Chapter 1(196): A Journey to Another World
A gentle breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying away things that could never be redone, rights and wrongs that would never return. If there were ever another chance to start over, then the choices made back then would surely be overturned completely.
However, a person's past cannot be changed, and what is lost can never be recovered. Hikigaya Hachiman had realized this fact a very, very long time ago, but it was only now that he truly felt it.
If material things are something people can never take with them at birth, nor bring along in death, then emotions must be something that transcends worlds, transcends even life and death.
An indescribable sense of dizziness overwhelmed him. Aside from the incoherent chatter and noisy conversations constantly ringing in his ears, Hikigaya could feel nothing else.
He slowly opened his eyes, yet he could not believe what lay before him.
"W-Where… am I?"
Wearing the glasses that Hiyori had given him, he still could not accept what he was seeing. Humans walking side by side with beast-featured people, dragon carriages being used as transportation, everything seemed to be telling Hikigaya that this was nothing more than a dream.
To be honest, he wasn't stupid enough to slap himself to check whether he was dreaming. If it was a dream, he would wake up eventually. And if it wasn't…
"Then I'm screwed."
Hikigaya wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of being transported to another world. After all, once you've experienced something once, the second time feels more familiar. Coupled with the words he had heard just before falling asleep, he had no choice but to force himself to accept this reality.
It was just that…
Compared to before, he now had many more things he couldn't let go of, Airi, Kushida, and so many others. Yet he himself had also changed. No matter how the world changed, he was no longer that child who only knew how to run away.
If what that person in his dream said was true, then one day he would surely meet them again. And his arrival in this world was naturally meant to accomplish some kind of task, or perhaps to stay here long enough.
After calming down, Hikigaya quickly began to think things through. Still, no matter how much he reasoned, he couldn't help feeling disbelief at the scenes before his eyes.
This wasn't a simple case of being transported. If humans and beastmen could coexist peacefully, then the only way to describe this place was: another world.
That said, Hikigaya hadn't expected that his past casual jokes would actually turn into real flags.
'For now… I should try to familiarize myself with the environment.'
Walking along this magnificent street, Hikigaya couldn't help but marvel at how grand the architecture was. Compared to the modern buildings he was used to, everything here was strangely captivating.
But simply walking around wasn't a waste of time for him.
'In situations like this, according to most manga tropes, the first things to confirm are currency circulation and whether the language is mutually intelligible. But I didn't bring any money, basically starting from nothing. The only valuable thing I have might be these glasses Hiyori gave me. So… I'll prioritize figuring out the language.'
No matter what, Hikigaya had no intention of pawning off the glasses Hiyori had given him. A gift wasn't just an object, it carried the giver's feelings.
So…
Putting on an air of practiced ease, Hikigaya walked up to a fruit stand, casually picked up a fruit that looked exactly like an apple, and asked, "Excuse me, how much is this apple?"
"Apple? This is called a flat apple."
'So the language works… though something feels off.'
"Then how much does a flat apple cost?"
"In the Kingdom of Lugunica, my shop is definitely the cheapest. Only ten rubles."
Hikigaya gently placed the flat apple back down and didn't continue the conversation. He had already learned what he needed.
'First, this country is called Lugunica. The currency here is rubles. Judging by that man's look, ten rubles for one flat apple is definitely a rip-off. He probably thought I was an easy mark because of my strange clothes, some outsider he could fleece. Sorry about that, old man. I don't even have a single coin.'
'Still, since I don't have a place to stay in this world yet, I could've just eaten the flat apple on the spot and forced him to keep me around. That way I wouldn't starve. But judging from his attitude, he'd probably beat me to death first. Even if not, he'd make me do tasks no normal person could ever complete. If I didn't get beaten to death, I'd die of exhaustion. There's still time, so I should gather more information.'
With that in mind, Hikigaya continued wandering down the street.
---
[Chatroom…]
[Horikita: "This guy really has nerves of steel. He accepted being transported to another world so quickly. But… I can't help feeling worried."]
[Hirata said calmly, "Don't worry, Horikita. He's smart. As long as it doesn't involve direct combat, he'll be fine. At the very least, surviving won't be hard for him."]
[Sakura: "Even so… I still can't accept it. Hachiman… just leaving us like that."]
[Ryuen: "There's no banquet that doesn't end. Relax. He'll come back someday."]
[Sakayanagi: "Just as I suspected. He's definitely not a product of our world. Otherwise, how could his records be so vague?"]
[Koenji: "An adventure in another world? How fascinating, how beautiful! I'd love to try it myself!"]
[Hiyori: "Spirits of heaven and earth, please let him return to us safely."]
[Everyone watched the video intently, their expressions mostly filled with worry.]
[Meanwhile, Puck lay sprawled on Emilia's shoulder and lazily said,"Lia, Lugunica… did he cross over into our world?"]
[Emilia: "Looking at the architecture, it really does seem similar to ours. If that's the case, I'm really looking forward to meeting him. After watching him for so long, I can tell he's very smart, and very kind!"]
