All three of us slept in the same room to receive a healing after the ritual finished.

The pain could not be expressed by words. Somehow it felt better to be just died quickly like that “fourth hero”.

After the ritual, I received a black long dagger, around 30 centimeters long. Nana received a thick book, covered by animal skin and fur. Maybe that’s the so called magic book. William-san received a sand-colored sword made of rock. It looks sturdy, but I don’t know how strong it is.

Not long after that, the healing process finished. Then we summoned to the King’s Hall immediately.

“Now you will receive your weapon report.”

“What’s that? Is it like, weapon level, ability, or strength?”

“Yes. But, the results really make me disappointed.”

The King made a face like parents who discovered his son’s bad test scores.

“First, Kuroki-dono. You received three-star weapon levels. Your weapon is Night Heart Blade. It drastically raises your agility power, but also drastically decreases your strength and defense. The skills were undiscoverable. You should find it yourself. Basically, you are of no use in the battlefield and wars.”

“Before continuing, how strong is 3 stars?”

“It’s three out of ten.”

“U–uhh... okay.”

The genius me? Only three out of ten? Don’t make me laugh. I should be the main character in this kind of development. I had to proof myself useful. And what was undiscoverable? That means the ritual was useless, wasn’t it?

But just like in normal adventure stories, it’s normal that the main character received a weak status at first, but always somehow got a power up at the end. I still had a chance.

“Second, William-dono. You received four-star weapon, Terra Drive. It only upgrades the power of earth 50 meters around you. The skill you got was only Clay Transforming, to move the earth touched by that sword. It didn’t really useful against mages. But you can be our shield.”

“Wha––“ William also received a shock.

“Last, Yuuko-dono. You received nine-star weapon, Book of Kurishaten. You got unlimited Mana capacity while reading that book to activated your magic. There are 3,000 different spells in it. You will be our main force start right now. Be grateful.”

“Woow!!” Nana’s eyes sparkling, or so it seems.

“To think that I even lose to that maid girl. Damn it.” William received more shock, so I am.

“B–but, I cannot read any of these words. What language is this?”

“What do you mean?! When summoned, you should be received a basic knowledge about this world, including language. Don’t tell me, you are an idiot?”

––So that’s why we could speak with William-san, considering he’s from outside Japan. Then, our languages got translated immediately into this place’s language. That’s quite convenient. ––

“W–well, I’m not really smart, but not to the level of an idiot!”

“You didn’t receive even the basic knowledge can only meant that your brain capacity was very low. So you are also useless, then. Trash! What the hell was wrong with all these heroes I summoned!”

I just could not take that so called “King” anymore. I should just kill him right here right now. In my agitation, I put my blade in my right hand, and with this new agility gifted to me, I unconsciously reach behind the “King” and stab my blade into his back.

-- CLAANG!

My blade’s power was unable to break his armor’s defense. He was equipped in a metal armor inside his clothes.

“Hoo– What a fearsome agility you have there. If only you have the strength you need, it would be great. Come! You will put that ability of yours into use for me somehow.”

What the hell. And he’s just called me useless back then.

For now I’d just follow him. I should have more strength if I want to broke free.

“What about the others two, Your Highness?”

“For the shield, put him together with the scout army’s base. For the trash, put her onto the jail and you can do as you like. I have no use for her.”

“Understood!”

“E–eh?”

One of the guards then took William by force and four guards took Nana into other rooms with more force.

“Wa–wait! It hurts!”

“Silence!” The guards gave more force to pull Nana’s hands when she’s trying to fight back.

I panicky ran after her. But the King’s word stopped me. It’s more like I suddenly unable to move. It’s like he had a power of hypnosis with only his words and aura covering him.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I will not let anything bad happened to those two.”

“Who gave you the privilege to disobey me? You stay here. You will be given a test to determine your usefulness.”

“Tch––“

“……… Very well, if you successfully pass this test, your comrades will be freed. How about it?”

“You better take your words, old man.” I scowled at the King and turned myself and stood still in the corner while played around with my ‘Night Heart Blade’.

I’m worried about those two, especially Nana, but I can do nothing right now.

Then, after half an hour waiting in the King’s Hall, a short man in a rose-colored robe came inside the hall in suspicious manner.

“Finally you’ve come, Selazar. Now report your investigation!”

“Yes. Like I’ve said days ago, the King of Rukh Kingdom, Lord Adlaine, seemed he would visit the Fara Gate for the alliance meeting with the small kingdoms. I have investigated that post and it seemed to be an easy feat. Milord will not get any problem there. I can guarantee that much. But I could not find any trace of summoning hero magic there.”

