The walk back to the cathedral felt like it was taking ages. No one was really in much of a mood for conversations. I could tell that all of my students, even those previously super excited about it, were now feeling anxious about what was going to happen to them next. Things were now almost completely out of our control. Our futures will now depend on choices made by people we absolutely do not know and who absolutely do not know us, based on events and parameters we had no influence over. Well, what’s supposed to happen will happen. If we can’t influence that, there shouldn’t be any point in worrying about it so much either. And yet, I just couldn’t calm down my nerves at all. I know my students will do their best to survive in this world and will strive to better themselves while making the most of their situation, and yet…

We approached the familiar side entrance to the great hall of the main cathedral building. Tsarkit, leading the group, stopped in front of it and turned around to face us.

-Before we head in, I better remind you all what comes next. Once we’re inside, I humbly request that you all refrain from speaking too much. If possible, we want to avoid any other problems that may arise.

Saying that, the old captain threw me a tired gaze. I nodded, promising to hold off on any comments going forward. I made things difficult enough as they are already. Tsarkit seemed to let out a sigh of relief before continuing:

-Once all of you are inside, I will give a short presentation of who you are and what abilities you possess so that all the respectful nobles have an idea on who might help their situation most. Like I’ve explained earlier, they’re all in their own perils so getting a Hero with appropriate Skills and magic might be life-changing for them.

I seemed to recall something about this from when we had our hours long talk back in that guest room. I couldn’t remember any names of any places but Tsarkit did mention some country-specific situations. One country seemed to be commonly plagued by illnesses, for example. One had serious food shortages, one was a literal breeding ground for monsters, while some other was considered to be filthy rich while also having the highest percentage of its population living in complete poverty. There were dozens of countries but many of them seemed to be nothing more than dukedoms, even though they were all still led by kings and queens. Only about five could actually be considered proper kingdoms and they held pretty much all the influence within the Holy Alliance.

-The High Priestess Alleya will carry out the duty of ensuring every one of you, dear Heroes, lands where your abilities will be most useful. You are all permitted to decline serving a particular monarch, of course, but I advise against it. Please trust us that we have the best interest of humanity in mind. And if it turns out you do not like working with that particular monarch, you can always request a transfer later. So, at the beginning, please, bear with it.

The captain stopped and glanced around the group. At this point we all understood that our opinions don’t really matter here and yet my face wasn’t the only one showing discontent about this arrangement. Still, we likely wouldn’t be able to make a better call ourselves without going through several, likely hour-long interviews with each monarch and then probably ending up fighting between ourselves about where we want to go. It was simpler to have them decide and do the fighting instead.

-After everyone’s selected, you will be given a chance to talk with the monarchs you were chosen to assist. This should help ensure there are no immediate clashes of character or other problems that could potentially arise. Now, please, if you may all head inside, and leave the unnecessary comments here.

The old soldier gave me one more sharp glance and pushed the door open, stepping aside to let us through. As we entered the great hall of the cathedral, the discussions inside of it immediately ceased. Everyone turned towards us, not a single friendly gaze among them. Some showed annoyance, most impatience, a few distaste and anger. Well, we just wasted a couple hours of their life, so I wasn’t too surprised about this reaction but since I made a promise, I tried my best to look as neutral as I could.

-Took you long enough! Are you ready to cooperate yet?

The priestess from earlier stormed towards us. It seemed like she was done playing games and decided to openly show her anger and dissatisfaction with us, or with me in particular. The commander held his hand up to motion her to calm down. I found this rather surprising but I did manage to keep my mouth shut about it, at least for now.

-The Heroes have agreed to help after I addressed all of their questions and concerns. We have also already taken the liberty to test their magic aptitude, too. Those seven Heroes are all strong magic users with a blessing of a different God each. The interesting thing is these two people but let me introduce everyone one by one.

Hearing the captain's statement, the expressions on the nobles’ faces turned towards intrigued. This caused them to become more impatient too, subtly letting that know through their body language. The old soldier had to pick up on that too as he quickly made way to the first of my students, gesturing him to step out of the line while the captain gave a short introduction, already moving towards the next person in line.

