*King Melis' POV*
The scene is uneventful. The otherworlder is taking his sweet time, walking forward one step at a time. Though I couldn't blame him. The pope's words are indeed intimidating. I can see why he is hesitant.
He has a deep look on his face every time he steps forward. I hope Aust is not thinking of backing away. However, this didn't make him seem cowardly; instead, it made him seem cautious.
I just don't understand what's there to think about. Just walk forward and receive the blessing. However, I couldn't rush the otherworlder. It didn't matter if he took his time. Soon, he will reach the stone statue.
With the Hero's Garb, his mind will not break, but that doesn't mean it will not be scarred. Imagining the otherworlder losing his spirit makes my heart bleed. Our first otherworlder will become a waste because of the cruelty of the Hero's Blessing. However, this is necessary as per the sages and the church had advised.
The Hero's Blessings are naturally painful to weed out the unworthy. Although it took the human race centuries to summon an otherworlder, we can just summon another as we have cracked the spell. It would take a lot of resources again, but since the Elithia Kingdom has proven itself, the other nations and the church will provide their support.
Otherworlder Aust, even if you will not receive the Hero's Blessing, please tolerate the pain and provide us with more information so that your sacrifice will not be in vain!
As I was silently praying for the success of Aust, I noticed the sword statue crack as if it was shedding its skin to reveal its true form. At the same time, I noticed the pope's reaction to the change. It was as if he was not expecting this.
We all should be on the same playing ground, fully ignorant of the Hero's Blessing, as this was the first time it was activated for the otherworlder to receive. However, the pope's reaction is interesting. It was not just that he was surprised as we are, but it was as if the pope was expecting something, only for something else to happen. Does the pope know more than he let on?
While my attention was on the pope, the otherworlder sped up until he reached the sword statue. Finally, he will accept the Hero's Blessing. Come on, Aust, do not let us down!
What happened next went against our expectations–
The otherworlder stepped onto the platform of the sword statue and took its hilt. Easily, he pulled the sword out and shook off the dust. There was a flash of bright light that enveloped the hall, and it condensed towards the sword as it shone like the sun.
Aust lifted the sword and looked at it with pride. With a swing, a roar was produced, and the light exploded. The light was accompanied by immense pressure. Many fell onto the ground, while some fainted right there. Even I, at the Creation's Limit, felt slightly shaken. No wonder others couldn't stand it.
Wait, did Aust succeed just like that? He walked up and pulled the sword.
Otherworlder– no. Hero Aust… we called him Hero Aust earlier to increase his confidence in taking the Hero's Blessing, but now that he received it and took the sword, he had earned that title.
A Hero has been born.
Hero Aust looked at us with a calm and confident look. This man is special. What did he do not to face the overwhelming pain that's alongside the trial? However, that's no longer a matter of worry.
I glanced at the pope and saw another surprising scene. The pope's jaw dropped as he looked at the hero with pure disbelief.
My eyelids dropped as my suspicions increased. However, I cannot act on that suspicion first, and most importantly, Aust has successfully received the Hero's Blessing. Yet, the place is too quiet. There is disbelief and also, and there are too many people who collapsed from the sword's presence.
'... Wait, it was too sudden that it just sank within me, 'The Hero's Blessing was a success?'
I already knew the answer, but just couldn't believe it. I looked at the scene again. Hero Aust wields the Sword of Victory. It is true!
The more reality sank within me, the more excitement rushed throughout my body. It just took one try!
Out of pure joy and excitement, my voice exploded out of me, "Hero Aust has done it!" I raised both fists like a child, "Hero Aust has pulled out the Sword of Victory! The Elithia Kingdom has produced the first Hero of the Human Race!!"
My voice reverberated in the hall and further shook everyone.
"The Hero has pulled it!"
"This will go down in legends!"
"I am fortunate to have witnessed this!"
There was an immediate uproar. After that, another feast was held. This time, it was bigger. It was not just to warm the otherworlder up and welcome him, or to celebrate the first successful summoning magic. Now, the feast is for celebrating the birth of the first Hero.
I was drowning in ecstasy that I forgot about the pope. He excused himself and promised not to tell a soul except the upper cardinals of the church. I no longer gave him much thought. Tonight, we drank to our hearts' content!
