"Why wouldn't I want to go back? I was attending school today and all of a sudden I was dragged in front of a bunch of people saying that I was the cardinal spear or something."
The room they provided him looked clean without so much as a speck of dust on the floor. There was a large bed, a small desk, and a dresser for his clothes. One thing he did notice was that there were no windows. Normally, he would enjoy the view outside in the morning, but the room was wide enough that he didn't feel cramped. All things considered, it was a nice place.
He checked his pockets again before sighing. It was a little awkward not having his phone. The moment he was summoned it seemed like all of his previous possessions disappeared. At the very least, he supposed he should have been grateful that he at least had his clothes. It would have been embarrassing if he was summoned without them.
A small groan escaped from his lips as he settled down on the bed. He didn't realize how tired he was before coming here. Being summoned was a fantasy come true, but the meeting with the king had left him drained. Even the dinner with the nobles after had left him feeling awkward and overwhelmed. He wouldn't be surprised if the other guys felt the same way.
There was something off about that king. He didn't want to make any quick judgments, but he was almost certain that the king didn't like him. He had also noticed this feeling from several other people in the castle. He didn't think it was anything he did that caused this reaction. And if what the king said was true, then it had everything to do with his shield.
His eyes gazed down at the weapon held over his arm. Despite being metal, the shield was lighter than he expected. It certainly wasn't a normal weapon, that much was sure. Naofumi placed a hand on the shield. To his surprise, he was able to remove it from his arm. He didn't understand why he wasn't able to do that earlier.
"What the -" After placing the shield on his desk, it disappeared. A moment later, it reappeared on his arm.
He blinked. While it was inconvenient that he always had to be touching his weapon, at the very least he wouldn't lose it. His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with the king. From what he understood, they didn't choose who was summoned. They only chose to summon the four cardinal heroes. That made him wonder, who was it that decided he was to be the shield hero? Did the weapon choose him and if so was it sentient?
"Can you understand me?" He tapped lightly on the shield. After a moment, the small emerald crystal in the center of the shield glowed with a faint light. His eyes widened. "If you can understand me … then blink twice." The crystal in the centre seemed to pulse in response. Naofumi laughed. "You can understand me. I'm not sure why you didn't let me remove you before, but it's a good thing to know that you're sentient."
He paused. "I'm still not sure why you chose me to be the shield hero …" It was a question that he had asked himself several times. He didn't think there was anything special about himself.
He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a knock at the door. Was someone calling for him? His eyes widened when he opened the door.
"Motoyasu?"
"Naofumi." Red eyes stared back at him. Now that he had the opportunity to see him, he was surprised by just how tired Motoyasu looked.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm just …" The blonde sighed. "It's been a long day."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"I appreciate your offer, but I'll be fine." He spoke firmly. "Thank you for looking out for me."
"No problem." Naofumi hesitated. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"I thought it would be important for us to get together and talk about our situation."
"We're already talking."
"With Ren and Itsuki."
"Oh."
Motoyasu sighed. "I'm fine if you're not interested. I know it's been a long day -"
"No no I'll come. Honestly, I'm relieved to hear that you thought about this."
"Well, Itsuki came up with the idea. I'm just asking you while he gets Ren."
Naofumi nodded. "Shall we go?"
As he stepped into the hallway, Naofumi was once again taken aback by how different the castle looked at night. Normally, the sun shined through several windows from outside. However, now that it was night, there were several torches enveloping the halls in a warm glow.
"I'm sorry if I acted irritated earlier." Motoyasu spoke quietly.
"It was a difficult situation and you had a right to ask what you did." Naofumi replied.
"Thank you." Motoyasu paused. "Are you really okay with this? Being declared cardinal heroes I mean … unless I'm mistaken, you don't happen to have some sort of superpower do you?"
Naofumi laughed. "No, I'm just a regular guy. I attend college and I spend the rest of my time indulging in computer games and manga."
Motoyasu nodded. "That sounds nice."
"And what about yourself?"
"I'm … also a college student." He said after a moment. "On the weekends, I work part-time at a local grocery store near campus. I've also joined a few clubs and I was even the captain of the basketball team once."
"Really? You must be pretty athletic."
Motoyasu rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, well I played a few different sports in high school. Soccer, baseball, and even hockey a couple of times."
"With all of those sports, you must be pretty popular with the ladies." Naofumi teased. "Do you have anyone special waiting for you?"
