Chapter 2: Conflict of interests
[Location: Castle Throne Room - Kingdom of Tevell]
An uncomfortable silence took over the throne room after my almost instant response, it took a few seconds to see how everyone present assimilated my response, it was the king's voice who ended up breaking this silence.
-King Robert: Wha...wha...what...did you say...!?
Slowly backing up to sit on his throne, King Robert was certainly not expecting this response, it was visible as his face disfigured from a calm expression to a completely shocked surprise with his eyes wide open.
-Masato: I wasn't clear enough? i refused me to be the Hero.
-Edmond: B... b... but why do you say that!? Didn't you understand what it means to be the Hero?
The chancellor who showed a facial expression similar to the king's did not seem to understand my words even though I repeated them twice.
-Edmond: Ho... how can you refuse to be the Hero?
-Masato: (Sigh)...why should I accept something like that so suddenly?
I looked at the chancellor who looked stunned and confused as if he really expected him to accept this so calmly.
-Masato: I was about to do something very important for my life in my world and you dragged me here, to your "world" without even asking me, and expect me to risk my life just because you decided to call me a Hero? don't fuck me!!
Clearly I had to show my anger, these guys dared to take an ordinary person like me out of their world, taking him away from his home, his friends and family just for something so selfish.
-Masato: I'm a normal guy, I'm not physically strong, I've never been in a fight and I've spent my entire school life focused on my studies and my future, how exactly did you think that someone ordinary like me would save your world? huh!?
I looked at the chancellor with a withering look, full of rage and anger, I couldn't believe the situation I was in or rather the one they dragged me into, the chancellor got nervous almost as if he didn't know how to answer my questions.
-Edmond: Well...well...the...the book...the book with...with the summoning ritual t...talked about a ble...blessing.
You could see the chancellor's face starting to sweat with nerves as he panicked, he reached into his clothes and pulled out an old book that he had clearly seen better days and began flipping through.
-Masato: Really? How exactly does that blessing work? What does that blessing do? And above all, if I'm in another world, how the hell do we speak the same language!?
-Edmond: Well...well...this...about...about the language...the...the ritual, the ritual...adjusts the language of the...of the invoked for. ..for easy communication...
"How convenient..."
-Edmond: But... but about the blessing...
The chancellor continued leafing through the old book trying to give an answer, but seeing how he continued leafing through and his look looked despairing, he clearly did not find a clear answer.
-Edmond: The... the book... no... ehh... it's not very clear... about what blessing is bestowed... or about how... well... how to use it.. ..
-Masato: Ughh....just one more thing.
Clearly these guys hadn't planned this whole summoning thing well, they were just a bunch of idiots waiting for someone else to solve their problems.
-Masato: why me?.....why of all the people who maybe and I say "maybe" would be happy with this situation, was I the one they summoned?
The chancellor closed the book and tucked it into his clothes once more, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to regain his composure, then he looked at me.
-Edmond: The summoning ritual has certain parameters so as not to bring in people with evil in their hearts or those who have bad intentions, instead of focusing on physical abilities or talents, the ritual summons someone whose heart has strong determination and a unbreakable will.
He talked about the parameters of the ritual, about how the heart of the person who is invoked measures, somehow those descriptions defined me, but why? are there not more people in my world with those same traits?
"Seriously, what's wrong with these people?"
My father, who is a writer of novels, told me about how a new genre was gaining strength, about boys who were transported or died and were reincarnated in another world, I had certainly heard of them and by chance I saw some of those series on television, but generally they were otakus who spent their days playing video games and manga or office men who tragically got hit or killed saving someone, I didn't fit in any of those forms, but being summoned here for being someone who doesn't give up and fights to achieve their goals? this was clearly a bad joke.
-Masato: Well.....that's it.....I won't do it anyway, send me back to my world and find someone else who wants this because clearly I don't want it.
The chancellor's expression changed from serious to worried, he looked at me and then at the king who rubbed his temple with his hand, clearly there was something that didn't add up.
