The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1082: Epilogue 20 - The Heroes From Another World (1)

Kashiwagi Yuuto’s POV

The winter sun was beating down on us again, its heat sliding across my skin like someone pushing a warm hand against my back. I could feel sweat sticking to my clothes as I swung my weapon for what felt like the hundredth time today. Training with my classmates had become such a routine that my body moved almost automatically, even if my mind drifted off half the time.

It had been weeks—literal weeks—since all of us got transported to this world. At this point, the shock of being thrown into some fantasy world had already worn off, and we were now stuck with the reality of what we were supposed to do here. Every day was basically wake up, eat, train, repeat. Nothing glamorous about being a summoned hero, honestly.

Commander Lilia, the first person who welcomed—well, more like briefed—us when we appeared here, drilled the same thing into our heads: we had to defeat the Demon Lord if we wanted any chance of going home. There was no negotiation, no alternative questline, no side mission that magically bypassed the main story. The only ending available to us was Kill Demon Lord → Get Teleported Back.

So yeah, every day, we were training for that "decisive battle." And honestly, every time Commander Lilia said "decisive," it made me feel like some huge pressure was just sitting on top of my chest, waiting for the right moment to crush me.

Not everyone was eager to fight, though. Some of our classmates had already chickened out, refusing to join training because they didn’t want to risk dying. And again, I couldn’t blame them. If anything, I kind of admired that they were honest about being terrified. War was dangerous, and the probability of us getting killed out there wasn’t low. Some of our skills looked cool as hell, but none of us had real battle experience. We were like kids waving around dangerous toys without knowing how to actually use them.

"I still can’t believe it’s been weeks since we came here," I muttered while catching my breath. My voice sounded tired even to me. "It doesn’t feel like we’ll be going back anytime soon. Probably not for a long while."

"That’s right, I guess," one of the guys said from beside me, wiping sweat off his face.

"Some people want to go back already," another chimed in. "But since they can’t, they’re starting to beg the Princess to do something. Not that she can. She already said she doesn’t have that kind of power."

"Yeah. But the Princess is nice, though. Really nice," a third classmate added, stretching his arms. "She tries to get along with us. And I mean, she’s only like two or three years older than us. Kinda makes her easier to approach than the adults."

He was right. Princess Myrcella Milham—the princess of this entire kingdom—felt surprisingly... normal. For someone with royal blood, she didn’t act distant or untouchable. She helped us learn about this world, explained things without sounding annoyed, and treated us like people rather than tools. It was honestly impressive for someone with her status.

"She’s super beautiful, too," one of my classmates whispered with way too much enthusiasm. "Like, if I somehow end up getting with her, I don’t mind just staying here forever. I mean, why go back if you find happiness here?"

"True, true," someone else laughed. "If we can’t return, we might as well get something good out of this world."

I didn’t say anything. Their reasons weren’t terrible or anything, but hearing them talk so casually about staying in another world felt weird. Like we were slowly accepting that this wasn’t temporary anymore. Like everyone was getting used to this world a bit too easily.

And that... scared me a little.

***

Training ended not long after, and my body felt heavy and sore. My clothes clung to me uncomfortably, and all I wanted was to flop onto a bed and stop existing for an hour or two.

The castle hallways were quiet as I made my way back to my room. Each room housed five people, and even though the rooms were big enough to fit another five without trouble, having more people would destroy whatever tiny sense of privacy was left. As it was now, it felt tolerable.

While walking, I noticed a familiar figure approaching from the opposite side of the corridor. The long, flowing dress, the soft footsteps, the faint floral scent that drifted ahead of her—Princess Myrcella. She looked like she was heading toward the training grounds again to watch the others, something she’d been doing regularly.

"Oh, Mr. Yuuto. Good day to you," she said with a warm smile as soon as our eyes met.

For a moment, I actually forgot how to breathe. My heart thumped hard inside my chest like it was trying to warn me of something. Her smile was gentle, and the way she tilted her head slightly made it feel like she genuinely cared about greeting me. Just that small gesture made my heartbeat go crazy.

"A-Ah... G-Good day to you too, Princess Myrcella," I stammered, scratching the back of my head like an idiot.

Lately, I’d been thinking about her more and more. And deep down, I already knew what that meant. I was... in love with her. Or at least, falling in love. Whatever it was, the feeling was strong enough that just being near her made my chest feel tight.

This was the first time I’d ever felt something like this, and I had absolutely no idea how to deal with it. I didn’t even know how to handle crushes properly back in our world, and now here I was, falling for an actual princess in another world.

After exchanging greetings, we passed each other. My feet kept moving forward, but my eyes followed her for a few seconds, watching her walk away. Her hair swayed gently, catching the light in a way that made it almost glow.

A small part of me wished that moment could’ve lasted a little longer.

But I knew something. Something that made my feelings feel pointless.

Princess Myrcella already had a lover.

I found out by accident one time when I overheard her talking to someone through a smartphone—yes, those existed here too. Along with cars, which was still weird as hell to me. She sounded so happy while talking, saying how much she missed him. There was a softness in her voice, the kind that only came out when someone was speaking to a person they truly cared about.

She already had someone. Someone she loved. Someone she missed.

And that alone should’ve been enough for me to just accept it and move on.

But instead, for some reason, it pissed me off.

It made something twist in my chest, something irrational and ugly. I wasn’t angry at her—of course not. I could never be. It wasn’t her fault. She had every right to love someone.

But knowing it... still hurt like hell.

It stung deep enough that I wanted to look away from the thought, but it wouldn’t leave me. The idea of her smiling like that for someone else, talking sweetly to someone else, having someone she cherished—it made something burn inside me.

Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it was frustration. Maybe it was just the feeling of wanting something you knew you could never have.

Whatever it was, it left me feeling hollow and pissed at the world for no good reason.

And all I could do was keep walking toward my room with that annoying ache in my chest.