Chapter Text
Naofumi’s face was greeted with a cold, hard stone floor.
“We did it!”
“The summoning was a success!”
“We’re saved!”
Saved? Who the heck thinks they’re saved when a pregnant woman falls at their feet? Wondered Naofumi as the fresh pain in her back was already making her grumpy. Yes, she was pregnant, as the world loved to remind her with all kinds of new aggravations.
To be fair, Naofumi was excited at the idea of becoming a mother: it was her chance to love someone like she had never experienced herself. The day she found out she had excitedly moved her studies online and immediately began organising the spare room in her apartment for her new great joy.
Managing to raise herself to a seated position, she took in her surroundings. She was in a dark room made of stone with ornate tapestries and medieval-style torches on the walls. In front of her stood several older looking men in weird monk robes who were excitedly whispering amongst themselves.
Looking to her left she found three young men on the same glowing symbol as her. One of them (a cute blond) seemed to have landed flat on his face with his legs dangling over him comically, while the other two were already getting to their feet.
The first to rise looked to be the youngest and was holding a bow while the other held a sword. As the blond began to stir and murmur to himself, Naofumi noticed a spear held tightly in his hands. Sure enough, there was a shield attached to her arm also.
Well, this isn’t normal. Naofumi thought to herself as she watched the blond rise to his feet.
One of the robed men stepped forward.
“Oh brave heroes, please save our world!”
Eh? Come again?
“What?!” shouted the three guys.
“Our world hangs on the precipice of destruction, please, save us!”
Wait, did I just get isikaied!?
Oh crap
Ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap. Not now! Not when the baby’s nearly due!
Blondie stepped forward, “I don’t think-whoa wait, there’s a pregnant girl down there!”
All eyes suddenly turned to Naofumi, who was still stuck on the floor on account of a rather noticeable baby bump.
Suddenly drawn out of her panic, Naofumi felt all her blood rush to her face at all the attention. The robed monks suddenly broke out in more hushed whispering.
As Blondie and one of the monks helped her to her feet, Naofumi couldn’t help but ask, “hey, what the hell is going on?”
“We summoned you here from your worlds to save us from destruction” one of the monks surmised.
“So you kidnapped us? Why should we help you?” muttered the kid with the bow.
“Yeh! What’s in it for us?” agreed Blondie
“If you want our help, we’d better be rewarded” muttered a rather aloof looking Sword Guy.
Oookay? These guys aren’t taking this like I would expect.
The head monk bowed low, before replying, “yes, well, we would very much like for you to speak with the king. He is most eager to discuss this matter and your rewards”.
And so Naofumi and co were ushered out of the room and down the halls. The three “heroes” began talking amongst themselves, something about the Mediterranean or whatever. Naofumi was too busy trying to stay calm and not panic to really notice.
Think of the baby, think of the baby, stay calm. You’ve got this.
“Hey, you’re not gonna, like, go into labor are you?” It was Blondie, coming up beside her with a winning smile. “Because, you know, that would totally be cliché. Besides, a cute girl like you shouldn’t look so stressed.”
Did he just hit on me? Wow, timing much?
“I’m fine, thank you. Baby’s not due for a few weeks yet.” Naofumi replied blandly.
“Oh, good. Hey, you don’t happen to have a boyfriend, do ya?”
Naofumi stared at the blond guy.
Is this guy for real? She wondered.
Blondie seemed cheerful at least, but looking over her shoulder, Naofumi noticed the bow kid (no, Robin Hood was a better name) and Sword… Emo, seemed somewhat uncomfortable at her glance. It made sense really; she was used to people being uncomfortable around her since she became noticeably pregnant.
Soon the group came to a set of large ornate doors, which opened before them as they were ushered into a large throne room.
As they entered the room Naofumi couldn’t help but admire what she saw. The room was long and beautiful, with one wall dominated by stunning stained glass windows and the oopposite containing a raised balcony. The balcony was full of people who excitedly murmured to one another as the Heroes entered. However, what really caught her eye though were the chandeliers. Naofumi couldn’t help but stare, her mouth agape as she took in their enormous size and the incredible detail in their designs. They were like something out of a fairytale.
Coming to the end of the room, Naofumi found herself at the foot of a raised platform dominated by two thrones, and in one of them sat who Naofumi assumed must be the king. He was an older man decked out in royal looking robes, a crown and a typical air of superiority.
“So, these are the Heroes of legend” muttered the king as he looked over the four standing before him, his eyes lingering uncomfortably on Naofumi. “My name is Aultcray Melromarc the 32nd and I am the ruler of these lands.”
Naofumi couldn’t help but hold her stomach as the anxiety rose within her.
This really is real.
She shivered in fear as the reality of her situation hit her: she was in an unknown new world, and she was pregnant. But no, perhaps the king had a way to send her back?
The king continued: “Now then, I shall begin with an explanation. This country, no, this world, is-”. While the king prattled on about the end of the world or whatever, Naofumi was having some major concerns of her own.
They want me to fight the end of the world? While pregnant? Seriously?!
She felt her anxiety levels rise and rise until it was simply too much for her to bear.
