It was not as if there was a kind of nor there was an extraordinary and mysterious scene at that time. But if you insist wanting to know if there was something different from usual, the most I could think of is that I saw male and female students wearing the uniform of my alma mater.
Two males and two females, they look like they belong to the same club, they were chatting cheerfully in front of me. Their air that belongs to that of those who are elite was blinding for me. Especially the two high school girls who are probably the most beautiful in their respective classes. It made me envy the two high school boys walking along them. It's just exactly 1:1, so they might be couples... damn riajuus1, go away and explode already...
That's right. Such was the common scene of on my way home. That is, until a mysterious magic circle appeared behind them after they stopped on a crossingーー
Before I even reacted to think of what's happening, the scene in front of me changed as the static noise of an old tv echoed. The ground that was paved with asphalt turning into that of stone, and the brightness of the afternoon sun that could only be described as annoying turned into a dim light of a lamp... I mean, what just happened?
"Welcome, 'Hero-sama'."
Without having the leisure to even realize my confusion, without having the time to understand what happened, I turned around to the source of the beautiful voice that tickled my ears like a bell. What I saw was a beauty with long golden hair and eyes as blue as the sky, wearing a taintless white dress, together with the group of four… or rather, now, group of three high school students that I saw earlier. No doubt, one of them is missing.
"Please forgive us for the suddenーーeh?!"
Seeing us, the golden-haired beauty's captivating smile suddenly froze… she stopped her words halfway.
And what followed was silence...not to mention me and the three high school students who can't keep up with the situation, even that beauty that was about to say something stopped, along with those people clad in robes you would usually see in a middle-age themed movie was petrified. The silence dominated the scene.
"...u-uhm, My Lady? Do my eyes see the truth seeing four of them?"
"...what a wonderful coincidence, Luna. My eyes see four of them as well."
One of the robed people mustered up her courage and called out to the beauty. In return, the beauty replied with confused words. Unfortunately, my thoughts and consciousness were unable to follow the extraordinary event that hit me with a Dempsey roll. If I was a desktop computer, what shows on the screen must be an hour-glass icon waiting for me to respond. I should've bought in○el instead of...wait, what am I saying?!
I move my eyes to the three high-school students who are in the same circumstances as me. It would seem that they were also in the same condition, glancing towards me with a confused expression.
"Wha-W-W-W-What are we going to do?! This, it's THAT right?! It's like the other three got caught up with the 'Summoning', that's what's going on right?!!"
"T-That is probably so... what are we going to do My Lady?"
"What or whatever, it's not like we can say 'We failed, Teehee〜!' or something! We must first explain to everyone what is happening... ahh, but, we must find out who is the Hero within them first..."
"Teehee〜...? My Lady. Please forgive me for being rude, but I think that that is already inappropriate for your age..."
"Why are you suddenly calmly pointing that out?!!"
I wonder what this is? This disappointing conversation. It's as if, my sense of urgency towards the unknown is being worn away... the two high school girls were stunned with their mouth open as well, and you, high school boyーーwhy in the world are you doing a guts pose? Guts pose in this situation?
Un? Wait a second... Hero? Summoning? Got caught into? That sounds like terms I'm used to hearing. Think carefully, me. That sounds familiarーー
"*Cough* Once again, welcomeーー"
"Sorry. I'm thinking right now. Can you keep quiet?"
"Ah, yes. I'm very sorry."
I heard a voice that would interrupt my thinking, so I asked that voice to shut up so I could think. Ahh, that's right, I remember. It's so similar to the Light Novel I read recently!
Although I won't be boasting, I am what you can call an otaku or someone who has such a hobby. I love games, like light novels, but never watches anime, so that makes me a half-assed otaku, but... anyways, this situation is exactly like the plot of what happened in that light novel. The story starts with the main character being summoned from a different world with a Hero Summoning, then proceeds to fight the Demon King. Come to think of it, I have seen many similar novels like that.
"...u-uhm..."
Ahh, but, although you can generally call it Isekai-mono, there are many kinds of developments. There are those where Heroes really fight against the Demon King, those that the royal family who summoned them was actually the villain, those who were got caught into the summoning but branded as trash because of the lack of super powers, or those acting sheepishly but actually has the most demonic cheat...
"...uhm, excuse me〜..."
If it's like that, what's needed first is information then? Even though they say 'Fact is stranger than fiction', it is probably wrong to assume at this stage that it is a different world. But, I could clearly say that this is an extraordinary event, so I should really find out what's currently happeningーーwait? I think I'm forgetting something...
"...uhm..."
"...eh?"
And there I finally saw the golden-haired beauty looking at me with eyes filled with confusion and worry, allowing my consciousness rapidly return to reality.
And together with my return to the reality, I remembered that I dove deep into my thoughts after interrupting this woman in front of me. I could feel as if my blood is draining out of my face.
"...if possible, I would like to continue now... is that okay?"
"I-I'm sorry?! I-I just have this habit of forgetting the surrounding when I get deep into my thoughts, and..."
