Chapter 6: The Hero Summon

  "Um… Sen-san your wound...?" she asked, a bit bewildered.

  I looked at her,

  "This is the first time when someone is concerned about me." I muttered.

  Her eyes narrowed, and a look of pity crossed her face. Though I despise being the recipient of others' pity, I couldn't help but think that, for the moment, it was tolerable.

  "It's alright now." I said with a weak smile on my face.

  Although she was aware, she understood the situation. Because of Magic, I was able to reduce the maximal damage and could heal it faster, without attracting attention. But I can't go along with this method forever. As it doesn't seem much of a bigger injury now, it will be alright.

  Changing the subject, she said.

  "So what was that thing?"

  Reha stood up, brushing off some of the dust from her skirt, looking around as she spoke. I glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.

  "What do you mean, 'that thing'?"

  She looked a little flustered, trying to form the question again. After a second, she said, "That... fiery thing you did. It was like magic or something. What was it?"

  "Ah, you mean my 'Sword Tempering'?" I asked, a bit surprised she didn't knew about it.

  "Tempa? What?"

  Her confusion was evident.

  I paused for a moment, then sighed.

  "So, you don't know anything yet, huh?"

  Reha shook her head, clearly not understanding. I took a breath and began explaining.

  "This world is a bit different than ours. The air here is thick with something called 'Magions.' It's made up of tiny particles that help manipulate mana. That’s how magic works here. I used it to temper my sword."

  She blinked, looking a bit lost, but nodded slowly.

  "Ah... okay, I think I get it. It's like... magic, but with air?"

  Well i tried to make it as more simple as i can but, is this girl a bone head--

  _____________________________

  "You could learn it too, but it takes practice."

  Her eyes lit up.

  "Wait, really? You will teach me?"

  "I never said, I will."

  She looked at me with a blinding gleam in her eyes. She will never let it go, I considered it for a moment. It would be useful to have another fighter at my side. And it doesn't seem to be much problem to teach her,

  "Sigh… Sure. But don't expect it to be easy,"

  I said with a small smile.

  She grinned, clearly overjoyed.

  "Thank you! I won't let you down!"

  Just as we were about to continue, I noticed something strange. My eyes narrowed, and I stepped toward the charred remains of the High Ghoul. Among the ashes, something glinted in the dim light.

  "Is that… Amethyst?"

  I muttered to myself.

  A voice echoed in my mind.

  "Sub-Boss Magicore— Required Two more to enter the boss room."

  "Sub-Boss?"

  I looked at the crystal, puzzled. So, I needed three of these to reach the boss room. Boss..., it might be a way out of this place.

  I turned to Reha, who was watching me with wide eyes.

  "Let’s not get distracted. We need to move forward."

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  Reha nodded, still looking at the crystal. "Right. Magic lessons?"

  "Yeah. Let's get to it."

  -----------------------*-----------------------

  Magic Lesson:

  Let me tell you some basic rules I've been following till now.

  "First, calm your mind. Clear away all distractions. Just focus on your surroundings, on the flow of the air around you."

  I demonstrated, my hand moving through the air as I spoke.

  "Second, you need to sense the Magions in the air. They're all around us."

  Reha was listening carefully, her eyes following every movement I made. "Got it."

  "Last part: concentrate the flow of Magions into your body. Then, visualize the magic you want to perform. The clearer the image, the easier it is to manipulate the magic. But remember, don't use too much mana at once. You’ll tire yourself out."

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing. After a couple of tries, she finally managed to produce a small spark of light at her fingertips.

  "Wow,"

  she whispered, clearly impressed with herself.

  I didn't expect anything from her but this girl is something else, even, it took me the whole time to understand the pattern.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  "You’re a fast learner. Are you sure you’ve never tried magic before?"

  Her face flushed. She quickly looked away, giving a nervous laugh.

  "N-no! I’m just... uh... a quick study! You said it yourself!"

  I studied her for a moment, wondering if she was hiding something. But before I could press the issue, she waved it off.

  "Maybe you’re just a good teacher," she said, smiling brightly.

  I think I've got her all wrong, she might be a one in a hundred year born genius.

  I shrugged. "Well, if you’re already capable, maybe you should try some combat training with other monsters."

  She hesitated, her expression turning serious.

  "Will there be more monsters?"

  I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  "Yes, why wouldn't there be?"

  She stepped closer, looking uneasy but determined.

  The door leading to the next floor, now what will be there, it was a little strange, yet amusing thought.

