Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: I’m Not Something You Just Summon! 

“Owowow…” 

It had happened so suddenly that there was no chance to prepare, and the price for not being ready was the pain he was feeling in his rear end. Suimei could only leak out his anguish with a pained complaint. 

He had been caught completely off guard. Even though he’d had a premonition that something would happen beforehand, there was just no predicting how suddenly. And without any warning, he hadn’t even been able to make a proper landing. Worse yet, the floor was hard. It felt like stone pavement or tiling. Suimei had fallen square on his bottom, and his tailbone was screaming in pain. 

Suimei wondered briefly what had just happened. But there was no need to think back on it too seriously; it had only happened moments ago. While walking home from school with two of his friends, a magickal teleportation circle had suddenly appeared on the roadside and forcefully sucked them in. Then, after being teleported, he was rudely deposited on the floor. That was one of the perks of sudden teleportation he could do without. 

…This is definitely a huge blunder… 

Living in the concrete jungle of the modern world, Suimei had been walking down the secret path of magicka. Though he’d only been at it for a modest twelve years, he’d achieved a certain level of skill and was proud of that. Yet even he, a savvy modern magician, had been caught in someone else’s magicka so easily. 

He had sensed it—seen it right in front of his own eyes, even—but was unable to respond appropriately in time. He’d simply stood there blankly in the single second it had taken for the spell to ensnare him. What could he call such a failure other than a blunder? He was ashamed and disappointed. 

And that only made things worse. Humiliation and pain compounded within him, manifesting as tears in the corners of his eyes. Suimei then looked to either side of him for the friends he’d been with just a moment ago. 

“Owowow…” 

Beside Suimei, who was brushing off his butt, was his friend Shana Reiji, who appeared to be dealing with the same pain Suimei was going through. Reiji had dyed brown hair with every strand neatly styled into place, as well as a sweet countenance and slender figure that could render women weak in the knees. Spotting him, Suimei called out to him. 

“Hey, Reiji, you okay?” 

“Yeah… Somehow. How about you, Suimei?” 

“My butt hurts. A lot. I think it’s broken clean in two…” 

“Hahaha, you too— Wait, Suimei, are you the only other one here?!” 

Reiji laughed brightly at Suimei’s foolish joke, but only for a short moment. He then immediately realized the absence of the third person who had been walking with them, their friend Anou Mizuki, and raised a panicked voice. 

Briefly looking around, it certainly seemed she was missing. She had been with them just moments ago, but was now nowhere to be found. The cylindrical room was enclosed by stone walls and was atmospherically lit by old-fashioned candlesticks. All they could see was a sturdy-looking door across from them, and a pattern drawn on the stone floor beneath their feet—a teleportation circle. 

“Y-Yeah… Mizuki isn’t here, huh?” 

A bit confused himself, Suimei could only mutter in response to his increasingly anxious friend. Reiji’s expression grew dark as the questions continued to mount in his mind. 

“What happened…? And where is this…?” 

“Yeah, I don’t know where this is either. But it seems that someone wanted us here, however weird and rude it might have been. That much… I do kinda understand.” 

“…Could it be because of this?” 

Following Reiji’s dubious gaze, Suimei looked down at the floor where the large magicka circle was and inspected it once more. Inside the large circle, another circle about a quarter of its size was drawn at its edge. The geometric shapes drawn within didn’t conform with the traditional four elements, nor did they conform with the five elements of the Chinese philosophy of wu xing. Words were scribed around the rim of the circle in a language that Suimei had never seen before. He could tell that the circle was similar to what was used with spirit communication and summoning magicka, but it would have to be his secret. 

After all, Reiji was a completely normal boy. Suimei and Reiji had known each other since middle school, but Suimei had never introduced him to the mysteries of magicka that existed in their world, much less revealed the fact that he himself was actually a magician. He was oblivious to such things, meaning everything he could guess about the circle beneath them came from manga and anime subculture—the world of fiction. 

“Probably, right?” 

“Really…?” 

Reiji looked dumbfounded in response to Suimei’s barefaced acknowledgment of such a possibility. Granted, the situation certainly seemed to warrant that level of disbelief. Even Suimei’s expression was tinged with a certain sense of incredulity. 

“Hey, Suimei, doesn’t this situation… How do I put it…? Doesn’t it seem awfully familiar?” 

“Yup. The light novel Mizuki lent me the other day definitely went something like this.” 

“Thought so. This feels like the kind of setup where you’re suddenly summoned to another world and asked to defeat a Demon Lord. Or something like that.” 

“Nope, not doing it. I’m not even considering that a joke right now.” 

Suimei grimaced like his stomach was in pain. Reiji’s expression was riddled with complex emotions, but he managed a somewhat dry laugh. 

“Hahaha… But you know, even though I know it’s impossible, I dunno… I kinda feel like that’s what’s going on.” 

“Reiji, are you being serious right now?” 

“Mm.” 

“Hey, don’t just nod and ‘mm’ me…” 

Exasperated by Reiji’s simple nod and deduction, Suimei averted his gaze for a moment and began to use magicka to analyze their surroundings without letting Reiji catch on. As things stood, he wasn’t fully willing to buy in to such a fantastical straight-out-of-a-book scenario, but if they truly were in another world, something about the place should be different enough for him to tell. 

Though it was impromptu, Suimei prepared his spell and started processing the information it gathered for him. Gravity here was normal, and there was no major difference in the composition of the air. It was insignificant enough to think that they’d just been transported to a different locale. However… 

The mana is thick here… Is it because of this room? 

Mana, otherwise known as aetheric, was the source of mystical power that existed naturally in the atmosphere, and it was particularly dense here. Such density was comparable to that found right on top of ley lines in the earth or within holy temples and circles. 

However, that alone wasn’t enough to convince Suimei that this was a different world, not to mention that it was an absurd idea. It was more likely someone selected a place with dense mana so that they could activate this magicka circle. 

But more importantly, Reiji should have no techniques to observe and no way to perceive the irregularity in mana. If he felt that something was strange, it was likely something else. 

“What makes you say that, Reiji?” 

“Just one way or another, I feel like I’ve become really strong.” 

“Wha…? Aaah, is it that? Did your brain blow a fuse, my dear Reiji-san?” 

“Listen, it’s not like I’m telling you I’m receiving radio waves or something. Just watch.” 

With those words, Reiji reached out of the circle and lightly struck the floor. There was a smashing sound disproportionate to the strength of the gentle blow, and the stone floor shattered to pieces so violently that it sent debris flying. 

“Th-That kind of idiotic…” 

Seeing it happen right before his very eyes, Suimei could only stare in wonder. Reiji may have been the all-around, good-looking, good-at-sports perfect guy, but this just wasn’t right. It wasn’t possible. The requisite amount of power required to render stone to pieces like that… Doing that should have required a good impact with serious weight and force behind it. It literally shouldn’t have been possible with just a poke. This was unreasonable even for a strong, perfect guy like Reiji. Yet in spite of all this, he was acting as if it was all quite natural. 

“See? I did it.” 

“‘See?’ My ass! Don’t move the plot forward in such an ominous direction…” 

It certainly did seem ominous. If this was truly a forced summoning to another world… 

Indeed, Suimei was now sure they’d entered an unknown dimension. Someone with skills that overleaped his had brought them here. The art of physically reinforcing a body in addition to summoning it was no simple ritual, but… Turning that over in his mind, Suimei suddenly realized something else. As a magician, it was only natural that he took to analyzing the mana and any sort of magicka that had been involved. But even so, all things considered, he was the one being extraordinarily casual about the whole thing. 

“So how about you, Suimei?” 

“…No, nothing seems different for me.” 

He knew Reiji was really asking if he’d undergone some sort of strengthening as well, but Suimei had answered honestly. When he tried clenching his fist and gathering his mana, there was no hint of any change. 

That had to mean Reiji had been the one summoned as a hero to defeat the Demon Lord. There was no point in summoning Suimei here. But just as he slumped his shoulders, the magicka circle beneath their feet suddenly began to glow. Reiji’s expression abruptly shifted to one of unease. 

“This is…” 

“Tch, it’s activating! Are we being transferred again, or maybe…?” 

“Something is being summoned?!” 

Reiji understood the implication quickly. In fact, he hit the nail on the head and put himself on guard accordingly. A magicka circle smaller than the one on the ground then suddenly appeared in the air. 

“It’s coming!” 

“Wah!” 

A voice came from the circle, and Reiji swiftly took action the moment a shadow emerged. He seemed to have realized what was coming out, but demonstrated a level of agility far beyond what he was previously capable of in responding to it. Was it the result of the physical reinforcement? Either way, Reiji managed to catch Anou Mizuki, the girl who had fallen from above without warning. 

“Mizuki!” 

“Wah… Reiji-kun, what…?” 

“Good for you, Mizuki. Thanks to Reiji, your butt was saved.” 

Thus, the three friends were reunited again in this unknown place. 

“You’re kidding. Seriously…?” 

“Yup, that seems to be the case.” 

After catching Mizuki, Reiji explained their current predicament to her and what he’d deduced about it so far. Mizuki seemed to be thrown for a loop at first, but was predominantly glad that she wasn’t alone. Encouraged by the presence of her two best friends, she gradually came to terms with the current situation. Her willingness to accept it rather than deny it showed both boys that she had some guts. 

“Hmm… Okay.” 

“You accepted that all pretty fast, huh?” 

“Well, the two of you are pretty calm about it. If I’m the only one who breaks down, can you imagine how embarrassing that would be? And besides, since we’re already here, what else is there to be done? We have to accept it one way or another.” 

Mizuki seemed to have a refreshing take on it all, and explained herself to the boys while fiddling with the unseasonable red muffler around her neck. She had long, black hair and gentle, coal black eyes. She had a certain look about her that gave the impression she was a dainty and fragile young woman. Yet though she looked rather meek, she apparently had quite a stout heart inside her. The boys had only known her under normal day-to-day circumstances, so it seemed there was plenty they still had to learn about Mizuki. Reiji then smiled at her. 

“Mizuki, you’re pretty tough, aren’t you?” 

“Huh? A-Am I?” 

Having that smile directed at her, Mizuki finally caved. Her face turned bright red. This kind of exchange was typical for them, including Reiji being unaware of the effect he had on girls. 

