Before I could even register that I was no longer in that white library, I was already gone.
Sohow, the voice of the little girl who introduced herself as the "Librarian" echoed in my mind as the world around changed for the second ti.
[Transporting to the Illusory World of 'This Generation's Hero is a Jackass!']
Mouth slightly gaping, I stared blankly at the scene before . Blinking, rembering how to breathe, I turned my head left to right, slowly taking in my surroundings.
"What..."
With such a mutter, so faint it barely registered in my mind, I returned to animation.
I was in a pocket-sized room of wood and stone, a single glass window between and the glaring sunlight outside. The small room was utterly bare from decoration other than two things: A rather crude, archaic bed, and a sheathed sword leaning against the wall.
Out of nowhere, the Librarian's voice sounded again in my ears, saying sothing I couldn't quite understand.
[The target is 'Kala Maine, the Hero'!]
But before I had the ti to question it, she "spoke" to a third ti.
[Your identity is a newbie knight-in-training under the Bevel Kingdom's Royal Army!]
When I heard that, I belatedly realised just how heavy my body felt. Lowering my gaze, I laid my eyes on my own clothes, which had at so point been replaced with the sort of knightly casual wear, many layers thick, that you might see in a fantasy drama. What was it called, a gambeson...?
Although I still had my backpack on, I didn't know where the clothes I had been wearing were, as well as that strange, glowing tattoo to adorn my hand, but I suppose that was the least of my concerns.
"The hell..."
Admittedly, I did feel shockingly composed considering just how precipitate a situation this was, but right now, I couldn't even tell if that was an accomplishnt of my own self, or simply a result of being too bewildered to bear other emotions.
At so point, the Librarian's voice stirred again.
[Ah, you must be taken aback! However, fret not! It may be your first Contract, but as the Illusory Library's Curator, among my responsibilities is the duty to assist you in your work, Enki!]
I subconsciously furrowed my brows at her ntioning my na, but swiftly moved past it.
"'Work'...?"
Echoing a certain word with half a mind, a trendous sense of discomfort welled up within .
Work? As in, a job?
Sothing like that was exactly the sort of thing I never wanted to do--
Gonggg~!!
A sonorous sound interrupted my thoughts.
"Arise, n! New recruits, another day of training awaits!"
Subsequently, from beyond the walls of this tiny room, a booming voice resounded. Shocked still for a mont, the Librarian's earlier words flashed again in my mind, and I realised.
"...Wait, does that include ?"
In a hasted scramble, I grabbed the sword, fastening them to the respective side of the belt on my waist.
I had no idea if that was the correct choice, but at the very least, I could understand that I was sohow a knight in this place, so carrying such a weapon around shouldn't be a huge deal.
Exiting the room after giving it a quick glance to ensure I hadn't missed anything, I found a stone brick hallway with dozens more doors.
'Uh, right, this must be so kind of barracks... Did she say 'royal army'...?'
At the sa ti, nurous other young n erged from what I assud to be their quarters with equally drowsy, sleep-ridden eyes.
"Yawwwn~ Mornin', fellas..."
"Ah, mornin'..."
"G'morning..."
'Ah.'
"Morning..."
Following along, I greeted them similarly; seeing as they only nodded at in montary acknowledgent, it seems they really didn't notice I wasn't soone who belonged here. Most of them, too, carried swords.
'What... They're not suspicious at all...?'
I could feel the rapid thumps of my heart within my chest; so powerful that even my limbs were subtly trembling.
I still had no clue what was happening, but it was truly exhilarating in all the wrong sorts of ways.
Since I didn't know what to do, I just followed the others as they walked down the corridor.
"Man, I'm hungry... Think they got the good stuff today? Oh, junior, you've never had the soup they serve here, right?"
For so reason, one of the evidently older knights spoke to .
"Uh. No..."
Because it ca out of nowhere, I could only respond in such an awkward manner, but so long as they didn't suspect anything, I guess it was fine.
"Yeah, that so? We-hell~, just you wait. On cold days, it really makes the training a whole lot more bearable having so hot sloshin' around in your belly, but you'll see what I an next winter."
'What...?'
There were roughly a dozen or so knights in our little group, and as I passively listened to their casual banter on the way, it didn't take long before we arrived at sothing like a canteen, where a trendous number of other young n in the sa attire could be found chatting together, eating identical basic als.
In a way, it resembled closely the university campus cafeteria I'd frequented.
Staring wide-eyed at this vast hall, filled with the tumultuous clash of dozens of different voices and roaring laughter, I didn't even know what to think.
