Newbie Hope (5): Varied Reactions
The reactions of the rescued users were all over the place.
"It was—some kind of small demon."
"……Felt like I stepped into a horror movie?"
"It was scary. If that guy named Doil hadn't saved me—"
Some said they'd been chased by a ghost over five meters tall. Others talked about surviving a serial killer in a city called Londinium.
The themes and missions—their tutorials had been wildly different.
But there was one thing they all had in common.
It was that a man named Doil had saved them.
"Doil, huh. From compiling the users' testimonies, it looks like this man's played a very important role."
"A demon?"
"Who knows. As far as my common sense goes, I've never heard of a demon helping humans."
"Hmm—hope he's not a demon."
Queen Lydia smiled faintly as she listened to Erterion's report.
"My gut tells me if he's on humanity's side, he'd be a real asset."
Meanwhile, that report had also been passed along to the Windsor Knights.
Special Entity / Doil
- Mysterious man who commonly appears in tutorials.
- High possibility of being a demon, but definitely friendly toward humans.
"……Detective Conan?"
Sisilia tilted her head.
"Know something?"
Deputy Captain Edward—or Edward in his friendly mode—smiled with his eyes.
"Well……"
Sisilia said to Edward with a serious face.
"It's a secret."
"……."
"Sorry. Sorry. Our Sisilia's causing trouble again……."
"No, she's always like that, so no need to apologize. Beatrice."
Edward's aides looked at Beatrice with pity as she hastily stood and asked permission to leave.
……Good thing I picked a good boss.
"We don't know yet if this man's a demon or who's behind the tutorials—but what's clear is this is helping us."
Edward shook the files listing the cases.
"At first glance, it seems like kids' play, but each one takes into account teaching basics to people dropped into an unfamiliar world."
"Confiscate and search."
Sisilia quietly raised her hand.
Edward neatly ignored her and continued.
"Whatever the reason, a demon's dungeon like this would be a loss for humanity to destroy. We'll monitor the situation for now."
Well, they can't find where this dungeon is anyway.
The regions where users appeared were all different.
But from their experiences, they all came from one dungeon.
That meant it had the ability to move through space.
Whether it could change its location or designate drop-off points—either way, it was an unheard-of bizarre authority.
Dispatching the Windsor Knights could pinpoint it eventually, but with no major losses, there was no need to waste their precious manpower.
"But survivors mean there were sacrifices too."
Like a broken clock being right twice a day, Sisilia occasionally made valid points.
"We have to save them."
"We can't identify every casualty, but considering the survivors' traits, most are good people."
Conversely, it meant the dungeon's demon had a taste for the 'wicked'.
In other words, it ate the wicked outright and spat out the good ones as unpalatable.
"It's doing our job for us. Good thing."
Not everyone randomly summoned to this world would be good-aligned—that was a pipe dream.
From the start, Queen Lydia had planned to execute those outside the 'norm'.
Even if they were heroes who'd saved worlds before, if they were vicious criminals back home, they'd be a net loss for humanity.
Harsh thinking.
But it was the one judgment from the queen that Edward truly approved of.
"Or are you saying even vicious criminals deserve saving if they're heroes to save this world? Some childish fantasy, Vice-Captain Sisilia?"
Edward sneered.
This was his chance to show everyone how childish and foolish Sisilia was—and who was superior.
Sisilia answered without flinching.
"Judging that and executing falls to humans, not demons."
"……Why's she always normal right when I poke her."
Edward sighed, not even breaking even on his jab.
"Unfortunately, manpower shortage. Chasing a space-jumping dungeon would loosen the kingdom's defenses. You know that, right? Truce or not, rogue demons are active."
"Leave it to Sisilia Windsor, sir."
Sisilia's eyes sparkled overly bright.
Edward ignored her cleanly and concluded.
"Windsor Knights won't intervene. Especially you, Sisilia—do your job. We've got over six requests already for your Wind Shear……"
Edward trailed off and glanced aside.
The silver-haired girl who'd been there moments ago had vanished, leaving only a single strand of hair.
"……Was Captain Chiron the last restraint?"
His absence stung at times like this.
As a space-manipulating swordsman, he could snag Sisilia mid-escape through the wind with a hand in the air.
But fire, no matter how hot, couldn't contain the wind.
"It's fine."
"Hm?"
"Leave it to me."
Beatrice pulled out a box.
This was the ultimate technique she'd racked her brains over during solo duty these past weeks.
Without hesitation, Beatrice untied the ribbon.
Edward doubted his eyes.
"A cake?"
Beatrice took a fork from her bosom, speared a slice, and held it in the air.
And instantly—
"Nom."
"……."