And just like that, the strange and potentially frightening situation they found themselves in was diffused by a completely inappropriate atmosphere. Determining it was counterproductive, however, Suimei decided to change course and get things back on track. 

“So, Mizuki, I want to ask you something.” 

“What’s up?” 

“Well, about this situation that we’re in now… If it’s nonsensically similar to those novels you read, then after this…” 

“Mm, yeah. Someone important from this world should appear. Or possibly…” 

What could it be? The first part of her reply was definitely what he would have expected from reading one of her books, but what was this about another possibility? She made it sound like there was another direction this could go, so Reiji prodded her for more details without pause. 

“Is there something else?” 

“In one of the books I read, the hero was summoned somewhere else… And if we were following a plotline like that, that would mean we’re in the Demon Lord’s palace right now.” 

“You mean starting right at the climax?” 

“Yeah, the last dungeon.” 

“Ugh… Isn’t that a bit much, honestly?” 

Suimei let out a disheartened groan. In the majority of novels like this, after being summoned, the hero must face several trials, twists, and turns before defeating the Demon Lord at the end of the story. But what Mizuki was suggesting meant that they’d be starting from there, right at the climax—the final boss. 

That thought didn’t thrill Suimei. It meant they’d be in serious danger, and this wasn’t exactly where he wanted to spend his last breath. Reiji, on the other hand, began questioning Mizuki in a calm tone. 

“If memory serves, that’s the kind of story where they defeat the Demon Lord right away, then return to live in the new world as heroes, right?” 

“Yup. Then they either challenge the next powerful enemy, or end up getting involved in a war between countries though…” 

“Okay, but the situation that we’re in right now…” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something similar to what Reiji-kun was thinking.” 

“Oh my god…” 

Mizuki’s assessment left Suimei quite dejected. His discontentment left his lips as a pained sigh. This sounded more and more like it was going to be a huge pain. If what Mizuki was suggesting was true, it would only be inevitable that he’d get dragged into it. And since Suimei had other plans, this would end up being a major speed bump for him. 

“Anything’s possible. I guess we’ll see, huh?” 

And the moment Mizuki said that, Suimei could hear something—using his ears that were enhanced with magicka—coming from outside the room. Erasing his presence, keeping alert, and killing any excess noise, Suimei called out to the others. 

“You guys.” 

“Huh?” 

“Yeah, I know.” 

“Oh? Is that also a result of your strengthening?” 

“I think so, but if so, how are you able to hear it, Suimei?” 

“My, uh, ears have always been good… Actually, this isn’t the time for that.” 

Suimei brushed off the question with a light joke. He and Reiji were on the same page now, but Mizuki had yet to grasp the situation. 

“H-Huh?” 

“Mizuki, someone’s approaching right now. Quite a few people, actually.” 

Reiji recognized the distinct sound of many footsteps approaching. It seemed that the strengthening effect didn’t just make him physically stronger. And once he gave Mizuki the short of it, Reiji positioned himself in front of her with the intention of protecting her while he focused on the passage that lay beyond the door. Mizuki shrank back in anxiety, and Suimei also put himself on guard next to Reiji. 

“Now then, just what is going to pop out…?” 

“Hopefully it’s someone important from this world rather than the bad guys.” 

“Are you kidding, Reiji? Hopefully it’s our classmates with a sign that says ‘Surprise!’” 

“…” 

Reiji didn’t respond to Suimei’s all too optimistic humor. Was it because the footsteps were drawing ever nearer? Or was it because he was hoping for something other than that? Maybe Reiji honestly believed the best-case scenario would be if someone important walked through that door. Suimei had no way of knowing what he was really thinking, but now that the footsteps were just on the other side of the door, it would only be a matter of seconds before they saw who it really was. 

Suimei cast a fleeting glance to his side. He could see Reiji lower his stance, ready to spring into action at any time, and Mizuki stepping back so that she wouldn’t get in his way. As for Suimei, rather than stiffening up at the prospect of danger, his heart was pounding at the thrill of the unknown. He was in his element right now, and that was his natural curiosity as a magician at work. 

Suppressing his excitement, he quietly inspected the belongings he had with him. He’d been brought here completely unprepared, so he had nothing other than what he usually carried on his person. 

I have my bag, inside of which is a chain accessory, a vial of mercury, cards, my suit, the gloves of discord, and a little of the Yakagi secret medicine… Frankly, I’m a little unsure about whipping any of that out, but… 

If something happened, he wouldn’t have a choice. Because Reiji and Mizuki were used to peaceful everyday life in Japan, Suimei was the only one with combat experience among the three of them. He’d had his fair share of run-ins in the underworld. He certainly wanted to keep that and his powers a secret from his friends, but if that came at the cost of their lives, he wouldn’t hesitate to reveal himself. Even in the worst case, though he would feel guilty about it, there was the option of manipulating their memories. 

The three of them each tensed up as the footsteps came to a complete stop. The brief moment after that seemed to last forever. But eventually, the door finally opened with the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground. Reiji immediately readied himself. 

“Tch!” 

“Mea firma aegis.” 

[My solid shield.] 

With that, Suimei put his defensive magicka on standby. It wasn’t out of the question that whoever it was would suddenly attack upon seeing them. Better safe than sorry, after all. 

What appeared in the doorway was a group of armored men who didn’t look particularly friendly. From what Suimei could see, however, they looked to be human. They didn’t appear to be monsters, demons, or other evil beings, so that much was a relief, at least. 

The armored group then stood along the wall, forming orderly ranks while facing the three friends vigilantly. Just what was going to happen? Suimei kept his magicka at the ready, but the wall of armored men parted. A young woman with blue hair wearing a pink dress, and a second girl with silver hair wearing a white robe the color of a polished pearl then appeared. 

“Huh…?” 

“Hmm?” 

Both girls tilted their heads to the side in unison, looking as though something completely unexpected were unfolding right in front of them. Then the girl with the blue hair leaned in and began quietly whispering to the other one. 

“White Flame-dono, was there not supposed to be a single summoned hero?” 

“No, it is just as you say.” 

“Yet there are three people present here…” 

“I-Indeed there are… About that, this is merely conjecture on my part, but let’s just assume one of these three is, in fact, the hero. I would imagine then that the other two simply got caught up in the hero summoning.” 

“But how could that be? I’ve never seen records of such a thing happening. I’ve never even heard of it.” 

“Neither have I, Your Highness. Yet even so, here three people stand before us, so…” 

“The probability is rather high, you mean.” 

They were talking privately to one another, but Suimei could overhear them thanks to his enhanced hearing. He expected Reiji could hear them as well, but wasn’t sure he could understand what they were saying. What they were speaking, after all, wasn’t Japanese, or any other language from Earth, for that matter. It was a strangely rhythmic language. And even though he didn’t know what it was, Suimei could still decipher it. 

Figuratively speaking, it was like the words were being rearranged in his head into a language he knew well, or something to that effect. Since it was considerably intuitive to him, it was difficult to explain in words. The reason for it was likely because of the kind of spell that was cast on them when they were summoned. It was only a theory of Suimei’s, but he didn’t have much else to go on. The reason why didn’t matter all that much right now. More importantly, it was convenient. 

And then, judging that there was no longer any need to remain on guard after hearing the words “hero” and “summoning” from their conversation, Suimei discreetly canceled his magicka. Reiji also seemed to relax as he came out of his stance. Suimei then turned to Mizuki. 

“Hey, Mizuki, it seems this was a bit of a surprise for them too. Is this kind of development normal?” 

“Well, yes. There are stories where the friends of the summoned hero are caught up in things too, but…” 

Mizuki suddenly looked troubled, like it was hard to explain further. Suimei was left hanging. Just what was it she was afraid to say? 

“Mizuki, are you worried about something?” 

“Um, in this kind of scenario, one of the hero’s friends—in our case, that would be one of us—usually forms a pact with an evil god and becomes the antagonist.” 

“What the hell, seriously? Now an evil god’s going to show up for no reason? Why?” 

“I’m not really sure myself…” 

Mizuki trembled with anxiety. Frankly speaking, Suimei wanted to do the same thing. No, he just wanted to run away. He just couldn’t get his head around why something as extreme as an evil god would suddenly show up. 

He might have been able to understand if it was just an avatar or some other manifestation of its power, but actually summoning an evil god would cause deaths in the thousands. Even if the summoned hero somehow managed to scrape by on bare luck, they would have a dangerous incarnation of evil eyeing them forever after that. And people rarely ever got that lucky twice. Without some sort of intervention, it seemed the hero would still meet an unfortunate end eventually. And that wasn’t what Suimei wanted. Thinking about it sent a chill down his spine. While lost in his own thoughts, Reiji continued questioning Mizuki. 

“The antagonist? Why would one of you end up fighting with me?” 

“In this scenario, either me or Suimei-kun would come to oppose your way of thinking, Reiji-kun, and end up making a pact with the evil god as a way to fight against you.” 

“What…?” 

Reiji went visibly pale upon hearing Mizuki’s explanation. He was dumbfounded. Seeing his response, Mizuki desperately tried to backpedal. 

“But, but I would never do that, Reiji-kun! I don’t hate you! I l-l-l-l-lo…” 

She must have been too embarrassed to say it directly to his face. Her voice steadily trailed off until it was completely inaudible. Reiji then awkwardly turned his head towards Suimei. 

“Th-Then… it’s you, Suimei?” 

“Heh, to be honest, I’ve always secretly thought you were a real bottom-feeding braggart who should just drop dead.” 

“—!” 

A dark passion could be seen filling Suimei’s eyes as he spoke, and Reiji was left at a loss for words. 

“I’m kidding…” 

“S-Suimei…” 

“I really am kidding. If I hated you, why would I have gone out of my way to keep your company for the last six years? Just think about it.” 

“Th-That’s right. Th-Thank god…” 

Hearing that Suimei and Mizuki were on his side, Reiji now let out a sigh of relief. And while the three of them were having that exchange, the blue-haired girl called out to them with the dignity of a graceful princess. 

“Um, excuse me. I apologize for the interruption, but would you mind speaking with us?” 

“Oh, of course.” 

Reiji politely agreed, and the young woman with blue hair and a prominent forehead gave a graceful bow before introducing herself. 

