I hate being wed in a fantasy world!

Chapter 1 – The Superfriends and the Dari

Inoue Masahiko is a sixteen year old Japanese boy who used to be a high school student. His current occupation is that of a hero. He, his friends, and his entire class were summoned into this fantasy world by the kingdom of Feuerberg to defeat the demon king.

At first, Masahiko was very pumped, because he is still connected with his inner child. With the power of the heroes, everything just seems to be possible, so of course he couldn't help but be excited about it.

Things went well, but then one of his friends, Momokawa Kyou, couldn't keep up. Trusting in her capabilities, Masahiko and the others left her behind in the capital so that she could catch up... and thinking back, it was his fault that Kyou was unable to keep up in the first place.

Masahiko is feeling his many mistakes weighing on him.

He has to save her.

Because of him, she's now somehow in the clutches of Katsuragi Kenta-kun, another of his former classmates, and now a rogue hero. There is no proof whether or not Katsuragi-kun has some sort of brainwashing power, but his hostility towards Masahiko is evident.

The arrowhead-shaped scar on Masahiko's chest is the mark of his failures.

How he couldn't interpret the hero-system in time.

How he left Kyou back in Esse.

How he was unable to clear whatever grievance lay between him and Katsuragi-kun.

How he was too confident about himself and his friends, confident that they could take on any challenge that came.

This scar on his chest is a reminder.

The blisters and pain he has earned since are proof of how hard he is trying to make it right again.

They also embody the arduous training he has endured, first at the hands of Feuerberg, and then by their allies, the dari of Kraggwas.

Dari are what Masahiko would have referred to as 'dwarves' before coming to this world.

A dar is about as tall as Masahiko's hip, but with a muscular and broad frame. Their arms are strangely long, and their hands are also twice the size of a human's.

There is hair all over their bodies, but only on top of their head and on their faces is long enough to cover the skin thoroughly. They lack eyebrows, and have protruding foreheads.

Most of them have metallic hair, often bronze or copper, but sometimes silver or gold. Their eyes have large, round pupils, and only slim, brown irises.

Also, they are strong! Since Masahiko is currently training with one, he is learning that first-hand. Dari wear heavy armor, and swing large unwieldy weapons with ease.

Masahiko attacks his trainer and friend, the dar hero Braxas, who is teaching him the [Vanguard]-class-up.

The human’s two swords are clashing with the dar’s armor, but strangely they slide off. Meanwhile, the Braxas’ warpick of approaches Masahiko's torso unimpeded.

Masahiko's attempts to block that weapon in the past were unsuccessful, so he tried to use his unbalanced stance to roll away, but for some reason, he can't even begin to move. Something is holding him in place!

Instead, he's hit by the pick and feels the tip penetrating his armor and flesh as the power behind the strike pushes him back.

“...I get it...” Masahiko holds his side. “Magnetism! It's magnetism!”

“...almost, lad. Back then we call’it magic, but now it's listed as [Metalmancy].” Braxas open his hand and his metal weapon is stuck to his palm. “Y'see? Same for the armor.” The large chest piece of the dar armor falls off him. “Don't tell anyone else, yeah? It's actually somewhat a secret this world's dari keep.”

As a hero, Braxas is also from another world, a world which only has dari. He was summoned a long time before Masahiko, but he was also a soldier back home, so he had no trouble adapting to the hero lifestyle.

“Ev'ry dari uses [Metalmancy]. It's part of us, we sense and control metal to a degree. Here.” Braxas strips off his shirt, and there are strange bone-like knobs on parts of his body: Shoulders, chest, and along his spine. “These are bravvuk, that's what's normally used for it.”

“So you use this power during every fight?” That's impressive, giving the dari an overwhelming advantage against many kinds of foes. Pushing away the enemy weapons for defense, or drawing in the opponent’s armor to hinder movement and disturb their balance are just the beginning of what they can do.

“Ayup. Heard that's why the dari of this world aren't good with the elves.”

“How is that supposed to be related?”

“Elves don't use metal. Even their weapons are made out of wood or bone while being strong as metal. While we have the upper hand against most other races with our magic, it isn't much use against them.”

“Sad to see that war and fighting is everything in this conflict.”

