The ground opened its mouth. It was an ordinary walk home after school. Having just finished his graduation ceremony, Juanky was walking along the familiar path between the rice fields, feeling a little more grown-up, yet somehow lonely. The sky was clear and bright, and a skylark sang in the distance. The next moment, a black hole yawned open right at his feet. "[scared]Huh, wha—!?" There wasn't even time to scream. His body dropped straight down. Dark, dark, endlessly dark. Only the sound of the wind roared beside his ears. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his mouth. (What is this, what is this, what is this!?) His mind was filled with nothing else. And then—thud. Juanky landed on his backside on soft earth. Fearfully, he raised his head. Before him stretched an endless field, the likes of which he had never seen. The sky was still blue. But that blueness somehow felt different from Japan's. The scent of soil mixed with the air, and the fragrance of unknown flowers. "[scared]...Where am I?" His murmured voice reached no one. Desperately cooling his head, which was on the verge of panic, Juanky stood up. He was wearing only the white shirt and black slacks he had worn at the graduation ceremony. Thrown into a place like this, what was he supposed to do? Just then, the clanking sound of armor approached. Turning around, he saw three stern men in silver armor, glaring at him with swords at the ready. Juanky let out a small, choked sound. His large, round brown eyes grew moist with tears. "[angry]Don't move! Who are you? Why did you appear by tearing a hole in the farmland of the Imperial Capital, Brenheit?" Imperial Capital? Brenheit? What were they talking about? Juanky could only shake his head. "[scared]N-no, you've got it wrong, I just found myself here before I knew it..." "[angry]You can make your excuses at the Royal Palace. Get up, boy." Without waiting for a reply, they grabbed his arm. Juanky's slender body was easily dragged along. (Royal Palace? A king? What is this world... this is way too crazy...) His legs tangled with fear, but Juanky had no choice but to be taken away. --- He was brought to a colossal white castle towering atop a hill. The Royal Palace, Glanzschloss. As he would later learn, it was the center of the Great Empire of Zeldragun, which ruled this continent. Just a few hours ago, Juanky could never have dreamed he would set foot in a place like this. "[cold]Raise your head." A voice rang out. The throne room, Löwensaal. It was a magnificent hall with a high ceiling, lined with eight golden lion statues. Too frightened to look up, Juanky just stared fixedly at his own reflection on the stone floor. His smooth black hair, his slightly long bangs—they were trembling pathetically. "[cold]I said, raise your head. Do you not hear me?" At the second command, Juanky flinched and lifted his face. There sat a man with magnificent, waist-length golden hair tied high into a single ponytail. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties. His golden eyes, gleaming like a predator eyeing its prey, stared down intently at Juanky. Leonhart the Conqueror. At 26, the man who had conquered the continent, the strongest man in this world. Leonhart lounged back on his throne, twisting the corner of his mouth. "[sarcastic]Oh? A Transferee from another world, you say? You appeared from the hole that opened in the east gate's field? How amusing." He handed the goblet he was holding to an aide and slowly rose from the throne. Then, step by step, he descended the stairs and stood before Juanky. He was tall. Far, far taller than Juanky's 168 centimeters, looking down at him. "[cold]Your name." "[scared]J-Juanky... sir." In that instant, Leonhart's large hand reached out and pinched Juanky's chin. Lifting it firmly, he forced their eyes to meet. "[excited]Fine eyes. Frightened, on the verge of tears, glistening... I've found quite the nice little prize." The king purred with amusement. Juanky found that smile terrifying and couldn't stop his body from trembling. His eyes welling up easily when scared was a habit from childhood, and it seemed to have pleased the king even more. "[serious]Very well, it's decided. From today, you are my Choudou." Choudou? What's that? As Juanky stood bewildered, the king turned sharply to face the soldiers and declared: "[serious]Gentlemen, I hereby appoint this Juanky as the Imperial Choudou, the Königs Liebling. No objections are permitted." No one could oppose him. Not the soldiers, not the aides, and certainly not Juanky. And so, in the blink of an eye, Juanky was placed in a position akin to the Conqueror King's pet. --- The room next to the Goldzimmer, where the king's private chambers were. That was the prison assigned to Juanky. The