I Was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but That World Is at Peace

It seemed that the hidden talent show was set up to include a 10-minute break between each contestant. Alice had said it was to give time for preparing the next act and accepting new entries, but in truth, she was probably giving me time to receive birthday presents.

Appreciating her thoughtfulness, I spun the garapon.

<ANIMA>

What came out was Anima, and soon enough, she arrived accompanied by Ein-san.

[Master, happy birthday!]

[Thanks. Are you enjoying the party too, Anima?]

[Yes. This birthday party seems to include many performances and displays related to the culture of your former world, so it's been quite a refreshing experience for me. The exhibition rooms in the castle also had many fascinating items.]

[Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I remember hearing that other rooms were being decorated for the occasion. I’ve been here the whole time, though, so I don’t really know what’s out there. What kind of rooms were there?]

Alice had mentioned in passing that various people were using their free time to remodel different rooms, and that guests were free to explore them, but since I was the guest of honor this time, I had remained in the main venue and hadn’t seen any of it.

[This world isn't Trinia, so there were rooms displaying things like mechanical products that would otherwise fall outside the bounds of Shallow Vernal-sama and Eden-sama’s contracts. Items prohibited from being created in Trinia due to those contracts are apparently erased from your memory once you return there, but it was refreshing to actually see things I’d only heard about before.]

[I see, some technologies had their restrictions loosened, but I remember hearing that mechanical items were still under strict control. I guess for people from Trinia, that kind of stuff must seem really new……]

Just as I’d once been astonished by magic upon arriving in this world, the people here must find machines and technology to be equally mysterious and fascinating.

[Ah, right, if we keep chatting, we’ll run out of time. Master, here, this is my present to you.]

[Thanks. It’s pretty big, huh? This is……]

What she handed me was a long, narrow box, at a glance, it looked like it might contain a katana. But of course, Anima wouldn’t be giving me a katana, so it had to be something else inside.

[It's a fishing rod. I thought giving a typical accessory or standard gift might overlap with what others had in mind, and I also hoped to go fishing with you again, so I prepared this.]

[I see, a fishing rod huh…… I like it. We’ve gone fishing together a few times, and I’d definitely like to go again. We've mostly gone to rivers, so how about trying some sea fishing next time?]

[Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it!]

Personally, I actually quite like fishing, but the distance from Symphonia's Royal Capital to the ocean is pretty far. The only coastal place registered with my Teleportation Magic Tool is the Hydra Kingdom.

I had registered a seaside spot in the Demon Realm during that ship party, but I’ve never actually used it for fishing…… Well, fishing isn’t something you often do unless you deliberately set your mind to it.

The people I’d gone fishing with so far were probably Laguna-san, Lilia-san, Sieg-san, and Anima. Out of those, I’d gone river fishing with Anima multiple times, so when it came to the idea of a "fishing date", she was naturally the one who came to mind.

Anima also happened to be fond of fish, and I genuinely enjoyed the calm, peaceful time spent fishing with her, so I’d definitely love to do it again sometime.

[Thanks, Anima. I’m really happy.]

[I’m glad to hear that…… Ah, errr……]

[Unn?]

[Ah, no, it’s just…… As your lover, I thought maybe I should do something a little more special…… But I wasn’t sure what exactly that should be……]

It wasn’t like being lovers meant she had to do something special just because she was giving me a birthday present. Still, Anima wasn’t my girlfriend during my last birthday party, and now that she was, maybe she felt she wanted to do something meaningful to mark the occasion.

That said, it’s not like there were a ton of options for something she could suddenly pull off on the spot……

[……Errr, how about a hug then?]

[Y- Yes! I- If you'll excuse me.]

I just threw out the first thing that came to mind, and Anima accepted it immediately with a flustered nod. She approached me, leaning down a little as I sat in my chair, and wrapped her arms around me.

Her decisiveness, how she acted as soon as she made up her mind, was very much just like her. As I thought that, I gently returned the hug, placing my hands on her back.

We didn’t have much time, so it lasted only a few seconds, but even so, the softness of her touch and the warmth of her body made me feel incredibly happy.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [G- Guaaahhh…… These simple ones, they’re being plainly tough…… Haa…… haa…… So, the remaining lovers are…… Sieg, Alice, Fate, and Illness, right? Ngh…… There’s still quite a few left……]