Meeting The King

In the end, everyone agreed to join this world's war, though most of the students likely had little understanding of the true nature of war, and perhaps preferred not to even contemplate it. It seemed as if they were seeking an escape from reality, a way to preserve their sanity. At least, that's what Kelly tried to convince himself.

Unbeknownst to the others, Lotario had been discreetly observing Agawa during his speech, carefully noting his reactions to specific words. Agawa, known for his strong sense of justice, had swiftly responded to Lotario's mention of the tragedy suffered by humanity. Clearly, Lotario had seen through Agawa's character, recognizing his influential position within the group.

'Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything different from the head of a global religious institution. But damn, he really makes me want to punch him in the face. How do they expect a bunch of kids like us, with zero experience, to make a difference? Don't they realize the absurdity of it all?'

"Excuse me! If you don't mind, can I ask you something."

Kelly abruptly stood up from his seat and asked the pope. The Pope nodded, and everyone looked at the direction of Kelly in unison.

"How are we supposed to fight them? After all we are just regular students"

"You heroes are humans from a world greater than ours, and therefore carry within you strength that surpasses the humans of this world so, don't worry I assure every one of you is stronger than even 100 demons especially you Great hero"

Lotario said as he pointed towards Agawa and continued.

"Your strength far surpasses any being on this continent. I am sure you are even stronger than the demon king" everyone visibly became excited knowing they have powers now which can only be a fantasy in their world.

'Ohhh, well that solved one mystery and why Agawa felt like he could leap over a mountain and why I feel so much stronger now.'

Kelly spoke again after the pope was done flattering the hero.

"And now the most important thing, how can we return to our world."

Most students with hope in their eyes stared at the pope but the pope frowned when the topic of them returning to their world came up even though some of the students didn't like the idea.

"….."

Kelly waited but no response came anxiously he spoke again.

"Well, answer me you do realize we all have family back home waiting for us."

"….."

Still, Lotario didn't answer as Kelly was about to lose his patience when a voice visibly frustrated answered him.

"What are you on about, Kamimura?" The frustrated voice lashed out; its tone filled with disbelief. "You do realize the fate of this world depends on our shoulders. How can we leave these people here unprotected? Don't tell me you're scared and wimping out."

"Yeah, after all, we are the HEROES," Daichi chimed in, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "We were called here for that. If we won't save them, then who will?"

Kenji rose from his seat, his voice filled with determination. "He's right. We are this world's last hope," he proclaimed, rallying the support of the students. Among them, Hiroya's anger boiled over, his voice resonating with frustration. "We know you're a coward. If you don't want to fight, just say so. You can stay here safely if you want."

The room crackled with tension as opposing views clashed, each student firm in their convictions.

Yeah, right, like I can stay here without helping them. Who knows what will they do to me after all I am not the Great Hero.

"Are you not going to participate in the war? Even when your companions might face danger without you?"

The pope's fierce gaze bore into Kelly, expecting his compliance. Kelly weighed his options, aware that refusing to fight might not lead to immediate consequences due to his association with the Great Hero. However, he also recognized the importance of gathering information and gaining support in this unfamiliar world. Survival relied on understanding the situation and securing necessary resources. With a careful choice of words, Kelly responded, ensuring his commitment to participate in the war.

"No, I believe there has been a misunderstanding. I apologize for any confusion caused. Rest assured, I am fully committed to joining this war and offering my assistance."

The Pope once again wore his satisfied smile and spoke sweetly again.

"Then, please come with me I am sure the King would be very pleased to hear that."

Kelly and others once again followed after Lotario, they exited the building they were in which was the biggest church in the whole continent, apparently church and Armenia Kingdom had very close ties —according to legend, it is said that the Kingdom was founded by the first Holy King. Of all the human kingdoms, it was apparently the one with the richest history. The fact that the Church's most sacred temple was near the Castle spoke volumes about how deep their connection ran.

As Kelly and others gawked at the huge church behind them, Lotario looked on proudly before urging them to move onward. They walked through a lavish yard whose both sides were filled with flora and fauna which were only imaginable in prehistoric earth noticing all of this everyone once again became overwhelmed, finally they went inside that majestic castle it was made up of the same white stones as the church with even more grandiose added to.

As they made their way through the bustling castle grounds, the students couldn't help but notice the gazes of admiration and curiosity from the knights, servants, maids, and government officials they passed. It seemed that news of their arrival had spread, and the people recognized them as the chosen heroes. Kelly couldn't help but find the attention and admiration rather theatrical, as if the whole journey had been meticulously orchestrated to emphasize the role of the church in their arrival.

Kelly's sardonic smile hinted at his skepticism towards the grand display. It was clear that the priests accompanying them sought not only to showcase the heroes but also to elevate their own status in the eyes of the fervent believers. The ostentatious nature of the procession was likely intended to inspire worship and devotion towards both the heroes and the church itself. Kelly couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and wariness at the orchestrated spectacle unfolding before them.

