"You mean it actually worked? Mosden succeeded in summoning him of all the countries?" A man questioned the situation.

Botan scrambled to get away from wherever he was. He was abducted. Or he was dreaming. Or aliens. He had zero frame of reference for whatever was going on. The room was made of cut stone. It wasn't a full building, but something akin to a small chapel. He rushed toward the exit, out the door light shoned through, but several people seemed to almost fly to the door and halt him.

"Please, wait! Calm yourself, dearest Evergreen." The same older woman called.

Botan was still confused and scared, but not so much so that he'd push down or hurt an old woman. He looked at them, seven people in total. All were wearing plain clothes underneath brightly colored dancing robes with seemingly useless tassels attached to them. It was something you'd see a performative dancer wear on stage.

He stumbled back a moment and looked outside. Off in the distance, he saw a series of large mountains, each more steep and jagged than any he'd seen. Clearly, he was no longer in Japan. His mind was racing a mile and minute, like always. So many scenarios played out in his head, but one hit all the right marks.

"Where am I? …And how did I get here?" Botan asked.

The people gathered in front of the door blocking his escape loosened their stances a bit, relaxing. "We are currently in the minor country of Mosden. We summoned you here to save our world." The older woman spoke.

"Summoned to be a hero… I've been freak'n Isekai'd!?" Botan realized.

"Hero? What-?" Botan tried to let go of the odd staff he held, but he couldn't. It stuck to him. He could remove it with his other hand, but it'd then be latched on to that hand.

"What is this?" He continued trying to remove it.

"Please stop being rough with it… I admit we thought you'd understand some of what is occurring… You seem far more lost than expected. Maybe we ought to take you to the king? Maybe his advisors can explain things a bit better…" The woman suggested, looking unprepared herself.

"You haven't tried all that hard to explain anything. What is this… metal flower stick thing? Why'd you summon me specifically? How do I return home?" Botan didn't want a promise of answers, he wanted answers right now.

"...That in your hands is the Holy Flower Weapon. The greatest weapon in this world. It is said that it starts as a weakling seed when it first appears but grows and blooms into a power that could shatter the very mountains… As to why you were summoned, that was the Holy Flower's choice. We know not how, but it knows exactly who to select if the summoning ceremony succeeds." She answered.

"And how do I get home?" Botan asked, calmer now that she answered some questions.

"...I honestly do not know. The King may have a more useful answer than I do." The woman answered emptily.

Botan's dizziness was gone, but he felt an odd nervousness. Outside this small room was an entire world. There were people, politics, and maybe even monsters and magic. He almost hesitated, but then he remembered his little sister and concluded the sum total of this world could not be scarier than her.

The people who supposedly summoned Botan motioned him outside. The older woman led the way with the other men walking to the sides. He felt trapped, like they were walking him to the principal's office in school. He got a better look at the world around him. He wanted to just stop and stare. He saw the mountain from before, but was now able to see it more fully than before, it had 9 distinct peaks and was truly enormous. He couldn't even tell how far away it was. They were heading that way, but it never looked like it was getting any closer.

He saw that the small stone chapel they summoned him to was little more than a stone equivalent to a gazebo. They walked through a small field of flowers, a crystal clear pond was nearby, it also had lotuses littering its surface. Strange fish would leap from the water and almost slow down in the air before landing back in the water. Botan thought he was mistaken, but he saw it twice. It was something you'd expect from an RPG, but it being so real was almost like he'd never seen anything like it.

The path they traveled wasn't a proper road, but it also wasn't something as simple as a dirt trail. It was akin to cobblestone, but placed in a way that passed for a natural look. They were walking up a small hill and this too was stone in the form of stairs. The place was well-shaded under trees similar to weeping willows. Botan could see what could best be described as flying manta rays high above.

"I bet you could ride those manta rays!" Botan thought to himself.

He had seen only a small area of this world and already wanted to call it more beautiful than earth.

They crested the hill to look down on a beautiful city. One with waterways throughout, something Botan had seen in pictures of Venice. The roofs of most buildings also sported grass and other plants. The place looked as close to nature as one could get without sacrificing the wants of people. Most buildings appeared to be made of smooth stone in several colors. Botan thought he could stare at it forever.

"This place… This is amazing! I get to live in a place like this!?" Botan was becoming too distracted.