For a moment, Naofumi wondered if Motoyasu had misheard him.
"No, I don't have anyone like that." Motoyasu laughed quietly. "And what about yourself? Do you have anyone waiting for you back home?"
"No. However, I do have a younger brother and my parents are overseas. Do you have any siblings?"
"None, I'm afraid. I don't think I'd be a very good role model."
"I think you would be fine."
"Thanks." Motoyasu brushed him off.
The conversation fell silent as they walked to their destination. Was the castle always this big? He knew they had gotten different rooms in the castle, but he never realized they were this far apart.
Before they had even made it inside the room, the door opened.
"Hey Motoyasu, Naofumi." Itsuki leaned casually against the door.
"Hey Itsuki, did you manage to find Ren?" Naofumi asked.
"Yep, he's right here. Why don't you come inside? It might be a little cold out there."
As the door closed behind him, Naofumi couldn't help but notice that Itsuki, despite his cheerful expression, looked a little nervous.
"Ahem, as the person who has gathered us here today, I thought it would be important for us to get to know each other. My name is Itsuki Kawasumi, the bow hero." He smiled.
"I guess I should introduce myself next. My name is Naofumi Iwatani, I'm a college student majoring in business and economics."
"Oh uh …" Itsuki looked awkward. "I haven't really decided on a degree yet."
"That's fine. A lot of people don't declare their major until later. And I'm Motoyasu Kitamura, also in college."
"Have you decided on what you're going to study?" Naofumi asked.
"I'm afraid I haven't decided that yet."
Huh. That was weird. Considering Motoyasu was older than him, he would have expected him to have already declared his major.
"What about you Ren? Are you in high school or college?" Naofumi asked.
"Ren Amaki, and I'm still in high school."
"Well, it's nice to meet you guys. I have to admit, it was a little awkward talking to anyone else." Naofumi said.
"I know right, it's hard to believe that we were summoned to a fantasy world of all places." Itsuki said.
"It's certainly a lot less convenient. If this really is a fantasy world, then there won't be any modern technology." Ren frowned.
"That didn't even occur to me." Naofumi paused as the implications dawned on him. "No grocery stores, no computers, no trains to take to school -"
"No hovercraft, no hyper-rails, no simulated classrooms …" Ren trailed on.
Naofumi paused. What the heck did Ren just say?
"That sounds rather convenient." Itsuki said. "I usually walk to school. My house is in a rural area, so it can take about an hour to get there."
"That sounds painful." Ren said.
"I've gotten used to it" He shrugged. "Anyways, what did you guys think about dinner?"
"It was alright." Naofumi said. "The dressing on the meat was a little strong. I couldn't taste the vegetables."
"It was fine." Ren said. "Better than I expected for a fantasy world."
"It tasted kind of like chicken." Itsuki said.
"You mean filolial?" Naofumi asked.
"Is that what they called it? I'll admit, it definitely had an unusual taste but it was fine."
"Is everything alright Motoyasu? You haven't spoken much."
"I'm fine, Naofumi."
"Is something wrong?" Itsuki asked.
"It's just ..." Motoyasu hesitated. He was wearing that same expression he had when he confronted the king.
"Do you think there's a way back?"
For a moment, everyone paused. "Why would you want to go back?" Itsuki asked.
Motoyasu looked surprised that Itsuki would even ask that question. "Why wouldn't I want to go back? I was attending school today and all of a sudden I was dragged in front of a bunch of people saying that I was the cardinal spear or something."
"Oh." Itsuki looked away awkwardly.
"If there was a way to summon us here, then there should be a way to bring us back." Naofumi said, trying to remain optimistic. "We just have to do what the king says. Once the waves of catastrophe are finished, then we'll be able to return home."
"What makes you think that the king will want us to leave?" Motoyasu questioned.
"I … I'm not sure." Naofumi admitted.
"Even if the king doesn't help us, we can still search for a way back on our own." Ren said.
But how long would that take? Weeks? Months? It could be a couple of years before they returned home and who knew how much things would change?
Motoyasu sighed. "I'm sorry for bringing down the mood. I guess it's still taking me time to accept the fact that we've been summoned to another world."
"No it's fine." Naofumi said. "To be honest, I'm going to miss my little brother. We were going to celebrate that he passed the admission tests for university before I left."
"That's … very kind of you." Ren said.
"What about you Ren? Do you have anyone waiting for you back home?"
