Why Did the God of Love Choose Me!? VOL 1-3

Prologue

  Sleep. It's one of the best things in the world, closely followed by gaming and anime. It offered a sense of freedom that few things could match or grant. You could dream about being a popular and attractive celebrity, or you could be a superhero who was loved by all. That's what made dreams so amazing.

  You were able to escape reality and live in a world of your own making in which all you desired was yours. You no longer had to be who you were. You could be what you wanted, who you wanted, and be with who you wanted. That was the best thing about sleep. And in this moment, I was in a dream of my own.

  "Really?" A male's voice started as it echoed all around me with no distinct direction from which it came. His tone was... disappointed? "You?"

  Hey! What's that supposed to me-huh? I raised my hand to my mouth as I realized no sound was emerging. It was all lost in the void of black that surrounded me. But even so, he heard me.

  "It doesn't matter. Tell me, do you curse reality? Abhor it's very existence?"

  ...I do. Reality is shit. I hate it! There's nothing good about it! Why was I born in this world? Surely there have to be others. Why did I get stuck in this shit hole of a world?

  "And why is it that you feel that way?" I could hear the true meaning of his words. It was as if he was testing me, judging me based on my answer.

  The answer to that was easy. There was nothing good about reality, another reason dreams were so amazing. They weren't reality. But the reality of dreams was that, eventually, you'd wake up, and I could feel the creeping of my alarm as it stalked up on me like a predator in the early morning, getting ready to pounce on its sluggish and half-awake prey.

  You see, I have discovered in myself desires which nothing on this Earth can satisfy. Therefore, there is only one logical explanation: I was made for another world. My hands balled into a fist as I stared into the blackness as if I was staring at him. Because this world...is shit!

  "I see." The voice replied. He sounded pleased. Could it have been that he, too, understood the shit show that reality was? Even his reality, a fake manifestation that existed only in my dreams?

  Slowly, my eyes grew heavy, and I could feel myself slipping into the sticky strings of reality as my alarm clock's buzz began to crawl into my ears.

  "I think we'll get along just fine." He started. "I suppose you wouldn't mind if I stayed a while?" I didn't know what he meant, but I knew it was a dream, so I thought nothing of it.

  Sure, why not? I replied as my eyes closed.

  "Good...Now then... Wake up." This was the worst part about dreams. When you got to the good part, you'd wake up.

  I awoke lying on my back, gazing at the sky with the sun shining down on me. The sky was a clear blue, and I felt the grass rustle around me as the wind blew it like the ocean waves. The sound of the crickets buzzed all around me as I slowly took everything in.

  "No way..." I thought.

  "This is another world," I muttered dumbfoundedly as I slowly rose to my feet and looked around.

  I felt lighter, like I had lost a few pounds, and I no longer hurt. It was as if all the years hunched over gaming were no longer in play with my bones, but I paid no mind to that as I rubbed my eyes.

  The sounds of birds singing their melodies sounded all around while the crickets continued to chirp in the summer heat. The sun beamed its rays of warmth over me and the land around me as I analyzed the grassy plains I had awoken in.

  "Ahhh, even the sun feels better in an alternate world." I thought with a stretch.

  It didn't take long for me to notice the HUD that now filled my vision. It consisted of a health bar and a magic bar in the top left corner and the time and location I was in in the top right, along with a mini-map.

  "Could this be..." I turned to see mountains piercing the sky to the east and forests littering the land to the west. Straight ahead of me was what looked to be a town that came straight from a fantasy world. A large castle protruded from the middle, and a wall encompassed whatever else was inside. "A video game world?!"

  I didn't get to ponder the thought much longer before the sound of a horseback carriage drew my attention behind me.

  "Hello, young one," an old man greeted me. "What's a kid like you doing in the Grassy Plains with no weapon? You may have high-grade gear and be young and full of spirit, but the Plains are still full of monsters."

  "High-gra-YOUNG?!" That, for whatever reason, took priority. "I'm twenty-eight. Wait, now that I think about it, the voice that came from my mouth earlier sounded younger than mine. Don't tell me!" I looked at my hands to see they were much smaller than I remembered. "Ok, so it seems as though I've aged backward, if that's possible. This has to be a dream, right?" I pinched myself to make sure. My eyes teared up at the pain. "Okay, it's not a dream then." I didn't know what to say or do or feel. I was in a state of both shock and utter calmness.

  "I'm not that young. How old do I look to you?" With no way of knowing the age of this body, I knew it was best to get him to tell me how old I looked. I could just play it off from there.

  "Hmm." He inspected me as he stroked his long salt-and-pepper beard. "I'd say you look around sixteen or seventeen. Well, no matter your age, walking in the Plains with no weapon is dangerous to all. Hop on; I'll give you a ride back to town. I know it's not that far of a walk, but who knows what monsters might attack you in that short period."

  "Oh, thanks..." I replied as I stepped on the carriage and sat down. The old man whipped the reins, and the horses went into a light trot.

  "So, son, you must be new to this place if you thought falling asleep in the Plains was a smart idea." He smiled kindly as he spoke.

  "I guess," I replied. I figured it would be best to keep quiet that I wasn't from this world. "This whole area is new to me."

  "Ah, you must be from the southern kingdom then, the Soutoria Empire?" I slowly leered at him. "Well then, I'd like to welcome you." He smirked.

  "Welcome me?" I repeated before returning my eyes forward. I wasn't good at conversations. What did you expect from a shut-in OTAKU? The only things I was interested in talking about were anime, video games, and that which would never exist, and so it shan't be named.

  Back to the story, my replies were short and seemed rude. Although, as I said, it wasn't as if I was trying to be, and I think he knew that as he kept smiling the entire time.

  "Welcome me where?" Despite my lack of communication skills, I was always good at getting the information I wanted.

  "To the Raetia Empire, of course," he laughed. "The capital of the Prostetian Kingdom. Where all those seeking adventure come to make a living for themselves." The old man stroked his beard again as he looked at me. "So, what's your name then, son?"

  "Should I use my real name, or should I make it up?" I thought. After all, I didn't know the world or how their names were. For all I knew, my name would cause superstition. But what if I made one up, and it caused even more trouble? In the end, I decided to stick with the best choice.

  "Kichirou Saiyaku," I said, telling him my real name.

  "Kichirou?" He repeated with a quizzical look. "What a unique name. Well, Kichirou, what are you doing in the Raetia Empire? Are you here to become an adventurer?"

  "Adventurer? You mean the people that fight monsters?" I asked.

  "Now you've got my attention, old man! If this world has them, then damn right I'm going to become one!" I nearly jumped out of my seat at the thought.

  "Why, yes. Though, I guess I should explain the way this Kingdom works. After all, it's much different than the south."

  And so, the old man told me everything, literally.