When corporate worker Seiichirou Kondou accidentally gets pulled into a parallel universe, he ends up asking for a job. Having been caught up in the spell that summons a “holy maiden” to save the kingdom, he’s something of loose end, but if he can’t return to his old life, he’ll make the best of things. Before long, he’s reforming the Royal accounting department and has drawn the attention of Captain Aresh of the Royal guard. But there are dangers in this new world that Seiichirou doesn’t understand as well as a complicated political situation, and while his determination and accounting skills might help him survive, an ally like Captain Aresh may make all the difference in creating a new life for himself.
I blew through the first four volumes of this series (which are all that have been translated into English so far), but I’ll try to keep my review spoiler free. I really love this series, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. There is a situation with dubious consent due to circumstances beyond the two characters immediate control, though it is handled pretty well in my opinion. The romance is also very much a slow burn, even if the main character’s physical relationship is less so. I have a few quibbles with things like Seiichirou’s continuing obliviousness to Aresh’s feelings, but those are pretty minor.
But this is a really interesting summoned to another world tale. I love the fact that he questions the world he finds himself in and doesn’t just take what he’s told at face value. He also very much seeing the holy maiden as the naïve and slightly spoiled young woman she is (it’s unclear if the holy maid is a teenager or in her early twenties), and seems to feel some responsibility in making sure she doesn’t get taken advantage of. Aresh is also an interesting character, who we get to learn about in drips and drabs. I love the fact that he’s very much doing his best to convince Seiichirou that he doesn’t have to sacrifice his health and well being for his work, even if he’s not always the best at communicating that at times. It’s also pretty clear that this is really his first romantic experience, and he doesn’t really know what he’s doing when it comes to that. He and Seiichirou have a great dynamic with one another and really compliment one another well, even if they’re not the best at communicating some of the time.
The supporting cast is interesting as well, though they could use some more fleshing out. Yua, the holy maiden, is probably the one we know the most about, though there are a few tidbits of deeper detail for a number of the other supporting cast. The world is also fascinating. We’ve been getting more glimpses of the world as the series goes on, expanding things and giving us more information. The pace probably is my biggest quibble with the series so far because while there have been four volumes, it seems like things are progressing pretty slowly. But I do appreciate the fact that it hasn’t been predictable. There have been plot twists I’ve guessed, but for the most part the story has been unfolding in ways that surprise me. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series continues to go and will definitely be checking out the light novel it’s based on. Four out of five stars.
CBR 16 Sweet Books – Binge
