It wasn't that I’d sensed some dark omen, nor was the sight particularly unusual. If I had to pick out a detail that differed from the norm, it was simply that I’d spotted a group of students on my way home from university wearing the uniforms of my old high school.
Two boys and two girls. They walked just ahead of me, chatting happily as if they all belonged to the same club. To an "elite loner" like myself, it was a blindingly radiant sight. The two girls were especially cute—pretty enough to be the beauties of their class—and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy toward the two boys walking beside them. Since the group was perfectly balanced, maybe they were two couples... Normies should just go explode.
Yes, it really was just an ordinary walk home. I came to a halt a few paces behind the quartet as they stopped at a red light—right up until a strange, magic-circle-looking thing appeared beneath my feet.
Before I could even process a "What is this?" the world flickered like static. The asphalt ground turned to stone. The afternoon sun, which had been bright enough to be annoying, was replaced by the dim glow of... lamps? Wait a minute, this made no sense.
"Welcome, O Hero."
Before I could panic, or even fully grasp the situation, a voice as clear as a bell reached my ears. I turned toward the sound. There stood a stunning woman clad in a pristine white dress, her long blonde hair and striking blue eyes leaving a deep impression. Standing before her were the four students I’d seen earlier... well, three of them. I saw two high school girls and one boy. Wait, wasn't one of them missing?
"I’m sure you’re bewildered by—eh?"
The blonde beauty began to speak, a captivating smile on her face, but she stopped mid-sentence.
Silence followed. Not just for me and the three high schoolers, who were completely lost, but for the beautiful woman and the people in anachronistic robes surrounding her. Everyone froze as if time itself had stopped, and a heavy quiet dominated the room.
"...U-Um, My Lady? There appear to be four of them."
"...What a coincidence, Luna. I see the same thing."
One of the robed figures spoke to the woman as if finally summoning their courage. The woman replied, her expression fraught with bewilderment. Unfortunately, my own brain hadn't caught up to this reality-shattering situation pummeling me like a Dempsey Roll. If I were a computer, my cursor would be stuck on the loading icon. I really should have had Intel inside... No, wait, what was I thinking?
I shifted my gaze to the three students sharing my predicament. They seemed to be in the same state as I was, casting confused glances my way.
"W-W-W-What are we going to do about this?! This is that, right? This is that thing where three people got accidentally caught up in the 'summoning,' right?!"
"I-It appears likely... What shall we do, My Lady?"
"What do you mean, 'what shall we do'? I can't exactly settle this with a 'My mistake, tee-hee!' First, we need to explain the situation to everyone... Ah, but first, we have to identify which one is the Hero..."
"Tee-hee? Really, My Lady? I think you're a bit past the age where you can pull off 'youthful innocence' like that."
"Why are you giving me a deadpan retort right now?!"
What was with this pathetic conversation? It felt like my sense of crisis regarding the unknown was being rapidly eroded. The two high school girls looked utterly blank, and the boy—why was he pumping his fist? Why was he doing a victory pose in this situation?
Wait. Hero? Summoning? Caught up? These terms sounded familiar. I tried to think; I'd seen something like this recently—
"Ahem. Once again, welcome—"
"I'm sorry. I'm trying to think right now, so could you please be quiet for a second?"
"Oh, yes. My apologies."
When the voice interrupted my train of thought, I asked for a moment of silence so I could concentrate. Ah, right, I remembered now. It was a light novel I’d read just the other day!
I didn't go around advertising it, but I had what most people would call "otaku" hobbies. I liked games, read a fair amount of light novels, and didn't watch any anime at all—making me a bit of a half-baked otaku, but an otaku nonetheless. Regardless, this situation was a carbon copy of those light novel plots. Being summoned to another world as a Hero to fight a Demon King was a classic trope, one I’d seen in countless stories.
"...U-Um..."
