Chapter 1 - While I Was Camping, I Got Summoned to Another World
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I, Kirishima Tooru, a 27-year-old single guy, was driving down the public road in a good mood.
The reason I was in such a good mood was partly because that day was a holiday, but the biggest reason had to do with the vehicle I was driving at this time.
What I was driving wasn’t just any car.
"...Finally got my hands on it! My long-awaited camper van!"
There were generally two types of domestically produced camper vans.
One was based on a truck like the Camroad, with the living space built into the truck's frame. The other was based on a one-box vehicle like the Hiace, where the back of the body was cut and converted into living space.
The one I was driving was the latter.
It was the RV Trust’s "TR550L Bolero V-max."
The base vehicle was a Hiace Wagon GL. The rear part of the body was cut off and combined with a steel space frame and an FRP shell to create a camper van. What made a one-box vehicle-based camper van stand out was its style and driving performance.
By using Hiace—which had been popular for its design—as the base, it eliminated the bulky feel typical of camper vans and presented a sleek look that stood apart from truck-based models.
It could seat five people and sleep four.
It was 5.3 meters long, 1.9 meters wide, and 2.3 meters tall.
The exterior design had been made to be sleek enough to drive both in nature and urban areas. It had been considered one of the high-end models among the many Japanese camper vans.
Despite being worked to the bone at a black company, I had been hustling in my spare time with side jobs.
By saving carefully and repeatedly investing without splurging, I finally made enough profit to buy the camper van.
I hadn’t been able to take a proper vacation due to the busy season, but today, I managed to secure a decent break and was finally heading to my long-awaited camping trip.
I was headed to "Fumotoppara Campsite."
It was a place where you could get a clear view of Mount Fuji, and every camper dreamed of visiting it.
Of course, this was a vehicle accessible campground.
Unlike regular campsites, you could drive your vehicle directly into the campsite with all your necessary gear still in the car, which meant less hassle with carrying luggage and allowed you to enjoy camping more easily.
For a beginner camper like me, this was a relatively reassuring choice.
As I marveled at the comfort of the camper van’s ride, I quickly arrived at my destination.
After a quick check-in, I drove the camper van right into the scenic area at the foot of Mount Fuji.
I turned off the engine, stepped out of the driver's seat, and looked out to see Mount Fuji clearly visible from the foot of the mountain.
"Whoa! Mount Fuji looks beautiful!"
Since I took time off during the week to come to the campsite, there were hardly any people around.
I felt a sense of superiority, being able to almost exclusively enjoy this stunning view by myself.
I put a shade on the front windshield and set up the awning.
I took out the table for meals and set up the fire pit.
It was an easy setup that took less than thirty minutes to complete.
Once I set up my chair in the shade, I immediately grabbed a beer from the fridge.
I popped the tab and poured the ice-cold beer down my throat.
"Ahh! A beer in the middle of the day is the best!"
The camper van also had a kitchen area, complete with a refrigerator.
There was no need to carry around heavy coolers or worry about the ice or ice packs running low.
I could enjoy a cold drink whenever I wanted. This was something only a camper van could offer.
With a can of beer in hand, I gazed at the majestic Mount Fuji.
Leaving behind the chaotic city, I was spending a relaxing time at a nature-filled campsite.
It felt like such a luxurious time, and my soul felt cleansed.
"Hmm?"
As I leisurely watched Mount Fuji, something suddenly flashed at my feet.
Looking down, I saw a geometric pattern spreading out, spinning in circles.
It looked just like the magical circles from manga or video games.
"...The heck is this?"
Feeling an uneasy chill, I tried to stand up from my chair, wanting to escape the strange magic circle.
But before I could, the magic circle emitted a bright light, and my vision was enveloped in pure white.
●
"We did it! The summoning was a success!"
I suddenly woke up to the sound of a joyful voice.
Lifting my heavy eyelids, I saw men cloaked in robes, their faces filled with joy as they looked at me.
Just a moment ago, I had been at a grassy campsite, but the scene had completely changed. Now, I was in a stone-walled room within a castle.
The ceiling was very high, and the rounded windows were adorned with stained glass, the colors vivid and striking. The light streaming through them created a fantastical glow that overwhelmed me.
This was clearly no ordinary building. It looked like I was in a castle.
At the back of the platform, a throne had been placed, with a plump man wearing a crown and a woman in an extravagant dress sitting on it.
"W-What is this place? What’s going on?"
As I looked toward the source of the voice, I saw three young people—two men and one woman.
They were wearing uniforms, so they were probably high school students.
Though they were fellow Japanese, I had no idea who they were.
They also seemed unable to grasp the situation, their faces filled with confusion.
I was no different.
Wait a minute—what happened to my camper van!? I had saved up for years, investing carefully, and finally bought it with the profits! If I got teleported to some weird foreign castle, they could’ve at least sent my camper van along with me!
As I mentally shouted in frustration, a girl in a brilliant light pink dress stepped forward in front of us.
Her golden hair reached down to her waist, and her large blue eyes were striking. With her finely sculpted face, she was undeniably a beautiful girl who drew everyone’s attention.
Since she had the same hair color and eyes as the queen sitting next to the king, she was probably their daughter, the princess.
"Brave heroes chosen through the Hero Summoning Ritual, please save our Kingdom of Othelonia!"
The princess gazed up at us with teary eyes as she spoke.
"—Wait, huh? Four people...?"
But she quickly realized that there were not three heroes as expected, but four, and let out a foolish-sounding exclamation.
"What’s going on?"
"Weren’t only three heroes supposed to be summoned?"
"Could it be that there are four heroes now?"
Not only the princess, but also the robed men, began murmuring in confusion.
It seemed like they had expected three heroes, but for some reason, there were four of us.
A bad feeling crept up on me.
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