Chapter 1: So Isekai is real?

It was a stormy evening with thunderstorms raging in the sky. The howling winds together with the piercing claps of thunder which resounds every once in a while really makes the timid land creatures tremble In fear even though they were already hidden in plain sight. However, this kind of weather was perfect if someone wants to do something, which they do not want anybody else to find out. 

Somewhere on a steep cliff, two weak-looking men were struggling to carry a black coffin. The coffin was obviously heavy for the two men because they were gasping for air.

Suddenly, one of the men said, "He is not really fit to be our young master! Served him right!"

“Indeed, he was really courting death when he challenged that trial!" The other man responded.

“What...what was that I am hearing? Are they talking about me? Why is it dark?" Lloyd asked to himself.

"Ok, let us get this over with. I do not want to stay here a lot longer if possible. Monsters or savage animals are rampant especially since there is a storm," One of the men said to the other person.

The other person responded, "Yes, on the count of three, okay?" The two weak-looking men was prepared to throw the coffin into the cliff.

"One."

"What?! Am I the one they are about to throw? Wait! Hey! Cant you hear me?!" Lloyd shouted while slamming the cover in front of him.

"Two."

“Wait! Hey! I am inside! I am alive!" Lloyd continued shouting to the top of his lungs.

"Three."

"Noooooooooo!" Lloyd screamed.

"Lloyd? Lloyd! Hey, wake up!" someone shouted.

"Huh? Is that my mother?" Lloyd slowly opened his eyes. “Arggh... It is so bright!” Lloyd said while rubbing his eyes and sitting on his bed. 

“Hey, Lloyd! Why are you screaming? Are you alright?" his mother concernedly asked.

He touched his head while thinking about his dream. "Yeah, no. I am fine," Lloyd responded. 

After barging inside the room, his mother immediately said, “Are you planning to skip school today? It is already 6:30 in the morning!" 

“Huh? You woke me up just for that?" Lloyd complained. 

While slowly folding her shoulder sleeves, his mother angrily said, "Just for that? Are you now talking back to your mother?"

“W-wait Mom! I am not talking back! It is just that we are currently in a pandemic right now so face-to-face classes are currently suspended." Lloyd hurriedly explained while acting scared. "We are doing online classes now, so it doesnt really matter whether I overslept or not!”

"Face to face or not doesn't matter! As a growing boy, you should wake up early to do some exercise before eating breakfast so that you will be healthy at all times!" his mother explained. 

“Roger that, Mom," Lloyd replied. 

Before leaving the room, his mother said, "Okay, tidy up your bed and come out when you are done." 

"Another day, another me." Lloyd said while sighing. He fixed his bed and washed his face before going out of the room. He quickly forgot about the nightmare he just had.

Lloyd Blanc, a simple 13-year-old boy living in the Province of Camarines Sur, Philippines, Earth. Just like any ordinary boy, he is living a normal life in a normal household. If there is anything that is not normal, it's his extreme love of Animes and Mangas from Japan, Webtoons from Korea and Chinese light novels from China. Yes, he is an introvert. He likes to read and watch various kinds of stuffs that piques his interest.

Inside their house, Lloyd was a sweet and talkative little boy to his Mother and his older brother. However, outside, he was a shy and silent lad with only few friends. What led to this social situation was another story. Let us focus on the story of how Lloyd Blanc's life turned upside down on a certain fateful day.

(Somewhere on Camarines Sur, Philippines)

-September 22, 2***, Wednesday, 09:00 AM-

It was a rainy morning; Lloyd was attending his online class when he got hungry all of a sudden so he decided to go to their kitchen to find some snacks. When he got there, he found out that there was nothing to eat.

"Aw man. Just when I am in the mood to eat, the fridge just have to be empty. When I am not on the mood, the fridge is brimming with food," Lloyd disappointingly said. "What luck! My mother is out shopping right now while my older brother is outside planting rice so I don't have anyone to help me." He then reached out of his left pocket and found some coins. 

"I am not entirely unlucky, after all. I guess I'll buy some snacks on the store outside since I have some spare coins here," Lloyd said.

On the way to the store, he was thinking about his latest favorite, a Chinese light novel.

‘That light novel which I am reading right now is really unique. How I wish for there to be a world where I can fly and teleport whenever I want and find a beautiful girl to marry me. Hehe.' Lloyd mused while giggling.

While walking toward the nearest store, Lloyd spotted a beautiful cat casually walking on the other side of the street. It was brimming with colors. Its ears was color red, its body was color black, its four feet were covered with color white while its tail was color blue. 

‘Wow. What a very unusual cat. I wonder what breed it is. This is my first time seeing such a colorful cat.' Lloyd thought.

