"Welcome Great Hero to our world! I am Grizald, one of the grand wizards of this land!" The wizard spread his arms wide, his golden robes reflecting the light from the hundreds of candles from around the room. His face was solemn and wise appearing, framed by long grey hair and beard. In one hand was a crooked wand, another a magical tome. It was a scene that could have come out of any fantasy book that I've read.

There was just one problem.

"Umm... Hi there."

I waved awkwardly, wincing as the triumphant expression was wiped off of the wizard's face. In the tense silence that followed, I scuffed my slippered foot against the floor, wishing I was in something a little more impressive than my ratty lime green bath robe and hot pink bunny slippers

He had not summoned a hero.

Instead, the wizard had summoned me.

"T-there seems to be a mistake." Grizald stuttered, looking me up and down with a mystified expression. "I was supposed to summon a legendary hero, the chosen one."

"Ah." I paused, looking around the candlelit room curiously. "And I assume I am not the person you were expecting."

"...ummm no." He held out a page from his grimoire. "This is what I thought I was getting."

I glanced at the page, unable to hold back a snort of laughter. "Oh. Oh no."

On the page was a drawing of a muscular man in bright shining armor, holding aloft a sword.

My shorter, rounder figure, clothed in a ragged cloth robe worn out from overuse... was not similar.

"I see..."

"..." The silence dragged between us, until I coughed uncomfortably.

"So can you send me home?"

"Unfortunately no." He frowned. "I don't even have enough power to summon another hero, much less try to develop a reversal spell."

Well this sucks.

"So I'm stuck here?"

"'stuck' seems like such a negative word..." He shrugged. "I feel partially responsible..."

I snorted, "FULLY responsible"

"Alright, fully responsible for your predicament. How about I give you some money and a voucher for a free night at an inn?" He held out some gold coins and a piece of paper.

I was not amused.

"Not only do I not have any idea how much money that is, what its worth, or how to use it in this society... I have no way to navigate around, and NO JOB."

The wizard took a few steps back, startled by my rage.

"A job?"

"Correction. I HAD a job. A shitty, low paying job, to be fair, several of them in fact... but at least I made enough... or close to enough to get by." I got increasingly depressed as I spoke. "But here... I have nothing, and I know no one EXCEPT FOR YOU."

I stepped closer, pointing a finger into his chest. "So you are going to do more than some cash and a lousy voucher."

"W-what can I do? I'm just a wizard!"

That gave me pause. "Just a wizard? What are you talking about? You can do magic!"

"Magic?" Grizald rolled his eyes. "Everyone can do that, we learn it in school as children. Most people find it boring. To actually make a career out of it? Not exactly the most popular choice."

Wait.

I grabbed his golden collar, dragging him closer. "Did you say everyone can do magic?"

"Y-yes?"

"Can I do magic?"

"I guess so, I mean, it's not like it's a big dea..."

"WOOOHOOO!" I danced around, my green bathrobe flapping around me. "I'm GOING TO LEARN FREAKING MAGIC!"

"Wait... what?" He froze, caught in my intense gaze as I paused my dance to grab him again.

"I'm going to be your new apprentice!"

"..."

"But first..." I looked down at my appearance. "I'm going to need a change of clothes."

It took longer than I thought it would to convince him I was serious. Grizald couldn't seem to comprehend that someone actually wanted to learn magic. As far as I could tell, the subject was treated a little bit like mathematics in my own world. Everyone learned the basics, many learned some advanced concepts, but few actually pursued a career of perfecting it.

But even so, it was real magic.... And it was awesome.

I learned how to formulate spells, how to chant, how to invoke magical power. At first it was purely theoretical, a lot of numbers, diagrams and complicated names. I was slightly discouraged, faced with stacks of books that I had to simply memorize. But after I cast my first spell... just a tiny flame blooming along the tip of my finger... I couldn't get enough.

Every spare moment was spent learning spells, the special nuances, refining them, making them better. Even Grizald was amazed at my quick progress. "Maybe you have some talent with this." He suggested once, impressed. "Or you're just really stubborn and for some reason have decided that magic is fun."

I smiled, levitating myself off of the ground. "It's the second one."

When I wasn't practicing, I was assisting the wizard. It didn't take me long to realize that I was desperately needed. His work room was a disaster area, with potion ingredients and spell components strewn randomly around, most without proper labeling. Whenever he wanted to cast a complicated magic, it would take hours to gather everything.

It was impossible.

I spent my first week cleaning and organizing his room. By the end of it, it was unrecognizable.

"How did you do this?" Grizald walked through his working space, amazed.

I shrugged. "This is nothing... reshelving a bookstore with a manager standing over your shoulder shouting for you to hurry up, but not make any mistakes?" Shuddering, I waved a hand, banishing the terrible memory from my mind. "THAT's a real nightmare."

The better organized workroom meant more free time, which of course meant more time to study magic. I threw myself into learning it, barely noticed as the world around me underwent large changes.

"Apprentice, I want you to meet someone!" Grizald shouted one day, trying to get my attention.

"Hmm." I didn't look up from my book, a text on polyvariable elemental spells.

"This is Prince Titus, the heir to the throne and future king." He announced his visitor proudly, as if expecting a large response.

"Hi." I raised a hand in greeting, still not looking up from my textbook.

"..."

There was a prolonged silence.

"This is the summoned hero?" I heard a touch of disdain within the unfamiliar voice. I guessed that the prince was unimpressed with me.

"Actually, I'm not the summoned hero." I looked up, smiling at his startled expression. "I'm just the apprentice."

"HEY! This is our future king! You can't talk to him like that!"

"Why not?"

"YOU... you..."Grizald let out a groan of frustration, but was held back by the prince, who's look of distrust was slowly being replaced by one of amusement.

"Don't worry, wizard, I don't mind."

I grinned. "Good, thanks." I looked back down at my book.

"..."

After a very, very long silence, the prince left, and my studies continued uninterrupted.

"So, my young apprentice." One day, Grizald pulled me aside, his face upset. "There's a new job for you."

"JOB?" I frowned. This apprenticeship deal was a breeze. A little cleaning, a little organization, and plenty of time to follow my newest obsession of magic. "What do I have to do?"

"For some terrible, incomprehensible reason, Prince Titus thinks that you would be a valuable asset within the royal palace as an advisor. He wishes to promote you beyond the level of apprentice."

"No thanks." I sighed, searching my room for the book I had finished reading three nights ago. There was a part I wanted to consult before attempting my vanishing spell.

"No thanks?" He was shocked. "This is the ROYAL PALACE!"

"So? Sounds like hard work, little pay, and less time for magic."

"Actually you'll be paid pretty well."

I frowned, unable to find the book I was looking for. "Still not interested."

Grizald let out a long sigh. "The royal library has a whole wing devoted to magical tomes."

"..."

"..."

"When do I start?"

I bid the wizard goodbye and set out for the royal palace. I wasn't sure what sort of plots and politics and global scale disasters I would have to face within the court. I was completely confused still as to why I had been selected. But I wasn't too worried.

After all, it wasn't like I was some sort of big destined hero.

I was just the magic nerd.

Little did I know that soon I would be locked in a struggle for the fate of the world.

But that's a story for another time.

"Magical library, here I come!" Whistling happily, I floated through the air towards my destination completely oblivious to the trials ahead.