NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Prologue
It was an ordinary night, dark and chilly, with only a few street lights illuminating Kaoru's way to the grocery store. It was 9:00 p.m.
As I walked, I still had these fantasies of going to an isekai running stupidly around in my head, at least they distracted me from the hunger I felt.
"I guess I should stop fantasising about my dream of escapism and start changing...."
.... naahhhh
I think I'm going to buy some instant ramen and something to snack on, and then maybe go home and read the One Punch Man manga, I'm really curious to see how Void vs. Blast will end, although it seems Void likes Blast's wife, apparently you can't trust even your best friend, thanks for the lesson, One. although I should wait for the next chapter for more context.
When you got to the supermarket, you quickly looked for something to eat, swearing you'd eat a horse if you didn't.
then you came to a shelf of instant ramen noodles
"Let's see which one I choose? mmmmm, I think one soyu and one miso."
You took the 2 packets of ramen and went to the fried food section and took a few.
I think that should do it.
You went to the checkout to pay for the products quickly so that you could leave, although you have a slight feeling that you have forgotten something.
"Have a nice evening."
"Cheers, have a good one", replies the cashier.
after paying, you say goodbye to the cashier and leave the shop to go home. the night breeze feels good.
"Let's see, I don't have a lot of yen, just a few 500 yen coins, so I guess I'll have to ask my parents for some money as I'm running out."
As you walk, you remember what you forgot, "shit, today is Sunday, tomorrow is class, same boring shit. I got so caught up in my world that I didn't even know I had class tomorrow. Fuck, I think there's an exam on top of everything. What a good student you are, Kaoru." *sigh*
Even if I don't like it, if I don't want to repeat a year, at least I'll have to try. After all, it's my last year.
Kaoru feels a slight uneasiness after saying this, she doesn't really know what to do after school.
"I guess the One Punch Man Manga will have to wait, not flunking out comes first. Never thought I'd say that."
I open a bag of chips I just bought and start eating them as I walk. The salty taste is a bit distracting.
Suddenly something strange happened. Everything seems normal until I feel dizzy, as if the ground is shifting beneath my feet. The noise of the city faded away, replaced by a buzzing sound I couldn't quite place. I stop and look around. Everything looks the same, but something is wrong.
"Fuck, my head hurts and I feel dizzy, were the chips expired or what?"
"I'm definitely not going back to that shop. What's next, a guy offering me red and blue pills next to the snacks?"
I start rubbing my eyes because of a sudden itch, . The sound that had started as a faint buzzing becomes louder, sharper, until it becomes deafening. My head throbs with each pulsation, and the air around me seems to become heavy, and suddenly a wave of drowsiness hits me, I try to walk but trip over a stone and fall face first onto the pavement.
The blow (fortunately) never comes. Instead of feeling the cold concrete against my face, a strange emptiness envelops me. It is as if I have fallen into an invisible abyss. My body feels light, floating in a space I can neither see nor touch.
I open my eyes, expecting to find the street lights, but I see something that leaves me speechless.
There are demihumans walking around as if it were perfectly normal. There are these weird lizard-like things pulling carriages, and the city you are in appears to be medieval.
I have 2 theories. Either I'm super drugged and actually being kidnapped in a van that says Free Candy, or I've actually just been isekai'd.
Knowing how the isekai work, I would probably suffer an emotional trauma... if I had present parents, of course.
well, isn't this what i've always fantasised about? living in an isekai and being an all-powerful hero with a harem. but why don't i feel comfortable?.
Err...
"I guess the theory of being sequestered in a van seems the most compelling to my mind."
I pinch my arm with force.
"¡Auch!"
"It hurts a lot. I don't know if that's comforting."
After a few minutes of recovering from the initial shock, I went through my things.
"Let's see. I have my grocery bag with 2 packs of instant ramen and various snacks (of dubious expiration date) and also my cell phone and, as I suspected, no signal."
I guess I need a plan from now on. The busty goddess didn't show up and I apparently don't have any powers either, as I punched a wall as proof and almost broke my hand.
"I guess I'm just as much of a loser in my world as I am here."
....
"Shit."
I began to walk through what seemed to be the market district. I couldn't take my eyes off the carts pulled by big lizards and the demi-humans that were everywhere. Some had pointed ears, others looked more like animals than people, and some even had tails.
