Chapter 1: Eventually The Strongest Artisan


    Left in a pure white room, I was being crushed by anxiety when, right before my eyes, a woman with a troubled expression watched me.


    Of course, even my dense self could understand that this situation was not normal, and I knew that this was not good.


    「Hmm, I’m sorry. It seems you’ve gotten involved.」


    「Eh?!」


    The woman in front of me says that she is the goddess of the world called Mildgard. She certainly seems like a Goddess-sama that naturally descended as she sits. Even without doing anything, she was so full of dignity.


    What Goddess-sama said was that summoning magic that was supposed to be prohibited in Mildgard was used.


    However, it seems that as a result of using a spell with unreasonable conditions, multiple people were summoned, and I got dragged into it.


    「Then, please send me back to Japan.」


    「Sorry. That’s impossible.」


    「Ehh!」


    「You see, different world summoning is a very dangerous magic. It’s a summoning that randomly selects from innumerable targets of many worlds. The principles of some of those worlds are so different that at the moment of summoning, there is a risk of Mildgard copsing. Although I rushed to intervene, there is nothing I could do about the summoning itself.」


    「<em>Haa</em>.」


    So then, I looked around once more.


    「Umm, if I was dragged into it, then there are other summoned people, right?」


    「Yes, like you, there were three other Japanese people summoned. There was no problem calling those children to the summoning magic circle of the Divine Empire of Sydnia.


    「Huh? Then what will happen to me?」


    When I asked that, Goddess-sama had an embarrassed expression as she apologized.


    「<em>Ehehe</em>, you see, I applied a patch so that the forbidden technique of otherworldly summoning can no longer be used, but I made a slight mistake on it’s extent.」


    「…………」


    It seems the Goddess is saying that she altered the global specifications so that the summoning magic would be unusable in the world of Mildgard. With one hand on her head, she apologized for getting me, who got dragged into all this, involved.


    That manner of apologizing……[1]


    「This is already the realm of the gods in the world of Mildgard so you can no longer return to the world you lived in. Give up.」


    「No, to just give up…… Then, will I also be summoned to the Divine Empire of Sydnia?」


    「That would be fine too but, I wanted to apologize to you so I thought I should support you a little and called you here separately. Besides, speaking of the Divine Empire of Sydnia, it’s a bit of a problematic country. It’s clear that they would almost certainly treat you, who was dragged into the hero summoning, badly.」


    What’s with that country? Bad treatment for someone <em>they</em> summoned.


    ording to Goddess-sama, Mildgard is simr to Earth in the 15th century with its civilization’s advancements. It’s been said there is arge variety of races that live in it, and that dangerous monsters exist.


    Divine Empire of Sydnia is a religious nation but the deity they worship doesn’t exist, so it seems they are, in various ways, a problematic country.


    「To begin with, that hero summoning, there was no purpose for it.」


    「Eh? It wasn’t to defeat the demon king?」


    <em>Good grief,</em>Goddess-sama shook her head.


    Apparently, Mazoku do exist in Mildgard but they were said to be a race that specializes in magic, and it seems that the demon king is just what the king of the Mazoku country is called. With all that said, the Divine Empire of Sydnia was quite fishy.


    「Hey, since it’s like that, you can thank me, you know. And it’s like the games and novels in Japan, you will go to a world simr to that. It’s a fantasy world of swords and magic, with levels and skills. Isn’t it exciting?」


    「No, I have nothing but worries.」


    Goddess-sama was in high spirits as she said it, but as a 40+ year old man, I think that a fantasy world of swords and magic is tough.


    Goblins and dragons are scary, but so are thieves and bandits.


    「Now now, thieves and bandits are fine to kill.」


    Huh? Are my thoughts being heard?


    「I get it. I’m still a goddess, you know. Although this world might certainly be savagepared to the Japan you guys lived in, it is still simr to Japan in the 15th century, isn’t it? Bearing in mind what you said, it would be fine since I will support you.」


    Goddess-sama waved her hand and my body was wrapped in light.


    「Chant ‘Status’ in your mind」


    Just as Goddess-sama instructed, I chanted Status in my mind. Then, a translucent pane appeared before my eyes.