*Aust's POV*
Today was a tiring day. I was suddenly summoned to this world and took the Hero's Blessing ceremony in a single day. That alone was tiring enough, not to mention the two celebrations, which took a toll on my social battery.
I took up the king's advice to rest early. That's why I left the party early. His tone of voice was more polite as well, I noted.
Fortunately, I have my own room prepared with Maria as my guide. She looked at me with more reverence than before, and I felt a bit uncomfortable. It's like she was afraid to get close to me in fear of tainting me.
My bedroom was a surprise, even when I was already expecting something grand. It was half as big as the apartment floor, not the apartment room, I had back then on Earth!
"Thank you for your service, Maria. I'll take it from here."
Maria deeply bowed and left the room. As soon as the door closed, I ran onto the king-sized bed and rolled around. While I was physically and mentally tired, there was still a lingering excitement within me.
I sat by the bed and called upon the Sword of Victory. From my hand, its hilt appeared out of nowhere, and then to the tip of its blade. It was a real magic sword that I was able to call and retract at will.
Fuck! How can I sleep with my heart thumping this hard!?
There was a huge goofy smile on my face that I couldn't erase. My facial muscles are even getting tired from keeping it. I have been restraining my expressions earlier, but now that I am alone, I couldn't help but giggle.
I called upon and retracted the magic sword a few times. When I swung it once, it was as if heavy boulders collided with each other and produced a crackling sound. I have a feeling that if I hit a rock with this sword, it will explode from energy that's coming out of nowhere, instead of being cut. It's like a hammer, not a sword, isn't it?
Well, I don't care. I love the feeling of power it produces.
Soon, my excitement faded down. Thinking back to the stories I've read, could I do other things? Like, for example–
"Status"
I called out, expecting a virtual screen to appear in front of me. But there's nothing, not even a voice or vision in my head.
"Appraise"
Nothing.
"System?"
Still nothing. I guess it's not that convenient like how the usual stories go. Tomorrow, I will learn more about magic and its nature. Now that my energy has died down, I'm feeling drowsy. It's already way past midnight.
When I lay down, my consciousness easily drifted. I hope they don't wake me up early. I want to sleep well tonight.
Not long after, against my wishes, I was suddenly woken up by a flash of light.
Come on. What is it this time? I'm getting tired of being surprised by flashes of light!
I looked down to see the source of the light. Familiar magic circles rotated beneath me. The next moment, I was teleported out of the room. It was just a blink of an eye when the surroundings shifted.
From the bed to a chair, no… a throne? I'm now sitting on a throne. In front of me was a spacious yet somber hall. It was dark, and only the moon brought light into the hall. Creepily enough, the moonlight was tinged red. The faint red moonlight was not enough to completely illuminate the hall, filling most of it in shadow.
Where am I? I was afraid that the magic circle would bring me back to Earth. That will be the greatest disappointment and frustration I will ever have. Letting me taste the sweetness of another world, only to bring me back.
But this doesn't seem like Earth.
While I was wondering where the hell I was, I felt a shake in the ground. From the end of the hall, a tall and bulky figure arrived. It was humanoid, but not much. Every step it makes proclaims the metal it is wearing. On its head were two coiling horns and long, wild hair.
Stepping out of the shadow, this figure revealed itself to have reddish skin, like that of the red moonlight. The figure was covered with heavy armor from neck to toe, except for its large, masculine abs. If I had such majestic abs, I would show them like that too.
However, most surprising of all was a pair of mounds on its chest. When the figure revealed its face, I was able to confirm that it was a female 'person'. She looked at me with an intense gaze, and I couldn't help but be internally intimidated. This gal seems almost 8 feet tall! She's huge!
Furthermore, she's moving around like the bulky armor around her doesn't weigh anything. She's a big strong momma!
Hmmm… red skin and horns on the head. Yeah, this is a typical demon design. I think it's a fair assumption that she's a demon. I felt like I knew who she was somehow.
While I was briefly lost in thought, the tall female demon dropped to her knees and shouted, "Welcome to Thauteria, Demon Lord!"
WHAT!