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The document created by pouring the entire afternoon into it was accepted.

The reason it was possible to waste an entire afternoon for a single piece of paper was that my identity had been completely dislodged. How could I handle Information Agency work after becoming a Hero’s companion? I needed to hand over my duties.

To put it nicely, my current status was like a vacation for an efficient body state. To put it harshly, it was exclusion from work. Seeing my desk, which had been empty for years, made me feel as if I had been laid off. Officially, it was true that I had been cut from the Information Agency, so calling it a layoff wasn’t wrong.

Anyway, having become a Hero’s companion, I spent a few days running errands in Colonel Clevenz’s office, delivering documents. Every time I saw the mounting paperwork, the colonel’s expression subtly soured, but he accepted everything nonetheless.

I requested everything I needed, my vacation was over, and the handover was complete.

Now what remained for me was,

“Colonel Frederick Nostrim, I will escort you to the palace.”

It was my meeting with the Hero.

—

Episode 1 – The Gray Human

For a moment, I recalled the story of ‘Heroes of the Dark World.’

The tale of a Hero summoned to save the world.

The problem was that this world wasn’t just a fantasy; it was dark fantasy.

Kings waged wars, nobles engaged in political maneuvers, and priests shouted for holy wars while floundering in gold coins. If the societal elite were simply immersed in corruption and decadence, it would just be another fantasy world.

The world of ‘Heroes of the Dark World’ was a jumble of dark fantasy and apocalypse.

Years ago, a natural disaster had ravaged the entire continent.

Taking advantage of the chaos, demon tribes began to eye the Empire’s territories. With the sudden onset of war, the continent’s economy began to wobble.

As the economy faltered, the populace cried out in hunger. Social chaos grew even more.

Thanks to a surge in various incidents, unrest, and secret organizations rising to the surface, most nations had received their death warrants.

To put a stop to this mess, national leaders decided to summon a Hero. Why? Historically, summoning a Hero was a universal cure for everything. As one incredibly strong individual starred in, they would try to stabilize the nation internally and resolve the situation.

Of course, I didn’t know if that was actually possible. Watching it from afar was one thing, but experiencing it firsthand, this mess was unlike any other.

Anyway, our world was on the brink of filming ‘Fallout.’ Or maybe it was ‘Biohazard.’

As the Hero was still at the palace, the world wasn’t quite collapsing yet.

If our Hero did their job well, such unfortunate incidents wouldn’t occur.

“You may enter.”

The palace maid, who had guided me thus far, bowed and stepped back. I heard she was a daughter of some distant baron or something. Since she was not a character in the game, I had no reason to care, so I offered a simple thank you and opened the door.

The room’s atmosphere was very splendid.

The decorations were not tacky, and the bed looked incredibly soft at first glance, with mahogany furniture and a wine rack filled with rare alcohol capturing my attention.

However, standing out among them was shimmering crimson hair.

Bright, shining eyes were staring at me.

“Ah, hello, I’m Camila Lowell.”

She greeted me with some awkwardness.

Watching her, I found it hard to believe she was an AI programmed character. Her reactions were that natural.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lowell. I am Colonel Frederick Nostrim. I look forward to working with you.”

It was my first meeting with Camila.

—

The impression of the Hero who introduced herself as Camila Lowell wasn’t particularly good.

Her timid demeanor, stammering speech, and hunched posture made me feel uneasy. Though she had been dropped into this world without warning, her defensiveness was so strong it made me feel anxious. Perhaps that was a normal reaction.

“Um… should we sit?”

“Yes, let’s.”

“Okay….”

I sat across from her on the sofa.

While the attendants prepared refreshments, not a single word passed between us. Really, not a single word. Important enough to emphasize twice.

Even so, it was our first meeting, and sharing just names without talking felt like some strange habit learned from somewhere. It was like being on a date with someone unappealing. Eventually, I broke the uncomfortable silence first.

“Miss Camila Lowell, what tea would you like?”

“Just anything is fine. And… please speak casually.”

“Oh, okay then. Should I pour you black tea?”

“Uh…?”

“What?”

“Oh, no.”

Since she didn’t seem to know what black tea was, I prepared something without giving it much thought. The only tea I’d had was some instant one made in the Magic Tower, so I didn’t really know what to do.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”

“This year, I’m 28. How about you, Miss Lowell?”

“I’m 23.”

What the hell. She looked older than she was. Was this girl just youthful-looking, or was my perception off? I suspected it was the latter.

I began my thorough questioning. With years of experience as an Information Agency agent, I was effortlessly bantering with her, leaving the 23-year-old newbie dazed by my sharp tongue. Anyone working under someone good at picking out spies had to master their tongue to survive.

Anyway, after a quick interrogation, I gathered the information about her.

Camila Lowell. A 23-year-old woman. She had crossed over from England while attending university. Only child.

It seemed she didn’t realize she was in a game world, as she brought up stories about movies, anime, and novels. Though she was a bit scatterbrained while talking about it, she clearly recognized this was not a dream. She just couldn’t remember what had happened just before she crossed over.

“Um, so Miss Lowell was a university student?”

“Do you know about universities?”

“There are universities here too.”

“I’m curious about what kind… Back at my university…”

She began to chatter away, her demeanor noticeably improving. She talked about what the palace maids were like, what the royals were like, and how delicious the meal she had yesterday was. She showed some smiles while chatting, and it seemed like she was adjusting to the atmosphere.

In any case, she had shed her earlier awkwardness.

She babbled on about her hometown, the scenery of Earth, and the 21st-century modern society. Of course, her eloquence wasn’t the best, and she stumbled while describing things. I became curious about what expression she would wear if I told her that I had lived on Earth and was born here. Would she blush or feel happy?

“In our world, there’s a novel called Harry Potter, and it seems somewhat similar here.”

I wanted to tell her it was more like 1984.

I was actually an Information Agency agent, and this was a dark fantasy world; wouldn’t a dystopian setting like 1984 be a more fitting description? And speaking of which, 1984 was set in England. It’s quite funny that a girl from England fell into a world similar to a novel written by an English author.

“Spellcasters displayed their magic, and it was really cool.”

“Those court wizards would be pleased to hear that.”

“Do all the people here use magic?”

“Many people can use magic, but there are relatively few trained wizards from universities, magic towers, or the military.”

At that, Camila Lowell tilted her head in confusion.

“Is there a difference between the two?”

“Of course there is. Imagine giving children guns. What do you think would happen?”

“Ah… I understand.”

On the battlefield, you could see untrained soldiers or militias wreaking havoc with magic, carelessly attacking both allies and enemies—truly a recipe for disaster. There’s a reason the state prohibits unlicensed individuals from using magic.

In the past, because magic hadn’t developed academically, those caught using it were often branded as witches or demon followers and subjected to religious trials. Such people became wandering outcasts until the establishment of magic towers. Because of this history, the relationship between the towers and the cults has never been particularly good.

There’s an episode that arises from this issue, but that’s something for later, so there’s no need to explain it now.

Speaking of which, how did this girl clear her quest?

From the looks of it, she must have provided quite an impressive assist to the Hero, showing at least some competence. However, since it had been so long, I couldn’t recall the abilities I started with when the game began; I think I chose something at the start.

“Excuse me, but what abilities do you possess?”

“Uh?”

“Abilities, skills, psychics, magic, that sort of thing.”

Her sudden question caught her off guard, and after a long moment of tilting her head, she began scratching her cheek. While her somewhat nerdy reaction was cute, her prolonged pause sent a flicker of unease through me.

“…Um, I don’t think I have any?”

Something felt off.

 

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