'You're not pulling my leg, are you?' Rolena asked in the party chat, eyes narrowing as she studied me.
'Nope. I am dead serious,' I replied. 'Even I was shocked when I realized the original MC of the story had become a princess instead of a prince.' I said with a wry smile. 'The original MC was Cheng Yan, who arrived in the body of the third prince here… so I still have to ask, are you really—'
'Yes, I've always been a woman,' she cut in, giving me an admonishing glare. 'I was a woman on Earth, and I'm still a woman after being isekai'd. And I don't know any Cheng Yan either, but considering how close our names are, I'm assuming this is some alternate-universe nonsense.' She sighed. 'Still… I'm glad I didn't get dumped into the body of some random guy.'
'Yeah, that would've been all kinds of weird,' I muttered, looking away—having briefly wondered about the reverse happening to me.
'Yep,' she chuckled. 'Anyway—my situation aside—your story is called Slave Harem in a Labyrinth. Is that why you had a slave with you earlier?' Her eyes drifted toward the door where Roxanne had exited.
'Yes. Roxanne is the main waifu from that story,' I admitted, a warm smile on my lips.
'Owning a female slave, huh… looks like you've adapted to this world pretty fast,' Rolena said, eyes narrowing at me again.
I felt heat crawl up my neck. Of course she would look at me with Earth morals. To her, I probably looked like some pervert preying on a beautiful slave girl.
…Not that she would be wrong.
And I hadn't even mentioned that Roxanne wasn't the only slave I had.
'Hey, don't give me that judgmental stare,' I said, looking away. 'I don't know about you, but I died a virgin, okay? I didn't get to experience anything. So this time around—I'm not planning to waste my second life.'
'Ah, no, I wasn't judging,' she said quickly, lowering her gaze. 'I… didn't have much of a life either. Just work, study, work… and then more work. So I don't blame you… much'
Knowing she wasn't experienced either definitely sparked joy inside me—but I kept my expression neutral. More importantly, I had been actively keeping my eyes strictly on her face, refusing to let them wander anywhere else.
The last thing I needed was to give her an even worse impression of me.
'Anyway, you were going to tell me about your system,' Rolena said, shaking her head and fixing me with curious eyes.
'Well, it's actually pretty straightforward,' I replied with a wry smile as I explained both of my systems—briefly, while keeping a few things hidden.
'Fascinating… a Character Reset System that uses points, and a Level-Up Reward System.' She leaned back, muttering thoughtfully. 'And considering what I observed in my old memories—labyrinths, jobs, magic, skills, demons, different races, that weird Identification Card thing… this world already feels very game-like. Your systems just push it even more in that direction.'
I had wondered the same countless times myself, but without more clues, speculations weren't very useful.
'Ugh, you get two systems and I get nothing? How is that fair?' she grumbled with a dramatic sigh.
'So should I call you Yanqi or Rolena?' I asked, genuinely curious.
'Hmm… better to stick to our current identities,' she decided. 'It'll help us settle into these new lives. I'll call you Michio—is that okay?'
'Yeah, that works, Rolena,' I said with a smile.
She smiled back and immediately dove into more questions about my story, I answered as much as I could… with filters.
'From the title, I had assumed your story would be a typical isekai power fantasy… but it actually sounds much more slice-of-life, yes?' she said with a wry smile. 'You must've had a nice, peaceful week then.'
'Peaceful isn't exactly the word I would use,' I said, remembering the two bloodbaths I had already caused. 'But it has been fun,' I added with a grin.
'What about my story then? Is it slice-of-life too?' she asked hopefully. 'It sounds like it's connected to witches. Was that girl back there really a witch?'
'She's definitely a witch—and I'd strongly recommend we meet her as soon as possible,' I said earnestly. 'She's one of the most important characters in that story… aside from you, of course.'
'Hmm, I figured as much,' Rolena muttered. 'You wouldn't have yelled to stop her execution otherwise. And judging from your face… my story isn't a slice-of-life, is it?'
'No. It most definitely is not.' I replied with a wry smile.
'I knew it.' She let out a long exhale. 'With my luck, there was no way I would get an easy story. It was bound to be dangerous.'
'But remember—my knowledge isn't absolute,' I said seriously. 'This is an AU. A merged world. I've already run into characters from other stories, but without their plots. Yours and mine are the only two I'm certain have merged here.'
'And the common link between both is that they are isekai?' she asked.
'It's one of them, yes,' I replied with a nod.
'So we should meet that girl,' Rolena concluded. 'Is there anything else I should know? Anything urgent I should worry about? Actually—can you give me a brief version of the story first? Something to prepare myself mentally?'
I had thought about this while waiting for her summon earlier. Dumping the full RTW plot on someone who had been here less than an hour would probably do more harm than good. Especially her plot. She seemed quite composed now, but I shouldn't push her much.
'I'll tell you,' I said lightly. 'But first, there's something you should know. It's about your maid—'
At that moment, Roxanne's voice echoed in my mind through the party link.
'Master, that maid is bringing food.'
'Alright. Just bring her in' I replied with a sigh.
Rolena, sitting beside me on the sofa, watched my expression shift and leaned in slightly—clearly expecting some important revelation.
Instead, I glanced toward the door.
It opened a moment later.
Roxanne entered first.
And behind her walked Tyre, carrying a tray.
"Your Highness, I have brought food," Tyre said politely as she stepped inside.
