Volume 1, Chapter 5: Ken’s Thoughts

Damn… I really did end up in another world. At least it wasn’t thanks to Truck-kun. Hard to believe, but all the signs are there - strange trees, unfamiliar silence, priests, monsters… I still remember how that creature almost killed me. If it weren’t for Lily, I’d be dead right now. Never thought I’d be saved by a warrior girl. It’s been played out in anime a thousand times, but to have it happen for real… And of course, Lily’s not just a warrior - she’s a total beauty. Not an elf, sure, but maybe that’s for the best.While she was telling me about the Goddess Daphne and ancient rituals, I couldn’t help but wonder: what if I was summoned as a hero? Maybe somewhere in this world, a bunch of priests gathered all their best magical artifacts, performed some spooky ritual, and waited for a mighty savior to appear - and got a bicycle instead. I can just imagine the scene: priests overjoyed, announcing the hero’s arrival with glowing lights, fanfare, and then… BAM. My sleek sports bike drops in. Oh, their faces must’ve been priceless. They probably thought it was some holy relic. Or maybe they assumed the hero had somehow turned into this metal contraption. I bet they even blessed it and sent it into battle.Heh, imagine this “heroic” bicycle on the battlefield against the demon king. What if they pushed it to the front lines, confident it was protected against magic attacks? Then the demon king casts some spell, like… I don’t know, “Avada Kedavra” (if something like that even exists here), aiming it at the bike. And what happens? The bike doesn’t have a soul. What if the spell rebounds and the demon king gets hit by his own magic? Ridiculous? Absolutely. But damn, I’d love to see that. That kind of twist would blow everyone’s minds! Just once, I want to see the look on their faces…Alright, jokes aside, none of this is helping me feel better. Sure, I met Lily - strong, open, kind. And yeah, I survived. But what now? I have no plan, no clue why I’m here. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more questions I have, and I’m starting to understand less and less. Who brought me here? And more importantly - why? I can’t really get answers from Lily, she’s just as lost as I am. Her questions feel just as desperate. Maybe she’ll come up with ideas or theories, though.Thinking logically… let’s say the monument really did play a role in bringing me here. That gives me two possible goals: one, figure out how to leave; or two, find out why I was summoned. Because even if it was some mistake or accident, someone had to go to a lot of effort to make this happen. Whoever this Goddess Daphne is, it doesn’t seem like world-hopping is a normal thing around here. In a way, it’s flattering - what if I actually am the hero?But what if there’s no way back? What if I’m stuck here and have to learn how to survive? I don’t know this world, its customs, or its people. Even the language I can understand feels like some kind of miracle. Imagine if I’d had to communicate with Lily using hand signals or drawing in the dirt. I barely figured out where to go. Without this weird stroke of luck, things could’ve gone way worse.The more I think, the more questions come up. There’s definitely magic in this world, and it probably has its own laws and rules. If the Goddess Daphne really had something to do with me ending up here, maybe there’s also a way to go back. Lily said her people pray to Daphne for help and protection. The goddess doesn’t answer directly, but people still feel her support. If that’s true, then maybe I can learn how to interact with this world - if I gather more information.Which means… I need to stick with Lily. This isn’t just luck - it’s the only lifeline I’ve got. She knows how to fight monsters, she knows the roads, the gods, and magic. Honestly, Lily isn’t just the key to surviving here - she might be the key to finding a way home. I don’t have much to offer her, but I can learn from her.But let’s be real - her knowledge about Daphne seems limited too. Lily’s not a priestess or someone who serves the goddess; she’s an adventurer, someone who trusts her skills and instincts. And still - something in her words makes me believe she’ll support me, that she won’t abandon me even if everything goes wrong. It’s strange… I’ve met a lot of people back in my world, but I don’t think anyone’s ever earned my trust this fast.Maybe that’s one of those things you can’t explain logically. You just know, deep down, that you can trust someone.I hope you think of something, Lily.