"We'll address everything that's worrying us right now about me and that girl later."
The king, with coquettishness, dismissed the matter without further delay.
I feel a little relieved, but I know that, sooner or later, I will have to face it.
However, thank God.
I don't want to say anything right now, as I haven't yet found any reason to approve of this.
The king observes all the heroes. He seems to have reached a conclusion and nods.
"Heroes, for having selfishly summoned you, I myself apologize. As for the reasons..."
The king bowed in apology.
What a humble king.
The tension has also eased. I can relax a little, as attention is now focused on the current situation. Although everyone here seems calm, since the king himself has apologized to us, no one is truly letting their guard down.
"I will tell you about the situation in our world. There are eight major continents and recognized continental territories in this world."
Our continent, home to most of humanity, is called the Land of Prosperity. It is a land blessed with abundant farmland and numerous natural resources. Hundreds of towns and cities are scattered across our continent, waiting to be explored. As you might guess, humans are the primary species you'll encounter here, with few exceptions.
To the east lies the Land of Green Forests, home of the elves. The elves are skilled in spiritual arts and have learned to cultivate and utilize the resources of the vast forests that cover their territory. Due to the high purity of their magical power and their close connection to nature, the animals and plants of that continent are greatly blessed with the power of the spirits, and since our lands are relatively close, we maintain good trade relations with them.
To the west lies the Valley of the Ancients, home to the dragon race. This continent is primarily the dragons' domain, ruled by the Dragon Emperor. Its lands consist of vast rocky plateaus, deep canyons, and expansive deserts. Of all the known continents in this world, the Valley of the Ancients can be considered the largest.
South of the Land of Greenwoods lies the territory of the dwarves, known as the Metal Range. As their name suggests, the dwarves inhabit this vast mountainous region. They are experts in forging and metallurgy, producing weapons and armor of exceptional quality. Because they are a highly valued race, whose members manufacture equipment indispensable for war, we take care not to provoke unnecessary conflicts with them.
South of the Valley of the Ancients lies the Rainforest of Healing, home of the fairies. It is the continent where the majestic tree Yggdrasil stands, dwarfing even the surrounding mountains. The fairies dwell in their forests and rarely venture into the settlements of other races. They are expert healers and possess a vast knowledge unknown to us who live outside their sacred lands.
At the opposite end of our continent lies the Land of Mana, home to demons. This continent overflows with magical power. Demons are experts in magical theory and research, and excel at creating magical compounds and tools. Thanks to their abundant resources and knowledge, the demonic race initiated friendly trade with us, primarily to meet their economic needs.
And between the Land of Green Forests and the Metal Mountain Range lies the archipelago known as the Thousand Isles, home to the descendants of the beasts. They are skilled traders and the foremost navigators of this world. Their islands attract merchants and nobles from every continent, making them one of the world's greatest trading centers.
Finally, at the center of the world lies a territory that no one claims. It is a virtually uninhabited and extremely dangerous land. For now, it belongs to no race or nation.
Wow... this is a really cool place!
All the fantastic creatures are here!
The tension among the others is rising. They seem to be accepting what's happening… or so I think.
To think that so many races live here, in this world.
"All races here live in relative harmony and peace. We maintain reciprocal relationships, as each race possesses its own unique characteristics and resources. When conflict arises, we strive to resolve it through competition and agreements between the parties."
I've only been on the throne for five years, but these rules have existed for over a hundred. Even the demons, who once hated humans and were hated by them, now live peacefully among us.
Furthermore, there are many cases of mixed marriages.
That's the best news I've heard!
Mixed marriages!
Once again, the tension increased.
Among the boys, I should be one of them too, but I miss my male genitalia, you know?
But then…
The central territory, that uninhabited continent, began to emanate a fearsome aura.
We have a common problem with magical beasts that attack and kill everything in their path. However, magical beasts are commonplace in this world.
The real problem is something else.
Although that land is isolated, the influence of its bellicose aura reaches all continents.
And that, in and of itself, breeds demons!
Even now, demons roam freely throughout all territories.
The demons that emerge from that land are all intelligent and truly powerful.
OK…
This sounds very dangerous.
I know for a fact that I hate pain… I’ve hated it since I was little. Even a tiny scratch makes me cry uncontrollably.
It's regrettable, I know, but I can't help it.
That also entails emotional pain.
That's why I did everything I could to avoid being harassed.
I did everything I could to feel absolutely nothing…
But there are times when I really don't feel like myself and I get into a good mood.
"We, the Kingdom of Astra, request your aid in the face of this calamity we are facing. Please, brave Hero-sama, answer our call."
The king, the Royal Guard, and the advisor all bowed together.
I'll say it again: the king and his servants are too humble.
I don't want to fight, but what other choice do I have?
I wonder how the others will respond.
They appear to be looking at each other.
Hey! Don't leave me out!
Protested in my home.
Of course, no one will hear my voice of anguish.
