The Helpless One's Clacking Heels

The sharp clack clack of dress shoes echoed down the long corridor. I was humming a little tune, enjoying the satisfying sound of the gifted shoes, when two organization members spotted me from afar and froze stiff as boards. They looked exactly like privates who'd just stumbled upon their division commander out for a casual stroll. The pair immediately halted in place, snapped to attention, and raised their hands in salute.

"Uh—good morning to you too."

I gave them a light wave. They hurried past me with impressive speed, and I couldn't help but sigh. I didn't remember being treated like this when I first joined the organization... I had no idea ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how things had gotten to this point.

If I had to blame anything, it was probably the fact that I'd met the boss the very moment I first arrived in this world.

When I first opened my eyes in this city, I'd assumed I'd been kidnapped in my sleep. It made sense. The buildings had an incredibly modern style—honestly, they looked like something straight out of New York City. Thinking I'd been transported to another world or dropped into some alternate dimension seemed far too hasty at the time.

That assumption didn't last long.

"Haha—! Catch me if you can!"

A police car blared its siren as it struggled to chase down a man running on two legs. Yes, a man. A patrol car that could easily overtake most vehicles was failing to catch up to a single human being. If someone could run that fast, they wouldn't be dodging the cops here—they'd be at the Olympics sweeping up every medal in sight.

While I stood there dumbfounded, an emergency news bulletin flashed across the electronic billboard on a nearby building.

"...Villain? Terror?"

The screen showed a villain shooting explosions from his hands while heroes in tight-fitting costumes fought back. The moment I saw it, I realized I hadn't been kidnapped. One of my earlier guesses had been close, though. I'd thought the architecture looked American.

Exactly. This was a world straight out of an American comic book. A superhero world filled with heroes and villains, superpowers and fantasy races. And in that world, I was nothing more than an ordinary person with zero abilities.

True to its comic-book nature, people simply stared at me—an East Asian man with black hair—in curiosity. No one suddenly approached to pull my eyes into slits or anything. With non-human races walking around, discriminating based on skin color would have been ridiculous anyway.

Thanks to that, I was able to explore the city without any major incidents. That's when I realized one crucial fact: this wasn't the world I came from.

Obviously, the cash and cards I carried were completely useless here. The moment that sank in, I knew I had to find a job immediately. I understood all too well how dangerous it was to be homeless, broke, and without any identification in a modern society.

I can't exactly ask the police for help either...

In a world like this, there probably weren't any ID cards to prove one's identity. Still, an administrative organization like the police would surely have some kind of system to verify who someone was. Even if I got lucky and they believed me, the fact that I had absolutely no one in this world who could vouch for my identity was a massive problem.

Would the police really treat a man with no home and no identity kindly? Of course not. I'd be lucky if they didn't label me an illegal immigrant and throw me in jail or deport me.

Well, there must be some kind of work available. There can't be a total shortage of jobs.

If worst came to worst, I'd do manual labor. With that mindset, I visited every store that had a "Help Wanted" sign. When I told them I was looking for work, the owners would smile warmly and offer me a cold glass of water.

"So you want to work at our store?"

"Yes! I'll do anything you ask—!"

"What kind of abilities do you have?"

"...Sorry? I don't have any."

"Get out."

Unfortunately, this world didn't have racial ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠discrimination. It had something far worse: discrimination against the powerless. As someone who'd fallen from Earth without any superpowers, I was treated like an untouchable—barely even qualified to work part-time at a convenience store.

After being rejected from more than a dozen shops, the sun had already begun to set. Dusk. The hour between dog and wolf. The time when you couldn't tell if the person approaching you was a kind citizen offering help or a villain coming to do harm.

I sat huddled in a dark corner of an alley where no one ever walked, trying to avoid both people and the cold.

What a crazy world... How are the powerless supposed to survive?

With no abilities, no identification, and no education, there was nothing I could do. Even manual labor was out of the question. Normal people without physical enhancement powers were considered useless. In a city built entirely for those with superpowers, there was nothing a powerless person like me could do.

Nothing except sit here, crouched and trembling in fear...

"—Sitting all alone and wallowing in self-pity, I see."

Clack.

At that moment, someone approached without a sound and patted my head. A soft palm ruffled my hair, followed by the sweet scent of milk that tickled my nose. I looked up cautiously and saw a young girl standing there. She clearly wasn't an ordinary child. The bodyguards in suits standing behind her proved that.

"...I'm sorry."