-First is Sir Kira, this here well-built young man with dark hair, the champion of Santith, with a strong aptitude for enchanting fire magic. Then Sir Shin, tall youngster with red hair, the champion of Gearthe, with admirable aptitude for defensive earth magic. Lady Sethana, the short girl with black hair, champion of Untrathak, adept in the art of necromancy. Lady Lana, the tall blonde beauty, the champion of Cryt, with strong supportive ice magic. Lady Lidia, the tall, brown-haired lady, the champion of Serius, with powerful supportive abilities. Sir Ikaze, the tall, muscular young man, the champion of Kourito, possessing strong offensive wind magic. And Sir Stach, the short blonde kid, the champion of Zyroe, with powerful enchanting abilities of multiple attributes. Those seven Heroes all possess strong magic power and adequate blessings truly deserving of the Hero title.

When he presented each of the students, the corresponding person took a step forward and bowed to show some respect. Except for Kira, who just proudly bolstered his chest instead, proud of himself as he has always been. I didn’t know why the captain decided to mention their appearance. Looking at the crowd, it seemed that most of the taller people were up front, blocking the view for many in the back. Perhaps it was so that those people can still recognise who was who later on? Once he introduced all of the seven younger students, Tserkit stopped for a moment and looked around, clearly nervous. Was he scared of what sensation Lucas will be? Or what disappointment for them I will end up being?

-Next one is Sir Lucas, the tall, muscular one with a brown ponytail, who... has an extraordinary level of magic even among the Heroes and a blessing from all the seven Gods simultaneously.

This information caused an immediate uproar among the gathered nobles. Even the priestess turned pale hearing it. Of course, everyone was sceptical of it until the commander passed on the paper from the cultist-mages, which apparently confirmed everything for them. This caused them all to turn even more pale in turn, for some reason, and quiet down immediately after reading it. Could it be that they were so happy they turned speechless or did they realise that one of the two people most opposed to them is this powerful and they caused a great deal of disrespect for him and his close friend just a few hours ago? Or were they simply scared to hear what type of power I might be hiding, which made them feel even more uneasy?

-So it's true... And the other one?

-This tall young adult with short black hair is Sir Edward… who, according to the testing and the disbelief of the prominent mages… does not possess any magic whatsoever… nor is he blessed by any of the Gods.

The entire room went silent for a moment as nearly all the gazes landed on me. I felt a drop of sweat run down my temple but I did my best to keep my posture and look somewhere off into the distance, behind everyone and not at anyone specific. I heard a few people start to whisper things like “Is this a joke?” and “How is it possible?”. Clearly, everyone was completely taken aback by the sheer possibility of a magicless person even existing in this world, let alone them being a summon who’s supposed to excel in magic. After a long pause, when no one dared to openly say a word, Tserkit continued:

-However, the young Heroes believe that Sir Edward still possesses great skill with a sword and that he is a formidable opponent even without magic. He might also possess other great abilities we might not have been made aware of through the magical evaluation. He is a Hero, after all, even if we cannot establish which Gods favoured him, if any; or why, for that matter. There is still, however, a good chance of him being of great assistance to the Holy Alliance if his abilities are properly put to the test and utilised. As long as we figure out what they are.

The last sentence was more muttered than outspoken. In the meantime, the nobility could no longer contain themselves and everyone was clearly agitated.

-No magic? That's a scam!

-How can he be called a Hero?

-He's useless!

-We don't need someone who failed to receive the Gods’ blessing!

-Out with him!

I simply stood there, facing the comments and critiques thrown at me. I was surprised no one started throwing rotten tomatoes yet, or whatever their equivalent in this world was. Well, all of that was to be expected, of course. I was already informed how much magic means in this world. Still, being told all of this straight into my face still hurt quite a bit. To be treated like this without even being given a chance to prove myself and my true skill simply felt unfair to me. Especially that I didn’t even ask to come here in the first place.