He nearly tripped from looking around and not where he was going, but one of the men walking with him steadied him.

"Easy, Evergreen." The man warned.

"I'm doing it again. I keep getting distracted. I… died because of that. I need to stop living in my head and live in the here and now." Botan thought.

He tried engaging. "She called me that too, what's with that name? Evergreen?" Botan asked.

"That's what we call the wielder of the Holy Flower." The man answered.

"Why?" Botan asked.

The woman leading them answered. "Any plant that can last throughout all the seasons is called 'Evergreen'. But the Holy Flower is the only Evergreen flower that exists. It will never wilt. Its power is supposedly the greatest of them all. Of course the mere seasonal effects would be of no concern to it, or you. Would you prefer we call you 'Wielder of the Holy Flower'?" She added, then asked.

"I'd prefer to be called by my name, Botan Nakaya." He responded in a slightly annoyed fashion.

The woman stopped walking forward and held a hand over her mouth for a moment. "Ah, Sir Nakaya, I'd failed to give normal introductions. My apologies. My name is Tia, I am the current head of the capital city of Weldroe's dancing unit." Tia seemed genuinely remorseful.

"...Okay, I'm just going to be exceedingly annoying now. What's 'Weldroe' and why are you dancers?" Botan realized his questioning was going to be annoying, but he needed basic answers.

"It's understandable. We'll answer what we can. Weldroe is the capital city of Mosden. As for why we are dancers… How do you think we summoned you?" She seemed just as confused as he did.

"With magic…?" He answered with zero confidence and even more confusion.

"And how does one do magic?" She said in a manner that made his question sound stupid.

"How should I know? Magic isn't a thing in the world I am from." He defended.

"Oh." The woman now understood the confusion. "To think something so fundamental doesn't exist in the world you are from… In short, physical motions are the means by which magic is wielded. To summon you we had to perform a complex set of movements to perform that ritual." She answered.

She turned around and kept walking, everyone else followed.

Botan couldn't help but ask more questions. "So I need to dance to cast a fireball?"

"No. If I am appointed your dancing instructor I will give a more thorough answer. In short, casting magic requires physical movement. Most people stick to a few spells that have movement requirements they can meet while in a fight. Dancers like ourselves do not usually fight. We perform large or complicated spells through many movements. It requires an amount of time that you'll never have on the battlefield." She answered.

"So 'Dancers' are like a purely magic profession. Kind of like mages in RPGs. I kind of agree with everyone else. I'd rather do a cool hand motion and blast a monster than shoot a music video just to teleport." Botan concluded.

They entered the city proper, heading directly to the castle. The castle was a little ugly if Botan was being honest. It wasn't symmetrical at all. It was built mostly on one side. There was an enormous tree that seemed to be the reason for this. It seemed like they built the castle to hold the tree up, as it wasn't growing straight. The size of the tree was otherworldly. The collective shade granted by that tree alone was comparable to a large cloud. In that, the castle's design was at least commendable for being the tree's support.

Botan tried to get a good look at the people and stores around the city, but the dancers surrounding him and urging him to hurry made it difficult.

Most people looked… worried. Emotions were mixed from person to person, but the most prevalent emotion was definitely worry. "I didn't ask to come here, but… It'd be nice if I can help these people before I go home." Botan thought.

"Huh?" Botan audibly queued his interest.

There was someone who wasn't worried at all. He saw a girl, short black hair and deep blue eyes. She was selling flowers of all things. She seemed to be somewhat upbeat.

Botan was back to being in his own little world. "Wait. I actually have a shot with beautiful girls like that here. I'm a hero after all. And she sells flowers… oh man, my luck has finally-!"

"We are here, Sir Nakaya." Tia motioned to the large front gate to the castle. "We should seek out the king at once."

Botan drug himself from his fanciful thoughts. "I need to stop getting distracted. This shit literally killed me an hour ago." Botan reprimanded himself.

The guards went to greet the dancers, but saw Botan. "Can't believe that ritual took two hours, you guys-..." After seeing the metal flower in his hand, they stopped talking.

"Opening the gates!" He shouted.

Botan was easily distracted, but he wasn't an air head. What little he was told, the way the dancers gathered around him as they traveled, the guard's expression. Something was going on and as an otherworlder, he was out of the loop.

