In his dark room, Laos collapsed onto his bed, cold and silent. Suddenly, he raised his head and slammed it against the mattress with force. He bit into his blanket and began punching his pillow repeatedly. As this scene unfolded, tears streamed down his face. He opened his mouth wide, as if screaming, but no sound came out—just tightly shut, tear-streaked eyes, an open mouth like a hippopotamus, and clenched fists as though in the middle of a fierce battle.
"Fuck everyone... I swear I'll gain power, and I'll end all of you, torturing you more than you've ever done to me… Aaaah, fuck you all!"
Laos muttered his threats, but the lump in his chest remained. He even hiccupped from the intensity of his crying and despair. Then he flipped over to lie on his back, clawing at his face as though trying to tear it apart. He kept sobbing and weeping, letting out barely audible cries.
Suddenly, he shot up and opened the window. Moonlight poured into the room, illuminating everything. He stuck his head out of the window and gazed at the view outside.
Forget everything I said before—this world is the worst I've ever lived in. Yes, yes, even with all the suffering I endured in my previous world, this one is still worse… I want to go back. I want to hold my consoles and play those old JRPGs I bought for two dollars from Uncle Greg! I want to hold my phone and watch those cheap anime with the same recycled plotlines, because those stories are what audiences love. I want to visit the bookstore and buy every fantasy novel they have… I swear I'd read them all this time—I wouldn't just leave them on the shelf to gather dust. I just… want to go back!
But how? Should I jump out of this window? Maybe if I die, I'll return to my world, because this world feels like a video game. Yeah… but what if I die and never come back to life? Whatever—I'll jump.
I eased my body further out of the window and looked down. The room was on the second floor, so jumping from this height would definitely kill me… Jump, Laos. It won't hurt to try, right? If I die, it'll all be over, and that's good. And if I go back to my old world, even better.
But every time I looked at the height and the distance between me and the ground, fear held me back, and I retreated. After a while of thinking, I pulled myself back inside and fell onto the bed. Hah. Do you think I'd actually commit suicide? Pfft, impossible—I don't have the courage for it. In fact, I don't have the courage for anything.
But seriously, it's not worth it. I'm just whining, right? There are people suffering far more than I am… No!
That's something weak people who are suffering say. It doesn't matter if there are others who have it worse—what matters is that I'm suffering. And I should do whatever I think is necessary to end this suffering.
But that's also what strong people say, and I'm not one of them. So, I'll just lie on my bed and complain until the promotion ceremony is over and Maris and the others come to see me. But they're such jerks—why are they waiting until the ceremony ends to visit me? They should run to me right away!
Ughhh!! I'm sinking into depression again. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! If only I had power! I'll ask Maris and Evol to teach me magic, and Petal can train me in martial arts. Then, I'll hone my skills and take my revenge. I'll learn everything. Yes, I'll do it… or not.
I always feel motivated at night, but when the sun rises, all my motivation and ambition disappear. Laos, you need to realize that you're just a fucking NPC—weak and incapable of doing anything.
Alright, the smartest thing to do now is to ask them why they did this to me. Why did they treat me this way? Do they hate NPCs like the king hated the Shield Hero in The Rising of the Shield Hero? If that's true, I hope the queen of this kingdom loves me and is willing to help me.
So, should I go and ask them why they didn't promote me? …No, not now. I'd look weak if I went back to them this quickly.
By the way, why did that old blue-haired man retreat and draw his sword on me? I almost wet myself at that moment. But it seems I have some kind of terrifying aura—they've been scared of it several times, and always when I was angry. Does that mean I have a special power? But I'm just an NPC!
I need to hone this aura and see the extent of my true strength. Then I'll escape this palace, and no one will stop me, even if it means I die fighting.
Afterward, Laos kept thinking and imagining various scenarios. He stayed like that, tossing and turning, until he eventually stopped moving and rested his head on the pillow. It seemed he'd decided to sleep.
After a while of silence and closed eyes, he started moving again—but this time, he was asleep. Suddenly, he woke up with a jolt, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.
"God, no! Hah, hah, hah!"
Fuck! It's that dream again. Aaaghhhh! I'm going to jump out of the window—I can't take this anymore. I haven't slept in so long; I'm going to die! I have to end my life here…
He opened the window again and leaned half of his body out. But then he froze in place, because, as he mentioned earlier, he didn't have the courage to go through with it.
Oh, God! I have an infinite number of problems!!
"What should I do?"
◆ ◆ ◆
"Laos," Maris called from behind the door as she knocked.
I closed the window and opened the door. Maris entered first, followed by the others—Evol, Petal, and Camellia—all with yellow stars hanging from their uniforms. I returned to the bed and sat down as they each took their places. They began asking about my condition. After a moment of silence, I answered:
"I'm broken."
"Oh my God, I can't believe they did this," Petal said.
"Maybe it's because of his issue with Tiana," Camellia replied.
"Yeah, it's possible she's still holding a grudge against me," I added.
"What are you going to do now, Laos?" Maris asked, looking at me.
"I'm going to run away," I replied.
"What? Are you insane?! Gaziel will crush you!" Evol shouted.
"I know, but I don't care. You'll train me in combat, and I'll fight him if I have to," I said, clenching my fist.
"Besides, I have a strong aura that made Gaziel tremble. I just need to refine it," I added.
"You idiot! An aura is just spiritual energy. It doesn't help in combat. The combat system here is based on magic, not aura. Aura is merely a type of energy that can be refined through meditation or by killing high-aura monsters. If your aura level is very high, you might subdue weak people without fighting them. But my father is not someone you can take down with just aura," Camellia explained.