Then, out of nowhere, Lloyd saw the cat jumped on the road where a speeding truck was approaching. "Wait.... Hey, watch out!" Lloyd shouted. Out of reflex, Lloyd tried to reach the cat hoping to save it from its impending doom. 

"Hey! H-huh? Where did it go?"

However, when Lloyd was only inches away from grabbing the cat, it suddenly disappeared. When he looked up, he saw the cat on the side of the road, calmly staring back at him. Somehow, it was grinning.

"That cat..." Lloyd whispered. He suddenly remembered that he was currently standing in the middle of the road and true enough, when he looked to his side; he saw the speeding truck not stopping at all. 

"I'm a goner." These were the only words, which went through Lloyd's mind. Then, seconds before the collision, the pendant that Lloyd was wearing suddenly brightly shined and enveloped his whole body. After that, he lost consciousness.

-Year 2970 of the New Vise Emperor, Outskirts of Stone Edge City, Viridescent Empire-

-A chilly afternoon- 

In a luscious forest covered with dense amounts of mist stood a medieval style of building made with bricks and stones, it also has a chimney. It is quite old, and covered with molds all over the place.  In about a hundred meters from that building, five people were walking toward it. 

Amongst those people, a fat young man who wears a fancy-looking white shirt, black pants and black shoes was weeping while looking at a black and ordinary-looking coffin. Four weak-looking men were carrying the coffin. They were also wearing black clothing, which looks like Japanese kimonos.

"My brother! Huhuhu... Why did you leave me? I cannot imagine a world without you! I miss your sarcastic remarks huhu...." The fat young man said while weeping.

"So noisy...," whispered by one of the men carrying the coffin.

"Hey, be quiet. Even though I agree with you, I don't want to be punished, ok?" one of the other men quietly replied.

They were carrying the coffin toward a cremation site. Only five people were present in this some sort of burial ceremony. 

Meanwhile, Lloyd regained consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and was surprised that it was dark. Lloyd looked around and found out that he was lying down. Lloyd's further investigation showed that he was inside some sort of a box and that he cannot fully move. 

"W-what?! Where am I? Am I dead?" Lloyd panicked.

Lloyd struggled to remember how he ended up in this silly situation. Then gradually, Lloyd slowly remembered what happened. 

‘I remember jumping in the middle of the road to save a cat from being hit by a truck but instead I was the one who got hit. I cannot believe that cat tricked me. I just can't comprehend how I risked my life for that rascal.' Lloyd cursed.

‘Then, when I was about to be hit by the truck, my pendant suddenly shined. So, does it mean that I am alive? Or dead?' Lloyd further thought.

While Lloyd was getting frustrated at the situation, he heard someone say, 'Take care of the coffin. Do not accidentally drop it...' 

‘Huh? Coffin? Drop? ...Don't tell me that I'm inside a coffin right now?' Lloyd realized.

'Then, I really died? Wait a minute, I would not be able speak if I am really dead. So, they thought I was dead therefore they are going to bury me now?' Lloyd mused.

While Lloyd was having a dilemma inside the coffin, the group arrived at the building. This building was actually a Crematorium and they were about to cremate the person inside the coffin who was actually Lloyd.

When they finally arrived in front of the crematorium, the fat young man ordered one of the men, "Okay, here we are. You, open the gate." 

'Wait, this was just like my dream before. Are they going to throw me off a cliff!?' Lloyd thought.

“Were here. Get ready to put the coffin inside the cremation chamber." The fat young man ordered.

'Cremation chamber? Phew. I thought its the cliff. Wait a minute, it's way worse than the cliff!' Lloyd realized in terror.

"Wait...I'm alive...Hey...Mom” Lloyd struggled to speak but he found out that he can't properly say things so the words that came out of his mouth is so soft and seemed like a whisper.

'Dammit. I can't properly speak.' Lloyd thought. He also tried to move but he found out that his movements were also restricted.

Outside, the fat young man ordered the four men to step away from the coffin.

He then walked toward the coffin, leaned closer and whispered, "Bro I am very sorry that I was not there when you needed help. I will always regret it. You can now rest at peace. May whoever plotted against you, die a miserable death." After that, the fat young man ordered the four men to start inserting the coffin inside the cremation chamber.

"Okay, on the count of three we will put this inside the crematorium," the leader of the men said.

"Yes, sir!" the other three replied.

"One..."

"Hey..." Lloyd tried to speak again but he really cannot shout.

"Two..."

"Hey...Im alive...." Lloyd really cannot shout so instead, he struggled to move his fingers on his right hand and tried to tap the coffin.

"Three-----" 

"----wait!" They were about to drop the coffin when one of the men stopped them.

"What is your problem?!" The other three simultaneously said.

"Haven't you heard it?" one of the men said.

Lloyd continued to tap the coffin.

"Heard what?" The other one asked.

"That sound..." 