They traveled down several hallways and through what looked like the throne room. The inside wasn't as dark or dreary as he assumed it would be. The inside was lite by what appeared to be braziers hung above them. Though he saw and smelled no smoke. Running water accompanied most halls as well with a large fountain feeding them from behind the throne. The fountain could best be described as an artificial waterfall, though it was quite a bit of water coming down. Nothing like the ones you'd see decorating the lobby of a major business back home.

Finally, they arrived in front of a door with four guards and two important-looking people standing just outside. They glanced in Tia's direction.

"Done then? Good. At least this was one thing we could do without burdening the king further." One of the important people said aloud.

The man was a bit round and nearly bald, but seemed like a friendly person. The stereotypical non-threatening retired old man.

"If only it were so…" Tia replied. She took a step to the side to reveal Botan.

The 6 men gasped. The other important man walked forward a bit, wanting a better look.

"Mother? Is that…?" The other important person asked.

"It seems we are but fools without the king's word… Baobab and I should have-... Apologies, Evergreen… The king is just beyond here… Come." He said. This man was much younger than the other man. A full head of brown hair and sharp yellow eyes. Botan likened the vibe he gave off to that of those who efficiently climbed the corporate ladder. He also called Tia his mother. It made sense, they shared their orange eyes.

He mentioned the friendly-looking old man's name was 'Baobab'. Botan would remember that.

The guards moved aside and Botan was led into the room by Tia, Baobab, and Alder. What awaited Botan was not what he imagined when he thought of meeting a king of a fantasy kingdom. Before him was a giant of a man, but he was lying in his bed, so how tall he was really was hard to tell. He had multiple people attending to him, they looked like healers. There was also a slightly foul smell in the air. The room was dim and people spoke softly.

From what he saw, the king was dying, soon. It reminded Botan of his grandparents. They lost every ounce of stamina at the end, laying in bed at the hospital for weeks at a time. "This is the person who is supposed to help me?" Botan questioned doubtfully.

"Who… Who is it?" The king asked. His voice was raspy, but still quite deep.

"Advisor Baobab, advisor Alder, and dancer Tia… Someone else is with them." The woman at her side called.

He could open his eyes, but his vision seemed shot if he couldn't see the three people standing right in front of him. He squinted a bit, then nodded. "What news? I assume if you've come, then another issue arrives with you?" He asked.

The three looked at each other a moment before the young advisor (now known as Alder) stepped forward. "We've kept this from you, King Erich… The Dragon hourglasses have begun counting down." He responded.

"So those waves of destruction from the legends are to strike us soon… We must call an emergency international conference. Even if it's just with the Greater Kingdom of Ventus, the Eld Empire, and the Arden Republic." The king advised.

"That has already taken place, Your Majesty." Tia responded.

"Then we are at a cease-fire?" The king asked, hope clear in his tone.

"For now, the Eld Empire didn't want to stop its aggression, but with both of the other two great nations in agreement, they were also forced to comply…" Baobab answered.

The king went for the next logical step. "Then I assume it is now just a race to see who can summon the flower hero? We will say we tried, but we should refrain from actually attempting the summoning, else wise we-"

"We are very sorry, my king… That council would have served us well, but…" Alder cut the king off and motioned Botan forward.

Botan felt called out and approached with a bit of nervousness. There was complete silence for a moment.

"Hmm? Who is this?" The king failed to make out Botan's details.

Botan saw the three of them motion for Botan to introduce himself. He felt like he was taking the blame for their fuck up.

"Uh, My name is Botan Nakaya. I'm 19 years old… and I'm the flower hero it seems." He said.

He held the weapon forward for all to get a look at it. The whole room was filled with stifled gasps. The king looked harder at Botan, then the weapon, before meeting Bota's eyes.

"This… is terrible news… Hero, you must have hundreds of questions to be brought to a foreign world with our own troubles unknown to you…" The king tried to stay calm, but he began to cough louder and louder.

The healers went to intervene, but the king waved them off. "Leave me. We know one and all, that I'll never leave this bed again. Speaking to the Evergreen is vitally important… My last act as king. Everyone else, leave this room until this talk is finished." He spoke in a serious tone.

