#184
People from Earth in Another World (1)
‘…How did I end up here?’
Princess Riley looked up at Heinrich, dumbfounded by an unexpected encounter.
So much had happened in just one day.
Starting with the friction with Prince Simon, then the interference from the Banshee Queen Olivia, and despite it all, the dramatic escape she had managed, followed by the life-threatening crisis they faced outside.
And then, in that dire situation, there stood a hero who had come to save her!
It wasn’t peculiar that she reacted this way.
“…Ah!”
However, her confusion didn’t last long…
The thought of what needed to be done right now flashed in her mind.
“Ah, thank you for saving me, holy man! But… please take care of this person first!”
Though she was momentarily flustered by the unexpected reunion, meeting a holy man in this situation truly was a stroke of luck.
Not to mention that, despite being more combat-focused rather than healing, there was no denying that he was still a top-tier priest.
Given the serious situation with Hesperon, it was the optimal choice.
“Of course. Leave it to me.”
Naturally, even without her words, the righteous holy man had no intention of ignoring the injured person before him.
Hmm — “It’s quite a critical state, but it seems their life is not in major danger, so you shouldn’t worry. They are quite a sturdy individual.”
“Is that so…? That’s a relief, really…”
Heinrich began treatment using Holy Law, and as he softly expressed his admiration, Riley let out a sigh of relief while anxiously watching him.
Finally realizing that all the crises had passed, she felt her tension ease as she relaxed her body.
It had truly been a day filled with exhausting events.
“Once again, thank you for your help, holy man. Oh, by the way, how did you know we were here…?”
And as she gained a little leisure, she cautiously posed a question, realizing that not all her doubts had been resolved.
Wasn’t this encounter too dramatic to chalk up to mere coincidence?
But before Heinrich could answer…
Voom—
A transformation occurred once more.
With a vibrating sound, an immense magic power clustered in the nearby air in an instant.
The gigantic energy that even a low-level wizard like Riley couldn’t fathom formed a specific structure, and soon the space warped, revealing a group of people.
A hulking barbarian warrior who captured the surrounding attention with an intimidating yet overwhelming presence.
A spear knight draped in a gloomy aura, resting a long spear on his shoulder.
…And amidst those unfamiliar figures, a small girl stood.
“Holy man! Space magic isn’t something you can just perform easily! If you leave so suddenly…!”
The face she had wanted to see for a long time was now present.
“…Seaah?”
“Eh?”
As Isea, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, opened them and paused at the voice calling her, she slowly turned her head.
A brief silence fell as their gazes met.
Despite being in a ragged state due to the chaos, there was no way she wouldn’t recognize the person before her.
“…Riley?”
Driven solely by the intent to rescue the princess kidnapped by the Undead King, she had poured all her Karma points into volunteering for the hero’s party!
She had vowed daily to rescue her no matter how many years it might take…
Yet here she was, right in front of her!
…Why was she here?
Having simply followed Heinrich, who had suddenly disappeared while they were assisting the people of the Rohan Principality, she could only stand there, dumbfounded by the unexpected meeting.
‘Now that I think about it, the holy man did seem a bit different than usual today.’
He had mentioned something about a joyous event coming her way and how she would encounter good relationships; were those hints meant for this very moment?
But her frozen state didn’t last long.
“Seaah unni—!”
Hug—
She could definitely feel the situation was real when Riley rushed over and hugged her tight.
That was quite an unrealistic way to address her, though.
More importantly…
“You smell, Riley. Let go.”
“Gah! That’s too much! Is that what you say after not seeing me for two months?!”
Well, whatever the circumstances, it was certainly a good thing.
Isea, stifling a laugh, eventually returned the hug and patted her gently.
Deciding to think about the complicated things later, she fully embraced the joy of the moment.
It was a bit sudden, but wasn’t this the moment she had been waiting for?
‘…Oh, right. My points.’
Of course, just a tiny bit… a very slight amount, thinking about the wasted Karma points was inevitable.
*
After a moment of emotional reunion.
Isea quickly took everyone with her through teleportation back to the capital of the Rohan Principality, Rohan.
Having thought something big had happened due to Heinrich rushing off in a panic, they followed him, but since everything had already settled, there was no reason to linger any longer.
“Wahaha! What an unexpected windfall! These critters are so cautious that they only target the weak instead of the strong, which makes their resources rare!”
In the meantime, the barbarian warrior Harley swiftly disassembled a griffin and began gathering the byproducts, but thankfully that was just a normal occurrence.
Though even now, watching him rip out a heart and gobble down a magic stone, and then grill the meat of the monster was still something she wasn’t quite used to.
Using aura, producing heat without magic? That green-eyed gaze, I want to investigate it one day… Maybe drop a hint when we become friends? …But it would probably be rude since it’s surely linked to his past.
In fact, aside from his eyes, Harley’s very existence intrigued Isea, a born wizard.
A ‘monster,’ to whom she was introduced through Princess Riley, and later participated in academic exchanges with magic towers—he was a being that was still unfamiliar to her.
In addition, the mysterious techniques that were merged with him made it even more compelling.
Had he not been as strong as he was now, wizard-obsessed researchers wouldn’t have left him alone.
