“Sigh, never thought I'd be summoned again."

I mumbled to myself as I surveyed the area. 

We were on top of a tower. From here, we could see the city that surrounds us in its entirety. I looked down at the stone floor and upon closer inspection could see a magic circle carved into it. It was slowly dimming. The mana injected into it was used up.

...I have a love-hate relationship with this thing. 

“What happened?! Where are we?”

In a slightly panicked voice, Alice asked as she looked at the environment around her. As for her best friend Kari...

“This is it, isn’t it!”

She had stars in her eyes as she looked at the city below her. 

She was freaking out, in a good way...I believe.

“It? What are you talking about?” 

Seeing how her friend was acting, Alice inquired. To which, Kari answered fervently.

“I’m talking about the ‘transferred to another world’ scenario!”

“Another world?!”

“Y’know those mangas I’ve been reading in my downtime? Those are what they’re mostly about. They’re about how everyday people are suddenly sent to another world via summoning or reincarnation! I bet to return to our world, we’d have to defeat the demon lord! Haha! This is the dream of many weebs around the world! Ain’t that right Marcus?”

Kari suddenly looked my way. Shrugging my shoulders, I simply say.

“Yeah, you're right.”

“Huh? I thought you’d be more excited about this? I didn’t expect you to be so calm.”

“What can I say? It wasn’t until a few minutes ago that I was going back to prison. And now we’re suddenly transported to a whole other world. It’s just taking a while for it all to sink in.”

I came up with a lie off the top of my head. There’s a reason why I'm so calm even though we were summoned. 

It's because I'm a former hero. 

That's right, former hero. Put more emphasis on the former part. Which means I'm not going to be doing it a second time. 

As for why I don't wanna be a hero. Let me explain.

Ahem...

If my experience of being a hero could be put into one word; it would be the word, Hell!

All I ever did during my time as a hero was fight, fight, and more fight! There was no romance between beautiful comrades, no swimsuit episodes, no cliche walk-ins, there wasn’t even enough time to rest! For those three years, it was nothing but fight, fight, fight!

The last battle between me and the demon lord?

Oh, don't get me started on that! 

Although I had the special abilities that only a hero would have, let's just say that it wasn't exactly accepted in the eyes of the public. Not to mention, it was dangerous. So, I had to use those abilities sparingly. Due to this, the battle between me and the demon lord was tough. 

It lasted three days and three nights.

By the time I managed to defeat him, I was left with injuries so severe that I had to stay in rehabilitation for half a year! And while I was recovering, me and my comrades managed to find a way to send me back to my world.

After a somewhat melancholic goodbye, I returned to Earth. And when I got back, I found out that not much time passed. Only an hour! To make things even crazier, I was once again 14!

I was happy to be back!

However, this happiness of finally being able to return home was cut short because it didn’t take long for me to realize where I got teleported back to. 

It was the place I committed my crime!

When I appeared there, the entire place was already swarming with cops. I tried to hide from them but I was ultimately found by a security camera and a police dog.

Thus, resulting in me being sent to prison on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Not that I mention it...

"Am I considered an escaped convict?" 

I asked the duo.

I mean, it’s not like I voluntarily wanted to suddenly disappear while under the direct supervision of prison guards. 

“Can this be considered involuntarily escaping? Is there a law about something like this?”

“Well, that’s…”

Kari’s expression freezes up and becomes awkward at my question. It seems she doesn’t have an answer to that. 

“...I don’t think anyone would believe what happened even if they saw it with their own eyes. A person can’t just disappear into thin air.”

Alice was the same as well. Her face also had a hint of awkwardness on it as she stared at me with eyes filled with worry.

Seeing her like this, I placed my hand on her head and smirked a little.

“What’s with the long face? I was just asking.”

It’s not like I can go back over there anytime soon.

Of course, I didn’t say this part out loud. I didn’t want to rain on Kari’s parade. Plus, I didn’t want to make Alice even more worried than she already is.

She’s got an adopted family back home after all.

"So, where's the people that summoned us here? I thought they’d be here.”

The moment, Kari said this...

 

"Haha, you're quite right."

A voice could be suddenly heard from the stairwell. Turning our attention towards the voice, we see a handsome looking blonde-haired young man wearing silver armor ascending the stairs. Behind him was a group of people similarly dressed.

  

"Welcome, brave heroes. My name is Leonard Argecio. The crown prince of Talius. Call me Leonard."

He said as he stretched his hand out towards Kari, wanting a handshake. 

The nation of Talius, huh? That’s a name I haven’t heard in a minute.

Seeing his outstretched hand...

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kari. Kari Lawson.”

Kari energetically grasps it and firmly shakes it. After shaking her hand, Leonard moved onto Alice.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Leonard. My name is Alissandra Houston but feel free to call me Alice.”

Gently shaking his hand, Alice then gracefully introduced herself.

