NOVEL NEXT Vol. 1 Chapter 1: The Human Saint is Bored
When I opened my eyes, there was a face before me.
“Hmm…what?” I muttered since I was still half-asleep.
“What?” the person curtly replied.
“Huh?” When my mind cleared, I realized a beautiful girl was looking down at me. Surprised, I quickly got up, but…
“Ow!” we both blurted out. When I sprang up, it seemed like I hit her chin against my forehead. However, it didn’t matter now. I had to ask the critical questions first…which were…
“Hey, who the hell are you?” See, I was a private person; I never liked it when someone suddenly showed up in my room uninvited. But well, now that I had a clear look at the girl before me, I immediately noticed her long silver hair, silvery eyebrows, and silvery-blue eyes.
Yep, a natural beauty. Something around the level of the goddesses.
“Well…” she stared at me, confused, “My name is Madelaine Ann Rubinforth. I know my name’s pretty long, so they call me Maddie. And you are?”
“Me? I’m…” my voice immediately died down; I realized something horrifying.
“Hmm?” Maddie asked with curious eyes, “What’s the matter?”
“Err…uh…my name,” blood drained from my face, “I remember nothing about it,” My eyes went around in a panic, trying to grasp the situation before me. My heart was beating fast, and I felt like throwing up.
Fortunately, I stopped myself from vomiting.
“…”
A few moments later, I understood what was happening.
The walls, the pillars, even the ceiling…This wasn’t the room I slept in before. I’m not in my house anymore!
“That’s odd,” Maddie replied, deep in thought. “I followed the instructions, but all that happened is I summoned a strange person.”
“Huh? Summoned?” I remembered some stories before about being summoned into another world and becoming a big shot or something of sorts, “Does this mean this is another world?”
Dumbfounded, Maddie asked, “What are you talking about? Are you telling me that you came from another world than this one? Aren’t you human?”
“Well, I’m indeed a human,” I replied, “But where I came from, there’s not one human with beautiful silver hair such as yours.”
Maddie proudly puffed out her chest. “Of course. I am a special existence,” she had this smug expression on her face as she continued, “If you still don’t know, you’re currently talking to the great ‘Saint of Chersea’.”
“Oh.”
“Hah?” Maddie’s eyes widened, and her voice turned sour. “Is that all that you have to say? You’re in front of one of the most beautiful, generous, and powerful girls in the entire land, and all that you say is ‘Oh’?”
I stared at Maddie with utter disinterest. Sure enough, she’s a beautiful girl. But, well, I’m not that good with people like her. I’m not too fond of that type of self-absorbed attitude.
So anyway, once I learned more about my situation, I asked, “So, uh, ‘Great Saint Maddie,’ can you return me to my room?”
“Eh? What are you talking about?”
“I asked if you can return me to my room. Maybe my memories would come back as well,” I explained.
“Impossible.”
“Figures,” Well, I expected this result. The isekai stories I had read before also had this kind of setting. They could summon the guy, but of course, they wouldn’t be able to return him to his old world…or the story would end.
Now that I think about it, am I in some novel or what?
“You seem pretty calm given your situation, Mister.”
“Well, I’ve read many stories before that are like my current situation,” I looked around, noting my surroundings. The pure white walls, the imposing marble pillars that dotted that place regularly, and the high, domed ceiling…
“Yep, I think I’m in a different world. What’s this place called again?”
“Chersea. You’re on the continent of Chersea.”
“I see. From what I can recall, I came from a place called Earth. And though we have seven continents, none of them have the name ‘Chersea’.”
“Ooh…the ‘seven continents’ part is already unbelievable,” Maddie’s eyes widened. We only have two landmasses, North and South Chersea. And here I thought I summoned a weirdo.”
“Hey,” I was slightly offended by that, but no matter, I’d just let it pass. I think it’s not good for me to get angry at this moment since I don’t even know the person before me, nor anything about this world. “Anyway, since you summoned me, I’m needed for something, right? So, what do you want from me, ‘Miss Great Saint’?”
“Ah, right!” Maddie clapped her hands as if she remembered something important, “Actually, I summoned you because I’m bored.”