room was luxurious. A fluffy bed, and a beautiful garden visible from the window. But the window was fitted with iron bars, and the door was locked from the outside. "[whispers]...What the hell is this?" Alone in the room, Juanky curled up on the bed. The everyday life he'd had just after graduating high school. Working part-time at a convenience store, playing games with friends, occasionally worrying about his future. That normal life was gone now. This was the other world, Velgand. He was a captive, the king's... well, he didn't quite understand, but in any case, a position without freedom. (Mom, Dad... what's going to happen to me?) Stifling his voice, Juanky cried. Tears plopped onto the pillow, creating damp stains. Would he never see anyone again? Thinking that, his heart felt like it would burst from sadness and fear. How long had he been crying? The sun set, the room grew dark, and still the tears wouldn't stop. Before he knew it, Juanky had cried himself to sleep. --- When he awoke, it was night. Moonlight streamed in from outside the window. In the profound silence, Juanky sat up with a rustle. (...Somehow, I feel surprisingly clear-headed.) He was a little taken aback at himself. Even after crying so much, once he'd cried himself out and slept, his feelings had settled down unexpectedly. Maybe he was actually quite tough. He thought about that vaguely. Just then, he heard the door open. "[excited]Oh, you're already awake? How boring, I was just coming to wake you." The one who poked his head in was the king. He held a candlestick in both hands, and the candlelight flickered eerily in his golden eyes. "[scared]W-what do you want...?" Juanky edged backwards on the bed. The king laughed with amusement. "[gentle]My adorable Juanky, there's something I want to show you. Come, follow me." It was a smile that brooked no argument. Resigned, Juanky got off the bed. He was still in the white shirt and black slacks he'd been wearing when he transferred. The king stared intently at Juanky and let out a small growl. "[whispers]As I thought, that slender, frightened look is simply irresistible..." Juanky didn't quite understand what he was saying. But a very bad feeling ran down his spine like ice. The two walked down a long corridor and descended a staircase. They went deeper and deeper underground, surrounded by cold stone walls. "[scared]Um, where are we going?" When Juanky turned around, the king grinned. "[excited]My favorite place. The Playroom—the Spielkammer." The door opened. It was a soundproofed, empty room. Various strange instruments hung on the walls, and in the center of the floor was a single thick cushion. There were no windows. *Click.* The sound of the lock turning. Juanky's legs froze. "[serious]You don't need to be so frightened. I'll at least give you an explanation." The king scooped up a lock of Juanky's hair, playing with it between his fingers, and began to speak as if giving a lecture. "[serious]In this world, there is an ancient custom called the Ritual of Ballbusting. In ancient times, it was a victory rite where the conqueror would strike the defeated man's groin as a symbol of dominance. It fell out of use as a formal ceremony over 800 years ago, but it continues as a secret 'pastime' among the ruling class." The king's golden eyes stared intently at Juanky's groin. "[excited]And I am a rare king who loves this pastime dearly. Today, I have chosen you as my partner for it." He didn't understand the meaning. But he understood that it was something he shouldn't understand. "[scared]N-no... I don't want... something like that..." Tears spilled down his face. His legs wouldn't obey him. He wanted to run, but his body just trembled, unable to move a single step. "[excited]Ah, your crying face is truly adorable. And that blue choker of Kijaku stone suits you so well." The king took a step closer. Juanky could only shake his head. But the king's cold hand slowly, very slowly, reached out towards Juanky. The golden eyes before him glinted sharply. "[whispers]Shall we begin, Juanky? The first night you become mine." No one was coming to help. This was the deepest place in the castle of the strongest man in the world. Juanky could do nothing but stand there, staring at the dark ceiling. Despair squeezed his heart as if crushing it with cold fingers. (Mom...) The voice he murmured in his heart reached no one. The king's shadow fell over Juanky. "[gentle]First, I suppose we start by taking off your clothes." At that moment, Juanky realized. How bitterly he would come to resent his own abnormally high adaptability. Having come to this world, just to survive, would he now have to endure anything and everything? And a single overflowing tear fell onto the cold stone floor and vanished.