Chapter 2 – Questions
The students seemed moved by the princess's plea. Her voice carried both grace and desperation, and something in it stirred the childish part of them that still believed in heroes and fairy tales.
Behind them, a man watched in silence. He looked pale, as if travel sickness had followed him across worlds.
At first glance, he had unremarkably neat, dark hair, a warm expression, and rimmed glasses that softened his sharp features. But behind those lenses, his black eyes glimmered with intelligence and quiet unease.
"Excuse me," he said finally, his tone courteous but edged with concern. "I have a few questions."
The princess turned toward him. His plain clothes and calm manner set him apart from the students clustered around her like lost children.
"What are these heroes you speak of?" he asked.
One of the students quickly piped up, eager to be useful. "He's our substitute teacher for the trip, Your Highness."
Elizabeth blinked, clearly unfamiliar with the term. A tutor for children, perhaps?
Nolen gave a polite nod. "That's right. My name is Nolen Clark. I'm responsible for them today." He adjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry to ask, but how exactly can we help you in this war? And… why involve my students?"
Elizabeth hesitated. To her, the question itself sounded foreign—like someone questioning the very premise of fate. "Otherworldly Heroes," she began carefully, "are chosen individuals summoned from distant realms. They are granted unique gifts—skills and power—to aid us in the war against the Demon King Balor. Without them, our world would already be ashes."
The chamber fell quiet. Marble walls seemed to hum faintly, as though echoing the weight of her words.
Tom raised his hand awkwardly. "Um… could you tell us where we actually are?"
One of the robed priests stepped forward, his voice smooth and formal. "You stand in the Holy Temple of Heroes. This world is not the one you came from. You have crossed the boundary between realms."
A hush rippled through the group. Shock replaced curiosity.
Several students looked ready to faint; others clutched their bags like anchors to reality.
Tom frowned. "Wait—what does that mean, not our world?"
Elizabeth tilted her head, puzzled by his panic. "It means the gods have brought you here. But do not fear; when your duty is fulfilled, a path home will be opened."
The words when your duty is fulfilled rang louder than anything else. Still, relief flickered on a few faces—at least there was a way back.
Elizabeth motioned to the priests. "Before we speak further, we must confirm the blessings you received from the gods."
The students exchanged glances. Blessings?
"This will help us understand your potential," she explained. "Please, do not be afraid."
At her signal, several priests rolled forward a carved slab of pale stone. Intricate runes shimmered faintly across its surface like circuitry made of light.
"This is a Skill Reading Stone," Elizabeth said. "It reveals the titles and gifts bestowed upon a soul."
To demonstrate, she pressed her palm to the surface. The stone flared to life, projecting radiant letters and numbers into the air.
[Status: Princess Elizabeth Lunaria Celestine of the Crescent Kingdom]
Title:Radiant Heir of the Silver Moon
Level: 72
Attributes: Grace A | Charisma S | Light Affinity A | Faith S | Command A
Skills:Blessing of the Moonlight, Voice of Serenity, Holy Armament: Lunaria
"Her Highness's status is as brilliant as ever," murmured a priest. "Truly worthy of the Crescent Kingdom's bloodline."
Elizabeth dismissed the praise with a practiced smile. "Now, please—each of you in turn."
Excitement rippled through the students. Fear had begun to erode into curiosity. One by one, the students approached the glowing stone. The air shimmered each time a new hand met its surface.
[Status: Tom Everett]
Title:Hero of Dawn
Level: 1
Attributes: Strength B | Endurance B | Spirit C | Dexterity B | Luck A
Skills:Radiant Strike, Courage of the Chosen
[Status: Lena Hart]
Title:Emerald Spear Knight
Level: 1
Attributes: Agility A | Strength B | Will B | Perception C
Skills:Spear Mastery I, Piercing Light
[Status: Rei Tanaka]
Title:Great Mage of the Azure Path
Level: 1
Attributes: Intelligence A | Mana A | Focus B | Vitality C
Skills:Arcane Burst, Mystic Comprehension
Each display shimmered for a moment before fading, leaving behind awed faces and excited murmurs.
The line continued as each student stepped forward to touch the stone. With every new participant, the light responded in kind, shifting and swirling to display their unique titles. One after another, the hall resonated with the appearance of grand designations—Sage, Great Mage, Sword Master, Spear Knight, and it continued. The crowd's reaction was different for each revelation, gasps of amazement and cheers of encouragement echoing, and sighs of envy through the chamber. For a fleeting moment, the atmosphere transformed, resembling a festive ceremony rather than the tense occasion of a summons.
Then Nolen stepped up.
He hesitated, then placed his hands on the stone. A faint vibration shivered through the air, followed by a sharp pulse, crack! like static.
Nolen flinched. The priests exchanged startled looks. The light dimmed, then stabilized, revealing only a single word on the surface:
Artisan.
No numbers. No stats. Nothing else.
Silence swept through the room.
Nolen withdrew his hand slowly. "That's… odd," he murmured. "It didn't show anything. Just that one word."
Elizabeth leaned forward, confusion shadowing her perfect composure. "An Artisan?" she repeated. "But every summoned hero receives divine attributes skills beyond mortal measure."
Her priests crowded around the stone, whispering incantations, tracing runes, but the result didn't change. Artisan.
Tom frowned. "Maybe it's broken?"
The priest shook his head. "It worked for all others. The stone cannot err."
Nolen managed to make a thin smile. "Then I suppose I'm the exception."
Elizabeth's gaze lingered on him, unreadable. "Perhaps the gods' purpose for you is not yet revealed," she said at last. "Even the smallest cogs may turn the greatest wheels."
Nolen adjusted his glasses again, more out of habit than needed. "Or maybe," he said quietly, "the gods just made a mistake."
Some students let out uneasy laughs, but the sound remained trapped. The stone kept a soft glow beneath his hands, its light persistent.