“Screw that!” yelled Naofumi, earning an audible gasp from the balcony of onlookers.
“Send us back home! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly what you’d call ‘fit for duty’” she said as she pointed at her stomach.
An uproar of whispering and murmuring erupted from the balcony above as Naofumi made her demand.
“Yeh” agreed Blondie, “what’s the big idea summoning a cute girl to fight; and a pregnant one at that!?”
Really? What’s with this guy? Naofumi wondered
“Hmmm…” muttered the king. “Your situation is indeed unfortunate; however, I am afraid that sending you back to your world is out of the question”
“What?!” shouted the four heroes.
The king continued; “You see, legend says that the heroes can only return to their world after they have saved our own from catastrophe”.
“So we can’t go home until we fulfil your request?” asked Robin Hood.
“Sounds like we have no choice then” muttered the Sword Emo as he crossed his arms.
By this point Naofumi was past the point of simply being anxious and was now bordering on a panic attack.
“Wait, let me get this straight: you’ve kidnapped us to fight for you, and we can’t go home until we save your world?”
The king looked at her in silence.
“That’s insane!” roared Blondie, coming over to stand at Naofumi’s side.
“You can’t expect a pregnant lady to fight!”
“Actually, the legends specifically state that all four heroes must partake in the conflict that is to come. To do otherwise risks the whole world”. The king continued, talking of waves and prophecies, but Naofumi couldn’t process what she was hearing.
She simply couldn’t believe her ears. All she’d done, all the work she’s put in in preparation for the baby, all gone. She was now on her own in an entirely foreign world. She grabbed a hold of Blondie as nausea and dizziness threatened to overwhelm her.
“Whoa now, here, perhaps you’d better sit down.” Said Blondie as he helped Naofumi to the floor as her legs gave out.
“Your majesty, you can’t seriously expect us to risk our lives for you with nothing in return but the possibility of being sent home once you have no more use for us”. That was the Emo kid, though by this point Naofumi was only barely listening to her surroundings as she desperately tried to process what was going on.
Robin stepped forward next, “yeh, what’s in it for us?”
“Yeh!” Blondie voiced his agreement.
At this, the king leaned forward in his throne, a gleam in his eye.
“Of course, you will be richly rewarded for your efforts to save our world. I have arranged for you to be financially supported on your quest and will also provide you with anything else you may require. Furthermore, should you save our world, you can rest assured you will be able to live lives of comfort and luxury should you decide to remain in our world.”
Naofumi’s ears perked up at this.
Financial provision? Anything we require? A life of comfort and luxury?
A small flicker of hope sparked within her heart.
If the king was going to provide for her and her baby, then perhaps things wouldn’t be as bad as she had feared.
In her old world Naofumi had had to struggle on her own to prepare for her child. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she had felt she could just manage it with some help from her friends and the government. But now, here was a king promising her his support. Sure, it came with incredible risk, but it was probably the best option in this world for her and her child.
Naofumi struggled to her feet before bowing as low as she could before the king.
“I humbly accept your offer your majesty. My baby is my world, so-”
“Good!” the king replied, cutting her off while he looked to the other heroes.
“I suppose I’ll help you out” proclaimed Robin hood
“Yeh”
“Sure”
Wow, what a bunch of rude pricks. Thought Naofumi.
Still, if this all ensures the future of my baby, then I’ll happily work with these people for as long as it takes!
“Very well then Heroes. Tell me your names.”
The Sword Emo spoke first: “I’m Ren Amaki; I’m a 16 year old high school student”.
“Itsuki Kawasumi; I’m 17 and also in high school” said Robin Hood.
Wait, so he isn’t the youngest? Huh, fooled me.
Then Blondie spoke up next to her “Motoyasu Kitamora; I’m 21 and in college”.
“Guess that leaves me; I’m Naofumi Iwatani-”
“Good, now then heroes please check your status magic.”
Seriously? What a rude prick!
After a bit of confusion and messing around, the four Heroes figured out how to access their statuses.
“Level 1 huh? Guess we’re starting at rock bottom then” muttered Naofumi. What worried her also was the fact that she was now noticing each Hero had a different weapon.
Does this mean we are different classes or something?
That could make things difficult, especially since she had the Shield “weapon”.
But that could all wait till later.
“At this level, who knows if we can even fight properly” Motoyasu muttered.
Naofumi jumped on the opportunity: “we should all team up and fight together!” After all, having three other people from her world travelling with her would certainly ease her worries in this new and unfamiliar world.
“Wait just a moment, Heroes.”
Oh-oh.
“According to the legends, the four holy weapons will not allow the Heroes to grow stronger while in close proximity to one-another; you will have to travel separately.”
Damn. As if things couldn’t get much worse. Naofumi thought ruefully.
“But do not worry, I will provide you with the best of the best to fight alongside you. For now, please rest, for tomorrow your adventure shall begin!”
Having been shown to her room, Naofumi found she not only had her own bathroom, but also a luxurious looking bath! Closer inspection (and testing) suggested some sort of magical heating system allowed for hot water, but that part didn’t matter. What did matter was the fact that right now she was having a relaxing bath in a fantasy world!
