"Hero Anton... It's Gregory. It's time for the gathering."
I took a deep breath. Today was an important day. The first day we, the heroes, would hunt real monsters outside the palace.
After a full month of training within the palace, King Thorian had finally decided we were ready to face real threats. Although I doubted we were truly ready.
I stood and straightened my clothes. Now I wore adventurer's attire, a thick brown tunic, leather pants, sturdy boots, and a short cloak bearing the kingdom's emblem.
I opened the door and saw Gregory standing there with his usual stiff posture. The middle-aged man with silver hair and sharp brown eyes looked at me with a neutral expression.
"Good morning, Captain," I greeted, my voice sounding colder than I intended.
"Good morning, Hero Anton," he replied formally.
"The others are gathered in the courtyard. The carriage is ready, and we will depart in ten minutes."
I gave a short nod, then walked past him without waiting. My footsteps echoed in the cold stone corridor. And Gregory followed behind me, the silence between us thicker than the palace walls.
These walls were adorned with paintings of past kings, arrogant faces looking down. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, cutting through the darkness with golden shafts. Servants bowed deeply, their movements well-practiced.
All of this still felt foreign. Even after a month. Even after realizing that behind this splendor, this palace was a beautiful prison.
I could feel Gregory's presence behind me, his steps steady, regular, and always maintaining the same distance. Without needing to turn, my memory drifted to a conversation a few weeks ago.
Back then, a few days after Vira was declared to have 'fled', I tried to ask Gregory about her. At that time, Eri and the others and I were training martial arts in the palace's rear courtyard, and I carefully brought up the tasks that had been given to Vira.
"Captain," I called then, in as natural a tone as possible. "I heard that before Vira left, she was often given heavy tasks in the palace?"
Gregory stopped and looked at me with an unreadable gaze.
"That girl was a lowly servant, Hero Anton," he answered flatly. "Of course she was given tasks befitting her... status."
"Her status?" Hearing that, my nausea began to rise.
"But... she's still human, and still a young."
"Hero Anton... in this kingdom, those without talent are the same as useless." Gregory's voice was flat, but his eyes avoided mine.
"They exist to serve those with talent. That is the natural order. And that is also the direct order from His Majesty King Thorian."
The King's order... the natural order. Those words froze in the air.
"So... cleaning the stables all day? Pulling weeds until her hands bled? Are those fitting tasks in your opinion?" My emotions began to rise, and unconsciously my voice rose with them.
Gregory let out a short sigh. "She never complained..." His tone sounded defensive.
"She was also always quiet, and always kept her head down. Even when..." He choked up.
"Even when what?" I stepped closer, my voice trembling. "What did they do to her?"
Gregory stared at me sharply. In his eyes was anger, and something else he was clearly trying to hide.
"…Hero Anton, this is not your concern. She is gone, so just forget about that girl."
"I was her teacher! In my old world, every child is precious." My voice rose, unable to hold back my anger any longer.
"This is not your old world!" Gregory snapped, then lowered his voice, his face remaining stiff and cold. "Here, survival is a privilege for the strong. That girl was weak, so forget her. Focus on your training, and on your mission, that is the only way for you to survive in this world."
That conversation ended with us parting in restrained anger. Gregory gave no answers, only a bitter admission that this system was cruel and he was a part of it.
Back to the present, as I walked towards the palace courtyard, I could feel Gregory's gaze on my back like a needle prick. Did he know more? Did he order something regarding Vira? Or was he just an obedient pawn?
Gregory clearly knew something. Or at the very least, he was uncomfortable with the topic of Vira. And the way he avoided certain details... it made me increasingly sure that something was being hidden.
We arrived at the palace's front courtyard. There, I saw Eri, Dito, Maya, and Sari already gathered near a large carriage pulled by four majestic black horses.
Eri looked excited, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. She wore light white-golden armor that contrasted with her blonde hair. A short sword hung at her waist, the weapon she chose even though her main power was Sacred Magic.
Dito stood with a relaxed posture, hands folded behind his head. He wore thick dark brown leather armor that showed off his muscular arms from the intensive month of training. A large axe was slung across his back.
Maya looked calm as usual, her long black hair tied up high. She wore practical adventurer's clothes, a dark blue tunic with long pants and thin leather gloves. A carved wooden staff hung at her waist.
And Sari... she looked anxious. Her hands wrung the hem of her green robe, her eyes looking around with a worried expression. Among everyone, Sari was the only one who looked afraid.
Then Eri turned to face me. Her gaze immediately fixed on me, brimming with an excessive energy. A wide smile was etched on her face.
"Morning, Sir Anton!" she greeted. Her tone was overly cheerful for someone who wasn't actually close to me.
She seemed to be in a very good mood. Understandable, since today was the day to test her powers in the field.
I forced a smile. "Morning, Eri..."
Haaah… such enthusiasm usually wasn't a good sign in the forest.
"Ha, finally we get to leave this boring palace," said Dito while stretching his arms.
"A whole month of training in the same old yard. I was bored to death."
"We need to remain careful," I said in a serious tone.
"This is not a game. Real monsters are not like the training dummies in the palace yard."