“I must truly apologize for calling you forth so abruptly. I am the second child of His Majesty King Almadious Root Astel, king of the Kingdom of Astel. My name is Titania Root Astel, and here with me is the one who strove to bring you here on this occasion…” 

As if to show she had someone else to introduce, the girl with the large forehead, Princess Titania, lightly turned to the side. The robed girl she was speaking of took a single step forward. 

“I am Court Mage Felmenia Stingray. It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

This was the young lady the princess had called “White Flame” in their earlier conversation. She had beautiful silver hair that reached her waist with neat braids hanging down next to both her ears. Her slightly angled eyes seemed to convey a sense of pride. She made a lasting, intense impression, but she also had some rather charming, likeable features. As befitting someone who called themselves a court mage, mana was fluidly flowing through her body. The same was true for the princess, but this woman seemed far more adept at its control. 

Wait, this woman is the one who summoned us here? That son of a… 

Before him now was the person responsible for their current predicament. Feeling nothing pleasant at making her acquaintance, Suimei grumbled to himself. Once the girls finished their introductions, Reiji stepped forward and politely returned the gesture. 

“Thank you for such a courteous greeting. My name is Shana Reiji. If it is more common here to put the surname last, then please feel free to call me Reiji Shana. These two with me are my good friends. To my right is Mizuki Anou, and to my left is Suimei Yakagi.” 

Exactly when did he learn to be so formal? Princess Titania and Court Mage Felmenia responded quite admiringly to Reiji. They were rather dignified themselves, but they seemed to be pleased with Reiji’s manners. When she had the chance, Mizuki stepped forward next. 

“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mizuki Anou…” 

When she was finished, Suimei took a step forward too. 

“I’m… Suimei Yakagi.” 

He kept things short and sweet. He didn’t really have anything else to say, and he could tell this was the kind of situation where he should avoid saying anything imprudent. Titania then passed her gaze over the three of them, and closed her eyes as if deep in thought. And then… 

“Reiji-sama, Mizuki-sama, and Suimei-sama, correct? The reason that we have summoned you under such circumstances… You see, there’s something that we must ask one of the three of you.” 

“What is it?” 

“We need you to destroy the Demon Lord Nakshatra, the leader of the demons who currently threaten the peace of this world.” 

The moment Princess Titania said those words, the three friends all gave each other knowing looks. Suimei was then the only one that put his hand on his forehead and looked up at the ceiling like he wanted out. 

Summoned to another world, greeted by a princess and a court mage, then asked to save the world. It was practically textbook. The three friends were able to keep up appearances on the surface, but each of them truly felt like they’d had their legs knocked out from under them. 

“Man…” 

“Wow…” 

“Oh my god…” 

In the end, they weren’t able to keep it together after all. Each one of them broke into a different kind of sigh. They now looked like they were at their wits’ end from the shock of it all, and Titania began questioning them in a somewhat bewildered tone. 

“And so, I must apologize for the abruptness of it all, but which among you is the esteemed hero?” 

“Um…” 

“That’s…” 

In response to her question, Reiji and Mizuki looked at each other with troubled expressions. There was no way they would know if they were heroes or not. How could they? As far as they knew, they were just ordinary civilians. If anyone had asked them if they were heroes otherwise, they certainly would have said no. As such, there seemed to be no answer to the question posed to them now. But they couldn’t just stay in the dark; things would never progress that way. And so Suimei decided to step in. 

“Can I ask something?” 

“Yes, please feel free to ask anything you see fit.” 

“Is there something that would indicate who the summoning target was? Like a sign that should prove that one of us is a hero?” 

“Proof of being a hero? A sign, you say?” 

Suimei nodded, and Titania looked over to Felmenia. Felmenia met her gaze and nodded, then turned towards Suimei to give him an answer. 

“Yes, there is such a thing. The hero who is summoned by the ritual is given divine protection by the Elements upon crossing worlds, and should house tremendous power within their body. In other words, one among you should feel power flowing within you unlike anything you’ve ever experienced… Does one of you not match that description?” 

“If that’s how it is, I think that would be me. Since coming here, I’ve felt like I became much stronger—stronger than I could have ever imagined.” 

The soldiers in the room began whispering amongst themselves and let out a collective “oooh” at Reiji’s response. It was true that Reiji seemed to be the only one who’d gotten any power when they were transported, but be that as it may… 

She said “by the Elements,” didn’t she? 

Suimei scrutinized the girl’s words internally. Elements, elemental, elementary… Such words in the world Suimei was from were used to describe chemical elements, or more esoterically, the four or five arcane elements. Earth, water, fire, and wind made up the traditional four, and including the void made it a more conceptual five. These words and the things they represented played an extremely important role in magicka. 

Yet the way Felmenia had phrased it made it sound like she was referring to a living being. Even though magicka could work hand in hand with spiritual religious faith, and even though the core of its practice was calling on spirits for power, the nuance was a little strange. 

But they were in another world now. There was no guarantee that things worked exactly how Suimei would expect them to. If they were identical, there would be no need for the division between worlds in the first place. There had to be some reason these two worlds were separated—something that made this one different. Perhaps the difference was Elemental… 

“So then you are the esteemed hero?” 

“Well… Yes, I think so.” 

While Suimei was ruminating over the Elements, Titania’s intoxicated eyes fell on Reiji. It appeared she had some special feelings for this “hero.” Of course, it didn’t hurt that he happened to be quite handsome. Seeing her looking at him like that, Reiji was somewhat taken aback. Even more so when Titania suddenly grabbed his hand. 

“Hero-sama, though it is truly presumptuous of me, please… I’m in your hands!” 

“H-Huh?!” 

“Y-Your Highness?!” 

It seemed that the girl in the white robe, Felmenia, was just as surprised by this sudden outburst as Reiji was. She called to Titania in a fluster, and it was only then that she seemed to realize what she’d said. The princess then let go of his hand as she blushed a little. 

“Goodness… You have my deepest apologies, Hero-sama. I of all people shouldn’t be acting so impertinently in a situation like this… Well, now then, I believe His Majesty the King will explain things in the audience chamber, so please give us your reply then.” 

“U-Understood.” 

Still caught in the vortex of confusion, Reiji somehow managed to collect himself and offer an acceptable answer. Felmenia then took a step forward towards him. 

“H-Hero-sama, allow me to introduce myself once more. My name is Felmenia Stingray.” 

“Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

“I believe we’ll be seeing a lot of each other from here on. It’s an honor to work with you. I’ll be in your hands as well.” 

“What? Oh, yes, of course…” 

Felmenia nonchalantly echoed the princess’s sentiment as she bowed, and Reiji replied politely despite not really grasping what was going on. Titania, however, cleared her throat in a rather forced fashion. 

“Ahem, White Flame-dono…” 

“M-My apologies. I’m getting ahead of myself.” 

“Now then, please come this way, you all. I will personally show you to His Majesty.” 

At Titania’s command, the soldiers once again fell into line and opened a path for Suimei and the others. 

After following the soldiers down an unfamiliar and gloomy passage for a ways, the group emerged from the dimly lit stone hallway into a bright and dazzling marble passage with ornamental candlesticks dotted along the walls. Unlike where they’d been previously, this area was elaborately decorated and neatly kept. Here and there were works of art, paintings, and ornamental suits of armor that gave the place a truly splendid atmosphere. It was unlike anything they’d ever seen before. 

But that was perhaps to be expected—this was another world. It truly seemed to be one of fantasy, swords, and sorcery. But from what he’d seen of it and its people so far, Suimei had already formed some rather strong opinions. 

Apart from the unnamed soldiers who were escorting them, they’d met two young women—a princess and a court mage. Titania, perhaps because of the charming impression he’d made on her, was walking with Reiji and talking to him nonstop. She’d started by asking about the world he’d come from, and then moved on to asking about his age and his specialties. Her high spirits and incessant chatter made her look like a girl walking together with a boy she had fallen in love with. Suimei was a little jealous. 

Mizuki was too, albeit for different reasons. It wasn’t like she was Reiji’s girlfriend, but out of all the girls he knew, she was definitely the closest thing. It was certainly what she wanted to be. And now a beautiful girl—a princess, no less—had suddenly jumped in the way and was vying for his attention. It didn’t really show on her face, but Mizuki was pretty down about it. 

But then there was the second girl, Court Mage Felmenia. 

“Do you need something?” 

“No, nothing in particular.” 

For a while now, Felmenia had been glancing back at Suimei, staring in particular at his abdomen. Suimei finally shot back with a question in a slightly sharp tone, but Felmenia simply turned back around like it was nothing and stayed that way. In his mind, Suimei let out a groan. 

Was it a failure to keep my magicka on standby? From the looks of it, I’m guessing she saw through me and knows I can use magicka now… 

It was one blunder after another for Suimei, it seemed. Right now, he just wanted to dig a hole to hide in, but he knew he’d never get away with that. 

The existence of magicka and magicians was a secret in the world Suimei came from. It had to be. In the modern era where science was king, magicka was considered heresy. The zeitgeist made sure to stamp out anything that might stand to dethrone science, and that included magicka. But in this world, how were its users regarded? This girl who called herself a court mage was walking alongside a princess who was clearly her social superior, but it was hard to tell what her standing was otherwise. 

Outright using magicka would be a quick and easy way to get the answers Suimei wanted, but it was a bad idea. He didn’t want to out himself to Reiji and Mizuki like that. And it was exactly because he wanted to keep them in the dark about his talents that his first priority now was finding a way to keep Felmenia from talking. He would have to think of some countermeasures. 

“Here we are. This is the audience chamber. His Majesty awaits, so let us go forth.” 

Titania indicated the door they’d arrived at. It looked large enough that even giants could pass through it, not to mention how extravagant and grandiose it was. One of the soldiers who had been attending them called out to another guard stationed at the door. The porter then muttered something, and before long, the door slowly began opening. 

“Whoa!” 

“Huh?!” 

Reiji and Mizuki both gasped when they saw it. It was undoubtedly a surprise to them to see a door opening unassisted. The porter wasn’t touching it, and it certainly didn’t look like an automated door. Not having any idea what was afoot, Reiji asked Titania about it. 

“H-How did it open?” 

“…With magic? Was it to your liking?” 