It was all strange. The streets were full of people, but something in the air told me this wasn't normal. Vendors were shouting for attention, and the smell of freshly baked bread reached me from time to time. But I couldn't concentrate on that, not while my mind was trying to process what was going on.
"Son, are you interested in buying some stuff?"
I turned to see an old man with a small makeshift tent surrounded by various objects. There were fruits, dried herbs, and some jars of strange liquids I didn't recognize. His gaze was kind, but his voice had a tone of wisdom accumulated over the years.
"Anything for you? Travelers like you are always looking for useful things in these places," the old man said as he watched me closely.
I noticed that his gaze was not only focused on the products, but also on my clothes, something I had already noticed in the people around me. I was sure I looked strange in my jacket and pants.
"Uh... I'm not sure what to look for, really," I replied, still a little confused. "I just... need to know a little bit of information about this place."
"This is Lugunica, the largest city in the kingdom. Here merchants bring everything from food to magical items," the old man replies.
I try to read the names of the articles, but to my surprise (and bad luck), I don't understand a damn thing the sign says.
It seems that I will have to study in this world to top it all off.
"Oi Ojii-san, if you don't mind, could you tell me a little bit more about the situation in Lugunica?"
The old man looked at me for a moment, as if trying to decide how much to tell me. Finally, he sighed and began to speak.
"Recently, the king died without leaving a clear heir, and now the Council of Wise Men is taking over the role of government for the time being. Some say this is leading the kingdom into civil war, though it hasn't been made public yet. But don't worry about it for now."
"I don't know if I can be so calm knowing that I'm in a place where a war could start at any moment, but I appreciate your words. I say a little uneasy."
"Is there anything else I may know please?"
The old man nodded slowly, as if the question brought back memories of old rumors.
"Well, my boy... After the death of the king, the throne became vacant, and several important families sent their representatives, usually women, to compete for power. Five female candidates emerge as the main contenders, although, of course, as usually happens in these cases, each one has her followers and enemies. The details of their lives vary greatly from person to person, but in general they are spoken of as strong figures, each with her own talents or gifts, but also with her weaknesses."
"What concerns us all the most is the Great Dragon. In the old days, the dragon was considered the protector of the Kingdom of Lugunica. It was said that when the dragon returned, the fate of the Kingdom would be decided. Some voices say that whoever wins the dragon's favor will be the one to occupy the throne... but so far, no trace of him has been seen for centuries."
I sigh after listening to the whole story "Well, it looks like there's a lot more to discover here than I thought...."
The old man chuckles softly, nodding knowingly.
"Ah! Before I go, I almost forgot something important... What's your name, by the way?"
The old man looks at him for a moment, as if surprised by the question, but then smiles softly, as if it were familiar.
"My name... is Raigor. But the boys at the market call me Jii-chan. And you, what's your name, young man, where are you from? You don't look like a local."
I shrug and smile with a slightly confused expression.
"My name is Kaoru Shimizu.... And, well, as you might have noticed, I'm not from here. I don't know how I ended up here, but... here I am."
"Kaoru Shimizu, huh? Interesting name. Well, you know, Kaoru, if you ever need answers or want to talk, come back. I'll wait for you here."
"I will, Raigor. Thanks for everything."
--[Time skip]--
I started to walk through the market district, thinking about what I should do. This is definitely not a hallucinogenic dream and I really am in an isekai, but without powers, illiterate and knowing practically nothing about this place.
I freeze for a moment and realize my current horrible situation.
I'm pretty fucked up, and the busty goddess seems to be a figment of my imagination since she never showed up.
While you were silently celebrating/hoping that your life just got spiced up, you suddenly hear a man yell, "Watch out!"
You look to your left, where a carriage is just about to hit a little kid.
"I guess this is the last attempt to see if I have magical powers. Special Powers DO SOMETHING!" You mumbled all this because, even though you were in a different world now, it was still embarrassing to act like a wizard in the middle of a street full of strangers.
Anyways, you stretched your arm out towards the carriage, and you strain your whole body to try and force the powers out that you may or may not have. At the very same time, you see another person do the same thing.
Both of you are useless.
No powers come out, so a knight saves the little kid. Distraught, you walk off. At least there's some other guy who also made a fool of himself.
Wait... that person looks familiar...
Natsuki Subaru?!
Oh, heck, he was also transported here?