“Haha…surely, you jest,” I let out a dry, forceful, and sarcastic laugh.
“Nope,” Maddie snapped her fingers, and instantly, a gilded bed emerged.
Magic!
That must be magic, as your standard fantasy world should have. She let herself fall on the soft bedding and pillows without taking care of the human she had just summoned. “Haa…I wanted to call something wild and chaotic, maybe create a ruckus, but a normal person appeared. Now all of my excitement disappeared. Poof! Just like that, in an instant.”
Then, without further ado, the Great Saint of Chersea, named Maddie, went to sleep.
“…”
The carefree attitude of this girl claiming she was a saint made me dumbfounded.
Now, what do I do?
----------
“Hey!”
“…”
“Hey!”
Uhh…this again? Did I wake up from the ‘otherworldly’ dream?
I opened my eyes—another shining white environment.
“Ah, finally!” a cheerful voice chirped in. “Welcome!”
“Did I get summoned once again?”
“Of course not!”
“I see. No wonder I can’t remember my name. So where in the hell is this?”
The voice laughed, “No, silly! This isn’t hell, of course.”
“Then this is heaven?”
“Nah. Wrong.”
“Some sort of purgatory?”
“Uhh…maybe if you stop asking questions, I can explain?”
“Alright,” I fell quiet.
“Anyway, welcome to the land called Chersea, Mister…”
“I just told you, I can’t remember my name.”
“Right…” the voice trailed away before going loud again, “Again, welcome!”
“Yeah, I know. You just welcomed me before that.”
“Err…sorry. It’s just that it’s my first time welcoming otherworldly people like you. I’m shy around others, see?”
“Oh, okay,” suddenly, I realized, “Wait a minute…I think I get it now! Isn’t this—isn’t this the obligatory ‘isekai’ scene where the protagonist meets the deity of the world he gets summoned to? So, you’re the god of this place? Am I getting an overpowered attribute? How many girls will fall in love with me in this place?”
“H-hold on a b-bit!” the disembodied voice was stammering, “Can you please slow down?”
“Ah, sorry! I got too excited.”
“Anyway, close your eyes for a bit.”
I did what the voice told me to. Then, when it ordered me to open my eyes, I saw a lush green valley dotted with a few trees, bisected by a calm river in the middle. The azure sky was clear of clouds, yet the sun was shining not too bright, nor did it give extreme heat.
The scene is utterly breathtaking…
“I didn’t know that Chersea is this beautiful.”
“Yes…” the voice added, “Only, this isn’t Chersea.”
“What? Then, if this isn’t Chersea, where is this?”
“Just randomly generated scenery for you to enjoy. Think of it as the wallpaper of the old Windows XP but without that scary login sound. And proof that this isn’t heaven nor hell as you think it is,” the voice’s pace was getting faster. And I’m not a god either, so there’s no overpowered skill, nor am I capable of making girls fall in love with you. And this isn’t an obligatory scene from an overused novel theme, either.”
“Ah, alright, alright! Please slow down as well.” I turned my eyes back to the scene. So, whatever you are, why did you make me appear in this place? Do you need something from me?”
“Nothing as well.”
This again? Seriously, was the theme ‘powerful-gods-or-saints-or-whoever-they-are-summoning-unsuspecting people-from-other-worlds-just-for-their-satisfaction’ the trend nowadays?
Why does this voice bring me here? Why did I even come to Chersea if I’m not needed?
“About that, I’m sorry for my minor mistake. I brought you here precisely because I’d like to apologize for it and explain the matter to you,” my invisible partner answered the question in my mind.
So, this fellow can read my thoughts?
“Precisely. I’m a powerful being, after all.”
“Okay, I get it,” I shrugged; there’s nothing else I could do about my situation anyway, “So, would you mind explaining to me what ‘mistake’ you made in my summoning?”
“Yes…well, technically, it’s not a mistake. The summoning circle of the Human Saint, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth, used contains a spell dedicated to transporting you here to Chersea. I gave it to her accidentally.”
“Ahh…” So, it was an accident, huh? Now I get it—
Wait, what? You’re planning on summoning me, after all! Who are you anyway?