“Ah, I see, there’s magic here, huh?” 

“‘Here?’” 

“Magic doesn’t exist in our world, you see.” 

“Is that true?!” 

“Yes.” 

“That must mean this is your first time seeing it, is it not?” 

Seemingly pleased by how impressed Reiji sounded, Titania was grinning ear to ear. Felmenia, however, seemed to be panicking a little. She quickly began to assert herself to Reiji. 

“I-I can accomplish such a mean feat with ease.” 

“Really?” 

“Despite how I may look, I am one of Astel’s proud court mages, after all.” 

“Wow, Felmenia-san is also amazing, huh?” 

“W-Well… Heehee…” 

It was difficult to tell if Reiji was genuinely impressed or if he was just being polite, but Felmenia suddenly became bashful. Was she weak to flattery? Perhaps anyone would be if the summoned hero praised their skills. The disparity between her normally intense aura and the carefree smile on her face now was amusing, if not charming. On the other hand, Mizuki’s eyes were still sparkling at the sight of the enormous door opening. 

“Amazing… So magic really does exist…” 

It seemed she was quite interested in the bigger picture. But as a girl who loved fantasy novels, that much was expected. This was right up her alley. 

Suimei was paying attention to the magic as well, but as a magician, he was naturally more invested in the details than Mizuki was. He hadn’t quite heard the chant that the porter had used, but he easily had a handle on the spell’s composition, the deployment of the formula, the manifestation of its power, and the activation effect. 

Wind, right? 

What opened the door was simple magic—a wind spell that consisted of three verses, which had physically pushed the door to open it. The porter’s control over the spell was splendidly fluent. He must have been an exemplary magician, but… 

Hmm, but I wonder… Why wind? Why go out of the way to utilize an element as an intermediary and increase the workload just to open a door? No matter how you look at it, using a three-verse chant so impractically is just completely over the top, isn’t it? 

Rather than being stunned at the fact that magic existed, he was puzzled at how inefficiently it was being used. The porter was talented, certainly, but Suimei could only describe what he’d done as wasteful. Optimizing the available mana, he could have invoked a movement spell, and that would have been that. 

Suimei just couldn’t figure why anyone would use a wind spell to achieve the same effect in a roundabout way. It would increase the length of the chant that much more, and increase the mana required for the invocation. 

And since a spell like that took more time and mana than necessary, Suimei couldn’t see any merit to it. Speaking frankly, a task that simple shouldn’t have even required a chant. If Suimei had done it—or if any other magician he knew had done it—opening a door with magicka shouldn’t have taken any more effort than snapping his fingers. He decided not to dwell on it, but just how much excess mana had been wasted merely to open a door? Honestly, Suimei just couldn’t get his head around it. 

Maybe the porter just likes going the extra mile for flair? 

He left it at that. Perhaps the royal porter simply enjoyed being showy. If that were the case, it would be a little easier to understand. He had no real reason to nitpick the man’s style anyway, but whenever Suimei saw magicka in action, he had a habit of analyzing its practicality and efficiency. But while he was turning that over, Titania suddenly started talking to him. 

“Suimei-sama, you are not surprised by magic, are you?” 

Crap. 

“Oh, me? I’m just too shocked to say anything… Hahaha.” 

“Oh my, is that so? Just wait until you see the court mages training right before your eyes—you may just lose the strength in your legs.” 

“Is it that amazing? Wow, I can’t wait to see it…” 

“Heehee…” 

Titania giggled in a cheerful, yet ladylike manner. This was indeed all surprising to Suimei, but not in the way she assumed. As she and Suimei continued to talk, Felmenia called out to her. 

“Your Highness, it is about time.” 

“Yes. Now then, Hero-sama, Mizuki-sama, Suimei-sama. Please follow me.” 

With that, the group followed after Titania as she passed through the open door. On the other side was an enormous hall. The large, rectangular room had thick stone pillars piercing through it. It had clearly taken much more work to make than the passage they’d used to get there. This, apparently, was the audience chamber. 

“Wow…” 

“Amazing…” 

“Oooh…” 

The three friends couldn’t help but ooh and aah in admiration. The audience chamber was just that impressive. Even Suimei, who had been underwhelmed by the magicka earlier, was completely fascinated by this. 

Sitting atop a throne at the raised center of the innermost part of the audience chamber was a rather intense-looking man who radiated an air of authority. This was likely the king, Almadious Root Astel. He had neatly-groomed, short, golden hair and a splendid beard. To his side was an elderly man who appeared to be his advisor. On either side of the throne was a line of other important-looking people as well. 

Titania proceeded directly forward without even offering a glance at anyone but the man seated on the throne. Then, after ascending a single step of the raised platform, she knelt before the king. Following her example, Felmenia also knelt down. Deciding to take a hint from their actions, Suimei and the others followed suit in a hurry. Once everyone knelt down before the king, Titania finally addressed him. 

“I, Titania Root Astel, have brought forth the hero summoned from another world by the hero summoning ritual.” 

“Excellent. You have been of great assistance, Titania. However, why are there three heroes present?” 

The king clearly seemed puzzled, but it was Felmenia that answered his question. 

“You see, Your Majesty, the other two in the hero’s company are friends of his. It seems that they were also caught in the ritual and dragged with him at the time of the summoning.” 

“What?! They were dragged with him?!” 

“Yes, Your Majesty. Most likely.” 

With that, the king’s intense expression became one of utter shock. The murmurings of “How could that be?” and “I’ve never heard of this” grew louder from the other people present. The king then turned to address Felmenia properly. 

“Is such a thing truly possible? The hero summoning ritual has been performed by various countries for centuries, but I have never once heard of such a thing.” 

“That is… I am but a fledgling with limited knowledge, Your Majesty, but I cannot deny the presence of the people who stand before you now. And as such…” 

“You’re suggesting we have no choice but to believe it.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

After his exchange with Felmenia, the king’s expression turned grim. With that, Mizuki whispered to the others. 

“He’s talking about this summoning thing like it happens all the time, even in other countries. Does that mean there are people like us all over the place?” 

“Based on what he said, maybe. But more importantly, just how many Demon Lords are springing up in this world…?” 

Suimei replied with a disconcerted expression to Mizuki’s question. He felt sorry for anyone else who’d been snatched out of their own world, but if they’d really had to summon that many heroes that many times… something was seriously, outrageously wrong here. 

“Moreover, our situation seems to be a first for them.” 

“Ahaha… We’re the ones people should be feeling sorry for…” 

As they finished their whispered exchange, the conversation between Felmenia and the king came to an end. His grim expression was now resolute as he turned his gaze on the three friends. 

“Hero-dono, I must apologize for calling you to such a place so abruptly. I am the thirteenth king of the Kingdom of Astel, Almadious Root Astel. And this is my castle, Royal Castle Camellia. Though I can only imagine how you must feel attending a royal audience with no prior notification, I implore you to be at ease.” 

The king sounded rather gracious as he spoke, and when he was finished, Titania whispered something into Reiji’s ear. Suimei assumed she was cluing him in on how to properly address the king, but in complete contrast to that expectation, Reiji stood bolt upright in apparent shock. 

“What?!” 

Suimei was bewildered, and it seemed everyone else was as well. The room was abuzz again. In short, the unthinkable had happened. It might have been hard for a modern person to understand, but in a medieval country like this, kings held absolute authority. They were regarded nearly as gods, and to stand in front of one so casually without permission was a flagrant act of disrespect. Surely nothing good would come of it. 

“It is alright. The hero is an esteemed gentleman who has been summoned from another world to save ours. We should be the ones respectfully yielding to him. You needn’t worry about him addressing my father on equal standing.” 

“I-Is that so…?” 

Picking up on Suimei’s tense apprehension, Titania whispered to him to reassure him. Based on what she said, it seemed everything was fine. He’d been terrified for a moment there, but this was a relief. Reiji then bowed before the king and began speaking. 

“My name is Reiji Shana, Your Majesty. I am honored to have been granted an audience here on such an occasion.” 

“So you are the hero from another world?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

As Reiji confirmed his identity to the king, the others in the room began excitedly talking again, saying things like “So that gentleman is the hero?” and “What a sublime countenance!” When their enchanted praise finally died down, the king then directed his attention to Suimei and Mizuki. 

“Then the two back there must be the hero’s good friends?” 

“Yes, I am his friend, Mizuki Anou.” 

“I’m Suimei Yakagi.” 

While still on their knees, Mizuki and Suimei looked up to answer the king. Since they weren’t heroes, they decided against standing like Reiji had. 

“I see. I do apologize for summoning you with him. For our mistake, though it is truly to our benefit, I do hope you find a way to forgive us.” 

“But of course.” 

“Yeah…” 

Still regally seated atop his throne, the king asked for their forgiveness. As king, it was likely the best he could do in the way of an apology, but it honestly didn’t sound like much of one at all. Suimei was a little peeved. 

Yet once again, the crowd gathered in the room was astir with whispering. This time, they said things like “Such words from the king are more than they deserve,” and “Such exceptional compassion!” It was almost the complete opposite of the way they’d talked about Reiji. 

“Ehem… I have many matters that I would like to discuss with the hero, but I believe that this is enough for today’s audience. This has all been quite sudden, and I do believe that Hero-dono is still perplexed by it all.” 

“I…” 

“Hero-dono and friends, there will be a banquet in Camellia’s reception hall after this. Please attend once you have yourselves settled in, and we will move on to the more serious matters at hand tomorrow.” 

It seemed some entertainment was in order, and the real business would wait until after an evening’s rest. That consideration seemed to be the king’s real apology, and in the end, he perhaps may have been overdoing it. Upon hearing the word “banquet,” the atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten up. But there was one person unwilling to let the conversation go. 

“No, Your Majesty. If possible, I would like us to move on to the serious matters at once.” 

“Is that truly alright, Hero-dono? You have only just arrived. Surely you haven’t steeled yourself yet, have you?” 

“That much is true… But, in the end, I know that this is something I must do. I would like to know the details of the danger I must face sooner rather than later.” 

“…I understand. If you wish, Hero-dono, we shall speak of it now.” 

After sinking deep into thought for a moment, the king agreed to Reiji’s request. It wasn’t the answer Suimei was hoping for. 

Aargh… Damn this goody two-shoes! 

