What the hell? When did this turn into a video game? I was quite annoyed.
I muttered under my breath, "It didn't even say the reward."
Caesar turned to me, smirking. "Did you say something?"
Panic surged through me. He heard!
But Caesar only chuckled, as if hearing an amusing joke, and continued walking.
I felt a quick relief that he hadn't heard.
Wait, since I was in the healing egg or whatever it was, I didn't have to be quiet. But if I act too differently from the current Kyler, he might get suspicious. Then my thoughts started spiraling into negative chaos. I might be locked up or killed if they think I'm possessing him. What if they think I'm a demon or something? I might even get burned at the stake like in the Salem witch trials.
Before I could continue into darker and darker thoughts, Caesar as if trying to catch my attention, called out. "I wanted to ask you, why were you sleeping on the ground?"
My thoughts froze, slowly shifting. I thought about that old, disgusting bastard who, when he thought I was in a sort of vegetative state, yanked me to the ground and talked about using my authority.
I responded with the safest answer I could think of. "I rolled off of the bed in my sleep." I tried to respond as slowly and calmly as I could.
As Caesar turned his head away, I could see his expression darkening. Is he suspecting that I'm lying?
"Is that so?" he said as if trying to get me to change my answer.
"Yeah," I reflexively said. I can't let my personal revenge end before it has begun. If he's really my friend like he says he is and as a prince, I assume he will immediately destroy that old codger. I don't want to sound like a psychopath, but being transferred to another world has put me under constant stress, and making good on my grudges might help me let off some steam. I never forget my grudges—if you piss me off, you will be repaid double.
"If you say so."
"Anyway," I said, trying to change the topic, "who were those children who came into the hospital room?"
"Oh them, well technically you are their guardian, but since you were incapacitated for a while, my sister took care of them."
I internally noted that the prince had a sister. Wait, NO, I'm too young to be a guardian, isn't that like a father? No wonder those kids seemed so depressed. Why is the other me just dumping responsibilities on me? Curse you, you freeloader, where are you now? Wait, what if I have a wife and I didn't know about it? This is escalating too fast.
To take my mind off the topic, I deliberately tried to change the subject. "Where are we going?"
While we were walking down narrow halls, it led into a wider chapel-like room. Sunlight streamed in. This is where the otherworldly choir music would work perfectly.
"Well," he said, "your fans wanna know that you're better."
"My fans?" I said without emotion.
"Yes, your fans."
"HMM." After I processed his words, I was visibly flustered. "What do you mean, my fans?"
"Well, you're a national hero and, while still being an academy student, that earns you extra credit."
"Wait, I'm enrolled in an Academy?"
"Yep, and in it, you are quite the celebrity. But so am I," he said. After doing a ripoff of a Jojo pose and sweeping his hair back with a mocking gesture in a narcissistic way, he said, "I'm just too handsome."
I barely know this guy, and here he is saying stupid crap like this. How should I even respond?
"OK, buddy."
Caesar, looking disappointed as if I ruined our usual banter, said, "Why aren't you mocking me?"
Well, I only knew you for a few days, and so far I don't think I have the privilege to mock you, although I have a huge reason.
"Because you are stupidly handsome," I said with a begrudging tone. For some reason, he seemed to look sad at my comment.
As we continued walking, I heard a clamor ahead. There were crowds of people, many of them journalists, as the building seemed to open up to the outside. I heard murmurs.
"There he is, the Hollow King."
"Don't call him that. I heard he doesn't like that title."
"He stopped a war."
"That doesn't change the fact that he could kill all of us if he wanted."
I then heard multiple people disagree in protest.
"You are just scared."
"Well, that could go for anyone else in power."
"Shut up."
"Ignore that idiot."
"Thank you for saving us. Without you, my father would be killed."
Ignoring the crowd and feeling very embarrassed, I tried to keep walking, but one thought was going through my mind. What did I do? Am I a war hero?
"Well," Caesar said, "say hi to your fans."
Glancing awkwardly at the crowd, I raised one hand and said, "Hi." It sounded very meek and soft. The crowd, as if stunned by what I had just done, started yelling, "Who is this?" "What have you done with the Hollow King?" "You must've brainwashed him!" "Is he your dog now?" I heard continuous shouts of confusion and outrage.
All I did was say hi. Caesar looked at me in disgust.
"Why the hell did you say it like that?"
"What do you mean? This is my first time talking to a large crowd," I whispered back.
I heard him mutter, "Man, you used to be a wuss."
"What does that mean?" I said angrily.
"Nothing, nothing," Caesar responded to the crowd and said, "Hey, news stations, report that this idiot has gotten amnesia since the battle."
Some people wearing white outfits immediately started writing things down. Maybe a mainstream news station? Since everyone is writing things down, I'm guessing news can only travel by word of mouth and newspapers. The crowd, in disbelief, started making understanding noises.
"Oh, that's why."
"Normally he would yell at us for being annoying."
"Yeah, and he was always so confident and arrogant."
"Now it makes sense."
