CHAPTER 5: The Boogeyman?

"Haa…haa…haa…"

Running across the grass fields of the mansion's backyard, Leon could be seen sweating and heaving profusely as he jogged across the length of the estate.

Pursuing general health over immediate strength or an aesthetic physique, he began to focus more on building up his stamina along with thoroughly activating all of his muscle groups through stretches.

It had been nearly six days since he had awoken his past life's memories, and his progress so far in leading a better life had been going well.

His body was beginning to recover from his previous lifestyle. His relationship with his mother had been continuing to strengthen. And his knowledge of the new world he finds himself in has begun to widen as well.

'It really is a world vastly different from the one I remember'

Thinking to himself as he jogged, Leon recalled the tidbits of information he learned through his personal computer in his room.

The history of the world and its general development of the world was familiar with what little he knew in his past life, until a certain point where it began to diverge.

Some unknown plaque began to specifically strike the male population of the human race around the early twentieth century, leading to mass panic around the globe.

Political, cultural, and religious quarrels began to break out among the people who were left behind after the plague's outbreak.

Wars were endlessly waged until they eventually came to a halt when the continued loss of the limited population of men simply made it not worth it anymore.

Following the wars came reconstruction. The remaining nations all began to coalesce under an allied union to ensure the continuation of the human race.

Society was rebuilt to accommodate the small population of men in contrast to women. Technology advanced to alleviate the concerns of reproduction. Cultures evolved to better fit the new world order that had been ushered forth.

Ultimately culminating in the world Leon now lived in. The late twenty-second century, with the coming twenty-third century not far away.

Leon was grateful that he was able to gain a better grasp of this alternate reality, but he still wished to learn about the finer details of daily life in such a world.

'But mom hasn't mentioned any plant to go outside soon…I suppose I should simply keep waiting until she feels that it's safe for me to do so. After all, I'm the one severely lacking information'

Concluding his thoughts with such sentiments, Leon also decided to end his session of exercise then and there. Feeling that going any further would just be detrimental to his future progress.

"Mom, I'm done exercising"

"Hm? Alright. Go take a shower quickly. I left some snacks for you by the table if you want to refill your energy"

Replying to his greeting with a sense of familial normalcy, Ada could be seen typing away on her laptop as she didn't fawn over him like she used to during the first few days of his exercise routine.

Seeing the tense expression on his mom's face as she read the contents of her laptop's screen with immense scrutiny, Leon decided it was best not to further disturb her from her work.

'She's a single parent after all. I have no recollection of my father, so she must be supporting this household by herself'

Such a family setup was normal from what he could find on the internet. Being able to have personal relationships with a man was already seen as a luxury among women, so the idea of having a man as your personal and familiar partner was something even more rare.

The thought that such a thing was normal brought discomfort to Leon. Having seen the horrible lengths some single mothers went through to support their children in the criminal underworld, he wasn't saddened that he didn't have a father, but rather that his mother didn't have a partner.

'Mom is an incredible woman. On top of her looks, she appears to be quite competent as a prosecutor from the little she talks about work. If I were in my past body, there was no doubt I would've-'

But before his thoughts could enter concerning territory, Leon shifted his mind to other matters. Knowing his past life's disposition, he grimaced knowing about the despicable things he would consider to lay claim to a woman like Ada.

'Let's stop thinking about that. Before I head up for my shower, I wonder why Mom stopped doing that thing she had been doing for the past few days'

Leon remembered a peculiar action his mother had been performing for the past couple of days. She had been taking pictures of him around the house as he went about his day.

He presumed that she simply wanted to record their family life, but she had suddenly stopped doing so just yesterday and had been wearing a tense expression ever since when she wasn't talking with him.

'I wonder what that was all about?'

…

..

.

A few days prior.

"All the photos should be complete now. I just have to send them to the Continental"

Late in the night within the walls of her personal office, Ada narrowed her eyes as she hovered over the enter key on her laptop to send the email with her son's photos to the recipient. The Continental Hotel.

"It pains me to secretly use these photos of Leon, but this is the only way I can guarantee the best guard for him"

The photos she had taken of her son in his daily life were to be used as bait to gather the most ferocious of predators to ensure her son's safety when he traveled to the outside world.