Then again, the "other world" genre had plenty of variations. Some were straightforward stories about fighting a Demon King, but in others, the royalty who summoned the Hero were actually the villains, or the guy caught up in the middle was labeled "incompetent" only to reveal he had a cheat ability...
"...Er, umm..."
If that was the case, information was my top priority. No matter how much truth was stranger than fiction, I couldn't just assume this was another world yet. However, this was clearly an extraordinary event, so I needed to understand the current situation—wait, was I forgetting something?
"...Umm..."
"...Eh?"
My gaze finally landed on the blonde beauty, who was watching me with a mix of confusion and concern, and my focus snapped back from my thoughts to reality.
As soon as I returned to my senses, I realized I had interrupted her mid-sentence and ignored her while I was lost in thought. The blood drained from my face.
"...If possible, I would like to move the conversation along... May I?"
"I-I'm so sorry! I've had this habit since I was a kid... when I start thinking about something, I lose sight of everything else..."
I hurriedly bowed my head in response to her hesitant request. I’d blown it. My bad habit had reared its ugly head again. Whenever I got absorbed in something, I developed total tunnel vision. You could call it "high concentration" if you were being nice, but "lack of situational awareness" was probably more accurate.
In any case, I’d messed up. The two high school girls were looking at me with exasperation, and the robed people around the blonde woman seemed to be stifling laughs. The high school boy was... staring at the floor and muttering to himself. Ah, I felt like I could probably be friends with that kid.
"No, it's only natural to be confused by such a sudden event. Let me try this once more. People of another world: welcome to the Kingdom of Sinfonia."
The woman gave me a gentle smile, then held the hem of her skirt and bowed elegantly. And there it was, as expected: "another world" and "Kingdom."
With that refined air of hers, and the way she was called "My Lady," she had to be a noble. Maybe even a princess.
"My name is Lilia Albert. First, please accept my apologies for the sudden summoning. I’m sure you’re bewildered. I know I should explain the circumstances thoroughly... but if you would indulge our convenience, could I ask for your names before we proceed?"
"...Ah, yes. Um... I'm Kaito Miyama."
Since I was the oldest, I answered Lilia's question first. In novels, there was usually someone who would snap at the summoner or scream in a panic... but in reality, the shock and confusion were so overwhelming that I actually felt strangely calm.
"...I'm Aoi Kusunoki."
"...Hina Yuzuki."
"...Seigi Mitsunaga."
The three students followed my lead. I had to admit, that boy had a cool name. "Seigi" for justice and "Mitsunaga" for eternal light—it was a name practically tailor-made for a Hero. He looked more like the quiet, studious type, though.
"Lord Miyama, Lady Kusunoki, Lady Yuzuki, and Lord Mitsunaga. It is a pleasure to meet you all. If you will excuse me, please wait just a moment."
Lilia signaled to another robed person, who produced something resembling a crystal ball. My body stiffened instinctively, but Lilia hurriedly assured us, "We mean you no harm." I figured it wasn't a good idea to act out, so I stayed put. It wasn't that I was a coward who lacked the guts to complain or anything.
"...It appears Lord Mitsunaga was indeed the one summoned as the Hero. The others seem to have been caught up in the process."
"As I suspected."
So Seigi Mitsunaga was the Hero. My guess was on the money, but I wondered what would happen now. Mitsunaga-kun was still doing little fist pumps after being identified as the Hero; his mental fortitude was impressive. You're the man, kid. Good luck with the destiny and all that.
"Shall we handle the Hero's explanation over there, then?"
"Yes, let’s. Lilia-sama, please handle the explanation for the three who were caught up."
Lilia informed us that since the explanation for Mitsunaga-kun—the Hero—and the explanation for the rest of us would differ, we would be briefed separately.
Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san objected to this immediately. Me? I was too busy worrying about other things.
I'm no saint, and I didn't have the mental capacity to worry about the future of strangers when I was in the middle of a crisis myself. My primary concern was the woman in front of me: Lilia Albert. Who was she, and what did she intend to do with us?
