At that sight appearing before him, Yuuji started inspecting the room he found himself in.
Wooden floor, wooden walls, a massive pile of books resting on a very worn out desk, a massive mess of what seemed to be paper. There also seemed to be two lamps lighting the whole room, not the electrical type he's used to that's for sure.
A few cups finalized how much of a mess this room was in. The shelves that lined the walls were not in a pretty condition either, it'd piss off all library attendants at first sight.
It took the source of the noise a few moments to compose themselves.
A beautiful fair-skin girl, silver hair tied in a braid, her amethyst eyes were very charming to the point it'd be a crime to make eye contact with her. A dress finalized the princess look, but a big hat quickly changed that into a medieval witch.
"H- No wait!" The girl spoke but quickly raised a finger indicating she just remembered something, cute, not the point.
"Let's see.. What page was it again!!" The girl quickly flipped through a book. Her expression growing more frustrated by the second due to not finding what she wanted.
"There!" She excitedly exclaimed. "Hell..o, Mister."
'Broken Japanese?' Yuuji thought to himself before she continued
"My name is.. Amilia." She finally announced her name to him.
The name sounded unusual but he didn't comment on that. His only comment was on her broken Japanese.
"I could understand you fine just before, by the way." Yuuji's announcement fell like cold ice on Amilia's head. Her face turned slightly red out of embarrassment before she was able to continue.
"O-Oh.. Well, My name is Amilia. I'm a witch acting on behalf of the kingdom's lord with the mission to summon a hero to our world."
Thus she put a hand on her chest and bowed diligently, It looked like a nobility gesture.
Everything about this place so far looked, sounded, and is in fact medieval. Lord? kingdom? witches? such gestures? He decided to stay calm and with no other choice, ask the girl who calls herself Amilia.
A slight head tilt expressed his confusion to Amilia.
"Slow down a second." Yuuji started to support himself up whilst saying that. "What is this place exactly?"
Amilia widened her eyes in even more excitement, "AH!" she then followed up
"This is Wintervale, a kingdom that swore allegiance to the snow saint."
That did not explain much, is what any normal person would've said. But for Yuuji, he IS a fantasy enthusiast. He probably spent more time reading fantasy books and isekai than he spent in school.
'No wait, she said something earlier–' Yuuji remembered, "You said something about a hero, no?"
Yuuji's voice was shaking, a hero? him? he couldn't stand up for himself when he needed to the most, why is he chosen as one?
"I'm sorry, you probably got the wrong person."
"I'm pretty sure this spell is not one prone to error, the only error it could cause is summoning you dead so.." Amilia quashed the idea of it being a mistake.
Yuuji's eyes went wide, his anxiety grew more and more.
Being summoned in a different world, he took it at first as a joke. Now, it seemed like he was a hero and the whole world was depending on him.
"Can you please send me back? I have people back there that'd worry about me."
In fact, it was only Kei and his grandma. But if he said that to some stranger they'd just deem it not significant enough. Every word he said mattered in this situation.
"I'm not sure about you going back.. I don't think I have that decision it's up to the Lord to decide besides–"
"Huh? What do you mean not sure?!? This has got to be a joke! A prank! Yes, Kei is pranking me, isn't he?!?"
Yuuji's frustration grew stronger as Amilia wasn't cooperating with him on going back, he put a hand on his forehead trying to think of what to do.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying here.." Amilia's voice went low "We'll meet the lord tomorrow, you can discuss it with her and we'll see what we can do."
With that response, Yuuji lifted his hand off his forehead, breathing slowly to regain his composure.
Anger won't solve the matter, he knew that full-heartedly.
As Amilia finished she went to the other side of the room to grab her staff. At first sight, Amilia looked small compared to her staff. Yuuji estimated her to be around 160 centimeters. Her white hair tied in a braid and a hat befitting a witch stood at the top. She wore a white dress with a blue ribbon at her waist, white long stockings, and white boots to match. Her staff looked old, with an amethyst crystal that could mesmerize everyone at the top.
"You can call me Yuuji."
Yuuji replied in a slightly irritated tone.
With that declaration, Amilia's previously clouded face brightened up. Her smile radiated all the warmth a man would find cute, and Yuuji did indeed think it was cute, but it wasn't the time for that.
He could easily refuse the proposal tomorrow, figure a way back home, and live happily. Hell, even his wounds were all fixed up. Though, it'd be awkward to explain what happened to these wounds.