[Puck grew serious: "Lia, don't get your hopes up too much. In his previous world, even fighting was just child's play. But our world is one of true magic and swords. Under the shadow of the Witch Cult, human lives are as fragile as grass."]
[Emilia obediently nodded: "I know! If I really do meet him by chance, I'll protect him. After all, look how kind he is."]
[Puck sighed helplessly: "When it comes to kindness, you're no different."]
[Inside the palace, Crusch and Felix sat on a sofa, watching the video.]
["It seems someone quite extraordinary has come to our world. The days ahead will surely be interesting."]
["It all depends on which faction he joins. Though he lacks physical strength and would struggle to survive here, no one would dare doubt his intellect."]
[Not only Crusch, but Anastasia and Priscilla were also sitting in their own palaces, watching the video with meaningful smiles.]
[Yukinoshita remained the same as ever. Aside from worry, she couldn't express any other emotions. Yet this surprised Yuigahama and the others, because she used to never show her feelings openly. Now… she no longer hid them deliberately.]
[Iroha: "No matter what, senpai, I believe you can do it. Make sure you stay alive so we can keep watching."]
[Hikigaya: "I hope that was a joke."]
[Haruno: "Shizuka, what do you think? Your student ran off to another weird world again. Don't you have anything to say?"]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Even if you put it that way… as a sensei, I'm still worried about him. I just don't know what I can do to help."]
[Haruno: "I think getting married would help him a lot. What do you think, Shizuka?"]
[Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Why does this always turn into marriage?! Don't worry, I 'will' get married! This is the absolute declaration of a youthful thirty-year-old girl!"]
[Haruno smiled, patted Shizuka on the shoulder, and softly reassured her: "Relax. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it."
[Shizuka finally gave a bitter smile: "I hope so… He's already had it hard enough. I don't want him to suffer any more."]
---
After half a day of investigation, Hikigaya had basically learned most of what he needed to know about this world. At the very least, there wasn't a huge communication barrier between him and the locals.
For example, the beastmen here were actually called demi-humans, and some shops only served demi-humans…
Compared to those overpowered, hot-blooded shounen protagonists, Hikigaya wasn't that arrogant. He didn't believe that being summoned to another world automatically made him a savior. More than anything, he just wanted to live a stable life.
Having walked for so long, he needed an extremely quiet place to think about his next move. Unlike the Advanced Nurturing High School, which had provided him with a place to stand and a clear path for growth, this journey to another world truly gave him nothing. Everything depended entirely on his own decisions.
Though he hated to do it, in order to survive, Hikigaya ultimately had no choice but to find work or someplace that would at least provide food and lodging.
When he finally sat down in a quiet alley, he realized the pain in his heart.
Yes… he was human too. Faced with such a sudden separation and the unfamiliarity of another world, he naturally felt reluctance, anxiety, and fear. To stabilize his emotions, he had kept himself moving nonstop. But now… he could no longer escape these negative feelings.
He gently lay down on the ground, raised one hand high, and stared up at the blue sky, yet saw no future at all.
Pain. Suffering. Unease. Fear. Tension.
Everything flooded into his heart like a tide, forcing Hikigaya to gasp for breath. In the end, even his vision grew blurry.
"You're really lucky, you know that?"
Approaching him was a group of three led by a white-haired youth, accompanied by a burly man built like a pig and what seemed to be a demi-human child.
Hikigaya slowly sat up but didn't respond.
"If you don't want to get hurt, hand over everything valuable you've got!"
The white-haired youth had no intention of reasoning. He stepped right up to Hikigaya, who had nowhere to retreat, and grabbed him by the collar, threatening him directly.
If Hikigaya wanted to resist, at this close range he could probably take this guy down by surprise. But…
'Even if I knock one down, there are still two others. That pig-like brute could probably lift me with one hand, and that demi-human kid, though small, is probably much faster than an ordinary person.'
'And if I resist, they might pull out knives or something. Overall, my odds against the three of them are basically zero. In that case, it's better to let them search me. I don't have anything valuable anyway. Maybe if they find nothing, they'll let me go.'
So Hikigaya simply raised both hands, looking completely resigned to his fate.
The white-haired youth didn't hesitate. Seeing how compliant Hikigaya was, he reached into his pockets, and sure enough he found nothing.
"The hell? Are you messing with me?!"
"You searched a traveler and expected to find something?"
"Then where's your money?"
'If I say I have none, this probably won't end well. Better use them instead…'
"It's all at the inn."
Hearing this, the white-haired youth hesitated. Letting him go like this would be a huge loss today.
"I'm coming with you. Don't even think about trying anything funny. I'll be watching you. In this country, there's no one I can't find!"
Hikigaya nodded in agreement. There was no sign of resistance on his face, at least outwardly. After all, once he reached the main street, he'd have countless chances to escape or cause a scene.
The white-haired youth released his grip and said, "Lead the way."
Hikigaya nodded. But just then, the unexpected happened.
A blonde girl who looked only in her teens, wearing a scarf, suddenly rushed into the alley.
