The next morning, Kyle woke up... very late.
When he finally left his room, he found the rest of his group already gathered at their usual table, clearly ready to leave. They all looked at him, undisguised with annoyance.
"Finally awake," Tristan grumbled. "We've been waiting for you for a while."
"Sorry," Kyle replied, stretching. "I stayed up late because of yesterday's mission."
Elaria, arms crossed, glared at him.
"That's no excuse. You had no reason to leave on the mission the day before."
Anne, more eager, added,
"We're wasting time. Now that he's here, we can go."
Without further ado, the group hit the road.
On the way, Elaria handed Kyle a purse.
"Your share of the rewards." »
"Thank you," he said, taking the money without even checking its contents.
Lys sighed.
"You didn't remember anything we told you yesterday..."
"No problem," Kyle replied, true to form. "I trust you, don't I?"
They retrieved horses from the stable, hitched a cart, and left the capital for Helion, the departure city, as Kyle called it. The journey was uneventful; the roads near the capital were well-maintained and safe.
Tristan and Elaria took the lead, while the others sat in the back, chatting quietly.
"So, Kyle, what did you do last night?" Iris asked.
"Just... Killed a few demonic crows. Nothing too exciting."
"And why did you leave so quickly?" Anne asked.
"Honestly?" I didn't think about it. I wanted to leave... and I did."
"Not surprising coming from you," Iris said with a shrug.
"You could have left without me, you know. I would have easily flown after you," Kyle added.
"We thought about it," Anne admitted. "But... she didn't want to," she said, glancing at Lys.
Kyle didn't ask any more questions.
The discussion continued for a while, but Kyle quickly grew tired of it. He suddenly jumped out of the cart, took flight, and began to circle above them.
"It was a mistake to give her the opportunity to acquire such power," Iris sighed.
"I agree," Anne replied with a smile.
As Kyle twirled in the sky, Anne took the opportunity to ask Lys a question:
"You haven't said anything since earlier. So... how's it going with Kyle?"
Lys blushed immediately, panicking a little.
"Iris! You're going too fast," Anne scolded her.
"Sorry if my question was indiscreet," Iris added with a chuckle.
Lys took a deep breath.
"No, it's nothing... Tell me, my turn, what's your relationship with Tristan?"
Before they could answer, Kyle abruptly descended from the sky.
"Easy to guess," he said with a smirk. "You're all in Tristan's involuntary harem."
"What?!" Iris cried. "That's completely false!" And first of all, what is an "involuntary harem"? ''
"It's when several girls are interested in the same guy, but the guy is too stupid to realize it... or doesn't have anything to do. Tristan clearly falls into the first category."
"You're completely mistaken," Anne replied.
"So what do you think it is?"
But before she could answer, Iris countered:
"And what about you? Your relationship with Lys?"
"More complicated to define... but you could call it... friendship, right?"
Iris rolled her eyes.
"He hasn't even noticed she's in love with him..."
Lys blushed. Kyle, however, replied calmly:
"Of course he has."
"What?!" the girls reacted in unison.
"I'm not blind either." But anyway...
Iris was about to continue the questioning, but Anne raised her hand.
"Stop. You're going to make Lys uncomfortable."
"Sorry," Kyle said, shrugging.
Calming down, Anne answered Lys's initial question:
"As for our relationship with Tristan... let's just say our respective instructors were on the same team. We met like that."
"And Elaria?" Lys asked.
"She came afterward."
Anne was about to say more, but Kyle cut her off.
"It's okay, it's fine. Let's not make a big deal about it either."
Iris crossed her arms.
"I told you again, there's nothing between us and Tristan!" »
"Yes, yes... one day, you'll explain why you're getting so worked up then," Kyle said with a smirk.
Iris glared at him. Anne laughed softly. As for Lys... she said nothing, but her shifty gaze spoke volumes.
As they continued their journey toward Helion, Kyle, still sitting in the back of the cart, stretched loudly.
"I'm seriously starting to get bored back there... Tristan, Elaria, don't you want me to take over driving?"
Tristan shrugged.
"Why not."
But Elaria eyed him suspiciously.
"Have you ever driven a cart before, at least?"
"Absolutely not," Kyle replied without the slightest hesitation.
Elaria sighed heavily and turned back to the back.
"Anyone willing to help him?"
Iris clapped Lys on the back.
"Come on, Lys, he needs supervision!"
And that's how Kyle and Lys found themselves in the front, holding the reins. The road, until then quiet, became more wooded. The semi-forested landscape slowly rolled by, and this time, Kyle had a front row seat to admire it.
At first, Lys was the one in charge, much more accustomed to this kind of thing. But Kyle quickly observed, learned, and finally understood the rhythm of the team. Driving a cart wasn't so complicated after all.
