Chapter 3

On the morning of the tenth day since being summoned to a different world, my companion, Togakushi Haruno, and I were being taken to the royal castle in a carriage.

After awakening our Gifts and receiving our status cards at the temple, we were to meet the king of this country today.

Looking out the window, I saw a streetscape that would make one say, "This is fantasy." It reminded me of the historic streets of Europe seen on TV, but it seemed cleaner than the medieval Europe of history, perhaps due to the existence of magic.

According to what I heard at the temple, the name of this city is "Jupiter Polis." It is a city-state, and the current king is called the "Holy King," a title passed down through generations.

Therefore, this city is often called "Holy Capital Jupiter" or simply "Holy Capital."

We were about to meet the current Holy King, who governs this country.

"Um, I'm Togakushi Haruno. Nice to meet you."

"Ah, yes, I'm Kitajo Fuyu. Nice to meet you too."

In the carriage, Haruno and I introduced ourselves. She has long black hair and a beautiful face, but her demeanor is somewhat cute. She gives the impression of a rare modern-day Yamato Nadeshiko.

She is wearing a blazer, which seems to be her high school uniform from when she was summoned, with a thick black cardigan over it. I am also in my school uniform. She was probably summoned while on her way home from school.

We five were summoned to this world at the same time, but we were in a state of confusion and received explanations, after which each of us was assigned a priest to train us to awaken our Gifts.

As a result, we only knew each other's names, and this was the first time we had a proper conversation.

The longest conversation we had until today was when Nishizawa Akizakura explained her ability to everyone after awakening her Gift. It might not have been a conversation, as we were just listening to her boasting.

"In this world, it seems only important people use their surnames. Please call me Haruno."

"Is that so? Then call me Fuyu."

"Yes, Fuyu-kun."

"Nice to meet you, Haruno-san."

We didn't use honorifics, but we weren't that close, so this was appropriate.

After exchanging greetings, the conversation became awkward.

I intentionally avoided talking about our original world, but doing so left us with no topics to discuss. We had been confined to the temple for training for these ten days, so it couldn't be helped.

Haruno was glancing at me but didn't say anything. She might also be avoiding talking about our original world.

I had casually asked the high priest a few days ago, and it seems there is no way to return us five to our original world in this country.

This is because, in this country, they have only researched summoning and not returning. The ancestor of the Holy King we are about to meet was summoned from another world hundreds of years ago and sealed the Demon King.

Since this country is ruled by the descendants of those who stayed in this world after being summoned, there was no need to research a way to return.

In other words, there is currently no way for us to return to our original world.

To avoid longing for home, it's better to avoid talking about our original world. I think she probably feels the same way.

When the carriage arrived at the royal castle, Haruno and I were led deeper into the castle by a middle-aged man in formal attire. It seemed we were being taken directly to the audience chamber.

Before reaching the audience chamber, I called out to the man walking in front of us.

"Excuse me, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Could you teach me the basic etiquette for greeting the Holy King?"

We were about to meet the highest authority in the kingdom, so I wanted to avoid any rudeness and fill in any potential pitfalls.

According to the man, the Holy King understands our situation, so unless we do something extremely inappropriate, we won't be punished immediately.

When we enter the audience chamber, there will be a red carpet leading to the throne, and a large embroidery made of gold thread in front of it. We are to kneel just before the embroidery, which is the key point not to step on.

Men are to kneel on one knee, and women on both knees.

While talking, we reached the audience chamber. The door opened, and the man leading us entered first.

"Lord Tōya and Lady Haruno, we present ourselves to His Majesty the Holy King!"

After announcing this, the man quickly moved aside to make way for us.

It was our turn. Glancing at Haruno beside me, I saw she was looking at me. We nodded to each other and entered the audience chamber, advancing to the Holy King.

Kneeling just before the embroidery, I knelt on one knee, and Haruno on both knees. The Holy King suddenly burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha! Perfect, even the position! Who taught you that?"

I answered with my head bowed.

"I asked the guide, and he taught me."

"I see, you're a quick learner. Both of you, raise your heads!"

As I raised my head, I saw the Holy King for the first time.

He had black hair and a fine Kaiser beard. He looked to be in his forties.

I don't have a sense to gauge someone's strength, but the king exuded an aura of power.

"First, I thank you for responding to the call of the Goddess of Light. It is a great honor!"

"Yes, sir."

