Haru here. You know, I'm starting to think that my life was better back on Earth. I could kill for some instant ramen right now.
"What's the meaning of this Thelas?!"
Forst was yelling with all his might, so much so that his face turned red. He grasped onto his chest to calm himself down, but it looked like that wasn't gonna happen anytime soon.
Thelas looked just as confused as I was; she kept flipping through the pages of a book she carried and gave a dejected look to the king. I would have felt bad for her if I knew just what the heck was going on.
Farmer? That's it? There wasn't even a "Master of" accompanied by it. Bullshit. I never even practiced farming back in my world.
I turned to Sera for her opinion, but she just held her arms in an X formation and nodded nervously. The other heroes did the same.
Was I just an extra?
"It seems that you have been summoned here by accident, Haru."
Forst gave a sigh filled with pity and called up one of his retainers. He was carrying a leather pouch and a parchment of paper.
With a light grunt, the king began reading aloud.
"My apologies, Haru. But as the King of Rosevaria, I shall take responsibility. Haru Okamura shall receive 100 silver and 1500 etre of land as compensation. As for the offender, Thelas Millennium shall be stripped of her position as Head Magician and shall serve Haru Okamura for three weeks."
"What?!"
Thelas dropped her book and looked to Forst. He sighed once more.
"You failed this year's summoning of the heroes and involved an outsider in our affairs. It is only natural for him to be compensated and for you to be punished. Be grateful that you are only serving him for three weeks. If you weren't still useful to the kingdom, you would have served him for life."
And with that, Thelas dropped to her knees and stared at the floor.
Was that all? What about me? Do I have any say in this?
Don't I get an opinion?
I was the one summoned here without consent!
Shouldn't I get a voice in how I am to be compensated?!
Actually, screw that. Return me back home goddammit!
No matter how much I wanted to speak however, my lips never moved. I look to the heroes, hoping they would object, but they all turn their backs to me.
Even Sera, who I had hoped would at least stand beside me, averted her eyes.
♦
I was taken to a deserted area a few miles off the road to the city. Although I was still in the country of Rosevaria, I was so close to its border that it practically meant I was being casted aside by Forst. You know what? His name's no longer worth remembering anymore so I'm gonna call him "Geezer" from now on.
And now I'm stuck with Thelas, the supposed offender who called me to this world. I'm mad at her as well, but I've got bigger problems to worry about.
First of all, how the hell does that geezer expect me to live in these conditions? There are weeds and dead trees all over the area, and there's not even a house!
I'm gonna get that geezer one day. He may have acted all nice in the beginning, but he's just as corrupt as all the people in power back in my world.
"Achoo!"
I turn back and notice it was Thelas. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was blowing out her nose into a tissue. She then incinerated it with fire. "I can't believe I have to stay in this wretched land for three days."
Ah. Allergies. I guess people in this world have them too.
"Hey Thelas?"
"Yeah?"
She backed away from me and covered her chest.
"Are you going to order me to do something weird?!"
"NO!"
How the heck do people treat each other here?!
"I was just wondering...what was that? That thing you used to burn that tissue?"
"Oh that? That was just fire magic."
Of course! I've seen magic plenty of times in manga. And Melty herself said that she practiced magic. It's still amazing to see it in person though.
"Can anyone use it?"
"Yes, but not everyone is proficient at it."
If everyone can use it, does that mean even I can as well?
"I can check your magic affinity if you'd like."
I look at Thelas with big wide eyes.
Whoops, she seems to have gotten a bad impression from me.
Why is it that I have a hard time getting along with her?
After explaining once more that I have no interest in harming her, she composes herself and places her hand at my chest.
"Hm..."
"What is it?"
She curls her lip. That can't be good.
"It seems that you are compatible with all the elements."
"Really? That's awesome!"
"But...never mind. It'll be easier to show you."
Thelas opened her palm and aimed it at one of the dead trees.
"≪Fire Bolt≫!"
With incomprehensible speed, an arrow of fire jumped out of her palm and snapped the tree in two. It went so fast, that the tree bursted into flames after it had already broken down.
"That was a basic fire magic spell. Simply recreate the image in your head, and call the spell out."
So all I have to do is imagine the spell in my head, and I can use it?
That is beyond being just overpowered.
"Okay."
I opened my palm at another one of the trees. In order to use that spell, I must imagine an arrow of fire penetrating that tree at an unmatched speed.
...
...
...
Got it!
"≪Fire Bolt≫!"
I could feel it! There was a massive amount of energy coming out of my palm, just waiting to burst out and snap that tree in half!
Poof.
"What?"
What came out of my hand was not a devastating arrow of fire, but instead was a tiny sphere of light that dropped to the floor.
"Do you understand now? Anyone can use magic, but that doesn't mean they are proficient at it. While I was checking your spirit however, I did happen to find a type of magic that only you seem capable of using. You don't even need to imagine it."
A type of magic only I can use?
"Please tell me!"
"Alright. It doesn't seem to be Humarian however."
"Humarian?"
"The language we Humas are speaking now."
Now that I think about it, we do understand each other even though we're from different worlds. Guess Humarian is the Celican equivalent of English.
Thelas whispers to me the name of the spell.
She's right; I don't seem to recognize it either.
Oh well, it seems easy enough to repeat.
"≪Tempus Vernum≫!"
Ah.
A bed of clouds formed above the area, followed by the familiar booms of torment in my world.
Yes, I remember this feeling well.
Rain.
...
Thelas used wind magic to dry our clothes that day.
A/N : Sorry if it gets weird reading this. I'm experiencing with what style of writing I want to use, so it's been a mix and match lately.
Thank you for reading!