Chapter 2: Introduction

 Chapter 2: Introduction[3892]

'Ohh, God. What a weird dream that was. I shouldn't have watched 4 movies in a row, then played Re4 for an hour.'

*Growl* 

'Yup, I want some parathe right now.'

He wiggled in his bed and rose.

But he was in a luxurious room, that was not his.

"What the hell?" he uttered.

"Good evening, Young Lord." a feminine voice greeted him from his right side.

"Not again," he said. His face paled as his white bedsheet as if leeches sucked all his blood.

"We apologize, but as per the procedure we have to block you Arcana," the blonde maid who appeared in his dream said with a bow.

"Don't tell me? Is this real or I'm still dreaming" he mumbled.

Looking around the room, it was not the same room he saw in his dream but it was as luxurious as that one, adorned with artworks, flowers, and that same blue-tinted glass. 

He tried to walk but his legs became jelly. As he left and walked toward the window, he slid the curtains and looked outside.

He could see an entire city out the window. Out in the distance, he could see a big river with ships in it, beside which this city stood. 

He was shocked, and the girl called him,

"Does Young Lord believe now? This is reality, Young Lord, not a dream."

"If this is not a dream then….?" he mumbled. 

"You kidnapped me? Anmol asked her in a frightened voice.

"No, we didn't. Believe it or not, two days ago, a circle appeared in our courtyard, and you can with it," she said.

"Okaaaaaay.....," he said with furrowed brows and a tilted head, not even slightly convinced.

"Young Lord, you can check for yourself but before that, eat something. You haven't eaten something since you came here," she said with a sympathetic tone.

"Looks like it," he said with a hand over his hungry stomach.

He looked around and said, 

"But, where are we?", 

"We are inside Qourdentz Castle's Guestroom," she replied.

"So, where was I before?" he asked.

"In our guesthouse, Young Lord," she replied.

"Please Diena, just call me Anmol, I'm just a middle-class kid, not some billionaire heir." he requested her.

"You aren't nobility?" she raised her eyebrow.

"Yes, middle-class citizen. My father is an electrical engineer and my mother is a fashion designer. I'm not an aristocrat." he explained to her, she was shocked to say at least.

She rang a small bell, again only God knows where she took it from.

This time one of those "cat girls" maids showed up. 

But her hair seems to glow in warm orange, reminding him of the setting sun. Not only her hair....or fur but her tail also glowed in this sunset orange.

Anmol, not caring about anyone or any social norms, just staring at her, not even his revolting stomach took him out of his trance. But a slight shake from Diena did.

"Young Lord, is there any problem," she asked.

"Are those real? Those ears? Your hair?Fur?" he pointed toward her head.

The maid side glanced at Diena and she nodded and the maid said,

"Yes, Young Lord. I am from the Brynjisol Family. These hairs are called Sunset Radiance, a trait of Nobility of the Felkatae race as well as of my family. As for my ears and tail, these are characteristics of my race; Felkatae." she explained to dumbfounded Anmol.

"Can I touch those?" Anmol said in childlike curiosity and innocence.

"Yes, Young Lord." amber haired maid squatted before the child, lowering her head for Anmol to touch her ears.

"Young Lord, if you give me permission, I'll notify cooks and my Master of your arrival," Diena said. Anmol with every bit of attention at the cat maid's ears, ignored the blonde.

He touched her ears, and carefully creased them, feeling her soft and smooth fur.

'These ears are fleshy and warm. They...….They are real? They shine in a warm glow, but the shine intensifies under sunlight. Is it due to pigment or bioluminescence? No, It has a shine to it. Structural color? Maybe?'

"You.....are not a human?" he asked her.

"Yes, Young Lord. My race is called Felkatae," she replied.

Anmol realized the situation he was in, and he pulled his arm back in shock.

"W….where am I then? The... The sun? Were there two in the sky? Oh God where am I?" he was frightened and on the verge of crying.