With a sour face, Suimei angrily muttered to himself. This was a terrible turn of events. Things were developing too quickly. The pacing of it all was absurd. The three friends hadn’t even yet had a chance to properly discuss things together. Spurred by panic, Suimei tugged on the cuff of Reiji’s trousers from his kneeling position. 

“H-Hey, Reiji! What are you thinking?! If you talk about this now, he’s going to want your answer now. Did you think about that? Actually, isn’t it obvious that—” 

“It’s fine, Suimei. Leave this to me.” 

“Forget that. We should— REIJIIIIIIII!” 

Before they could finish discussing it, Reiji took a step forward and shook off Suimei’s hand. Suimei quietly but mournfully called after him. To Suimei, what the king was going to ask Reiji to do was unconditionally unacceptable. Going off and defeating a Demon Lord in another world… Just what kind of fantasy was this? It was crazy to go and pick a fight with an opponent whose combat force and battle capabilities were completely unknown. Moreover, there was nothing that said they actually had to do it even though they’d been summoned here. 

And on top of everything else, Suimei had a reason for returning home right away. He still had the thesis that he stubbornly promised to complete for his departed mentor, his father. Certainly, it was true that the magicians who secretly maneuvered in the underworld were destined to put their lives at stake, but that didn’t mean they felt like throwing down their lives for just anything. And Suimei was dead set against this. 

Suimei stared at Reiji’s back as he stepped forward, full of anxiety. There was no way any rational person would accept such a ludicrous request, but this was his friend, the abnormally softhearted Reiji. Suimei couldn’t deny the possibility that Reiji just might actually agree to it. That was the worry that pulsed through Suimei’s mind as Reiji approached the king. 

“How much have you heard already?” 

“When we arrived, Her Highness requested that we defeat the Demon Lord. Other than that, we have yet to hear anything.” 

“I see. Then… Gless.” 

The king turned to the elderly man at his side and gave a nod in Reiji’s direction. It must have been a signal. The elderly man—Gless—then stepped forward. 

“I am the Kingdom of Astel’s prime minister, Gless Dillez. To begin with, I will provide you with a rundown of the current situation.” 

“Please do.” 

“Far north of Astel, by a distance that could fit two countries, lies a land of intense cold called the Kingdom of Noshias. Noshias served as the bottleneck between demon and human territory, and for a long time it was known as the northernmost stronghold of humanity. It held off the demons’ advance in our world. That is, up until half a year ago. The royal capital fell in a sudden and unexpected demon assault. After that, Noshias was no longer able to maintain itself as a country, and perished accordingly.” 

Prime Minister Gless’s expression turned grim as he continued. 

“Despite its harsh climate, the people of Noshias boasted strength that was in no way inferior to the people who live on the plains. I have heard that their army was also very powerful, but they could hardly make a stand against an army of demons over a million strong. A great country was cast into utter ruin in less than a month.” 

Mizuki then hesitantly spoke up. 

“Um, by ruin, you mean… What about the people of Noshias?” 

“The demons have no need for human prisoners. At the time of the attack, the majority of Noshias’s people were slaughtered by the demons. The ones who survived were then picked off by the demons’ human hunts. There are a lucky few who have survived to this day, but the population of Noshias has been decimated.” 

“Human hunts? No way…” 

“That, I’m afraid, is simply how these demons are. They despise humans and treat them like prey. They are completely evil beings with no merit to speak of other than their raw power. Rather than come to a compromise at the negotiating table, they would sooner use one to strike at us.” 

Hearing Gless’s explanation, Mizuki’s face paled. They very idea of a “human hunt” struck fear into her heart. It wasn’t all that hard to swallow what Gless was saying, but it was thoroughly unpleasant. Knowing genocide was on the table, it was quite clear the demons of this world were different from the sort that commonly appeared in novels. There was no working together with creatures of that ilk for peace or the greater good. 

“After that, thanks to the oracle of the Church of Salvation, we were able to confirm that a Demon Lord has taken over the demon territory. The Demon Lord’s name is Nakshatra, and if left at large, the demons will eventually annihilate humanity.” 

Gless paused briefly before continuing again. 

“Faced with the prophecy of the annihilation of humanity we received from the oracle, the countries all gathered and held a conference to discuss countermeasures against the demon invasion. However, with the fall of Noshias and the reported size of the demon army, many of the proposals presented to break the deadlock were withdrawn. It was just a demonstration of how we as people lack the means to oppose the demons that tower over us in strength and number.” 

Gless then suddenly turned his gaze towards Reiji. 

“Accordingly, the nations all agreed to resort to the summoning ritual that has been passed down since time immemorial to summon a hero from another world. Normally, the hero summoning ritual is something only the Mage’s Guild and the Church of Salvation are privy to. Its use is strictly forbidden without their consent, and only when humanity is so threatened is the ritual held. After all, if each nation performed the hero summoning ritual indiscriminately with their own national interests in mind, the entire world would be thrown into chaos.” 

“There are that many crises in this world…?” 

Reiji wrinkled his brow. He may also have been secretly screaming internally, “This world has too many damn crises threatening humanity!” 

“Yes. From what the knowledge passed down to us tells us, there have been two occasions where giants that threatened to eat all living beings appeared; three occasions where a tyrant attempted world domination; and like now, there has been one other instance of a Demon Lord appearing. This marks the seventh occasion that such measures have been necessary. And so to avoid the impending crisis, including the Kingdom of Astel, four countries are to carry out the hero summoning ritual.” 

“Four countries…” 

Suimei leaked out a mutter at that unexpected statement. He wasn’t a fan of the idea that there were other pitiful people out there who were having the absurd favor of subjugating demons pushed on them. Surely there were multiple summonings as a failsafe in case someone refused, but that also meant that there was no reason the burden of saving this world had to fall on Reiji’s shoulders. 

“And so the ones that were summoned here would be us, right?” 

When Reiji asked for confirmation, Gless closed his eyes and nodded. 

“It is just as you say.” 

Then Gless’s expression turned from grim to grimmer. 

“Currently the invasion of the demon army has slowed, but in the near future, not just this country, but the entire human world will be trampled underfoot by that massive demon army. We will all fall like Noshias if nothing is done.” 

The color ran from Gless’s face, and his voice became somber. It came off as a piteous act to invite their sympathy. It was sly and repulsive, but thinking of the summoning on an international stage, failing to provide a hero would likely be seen as a dishonor that would hamper the people’s faith in Astel. As the prime minister who had to think of the future of his country, he was acting with good intentions, but Suimei was unable to suppress the fountain of irritation bubbling up within him. Allowing a pause after Gless’s explanation, the king spoke up once more. 

“Hero-dono, would you somehow be willing to accept the task of saving us all?” 

“…” 

“What say you?” 

Reiji cast his eyes downward like he was deep in thought as the king asked again for his answer. 

What’s the deal, Reiji? It’s obvious that you should… 

Naturally, Suimei, who had no intention of ever getting involved, secretly prayed to Reiji. As a magician, Suimei had learned a few combat techniques to protect himself and his research, but had no interest in taking part in an actual war. He thought it should go without saying, but he didn’t want to die, either. 

As if trying to put those anxieties to rest, Suimei devoted his prayers earnestly to the great living god Shana Reiji that stood before him. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for the hero’s answer. And after a long, silent moment, Reiji firmly raised his head. 

“I will undertake your request.” 

Thought so. He would never agree to that. There’s no way he would— What? 

To be clear, Reiji had indeed just said the words: “I will undertake your request.” 

Wait… Hey, hey, hey, hey, heeeeey! 

Reiji agreed. He went and did it. Suimei had to wonder for a moment if his ears were playing tricks on him, but no. Reiji had honestly agreed to do it. 

“Excellent! Then—” 

“WAIT RIGHT THEEEEEEEEEEERE!” 

This couldn’t happen. Drowning out the king’s delighted voice, Suimei’s shriek reverberated through the audience chamber. It was so loud that even Suimei was surprised at himself. Everyone else gathered in the audience chamber froze up, completely aghast. Though he had just disrespected the king by screaming over him, it was so sudden and unexpected that not a single person threatened him for his actions. Even our softhearted hero looked like he had no idea what to do. 

“Wh-What’s the matter all of a sudden, Suimei? Raising your voice like that…” 

“It ain’t sudden, and of course I’d raise my voice, you dumbass! Mr. ‘Oh, yes, I’d gladly march to my death for you,’ did your fucking brain rot?! You just said you were going to beat the shit out of a demon army that’s—let me remind you—about to destroy the world! Millions! We’re literally talking millions of demons! I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here for raising my voice! You are for accepting this crap without even consulting with me or Mizuki first, damn it!” 

Suimei’s breathing became rough as he railed at Reiji without hesitation or pause. He was in an agitated state, but Reiji looked at him and replied with his usual straightforward expression. 

“It’s exactly because of that army of millions of demons that the people here are suffering, and things will only get worse if nothing is done. That’s why the people of this world have called on their last hope, a hero. And that hero is me. That’s why I’m here, so I need to do everything I can for these people.” 

“Listen, I’m trying to tell you it doesn’t have to be like that! We have no obligation to these people!” 

“Sure we only came to this world today. Just like you said, we have no obligations here. But we’re all human, and that connects us. Where is your sense of solidarity? We’re bound together by something more important than obligation, aren’t we?” 

Reiji spoke in a philosophical and somewhat cool manner. How was he, a mere high schooler, so articulate on such an important platform? Suimei wanted to grill him about that for the next hour or so, but… 

“You’ve certainly got a point, but… Actually, no, that doesn’t have anything to do with this! What I’m saying is that there’s no reason you have to be the one to do it!” 

In the heat of the moment, Reiji’s lofty speech was so compelling that Suimei was about to concede, but he countered with what should have been most obvious. Reiji was a student. Unlike Suimei, his only real experience with violence added up to brawling with the neighborhood delinquents. He wasn’t incapable of fighting, certainly, but no matter how he tried to cut it, he stood no realistic chance against a trained army. But in spite of it all, Reiji shook his head and settled the matter with a bad joke. 

“You don’t know that. Right now, I’m overflowing with an amazing power. With this, I very well may be able to defeat a Demon Lord.” 

