NOVEL NEXT C2
C2: Prologue (2)
“We can’t go back to our world? What does that mean?”
The Brave Kingdom is a small country in a different world. In the Throne Room of the royal castle, we are questioning the king.
“What do you mean you can’t send us back?”
A boy clad in silver and white armor shouts to the king sitting on his throne. The boy’s name is Yuji Shirai. He is a person from another world who was summoned to this world from Japan, and is a [hero] who defeated the Demon King.
“Well, I’m sorry to say that this is something we didn’t expect…”
In response to Yuji’s question, the king stroked his white beard with his hand and said in a troubled tone.
“In fact, someone has stolen the sacred artifacts needed to bring you back. It was probably the work of a neighboring country…”
“No, no, no, no.”
With a cry of despair, the girl behind Yuji falls to her knees. She was wearing red armor and her name was Rena Benino. She is a childhood friend of Yuji’s, and in this world, she is a female swordswoman with the profession of [war maiden].
She is usually a sturdy woman, but the fact that she can’t return to her world has devastated her, and her eyes are filled with tears.
“Ho, ho, ho, be at ease. Don’t worry, hero. If it’s been taken from you, you can take it back.”
As Rena fell to her knees in despair, the king said in a cheerful tone that was out of place.
“If you can get the sacred artifacts back from the neighboring countries, I promise I will return you to your world this time. We will help you, so let’s fight together!”
“No!”
“Are you asking us to join the war?”
The third member of the hero party, the [saint] Aozaki Shinon, asked. The girl, who is at least a head taller than Rena, stares at the king with stern eyes and asks him about his true intentions.
Hmm, it’s sad to say, but that’s how it is. They took away the reward for the heroes who defeated the Demon King. The neighboring countries must be rewarded accordingly, right?
“But that doesn’t mean that the neighboring country stole it…”
“Huh? What then? Ask them if they think you stole it? Do you think a thief would honestly admit his guilt?”
“…!”
The king snickered at Shinon’s words and repeated them in a mocking manner.
“Of course, if the heroes don’t want to go back to the original world, that’s fine with us. We will be very happy if the heroes stay in this world. At that time, we will give them the rank of nobles as a reward for defeating the Demon Lord.”
“I don’t want to be a nobleman! I want to go back to my world!”
“Rena…”
Rena screams as she sits up. Yuji puts his hand on her shoulder and caresses it with concern.
“It’s a shame that as soon as the war with the demons is over, a war between humans breaks out.”
Yuji glared hard at the king, who was grinning and twisting his lips under his white beard. From the moment he was summoned, he could not trust the old man in front of him. Although he said things that lifted us up as heroes in words, I could tell that deep down he was looking down on us and trying to use us.
Even so, Yuji and his friends have been fighting the Demon King according to their requests because the truth is that the humans are being attacked by demons and need help, and the old man in front of them has promised to return them to their original world as soon as the Demon King is defeated.
We don’t know if the artifacts were really stolen or not. Perhaps there is no way to return to our world…
Yuji thought so. But he couldn’t ask that question to the king in front of him. It wasn’t just them and the king in the throne room. The knights in his entourage are also there, as well as the knight commander, who is the kingdom’s top warrior.
If I say no, I’ll put Rena and Shion in danger. What am I supposed to do?
Thinking of a way to get out of this situation, Yuji opened his mouth but before Yuji could say a word.
I can’t be bothered with this farce anymore.
The last of the brave party, [Sage] Kurono Kagehiko said with disgust.