I hurriedly bowed, and Haruno followed suit.

"About a month—about twenty days remain. That will be your preparation period. The Holy King's family will also provide assistance. Prepare well for your journey."

"Understood, sir."

This time, Haruno responded.

"The details will be explained by the assigned person. That's enough of the formal talk. Now, work hard."

With that, the short audience ended, and Haruno and I left the audience chamber.

It ended more quickly than I expected, but I was so nervous that a short audience was a relief.

Looking at Haruno, I saw she was sweating. She seemed just as nervous as I was.

When we left the audience chamber, two people were waiting for us.

One was familiar. It was the priestess who had been Haruno's instructor.

"Eh? Sera, why are you here?"

"Well, I was worried about Lady Haruno..."

The priestess's name is Sera.

I had only seen her from a distance at the temple, but up close, she looked younger than I thought. She must be around my age or a bit older.

She has long, wavy blonde hair and wears a loose white priestess robe. She gives off a very serious and earnest aura.

"Will you be the one to give Haruno a detailed explanation?"

"Ah, yes! I volunteered!"

When I asked, Sera seemed a bit flustered.

"Then, will you be my guide?"

"Yes, I serve as a butler to the Holy King's family. I have been assigned to explain and guide you, Lord Tōya."

The other person, who would give me a detailed explanation, was an elderly gentleman in a tuxedo. His mustache was memorable.

"Why do you have such an important air about you?"

"I've been serving for a long time."

The butler smiled. I didn't quite believe him, but pressing the issue wouldn't get me a proper answer.

So, I decided to ask something else.

"Why are you my guide?"

"Perhaps it's because my long career was recognized."

He must be highly trusted by the Holy King.

"Shall we proceed then? We can explain on the way."

"Alright, let's go."

I accepted the butler's suggestion.

According to him, it's best to buy armor first.

It's important to protect ourselves, and some items take time to adjust the size, so it's better to order them in advance.

"Um... Fuyu-kun?"

Haruno called out to me. Looking at her, I saw she and Sera were looking at me with pleading expressions.

They seemed to want to come with us to buy armor.

We five aren't competing with each other; we are companions on this journey. I suggested to the butler that they come along.

"Butler, can Haruno and the others come too?"

"Of course. I'll prepare a carriage that can accommodate all of you."

The butler immediately went to arrange the carriage.

"Thank you, Fuyu-kun."

"I appreciate it. I'm not good at these kinds of things..."

Haruno and the others thanked me. It seemed I had made the right decision.

Following Sera's lead, we went to the castle gate. After a short wait, a slightly larger carriage than the one we had earlier arrived.

"Then, Sera, please explain to Lord Tōya and Lady Haruno during the ride."

"Of course!"

Sera, Haruno, and I boarded the carriage in that order and sat down.

The butler, who was driving, cracked the whip, and the carriage headed for the royal armorer.

The explanation I heard in the carriage was long, so I'll summarize it.

Basically, we were told to prepare for our journey by the ceremony in twenty days, which will celebrate the departure of the heroes.

It feels like a game, but unlike in a game, we can buy items on credit and pay later, which is a relief.

Our summoning was a joint effort by the Holy King's family and the temple, but since the Holy King's ancestor was a summoned hero, they are not planning to cut corners.

I can't help but think that if they had considered the feelings of those being summoned, they might have stopped the summoning altogether.

However, upon reflection, we are also descendants of those who decided to stay in this world after being summoned. They might not see being summoned as a bad thing.

The fact that no research has been done on returning us to our original world, as I heard from the high priest, might be understandable if this is the reason, though whether I can accept it is another matter.

I can't say I have no attachment to my original world.

But if asked whether I absolutely want to return, I have to think about it.

If I had a spouse or a lover, it might be different, but unfortunately, my history of not having a girlfriend is as long as my age.

To be more precise, the question is what "everything" means in "throwing everything away to return."

What that "everything" will be is something I will gain from the people and events I encounter in this world.

In other words, it's all about the future, and I can't compare it to anything yet.

For now, it's enough to remember that the option to search for a way back to our original world and the option to stay are both available.

While thinking about this, the carriage arrived at the armorer's workshop.

Stepping out, I saw that the workshop was more impressive than I imagined. The status of being a royal supplier is not just for show.

Inside, the first room seemed to be for receiving customers, with several armor samples on display and the sound of hammers coming from beyond the wall.

