Chapter 1
When people die, they become gacha characters—that’s just how the world works.
Same goes for me.
The moment I responded to the summoning, my fate intertwined with my summoner’s, and the scenery around me began to shift.
This moment? It feels kinda nice, ya know?
Realizing I’d returned to reality once again, I casually repeated a line that had grown all too familiar:
“My name is Adam Idinga. I’ve answered your summoning. Are you my new master…?”
Huh?
Wait, what? This isn’t something I’ve seen before…
“That rainbow-colored light earlier wasn’t a hallucination!”
“It’s impossible! Impossible!”
“Did you really summon an SSR-tier character using a cheap summoning stone?!”
“Adam Idinga?! The Wandering Hero, one of the strongest gacha characters, why would he end up with such a wretched person like that?!”
To clarify, what I find strange isn’t the noise coming from the crowd around me.
I hear this kind of praise every time I get summoned—it gets boring after a while.
I looked straight ahead.
In the middle of the bustling street sat a figure hunched over in tattered rags, staring at me with wide eyes full of disbelief. Was it a boy or a girl? Hard to tell.
They didn’t seem particularly young, but their face was hidden behind a hood, and their emaciated body made it difficult to determine their gender.
“Hmm… Looks like this was an unexpected summon.”
Whether male or female, whoever summoned me clearly wore the mark of our connection—a ring—and given how it linked directly to my existence, there was no doubt who my master was.
Ignoring the surrounding commotion, I knelt down and fixed my gaze on them.
“Let me ask again: are you my master?”
“Wh-what? N-no, I…”
Ah, it’s a girl.
Not that it matters much, but her voice—cracked and hoarse yet still carrying traces of youth—confirmed faintly that my master was female. I nodded and continued questioning her.
“What’s your name?”
“L-Lucy.”
“Alright, Lucy. Our contract is complete. From now on, your enemies are mine, and my sword swings for you. I may not be a proper knight, but as long as you’re my master, count on me.”
Being summoned in the middle of a busy street is new for me, but hey, when you live life as a gacha character, days like this happen sometimes.
“So then, first things first…”
“You! Hand him over to me! I’ll pay whatever price you want!”
Just as I was about to move, thinking I should feed my frail-looking master, a voice interrupted.
And not just one—multiple figures emerged from the growing crowd, shouting loudly.
“Kyaaah!?”
Apparently, being the center of attention for so many people was new to Lucy, because she immediately hid behind me in panic.
She glanced up at me anxiously, seemingly worried that I might leave her for someone else.
“I’m not that fickle, you know.”
With a wave of my hand, I created a gust of wind that sent the approaching people tumbling backward.
Normally, I’d take some time to update my knowledge after being summoned, checking how much has changed since last time—but judging by this chaos, staying calm and walking around isn’t going to work right now.
“Hey, mind if we step outside for a bit?”
“Huh? Oh, sure… Kyaaa?!”
Grabbing Lucy, I leaped high into the air and cleared the city walls in one bound.
“Don’t talk until we land. You might bite your tongue.”
“KYYYYAAAAA!”
“Yeah, even I thought this was pushing it.”
After several more leaps, I landed deep within a forest, far from the city. As soon as I set Lucy down, she turned pale and started feeling nauseous, looking around nervously.
“Uh… Where are we?”
“Hmm… If my memory serves, this is probably the Forest of Magic. And if I saw correctly during our jump, the place where I was summoned must’ve been Barfulus Kingdom, right?”
Everything seemed pretty much the same as last time. Unbelievable as it sounds, maybe only a few years have passed since my last summoning.
“Right… But wait! The Forest of Magic is filled with dangerous monsters!”
“Don’t worry. With me around, it’s safe.”
“But… Ah!”
Mid-sentence, Lucy clutched her stomach as a loud growl escaped. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Looks like we need to fill that stomach before having any serious conversations.
“Feel like eating anything? By the way, red orcs taste great here.”
“I-I’ll eat anything…”
“That’s actually the hardest request.”
Lifting Lucy back up and cradling her under my arm, I flew off toward a nearby river where I’d spotted a fleeing Orc King earlier. After killing him, I brought his body back to cook.
“I’ll whip something up quickly, so hang tight.”
Cooking without spices meant simply skinning and roasting the meat over a fire.
At first, Lucy trembled at the sight of the orc being butchered—but soon enough, the smell of cooking meat made her mouth water.
“Hmm… Looks good. Try it, but be careful—it’s hot.”
As I handed her a slice of meat, Lucy hesitated briefly before bringing it close to her lips.