“Can't blame them. Lots of battles with'em, last big one just twenty years ago. Was there, wasn't pretty. Many elven heroes wiped out several settlements. We won in the end, but the price was high.”

“The elves really seem like a difficult bunch.”

“Ayup. The human king wants to include them, right? In the fight against the demons?”

“I don't know. I'm not told that much yet.” Masahiko is still at the beginning of his hero-career, so of course, he's only told the bare minimum.

“Nah, don't worry, lad. You're plenty good already, but training only brings you so far.”

Masahiko can't help but smile at his new friend. “I need to do this.”

“The girl, ya?”

“Yes, my friend.”

“Well, lad, just train and train then. I'm good enough to pummel y'all the day long.”

“I'm still bleeding.”

“Ayup. Nothing better to train with than pain!”

Masahiko really hopes that he can find a way to counter the dar [Metalmancy].

In their previous sparring battles, he had thought at first that he was just too weak or made too many mistakes, but now that Masahiko knows that his weapons and his armor are used against him, he realizes how many subtle changes in his movements can change the outcome of a battle completely.

Of course, he could try to fight Braxas without any metal items, but there would be no benefit to it, as he might encounter similar problems in the future and not have the luxury of changing his gear.

He has to be prepared for anything. So fighting with this kind of handicap is a great way to prepare for the real deal.

―○●○―

After being beaten to a pulp by Braxas, Masahiko's dar friend changed classes to heal the wounds he inflicted. They still hurt, but Masahiko is able to move like usual.

As a hero, Braxas has a vast variety of spells and skills, but even his healing magic couldn't make the deep wounds disappear entirely right away, so they stopped training for the day so that Masahiko's body will have time to recover.

In fact, heroes recover fast, so most likely Masahiko will be ready to have another go tomorrow.

Still, his armor is in terrible shape now, so Masahiko is currently in a smith's workshop, talking to another Japanese boy with a large build and shaved hair. “Could you fix it, please?”

This is Masahiko’s good friend Yamauchi Daichi. He's a former member of the judo club and now a [Student], [Knight], [Grappler], and [Blacksmith]. At least, these are his classes.

He's striving to class-up his [Blacksmith] to the [Forgemaster]-class of the dari, someone who can use special techniques to create special alloys and process legendary metals.

The people of Kraggwas have plenty of class-up options, as the dari are very connected with each other over the whole continent. So they shared their class-ups freely, and while it was impossible in the hero-system to acquire a second class-up in the same location, it would be easy to just travel to the next big dar-city and continue the training there.

However, they don't share their class-ups with other species that easily. Without the alliance with Feuerberg, it'd be nearly impossible to get, but the human kingdom agreed to train the same amount of dari heroes in return.

Currently, only Masahiko and his friends among the Feuerberg-heroes are in Kraggwas for training, as his other classmates have their own responsibilities. Some of them are in the Vulkan-mountains, others are at the border to the demon realm, and occasionally a party might be called back to train in Esse like Masahiko's was.

Daichi looks at Masahiko's armor and sighs: “Is tomorrow early enough? I'm wasted.”

“Sure. I'll train with my substitute armor tomorrow then.”

“Thanks, I like to do a good job here, so I'll take all day just to fix the holes properly.”

“Don't worry. I know that you work hard. But you're finished today?”

“Almost, I still need to sweep the hallway.”

“Let me help you.”

Daichi looks over his shoulder to an old dar, who nods to him while smiling, as if saying: ‘Go ahead.’

So both of them take some brooms and sweep the hallway in quick succession. Afterward, dirty and sweaty from their training, they take a quick dip in the underground river, to which the workshop had access.

Now somewhat presentable, both of them set off. Daichi takes a glance at the weapons on Masahiko's back. “Masa, how long are you planning to not use that sword?”

“Well, shishou told me that it makes me weak.” Masahiko and his friends had found a mighty sword in a cave of spider-monkeys. But then Masahiko underwent special training in Esse, and his well-seasoned instructor told him to not use it.

'That weapon is above your skills, stupid disciple #2. A greenhorn like you will just start to rely on it and die. While you can die anytime as far as I care, don't do so in battle after I took my time training you.'