"Young Lord, there is no need to be frightened. You in the House of Qourdentz. We will not harm you." she tried to console him, wiping the forming tears from his eyes, but to no avail.

'No that's not possible!! Another fucking planet? How in the names of Gods is that even possible??!'

'Breath….. Calm down Anmol you are not a child, control your emotions.' He pushed her hands away, stepped back, and started wiping his face.

'I know fantasy things like souls and reincarnation are possible, but what about this? Teleportation to another world? With a survivable environment? On a binary system? With this human-cat hybrid with glowing hairs? Speaking a German-esque language? Not to mention I can some-fucking-how fluently speak this language. What is the fucking probability of it happening?!??!!'

'Maybe it's possible? But the thing that old guy did? Magic?'

'Don't be childish Anmol, souls, interstellar teleportation, human-cat hybrids with shiny hairs are one thing but magic?'

The cat-maid moved close to the child who was still wiping his now non-existent tears, lost in his thoughts.

"Young Lord, believe us. We will protect you. I will personally request My Lord about this," she said as she hugged him into her chest and started patting his back.

Anmol, forgetting everything hugged her back and cried for a few minutes.

"Miss? When I was in the...garden, that guy in green clothing did something. What was that?" he asked her after he calmed down a little.

"His name is Lord Qourdentz Cassius, he is the ruler of this land and head of the Qourdentz Family," she replied.

"Yes,...Sir Cassius. I may be hallucinating, but I remember him launching some fireworks from his arm." he asked her.

"We apologize if that offends you, but Master must have a reason for doing it," she said with a bow.

"No no. I didn't mean that, but….. Can you do that? Magic?" he asked while massaging his forehead.

"Young Lord, as nobility we are taught various spells, from destructive to supportive or just mundane. Yes, I know some of them," she said.

"Spell? Can you show me?" he asked her.

"Yes Young Lord." she obeyed.

The maid stood and extended her palm, from her palm a ball of light appeared. The ball was light blue and it was bright, only a few could easily lighten up the room they were in.

"How? What is this?" He asked, fully captivated by the magical phenomenon he was seeing, he unconsciously poked this "ball", but this maid stopped the spell before he could touch it.

"Young Lord, the ball is very hot, even if it gives off negligible heat." The maid explained.

"How did you do that?" he asked. 

"Young Lord, as I said, every noble from their childhood is trained to be able to cast spells," she explained.

"A few candles before the [Aura] you emitted was one of such spells, Young Lord." the maid added.

"I didn't know How I did that. I remember my emotions got uncontrollable and…I don't remember much after that." he ponders.

"Young Lord, that is normal for children to discharge their Mana under emotional situations, now if I have quenched your curiosity, shall we head towards the dining hall?" she asked politely.

His cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment as he replied, "Yes, sure."

He realized where he was, his right hand hugging her left side with his mouth being veeeery close to her left breast where her nipple would be. His cheeks became more red, then he saw her right breast, there were two wet spots on the cloth. 

Seeing this, his face became as red as a tomato.

'FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK' he screamed internally.

"S..So..Sorry about that!!" he said in hastily as he stepped back.

'Cute' she thought, urging him to forget about that and come with her.

And once again they went toward the dining hall, hopefully, this time Anmol won't pass out, again. In the distance ringing bell towers could be heard, marking the lighting of the first candle of the night.

--------------------------------------------------------------

At dusk.

In his office, the Ruler of the land sat deep in contemplation, pondering the situation caused by their unexpected guest.

"So he is a commoner?" Cassius inquired, seeking clarity about the guest's background.

The orange-haired maid replied, 

"Yes, my Lord. Although he did mention that his father is an engineer."

"Perhaps he has some connection to the knight family?" suggested Meryl, Cassius's wife.

"Indeed, unless they were exiled from the family, why would he claim to be a commoner? Unless..." Meryl trailed off, completing Cassius's unspoken thought.

"Love, please refrain from joking at such a time. Regardless of his background, it doesn't explain how he arrived here," Cassius interjected.

