"You are crazy!, I'm going to call the police or I'd better go to hell!", one of my companions shouted, I remember his name was..., well, I don't remember his name but they called him "Wild Boar".
Boar was about to turn around and go somewhere else when two guards in shining armor approached at high speed and subdued Boar in a second.
"What the...!", Huanca was about to scream but I covered his mouth, I quickly motioned with my hands for silence to which he quickly nods his head.
"What's the meaning of this?", a slightly short teenager we called Benito, looks to his right and left, another of the same size named Grover was also about to move, however.
"Come on, please leave that boy alone....," The slightly mocking voice of the man on the throne echoed with power causing the guards to leave Benito alone.
With a wave of the man's hand a sort of hologram-like screen appeared in front of all of us who were summoned.
"Rights and obligations to be a new hero of the Argott kingdom", is written in big words at the top, and underneath there are several written lines of text detailing the rights and obligations.
"Ahem, I mean, my name is Valverde, I am the king of Arlott and these are the rules and obligations that every good hero of Arlott must follow."
Valverde made a gesture with his right hand, and the next moment a slight dull ache invades my brain, giving me knowledge about this world, basic knowledge, as well as information about the economy of the Arlott kingdom.
There was a slight commotion in the group and I quickly took the opportunity to read the obligations and rights of an Arlott hero.
-You are entitled to hold a noble title.
-You, as a hero of Arlott, are entitled to a monthly salary of not less than ten gold coins "which may increase according to inflation".
-You, as a hero of Arlott, have the duty to protect the kingdom from any threat, at any time.
-You, as a hero of Arlott, have the duty to serve and be loyal to the royal family.
-You, as a hero of Arlott, have the right to be taken into account in important decisions and meetings about the kingdom.
I finished reading.
Then, several guards escorted me and my companions to a large dining room just for our group where several dishes were served.
Almost unconsciously, we all settled in, sitting on random chairs.
Twenty in all, twenty people, looking at the faces of former companions I haven't seen in over a decade, the feelings that come over me are strange.
Maybe it's nostalgia?
No, we are all looking at each other, as if we are still analyzing what has happened, the first to speak, Huayta, stands up slightly.
"I, I think I may know what's going on...", his voice seems to have faded, I can denote a slight sadness hidden in his gaze.
I licked my lips, unlike my companions here, I had nothing in the afterlife, my family died and I was actually about to commit suicide, to rest in peace when, this opportunity arose.
I would be lying if I said that I was nervous, afraid, uncertain of the future and a shivering place.
I watched Huanca to my right as he was eating a piece of rotisserie chicken and I waved my left hand under the table.
Huanca, with whom I often communicated, almost considering him as my best friend in the past, quickly understood what I wanted to tell him.
His eyes widened in disbelief, he looked at me with his mouth slightly open before I again waved my left hand.
His eyes seemed to light up with wisdom and he went back to eating the rotisserie chicken.
"I mean, fuck, I guess we all know what's going on, Is this the magical world it talked so much about in those novels?", Benito stands up grimaces slightly as he lets out a sigh and rubs his head, "I mean, no", Benito pauses, "I haven't see you in over a decade, but now, now that we've rejuvenated and come to this world, we could help us...", Benito's words although a bit fearful made everyone nod their heads.
In an instant, as if we had become teenagers again, everyone began to pull with whom they got along best, except me and Huanca, me and Huanca continued to eat calmly.
"Unity is strength, well, at least that's what it used to say, hahaha..."
"Yeah, I, uh, want to..."
Several slightly animated and unmotivated voices were heard, they all had a family, a life, and were suddenly transported to this world, I'm really surprised they didn't burst into tears.
However, I don't agree with Benito's words.
I have always been an individualist, besides, there is something in this realm that does not call my attention and makes me doubt.
I looked to the side, and looked out of a window at a dark sky, clouds, and rain crashing against the windows.
"Quasi...., you're here too...", an animated voice seems to call me, turning my head I can see him, thin, a little haggard and with a slight smile, I don't remember his name, but we called him Poki.
"It's you, Poki...", I said with some nostalgia, he smiles before going back to eating,.
After we had dinner, several maids took us to our rooms, one for each of us, I signaled to Huanca, I arranged for the maids to put us in adjoining rooms, why. Why, I know that if something happens, I could actually trust Huanca, at least a little.
....
It is big room, a beautiful bed with delicate sheets, a closet for clothes, a desk, several accessories that I had never seen before and a place with a full-length mirror.
I walked over to the mirror to look at myself.
The old me, a little fat, not so much, white skin, brown eyes and black hair, my white shirt I wore at school is here and my matching black pants.
It's weird to see yourself more than a decade younger.
But, it's not something I like, I don't like this, it reminds me of my weak self, suffering from Bulling at the hands of Huayta, Poki and others, I don't want to, I don't want to go back to being this weak version of myself.
My frown was interrupted by a knock on my door.
*knock* *knock*
I walked to the door, opened it and a soldier in shining armor stood there, he gave a military salute before opening his mouth.
"Sir, sir, please don't blame the Arlott kingdom, don't think all our maidservants are as stupid as that girl who bothered you...", the soldier leaned forward like a... Like one of those otaku.
Is this guard Japanese?
Asking me some meaningless questions, I remembered the maid I pushed because I thought she wanted to assault me.
"She, Is she alright?, Have you taken care of her problems?...", I asked, a little guilty about that girl, the soldier paused before standing up straight.
"Exactly my lord, we have taken care of her, Do you want to see her to check?", I nodded my head at the soldier's words.
Then, the soldier, who had one hand behind his back, scrambled what he was holding with that hand, with one movement it was revealed to me, the severed head of a teenage girl.
...
A cold feeling invaded my body, my eyes opened before returning to normal in a second, my breathing became a little rapid, a shiver passing all over my skin, and a feeling of danger invading my heart.
In this state, I froze in my own senses, without saying or doing anything.
The guard's metal-covered hand holds from the yellow hair a decapitated head, a youthful face, I think no older than fifteen, yellow eyelashes, slightly unkempt but beautiful skin, a snub nose and still red lips, no blood dripping from his severed neck, the strands of his hair still glowing from the light of the lighters, his closed eyes making me feel...guilty.
"Sir... Are you compliant?", the guard asked a question, I raised my head, watching the guard's eyes through the slit in his helmet.
At a moment like this, I didn't scream, I didn't vomit, but rather, I couldn't process everything that was going on, so I simply nodded my head.
The guard seemed relieved and quickly tucked his head behind his back.
"Sir, thank you, I hope this doesn't sow a bad impression of the Arlott kingdom in your heart, you are a noble person, and this peasant girl got what she deserved, she can't touch you...", the guard bowed again his words though strange, left no room for doubt.
Before the soldier could continue, I closed the door.
....
I stared at the door for a moment with a frown, the image of the decapitated head of that teenage girl still vivid in my mind.
After a few minutes I returned to my usual calm.
My hands tremble, this kingdom, Arlott, no, the king, Valverde, What does he want to communicate to me with this kind of act?
Did they behead that servant girl just because I pushed her or is there something behind this?