"My parents, I guess."
"Anyone else?" Itsuki asked. "Maybe a girl?"
"No." Ren said immediately.
"Oh." Itsuki blinked.
Ren hesitated. "It's not like I don't have friends. I have a friend, a girl, but it's not like we're in any relationship like that."
"Right ..."
"We just know each other from childhood." Ren sighed, knowing that he made the situation infinitely worse. "Do you have any siblings?"
"Me?" Itsuki looked surprised by the sudden question. His mouth opened and closed. "I... have a sister." He said quietly.
"What's she like?" Naofumi asked.
"I mean …" Itsuki scratched the back of his head. "She's … talented I guess. My parents always admired her gift, but we weren't that close."
Naofumi frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"Still though, you do raise a good point, Motoyasu." Naofumi sighed. "A lot of people are going to miss us."
"Well, at the very least, I think we should make the most of our time here." Itsuki spoke up.
"I guess that's all we can do huh?"
"Yeah." Motoyasu said quietly.
"Even if we are in another world, it's not like we're trapped here." Itsuki said, trying to reassure the group. "Think of it as more like a vacation. We're heroes straight from Dimension Web!"
"I … I guess." Naofumi paused, surprised by Itsuki's enthusiasm. "That being said, what was that last part?"
"Dimension Web?" Itsuki looked surprised. "It's the most popular video game on home consoles in Japan."
"This is my first time hearing about it." Naofumi had been a little out of touch with video games because of studying, but he was sure he would remember something as popular as what Itsuki described.
"I doubt many people play video games on consoles." Ren commented. "Besides, if anything, this world is more like the VRMMO Brave Star Online."
"Uh what, VRMMO?" Itsuki frowned. "Do you even know what that means Ren?"
"An online multiplayer game in VR." He crossed his arms.
"Yeah exactly, it doesn't exist." Itsuki looked incredulous. "Are you from a really rich family? Aside from a few prototypes, no one has that kind of technology."
"What do you mean? Nearly everyone has a VR headset." Ren said like it was common sense.
"Okay, now you're just pulling my leg." Itsuki rolled his eyes. "I know I don't exactly live in the city Ren, but I'm not that naive."
"I'm not lying." Ren said with a bit more force, his eyes turned to Naofumi. "Right?"
"Uh …" Naofumi scratched the back of his hair. "To be honest, while VR exists, not many people have it."
"Exactly."
"However, there have been several games released to consumers in VR, but they sound a lot less developed than the ones you're describing."
"What?" Itsuki looked shocked.
"It's about the same for me." Motoyasu added. "My friend has a headset, but most of the games she plays are on the computer."
Ren's eyes widened. "Are you serious - I know that some people still play games on the computer, but I thought those were outdated?"
"Okay, be honest." Itsuki raised an eyebrow. "Just how rich is your family?"
"I'm not rich!" Ren exclaimed before pausing. "And I'm not poor either!"
"I'm not sure what video game would be like our situation, but it does match a book I read in a library before I was summoned." Naofumi said.
"A book?" Itsuki's expression was flat.
"Yes." Naofumi paused. Was something wrong?
"So you don't play video games?" Itsuki looked disappointed.
"Of course I do - I-I'm an Otaku!" Naofumi never thought he would have to admit that in his entire life, but the look Itsuki was giving him pushed him over the edge.
Aside from that, that made him wonder. Did they all play games that were similar to this world?
"Okay, Itsuki. You said that this world was similar to a video game you played?" Motoyasu asked.
"Yeah, Dimension Web. It's one of the most popular games on consoles."
"And Ren. You said that this world was also similar to a video game you played. A VR game?"
"VRMMO." Ren crossed his arms. "And yeah, even the starting area of Melromarc is the same."
"That can't be right." Itsuki frowned. "No one has a VRMMO, right?"
"And Naofumi." Motoyasu continued. "This world is similar to a book that you read?"
"Yeah. Before I was summoned, I found a book that described the four cardinal heroes." Naofumi said, uncertain of where this was going.
"Well from where I am standing, this world is vaguely similar to a computer game my friend introduced me to called Emerald Online." Motoyasu stated.
"What does this mean?" Itsuki asked.
"Why don't we ask another question." Motoyasu continued. "Who's the prime minister of Japan?"
When they all gave different answers, Naofumi was left stunned. They asked more questions ranging from which countries won world war two, to popular voice actors and media. None of their answers matched up.
