"They're children," TheReaper said flatly, his voice carrying no inflection that might indicate whether this was criticism or observation.
"They're heroes blessed by divine summoning," Pope Gregorius corrected firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "Chosen by the sacred ritual that connects our world to others in times of dire need. Just as you were, three hundred years ago when our ancestors faced annihilation."
"I was different," TheReaper said, and there was something in his voice that made even the King pause.
"Yes, you adapted impossibly quickly," Ferdinand acknowledged, his expression thoughtful. "The records say you'd reached level 50 within a month. Level 100 within a year. You broke every precedent we had for summoned hero progression. But these four have shown remarkable progress in just three weeks under our finest trainers' guidance. They've already reached levels that would take native warriors years or even decades to achieve through normal advancement."
