When Kayle opened his eyes, he was in what appeared to be a cellar with very little light and a lot of humidity. A small opening in the opposite wall illuminated the room. The cellar wasn't very large and was home to a dozen undesirable rodents. The armed villagers stared at him, pondering what to do with him.
Damn! They knocked me out. I should have known. That damned Trane would never have made it easy for us. Besides, I've just confirmed for the second time that this isn't a dream. You can't sleep in a dream.
-So. What's your name, unlucky man?
-Why did you knock me out and tie me up? I didn't do anything to you.
-That's what they all say, but we know you brigands. You've got nowhere to go in town so you sleep in the villages to kill us and take our children hostage.
What? What's he talking about? Me? Kill them? Take them hostage?
-Why would I do that? I don't specialize in anything. You must have seen it with Kor's test. How could a guy with no powers take you hostage?
-Well...
Are they stupid or what? Don't tell me they hadn't thought of that?
The villagers turned to think amongst themselves. Kayle watched them intently.
Compared to our world, the humans here must have maintained their lines. Which means this world isn't quite at peace. If they had nothing to do, they probably wouldn't have these muscles. Some have large, muscular bodies. Others seem to be working in the fields. I suppose agricultural work isn't to be dismissed either, but they told me about brigands, so it must happen frequently. Nothing could justify such aggression otherwise. Unless they were cannibals or serial killers. I should never have agreed to this, I should have died out there.
-Hey. You're not a brigand?
-No, I'm not..
-How can we be sure?
-I have no powers. No magic. No aura. So I couldn't hurt anyone.
-There are also bad people without power.
-Do I look dangerous to you?
-No. You even look harmless.
-Flimsy.
-Skinny.
-Incapable.
-But I do not allow you!
-What were you doing out on the floor?
-I already told the waitress.
-How could anyone believe you?
-I've already told you too. Look, I don't want to stay here for something I didn't do. I think you've got me all wrong, and I can prove it. Please hire me and give me a place to live and I guarantee you won't see anything wrong with me.
Except that I'm trying to become an antagonist for your hero.
The villagers began to think. It was true that Kayle didn't look dangerous at all. Their gaze fell on him before the man who seemed to be the leader spoke up.
-All right, then. We'll test you. Anyway, how can someone who hasn't even made the mirror react be a problem for us?
He laughs, but I don't. Usually, in this kind of work, the protagonist gets a gift from heaven, but here, I'm completely weak. I expected to at least break the mirror to create a surprise effect, but there was no reaction. I'm not going to be able to take on the hero if I'm like this. How could that damned Rakis do this to me? Venkclerk must have obtained a divine light and I'm left with nothing. I'll never make it. Might as well wait for the end here.
-Untie him. Lilly, he'll be in your care. If you really have nowhere else to go, you can stay here.
-I suppose I should thank you.
-You guess right. But be careful, any wrong move and we'll tie you up and hand you over.
I don't like this at all. I end up with the girl from the counter again. She's as pretty as ever. I can't really blame her. After all... No, on second thought, I wouldn't have done the same.
-I'm sorry for what happened to you. These days, it's not easy. Brigands are flocking to the villages.
-Why is that?
-It'll be better if I talk to you upstairs. Follow me, please.
She's a nice girl. But I should be wary too. I don't know what awaits me in this strange world.
-The Emperor has just completed his purification operation. The Krul sect has been completely cleansed from the capital and General François has just been sentenced to death. Who'd have thought he'd be hiding behind one of the empire's great generals?
I don't know who he is and I don't understand anything.
-However, not all followers have been arrested. It's estimated that there are about a hundred who survived the purification and over a thousand outside the wall.
So the capital has a wall. Interesting. What do you mean, a thousand?
-The emperor has launched a general pursuit throughout the empire. Every village and town is being forced to be cleansed according to Vince's decree.
Who's Vince?
-But we're not capable of defending ourselves against Krul's followers, so to make us act, the emperor has decided to put over a million on every head captured dead or alive.
I see. Nothing easier than promising them money. It seems the emperor doesn't really care about his people. If it's another antagonist, I might have a hard time doing my best. Anyway, what's the point? Given the situation I'm in...
-This has put all the villagers on their guard. They're suspicious of all passers-by and won't accept anyone into the village.
-You suspected me too.
-Yes, I did. But since you have no energy...
I shouldn't have said that.
-But it's working. The village is in fear and we're finding it hard to relax, but we arrested an adept not long ago.
-I thought followers were very strong?
-They are. Normally, no one would have been able to get their hands on them. But, in the village, a man has arrived. He masters circular energy and Aran rotation. He's a former soldier in the imperial army.
So, despite the village's low power, there's a man like that here. I wonder if he can teach me a thing or two to get me started. Circular energy and Aran rotation, eh? Sounds interesting. This is the beginning of my adventure as an antagonist.
-I thought followers were very strong?
-They are. Normally, no one would have been able to get their hands on them. But, in the village, a man has arrived. He masters circular energy and Aran rotation. He's a former soldier in the imperial army.
So, despite the village's low power, there's a man like that here. I wonder if he can teach me a thing or two to get me started. Circular energy and Aran rotation, eh? Sounds interesting. This is the beginning of my adventure as an antagonist.
Or so I thought.
-Table six. Waiting.
-Bring in the new guy.
-Beer here.
The beer with the same name here. I'm not even surprised.
After listening to Lilly's story without understanding the details, she granted me a room. A little thing, not even twenty square meters. A wooden plank floor that creaks with every step, a more or less decent bed that seems to be disintegrating all the same, a small lamp that doesn't provide much light for the night and, last but not least, a door that won't close.
-How can this be? Who created this thing?
I had a hard time falling asleep, but then the worst happened. In the morning, Lilly woke me up super early to put on some sort of bar apron. I only just realized that their name sucks: Welcome. That's about it. The villagers don't even hold back. At the start, before three o'clock, there's no one around and Lilly and I are tidying up. Of course, I took the time to have a look at her. How could such a flower have ended up here? Her long blond hair is tied up in a braid around her head. Her hands are thin and she looks fragile. She always wears her simple white dress with a little red tracksuit. When I see her, I say to myself that maybe I haven't done so badly. She smiles all the time and at everyone, and that annoys me. Because from three o'clock onwards, it's the mess.
Fifty-something customers sit down and order a beer. They yell, they scream, they sing, they fight, they throw up where I've cleaned up and most of all...what pisses me off most of all...they hit on Lilly. The poor thing can't even get from table to table without being hit on. I've got to do something. I've got to do my duty.
-Not too hard a day, Lilly?
-No, it's all right. Kayle's here to help me this time.
-Kayle. Who's Kayle? Ah, the new guy. You know he's a criminal?
-I don't think he is. He hasn't done anything all day. He doesn't seem to want to harm our village.
-If you say so. But I'd be careful if I were you. Besides, I'd probably go out with a guy like...
-Sir, here's what you asked for. Lilly, there's an order waiting for you over there.
Uh-huh. Who the hell are you?
-I'm new here. Name's Kayle Landers. If you need anything, just give me a call.
I won't let you bother her any longer.
-All right, kid.
-You'll have to excuse me in this case. I haven't finished my shift.
I may never have had girlfriends, but I know how to handle them. Tonight, no one will touch Lilly.