Chapter 17 What Exactly is ‘Shadow Lily’!
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sayaka sighed deeply as she slipped out of her dress and into her tracksuit.
”Well, I guess I should visit the room first.”
She reached for the small package in her bag, hesitating for just a moment before taking it. Inside was a packed lunch.
That day, Sayaka was supposed to leave early for some family matters. Specifically, it was her arranged marriage meeting. Though it was just a meeting, the outcome was practically predetermined: if nothing went wrong, an engagement would be set, and she would marry right after graduation.
Even if it felt outdated, Sayaka couldn’t go against it. She was an adopted daughter, and despite being groomed as a pawn for a political marriage, she had been raised without any real hardship. Her adoptive parents had chosen her future partner carefully, aiming for her happiness—so there was nothing more to argue.
Still, she had secretly longed to experience romance, and it was this desire that had led her to make lunch for Kanata every day.
But today would be the end of that. She had to mark it properly. She would hand over her lunch, express her gratitude, and tell him, with her own voice, that it was the last one.
If she weren’t Kitahara’s daughter, maybe she could have fallen in love—perhaps this was truly her first love. It was disappointing she couldn’t deliver her final lunch, but dwelling on the past wouldn’t help; she needed to think about the future. Suddenly summoned into another world, she was confused—but first, she had to apologize to Miyako.
Miyako had been Sayaka’s childhood friend. Before Sayaka was taken in by the Kitahara family, they had spent their days together, and when they reunited at their current school, they had cried tears of joy. This was a secret known only to the three of them who had shared the orphanage—Maya, Miyako, and Sayaka.
Sayaka remembered pulling Miyako into the classroom that day, just as Miyako hesitated at the doorway. If she hadn’t interfered, Miyako wouldn’t have been dragged into all this. The thought filled her with deep regret.
”She’s not here?”
A maid at the door informed Sayaka that Miyako was out, having gone to Maya’s room.
”Perfect timing,” Sayaka thought. She had wanted to discuss things with Maya anyway, and having Miyako there would make it easier. Turning toward Maya’s room, she felt her resolve firming.
Sayaka’s gift was “Princess Knight (Valkyrie)”—a rare, versatile power excelling in both solo combat and commanding groups, with the ability to wield light magic. It surpassed Morita’s Commander gift, and normally, Sayaka could have been a leader. But most summoned students were from Class B, so she and Miyako from other classes stayed in the background, speaking little.
Sayaka intended to continue supporting from the shadows, but when she learned of Maya’s gift, she sensed a shift in the atmosphere. If anything happened to Maya, she would act for her—just as she had promised in childhood. That day, as she, Maya, and Miyako watched the sunset, they swore: “If either of us is truly in trouble, we’ll help, no matter what.”
It might have been a childish promise, and the other two may have forgotten, but Sayaka never would. Her power was strongest when protecting others, and she vowed to use it to protect them both. Taking a deep breath, she opened Maya’s door.
”‘Shadow Lily,’ huh…”
Maya flopped onto her bed, pondering her own gift. The banquet had been spectacular—opulent enough to feel untouchable. “Maybe the closest thing would be… Sayaka’s wedding,” she mused, though she doubted she’d even be invited as ‘just a friend.’
Sayaka’s family, the Kitahara conglomerate, was one of Japan’s wealthiest. The fact that she had been an orphan was carefully hidden, and the older Kitahara men didn’t exactly approve of her friendships with other orphans like Maya and Miyako. But friendship wasn’t in question for Maya.
”Anyway, I need to focus on the gift,” she reminded herself.
Maya’s gift was rare, granting multiple abilities. First was Shadow Master, the power to manipulate shadows—moving objects, hiding in them, or scouting through them. She wouldn’t know the limits until she tried, but with practice, she could control multiple shadows at once. In battles against monsters, her role might lean toward support rather than frontline fighting.
Then there was the inexplicable Lily Master—a passive charm skill that increased her favorability with other girls. Mastery could let her control them, and… using it sexually could even boost her powers. Ah, so that’s what ‘yuri (lily)’ meant! she thought, flustered.
Other abilities were variations on these, and the stir surrounding the word “shadow” was due to its ominous connotation. Some radicals even suggested using a Collar of Subjugation to enslave her, but Princess Almea had stopped them. Maya decided she owed Almea a favor for the rescue and resolved to stay vigilant—the situation was precarious.
She and the other summoned classmates—16 in total—had gifts: Commander, Healer, Swordsman, Shield Guardian, Harvester, Saint, Mage, and Crafter trained under Morita’s leadership. They advocated caution, “We know nothing about this world, so we must be careful and safe.”
Meanwhile, Kimura’s group—Ranger, Porter, Analyzer, Brawler, Shooter—argued, “Not knowing is why we shouldn’t take sides. We need to step outside the palace framework and view things objectively.”