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I glanced over at my students, who, at first being startled by the sudden uproar, were now starting to fume over how I’m being treated. Even Sethana and Lidia, the two more timid duo in the group, were starting to clench their fists. I raised my hand to try and stop them from doing anything rash but it seemed to not be enough. In a surprising turn of events, the person I least expected came to my rescue, the Head Priestess Alleya, was the one to step in front and gather the attention of the rowdy crowd and my students, stopping both in their tracks and likely preventing a full-scale bloodshed.

-Enough, everyone! Gods must have had a reason to send him here without a blessing. They often do work in ways strange and mysterious to us, regular humans. In our ignorance, we simply fail to understand their grand plan. I do not know what skills and traits Sir Edward here may possess but if the Gods did not believe him to be useful in our crusade against the Demon King, they would not have sent him here. Therefore, he will retain his title as a Hero and be treated with the same privileges and respect as the rest of the group. At least for the time being. Now, we have already established the order, dear kings of the Alliance, so let’s begin with the selection!

Her stepping in and “openly” supporting me did seem to calm down the nobility. On my side, most students let out a sigh of relief, glad that further hostilities were prevented and that I was still being officially recognised and won’t be simply kicked out the door. Only Kira, hotheaded as always, seemed disappointed that he wouldn’t get a chance to punch anyone in the face yet. Now, the Head Priestess turned towards us, or towards Lucas in particular, extending her arms to the side in a sign of a warm welcome… which seemed pretty comical given her small stature in comparison to that of my friend’s.

-First, as the head of the church and the representative of the whole Holy Alliance, I would like to request Sir Lucas to stay in the Holy City and support us directly. Given your abilities and general blessings, you would prove a great asset on the front lines and as a figurehead for our crusade. With the favour of all the Gods, you must have been chosen for this spot specifically and I trust no one sees it fit to oppose this.

A lot of the distinguished nobles sheepishly looked away. It was clear they very much wanted Lucas for themselves but it seemed they understood they already overstepped their boundaries and were too afraid to do so again. I guess this little girl did have much more power and influence in this Holy Alliance of hers than I gave her credit for originally if she could order the heads of other countries around like that. This didn’t bode too well for me either, though. She clearly hated my guts and only helped me out of a sense of duty, or to simply keep the order and get rid of me as soon as possible. Or she simply saw it as a chance to solidify her position again, as it looked like I did undermine it a little before. All these options seemed equally feasible.

Lucas looked down at her, then glanced around the room. When he rested his eyes on me, I simply shrugged. This was not my call to make, we already knew we would end up separated. Having him here, in the center of all this circus, would suit my interests best but I wasn’t about to make decisions for anyone anymore. At this point, my students had to choose for themselves what path they’ll follow. I could only help them travel alongside it and give some advice but the choice should be ultimately theirs.

-...alright, I will pledge my allegiance to you.

-Splendid. Now then, the next one is…

With the High Priestess scolding the nobles and putting them back in line, the few figureheads that stood out from the crowd started to select the Heroes that seemed most suitable for their countries, one each. The order in which they were choosing seemed to depend on the size and wealth of their kingdom and the amount of forces it could contribute to this crusade, with some debate happening on one occasion when a lesser kingdom pleaded to be allowed to take a selected Hero instead. My students looked a little uneasy at the prospect that they would have to separate going forward but they started promising one another that they will meet up and fight in the near future to test their strength and the whole incident went pretty much without a hitch. While they clearly still had some reservations and doubts, which were only to be expected from suddenly finding yourself in a completely unfamiliar space and separated from the only few people you know and trust there, they all seem rather enthusiastic about the prospect of learning new knowledge, exploring a vibrant fantasy world and training up their new-found powers. The only one seemingly panicked about the whole thing was Stach, the youngest and least confident of them all. I hope I’ll be able to meet up with him soon to make sure he’s doing okay and to reassure him if needed. Perhaps sending letters will be an option? Or perhaps was there some magic tool that allowed for conversing at long distances? I forgot to inquire how good the communications systems are in this world back when we talked with Tserkit.