But why would she send such a thing to a hotel chain? The reason? It was simple. The Continental was no mere hotel chain.

Beneath its veil as a luxurious resting accommodation for weary travelers hid a more unfathomable identity that not even a chief prosecutor like Ada could easily challenge.

"Established in the year twenty-ten among the smoldering remnants of what was once eastern Europe, an organization came forth that began to protect the remaining male population that resided in their borders"

Ada muttered with an air of reverence, the history of the organization she would now be entrusting the safety and protection of her son against all threats. A task she firmly believed their operators would be capable of.

"With the waning power of the region's governments, private forces began to take up arms to ensure the safety of these treasured clients. An order of trained and ruthless warriors that served and protected their clients with servant-like devotion"

Remembering the single moment she once came across one of their employees on the field, she vividly remembered the sheer absurdity of their capabilities as servants and protectors.

The fluttering of their black and white uniforms as they stood victorious over a battlefield that had all the odds against them, and the gleam of their metallic weapons that had remained after being stained in deep burning crimson.

𝘾𝙇𝙄𝘾𝙆

Pressing her finger down on her keyboard, the email was immediately sent to the operators of the Continental Hotel.

With their image of professionalism, a confirmation email had been sent nearly instantly, causing a wry smile to form on Ada's face.

"I'm entrusting my son's life to your den of wolves…so you better give me someone who can hunt down anyone who even harbors any ill intent against him"

…

..

.

"Welcome, miladies"

Upon the entrance of a grand structure of European architecture and splendor, a line of highly trained maids bowed and greeted their guests with frightening synchronicity.

Their classical maid uniforms with skirts that reached down to their ankles exuded an air of elegance that other women couldn't help but admire.

Escorting the guests inside, the lobby of their humble establishment could be seen to be filled with countless influential figures in politics, religion, culture, business, and many other fields.

Was it the level of hospitality their hotel gave? No, but the quality of service each maid gave to each guest was undoubtedly top-class.

Was it the prestige of their brand? Again, no, but it was indeed true that their history was storied, giving way to a guarantee of reliability based on past performance.

So why was it that such important people all collectively chose to use the Continental Hotel as their home away from home?

It was simple. It was because any evil-doer who dared to commit atrocities on the grounds of their workplace would incur the wrath of the maids whom not even the most hardened of criminals would dare face.

Beneath the uniform of every maid was a menagerie of easy-to-carry pistols and knives that would allow them to initiate combat whenever necessary.

In their immediate surroundings, hidden behind common decorations and fixtures, were more heavy pieces of equipment to be called upon if necessary.

Hidden in plain sight on their person was a suite of cutting-edge tech that would support each maid in battle. Such as a near-invisible earpiece, and a sophisticated camera that posed as eye contact.

And, if all else failed, each maid was thoroughly ingrained in the art of combat and born with the mentality to kill if necessary.

Beneath the veil of a hotel that employed hospitable maids was undoubtedly the deadliest den of wolves in the world.

And now, as they all operated as usual, the maid that acted as their concierge would receive a message from a contact that accessed their email reserved for valued clients.

'It's been a while since a request from this line was received. I wonder what it is?'

A European beauty with luscious brown hair tied into a bun thought inquisitively as she prepared to open up the contents of the message.

With her experience, she presumed it would either be the protection of some female client or the elimination of some rogue criminal that the government deemed too dangerous for their forces that specialized in maintaining order above all else.

'It'll probably be another troublesome job. I wonder when a request to protect a prince-like young master will come by?'

The Continental Hotel had been originally founded to secure and protect the limited male population of Eastern Europe during the tumultuous years that came after the plaque.

But after the nations came under the banner of the Allied Union, there was less of a need for their services to protect men as time went on. Leaving many maids who had trained for such a purpose to simply be left waiting in sadness.

They began to busy their longing minds by serving female masters instead or venting their frustrations on criminals they were tasked with eliminating, but it still left a huge gap in their hearts as trained servants.