“What the hell are you talking about, you moron?! This ‘amazing power’ of yours ‘very well may’ do absolutely nothing! A great scholar once said, ‘Fights are all about the numbers, bro!’ Ever heard that one before?! I don’t care how strong you are, this is basic math, man! It’s you against a million!” 

“I’ll never know if I don’t try. We already know that people summoned here have saved this world before.” 

It was true they’d learned that much so far, but it was entirely possible those stories were just legends passed down from generation to generation. 

“Maybe they just got lucky.” 

“But it’s precisely that luck that represents an undeniable truth. And honestly speaking, I can’t just abandon those in need. It may not be sensible, but I want to help the people of this world.” 

“Reiji. Again, you’re…” 

Suimei was slightly discouraged at Reiji’s earnestness. Pitied it, even. This was Reiji’s disease. The moment he saw someone in trouble, he would throw himself into the fray for their sake. That’s just who he was, and he hadn’t changed since the day Suimei met him. 

He would go about trying to save someone and get people like Suimei involved, but in the end, he would save everyone. He was strong, and his only real weakness was being unable to look the other way. That was Shana Reiji. Suimei, who had been by his side for years, knew his true nature quite well. 

“Suimei… If you don’t want to help, then I won’t force you. Honestly, I’d feel better if you were with me, but I’m the only one who obtained power as a hero. This falls on my shoulders, and I’ll understand if you don’t come with me.” 

“You damn… It’s a matter of principle. Of course I don’t want to go, but it’s not just…!” 

“Mm, I know. You’re worried about me, right? Whenever I don’t think things through, you’re always the one who’s there to straighten them out for me, after all.” 

It was sly of him to say that so kindly. It was moves like that that were the reason Suimei could never actually put his foot down, and would always end up going along with him before he realized it. But this time… 

“I’m absolutely not going. I don’t want to get involved in any of this, and I don’t want to die.” 

In the end, he just couldn’t do it, not even if he was only tagging along. No matter how he thought of it, it was far too reckless. 

“Mm. Sorry, Suimei.” 

“If you’re actually sorry, you shouldn’t have accepted in the first place, damn it.” 

Suimei could only reply with a mix of exasperation and resignation to Reiji’s heartfelt apology. Next, Reiji turned to Mizuki. 

“I’m going to go defeat the Demon Lord. I want you to wait with Suimei, Mizuki.” 

It was clear on Reiji’s face just how determined he was. Mizuki hung her head and trembled like she was frightened. Just what was she thinking about? After several moments of silence, she finally stopped shaking and looked back up as she declared her intentions. 

“…Um, I’ll go with you, Reiji-kun.” 

“Wha?!” 

“Mizuki…” 

“Wow, you too, Mizuki?” 

Suimei was baffled. He hadn’t expected yet another of his friends to say something so unbelievably out of touch. However, this time, Reiji was on Suimei’s side. 

“Mizuki, you can’t. What I’m going to be taking on is a matter of life and death. That’s why I can’t take you with me. I don’t want to put you through something so dangerous.” 

Even though Reiji turned her down, Mizuki vigorously shook her head from side to side in protest. 

“If this world is doomed if the Demon Lord isn’t defeated, then I’m in danger no matter what I do. That’s why I want to go with you, Reiji-kun. Maybe I could be of a little use. I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, and I don’t know if I have the same desire you do to save these people, but even so, I want to be by your side, Reiji-kun.” 

“It’ll be dangerous. I may not be able to protect you, Mizuki.” 

“I know. And if it comes down to that, I won’t be upset if you leave me behind. So…” 

Even if it came down to that, there was no way she’d be okay with that. Mizuki wanted to be together with the boy she loved, and to that end, she lied about her true feelings now. It was enough to give Reiji pause before he replied. 

“…I understand. If you’re willing to go that far, then let’s do this together. But I need to make one thing clear. I will never, no matter what happens, abandon you, Mizuki.” 

“Mm…” 

Mizuki smiled. Perhaps it was because Reiji had accepted her. She seemed somewhat happy, but even after mustering all her courage, there were tears welling in her eyes. 

“Your Majesty. Regarding the subjugation of the demons, I will indeed accept your request. Mizuki and I will do our best.” 

“Understood. Mizuki-dono, are you truly alright with this?” 

“Yes!” 

Seeing Mizuki reply so enthusiastically, the king gave her a delighted smile. He then turned his attention to Suimei. 

“Suimei-dono, after all this…” 

“No, I’m not going to fight against an absurdly oversized army of monsters. Indeed, I will not be going with these two.” 

“I see…” 

The king sounded somewhat disappointed, or really, apologetic. Perhaps that was to be expected since he felt responsible for their summoning. But in stark contrast to the king’s attitude, the response from the surrounding audience towards Suimei was ice cold. Whispers of exasperated disbelief and irritation could be heard from the crowd. “Even that girl decided to follow along, yet that young man…” and “It’s like he has no backbone,” they said. 

For people who won’t do anything to defend themselves, they really just say whatever the fuck they want. Well, since I’m not doing anything either, I can’t really talk, but… Wait, that’s not at all what’s important here. 

After internally griping for a moment, Suimei moved on to something he needed to ask the king no matter what. 

“Your Majesty. I have a single request to make of you. Is that alright?” 

The people kept whispering. Suimei could hear them hiss “How unbelievably impudent!” and “A bastard like you is not in a position to make a request of His Majesty!” Suimei, however, ignored them. And the king replied without so much as raising his voice. 

“Let us hear it.” 

“Alright. I won’t be taking part in subjugating the Demon Lord, so I want you to send me back to my world.” 

He had no intention of helping with the counteroffensive, so there was no need for him to stay here. He wanted them to invert the hero summoning ritual and send him home as quickly as possible. He thought it was a simple enough request, but the king made no reply. 

“…” 

Instead of an answer, a heavy silence fell over the room. When Suimei looked around, he saw Reiji standing there looking like he didn’t have a single clue what was going on, and Mizuki looking like she at least had a faint idea. As for Titania and Felmenia, they were both pale and had sour looks on their faces. It was pretty clear something was up. They hadn’t looked like that until Suimei asked to be returned home. In other words, his request was the cause. Realizing that much, a terrible hypothesis crossed Suimei’s mind. 

“Hey, wait a sec. Don’t tell me…” 

Suimei had long lost the composure to stay polite, but his behavior was understandable. If his hypothesis was correct, what he was asking was out of the question. The silence lingered in the air for another few moments before the king resolutely spoke up. 

“My apologies, but I cannot return you to your own world. It is not that I do not wish to do so. It’s simply that there exists no such way to do so.” 

Hearing those words, Suimei’s temple began twitching. And then, knowing full well it was disrespectful, he decided to go all in on asking just one more time. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you very well. Could you please repeat that one more time?” 

“There exists no method to return you to your own world. Thus, we are unable to send you home.” 

There it was. That was the decisive blow. Suimei spontaneously stomped his foot on the ground so hard he almost put a hole through the floor. 

“Wha… DON’T FUCK WITH MEEEEEEEEEEE!” 

Suimei’s second shriek of the day rang out through the audience chamber. 

After the incident in the audience chamber, an uproar broke out that was unprecedented since the founding of the Kingdom of Astel. After hearing the king tell him he couldn’t be returned to his world, Suimei screamed and broke out into a royal rage. “Aren’t you just a fucking idiot to summon someone when you can’t send them back?!” and “No matter how you put it, that’s just too selfish, you moron!” were some of the gems that left his mouth in his outburst. And after hurling all manner of verbal abuse at the king, he approached the throne. At that point, Suimei had gone completely berserk. He was no longer thinking rationally, and he didn’t give so much as a second thought to where he was and what consequences his actions had—he was that mad. However, considering the circumstances and what he’d just been told, it was perhaps a normal enough reaction. 

But to those present, this was a frightening situation. They had no idea what the summoned party was capable of, and whether or not Suimei would harm the king. As he approached the throne, the leaders and soldiers present came running over to stop him by force. Things were on the verge of escalating into an irreversibly serious affair, but once Reiji and Mizuki sensed the tension in the room, they held Suimei back and somehow managed to avoid any further problems. 

And then, before his rage had even cooled, Suimei was frantically carried away, just about crammed into a room that was given to him, and shut inside alone. That was where he found himself now—his emotions still unsettled and his stomach churning nonstop. 

“Shit, seriously? Seriously…?” 

At his wits’ end, Suimei doubted the reality of it all a countless number of times. However, no matter how many times he pinched his cheeks, he just wouldn’t wake up in his own bed. No matter how many times he looked out of the window, the foreign scenery remained unchanged. Being so confronted with the ugly truth of it all only multiplied his anguish. Suimei screamed out, cursing the culprits who were no longer there with him. 

“Aaaaaaaargh! What the hell do I do now?! I don’t know the equation for a fucking spell that can cross the boundaries between worlds!” 

The summoning spell that brought them to this world was different from a normal summoning spell. The function was the same in theory, but in order for it to work across dimensions, the scale of it was nearly unthinkable. If they’d summoned him to the astral plane, it would be a different story, but to summon a target whose location couldn’t even be verified in a parallel world was something Suimei had never even heard of back home. 

Even assuming these two worlds were bound to one another by a causal relationship based on the fact that they’d already traveled between them once, using such a connection as the basis for teleportation magicka would be incredibly weak. It would be like sending a train out on rickety, brittle tracks and hoping to reach your destination on faith alone. It was just as likely to go flying off course and lose absolutely everything in the process. 

“Ugh…” 

Suimei let out a pained groan. Since he was summoned here, even if it was by accident, he knew some kind of path had to exist. Even if it was grasping at straws, if he could somehow make that work… 

“Please connect, Mary…” 

Communication magicka—thanks to the widespread use of cell phones, it was a fossil of magicka that was rarely ever used nowadays. But with it, Suimei tried to establish a connection with one of his acquaintances, Hydemary Alzbayne. She was the girl he had completed the most jobs for the Society with back on Earth, and if he could get through to her, it would be possible to solidify the connection. That way, even in the worst-case scenario that he really couldn’t return home, he could at least let her know what had happened to him. 

“Shit!” 

But the attempt was fruitless. The distance between this plane and his was just too great, and he couldn’t establish a connection. 

“If it’s come to this, I’ll have to make a way back myself, huh?” 

