There were 112 Japanese people gathered by the God. They were given cards which contained a special power by the god, and left for another world. While doing so, God told them that he would send them to a place where they would be able to build their own foothold.
Like what he had said, most people were living safely in the place where they had been sent to.
For example, a girl who got [Water Magic Talent] [Small] [★★] was transferred to one of the towns in that world. Currently, she is looking after an orphan, and lived her everyday life as a water seller.
In addition, there was also a young man, who got [All Weapons Talent] [Average] [★★★], who saved a merchant from bandits, and became the merchant’s escort. Furthermore, he fell in love with the merchant’s daughter at first sight. Today, he spends his days busily as a successor candidate for the firm.
And then, there was one male high school student――
◆
(When was it that I began to seriously study?)
It was a question of a male high school student, Nagai Masaya, who was transferred to a different world. The question arose during his elementary school years.
Nagai wasn’t particularly a smart child. He didn’t think much about the past, and spent everyday playing around like any normal kid would.
Then one day, he got 100 points on a test. Even though it was only once by chance, he felt good when he got praised, so it resulted in him beginning to study more.
However, when he was praised everyone around him, he felt more comfortable than what he thought was possible.
When Nagai’s achievement was announced in front of everyone, the teacher who gave back the test paper praised him for a job well done. When he returned back to his seat, the girl sitting next to him said that he was really smart. When he returned home, his father felt proud and said that he always thought Masaya could do it since he was a person with ability.
It was certainly a pleasant sensation.
Everytime he got praised, a sense of euphoria similar to getting high on drugs controlled Nagai’s heart.
From that point on, Nagai became an honor student. This result could be said to be due to his own effort.
Nagai spent everyday studying and training his body.
There were not many who made a certain goal and put in effort as an elementary student. At most, it was usually a desire to study, as was nagged by their parents.
But, Nagai continued his efforts by his own will. Then, that effort soon produced results.
He got high scores each time he took a test, and he also played an active role in physical education classes. He was recognized by everyone as someone who was both smart and good at sports.
However, Nagai thought that this was not enough.
Eventually, it became natural for him to get full marks on tests, and Nagai was also recognized as the number one in sports too. The teachers and his parents praised him, and his classmates also gazed enviously at Nagai.
Some people even start speaking ill of him because of jealousy. But since it was just grumbling from losers, there was no need to worry about it.
Then, it became natural for Nagai to be the best in everything. The feeling of being better than anyone else and being praised felt very good.
But, effort had a limit.
When Nagai was a middle schooler, in the ranking list for test results, placed second for the first time in a while. In sports, someone with much better talent than him appeared.
It was humiliation.
He lacked talent. This was a stage that couldn’t be achieved by effort alone. He didn’t want to admit it, so Nagai worked hard desperately. He continued to struggle while looking at the top.
However, he couldn’t reach it.
For Nagai, being number one had become natural, so he could not bear to have someone better than himself. He was much better than everyone. He cannot be inferior to anyone.
He persuaded himself like that.
But, when he entered high school, Nagai chose a 2nd rate high school in the area. In order to be the first in high school, he chose a 2nd rate high school.
Shame.
He choose defeat in order to satisfy his own desire. This became a mark of shame in Nagai’s heart. That one mark gradually grew inside his heart.
When he became a high school student, Nagai looked down on others in his mind. He thought of how superior he was, and how stupid everyone else was.
To conceal his shame, he told himself that he was superior.
Moreover, he could not permit anyone threatening his place, so any person who stood out was crushed by him. Of course, it couldn’t be too conspicuous an act. He needed to be crafty so that they don’t realize his ill intentions.
The factor which make him put in effort in the past to improve himself
was no longer there. It went into a totally different direction instead.
One day, he, too, will become an ordinary human.
Nagai spent his life with that unspeakable uneasiness inside himself.
Then, that time came. The old man who claimed to be God appeared in front of Nagai.
In the morning, Nagai noticed he was inside a white room while he was on the train to school. He was not alone. There were also people who got on the same train as him.
Then, what appeared before them was a person who claimed to be God.
“You people will live in another world.” God decreed.
Inside the white room, those who had chosen a card disappeared one after another.
Nagai also chose a card before closing his eyes as he was then wrapped in a dazzling light.
When he opened his eyes, he was in an unknown place.
“Where is this..?” Nagai woke up on a luxurious bed. Lying on his back, he looked at the unfamiliar canopy.
Then, there was a loud cry.
