They walked together through the peaceful night of the kingdom, the soft glow of lanterns illuminating their path. Despite their proximity, neither of them spoke a word, silence weighing heavily between them. As they neared the church, Fiona finally summoned the courage to break the silence.

"H-Hey, Shin," she stammered, her voice hesitant.

Shin tilted his head slightly to the side, glancing at her. "Hm?" he responded, his tone neutral.

Fiona hesitated, her heart racing, but she pushed forward. "Have you thought about... being a hero in this world?"

Shin turned his gaze to the sky, his eyes tracing the azure expanse now tinged with stars. His thoughts were a storm of doubt and uncertainty. "Do I really have it in me?" he wondered.

"I’ll think about it," he finally replied, his voice calm yet distant, and continued walking.

Fiona trailed behind him, her expression conflicted. Her trembling voice barely carried through the night as she murmured, "Please... I don’t know what will happen if you don’t choose to become our hero."

Shin stopped in his tracks, her words and tone piercing through his thoughts. He turned back to her, concern flickering in his eyes. "Don’t worry," he said gently, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "I’ll make up my mind soon."

They resumed their walk, but Shin’s thoughts were heavy. "I don’t know what you see in me, Fiona, but I’m not some kind of hero. I’m no hero..."

After a few minutes, they stepped inside the church. Priest Charles and Sir Bajar were waiting for them Bajar, however, was fast asleep on a pew. Shin bowed politely to both.

"Good evening, Father Charles," he greeted.

Charles returned the gesture with a warm smile. "Good evening, Shin. Have you eaten yet?"

"Yes, I have, Priest. I’ll be heading to bed now," Shin replied.

Charles nodded. "Make sure to wash yourself first."

"I will," Shin said with a respectful nod before heading upstairs. Once he disappeared from sight, Fiona and Charles began a hushed conversation.

"So, how did it go?" Charles asked, his voice low.

Fiona hesitated, then sighed. "He said he’ll think about it."

"I see," Charles murmured, his expression pensive. "The problem is, we don’t know how much time we have before the Great Force arrives."

"I understand," Fiona replied, her voice heavy with worry. "But he’s still a kid. His opinion matters."

Charles sighed deeply, his features hardening. "The goddess has chosen him. That is absolute."

Fiona’s eyes filled with concern. "But can’t we choose someone else? Someone more mature, someone who’s already a strong warrior in this world? Why did it have to be him?"

Charles remained silent for a moment, his gaze steady and unyielding. "Fiona," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument, "the goddess’s commands are absolute. Do not forget that."

Fiona’s knees buckled, and she knelt before him in fear. "Y-Yes, Father," she whispered.

"Go to bed," Charles said, his voice softening slightly.

Fiona nodded and walked upstairs, her eyes cast downward. As her footsteps faded, Bajar stirred on the pew.

"You didn’t have to be so harsh on her," Bajar muttered, his voice laced with disapproval.

"You were awake?" Charles asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Obviously," Bajar replied, sitting up. "I know you believe in the goddess’s will, but is that really all there is to it?"

Charles said nothing, his silence speaking volumes.

Bajar stretched and leaned back. "I’ll take him to the academy tomorrow. Maybe seeing it will spark some passion in him," he suggested.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Do what you want," Charles said flatly as he turned to leave for his personal chambers. "Just make sure that kid becomes a proper hero."

"I will," Bajar said, his tone resolute.

Meanwhile, Shin lay on his bed, staring at the wooden ceiling above him. His mind was restless, cycling through thoughts he couldn’t suppress.

“This world is beautiful, but I miss Grandma. It’s been a week… I wonder what she’s doing. I miss Ria…” Shin thought, a pang of homesickness tugging at his heart.

He sighed. “And they don’t even have TV or phones here. It gets so boring sometimes.”

Shin shifted on the bed, his gaze still fixed upward. “Maybe if I become a hero, I can find a way back to my world. But… it’s scary.”

Frustrated, he slapped himself on the cheeks. “What are you doing, idiot?” he muttered aloud. “Back on Earth, you were dreaming of revenge, yearning to learn Aetheris. Now’s your chance to shine!”

His eyes widened in sudden realization. “You’re right!”

But then another voice echoed in his mind, soft yet stern. “Don’t do it, Shin. You’ll get hurt.”

Shin scowled, clenching his fists. “I’m always getting hurt anyway!” he retorted to the imaginary voice. “Back on Earth, pain was a daily thing. Why not do it here, where I’ll actually have the power to fight back?”