All of them listened attentively and finally, they found the source of the sound. They traced the sound coming from inside the coffin.

"What?! Don't tell me that he is still alive?!" The four men simultaneously exclaimed.

"Hey, you four, what are you all doing there? Why haven't you put down the coffin in there yet?" asked by the fat young man. He was not near the cremation chamber so he walked closer to the four surprised men.

"Young master, the coffin just made a sound," said by one of the men.

"Huh? What nonsense are you saying? Put the coffin down and stop making excuses," the fat young man said.

"But young master, it really made a sound. Please come closer so that you can also hear it," one of the other men said.

The fat young man leaned closer to the coffin and heard the tapping sound. 

"W-what?! He's alive?? My brother's alive?!" exclaimed by the fat young man. 

"Hurry up and put down the coffin!" ordered by the fat young man. After the four men put down the coffin, he hurriedly opened the lid of the coffin and what he saw surprised him.

A young man of average look is lying in the coffin with his eyes open and was currently staring at the fat young man.

"My brother! You're actually alive!? The gods have not abandoned us! Hahaha!" the fat young man cheerfully said.

'Brother? When did I had a fat brother?' Lloyd thought.

'Wait... He looks familiar...' Lloyd struggled to rearrange his memories. 

'Oh right! His name is Francis!' Lloyd thought. 

'But wait a minute. I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I met this fat-ass.' Lloyd mused to himself. Lloyd wants to further think about it but he ultimately decided that he should first deal with the current situation.

"H-hey...F-francis.." Lloyd cannot properly speak so he struggled to speak those two words.

"Hey bro...I understand, just chill in there and I will notify your family members while we bring you to the nearest medical facility in the city. Hey, bring my brother out of the coffin and prepare a nice bed inside the carriage." Francis ordered one of the men.

"Yes, young master!" the man who was ordered responded.

Francis sent a messenger bird to Lloyds family, after that, they began their return trip together with Lloyd.

Meanwhile, at a place where the buildings were mostly made with bricks and wood, stood a conspicuous castle. This castle, which was made not just with bricks but also with cement, was located at the center of these brick buildings and were surrounded with pointed metal sticks, which acted as fences. There was only one big entrance gate and four strong-looking men armored with metal armor were guarding it. Inside that castle, in the farthest room, a throne was erected. A man was currently pacing back and forth in front of that throne.

'I thought he was dead when I last checked his body. So, he is actually still alive? It is a severe miscalculation on my part. How will Margarett feel when she hears about this?' the man mused to himself.

A woman approached that restless man and asked, "That son of yours is still alive? What will happen to our son then?" It turned out that the restless man, named Trevor, was the father of Lloyd and the current Clan Head of Blanc Clan, one of the Nine Noble Clans in the Viridescent Empire. These clans or at least one of its member made their names known during the various wars of the empire against its neighboring countries. The Emperor of the empire appointed each one of these clans a city to rule as part of their rewards for their contributions in the war.

"Don't worry, my Margarett. Even though he survived, it won't be for much longer." Trevor reassured his wife.

"Hmpf. I'll believe those words of yours, our son should be the next clan head!" Margarett said.

"Of course, my love. When did I ever lie to you?" Trevor reassured Margarett while hugging her.

Concurrently, a carriage was travelling through a vast green forest along a rocky road at night. The carriage was of prim and first-class quality and was mostly made with metal and wood. There is a horse insignia on top of the roof signifying that the owner belongs to a well-known family. Inside, Lloyd was lying down in the middle while being accompanied by two of the men and Francis. The remaining two men were outside, with one man as the coachman and the other man as the lookout for possible outside threats.

"Young master, how come Sir Lloyd is still alive?" asked by one of the men.

Seemingly annoyed by the question, Francis replied, "How would I know? What's important is that my brother's alive."

 

Having noticed Francis' annoyed expression, one of the men quickly replied, "Oh Yes Sir... of course, young master!" 

'Actually, I'm also quite curious as to how Lloyd was alive. But never mind, as long as he's here.' Francis mused.

"B-bro! Please do not get up yet! You're still weak right now!" Francis shouted when he saw Lloyd getting up. 

"It's fine. I'm feeling a lot better now." Lloyd said. He looked outside the window and what he saw made him speechless. The color of the sky was the same blue color, the color of the trees were the same green ones like on Earth, basically, most of the things were the same like on Earth. Except for the various kinds of animals roaming around their vicinity, the different plant-like species and the sounds they make. Lloyd saw a frog-like animal breathing fire to incinerate a black and white striped pig. He saw a flying cat up above the tree lines and he saw a slime-like entity devouring the cadaver of an animal. All of those convinced him that he was really transported, I mean, reincarnated into another world that can only be labeled as a fantasy on Earth.

'Wow! So Isekai Is Real?!'