Journeymen: Wandering Summons in the Apocalypse (Discontinued)

"Finally! Our years of experimentation has ended!" When the shout wrung my ears, I already knew I was being celebrated. "That'll say once and for all that our kingdom can also summon a hero! Ha… ha ha ha!"

I opened my eyes in the altar of the Halcyon Palace, the residence of the Grandise Kingdom's royal family.

The feeling was fuzzy, from enormous and uncontrollable burning─and then, cold and tranquil. Frigid, you could say, as if strolling at night in Kyoto by autumn and dressed in light garments. "It must be because I'm lightly clothed," I thought as I felt thin fabric wrap around my body, and I'm in a room with a really good air ventilation. Concentration of magical energy was at my core: my solar plexus glowed from inexplicable means. I conjecture it must have been because the magical object which hung me realized I was conscious. I was dropped down the ground, carelessly that I could complain but I didn't suffer extravagant damages otherwise.

A tale maniacal, and terribly disturbing, to say, I was this person who knew himself all too well.

Powerless and damned for not having a talent, cannot be swayed by platitudes, nihilistic to a fault, theoretically righteous to win an argument but inarticulate to prove himself.

Impulsive failure to taste what death means for the first time, Seikishi Murasakibara, has been, no doubt, summoned as a hero.

His Highness did say beforehand so you can't argue with me, you daft punk at the other side of the screen.

The inauguration took place by the year 908 adherent to the Imperial Calendar, late spring, but the elusive Snow Emperor's reign of terror─from an advent to freeze the world─has covered everything in ice. Sooner, I'd cower at the fear knowing this was the world's background but for the meantime, view the spectacle of my first day as a hero.

"Hail to thee, the author of the ancient records!"

His Highness, King Grandise had been nonchalant since the first second I was displaced out my temporal space.

I don't understand him. Not exactly brimming with the sensibilities of a king but rather, the eagerness of a child. For another, the image was the typical sight of an elderly wizard ready to take someone on an adventure. He wore white woven robe, the hood aback to fully show the face of the stereotypical vizier, or High Priest, but not otherwise the king.

He languidly turned to examine my looks. "And this summoned hero has good looks, too. We're in luck, my daughter Echidna!"

"Now, why do you sound like you summoned him? I did it! Father, please don't celebrate yet… looks like our hero is still dumbfounded, hup!" Her Highness scolded in the background, then hurriedly went onto my corner. "You should get to your toes, Sir Seikishi Murasakibara."

I ought to ask how did she know my name, but the person was my summoner. Quick on the uptake, I praise myself, but bear in mind I'm no narcissistic twat.

Like her father, Her Highness wore a ceremonial white robe evidently heavy in fabric, the hood cast aback. This person is incredibly beautiful─I couldn't possibly describe her with my half-witted descriptive prose. Her compassionate eyes looked at the downtrodden physique, about ready to assist my shaky feet to stand. I haven't met a westerner before so it's conflicting pinpointing what European country matches her the most. I may know culture but not physical traits and those evident human features like voice and accent. I'm only aligned in terms of her hair colored in fantasy platinum hue, there was no doubt it was a different world.

It makes me a pervert looking at her chest for reference, but I won't lie they're ample for my hands to… hmm, she's lacking in terms of the posterior.

I took her hands, savoring their smoothness, and stood the way she expected. Alongside her pace.

I'd not only got the gist of things─but synchronized horribly fast with the spectacle. If I'd mistaken the synchronization, perhaps I'd been at the stage of chaos: like being tempted to think through the unfolding events staring deep into space if I'd been either abducted by aliens, or been thrown in federal prison. Say, chaos to overlay would be more imminent, but something like a portal fantasy is off-based for a vampire─a deliberated fantastical creature─whose unruled from modern society. I walked into the sun drawing from curiosity, and I'd arrive to the dreams of each and every geeks: talk about funny, like it spurs jealousy to the end of their event horizons.

"Uoh! Seikishi Murasakibara! From the same clan as what the Ghratellian's summoned!"

His Highness excited himself at the mention of my name: and endeared my ears to know I wasn't the first one to be summoned. Not that I have any problems about it, and I was one to think I wasn't anything special. If there were others, good for them. I sincerely hoped they were the dreamers and not some accidental hogwash in my name.

"We got ourselves a haul. This calls for a banquet! Ha-ha… ha ha ha ha!"

"Father, you're scaring him off. Why don't you laugh somewhere else and burst until you had your fill?"

Her Highness has polite words for someone whose vexed.

"Aha… ha ha ha! I beg your pardon. I can't help it, I'm just overly happy right now, I can't contain myself! Wha… ha ha ha!"

I know that both you and me will come to hate his laughing pattern. Squarely annoying: he laughed crazy into the madman persona─his face suggested he just sold out tons of pickaxes during the gold rush.

I opted to speak for myself.

"Can you please explain to me what is happening right now?" I stood up, rather with my voice to have asked them in the nicest way I possibly can.

In courtesy to vampire rule, I knew full well how monarchies worked. If I defied statuses here, even if I was a summoned "hero", I could lose my life─even if I could regenerate, only the almighty overseer knows what methods of obliteration they have given it's another world.

By then, they both looked at me, ironically, like hungry vampires in sight of a solitary human out in the woods.

At a passage of moment, the princess cleared herself the discourtesy towards her rambunctious parent and moved a fair distance apart from my position. She bowed courteously, whereas His Highness articulately followed along: ironically painted in his face the elation of a lowly peasant who won the lottery worth more than his kingdom.

"We're very sorry for frolicking around, Seikishi Murasakibara."

Both noble bloods bowed in front of a failure persona. I don't know how far they know about my identity that it's wrenching the neurons albeit little.

"Please, save our world from the Ice Emperor's loneliness."