But once the novelty wore off, boredom returned. And Kyle realized this with a sigh to himself.
"No wonder in isekai, this kind of scene always gets skipped..."
Lys looked at him out of the corner of her eye, sensing he was losing interest. To keep him occupied, she asked,
"Hey... Could you tell me a little about your world?"
Kyle seemed surprised. He hadn't seen this scene coming. He thought for a moment, then replied,
"Honestly, my life there was ordinary. Really ordinary." I did three things: I did what everyone else did and went to school, then I wandered around town alone, walking aimlessly... but I never went too far, I didn't like leaving what I knew. And in the evenings..."
He stopped, then smiled.
"...that was my favorite part. I'd go home, stay indoors, play games and watch anime."
Lys didn't understand everything, but something in Kyle's eyes suggested that this life wasn't making him happy.
"And your family?" she asked quietly.
"For the sake of the story, the family issue won't be addressed," he replied in his usual offbeat tone.
"Huh?..." she breathed, completely lost.
"I prefer to maintain a little mystery," he added.
Lys knew he wouldn't say more.
It was then that Iris, who had come from behind, climbed in beside them.
"You really don't want to know why you're here?" she asked Kyle.
He looked over his shoulder and replied,
"Yes, of course... but I prefer to save that for the final story arcs."
"The what?" Iris asked in surprise.
"Do the other summoned speak like you?" she asked afterwards, a little confused.
"Yes... and no. We come from two different worlds, right? It's normal that we have trouble communicating. The important thing is that I understand each other."
"That's not how it works," Lys replied, joining the conversation. "It's fascinating, you know? The idea that other worlds exist... that people can cross them. Do you think this is just an isolated case, your arrival here?" »
She continued, her eyes shining with curiosity:
"What if we could explore these worlds? What if we..."
"Stop," Kyle interrupted her. "Before I try to make sense of all this, I want to first enjoy this world... its landscapes, its quests, its possibilities. We'll see the big revelations later."
Lys smiled weakly. She was about to speak, when Kyle interrupted her again:
"And besides, if you had come to my world..."
He trailed off, a dark look in his eyes.
"...you would have been captured, and they would have done things to your body."
"Huh?!" Lys choked out. "But... who,
"Them. Everyone. My world isn't kind to the unknown. To them, you would have been a subject of study. And believe me, you would have lived in constant danger."
"This world seems cruel..."
"Worse than cruel. It's... cynical."
That was when Anne climbed into the front seat as well.
"And you, would you have been a danger to her back there?"
Kyle gave a short, bitter laugh.
"Of course." If you have access to my internet history. You have no idea how many... erotic photos of priestesses, elves, or even sorceress women I have on my computer."
Silence. The three girls stared at him, puzzled.
"Sorry, what's a photo?" Iris asked.
"Oh, uh... let's say... pictures... magical paintings, very, very, very realistic."
The girls didn't understand everything, but they had just discovered another side of Kyle... less innocent than he seemed.
While the discussion between Kyle, Lys, Iris, and Anne was in full swing at the front of the cart, Tristan climbed in with a mock-hurt smile.
"Hey, I'm starting to feel left out here. What are you talking about?"
"Nothing important," Kyle replied, looking casual.
"He was telling us about his world," Iris explained.
Tristan's eyes lit up immediately.
"Oh! I want to know too!"
"I've already said enough," Kyle sighed. "I'll save it for later."
Tristan pouted, visibly disappointed.
"And now I'm the one left out, huh..."
"Don't worry," Kyle said with a smile. Now, "it's my turn to learn more about your world."
"Well, don't start with Tristan," Iris exclaimed. "He's not the best source."
"Absolutely not," Anne chimed in. "General knowledge-wise, that's not really his area."
"Hey!" Tristan protested. "Why do you say that?"
"Let's just say you have a knack for knowing nothing about everything," Anne said, laughing.
"And anything to do with culture in general is worse," Iris snapped.
"You're not nice..."
"We're honest, nuance," Iris replied with a wink.
Tristan turned to Kyle, hoping to regain some dignity.
"So? What do you want to know?"
Kyle crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"Hmm... This world is a lot like the isekai universes I know. So... is there a Demon King or something?"
Her question immediately elicited a reaction from the group. They all raised their eyebrows, a little surprised.
"Well... yes," Tristan replied. "There is one."
"Or rather, several," Iris added. "The demonic territories are ruled by Demon Kings, that's all I know."
"There are seven of them," Lys clarified. »
Anne was about to continue, but Kyle interrupted her:
"No need to say more. I want to avoid spoilers. In stories, Demon Kings often end up as the final boss, so I'd rather find out all about it in due time."
Iris narrowed her eyes, intrigued.