"Oh, I was starving," Rolena replied with a bright smile.
Tyre set the plates down on the low table before us. The spread looked surprisingly extravagant for such a worn-down castle—fresh fruit, a thick slab of cooked meat, and warm bread.
"Also, go call Knight Carter and Barov," Rolena added casually as she gave a firm smack to Tyre's butt.
"Yes, Your Highness," Tyre murmured, face reddening before she hurried out of the room.
'I'm not doing that because I enjoy it,' Rolena said quickly in the party chat, cheeks reddening. 'The princess is known for being eccentric and… harassing her maids constantly. I have to keep up appearances.'
'I didn't even say a thing yet,' I replied with a grin.
She rolled her eyes but smiled.
"Your Highness, this is my lovely Roxanne," I said aloud, gesturing to her. "And this is Princess Rolena Wimbledon."
"Your Highness," Roxanne said, bowing politely.
"Lovely indeed," Rolena said, eyes softening as she gazed at Roxanne's ears. "So you're a wolfkin."
"Yes," Roxanne nodded.
"You should sit and eat with us," Rolena offered warmly.
"Come, sit here," I said, shifting to make room. Roxanne settled beside me.
'Before you eat, Rolena, I need to tell you the real reason the original prince died at the start of the story,' I said quickly through the party chat. I also sent a brief message to Roxanne so she wouldn't be confused by my sudden silence.
Rolena froze.
'…Does it have anything to do with food?' she asked cautiously. 'Don't tell me he was poisoned—' She immediately set the bread back on the plate.
'Yes. And the one who poisoned him was none other than a maid named Tyre—an assassin sent by his elder sister, Garcia, to eliminate one more competitor for the throne.' I narrated remembering the wild Pirate Queen I had met.
'Huh?' Rolena's eyes widened in shock. 'But Tyre has been with me these past three months since I arrived in Border Town… she's just a meek, obedient girl.' she muttered confused.
'Even in the original story she behaved the same—quiet, loyal, harmless. But then she had used a tasteless, scentless poison on the prince to kill him. That's how the original Roland died and the Earth soul took over his body.' I said ominously.
Rolena swallowed hard.
'So… this body's princess died the same way, and my soul took her place. Which means—' Her gaze darted to the food, panic rising. 'She might try poisoning me again if she thinks it failed.'
'I'm not certain,' I said honestly. 'Tyre might not even be the assassin in this version of the world. But in the original story, she always waited for new orders from Garcia before taking action. So she might not do anything even if she knows the poison failed. Also whether the princess died by poison or something else I am not sure… all we know is that she definitely must have died on that stage about an hour ago.'
The color drained from Rolena's face.
'So what do I do? I definitely can't eat this now,' she whispered, nearly hyperventilating. Her eyes flicked to the meal as if it were a nest of snakes. 'And Tyre—I should order to have her—'
Just then the door opened and two men walked in, a duo of a knight and an old man.
"You should knock and announce yourself before entering Her Highness's office, Knight Carter," Barov scolded sharply as he stepped inside.
"Ah—my mistake," the knight said stiffly.
[Carter Lannis
Knight Level 30
Equipment: Steel Sword, Steel Armor, Steel Boots, Steel Gloves, Sacrificial Misanga]
Tall, broad-shouldered, blond, and handsome—he looked almost exactly like his manga counterpart. A straight-laced, loyal knight to the core.
"You called for us, Your Highness," Carter said with a respectful bow, his gaze briefly flicking over me and Roxanne.
"Have you reconsidered your decision regarding the witch?" Barov asked impatiently, bowing as well.
"No," Rolena said calmly. "Instead, I would like to see her right now. Where is she?"
"She has been moved to the prison cells, so she doesn't hurt anyone else," Carter replied.
"Alright. Then let's go—I will visit her personally." Rolena stood up.
"Huh? No, no, that's impossible!" Barov blurted out, stepping in front of her. "Your Highness, you cannot meet her. She is dangerous!"
"I agree," Carter added, tension in his voice. "We cannot allow you to approach her for your own safety."
I was looking at all of this with a hidden grin. Just like in the original story, even when serving a notoriously troublesome employer, the old scholar and the knight still tried their best to be responsible and dutiful.
"What, a grown and strong man like you is scared of a little girl, Knight Carter?" Rolena asked with a mocking smile.
"It's… not that, Your Highness," Carter muttered, clearly embarrassed.
"You don't understand, Your Highness!" Barov shook his head frantically. "Witches are the spawn of the devil. It is far too dangerous — you could lose your life!"
"Ugh can you both stop your whining. I want to meet her, and that's final." Rolena declared loudly.
"But your safety—" Carter began, head lowered.
"You don't need to worry." Rolena cut in smoothly, gesturing toward me. "My friend here is a powerful Adventurer who has faced many labyrinths and demons. He can guarantee my protection. Isn't that right?"
"Gladly, Your Highness."
I rose with a confident smile — Roxanne standing up beside me.
Carter and Barov both looked at me skeptically.
"Enough arguing," Rolena said, waving her hand dismissively. "Take us to the witch now."
The two men exchanged a look, sighed in perfect unison, and nodded resignedly as they led the way.
And me?
I could barely stop myself from grinning —
as I was about to meet a new powerful waifu!
***
I give a heartfelt thanks to my new Patreon Supporter! :)
Warlord
You are Gamma level on Patreon and Tier 0 on Discord now!!