Chapter 2

This is the main story.

In this world, there is a position called "song summoner."

The somewhat ominous preface, "In this world," is due to the fact that Neaharley seems to have been a lost child called down from another world, but in this case, it was not a significant issue.

Of course, this is a very important part of Neaharley's personal history.

However, Neaharley judged that it was a rather serious and unchangeable problem, and the current situation was not the time to deal with it. Therefore, she decided to put a lid on this fact as soon as possible in her new land, so as not to become someone with a stomachache. A person who does not choose their means prioritizes immediate safety over lofty questions like "Who am I?"

However, there is a very sad reason why she had to do so.

In this world, it is apparently a given that visitors called down from unknown places possess rare beauty or magic, but unfortunately, Neaharley was a very average person who did not meet any of the criteria for a lost child.

As a result, she was not recognized as a lost child when she was picked up.

(Although it's an incredibly sad turn of events, this country seems to be quite affluent, and it appears that there are well-established systems to protect people without family. If I can receive job placement to help me become self-sufficient, perhaps I don't need to cause any trouble...)

Neaharley's resolve to think this way was likely influenced by the job placement she was currently receiving.

While being read the terms of the contract for the song summoner, a job she had never heard of before, Neaharley decided to adopt a policy of non-interference, and she had no regrets about her resolve.

(Song summoner...)

She mulled over the job title she had just heard in her mind.

The song summoner, which was offered to Neaharley, is apparently a rather special occupation, known in this world, but not widely.

Fortunately, it is easy to gain social authority and privileges, and the income is good.

Being collected as a rare lost child and confined under the guise of protection would be far less free and pleasant than this position.

Thinking this, Neaharley smiled to herself. She was currently in a luxurious room in a magnificent building, receiving guidance on how to proceed as a song summoner from people she had just met.

(The culture here doesn't seem to differ much from the country where I grew up. Even though this is a world with carriages, knights, and magic, the plumbing is well-equipped, and it feels like the rooms are heated...)

While thinking this, Neaharley, who had been sitting in a plush chair, had been in her own house in the country where she grew up just a few hours ago.

It was a quiet, quiet morning.

Neaharley, also known as Neaharley, realized there was no more tea in the house, and with a sad frown, she brought the remnants of a tea bag she had brewed the night before, pondering whether pressing it into the hot water would yield a tea-flavored drink, and glanced sadly at the stove that wouldn't light.

Still, there was thin-sliced buttered toast this morning.

She had to give up on tea to buy butter, but the thought of enjoying the golden butter seeping into the toasted bread for the first time in a month made it a very happy day.

Sometimes, people must make sacrifices for the greater good.

This morning, it was a tea bag that had been used so much it no longer colored the water, in exchange for buttered toast.

However, the season of expenses was approaching.

Perhaps it was time to test if something growing in the garden or park could be used to make a nice cup of tea, and she wondered if she would have to live in poverty and loneliness for the rest of her life, feeling a sharp pain in her chest as she closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she found herself standing alone in a beautiful forest.

Thus, now, receiving job placement in an unknown world, she realized that life is unpredictable.

The facility where Neaharley, who had been rescued in the forest, was accommodated was apparently something like a palace.

The people who rescued Neaharley did not bother to explain the history and customs of the land to her, as she was unfamiliar with them, but instead prioritized washing her and dressing her in warm clothes suitable for the land.

In this regard, it seemed to be a country with many gentlemanly people.

The room to which she was escorted after getting ready was even more magnificent than one would expect from a palace, with high ceilings.

The walls and pillars, which were a color like water mixed with a translucent light blue, were made of a stone she had never seen before, and the carvings and vivid ceiling paintings were beautifully luxurious, as one would expect from another world.

However, what caught Neaharley's eye more than this human-made luxury was the forest outside the window, which was indescribably beautiful.

It is said that fairies and spirits have lived in this ancient forest for a long time, and from this window, one can see beautiful lights fluttering in the depths of the forest.

Recalling the beauty of the forest she had seen before being rescued, Neaharley, who had come from a world without magic, was eager to explore such a beautiful forest.

She would have preferred to have a bit more free time in that forest before being rescued.

(Beautiful...)

Deep and ancient, this forest must also be home to things that are not good or frightening.

But that is the realm of fairy tales.

