Rei narrowed her eyes slightly, head tilting. "Why are you asking all this, anyway?"
Kia looked up, surprised by the question. "Isn't it obvious?" He scratched his cheek. "I want to be an adventurer."
There was a pause.
Kaela blinked.
Rei just stared.
"…You what?" Kaela said flatly, as if she hadn't heard him right.
"I want to be an adventurer," Kia repeated. "I mean, what else am I supposed to do?"
Kaela exhaled through her nose. "It's not that simple. You'd be risking your life every time you step outside a town."
Rei nodded. "Adventuring means fighting monsters, exploring dangerous ruins, escort missions that could go wrong. You don't have to do that. Especially you."
Kia looked between them, his voice calm. "Then what? Do I just live a normal life?"
The question hung there. Not defiant, not loud—just... honest.
He wasn't angry. He just didn't see the point.
Kaela looked away, lips tightening. Rei's expression softened slightly, her gaze turning thoughtful.
They hadn't forgotten what he was.
A summoned Hero.
Even if the world was at peace now, that word meant something. Meant he would never be just "normal." Not really.
"Besides," Kia said, almost as an afterthought, "that wasn't the only reason."
Rei blinked. "What do you mean?"
Kia rubbed his thumb against his palm. "You asked me earlier if I had a special ability, right?"
Rei straightened. Kaela leaned forward, suddenly attentive.
"Do you?" Kaela asked.
"I don't know if it counts," Kia said slowly. "It's a… title."
"A title?" Rei echoed.
"[Hero]."
"Hmmm, that makes sense. Even the chosen ones of the Gods don't have a class named chosen one. Their classes are special though but whatever. Please, continue.
Kia nodded. "When I checked the effect... it said I'm not bound to one class."
Kaela's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
Rei leaned in. "Not bound to one class… Are you saying you can switch or hold multiple classes?"
"That's what it said," Kia replied. "It wasn't very detailed. Just: 'Not restricted to one class.'"
"That's insane!"
Rei was more composed, but her lips parted slightly in awe. "I've heard of dual classes before… but even those are extremely rare."
Kaela nodded. "Yeah. For a normal person to hold two classes, they'd need compatible mana arts, a matching set of class-aligned skills, and still have a near-perfect internal balance."
"But if you're truly not bound at all…" Rei murmured. "Then the restrictions don't apply."
Rei let out a breath. "No wonder Heroes were so terrifying."
Kia tilted his head. "Were?"
Rei nodded solemnly. "There haven't been any summoned Heroes since the Great Demon War two hundred and fifty years ago."
"Only the Chosen Ones could stand on equal footing."
Kia perked up. "You've mentioned them before. Who exactly are these Chosen Ones?"
The air shifted.
Kaela and Rei exchanged glances again—this time more serious than amused.
Rei answered slowly, "The Chosen are people selected by the gods. It's not a summoning—more like a divine marking. They're born in this world, but gifted something special. A trait, a skill, a blessing."
"They're rare," Kaela added. "Most kingdoms don't even have one. But those that do? They guard them like national treasures. Some Chosen can flatten armies before they hit their prime."
"They're not unbeatable," Rei said, "but they're as close to it as you'll find. And historically, only Heroes have ever matched them consistently. One for one."
Kia processed this, silent.
"So… gods exist in this world?"
Rei blinked, then nodded. "They do."
Kaela added, "Though not in the way you might think."
Kia looked at them both, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Rei tapped her finger lightly on her knee. "The gods here aren't omniscient or all-powerful. They're just… beings who've ascended past the limits of mortals. But they still bleed. They still fall. They just do it from higher places."
Kaela smirked. "And they still fight. Over territory, over beliefs, over followers. It's why people say gods are just strong people with bad tempers and good PR."
Kia blinked. "Followers?"
Rei nodded. "Faith is power. The more people believe in a god, the more divine strength they can wield. It's called spiritual accumulation. Most of the major gods have temples, churches, priesthoods. All designed to gather belief."
Kaela chimed in, "And the more faith they collect, the more they advance their divinity. It's like cultivation, but through worship instead of mana."