“Err…uh, can you please calm down for a bit? I wanted to summon you, but not now.”
Can you show yourself? Don’t you know I look stupid here talking to a disembodied voice?
“Oh…okay… Please wait for a moment.”
Silence prevailed for several moments. It was a long one, and for me, it seemed as if it would never end. My heart was already beating wildly, and my head sweated. I was wondering if that disembodied voice had left me when I felt someone appear from behind.
Not wishing to be surprised, I slowly turned around to see who it was…
“…”
Another beautiful girl stood before me, smiling. She had long, shiny black hair tied in braids and cheerful eyes. From what I could guess, she seemed to be around 16 years old, but what caught my attention the most was the pair of enormous, pure white wings on her back.
An angel?
“H-hello!” the girl broke the ice. “Did my appearance satisfy you? I’m sorry, but I’m not an angelic being like you think I am. If I put my existence to you in a single word, you may call me a ‘Saint.’
“Saint? Like that silver-haired girl who summoned me?”
The girl nodded.
“I didn’t know you guys are too powerful.”
“Well, in this world, we Saints are an exceptional existence. No god or goddess is assigned to guide everyday life in Chersea, unlike in the old Earth. Instead, the gods granted divine powers to their chosen representatives in this land. That’s what we are, the Saints.”
“Whoa. That’s a pretty heavy responsibility, eh? Divine powers, huh? No wonder that silver-haired saint can summon me.”
“I’m happy you absorbed all of those in one explanation,” the black-haired saint chuckled, “This proves you are that person…”
Err…hold on, you talk like you know something about me.
“Eh?” taken aback, the black-haired saint stammered, “Err…uh, well…n-no…”
So, you know something about me; your expression gives it all away, even if you try to deny it!
“Err…uhm, please d-don’t stare at m-me that much!” the black-haired saint’s face was red.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine!” she replied, flustered, but still smiling. “Well, honestly, I know you. However, I can’t tell everything about you in one go, see?”
Why’s that? Can’t you at least tell me about my name?
“S-sorry, I can’t! If I do that, I won’t get too much screen time.”
Ha?
“Please don’t mind me. Haha…” the black-haired saint scratched her head, “A-anyway, if you wish to know more about yourself, please come find me at a place called Lake Antares.”
Antares? Can you just tell me the information I need right here since you’re already wasting your powers?
“Hmm, as much as I’d like to have a chat with you, I think you need to go back now.”
“Oh, okay, I guess,” I said as I prepared to be transported back to the silver-haired saint’s white room.
“…”
However, something was bothering me about the girl I was talking to. I wanted to ask her a question, but I couldn’t correctly remember what I needed to know.
“Now, if you’d close your eyes when you wake up, you’ll have to be quick and prepared. Are you ready?”
“Yeah…”
And then, just as I closed my eyes…
“!!!”
I realized the question that’s been bothering me!
“Ah! Black-haired saint, before I go, I’d like to ask why you talk like you know my old world?”
Initially surprised, she quickly recovered from it, and her lips drew a beautiful yet nostalgic, bittersweet smile.
“Well, it’s because I also came from Earth, you know?”
“Wha—”
After hearing that, pure whiteness filled my vision before it eventually blacked out.
Wait. I didn’t even get that saint’s name.
----------
Loud clanging and crashing noises rudely awakened me immediately after my consciousness returned. I immediately sprang up from the floor and looked around.
“…”
A young girl in a maid outfit stood by the door, staring at me with a terrified expression.
“Err, hello?” I waved a little at her, trying to diffuse the tension from our sudden meeting. However…
“Kyaaa! There’s a boy inside Her Holiness’ room! Heeeeeeellllllpppppp!” That scream rang out well and echoed throughout the entire place.
“Wait—please calm down!” Frantic, I looked back at the silver-haired saint’s bed, hoping she’d be awake and solve this awkward situation.
“…”
But man, this girl can sleep like a rock! The maid’s scream almost tore my eardrums apart, yet the saint kept sleeping as if nothing had happened.
The maid pulled a wand from her uniform and pointed it at me, “Stay where you are, pervert, or Eris will incinerate you! Don’t you know it’s a crime to enter Her Holiness’ quarters without her permission?”