It would be impossible to tell Neaharley, who had wandered into a world without magic, not to be interested.

"The nature of the creature with which the song summoner makes a contract must be carefully considered, as it affects the terms of the contract with the country. First, we need to complete the contract."

A young girl, a priestess of oracles, told this to the somewhat disappointing song summoner, whose gaze immediately wandered to the window.

She was a beautiful girl with black hair and mountain-blossom-colored eyes, but the old and cunning tone of her voice, combined with her appearance, unfortunately erased any impression of cuteness.

Neaharley, who was carefully organizing the terms of the contract in her mind, was wary of the girl's cunning, despite her youthful appearance.

"Song summoners call creatures with songs and make contracts with them, receiving benefits that match the nature of the creature. ... But from the impression of the word 'creature,' will there be any troubling side effects?"

It wouldn't be good to be seen as suspicious.

(But since this is another world, there are so many things I don't know, which is a big problem...)

Neaharley asked timidly, trying to give the impression of a timid and cautious person.

Somehow, she had a feeling that she would be living here for a long time.

And if she were told that this was a dream, she would be disappointed.

So she hoped that her premonition would come true.

(If I think about living here, I can't avoid asking questions to gather information...)

If she could be seen as a timid and cautious person, perhaps she would be given more leeway if she made a terrible mistake, as she would be seen as not very capable from the start.

After all, she was facing people who held political positions and were skilled in such negotiations.

It would be unwise to be suspected by such people due to unnecessary words or actions, especially since she was being accepted into someone's territory with an unknown background.

Knowing that she was being cunning, she hoped they would forgive her as the best survival strategy for a weak and ordinary person.

Given the handicaps of being in another world, perhaps it was acceptable for such a cunning self to be born, and Neaharley affirmed her own cunning, stealing a glance at the pastries on the table with envy.

Neaharley, who couldn't even afford tea, hadn't seen such lovely things in a long time, but now wasn't the time to satisfy her hunger.

"Yes, the creatures in the mirror are always extremely attached to their song summoners. They are called because they are attracted, so you won't be able to have a partner or children, regardless of the creature's gender or species. However, you will receive protection that far exceeds the loneliness, so being a song summoner is a blessed talent."

(... All the general happiness has been closed off right from the start...)

Since this was the first condition presented, it must be the lightest side effect, and Neaharley felt like looking far away.

She already had a slight feeling of stomachache, but she maintained a harmless smile and only murmured, "Hmm."

By the way, in the world where Neaharley lived, she had never encountered a former royal family member or a priestess, so she was careful with her words, thinking that too much chattering might be considered disrespectful.

Unfortunately, she lacked the noble background to use formal language properly, so she would likely make mistakes eventually.

However, fortunately, this way of speaking felt very natural to her.

It was easier to speak with a certain distance and in polite language than the casual language she had forced herself to adapt to, thinking it was the norm.

Neaharley felt a little happy about this small discovery.

This is another world.

Because it is another world, she could start over as a completely new person here.

She could throw off the burdens and pains she had carried and rebuild herself from scratch in an unknown world, which had a mysterious and exciting charm.

For example, even if she was assigned a mysterious job she didn't understand.

And even if she couldn't have a family, it was something she had already lost and couldn't regain.

So, this time.

This time, she could dream a little.

However, to enjoy this environment greedily, she needed a solid foundation, but being empty-handed made it easier, and the carefree Neaharley sighed.

She had been in poverty there as well.

Fortunately, she was given a job here, so if there was nothing, she could build from scratch.

Even if something went wrong and she stumbled, in this beautiful world, where she could see magic and fairies that only existed in storybooks, she could say with pride that she had no regrets in life.

(First, I need to choose a creature that will be like a partner in this job. If I can successfully make a contract, perhaps this creature will be my most trustworthy companion...?)

Although she was prepared to give up if things went wrong, she wanted to do her best.

Neaharley told herself that she would carefully assess the people she would meet from now on.

When she was dropped into this unknown world, the first thing Neaharley did was to remain calm.

In such a situation, it would be most troublesome to be suspected of mental instability by causing a commotion as a foreigner, so she tried to avoid that.

However, the developments were too sudden, and she had no criteria to judge who could be trusted.

(This is a world with magic and creatures, and I now know that this country is a monarchy. ... And the words and meanings of 'lost child' and 'song summoner' and its explanation. ... But since I've only been here for about half a day, I shouldn't make hasty judgments, right? ... And will there be delicious meals? ...)

