Game Master in Another World

Once back in the safety of our room, the adrenaline began to fade, leaving behind a gnawing hunger and a heavy, simmering frustration. Assassins weren’t exactly easy to deal with when they could be literally anyone. Unlike the tabletop campaigns I was used to, they didn’t all wear black hooded cloaks or skulk suspiciously in tavern corners.

Toby was already fast asleep on the bed, exhausted and still pale from the shock of the poison. Not wanting to leave the room, Juliana cast her druidic spell again, manifesting a few glowing berries. The familiar wave of magical fullness washed over our body as we ate them, though I couldn't ignore the bitter irony that what I really felt like eating right now were some hot meat skewers.

About an hour later, a heavy knock echoed at the door. Juliana rose gracefully and pulled it open.

Two stern-looking men in polished city armour stood in the hallway.

“Greetings,” the first man said briskly. “I am Archibald, at your service, ma'am, and this is Sedrick. May we come in?”

Juliana motioned them inside with a warm, unblinking smile, and they both took a seat at our sturdy wooden table.

“We have both been assigned as your daytime guards,” Archibald explained, his posture rigid. “We will stay with you at all times in case of any further incidents.”

Juliana nodded her head gracefully. “Thank you kindly for your assistance in this matter. Please, call me Juliana, for I am but a humble servant of my god.”

Archibald gave a slow, slightly bewildered nod.

“And since you are here,” Juliana continued cheerfully, “I would love to go visit the slums to ensure the poorest members of society are being looked after.”

Archibald’s face instantly fell into an expression of deep concern. “Sorry… ma’am—I mean, Juliana. That would be highly dangerous. I strongly advise against it.”

Juliana’s serene smile didn't waver a fraction of an inch. “Oh, but I insist. This is something I must see with my own eyes. No mere report will do it justice.”

Archibald let out a long, suffering sigh. “Very well. But please note it will be incredibly difficult for Sedrick and I to provide adequate protection for you in such a crowded, unpredictable place.”

“Oh, I only want you to protect Toby,” Juliana responded sweetly. “I will be perfectly fine. I am quite tough.”

Archibald frowned. “But our strict orders are to only protect you.”

I’d had enough of the bureaucratic pushback. I aggressively seized control of Juliana’s vocal cords, dropping her archaic, cheerful cadence entirely.

“Well, I will leave this city to its fate should Toby die,” I stated bluntly, leaning forward. “I may simply see it as nature running its course.”

Archibald grimaced, visibly taken aback by the sudden, jarring shift in our tone. “Fine. Just please don’t hold us responsible if you get hurt.”

I relinquished my grip. Juliana’s spine snapped perfectly straight again, and her radiant, terrifying smile returned in full force.

“Don’t worry,” she beamed. “I won’t.”

Juliana gently shook Toby awake. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes and wincing slightly as the lingering fatigue of the poison worked its way out of his system.

“Toby, we are going to head into the city to visit the slums,” Juliana said warmly. “We need to check up on the food distribution.”

Toby blinked, his gaze shifting to the two heavily armored men standing awkwardly near the door. “Who are they?”

“These are men who will protect you from harm while we head out,” Juliana responded kindly. “Their names are Archibald and Sedrick.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Toby,” Archibald said, offering a crisp, professional nod.

Toby pulled himself out of bed, popped one of the leftover magical berries into his mouth for energy, and we headed out the door.

The walk to the slums was quite far, but the atmosphere of the city had visibly shifted. There were no beggars lining the streets this time, and a bustling energy had replaced the previous gloom. The thoroughfares were crowded with people going about their day.

As we walked, several townspeople recognized Juliana and called out greetings. When an older lady stepped directly into our path, Archibald and Sedrick instantly tensed, their hands dropping to the pommels of their swords as they tried to bodily block her advance.

But Juliana casually stepped around her guards.

“Oh, Juliana! Thank you so much for restoring food to our city,” the old woman gushed, clasping her hands together. “You have made us all so happy.”

Juliana smiled back radiantly. “It was not a problem, for my god helped allow this to happen.”

“Oh, bless! And who would your god be?”

“I’m sorry, but my god has forbidden me from speaking their name,” Juliana responded somberly, her tone steeped in reverence.

“Oh, that is a shame. Well, blessings upon this nameless god! I shall simply refer to them as Juliana’s God for now.”

I cringed internally. I explicitly did not want to be worshipped. Yet, no matter what I commanded her to do, Juliana’s programming as a devout cleric-druid kept finding loopholes to enable it.

Juliana nodded serenely as the woman left smiling. Archibald let out a tight breath, his eyes darting across the rooftops and alleyways, but the interruption was only the beginning.

As we continued through the city, many more people approached, ignoring the increasingly frantic glares from our bodyguards. To each one, Juliana happily repeated her line about being forbidden to name her god.

By the time we finally reached the edge of the slums, at least twenty people had been fed the lore of 'Juliana’s God'. If I knew anything about how fast rumors traveled in cities like this, this was going to get out of control very, very quickly.