"The specifics of his origins are not of immediate concern," he added, shifting his attention back to the feline maid, 

"Continue."

"He is oblivious to any race other than human and magic."

"Freyana are you sure about that?" Cassius questioned his maid with a stern voice. 

"Yes my lord, I'm certain he didn't know about magic. Just a few candles ago he said, 'a world where magic is real,' meaning he didn't know magic existed. Also when I came into his chamber, he was stunned to see me, his gaze was fixated on my head as if doubting his own eyes."

"He then asked me if my ears and hair are real, I answered his question, mentioning that I belong to the nobility." 

"And then he asked me about you, my Lord. He dubbed your [Flame Burst] spell as 'fireworks' and 'hallucination' Freyena reported.

Cassius and Meryl were already stunned by this report, but it didn't end there.

"He then asked me if I could do it, and he emphasized 'magic'. He then asks me to do a spell, with curiosity," she said.

"I cast a simple [Luminious Orb], and he was again lost in this thought and tried to touch the orb, I cancelled the spell and explained his [Aura] was one such spell," she added.

"My love, shall we adopt him?" Meryl called out to Cassius.

"Meryll, you know he is not Heinrich, he merely resembles him," he replied.

"Very closely resemble him," he emphasizes.

He could see the sadness in her eyes after listening to his reply

"I was thinking of it, but I want to hear your explanation," he asked her.

"Love, he is a highlord, not loyal to any family or banner. If we can marry Elara with him, the chances of another highlord would be higher. Also, it will heal my heart." she explained.

"Still burdened by the guilt after all these years?" he murmured, his voice tinged with a touch of sadness.

--------------------------------------------------------------

In the majestic castle that the Qourdentz family call their home, stood an equally majestic dining hall. 

Here, a feast was laid out. 

A table adorned with embroidered cloth, with glistening silverware, was a sight to behold.

As the suns began to set on the distant horizon, their rays steamed through the blue-tinted windows. The warm glow of the setting suns merges with the soft flickering of candles in ornate candelabras, filling the space with a mesmerizing golden-orange hue, and creating an ethereal ambiance.

To add to the enchantment, skilled servants artfully wielded their magical abilities. They cast multiple balls of light, mirroring the radiance of the glow of twin suns that bathe this alien land in warmth during the day. These orbs of light hovered gracefully above the table, illuminating the feast with celestial radiance.

Yet, the display of magic didn't stop there. With a gentle wave of their hand, servants conjured a soft breeze that circulated through the hall, they moved with the grace of a dancer.

And in his magical hall was sitting a child gulping down the delicacies in front of him

Anmol's delight was evident, and rightfully so. 

Finally, he was listening to his heart and stomach, indulging in the satisfaction of emptying their pantry. Revenge– the only dessert he wanted, sweeter than honey as always. 

Yet there was a slight little problem, even after slurping a feast worth of food, his hunger persisted. This feast only made a dent in the towering wall that was his hunger.

'I should really stop. I do not want them to see me as a barbarian. Slurping a table-full worth of food already would have made a quiet impression.'

'But why the hell I'm able to eat all this? And be still hungry? Where the hell all this is going? My appetite wasn't this big. Is this related to that [Aura] that maid mentioned?'

'Ohh fuck, I forgot to thank her, she let me touch her ears, and I didn't even ask her name. Did I forget my manners back home or something? '

'I'll thank her the next time I meet her. She was really beautiful though.'

Anmol was lost in thought, uncertainty, fear, and anxiety clouded his mind as he mindlessly sipped the tea the maid served

'But what now? I'm alone here, on a motherfucking another planet.'

'What should I do? I'm in the body of a 9-year-old, no one will give a job to a pre-pubescent. or do they even have labour laws here?'

'What then? Orphanage? That may be good till I'm a teen but what then?

'How about using all my knowledge from my previous life?'

'Be realistic Anmol. I don't know how advanced their tech is, and a majority of that knowledge isn't practical. How helpful decay chain of U-235 or Ostwald dilution law would be in the current situation?'