    Status<strong>Name</strong> : Takumi Iruma<strong>Race</strong> : Human


    <strong>Age</strong> : 15 years old


    <strong>Job</strong> :


    <strong>Level</strong> : 1


    <strong>Vitality</strong> : 100


    <strong>Magic Power</strong> : 100


    <strong>Strength :</strong> 50


    <strong>Agility :</strong> 30


    <strong>Stamina</strong> : 50


    <strong>Dexterity</strong> : 50


    <strong>Intelligence</strong> : 70


    <strong>Unique Skills</strong>


    <strong>Passive Skills</strong>


    <strong>Active Skills</strong>


    Huh, I became 15 years old.


    「That’s also a service. Starting as a 40 year old in a harsh environment would be an impossible game, no?」


    「<em>Umm</em>, what does Job mean? I’m a sry worker though」


    「As you would expect, sryman doesn’t exist in Mildgard but the things called jobs here are Swordsman and Magicians, Knights and cksmiths, Thieves, Hunters and the like. In Mildgard, there are a variety of jobs you can take depending on your conduct. And the growth and behaviour of your status are revised depending on that job.」


    「I see. Then I have no other option but to go to Mildgard, right?」


    If that’s the case then a pharmacist, alchemist, smith master, or carpenter would be great. I never want to be a swordsman or a soldier.


    「Well, rather than worrying about what’s already decided, it’s more productive to n for what’s ahead. So I will support you by etching the continent’snguage and brief general knowledge about the world of Mildgard into your soul. Is there anything else you want to request?」


    I thought about what she said.


    From what I’ve heard, this world was certainly like a game. I will probably be near danger too.


    First, if I’m aiming for a production job, I wonder if I’ll need a skill simr to appraisal. And a way to protect myself, at least. But I can’t imagine myself being able to fight proactively……. If it’s a civilization in around the 15th century then wounds and illnesses are scary so is there recovery magic? And if in a production job, I’ll be collecting raw materials so I wonder if there’s anything simr to storage and item box.


    「Appraisal, item box and recovery magic, right? Also, although it would be a production job if you didn’t want abat job, the magic you chose is convenient for the production job. But wanting a production job instead of hero is in, isn’t it?」


    I was thinking about it carefully when Goddess-sama said that and waved her hand again, then the ball of light that was released from her hand went inside of me.


    「Agaaaaaaaaaaaaーー!!」


    The next instant, my head felt like it was going to split open as a sharp pain ran through, I immediately scrunched down.


    「Well then, do your best to live, okay~」


    Lightly being sent off by Goddess-sama’s voice, my body was enveloped by the light, then my consciousness faded.


    「You sent him out, huh」


    Next to the goddess, Norn, a woman with white wings on her back like an angel, appeared unnoticed and talked to her.


    「Oh, you were watching?」


    「That’s because Norn-sama did something asplex as to especially send that man 3 years into the past from the time of Sydnia’s hero summoning. Furthermore, Norn-sama even prepared a special body for him. It is likely to be much greater than those of the heroes summoned with the summoning magic circle.」


    「I, it’s <em>that</em>. He would stand out in Mildgard if he was rejuvenated as he was. The people suspected of being connected to Sydnia’s hero summoning may or may note out in 3 years. Also, the heroes of Sydnia are 3 people. If he were to square off with Sydnia, I want him to be able to fight back!」


    「<em>Haa</em>, I understand. I will leave it at that. So, in the end, what do you expect from him?


    He was bestowed skills to an overprotective extent.」


    The angel’s pursuit did not stop.


    「His soul was, by all means, obstinately gentle. I believe that if it’s him, he would not use his powers mistakenly, and would even be a good influence to Mildgard. If he doesn’t be prejudice towards the races, he may be helpful in stabilising Mildgard.」


    Goddess Norn did not demand the duties of a hero from Takumi. She was aware it would only amount to throwing a pebble into the pond called Mildgard. She believed that the ripples that pebble will cause would extend greatly, though.


    ***


    <strong>Footnotes:</strong><ol><li>Apologizing with one hand on your head is more informal than with both hands together in front of you or by your side as you bow. It kinda looks like this.</li></ol>