Sisilia appeared!
"!"
Witnessing true mystery, Edward thought as he watched Beatrice sigh in relief.
This is interesting.
Looks like they'd found Sisilia's Chiron replacement.
**
"Strangers from a strange world, heroes who have come."
Twenty-five in total.
They faced their first king of this land—Queen Lydia.
Having lived modern lives, they offered clumsy etiquette with eyes full of wariness or expectation.
"You stand now on the final frontier of hope for the Liannen Kingdom."
Lydia spoke softly.
Her gentle tone brimmed with unassailable dignity.
The users realized for the first time that dignity wasn't defined by arrogance or tone.
"Demons cross our borders, defiling our lands, spilling the blood of countless subjects. If Liannen falls, humanity's extinction follows."
Queen Lydia raised one arm.
"This world did not summon you."
A faint stir rippled through the summoners.
But Lydia continued with a serene smile.
"You led yourselves here. You chose to cross life itself, even possibility."
But one user couldn't hold back.
"You're kidding!"
"……!"
The queen's knights startled at the interruption during her solemn speech.
Sisilia eyed the shouting middle-aged man.
That's the natural reaction.
They hadn't come willingly.
Pulled from normal lives, complaints weren't unreasonable.
"So you're saying drag innocent people here outta nowhere and tell 'em to save the world?!"
The man, looking like a sleazy boss, glanced around.
"You guys got no complaints? This makes no sense!"
"W-Well, yeah."
"P-Please send us back. Me, a hero saving the world? Impossible."
Even the hesitant ones saw reason in the boss's words.
"Really, you wanted none of this?"
"Of course not!"
"Strange."
Lydia wore a troubled expression.
"The summoning circle I used only allowed those who wished to go to another world."
-Tired of this boring daily grind.
-This life's a bust.
-No isekai summon events? Wanna see elf sis.
-Sigh, won't do the job right but wants the paycheck? File a complaint or something, fuck.
The boss yelled in fury.
"Hey! You saying it's fair to drag us here for thoughts like that?!"
But confusion didn't settle.
Then, the medical student pushed up his glasses and raised his hand.
"If we save the world, what's in it for us?"
Queen Lydia smiled as if she'd waited.
"Endless honor and glory."
"……."
"But words alone won't convince you."
Spot on.
Honor from a strange world? Unneeded.
"How about this?"
Queen Lydia held up one finger.
"If the same happens in your world, and you can return home?"
"……!"
"Your world has no defense against demons, from what I know. Gain power here, and you'll be heroes there too—saving it with your own strength."
Queen Lydia clasped her hands behind her back.
Her mystical aura left them entranced.
"Liannen wants your power. But we won't force it."
Lydia extended a hand quietly.
The kingdom's flag fluttered in the wind.
Beyond the walls, the war raged on.
"But please, in this world you chose—"
Lydia closed and opened her eyes, whispering her finale.
"Become true heroes."
In that moment, an alert appeared before every summoner.
Save the Liannen Kingdom.
📍 Objective: Slay the Demon King and prevent the Liannen Kingdom's collapse.
🎁 Reward: Accept return?
[Yes] / [No]
**
In the past, Sisilia had answered the question 'What if strangers from another world question things?' with 'That's the queen's role.'
It works.
All twenty-five newbies accepted.
Of course, already dropped in this world with no immediate way back, they had no choice.
But they were tutorial clearers—confident enough.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak, Sisilia. The meeting hasn't started yet."
A few words turning 'suddenly isekai'd' folks into willing demon slayers.
The queen's no ordinary person—though her words raised questions.
"Can we really send them back?"
Return to Earth.
Sisilia had never considered it.
Normally, summoned meant no return—that was the cliché.
But the queen mentioned return.
And that Earth faced the same crisis.
"Who knows."
Lydia stroked Sisilia's head.
"Perhaps."
"Tell me straight."
"……I'm the queen, you know."
"Quickly, quickly."
Lydia shook weakly as Sisilia wheedled and tugged.
"Honestly, I'm not certain."
Fraud!
Sisilia wanted to hoist the queen's tiny body and embarrass her before the world.
"But not entirely impossible."
"Really?"
"If summoning's possible, returning should be too. Of course—it's up to the goddess."
Dodging to the goddess, the queen grinned mischievously.
So she issued blank checks without certainty.
What a scam.
But Sisilia realized.
"True loli devil."
"……?"
"Learned something today."
To stay a loli after 300 years took that thick skin.
Sword Princess Sisilia admired deep down.
"Then now—"
Confirming the kingdom's key figures assembled, Lydia sat on the throne.
"Let us begin the meeting on the second summoning ritual and management of secured users."