While contemplating his plan, his face tensed at the thought.

'S…Slavery! What if they? No! No, think optimistically.'

'If I can show my usefulness then. Maybe? Yes, I'm smart. I'll show them how useful I can be.'

'But, they are noble. Why did they help me though? They thought that I was a noble too. And that Diena girl was shocked that I wasn't, and that cat maid said that all nobles are taught how to use magic. And that [Aura] she said that I used.'

His tensed face lightened up a little bit at his little sidetracked thoughts.

'Can I use magic?'

'Maybe. I did unconsciously use it. It would be cool if I could learn to use it consciously like these people.'

As Anmol was thinking of the possibilities of his magical future, the door opened, and the familiar blonde maid came through it.

"Greetings, Young Lord. Master has sent me to escort you to him." Diena greeted him.

"Hiii...ya...sure?" he replied.

"How was the supper, Young Lord?" Diena asked.

"It was great, and I think I told who I am. So can you please not say that," he put his cup down and replied.

"But Young Lord, you are my Master and Mistress's guest. I apologize but I cannot fulfill your request," she said with a bow.

"Okay. Hey, can you tell me the name of the maid that escorted me here?" he asked.

"We apologize if she offended you," she said with a bow.

"No no no, I just want to talk to her," he said.

"Oh, Her name is Brynjisol Freyana. She'll be with you soon, Young Lord," she replied.

"No, no need to disturb her. The talk isn't that important, I'll call her when she is free."

"Young Lord?" she said with a concerned voice, and with her eyes glowing with an ethereal blue shine she continued, 

"My apologies, but were you satisfied with our delicacies?" 

"Yes, they were amazing. So amazing that I ate the whole table before I knew it," he said with a giggle.

"But Young Lord, your mana reserves are not saturated, even after the supper," Diena said.

"Ahh, what?" his confusion was evident on his face.

"Yes Young Lord, your reservoir is not even as saturated as when you woke up last time."

"Does that have anything to do with this endless hunger I have ever since I came here?"

"Yes, Young Lord," she replied with a gentle voice, 

"For some people, their bodies try to convert the food they eat into mana if their reservoir is not full," she explained.

He tilted his head slightly and uttered, 

"Oh, is that so?"

"Is it normal for people to eat so much?"

"There are few acceptions, but usually a Lord's reservoir would be almost fully saturated by now," she said.

"Huh?" he said with furrowed brows, 

"So you are saying my "'mana reservoir' is larger than normal 'Lords'?"

"I would request that Young Lord continue this conversation with Lord Cassius and Lady Meryl," she advised.

"Okay, shall we go then?"

"Please follow me."

--------------------------------------------------------------

At evening

Navigating through the corridors of Neunelly castle were a blonde maid and a child. 

The castle was five floors high, lower floors were made with more utilitarian and defensive designs as they were adorned with minimal tapestry and carvings, but the upper floors were more embellished, the tapestry had more gold and himmilstien –the bluish tinted glass, the upper floors even had the decorated window glass with different patterns in them. Even the wood had more carvings and metalwork. 

It was a castle deserving of a king.

"Is Lord Cassius the king of this nation?" inquired Anmol, addressing the blonde maid who was guiding him.

"No, he is not the king," she replied with deference. 

"He is the absolute ruler of his territory."

"So tell me more about your nation, he asked.

"That depends on your definition of a 'nation', Young Lord," she replied.

"What do you mean? You know the king gave land rights to his followers in exchange for tax and military aid. You have a different system here?" his mind was as hungry as his stomach, wanting more and more information about this new world.

"Yes, by your definition, the Qourdentz family is a 'nation', and so do the rest of the families in Levios. The head gives the right of land to their branch families to govern it."

"But the Levios Kingdom is more of an alliance, as, unlike the Jinkean Empire, the Royal family does not dominate the others, there is also no hierarchy in the Kingdom with its title mostly being decorative," 

"The Levios Kingdom sounds more similar to the United Nations rather than any kingdom back home," he said in a soft voice.