She learned that this country, Verclaire, was a monarchy because the person sitting across from her was a member of the royal family.

In reality, he had already renounced his right to the throne as the second prince and was an independent authority, known as a mysterious high-ranking magician or mage, with a difficult name to remember.

Moreover, the institution governed by this man, Eadaria, apparently managed the song summoners.

And such song summoners were limited to one per country, and Verclaire had just lost its previous song summoner, who was the fiancée of the third prince.

Furthermore, it seemed that Eadaria was very dissatisfied with Neaharley, the new song summoner.

With his pale silver hair and beautiful face with olive-green eyes, he exuded a faint smile and a cold disdain beneath it.

(The moment I saw this color combination, I had a bad feeling.)

From her knowledge of storybooks, an innocent and pure prince would never look like this.

Shaken by this overwhelming prejudice, Neaharley sighed inwardly, confirming that her premonition was correct.

(I don't understand, but with such clear and sharp eyes, he must be able to gauge potential abilities from the material here. As a high-ranking magician or mage, he can probably analyze even deeper. ... I'm sorry...)

Although he had renounced his claim to the throne, this man was undoubtedly in a position to influence the country's politics, which Neaharley could not understand.

The quality of a song summoner, who is unique to the country, must significantly affect the balance of power.

Since she was welcomed in a carriage with the royal family's eight-headed crest, Neaharley could understand the seriousness of the situation.

If so, the job of a song summoner must be an important role that contributes to the country's interests.

She wanted to apologize for not having such qualities, but if she did, it would reveal that she understood the subtleties.

If she were known to be incompetent after being stripped of her facade, she would likely face more opposition.

Neaharley had learned in her original world, even without being exposed to such dangers, how much safety comes from not knowing.

A long, long time ago, Neaharley was the only child to survive because of her ignorance, being selected for her youth.

Because of this, she was adept at being cautious, hiding, and secretly observing her surroundings.

"The previous song summoner passed away at a young age."

To keep the negotiation going, she deliberately ignored the atmosphere and asked this.

From the words of Eimbreah, the priestess of oracles, it seemed there were still secrets to be revealed about the job of a song summoner.

"Alistair's term as a song summoner was three years. She captured the highest-ranking creature among all the song summoners in the country. It must have taken a toll on her. But from the elements of your magic, you won't capture a creature as powerful as Alistair. You can leave the front lines to other song summoners and won't suffer as much in the back."

"Huh?"

At the ominous words and unfamiliar story, Neaharley's eyes widened, and Eadaria, the former prince, let Eimbreah, the priestess, take over the explanation.

"Song summoners can receive the magic of the creature they contract with as a benefit. However, for each benefit, they must fulfill the creature's wishes as a price. For some reason, the creature's wishes never harm the song summoner, but they do take a toll, and the creatures are very selfish. ... This is especially true for high-ranking creatures. But the creature you will contract with won't be a significant threat."

"But I thought there was only one song summoner per country?"

"There is only one song summoner chosen by oracle and used as the face of the country. But the job of a song summoner is not that rare. Song summoners who appear among the people work for a living or serve the country."

Neaharley understood one thing here.

Song summoners are described as "appearing," not "becoming," so perhaps it's not a job one can choose to do.

"By the way, you look like you're from a foreign land. From your appearance and the circumstances in which you were found, you seem to have fled from somewhere. Where are you from?"

"Ah, ..."

(Didn't the investigation of my background end with the initial flow, where I was not a lost child?)

Fortunately, she had learned what a lost child was from this exchange and was relieved not to have to provide detailed answers.

She couldn't come up with a plausible country name on the spot, and if she told the truth, the two would have tilted their heads in confusion.

"I haven't heard of that country, but after a great nation in the west fell in a series of wars, several new small countries were established. Perhaps it's one of those new countries."

"Maybe. I'm sorry, but I don't really understand. I found myself lost in this country, and I don't know how I got here."

Although it was highly suspicious, the absolute nature of the oracle, recorded by the wisdom of magic, was unshakable, and it seemed that her treatment would not change, no matter how suspicious her background was.

"There is also the trade of slaves using transfer magic. Poor transfer magic can damage memory and condition. You are probably one of its victims.