"Your father?" I mumbled, stunned. Wait a minute...
"Camellia is Gaziel's daughter," Petal said with a sly smile, as if revealing a heavy secret.
"What?!!!" I exclaimed loudly. Oh my God, this is impossible! But they do look alike—they both have yellow eyes and blue hair!
"But why are you a servant here?!" I asked, staring at her saddened face.
"It's a long story..." Camellia murmured sadly. It seemed she didn't want to talk about it, so I decided to change the subject.
"Alright. I need to train in magic. Maris and Evol, you'll teach me. Petal, teach me martial arts. Isn't this simple?" I said, shifting my gaze away from Camellia to show her I wasn't prying.
"This is ridiculous. Do you think you can defeat Gaziel?" Evol said.
"Just train me," I replied with dark circles and a weak face.
"Let's train him. We have nothing to lose!" Maris said.
"I don't mind," Evol replied.
"Me neither. We'll start tomorrow," Petal added, his eyes closed. How can he even see like that?
"Alright, we're here just to check on you first," Camellia said.
"Oh! I'm a little sad, but I'll survive. Besides, I plan to ask them why they made this decision," I replied.
"It would be better to ask Sabrina," Maris suggested.
"I will," I replied.
"Goodnight, then," Camellia said as she left, followed by the others. They all exited the room, leaving me alone.
I returned to the bed, and the weight of my troubles fell upon me again. Man, I've never suffered like this in my life. I just want to disappear... But starting tomorrow, I'll dedicate myself to training until I become strong. Come on, not all isekai protagonists were strong at the beginning, right? There's Rudeus and Naofumi, and maybe I can be like them too if I train!
Yes! I'll train with all my might. After that, I'll plan an escape with Maris. Then we'll join the Adventurers' Guild, and I'll become an adventurer. We'll live together in a small house in a bustling city filled with people and adventurers... But what if Tiana chases me? How will I escape from them? That would be dangerous. I hope they forget about me when I run away and leave me alone...
By the way, what are those bastards doing? I haven't seen them since we were summoned by that goddess. I hope they all died in the war. Oh, every time I think of them, my hatred grows. But I'm sure Stephanie didn't do anything—it's just those other bastards. I hope Linda isn't among them either, because for some reason, I don't feel like killing her. Yes, Stephanie and Linda—I don't want to kill them.
Oh God, my state is getting worse and worse. I just want to die, man. Even when I think about hope and training and escaping, the sadness still overwhelms me... I hate this world. I hate it so much! And then there's that dream that keeps haunting me. Ughhhh!!!!
Suddenly, the door opened, and Maris entered, closing it behind her. Oh God, she startled me!
"Laos..." she murmured in her soft, feminine voice.
"Maris! Come here," I said.
She sat on the bed with me, then hugged me tightly, pressing my face against her boobs. Oh my God, she's so stunning. Her scent is lovely, her body warm—she's an angel in every sense of the word. Maris... my wife! She cares so much about me. We fell onto the bed together, and slowly, she began unbuttoning my shirt as our breaths quickened in the room.
◆ ◆ ◆
"That was amazing. Thank you," I said, patting her head as we lay together under the covers.
"Are you feeling better?" Maris asked, her hand touching my bare chest. Her hand was so warm!
"I think so... but it's just a wave of depression. It'll return eventually... And I still can't sleep," I said, sadness creeping over me again as I recalled that fucking dream.
Suddenly, Maris sat up and kissed my forehead. Then she said:
"Everything will be alright."
"Thank you... Thank you, Maris," I replied, hugging her.
"By the way, Maris, what's Camellia's story with Gaziel?" I asked, remembering the topic.
"Oh, it's an old story and one of the saddest tales in this palace," Maris said, stroking my hair.
"Eighteen years ago, Gaziel fell in love with one of the palace servants. Their relationship continued, and they had their first child—Camellia."
"Seven years after Camellia's birth, on a dark night for Gaziel, his wife passed away, leaving only Camellia and Gaziel. But Gaziel grew to despise his daughter, Camellia. Since then, he hasn't treated her as his daughter or cared for her, forcing her to become a servant as well."
"Despite that, she never forgot her mother's words, which always reminded her that Gaziel loves her, so she shouldn't hate her father. Camellia clings to this belief, hoping for the return of the father who was happy with his family—not the current father who never speaks to her."
"Oh, that's so sad. But how did his wife die? Was she old?" I asked, pondering the story.
"No, as far as I know, she was a young, beautiful woman. So her death was mysterious and raised many questions... But Gaziel is convinced it was just a natural death," Maris replied.
"Maris..." I murmured.
"What is it, my dear?"
"Do you have any other stories about this palace?" I asked.
"Yes, there are many fascinating tales about this palace. Would you like me to tell you one?"
"Yes, please."
"There's the story of the trio who tried to break into Tiana's room, the merchant who wanted to buy servants but was stopped by Sabrina, and the battle between Beltum and Gaziel. Which one would you like to hear?" Maris asked in her lovely voice, caressing my face.
"The trio who tried to break into Tiana's room," I answered.
In the quiet of the night, in a dark room with a sliver of moonlight, Laos lay beside Maris, listening to her stories. For the first time since his ordeal, it seemed that Laos found some comfort. Maris managed to make him forget everything and focus on her tales. But sadly, this was only temporary—Laos would eventually return to his torment. Yet, for now, what mattered most was:
"Laos... Laos," Maris murmured, gazing at the boy sleeping before her with a smile.
Sometimes, the solution to our problems is a warm hug from someone close.
Laos slept that night without dreaming of that nightmare.