Masato: You can... you can send me back... right?
The chancellor looked at me and slightly bowed his head.
-Edmond: I...I'm sorry...the book doesn't specify a way to reverse the summoning.
-Masato: You guys are...fucking me right?...
I clenched my teeth while clenching my fists tightly, I couldn't believe how stupid these guys were, not only had they dragged me into this world by force, but they weren't able to send me back, they were telling me that I couldn't go back. my world, my home, that I would no longer see my friends, that I would no longer be able to go to the university that I so wanted to go to, that all my school efforts were in vain, I would no longer be able to listen to my father's stories about his new novels , I would no longer be able to eat the delicious food my mother prepared for me with so much love every time I got a good grade in school, I would no longer hear the cheerful voice of Kaoru who ran to welcome me every time I returned home, now all that he disappeared only because of the wish and stupidity of a King who obviously did not think about the consequences of his actions.
-Masato: ..all...all of you are.....ARE SUCH BIG IDIOTS!!!
My great cry full of anguish and anger resounded throughout the throne room, everyone present reacted in surprise to the cry, the chancellor took a few steps back, everyone looks at me as I slightly raised my fists and looked at both the king and the chancellor with hate and rage.
-Masato: What the fuck do you expect me to do now? you take me out of my life and drag me into this world to save the asses of a lot of people I don't know, because you can't do it yourself and...and...YOU ARE NOT EVEN ABLE TO SEND ME BACK!!?
I had never lost my cool before, I had always been a calm person who kept a cool head in the face of stressful moments but this certainly got the better of me, well anyone I think, someone with enough common sense would feel the same as me, it felt like the temperature of my body increased, as tears of sadness and anger accumulated under my eyes but another scream resounded in the room.
-King Robert: That's enough!!
The king's scream scared both the chancellor and the girl next to him as well as the guards who were in the room, I looked at that king with eyes full of rage and who also saw me with eyes that were not pleased.
-King Robert: Enough of these games, our world is in danger and do you start crying for not being able to return to your home?
-Masato: What did you say!?
How dared he say such a thing? I took a few steps towards the king quite enraged by his words and the moment I approached the king the hall guards came a little closer with weapons in hand, no longer seeing me as "The Hero "if not as a threat to their king, but before they got any closer, the king raised his hand in command and the guards stopped and returned to their posts.
-King Robert: The lives of countless innocents are at stake and whether you like it or not you are the only hope for them, this is not something we decided, it was fate who chose you to be the Hero, so fulfill that destiny boy .
He leaned back on the trellis of the throne while he rested his hands crosswise on his legs and stared at me, his words no longer sounded like a request, now this was an order from the king.
-Masato: I'm not going to...
He was frustrated, what fate or anything, he just wanted a soldier with superpowers to do his job and then take the glory as if he had done all the work, he knew it, I could see it in his eyes, this whole hero thing didn't It was more than a cheap excuse to make everyone believe that he was a great king who helped the world by sending a young man from another world to risk his life for his, sitting on his throne feeling superior to everyone while others they must kiss his feet when all he has to do is move his hand and give orders, I was ready to spit his truths on him and at this point I didn't care about everything, if I'm going to die anyway in this world I won't do it without kicking and screaming until my last breath is spent... but...
-????: Stop it please!
A female voice diverted attention, the girl next to the king, with brown hair, a slender body and fine skin, wore an elegant white dress that covered from her breasts to her feet, gloves that reached almost to her shoulders, a pearl necklace and a tiara on her head and who until now had merely been quiet and watched had broken her silence.
-????: Father, please you must understand how he must feel.
-King Robert: Marina...?
(Marina Belmont -Princess of Tevell- 16 years)
The girl called the king "Father", well that removes the unknown about her and that's why it was already something to feel sorry for her for having a father like that, but what caught my attention is that she was the only one who really I thought about how I felt at that moment.