Maya steeled herself for what was to come, ready to face this new world.The three—Porter, Analyzer, and Brawler—were the stereotypical nerdy glasses trio. Ever since being summoned, they’d been muttering to themselves and letting out strange cries, making it impossible to tell what they were thinking, which was honestly frightening.
Yet, Maya understood Kimura’s point of view. In fact, she had felt it firsthand. The earlier incident with the Collar of Subjugation had made it clear: their opponents had the means to force obedience. That meant they weren’t necessarily allies. Sure, from their perspective, it might be unavoidable, but with so little information, trust had to be earned carefully.
Still, rushing in blindly would be reckless, Maya thought with a wry smile.
”Which means, for me and…”
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
”You’re in there, right?”
Click. Slowly, the door turned open.
”Maya-chan…”
Peeking inside was Miyako, the very person Maya had been planning to call.
”Mya-ko? I was just about to come get you. Come on in.”
Miyako entered timidly, and once she was seated on the bed, another knock came.
”Maya, are you there?”
”Sa-ya? Come in.”
It was Sayaka. Just as Maya had been thinking of them, both had arrived. It felt almost fated.
”Haaah…”
Maya let out a long sigh. Sayaka and Miyako averted their eyes awkwardly.
”Let me just confirm—Sa-ya’s ‘first love’ and Mya-ko’s ‘destined person’… they’re both sitting next to me, Kunugi Kanata-kun, right?”
Both girls blushed and nodded.
”…Haa… really, we are quite the close-knit bunch, aren’t we?” Maya muttered another sigh.
”We are…”
”No way… Maya-chan too?”
Catching her words, both girls turned expectant eyes on her.
”…Yes. The person I’m interested in is also Kunugi-kun.”
Maya admitted it with a resigned sigh. She thought it unfair to hide it while letting the others speak, and at this point, hiding it would only complicate things later.
Her attention to Kanata had begun when their seats became neighbors. At first, he seemed like a lazy guy who was always sleeping. But with a little observation, Maya realized he was just socially awkward, and she began talking to him out of simple concern—a habit from the orphanage.
As they conversed, she noticed Kanata’s surprising intelligence and keen awareness of his surroundings. His insights, even just before the summoning, showed deep observation and understanding of character. Maya gradually became aware of her growing interest in him, following his movements with her eyes. Kanata’s analytical ability was something Maya longed to possess.
Maya had grown up in the orphanage, where interaction was unavoidable. While everyone shared the commonality of having no parents, their individual struggles varied. Maya had feared loneliness from a young age—though she didn’t consciously remember it, that fear stemmed from losing her parents. She actively sought connections, eventually becoming the “advisor” and dependable older sister figure among the children, a position won through tremendous effort. Her social skills today were born from that experience.
In human interactions, the most crucial factor was information: understanding what a person thinks, desires, or dislikes. It took immense effort to read people from conversations and behavior. Yet Kanata, who always seemed half-asleep, executed with ease what Maya had spent so long mastering. That mix of frustration, envy, and admiration made him irresistible to her. From that realization, Kanata became someone Maya found deeply intriguing.
”Putting that aside, it’s odd, just as Miyako said, that he alone wasn’t summoned,” Maya noted, and Miyako nodded in agreement.
”So that means…?”
”Well, I’ll check with Almea-sama tomorrow. But if he was summoned…” Maya thought.
Ordinarily, it seemed he simply hadn’t been summoned—but considering the circumstances and positions, that was unlikely. Sending him somewhere else didn’t feel right either. Perhaps Almea and the summoners were hiding something, though it didn’t feel like they were deliberately keeping him secret. Most likely, they simply didn’t know.
Based on the facts, it seemed some unknown force had acted on Kanata alone. The critical question was whether this force was friendly toward him—or toward them.
”For now, we’ll put this on hold.”
”Maya, that…”
”Yes, Maya-chan. Leaving it alone is—”
”Calm down, both of you. I understand how you feel, but whatever we do, we need information, and we need to grow stronger ourselves. What can we accomplish in a world where we know nothing and have no power?”
The two girls lowered their heads, nodding.
”For now, it’s about what we do next.” Maya said, tucking them under the blankets.
”Eek!”
”What, all of a sudden?”
”It’s fine! We’re all together again after so long!” Maya laughed, making a ruckus.
And then…
(We might be being watched…)
She whispered under the blanket to the other two.
(Got it…) Ha! Take that back!)
(Understood! Maya-chan, you dummy!)
”Ah… not there! (Why are you touching me?!)”
”Hehe, is this spot okay? (Because Maya-chan’s chest is so big.)”
”Hmph, payback! (Miyako’s bigger though!)”
”Ah, wait… not there…!! (It’s not allowed…)”
Understanding Maya’s intent, the two joined her playful antics. Exhausted, they eventually fell asleep huddled together on the bed. Of course, while pretending to sleep, they whispered and shared information, unbeknownst to anyone else. Later, their playful cuddling took over, leaving them awkwardly facing each other in the morning.
