Chapter 1 - I - The human saint is bored

 

 When I opened my eyes, there was a face before me.

 

“Hmm…what?” I muttered, since I’m still half-asleep.

 

“What?” the person curtly replied.

 

“Huh?” When my mind cleared, I realized that a beautiful girl was looking down at me.  Surprised, I quickly got up, but…

 

“OW!” we both blurted out.  Looks like I hit her chin against my forehead when I sprang up.  However, it didn’t matter now.  I had to ask the important questions first…which was…

 

“Hey, who the hell are you?” See, I’m a private person; I never liked it when someone suddenly showed up in my room uninvited.  But well, now that I have a clear look of the girl before me, I immediately noticed her long silver hair.  And her silvery eyebrows.  And her silvery-blue eyes.

 

Yep, a real beauty.  Something around the level of the goddesses.

 

“Weeelllll…” She stared at me, confused.  “My name is Madelaine Ann Rubinforth.  I know my name’s pretty long, so they just 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 held myself from vomiting.

 

“…”

 

A few moments later, I understood what’s 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 given to me, 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 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 hate 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 sort of expected this result.  The isekai stories I had read before had this kind of setting as well.  They could summon the guy.  But of course, they won’t be able to return him to his old world…or the story will end.

 

Now that I think about it, am I in some kind of novel or what?

 

“You seem pretty calm given your situation, Mister.”

 

“Well, I’ve read many stories before that are like my situation right now.” I looked around, noting my surroundings.  The pure white walls, the imposing marble pillars that dotted that place at regular intervals, 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 got seven continents, none of it has the name of ‘Chersea’.”

 

“Ooh…the ‘seven continents’ part is already unbelievable.” Maddie’s eyes widened.  “We only got two landmasses, North and South Chersea.  And here I thought I summoned a weirdo.”

 

“Hey,” I’m 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, it means that 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 came out.  

 

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 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.

 

“…”

 

I’m…I’m dumbfounded by the carefree attitude of this girl who claimed that she’s a saint.  

 

Now, what do I do?

 

 

“Hey!”

 

“…”

 

“Heeeyyyy!”

 

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 a hell of course.”

 

“Then this is heaven?”

 

“Nah.  Wrong.”

 

“Some sort of purgatory?”

 

“Uhh…maybe if you stop asking questions, I can explain to you?”

 

“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, what came into my view was 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 a randomly generated scenery for you to enjoy.  Think of it as the wallpaper of the old Windows XP, only 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 to 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-or-whoever-you-are, why did you make me appear in this place?  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 to 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’ did you do in connection to my summoning?”

 

“Yes…well, technically, it’s not a mistake.  That summoning circle of the Human Saint, Madelaine Ann Rubinforth, used contains a spell dedicated for 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’s 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 a cheerful pair of eyes.  From what I could guess, she seemed to be around 16 years of age; but what caught my attention the most was the pair of big, pure white wings on her back.

 

An angel?

 

“H-hello!” the girl broke the ice, “Did my appearance satisfy you?  Sorry, but I’m not an angelic being like you think I am.  If I may 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.  There’s no god or goddess assigned in guiding 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’t 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 prepared myself to be transported back to that white room of the silver-haired Saint.  

 

“…”

 

However, something was bothering me about the girl I was talking to.  I’d like to give her this question, but I couldn’t properly remember what I wanted to ask her.

 

“Now if you’d close your eyes, the moment 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 do 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.