They looked at me as if they were stealing glances. They weren't paying much attention. Some distrusted me, others simply ignored me, but most looked at me with pity.
I can't stand how they stare at me, as if I shouldn't be here.
If that's what they think, that's fine.
"King, you are far too humble. This is my honest opinion. We have no choice but to fight for your kingdom. Bowing down to us even further shows that you are in a desperate situation."
This is what I want to ask you: do you have any method for returning to our world?
The brown-haired man said it all at once.
It seems that everyone here is calm and reasonable.
I like that they don't behave like children.
Seriously, this is an outrageous situation.
It seems the earlier comedic skit reduced the tension considerably, so we were able to have a calm conversation without anyone getting upset. Everyone was able to organize their thoughts and easily express what they wanted to say.
"I am deeply moved by your sincere response. Although I continue to regret having involved you all in the problems of our world, please allow me to express my gratitude."
Of course, I will be more than willing to meet all your needs within my domain.
Regarding the return method… I apologize again, but we don't have one available.
A method of return…
Although it doesn't directly concern me, I felt very bad for the others, who lowered their gaze with gloomy faces.
I wonder how some people can maintain their composure even in the face of such an obvious truth.
Perhaps, like me, they don't feel too attached to our world.
After that, they faced the king again after overcoming what had happened.
They recovered incredibly fast!
Is this also a requirement to be a hero?
"I see. Even if we wanted to delve deeper into the matter, it would be pointless. So, please tell us now what your plan is."
The king responded with surprise, but kindly.
"Oh, brave Heroes-sama, could we discuss the plans tomorrow? The dimensional transfer may have drained much of your energy."
I'll have the...the maids escort them to their rooms."
Hahaha!
I was about to say "maid" when I realized there was a maid among the group of heroes!
The handsome young man with brown hair stated:
"We will obey."
Then, following a signal from the king, the servants entered the hall and respectfully indicated that we should follow them, as they would escort us to our respective rooms.
I felt envious of the brown-haired boy who was accompanied by a maiden with pointy ears; a real Elf!
However, it wasn't so bad, since a maiden with an elegant gait and brown hair accompanied me.
Among all the maidens who followed us, she was the tallest and the most elegant.
And when I say the tallest, I mean she was even a little taller than the King.
Wow…
He faithfully stayed by my side and led me to my room.
And now, right in front of me, is that room!
My room is huge!
Absolutely huge!
How cool!
Ah! From my window I can see the moon shining!
Wow!
There are three moons!
This is another world!
My bed is soft and fluffy!
There's a bookshelf too!
I like to read, you know!
I was frolicking all over the room when I realized the maid was still there.
Actually, it's funny to see one maid accompanying another!
But let's return to the present.
The maid looked at me affectionately.
Instinctively, I curled up on the edge of the bed.
"I'm sorry…"
Huh?
Did I just lisp again?
A nine-year-old girl's tongue is not that flexible.
With that mistake, I felt like smoke was coming out of my face…
I'm seriously going to have health problems if this continues!
"KYAAAAH! I'M SO HAPPY! I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THIS LITTLE ANGEL! EVERYONE IN THE HALL WAS WATCHING YOU FROM BEHIND, YOU KNOW?! WE EVEN FOUGHT OUTSIDE OVER WHO WOULD ESCORT YOU! THANKFULLY, I'M STRONG! KYAAH! I WANT TO HUG YOU RIGHT NOW, LITTLE HERO-SAMA!"
¡AHHH!
¡AHHH!
She's not a good housekeeper either!
And were they looking at me from behind?
Wait…
Did they fight among themselves too!?
Is that why you have that huge bump on the back of your neck?
Don't you need medical attention?
Since you're at it, please get your sanity checked too!
Now that I think about it, I did feel a malicious gaze on my back a while ago.
"Ahem. Please excuse my impertinence, Ojō-sama. I got a little carried away."
Now then, little Hero-sama, your dinner will be served in a moment. Please rest peacefully in this room.
She left.
I put my hands to my head.
You were screaming at the top of your lungs.
After her previous speech, compared to when she got serious, there is a huge difference.
That's what a professional is like.
Now they also call me Little Hero-sama.
Why do I feel that the meaning of names in this world is… how to put it… too straightforward?
For now, I looked at myself in the mirror…
……
Let's go.
Even girls would be delighted with this look.
I have discovered the irresistible charm of my face.
Dangerous!
I could fall in love with myself if I looked at myself a little more.
Even I can discern beauty in any genre.
But this face completely broke the gender barrier.
Besides, I'm a little girl.
I don't mind, but being small has its advantages and disadvantages.
Now that I've compared myself to people from before…
Am I not the youngest?
The tiniest of them all?
There's no point in overthinking it!
Right now!
Yeah!
Magic!
I know I have an aptitude for the magical arts, since I was able to sense the flow of mana or whatever it was in that girl Lily a while ago!