So other than the sword's unique traits and abilities, it remains stored in Masahiko's [Inventory] as a last resort. The special powers of the sword are good enough for now, he doesn't need to rely on it as a weapon at the moment.

“Hm,” Daichi scratches his head while considering Masahiko's answer. “I can see that. Back in the judo club, the senpais always told me to drill the basics first.” Daichi is tall and has a strong body, so of course he would excel in anything that makes use of those traits. “I guess it's the same. Instead of clumsily forcing your way with no technique, you'll have to learn properly to make full use of it, right?”

“Something like that.” Actually, Masahiko only got a rough image of what Daichi was saying, but he thinks that the basic idea is right.

Masahiko and Daichi are on the way to their quarters while walking through Kraggwas. The city itself was actually pretty dark, reminiscent of an animal den. There are a lot of tunnels with some sort of chamber, which are connected to more tunnels that lead to the quarters of the dari.

Some caverns have buildings inside, but overall dari are less majestic in their stonework than people might suspect--the whole city is more like a large mine than an underground city.

The reason, according to Braxas, is physics. There are hard limits depending on many factors like the stability of the stone, water veins, seismic activity and others.

Masahiko heard that the surface of Braxas' homeworld is uninhabitable, so the dari had no place to live other than underground.

In the fantasy world, there is no problem like that, but Masahiko guesses that the ability to sense metal and the adaptation to dark places just made underground a better place for most dari, but they are still common enough outside the underground cities.

At least these tunnels are tall enough for the two Japanese to walk and wide enough to not bump into other dari as long as they stay in their lane.

Yes, dar roads have lanes--a handy feature considering the somewhat cramped conditions of an underground city. Even though the streets are already rather wide, there are big wagons, giant lizards that act as mounts and beasts of burden, and other things to consider, that need some more space. Therefore the roads are cleanly divided into lanes so that everything flows more fluidly. This works because the dari actually follow these lanes, even if they are in a hurry or they need to cross them. In these cases, there are particular areas marked for crossings and turning, so everything stays in order.

For Masahiko, it used to be a somewhat uncommon sight, but by now he's slightly fond of it. It makes him remember Japan in a way, even though he rarely thinks about home these days.

“So, you're getting a new pair of swords here?” Daichi continues their conversation about weapons from before.

“No, I'll wait until you make me a new pair of swords.”

“Hey, that's embarrassing, man. But you're saying it because of our finances, right?”

“Partly. Even though we got a vast sum from the king, I want to spend it wisely. So I need to discuss this with everyone first, as I'm sure that I'll overlook things. Plus, I think my weapons are fine right now.” A fine pair of swords, made of steel. Not masterworks, but already too good for someone like Masahiko, whose skill with blades stems from the hero-system instead of the accumulation of years of hard work.

Being a hero is actually something Masahiko really enjoys, being able to help people with his newfound powers and solving situations he couldn't before. Yet deep down he feels some sort of shame, as he's using an easy way of improving himself, instead of spending a lot of sweat, blood, and tears. Or not nearly enough for him to readily accept it.

That's another reason why he gives his all during each training session. Because he wants to be better than that, he wants to have a bit of real strength. So that he can improve as a person as well.

“Actually, Daichi, I think you're great. You're class-upping a crafting class, which will help us a lot in the long run, when you could've improved your [Grappler] instead.”

“It's fine. All of us discussed it, and if there is a remote chance to enchant weapons and armors, we need to seize it. Especially,” Daichi lowers his voice, “as the dari are very secretive about them.”

“Not only them. There are magic weapons in Feuerberg, but nobody talks about it. I can see how class-ups weren't mentioned before, as few knew, nobody asked, and it wasn't the right time, but overall the people at the top of any nation keep their secrets close.”

“I don't like it.”

“Knowledge is power. Maybe they're right to hide some things, at least for now. Before a class-up, we needed to get stronger, so instead of dreaming about what’s coming, they let us train as we were.”

“Yes, it was hard enough. But still...” Daichi's face twisted, as he's clearly thinking about something unpleasant. “Doesn't it bother you at all?”

“Of course it does. But asking for every little detail, when there is so little I can actually do, would be kinda arrogant. So I like to concentrate on what I can do now, and improve myself until I can do a lot more. Then my demands have more weight.”

