"Oh, you're an interesting one~"

...Huh?

Who was that?

Did someone catch me sleeping in the bus and reported me to one of the teachers?

Wait, how long have I been asleep for? Did two hours fly by already? It didn't even feel like a few minutes yet...

But there's no other explanation! Everyone must be on their way back to the bus now and one of them saw me here sleeping, so he went back to find a teacher and reported me!

I can't believe someone actually noticed me here but considering how my classmates can't stand my existence, I wouldn't put it past them to do something that'd get me in trouble. I'm sure they're having a good laugh right now because of this...

"Ara? The others want to give you that class? Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea..."

Oh, crap.

I quickly shut my eyes tightly and turned away before I get noticed. Before I accept my fate, I need to analyze the situation first.

Okay, that's definitely a woman's voice and of all the teachers I can think of, there's only one who talks in a teasing manner and manages to sound scary. Oh, don't blame me for being scared, anyone would be if they were in my shoes.

...Kashiwagi-sensei, please let me explain before you do something, okay?

"Hmm, I guess I should just wait until he wakes up... it would be bad if I just disturb him while he's sleeping..."

Oh great, now she's being sarcastic.

All right, I suppose that's my cue to wake up before I get myself into bigger trouble. It's one thing to get caught in the act, and it's another to be reported to my parents. They'll surely keep an eye on me and — worst case scenario — they might take away my video game privileges!

Anything but that.

I quickly opened my eyes and sprang out of my seat, mentally preparing a standard apology that I can say before all hope is lost. I don't think this will work, but it's all I can do.

"Kashiwagi-sensei, I didn't mean to fall asleep here. I wasn't feeling well earlier and I knew that if I went along with everyone else, I would—"

I stopped midway through my apology once I opened my eyes, where I noticed that I wasn't at the bus anymore.

I couldn't see anything but darkness everywhere, no matter which direction I turned to. The only things that were here with me were the chair that I was using just now and another one in the distance — probably about 10 meters away — which looked more like a throne than anything else.

Not only that, but my PE teacher was nowhere to be found, when I'm sure that she was here.

I took another look at my surroundings and tried thinking of a possible explanation for this. Just a while ago, I was sleeping in the bus and all was well until I heard someone talking nearby. I thought it was one of my teachers, but then I wake up and suddenly find myself in some dark place without any clue as to where I am.

This is getting weird and kind of creepy, honestly...

Where the hell am I? Have I been kidnapped and taken to an abandoned warehouse or something?

And of all the people that could've been abducted, why me?

"Ah, so you have awakened..."

There was the voice of Kashiwagi-sensei again and it came from behind me, so I quickly turned around to face her.

However, I didn't see any sign of her anywhere, but something nearby did catch my attention — particularly the other chair in front of me.

A girl suddenly materialized on top of the throne out of pure light particles, almost as if she was made entirely out of it. I walked closer to get a better look at her, and I blinked a few times at what I was seeing.

She had long purple hair, eyes, and even the dress she was wearing was of the same color. That dress also looked like it was ripped straight from the Victorian era, but with a more modern look because it's not low-cut and the skirt isn't as ridiculously big as other dresses from that time period.

Just from one glance, she looked like she wasn't any older than 14, but one thing is for certain.

She looked really beautiful.

...

...

Yes, I know I made it clear that I don't like interacting with other people, but that doesn't mean that I can't admire things or people for what they are. I'm still a normal teenage male at the end of the day, and I can recognize beauty once I see it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Wakitani Shindo. My name is Mildred and I'm a goddess."

I blinked a few times out of confusion and surprise, before quirking an eyebrow at her.

That's quite a bold claim, if I must say so, and she even looked proud of herself which is evident from the smile on her face.

Hm.

Honestly, I have no reason not to believe her.

I literally just saw her appear out of nowhere and even the most skilled magicians would need a lot of things to pull off that kind of trick. What this girl — or goddess, rather— did was show up through a bunch of light particles being put together.

But, even with that in mind, maybe I can mess around a bit because why not?

"A goddess? You, a kid?"

I asked with a smirk, as she immediately puffed her cheeks and folded her arms angrily.

"How rude! I'm not a kid! I'll have you know that I'm over a thousand years older than you! You're the one who's younger than me!"

Okay, she appears to be sensitive about her loli appearance, so I guess that's enough teasing from me. Who knows what she might do to me if I make her angry?

"Okay, okay, I was just having a little fun. So, where exactly am I, Mildred-sama?"

I asked with a more respectful tone this time, which caused the angry look on her face to disappear almost immediately. Looks like her mood can easily change like any normal kid as well, but I'll keep that to myself.

"Ara? You're not doubting my words?"

"I just saw you appearing out of thin air, Mildred-sama. It would be idiotic of me to keep questioning what you say."

"Ah, you're one of those people who believe once you see it for yourselves."

*shrug*

I'm not stubborn enough to stay true to a belief when I've seen enough proof to disprove it. It would only be a waste of time to keep on arguing when you know to yourself that you're on the losing side.

"Well, to answer your question, you're currently in Heaven, Shindo-kun."

...Wait, what?

Heaven?

What the hell does she mean by that?

Don't tell me that I somehow died in my sleep and ascended up here as a spirit...?!

...

"Heaven? I'm not dead, am I...?"

I tried to look as calm as possible, but it's a bit hard because I'm about five seconds away from panicking at the possibility that I actually died in my sleep. It's just too sudden and I don't even recall catching any illness lately!

"Oh heavens, you're not! I simply summoned you here because of an urgent matter."

Ah.

I guess that makes sense, so now I can breathe a lot freely because I'm not actually dead.

Phew.

Seriously, I'm relieved to know that I didn't really die and I was actually just summoned here by a goddess for something important, but what could it be?

And why me, when there are lots of other people out there who could've been brought here instead?

"...and that is?"

"There exists another world beyond the one you live in, dear. That world's name is Aesciroth, and it's currently being terrorized by a Demon Queen. It's been that way for thousands of years now."

Another world aside from Earth? And here I thought that was only possible in fictional stories.

"My fellow gods, goddesses, and myself witnessed how the people were suffering under the Demon Queen's rule, and it reached the point where we couldn't stand by and watch anymore. All of us started sending heroes from another world in order to help Aesciroth's inhabitants in their fight against the Demon Queen. That other world was the Earth where you currently live in."

Hm, seems easy enough to understand.

It sounds similar to the plot of a few light novels I've read in the past. It also has an RPG feel to it, because of the typical Good versus Evil scenario and the thing about having many heroes to fight against the bad guys.

"So what does this have to do with me?"

Mildred-sama suddenly flashed me a smile, which honestly sent a chill down my spine. I could literally feel that she has a big motive behind that expression and because I have no idea what it could be, I'm starting to grow nervous.

"Wakitani Shindo, I choose you to be one of the heroes who will defeat the Demon Queen once and for all."

...

Eh...?

...Ehhhh?!

This... This is just like the isekai light novels that I read back then!

You mean to tell me that I'm going to be reincarnated into the other world and live a new life filled with adventure and magic?!

...I know that I'm not dreaming right now, but it definitely feels like I am.

"So, basically, I'm going to be isekai'd to another world and you want me to be a hero there, helping the people and fighting against some Demon Queen to save the world. Did I get it right?"

Who knows? Maybe I was just hearing things and my ears were playing tricks on me the whole time.

"I'm glad you picked up on it that quickly. I suppose I'll have to thank your hobby of playing video games for that."

...Okay, I wasn't hearing things.

Oh, and I didn't just play video games, Mildred-sama. I've read about this a lot of times too. I just didn't expect myself to be put in this situation like the protagonists in those works.

Speaking of those protagonists...

"What happens if I don't want to do this?"

"Then I'll return you back to Earth and erase your memory so that you'll never remember that this happened. I won't force you to do this against your will, and I'll simply look for another person who's willing to do this instead of you."

It took a moment for her words to sink in, before I spoke up again.

"And what do I get out of this if I do accept?"

Mildred-sama put her finger on the edge of her mouth, as if she was thinking deeply about something. Could it be that she doesn't know what would happen to me?

"Well, like the video games and manga that you've played and read about in your world, you'd have a new life where you can do the things that you wanted but couldn't do back in Earth. On top of that, if you manage to defeat the Demon Queen, my fellow gods will grant you any wish that you ask for. You may even go back to Earth if you wish."

Ah, I see. That sounds fair. If I don't accept this, she'll just send me back to the bus where I was supposed to be and go on with my usual life but if I choose otherwise, I'll be isekai'd and be a hero like what she wanted.

Although, the choice was already made the moment Mildred-sama told me that she wanted to send me to a new world. I just asked those questions so that I'll be aware of what would happen, but my mind was already set on agreeing the whole time.

This is basically the opportunity of a lifetime and I'd have to be an idiot to decline Mildred-sama's request.

I mean, can you really believe it? Being isekai'd to another world is supposed to be an impossible dream for every otaku out there and even though I'm not one, this is still something that I've wanted to happen since I was young.

"I accept, then. It's not like I have anything to go back to in my world except for my family. Though, I'm sure they can handle themselves while I'm gone."

A smile quickly formed on the loli goddess' face, which could only mean that that was what she wanted to hear from me.

"I see you've made up your mind, Shindo-kun. I'm pleased that you accepted my offer."

