Stranger’s Handbook Prologue

Prologue

“Hmm, something like this maybe?”

In a humble office, lacking in a surplus of decorations, a man was leaning back in a large chair.
He was in his 30’s…no, he looked more like in his 20’s; the man with black eyes and black hair was rubbing with great care his overused right hand, from all the writing.
When he incidentally looked out the window it was pitch-black and he realized he’s been concentrating for a long time.

‘Knock knock’ the sound of knocking at a door is heard.
There’s only one person who could pay him a visit at such a late hour in the night.

“Master, I brought you some tea.”
“Oh! Come in.”

“Yes, if you’ll excuse me!”

The person who opened the door and slowly entered the room was the maid who served this man.
She was preparing the tea while swinging her chestnut-colored ponytail, but her usual lovely face was sadly distorted.

“Master, aren’t you pus.h.i.+ng yourself a little too much? Because lately, you’ve been awake until very late in the night writing, everyone feels concerned.”

“Ah! Tell everyone to stop worrying. I’m not overdoing it. But, thanks anyway.”

He slowly savors the black tea she prepared for him.

“I’m not overdoing it, but if I don’t finish writing this, dying wouldn’t make a good enough excuse. Hahaha”

She silently stared at her master while he was drinking his black tea looking like smiling.

Her master, this man, was Zest, a first-rate royal mage of The Great Grun Empire that reigns over the entire continent.
He, who casted aside his j.a.panese name almost 100 years ago, was working on his final task.

“I’m afraid I’m not going to last much longer. I really must finish this final task no matter what. Because I made a promise, you know!?”

While saying this with a lonely smile, he picks up the quill pen once again.

The girl lowered her head softly and left the room so as not to disturb her master.
So as not to disturb her master’s last job.
So that her master could keep his promise.
She gently grabs the pendant at her chest.

“I’m sure that person laughs without a care in the world. But we must not forget! Our clan has a debt towards him that could never ever be paid. Even if the entire continent turns out to be his enemy, we must never betray that person!”

She returns to the antechamber clutching the pendant that was pa.s.sed down to her, a woman of the clan who grew-up along with these words.

“Grandfather, if I want him to stop working on this final task does it count as betrayal? But even so I wish for this person to continue living…..”

The final task of a first-cla.s.s royal mage of the Grun Empire, Zest’s final work…

It is a record of the battles and conflicts spanning over his 100 years.
It’s a job to convey a message to posterity, concluding a history of turbulence and agitation, the circ.u.mstances leading to The Empire taking over the entire continent.
He put together this “Stranger’s Handbook” so that when the time comes for other strangers to be summoned here from another world, they would be hopefully facing a little less hards.h.i.+ps.