The difficult challenge weighed on his shoulders like nothing he had ever faced before, and he fired out a tremendous sigh. There was always the option of giving up, but in order to accomplish what he needed to do, he absolutely had to find a way home. 

“Hahh…” 

Suimei took a deep breath in, and then… 

“I’M DEFINITELY GOING BACK, YOU HEAR MEEEEEEEEEEE?!” 

He released his determination as a roar. 

A few days after Suimei and the others were summoned to this strange new world, Reiji and Mizuki stood before the royal knights and court mages in the outdoor training grounds of Royal Castle Camellia. 

“Finally, huh, Reiji-kun?” 

“Yeah.” 

Mizuki was unable to contain her enthusiasm. After all, they were about to begin their magic training with Titania and the royal mages and knights. It was no surprise that Mizuki was ecstatic, but Reiji was also unable to hide the fact that his blood was pumping with excitement. 

“Magic, huh? I never thought the day would come when we’d be able to use it.” 

In their world, something like that was completely unthinkable. It was just a dream that anybody could have, but no one could accomplish. It was merely a fictional power that only existed in fantasy. But no longer. 

“I guess we really are in a different world, huh?” 

Mizuki hung her head as her heart was seized with loneliness and the feelings that she was hiding within her escaped her lips. In truth, this was difficult for her. But that was perfectly understandable. Suimei certainly wasn’t the only one who was shocked to hear they couldn’t return home. Though Mizuki had decided to follow Reiji, she felt the same way. Even Reiji felt the weighty sadness of never being able to see his loved ones again. 

“Mizuki…” 

“Ah, I’m s-sorry! I just got a little gloomy.” 

“No, it’s fine. I know how you feel…” 

“Yeah…” 

“But relax. I’m going to protect you, remember?” 

That was right. Reiji was the one who’d made the decision to undertake all this, and he’d promised to support Mizuki in the process. But when she thought about that and what it meant, she began blushing furiously. 

“R-Reiji-kun! D-Do you mean…” 

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” 

“What I’m asking, um, is…” 

“…?” 

“Ah… That’s right. You are Reiji-kun, after all…” 

Just what was wrong with her? After realizing something, Mizuki grumbled to herself in a disappointed and somewhat exasperated voice. Reiji didn’t know what drove her to behave like that, but Mizuki suddenly recalled a different anxiety and shared her thoughts with Reiji. 

“I wonder if Suimei-kun’s okay…” 

Her thoughts had wandered to their friend who wasn’t with them: her classmate Yakagi Suimei. After the scene in the audience chamber, he’d shut himself in the room given to him and wouldn’t come out. Perhaps not being able to return to their world was just that much of a shock to him. Even when Reiji and Mizuki tried to talk to him through the door as concerned friends, he would only give them listless replies. They still didn’t really know what condition he was in. But to alleviate Mizuki’s worries, Reiji smiled at her. 

“I don’t really think you need to worry about him. It’s Suimei we’re talking about. After a few days, he’ll come out of his room and act like nothing happened, you know?” 

“Yeah… I hope so.” 

Reiji’s kind words helped, but Mizuki was still anxious. The situation was just that complex and alarming. Her concern for Suimei and her concerns about what would happen from here on out fed off of each other. But those feelings were only natural, all things considered. It was just as Suimei had said in the audience chamber that day. Was it really okay for Reiji to make a decision like that on his own without consulting them? 

“It seems everybody has gathered, so let us begin. Reiji-sama, are you finished with your preparations?” 

While Reiji was pondering for himself whether or not he’d made the right choice, Titania looked around at the line of court mages and suggested starting their practice. Her words brought Reiji out of his thoughts. 

“Yes, I’m ready at any time.” 

“I do apologize for keeping you waiting.” 

“No, it’s no problem.” 

“You’re so gracious and kind, Reiji-sama.” 

Titania offered a grand smile. Reiji hadn’t known her for that long, but she had been courteous with them all this time. Perhaps that was just her nature. Despite being royalty, she didn’t give off even a hint of arrogance, and was quite personable. While Reiji was admiring her qualities, Titania gracefully spun around on the spot. 

“Then to start, I shall introduce the court mages who will be watching over your progress. First, White Flame-dono—forgive me—Lady Stingray.” 

Titania had to correct herself since she wasn’t used to addressing Felmenia that way. Felmenia took a step forward from the line as her name was called out, and made a respectful bow before Reiji. 

“This will be the third time I’ve introduced myself, but please allow me this formality. My name is Felmenia Stingray. I may be the most inexperienced of Astel’s court mages, but please do treat me well.” 

“I look forward to working with you.” 

Reiji returned her polite greeting in kind. This first mage that Titania had introduced was none other than the mage who had summoned him to this world. That was likely why the princess had called on her first, but Felmenia Stingray stood out on her own. Her most remarkable feature was her beautiful silver hair. And though she called herself inexperienced, she was collected and came off as wise. She was no Princess Titania, but Felmenia was also an exceptional beauty. Furthermore, her pronounced chest was— Reiji gulped. 

“To the left is Lord Malfous, then Lord Kran…” 

“Huh?” 

Mesmerized by Felmenia’s body, Reiji missed Titania’s introduction of the other court mages. Titania realized that he seemed lost, and read far too much into the confused sound that escaped his lips. She was worried something had happened. 

“Um, Reiji-sama, is something the matter?” 

“N-No, um…” 

“Are you not feeling well?” 

“I’m fine. Really, it’s nothing, hahaha…” 

Having difficulty smoothing this over, Reiji forced a laugh. He couldn’t possibly admit that he wasn’t listening to her because he was staring at Felmenia. That would be far too lame. 

“Is that so? Well, that’s all for the introductions, but— Oh, now that I recall, there is still something that I must inquire about, Reiji-sama.” 

Remembering something she wanted to ask him, Titania clapped her hands together and turned to Reiji. 

“Let me see. If I remember correctly, the world you two hail from doesn’t have any magic, so…” 

“It’s true. Instead, our world has a power known as science.” 

It was common knowledge—or at least commonly believed—on Earth that there was no such thing as magic. But to the people of this world, that was almost unimaginable. Mutterings like “What’s science?” and “I haven’t ever heard of that” could be heard here and there in the gathered crowed, but it was Felmenia that finally spoke up with a dubious expression. 

“I apologize for cutting in on the conversation, but Hero-dono, is that really the truth?” 

“Yes, it is, but… Is something wrong with that?” 

“No, I was just a little curious… Forgive me for asking again, but there is no falsehood in what you say?” 

As Felmenia asked for confirmation once more, one of the court mages in the line deliberately cleared his throat. And then, with plenty of sarcasm in his voice, he rebuked her. 

“Lady Stingray, are you not being a little discourteous to the hero who has been conferred the task of saving this world?” 

“My apologies.” 

Felmenia politely bowed her head in response to the criticism, but she looked perturbed. There seemed to be something bothering her. Reiji had no idea what she was getting at by questioning him like that, so Mizuki took it upon herself to explain things to Felmenia. 

“In our world, the concept of magic exists, but it only has a place in works of fiction. Sadly, in our world, there really is no magic.” 

To them, magic was nothing but a product of the imagination used in literary works. Authors created it to make their stories more interesting; it was literally fiction. Like Reiji, Titania thought Felmenia’s questions on the matter seemed strange, and grew curious as to her motivation. 

“White Flame-dono, is something the matter?” 

“No… It’s nothing. I apologize for putting a damper on the conversation.” 

“Truly? If you insist, that’s fine, but…” 

As Titania tilted her head to the side, the attendant standing next to her whispered something in her ear. It seemed she was being urged to move things along, because Titania then recollected herself and continued the original conversation. 

“Well, it’s about time we begin. This will be Reiji-sama’s first real encounter with magic, so I would like for somebody to present a simple demonstration and explanation. As such…” 

Before Titania could even finish making her request, the court mage who had reprimanded Felmenia earlier stepped forward full of confidence. If Reiji recalled correctly, this was the man Titania had introduced as Lord Kran. Whoever he was, he had a distinctly thin figure and long hair. Quite bluntly, he was a gloomy-looking fellow. He seemed to be concerned about his appearance, however, as he had been persistently fidgeting with his bangs right up until he stepped forward. Reiji suspected he was either offering his opinion, or saying that he would answer Titania’s request himself. His latter prediction turned out to be correct. 

“Though it may be presumptuous of me, I shall gladly teach our hero the basics of magic.” 

“…You will?” 

“I’m at your service, Your Highness.” 

The mage replied to Titania’s perplexed question in a particularly pompous manner. His behavior was courteous on the surface, but somehow his self-satisfied smirk left Reiji with an indescribable sense of unease. And then, Titania turned towards Felmenia. 

“I was thinking White Flame-dono would be most suitable for the task… What do you think, White Flame-dono?” 

Both the man who’d stepped forward and Felmenia looked surprised at Titania’s suggestion. 

“Wha?!” 

“…Is it alright for me to take such an important job?” 

“Yes. You wield the greatest magic in all our kingdom, so I believe you’re the ideal candidate.” 

“G-Greatest in the kingdom…” 

Titania made her endorsement with confidence. Felmenia seemed especially moved at the use of the word “greatest” to describe her and her skills, but the court mage who’d stepped forward was unable to stomach it and voiced his objection accordingly. 

“W-With all due respect, Your Highness, I do not believe that White Flame-dono is more qualified than I am to instruct the hero in magic.” 

He wasn’t happy with having his job taken from him by a girl who could have easily been his daughter. And Felmenia certainly didn’t miss the implication in what he said. 

“Are you suggesting I’m an inferior mage?” 

“White Flame-dono, perhaps you might know that I am also an instructor at the Mage’s Guild. I might even dare to say that I have a little conceit in my teaching ability when it comes to magic. Surely you can see how my experience benefits me here, especially compared to a young lady like yourself.” 

Felmenia looked slighted at first, but her expression quickly changed to a daring smile. 

“Oh? Then shall we have a little test to see?” 

“If you so wish.” 

Tension filled the air. Invisible sparks were flying between Felmenia and the older court mage. 

“H-Huh? Is this a fight? Are they going to fight?” 

“I don’t know if it’s going to be a fight, but something’s about to happen for sure.” 

