Chapter 1: Getting caught up in the hero summoning
My name is Mukouda Tsuyoshi. By the way, I’m 27 years old and single.
I am a plain old salaryman living in Tokyo.
If you ask why I am in this fantasy world of swords and sorcery that looks medieval Europ-ish, it’s because I got involved in a “Hero Summoning” ritual.
To kill time, I often read web novels and thus, have read a lot of similar stories, but I never did expect this to happen to me in reality.
Moreover, I’m not a hero but just a random person that got involved …… It’s become a joke.
That joke of a ritual, “Hero Summoning”, was conducted in a country called Reijseger. (TN: Reiseheru in j.a.panese)
Even though 3 Heroes were supposed to be summoned, 4 people appeared, causing everyone at the ritual to show a bewildered expression.
But you know, the four of us who had been suddenly summoned in an entirely different world are the most surprised.
And despite all that, we were also called “Heroes-sama”.
I often read light novels so I soon realised that we had been summoned in another world. (TN: this confused meピンときたけど; I guess this is the sfx of realization?)
Honestly, with them calling us Heroes-sama, I had expected something great of my abilities.
Nevertheless, my expectations were let down.
That’s because we had our status appraised immediately after our summoning.
Using some magic instruments or some random tool, they had examined me.
From the appraisal of our status, everyone else (who seem to be wearing uniforms and are probably high school students) had “Hero from another world that finally came” as their job t.i.tle, whereas mine was simply “Person from another world that got involved”.
Furthermore, the three of them had physical strength and magical power stats at between 700 and 800, while mine was at around 100.
Even so, it can be said that I had some decent powers because it exceeds the average of this world.
Still, I unmistakeably do not need consoling because of the huge disparity in stats with the other three.
The number of skills I have and the other three have are totally different.
Apart from the common skills and item box, they also have the holy sword technique, holy spear technique and the holy magic skills which greatly shocked the esteemed people. (TN: seems weird that the author calls them that but in the raws: お偉いさんたち)
In addition, their magical skills comprised of other elements like fire, water, earth, light, electric and ice.
I’m sure they are cheaters.
In comparison, I have a unique skill called “Online Supermarket”.
I had the “no way, what the heck is this” feeling.
Well, I do know what the “internet supermarket” skill is.
I’m so going to be completely in their care. (TN: I think the MC is saying he know his skill sucks and he is gonna get carried by the other three?)
But a skill is a skill.
Although there will be many other variations of magical stuffs (TN: skills and tools).
For us who came from another world, we have completely no clue about current situation. Perhaps because they were ignorant, the three other heroes started to joke about how I would be treated as useless thanks to my unique skill. (TN: not sure about this paragraph. Could someone enlighten me? Raws: 異世界人には何のこっちゃさっぱりわからん状態だし、勇者な3人には笑われるしで、この固有スキルのおかげですぐさま役立たず的な扱いになったよ。)
Nevertheless, there is no mistake that I was summoned from the “Hero Summoning” and that I can have an audience with the king. Still the king’s reason (for our summoning) was kinda fishy.
The King said:
The Demon Lord does not intend to rule this country but has been invading it again and againWe are still able to hold back the invasion, but we are not sure if we can keep it up.In this current situation, the people are suffering.In desperate hopes, we decided to proceed with the ancient ritual of “Hero Summoning”.Apart from conveniently summoning you all, we selfishly hope that you can lend a hand to this country.We do not know the method to send you back to your original world, but the Demon Lord who has lived for a long time and is exceptionally skilled in magic probably knows something.Well, I had a feeling from the way he spoke.
Clearly, this is all very suspicious.
Especially the part on the method of returning to our original world.
In addition, despite how the king had spoken about the dire situation they are in, I can’t sense any despair from the people in here .
Furthermore, the king is a fat old man wearing a mantle that has sparkly jewels on it which probably cost a bomb.
Adjacent to the king was the queen and between them, was the princess who was wearing a really super-luxurious eye-catching dress.
The king and the royals were anxious about the suffering of the people, but should they be flaunting their luxuries in that manner?
After combining my observations and what I have heard, I arrived at the conclusion that this is a meaningless type of out-of-world summoning. (TN: I think the character is comparing between the premise of light novels he has read and his current situation)
The “Heroes” here, in the end, would simply be tools to expand territory. In short, probably to be used as the country pleases.
Nevertheless, because I’m not a “Hero”, I’ll probably be given indecent treatment, or in the worst case scenario, I would be executed.
From here, I determined that the best option is to get out of the castle immediately.
So for now, this is what I said unskillfully.
“Since I am not a hero, staying here will simply bring inconvenience to everyone. I feel painfully sorry about it and thus, request that I receive living expenses for the 2-3 months which I require while finding employment.”
Thereafter, I was expelled out of the castle after receiving 20 gold coins. This is to be expected since they can simply get rid of me, the nuisance, just by paying.
And so, this is how I ended up on the capital’s streets.
I have no idea whether 20 gold coins are worth a lot or little, but still, I managed to obtain it in a short amount of time.
It is important to quickly learn the value of currency here and learn more about this world.
And later, if possible, get out of this country as soon as possible.
Judging from the King-sama, this country does not seem like a good one, and I have the feeling that staying here would not lead me to a good end.
Right, if I am going to do as planned, I have to take action fast.