-Princess Marina: From the beginning I was against the summoning ritual and this is the reason, this man is going through something very difficult right now, his anger and rage are understandable and forcing him to be the Hero will only worsen the state on him.
-Edmond: Princess, what are you trying to say?
-Princess Marina: Just think for a moment, Father, how would you feel if I was forced to go to another world? Knowing that you won't be able to see me again just because was the fate?
The king listened attentively to the words of his daughter, lowered his head while his face showed an expression of anguish when thinking about the imaginative situation of his daughter.
-King Robert: I...I couldn't bear it, not being able to see you again would be more painful than losing my kingdom...(sigh)...
Everything seems that the princess had made him see reason, the king remained in that state while the princess turned his gaze towards me.
-Princess Marina: Masato, I'm very sorry about the situation that my father and the chancellor put you and although from the bottom of my heart I wish that you can return to your home, it is just as the chancellor said, there is no clear way to send you back.
I don't know how, but at that moment Marina's words managed to calm my anger even a little, could it be because she really understands my situation? Or maybe it was simply out of compassion from her heart, I didn't know the reason why.
-Masato: (sigh) Don't worry, it's not your fault.....
I scratched my head trying not to make eye contact with her, it wasn't her fault right but regretting it wouldn't fix things, shit I was so pissed off that I just wanted to hit someone but that would only serve to calm down the anger I still felt a bit .
-Princess Marina: Maybe that old book doesn't have the method to send you home, but there is a place where maybe you can find it.
-Masato: huh!?
That single sentence made me regain hope, that maybe I wouldn't be stuck here forever, that I could see my family and my home again, just being able to return to my world would already be satisfying.
-Princess Marina: The Arcane city of Gainsworth in the kingdom of Drolum, is the point where the greatest magical knowledge of the planet is concentrated, magicians from all over the world go to that place to learn and perfect their spells, it also has the Ancient Library of Gainsworth and the Academy of Magic, if there is a way for you to return home, that is undoubtedly your best option.
"Magical knowledge? Are you talking about magic? Sure, I should have imagined it with all this ritual and hero stuff, but I'll have to travel to another kingdom to get there... I don't know why I thought this would be easy"
-Masato: I understand, but exactly how will I get there? I say, will you take me? or something like that?.
-Edmond: After all this you hope that-
-Princess Marina: Chancellor please stay out of it.
-Edmond: Prin...Princess?
Before the chancellor finished claiming me, Marina stopped him and put him aside, he had no choice but to back off and keep quiet, he didn't expect her to have such a character, well, being the princess the old chancellor couldn't complain either.
-Princess Marina: The only thing I can do for you is give you what my father was supposed to give you before starting your journey as a Hero.
The princess looked at one of the guards who was near her and was holding something in her hands, she nodded and the guard approached me, in her hands was a sword and a leather bag.
-Princess Marina: This sword would be the one you would use on your journey to fight the demons, but now you can use it for your journey to Gainsworth for protection, also that leather bag contains 100 gold pieces that will serve you for what you need.
-Edmond: Prin...princess! You can't be serious! That sword and money are supposed to go to the Hero who will save our world!
Marina limited herself to just giving the chancellor a withering look, who quickly felt intimidated and turned to his king for help.
-Edmond: Ma... Majesty, please say something! You can't allow this to continue!
-King Robert: …
The king didn't say a word, he didn't even bother to see the chancellor, he remained in the same position as before, almost as if leaving total control of the situation to his daughter.
-Princess Marina: I'm sorry I can't do more for you, nothing more than to wish you luck on your trip and that Divinity protects and guides you.
I took the sword, I hang it on the back and I put the leather bag in my suitcase, after that the princess raised her hand and the guards opened the door of the throne room, look for the last time to the princess, I nodded my head in gratitude and headed for the exit.
"Maybe that wasn't the best outcome I expected when I left my house this morning, my plan was just to take the entrance exam and now I'm in another world looking for a way to return home... without doubt that the truck hit me would have been the best thing that could have happened to me today...".
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone