His Name is Ryuji Honda

Toffa Village, Hensberg Kingdom, Northern Continent.

This morning, I walked through the streets of Toffa Village. A week had passed since the ogres' attack on this village. The villagers were beginning to recover slowly. Children ran and played along the streets, while the adults were busy with their respective activities.

"Good morning, Elena-sama!"

One of the men who was helping repair a damaged house greeted me cheerfully.

I nodded politely, giving a small smile, and returned his greeting.

"Good morning, Uncle."

Several other uncles, who hadn't noticed me earlier, turned to face me. They all bowed slightly and greeted me almost in unison.

"Good morning, Elena-sama."

Again, I responded politely.

"Good morning."

After that, I continued walking through Toffa Village as they resumed their work, repairing homes destroyed by the ogres' attack.

The warm sunlight and cool breeze of the morning made it a perfect start to the day.

As I walked, I noticed children running and laughing in the streets. Their radiant smiles and laughter seemed to erase the shadow of the attack, as if they'd completely forgotten the events of that dark day.

However, as with any tragedy, some managed to move on with their lives, while others were left to drown in sorrow. There were those who couldn't let go of their loved ones and spent their days in front of small mounds of earth—the graves of the ones they cherished.

"Elena-sama!"

I heard a cheerful shout from ahead. When I looked, I saw Rize running toward me. She dashed forward and leapt into my arms, giggling as she hugged me tightly.

Raising her head to meet my gaze, she said with a bright smile,

"Good morning, Elena-sama."

"Good morning, Rize," I replied warmly.

Rize's cheerful demeanor always managed to lift my spirits.

This little girl had been saved by the man I summoned from another world, rescued from the clutches of an ogre that was about to devour her.

Rize walked beside me, her tiny hand holding mine, while her mother trailed behind us with a gentle smile.

Rize's mother suddenly spoke to me.

"Miss Elena, where are you heading to?"

Pausing for a moment, I pondered her question before answering.

"I think I'll stop by Aunt Milis' inn to visit the hero I summoned."

"Oh…"

Rize's mother smiled mischievously, her expression playfully teasing. Why was she looking at me like that?

Without warning, she took Rize's hand, pulling her close.

"Come now, Rize. Let's go home and let Miss Elena enjoy her time."

"But, Mom…"

Rize pouted, starting to protest.

"Shhh..."

Her mother hushed her softly.

Turning to me, she said,

"Please, Miss Elena. Enjoy your time together."

What does that even mean?

She walked away with Rize in tow, her daughter giggling and waving back at me. Meanwhile, Rize's mother bowed and smiled before leaving. I waved back with a small smile before continuing on to Aunt Milis' inn to meet the man I had summoned using the Hero Summoning spell.

As I approached my destination, I spotted him sitting on the inn's front steps, a massive piece of bread called "magnuse" in his hand. The "magnuse" bread, a specialty of Hensberg Kingdom, was about 1.5 feet long (around 45 cm).

By the time I reached him, the bread was almost gone. Startled by my arrival, he shoved the remainder of the bread into his mouth. His cheeks puffed up comically as he struggled to chew and swallow the oversized bite of bread.

He tried to greet me while still chewing.

"H... Hello, Little Miss. Are you free today?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

Here before me was a swordmaster—the same man who had coldly and effortlessly beheaded an Ogre Lord in battle. Yet now, he appeared no more intimidating than a ravenous child devouring his meal.

"Yes, I happen to have some free time today."

I said, accepting his invitation.

We began walking together toward the outskirts of Toffa Village, where the sprawling wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see. A wooden fence, about a meter high, lined the path we followed. His face looked calm and serene as he walked ahead of me.

I couldn't help but recall what had happened the day after the ogres' attack. That evening, we had spoken in one of the rooms at Aunt Milis' inn. He'd been sitting by the edge of the bed, still recovering from his wounds, when he asked me,

"So, Miss… Can you explain where I am?"

I explained everything to him—the state of Toffa Village, the Kingdom of Hensberg, and the Northern Continent. I described the world and explained why I had summoned him with the Hero Summoning spell.

Listening attentively, he finally spoke.

"So, this spell… it summons someone from another world to act as a hero in this one?"

I nodded. That was the basic idea, though, in practice, many used the spell for their own selfish purposes—to recruit bodyguards, servants, or even tools for war and domination.

"Then… can you send me back to my world?"

I lowered my head, filled with guilt, and answered honestly.

"I'm sorry. I've never heard of any spell that can send heroes back to their original worlds."

The man fell silent, lost in thought, but he did not seem angry.

With a deep sigh, he said,

"Alright, Little Miss. Let's set that aside for now. It seems I owe you something, after all…"

Looking at me earnestly, he continued.

"Forgive me for my earlier behavior. I was rude due to cultural differences. I'll explain…"

He began recounting his story. At the time, he'd been engaged in a swordfight against two opponents in his world when he was abruptly transported here. Confused and disoriented, he'd realized I was the one responsible.

"In my world," he explained, "it's considered highly disrespectful for a woman to interfere in a man's duel. So, I apologize for how I reacted."

Bowing slightly, he waited for my reply.

"Yes..."

I said simply, though my heart silently expressed my gratitude.

'And thank you for saving us.'

Those are the words that echoed in my heart.

It was then that he introduced himself.

His name was Ryuji Honda.

And now, Ryuji Honda, the swordmaster I summoned, was walking beside me, exploring the wheat fields of Toffa Village.

After a while, he turned to me and said,

"Little Miss… I've decided that I'll search for a way to return to my world. Until then, I'll stay by your side and assist you in saving this one. So… let's be friends, Elena-san."

With a gentle smile, he offered me his hand.

"Yes..."

I replied softly, returning his smile.

And so, my journey alongside the hero I summoned began. He was a samurai from the Edo period, a swordmaster named Ryuji Honda.

To be continued…

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Elena Fearis' adventure has only just begun. Stay tuned for the next chapter!