Republic of Heroes
Table of Contents
Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 END ExtraChapter 2
Getting out of his chair, Carter casually went to the door and opened it without much thought behind it, revealing the childhood friend that has stood with him throughout his entire life after the deaths of his beloved parents. Yumi is the only person who knew him better than anyone, being his only true companion in this world.
"Master Carter," her right hand was placed on the waist along with a friendly smirk being plastered on the girl's face, "it seems that you're awake now," her tone sounding amused and playful, "would you like your dinner? Or your bath? Or perhaps..." Straightening herself up, she starts to tap her index fingers against each other while looking away with slight embarrassment.
Only to have him gently karate chop on top of her head, "cut it out," he said, feeling the growing red on his cheeks, "I told you to not call me that," his tone sounded serious and calm, but there was no anger behind it, just the display of being flustered by it.
"Ehh?" Surprise can be heard in the girl's voice: "But you like it when I call you that," Yumi was confused by this: "You always told me to call you that when we were children," her expression was now more playful than embarrassed, as a wide grin began to spread across her face.
Damn that woman! He couldn't believe that he did that when they were simple brats, during his childhood. Carter didn't have his memories of his previous life until he was eighteen, and weirdly enough, they didn't appear until he grew to a specific age. It was the most awkward and embarrassing moment of his life.
"It was a kid thing," he replied, his expression remaining stoic. "We were kids back then; we didn't know any better," he tried his best not to blush or show any sign of weakness. "Plus," his tone was firm and serious as he folded his arms over his chest, "it was something I didn't take seriously," his words were cold and aloof, but there was a hint of nostalgia behind them.
It's rather pleasant to think about being a child again without having to experience those terrible things in his previous life because the past was a lot more difficult for him to deal with. "It's just an affectionate way of showing respect and gratitude," he added while not wanting her to think that he was a pervert or something like that.
The good thing is not having his memories when he was still a kid until he was old enough; it would be weird to have them when they were both kids. Regardless, Carter is nonetheless glad that there were jovial moments in his childhood without having Adam's memories around for the time being.
She chuckled in response, "I'll stop teasing you," she replied, her tone still playful. "But," her eyes lit up, and she smiled, "I know that deep down inside," her words were laced with mischief, "you love it when I call you that," she moved her face close to his, her nose almost touching his.
"Yumi!" His voice was sharp and stern, but the blush on his cheeks betrayed his attempts at sounding serious: "Just call my name, okay? Don't get carried away with this," he said, not knowing what to say or how to react. He was caught off guard by her forwardness, and he didn't want to seem like he was embarrassed with it.
Taking a step back, she gave him a thumbs up with a goofy smile plastered on her face, saying, "Okay, Randolph Carter!" She replied in a loud and cheerful manner, "As you wish, oh master Carter! I shall call you as you please," her tone was mocking and playful, but there was no malice behind it. She just found it funny how he reacted to it.
Carter could only sigh in defeat, shaking his head before smiling from this silly confrontation. "Let's change the topic," his voice was soft, "for being the maid of my parent's home; haven't you forgotten something important before waking me up?" The young man stared at her intently, his eyes filled with curiosity and concern. "Or were you just too excited to see me that you forgot about...?"
"Nani?" Yumi tilted her head in confusion, "what do you mean, Master Carter?" Her expression was blank and unreadable, and her tone was neutral, but there was a hint of amusement behind it. As a few seconds passed, her eyes widen in revelation: "oh no, I haven't prepared your breakfast!"
Noticing his expression changing to shock, her own face turned red with embarrassment. She realized that she had forgotten something important, something that was supposed to be her role as the maid of the house. "I'll be right back, master!" Without haste, she turned and sped to the kitchen.
Leaving him to his own devices, he smiled with his head facing down on the ground; his eyes closed from the warm smile that was plastered on his face. "She may be a bit jovial, but she has always been the sweetest girl he ever had." His voice was low, but it carried a warmth that was hard to describe. "But," opening his eyes, he clenched his fists tightly.
"What if I lose her?" He wouldn't dream of that ever happening again; perhaps it's better to just focus on one person than many, but deep down, Carter really wanted to have friends. It's a desire and longing for companionship that has been gnawing at him for a long time: "It's hard for me to make friends, even though I have money and power. But it's just not the same as being with those that I care about," he sighed in a resigned manner. "Maybe it's just not meant to be."
"Whatever," clicking his tongue, "I'm just going to enjoy the moment and live in the present." He didn't want to think about his problems and worries. "I'm not going to let my past and insecurities get in the way of my happiness," he was going to live his life to the fullest whether the world wants it or not.
Even though he is reborn as a different person, he is still Adam from the previous world, and Carter wouldn't have it any other way. He was a man of contradictions—a man who was both a billionaire and a commoner. A man who had both money and power, and also man who wants to live the way he wants.
"Better get going," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. He was feeling hungry and thirsty at the same time; "hopefully, Yumi won't be taking long," his tone was lighthearted, and his voice was filled with warmth. He felt grateful for having her in his life, and he didn't want to lose her again, especially the parents he loved dearly.