“Oh, is it?” Shit. Looks like I’m in for some deep trouble…
“Well, not yet,” the maid said, caught off-guard by my words. She lowered her wand a little as she pondered, “But Eris thinks the council of the human kings will issue a decree about trespassing in Her Holiness’ room! Anyway! The ‘incinerate’ part of Eris’ threat is real, so don’t you move a muscle!”
“Err…I, uh, will you please hear me out first?” I kneeled before her, clasping my hands, “I’ve done nothing wrong with that sleeping girl, I swear. If you’ll look at it, she’s the one at fault for bringing me here!”
“Ha?” the maid became even scarier, “Did Eris hear what you just said?”
“Well, duh… isn’t it obvious? We’re less than a few meters away from each other.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, Eris got carried away. Haha…” the maid composed herself before shouting, “Blasphemy! You just cursed the holy saint! You’re blaming her for your sins! Unacceptable!” Her shrill voice was enough for me to wince and cover my ears; I looked back at Saint Maddie, hoping she was up by now…
“…”
Yep, she’s still soundly sleeping. What the freaking hell?
“Good lord, my trouble keeps on increasing…” Panicking, I thought about the various legal cases I might encounter at Chersea’s justice court—if there were any. “Even blaming the Saint is a crime here?”
“Not yet as well. But Eris thinks it will be soon.”
“What made you say that?”
“Eris just thinks so.”
God, I’m trapped in a world full of weirdos.
----------
“Kyaaaaaaaahaha!”
The entire place was shaken by simultaneous explosions, courtesy of the assorted magic spells thrown at me by the infuriated servants of Her Holiness. Naturally, I ran for my life.
And yes, that girly scream came from me just now.
The saint’s maids could use magic and do it with deadly precision. The thirst for blood was clear in their eyes, and their desire to obliterate me was clear.
“L-Let me explain my side, p-please!”
They never tried to listen, “Burn that boy! Don’t let him escape!”
“What did I ever do to deserve this?”
“All men are perverts, and perverts are all men!” the maids recited that mantra while marching in unison. And hey, when did they get those red banners with a swastika? And why were they doing the goose-step now? And why was that maid at the front wearing a toothbrush mustache while doing a ‘Nazi’ salute?
“Hitler, is that you?” I muttered a rhetorical question. Ah, anyway, I have to run!
Another fire spell shot from behind me and landed just a few yards from my spot. Fortunately, I dodged it before exploding. The resulting force broke all the glass windows and flower vases that lined the hallways. Glass and clay shards of various sizes and sharpness scattered all over the floor.
It was then that I realized I was barefooted when I got summoned.
Great!
The maids were getting near, and the broken glasses and vases were before me.
Oh well, there’s no time for feeling the pain here, I guess. Between a sore, bloodied foot or sure death by crazy maidservants, I’d gladly choose the former.
Here we go! Fucking ruuuuuuuunnnn! OW! Ouch! Damn it, OW!
The words of that black-haired saint returned to me, ‘The moment you wake up, you’ll have to be quick and prepared.’ I didn’t expect that my life would depend on it.
“Uwooohh!”
The broken windows were a godsend. Because of those, I could escape towards the outside world faster than going around in circles; the chances of me getting lost inside this labyrinth of a place were high, after all.
I’d be an action hero for now and get out of this place by jumping through those. Geronimo!
Oh shit…this was the second floor. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
My scream tore through the entire place like the shouts from that freaky maid earlier.
----------
So yeah.
I guess I’m still alive? And this is the outside?
“…”
Yeah, I could make out the clouds passing overhead and the blue skies, as well as the plants and grasses in what seemed to be a garden. Another good news was that I could feel and move my limbs quite fine, too, though my feet had this painful sensation.
Lacerations must have covered my foot from those broken shards earlier.
“…”
Anyway, uh, I got to escape from this stupid place…
Even. If. I. Have. To. Crawl.
“…”
However, I stopped in my path. There was a pair of boots in front of me.
I’m so freaking dead.
“Hey, can you walk?”
The boots spoke! Oh, who am I kidding; of course, it’s a maid.