"Why are you so interested? You're not planning on going to those territories, are you?"
"I don't know," Kyle replied innocently. "Just wondering... which way is it?"
Tristan leaned toward him, worried.
"Bad idea, man. My master said it's survival over there. You don't survive if you're not prepared."
"And even if you were," Anne added, "you'd be in constant danger. It's not a game."
But instead of being scared, Kyle gave a thoughtful smile.
"You'd better stop," Iris told his companions. "The more you tell him it's dangerous, the more he'll want to go."
"No way," Kyle protested. "I'm not that crazy. I was just kidding."
"Really?" Lys insisted, her eyes narrowing.
"I promise. I just wanted to know, that's all."
She poked him lightly on the arm.
"You can be really irresponsible sometimes."
"I promise." »
"So... promise me one thing, Kyle," she said more seriously. "If you ever find yourself alone... promise me you won't put yourself in unnecessary danger."
Kyle, surprised by her tone, looked at her for a moment, then replied softly,
"Okay. I promise."
Lys nodded, somewhat reassured.
Behind them, Anne, Tristan, and Iris watched discreetly. None of them said anything, but the smirks on everyone's faces betrayed what they were all thinking.
"They look good together," Anne murmured.
"We should give them some space," Tristan whispered.
"That's for sure," Iris replied, nodding.
And quite naturally, the three friends returned to their places at the back of the cart, leaving Kyle and Lys alone at the front, with a slightly softer, more knowing silence.
The first day of travel ended uneventfully. The well-maintained roads around the capital offered no obstacles, and calm reigned. As night fell, the group set up camp in an open area at the edge of a sparse wood. After a simple meal, everyone went to rest. All except one.
Elaria had volunteered to stand first watch. She sat by the fire, her bow within reach. The glow of the flames danced in her eyes, but she seemed elsewhere, lost in thought. Kyle, who couldn't sleep, quietly slipped out of his tent and joined her.
"You should sleep," she said when she saw him approach. "I can manage on my own."
"I know. But I can't do this, so I might as well stay up a bit."
She nodded without prodding. The silence fell, soft and comfortable, broken only by the crackling of the fire.
Then, after a moment, Elaria broke the silence.
"Kyle... Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead. Besides, I don't think I'm hiding much from anyone anymore."
She hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"I expanded on some of your discussions during the trip. And if you know Lys is in love with you... why are you acting like it's not happening?"
Kyle stared into the flames. His gaze was calm but distant.
"Even if I answer you, you might not understand."
"Maybe. But I want to understand. It's not so much the answer that matters... it's the reasoning behind it."
Kyle took a breath.
"This romance, it seems... forced. Too sudden." I've read and seen so many stories like this in my world... where the hero just makes a cool move or acts with a little courage, and suddenly a girl falls in love with him. It's too simple, too artificial."
He paused.
"And I don't like it. I even find it a little... misogynistic. Because it reduces strong female characters to 'waifu' roles, just to admire the hero. Lys... she's brilliant, brave, independent. She has her dreams, her life. It would be unfair to reduce her to 'the protagonist's crush' just because we had a few good times together."
Elaria remained silent, impressed.
"If I follow you correctly," she said finally, "you're refusing this romance precisely because you respect her. Because you refuse to let her become a simple love interest?"
"Yeah. Putting it all together like that is a bit of a shortcut... but that's the idea."
Elaria cracked a smile.
"You're much more mature than I thought, Kyle."
"Maybe?!" »
"You should still talk to her about all this."
"We've already talked about it a little. She knows where I stand."
Elaria didn't press the issue. The silence returned, thicker, heavier.
Then Kyle continued:
"And you? Can you tell me a little about your people? Elves intrigue me."
"I'm a half-elf, remember?" she replied with a half-smile. "So I don't have access to all their secrets."
"That's okay. Tell me what you want."
"Elves are part of the faerie race. There are fairies, spirits, and other creatures connected to nature. They live very long lives."
Kyle smiled softly.
"I already know all that. And you were telling me a little about yourself, if you don't mind."
Elaria hesitated, then launched into the conversation.
"My mother was an elf. My father, a human. He was captured while venturing into their lands. A simple adventurer, I heard. He said he got lost in the forest."
"So... that's why you chose this path too?"
"Maybe so. Adventure is what brought them together."
Kyle couldn't help but interject, a little too quickly:
"Wait, don't tell me your father became some kind of sex slave for your mother..."
He regretted it immediately.
"Sorry, that just came out."
But Elaria didn't seem shocked.
"You weren't that far off the mark, actually. Let's just say they fell in love... or something."
Kyle saw a shadow pass across her eyes.
"I'm sorry again." I didn't want to stir up sensitive issues."
"It's nothing. You want to know, right? Then I might as well finish."
