The bulletin board at the Watarashi Alliance's Crevasse headquarters was bustling with early morning adventurers. The sound of parchment rustling drifted from the reception window. As adventurers confirmed requests and departed, one boy stood out conspicuously in front of the board—completely out of place in the atmosphere. 工藤捷人. His black hair was slightly disheveled, and his warm brown eyes held a serious light. In his hands was a notebook he'd brought from Japan—a lined notebook he'd somehow managed to carry across to this other world in a supermarket bag—filled with tiny handwriting and numbers. "Request List: Cost-Benefit Analysis (Revised Edition)" There was a heading. A revised edition. 捷人 tapped his pen against each item, comparing the bulletin board and his notebook alternately. The top request. Dragon extermination. Reward: thirty gold coins. (Travel costs from Crevasse to the subjugation point—approximately fifteen silver coins. Round trip, thirty coins. Factoring in death risk, this is less than zero, more like career termination. Rejected.) Next. Demon Lord subjugation. Reward: unspecified. (A task that shouldn't exist by difficulty standards. Rejected—I'd rather have it removed from the board entirely.) 捷人 marked the notebook with an X, emotionless. Moving to the middle section. Golddrake—a dragon-type creature inhabiting the mountains, twelve meters in total length, danger level "Extreme"—nest investigation. Even just standing watch offers eight silver coins in reward, but it takes two days to travel there. (Four days round trip. Lodging costs nearly four silver coins. Net profit under four coins. Hourly wage doesn't add up.) X. And finally, the bottom request. Volg extermination—three specimens in Valessa Forest, west of Crevasse, approximately twenty-five kilometers away, a hunting ground of broad-leafed trees. Reward: two silver coins. Volgs were wolf-type monsters about one and a half meters long, danger level "Low." By the Watarashi Alliance's classification, among the safest category. 捷人's eyes lit up. (Travel: round trip approximately three hours. No consumables. Death risk: low. Reward: two silver coins. Best cost-performance ratio.) A circle was marked in the notebook. A thick, forceful circle. Behind him, the receptionist spoke quietly to a colleague. "Hey, that kid over there... he's been writing something in a notebook while staring at the board," "Checking?" "It seems like... he's calculating something," "...Requests?" "Down to the minute," After a moment of silence, the colleague receptionist said quietly: "We might need to report this to the branch director," 捷人 didn't notice the conversation. He was adding information to his notebook: "Volg: tends to appear on the west side of the forest, active in early morning." He'd heard this from Poura the day before. Then. Running footsteps approached from behind. "Excuse me! Today's the day I finally take a request!!" Full sprint. Shoes kicked against stone with a light, rapid rhythm. Clatter-clatter-clatter— CRASH!!!! "Whoa!" "Eek!" To be precise, a small girl had collided with 捷人's back, notebook-holding arm and all, and tumbled forward while sending the notebook flying. The notebook arced through the air—*smack*—and struck the fallen girl's face with a satisfying sound. Silence. Behind the reception counter, the receptionist's hand went to her mouth. 捷人 and the girl stood up simultaneously. Both drew breath at the same time— "I'm so sorry!!" Perfect harmony. Both bowed deeply. THUNK!!!! Their foreheads collided directly. "Ow!" "Ow!" Perfect harmony again. Both crouched down, holding their foreheads. The notebook lay open on the floor. The cost-benefit analysis table, filled with tiny writing, was completely visible. The girl picked up the notebook while holding her forehead, then froze. "...Is this a household ledger...?" "It's a cost-benefit analysis," 捷人 corrected quietly. --- When the girl looked up, 捷人 saw her face properly for the first time. Long silver hair loosely braided and tied with a light blue ribbon. Clear water-blue eyes, wide open. A thin scrape on her cheek—probably from falling regularly. A magic staff strapped to her back, its tip glowing with a crescent moon emblem. The pale blue-white light characteristic of Louveria-made magical instruments. Around sixteen years old, perhaps. About ten centimeters shorter than 捷人. Her expression changed constantly—now a complex mix of apology, curiosity, and excitement. "I'm really sorry! I wasn't paying attention! Um..." The girl returned the notebook while looking at 捷人's hand. Then she stopped moving. On the back of 捷人's hand was a faintly glowing pattern—a summoning mark. A complex magical circle design, faintly luminous in gold. The indelible proof of being a summoned one. The girl's water-blue eyes grew visibly larger. "...That's a summoning mark...isn't it?!" "Ah, yes. I was summoned yesterday," "A summoned one!!!!!" With a *thud*—or rather, a *gasp*—the girl grabbed both of 捷人's hands. Her eyes sparkled. Literally sparkled. Dazzling. "I'm リリィ! I came from Cornas, the magical academy city in Louveria—the magical research nation in the western continent! To meet a real summoned one!!" "Um, nice to meet you. I'm 工藤捷人. Your grip strength is... quite strong," "What's your status like?! High-level magic? Swordsmanship? Do you have a sacred bloodline?!" "All zero," リリィ froze. "...What?" "Magic aptitude: zero. Swordsmanship: zero. Sacred bloodline: none. The Hero Council—Valorict—has officially confirmed it," リリィ stared at a point in the air for a while, then looked at 捷人 with a determined expression. "I see. You're being modest," "I'm not being modest," "How refined!!" "That's not—" "It's proof of true genius!! My teacher said that real masters always downplay their abilities!!" 