I brushed her hand away as if I'd committed a rudeness and stood up. I knew getting involved with someone like her would only cause trouble, so I tried to leave quickly. But the young lady who'd found me had no intention of letting go of her new toy.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Ack—!"

With a playful "Ei!" she grabbed the back of my neck and forced me back down to the ground. Then she bent over lightly to meet my eyes. She was so short that she didn't need to bend very far. The moment our eyes met, I felt an indescribable sense of majesty in her gaze. Even though I didn't know her name or who she was, I felt the same oppressive pressure as if the President of the United States were standing right in front of me.

Gulp.

I swallowed hard and spoke carefully.

"...W-what can I do for you?"

"It is only natural to grow curious when one sees a dark-haired man sitting alone and sniffling in a place like this, is it not?"

"I wasn't sniffling..."

"To Us, it is all visible."

The girl let out a small laugh and urged me to tell her my troubles. The overwhelming pressure I'd felt earlier vanished completely, replaced by a warmth that wrapped around my entire body like being held in a mother's arms. The reluctance to share my secrets with a complete stranger—especially a child—began to fade.

And so, I told her everything.

"I..."

I'm from Earth, not this world. I'm a powerless person with no abilities whatsoever. I have no home, no money, no identity, and no one to take responsibility for me. I...

......

......

"—Mm-hmm. I see."

"...Huh?"

Only after hearing the girl's voice did I realize I'd spilled every single one of my secrets. It had happened without me even being aware of it. Whether she believed me or not, my fate looked grim. If she believed me, I might end up as a lab rat somewhere. If she didn't, she could just hand me over to the police as some lunatic wandering the streets.

But fortunately, the girl said something completely unexpected.

"So thou hast nowhere to go. Then come to Our house!"

"Excuse me? What do you..."

"Worry not. Our house has many empty rooms! Thou may use one of them! Do not even think of refusing!"

The girl smiled brightly and met my eyes.

"We have many questions for thee, after all."

And just like that, I ended up following the girl to her house. The house of a girl whose name and identity I still didn't know...

"Ah, We forgot to mention. Our name is Regalia. Thou may call Us Ria if thou wishest."

Now I at least knew her name.

"This is..."

"This is Our home!"

The mansion we arrived at after riding in Ria's car was enormous—easily the size of something you'd only see in movies or dramas back on Earth. I'd already guessed she wasn't an ordinary girl, but I never imagined she'd live in a place like this. I stared at her with slightly widened eyes.

"Hehe—art thou so surprised? Did We not tell thee that Our house has many spare rooms!"

"No, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just... didn't expect it to be this much..."

"Kitty. Show him to his room. Ah—have you eaten?"

"...I haven't had anything yet."

"Bring something simple to eat as well."

With those words and a wave of her hand, the girl disappeared. When I asked Kitty where Ria had gone, the answer I received was once again completely beyond my imagination.

"The young lady has gone to bed. Children must be in bed before ten o'clock if they wish to grow tall."

"Ah... may I ask how old the young lady is?"

"Why is that any of your concern? Refrain from asking useless questions."

"...I'm sorry."

"Follow me. I'll bring your meal to your room."

After getting scolded for no good reason, I was led to my room. The room was just as luxurious as the rest of the mansion. The bed was as soft as a cloud, and the blankets smelled wonderful. A short while later, Kitty entered carrying a simple late-night meal.

"It's quite late, so this isn't a proper dinner."

"No, this is more than enough."

On the cart she'd brought was a steak. This wasn't a proper meal? Just how extravagant was a real dinner in this house...?

After a moment of astonished admiration, I began cutting into the steak. Watching my clumsy knife and fork work, Kitty frowned deeply and spoke.

"—While you have found lodging today thanks to the young lady's kindness, you must not assume this will last forever. Once her interest fades, you'll be back on the streets just like before."

"I understand..."

"Either prove that you possess abilities that can be of use to the young lady, or continue coming up with stories that will keep her interest. I pray you find one of those paths."

After delivering that firm statement, Kitty left the room. She wasn't wrong. The only reason I could sleep in a warm bed right now was thanks to Regalia's temporary whim. If I wanted to stay here longer, I had to prove that I could be useful to her.

In a world where the powerless were treated worse than untouchables.

...Is that even possible?

Fortunately, the opportunity came sooner than expected.

"—It's done."

"Ooh—!"

Regalia let out a gasp of admiration as she watched the moving toy robot. Seeing Ria so delighted by the clanking little machine made me smile too. Who would've thought something so simple would make her this happy?

Must be because she's just a kid.

I never expected her to be so thrilled over a robot that could only shoot beams from its eyes.