As Kelly pondered upon the history books he had read, he couldn't help but draw parallels between their current situation and the intertwined relationship of religion and politics in their world's history. The Crusades that started around 1095 B.C., which occurred centuries ago, were a stark example of the tragedies that could unfold when religious beliefs became entangled with political agendas. Even in their modern world, conflicts arising from the mixing of religion and politics continued to plague societies, leading to civil wars and the rise of extremist groups. Considering the existence of supernatural beings and the constant threat of demons in this new world, Kelly couldn't help but wonder if it was even more twisted than their own. The reliance on faith and belief in the existence of God and the church seemed to be deeply ingrained in the people's minds, possibly to the point where the entire Kingdom revolved around the will of God or the church. The consequences of straying from their faith in this world could potentially drive people to the brink of insanity.

As these thoughts swirled in Kelly's mind, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that they were walking into a world where the lines between religion, politics, and the supernatural were blurred, and the consequences of such entanglement could be far-reaching and unpredictable.

Kelly and the others were escorted to the throne room. The hallways they passed on their way were every bit as ostentatious as the temple had been. Lotario and the party of heroes finally found themselves standing before a pair of massive double doors, into which numerous beautiful designs had been engraved. Two guards were standing at attention on either side of the door, and they loudly announced the group's arrival to whomever was waiting within. Then, without waiting for a reply, they swung the doors open.

Lotario leisurely passed through the entrance, clearly at ease. All of the students timidly followed behind him, with the exception of Agawa and his friends, who were seemingly unaffected by the splendor surrounding them. Within the room stretched a long red carpet that ended at the far wall. At its end lay a magnificent chair—or rather throne. Standing in front of the throne was a middle-aged man who radiated an aura of solemn dignity. Next to him was presumably the queen, and next to her were a boy and a girl, both with blond hair and striking blond eyes.

The boy who was younger of the two was around the same age as them whereas the girl was in her early twenties. On the left side of the carpet was a line of soldiers, all clad in Armor and uniform. On the right, a line of civil officers. Altogether, there were probably around fifty people waiting in the room.

Once they were directly before the throne, Lotario left the students and went to stand beside the king. He was the only one beside him even though the Queen was two steps lower than the king. It looked like the pope was even more important than the Queen. Kelly sighed inwardly, as he was now certain that the Church had the same authority as the king.

It was a good decision that I didn't overreact when I was angry.

As the party of heroes entered, everyone was genuinely confused, and the king gave words to that confusion.

"Ahem, Lotario, what is going on here? and which among them is the great hero."

"Ohh forgive my insolence, your majesty but it looked like the Gods are happy with our service as they all are the summoned heroes called to protect our nation but among them as you can see the overwhelming mana surrounding that young man answers your question" the pope answered by directing his hand towards Agawa.

After some "oohs" and "aahs" at the sight of Agawa, A flurry of self-introductions followed after that. The king's name was Tiridates E.C. Armenia, and his wife the queen was called Ashken. The blond boy was the prince Vlakas, and the girl was the princess christine. Then came introductions for the knight captain, the prime minister, and other important dignitaries.

"So, Hero-dono will you take us on our request to help us against our fight towards the demons?" the king asked in a solemn tone, in response to that Agawa suddenly knelt down and with an honest gaze and dignified tone replied.

"Yes, your majesty I will undertake your request."

Hearing the answer, he was expecting, the king and other people present there sighed in relief as an aside, the fact that the young princess' eyes were glued onto Agawa the whole time made it clear that his charm worked on the women of this world as well.

Once the introductions had finished, a huge feast was laid out and the students were able to enjoy the dishes of a parallel world even Kelly who was sulking right about now could not hold himself back anymore being a Glutton that he is Kelly for once forget about all his troubles and thoroughly enjoyed the food he was served. even going as far as to be the only one in Armenia kingdom history who asked for seconds while dining with the royal family. Though for the most part, it wasn't very different from western food back on earth, there could be some traces of Asian cuisines as well Kelly was curious as for why that is? but for the most part he didn't mind.

Princess christine spent most of the meal talking with Agawa showing curiosity and enthusiasm at his every word, all the guys looked on with jealousy whereas the girls stared at them worriedly but on the other side Daichi was glaring at the prince for talking so familiarly with Hayashi.

After they finished their meal, Kelly and the others were introduced to the instructors they would be training with in return for being clothed and fed by the palace. Their instructors had been chosen from the ranks of active-duty knights and court magicians. The king probably wanted to strengthen the relationship between the students and his kingdom for the inevitable war to come. Once dinner and introductions were finished, everyone was led to their own individual rooms.

Kelly was certain he wasn't the only one who was dumbstruck by the huge canopy bed he found in his room. The room was so luxurious that he couldn't fully relax in it and he was bothered by something else.

"It looked like they were compelling us to sleep for some reason."

The pope and the instructors they were going to train with were almost forcing them to go to sleep Kelly could not understand the reason why, as he kept on thinking about that he groaned.

"UAHHHHH…, anyway I can't think anymore" he'd already experienced quite the hectic day, so he was tired. He flopped down on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly as the tension drained out of him.