Crowds of people were queuing in front of several wooden carts, each dispensing bowls of hot food. Juliana joined the back of one of the queues, Toby sticking close by her side. It didn't take long for a townsperson—a younger woman holding a small child—to glance back and spot her.

“Juliana is here! Please, let her through!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the dull murmur of the crowd.

Several more people turned to stare, their eyes widening in recognition before they hurriedly moved to the side, parting the queue like the Red Sea.

Juliana stepped forward, smiling serenely at the onlookers. “I hope the city is now providing you all with suitable sustenance?”

The young lady nodded fervently. “We have only just got the food, but the smell alone gives me hope that my belly and my child’s will finally be full today.”

Juliana walked up to the front of the cart and addressed the man serving the food. “Please, may I have a bowl?”

The man swallowed nervously, gave a frantic nod, and scooped a ladle of steaming broth into a wooden bowl. He immediately went to add a second, heaping scoop.

“It was only one spoonful of soup you were serving the others,” Juliana said gently, holding up a hand. “So that is all I will be having myself.”

Looking slightly awed by her fairness, the server handed Juliana the bowl. The aroma wafting up reminded me of a basic vegetable soup. Looking closely, I could see rough-cut chunks of root vegetables and only the smallest hint of cheap meat.

Juliana raised a wooden spoonful to her lips.

Archibald lunged forward, shouting in protest. “No! Stop, it may be poisoned!”

Juliana completely ignored him and put the spoon in her mouth. The flavour of the soup was incredibly mild and utterly unseasoned, but it didn't taste horrible. It was simply fuel.

Archibald buried his face in his hands, his muffled voice groaning with exasperation. “Please be more careful. You know someone tried to poison you earlier!”

Juliana swallowed her food gracefully. “I am immune to poison,” she stated simply. “So if they try it again, it will not affect me.”

I winced. Mechanically true, I thought, knowing her max-level stats, but maybe not the best thing to announce to a crowd.

The queue around us immediately began to stir, the previous reverence shifting into sudden, protective anger.

“Someone tried to kill our saviour?!” the young lady shouted, clutching her child closer.

Sensing the rising hostility, Juliana calmly nodded toward the two heavily armoured men beside her. “Do not worry. These kind men have agreed to be my guards. Please show them the respect for the noble duty they have taken on.”

The crowd's anger instantly morphed into overwhelming gratitude. Several people surged forward to vigorously shake the guards' hands. Sedrick looked utterly terrified, his eyes wide and uncomfortable at the sudden, suffocating physical contact from so many strangers.

“May I try some soup, please?” Toby asked, looking up at the bowl.

Juliana nodded. Remembering the horrific ordeal he had been through just hours prior, she murmured a quick divine blessing, casting a purification miracle over the bowl to neutralise any potential toxins, before handing it down to him.

Unbothered by the bland flavour, Toby happily ate the soup, making sure to savour every single mouthful.

Once the crowd had settled down, Juliana turned her attention back to the server. She pitched her voice so that it carried clearly over the murmuring queue.

“I shall return tomorrow. I expect a marked improvement in the quality of this food, or I will be discussing our arrangement directly with Lady Evelyn.”

The server swallowed hard and nodded nervously. “I’ll pass that message on, milady.”

As we turned to leave, an older, weather-beaten man detached himself from the crowd and subtly motioned for us to come closer. Archibald immediately stepped in front, his hand resting on his pommel.

“Please, Archibald,” Juliana chided gently. “If I cannot have conversations with the citizens of this fine city, how am I meant to acquire information?”

Archibald replied in a strained, quiet voice, “But if you don’t take more care, you may die and not be able to acquire any information ever again.”

Juliana simply smiled her serene, unwavering smile. “I told you, I don’t need protection. You are here for Toby’s benefit, not mine.”

Gently but firmly, she pushed past the armoured guard and approached the old man.

“Have you heard of The Black Hand?” the man asked, his voice barely more than a raspy whisper.

Beside us, I felt Toby stiffen, his small hands suddenly bunching into fists.

“No, I have not,” Juliana answered softly.

“Well, they have been recruiting orphans from these streets for many years. The children either die quickly or vanish completely. They always seem to target the kids who are best at thieving.”

My inner Game Master instantly perked up. A shadowy syndicate exploiting street kids? This organisation seemed like the perfect culprit for our recent assassination attempt, or at the very least, a major piece of the city's corrupt underworld.

“Thank you for that information, sir,” Juliana said softly, bowing her head slightly.

The old man bowed back deeply. “Anything for the saviour of Freyton, and the unnamed god.”

I cringed again. The lore was already taking root. There was likely no stopping the spread of this new religion anymore.

We finally made our way out of the slums, but the chaotic adoration of the crowd followed us. People continued to praise Juliana, pressing in close to shake our hands. With every grasp of a stranger's fingers, my paranoia spiked, half-expecting the sharp prick of a poisoned needle.

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