I had expected to be greeted by a gruff blacksmith, but the man at the counter had a friendly business smile, which was a bit of a letdown.

"Since you're a royal supplier, do you also serve nobles?"

"Yes, we are favored by them."

From the conversation with the man, I understood that there are nobles in this world, an upper class besides the royal family.

It would be rude to be gruff with nobles, so this workshop has dedicated staff for customer service.

The man at the counter smoothly and politely advanced the conversation.

"I understand. Let's start with measurements."

"Um, are there any female staff members?"

"Of course. Please wait a moment."

The man quickly called a female staff member for the measurements. In the meantime, I asked the butler, who was standing nearby.

"Butler, is it acceptable for women to carry weapons and fight in this world?"

"Yes, it is. Do you remember the princess we met when you were summoned?"

"Ah, I haven't seen her since the first day."

"She is a mage, so it's a bit different, but she is set to travel with Hero Cosmos."

"Hero Cosmos?"

"The one who awakened their Gift first is now called Cosmos."

I remembered. On the third day, Nishizawa Akizakura, who has the ability "Infinite Bullets," awakened her Gift.

I hadn't asked what she was doing since we went to the castle, but apparently, she is now called "Cosmos" and has the princess as a companion.

"What about the other two?"

"They have probably already ordered their weapons and are now looking for companions to travel with."

"Companions. I'll ask for more details later."

"Ah, I heard that Ritsu tried to invite a prince as a companion but was refused."

"What is she doing...?"

When I asked for more details, it turned out that the other summoned female, Nakahana Ritsu, had invited the prince of this country, the heir, to be her companion.

The princess could join Cosmos because of her brother, the prince. Common sense dictates that the prince, the heir to the throne, cannot go on a journey.

"What about the other one, Kamominami Natsumi?"

"I haven't heard any notable stories about him."

"I see."

The conversation about the other summoned individuals ended there.

For the shopping, I had initially thought of ordering heavy armor to protect myself, but I decided to order a "brigandine" recommended by the staff.

It's a flexible and well-protected armor made by sandwiching small iron plates between two layers of leather.

I also ordered vambraces to protect my arms, gauntlets for my wrists, and greaves for my legs.

I was worried about the weight of all the steel, but when I tried on the samples, I was surprised at how well I could move.

The enhancement of our physical abilities by the blessing, as mentioned by the high priest, might be the reason.

I also ordered a large round shield and an open helmet for better visibility.

It's quite heavy armor, but compared to the value of my life, it's light.

"How about you, Haruno?"

"I don't think I can carry something that heavy..."

She ordered a hard leather armor that protects up to her shoulders, made by boiling and hardening leather.

It's not light, but Haruno didn't seem to mind.

It's probably due to the blessing. I had thought that traveling in heavy armor would be difficult, but that's not the case in this world.

To be safe, Haruno also ordered gauntlets and greaves. Her shield is a small round buckler, similar to mine.

Sera, who was watching, suggested a circlet with high decorative value and forehead protection, which Haruno liked and ordered as well.

"Then I'll..."

Next, for some reason, Sera started choosing armor for herself.

"Eh? Sera, are you buying it too?"

"Yes, I will accompany Lady Haruno!"

"Eh...?"

When Haruno asked, Sera suddenly declared that she would join Haruno's party.

"Is that okay?"

"No, no, it's fine! Thank you, Sera!"

Haruno seemed confused, and Sera, worried, asked hesitantly.

But Haruno quickly reassured her and welcomed Sera into the party.

It didn't feel forced. She genuinely welcomed her.

Sera and Haruno had built a certain level of trust through their efforts to awaken their Gifts until yesterday.

Their joyful embrace felt more like close friends of the same age than a mentor and student.

In the end, Sera ordered similar armor to Haruno. The circlet was the same as Haruno's.

The chest armor was a hard leather type without shoulder guards, to be worn over her priestess robe.

Thus, the first step in preparing for our journey, ordering armor, was successfully completed.

It will take some time to make the armor to our sizes, but with the Holy King's order, they will prioritize our orders and have them ready in a week.

The shopping went smoothly, thanks to the good service from the staff. It's no wonder they are a royal supplier.

If there's anything noteworthy about the shopping, it's two things.

One, Sera, who wears a loose robe, is surprisingly slim.

And the other, Haruno, who was wearing a thick cardigan, was not far behind.