Everyone paused for a moment to register his word, before bowing to the king and leaving. When the last person left, the door shut quietly. There was a pause.

"You have questions?" The king tried to get Botan to lead the conversation.

"Too many to know where to start." Botan answered honestly, but the king didn't respond, so he continued. "My world was very different to this one. Mine had no magic or monsters. I'm… familiar with the concepts, but I don't know where to begin." He added.

"I see. The old books spoke of the heroes coming from a land where technology far greater than ours reigned. Hmm, let us start from the beginning then. Check your status screen." The king said.

"...My what?" Botan blinked in confusion.

"Hah, as the books said. There should be a symbol at the corner of your vision, bid it to open." The king advised.

"Huh? Oh… There's an icon here, like from one of those SAO rip-off games. Why didn't I notice it before? …Oh, it's right on the edge of my vision and stays there no matter where I look." Botan thought.

He opened up the status menu as instructed.

Name: Botan Nakaya

Class: Flower Hero LV 1

Equipment: Small Flower (Legendary Weapon)

Other-World Clothes

Skills: None

Magic: None

"...I see." Botan verbalized that he was successful.

"If I may ask, what are your stats?" The king asked.

Botan listed them off one by one. "-and that's all of them… Oh, and I'm level 1." Botan added.

The king shifted slightly. "Those are the best I've heard for a level 1, but… it's not incredible. Legends say that the weapons belonging to heroes have systems of power unique to them. Among them, there is one somewhat known to us because the [Killer's Saw] and the [Sage's Sabre] also possess this power. The ability to absorb materials to unlock new power. I wish I knew the specifics, but such things are known to only the users of those weapons." The king said.

"Hmm." Botan was listening to the king, but also was going through his menus. He had always loved games, foremost for their designs. That said, he was also into optimization and meta builds in a few as well. He saw what each stat was supposed to represent, though, lacking an understanding of how that would translate into reality yet.

He came across the best menu option at a time like this. The "help" menu. In it, he found what he was looking for.

"This flower thing is giving me information. It says I need to absorb materials to unlock other weapons forms… and I can also copy 'that which shares its form'... whatever that means. They apparently give me bonuses and skills that I can unlock permanently." Botan told him.

Botan saw that the default form, [Small Flower] was already mastered, giving him 2 magic attack

"I see. Then the immediate future is clear. You must gather levels and do what you can to strengthen yourself before the wave hits." The king advised.

"What are these 'waves'?" Botan asked.

The king shifted slightly in his bed, never seeming to find a comfortable position. "They are the very reason you were summoned." He took a small sip from a nearby cup and continued. "Our world has a set of powerful artifacts called 'dragon hourglasses'. They are said to count down to the next wave."

"And where would I find those?" Botan was helpless without assistance.

"We have one in our Whirlpool Temple. It's located in this very city. You should visit it. Other major cities in larger nations also have them… You could visit those later." The king sounded like he was encouraging a visit to Mosden's hourglass, while discouraging visits elsewhere.

He continued again after another shifting of his body in discomfort. "As for the waves, I can once again only give you the well-worn words of old tomes. The waves are said to be akin to natural disasters that call forth otherworldly monsters that are not known to us. Among them will always be a monster of outstanding strength in comparison. The books speak of killing those monsters as being the key to halting that wave." The king explained, shifting uncomfortably in his bed.

"You said 'that wave'?" Botan caught that.

"Indeed. It will get worse, as time goes on. We know that they end, but I am unaware of how many waves occur. The books on the subject contain much contradictory information." The king explained what he could.

"Hmm. Then I at least know what I'll be doing for the time being. Is there anything else?" Botan was putting together a game plan.

"There is…One more thing. I-No… I am becoming confused. I must rest." The king stopped himself and laid down.

"Then I have one last question myself. Is there a way home for me?" Botan asked.

"Again, I have nothing solid to offer, but… No matter how many times someone attempts to summon a hero, the weapon has never accepted a petition unless there was a major threat. So, if that major threat is no longer around…" The king began.

"Then at the very least, if I can go back, it'd have to be after I deal with these waves. Got it." Botan wished for a better answer, but his recent life lesson meant he was going to live the life he had and not the one he was hoping for later.

Botan went to leave, but realized that the man he was speaking to would die soon. Probably before the two could speak again.