As expected of a daughter of a multi-million dollar company. She knows how to handle herself within the presence of powerful people.

“Sup, my name is Marcus Townley...”

I said when it was my turn to introduce myself. I then outstretch my hands for a handshake. However, midway through...

“Alice, do you have a paper clip or bobby pin on you?”

I realized that I was still in handcuffs. So I awkwardly asked Alice if she had something to help pick the lock on the cuffs.

It’d be considered a major disrespect if I was to shake the hands of the future leader of a nation with cuffs on.

“I have a bobby pin here.”

Pulling out a bobby pin that was in her pocket, Alice handed it to me. Giving her my thanks, I proceed to use it to unlock the cuffs that were on my wrists. With a low *clank* they fell to the floor.

Ah, it feels so liberating with them off!

“Okay, now that these are off, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Marcus Townley. Nice to meet you.”

Not bothering about the somewhat awkward atmosphere that I inadvertently produced, I grasped Prince Leonard’s hand and shook it nice and firmly.

While doing so, I could feel the calluses on his palms and around his fingers. This guy must’ve achieved a certain level of accomplishments in swordsmanship.

“Eh? Ah, yes. It’s a pleasure meeting you too.”

Albeit, a little bewildered, Prince Leonard shook my hand.

"Now that introductions are done, would you please follow me to greet the king, brave heroes?"

“Sure. Lead the way!”

With Kari in the lead, we follow Prince Leonard and his entourage of knights down the stairs. As we descend the stairs, Kari leans in close and whispers to me.

“You telling me this whole time you could’ve broken out of those cuffs?”

“Technically speaking, yeah. But I would’ve needed something to pick the lock, like a bobby pin. Police cuffs are quite easy to get out of…”

‘Compared to anti-magic shackles.’ I almost blurted. But that’s a story for another time.

“Really? Who taught you how to do that?”

“Houdini.”

“Stop lying.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Alice. She was there when he taught me.”

“Alice is this true.”

Not believing me, Kari inquired. To which Alice smiled and said.

“Yes, but he learned it through watching videos about him on the internet and reading books about him. He was around nine at the time. Every time he learned something from watching or reading about Houdini, he’d put on a show and demon-mph!.”

“O-oi, Alice, you didn’t have to bring that up! Father Jefferson said it was a phase!”

A little flustered, I covered Alice’s mouth and said embarrassed. I didn’t think she was going to bring up a piece of my dark history!

Despite my incessant denial, I saw Kari trying her best to hold in her laughter while Alice was staring at me with eyes of laughter.

T-this is bullying!

….

After a few minutes of walking (and finally getting Alice and Kari to stop picking on me), we arrived at two large intricately designed doors.

"Here we are. This is the throne room. Inside is the king, he wanted to meet you the moment you were summoned."

Prince Leonard said as he turned around to face us. As for the guards that were behind him, he dismissed them and sent them back to their posts.

"Wow! The king! Hey Marcus, we're about to meet the king!"

Excited about being able to meet the king, Kari said energetically. Seeing her geeking out like this at every little thing has slowly destroyed my image of her being a short-tempered tomboy.

"Yeah, yeah, calm down. There isn't a need to get this excited, you'll embarrass me and Alice."

"I can't help it! I'm just too excited! By the way, how come you're not as excited as I am? Wasn't this a dream of yours too?"

"Not really. I only started reading manga and such when I was sent to prison.”

The reason for that was because I wanted to learn more about hero summoning. I wanted to know why I was chosen for such a thing and what usually happens when someone is summoned. 

And from what I gathered after years of reading, I can confidently conclude that my experience as a hero has been seriously lacking.

For example, the first place I was summoned to was a destroyed castle! There was no roof, no walls, no nothing! Only rubble. To make things worse, I didn’t even have time to understand what was going on before I suddenly had a person trying to kill me!

Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Another example would be about how come instead of having a harem full of sexy and beautiful women like a typical summoned hero would, I ended up with a party that consisted mostly of men?

The only saving grace in that party that stopped it from becoming a sausage fest was that there was a woman who went by the name of Grace. She was beautiful with long flowing silver hair and pretty green eyes. Not to mention, her bust was amazing! 

But sadly…

She was already fucking married and had a child!

I didn’t even have a chance from the start! Could you imagine how devastated I felt when I realized that?

Those authors who wrote about how their MC is having the time of his life while in another world are full of nothing but lies I tell you, lies!

They don’t tell you how heavy the responsibility of being a ‘hero’ really is! It was so heavy that there were times where I felt like running away and never coming back.

It was a lot to shoulder. Especially when you’re a kid that was only 14 years old.

“Are you guys ready?”

Prince Leonard asked as he placed his hand on the door. Looking at each other, Alice, and Kari said in unison.

“We’re ready.”

“Alright. Then let’s go meet the king!” 

After saying that, Prince Leonard put some force behind his hand to open the door.

We were going to greet the King.