What is the Isekai genre?
Nowadays, it's just the extremely common mass-produced fantasy novel (Yangpan-so). The first Isekai works I encountered as a child were Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Those are truly timeless masterpieces. The greatest Isekai works human history has produced!
Anyway, it's safe to say that the trope of status windows appearing in Isekai began in modern Japan. More specifically, in Japanese Isekai light novels. It's the trend where, like in SAO, settings that are game-like yet fantastical transition into actual Isekai adventures.
Works like The Familiar of Zero (Zero no Tsukaima) are also Isekai, but they didn't have things like status windows.
But now, over 50% of mass-produced Isekai novels feature status windows. It's incredibly common. Yes, I am an extremely common mass-produced protagonist.
Most protagonists in these novels claim to be ordinary people yet show ridiculous skills like expert technicians. But I can't do that. Darn it...
Some use magic while looking at smartphones, but I don't have that either. Some even become Sages.
So what can I do...?
"Rice is ready~"
I can cook rice.
As a Korean, I know how to cook rice. Yep, that's all. Cooking? Not really... Delivery services enrich our lives, after all.
"The rice is delicious, perhaps because Master made it."
She's eating it happily.
"Compared to Beni-enma or Emiya, I'm at the level of a newborn baby. It's not as delicious as Touta's rice either. Though, being Chaldea, the quality of the rice itself must be good."
"The fact that it has Master's touch is what's important. Rice filled with Master's love—honestly, I could eat dozens of bowls of just plain rice!"
"Nyaa~ The rice is tasty for me too! Of course, it goes perfectly with meat!"
The "meat" is just frozen pork cutlets (Tonkatsu).
I wondered what I could do for them... and thought, "Why not make them at least one meal?" Even in Chaldea, there was frozen food, so I fried some pork cutlets as a side dish... Even I think it's silly. Yep, I don't have amazing abilities like those Isekai characters.
I am just a King-Class Civilian (Ordinary Person).
The only thing I can do is leech off my Servants!
Starting today, I am Castoria's moocher!
No, am I a gigolo (kept man)? Hmm, that sounds more erotic and stimulating in various ways. I'd welcome a development like that. I don't want to be a Great Hero.
"You're still eating?"
"Yes, is there more rice?"
"Don't worry. There's a machine here for cooking large quantities of rice; a person just needs to wash the grains. There's plenty left."
Next time, maybe I should make rice balls (Onigiri) instead of just plain rice. Memories of making them with my parents as a child are coming back fresh.
If asked, "Would you go back to your original world if you had the chance?" I would decline. I died there anyway, and while my family was happy when I was young... over time, it shattered, and I've cut ties with them now.
Memories are just memories. I didn't have anyone particularly close, and if I have to die, I'd rather die here. Isn't a short and intense life good too? Ironically, in Isekai stories, more protagonists struggle desperately to return to their original world. I understand that development, but I don't want to experience it. It's not exactly my type of story anyway.
"Here, seconds."
"Thank you~"
Castoria is cute. Seeing her eat so blessedly makes me think this is what it would feel like to have a younger sister. How should I put it... Castoria looks like a woman, but at times like this, she seems like a kid, doesn't she?
"More side dishes for me too~!"
"Here~"
Even though it's just frozen food. Just fried frozen cutlets or grilled meat.
By the standards of a student living alone, this would be luxurious. Well, I had enough money to live well even when living alone, though.
"You're not eating anything, Shiki?"
"Master's smile?"
"...Yeah."
That sounds like an order you'd make at a maid cafe. When I smiled, Shiki smiled back brightly. Is it really that good? I am aware that I'm relatively handsome... but isn't Romani more handsome? Cú Chulainn is handsome too. I'm just, how should I say... handsome for a regular guy on the street? Of course, next to an actor, I'd just look like a squid.
Since the rice is running out, shall I bring out dessert? There are unnamed desserts in the fridge. No owner, or maybe the owner died, so I'll just take them. Cakes and cream puffs.
"Here, eat this when you're done."
I gave out desserts and offered a piece of cake to Shiki, who hadn't eaten anything.
"You're giving it to me?"
"You eat dessert, right?"
"I don't only eat dessert... but if it's this, sure."