“You're right, Masa. We just need to do what we can do!” Daichi's fist slams into his open hand, showing his newfound determination. The dari around them looked at him surprised and try to avoid this big teenager.

“Would you like to take a stroll before we return? I haven't taken a good look at the market yet, and I want to bring or send a souvenir to those at the research facility.”

“Hey, I just showed my guts here, and you ask me for a shopping trip?”

“I’d like to get some steam out of my system after being beaten by Braxas the whole time.”

“Is he that strong?”

“Actually, I don't know, and that's what makes me respect him that much. He may be on a level I can't even understand yet.”

“I'm glad he's also a hero. Because there are many people around here who are insanely strong without being heroes, and that drives me nuts.”

Masahiko has to silently agree with that statement. At the moment, the heroes of Feuerberg aren't the country's strongest warriors, by far. They only climb the ladder of power much faster and can reach extraordinary heights at the end, but Masahiko's current skills in combat are that of a seasoned but not very talented soldier. He's above the cut, but not anything special concerning pure prowess.

Heroes are more of an investment in the future. Which made Masahiko think about how dire Feuerberg expects this war to become.

“So, Daichi? What about the stroll?”

“...alright. You're asking me because you want a change of mood, right?”

Daichi was right, Masahiko asked because he felt that both of them needed to get their thoughts off this wheel of things they couldn't change at this point.

So instead of heading to the quarters, they followed the signs to Kraggwas' great market. This is built in a large cavern, ledges on different levels which lead to smaller caves holding the stores, while a lot of stalls were built in a central open space.

At the ceiling crystals send bright blue light throughout the whole cavern, giving a bit of a spooky appearance, while crystals which shed yellow-orange light are arranged not unlike street lamps at ground-level.

Not only dari, but also humans and some folkmen are here to buy or sell wares. With a large tunnel over ten kilometers (6 miles) long leading directly to the outside world, this marketplace was the true connection between the dari and the other cultures.

They come across a weapon store, but as Daichi sees those weapons and armors every day and Masahiko is still waiting until Daichi is good enough to forge him a new pair of swords, they aren't interested. Daichi starts a new topic. “Did you know that the dari don't process their own ore?”

“They don't? Aren't they...” Masahiko lowers his voice: “...like dwarves from western stories? Shouldn't they be good with metals?” Of course, no dar would like to be called 'dwarf,' but there are many similarities. Therefore, Masahiko thought that they would've mastered metalwork.

“Mind you, the dari are quite good at extracting the metal from the ore, Feuerberg is just much better. The way they wield the fire seems to be special in every way, so the dari trade in about a fifth of their ore, in return Feuerberg makes ingots of the remaining ore and send it back to Kraggwas. From Kraggwas, these ingots go to the other dar cities. Same goes for some alloys. Plus, Feuerberg also buys dar weapons sometimes.”

“So business is flourishing, I guess.” This may also be the reason why both countries work that closely together, even allowing each other's heroes to learn the class-ups of the other nation.

Sometimes, Masahiko thinks, this world is not too different from his own world after all.

A wagon pulled by a giant lizard comes by and Masahiko and Daichi step aside, as the wagon was a bit too wide for its lane. The driver, a dar girl, looks at both heroes, her eyes wide open and her mouth gaping.

“Hello,” Masahiko greets her. He's used to being the center of attention to some degree since being summoned in this world. He's a Japanese, so he doesn't quite look like other humans, especially those native to these lands with their bright hair colors and eyes. But he seems too human to be mistaken as a dar or an elf.

The wagon driver nods slowly, right after passing them.

“Another one.” Daichi scratch his head. “You're a real heart-breaker, y'know?”

“Don't joke around.” Masahiko lightly pushes Daichi while laughing. “I'm not that popular.”

“Are you kidding? You're always with some girl.”

“Well, it might be true, but... hard to explain...”

“Man, you and your girl problems. Well, not that I'm not used to them.”

“Speaking of girls, other than souvenirs, I'm looking for presents.”

“To confess?”

“I wish. No, for Eri and Teru. They're depressed because of you-know-what. I saw Teru cry yesterday night by chance.”

