The beginning
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"Where am I?"I woke up suddenly in a white room adorned with glowing dragon-like engravings, illuminated in an unknown—perhaps magical—manner. It was called the Summoning Room; I read its name despite not knowing this world's language.Someone quickly answered my question:"Welcome, hero, to our beloved kingdom. I am the king—you may call me Alexander."I was shocked—or rather, I pretended to be. The king continued,"We have summoned you to save us from the approaching evil. What is your name, young man?"The king was a man of strong build, exuding both majesty and kindness. There was no word to describe him other than a true king. He had piercing red eyes, a well-groomed beard, and a royal suit embroidered and adorned with gold.The boy hesitated before answering, "I... I don't remember."Everyone was surprised."You don't remember? No matter, we shall call you 'Hero' for now. If you wish, we can give you a name."He then turned to one of his men, who was dressed in a priest's attire, and commanded,"Sinister, take the hero on a tour."He then looked at me and added,"This is Sinister. He is the one who summoned you, and he was quite eager to show you around."After exchanging greetings, he began guiding me through the castle. The hallways were wide, illuminated by the same mysterious magic. I wondered how they managed to light them.Suddenly, he turned to me and asked,"Sir Endscribe, didn't the Great Author give you a name?"I replied, "He did... but I forgot it."He responded quickly, "How could you forget... never mind. But do not forget your role again—any mistake could cause your mission to fail.""Alright, alright, no need to get angry. Using multiple names is difficult. Can't I just stick to one?""You are an Endscribe—you have no name, only a single mission. Understood?""I know, just be quiet. Someone might hear us.""In a month, the Hero's Sword Selection Ceremony will take place. You should prepare. By the way, do we need to find someone to teach you this world's language?""No need for that. Don't you know? One of the perks of being an Endscribe is that I can read all the languages of all worlds.""How is that possible?""I don't know either."Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the hallway."Sinister!"Two figures appeared—a young man with black hair, blue eyes, and a white robe fitting for a prince, alongside a beautiful girl with golden hair and identical blue eyes, wearing a green dress adorned with flowers.Sinister spoke up, "Your Highnesses, what brings you here?""We came to see the hero," the prince replied.The girl followed, "How could you not tell us about his arrival?""It was the king's orders," Sinister explained.The prince frowned. "Why would my father keep us from meeting the hero?""You'll understand once you see him," Sinister responded.The princess turned her gaze toward me. "Who is that behind you?""This is the hero," Sinister stated.Both siblings spoke in unison. "What?""Hero, this is Princess Lisia and the first prince Ronald," Sinister introduced them.I awkwardly stammered, "Uh... H-hello.""How could someone this ugly be the hero?" the princess scoffed."I doubt he can even lift a sword," Ronald added.Sinister sighed, "This is exactly why the king didn't tell you. The hero needs time to develop his strength. As for his appearance… well, there's no fixing that. But he's not that bad."Is my appearance really that terrible...?"I won't accept him as the hero unless I test his strength," Ronald declared. "His presence here is based on a random summoning. How can I trust him?"What an arrogant prince. I thought to myself. Once I get used to this world's power, I'll show him.Sinister intervened, "The hero needs training. He comes from a world without mana."Lisia raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "And how did you know that?""Oh, Princess, were you not listening? We were having a conversation, and he told me himself," Sinister replied casually.Lisia nodded in understanding. "Then he's useless. Why not take him to the Evaluation Chamber and see his abilities?"Ronald smirked. "That's actually a good idea. Let's go."---Meanwhile, in the Summoning Hall..."Your Majesty, did you not feel something strange about the hero?""Strange? In what way?""He didn't seem surprised… or rather, he was pretending to be surprised.""I'm not following.""I can't explain it well, but he looked... accustomed to this.""We don't know what kind of life he's lived. Especially considering that he forgot his own name, we shouldn't judge too quickly, Raphael."---As we walked through the corridors toward the Evaluation Chamber, Sinister suddenly began using telepathic communication.– Sir Endscribe, is something wrong?– Sinister, tell me about the princes.– Alright. First, there's Prince Ronald. He's talented, strong, and takes responsibility for Princess Lisia, the king's only daughter. She's not particularly strong, and she enjoys mocking people, but she's usually kind. Actually, all the princes are—– "The princes are kind"? That's the dumbest thing I've heard.– They are kind, but they're just wary of having a stranger in the castle.– Hah. You have a point. Alright, are there only two princes?– No, there's also the second prince, the one you saw standing beside the king.– Who?– …You didn't notice him? His name is Raphael. He's sharp, perceptive, and the most dangerous prince. You need to be cautious around him.– And the third prince?– Oh, him? He's a failure. No need to worry about him—oh, looks like we've arrived.Suddenly, a voice greeted us."Hello, brother. Is this the hero?""How did you know?" Sinister asked.Lisia smirked. "Trash recognizes its own kind."Ouch. I'm starting to feel bad for this guy.The third prince stepped forward. "Welcome, hero. My name is Ryan. May I ask for yours?""Uh… I'm sorry, but I don't remember," I replied."You don't remember? That's strange… Can you tell me about the world you came from?"Feeling uneasy, I answered, "Maybe later. I need to get to the Evaluation Chamber first.""Alright. Good luck."As we resumed walking, I resumed my telepathic conversation with Sinister.– Didn't you say he was just a failure?– Yeah. Why?– That guy is dangerous. He was analyzing my behavior and even tried to read my memories using his ability. I also felt a familiar aura from him, but I can't remember where. Every fiber of my being is telling me to run.– Impossible. He doesn't have an ability.– It may seem that way, but I'm certain he does. I need to avoid him as much as possible.Upon arriving at the Evaluation Chamber, I pretended to be surprised. The room was huge, but only about a quarter the size of the rooms where Endscribes were gathered. There were intricate engravings on the walls and a massive crystal, roughly the size of two grown men."Welcome, Your Highnesses. May we ask why you've come? And who is this peasant?"Peasant?Sinister replied, "This is the hero. He was summoned recently and hasn't had time to change his clothes."I glanced down at my outfit—it was simple, neither fancy nor ragged."Oh, the hero? My apologies, I didn't mean to offend, but… your face looks like a peasant's."Lisia burst into laughter, and Ronald barely held back his own.I'll remember this. And one day, I'll get my payback.Sinister cut in, "We came to evaluate his ability.""Of course. Place your hand here."Feeling tense, I placed my hand on the transparent crystal, eager to discover my ability. Suddenly, a surge of power coursed through my body, and inside the crystal, storms raged, lightning crackled, and whirlwinds howled."Incredible! Hero, you possess the ability of Calamities!""Is that powerful?" I asked.Ronald scoffed. "It's average."What?!Sinister reassured me, "It's not average. It's rare, and if developed properly, it can be extremely powerful. However, mastering it is difficult. It allows you to control natural disasters—hurricanes, earthquakes, lightning, and water."He then spoke to me telepathically:– Do you truly know nothing about this world, or have you forgotten again? I won't always be here to assist you. My role ends when you either win or lose the Ceremony of the Hero's Sword.– The great writer only told us that there's a sword we must fight for, and the winner takes on the mission. That's all he said.Ronald arrogantly interjected, dismissing Sinister's explanation, "**I believe I should have been the hero. After all, I possess the legendary ability—Boundless Darkness."Ugh. I really am surrounded by idiots.But it doesn't matter.I won't be staying here long.All I need to do is complete my mission.