I regained consciousness with a jolt. I opened my eyes and tried to look around.
I was lying on a marble floor. Half a meter away from me, a young man of Asian appearance was rising from the ground. But I had bigger problems. A tiny one, really. I had simply forgotten how to breathe. My vision was already starting to blur from the lack of oxygen, my body felt numb, and I was desperately trying to inhale. Pulling my legs under me, I got on all fours. I could hear movement and voices nearby. Someone, anyone… As far as I remembered, there should be at least three other heroes here besides me.
Consciousness was slipping away, and it pissed me off that I'd die like this… I didn't have time to finish that thought. Someone rolled me onto my back, and I felt something touch my lips. Sweet, precious oxygen passed through my lungs, and the next breath I took was on my own. My vision slowly returned, and the first thing I saw was the frightened face of a young girl with Asian features and large emerald eyes.
"Thank you," I said as I propped myself up, feeling life return to my body, the numbness fading. "You saved my life."
"…" She tried to say something but only opened her mouth silently, like a fish out of water. Lowering my gaze, I noticed a small shield with a gemstone attached to her right arm.
At that moment, as if not noticing us, the room filled with voices.
"O-oh Brave Heroes! I beg of you, save this world!" declared a man in robes, bowing before three young men about five meters away from us.
"WHAT?!" the guys shouted in unison.
"What do you mean?"
"Much has happened, but one thing is certain: through an ancient ritual, we have summoned you, Brave Heroes! This world is facing a global crisis. Brave ones, we ask you to lend us your strength."
"This is such a mess."
"Seriously?"
"Can I just go back to my old world? I'm tired of stories like this."
"Do you even feel a little guilty for summoning us without our consent?"
The boy with the sword—looked like a high school student—pointed his weapon toward the robed man.
"Let's be clear. You're not asking us to fight for your world and then send us home empty-handed, are you?"
The boy with the bow scowled at the man in robes.
"You don't seem to have considered our own plans, right? Depending on your reward, we might even side with your enemies, got it?"
While this discussion went on, I got to my feet with the help of the girl with the shield. Give me five more minutes and I'll be fine. I immediately recognized the body I was in—it was the one I had painstakingly created. The girl next to me barely reached my chest, and everyone else was shorter than me, except for the guy with the spear, who came up to my chin.
I wasn't interested in the melodrama unfolding next to me. Instead, I began recalling some details from the novel. I examined myself and my surroundings. I was still wearing the flip-flops, shorts, and orange T-shirt, which had adapted to my current physique. There was only one difference. But what a difference! A book was strapped to my hip. That definitely wasn't in the original novel. And the Shield Hero was supposed to be a guy… I looked again at my savior.
A pretty face with slightly sharp features and pale skin. Slim build, but with a modest chest—probably a B-cup, maybe C at most. Her ears were hidden beneath her messy, unkempt raven-black hair.
"Are you feeling better?" she asked a little anxiously, glancing at the departing heroes' backs.
"Yes, much better. Shall we?" I suggested. She withdrew the hands she had used to support me. Seeing I was steady on my feet, we hurried to catch up with the others.
I wasn't surprised that the welcoming ceremony ignored us. After all, the Church of the Three Heroes worships the Bow, Sword, and Spear Heroes and hates the Shield Hero. As for me, I was a complete unknown to them.
Five minutes later, we entered the throne room, passing guards stationed on either side.
On the throne sat an elderly man in luxurious robes. And just to make sure we knew he was the king, he wore a golden crown with a purple gem in the center.
After we lined up about ten meters from the throne, the king spoke:
"I am the king of this land, Aultcray Melromarc the XXXII. Brave ones, raise your heads." He then gave us a condescending look. On the other hand, none of us bowed, so perhaps he had a point. In medieval Earth, our heads would've already been on spikes for such disrespect. That was a misstep by the others. I knew full well that this king was a fraud. Melromarc was a matriarchy, and the real ruler was currently abroad. But Aultcray would cause plenty of trouble in the future. Then again, if the Shield Hero was now a girl, maybe there were more changes. Damn, that meant I had misjudged too. I should've bowed—wouldn't have broken my back, and it could've saved me a lot of headaches.
The king then explained the situation of their world.
Someone had foretold the end of the world. This world would be attacked by waves of calamity that would eventually reduce everything to ruins. If the threats from these waves weren't repelled, the world would perish.
According to the prophecy, it would all begin this year, and indeed: the Hourglass of the Dragon Era had started to pour sand—just as the prophecy had said. This artifact predicted the waves and the exact time of their arrival.
At first, people didn't take the prophecy seriously. But when the hourglass flipped for the first time, a wave of calamity struck—just as foretold.
In Melromarc, a dimensional rift opened, unleashing a horde of demons.
Adventurers and knights barely managed to repel the attack. However, the next wave promised to be even stronger.
Faced with inevitable catastrophe, the kingdom's leaders decided to act on the legend and summon heroes.