"Huh." Kia rubbed the back of his neck. "So… kind of like streamers with subscribers."
Kaela gave him a confused look. "What's a streamer?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, waving it off. "Keep going."
Rei smiled faintly. "In short, gods are powerful. Some walk among us. Some stay in higher realms. But even they have limits. It's why they pick Chosen instead of solving everything themselves."
"To be fair," Kaela muttered, "some of them just like watching things play out."
Kia shook his head. "So let me get this straight. I've been summoned to a world where people level up through cultivation, gods fight like politicians, and somehow I might end up being stronger than their Chosen?"
Rei's smile was faint. "If your Hero title really lets you ignore class restrictions… then yes. You might."
The trio continued moving, the canopy above rustling softly as a breeze passed through the dense forest. The ruined castle where Kia had first arrived was long behind them now.
It wasn't until a small pebble lodged itself under his foot that Kia winced and glanced down at his bare toes. "Ow—dammit." He stopped for a second and adjusted his weight to the other foot. "Hey… not to break the flow, but… where exactly are we going?"
Rei slowed her steps and looked back. "Ah, right. I suppose we forgot to mention that part."
Rei turned more fully toward him. "We're headed to a village called Lusein. It's the nearest settlement with an adventurer guild branch, basic supplies, and a place for you to rest. About two hours' walk, give or take."
Kia didn't answer right away. The ache in his soles was one thing—but it was the uncertainty gnawing at the back of his mind that made him feel heavier with every step.
He'd just been thrown into an unfamiliar world, saddled with a role that no one had needed in over two centuries. He didn't know anyone. He didn't know the rules. And worst of all, no one even wanted a Hero anymore.
Still, he kept walking.
"Lusein," he muttered. "And after that?"
"That depends," Rei replied. "You said you want to be an adventurer. So the guild's the first step. You'll need to register, and we'll find you a place to stay."
Kia glanced at the girls. "Wait—don't I need a class to register?"
Kaela shook her head. "Not at Iron Rank. Registration is open to anyone."
"Really?" Kia raised a brow. "No class required?"
"Not until you want to advance from Iron to Bronze," Rei said. "That's when things get more formal. You need a proper mana art, a recognized class, and enough achievements under your belt."
Kia hummed thoughtfully. "So what rank are you two at, then?"
Rei and Kaela exchanged a glance.
"We're both Silver Rank adventurers," Rei said simply. "Though… newly promoted."
"Which means," Kaela added, her grin returning, "we're basically bottom of the Silver food chain."
Kia blinked. "But you're strong, right? I mean, how powerful are we talking here?"
Rei shrugged modestly. "We're at the peak of the Awakened Rank. Close to advancing to Adept. Just waiting for our stats to catch up to our mana arts."
Kaela flexed her arm with a teasing wink. "Once they do, boom—we level up. Spiritually, anyway."
Kia frowned. "Stats catching up? That's a thing?"
"Of course," Rei said. "You can't brute-force your way through the ranks. Your cultivation has to align with your physical and mental capacity. If you rush ahead with mana and your body can't keep up, you stagnate—or worse, suffer backlash."
Kia swallowed hard. "Right. So… how powerful are you guys then? Like, what can you take on?"
Rei chuckled. "Not too powerful. But enough to deal with hobgoblins."
"Hobgoblins?" Kia repeated. "Are those a big deal?"
"Bigger than normal goblins," Kaela said. "Smarter, meaner, and twice as fast. You don't want to get surrounded."
"And you two can handle them?"
"We've cleared a den before," Rei said. "With preparation."
"And a little luck," Kaela added.
Kia let out a long breath. "Alright. So hobgoblins are scary. Got it."
"You'll get used to it," Kaela said, patting him on the back. "That is, if you're serious about being an adventurer."
"I am," Kia said quietly. "I have to start somewhere."
Rei offered a rare smile. "Then Lusein's the perfect place."
They walked on in silence for a while, the forest path winding beneath their feet. The sun filtered through the leaves, golden and gentle.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Kia felt a little less lost.