I gave her a short bow of respect before straightening myself again, but I was already feeling the excitement building up from inside me!

Now that I've accepted her request, I can't wait to actually get started! This is a completely different experience from playing RPGs and I'll make sure to learn as much as I can from this.

"So, how does this work? Is it gonna be like those video games where I just have to level up in order to be stronger, then fight my way to the Demon Queen in order to defeat her?"

"Yes, that is the basic gist of what you must do as a hero in Aesciroth. However, that doesn't mean you are limited to that goal only. It's your life, and you can choose what you want to do there. You can form a party of adventurers, explore lands, or even find love~"

For some reason, she winked at me after saying that last part, which I simply chose to ignore because it's not really important.

Back to the relevant matters...

"Then, is this the part where I'm going to choose what class I want?"

All RPGs and even MMORPGs have various character classes that you can choose from, but this time it's different.

Those instances had taken place in games and what's more, there's normally an option there that allows you to choose another class if you don't like your current one. However, I can tell that this isn't the same for this one because this will basically dictate what kind of path I'll take once I'm in the new world.

Should I pick a fighter class, I'll focus more on fighting in order to level up and be stronger. If I pick an archer-type one, then I'll have to put more attention in refining my skills before fighting head-on. I could go on and on here about the classes that I know, but one thing is for sure.

I can't take this lightly. I'll need some time to think about the advantages and disadvantages of one class and analyze them thoroughly before finally making a decision.

"You are correct but sadly, you don't get to make that decision, Shindo-kun."

Got it, now I'll need a while to think about— wait, what?

"My fellow gods and goddesses are the ones who decide what class to give you and other heroes who have been sent to the other world, and you'll simply have to live with what is bestowed upon you."

"You're saying that I can't choose?"

Mildred-sama shook her head.

"Uhm... alright. I'm just going to hope for a good one, then."

Okay, I'm not the one who's going to choose a class for myself.

No big deal, no big deal.

If anything, this should be easy for me because I've played countless RPGs while trying out different classes. I know the ins and outs of everything, as well as the strategy on how to strengthen a particular class.

Once I manage to get a hang of the character class given to me, I'll be able figure out a way to level up quickly to upgrade my stats, and it'll be a cakewalk from there!

Who knows? I might even become the strongest hero one day thanks to years of grinding out levels and upgrading my stats.

Now that sounded good to my ears.

"About that... my fellow gods weren't amused by the way you've lived your life so far and they actually opposed the idea of making you a hero. Eventually, I managed to convince them to give you a chance, but only if they choose the right class for you."

...

...

Okay, I think this is getting unfair.

First, I'm not allowed to choose a class because the gods made that decision for me and now, they didn't want me doing this?

What the hell am I even doing here, then?

"Are you saying that you vouched for me while everybody else didn't want to?"

I don't really know what to feel when I saw her nodding her head.

Her fellow gods didn't like how I lived my life? I don't quite get it, because what exactly did I do wrong? The only bad thing I've done was lying, but everybody does that. Okay, maybe I've messed around a few times with other people but those were all just for fun and I'm sure they think the same, especially when I did those while playing video games.

Point is, I've never done anything that can be considered a crime so I don't understand how a bunch of gods dislike me.

Anyway, on the brighter side of things, there's at least one of them who liked me, and she's sitting on the throne before me right now.

Urgh, now I want to thank her for that, but I don't think it matters now. Maybe I can worship her as my personal goddess once I arrive at the new world instead? I could even make a little shrine dedicated to her and if it becomes big enough, it could turn into a religion—

Argh, what am I saying? Focus on what's more important, Shindo!

"Well, if that's the case, then I'll just adapt to whatever they give me. I know all about the different classes and how to be stronger in every single one of them, anyway."

"I sure hope that's true..."

If she intended for that to be something that I shouldn't know about, then she failed. I definitely heard it and I'm wondering what she meant.

"What do you mean by that, Mildred-sama?"

"I'm afraid you'll just have to see for yourself..."

To my absolute surprise, my hands started glowing as well as my feet, followed by the rest of my body, which only meant one thing.

I'm going to be sent away now — and from here on out — my journey in an another world officially begins.

I took one last look at Mildred-sama, and I saw her waving her arm happily while sending me a smile. I feel tempted to do the same, but I thought against it.

"Good luck, Shindo-kun. May the light of the stars guide you on your journey!"

And just like that, a bright light had blinded me to the point that I couldn't see Mildred-sama anymore. I couldn't help but close my eyes as excitement and wonder took over me.

I'm excited that I will personally get to experience what it's like to live in a fantasy world like RPGs and isekai stories while at the same time, I can't help but wonder what class I was given...