Comfort

Eight people sat in that room.

At the head of the table was the long black-haired man. Clearly, he was the head of this group.

To his right was a long white-haired woman. Noticing her, Sorin glanced at the woman sitting at his own right side, Elara. He blinked after seeing a lot of similarities between them.

Are they... sisters?

Twins...?

To the man's left was Grandpa Henry, who had calmly sat back down. And then, there were three other people.

The first one Sorin noticed was the man sitting on his left side. His hair was golden blonde, and so was his eyes. He looked young, close to his age.

Since Sorin walked in, he had noticed this blonde man smiling casually, and the smile never left his face.

Beside Elara was a man. He looked a bit older but less than thirty years old. His skin was tanned, and he had a thick beard, like a sailor.

And the last one was a gorgeous dark-skinned woman who smiled at him when he glanced at her.

"Sorin Adler, I take it as you've received enough explanation from our daughter. Before we start, do you have any questions?" the man in the leading position asked.

Sorin didn't immediately answer. And when he opened his mouth, he sensed the weight of everyone's gaze fixed upon him.

"I think even if my curiosity bothers me, I would forget everything ever happened once it all ended, right?" Sorin asked.

Yes, he actually wanted to know about the secret of this world. He longed to understand the true nature of the people sitting around him. He... felt obligated to know.

But.

He had worked hard all his life to be a normal member of society.

"So you've chosen," the long black-haired man glanced at Elara. He guessed that Sorin's determination might be supported by her encouragement.

"That's too bad..."

Sorin turned at the sudden sweet voice coming from the white-haired woman beside the long black-haired man. She raised her hand to prop her cheek with an elegant motion, exposing her milky white skin under her flowy sleeve.

"It has been quite a while since the last sovereign had been chosen. And your power is quite terrifying too. We would appreciate some new talent," the woman said.

Sorin immediately realized that everyone in this room probably already knew most of his predicament except his identity. It was as if he faced experts of their realm.

"Don't forget that he's just a kid, Madamme," Grandpa Henry suddenly reminded. "He had his life ahead of him."

"But Mama is right, though?"

Sorin flinched at the man who was sitting to his left. The blonde man. What...? Mama?

"We desperately need a new talent," the blonde man reiterated.

Sorin narrowed his eyes. That white-haired woman was... Mama?

"Brother, the choice is still in his hands. It's true that he's chosen, but he also had the right to choose!" Elara defended him.

"I agree," the dark-skinned woman chirped in. "We all chose to be here, to be Sovereigns. So he also had the right to choose."

"BAH!" the bearded man roared. "After getting such power, no real man would avoid the responsibility that follows! All of us chose to be here because we're brave and preferred by the heavens!"

"Brother, calm down."

The leader's deep, solemn voice resonated like an alert, instantly silencing everyone in the room.

Even though he looked younger than the bearded man, Sorin could see that he was absolutely more authoritative than the other.

"Papa," Elara broke the silence gently. "Can we please beg the heavens to set him free?"

The leader smiled at Elara, but this time, it was a bit more mischievous than the previous smile. "You like him so much, aren't you?"

Elara jolted. Her face was suddenly reddened.

"Oh, my, you're right, hohoho..." the white-haired woman beside him joyfully added, realizing the fact.

"Mama, Papa, please..." Elara sighed. "He was just a normal guy two days ago."

Sorin glanced around. Everyone looked calm as they waited for the leader's decision. And that was the moment he felt something coming to him.

[DING!]

[New quest!]

[The Prelude of the Saga!]

Quest Rank: [Tutorial]

Accept Quest?

[Accept] [Decline]

"We have concluded that half of us want him to stay and help this world. While the other half feels like it is his choice to leave," the leader said.

Sorin widened his eyes.

"Please give us more chances to persuade you to join us," the man proposed. "Sorin Adler, take three days to understand our ways and the truth of this world."

It was only fair for them because he was really needed.

"After three days, you can choose for yourself whether it would be a worthy fever dream to live through or not."

Sorin clenched his hands.

He didn't know why it was such a tempting offer. Was it like the bearded man said after knowing part of the truth and receiving the power, one would start to be swayed by the sense of responsibility?

Sorin muttered. "But I have a job... I have a life. For three days… and I had to inform them that I'm… alive."

"Don't worry about that. The heavens would help you go back to your normal life if you so desire," the man said. "If it comes to worst, I will personally help you put food on your table even after you forget about everything."

"That is fair," Grandpa Henry muttered. "You can choose, Sorin."

Sorin's clenched fist loosened. For the first time in his life, he felt a sense of control. Weirdly, in the middle of such big uncertainty, he felt comforted by these people's calm and considerate judgment.

For him, who grew up miserable, surviving with the shorter end of the stick he received, he had never offered options before.

Yet today... in a room full of strangers, he felt at ease.

He raised his head, staring straight at the man's crimson eyes. The man, who sat a long table away from him, noticed his newfound determination.

"I understand. I will take your offer."

[Accept!]