It was just another day at school, just another class.
I, Shimojou Takumi, was in the classroom. It was break time, and biology class was about to start.
This classroom had only me and the girls from my class.
All the other boys had chosen physics, so I was the only one left behind.
---
"Takumiii—lend me your textbook!"
The one who clung to my Takumilder as she said this was my childhood friend, Nagabe Kazusa. Her blonde hair was tied up in twintails with red ribbons. She was… well-developed, to put it mildly, and her ample curves pressed against my back.
Her ribbon brushed against my cheek.
Whenever she acted this friendly, it usually meant she wanted something annoying.
I braced myself.
---
"We're in the same class. Why would I lend you my textbook? Takumildn't you just sit next to me and look at mine?"
"Come on, it's not like you're paying attention in class anyway! Your textbook's crying, y'know? It's saying, 'Help me, Kazusa!'"
"Huh, I hear a different voice. 'That girl's scary!' it's saying. There, there, textbook. I won't let go of you, so stop crying."
"Ew. This guy's hearing voices from his textbook. Maybe you Takumild see a doctor?"
"…You started it."
Kazusa pouted, her eyebrows twitching, before storming off. She'd probably just borrow one from Suzuna or someone.
---
Alright, now that I'd secured my textbook, time to get ready for class.
I opened my notebook, grabbed my mechanical pencil and eraser—
Oops. Dropped the eraser.
It rolled away like a little rice ball before stopping at the feet of the girl sitting next to me.
"…Ah."
Shimahara Nao.
She was way shorter than Kazusa, almost small enough to mistake for an elementary schooler. Her long black hair reached down to her waist.
Noa picked up the eraser and whispered in a voice so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz:
"You… dropped your eraser."
She placed it gently on my desk, then immediately pulled her hand back, her face turning bright red as she shut her eyes tight.
"Thanks, Noa."
"…(Nods)"
Shimahara Nao didn't like physical contact.
Shy, socially awkward—call it what you want, but that was her deal.
Still, she was kind. If I dropped something, she'd pick it up. If the teacher called on me, she'd subtly help me out.
Our desks weren't close, but we still looked out for each other.
That distance between us… it was comfortable.
---
While lost in thought, I dropped my eraser again.
Embarrassing. At this rate, I'd look like some kind of klutz.
This time, it landed by my feet, so I reached down to grab it—
And in that instant, the floor glowed.
"…Wha—?!"
A magic circle?
The classroom I knew was gone in an instant, replaced by—
Was this… teleportation?
"Where… is this?"
It looked like something out of an RPG—a throne room, maybe. White marble walls, a red carpet, and at my feet, the fading remnants of the magic circle. Surrounding us were nobles in archaic clothing.
"Oho… it worked?"
A sage-like man holding a staff muttered to himself before bowing deeply to me.
"Please, O Hero, save us! You are the only one who can defeat the Demon King and rescue this world from destruction!"
"M-Me?!"
Wait, was this one of those "summoned to another world as the hero" scenarios?
The sage waved his staff, and a translucent screen appeared in the air.
Oh, he was checking my stats!
"Wh-What is this?! S-rank aptitude in all magic attributes?! Not even our kingdom's greatest archmage—no, no human in this world has ever had such potential!"
"…Here."
Next, a general-looking man handed me two swords—one gleaming white, the other ominous black.
"Incredible… absolutely incredible! To have compatibility with both the Holy Sword and the Demon Sword… I've never heard of such a thing!"
"And as expected of a man from another world, you possess unique skills as well… Magnificent. With you, defeating the Demon King is possible."
Heh. How cliché.
Apparently, I was some kind of cheat-level, overpowered hero in this world. I could already see the future—me steamrolling demons and evil humans while flexing my insane abilities.
Hell yeah! Time to play the hero!
---
"U-Um…"
A timid voice spoke up—Kazusa.
"What about us?"
Right.
The girls had been summoned too, but until now, they'd been completely ignored. I'd been so caught up in the praise that I'd forgotten, but wasn't this weird?
The sage, who'd been talking to me this whole time, finally noticed them and tilted his head.
"Are these women your concubines, O Hero? Or perhaps slaves?"
"Slaves?!"