"Let's get some rest for now, I spent all my mana on this spell so I need some rest" Amilia yawned mid-sentence. She pointed to the circle below Yuuji who figured it out on his own from the moment she told him he was summoned.
"So, I guess I'll sleep down here like a lab rat?" Yuuji replied with a sigh
The room clearly didn't have a bed, nor a futon.. nor anything comfortable. Possibly the paper? That'd be an insult to whoever wrote those papers.
Amilia, who supposedly calmed down after this wild roller-coaster of emotions, got startled after hearing that question.
"AH NO! YOU COULD SHLEEP ON ZE COUTS!" She ended up biting her tongue in the process, definitely something out of a rom-com light novel he once read. it was cute, but it wasn't the thing he should be focusing on at the moment.
Yuuji's slight chuckle made the so "composed" Amilia turn bright red, she stomped the floor in frustration to let him know she didn't find it funny.
"How old are you again, Miss White Witch?" Yuuji threw the question out towards Amilia in the rudest way imaginable.
Asking a woman about her age was one thing, but calling a girl by a random title was another. The stomping Amilia stopped, then with her staff still in hand, she inched closer to Yuuji. Anger was all over her face.
She put the tip of her staff on Yuuji's throat, practically touching it.
"How rude! didn't your parents teach you manners?! Asking a young maiden her age is an insult! and my name is Amilia! AM. IL. IA! get it through your skull!!"
She kept moving her staff back and forth and finally raised a finger in frustration.
"But to answer your question, I'm 19."
She pouted slightly and moved away towards the stairs once again.
"Yuuji Wakana, 18, Japan."
Yuuji thought it wouldn't hurt to mention Japan. After all, Amilia used Japanese from that book to introduce herself. It was all possible–
"Oh? Joking already? I'm a dragon then."
Yuuji was disappointed, but it did make sense.
Perhaps another person was summoned and taught people Japanese? Or was it just a coincidence that that ancient text sounded like Japanese? He didn't even see it, why would he assume it was actual Japanese in the first place.
He started following Amilia up the stairs before she left him completely behind.
As the next morning rolled around, Yuuji woke up from his sleep.
"Man.. I barely had a wink of sleep last night.." Yuuji slumped his shoulders as he looked back at the couch he was sleeping on "That's definitely not made for sitting let alone sleeping.."
The couch was hard, comfortable cotton either wasn't popular enough, or Amilia was just completely broke beyond comparison and got this couch off a garage sale.
Yuuji yawned, his lack of sleep was evident by eye bags under his eyes. He got up and started walking around the house trying his best to find the kitchen.
Walking around, he saw Amilia sitting down writing something. Using ink and a feather on some ragged looking paper.
"Hey, is there any water here for drinking?" Yuuji asked, catching Amilia's attention.
His still sleepy voice was not strong enough to startle Amilia completely. She looked like she also barely slept, probably at best 2-3 hours.
"You'll find a bucket over there." Amilia pointed at a bucket near a stove.
To no one's surprise, it was a coal stove. The type where you put coal underneath and the pot above. Not an electrical one.
"I need to finish this report before we head out, once I'm done we're going to the meeting place." Amilia's eyes didn't leave the paper for one second, she just kept gesturing with her feather.
With Yuuji's curiosity piqued, he tried sneaking up to check what she was writing. Although, internally he guessed he wouldn't be able to understand it.
As soon as he got close to her, Amilia dramatically stretched her body. "Alright! Done!"
She instantly folded the paper diligently as if she'd done it multiple times before, put it in an envelope, melted some wax and stamped it.
All the while Yuuji looked in amazement at how good she was at it all, the house looked like a mess, her basement– or more like a lab especially. But her work was diligent and neat.
That aside, the stamp had a snowflake sign on it. The type they use as a dramatic ice effect in video games.
"We should head out now." Amilia said as she grabbed her staff from next to her
Walking down the street side by side, Yuuji's clothes looked out of place. So, Amilia decided to first head to the market with Yuuji to get him some other clothes worthy of a hero or a normal person of this world at least.
Whilst walking, Yuuji saw many vendors. Clothes, Food, Drinks, Gems, If you can think of it, you'll probably find it. Yuuji found it astonishing how a place like this felt like a mall from his original world. Of course, a mall without air conditioning or loud crying babies.
It also lacked sufficient security, or in reality, it had none at all. If a robbery happened here no one would be able to know who did it.
