Chapter 3 - Get Me Out of This Crazy World!

(Many hours later.)

I groan as my eyes slowly flutter open. I feel quite disoriented, wondering if I'm still dreaming due to the strange ceiling above my head. After all, I don't remember renovating my room to make it look like a medieval castle.

"How did I get here?". I murmur, but slowly I feel something come to my mind.

I lie there for a few seconds as memories begin to flood back. I remember walking down the street and then encountering some sort of deity, falling from the sky... I grimace, the pain in those moments was so intense I'm afraid it might return soon.

I sit up and look around in confusion. It seems like I've been sent back in time, but I know that's not the case due to the strange glowing lights affixed to the walls.

There are some beds lined up against the wall, each with an open curtain presumably to protect the dignity of those being tended to here. Damn, I'm in another world.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as the wooden door of the room swings open, revealing a tall middle-aged man in a blue robe with white detailing. He holds a large staff with red ribbons tied around the top. Probably a staff? Is he a wizard?

The man is bald and wears glasses, and he has a kindly but restrained smile on his face as he walks towards my bed.

"Ah, you're awake... Please don't be alarmed, I have no intentions of harming you," said the wizard, but I simply tilted my head to the side, not understanding anything the man had said.

"Damn, don't tell me I have to learn the language from scratch," I expressed with annoyance, frustratingly observing the language barrier between us. However, the wizard easily recognized the issue.

"Hmm, a foreigner? How peculiar... Fortunately, I know the spell of temporary comprehension," he muttered to himself before reciting the spell. "Spirits bestow the gift of the Tristain tongue," he recited while gesturing with his staff.

A light flickered at the tip of the staff, momentarily confusing me until a click sounded in my mind. "W-wow! That's a cool magic trick. I wonder if I can do the same," I rambled somewhat incoherently in front of the professor's eyes.

The wizard cleared his throat to regain my attention, sitting on a nearby bed with his staff resting on his knees. "My apologies, I just needed to cast a translation spell so you can understand me."

"Oh... that saves me a lot of time. Thanks, man," I said, grateful for the gesture.

The wizard looked at me thoughtfully before speaking. "It seems you've come from quite a remote place, your language was unfamiliar to me... Perhaps far to the east, in unexplored regions? But judging by your appearance, I'd say you're from Romania."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Unexplored regions? Excuse me, who are you and where am I?"

The wizard sighed, and I could sense the frustration in his gaze. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Jean Colbert, I work as a professor here at the Tristain Magic Academy... Do you know where that is? In the Kingdom of Tristain?"

My eyes widened at those names. Jean Colbert, the Tristain Magic Academy... They were direct references to an anime I knew. Incredulity washed over me, and I found myself checking my hands, relieved to see no summoning marks.

"Um... let's just say I wasn't summoned... right?" I stuttered, seeking some rational explanation.

Colbert seemed to notice my reaction. "Yes, you were summoned by Miss Valliere, but your condition was too dangerous to complete the ritual... May I ask how you know this? You didn't seem conscious yesterday," he inquired curiously.

My mind raced trying to find a coherent explanation. "Erm... I guess it's just intuition... My community tells stories of things like these...," I vaguely replied, unwilling to reveal too much.

He nodded, but there was a glint of interest in his eyes. "Hmm, you'll have to tell me more about those stories when we have time... For now, I still don't know your name."

"Oh, right. My name is Mash..." I said, before feeling overwhelmed by the situation and collapsing onto the bed. "I'm sorry, but... Could I be alone for a while? I need some time to myself," I begged, feeling the need to process everything I had just discovered.

Colbert nodded understandingly and got up, dropping a black book beside my bed as he pointed to a nearby chair. "Your clothes were too damaged to repair, even with many maintenance spells. As such, the academy has decided to provide you with clothing for the duration of your stay."

"Thank you," I managed to articulate as Colbert withdrew, leaving me alone for now.

I slowly got out of bed and blushed as I realized I was naked. I quickly put on the provided clothes, though they were more like 'dignified rags' than anything else. I pushed aside my discomfort for now and walked towards the nearby window, unable to help but gape at the academy.

"Yeah... I'm definitely not dreaming..." I murmured to myself, unable to believe that my mind would be capable of fabricating something like this.

Tristain Magic Academy was the premier place to learn magic on the continent of Halkeginia. It looked more like a fortress than any school I knew, but I was impressed nonetheless.

The academy itself was shaped like a large pentagram, with walls covering the edges and large towers at each point. In the center was a huge tower that was incredibly tall and at the same time thick enough to provide rooms for all the students.

Between the tower and the walls were beautiful green and flat gardens, made so that students could relax during moments when they weren't studying... It was currently morning, and I could see many students gathered, sipping tea while spending time with peculiar, strangely-looking creatures, which I could only infer were their familiars.

"Damn, I'm in The Familiar of Zero anime... Damn it!" I exclaimed, giving a slight kick to the stone wall for my bad luck.

Shadow's damn dog had sent me here, as one of the weakest protagonists of all time. Who could be the most mistreated protagonist of all time? Who's the abusive love interest who literally shoots random explosions at him?!

So, I realize... "I'm so screwed."

I had no idea how I was going to survive this. In the anime, Saito literally had to face an army of fifty thousand soldiers, being basically a normal person with some minor skills... Not to mention how Saito managed to survive taking point-blank explosions to the face... They were able to destroy stone walls... So that guy must have had either ridiculous magical immunity or insane endurance.

If I really had taken Saito's place, then I had no backing or status... Not to mention the world literally depended on my shoulders... From tyrannical rulers to legendary dragons supposedly set to destroy the world.

Saito only survived because the 'plot' force was with him... In reality, that guy would've died as soon as he faced Fouquet. That witch was able to summon and control a golem the size of a tower that could endlessly regenerate its body.

Add to that the fact that I hadn't seen The Familiar of Zero in years, and you had a recipe for disaster!

"Wait a minute! Shadow said I was the next Chaos King." Then I remember the sword had been thrown somewhere.

"Urrrgh! Why is this happening to me?" I mutter as I bang my forehead against the wall.