It seemed everyone in this room assumed the girls were slaves or something. Why? Was there some weird rule like "skirt-wearers = slaves"?
Cultural differences, I guess.
"They're my classmates—er, fellow students."
"Fellow students? Don't jest. What use is educating women?"
Huh?
"Housework or nighttime 'studies,' perhaps. 'Education' must be a slip of the tongue."
"The palace maids have been dwindling in number lately. Why not take them in as new stock?"
"Wait. Didn't Count Sardinia's pleasure slaves die recently? That man's a pervert. We could sell these to him for a high price."
Excuse me?!
Okay, yeah, being called an overpowered hero was cool and all, but these guys were saying some seriously messed-up stuff. Was this… normal here?
The girls were trembling at the nobles' words when one of them—a duke, maybe—approached them.
"This fabric… wool? No, something unusual. Fascinating."
He ran his hands over one of the girls' blazers like some kind of creep. The girl just let out a tiny "Eep!" but didn't resist.
The sage clapped his hands.
"What are you all standing around for? Duke Warren desires those clothes. Strip! Offer them up at once!"
Ah…
I was starting to get it.
In this world, women's status was rock-bottom. Slavery was the norm, and a high-ranking noble's orders were absolute.
The duke, who'd been groping the girls, seemed to grow bored and scanned the room for his next target—
THUD.
He went flying.
Kazusa.
Kazusa had just kicked him square in the gut.
"Keep your damn hands to yourself, you bald fatass! I'll kill you!"
"Y-You… how dare a woman…!"
Whoa, whoa, Kazusa! That's bad! Really bad!
This guy was a duke—super high-ranking. Pissing him off meant instant retaliation.
"Guards! Seize her! Just taking her clothes won't be enough now. Torture her! Pluck out every last strand of hair on her body!"
Yep, there it is. Think before you act, idiot!
The guards closed in on Kazusa.
"H-Hold on!"
I stepped between them.
"They're my friends! The hero's friends! Don't lay a hand on them!"
But the sage and nobles just stared blankly.
"Hah? Hero, are you well?"
"Friends? Between men and women? Such a thing exists?"
"How pitiful. You must have been brainwashed in your old world. Women are slaves—men's property. We shall educate you properly in this world."
Oh crap.
They thought I was the brainwashed one. This world's male-dominated mindset was way more extreme than I thought. Chanting "gender equality" over and over wasn't gonna cut it.
What do I do?
If this kept up, the girls would be stripped and sold off to some perverted noble. No way could I live with myself if people I knew ended up like that.
I had to do something!
"W-Wait, I misspoke! They're all my slaves! My property! So hands off!"
How's that?
"O Hero? That contradicts your earlier statement."
"W-Well, in my world, women are treated well, so I was trying to hide it! They're all my slaves! Really!"
The moment I said that, the tense atmosphere dissipated.
"Do not frighten us so, O Hero. We were worried."
"As expected of a brilliant hero. Women naturally flock to greatness."
"If they are your property, then we shall refrain. Though we may negotiate purchases or trades in the future, yes?"
"Uh, sure…"
If I refused now, they'd get suspicious again. Better play along for now.
And so, despite the chaos, we managed to avoid disaster. The girls and I were escorted to what they called the "Hero's Manor"—my new home.
---
The way the girls were glaring at me was… intense.
I had just called them slaves. I'd have to smooth things over later.
But hey, no big deal. I was an S-rank, magic-sword-wielding, cheat-level hero! Nothing was impossible for me!
Yeah, with my overpowered abilities, I'd protect the girls in my class and live the good life. Maybe even end up with a harem? Heh, kinda embarrassing with people I already knew, though…
…That's what I thought at the time.
---
Six months later, a revolution swept the world.
The social order was overturned.
=====================
🚀 Want Early Access to More Chapters?
Enjoying the story so far? You can read 50+ chapters ahead by joining our membership!
✨ Exclusive access to 50 upcoming chapters
✨ Read ahead without waiting for daily updates
✨ Support the author to keep creating amazing content
Hurry, join now and enjoy unlimited reading!
🔗 patreon.com/ShirooYuki
Free readers—don't worry! Daily updates will still be posted. But members get the ultimate VIP experience! 😉