The grand hall of the Empire castle was no longer a place of quiet exhaustion. It buzzed with the fervor of newfound hope, but for Kaito, it was a suffocating pressure of unearned praise. He was the eye of a storm, a quiet island in a sea of awe-struck high-ranking officials from both the Empire and the Kingdom. He tried to speak, to explain, but his words were drowned out by a chorus of reverence.
A man with calloused hands and a face weathered by the sun approached him, clutching a sheaf of parchment. "Hero, the books you wrote about agriculture are revolutionary. We used crop rotation, but to go so in-depth with it, along with so many techniques—from soil enrichment and fertilizer processing to pest control—you're truly a genius blessed by the Goddess."
Next came a military strategist, a distinguished woman with a scar across her brow. "The blueprint for this weapon you call a 'gun' is equally astounding. Our mages have managed to recreate one using magic and enchanted it with various runes. The penetrative force it can deliver, and the ease of use, could make it so that an untrained civilian could combat the forces of the Demon King. Our mages are excited at the prospect of replacing their staffs with it, allowing them to shoot various elemental bullets and spells."
A veteran commander with a heavy build and a wise expression stepped forward, a leather-bound book in his hand. "I have read up on this 'Art of War.' It was very insightful, even for a veteran like me. I'll distribute it to every high-ranking commander in both the Kingdom and Empire. I'm also deeply interested by these 'exo-skeletons' and 'mecha' mentioned in another book of yours."
An elderly minister with a shrewd glint in his eye held up a silver coin. "Your text on industrialization, mass production, and even the principles of economics and its many pitfalls, leaves me awe-struck. Only the Republic had a central bank; we were hesitant to implement it widely, but I can see the great benefit of using an alternative currency that isn't as weighty as a metal coin. Even with storage magic, it's cumbersome. The idea of paper currency is weak, but perhaps we can develop a more secure alternative currency using magic."
Then came a powerful archmage. "Your sacred scripture on the fundamental nature of our world has opened my eyes. Using it, I have advanced my magic by leaps and bounds beyond what my old age could possibly aspire to achieve. You truly are the god of magic in physical form." Kaito tried to interject, to say he had nothing to do with it, but the mage simply bowed, too lost in his own reverence to listen.
Finally, a doctor, his hands stained with various herbs, stepped forward, his face a mixture of terror and wonder. "To think that the cause of disease and illness are these tiny, invisible organisms all around us. The idea of such a being makes me feel deeply afraid. I spent a sleepless night cleaning every inch of my lab. However, this will advance the medical field once it spreads. No offense to the Saint, but we may no longer rely on the Holy Church to cure common sickness in the future."
Kaito stood frozen, a silent, humble god among the mortals he had accidentally gifted with a new world. Every time he spoke up to say it wasn't his idea, they merely praised him even more for being too humble.
__________
Ysoria watched with a look of concern as Kaito lay on his bed, a picture of weary exhaustion. "Hero, are you alright?" she asked softly.
"I'm just exhausted," Kaito replied with a low grumble. "But we should continue our journey soon. I'm thinking of taking on the Shaper of Flesh next. If the experiments he's doing are as vile as reported, then I need to put an end to it."
Then, with a faint flash of light someone suddenly teleported into the room. It was Nysera in a stylish blue and white robe and her monstrous wizard's hat.
"I wish to join you as well," she stated plainly.
Kaito sat up, a look of utter confusion on his face. "Huh? Why?"
Nysera held up a book, its title, "Quantum Mechanics for Dummies," written by his own hand. It was one of the many he had hastily transcribed from his mental realm. "I wish to learn more."
"It wasn't my knowledge," Kaito said, shaking his head.
"You wrote it," Nysera countered.
"There is no need to be humble, Hero," Ysoria interjected with a gentle smile. "I was there to witness you writing down every single letter in these books."
"That's true, but..." Kaito trailed off, seeing the futility of his argument.
"I'll follow you anyway, if you won't let me join," Nysera declared, her gaze fixed on him.
Just as Kaito let out a sigh of resignation, a knock came from the door. Ysoria opened it to reveal a new figure: a girl with a neat black ponytail, dressed in a loose, long white robe with flowing sleeves and a sash at her waist holding two katanas.
"You're Rin, the Sword Saint's Descendant," Ysoria said, a look of recognition on her face. "Do you need something from us?"
"I also wish to join the Hero on his quest to slay the Demon King," Rin said in a formal tone.
Kaito sighed again. "...Why?"
"Hero, although I was brainwashed, it's also undeniable that you'd easily defeated me, using a katana at that. I wish to learn from you and get my revenge on the Demon King for brainwashing me."
Ysoria looked at Rin. "May I ask? How were you brainwashed? If I'm not mistaken, the far eastern country was untouched by the Empire's forces."
"In truth, I had journeyed from my homeland to join the previous hero's party to test my skill against the Demon King," Rin explained. "However, I got lost along the way and was unable to find them. Later, I let down my guard and was hypnotized by the Sculptor to be his bodyguard." Her gaze turned serious as she addressed Kaito. "Worry not about my purity, Hero, for my will managed to fight off his vile advance on my body."
"Mine too," Nysera chimed in. "If it's my body that you are after, Hero."
Kaito stared at them, a dumbfounded expression on his face. "...Just what kind of person do you guys think I am?"
He let out a long, defeated sigh. "Well, I guess you can join me. I have a feeling that neither of you will accept no for an answer. But feel free to leave anytime if you feel that it's too dangerous."
Rin gave a polite bow, her hands clasped in front of her. "Please take care of me."
"Hm," Nysera said, a slight nod of acknowledgment.