When he raised his upper body, he saw an elderly caucasian man there. From the clothes he wore, it gave an impression of sophistication and respectability. However, those were not clothes from the modern times. They were the so-called medieval styled clothing.
Looking at the old man, Nagai “knew” that he was a doctor.
“...What happened here?” He looked around restlessly as he asked.
He was in a gorgeous room adorned with various pieces of luxurious furniture.
Then, Nagai had a “recollection” about this room.
“Is your mind not clear yet? Well, it’s natural since you have been asleep for three days. Please excuse me.” The old doctor placed his hand on Nagai’s forehead, most likely measuring his temperature.
Next, he looked at Nagai’s eyes and tongue.
“Juliano-sama, please stretch out your arm.” The doctor instructed.
Juliano.
The old man called Nagai that.
His name was Nagai Masaya, not Juliano. However, Nagai strangely accepted the name naturally, and stretched his arm out as he was told.
Nagai had some memories, not as Nagai Masaya, but as Juliano Gavino Vassari.
The old doctor took his pulse.
At that moment, Nagai remembered the card he drew.
[Become a Lord] [★★★★★]
Nagai looked at his own hands. They were very white, like the old doctor’s skin colour. It was a kind of paleness that Nagai Masaya, who was Japanese, could never obtain.
A human named Nagai Masaya was now possessing the body of a man named Juliano Gavino Vassari, who had the position of a lord.
Nagai thought about it.
“Hmm... There are no abnormalities. It’s hard to believe that you were about to die. But, we should not be careless. You need to rest for the time being.” The old doctor advised.
“I understand.” Nagai nodded.
“Then, do you remember why you were on the brink of death?” The doctor asked.
Nagai nodded once more to that question.
Inside his head, there were memories of Juliano when he was about to die.
Juliano was in the middle of lunch. When he was drinking wine, he suddenly felt pain strike his chest.
Perhaps Juliano died then and there, and then, Nagai understood that his soul entered the dead Juliano’s body.
“Then, please rest. I will come back before dinner time.” After saying that, the old doctor left the room.
The ones left in the room besides him were one maid and two knights guarding the door.
Nagai laid down on the bed again. He thought carefully while looking up at the canopy.
What he got was a card called [Become a Lord]. It had five stars written on it. It was not difficult to imagine that the number of stars present represented the worth of the card.
Then, was five stars considered high or low?
A male student who first drew a card... His card should have been [Spear Talent] [Big]. If there was [Big], then [Small] and [Medium] would definitely exist too.
(If [Small] is one star, then is [Big] three stars?)
It’s too simple when you think about it, but when he considered the difference in value between an individual talent and a position which bound the person who had it to a lord, it does not seem like a mistake.
While thinking about such things, the hallway became restless. Several footsteps could be heard from outside of the room. Immediately after, the door of the room opened.
“Ohh, Juliano..! Thank god..!” The ones who entered the room were Juliano’s mother and her maids.
“Why, if it isn’t Mother. As you can see, Juliano is safe.” Nagai sat up and smiled radiantly.
Juliano’s mother wiped away a few tears with her fingers. It seemed like she was really relieved, and called out to Nagai.
“Oh... Oh..! It’s fine as long as you’re alright..." She stated, choked up. “Mother didn’t know what to do when you didn’t wake up for a long time... Mother was really worried, you know?”
However...
“Hm, were you worried if I would die properly?” Nagai smiled.
“Wh?!” She exclaimed.
“Capture this person. She is the main culprit behind this.” Nagai ordered.
“WWait! What are you saying?!” The woman panicked.
Before Nagai’s soul entered Juliano’s body, he was already aware that his mother want to install his youngest brother as the head of the family. That was why she thought of Juliano as a hindrance.
However, Juliano didn’t do anything. Because of his affection for his parent, he could not aim for her life, and hesitated.
The mother who had lost affection for Juliano as opposed to Juliano, who still had affection for his mother... That was why he was killed.
And now, Nagai, who had become Juliano, did not feel any affection to this woman. This was because his mother was in another world and the woman in this place was only a stranger.
“My beloved Julia! This must be a mistake! Aah, Julia!” Juliano’s mother was forced to leave by the guards who bodily dragged her out by her arms.
Nagai watched her leave without any emotion at all.
Before long, the door closed, and he turned to face the front once more.
“A lord, huh... That’s not bad...” He muttered.
Nagai looked at Juliano’s young, elegant appearance and grinned.