A flash of silver-blue light illuminated the grand hall with its towering ceiling. In the center of the palace chamber, surrounded by golden pillars and a shimmering marble floor, a massive magic circle glowed, carving intricate patterns across the ground. The royal soldiers standing guard stepped back, staying alert.
They waited for the light to fade and for the summoned hero to appear. They were the hope of mankind to defeat the demon king.
"The circle is active! The hero summoning has succeeded!" shouted an old magus.
The light reached its peak, then...
BOOM!
A soft explosion echoed. The light became extremely bright, forcing everyone to avert their eyes. Yet just a few seconds later, the brightness faded and vanished. All eyes turned toward the center of the room. Four figures had appeared there.
Three men and one woman. They wore clothes typical of another world: uniforms, jackets, jeans. Their faces were filled with confusion. Including Takuya Minami, who still looked dazed after being sucked out of his apartment. This place was incredibly different, yet strangely familiar.
When he looked forward, he saw a middle-aged man around forty-five smiling at them. The man wore luxurious golden clothing and fur-like decorations made of expensive silk threads. His smile looked deeply satisfied.
"Welcome, heroes!" said the crowned man. He sat atop a throne adorned with gems. King Aldren IV, ruler of the Valion Kingdom.
Takuya frowned. For some reason, he disliked the man immediately. He quickly realized this was a king, but his instincts told him the man in front of him was an idiot.
"What does he want?" Takuya thought.
Although he remained calm, the other three panicked. They were also confused. Takuya felt the same shock and disbelief, but he often read isekai and transmigration novels. It was surprising and unrealistic, but still somewhat familiar to him.
He was the calmest among the four.
"Is this... a dream?" one of the other men muttered, the muscular one with short hair.
The other man, wearing glasses, immediately scanned the surroundings. His gaze was serious, already prepared for anything unwanted. He was the most mature since he was already twenty-two, while the others were still in their late teens.
Meanwhile, the girl with shoulder-length red hair stared at the floor, trembling. Seeing people holding weapons terrified her. She stepped closer to the other summoned heroes and grabbed one of their hands. It was Takuya's hand.
Takuya glanced slightly. He should have been happy, but in this situation, he could not feel that at all.
"Calm down!" a gentle voice echoed.
A woman with silver hair and a long white gown stepped forward. A golden cross pendant hung around her neck, her eyes sharp and full of authority. She was Lady Seraphina, the Saintess of the Grand Cathedral of Light. She was the highest spiritual leader of the kingdom after the archbishop.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Seraphina. You are the chosen heroes." Her voice was soft and soothing, filled with warmth. "I am the one who will evaluate your potential."
Seraphina walked toward the four, but when she approached, one of the summoned heroes immediately stepped forward and spread his arms defensively. His gaze was sharp and full of caution.
"Who are you? Why are we here and... what is this place?" the man asked.
The man's name was Shigeru Takeshi. He was a diligent office worker with a strong sense of justice. He felt he had to step forward to protect the others.
Seraphina bowed politely. "Forgive me for being abrupt, hero. I will explain everything," she said.
She then explained that the four of them were summoned by the mages of the Valion Kingdom. Their task was to save the world from the demon king. Seraphina also explained that the heroes possessed various unique powers.
They were chosen by the Goddess as saviors. They also received unlimited blessings. That was Seraphina's brief explanation.
"... we will provide the best facilities for you. We will help you become honorable heroes and defeat the demon king. After that, you may choose whether you want to return to your original world or stay," Seraphina explained.
Shigeru looked suspicious. "Why should we follow your demands?" he complained.
"Because if you do not, you will not be able to return to your world."
A short answer, but one that made Shigeru even more suspicious. Just as he was about to say something else...
Seraphina suddenly stepped forward and touched Shigeru's chest. She gently stroked it. A faint purple glow appeared, though almost no one noticed.
Shigeru stopped protesting, but Takuya noticed it. He narrowed his eyes, yet remained silent.
"Very well then, I will now check your powers," Seraphina said.
A transparent crystal gem appeared in her hand. She stepped toward the first man, Shigeru. She was curious about the man who kept speaking and also sensed a great amount of Mana from him.
[Name: Shigeru Takeshi]
[Class: Sword Saint]
[MP: 1,220 | MP: 140 | STR: 85 | AGI: 72 | VIT: 68 | DEX: 70 | INT: 20]
[Skill: Sword Aura, Blade Storm, Heroic Charge]
Seraphina immediately smiled. This was exactly what she hoped for. "Amazing. A future legendary swordsman," she commented with a nod. "You have tremendous potential. I am certain you will become one of the most celebrated heroes in this world."
She then moved to the second man, the teenager with glasses. He attended the same school as Takuya, though they were in different classes. He was well known for his academic brilliance, often ranking within the top ten of his grade.
[Name: Hiroshi Kanda]
[Class: Beast Tamer]
[MP: 1,010 | MP: 350 | STR: 38 | AGI: 45 | VIT: 55 | DEX: 30 | INT: 70]
[Skill: Beast Contract, Mana Link, Insight Eyes]
Once again, Seraphina was impressed. Not just one talented hero, but two at once. It was an extraordinary blessing.
"Sharp insight and the ability to tame magical creatures. This is extremely useful."
When she turned toward the only girl, Seraphina raised her expectations even higher. She hoped the kingdom of Valion would receive yet another stroke of luck.
[Name: Aika Mizuno]
[Class: Grand Mage]
[HP: 1,010 | MP: 600 | STR: 18 | AGI: 30 | VIT: 28 | DEX: 40 | INT: 95]
[Skill: Elemental Mastery, Arcane Blast, Mana Flow]
Seraphina swallowed hard. This was even stronger than she had been at that age. All of them were still only level one, yet their stats were already equal to someone at level fifteen or higher. It was unbelievable.
"Ah… this is incredible. A genius mage," Seraphina said with a sincere smile.
Finally, she turned to the last summoned hero.
It was Takuya. Takuya stared at Seraphina from head to toe repeatedly. She felt uncomfortable, but since he was a summoned hero, she tried to ignore it.
[Name: Takuya Minami]
[Class: ??? – Human]
[HP: 700 | MP: 25 | STR: 57 | AGI: 35 | DEX: 45 | VIT: 38 | INT: 8]
[Skill: Unlimited Gacha]
When Seraphina read Takuya's stats, she let out a small snort. She looked away. "He is extremely weak. Why was he summoned? How useless."
Her face soured even more when she saw the skill section. Not a fighter, not a mage. Seraphina clicked her tongue and instantly lost interest. She turned away, fully ignoring Takuya this time.
She faced the king and kneeled. "Your Majesty, we have obtained three exceptionally talented heroes with immense potential. We are very fortunate."
"But do we not have four summoned heroes?"
"The other one is merely trash, Your Majesty. He is useless."
The king nodded. He understood. "Then bring them to their rooms! Treat them well!"
Seraphina nodded. "As you command, Your Majesty."
She immediately stood and ordered the soldiers to escort the heroes to the places she had prepared. One by one, the heroes were given rooms based on their talents.
As Takuya watched each hero receive a luxurious room, he briefly smiled, but something unexpected happened.
"You will stay here, hero."
Takuya froze, shocked. "Isn't this a stable?" he complained.
"Yes, this is your place."