“Awkward. But a present?”

“I know, the girls aren't that cheap, but it's not like I can solve every problem magically.”

“Pick up a magic-user-class that can.”

“Hehe, if there is one, I won't hesitate. But for now, I'll train hard and try my best to not forget about all of you.”

“Man, your specs are too high.”

“?”

“Nah, just self-pity. Was too focused, too absorbed, didn't even think about the others. Don't worry, we'll get Kyou-san back.”

“We both have to do our best.”

Thus, both boys stroll around the market, trying to find souvenirs for their teachers and classmates in the research facility, and some gifts to cheer up their female companions.

―○●○―

Kurosawa Teruko looks at the ground. Her [Tracks]-skill of the [Scout]-class shows her what made these small furrows. “Katsu, these are made by claws.”

Kita Katsuo is a somewhat silent boy, whose dark eyes look kinda creepy. Teruko sometimes has some trouble dealing with him, he just looks so... devoid of life. That’s one of the reasons she calls him Katsu, just to make it easier to speak to him. “...” He also tends to talk awkwardly, often opening his mouth a few moments before he actually speaks: “...but they're feet. Feet with claws. Demons.”

Teruko and her friends were close to the front-line of the war between Feuerberg and the demons, so sometimes they met demons who by chance crossed the border. Demons are strange, to say the least. They're like a mix of different species, some very beastial, others more human, but claws, horns, fangs, and many other typical demon-stuff is always to be seen.

A sound. Teruko looks to the source to see a dar, clad in iron plates, coming over. It's Urgrik, the one who is teaching Teruko about the [Deepstalker]-class-up. For some reason, his armor doesn't make any noises while moving, and Teruko is sure that she heard him just now because he wanted her to notice him.

Urgrik's iron-colored hair and beard make him look much older than he is, and since Teruko is on the smaller side, his bulky build seems even more intimidating than necessary. “Did'ya find something?”

“Yes. Tracks, look.”

“Eh... the same.” Urgrik puts his hand on the wall. “We'll regroup. There is a new tunnel, it goes deep. Maybe even into the Deeptrails?”

“Erm... What are the 'Deeptrails'?”

“...humans. Need to remember that. Once, the dari kingdoms were connected through underground tunnels, the Deeptrails. Sadly, after the elves attacked, many trails collapsed, still trying to open them. Grass-eating bastards were after our supply lines.”

“So the new tunnels lead there?”

“Need to get closer. Exploring new tunnels is the main task of any deepstalker, so learn by watching.”

“Yes!”

Following Urgrik, Teruko strikes another conversation with Katsu. “Is it alright to accompany us?” Katsu has a rather particular case: He already chose all of his classes, [Student], [Archer], [Leatherworker], and [Fletcher]. Then he classed-up [Archer] to [Sharpshooter] in Feuerberg, and the dari have no class-ups for his remaining classes. So basically, he can't class-up right now.

“...it's fine.” He sticks to the rest of their party, maybe because they're all in this together.

“But why are you down here?”

“Fighting. Need to get stronger.” After the incident with the monkey-spiders, he wasn't the same. He seems a bit possessed with getting stronger, though he concentrates on his [Sharpshooter] entirely, instead of broadening his possibilities in combat.

Teruko has an inkling. “Don't worry. We'll get her back.” Katsu had to be in love with Kyou-chan, who is in the clutches of Katsuragi-san right now. Katsuragi-san is strong, he waltzed through Teruko back then, as if she was nothing.

To get Kyou-chan back, they needed to become stronger than Katsuragi-san, who has finally become a villain. To be honest, Teruko was always annoyed by him, the way he looked at her like she was nothing, the way he smirked whenever she made the tiniest mistake. Maybe she's also a bit afraid of him, especially after witnessing those bullies-

“Teruko, keep it together!” Urgrik’s yelling voice reminded her of reality.

“Ah!” She's daydreaming! Though her [Danger Sense] didn't give her any signals, she can't rely on it entirely. It only detects immediate danger.

How stupid of her.

“...don't worry. We'll get her back.”

“...thanks...” Ah, what a blunder. Whenever she thinks of Kyou-chan, she always thinks of how Katsuragi-san is getting on her nerves.

