Chapter 2

"\"Oh!!!\""

Lina slowly opened her eyes to the rising cheers.

It seemed she was lying in a dimly lit room.

"...S...Success, right!!"

She wasn't sure what had succeeded, but the dimness made it hard to see. She seemed to be on a cold marble surface. Was this heaven or hell...?

"We have successfully summoned!!"

As the man said this, more cheers rose.

Did she survive again? Lina's eyes, now accustomed to the dimness, scanned the surroundings.

Several men seemed to be surrounding her. They all wore deep black robes, making it hard to discern their genders.

The men in black robes swayed in the flickering light, which she couldn't tell if it was from a lantern or a lamp.

Lina gazed at their figures blankly, then suddenly thought:

...The Grim Reaper.

"Light"

When one man's voice echoed through the room, the dimly lit space suddenly brightened as if a fluorescent light had been turned on.

"......!"

Blinded by the sudden brightness, she squinted, and a high-pitched voice came from the side of a black-robed man.

"...W...What... This woman is the 'Holy Maiden'!?"

As the room brightened and their figures became visible, a beautiful young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke in a trembling voice. The high-pitched voice earlier seemed to be his.

"......I...It seems so."

The man in the black robe also seemed unable to hide his shock.

"No way!"

The boy clenched his hands tightly and shouted.

"There's no way a fat woman like this could be the Holy Maiden!!"

"But...!"

The men in black robes also seemed taken aback, their confusion evident as they fidgeted.

"I told you to summon the Holy Maiden, not a pig!!"

He pointed at Lina and shouted.

...Huh!? The situation was unclear, but she clearly understood that this boy had called her a pig.

"But... we have undoubtedly summoned the Holy Maiden..."

"Where is the Holy Maiden in this!!"

Driven by anger, the man interrupted and pointed at Lina again, shouting.

"We... we don't understand either..."

"That's not good enough!! Who can we report to that we summoned a pig with all our forces in the 'Holy Maiden Summoning'!!"

The boy, standing in front of her, was arguing that she was a pig.

---

*Snap*!!

Something inside her snapped.

"Shut up!!"

Before she knew it, she had shouted out loud.

How ridiculous!!

Because, it's just impossible, right!?

You summoned me without my consent and then complain.

I'm the one who should be complaining!!

"......!!"

The boys were shocked and fell silent, not expecting Lina to raise her voice.

"Explain the situation."

Lina demanded what was rightfully hers. She was completely confused.

I was on a bridge just a moment ago. Of course, it was a fact, not a joke or a dream. But then, the light spread, and I ended up here. And now... this.

...It doesn't matter, but where am I?

"......"

The boys, still looking at each other, remained motionless. Lina said again, more firmly.

"Explain the situation!!"

---

A few minutes later.

Finally, a leader-like person hurriedly took off his robe and began to explain.

This world is covered by a substance called "Miasma." When it reaches a certain concentration, monsters appear from nowhere or turn the animals living there into monsters.

While the miasma can thin out if a certain number of these monsters are defeated, it sometimes becomes more concentrated for some reason.

Each time, a "Holy Maiden" or a "Hero" would appear to purify the miasma and eliminate the monsters.

However, in this era, there are no signs of their appearance. If this continues, the country most vulnerable to the miasma's effects, the Valtar Empire, will be the first to fall.

So, this beautiful young boy.

Prince Egiedirus decided not to wait for their appearance but to summon them forcibly. He gathered magicians and performed a ritual, and Lina was accidentally summoned.

"......So?"

After hearing the story, Lina said. Because this had nothing to do with her.

"......Huh?"

Prince Egiedirus and the others opened their mouths in surprise, not expecting such a response.

"......So? I must be a mistake, right? Can you send me back?"

She knew best that she wasn't the Holy Maiden. And they had said she wasn't. So, it should be right to send her back.

"......"

A long silence. They all turned their faces away from Lina.

"Send me back."

Lina looked at Prince Egiedirus and the others and said. But they continued to turn their faces away, saying nothing.

"......Send me back!!"

Lina shouted as if something inside her had burst. Honestly, she had been prepared to die, but she didn't want to be unable to return to Japan, where she had spent time with her family.

Now, the pent-up emotions were overflowing.

"......Please send me back!!"

Lina realized she was crying.

Since losing her family, she had thought her tears had dried up, but they were now overflowing.

Thinking of her family, who had been unjustly taken away, she found herself venting her frustration at these people.

......Send me back!! Send me home!!

......To that time.

Lina just... kept crying.