She continued, her voice softer.
"After she became pregnant, my mother set my father free. And even though I was a half-blood, I had a happy childhood with the elves. There are others like me, so... I wasn't alone. Then one day, I wanted to discover the rest of the world. I found my father. He welcomed me with open arms."
She paused.
"I stayed with him until he died. After that, I decided to become an adventurer."
Kyle said nothing. He listened to her, really. And the more she spoke, the more he realized one thing: this world might seem like an otaku's dream... to others, it was very real. With its pain. Its stories. Its memory.
Silence enveloped them again. Kyle finally fell asleep there by the fire. Elaria, faithful to his watch, stayed awake until dawn, her eyes lost in the flames, dreamy.
The next morning, Tristan was the first to wake up. Getting out from under his blanket, he saw Kyle asleep by the fire, his head tilted slightly to one side, and Elaria sitting up, her eyes darkened but still awake.
"Good morning," he murmured.
Elaria replied in a low voice:
"Not so loud, please. Kyle fell asleep late; he stayed up with me for most of the night."
Tristan nodded with a small smile and silently withdrew. He took it upon himself to wake the others. Everyone gradually got up, except for Iris, who was still moaning, half-wrapped in her blanket. After packing up camp, sharing a simple breakfast, and preparing the horses, Kyle opened his eyes, his hair still a mess.
"Hey, everyone…" he yawned.
"Finally awake," Anne mumbled.
"Morning, Kyle," Lys replied with a softer smile.
Kyle rubbed his eyes, returned the greeting in his usual neutral tone, then climbed into the cart.
Before leaving, Tristan took a more serious tone:
"Well, I'll remind you that from here on, the roads become more dangerous. We're leaving the capital's direct zone of influence."
"We know," Kyle replied. "It's the same route we took on the way out, right?"
"Yes, but it's precisely because we didn't have anything yesterday that I'd like to warn you. It's easy to lose vigilance when everything seems calm."
"Message received," Kyle replied. "Besides... I think there's a group of wild boars not far away."
He began to levitate, looking excited.
"Finally, some action!"
But Elaria, her eyes still a little tired, raised her hand.
"I spotted them too. No real danger. They're not going to approach us."
Kyle got back down, a little disappointed.
"Too bad."
And the group set off again. This time, Tristan and Iris took the lead, while the others sat in the back of the cart. Kyle sat quietly, nodded at Lys, and briefly acknowledged Anne's greeting.
Seeing Elaria looking a little weary, he whispered to her,
"You should rest. I can take care of the surveillance."
"There's no need..."
"I'm as good at detection as you are now, aren't I? Come on, trust me."
Elaria thanked him discreetly and, after a few minutes, finally dozed off.
Anne, intrigued by this newfound proximity, whispered to Kyle,
"You and her seem closer."
"It's the effect of late-night discussions around a campfire. It brings you closer," he said with a vague smile.
"And what did you talk about?"
"Nothing important."
Anne shrugged.
"Why don't you tell us a little about your world, then?" »
Kyle raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
"Why not. Do you have a specific question?"
"Uh... no, actually I was expecting a 'no' from you. Do you want to answer, Lys?"
Lys thought, then asked,
"What's different between your world and ours?"
"First of all, in my world, there's no magic. But technologically, we're very advanced. Then... oh yeah, in my world, there are only humans. And since they conquered the planet, well, they're also destroying it."
"Destroy?" Anne said, surprised.
"I'm not going to get into an ecological debate... but let's just say my world is in danger, and it's our own fault."
He stood up slowly.
"Okay, we'll stop there for now." »
He approached the front and announced to Tristan:
"We have a danger in the area. Something's moving about a hundred meters away."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Unidentified flying objects," Kyle replied, a smirk.
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Probably a wyvern. Nothing serious, right?"
But Tristan's face tightened.
"It's very serious."
Kyle crossed his arms. He'd already faced a wyvern, even though it hadn't been easy for me; he's much stronger than before. It wasn't a problem for him, but he didn't say anything.
"Tell us its exact location!" Iris asked, a little panicked.
"No need. It's coming towards us; you'll have a visual in five minutes."
Tristan stopped the cart immediately.
"Let's move the horses away so they don't panic or run away."
"I can intercept him right away," Kyle suggested, getting ready.
But Lys, who had just arrived, tapped him on the shoulder.
"You're being so irresponsible! Have you already forgotten the promise you made me last night?"
"No, but I'm the only one..."
"Stop," Tristan interrupted. "We're a team. So we'll face this together."
A silence followed. Kyle finally nodded.
"Okay... together, then."
The glances they exchanged were serious. The mood had changed. This time, it wasn't just a detour or a stroll... the adventure was resuming.