Teruko does her best not to think of how worried she is about Kyou-chan at Katsuragi-san's mercy, of what he will make her do, of how she misses her friend, and how guilty she feels for leaving her alone back then.

“This is the tunnel. Everyone, arm yourself. There are monsters inside.” Urgrik always says that he speaks with the stone, though Teruko still has to learn that. “Teruko, Zaggik, Uregz, and I will be the vanguard. Orrik, Haggwas, and Katsuo will be the rearguard. Rest are in the center. Battleplan Iron for now.”

Battleplan Iron... That's the one where the vanguard will slowly step back when engaging with the enemy so that the center can fan out and start flanking them.

Teruko has still to learn a lot about strategy, but as Urgrik already confirmed monsters, she changes into [Knight], the class-up of her [Soldier]. Then she uses a [Phalanx]-skill “[Hold the Line]!” declaring Zaggik, Uregz, and Urgrik as her allies.

[Hold the Line] increases the [Defense] of the user and every ally that is within the same formation. She learned that skill when she classed-up, and while the bonus isn't that noteworthy, it also affects non-heroes.

The formation approaches, Teruko is a bit nervous, though she's used to fighting monsters by now. However, usually she does it at the side of Dai-kun and Masahiko-kun. Now she's battling as one of many combatants, it's different than usual, and she hopes that her performance won't drag the whole group down.

Then she sees the monsters, three rocktopi. A rocktopus has a large boulder-like body which has tentacles with shards protruding out of them, while also having some weird large ears. They're common around here, so Teruko isn't questioning their presence.

Except that these ones have a different look. Their tentacles are all warped, while black blood vessels are clearly visible, and small horns protrude out of their boulder-like heads. “Demon-infested...”

Some demons are able to change monsters, giving them demonic traits and a lust for destruction. While monsters generally are on the aggressive side, demon-infested ones are raging abominations, who even seek out settlements and fortresses just to kill and raze.

Teruko feels her knees shaking and her head blanking out, as she thinks about all the possibilities of why demon-infested rocktopi are here. Yet, she lifts her spear, knowing that she can't be distracted by the whys.

Usually, she would charge alongside Masahiko-kun and Dai-kun right into the enemies, but now she had to wait. She hadn't known before how grating it is to wait for your enemies, to let them charge in instead.

“Archers, attack!”

“[Cluster]!” Katsu starts shooting arrow after arrow at the same spot, increasing the damage for every hit. Before the first rocktopus can even come close, it drops dead.

The rest of the rearguard start shooting their dart-tubes, a dari ranged weapon, which always reminds Teruko of guns, but they don’t use gunpowder and shoot metal darts instead of bullets.

Nonetheless, they rip through a second rocktopus with no problem, leaving it on the brink of death.

The last one doesn't even think of retreating and hurls its spiky tentacles at the frontline fighters. Urgrik steps forward and catches the limb without a sweat, pulling the monster attached to it to him. “Teruko, your turn!”

“[Perforate]!”

Battling with the dari is easy despite Teruko's concerns. The same was true with Feuerberg's soldiers at the border to the demon realm. While they may have not the growth of a hero, soldiers are just used to fighting, especially in groups.

Besides, dari are specialized at fighting in tunnels, which makes them exceptionally competent here.

“We left this one alive,” Urgrik points at the one shredded by the dart-tubes. “Decide who delivers the kill.”

As heroes gain XP by killing monsters, the dari only try to incapacitate them, so that either Katsu or Teruko could get the kill.

“Katsu?” He shakes his head, showing that he let her have it. With his permission, she stabs the rocktopus to death.

“Good gal. Let's go, keep your eyes open, demon incursion is probable.”

Teruko gulps as she descends the tunnel. This is not her most favorite terrain; it's dark, it's hard to see at times, it's too narrow, but as a future [Deepstalker] she has to get used to it. They also have to gather trustworthy information before reporting back.

If she were in her usual mood, this would be nothing. However, since the incident with Kyou-chan, she's beside herself, and this is affecting everything she does, her usual confidence is just a small something under layers of insecurities, self-blame, and concerns.

However, she needs to push through. This is what she always does. This time, it's only a tad more difficult.