On The Other Side: I Quit Being Human

I follow closely behind Valeria to the place that I believe is called Training Field. She didn't bring me there yesterday—she only told me about it briefly—and now I am excited to see it with my own eyes.

Of course, I am just excited to see the place; I don't expect something great awaits me ahead. Physical training—that's what I am bad at. I hate it. Even after coming to this world, that fact won't immediately change.

"Well I guess my enhanced body will be able to manage somehow," I mutter as low as I can.

Looking at Valeria's back, I can't help humming to myself in contemplation. I have no problem to walk by her side if it was the usual her, but Darth Valeria is exuding a really repulsive aura that I cannot bear ... Yet.

I turn my head to the surrounding, and I am slightly surprised at how quiet the place is. I have realized how quiet this place is since yesterday, but I didn't expect it to last until today.

"Are you curious where the others are?"

"O-Oh, yeah ..." Valeria's sudden question caught me off guard. "Well, not really. I am just surprised at how quiet of a place the Demon King Castle is."

"It is normally rowdy here, but right now everyone is battling against the humans out there."

Valeria still lacks the calm aura she usually exudes, but the way she talks reminds me about the usual Valeria. Therefore, I pick up my pace to be able to walk right beside her.

"Is it a full scale war? Leaving the castle unattended is not a very wise decision in my opinion." What I actually mean is, there should be, at least, a few people who remain in the castle to manage it, and I wonder where they are.

"Demons are everyone's mutual enemy. Once we wage a war, it's not just in one place—it's everywhere around the world—that's why we have to mobilize every personnel we have. Still, this war is not a full scale war."

'Okay, that contradicts her explanation, and I don't know how to tell her.'

On Earth, at least, mobilizing every soldiers one has in one's hand to go to war can already be considered a full scale war. I don't know what this world full scale war standard is, but I am reluctant to ask.

"Will you be kind enough to explain to me why it is not a full scale war even though we have mobilized every Demon soldier we have?" In the end, I can't help asking for answer. I can't figure it out, no matter how I have racked my brain.

Valeria scoffs in, what I can say, amusement, then answers proudly, "You forgot the most important person of our Kingdom—the Ninth Demon King, Lord Ilschevar Verniculos. As long as he remains seated in his throne, we can't call that a full scale war."

In other words, Ilschevar is actually the biggest power Verniculos Kingdom had. I simply forgot that one person can destroy a whole country with their power in this world.

With that, another realization quickly dawned upon me. 'Oh, yeah. That bastard is still here! How dare he not show his face in front of me even once!'

Indignation naturally overwhelms me the moment I think about the irresponsible of a Demon King, but it doesn't last long.

"Be careful of what you think about, Laylow."

"A-Ah, I am sorry."

The reason is simple: Darth Valeria is not very happy with what I think about. She is really serious in doing her job; I have to be really careful of what I do, unlike when I am around the usual Valeria.

p Do I hate Darth Valeria? No, I don't. Though she behaves differently, she is still Valeria. It is not very clear, but I can still see the usual Valeria hiding behind the blind mask Darth Valeria is wearing.

I have met many people like her on Earth—I was too—and they are not so different. Unlike people from Earth who wear their figurative mask whenever they find themselves in a certain situation however, Valeria depends on her blind mask to create a new personality.

'That's an interesting theory I have there, as expected of me.' Of course, I am also aware of the fact that this world has no similar norm to Earth, which in other words means, that blind mask of her can possibly create a new personality.

Slap!

I was about to delve deeper into my thought, when someone's hand landed on my head. One can easily tell how hard the slap was from the sound it made, and I am by no means amused by that.

"Ouch! What was... I'm sorry." Of course, by the time I look up at the culprit, I quickly let go of my anger.

"Don't kill me, please..." Even though Valeria currently has her eyes covered with her mask, I can somehow feel the 'Speak and I'll kill you' look she is giving me.

"Don't ever think about useless things whenever you are around me."

"Yes."

"Focus on the training you are about to do."

"... Yes."

'Just how the fuck should I focus on the training I haven't done yet?' is what I wanted to shout out loud, but I am wise enough to keep it to myself.

Walking silently beside Valeria, I let my mind clear off any thought, and around three minutes later, we arrive at the Training Field. Technically, we are still outside the Training Field, but nonetheless we have arrived.

I have never been to Rome, but looking at the Training Field reminds me of Colosseum. Though this Colosseum is way bigger and better than the Colosseum in Rome, I don't really admire it much; I am afraid of what it has to offer to me.

"Follow me."

"Yes." With a gulp, I follow behind my mentor, Valeria.

Upon entering the Training Field, I am greeted with the exact scene I imagined I would see: the same scene Colosseum has. The only difference lies in how well the state of the Training Field is, and how bigger it is compared to the size of the Colosseum in Rome.

"Normally, there will be Demons spectating, and some challengers in the here, but since everyone is in the battlefield, you will only fight with one opponent. It's unfortunate, but you have to bear with it."

"H-Huh! Opponent? W-What do you mean, Miss Valeria?" I look at her as if she is joking, but Valeria is as stoic as ever, judging by her stagnant lips. "Am I going to fight someone? Am I not supposed to have a physical training...?"

I have expected myself doing some push-ups, sit-ups, and any other physical training people on Earth do, but I have to fight with someone to train my physique instead. I don't know how it will work, but I am sure I will be fucked in the first 10 seconds.

Pat.

Valeria puts her hand on my shoulder, and gazes at me with her mask covered eyes. "You don't have to be worry. I am not letting you fight a Demon yet—you are still too weak for that." She speaks to me encouragingly, but I can somehow sense the mischief in her tone.

"Do you still remember what the hostages you killed with your command yesterday said to you? Betrayer—yes, there are also capable humans who decided to join the Demon side. You will be fighting with one of them."

I am slightly glad that I am not going to fight an Orc and ended up in its stomach, but for some reason I can't still calm my heart down. 'She said capable humans, right?' Looking up at Valeria, I stare at her as calm as possible.

"Are they strong?"

With a small mysterious smile, she says, "She is capable."

I don't know what Valeria's purpose of telling me the gender of my soon to be opponent is, but regardless I won't let my guard down. 'I can't even say I could win a fight with a woman from Earth. Like hell I would let my guard down on a woman from this world!'

Tap. Tap.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I quickly turn my body facing that way. I am immediately greeted by an amiable looking woman in her early twenties who has blue hair, an undoubtedly beautiful face, and an equally muscular and feminine figure.

"So, you are the new kid?" Smiling beautifully, she stops in front of me, and extends her hand forward. "I am Millonia Trelova. Nice to meet you...?"

I look the woman named Millonia, and grasp her hand reluctantly. "Layland Kleinhaus. Nice to meet you." She may look harmless, but I am sure she is a dangerous individual.

"Haha. Nice to meet you, Layland." Letting go of my hand, she pats my shoulder amiably. "Don't look at me like that, I won't eat you ... Yet."

She looks at me knowingly, but I am not sure whether it is really a sexual innuendo. I have a strong feeling that she means it literally.

Turning my head to Valeria, she nods at me, and gives me a short sword that she has taken out of nowhere. I am too slow to comprehend what has just happened, so I ended up taking it in my hands.

"Learn as much as you can."

Valeria steps back right after saying that to me, and I am immediately assaulted with an ominous aura in the next moment. Turning my head to where the ominous aura is coming from, I find Millonia grinning at me a few feet away from me.

'Ah, shit. This won't end well.'