“I see. You may go.”

The man in robe got out of the hall.

“Like you just heard, there will be alliance meeting between the Rukh Kingdom and his alliance. The King would be there by person. That could be our chance to annihilate him. I want you to guard me in case he already summoned some heroes.”

“Wait! That means Your Highness would also come by person?”

“Yes. Before a King, I was the strongest General in the whole kingdom. I myself would be enough against thousands of soldier. Even you would have no chance against me. You understand? It’s already this late, we will move tomorrow morning.”

“Alright then.”

After that, I asked the King things about heroes. Unfortunately, we could not go back to our world. What a God-class sorcerer he had. (By the way, if he was the strongest general and have God-class sorcerers, is there any need for a hero?). That meant I could not meet my little sister anymore. What should I do now? Would she able to manage herself without me? I also have to tell those two about this later.

Then about hero, there was no way for us to get stronger by leveling up like in RPG games, for there are no monsters roaming around or something like that. Basically, to get stronger, one has to train both his body and heart. Strong emotions also useful in improve our ability somehow. The only things that differs us heroes with the people of the lands were our compatibility towards legendary weapon and our gained skills or abilities here, so basically, we were not too different.

I wonder what I should do after all this finished. I might need to learn about this world soon after.

***

That night, inside a certain locked room, a girl sat and looked toward the moon. The room’s only furniture was a small old bed. Light only came from the small windows in one side of the wall and small firelight seen from the little hole in the door. The walls and floor made of thick metal, makes it very hot in the blazing afternoon sun.

There was nobody else beside her and maybe there would be no one to come.

The girl crying but there was nobody to hear her out.

“Why did this happen to me? Why not others? I just want to live my life peacefully.” she knew that complaining would not get her anywhere, but she just wanted to spell out her feeling.

It did not last her two hours until she finally feel asleep.

***

That boy was about to sleep after eat his meal that night. He’s on his way in a certain stone corridor that looked like a jail for criminals, but he was not a criminal. He’s just a certain unlucky boy who got teleported into a certain illogical world and without a way to going back.

(Damn it. I wonder how Saito-kun and Nana-chan doing after that. That two might be in danger soon, but I can only waiting idly here in the safety?)

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

No one knows, even himself, that soon after, there will be no place to be called safe in the whole Kingdom.

***

I got a normal sized room for me inside the castle tonight. The place’s quite neat with some furniture just like in a hotel (but of course, there was no TV here). But thinking that tomorrow, I shall proof my ability to the King, I cannot sleep as expected. Even this genius was also capable of feeling nervous.

Then I decided to try this newly gained agility of mine. I tried to get around the castle without seen. This place’s quite spacious, so I might need to remember the way.

Outside of my room, there were many other rooms like mine –– this place might be a dorm or some-thing like that for staffs –– No guard could be seen along the corridor. At one corner, I saw a stairs up where I came from. Outside would be the garden behind the castle building A (or at least, that’s what I call them, because there were three similar castle building.

When seen from the top, the three building connected by a T-shaped corridor with castle A as the center and the largest. Castle A contained of three floors, The King’s Hall before was in the first floor. Guards could be seen around the castle, but no one in building B and C. Thus I decided to enter castle A.

It looks like with my speed and my quick thinking, I can evade all the guards’ eyes. Just as I thought that, I successfully infiltrate the castle. As expected of me. I could not use any of my skills yet, so I had to keep running and hiding. The first floor’s only room was the Hall.

In the second floor, something unexpected happened. The only thing here was stairs. To go upstairs or downstairs. What the heck was that? As I could only think that, I continue to the third floor. There are four rooms, two in the left and two in the right.

The two rooms in the right was locked, so I guess one of it was the King’s room, but who was in the next room? One room in the left was empty, and one filled with mirrors and wardrobes. After unable to find another rooms, I quickly got outside.

(The castle should not that empty, there must be some magic at work to make the rooms hidden. Well, I’d go back for now.)

After ran around for about 1 hour and went back inside my room, I just realized not even one drop of sweat could be seen in my face. I didn’t even feel exhausted. I guess my stamina also rose quite a bit. I didn’t have my phone or watch with me, but from the moon’s position, I guess it should be about 11 by now.

I rest my body in the bed and slept after 2 hours.

The next morning, after ate my meals, I got summoned by the King.