"Thank you for the advice… I'll do what I can to help your people as repayment." Botan offered.

"Hehe, such kind words." The king said automatically.

"I'm serious. I was dying when I was summoned. So, in a way, this country saved my life… So I'll make sure to repay that." Botan told him more sternly.

The king smiled strongly at that. "The Evergreen himself said he will repay a life debt to Mosden? Then for all the trouble that is to follow, maybe things are better here than they otherwise would be… Take this, and goodbye, Flower Hero." The king had a look of genuine relief as he handed Botan a slip of paper.

Botan left the king, opening and closing the door as quietly as he could. He turned around to see everyone waiting in the halls, wanting to ask him what they could. Botan looked at the piece of paper he was handed. "I… can't read that… shit. Wait. How am I understanding everyone? …Must be the flower." Botan thought.

"What did his majesty have to say?" Tia asked.

"He helped me understand the basics of what I have to do and gave me this… I can't read this language." Botan answered, showing the slip of paper.

Alder took the slip and read it. "The king has granted you funds. You'll need armor and companions, so that makes sense."

Baobab stepped in. "Are you suggesting hired mercenaries? Surely Mosden is not so poor at this hour that we can't give him anyone ourselves?"

"Agreed, but our delegates are not yet back from the conference. Our best free hands are with them." Alder reminded them.

"Are the monsters around here really that bad?" Botan asked nervously.

"Mosden has a wealth of powerful and exotic monsters, especially to the far north of the nine peaks. Around here and the nearby towns, though, are not much to worry about." Tia answered.

"Hmm, then I'll get some gear and hit the fields today, don't wait up." Botan told them with a wave.

"Sir Nakaya!? Why the sudden rash decision?" Tia asked flustered, as everyone in the hall was.

"..." Botan made a more serious face, the most serious face he'd worn since coming here. "I was dying when you summoned me here, but even more, I realized that I was living my life wrong up to that point. Always worrying about tomorrow, without ever thinking about today. Always caught up in my own little head that I couldn't exist in the here and now… Your king, Erich, looked really worried… His country saved me, so I want to save his country. It's as simple as that." Botan said with a smile.

The hallway became quiet for a moment.

"I see. Then let me quickly withdraw your funds from the treasury." Baobab said, already walking away to do so.

"I will explain the pricing of this world, so you are not ripped off." Alder offered, pulling out a paper to help explain.

"My dancers and I will be waiting to either accompany you if you desire or to teach you about magic when you are ready." Tia also offered, bowing and taking her leave.

They all came to understand at least a little as to why Botan was the one chosen by the holy flower weapon.

.

[Otherworld Index]

For our first entry into this growing index of knowledge for this new world we will be looking at the principal artifact of the story, the Holy Flower Weapon. Technically speaking, the most accurate name would be the Holy Blooming Weapon.

It can take on the physical form of any flowering plant, not just flowers. It is still a solid weapon made of metal though. It has quite a range of things it can become, as you will all come to understand. However, copying forms is much harder for this weapon. It can not copy a shield with a large floral pattern, for example. But, it can copy a shield whose entire shape is made to mimic a flower. Annoying red tape, but that's hero weapons for you.

While the Holy Flower weapon can be quite mighty as a physical weapon, it has a wider array of skills that make up the bulk of its power. Supportive, disruptive, defensive, and other means of providing utility are this weapon's main strengths.

Just like any other holy weapon, the holy flower has 4 powerup methods, and can utilize the power up methods of the two other vassal weapons of this world… If only Botan checked his help menu more thoroughly.

The forms and functions of the Holy Flower Weapon will be revealed to us all as we follow Botan's journey.

[Author's notes]

Small peak behind the curtain, I have three vanguards planned currently, and possibly more. I also have the entire political schism mapped out. While the waves are an issue and the driving force behind many decisions and actions characters will make, just like with canon SH, there is a lot more plot going on outside of the waves.

As you readers can already tell, they aren't happy they were the ones to summon Botan. Between that, the situation with the powerful nations around them and King Erich dying soon, this was the last thing they needed.

Unlike my other fic, "Family of the Shield", I have no intention of making a chapter a certain length here. I doubt I'll ever go smaller than 3K words, but it could be 4K-14K tbh. Whatever I feel like.