"Looks like you're interested ?" Amilia leaned a little forward whilst they were walking, eyeing him with a look filled with "Ask me! I'm a good guide"
"Not really, I read a lot of novels that had this exact theme of a place just that.. Never expected to find myself in that setting."
Amilia's sparkling eyes immediately lost its light out of sadness, something that caused Yuuji to reluctantly ask a question.
"So what's the place we're heading to like?"
And upon that question, Amilia's face brightened up once again. Cute, but it's not what was important here.
"I'm glad you asked! The place we're heading to is the mansion of our kingdom's leader, Miss Thoka Smith. The mansion was built way back when the kingdom was just established. Although what you'll be seeing is just a renovation of it as it was destroyed some time back." Amilia explained thoroughly.
"The mansion is called the house of the Ford's. Unfortunately, I don't know why that name came to be but…" as Amilia's words came to a pause, she stopped in front of a workshop "Rumors have it that Ford was an important person to Miss Thoka."
Amilia turned around once again and pushed the workshop's door open, there greeted by an old bald man with muscles that would be fitting on a weight lifter, Yuuji's eyes widened with surprise.
The workshop was lined left and right with armor, swords, spears, some claymores too. You'd expect a place like this to have staffs for magic users but it looks like that was not the case for this workshop.
The bald man stood behind a counter splitting the shop into two-thirds and a third.
"Ya! Felix's daughter!" the man exclaimed with a smile on his face.
"Uncle Sam! I told you to not call me like that! Please, call me Amilia!" Amilia puffed out her cheeks in protest which was only met by a pat on the head.
"Got it. Got it."
The old man, whose name is Sam, looked over at Yuuji. His brows furrowed and his tone immediately changed.
"Oy, You." startling Yuuji, Sam continued "Are you her boyfriend?"
Amilia's face turned red but not just Amilia, Yuuji's face was almost as red if not more. Upon seeing their reactions, Sam laughed loudly with a big smile on his face.
"I always wanted to say that," he said while continuing to laugh.
"Uncle Sam." Amilia's irritated tone paused Sam's laughter "We need some armor for our hero."
Sam's eyes started looking Yuuji top to bottom and he immediately grabbed something from underneath his counter.
"Well.. I knew this would be useful one day."
Sam grabbed a furry coat and some plates which when combined together looked like an adventurer's clothes.
Yuuji got into the dresser at the back and got changed. Coming out from there, fixing his dark bluish hair, he looked at the mirror.
"Not bad, boy." Sam declared first, giving a thumbs up.
With that, they finished their mission at Sam's armory. Amilia put forward an order for a sword to be made, of course on the kingdom's tab.
They started walking again, it was a little more awkward due to Sam's joke about them dating. They weren't, they just met each other. But any man and woman when shipped together like that would feel embarrassed.
It was a long fifteen minutes due to the deafening silence. But finally, they reached their destination.
A large European-ish mansion stood before them, the fence was made of steel surrounding a massive area perhaps as big as two decently sized football stadiums. Yuuji was impressed by it, as it looked like one of those Belgium castles or perhaps the german ones that stood since olden times.
They went through the large gate after Amilia talked with the guard. A small security check to make sure she had a predetermined date with the Lord.
Standing guard at the door was a little kid. Short purple hair, with a crop top, and some feline ears which stood out to Yuuji. With a sword hung on the kid's short skirt's side.
"Welcome, esteemed guests of the lord. My name is Boryana Rüdiger, The deputy commander for the knights of Wintervale."
Bowing before Yuuji, the kid stated her name and her duty. Yuuji however couldn't help but comment on the girl's height.
"Umm.. Amilia– Do you guys let kids fight in wars?"
Yuuji's sarcastic comment granted him a look of irritation from Boryana. The kid in front of him raised her head immediately and started quarreling with him.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LITTLE CHILD?!?"
"It's okay to want to act like an adult. I get it, I get it. Now can you please call an adult over?" Yuuji's sarcastic comments continued granting him a nudge from Amilia
"Yuuji, I think you're going a little too far–"
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A KID YOU–"
"That is enough, Deputy commander."
An elegant figure appeared at the stairs behind Boryana. A young lady with green hair, and an armor dress appeared behind.
"Lord, I'm sorry–"
Bowing down immediately was Boryana who only got met with a chuckle from Thoka.
"It's okay.." she paused, then looked at Yuuji and Amilia. "Looks like our guest here has a good sense of humor."