"We understand your problem. But what gave you the right to summon us and get our hands dirty for free?" the Sword Hero said defiantly after the explanation.
"What a conveniently tragic story," added the Spear Hero.
"…Really, it's nothing but selfishness. If this world's doomed, so be it. It's none of our business," said the Bow Hero.
"You do realize we have no obligation to help you. In the end, it's just free labor. And when peace comes, you'll say goodbye like nothing happened. Also, I'd like to know how to return. What do you have to say to that?" asked the Shield Heroine, supporting the others.
"Accomplish the task of saving our glorious country, and you will be duly rewarded," the king promised. Seeing the heroes accept his answer, he continued, "Funds have already been allocated for your needs. And of course, since you'll be protecting our world, you'll need housing. Suitable accommodations have been prepared for each of you."
"Your Majesty?" I spoke up when I saw the other heroes about to chime in again. "I keep hearing about the 'Four Legendary Heroes.'" The king frowned. "But unless I've forgotten how to count, there are five of us."
"I've been informed," he replied with a nod. "There is no mention in our legends… of a Book Hero."
"Have you checked your status?" asked the minister standing beside the king.
"Status?" Strangely, it was the Bow Hero who asked, not me—probably because I was too busy trying not to facepalm. How could I forget? "What's this status thing?"
"Guys, are you serious right now?" the Sword Hero was genuinely shocked at their ignorance. "Whatever. Do you see the icon in the upper right corner of your vision?"
"Huh?" the Bow, Spear, and Shield simultaneously exclaimed.
"Focus on it—you'll see."
Looking at the icon—
Ding! A window popped up before me with a faint glow:
Pluton Vorontsov
Class: Grimoire Hero
Level: 1
EXP: 0 (50)
Equipment: Lesser Grimoire (Legendary Weapon), Clothes from a Parallel World
Skills: None
Magic: None
Professions: None
Inventory: Empty
Stats:
HP: 20
MP: 40
Mag. Attack: 55
Defense: 5
Agility: 25
Stamina: 25
Skill Tree
Help
"Your Majesty, it says I'm the Grimoire Hero," I said, closing the window.
"In that case, we will gladly accept your assistance, Hero of the Grimoire. You shall be treated the same as the others," the king declared.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I replied with a slight bow.
"Now, Heroes, please state your names," King Aultcray continued, still looking at me.
"My name is Amaki Ren. I'm 16, a high school student," the Sword Hero spoke up before I could.
"I shall go next. My name is Kitamura Motoyasu. I'm 21 this year, a university student," said the Spear Hero.
"My turn. Call me Kawasumi Itsuki. I'm 17, also in high school," the Bow Hero added.
"I'm Iwatani Akira. I'm 20, a university student."
The king barely glanced at the girl before looking back at me.
"Pluton Vorontsov, I'm 31 years old. Pleased to meet you."
"What?!" Akira exclaimed.
"You don't look it," Motoyasu chimed in.
"Hm. Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Pluton, right?"
"Your Highness, you forgot about me," Akira raised her hand like a diligent student.
"Oh, right. Sorry, Akira-dono," the king waved her off. "From now on, brave heroes, your path will be dangerous. You must hone both your skills and your legendary weapons."
"Hone? So our starting weapons aren't strong enough?" someone asked.
"Yes, according to legend, summoned heroes train their weapons and they grow stronger."
"Legend this, legend that. If this weapon's useless, I'll just swap it out," Motoyasu muttered, twirling his spear.
"Good point!"
"So, are we making a team together?" asked Akira.
"Brave Heroes, please don't rush," the minister interrupted.
"Huh?"
"Each of you must form your own party and begin your individual journey."
"There's a reason for this too?"
"Yes. According to legend, legendary weapons repel one another. If you, Brave Heroes, form one group, it will hinder the growth of both your skills and your weapons."
"I don't get it… So if we work together, we won't grow stronger?" Akira asked, looking confusedly at her shield.
In response, a window appeared before each of us:
"Warning: If the wielders of legendary weapons form a single party, a rejection reaction will occur. Please travel separately whenever possible."
"So it's true…"
"Looks like we'll need to recruit allies."
"Allow me the honor of arranging your companions. In any case, the sun is setting. Brave ones, I advise you to rest until morning. You may begin your journey tomorrow. I will gather talented warriors to join you."
"Thank you," the heroes said and left. When everyone else had gone, the king noticed I had stayed behind.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty, I have two small requests," I said with a slight bow.
"I'm listening, Pluton-san," he nodded.
"First, I would prefer not to be assigned any companions for now, as I need time to understand what my legendary weapon can do. Unlike the other Heroes, you likely have no information about it," I said. The king nodded, so I continued. "Second, I'd like to request a change of clothes. As you can see, I'd rather not make a bad impression when I go into the city."
"Someone will take your measurements today. By morning, a suit befitting your status will be ready," the king said, glancing at the minister, who nodded.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After that, I headed to the rooms that had been prepared for us.