The conflict raged on in his mind. “Enough, all of you, I’m trying to sleep!” he snapped internally. Silence followed as the mental angel and demon retreated, leaving him to his restless thoughts.

The morning sunlight crept through his window, casting golden rays onto his face. Shin groaned and tried to shield his eyes with his arm, but the noise of the bustling kingdom outside soon pulled him from his half-sleep.

“Ugh,” he muttered, forcing himself to sit up. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, he stood and stretched, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet. Just as he was about to head out, a knock came at his door.

Dung. Dung.

“Hm? Who’s that?” Shin wondered aloud. He opened the door to see Fiona standing there, a tray of food balanced carefully in her hands.

“Did you just wake up?” she asked softly, her tone as gentle as her presence.

“Yeah, I just did,” Shin replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Here’s some food. After you eat, go wash yourself. Sir Bajar said he wanted to see you,” Fiona said, placing the tray on the small table in his room.

“Why not now? I don’t want to keep him waiting,” Shin said, his sense of urgency showing.

Fiona shook her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “He can wait, Shin.”

“But-”

“Just eat,” Fiona interrupted, her glare sharp and serious.

“O-Okay,” Shin stammered, intimidated by her sudden shift in demeanor.

As she set the food down, her gaze flickered for a moment after seeing shin morning wood before she quickly turned and left, her cheeks a faint shade of red. Shin raised an eyebrow at her retreating figure, puzzled. “What’s with her mood?” he wondered, sitting down to eat.

After finishing the meal, Shin headed to the restroom to wash up. The cold water jolted him fully awake, clearing the last remnants of sleep from his mind. He returned to his room, pulling on a fresh set of clothes, before heading downstairs.

In the church’s main hall, Sir Bajar, Priest Charles, and Fiona were waiting for him. Shin approached them with a polite nod.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice steady despite the nervous energy coursing through him.

"Bajar is waiting for you," Priest Charles said.

"Hey, kid."

"Hello, sir." Shin bowed respectfully.

"Is there anything you need?" Shin asked, noticing Bajar's usual grin.

"Come with me. I'll show you the kingdom's academy," Bajar said, his smirk widening.

"Wow, really?" Shin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yes, now let’s go." Bajar grabbed Shin’s hand and ran toward the door, making Shin feel like a paper being swept through the air.

"HEY, CLOSE THE DOOR PROPERLY!" The door slammed behind them with a loud BOOM.

Ugh, he still acts like a kid, Priest Charles thought, shaking his head.

"I guess the kid really likes him," Fiona said, smiling at the sight.

"Yeah, it's a good thing. He'll be his mentor."

"It's a sad thing he'll never get to have moments like this with his own son," Charles said with a wistful expression.

Shin and Bajar continued their run.

"Hey, is it pretty far?" Shin asked, panting.

"Nah, we're pretty close," Bajar replied.

We've been running for at least 20 minutes, Shin thought, breathing heavily.

After 10 minutes, they finally reached their destination.

"What the hell is this?" Shin wondered aloud. "It looks scary and dark..." He gazed at the academy’s secret entrance—an underground, shadowy path leading into the heart of the academy.

"Yeah, it's kind of dark," Bajar admitted. "My father told me they did this when the kingdom went to war. The enemy killed all the students, so they built it like this. Only students know the location—none of the normal citizens, even the parents, have any idea."

"I see... but why are you showing it to me?" Shin asked.

"You’re becoming a student soon, anyway," Bajar replied with a grin.

As they walked down the dark path, the air grew cooler, and the weight of the past seemed to linger. Finally, the path opened up, revealing a sprawling academy full of activity. Students were scattered around, each engaged in their own tasks. The academy was surrounded by towering trees, their leaves swaying in the breeze.

"Wow," Shin thought, his eyes wide with awe. The academy’s insane design left him speechless—it was completely covered by trees, yet it still exuded an undeniable beauty.

"Beautiful, right?" Bajar asked, grinning.

"Ah, yes. It is," Shin replied, his voice full of wonder.

"Follow me," Bajar said, leading him through the academy. They climbed a ladder that led to a large tank of water, from which they gained a panoramic view of the entire campus.

Shin gazed at the bustling scene below. He saw the hall where everyone ate, the classroom where magic was being taught, and the garden where most students gathered for their martial arts practice. He saw the dormitories where students stayed, training year after year to become great warriors. Finally, he noticed the sparring room, empty except for humanoid-shaped sandbags.

Shin’s eyes widened, filled with hope.

Can I really be a hero? Shin thought, a positive determination settling in his chest.