They all kept surrounding the "real" hero, then—
"Yuusha-sama, please follow me to the main hall." (King)
Yep, I thought it was just that kid, but turns out— I got invited too, well, it's just that…
"Oi, over here, follow us!" (NPC)
"Don't walk so slowly!" (NPC)
More or less, I was already being treated like an ordinary citizen (a commoner).
After some time, all of us arrived at a room twice the size of the previous one. In the middle of the room was a red carpet leading straight to a throne.
Meanwhile, the two of us (together with "Yuusha-sama") stood facing the king who sat upon his seat.
(Heh, someone like this can be a king? This is pretty funny.)
"Ahem… everyone, please be quiet." (The king's right-hand man, maybe?)
The room, which had been noisy with various conversations, slowly fell silent, leaving only the sound of the wind.
"In an effort to help Necvalion and the other kingdoms, the royal court has performed a Hero Summoning!!" (The king's right-hand man—let's just call him RK?)
The people gathered in this room immediately burst into loud applause.
"Necvalion will soon rise again!"
"We will soon conquer—save Velmoria!"
Huh? Conquer? I'm not being arrogant or anything… but ever since I came here, my hearing has become sharp… a god's blessing??
"To His Majesty the King, please proceed." (RK)
The king stood up and walked a few steps forward.
"Let us welcome our new hero, Kageya Kuro-sama!!!" (King)
"Wuhuu!!!"
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
Oh right, that kid's name is Kageya Kuro. Maybe he really is the hero that was properly summoned—not like me.
"Yuusha-sama, please take out your sword—" (King)
Um… actually… I'm already heading toward the exit (just acting on impulse).
Why should I follow some weird coronation ceremony like that? There's nothing to gain from it.
I'd rather start earning money and think about what I'll do in this world.
SREETTT
I immediately looked toward the second floor from my position below.
I felt a presence—more precisely, someone was watching me.
Probably just someone looking to profit.
I kept walking until I reached a door, and when I opened it—
"Huh, I'm already outside?" (Me)
"Must be a god's blessing too, I guess?" (Me)
From the exit, I saw a huge city—Necvalion.
"No wonder they call it big… it really is huge." (Me)
I decided to walk into the city, and after some time, I finally arrived…
The noise of the marketplace filled the air as people sold and bought goods.
GRRRK
Ah… I'm hungry…
But how am I supposed to buy food!?!?!?
I decided to rest for a bit in a narrow alley.
I opened my status screen again, to the "creation" skill section.
Next to it, I saw an icon… a mic? A MIC??
Without hesitation, I pressed it.
CLICK
"Ohayou~ Yukito!"
What the heck is this?! Technology like this exists in this world?!
"Um…" (Me)
"Yukito-sama, I'm a special voice assistant just for you, you know~ That old man gave me to you." (Her)
"Um… what should I call you—" (Me)
Her eyes widened instantly.
"Even though you're the 357th person for me… why are you so kind!?" (Her)
Ah, her true nature slipped out. A "special" assistant for the 357th person.
"Out of everyone I've ever served, Yukito-sama is the first one to ask my name—" (Her)
Without her realizing it, I had actually already left, leaving the status screen talking to itself.
"Yukito-samaaaaaa!!!" (Her)
Sigh… there's nothing good about this world, is there??
Before I could even notice—
Bread fell!!
A piece of bread had fallen onto the street, but it still looked tasty… but…
GRRRK
Ah, screw it!
I immediately ate that bread greedily.
"Ah! I'm full, I'm full—"
Ugh… my vision is blurring… my head hurts…
THUD
I collapsed as I tried to stand.
In the faint consciousness I had at that moment,
"An isekai life that ends because of leftover bread that fell on the street… how awful…"
My eyes slowly closed.
At that moment, I dreamed—about myself in my previous world—
I saw my parents arguing fiercely, and eventually divorcing.
My mother forcing me to go with her, and then dying after suffering a mental breakdown.
Me, living alone, having to find work, and by the second year of middle school, I managed to get a job through a bit of "coercion."
At school, I became the target of bullying by the other kids.
"Tch, he stinks like trash!"
"Stay away from him!"
"Don't get close, you'll catch it!"
But even so, there was one girl who still talked to me… (or so I thought).
"Hah? Who would want to be friends with someone like you… no parents, no money, and you stink too!"
Her friends beside her laughed, followed by the others.
"What's that? You got rejected? Hahahah!!"
"So pitiful… for the girl, hahahah!!"
"His youth is over, hahahaha!!!!"
"Hahahahahaha!!!!"
I immediately ran out of the classroom and left the school, stopping at a pedestrian traffic light.
(This wasn't the reason I got hit by a car yesterday, okay? This is just a dream.)
(But the part about being mocked, insulted, and abused really did happen back then.)
But in that dream… I left the traffic light area and sat on a bench in a park. When I tried to rest my head on the bench, it felt so soft and very warm.
It felt so comfortable, it felt…
Like my mother's lap…
Suddenly, my eyes opened—
"Ohayou, Yukito-san."
That voice… it wasn't my status screen… when my eyes fully opened…
I saw the face of a very beautiful girl, wearing a black jacket that covered her entire body...
That softness… it must have been hers…
And indeed, I was sleeping on her lap.
I tried to sit up immediately, but my body was still unstable, and I fell back onto her lap.
"Yukito-san, don't push yourself too much yet."
She gently stroked my head.
It felt so comfortable, the warmth from her hand touching my head.
SRET.
Someone wearing a black jacket suddenly appeared out of nowhere—
"Sorry for the delay, Hime-sama."
"That guy… he's awake!?"
She immediately pulled a small sword from her pocket—
"Wait, Charlotte!"
"I'm sorry, Hime-sama."
I looked at the girl whose lap I was resting on…
"H-hime-sama…?" (Me)
I was confused—Hime-sama? Hime means princess. Why was she being called Hime?
As I looked at her, her gaze, which had been fixed on the person who just appeared, turned toward me.
"I am Princess Sephira Hime of the Kingdom of Necvalion. Good morning, Yukito-san." (Hime)
"I'm not the heir to the throne, though. People usually just call me Hime or Sephira Hime…" (Hime)
"My family name is Sephira. So, just call me Hime, okay? Yukito-san~" (Hime)
R-R-ROYAL FAMILY?!?!?!?!?