  "Let’s see how well you can handle yourself."

  _________________________________

  Holy Kingdom of Krastia ///

  "Then… [Hero Candidates]... Let us begin."

  Arcelona's voice was calm, but before we could react, Vecerona muttered something under her breath. A large violet magic circle appeared beneath our feet, glowing brightly. The next thing I knew, everything went dark.

  ---

  "Ugh... hah... hah..."

  I blinked, trying to clear my vision. When the darkness lifted, I realized we were no longer in the same place. We stood in a grand room.

  "Is this... the Holy Kingdom of Krastia?"

  I wondered aloud.

  But I didn’t have time to think. I could feel the tension building in the air as I looked around at the others. Something wasn’t right.

  “Huh? Where are Kusanagi-san and Kurose-kun?”

  Tsubaki’s voice rang out, full of confusion and worry.

  A wave of panic rippled through the group.

  "Wait… do you think they got killed?"

  someone whispered nervously.

  "But why?" another voice asked, equally uneasy.

  "I think they might’ve been used to scare us," someone else suggested, their voice shaky. "To show what happens when we defy them."

  The room filled with anxious chatter. People were starting to panic. I could feel the pressure building, like the whole group was waiting for someone to take charge.

  “Calm down, everyone!”

  Tsubaki spoke again, more firmly this time, trying to reassure everyone.

  "I don’t think Kusanagi-san and Kurose-kun are dead."

  “Then where are they?” someone asked, their voice laced with desperation.

  Before I could say anything, Tatsuya Mitsumi stepped forward from among the crowd.

  “Even if they’re not here, that doesn’t mean they’re dead. They could’ve been teleported somewhere else by mistake," he said, his voice steady and calm.

  His words helped ease some of the tension in the room, though not entirely. People started murmuring, still uncertain but a bit more hopeful.

  I stood there, feeling useless. Everyone else seemed to have things under control while I just stood in the back, unsure of what to do next.

  Then, just as the crowd settled a little, a soft voice broke through.

  “Are you the Summoned [Hero Candidates]?”

  We all turned toward the source of the voice. A woman dressed in white stood before us, looking like a nun or a priestess. She had an air about her that reminded me of Arcelona, though she seemed a little different somehow.

  The room went quiet. Everyone waited for her next words, unsure whether she was here to help or add to the confusion.

  She glanced at the knights standing beside her and gave them a subtle signal to move out. Then, she turned back to us, flashing a wide smile.

  "Good evening, Heroes."

  Her smile was warm, but something about her presence felt off—there was an underlying tension that I couldn't shake.

  "If you're Heroes, then you must already know our situation," she said, looking directly at me. Still smiling.

  What was she talking about? Was it about the war? But wait, we’re six years before all of that. They said this was a time of peace. I had so many questions racing through my mind. But we had to be careful. If we asked too much about the world, they'd start suspecting something was wrong.

  Before I could say anything, Tsubaki stepped forward. She greeted the priestess with a polite bow, her expression calm and neutral—no sign of doubt or discomfort.

  "Yes, we are well aware of the situation," she said, her tone steady and confident.

  The priestess smiled again, but this time there was something a little... twisted about it. She stared at Tsubaki for a moment, as if measuring her, then spoke.

  "I see. My apologies for the late introduction," she said, almost like an afterthought.

  She introduced herself as one of the high priests of the Holy Church, her name—Roselia Orion. If I remembered correctly, Arcelona-san also had the last name “Orion.” I couldn’t help myself, I asked her about it.

  Roselia’s response was calm. "All high priests are required to forget their family names and adopt a new one. It symbolizes that we are all part of the same greater family—the world itself."

  I wasn’t particularly religious, but I could appreciate the sentiment behind it. It was a powerful way of thinking, to put the world above individual ties.

  "Heroes, please follow me. I’ll take you to your resting chambers."

  She led us through a large gate, and we continued down a long hallway. I hadn’t realized it at first, but the place we were in was the Divine Chambers—only royalty and a select few were allowed here. Given the strange appearance of our group and our clothes, it made sense that she’d assume we were heroes.

  As we walked, Roselia spoke more about the world. She mentioned how the Church was the dominant force, revered as the protector of peace and the guiding light for all. She also mentioned the current king, the 23rd King of the Holy Kingdom of Krastia, Ordil le vorc Krastia.

  "Tomorrow morning, you'll meet the king," she added before leaving us at our rooms.

  The tension in the air lingered, but for now, we had no choice but to rest and prepare for what came next.