Mizuki was antsy at this sudden development in what was shaping up to be a very unorthodox first lesson, so Reiji tried to calm her down. Titania, on the other hand, said nothing. She seemed perfectly content to let this continue. Contrary to Reiji’s first impression of her being especially softhearted, she seemed to have quite the stubborn streak. 

“Very well. We’ll have a demonstration from both of you, and we’ll judge which is more worthy.” 

After Titania declared what the rules were, both mages took their positions. 

“Oh Earth! Gather and transform! Become a tremendous power to oppress my foe! Rock Ridge!” 

The first to cast was the older court mage. He recited a spell that sounded like something right out of a video game. Mizuki squealed in excited anticipation. And as soon as the mage finished his incantation, ocher masses of stone gathered from thin air and took shape as a sharp rock angled into a peak that floated in midair. 

“Amazing!” 

“…!” 

Mizuki animatedly threw both her hands in the air and cried out with joy. Reiji simply stood there with his eyes wide open in surprise. And once the spell was cast, the court mage flashed a satisfied smile and began his explanation. 

“Hero-dono, this is what we call magic. As mages, we use mana to appeal to the Elements that compose our world and summon their great power. By calling to the earth and praying silently to it, you will also be able to—” 

“How abstract.” 

“What?” 

Felmenia interrupted the court mage’s prideful explanation with a scornful laugh, and he immediately turned to her with an irritated scowl. 

“I said, ‘How abstract.’ You might be able to get away with an explanation like that with someone from this world, but if you might recall, the hero is from a world with no magic at all. How could you expect him to know what you mean when you talk about mana and the Elements?” 

“Th-That’s…” 

“You’d do well to watch and learn.” 

After coldly declaring that, Felmenia began chanting. 

“Oh Fire. Thou art imbued with the essence of all flame, but burn unbound by the laws of nature. Now, turn everything in existence to ashes, the white calamity of truth! Truth Flare!” 

Felmenia weaved her spell together swiftly. As she spoke, Reiji could feel heat welling up in his own body. 

Ah… 

Just a little below his navel, right where one of his meditative focus points would be, he felt a mysterious heat growing. It was like Felmenia’s chant was calling to it and summoning something inside him. 

“Hero-dono. The power of the Elements is the power of all creation. It is the source of anything and everything. The heat you feel when touched by fire. The cool, soothing sensation you feel when you touch water. If you can appreciate that, the Elements shall rightfully lend you their assistance. As for mana, just harnessing that incredible power you feel within you now will be enough.” 

“Wow…” 

Mizuki was in awe. And it was no wonder. The moment Felmenia finished her chant, a flame the same pearlescent color as her robes appeared and lit up their surroundings. The shimmering white flame then consumed the small mountain created by the court mage and reduced it to cinders. 

After a mere glance at her handiwork, Felmenia turned her gaze on the older court mage. She looked bored. 

“Hmph. It seems your magic was all bark and no bite…” 

“Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!” 

“D-Did you see that, Reiji-kun?! The white flame went whoosh, then it was all ba-ba-boom!” 

“Yeah, I saw…” 

While Mizuki excitedly recalled the events with childlike glee, Reiji just stared at the smoldering white embers. Mizuki quickly calmed down, but she was still fascinated by what she’d seen. 

“So that’s real magic…” 

Indeed, what they’d witnessed was real magic. And it was just as awesome as they’d imagined it would be. Seeing how mesmerized they were, the older court mage took action. Even though he’d been shown up, he didn’t have any intention of admitting defeat. Unfortunately for him, however, Felmenia had anticipated that much. 

“Oh White Flame, become a vortex! Tornado Flare!” 

As Felmenia recited her spell, the smoldering remains of the white flame still on the ground ignited once more and swirled around the court mage. He had no time to take any countermeasures. In an instant, he was completely encircled in white fire. 

“It’s over.” 

After Felmenia declared her victory, the court mage let out a dissatisfied groan. 

“Ugh… Don’t think that just because you won with the sheer destructive force of your magic…” 

His magic had been completely overwhelmed. He’d utterly lost in that regard, but as he was suggesting, that alone wasn’t enough to determine who would make the better instructor. Everyone then turned to Titania for the final call. 

“As I suspected, White Flame-dono will do quite nicely, don’t you think? Between her magical prowess and her considerate quick thinking regarding Reiji-sama being from another world, I don’t see any shortcomings.” 

“Yes, but Your Highness…” 

Felmenia directed her sharp gaze at the court mage continuing to grasp at straws. 

“You don’t know when to give up. As one of Astel’s proud court mages, you should gallantly accept what’s happened.” 

“Wh-What are…” 

“Stand down. Or are you saying that you find fault in my judgment?” 

Titania interjected and voiced her displeasure. The older court mage let out two or three bitter groans as his face turned a dark red. Then, after squeezing out his assent to the princess’s decree, he finally stepped back. He still wasn’t satisfied, but knew it wasn’t smart to earn the ire of royalty. When that was all said and done, Felmenia turned to Reiji with a confident grin. 

“Now then, Hero-dono. As the foremost mage of this kingdom, I will be instructing you in the ways of magic.” 

“Yes, Felmenia-sensei.” 

“S-Sensei?” 

“You’re going to be my instructor from this point on, so I thought it would be appropriate to address you accordingly.” 

“But, Hero-dono, you are the one shouldering the burden of saving us and our world. Moreover, there’s no significant difference in our age. So isn’t calling me ‘sensei’ a bit strange?” 

“Even if the circumstances are unusual, it’s not wrong. I’m not putting myself on a pedestal just because I’m a hero, and I intend to treat the person teaching me magic with all due respect. So please, let me call you sensei. If you dislike it, however, I’ll refrain.” 

“…Truly? If that’s your wish, then I do not have any reason to object. Please address me as you see fit.” 

“Thank you very much, Sensei.” 

Felmenia was still a little perplexed at being addressed with such a title, but she seemed to grow a little used to it as Reiji repeated it with a cheerful tone. She nodded in response. 

“V-Very well then. Are you ready for your lesson, Hero-dono?” 

“You have my full attention.” 

With that, Felmenia whipped around and began giddily mumbling to herself. 

“Sensei…? I’m an instructor… The hero’s instructor… Heehee…” 

Reiji couldn’t hear her, but Titania urged them to begin the lesson as Felmenia recovered from her brief intoxication and collected herself. 

“White Flame-dono, I leave the rest to you.” 

“Yes, Your Highness. Then first, Hero-dono, I would like you to bear in mind what I said when I demonstrated my magic earlier, and imagine the phenomenon you felt inside yourself again. Now try focusing that feeling… in the palm of your hand would be appropriate, I believe. With that, even without a spell or other specifics, you should be able to do something simple.” 

“Is that really all it takes?” 

“It’s not like you’ll be able to do it right away. You will likely have to try focusing several times. No one gets it right on their first attempt.” 

Reiji nodded in response to Felmenia’s explanation and prepared himself. He’d have to give it a try before anything else. He tried remembering what he’d felt in the pit of his stomach earlier when Felmenia had used her spell. 

“Reiji-kun, good luck!” 

With Mizuki’s cheering him on from the sidelines, Reiji took a step forward. 

I can do it. It’s okay. 

Assuming that the welling heat he’d felt in his abdomen earlier was mana, Reiji slowly closed his eyes and tried to focus that energy in the palm of his hand as he lifted it. 

“Looking good. Now, just like that, find the pulse inside you that’s coming from a source other than your heart.” 

A pulse that’s not from my heart? Is… this what she’s talking about here? 

Following Felmenia’s instructions, Reiji concentrated solely on the sensations within his body. As he did, he realized there was something pulsating inside him. It wasn’t his heart, but it beat with a regular rhythm all the same. Just as he’d expected, it was coming from right below his navel—the place believed to gather one’s chi in Oriental medicine. 

“Once you’ve found that, you’re almost there. All you need to do now is guide the energy of that pulse to the palm of your hand… That being said, doing so is no easy task.” 

It sounded like she was under the assumption Reiji wouldn’t be able do it. Attaining magic was no mean feat, and what she was asking Reiji to do was the litmus test that determined whether or not someone was capable of becoming a mage. 

No, I can do it… 

Reiji, on the other hand, didn’t doubt himself. He could still feel the warm sensation growing inside him, and that inspired and encouraged him. Trying to conjure up its power, the first thing that came to Reiji’s mind was fire. But his was different from what Felmenia had used. Reiji’s was as red as the sun as it melted away at the evening hour—a dazzling and burning fire. 

And then words came to Reiji like a revelation. 

“Oh Fire, manifest here and now! Flare!” 

Reiji’s mana gathered as he shouted out his command like he was unleashing the rage in his heart, hailing the Elements. In the center of his palm, a brilliant red flame was now flickering—a magical flame. But in a split second, Reiji’s concentration was broken and the flame vanished without leaving a single ember. 

“I did it…” 

Reiji was floored at his success on his first try, and the other mages watching seemed to share the sentiment. “Th-That was really his first time?!” and “That’s our hero!” they whispered excitedly. Even Felmenia who had coached him through it step by step offered praise. 

“Magnificent… You’re a natural, Hero-dono. A genius.” 

Titania followed up after her. 

“My heartfelt congratulations, Hero-sama. With this, you now have your place among the mages.” 

“I’m… a mage?” 

Reiji was swept up in a flood of emotion at Titania’s words. She turned to address Felmenia next. 

“Well done, White Flame-dono. Your method of teaching must be quite effective.” 

“No, I hardly had anything to do with it. Hero-dono is simply gifted.” 

“Of course Hero-sama has talent, but there is no mistaking that you had a vital hand in his success. Hero-sama came from a world with no magic, yet he was immediately able to grasp its use with your help. Both his power and your instruction are exceptional.” 

“Thank you very much, Your Highness.” 

Felmenia respectfully bowed in response to such high praise. Yet even as she lowered her head, she was overflowing with joy. Mizuki timidly called out to her as she stood back up. 

“U-Um…” 

“What is the matter? Mizuki-dono.” 

Mizuki sucked down a deep breath to calm her nerves, and put the passionate feelings she was hiding in her heart into words. 

“C-Can you teach me magic too?! I also want to learn!” 

“Very well. Then…” 

And so another mage was born into the world.