"Long ago, the world was a much different place than it is today. It was a world where monsters roamed freely, where even the land itself was brutal and unforgiving, treacherous terrain everywhere. Living was hard for most, not knowing if you would even survive to the next day. Among all this chaos, only a few races truly dominated their domains. There were many races—the Yxliers, who ruled the skies and mastered magic; the elves, with their eternal youth and forests to protect them; the dwarves, ever learning, ever advancing their technology; and the lizardmen, brutish and absurdly strong. But humans…" She trailed off, her expression tightening slightly. "What did we have? What could we possibly offer that would allow us to survive in this brutal world where monsters saw us as nothing more than prey?"

She paused, letting the weight of her words settle over the room. George remained silent.

"Nothing…" She turned away momentarily, her gaze dropping to the floor. "We had nothing. We weren’t strong like the lizardmen. We didn’t understand magic like the Yxliers. Our tools were rudimentary, ineffective. We were weak—fragile, even. And in the face of all that, we had no choice but to cower. Those creatures which roamed the lands, to them, the humans were nothing but food."

Her voice grew quiet, almost pained. "So what did we do? We eventually found ourselves in the arms of masters. The other races took us in—but not as allies. As slaves. They saw us as pets, toys, something to use and discard. Those days were humanity’s darkest era. The very idea of freedom was stripped from us. We did whatever they wanted, without question. Do you think, even for a moment, our so-called masters ever thought of us as equals? As people?"

The atmosphere of the room suddenly shifted.

"Then," Reina’s voice softened, almost reverent now, "God took pity on us. He sent an angel, a being of pure light, to guide humanity. It was a moment that changed everything. Just by glancing at it, the humans awakened. We could suddenly grasp the idea of mana, like the Yxliers. We learned to craft tools, like the dwarves. We developed skills and techniques—divine gifts that allowed us to rise up. We no longer needed the protection of the other races. We could stand on our own."

George’s brow furrowed. "An angel?"

"Yes," Reina said, unwavering. "We began forming our own communities. We no longer had to live under the oppression of those who saw us as lesser beings. But they didn’t like that. The other races didn’t want us on equal footing with them. They tried to crush us, to suppress us, to keep us in our place."

She turned back toward him, her eyes burning with conviction. "But we fought back. With our gifts, we learned to defend ourselves, to rise above them. We became strong enough that they had no choice but to recognize us."

Reina returned to her desk, her gaze locked on George. "Humans have constantly been fighting to prove our worth in this world. Our greatest test came in the form of a Great Evil which threatened the entire world. It took all the races to defeat it, led by the hero Emanuel the Brave— the first king of Crown Almighty. However, the other races didn't appreciate him, they didn't appreciate us for all we did."

She continued, bitterly. "Emanuel realized that humanity would never truly be free unless we stood on top. So he made a decision. He established our kingdom, harnessing the momentum from the war against the Great Evil. He ensured that humanity would never be beneath anyone again. Those who sought to harm us were captured and forced to build the foundation of our society. He could have killed them, but the hero valued life—he believed in justice, not senseless slaughter. Eventually, the other races came to understand their place."

Reina paused, her gaze heavy with the weight of history as she sighed. "You may call it slavery, but for us, it was survival and continues to be so. Our kingdom relies on the labor of the other races in which allows us a way of life we've known for the last three hundred years." Her voice softened, yet her words held a dangerous edge. "Hero George, let me ask you—do you admonish the hero for what he did?"

George stood firm, his expression unreadable. "It’s not my place to say. "

Reina’s lips curled slightly. "I'm glad to hear that. The truth is, even before we summoned you, we were aware of the culture you all come from. In your world, there are no more kings or queens, only elected officials. Your world do not have slaves, instead, you work under the same system under the name of capitalism. In your world, there is enough food for everyone and food is available at every corner. Kids could play without working and learn from their schools. Everyone had their own path not set by the circumstances in which they were born."

Reina let out a soft sigh. "I'm a little envious, to be honest," she began, her fingers trailing the edge of the desk. "I've learned about your world from the others. Sometimes, I picture what it would be like to live there—high school, I believe it was called?" She smiled wistfully. "It sounds like such a carefree time. So different from here."

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Her smile lingered for a second longer before it faltered. "But fantasy is just that—fantasy. We don’t have the luxury of idle dreams here." She leaned forward slightly, her breathing becoming uneven, her cheeks a little rosy, though George and Seno didn't seem to notice. "The reality is that we’re facing a mana shortage everywhere. We only revealed what we thought you could handle, a script you all could accept. Since the establishment of our kingdom, the mana reserves have been depleting and the land can no longer replenish at our current rate of consumption. However, not all hope is lost.”