I quickly bowed my head with apology hearing her words which were mixed with reluctance. Damn, I did it again… this hateful habit of mine. I don't know where I got it, but I would start forgetting about the surroundings when I got focused on something. You can positively say that I'm focused, but you can also negatively say that I have narrow eyesight.
Anyways, I did it again. I even feel like the two high school girls looking at me while rolling their eyes, and the people surrounding the beauty looking at me with a wry smile. The high school boy… is for some reason, muttering things while looking down. I suddenly felt like I could become good friends with this guy.
"No, you cannot be blamed for being confused by the sudden even. Once again, everyone from the other world. Welcome to 'Symphonia Kingdom'."
After giving a warm smile towards me after I apologized, the beauty greeted us gracefully with the manner of plucking the hem of her skirt. And it is, as expected should I say, a Kingdom in another world.
Hmmm〜, from the elegance I could feel from her, and from what I guess about her being called My Lady, is she a noble? Maybe a Princess too.
"My name is Lilia Albert. First of all, please forgive us for the sudden call of summoning. I believe that you are confused because of the sudden event. We understand that we should explain to you what is happening first... however, I am very ashamed to ask this for our side's convenience, but before we start explaining, can I ask what everyone's name is?"
"...ah, yes. Uhm... my name is Miyama Kaito宮間��人."
I answered the beautyーーLilia first, as the eldest in our group. In the novels I've read, there are those who would shout incoherently or find trouble with those who welcome them... but experiencing it myself, I could say that I am so confused and puzzled that I answered calmly instead.
"...I'm Kusunoki Aoi楠葵あおい."
"...Yuzuki Hina柚木陽菜."
"...Mitsunaga Seigi光永正義."
The three high school students followed after me. I mean, that high school boy, what a cool name. You should be the Hero already. Everlasting light光永 and Justice正義? Isn't it already decided that you'd be a hero with that name...? Though you look more like an indoor type.
"Miyama-sama, Kusunoki-sama, Yuzuki-sama, and Mitsunaga-sama, right? Nice you meet you all. Please forgive my rudeness and wait for a while."
While saying that, Lilia-san glanced at a different robed person, and that robed person took out something that looks like a crystal ball. I couldn't help but tense up because I could feel that they're about to do something, but Lilia-san said "we do not wish to harm you" in a hurry to explain, so I just behaved in my place thinking it's not a good plan to move… it's definitely not because I'm a coward or lack the courage to raise an objection. Definitely not.
"...it looks like it is Mitsunaga-dono who was summoned as the Hero. It would seem that the others got caught with him."
"It was like that after all."
It looks like the Hero is Mitsunaga Seigi-kun. Although my guess hit the spot, this, what is going to happen, really? In this situation where we don't know which is the left to the right, Mitsunaga-kun is really amazing doing a guts pose after being proclaimed as the Hero. You are the number one. Please do your best and take care of all the troubles.
"Well then, the Hero's explanation would be done there?"
"Yes, let us proceed as such. Lilia-sama, we will trouble you explaining the situation to the three guests who were caught up."
After hearing that conversation, Lilia-san told us that we are going to be separated with Mitsunaga-kun because the contents of the explanations would be different between us and the Hero.
Going this far, Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san objected... me? My head's full of different things, so I didn't have the time for that.
Honestly, I can't call myself as the kindest guy there is, and it's not like I have the capacity in my heart to worry about other people during an emergency situation like this. The greatest problem I'm worried about right now... is Lilia-san who is trying to calm Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san. My head is full of questions, what kind of person she is, and what she is planning for us?
According to the impression she had given us so far, she does not seem like a bad person, having such humility. But they have yet to give us an explanation about the reason to summon a Hero, and I do not even know what authority she possesses.
It might be wrong depending on the information from the light novels I've read, but there is a cliché in these kinds of stories where the royals and nobles would use the Hero as a slave, or they would treat those who weren't a hero badly.
In fact, the Hero, Mitsunaga-kun, would receive a different kind of explanation from us, and I can't be blamed for thinking that they have ill intentions against us.
But, sadly, everything, including the basis to support that guess and the hint to overcome this situation, is being held by her, so there is no other choice but to follow her arrangements.
"I can understand that you would feel anxious. However, I shall take an oath with my name that we do not have ill intentions against you. It is very selfish of us to treat you like this, but please forgive us."
Lilia-san said and deeply bowed her head. Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san who still doesn't look convinced stopped their words of objection, and Mitsunaga-kun silently nodded as well. Of course, I nodded too.
The other three probably understands as well, that it's most likely that resistance is futile. Taking a quick glance at their side, I quickly counted that there are more than twice people than us, and most of all, believing in her words that this is another world... there is probably no doubt that there exists a power such as magic.
Of course, Mitsunaga-kun who's a Hero might have a special kind of powers, but I don't believe that a "caught up" person like me have powers like that. With all that in mind, the only choice that would save myself is to listen to them.