Have you ever found the concept of a “hero” strange? People are calling her a hero, and yet she hasn’t really accomplished anything of note so far, despite being summoned from an entirely different world.
Now, I’m not saying she hasn’t done anything at all. She’s saved countless lives and stopped more than a few evil deeds. And that, without a doubt, is admirable. But still, did it have to be her? Was that something worth abandoning her home world, her entire life, for? No, I don’t think so. That can’t possibly be right. After all, the role of a hero is, by definition, to save the world. There’s no way her supposed “great deeds” would amount to just that.
And yet, it seems that’s all they’ll ever amount to. Because the truth is, that role—the one she was meant to fulfill—has already been stolen. And by someone who was never even supposed to be here.
No, saying it was stolen might be going too far. That would be a little harsh. I know he didn’t mean any harm. Even so...as the one who gave her that role to begin with, I can’t help but feel a certain way about it. And the same goes for you, Star Maiden. You were meant to stand beside the Champion and save this world together. The praise you should have received, the recognition you were owed... It never came. And for that, I’m truly devastated. Which is why I want to make you a proposal.
Why don’t we return this world to the way it should be? To the rightful future that would have come to pass, if only he had never arrived.
When Allen awoke, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. He blinked several times, then tilted his head in confusion.
“Uh...where am I?!”
The moment he tried to recall where he was, a sharp headache struck him. Thankfully, it passed quickly, but the discomfort made him grimace.
“Hmm... I’m not hungover, right? I don’t remember drinking. Wait. Hold on,” he mumbled half jokingly, only to freeze. Maybe this wasn’t a joke after all. Because he couldn’t remember anything about going to bed. Not even close.
“Actually, it’s worse than that... I might not remember anything before that either.”
If his memory was correct, Allen should have been in a remote Frontier town. But...
“Yeah, this definitely isn’t the Frontier...”
He sat up and looked out the window, greeted by a cityscape that was clearly nothing like the outskirts. The buildings were more developed, and the architecture was entirely different. And more than anything—if his instincts were right—he recognized this place.
“This is...the royal capital, right? Probably.”
The city of Adastera, Caldea. Allen didn’t know the capital well, but he was fairly sure that was where he was. And yet, he had no memory of traveling there.
“Did I get drunk and black out everything from yesterday? I mean...I guess it’s not impossible.”
Allen wasn’t really much of a drinker. He could drink if he wanted to, but a particularly bad hangover once after drinking with friends had put him off. As a result, he rarely drank by choice, certainly not enough to black out.
“That said, I really don’t remember anything...”
It wasn’t just the memory of going to sleep that was missing. He had absolutely no recollection of coming to the capital in the first place, and it wasn’t the sort of distance one could travel from the Frontier in just a day or two. Well, Allen could manage it if he really tried. But if he had come here, it meant he had a reason and had done so of his own will. Then, somewhere along the way, he had lost his memories.
“Yeah, there’s no point thinking about it too hard if I’m not getting anywhere.”
There were no signs of his memory coming back, and trying to force it would get him nowhere. Allen decided to stop pondering it altogether. It was almost a kind of resignation, but the reason he could make that decision so easily was because he didn’t feel any immediate danger. There was no sense of hostility around him, and aside from the missing memories, nothing seemed off.
He appeared to be in a room at an inn of some kind. Nothing seemed to have been stolen. His sword was right there, propped up next to the bed. Given the circumstances, there was no need to stress over it.
“And if I can’t figure it out myself, I just have to ask someone who knows, right?”
Somehow, he didn’t think he’d come to the capital alone, which meant someone else must have been there with him. He didn’t know who, but if this was an inn, that person might be in another room. The best thing to do was find them and ask what happened. Simple as that.
With that thought, Allen quickly gathered his things and promptly left the room.
“Hmm... This might be more of a pain than I originally thought...”
Muttering to himself with a sigh, Allen scratched his head as he stared at the inn on the screen.