'Well, not like I would ever be assigned to such an assignment as a mid-level operator anyway. Only the top of all maids in the Continental would be assigned to such a task'

Just as the brunette maid had thought this, her mind came to a halt as she read the contents of the email, along with viewing the attached files that came along with it. Photos of a beautiful man with blonde hair and green eyes. Smiling preciously toward the person who was taking the photo of him.

"..."

In an instant, the maid copied all the contents and files of the message to a discrete USB before making her way from the reception desk and through the lobby of the Continental.

It would be easy for her to keep the information to herself. Pose was an operative sent by the organization in order to serve the young master who instantly checked all her boxes as the ideal man to serve under.

But she was not such a low-level maid to recognize the foolishness of such an action. She knew her capabilities and limitations. She wouldn't be able to serve as a capable shield for such a treasured client.

𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙋...

Each maid of the Continental heeded the creed and mission from which it was founded and established above all else. Elegance; Class; And the protection of all young masters that have come to their den for protection.

"Hey…don't tell me…"

"Wait…she isn't…"

"No way…no way…"

As the brunette maid walked across the lobby of the Continental, the surrounding maids began to appear shocked as they determined where she was heading. Instantly recognizing the severity of the situation.

Soon, the maid arrived at a bell that was tucked away in a corner that hardly drew any attention. Taking the handle of the bell and lightly shaking it, a port for the UBS appeared on the wall where it hung.

Inserting it into the port, the UBS began to transfer the data it had stored down a series of protected cables that directly fed to the lowest level of the Continental's chain of command.

After the data was confirmed to have been received with little issue, the UBS was immediately fried, and all computers that held access to the email for valued clients were immediately cut off.

The Continental Hotel was now in a state of extreme vigilance as they prepared to receive a client above all other clients. A treasured young master.

The maids of the branch of the Continental who had just witnessed the sight all began to bow in reverence that a swift and appropriate decision may be made by their higher-ups. A sight that surprised the guests who were staying in their care just then.

Beneath every branch of the chain of hotels, numerous floors of operators specializing in information began to restlessly call upon their elite maids to convene.

Sending out messages to countless burner phones to awaken the countless wolves who were out hunting criminals to indirectly serve the precious men in the world.

"The hell?! A young master who is looking for a maid?! Damn it! I need to get back to headquarters!"

One fiery maid said so as she immediately began to face the storm of bullets that had been hailing her position fearlessly. A wild smile on her face as she locked her targets on the iron sight of her rifle.

"A precious young master has arrived! This won't do! I must clean my appearance before the selection begins!"

Another maid exclaimed as she grew worried about her grooming. Stained with blood as she panicked in a deep underground basement filled with countless tortured bodies of who she believed to be unforgivable sinners. All breathing, albeit very weakly.

Countless unfathomable maids began to quickly wrap up their assignments as they received the notification of their presence. But among them all, there was one who possessed much more capability…and much more desire than the rest of them combined.

"So handsome…"

Staring at the screen of her phone a young maid found herself blushing with immense red as she caught sight of the man who would become the next young master to be served by their organization.

Her short snow-white hair and skin received the chilling air of the snow with ease. Appearing fitting against the landscape the maid found herself in.

Her youthful but trained body tensed with excitement as she held countless lethal weapons on her person.

Her shining blue eyes that resembled a cloudless sky shimmered as they received in fine detail the personage that was to be discussed.

But in the young maid's mind, the young man she was looking at was already determined to be her young master alone.

"I found him. The prince of my dreams"

On her once cold and expressionless face, a gentle smile could now be seen. Deciding to immediately head back to their organization's headquarters, the snow-white maid decided to be lenient with the targets of her current assignment.

"Be grateful, ingrates. I was going to torture you on the border of death to make you all reflect on your crimes, but I will simply leave you as is"

Talking cheerfully, the snow-white maid began to take her leave, hiding away her bloodied pistol as she disappeared amidst the hazy snow.

In her wake, she left a destroyed settlement that once housed a criminal smuggling ring five hundred strong. Now only accommodating the bloodied and wounded bodies of these villainesses who now dangerously tittered on the border of death.

With only a flare being left behind her to indicate where the government could round them up, the snow-white maid began to make her way back home. To meet her destiny.