What was it that happened to the magical cat-like critter again...? What about that white place I suddenly appeared in just after? Why am I now here? In the first place, where even--
[Ermmm... Enki...? Might there be an issue, perhaps? Do tell if there are any problems, I will do my utmost to assist you!]
An upbeat, high-pitched voice spoke to , or rather, directly to my brain. Again, it was that "Librarian". The supposed Librarian―whom I just rembered was blindfolded.
[E-Enki? You're beginning to frighten ! Please respond...!]
Even though this should've been a ti of glee and celebration after catching one of those exceedingly rare magical beasts, why was I instead here...
"What is even going on...?"
[...Eh?]
Muttering that completely obliviously, I felt as if I was in a dream.
Maybe that's why nothing was making any sense.
Maybe that's why all of this was happening.
But, in that case, how is it possible for to wake up...?
[M-my apologies, but could you explain what precisely it is you an by--]
"Oii! Junior...!"
Suddenly, the apparent senior knight from before called out to ; it seems, whilst I was stuck in that stupor, the rest of the group had moved on to collect their food and find a table. Glancing over at them, who roughly patted a spare seat with a fresh tray at its empty spot, I realised imdiately they ant for us to eat together.
Grrrrrroanghh~!
I flinched at the low rumble that emanated from my body. Putting a hand on my stomach, I cast a quick look around the hall once more before returning my attention to the senior knight's group.
'...I guess, it is a bit strange to be hungry in a dream, huh...'
I hadn't eaten anything ever since I woke up almost three hours ago, and going to buy so food was the entire reason why I went outside anyway.
'Wait, that's right―I do still have my bag with ...'
Then, was it not a dream after all? But then, this situation, and my clothes...
"Hey, everythin' aight? You spaced out for a while there."
"Ah... Yes, I'm fine."
Lying simply to the senior whom I sat beside, I turned my gaze down to the al placed in front of .
'Just soup and bread...?'
Honestly, just from looking at it, it was probably more nutritious than anything I had eaten in days. Of course, not because the al itself was particularly nutritious, but because of my recent diet.
Although, you would think that knights ate quite well, so maybe the forr also applied sowhat.
"Tsk, see? Told ya he's just dreading the training. The newbies are always like this, they can't handle it, even the most basic bits."
"I don't know about that because I never had a problem with it. We have a priest on standby too, so what's there to worry about? Anyway, he said he's good, so he's all good, right?"
Patting my shoulder a few tis, the adjacent senior returned to his al, and watching him dig in greedily as he did so, I promptly followed suit.
"―Mm!"
"Hahaha, s'it good? Hey, didn't I tell ya?"
The simple combination of bread and soup was, surprisingly, more delicious than I expected.
It didn't take long to finish the al... Well, I didn't usually eat a whole lot anyway, so it couldn't have ever taken that long to fill up. However, even if I thought there was no problem so long as my hunger was sated, I soon found out that didn't an it was the sa for others.
"U-uh, junior, you sure that's enough?"
"Hm?"
'What, is sothing wrong?'
I turned to the senior knight to give him a questioning look, but for so reason, he seed hesitant.
"No, it's just, the training's quite..."
At the sa ti, murmurs from so of the other seniors around could also be heard.
"Man. Newbies really do get bolder year after year."
"He's so scrawny, how'd he even get in?"
"No, the Hero's definitely gonna pick on him if he's like this. Ahhh, now I feel bad."
My skin grew cold at the sense of being judged, with my insides conversely becoming hotter by the second starting at the core of my incessantly-thumping heart. But, before I had the chance to say sothing in return, that friendly senior patted on the shoulder once again.
"Let's see... Good luck, is all I have to say. As a senior, I'll be cheering you on wholeheartedly."
I could only stare at him blankly.
'...Why? No, wait, is sothing bad happening?'
Gonggg~!!
Right after that, a similar toll as earlier sounded, upon which everyone around raised slowly from their seats gradually, and with various expressions resembling disgruntlent or weariness on their faces, exited the hall uniformly.
"..."
Now alone in this vast, empty hall, my gaze lingered on the doorway through which they all departed.
The silence was only transient, however.
[Pardon ! R-really, you truly didn't fill an application or anything of the sort to accept the job, is that correct?! Th-that ans, I sent you over there without any sort of prior briefing... Ohh, did I make a blunder...? No, this really is my mistake, isn't it...!]
That apologetic, erring voice flowed.
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