“I, uh, I think I hurt my feet,” I admitted. Well, there’s no helping it anymore; they caught me.
“Yeah, indeed you are,” she gently raised my feet, “Did you step on broken glasses?”
“I came falling from the second floor. Your friends are seeking to butcher me. If you plan to turn me over to them, go ahead. I’m done for, whether or not you capture me, anyway.”
“Nah, don’t worry,” she set my back against a tree and scanned my body for other injuries, “My cute subordinates are so zealous in protecting Her Holiness that sometimes they get unreasonable. I, however, am a voice of reason in this place. Please be at ease.”
Finally, an average person!
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I needed to stop it. This isn’t the time to cry…
“!!!”
Yeah, this isn’t the time to cry!
Those crazy maids had spotted us and were aiming their wands at me.
Good lord, they intended to obliterate me…
“Fireball!” “Water blast!” “Icy wind!” “Rock bullet!”
“!!!”
And even more crazy was this other maid who was on my side. She bravely stood before me with a wand, ready to block the incoming spells.
Oh shit! I need to dodge—
“Rock shield!”
An enormous wall of granite then appeared and shielded us from those violent attacks. The magic salvo nearly destroyed our defense, but it eventually held on. Though I thought the friendly maid’s energy got sapped trying to maintain that formidable barrier, her legs were wobbling, after all.
“Head maid! Why are you defending that vermin?” someone from the opposing group called out to her.
“At least listen to him before you point your wands!” the Head Maid reasoned, “Don’t go throwing those dangerous spells without talking it out first!”
I’m saved! I’m delighted I met this angel!
“But a filthy boy like him entered the room of Her Holiness! How can we reason with him?”
The Head Maid never moved from her spot as she stared suspiciously at me.
Uhh… don’t tell me you fell for their twisted logic, Head Maid?
“Well, that is indeed unforgivable,” she didn’t turn her eyes away from me; the more she looked, the more I felt like I wanted to disappear.
I’m doomed.
“Fireball!”
“Water blast!”
“Icy wind!”
“Rock bullet!”
Here comes the salvo once again! It was all so sudden that we were both caught flat-footed. But what was surprising was that the Head Maid never flinched from her spot. She stood between me and the magic spells.
Good lord, if those hit her, she’ll turn to dust! And why do I keep on narrating here instead of doing something? Ah, fuck this!
Summoning all my strength and courage, I quickly uttered a prayer, closed my eyes, and lunged toward the Head Maid. I threw the entire weight of my body on that push, intending to keep her away from the incoming projectiles.
Of course, I had no time to dodge that salvo. Oh well. Goodbye Chersea! It’s not that nice coming into your lands.
The magic attacks landed rapidly, pulverizing everything in that small area it targeted.
----------
So, this is heaven?
“…”
It’s pretty smoky in here, I think?
“Hey, Mister.”
And I can even hear a familiar voice.
“Mister, are you fine?”
“I think I’m dead.”
“Well, if you can talk, then it means you’re not dead yet.”
“Am I?” Just as I was trying to determine my condition, a strong wind blew the smoke and dust away. Before me stood a proud figure with flowing silver hair and beautiful silvery-blue eyes.
It’s Her Holiness herself, the Saint of Chersea.
“I was wondering what the ruckus was all about, and here you are fooling around with my maids,” she dusted herself, “I see that you guys made a mess of the Holy Palatial Gardens. It’s nice of you not letting me join in the fun, don’t you think?”
The saint’s face was smug as she dusted herself. Now that I remember it, she told me before that she wanted chaos to appease her boredom…which led to my summoning.
But, well, now’s not the time to remember trivial matters.
“…”
I’m wondering how I survived those magic spells hurled at me.
“If you’re asking how you got past that…” I guess the saint could read my thoughts—oh yeah, that black-haired saint from my dream can do it, right? “You see, Mister, we Saints are a special existence. Creating powerful barriers against petty magic attacks is child’s play for us. Now, you may start praising me for saving you.”
“Uhh…praising the one at fault for taking responsibility for your current predicament…” I could only scratch my head, my body feeling utter exhaustion. “This is stupid.”