"What… happened to me?"
Shoda stood in the same street.
Same merchant.
Same crates.
Same irritated expression.
"…You're in Astrae. Kingdom of Nordovia. One of the Four Great Kingdoms—"
The words hit him like ice water.
The exact same tone.
The exact same pause.
The exact same sigh.
Shoda's heartbeat quickened.
"…That's not possible."
The merchant squinted. "What's not possible?"
Shoda didn't answer.
He ran.
He ran because if he stayed, he'd start screaming.
The carriage.
The silver hair.
The red-haired knight.
The blade.
He needed to confirm something.
As he sprinted through the market, two men stood arguing over a dagger.
"Six silver is too much—"
"It's worth ten, look at the edge—"
Shoda wasn't watching.
He slammed forward—
Cold steel pierced through his chest.
Everything stopped.
He looked down.
The dagger was inside him.
The men stared in horror.
Shoda opened his mouth.
No words came out.
The world collapsed into black.
---
"…You're in Astrae. Kingdom of Nordovia."
Shoda was back on the crate.
Alive.
Whole.
The merchant mid-sentence again.
"…Been standing for centuries…"
Shoda's face drained of color.
He didn't look at the merchant this time.
He ran again.
His head pounded violently now, like something inside it didn't want to be understood.
A faint whisper brushed his mind.
I love you.
"Stop it," he muttered.
He slowed this time.
Careful.
Watching.
He saw the two men with the dagger again.
Same argument.
Same posture.
Same words.
His breathing became shallow.
"This isn't funny," he whispered. "This isn't déjà vu."
The merchant from before jogged toward him.
"Hey! You were just asking about where you were. Now you're sprinting around like a lunatic."
Shoda looked at him.
Half terrified.
Half trying to stay sane.
"Sorry, mister," he said quickly. "Just felt a little queasy. I have… a date with destiny."
The merchant blinked.
"…Kids these days."
Shoda waved awkwardly and walked carefully this time, deliberately avoiding the dagger incident.
He passed them safely.
His hands trembled.
Okay.
Okay.
Think.
Observe.
Control variables.
Then—
He saw it.
The carriage.
Silver trim glinting in the sunlight.
His pulse skyrocketed.
This time, instead of collapsing dramatically, he stepped directly in front of it.
The horses reared slightly as it stopped.
The door opened.
Elmira stepped down.
Up close again.
Silver hair shimmering.
Concern in her eyes.
"You look pale," she said softly.
A gentle glow gathered in her hands.
Warm light wrapped around him.
The bruises from earlier faded instantly.
The faint ache in his chest disappeared.
Shoda stared.
"Light… magic."
She tilted her head.
"Of course."
He swallowed.
"You remember me, right?"
Her brows knitted slightly.
"Should I?"
His stomach dropped.
"…You helped me."
"I'm sorry," she said gently. "I don't recall."
"And don't call me princess," she added quickly. "I'm not a princess. I'm something far worse."
Shoda blinked.
"Worse?"
He shook his head rapidly.
"No, no, you are absolutely a princess. Look at you. Your eyes are… serene. Majestic. Sparkling with royal responsibility."
She giggled.
A soft, genuine sound.
"What is your name?"
"Iwamoto Shoda," he said proudly. "Seventeen. Turning eighteen in three months. Nice to meet you."
Footsteps approached.
Heavy.
Controlled.
The red-haired knight emerged again.
Perfect posture.
Perfect awareness.
His eyes landed on Shoda instantly.
Shoda's body stiffened.
A flicker of remembered death ran through him.
He stepped instinctively behind Elmira.
Roderic's eyebrow twitched.
"It is not very manly to hide behind a woman."
Shoda stepped out immediately.
"Hm. And that sword on your hip isn't hiding your insecurities?"
Elmira's eyes widened slightly.
Roderic stared.
Then—
Unexpectedly—
A faint smirk.
"I am Roderic Vale. Captain of the Royal Guard. Third son of the Vale family."
His hand rested lightly on his blade.
"This is Gram. A legendary sword."
Shoda looked between them.
"…Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" he whispered to Elmira.
She hesitated.
"My name is Elmira Cain."
Roderic continued calmly.
"Daughter of the King of Nordovia. Successor to the throne."
Elmira sighed.
"You really didn't have to say that."
"You should not be ashamed of your father, my lady."
She looked away slightly.
"Father's reputation isn't… admired."
Roderic's gaze softened a fraction.
"Still, he is your father."
She smiled faintly.
"You're right."
Then she looked at Shoda.
"Would you like to ride with us?"
Shoda's eyes lit up.
"Yes."
Roderic immediately cut in.
"It is unwise to bring commoners into royal grounds."