* * *
”How are the heroes doing?”
Almea asked aloud in her private room, speaking to the empty ceiling.
(…Yes! As instructed, the men have Slave Maids attached. They’re entirely preoccupied with the women’s bodies as planned. Particularly, the leader-type Morita’s Slave gained his trust by sharing her personal story.)
”Hmm, very competent. Have those Maids continue seducing Morita to extract information. Give similar orders to the others… And the women?”
(Yes, the female targets have been approached individually by knights in disguise… but…)
”Is there a problem?”
(No, not exactly. But the three with rare gifts were together…)
”…Were they discussing something improper?”
(No, just ordinary teenage girl chatter, though based on their behavior, they seem more interested in each other than in boys…)
”Hmm, ‘homosexual (minority),’ huh? Good. I’ll handle this directly. Continue surveillance.”
(Yes!)
As she spoke, the faint presence in the ceiling vanished.
After a prolonged silence, Almea let out a deep sigh.
”…I have to do my best… no room for mistakes…”
She murmured the words to no one in particular.
* * *
After that,
”Was there another one?”
Maya’s question drew a suspicious frown from Almea.
”Yes. The boy who was beside me isn’t here. From what I can infer, that ritual doesn’t summon specific individuals but rather those present at the location. If that’s the case, it’s strange that he isn’t here.”
”I see… understood. Give me some time to investigate that matter. Is there anything else causing trouble?”
Almea’s expression was neutral as she asked. Maya simply replied, “Everything’s fine for now.” After a brief exchange of trivial conversation, Maya left Almea’s office.
Almea watched the door until Maya’s presence completely vanished and then whispered, “Summon the High Priest.”
Soon, there was a knock, and the High Priest entered the room.
”What do you make of this?”
Almea relayed Maya’s account and asked for his thoughts.
”Well… if her story is accurate, it makes sense,” the High Priest said.
”What do you mean?”
”After the summoning, reports came in about abnormal magic consumption. If 17 people were summoned instead of 16, the numbers add up.”
”So there really is one more person?”
”Indeed. However…”
The High Priest hesitated.
”Speak plainly. Is there a problem?”
”No… well, take a look at this.”
He pulled a map from his pocket.
”The summoning circle was set up here, and the maximum range of effect is like this…”
As he spoke, he drew a circle on the map.
”…As you can see, even if an accident occurs, the summoning will fall within this area. But note, this is the Beast Forest, and beyond this lies the Demon Territory…”
The circle encompassing the summoning area covered most of King Miyako’s territory. However, about one-fifth on the west side overlapped the Beast Forest, bordering the Demon Territory. According to reports, no summonee would appear outside this circle, and Maya and the others were summoned to the center, the summoning plaza.
Those summoned were enveloped in an invisible, unusual aura for two to three days. The phenomenon’s details were unclear, though some speculated it protected them as they adjusted to this world. Whatever the truth, the aura was so distinct that anyone with detection skills could immediately identify a summonee. That’s why priests with such abilities were stationed not only around the plaza but across King Miyako’s lands—everywhere except the impassable Beast Forest.
For this summoning, no reports came from other priests. If the missing summonee truly existed, he could be in the Beast Forest. Many of the forest’s beasts were too powerful even for the king’s knights. In other words, the summonee likely became prey to the forest’s monsters.
”…Keep this from the heroes!”
Almea decided to withhold the information.
”Station soldiers in the village closest to the Beast Forest to investigate. Let Maya and the others think there’s no sign of a summoning,” she instructed, dismissing the High Priest.
If the heroes knew, they might panic—or even rebel. Newly summoned and weak, they were no match for a single soldier of the kingdom. For now, suppressing a revolt would be easy. Yet these heroes, painstakingly summoned through time and resources, were valuable pieces; Almea didn’t want to waste them. With a slight sigh, she began to advance her plans ahead of schedule.
—
A story about the heroine candidates aligned with the heroes:
Kanata-kun is, in fact, quite popular. But in the hidden backstory, because he’s a bit of a coward, if the summoning hadn’t occurred, they would have missed each other completely, facing a potential bad ending at graduation.
Notes:
• Sayaka – Athletic blonde with sharp presence, expert in multiple martial arts, Kanata’s lunch-time sparring partner and admired distant figure.
• Kitahara – Sayaka’s Family Name.
• Miyako – Quiet library girl with golden hair, intelligent and book-savvy, occasional silent companion to Kanata.
• Maya – Cheerful brown-haired girl, naturally charming and social, Kanata’s classmate and morning conversation neighbor.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
• Morita – Kazuo’s Family Name.
• Almea – First Princess of Alfheim, poised and graceful, leads and guides summoned heroes, embodies calm authority and divine favor.
• Kimura – Gou’s Family Name. The Ranger.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply