Chapter 1

"Welcome, my lord. First, I would like to apologize for the rudeness of bringing you to this world, to my palace, without your consent. Please forgive me."

A strikingly beautiful woman with red hair and a wheat-colored complexion smiled seductively at him.

"……Huh?"

The man, who was smiled at by the beautiful woman—Yamai Zenjiro—uttered a bewildered voice, completely at a loss as to what was happening.

What on earth is going on?

If Zenjiro's memory serves him correctly, today was supposed to be a Saturday without any work, the first such day in six months. To fully enjoy the rare two-day weekend, which he hadn't experienced since becoming an adult, Zenjiro had woken up at the same time as on weekdays and rushed to a nearby convenience store by bicycle to get breakfast. He remembered this clearly.

Indeed, even now, Zenjiro's buttocks were still on the bicycle saddle, and his hands were firmly gripping the handlebars. In the front basket, there was a "fried chicken bento" that had been warmed up at the convenience store and a 500ml bottle of cold tea.

"……"

To confirm his sanity, Zenjiro, still astride the bicycle, used his right hand to touch the bento and the tea in the basket. The bento was warm, and the tea was cold. This realistic sensation made him feel that this was not a dream. Moreover, the bento hadn't cooled down, and the tea hadn't warmed up, suggesting that he hadn't been knocked out and transported somewhere far away.

But if that were the case, why was he, who had been cycling in the Kanto region of Japan just a moment ago, now in this dim, stone-walled chamber, being smiled at by a strikingly beautiful woman?

Zenjiro couldn't help but stare intently at the beautiful woman standing before him.

She was probably in her mid-twenties? However, she exuded an unusual presence and composure that made her seem possibly older. She was certainly not younger than the 24-year-old Zenjiro. She wore a provocative red dress with a V-neck, but her figure was not overshadowed by the flashy dress.

The cleavage visible from the V-neck was so large that it could be called more than just big breasts; it was more like "explosive" breasts. In contrast, her waist was slender. The line from her hips down was covered by a long skirt, but it was certainly something to look forward to.

Her broad shoulders and slightly hunched posture might be a turn-off for some, but to Zenjiro, she looked very feminine and attractive. In fact, if he were certain that this was a dream, he would have been tempted to exclaim, "I've loved you since the day I was born!" and jump into her arms. She was right in the middle of his "strike zone."

"Your Majesty, we don't have much time. Since the 'summoning' was successful, it would be best to start the explanation as soon as possible."

While Zenjiro was captivated by the red-haired beauty, a young man in leather armor standing to her right advised her in a monotone voice. This statement made Zenjiro realize for the first time that there were other people in the stone-walled chamber besides himself and the beauty.

Looking around in a panic, Zenjiro saw four men in leather armor, each holding a spear, surrounding him on his bicycle. To the left of the beauty stood an elderly man in a purple robe, leaning on a long staff.

The fact that he hadn't noticed these people until now wasn't because Zenjiro was particularly dull. It was simply because the presence of the red-haired beauty standing in front of him was so overwhelming. Upon closer inspection, the armed men surrounding her were quite well-built and had decent features, but compared to the beauty, they looked like mere "extras" to the "queen."

"I understand. Well, my lord. I imagine you are quite confused about why you are here. Would you allow me to explain the situation and offer an apology?"

"Eh? Ah, y-yes."

Zenjiro nodded, more out of being overwhelmed by the beauty's powerful smile than from understanding the words. The beauty's smile deepened at his honest response.

"I'm glad. Then, my lord, this isn't the place for a long conversation. I would like to change the location. Please follow me."

With that, the beauty, with her long, wavy red hair flowing, began to walk.

"Please leave your vehicle here."

"Ah, u-um, sure. Here you go."

Still bewildered, Zenjiro got off his bicycle and, almost subconsciously, set the kickstand and locked it with a key from his pocket. He then hurriedly followed the beauty, who had turned to look back at him from the entrance.