Shiki took a bite of the cake with a fork, nodded, and then picked up a piece and held it out to me.
(Image: Void Shiki feeding the protagonist)
Cute. Is this the charm of 「 」?
I accepted the bite of cake. Hmm... tastes like high-quality cake.
I could feel the gazes of the other two, but I ignored them and decided to do the dishes. I have to do at least this much simple work so I don't get called a parasite. Being a kept man is better. I hate being called a bug.
"Ah~ I'm hungry..."
Just then, Romani walked in. Is that the Director behind him?
"Huh? Everyone was already eating——Wait, those are my sweets!"
"...Your sweets? We took them!"
"How could you do this!? You should have at least asked!"
"There were no names on them, so I thought they were communal desserts."
"Urgh, I forgot...! That's too much!"
"Ahem... I wanted to say this line. So, what are you gonna do about it?"
"Damn it...!"
"What are those two doing?"
As expected of the Doctor, he's fun to tease. The Director was looking from behind with a dumbfounded expression.
"No, more importantly, why are you cleaning up? A Master, doing that."
"That is...! I have to do something too, right? If I just stay still, wouldn't I be a parasite?"
"....Are you mocking me?"
"Ahem, no way?"
Certainly, there's nothing the Director can do right now. But surely she'll become an indispensable character later, like the "God-Director" (Goredolf)?
"Sigh. Three of Chaldea's staff members died. By any chance, do you know the cause?"
"What? Died?"
"Yeah."
Suddenly? This is confusing.
"I know."
"...Who are you?"
"Shall we say, a newcomer? Anyway... they had an accident. Probably because of a bomb he left behind."
"A bomb? No matter how I look at it——"
"It's an accident."
"...Okay."
Hmm, is that so. An accident...
That's terrifying.
What did they do to warrant the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception...? But I think I know why she did it. In an Isekai story I watched as a child, there was this famous line:
Trash must be eliminated!
Spoken by a sage from a certain digital world.
I trust Shiki. If she did it, there must be a reason. Even if the world condemns it as wrong! I believe in Shiki...!
Hmm, isn't this looking totally like Emiya in the Heaven's Feel route? Damn, am I going to lose an arm too...? If so, Automail would be nice.
"By the way, how did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"How did you revive me..."
"Magic (True Magic)."
"So, why suddenly——"
"It is a sacred power. Magic, it is an adventure into the unknown. Magic, and it is a proof of courage!"
"Forget it, let's stop talking. I feel like my intelligence drops when I talk to you..."
"Didn't you watch Power Rangers as a kid?"
"I didn't. What is that, you otaku."
"That's harsh, Director! Super Sentai is fun!"
"The Doctor knows his stuff~ Magiranger (Magic Force) is the classic."
"Sigh... Whatever, I'm leaving."
This is the "It feels like my mind is going out for lunch" conversation method.
"Anyway, I won't forget the grudge over the sweets, Dumpty-kun...!"
"Yes, yes~ I'll get you some someday."
"Oh right, by chance, did you take the dango (dumplings) from the warehouse, Dumpty-kun?"
"What dango?"
"In the East, they say people eat dango while moon viewing, right? So I bought some before, but when I went to the warehouse, they were gone."
"That's Japan; Korea isn't like that."
"Aha... Then who took them? The warehouse was intact, so even Lev didn't touch it..."
The dango disappeared? Don't tell me...
Is this a sign of an event...!
It's a super boring event, do we really have to do it?
"I have a foreboding of something troublesome happening. I really don't want to do it."
"Do you have a clue?"
"Just throw away the dango... That's easier..."
Weeeooo-weeeooo~!
And the siren wails. Damn it. I wanted to skip this event!!!
"Dango, you say... Master, let's go find them! I have never done this before!"
"Let's just not... You just want to eat dango! This could become a farming run, are you okay with that...?"
"...If Master is there, it is okay!"
"You've finally lost it. Shiki, can't you put her to sleep?"
"Moon viewing... Moon viewing with Master, sounds nice."
"Oh, screw it."
I glanced at Jaguar Man, but seeing her drooling, it seems it's too late. Sigh... Let's go, let's go!
It's the Moon-led Singularity Journey!