Chapter 1: Summoned, but Not as the Hero
It was April, the season of cherry blossoms. The start of a new school year after spring break.
As I walked along the cherry blossom-strewn path that served as my commute, I felt a swell of anticipation for the year ahead.
April is the season of new encounters. Perhaps I would have new friends this year. Even though I had already spent a year at the same school, class changes meant anything was possible.
Maybe I could become friends with that kind-hearted delinquent girl.
Or perhaps that serious member of the student council, who might share my interests in otaku culture.
Maybe I would even end up sitting next to that beautiful girl known for her cool demeanor and aloofness, often referred to as the “lonely flower.”
As I indulged in these daydreams of a romantic comedy starring myself, I turned a corner, and just as I was about to see the straight path leading to the school gate, I bumped into something.
“Oh, I was tying my shoelaces,” I realized, and in that instant, both I and the person tying their shoelaces were enveloped in a blinding light.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside a castle.
I was utterly confused, unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.
Looking at the castle’s interior, I recalled something from my high school classes about a German castle with a name that tickled my inner fantasy—a name like Schweinsburg or something equally cool.
Glancing to my side, I noticed a man lying on the ground. Was he the one who had been tying his shoelaces?
As I raised my gaze, I saw a lavishly crafted throne above me. Seated there was an old man, adorned in an unnecessarily heavy robe and sporting an equally imposing white beard.
If I were to utter something like, “Who are you, old man?” I had a strong feeling my head would roll.
If this old man was indeed a king, then the dignitaries lined up beside him must be the country’s heavyweights, right?
And next to them, dressed in a ridiculously extravagant outfit resembling a nun’s garb, was a lady who could only be the Saintess—wasn’t she?
As I desperately tried to grasp the situation around me, the old man’s deep baritone voice resonated solemnly.
“Have the heroes awakened?”
Oh no, this is definitely a hero summoning!
“Um, where exactly is this place?” I stammered, asking a vague question like a battlefield cameraman, breaking it down into pieces.
While I asked, my mind was racing. An alarm was blaring in my head.
“This is the Arcana Kingdom, Hero-sama.”
Contrary to my desire to hear nothing more, the baritone voice continued.
“Hero-sama, will you save us, this kingdom—no, this world?”
This is not the kind of summoning I wanted to hear!
I glanced at the boy who had been summoned with me, still lying unconscious. He muttered something like, “Ugh, Mama,” in his sleep. Great, he was no help at all.
I buried my face in my hands, letting out a massive sigh at the daunting road ahead.
“I apologize for the late introduction, my name is Ichiro Yamada.”
I thought it would be rude not to introduce myself in front of a king, so I made an effort to be as polite as possible.
“Excuse me, excuse me! My name is Prince Ryuguin! Please remember it!”
The boy who had finally woken up jumped in, completely disregarding the situation. What does “please remember it” even mean? That’s beyond rude!
Next to the baritone old man, the dignitaries, officials, nobles, and church representatives glared at us with stern expressions. I didn’t want to delve into their titles—just hearing names like Minister ○○ or High Priestess ◇◇ made my stomach churn.
The one presiding over the gathering was, of course, the king of the Arcana Kingdom, alongside the Saintess, who was dressed in an outfit that was the epitome of extravagance.
To summarize my interactions with the king and the officials who kept interjecting, they said, “There is no Demon King in this world. However, numerous labyrinths have suddenly appeared that threaten to destroy it. We need you to conquer them.”
What? You’re confused?
I figured you might be. Let me explain a bit more.
The labyrinths had existed for a long time, but recently, twelve new labyrinths had emerged simultaneously.
Investigations revealed that these labyrinths were on an entirely different level of difficulty compared to the existing ones. To make matters worse, these dungeons were found to grow rapidly over time.
The kingdom’s request was for us to conquer all twelve labyrinths while humanity still had a chance, and to defeat the Dungeon Masters and bosses residing in their depths.
The Saintess announced, “Hero-sama, we will now assess your status,” and took my hand along with Prince Ryuguin’s, leading us to a massive crystal that was larger than a bowling ball. In no time, our personal information (status) was laid bare.
The shoelace guy, Prince Ryuguin, was revealed to be a Hero.
His skills included Growth Rate x5, Limit Break, Hero’s Sword, and Advanced Light Magic: Extreme—talk about overpowered!
This was completely wrecking the balance of the world! And here I was, feeling like my own environment was being destroyed!
As I trembled at Ryuguin’s overwhelming abilities, he urged, “Yamada-kun, hurry up and reveal your status!”
He flipped his hair dramatically. Just because he was impressive doesn’t mean he can rush me!
“Yamada-sama is a Holy Knight.”
