This is the fourth story to commemorate reaching twenty thousand bookmarks.
This concludes the side stories.
We will return to the main story from the next installment.
This chapter is a side story that is completely unrelated to the main story, which I pulled out from the very initial plot and rewrote.
While I am using existing settings, the ways various people are encountered are different.
I hope you enjoy it.
I never thought the day would come when I’d have to state my dying wish myself.
I had always assumed I would cling to life, offering a pathetic plea for pity from others.
But I never imagined I could discard my life so resolutely.
“Your wish?”
A woman’s voice, which somehow felt gentle despite being held hostage by me.
You might think it’s absurd to say such a thing in this state of heightened emotional dependence, but that’s how I felt, and that’s the truth.
After all, I wouldn’t make such a request if I were in my right mind.
“Ah, don’t worry. It’s not a wish like ‘save my life’ or ‘let me escape alone.'”
The woman showed a flicker of caution, but I responded with a weary smile.
It was probably a smile so perfectly weary that it could be used as a template for a forced smile.
“…I’ll listen.”
“Hero-dono!!”
“Ah, be quiet!!”
A knight, unable to tolerate such an exchange, was immediately silenced by the other woman.
For some reason, I’m starting to think these two, who are on the enemy’s side, are more reliable.
It’s a strange situation.
“My life doesn’t matter. But Miss Eshlee here, she took care of me. Could you save her? If possible, helping her escape this country would be a great help.”
“Eh?”
Eshlee, surprised by my words, transformed from a gloomy expression to one of astonishment.
“Heh, you two were in that kind of relationship?”
“It wasn’t that kind of grand relationship.”
The woman with a powerful presence spoke with a teasing, amused tone.
I honestly want to know her name, but I realize it’s meaningless, so I don’t ask.
All I can do is helplessly shake my head.
“She’s someone who took care of me to an extent in this world, but her care helped me greatly. It’s like repaying a debt. If I’m killed now, the responsibility will fall on Eshlee, my caregiver. I imagine the responsibility for losing me is quite heavy in this world, isn’t it?”
“Well, if a public execution is all it amounts to, they’re being kind. At worst, I can’t even imagine.”
“Probably. That’s the kind of image I have too.”
With the resolve to die, my thoughts are racing, and words come pouring out one after another.
It’s ironic that our wavelengths seem to match better with the enemy.
“In this situation, it would be easy to fake my death, right? So, could you make it look like I died and send her to some faraway country, perhaps a difficult place to live, like the Hanzibal Empire?”
I have a feeling these two would listen.
I wonder what this is, but since it’s the end, I’ll say what I can.
“You have no benefit in doing that for us, do you?”
“That’s right.”
Are they humoring me, or are they willing to negotiate?
I can’t tell, but I’ll say what I can while we can still talk.
“How about you take my head as your reward? That’s all I can offer.”
There’s no negotiation here anyway.
That’s all the leverage I have.
There’s a slight chance I could defect and become a military asset, but once you betray someone, you lose their trust.
Even if it’s for unavoidable reasons, the possibility that you might betray them again arises.
There should be no exceptions to betrayal.
Therefore, I concluded that I couldn’t offer myself.
“You are resolute. Aren’t you afraid?”
“I probably am afraid, but I have too many things going on in my head that I’ve become numb. I’m not panicking right now.”
A negotiation that might be worth considering.
“After all, you probably received orders to kill me, the material for the Holy Sword, so you wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate a threat, right?”
Now I understand that my confinement was a means to minimize contact with the outside world, to take measures to strengthen some Holy Sword, and to make me seem nonexistent.
Minimal guards, minimal acquaintances.
I’m sure the others who were summoned with me have been told I don’t exist.
I don’t know how they plan to process me into a Holy Sword, but if one of those three were to use a sword made from me, they might feel revulsion towards a sword made from a countryman, thinking it a magic sword rather than a Holy Sword.
It’s common in society for it to be better not to know.
Well, if it comes to light, they could create a good cover story, make it a tale of heroism, and if they shed tears saying not to let his efforts go to waste, those with deep emotions might act out of a sense of justice.
My content was to stand on the front line as an adult and face the enemy so that I could distance them from the battlefield.
If I said this Holy Sword was his keepsake, it would generally be accepted.
Either way, if I became the Holy Sword, it would be profitable for this country.
The reaction of the knights and my current environment suggested that such a scenario existed.
It was possible that these two were lying, and it was not impossible that the knights’ words were true, but…
If that were the case, Eshlee wouldn’t be silent here.
Perhaps she was worried because she thought the originally planned subjugation would be faster, and she felt guilty for not being able to tell me that her plan had been expedited. She might have tried to close the distance out of sympathy and a desire to comfort me, however slightly.
Now, I have no opportunity to know the truth, nor am I in a position to know the evidence.
Therefore, this moment is my present.
Hence, this negotiation.
Combining the other party’s circumstances with mine, I thought it was probably at the very limit of what they could ask for.
This negotiation was undertaken with that in mind.
I never thought I would reach a day where I would negotiate with my own life on the scales, but in another world, it’s probably unavoidable.
“You understand very well. Then you also understand that there’s no need for you to go to such trouble when I have the means to kill you, don’t you?”
“That’s where it gets me, one thing I don’t understand. Then why am I alive? You could have killed the knights there and me first. Or better yet, you could have destroyed the carriage without breaking it, and then destroyed me and the carriage when I was inside.”
In a sense, I seem to be in a state of awakening, as words are gushing out.
My mind is racing, and I’m grasping the current situation.
The information is being organized like cleaning a dirty room, and even the unseen parts are becoming visible.
But still, I can’t see everything completely.
After cleaning, a safe appeared, and I still can’t fully see the enemy’s intentions hidden within it.
Information blocked by thick iron plates.
The fact that the enemy is stronger, and that I am alive right now, raises a question.
It’s the only part that puzzles me.
There’s no doubt that the Holy Sword project is a plan to create a Holy Sword.
And I understood that to create it, not only regular materials like metal but also a human with some kind of power is needed.
Me being summoned to another world must mean I fall into that category due to that power.
Or perhaps they summoned people from other worlds in advance to search for materials for the Holy Sword.
Or perhaps they are considering that if I can be used as a Hero, even if inefficiently, I can also be used as a Holy Sword, leading to various speculations.
But there’s one thing I can say with certainty: they wouldn’t be able to use me as material immediately after summoning me.
If they could, I would have been made into a Holy Sword while I was asleep after being summoned, as that would carry no risk and be undetected by anyone.
But the fact that they didn’t do that means I needed to become stronger.
To create a strong Holy Sword, a strong person is needed.
It’s a plan that sought a powerful weapon without emotions rather than a powerful person with emotions.
That must be the outline of the Holy Sword project.
However, if that’s the case, their actions here don’t make sense.
If the stronger I become, the stronger the Holy Sword created, then for them, who are my enemies, my very survival would be a problem.
If that’s the case, then their actions should be my immediate extermination.
I’m not exactly suicidal.
I want to survive if I can.
But it’s confusing that I, who is conveniently problematic, am still alive.
“Wow, Suella, this child is amazing! To be able to think that far in such a pinch.”
When I voiced this doubt, I was met with applause.
It was a sincere admiration, with applause that was too bright for the situation.
I wanted to force a wry smile and ask “What’s that?”, but the serious atmosphere didn’t allow it.
Instead, the woman who had been applauding handed the explanation over to the woman who was holding me hostage, the Dark Elf called Suella.
“Before I explain the reason, I have one question for you. Have you killed any living creatures since coming to this world?”
“…No. I had plans to kill some soon, but I haven’t killed any so far… Well, I have killed mosquitoes and gnats that feed on blood, though.”
Suella sighed once and then asked me a question, directed at the other woman who seemed to be avoiding a troublesome explanation by pretending to be on guard because there were enemies in front of her.
I couldn’t fathom her intention, but my life was precarious anyway.
There was no need to hide anything.
If you categorize something as a living creature, then insects also qualify, so I answered honestly.
If they told me that killing mosquitoes was also wrong, I’d be in trouble.
I spoke honestly and asked with my eyes, implying “What do you mean?”, and then…
“You don’t seem to be lying.”
From beneath her hood, a small creature slowly emerged.
Suella, after confirming with the blue squirrel-like creature, nodded.
“Then, we will not kill you. By order of the Demon Lord, we will protect you, a summoner from another world.”
The direction of my life shifted towards safety.
“Huh?”
I was once again left behind by the sudden turn of events.
What does this mean?
Eh?
“Keiri, we’ve confirmed her location. Eliminate her, excluding the woman over there.”