So far, she seemed humble and kind, but she hadn't explained why they’d summoned a Hero in the first place, and I didn't know her actual social standing.
Comparing everything to light novels might be a mistake, but it was a trope for a reason: the royalty were often villains who wanted to enslave the Hero or discard the "extra" summons. The fact that she wanted to separate us from Mitsunaga-kun felt suspicious.
However, she held all the cards. I didn't have a single clue how to navigate this world, so I had no choice but to follow her lead.
"I understand your anxiety. But I swear upon my name that no harm shall come to you. This is an incredibly selfish request on our part, but please, I beg of you."
Lilia bowed deeply. Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san fell silent, though they didn't look convinced, and Mitsunaga-kun gave a quiet nod. Naturally, I followed suit.
The others surely realized that resistance was futile. There were more than twice as many robed figures as there were of us, and if we were really in another world, they almost certainly had magic. I didn't know if Mitsunaga-kun had some special Hero power, but I certainly didn't. The only way to ensure my own safety was to listen.
Lilia led us out of the dim basement and into a grand hall with a luxurious interior. It seemed Mitsunaga-kun’s briefing would take place here; he remained in the hall with several people in white vestments that looked like priest robes, while the two girls and I were led to a separate room.
The room was less than half the size of the grand hall, but it was still spacious, featuring medieval-style decor with a large table and chairs. It didn't feel particularly "other-worldly" yet; the reality of the situation still hadn't sunk in.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable. Luna, bring some drinks for our guests."
"As you wish."
Lilia sat across from us and gave instructions to the woman in the maid outfit. Luna had removed her robe at some point, revealing a woman with light-blue hair cut at the shoulders. There it was—that "other world" flavor.
Once Luna bowed and left the room, we tentatively took our seats. I sat directly across from Lilia—well, slightly to the right—while Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san sat about two seats away from me.
"Allow me to apologize once more. I am truly sorry for summoning you so abruptly to another world and for making you wait so long for an explanation."
"Ah, no..."
"Um... what’s going to happen to us?"
Kusunoki-san was the one who voiced the question on everyone’s mind. With her long, silky black hair and tall, slender frame, she looked like a classic "Yamato Nadeshiko." She seemed much more composed than I was. She must have had a strong heart.
"First and foremost, I swear upon the name of the Ducal House of Albert that no harm will come to the four of you, including Lord Mitsunaga."
"...The Ducal House of Albert?"
"Oh, forgive me. I should have explained my status first. As I said, my name is Lilia Albert. In the Kingdom of Sinfonia, I hold the rank of Duke... making me a high-ranking noble."
"My Lady Lilia is the half-sister of the current King," Luna added, returning to the room. "She holds the fourth rank in the line of succession. You can consider her word as the consensus of the entire nation."
A Duke?! Successive rights?! I knew she was high-born, but this was on another level.
"She is also twenty-two years old," Luna continued. "In the Kingdom of Sinfonia, where marriage typically occurs between fifteen and nineteen, she is a rare, unmarried Duchess."
"...Luna? Why are you adding that? That information is completely irrelevant right now."
"I simply thought the 'My Lady' title was starting to sound a bit desperate for someone your age..."
"...I will be having a word with you later."
What was with this girl? She looked like a high-born beauty and spoke with perfect grace, yet she radiated this... unfortunate aura. Also, Luna was surprisingly savage.
"I-I’ll get back to the point. Regarding Lady Kusunoki's question, I’m sure your biggest concern is whether or not you can return to your world. Please, rest assured: you can."
"We can... go home?"
Yuzuki-san asked in a small, trembling voice. Her short chestnut hair and petite stature gave her a cute, animal-like quality. Kusunoki-san gently held her hand, making them look like a protective senior and a timid junior. Though Yuzuki-san’s chest was actually much—no, stop, what am I thinking?!