That hesitation lasted only for her first bite.
After that, she devoured the food like there was no tomorrow, completely ignoring the burning sensation.
“Does it taste good? Slow down, or you’ll choke.”
Worried she might choke, I hastily fashioned a makeshift cup from leaves and filled it with water. She gulped it down in one breath, then eagerly went back to eating.
Tears streamed down her face as she ate.
“Waaah… Waaaaahhh…”
“There’s plenty more, so feel free to eat until you burst.”
Even though we just met and I don’t know much about her, it’s obvious Lucy hasn’t had it easy in life.
Living alone as a woman in the slums can’t have been simple.
Thinking about everything we’ll need to do moving forward, I reflected on these thoughts when Lucy finally finished eating.
“Thanks for the meal…”
Blushing again, likely embarrassed by how ravenously she ate, I decided to start with the basics.
“How did you end up summoning me? No pressure, just tell me what happened.”
Lucy hesitated for a moment but eventually opened up.
“…I used money I stole pickpocketing to buy a summoning stone from a street vendor.”
“Why?”
“Because… I wanted someone to be there for me…”
Oh yeah, someone mentioned something earlier about a cheap summoning stone. If it wasn’t bought from a proper magic tool shop, it must’ve been low-quality indeed.
“Guess I got summoned properly despite all that.”
“…Yeah, that’s what I thought too.”
It’s kind of weird asking myself this, but do you know anything about me?”
“Not really… Sorry…”
“No need to apologize.”
Anyway, summoning me seems like nothing short of pure luck—or divine intervention.
“What year is it now?”
“It’s probably… 1025 AD.”
“1025?!”
I figured it might’ve been close, but seriously? Only a year has passed since my last summoning?
“Have you heard anything about dragons attacking the empire?”
“Um… There was a big war involving dragons…”
“Yeah, that one. Do you know how it ended?”
“Not exactly, but I think the empire won…”
Thank goodness. They managed to win.
“Why do you ask?”
“I was there.”
“You fought dragons?!”
“Yeah. They’re gone now.”
If the empire won, chances are those guys survived too.
Though I’d love to rush off and confirm, I need to focus on my new master first. Judging by Lucy’s current condition, she wouldn’t last long enough to reach the empire anyway.
“Stop worrying about my past. Let’s talk about what happens next instead.”
“What happens next…?”
“As I said, you’re my master now. Since you summoned me, feel free to use me however you like.”
People spin the gacha wheel for different reasons. Some need raw power, others seek mentors for knowledge or combat training, and sometimes they just need help with chores—or companionship, like Lucy.
While there’s no guarantee gacha characters will obey their masters’ commands, I aim to accommodate whenever possible.
“If you have dreams, I’ll do everything in my power to help you achieve them. If you want wealth, I can hunt monsters and earn money. Or if you prefer, we could sell my rights to someone else. As an SSR character, I could fetch enough gold to live comfortably forever.”
Transferring ownership requires mutual consent from both the master and the character. Without agreement from either side, the transfer won’t go through.
I explained this partly to inform Lucy, but she shook her head firmly, misunderstanding my intentions.
“No way. I don’t want to transfer you…”
“Got it. If you don’t want to, we don’t have to. Just letting you know the option exists. Even if you don’t have specific goals right away, that’s fine too. We’ve got plenty of time to think things through.”
“Do I… have any wishes?”
“Anything at all. Just say the word.”
This was the first wish I’d ever heard—one that resonated deeply with both my past life and present circumstances.
“In that case… Can I… sleep under a roof when it rains?”
“Sure thing.”
“And… I’d like to eat warm stew. Clean water too…”
“Anything else?”
“I want to try sleeping in a soft, fluffy white bed.”
“More?”
Deep desires buried within Lucy’s heart began to surface.
She wished for a life where she didn’t have to rummage through garbage bins to survive. She dreamed of resting peacefully without needing to stay vigilant. She mentioned wanting other women in the slums to stop bullying her. She whispered shyly about bathing in hot water. Though she hadn’t experienced harassment yet, she feared living among vagrants and hoped for a safer environment.
“When I’m sick, I’d like someone to hold my hand. And… and…”
A flood of wishes poured out like an unstoppable torrent.
To others, these requests might seem mundane—not even worth calling “wishes.” But for Lucy, they represented dreams she never dared to hope for.
Honestly, this type is rare among the masters I’ve served, so I admit I’m slightly caught off guard. Still, it doesn’t matter.
If she seeks simple happiness, then I’ll grant it to her.
“…Lastly, please promise me you’ll never leave my side.”
“Consider it done.”