“Yeah, yeah~ Now, I don’t have any grudges against you, but this is war after all. Give up and ascend to heaven~”
And after that, it was one-sided. Keiri, who had disappeared in a flash, quickly killed the remaining knights.
With such slender arms, she pierced full plate armor, gouged out hearts, and created holes.
“What about you? I’ll tell you, I’m letting you live out of consideration for the words of the victim over there. If you resist, I won’t show any mercy.”
Her combat power was overwhelming. Eshlee, who had been holding her staff, gently dropped it to the ground.
“…I surrender. Originally, I couldn’t agree with this plan to sacrifice him.”
“Well, I sympathize with your position. That country is merciless to rebels, isn’t it? If it were just you being harmed, you would have rebelled endlessly, but if it affected those around you, that’s another story.”
As if a demon had been cast out, she looked relieved and bowed her head to me.
“Jirou-sama, I understand that what I’ve done is unforgivable, but please allow me to apologize. I am truly sorry.”
Those words were tantamount to confessing that she had been deceiving me for this short period. In other words, Eshlee was cooperating, or rather, being forced, to create the Holy Sword, a human weapon.
Perhaps there is room for sympathy. If her family or friends, or someone she cared about, were taken hostage, she might have felt some pain in deceiving me, a stranger.
“…Honestly, I don’t quite understand how I feel. There’s anger, and there’s disappointment. But there’s also gratitude for what you’ve done for me. I can’t decide whether to forgive you or not right now.”
Sensing my emotions, I put the matter on hold.
“So, can you wait until I can make that decision?”
“Yes. If that is Jirou-sama’s wish.”
That way, she probably wouldn’t commit suicide out of self-blame. It might be a sly method. But I think that’s the most important thing right now.
“Alright, alright, our allies are holding off your reinforcements, but that doesn’t mean we have infinite time. We need to quickly cover this up.”
Keiri, clapping her hands to ventilate the strange atmosphere, drew everyone’s attention. She then rummaged through a large bag she wore at her waist and said,
“Just in case, I’m glad I picked this up from the previous place. Oh!”
She pulled out an object whose mass clearly exceeded the bag’s capacity. As I realized what it was, my mouth twitched, and I instinctively covered it with my hand.
It was a corpse.
The fact that no one else reacted much means that in this world, such a scene is probably commonplace.
“Ah, when you’re not used to it, you react like that. Suella, I’ll handle the cover-up, so could you take him a little further away?”
“Understood.”
“For now, take off all your clothes and equipment, and put them on this corpse.”
“Yes.”
For now, I felt sick, and with what Eshlee was about to do, I made the blade of my staff disappear.
“Can you stand?”
“Ah, ah, somehow.”
Following Suella’s words, which seemed to be urging me to move, I moved a little further away from the scene.
We entered the forest and moved to a place where we couldn’t be seen by our surroundings, a place where we couldn’t see that place.
“Here.”
“What is this?”
Then, from the same bag Keiri had used earlier, she took out a leather pouch from her waist.
“It’s water. You should feel a little better if you drink some.”
“Ah, ah. Thank you.”
Grateful for her consideration and to alleviate my nausea, I accepted it and took a sip. Just as she said, it was water, and strangely, it wasn’t warm, but cold. I wondered if this was magic, and felt a little better.
“Thank you for the help.”
“No, there’s still time until the processing is finished. Please lean against that tree over there and rest for a while.”
“Ah, I will.”
When I returned the leather pouch, she put it back in her bag and urged me to rest. Honestly, that was a great help.
Indulging her, I sat down, leaning against a nearby tree. I didn’t have to worry about getting my clothes dirty. I was dressed in a way that allowed for such things in the first place.
“Haa.”
“…”
My thoughts gradually became calmer, and at the same time, various emotions welled up, but once I had resolved to die, I wasn’t confused. Perhaps it’s better to say that because too much happened at once, I became calm.
I remained silent for about a minute, but I wasn’t calm enough to endure the silence until then, so I said,
“Um, Suella-san?”
“Yes, what is it?”
Since this was an opportunity, I decided to resolve my accumulated doubts.
“May I ask you some questions?”
“Questions within my scope of answer, yes.”
“Ah, that’s fine. I understand you have your own circumstances.”
Honestly, ever since I was summoned, if not a barrage of days, I’ve been desperately trying to get used to this environment.
In addition to those days, today’s incident occurred.
There was no way I could choose silence.