"Hey, you guys over there! Don't block the way!"
The way she sprinted made Hikigaya suspicious. There was no way she was running in to save him, he wasn't the kind of guy worth saving. And this was a dead end. The possibilities were limited.
Either she was a righteous girl who stood up for justice… or she'd done something bad and was being chased here. Or third, she was an idiot.
---
[Chatroom]
[Felt was furious, arms crossed, scowling:"This guy! This guy actually thinks I'm an idiot?!"
[Old Man Rom: "With his intelligence, calling you an idiot isn't exactly wrong."]
[Felt: "Old man, why are you taking an outsider's side?!"]
[Rom chuckled helplessly: "Still, this kid really is impressive. He even guessed what you did."]
---
As Hikigaya was being led away, Felt suddenly stopped and said righteously, "You guys are actually robbing someone here? How shameless! Mister, you're really pitiful. But I can't help you, so… good luck!"
With that, Felt vanished like the wind. Right in front of Hikigaya, she took one step, then another, then another, leaping straight over a building that should have been impossible to climb.
"Huh?"
Not only Hikigaya, but even the robber behind him was completely dumbfounded.
The white-haired youth spoke first, "That scared the hell out of me. I thought you had backup."
Hikigaya replied, "No… there's no way that person could be my backup."
"Either way, you're still coming with us."
Hikigaya nodded, his gaze returning to the building she had just vaulted over. As far as he knew, the only person who could do something like that was Koenji…
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"
"Nothing. Just wondering, can you guys jump over that?"
"Don't be stupid. That's not something a normal person could clear."
"Oh. Then I guess this world is still mostly normal. What we just saw was an exception."
"Obviously."
Before the white-haired youth could react, a silver-haired girl dressed in white slowly walked in from outside the alley, directly blocking the three of them.
She had violet eyes. Within her gaze was a sharpness that made one's heart ache. After just a single exchange of looks, Hikigaya could already tell that this girl was different from everyone else.
As the gentle breeze swept past, her hair and clothes fluttered with it. Sunlight poured down onto her, and at that very moment, even Hikigaya, who had long since abandoned any hope of being saved, could only think of one word.
A savior.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The short demi-human was the first to roar, only to be met by the silver-haired girl's unwavering stare.
"If it's now, I can still let you go, so… please obediently return what you just stole."
"Stole?"
"Please, that item is very important to me. If it were something else, I might give up, but that one thing is absolutely non-negotiable. If you're good kids, then hand it over quietly…"
While the silver-haired girl was talking with the three of them, Hikigaya had already taken the opportunity to put some distance between himself and them.
'If your good kids hand it over? Even by isekai standards, that's one hell of a negotiation tactic.'
'Still, I'm not the type to just wait around and die. Rather than standing here, I might as well try to… break through the situation.'
The three of them looked at the silver-haired girl in confusion, then glanced at Hikigaya.
"Weren't you here to save him?"
Hearing that, the silver-haired girl also looked toward Hikigaya. Sure enough, probably because of his low presence, she hadn't even noticed him without being reminded.
Even so, she only said one thing.
"Those clothes are pretty unusual. But if you're asking whether I have anything to do with him, probably not."
Only then did the three of them finally relax. The girl turned her gaze back to them. From her perspective, these guys didn't look like good people at all, and the chances that they had stolen her belongings were simply too high.
So…
"!"
A cold gust of wind swept past the three of them. By the time they reacted, Hikigaya had already used the sprint training he once did with Kamuro to open up an absolute gap.
Because the silver-haired girl had been focused on the three people who she believed had stolen her item, she only realized what was happening when Hikigaya dashed right past her face.
Normally, she should have used magic to block his path. But after hearing the words about him being bullied, she dispelled the magic she had been about to release.
As expected of someone kind by nature, she couldn't bring herself to hurt a boy like him.
By the time Hikigaya opened his eyes again, he had already escaped the alley. Even now, his heart was still pounding violently. Compared to his usual situations where everything was under control, this time was more of a gamble.
After leaving the alley, he heard the sound of something freezing coming from behind him. But since he didn't stop, he simply left after hearing it, without giving it any further thought.
Inside the alley.
Puck: "Lia, you went soft."
The silver-haired girl nodded and fixed her gaze on the three of them: "I won't allow you to hurt an innocent person!"
Seeing the magic before his eyes, the white-haired youth was so frightened that he stumbled back dozens of steps. In his panic, he completely forgot about the blonde girl who had passed through earlier and hurriedly replied, "W-We won't make things hard for him…"
"But the thing you want might be in his hands. Look at his clothes, they are so strange, right? I think you'd agree."
The silver-haired girl's body trembled sharply. She stopped the freezing magic, then turned and walked out of the alley.
"You are not allowed to provoke him again."
"Whether or not he's the one who stole my item, that's something I'll deal with myself."
"I… will definitely get it back!"
With that, the silver-haired girl didn't hesitate at all. She leapt onto the rooftops, trying to track down the already-departed Hikigaya.
(End of this chapter)