However, once they safely arrived in Rohan.
After informing the royal family of Princess Riley’s safe return through the imperial garrison and returning to their lodgings with her, Isea discovered another individual even more captivating than Harley.
“…So, that person is an otherworlder from Earth?”
The injured person Heinrich had taken for more intensive treatment was precisely that individual.
When she first met him, she had overlooked him because she was too focused on Riley, but now he turned out to be a fellow countryman.
“Yeah, his name is Heron… or rather, Hesperon. Odd name, right? He came up with that to commemorate a new beginning, haha!”
Hmm—?
“His real name was something like Hass… un? I’m not quite sure; it was a difficult pronunciation.”
Isea gazed at Riley, who was chattering excitedly about this, with narrowed eyes.
Having spent eight years together, it was her first time seeing Riley speak so joyfully about someone.
Considering that this girl usually kept others at a distance, it was heartwarming yet slightly bittersweet, almost like watching a child grow.
“Well… that’s why I was thinking of Seaah unni, and since I had nothing else to do there…”
Amidst this, Riley’s tale continued uninterrupted.
It was about the time spent locked in the Undead King’s castle and meeting him.
Naturally, since most of that time was devoted to practicing magic, the flow of conversation inevitably leaned in that direction.
Initially, attracted by some kind of bond, she began to teach him magic, but the talent reminded her of Isea’s past self, and she was completely taken aback.
“…His growth rate was so fast that eventually, I ran out of things to teach him, you know? I couldn’t stop midway due to pride, and in the end, I had to squeeze out everything I knew!”
Riley was passionately explaining Hesperon’s abilities.
And Isea quickly understood why she was so enthusiastic about it.
“…So, I was wondering? Seaah unni, could you take a look at that person for me? The continent’s best genius wizard, Isea Pristine, would find it no trouble at all, right? Okay?”
Hmm?
Isea tilted her head slightly, looking at the golden-haired beauty, who was adorned with flattery and a beaming smile.
She had a feeling the conversation was dragging on because Riley had intended to request this right from the beginning.
‘…Yeah, it’s already been over eight years since I came to this world. I can’t stay by this kid’s side forever, and I need someone else to keep watch over her…’
Listening to the story, it seemed he possessed talent comparable to or maybe even exceeding her own.
And if he were to receive her guidance, he might truly grow enough to protect Riley within a few years.
But the issue lay in the fact that he was also from Earth.
‘Eventually, he’ll leave Riley’s side too. I can buy some time, but not too much.’
Of course, by then, the circumstances would change significantly.
In fact, considering Riley’s solo return, the imperial succession crisis was nearly over.
The wavering factions would have solidified and absorbed the surrounding forces rapidly, further bolstering the influence Isea has gained by barely holding them together.
It was likely that, without needing a few years, in just one, the crown prince would find himself with nowhere to go.
‘And yet, the next person she forms a bond with happens to be another otherworlder. Even though I still hold a distance from people from this world…’
While she thought she had made significant progress by forming factions and leading individuals beneath her, it seemed that the underlying sense of rejection still persisted.
However, with time still on her side, she might find a way to address that issue gradually.
“Well, alright. It’s true that he has made a significant contribution. That said, I’m afraid I won’t be able to devote too much time due to my current commitments.”
Yet, despite her various complicated thoughts, Isea happily nodded at Riley’s request.
After all, it wasn’t a huge favor to teach someone who had saved Riley.
She naturally intended to take care of some things.
Also, adding a bit of selfishness…
I wanted to keep a closer eye on this foreigner, who was now someone Riley relied on!
There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t harbor inappropriate thoughts towards a cute girl like Riley.
‘She’s still so young. As her teacher, I should give her a subtle warning to keep his silly ideas at bay.’
The small girl, just over 150 centimeters, solemnly nodded, looking up at the tall beauty towering over 170 centimeters.
“Alright! Just like Seaah unni!”
“Speaking of which, what made you start calling me unni all of a sudden? You used to say you didn’t want to call me that.”
“Hehe, just a little? Thinking about it, it’s not that difficult, and I feel like I was overreacting!”
With a wide grin, Riley hugged Isea again, acting sweetly towards her.
Inside, she was feeling quite satisfied that things had gone well.
Yes! With this, I can repay some of the debt! Although it’s still far from enough, I can gradually make it up! Plus, having both unni and Hesperon together should help her cope with homesickness!
The discussions about Hesperon were already pre-agreed upon between them.
Having spent time alongside him within the Undying Castle, they had quite a few conversations, including her offer to introduce someone from Earth.
Of course, Hesperon had intended to contact Isea from the start and kindly allowed the sharing of his information.
After all, the details of his identity were nothing but fabrications.
Thus, the action-packed day concluded in a heartwarming reunion.
And when the next day dawned…
“Ah, thank you for saving me. Oh! My name is Hesperon. I truly thought I was going to die, but thanks to you, I survived.”
“Not at all. That’s all part of the Holy God’s will. My name is Heinrich.”
“Hah! You look frail, but you’re surprisingly robust! Oh, you can just call me Harley!”
Finally, the unconscious Hesperon awoke, and they could formally introduce themselves as a party, which felt like ‘one person’ including the three of them.