“Why are you protecting me? I don’t mean to be rude, but from your perspective, I’m a key figure on the enemy side, aren’t I?”
“……”
More than anything, I didn’t understand the reason why I was saved. I could have been killed.
Despite that, I survived. Sue la showed a momentary pensive gesture as I posed questions to resolve my doubts.
“There are several reasons. First, you are not yet hostile to us. While you seem to have been training to swing a sword, you haven’t caused us any damage, and you are passive about that act. Furthermore, you harbored skepticism towards that country.”
“Well, I was suddenly summoned and told that the country was in trouble and needed my help, but what I’d have to do is engage in a battle to the death between creatures. No matter the pretense, if it feels wrong, it feels wrong.”
“That’s the second reason. Unlike past Demon Lords, the current Demon Lord is lenient in that regard. This war is, in essence, a war between this world and ours. Instead of asking for help from those unrelated to it, they forcibly summon individuals, conceal dark circumstances, and then force them to fight through brainwashing-like actions. I don’t have positive feelings about that. Furthermore, deceiving uncooperative individuals and turning them into biological weapons is utterly reprehensible. Therefore, you were seen not as an enemy, but as a victim.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I can see how I might appear that way from a different viewpoint.”
All of these were convincing reasons, and I could honestly nod in agreement. If this were all a facade to deceive me, it would be quite elaborate. However, at least, it didn’t trigger the vigilance I’d honed while working at a black company, and they had an atmosphere of trustworthiness that was far beyond what I could compare to that sly fox.
“The third reason, and in a way, the most important one.”
“The way you put it, it doesn’t sound like you just helped me out of pure goodwill.”
I could sense from her way of speaking that the main point was yet to come.
“Yes, we have spent a long time in war with this world. Our purpose is the unification of this world and our world. It is an ambition to return to the original form of the world.”
“That must be a wish beyond imagination.”
“Those belonging to the military harbor this wish to a greater or lesser extent.”
“So, it’s related to that?”
The idea that they wanted my help with the world unification didn’t quite sit right with me. If that were the case, the target of the fight would shift from them to this country, but my actions would remain the same. If they were to bring that up now, I would likely resist. Therefore, the conversation must be about something else.
“Yes, the existence of the Hero is always a barrier to fulfilling that wish. And all Heroes except the first one were beings from another world.”
“From another world? You don’t mean…”
“Yes. In your world, it was understood through historical research. Everyone was from a world called Earth. People from various countries like Rome, Qin, Soviet, Britain, and Kai were summoned as Heroes.”
“…Those are all countries I’ve heard of before.”
Moreover, various missing person cases occur in our world as well. I caught a glimpse of reality being presented with evidence that some of them were due to Otherworld Summoning. The countries she mentioned are all ones that one would hear about when studying world history. The country of Kai must surely refer to Kai Province during Japan’s Warring States period?
Wait, has one of the Takeda’s warrior generals traveled to another world?
“Yes. Because of that, we are planning to make contact with the worlds from which those Heroes originate.”
“So, you mean…”
After hearing all this, I could vaguely grasp what she, or rather, the organization she belonged to, was seeking.
“You want me to act as a go-between?”
“Or, we would like you to serve as an advisor or teacher, providing guidance on language, customs, and common sense, which will be necessary when we make contact with your world.”
“…I see. So it’s not an invasion?”
“We are different from this country. We strive to promote exchange through dialogue and to be able to join hands. Please do not lump us together.”
“I apologize, that was a slip of the tongue.”
“No, I became emotional as well.”
Good intentions and ulterior motives. While it’s unlikely that all three of the stories I’ve heard are the complete picture, they were still comprehensible and acceptable. At least, I had no aversion to them. More importantly…
“So, after all that, there’s a possibility of returning to my original world?”
“Yes. While I cannot disclose the method due to its classified nature, I can tell you that we have already secured the means to travel between worlds.”
“And if I refuse?”
“At the very least, we will place you under house arrest, process your memories, and then send you back to your original world.”
“I see. Even just having my fighting strength neutralized is more than enough compensation…”
“You may perceive it that way.”
The possibility of returning to my original world is very welcome. At this point, having been absent from work without leave for a month, I probably can’t go back to my previous company. I’ve likely been fired. What assures me is that my utilities and apartment rent are on automatic withdrawal, and the passbook for that account is in my room. The balance is significant, as I’ve been putting my unused salary directly into it, so there’s enough for several years’ worth of rent.