捷人 went completely still for about ten seconds. (This conversation has no exit.) He rebooted and tried once more, carefully. "I'm really at zero. During yesterday's status disclosure, all twelve council members sighed in unison," "All of them?! That means everyone's paying attention to you, doesn't it?!" "Attention, or more like despair..." "What magnanimity!!" 捷人 looked off into the distance. The sky over Crevasse was clear today, and sunlight streamed through the Watarashi Alliance's windows. It was a very pleasant morning. リリィ continued in a bright voice. "I just graduated from Cornas Magical Academy in Louveria—Cornas is an academic city in Louveria, the magical research nation in the western continent—and came to Crevasse alone! I want to take requests with you!!" "You came alone from Cornas?" "Yes!" リリィ laughed. Brightly, without reservation. But just before that smile appeared—for just an instant—something like a shadow flickered across her water-blue eyes. Brief as a fish grazing the water's surface before disappearing. 捷人 didn't notice. Or rather, it vanished before he could dwell on it. "Can we do a joint request? I can provide magical support!" "Well, I..." "Please!!!!!" Her water-blue eyes began to glisten. Glistening. Gradually welling up. 捷人 held his notebook and looked at the ceiling for a while. (Oh man...) "...Only as a guide. I won't fight alongside you or anything," リリィ's face lit up brilliantly. "As expected of a summoned one! Your magnanimity is truly boundless!!" "I just gave in," The retort vanished into the void. --- Valessa Forest was about two hours' walk west of Crevasse. Along the way, リリィ talked constantly. About magical theory she'd learned in Cornas, about how the crescent moon emblem on her staff proved it was Louveria-made, about how Volgs hunt in packs so the strategy is to target the pack leader first—whenever 捷人 said "I see" or "interesting," リリィ would continue even more enthusiastically. As they approached the entrance to the forest of broad-leafed trees, the air turned cool. Morning light filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on the ground. Bird calls echoed in the distance. 捷人 had a rental short sword at his waist, and in his other hand— "That's... a kitchen knife, isn't it?" リリィ was staring at it. "It's my cooking equipment. I always carry it," "...Dual-wielding!!!!!" "That's not it," "A short sword and kitchen knife dual-wielding! How innovative!!" "The knife isn't a weapon," "Your thinking transcends ordinary conventions!!" 捷人 was about to say something when the brush ahead rustled. Rustle-rustle, leaves scraping. Then a low growl. Three Volgs appeared. Body length about one and a half meters, gray fur with amber eyes. While classified as danger level "Low" by the Watarashi Alliance, the actual presence was quite imposing. The three spread out in a fan formation, their gazes assessing as they looked toward the pair. "I'll provide support!" リリィ raised her magic staff. The crescent moon emblem glowed pale blue. "Wait, let me go first—" "Fire ball spell, here goes! Fiare Flamma!!" With the incantation, a red sphere of light shot from the staff's tip. Powerfully, forcefully— Straight past the Volgs' side. WHOOOOSH!!!! The flames grazed 捷人's bangs. Hot. His temples tingled. The fire continued onward and struck a large tree trunk directly. KABOOM!!!! The tree caught fire. "Oh," "'Oh' is not the appropriate response!?!?" The Volgs recoiled in surprise at the explosion. It was an opportunity, but when 捷人 turned around, the burning tree was billowing smoke dramatically. "I'm sorry! Next I'll use a water sphere to cool it! Aqua Sphera!!" "No, that's not the—" SPLASH!!!! A heavy sphere of water fell straight down. Directly above リリィ's head. リリィ stood frozen in place, completely drenched. Her silver hair clung to her face, her water-blue ribbon hung askew. Water dripped from her magic staff. Her eyes were wide open, processing something, locked in place. The three Volgs looked at the soaking-wet リリィ. Then they looked at 捷人. Then at 捷人 again. 捷人 raised his short sword. Except—the angle was wrong. His grip was awkward, the blade not properly aligned. He'd only picked up the rental yesterday and didn't know how to use it properly. (This is bad.) One Volg lunged at him. 捷人 twisted his body to dodge, and in the same motion, swung the kitchen knife in his left hand—reflexively. The same wrist motion he'd repeated every day cooking. The smooth return when peeling vegetables. Relaxing the force, letting the blade glide along. The knife grazed the Volg's neck. The blade was sharp. In a single stroke, the Volg fell to the ground. The remaining two looked at the soaking-wet リリィ—still frozen—sensed something, and bolted into the forest. Perhaps the drenched mage was too far outside their expectations. Silence returned to the forest. Only the crackling of the burning tree echoed. Pitter-patter. 捷人 looked at the kitchen knife. Then at リリィ. Then at the knife again. "...I only trained with this through cooking," "With a knife..." リリィ spoke, trembling. Water dripped steadily. "With a knife, you defeated a Volg... After all... you really are a genius...!!!!!" 捷人 looked up at the sky. Through the leaves, the clear sky was visible. A very blue sky. --- The return journey was simply retracing their steps. It was still early for dusk, and the slanted sunlight filtered through the trees in patches. リリィ walked while tapping her magic staff against the ground. Her clothes had mostly dried, but her silver hair was still slightly damp. 捷人 walked beside her, and at one point glanced at リリィ's bangs. They were singed. The flames that had grazed 捷人's bangs had apparently also slightly burned the tips of リリィ's own hair. "Your bangs are singed," "Huh?!" リリィ pulled at her own bangs to look. A faint burnt smell wafted up. "Ahaha! We really did it, didn't we!" Her laugh was bright. But— "Maybe you should practice magic a bi