"I guess there's only one answer …" Naofumi hesitated to say what they all realized.
"We're all from different versions of Japan." Motoyasu confirmed. "And not just from different times, but …also different worlds."
"That seems like the case." Itsuki hesitated before turning to Ren. "Was it really true what you said about your world? Is VR a thing?"
"Yes." Ren sighed. "It's a common device used in households from video games, to school, and work. Honestly, I'm surprised that you haven't heard about them.
"Well, my world certainly doesn't have anything like it." Naofumi said. "We have VR, but nothing on the level of what you're describing."
"I'm more interested in what you said about your world, Itsuki." Motoyasu said.
"Me?"
"Didn't you say that people have … special abilities?"
"Yes." Itsuki's expression was neutral.
"So … what exactly are they like?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, it was approximately 100 years ago when humans started developing special abilities. The exact cause is unclear, but it is estimated that up to 30% of the population have an ability."
"And what kind of abilities are there?"
"There are different kinds of abilities." He shrugged. "Each of them are divided into ranks depending on their application. This includes E-Rank all the way to S-Rank."
"So does this mean that E-Rank is the most common?"
"Not necessarily. As I said, abilities are divided based on their application. C-Rank is typically the most common, and there are only a few individuals in the world with S-Rank abilities. For example, an ability like gravity control would be considered A-Rank for its applications in space. Or, an ability like water breathing would be considered E rank in combat, but it would be considered C rank in marine studies."
"So I guess that means an ability isn't necessarily related to combat power." Motoyasu summarized.
"Exactly. When we were summoned, I was surprised to hear that none of you had any abilities."
"So Itsuki … what ability do you have?" Naofumi asked.
"…"
"I don't have one."
"Really?" Naofumi frowned. "It sounds like you put a lot of research into this topic."
"It's common knowledge." Itsuki shrugged. "There are specific schools for people with abilities, but I've never attended one."
"Oh, okay." Naofumi paused. "So then, do you think it was a specific ability that summoned us here?"
"I don't think so. The likelihood of someone having multiversal travel is improbable." Itsuki said. "Besides, there's a more likely explanation for why we were all summoned."
"Oh?"
"Well to put it simply … we died."
Naofumi froze.
"Die? What do you mean we died?!"
"We died." Itsuki repeated. "We lost our lives in our previous worlds, and then we reincarnated here in Melromarc."
"I what …" Naofumi's brain stopped working. "That doesn't make any sense."
"That does seem to be the most likely answer." Ren said.
"I was hit by a truck before I was summoned here." Itsuki explained.
"How were you hit by a truck? Were you not looking when you crossed the road?" Ren frowned.
"Something like that." Itsuki brushed him off. "What about you Ren? How did you die?"
He hesitated for a moment. "I was stabbed."
"Stabbed? You mean you were killed?" Naofumi asked.
"Yes."
"How exactly did you die?" Itsuki asked.
"Itsuki … I don't think we should ask that." Naofumi gestured to Ren who looked uncomfortable with this line of questioning.
"Oh … I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ren stepped back, his hand coming once more to rest against his side.
"What about you, Motoyasu? Did you die?" Itsuki asked.
"Yes." The blonde sighed. "And before you ask, I'd rather not tell you what happened."
"Oh …"
"It's not your fault Itsuki it's just … I really don't want to talk about it."
"I understand." Itsuki nodded. "I'm not sure what it was like for you, but for me all I knew is that I was hit by a truck, and then I was here."
"I'm glad." Motoyasu's expression was flat. "Regardless, there is some merit to your theory. It is likely we all died before arriving in this world."
"I understand if you three died, but I'm still alive." Naofumi said.
"Are you sure you didn't die?" Itsuki asked.
"No. Before I arrived in this world, I was reading a book in the library."
"You were reading a book?"
"Yeah, the book that was similar to this world."
"Are you sure you didn't die?"
"Yes."
"Did you get food poisoning?"
"I didn't poison myself!"
"Was there an explosion?"
"I mean … there was a flash of light before I was summoned, but -"
"Dude he totally died." Itsuki not so subtly whispered to the others. Naofumi sighed.
"Well, for three of us at least, we died and then reincarnated in this world." Motoyasu said. "That seems like the most reasonable explanation."
"I guess …" Naofumi fell silent. "Did I really die?"