Finally, I found myself being the only one left unchosen by any of the kings. After all the important people refused to take me under their wing, even the ones who have already chosen their Heroes were given a chance to pick me as well, and yet, despite pleas from my students, they also refused, including Alleya. It was honestly surprising how much of a prejudice there was against non-magic welding beings. Could racism be a huge issue in this world as well?

-My holy ladiness, if I may?

Suddenly, a voice of an old man sounded from the back of the crowd. The priestess rolled her eyes as if she was just forced to deal with someone she found very annoying but made sure her voice was still soft and kind.

-What is it, King Gurthan?

-If no one is interested in taking this boy, may I take him in as my vassal?

-Personally, I don’t really see how you can benefit from it… but if what the other Heroes claim is true, he might end up being helpful in developing the Frontier. So sure, please take him, if you want. It’s a problem off my back anyway.

-Thank you kindly, oh the most holy lady.

Getting the response he wanted, the old man immediately started walking in my direction. For someone branded as a king, he looked rather poor, his robe looked old and weathered, his hair was dark grey, his posture thin and weak, almost sickly. Yet, for some reason, coming my direction, he seemed full of life and vigour.

-Young Hero, I am Gurthan, a king of a small vassal country in the Frontier. I cannot offer you much for your assistance but I assure you that you will be treated most kindly. I will not allow anyone to discriminate against you because of your lack of magic.

-As long as I can get a roof over my head and some warm meal onto my plate, I don't need much more compensation for assisting you, your highness.

-No, you will be compensated properly for your efforts, I will make sure of it.

-It's alright. We can work out the details at a later date.

-My kingdom is a couple of days away by carriage, so we will have plenty of time to come to terms, I am sure of it. May we, however, leave as soon as possible? This old man is feeling rather anxious staying so far away from his home for so long.

-Of course. Just, please, give me one moment.

Without waiting for a response, I quickly turned around to once again face the crowd at large. I took a deep breath and shouted out, making sure every one of my students had a chance to hear me:

-My fellow Heroes! We might be separating today but the next time we meet, I expect to hear about the great deeds you all did! And as your teacher, I have the last assignment for you: keep on training yourselves and strive to control that new power you were all given. You’ll all have to pass a test next time we meet. I expect you all to give me a truly hard time!

-Yes, teacher!

I smiled when all the students gave me a loud reply and performed their silly salute, tapping their chests with their fits, to the general surprise and annoyance of the crowd. The few that happened to be standing at the edges of the gathering waved at me as I turned around. I rarely got sentimental but I could feel my eyes starting to tear up a little. I had to make sure my students see none of that, however.

-I'm ready, we can move out.

The old man nodded and we headed towards the main gate of the cathedral. Moving out of the crowd, two guards tagged alongside, pacing up to push the massive door open for us. As I walked out, I made sure to look extra cool for my students, even though personally I didn't care whatsoever about stuff like this. However, since I won't be seeing them for a while, I wanted to remain a confident figure in their memory, one to keep inspiring them to push forward and better themselves.

The smile I put on my lips was not a fake one, however. I had to admit, despite all the things I did not approve of and the unjust way I’ve been treated, the perspective of living in a world of swords and magic was still a thrilling one, albeit a slightly terrifying one too. And since there was no way for us to return anyway, at least for now, I might as well live my life here to my fullest. After all, even if I didn’t have any magic, there are sure ways which could help me become stronger too, so not all hope is lost.

An adventure awaits me, one full of hardships and obstacles, that's for sure. But I'm up to the challenge. I'll emerge victorious by my skill and cunning alone and prove to everyone that magic isn’t everything! I might be separating from my students today but I’m not giving up on my duty to protect them, which means I have to strive to become better myself, understand this world and adapt to it. And most importantly, I have to show that smug priestess and all of those foolish nobles how mistaken and blind they all are. Henceforth, I pledge here, on my own honour, to work my hardest and help this king, Gurthan, turn his country into the greatest one in the whole realm. Now, isn’t that something for a revenge?