Looking around outside of his room, the hallway was long and spacious, with high ceilings and large windows that let in lots of natural sunlight. The walls were painted a warm, creamy yellow, and the floors were made of polished marble. There were several paintings and portraits on the walls, along with a few vases and other decorations, including a few doors leading to other parts of the house.
It looked different when he opened the door, but he can say that it was simply his exhausted mind playing tricks on him, exhausted and hungry after waking up from a long slumber of sleeping to get a good night's rest from the hard work he went through.
"Time to head into the kitchen; I wonder what she's cooking this time," he says before walking through the hallway, trying to stop his thoughts of thinking about the imaginary food she will be bringing this time every time he goes to work. "For being a maid, Yumi is an excellent chef at the kitchen."
"She also knows how to prepare different meals and drinks," Carter's stomach grumbled in anticipation as he thought about all the delicious food and drinks that awaited him. His mouth watered at the prospect. "I can't wait to try them all."
Swinging his head left and right to remove these bothering thoughts, he needs to focus on what's in front of him: "Let's just hope she won't put anything strange or spicy in it," he doesn't mind trying something new, but he doesn't like spicy foods, "especially that one time she tried to cook wasabi chicken wings," the memory still makes him cringe.
Who even makes those things anyway? Wasabi is a Japanese condiment made from grated horseradish mixed with a small amount of water. The wasabi paste can be very potent, but mixing it with chicken is kind of odd for someone like him.
"All right, time to get this show on the road," he said as he continued down the hallway, not looking back, "I can't afford to waste anymore time; the longer I stand here, the more likely I'll get hungry," he was starting to feel a little impatient, but he tried his best not to show it. Not wanting to appear desperate in front of her childhood friend.
Walking through the seemingly long hallways, his eyes were fixed on the paintings that were hanging on the walls; one of them was the picture of his parents and their wedding photo. The sight of them being together still makes him smile.
"Mom, dad, you have no idea how much I miss you both," he whispered under his breath as his eyes grew moist, stopping just to stare at them, "I still remember that time dad caught me playing that stupid game of hide and seek with mom," he chuckled from the memory, "the best laugh I ever had."
Carter was a child when he played that game, and his dad was not amused. "I was only six at the time, but I was a little rascal, even back then," he smiled, remembering the scolding he got from his father. "I was grounded for a week, and I had to get Yumi to help me escape my room just to explore the outside," one of the unfavorable memories in being scolded was still vivid in his mind.
His father didn't approve of him playing such a potentially dangerous game, but his mother was more lenient, and she let him play as long as he was careful; "she was always the more understanding one," Carter's voice was soft and calm, and reminiscing about the past was always a bittersweet experience for him.
"I still remember when I was a teenager, and I got drunk for the first time," as the memory of him getting wasted was also vivid, "I ended up throwing up all over my bedroom," he was embarrassed, and he didn't want to relive that experience.
"I was scolded, having to clean up the mess myself," his voice was filled with amusement, and he chuckled softly, "my father was so angry but forgiving, and my mother was so worried," his expression softened, and he smiled, "but I still loved you both," looking at his parents photo once more, "I'll never forget the good times we had together," he said quietly, before moving on.
"You were always the one to understand me," his words were soft as he recalled the memories: "I know you two won't hear me since you're dead, but I'll say it anyway." His voice was strong and confident, his eyes full of determination: "I love you, mom and dad, and I miss you both."
Releasing a breath of fresh air, he turned back in his direction and continued walking without much thought before eventually reaching the set of stairs leading down to the living room. His expression was stoic, and his eyes were filled with resolve. "I'll make sure that your legacies will live on by me," he said, making a promise that he intends to keep.
"For the sake of my parents, I'm going to keep improving society as a whole," his eyes narrowed, hardening his expression of the growing determination inside him, "and I won't stop until I see it through." His voice was strong and firm, as the confidence in it was evident.
Arriving on the first floor, the main lobby was spacious and well-lit, with large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The walls were painted a warm, creamy yellow, and the floors were made of polished marble. There were several paintings and portraits on the walls, along with a few vases and other decorations, including a large fireplace in the center of the room.
The furniture was comfortable and inviting, with several couches and chairs scattered around the room, along with a few tables and lamps. The whole room had a cozy and inviting vibe to it, and it was the perfect place to relax after a long day. In addition to the paintings and portraits on the walls, there was a large television mounted above the fireplace. The television was always on, and it was usually tuned to some news channel or the local weather report.
Suffice to say, he can't complain about being a rich kid with too much time on his hands. Instead of being lazy, he decided to get a job out of the promise to his parents and do something other than remain content in this home for the rest of his life.
While most would prefer to live to their fullest because they are wealthy and rich, Carter is different, as he doesn't mind helping out the poor or the unfortunate by improving their lives. Despite being a billionaire, he only had one servant and one maid.
Which is Yumi herself, talented in nearly everything from cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other stuff, but she was more like his friend or likely more than that. They've been friends since childhood and have known each other for a long time, and there is no doubt that both of them like one another.
But he's not sure if he can return the feelings yet because there are still things out in the world to explore and find, especially in his new world. So, he didn't want to settle down so soon, and doing so is rushing into things: "Mind as well head into the kitchen already; staying here longer would be wasting my time."
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