Back in her world, Naofumi loved nothing more than a relaxing bath filled with her favourite bath bombs and music to relax to. While this wasn’t quite the same, it was exactly what the doctor ordered after such a stressful ordeal.
mmmmmmmm… Naofumi sighed.
If only she had been summoned as the Bath Hero; that would have been bliss. For now, at least, she could relax a bit and allow herself to calm down a little and process her day.
Thinking back, after seeing the King the four Heroes had been treated to a delicious private dinner together before heading off to Itsuki’s room to excitedly discuss their day.
Naofumi still wasn’t sure what to make of her new comrades, but she was already noticing things about them.
For starters, Motoyasu was a walking red flag, it hadn’t taken her long to peg him as the kind of guy to cheat on a girl, the fact that he flirted with every attractive girl he saw today practically screamed “Code Red”.
Ren seemed to be the ‘cool, calm and collected’ type, but already cracks in his façade were showing and Naofumi couldn’t help but wonder who he really was under that mask.
Itsuki was a little easier to read; a little awkward, posh and self important; kinda like a Chihuahua who both suffered with inferiority and pride at the same time.
Like the other two, he seemed quite comfortable making demands of this new world as if it was made just for him. Though, unlike Motoyasu, the other two seemed a little uncomfortable and unsure about how to talk with her. It made sense really; they were just kids and she was a pregnant woman.
She was used to it.
To be honest, she hadn’t been too engaged in the discussions going on, instead drifting off in thought and pondering her, no, their new situation.
The first big surprise for the night had been that they were each from different versions of Japan.
As if things weren’t crazy enough! She had thought.
The second surprise was that Naofumi was the only one to not die to get here.
Truck-kun, murder, killer girlfriends.
Ok, that last one actually made sense to Naofumi, but wouldn’t that make this place Hell?
The boys then began debating whether this world was a game they had played or something.
“What about you Naofumi?”
“Not like any MMO I’ve ever played”
This world was totally new to Naofumi, so she couldn’t relate.
True, the world seemed very much like a video game, but it really didn’t feel like one. It felt much more real to Naofumi.
“Huh” muttered Ren
“What?”
The three boys exchanged glances as if having a conversation amongst themselves.
“What? What’s wrong?”
Itsuki perked up, “it’s just, you’re a shielder”. He didn’t make eye contact.
“Yeh?”
“I’ll handle this”. Motoyasu, who had been sharing the couch with Naofumi, turned to her and put his arm behind her. A charming, though pitying smile on his face.
“The shielder class… is a dead class. No-one plays it at higher levels because it can’t keep up with the difficulty increases.”
Ren and Itsuki nodded in agreement.
Naofumi’s stomach dropped and a cold shiver ran down her spine.
Looking at the other two, she caught a glimpse of their expressions before they looked away; it was pity.
So she was screwed then? An unbalanced class that can’t keep up? How would she be able to protect the baby?
Naofumi felt her heart rate quicken as her breaths started to become shallow and rapid.
“But don’t worry, because I’ll make sure to be there to protect you!” Motoyasu gave a winning smile.
Yeh, no thanks. I’ll pass.
Though, that did remind her of an important piece of information the king had given them; they would be presented with companions to build a party with; the best of the best. With such powerful allies, surely Naofumi would be safe when things got tough?
That helped to sooth her unease slightly.
There was just no catching a break today.
Perhaps sensing Naofumi’s unease, Itsuki changed the subject.
“Hey, so uh, do you know what you’re having?”
Naofumi grabbed the lifeline with both hands, “A girl”
“And is there a guy waiting back home?”
Man, the blond just doesn’t give up.
“No”
Ren, already uncomfortable with Motoyasu’s antics, butted in;
“What are you going to name her?”
“That’s a secret”, Naofumi said with a smile. The fact that it was a mystery even to her too didn’t need to be mentioned.
Hugging her stomach, she continued, “My daughter is my world. Back home, I tried to make the best of a shitty situation for her…”
It wasn’t long afterward that she had excused herself for the night and gone to her room to have a relaxing soak in the bath. There was so much to process from this whirlwind-on-fire of a day. One thing was for sure though; unlike the others, who were treating this world as their oyster, Naofumi held no such delusions of grandeur. This world wasn’t a game, and Naofumi wasn’t playing on easy mode. This new life was going to be hard, really hard. But she could make it work. If she kept a positive attitude and worked hard, then maybe she could make a happy life here for herself and her daughter.
Maybe this was actually a turn for the better for them? After all, with the king’s provision and whatever rewards she earned from saving this world, she’d be able to comfortably raise her daughter and give her a life of joy and happiness, right?. And who knew? Maybe somewhere out there was a guy who would join her little family? That said, romance could definitely wait; her daughter was her sole priority now.
Naofumi reluctantly pulled herself out of the bath and climbed into some comfortable clothes she’d been given to sleep in before climbing into bed.
If today had been a big day, then she had no doubt tomorrow was gonna be huge.
And so she settled in to sleep.