"Is that so? I'm happy that you found some semblance of familiarity since you came here, Young Lord," she said with a soft chuckle.

"Yes, finally some normalcy in my life," he said with a pained smile and laughter.

As the duo were talking they finally reached their destination, the suns were already settled in the sky and twilight was over, the night sky was bright due to Agravigus— the blue moon in the skies of Atto-ra, as they call their world. 

Due to Agravigus and servant casting [Luminoius Orb], the atmosphere became even more ethereal. But Anmol didn't have the time to admire it, his mind was filled with the fear of an uncertain future.

The maid knocked on the door and went first to announce their guest's arrival, and moments later Anmol followed her in.

Anmol was in the office of Qourdentz Cassius, it was more decorative than the guesthouse he was in.

The office was adorned with tapestries, himmilstien artworks, flowers, and other oddities.

"We finally met, Anmoldeep Singh. Apologies for the late greetings." he said.

"This lady here is my wife, Qourdentz Meryll." He gestured toward an incredibly beautiful woman with a fair complexion, her hair as blue as the ocean and her eyes a deep azure.

She stood at shoulder height to her husband, who towered over most men Anmol had encountered. Her attire, a pale blue gown, shimmered like the moonlight. If the maids were beautiful, their mistress might be the reason for the Trojan War.

"Good evening child," she said with a sweet voice.

Anmol at this point was blushing, his cheek as red as the tailcoat he wore.

"Good evening to you too, Ma'am and Sir. My name is Anmoldeep Singh. Nice to meet you, Ma'am," he said trying to be as composed as he could.

"No need to be tense, Anmoldeep." Meryl said with a chuckle.

"Have a seat there, child." Cassius pointed at the sofa.

"Sure." Anmol took a seat, and Cassius and Meryl too sat on the other side facing him.

"Child we would like to know about your origins." Cassius intrigued.

"Okay, as you would have guessed, I'm not from here. By that, I mean not from this world." Anmol said. 

At those words, Cassius raised his brows slightly.

"Let me explain myself," he said, 

"Last time I checked, there were no two suns or moons, magic, human-cat hybrids, people wearing Victorian Era clothes on casual occasions. And did I mention Magic? Because that definitely didn't exist!" by the end his voice started to break and tears can be seen forming in his eyes.

Anmol realized his teary eyes and hastily wiped them before anyone could notice, but his attempt was in vain.

*Cough* "Do you want to ask something else?" he cleared his throat and inquired.

"Yes, do you have any idea how you arrived here?" Cassius questioned.

"No. I was simply heading home from school, and then a circle appeared beneath my feet. I don't remember much beyond that." Anmol struggled to contain his tears.

Despite his efforts, a few managed to escape and fell to the floor.

Meryl rose from her seat and sat beside Anmol, gently patting his back and offering consolation.

"So child, you're unaware of how you arrived here and have no means of returning to your world?" Cassius spoke softly.

"Yes," Anmol replied.

"Anmol, we've come to a decision. We would like to offer you the opportunity to be a part of our family," Cassius proposed.

"What?" Anmol was kind of shocked by this.

"Yes child, we want to adopt you," said Meryl in a gentle voice.

"Really?" Anmol said in disbelief.

"Yes, Anmol. We want you to be part of our family, Qourdentz. Rather than the branch families." Cassius explained.

'But why? Why do they want to adopt a child of unknown origins in their main family? Is it due to my mana reservoir being bigger than normal nobles?'

'Whatever the reason maybe, hope it doesn't involve me being their slave.'

"Thanks," Anmol said with a smile.

"Great, we will announce the news to rest of our family at a later date," Cassius said with a smile.

"Join us for the dinner Anmol, will introduce you to your sister, Elara." Meryl offered.

"Sure. How old is Elara?" Anmol asked.

"She is 7 years old," Meryl answered.

"Great, I have a little sister," said Anmol.

"She'll love to have an elder brother," said Meryl.