Chapter 1 (2/2)

I stare at the girl with suspicious eyes.

……Looking at her from the front, she really was beautiful.

Her hair has gone beyond white and s.h.i.+nes silver.

Her eyes s.h.i.+ne just like rubies.

Her skin was white and transparent, just like ceramics.

”——tu!? Ca,can you not stare at me so much?”

The girl who noticed my gaze and said that began to act shy, and *chirachira* looked over here.

”……My bad. More importantly though, you live in a really suspicious seeming place.”

When I say that, she mischievously *kusuri* laughed.

”Fufu, if you say you absolutely want to, you can look at it forever.

Also, you'll probably understand this eventually, so I'll tell you now.”

The girl *bis.h.i.+ritu!* points her index finger at the forest.

”The surrounding forest is the territory of majuu. Majuu are beasts that have magic power, and attack humans. Currently I'm studying them. Rather, do you think I'd live in such a dreary place for no reason?”

That girl laughed, and smiled at me like she was making fun of me.

(I don't know anything about this world, how should I know that……!)

Seeing her like that, I got a little irritated.

(……No, I should ignore this. Ignore it. Calm down me..

Even if I was summoned to another world and agitated right now, I'm not going to be lead around by a girl who's not even old enough to be in high school……!)

I strongly gripped my right hand, and made a very  natural smile.

”I understand now that I don't understand anything. Hurry up and show me around your house.”

”Okay. After all, it's been awhile since someone last came to my house!

It seems I got a little worked up.”

With a bright smile, she grabbed my hand and led me.

When we got to the building's entrance, she let go of my hand, looked back at me, and said:

”Welcome, to my magic laboratory!”

No, even if there's a laboratory attached to it, it's still a house……I looked up at the normal looking house, and thought that.

＊＊＊

When we got to the living room, I hurriedly began the discussion.

(Just like I thought, the inside of the house was just like an ordinary j.a.panese house. The laboratory is……I'll stop thinking about it.)

”First, where is this place?”

”——? I said it was my laboratory didn't I?”

”……I'm not asking for that. I'm asking where is it in the world. You knew that, right?”

(……What's with that way of faultfinding, are you in elementary school?)

I thought that, but didn't say it.

”……Yes yes, you're starting from there. I understand that there are many things you want to ask about right after you got summoned, but calm down a little. Also, this is more important, but I'm not 'you', I'm Arisa!”

While saying that angrily, the girl——Arisa took out something that seemed like a map.

”……Kohon. I think you've vaguely realized this, but this world is in a different dimension from the one lived in up until now. People use magic, and fight mamono every day. This world is like that.

Because there are various continents and countries and the conversation would be long, we'll leave that aside for, but for the time being, the country we're in is called the Adelheart Kingdom.”

Arisa pointed to a somewhat large country in the middle of the map.

”This is a rich country with a monarchy. The king is excellent, so there's a lot of support from the people. Compared to the empire that only thinks about war or the Saint Maria Kingdom, it can be said to be a good country. The place we are is right here.”

Arisa pointed to the middle of the Adelheart Kingdom, which was written in a disturbing seeming red color.

”Forest of Demonic Beast's”

(No matter how I look at it, isn't this a dangerous place……?)

Even though I felt dizzy for a moment, I listened to Arisa.

”……Why are you in such a dangerous place?”

”I told you didn't I? For research. I'm doing research on the mamono that live in the Forest of Demonic Beasts. Also, you don't need to worry about majuu. I have a barrier protecting this place, so were safe.”

(……I don't know what a barrier is, but since she said so, I guess it's fine. In actuality, since I was summoned, there hasn't been anything dangerous.)

——More importantly, there are things I'm curious about.

”Arisa, you've been talking about magic and majuu since before, but……is there magic in this world?”

Magic.

Magic power.

Mamono.

The royal road to fantasy.

My interest was already pointed towards such things.

Arisa nods to my question, and lights a small flame at the tip of her finger.

”——Uotu!?”

To the small flame that suddenly appeared, I raise my voice in spite of myself.

While looking at me like I was interesting, *Shutu!* Arisa put out the flame.

”There is. What I used to call you to this world is called summoning magic.”

(……Magic, it exists here.

I want to do things like lighting a fire out of nowhere, or creating water of nothing.)

It's fantasy.

It's really, seriously, a fantasy world.

(No, wait, if I was called here with magic then——)

”——Is it possible to return to my former world with magic?”

I casually ask——.

”……Do you want to go home?”

——I noticed.

The girl in front of me.

That she seemed hopelessly sad.

And her unbearably lonely looking expression.

”……No, not really. I just wanted to know. It's not like I had any special attachment to my former world. Also, I'd like to try using magic.”

Hearing that, Arisa made a full faced smile, and *gutto* brought her face closer.

”——Th,that's right, I'll teach you magic!

Even if I look like this, I'm one of only 4 magicians in the world!”

Arisa strongly grips my hand, and shakes it up and down.

While she did that to me, my body was swung around.

(Well, it's not like I have any regrets……and it doesn't seem like I'll be able to live in this world without her help. I'll just say that I'll be studying magic under Arisa for a while.)

”I got it. I'll be troubling you for a bit. Please take care of me, Arisa.”

I say so while gripping her hand back.

”Nice to meet you to, ah, uhh…”

”Now that I think of it, I never told you my name, did I? I'm…”

I tried to remember my name from my former world, but.

(——I want to make this girl rest a.s.sured.)

Such a feeling comes to mind, when I remember her sad expression from before.

And then, after thinking for a bit, I said this:

”——Arisa, why don't you think of a name for me?”

”……Is that alright?”

Arisa nervously looked at me.

——Throwing away my name means that I'm going to abandon the me from my former world.

It's a break from the me up until now.

Arisa somehow understood that, and still asked me.

She's asking me if I'm alright with throwing away my previous world, and living in this one.

”It's fine.”

I properly look Arisa in the eyes, and answer.

”……I understand.”

Arisa thought for a bit, and said this to me:

”Edgar. Your nickname would be Ed.

How is it? I took it from a hero's name from a story I heard a long time ago.

It's common to be named after heroes too……also, I thought you'd like it.”

That reminds me, there was a manga in my old world that had a protagonist by that name.

By this point, it doesn't matter though.

”……Alright, let's go with that. Thanks Arisa, from now on, I'm Edgar.”

When I said that, Arisa gently smiled.

”Yeah, take care of me Edgar.”

——Like this, my days as Edgar, and my life with Arisa began.

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