"Well, regardless of how we all got here, the truth is that for some reason, we are supposed to be the cardinal heroes." Motoyasu sounded irritated for some reason.
"Is there a problem?" Naofumi asked.
"I mean, isn't it a little strange? Unless I'm mistaken, we're all regular people from Japan. Do you even know how to use your weapons? I don't even know how to use a spear."
"I mean, I know how to use a bow." Itsuki scratched the back of his head.
"But have you ever been in a war?"
"No, but … that's what the first few weeks are for. We'll have time to prepare for the wave." Itsuki explained.
"Enough to learn how to fight?"
"Well, this world is like a video game." Itsuki shrugged. "Stats will be more important than any fighting skills."
"While this world might resemble a video game, we should consider the real-life consequences of what we're going to do here." Motoyasu spoke firmly.
"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked.
"Well for one, we're going to have to learn how to fight people." His expression looked serious. "Does something about that not seem wrong?"
"We're not fighting people." Itsuki argued. "In Dimension Web, most of the enemies were monsters."
"And if this is anything like the real world, then that means there's going to be a lot of blood."
"What's your point?" Itsuki glared.
"My point is that I want you to consider how you conduct yourself in this world." Motoyasu looked frustrated.
"You don't have the right to tell me what I can do." Itsuki crossed his arms.
"I might not have any right to tell you how to act, but at the very least I want to make sure that you're taking this seriously." Motoyasu was clearly upset. "This isn't a video game!"
The conversation fell silent at the sudden outburst from Motoyasu. Itsuki's eyes widened as he took a couple of steps back.
"I just … I don't really see how you can be so enthusiastic about this." He sighed. "This wasn't how I wanted things to go. I should leave …" He stood up, looking away. "I'll see you again in the morning."
"Wait Motoyasu …" Naofumi tried to call, but the blonde had already left.
"Are you okay Itsuki?"
"Yeah I'm just …" He looked irritated. "I don't really get what his problem is."
"I think he's more upset by what happened in his world." Naofumi tried comforting him. "It wasn't anything you did."
"I see … and what do you think Ren?"
"About our situation?"
Itsuki nodded.
"Well …" He hesitated. "It's kind of messed up."
"Oh." Itsuki deflated.
"I'm sure this seems fun to you two, and under normal circumstances I'd probably think this was pretty fun as well. But right now I'm finding it difficult to care about any of this."
"But even if this world isn't a video game, many of the enhancement methods are similar to Dimension Web." Itsuki said.
"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked.
Itsuki paused. "Are you unable to view your status?"
Naofumi hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"There is an icon in the corner of your vision. It should enable you to access the menu." Ren explained.
Naofumi paused. Sure enough, there was a symbol in the bottom right corner of his vision. How did he not see it before? When he focused his attention, the icon expanded into a menu similar to an online game he helped manage. Seeing the menu overlayed with his regular vision was a little disorientating. Looking through, he noticed that there were options for various features like items and the party system. He focused his attention on the button that said status as a new window of information appeared.
"My defence is high, but my attack …" Naofumi trailed off.
"Is everything alright Naofumi?" Itsuki asked.
"My attack it's …" His eyes were glued to the screen. "Is it supposed to be in the single digits?"
"That would be low, but it's not unexpected at level one." Ren said. "Exactly how much attack do you have?"
"One."
"Excuse me?"
"I have 1 attack." Naofumi repeated with more emphasis.
"Are you serious - even at this level, my attack is already in the double digits."
"It's the truth! My defence is through the roof, but my attack is one."
Ren looked dumbfounded that such a thing was even possible. The silence that filled the room was quickly broken when he heard muffled laughter.
"It's not funny!" Naofumi shouted.
"I'm sorry …" Itsuki tried hard not to laugh. "I just … normally you would have to use some cheats or hacks in order to nerf yourself that much."
"Well, what about you guys? What do your stats look like?"
"See for yourself." Itsuki smiled. A moment later, Naofumi noticed a message appear in his hud. It was an invitation to join the party of Itsuki Kawasumi, the Bow Hero. When he accepted, he noticed that Ren was already in the party.
"Itsuki specializes in speed and attack. My stats are more balanced, while you specialize in defence and health." Ren summarized.
Naofumi took a moment to process that information. If anything, that would make Itsuki seem like a glass cannon while he was a tank.
