Lost and penniless—those words kept echoing in Takumi's mind.
Well… penniless wasn't completely true. His wallet was still in his pocket. It had coins, a few bills, and just enough money for lunch back in Japan. But here?
Here, his yen might as well have been decorative metal discs.
"Yeah… the currency in this place is totally different," he muttered.
Takumi flipped a ten-yen coin between his fingers. The familiar metallic clink only made the situation feel stranger. He let out a long sigh.
He looked completely ordinary—short black hair, a typical Japanese face, average height. Nothing about his appearance was unusual for someone his age.
But his clothes were another story.
A cheap sports jersey, jogging pants, sneakers—all of it drew attention like he was a walking oddity. The people around him wore long robes, thick linen tunics, hemp clothing tied with cords, or simple garments made of cloth he couldn't identify. Their styles looked old—ancient even.
And every pair of eyes was glued to him.
"What is he wearing…?"
"Those fabrics… I've never seen anything like it."
"Is he some kind of wandering foreigner?"
Whispers chased him from every side.
Takumi rubbed his temples as he felt dozens of curious gazes pierce straight through him.
"So that's how it is…"
He snapped his fingers quietly, pointing at no one in particular.
"I've been teleported to another world."
The words tasted ridiculous, yet everything around him confirmed it.
A creaking sound drew his attention. A wooden carriage trundled down the road, pulled by a massive beast that looked like a mix between an ox and a lizard. Its heavy steps made the ground tremble, and a snort of warm air puffed from its nostrils.
Takumi stared blankly.
"Yeah… that's definitely not from Earth."
He exhaled, shoulders slumping.
"This… is going to be a problem."
---
Takumi Ryouga was born in Heisei-era Japan's pressure-free education system.
He had lived seventeen years, and if one tried to describe those years properly, it would probably take seventeen more. But summing it up was much easier.
He was a third-year high school shut-in.
If one wanted to be more precise:
A hopeless case who ignored everything—including his parents—and buried himself in his room even with university entrance exams breathing down his neck.
There wasn't any dramatic trauma or tragic reason.
On a normal weekday he'd think, "Ugh… getting up is a pain," and that thought alone was enough to make him skip school. Day by day, the absences piled up. Before he noticed, he had become a model shut-in, the type that made parents quietly sob at night.
His days were spent in sloth, drifting deeper into the internet, barely speaking a word to anyone in real life.
And now—
"…A teleportation to another world, huh? Yeah, I still don't get it."
Takumi reconfirmed his surroundings and released his hundredth sigh.
He had moved from the busier street earlier and was now crouched inside a dim, narrow alleyway. The ground was paved with stone—roughly done, uneven, but still functional. Like something out of a historical drama, though much simpler.
"If this is a parallel world, then… medieval-level civilization? No electricity, no machinery. Buildings made of wood and stone."
He recalled everything he'd seen while making his way into the alley.
He was, after all, someone who often imagined ridiculous scenarios online. Mentally preparing for another world wasn't new for him.
First, analyze the culture.
Second, check if physics worked the same.
Third, see whether the locals were human.
Takumi listed his priorities like he was reading them off a manual.
"Okay. Communication seems normal—I spoke to a shopkeeper earlier without any trouble. Money's useless though."
Right after realizing he was transported, the first thing he tried was buying apples from what looked like a fruit stall. He'd offered yen. The shopkeeper stared at the coin like it was garbage.
This world clearly used gold, silver, and copper coins—simple and traditional.
"Mixed-metal counterfeits must exist here too… or maybe they don't care that much."
Another lizard-drawn carriage rumbled across the main road nearby, kicking up dust. The townsfolk didn't react; it was clearly everyday life for them.
"They're really used to those giant lizards… Still haven't seen any normal animals though."
The creature pulling the carriage was easily bigger than a horse. Reptilian, heavy, and loud. Takumi's stomach tightened every time it growled.
"So giant lizards are normal… humans too, I guess."
He had taken a long, careful look at the people earlier.
They all had black or brown hair. A few had rarer colors, but nothing unnatural. No strange ears. No fantasy races. Just humans—though their clothing varied wildly: coarse robes, woven tunics, shawls, belts with pouches, wooden sandals, straw shoes. All old-fashioned.
He was the only one wearing a jersey, jogging pants, and sneakers.
"That alone already screams 'outsider'… and probably trouble."
Takumi exhaled slowly.
"If this really is a medieval-level world, then my modern knowledge is practically useless. This isn't Sengoku era either… If it were, I could've tried running some conquest strategies."
Gunpowder?
Science?
Physics?
All irrelevant without tools, materials, or even a safe place to sleep.
"Magic might exist too… but if it does, that makes gunpowder nothing but fireworks."
He forced a dry laugh.
"Well… if I survive long enough, maybe I can contribute something scientific. But for now…"
He paused.
He had no idea why he was brought here.
He remembered everything clearly. He had left his room for the first time in ages to buy instant ramen. Didn't want to use his bike, so he walked. Halfway home, he looked up at the sky and thought,
"Almost a full moon tonight."
Then he blinked—
—and it was noon.
Different sun.
Different sky.
Different world.
He had panicked so hard that, in retrospect, he could write a tragic comedy about it.
"Since I'm an only child… if I never make it back, that's the end of the Ryouga family line."
He checked his pockets again.
In a place like this, starting items mattered more than anything.
Phone with low battery.
Wallet full of useless yen.
A cup of shoyu tonkotsu instant ramen.
Corn potage snacks.
His beloved gray jersey.
Two-year-old sneakers.
"…That's it. Why didn't I at least bring something useful? What am I supposed to do with ramen?"
All he had was food. Barely enough for a single meal.
"The situation is hopeless. And of course there's no mysterious beauty who summoned me… Whoever teleported me didn't even bother to show themselves."
It felt less like a summoning and more like being thrown into a dumpster behind reality.
Reality pressed down on him so heavily that his shoulders drooped.
"Oh, come on… What am I even supposed to do here?"
Takumi muttered weakly. He wanted to go home more than anything. Imagining another world was fun—but living in one?
That was a nightmare.
"For now, survival is the priority… but can I even talk to people? My real-life communication skills are… level zero."
He'd barely spoken to anyone outside his parents or convenience store clerks for nearly a year.
He flexed his fingers instinctively—his hands used to typing more than talking.
But then—
Footsteps echoed into the alley.
Takumi froze.
Three men stepped into view, blocking the only exit.
Their faces were hard. Their clothing was coarse. Their eyes looked him up and down—
—especially at his strange modern outfit.
Takumi's throat tightened.
"…Great. My first event in another world is a bad one."