Reina paused, reaching into her desk. As she did, a strange shudder seemed to ripple through her body, causing her to momentarily close her eyes and take a sharp breath. Quickly recovering her composure, she continued, “We’ve recently discovered something interesting.” She placed down a small vial of black liquid on the table.

George’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

“We don’t have an official name for it yet, but it has the potential to be the answer to all our problems. You'll recall that we told you that the demons corrupts the land it touches, rendering the mana in the land unusable. Well, that was only partially true." She retrieved out a metallic shard, smaller than a finger nail and opened the vial before dropping it in. As the metallic shard dropped down, the black liquid began to react violently. Soon, the blackness began to recede, leaving only a crystal clear liquid which emitted an ethereal light. The metallic shard was no where to be seen.

"This,” she said, gesturing to the vial, "is a form of mana even purer than what we can extract from the land. This single vial has the power to light up the entire city for a year. We don’t know exactly how it works, but when the mana corrupted by demons is extracted into liquid form and introduced to this foreign material, it results in something far beyond our natural mana reserves."

George narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you need us?"

“This is another one of God’s trials for humanity,” she said softly. “According to legend, when the angel descended, she brought more gifts from God—gifts meant to help humanity truly prosper. But the demons appeared and they’ve been guarding these divine gifts ever since. That shard you saw me drop is a small piece of one such gift. However, by His grace, the means to vanquish the demons had been placed in our hands.

George’s eyes flickered with suspicion. "You mean the ritual you used to summon us…?"

Reina’s face lit up with a soft, almost blissful smile. "You all are the divine gift to defeat the demons. It’s the reason we’ve kept the other Summoned back for now—because we’re working with the other kingdoms to prepare for the battle against the demons. Since the demons first set foot in this world, no race—not humans, not elves, not dwarves—has been able to destroy them. They’re practically immortal. But you, the Summoned, brought forth by the divine artifact… you, the 99, are the only ones capable of defeating them."

“And the others?” George finally asked. “Where are they now?”

"They are preparing to leave for the other kingdoms. Some have already departed, but we’ve arranged for a few to reunite with your group in the coming days. Don’t worry—each of you plays a crucial role in this mission. We've been planning for this moment for years, and I promise you, we don’t take your lives lightly. Once the demons are eradicated, and the mana flow is restored, you will all return home and this world will prosper thanks to you heroes. That is my vow to you."

George took a deep breath. Finally, he exhaled, offering a soft, reluctant smile. “Thank you, Princess. That’s all I needed to hear.”

Reina nodded. George and Seno turned to leave. Just as they reached the door, she called out sweetly, "Next time you wish to speak with me, just ask."

The door clicked shut, leaving Reina alone in the room, her serene expression slipping into something more complex.

"It sure has been a busy day, wouldn’t you agree, Chancellor Nuel?"

From the shadowed corner of the room, Nuel emerged as his concealment magic dissipated. The air shimmered slightly as the light refracting around him returned to normal, revealing his figure. "Always perceptive, Your Highness," he said with a chuckle. "As suspected, I was right to keep an eye on that particular Summoned. He has show the same distrust as those before him. Even if you didn't reveal everything to him, are you sure it was wise to reveal so much to him?"

Reina’s fingers clenched slightly before relaxing. "It doesn’t matter. Hero George is still unaware of the true extent of the [Destiny of the Hero] skill. Even if he did realize, nothing he does will change his fate and by the time it fully activates, the true hero will appear… and he will already be completely loyal to us."

Nuel let out a laugh, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Indeed, the kingdom is fortunate to have a princess as clever as yourself. In the meantime, the auction is progressing as planned. The delegates are arriving, and the last holdout is nearing completion of her task."

Reina remained silent, her expression calm, though her breathing quickened and her blush turning increasingly red. She nodded quietly, acknowledging his words.

Nuel continued, his tone shifting slightly. "As for your final instructions… it appears that particular individual is no longer within the kingdom. We tracked him to the adventurer’s guild, but he was last seen traveling with a merchant caravan. They dropped him off in Cranch. It seems that issue has resolved itself."

"~Hnnnnngg."

Nuel paused, raising an eyebrow. "What was that?"

But Reina merely rested her head in her hands, feigning exhaustion. "I’m afraid I’m a bit tired, Chancellor. I’d appreciate some time alone."

Nuel hesitated for a moment, his sharp eyes studying her, but he quickly nodded. "Of course. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me, Your Highness."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Reina let out a low moan, her hand moving beneath the desk. "You insolent boy... How dare you act on your own," she murmured under her breath, her voice thick with lustful desire. "It seems I’ll need to teach you some more."

She patted the head of the figure beneath her desk, his dirty blonde hair barely visible as she continued her 'lesson.'