"Yes... however, well..."
Lilia’s expression clouded with hesitation. Here it comes, I thought. The Demon King catch. We probably couldn't go home until he was defeated. If that was the case, I couldn't trust her—
"It will take one year for the summoning circle to be usable again."
"O-One year?!"
Wait. That was different from what I’d expected. The girls were shocked by the length of time, but I was surprised by how lenient the condition was. Usually, these stories required you to kill the Demon King. Maybe that was what they were telling Mitsunaga-kun in the other room?
Even so, being missing for a year was a huge deal. It wasn't something I could just shrug off when I thought about the impact on our lives back home.
"A whole year... and right before the competition, too..."
"Hina-chan, that’s not the main problem..."
Was Yuzuki-san just naturally ditzy? The fact that she could worry about a club competition in this situation was almost impressive.
"Oh, please don't worry about that. According to the Goddess, time flows differently between our worlds. When you are repatriated, you will return to the exact moment you were summoned. The Goddess will even restore your bodies to their original state, so any physical changes from your year here will be undone."
"..."
My anxieties were being resolved at a breakneck pace, only to be replaced by a new mystery: a "Goddess." So, we had to stay for a year, but it wouldn't cost us any time in our world, and even if we got fat here, the Goddess would fix it.
"Of course, I will guarantee your safety and provide for your food, clothing, and shelter. It may not be the height of luxury, but I will take responsibility for ensuring you live a comfortable life."
"...I see..."
"Um, thank you very much."
The two girls were clearly having the wind taken out of their sails. They’d been hit with so much favorable information that they were even thanking her. But I wasn't ready to let my guard down. Mitsunaga-kun’s situation was still the missing piece. If a Hero was needed to fight a Demon King, this world was still a war zone.
"...Can I ask a question?"
"Of course, Lord Miyama."
"Mitsunaga-kun... the boy in the other room. He was called a Hero. That means there's a Demon King or something, right? And he has to fight it?"
I braced myself. This was the turning point. Whether Lilia was honest or evasive would determine how I handled things from here on out. I waited, my heart pounding in my chest.
Both Lilia and Luna tilted their heads, looking genuinely puzzled.
"A Demon King? The first Hero defeated them about a thousand years ago."
"...Huh? Then, are you at war with the Demons or something?"
"No, relations between humans and Demons are excellent. We have a lot of trade and cultural exchange."
"...Wars?"
"None that I’m aware of in the last eight hundred years."
"...Monsters? Are they overrunning the world?"
"Monsters exist, but dealing with them is the job of the Adventurer’s Guild and the Knights. There’s no reason for any of you, including Lord Mitsunaga, to fight them."
"..."
What? Wait. Please. I needed a moment to think. No Demon King? Good relations with Demons? No war for eight centuries? Monsters weren't our problem?
"...Then why summon a Hero at all?"
"A thousand and nine years ago, the first Hero defeated the Demon King and bridged the gap between our races. To honor that achievement and pray for continued peace, we invite a Hero from the first Hero's world once every ten years to host a grand festival."
"...A festival?"
"Yes. Lord Mitsunaga is being briefed in the other room because he will be the star of the 'Hero Festival' one year from now. We are asking him to participate in ceremonies and visit various nations. Of course, his participation is entirely voluntary; he can decline if he wishes."
"Wait, he can just say no?"
"Yes. We’ve held the festival with a substitute Hero several times in the past. If he accepts, he’ll be treated as a state guest for the year. Even if he declines, we will still provide for him. He would simply spend the year sightseeing and then go home."
"...So, basically, as for us..."
"Yes... while I’m sure it’s a shock, we simply want you to enjoy our world. Consider it a cultural exchange. You can travel, sightsee, and experience a once-in-a-decade worldwide festival... and then return home safely and in perfect health."
"..."
Dear Mother, Dear Father—I was caught up in a summoning to another world. But the world... was peaceful.