I won’t have to worry about losing my home suddenly.
If I put my mind to my job search, I should be able to find work, and in the worst-case scenario, I can help out with my father’s work through my mother’s connections.
“Well, I owe you a debt for saving me, Eshlee, so I can consider cooperating if you can give me your assurance that I won’t be forced to fight.”
“That was my intention from the start.”
So, if the condition is that I can return to my original world under supervision, I’ll be happy to help with various things.
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like the kind of work that involves killing living creatures.
The conditions are significantly better than the country I was in before.
Considering I could have been turned into a living weapon, this is definitely better.
My mind was made up.
The moment I thought that, the clouds parted, and bright sunlight streamed in.
“Morning, huh?”
I squinted, blinded by the sunrise, unlike anything I could see in Japan.
As I did, her hood, which she had been wearing, was slightly pulled up.
“Ah.”
And my view of her face, which had been obscured by the dark and deep hood due to my previous tension, became clearer.
Seeing her true face, illuminated by the morning light of the sunrise, I was captivated.
“Is something wrong?”
“N-no! It’s nothing.”
Why am I blushing?
My mind had been in chaos just moments ago, but where did that serious thinking go?
Compounded by the fact that she heard my foolish voice, a wave of embarrassment washed over me.
“Ah, how embarrassing, how embarrassing,” I thought, shaking my head, probably appearing strange.
“Are you really alright?”
“Ah, yes! I’m alright, I’m alright!!”
My sudden actions made her worry.
I thought I was staying calm, but…
“!”
“Your face is red, though.”
She completely removed her hood, and her beautiful, almost silver hair was exposed to the morning sun. Her appearance, which perfectly matched my preferences, was fully revealed. Her worried expression mixed with allure, and I felt as bashful as a teenage high school student.
“No, this is, well…”
At least I know that what I’m thinking isn’t what I should say now.
I searched for the right words to cover this expression, desperately trying to find something to say.
I think my brain worked harder than it ever has before.
“Right! It’s that. I’m just a little tired!”
But my vocabulary had abandoned me.
“That’s true. It was your first battle, and it seems you spent time in a peaceful world. It’s natural to feel tired.”
However, she accepted my explanation.
If I were a smooth talker, I might have been able to say something like, ‘I was captivated by your beauty.’
But I couldn’t say that.
My cowardly heart, thinking that someone as beautiful as her probably already has a lover, blew a cold wind of doubt.
“Yes, yes, that’s probably it.”
“If that’s the case, please rest a little longer. You haven’t finished dealing with Keiri yet, have you?”
While I felt a sense of relief that I had managed to cover up my embarrassment, I also felt disappointed in myself.
Was I supposed to remain silent? Such feelings welled up within me.
I pushed aside the rational thought of a working adult that this wasn’t the right time for such things.
I smiled gently and called out to her as she started to return to her lookout post.
“Um!”
“Yes, what is it?”
I mustered up a little courage.
“I’ll be under your care from now on, so I’d like to introduce myself. Is that alright?”
“Now that you mention it, we haven’t.”
I slowly stood up and looked into her eyes, her shorter than mine. My heart pounded with a type of nervousness I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“My name is Jiro, Jiro Tanaka. I’m from a country called Japan on Earth.”
“My name is Suella, Suella Henderberg. I’m a Dark Elf belonging to the Demon Lord’s Army.”
I was genuinely happy to finally know her name, Suella’s name.
“I don’t know anything about you all yet, but I intend to work hard to make up for being saved. So, I hope we can get along from now on.”
Then, with a hint of ambition, I gently removed my gauntlet and offered my bare right hand.
“Yes, the Demon Lord’s Army welcomes you.”
Whether she understood my feelings or not, she smiled kindly again and gently shook my hand.
At that moment, I didn’t know.
That in the near future, I would fall in love with her and be prepared to spend my life with her.
And then, this summoning event would lead me to encounter various people, and my destiny would surely change.
At the very least, my past as an ordinary corporate slave ended here.
From now on, my story, far from ordinary, would begin.
Today’s Word: Dramatic change begins with a dramatic step.
Thank you for your continued feedback and for pointing out any typos.
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This week marks our 20,000 bookmark celebration, so the next main story update will be on Sunday.
I am currently serializing another work:
Pandora Pandemic Panic – Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Secret Bases and Other Means!!
Please check that out as well!!