"Is 1 attack going to be a problem?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, you might struggle to kill some monsters by yourself." Itsuki shrugged, seemingly oblivious to Naofumi's dilemma.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it. You can always raise your stats by leveling up or unlocking certain weapons." Ren said.
"I see …" His voice felt low. "Still, I didn't exactly ask to be the meat shield of the party."
"Well … I guess it's fitting considering that you are the shield hero." Itsuki said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Well uh ..." Itsuki hesitated. "The Shielder class ... wasn't exactly that great."
Naofumi frowned.
"To put it simply, it was outdated." Itsuki explained. "While the Shielder Class exists in Dimension Web, it was never updated with the buffs that other classes received because of its low popularity."
"In Brave Star Online, the Shielder was a beginner class meant for players that didn't know how to play the game." Ren clarified. "The high defence made it easier for them to survive, but almost everyone chooses a different class later on."
"Do you mean I'm stuck like this?!" Naofumi looked horrified. Was he really destined to be the lesser of the four heroes? Doomed to a class that couldn't even attack?
"I'm sure it'll be fine." Itsuki spoke quickly after noticing his expression. "The cardinal heroes didn't exist in my video game so maybe the same restrictions don't apply. If anything, you can just rely on the people the king selects to join us."
"I guess ..." Naofumi sighed. He didn't mind helping people, but at this rate, it was beginning to sound like he would be a liability.
"Your class doesn't decide everything." Ren explained. "Even if the Shielder is weak, there are plenty of other ways to become strong. The help menu explains all of the systems that you can use to upgrade your status and weapons."
"Thanks." Naofumi nodded as he inspected the screen. "And how similar is this to the games that you have played?"
"Some of the systems are similar to Dimension Web." Itsuki said. "For example, you use the materials collected from monsters to improve the rarity of your weapon. Although, there are quite a few systems that I am seeing for the first time."
"I think we should stop here. It's getting late outside." Ren said.
"Already?" Naofumi yawned. "Well, I guess we should get some sleep before tomorrow. We wouldn't want to be late for the ceremony."
Ren nodded. "If that's all, then I will be returning to my room."
"Wait!" Itsuki shouted.
"What?" Ren looked slightly annoyed.
"We should … let's make a promise!"
"A promise?" Naofumi frowned.
"Well I mean … unless I'm mistaken, we are the only people from Japan, our Japans." Itsuki quickly amended. "And since we're all strangers, I thought that it would be important for us to work together as heroes."
Naofumi paused. "Uh …"
"That sounded a lot cooler in my head." Itsuki muttered. His face burned red as he looked away. "Look, it was a ridiculous thought. Let's just forget about this and -"
"No no, I do agree that it's important that we work together." Naofumi smiled. "Right Ren?"
"Me?" The boy sighed. "I don't see why not."
"Great!" Itsuki smiled as he stepped forward with his hand outstretched. Naofumi was a little taken aback by the boy's antics, but he placed his hand forward anyways.
"No matter what happens, let's agree to look after each other, Ren?"
"Alright alright …" The boy sighed as he placed his hand in the middle. His cheeks were slightly red as he looked away. "I hope we get along too."
Naofumi sighed. Honestly, this felt like something children in elementary school might do. Regardless, he couldn't deny that it seemed important to Itsuki.
"Are we done here?" Ren said as he stepped away.
"Ah right, goodbye Ren." Naofumi said as the younger boy left.
"If it's alright with you, I think I'm going to explore the castle." Itsuki said.
"That sounds nice. Do you mind if join you?"
"Really?" Itsuki hesitated. "I mean … I'd be happy to have someone accompany me. There's probably a lot I can tell you about this world and how to become strong."
Naofumi chuckled. "Well in that case, don't hold back."
There were a few things Naofumi had yet to understand about the boy. He didn't understand why Itsuki was so excited to talk to him. He seemed social, but at the same time he didn't really seem to know how to act around people. Then again, he was grateful that someone felt encouraged to speak with him when he felt isolated by the people in the castle.
Even if the memory of his family weighed heavily on his mind, he knew that he would see them again some day. Considering this, he allowed himself to feel a bit of excitement when thinking about tomorrow. It would be time for his first adventure in this new world.
Naofumi smiled. "To a new start."
Notes
The outburst from Motoyasu should be more gradual.
Itsuki may be acting a little too immature. I should consider rewriting the last section.
The length of the chapter may be too long. I should consider removing redundant section(s).