It’s the time for the test.

The King, with black armor equipped, looked more like a cockroach than a knight. The King, together with me and 3 sorcerers marched into Fara Gate with horses.

***

I did not know why but suddenly, my brother’s body became black sand. This happen suddenly after he said his head feel ill. I don’t know what to do. I feel scared.

Scared of what was happened to my brother.

Scared of what would happen to me have my brother didn’t come back.

Scared of the possibility that my brother left his PCs on and because I didn’t know how to turn it off.

Scared of what she would do if the sand leave irremovable dent in the carpet.

Just as I got remembered that I left the stove on and scared that the water’s already boiled, suddenly my vision got dark. Then I feel my legs left the floor and there were nothing around me.

Then I lost consciousness.

When I got my consciousness back, I felt myself lying in the floor. The only difference is that it’s not the carpet that I familiar of; instead, it’s a brick stones.

“Welcome, young girl.”

Suddenly from behind, an old man’s voice could be heard. I turned my head and saw an old man with golden hair reached his shoulder wore an elegant silver armor.

“I am Lord Adlaine Rukhia, King of Rukh Kingdom.”

“O–ohh... Okay. Then, who am I?”

“Yes. You are… Wait, wasn’t that what you should tell me?”

“Eh, was it?”

“…” “……?”

“You–– don’t tell me you–– lost your memory?”

“Haa?? Of course not! Why should I lose it? I’m not a kid, you know?”

“E––ermm… Okay? That’s fine then.”

“Then, why did I get here?”

“Oh yeah. –––“

The old man keeps silent for a while and took a breath. He looks tired.

Then he explained everything starting from this world’s condition until the hero summoning. It looks like I became a hero of this world. I was worried about my brother’s condition, but now I have other things to be worried about. It might be, by any chance, brother also got summoned into this world just like me. That might be the best.

He also explained about Weaponitation Ritual. About how it extracting one’s soul into a shapes of weapon that most suited for one’s ability and identity.

––Maybe he thinks that I was stupid, but he always repeat each of his sentences, like how parents teach his baby how to talking. Well, that’s probably because of my fault. ––

After that, everything went quickly. I did a Weaponitation Ritual. It really hurts, I almost lost my consciousness. After got healed, he showed my ‘weapon’. It seems that I got an encyclopedia called ‘True Myth’. It said that I could summon any legendary creatures from myths. It might be that I got this book because I loved to read any fairy tales and legend books. I wonder if I could summon unicorn and rode it.

At that night’s dinner, the old man told me to go with him two days from now because of an important meeting would happen and he need me to protect him in case something happened.

“That’s why, it might be best if you try to strengthen your power by training. Try to summon something simple at first, so the impact if you fail can be minimized.”

“O–okay…”

After we finished the meals, one of his men sent me to my room. It’s only a small room. There was only one bed, one table, and a closet. I found some usable clothes inside the closet.

For now, I’d just think about the current event. I sat on my bed and immediately deep in thought. I felt like forgetting something important.

After a while, I feel tired and laid my body on the bed.

“That’s it!”

I raised my body just when I remember what I had forgotten. My faces full of cold sweat.

“……. I left the stove on…”

But after more thought, I could not come back home, so that’s not my problem anymore.

Then I feel asleep.

In my second day in this world, I train this new ability of mine.

I sat in a small garden full of flowers outside the fortress-like building where I was summoned. I brought my ‘encyclopedia’ with me. Just like yesterday, the book’s only contained blank page whenever I open it.

I close my eyes and think. Then I imagine a rabbits jumping across the garden. The rabbits have a white fur and red eyes. I also thought about other details like, the size, ear’s length, legs and nails, et cetera.

When I open my eyes, there were pictures of the rabbit I just imagine and some texts.

“Summon!”

I say just as the book said, and the pictures shined. And rabbits jumped in front of me. The summoning was perfect!

“Is this really this simple or I am just simply a genius like brother?”

Then I try other small animals. The process went smoothly. After a few hours (I think), I started to try summoning bigger animals. I successfully summoned an alcorn, eagles, elephant, and griffin (but immediately ran away). I did not find any problem with the process it seems.

The only mentioned problem was, the summoned creatures did not disappear even after a day has been passed. After my second day training, the garden’s already full of animals.

––Then, two days have passed.

“You know what you have to do, right?”

“Ye–yeah.”

“Then let’s go. You will use the carriage behind.”

“Okay…”

And here goes my first mission in this still unknown world.