I knew it! I’m not a Hero!
As a Holy Knight, my skills were Growth Rate x3, Iron Wall, Advanced Light Magic, Guardian Deity, Trust and Confidence, Skill Defender, and Log.
The Saintess exclaimed, “Both Yamada-sama and Ryuguin-sama have wonderful statuses! Let us bless these two saviors of our nation!” and called for applause.
In terms of mobile games back in Japan, I was completely a lower-tier version of Ryuguin. But maybe, just maybe, as a free-to-play player, I could still be useful?
After all, the people of this world said my status was cheat-level too…
The dignitaries erupted in cheers. While they were celebrating, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could really manage in this situation.
Once again, the king and the Saintess pleaded, “Please save the world!”
I couldn’t respond immediately.
Being summoned to another world felt no different from being kidnapped. Even if I turned a blind eye and accepted their plea, there were only two of us.
Moreover, I had my concerns. Did I even have the option to refuse? Even if we were indeed overpowered, we had just arrived in this world. With no connections and no knowledge, what could we do if we rejected their request to conquer the labyrinths? No matter how much we protested, we would likely end up dead.
So, I decided to extract information safely, little by little, and somehow find a way back to Japan. At that moment, I made up my mind.
Next to me, Ryuguin’s confident voice rang out.
“I accept!”
The dignitaries gasped in excitement. My heart raced in turmoil.
What the hell is this bald guy doing, agreeing so easily?!
In that instant, my resolve crumbled.
“I, as the Hero, shall save this world—and you! That is the duty of the powerful!”
I had never heard of such a duty!
“With me, the Hero, and Yamada, the Holy Knight, clearing all the labyrinths is not impossible!”
This is not just a minor accident! Where did my will go?!
“Um, excuse me—”
My voice was drowned out by the cheers of the old men.
It was a hellish time, feeling as if I were living in a nightmare. I had been abducted to an unfamiliar land, my life hanging in the balance.
To make matters worse, the imposing adults around me glared at me with stern expressions.
After all, I was just a high school student. I couldn’t play any political games.
It was impossible for me to easily overpower royalty like those high school students summoned in web novels.
Moreover, thanks to that fool Ryuguin, my Labyrinth Conquest had been decided.
While I still had lingering anxieties about the Labyrinth, there was something else I needed to ask. I waited for the commotion to settle before posing my question.
“Will we be able to return to our original world?”
The king narrowed his eyes and replied.
“Indeed, there are records from a hundred years ago that mention heroes who were summoned returning to their original worlds.”
“In that case, please send me back immediately. I have never engaged in martial arts or fought against others, and without any abilities as a Hero, I am nothing but a burden. With the Hero Ryuguin here, he alone can accomplish feats worthy of a thousand men!”
Seeing me raise my voice to shift all responsibility onto Ryuguin, he took my words literally and puffed out his chest, saying, “Hehe, I’m a Hero. Of course I can handle it!”
As I shot him a cold glare, the king turned his gaze toward me with pity.
“I apologize, heroes. The mana required to summon you has been completely exhausted. It will take twenty years for the Magic Tool to fully recover.”
Isn’t that the same as saying we can’t go back? By now, my school must have reported my absence. My parents, sister, and grandparents are undoubtedly worried sick. Would I have to carry this anxiety for the next twenty years? Even if I managed to return, would my grandparents still be alive and well? The worries seemed endless.
And even if I did return twenty years later, what would become of me? I’d just be a thirty-seven-year-old high school dropout with no job.
I had been listening quietly until now, careful not to lose my composure, especially since I was dealing with royalty and nobility. But I could no longer hold back.
Fueled by anger, I was about to voice my protest clearly—when the Saintess, who was nearby, placed her hand on my shoulder. It felt as if she was saying, “Please wait just a little longer.”
“I’m not saying that’s the only way to return. If you conquer the dungeon, you can obtain various Orbs at its deepest point. Among them is an Orb known as the Wish Orb. This Wish Orb grants one wish to its possessor. With that, not only can you return, but it is also possible to revert to your state before the summoning, even returning to the same timeline.”
So, in the end, it seems I have no choice but to conquer the Labyrinth. I swallowed my words and steeled myself for what lay ahead.
○○○
From that point on, things progressed rapidly.
For the next month, I would remain in the castle to learn about this world, and during that time, both Ryuguin and I, who were complete novices in combat, would learn the basics of fighting from the Order of Knights, known as the elite of the realm.
And not long ago, I had used the expression “a hellish time” to describe my experience. That was a mistake. In hindsight, it was more accurate to say that was merely the entrance to hell.
What lay ahead was the true hell. The first step toward it arrived with a sense of discomfort.