"I'm not a servant," Shoda protested. "But I can be one temporarily. Maid, manservant, assistant hero-in-training— I don't really have a place to go."
Roderic studied him carefully.
Longer this time.
Different from before.
No immediate killing intent.
Just evaluation.
"…Very well," he said at last. "But you will be watched."
Shoda grinned.
"Story of my life."
They entered the carriage.
Inside, it was warm and elegant. Cushioned seats. Subtle perfume in the air.
As the carriage began moving, Elmira leaned slightly toward him.
"Where are you from, Shoda?"
He hesitated.
"Far away."
"How far?"
"…You wouldn't believe me."
She smiled gently.
"I won't laugh."
He met her eyes.
Then looked away.
"Another world."
She didn't laugh.
She didn't mock him.
She just nodded thoughtfully.
"…That must be lonely."
The words hit harder than expected.
Shoda didn't answer.
Across from them, Roderic watched quietly.
Observing.
Measuring.
The carriage rolled toward the royal district.
And somewhere deep inside Shoda's mind—
A quiet fear was growing.
Because everything felt fragile.
Too fragile.
And he had no idea why.
Then someone from a corner of a tree watched as they slowly entered the carriage and walked off
Good.
Now we slow it down slig
The carriage rolled through iron gates.
Beyond them, the mansion rose from the forest like something carved from moonlight.
White stone walls. Tall arched windows. Ivy creeping up polished pillars. Lanterns hung along the path, glowing softly even in daylight.
Shoda stared.
"…This is insane."
Tokyo apartments felt microscopic compared to this.
They stepped down from the carriage.
The air here felt quieter. Cleaner. Isolated from the city noise.
Then—
Movement.
A blur from the side of the courtyard.
A young figure launched forward, hands shaped like claws, body low and aggressive— aiming straight for Roderic's head.
Shoda didn't even process what was happening.
Roderic did.
His palm moved casually.
He caught the attacker mid-strike.
No struggle.
No hesitation.
He redirected the force and slammed the boy into the stone courtyard.
The impact cracked the ground.
Dust exploded outward.
A shallow crater formed beneath the boy's body.
Shoda's heart jumped into his throat.
What the hell.
Roderic dusted his gloves calmly.
"Ambush training should not involve lethal intent," he said flatly.
The boy groaned weakly in the crater.
Elmira rushed forward immediately, kneeling beside him. Soft golden light gathered in her hands.
Shoda hesitated only a second before kneeling too.
The boy's body was bruised badly. If that had been Shoda, he would've died again.
"Who is he?" Shoda asked quietly.
Elmira didn't look up.
"My father brought him here as a child," she said gently. "He grew up in the estate. He's like a younger brother."
The light enveloped the boy.
Bones reset. Bruises faded.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
He blinked at Shoda.
Then at Elmira.
"Princess…" he muttered. "Who's this guy? When that jerk hit me, I think I saw stars."
Roderic did not react to being called a jerk.
Elmira smiled softly.
"This is your new colleague. He'll be working with you."
The boy's expression hardened instantly.
"I don't like him."
Shoda blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You smell weird," the boy said bluntly. "Like fear."
Shoda forced a laugh. "That's ridiculous. My name is Iwamoto Shoda."
The boy squinted.
"What kind of name is that?"
Elmira tilted her head.
"It is unusual. What does it mean?"
Shoda hesitated.
He explained briefly— the meaning of his name, the structure of his culture.
They listened quietly.
The boy crossed his arms.
"My name's Shun," he said finally. "Assistant servant here. I handle whatever needs handling. And I don't trust easy."
He stepped closer to Shoda.
"Big sis likes you. So I'll tolerate you."
Then his tone dropped slightly.
"But if you try anything funny… I'll kill you."
There was no joke in his voice.
Shoda swallowed.
"…Noted."
Roderic observed the exchange silently, eyes sharp.
Elmira stood up.
"That's enough," she said gently. "Shun, please don't threaten guests."
"He ain't a guest," Shun muttered. "He's staff now."
Shoda let out a slow breath.
This place is insane.
First death.
Second death.
Now superhuman servants and crater-making knights.
He turned toward Elmira.
"Thank you. For… helping."
She smiled.
"You looked lost."
That simple answer hit harder than it should have.
She gestured toward the entrance.
"Come inside. We'll arrange something for you."
The doors to the mansion opened.
Tall ceilings. Polished marble floors. Chandeliers catching light from high windows.
Shoda stepped in.
And for a moment—
Just a moment—
He felt like maybe things could stabilize.
Maybe.
But deep inside his chest…
That faint pressure remained.
Like the world was watching.
Waiting.
And it was The person who watched shoda and Elmira at the square now in estate licked their lipswin excitement