as knights to protect the kingdom from enemies."
I asked again, "Why do you see a human as an enemy?"
He replied, "Do I need to explain? You have every qualification to be an enemy. You are selfish, evil, unkind. Humans don't care for anyone if they can get what they want."
I said, "Not all are the same."
He said, "Then admit that you haven't done anything bad until now."
I said, "Everyone does something bad in their life, and they only return what others do to them."
He said, "Just shut up. Do you murder animals and sell them because they did something bad to you? This is nonsense. Don't give excuses."
I felt at a loss for words. I think this world has witnessed the cruelty of humans. Also, in the other world, humans were considered the most dangerous beings on the planet, so I can't deny it.
As soon as I stopped, he attacked me with a blast of wind.
I said, "So you use wind magic."
He said, "Yes."
To defend myself from the attack, I poured magic into the wind and made it a shield.
Since my magic is illusion-type, it works as I create it. But it only works that way against other magic. In short, if I make a wooden piece look like a glass, it may hold water created by someone else's magic, but it can't collect natural water. That is because the person using magic believes it is a glass, though it is not.
I said, "Did you like my trick?"
He said, "It seems new to me, but you are too weak."
He then called upon his god and launched an attack 100 times stronger than mine. I created as many sand barriers as possible, but they were useless. I took a direct hit.
To save myself, I made a wind shield with the very last bit of my mana. I could only save my vital organs with it.
Then I lost my senses and was knocked out.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself healed and presented in a court with huge space and architecture similar to old Italian castles. Seven knights were glaring at me. Their glare was filled with hatred and murderous intent. It felt like, if not for Sim standing beside me, they would have killed me.
Among the seven knights, four were half-beasts. Their physiques were well-trained, showing great power. I still couldn't recognize the identity of the one who fought me and another knight sitting beside him. Sim and I were the only humans there.
I asked, "Why am I being held without any reason?"
One said, "Because you fought our knight. And as a human, we can't let you live freely in this world."
Others agreed with him.
I asked, "Why does this world hate humans so much? I can't understand this."
Sim spoke in my defense: "He has lost his memories, and I have supervised him for the past month. When I found him, he didn't even know his name. I discovered his name from the identity card he was carrying. I take responsibility for him, and based on my experience, he has not done anything reckless. Also, there must be a reason he attacked Jacob."
A knight said, "Why should we even believe you?"
Sim replied, "Because I am a knight, and I am giving my word, putting my job at risk."
Then the person leading them approached me and asked, "What do you want?"
I replied, "I want to be at the top."
He said, "That is a good answer. Your eyes show strong determination. Sim, will you take care of him?"
Sim replied, "Sure, Your Highness."
He said, "I trust you, William Schneider. Then goodbye."
After Sim and I left, one knight asked, "Why did you support him, Emperor?"
The Emperor said, "Because I think we can use him. Also, I am done with Sim. We need to end this quickly."
Sim asked me, "Are you alright, William?"
I replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for saving me and doing so much for me."
Sim said, "I want to improve humans' reputation in this world. Will you help me with that?"
I replied, "I will surely do everything I can."
Well, Sim is a nice guy, and I can trust him. But what were those knights thinking? They looked cruel, like they would eat me alive. The most terrifying was the Emperor. I can't ignore him, because I must eventually defeat the Emperor to reach the top. I should remain aware of him, and I want to know more about him.
Oh, I can't wait. This seems too exciting.
But first of all, I want to become stronger. I need to start getting involved in knightly work, because to become an Emperor, I must first become a knight.
Let's sleep for today and continue tomorrow.
After 15 Days
In these 15 days, I trained myself with the help of Sim and learned a lot about this world and why it hates humans.
The Reason
Sim gave me a fairytale usually told to children. As I read it, I learned that around 1,000 years ago, the world became capitalist. It was similar to my own world, but capitalism spread everywhere. Humans' lives became terrible, as their wages were small while food and living costs were high. Many humans died young.
Meanwhile, CEOs and owners of big companies earned all the profit and dominated the world. Since everything was privatized, the government could do nothing. Due to the high cost of living, the human population fell to one-third in just 50 years, and in another 20 years, only 10% survived—mostly the rich.
Due to a shortage of labor for dams, bridges, etc., they collapsed during natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, and cyclones. The unstable ecosystem and global warming caused by humans' factories made things worse. Humans abandoned everything and fled to Antarctica. At that time, Antarctica was the safest place, away from disasters. Also, technology had advanced enough for humans to live there.
But because of humans' actions, animals and other living beings suffered. This angered the creators of the universe. So, all four gods came together and revived Earth's geography and climate. They gave animals human-like bodies, increased their intelligence, and granted them magical powers to protect themselves from humans' advanced technology. They also created subordinate gods to protect nature. To ensure the subordinate gods didn't rule or show superiority, they also created demons. The gods and demons opposed each other, preventing either side from becoming dominant.
Since humans isolated themselves and the world blamed them for the chaos, they are still hated even now.
Sim's goal is to make humans better in the eyes of this world's people.
I can't stay in Sim's mansion for long, since it would cause him trouble and make me dependent on someone.
I said to Sim, "Sorry, I can't stay here with you, because I think it would trouble you."
He said, "It doesn't matter. Also, I will not leave you alone—it would cause me problems in the court."
I said, "Okay, if that is what you want, I will stay here."
I couldn't refuse him directly. I need to make a plan or find another way to escape this mansion.
I can't work under someone, and it is not my habit to go along with anybody.
Some Days Later
I discovered that a beast in this mansion was secretly stealing money from Sim's almirah. I noticed because every time Sim returned from work and collected his share, that beast would sneak into his room. Also, an accomplice would guard the entrance. Not to mention, both of them were suddenly wearing more jewelry than usual.
One day, I found them alone.
"Hey, you two!" I yelled.
They looked guilty and scared, their eyes filled with fear and guilt. Their faces showed that if I pressed further, they would call for help.
So, without wasting time, I went near them and asked, "How much did you steal from my best friend Sim?"
I said it in a deep, threatening voice. They started sweating and panicking, glancing at each other for answers. To make them more uncomfortable, I stared deeply into their eyes. Then one finally replied:
"Sorry."
That was all they said.
I made a deal with them: if they helped me escape this mansion, I wouldn't tell Sim about their theft. They hesitantly agreed.
With their help, I escaped the mansion as quickly as possible.
For a job, I wanted to work in a guard company—basically those who protect people from monsters. Monsters are created by large gatherings of mana. In this world, everything is made of mana, which bridges natural power and human power. For example, the mana in sand and the mana in our body interact, creating a "sand punch" instead of a normal punch.
Well, I still have little knowledge of why mana gatherings happen, but I may learn after I start working.
So, along with the two thieves, I moved to a new town and got a job as a slayer.
This town is called Liebel. Its infrastructure is a mix of modern and ancient styles, unlike the previous place's older architecture. It's maybe like Budapest in Hungary.
To avoid drawing attention, I wear the bracelet given by Sim and cover myself with a long robe when shopping or interacting with people. The two thieves arranged everything for my living and job.
I quickly settled into a rented room. The rent was about 10,000 beast currency (around 114 US dollars). The space is enough, and they also provided some furniture like a bed and kitchen utensils. The market is more affordable for beasts, since they are the majority of the population. But human necessities are also available, as the gods here have bodies and nutrition similar to humans. Since I eat less meat, that won't be a problem for me.
Jobs are divided into classes: there are 20 classes for slayers. Newcomers start at class 20. Knights are at class 1, and the Emperor's power is said to be class 0.
From tomorrow onwards, a new adventure will begin—and it may change my life completely.
To be continued…