One brave reporter spoke out, "Is his situation temporary?"
"No comment," Caesar quipped, turned back to me, and said, "Now that we're done here. Our summer vacation is almost over. Let's start preparing to go back to the Academy."
As we boarded a large rectangular wooden carriage, I noticed that instead of horses, there were large bipedal lizards. They looked similar to how I imagined a real dinosaur would look, like a mini T-Rex but less bulky. The only difference from an imaginary T-Rex would be the large frill of feathers around its neck that made it look like it was wearing a neck pillow of feathers.
Though I was quite scared and even imagined a specific Jurassic Park scene in my head, I really wanted to try riding one. I moved to the front of the carriage and reached out my hand. Caesar, as if reading my thoughts, said, "Don't unless you want to get bitten. Anyone who touches the earth dragon ends up regretting it."
I slowly pulled back my reaching hand. How many animals and monsters are here compared to Earth? Pangea 2 on Earth? Wasn't there also once a Pangea? Could this be...
Interrupting my curiosity, a woman in her early 30s with black hair and sharp eyes, wearing an Eastern-style kimono, entered the carriage before either of us could fully sit down and sat, in the back seat right next to where Caesar was preparing to sit.
"Who is she? Is she glaring at me, or does her face just look like that?" I have the feeling that she didn't just suddenly appear. Was she following us this whole time?
Caesar, probably seeing the look on my face, said, "This is Kiki. She's my bodyguard."
As I focused my gaze on her face, I clearly noticed disdain in her eyes.
"What's your deal?" I said annoyed.
"Nothing, Hollow King," she said as if mocking me.
I then remembered hearing the comment in the crowd that I hated that title. I don't get why I would hate it. It sounds like a pretty cool name. Maybe there is context to how I got the name.
Anyway, back to the present, why is she trying to provoke me? Also, I want a cool kimono too. Wait, was I still wearing those expensive-looking pajamas from the hospital? As I looked down, I saw that I was wearing an outfit that made me feel both the urge to scream "Awesome!" and facepalm out of embarrassment. How did I not notice I was wearing this? Maybe because of the distraction of my legs.
What I saw on my body was a long black cloak with crimson cloud-like embroidery and a high collar. Beneath, was a dark tunic with silver embroidery, paired with a crimson sash and leather boots. The design adapts the iconic Akatsuki look. That's right, the Akatsuki from Naruto. WOOOOOOHOOOOOO. I feel like a cosplayer. I would take this over her stupid kimono any day.
That's right, I don't need it. I'm above you lowly being, bow to me.
Kiki, after seeing my smug expression directed toward her, ground her teeth together, suppressing her annoyance. Caesar, who was straining to control himself, suddenly couldn't handle it and collapsed on the ground of the carriage laughing, which weirded both me and Kiki out.
"Your Highness, did you perhaps hit your head?"
"HAHaHaHaha, no I didn't, it's just ha Hehehe, I could tell that you really like your clothes."
He then snapped at the driver, "Get going already, stop making us wait."
"I apologize, Your Highness. We will leave immediately."
The driver's voice was full of panic.
Caesar said he wanted me to mock him, right? That means I should be blunter, so I should be able to talk to him how I want.
"Hey Caesar, these clothes... Did you pick them out for me?" I asked, tugging at the embroidered sleeve.
He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Hardly. You gave me the idea. I just made it happen."
His words sent a chill through me. How could I have given him an idea for anything? The longer I watched him, the more his smirk felt like a mask—something hiding whatever he was really thinking.
"How much do you know about me?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended.
His gaze flicked to me, sharp as lightning. "Enough to know you're not the same as before."
This means the previous me was from Earth! This is a huge revelation because no one would be able to imagine that iconic look in this medieval world. All I need is a cool eye power and I will be copyrighted.
Anyway, back to the revelation: I had a large suspicion but couldn't ask the questions easily. I had to ask more basic ones.
"In the story you brought up, around what year was it when the machines stopped working and humanity fell?"
"Hmmm, I am not a historian, but if I had to guess, around 2030 to 2050 AD. Why?"
Holy shit, no way.
"No reason, also, what is the current year?"
Caesar, looking intrigued, started to respond but was cut off by Kiki.
"You are useless. You will have to relearn everything. It's obviously the year 5218."
My jaw dropped, and my suspicions were dead on target. I'm not in another world, I'm in the future! This brings a lot of implications. My family and friends are long dead. I felt my heart sink. Any ideas of traveling back to my world vanished. I'm truly alone. I leaned back, trying to process it, but my mind felt like a computer with too many tabs open. Time had betrayed me. Every memory I'd made, every interaction I'd ever had—it was now part of some distant, forgotten history. Did my world even matter? Or had it just become a footnote in some forgotten textbook?
Looking up, I found Caesar had an enlightened face like he just understood something. What the hell is he thinking? I just had the enlightenment. I don't even feel like arguing with Kiki anymore.
I'm going to sleep.
As I closed my heavy eyes, my consciousness quickly faded.