Summoned To The Mansion

— Wow! The dress looks amazing on you! — Ren exclaimed, raising his fists in a gesture of excitement.

— Thanks! You look great too! I can't believe I finally get to see you in costume — Rio said, a little flushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Walking together through the convention, the two friends remembered the promise they'd made months earlier to dress in their favorite theme: servants, a butler and a maid. Ren, the boy in the butler outfit, and Rio, the girl dressed as a maid, walked side by side enjoying the booths and attractions while admiring other cosplayers.

Almost at once, a spatial distortion appeared in several spots around the convention, including one right in front of the pair. The atmosphere mixed cheerful music with the terrified tension of the crowd.

From the strange rift that opened before them emerged a golden, spherical machine, with what looked like a scanner-eye.

— Perfect, you're together; that's more than enough for me to give them the introduction, — said the unknown machine, addressing the couple.

Rio watched, bewildered, as more machines appeared behind the sphere, each in front of attendees — one before a muscular guy dressed as a fighter, another before a group in feline costumes, another before a Magical Girl. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

But she noticed something odd, there were no spheres in front of production or audio staff.

The machine gave a greeting and continued the introduction:

— Allow me to introduce myself. I'm part of what in my world is called the system. Everyone here has been chosen to be sent to our world, a world different from yours... —

Ren immediately realized this was an isekai situation; they were being taken from their world to another to start a new adventure. Both of them were familiar with various animes, so the scene wasn’t strange to them.

— ...but before that, please allow me to perform a general health scan. This is part of our directives, aimed at preventing contagions in our world... — the sphere continued.

While Rio was being scanned, she couldn’t help thinking of the isekai series she’d watched: the summoning that drops someone into a goblin horde and they have to fight for their life, the summoned person who offends a royal and gets mistreated, or that time a girl was transported to a forest with nothing but mushrooms to eat.

— Are they really going to send me to a place like that? I don’t know if I could survive in one! — Rio thought, with a fearful expression on her face and quickened breathing.

— ...Scan complete. Proceeding with the second analysis — the sphere said as it looked at Ren.

— How exciting! An isekai adventure; what will it be like? —Ren thought. 

He loved alternate worlds where life seemed easier, he pictured shows where technology was so advanced you could immerse in virtual worlds with a helmet, or where someone was sent to rule a village as a prince or king.

— B-b-but... they’re scanning me... how do they do it? —Ren thought, muttering with enthusiasm.

At the same time, Rio kept spinning worst-case fantasies. Somehow, the idea of being separated crossed her mind. In some series, summoned people did not appear in the same place, or worse for her, they might be sent to a different continent and never see Ren again.

Between a jump of fear and a burst of daring, Rio convinced herself this was the perfect moment to finally declare her feelings to Ren, feelings she had quietly held in her heart for some time.

She recalled how she’d tirelessly pushed him into cosplay and convinced him to go to their city’s summer convention. She also remembered how, when the girls at school mocked their hobbies, Ren defended her, embarrassing the bullies by saying that people like different things and those who hurt others are the worst.

— R... r... re... Ren — Rio murmured energetically. 

— I... I... feel...  I want to... — she stammered, nervous and scared, stepping closer to Ren so he wouldn’t miss her words.

— Say it clearly. Let him hear you. Come on! — she urged herself.

— ...Scan complete. — said the sphere.

Hearing that, Rio felt hollow. She feared that once the scan finished, they’d be immediately taken to the other world and separated.

In a desperate burst, she grabbed Ren's hand and, while so close, planted a small kiss on his cheek.

Ren froze, blushing and wondering what Rio wanted to tell him. He turned to look at her.

— Rio, I... — he began softly.

— Miss Rio!... — the machine said in unison with Ren.

— Yes! — Rio exclaimed, striking a military-like pose and letting go of Ren’s hand.

— You are completely healthy; therefore, you are eligible to go to the new world — announced the sphere.

Rio, calmer after expressing some of her feelings toward Ren, thought:

Analyzing it logically, Mr. Sphere is being very kind, and if they’re scanning us it means they care about their inhabitants. A dying world wouldn’t do that! Or would it?

— Mr. Ren, you are also eligible to go to the new world. — The sphere continued.

The blush caused by Rio’s kiss turned into excitement and joy. Ren couldn’t wait to see how fabulous the place would be.

Without time for words, the system continued explaining that they would be sent to the other world. The couple barely had time to glance at each other before being transported.

One by one, the convention attendees were transported, then Ren and Rio, who vanished in an ultra-fast current both shouted each other’s names in unison:

—Ren! —  and —Rio!!— they shouted together.

In an instant, they found themselves in a large, well-kept garden with elaborate landscaping. Behind it stood a mansion. Every corner displayed eye-catching decorations, expensive objects, and luxury.

A large metal fence surrounded the property, with an opulent gate in the center, showing traces of recently passed horse-drawn carriages.

After confirming they’d arrived together, both were amazed by their surroundings; the mansion resembled the style of one of their favorite series.

Suddenly, the system reappeared, inviting them to listen to its instructions.

— You have been received in Leden. To you, this world could be called a ‘video game’; however, I urge you not to see it as such, — the sphere said.

They knew the terms but wondered why the sphere would say that.

— You have been summoned to assume the roles you are currently dressed as; since your outfits match the role of ‘servants,’ you will act as those NPCs, — it continued.

The pair, somewhat confused, decided to keep listening.

— You will be given three simple tasks per day. With them, you can store experience, and with that experience, you can choose rewards. —

Ren couldn’t contain his excitement and raised his hands in victory, this world wasn’t far from what he’d imagined, and he could pick prizes.

— Yes!, I knew it! — Ren shouted proudly.

Hearing Ren’s satisfaction and seeing how beautiful the house was, Rio finally allowed herself to be happy and let go of her earlier worries.

— You will work for the NPC ‘Government Official.’ The job is purely optional; there are enough servants in this place to cover the mansion’s needs, so do not exceed your main duty. — the sphere continued.

For both, hearing that was wonderful: they would see real servants work in real time, interact with them, and learn.

— You must follow this routine until your task bar is completely filled, and you cannot take on any work other than the one assigned to you. But do not be discouraged: upon completing the role, you can choose what you want to be. —

Seeing the (0/100) task bar, they thought it wouldn’t be that hard to reach the goal and didn’t worry too much.

— Now, this is very important: listen carefully. There are characters different from NPCs; you will recognize them by a golden aura around them. These characters are called ‘players’, — the sphere said.

Rio and Ren looked at each other, not fully understanding the problem but paying attention.

— It is vital that you maintain your role in front of one of them; if you do not, the affected person will hear a beep and the system will monitor you closely. If we notice you exceeding your role, our system will erase your consciousness and you will behave like true NPCs, — the sphere continued.

— You really don’t want that. If you need more help, there’s an FAQ and a guide in your system. Good luck! — the sphere made an expression of friendliness with its ‘face’ and vanished in a blink.

Time returned to normal. Feeling the warm sun and gentle breeze, they both knew their day had just begun

— Uuuf! — Rio sighed. — Doesn’t it feel kind of scary…? —

Suddenly, their expressions shifted to absolute terror: chills ran down their spines, they held their breath tightly, and their arms trembled as if trying to fend off the inevitable.

Not far off, a golden aura appeared—a “player” casually pacing back and forth in front of the main gate.

Time had barely returned to normal before the most important warning revealed itself…