Dito rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Sir. But with the power we have now, the little monsters in that forest should be easy."
Maya smiled faintly. "Confidence is good, Dito. But don't overdo it."
"I agree with Maya," added Sari in a soft voice. "We... we've never really fought before. What if..."
"What if what?" Eri cut in with a sharp look, making Sari flinch. "We've all trained hard for a month. We have incredible power. There's nothing to be afraid of."
I looked at Eri with an uneasy feeling. Her confidence, or more precisely, her arrogance, had been growing ever since she received Sacred Magic rank S... Maya and Dito weren't much different.
Haaah...
"Alright, everyone!" Gregory stood in front of the carriage with a loud voice.
"Time to depart. Board the carriage now. The journey will take about three hours."
We all boarded the carriage. The interior was spacious enough to comfortably fit five people. The seats were upholstered with red velvet, and small windows allowed us to see the scenery outside.
Gregory and several other knights, about six of them, mounted horses around our carriage. They would be our escorts during the journey and the hunt later.
The carriage began to move with a slight jolt. The horses pulled steadily, and we left the magnificent palace, passing through the heavily guarded main gate.
I sat in a corner, gazing out the window while the others chatted excitedly.
"I heard this forest is full of goblins," said Dito.
"Those stupid little green creatures. Definitely easy to defeat."
"Don't underestimate them, Dito," said Maya.
"Even though people say goblins are weak individually, they often attack in large groups." Maya continued.
"Ah, relax. They're just goblins," Dito interjected with a chuckle.
"As long as we're not careless and stick together, what's there to be afraid of?"
Eri gave a soft snort, a faint smile etched on her face. "Right. We're not ordinary people anymore. We have abilities. Goblins are just basic-level monsters, large numbers won't be a problem."
She folded her arms across her chest, her tone full of confidence. "Besides, if we keep being afraid, we won't grow. This world clearly isn't made for those who hesitate."
"Well... I was just reminding you all," said Maya with a flat expression, then turned her face towards the carriage window.
I let out a soft sigh before finally speaking up. "Maya has a point," I said.
"Confidence is necessary, but this forest is no place to underestimate anything. One small mistake could end fatally."
Eri glanced at me, then shrugged with a relaxed expression.
"Yeah, yeah, Sir. Just relax," she said lightly, as if I were just reminding them of something trivial.
Yeah… she will definitely be like that.
Haaahhh…
I then glanced at Sari, who had been silent all this time. She looked down while staring at her own hands. Her fingers were unconsciously clasping each other, and her expression clearly showed anxiety she hadn't voiced.
I watched Sari with concern. Among all my students, she was the most fragile mentally. She wasn't a fighter. The Nature Affinity she possessed was more suited for support than offense.
"Sari," I called softly.
"You don't need to force yourself today. If you feel you can't handle it, it's okay to step back and let the others—"
"I'm fine, Sir Anton," she cut in quickly, though her voice trembled.
"I... I have to prove that I'm useful too."
"You are already useful, Sari. You don't need to prove anything."
But she shook her head slowly, unwilling to listen.
I sighed. This pressure to be "heroes" was weighing on all of them, albeit in different ways. Eri became arrogant, Dito became reckless, Maya became overconfident, and Sari became too hard on herself.
The journey continued in a silence only broken by sporadic conversation. I remained mostly quiet, lost in my own thoughts.
Vira.
Her face kept appearing in my mind. The quiet girl with beautiful sapphire blue eyes that were always downcast, with her long black hair that often covered her face. As if she wanted to hide from the world.
At school, she was always alone. Always the target of bullying. And I... I failed to protect her. Both in the old world and here.
"Sorry, Vira..." I whispered so softly no one could hear.
If there was a chance, I would search for her. I would find out the truth about what happened to her. And if she was truly in danger...
I would save her. No matter what.
Three hours later, the carriage began to slow.
"We've arrived!" Gregory shouted from outside.
I glanced out the window and saw a dense forest ahead of us. Tall trees towered with thick foliage that blocked most of the sunlight. A thin mist hung over the ground, giving it a mysterious and slightly eerie atmosphere.
The carriage stopped, and we all got out one by one.
The air here was different. It felt cooler, and there was the distinct smell of damp earth from the forest.
Gregory and the knights dismounted their horses and gathered around us.
"Alright, listen carefully," said Gregory in a commanding tone. "This forest is known as the Western Border Forest. Monsters commonly found here are goblins, wolves, bears, and occasionally wild apes. So it's relatively safe for hunting practice."
"But sometimes there are orcs, and bears too," added a brown-haired knight. "But they are rarely seen in areas near the forest's edge."
"Orcs?" Sari sounded worried. "How dangerous are they?"
"Fairly dangerous, and you probably aren't strong enough to face them yet," answered Gregory without mincing words.
"However, don't panic. If you encounter a monster of Feral rank or higher, the knights will step in."
Feral?
"Feral, what's that?" Before I could ask about it, Dito had already asked first.
Gregory glanced briefly at him, then gave a small nod. "A good question, Hero Dito."
He took a step forward, then continued. "Before you enter this forest, you need to understand the monster classification system used in this world. This knowledge is crucial for your safety."
Gregory raised his hand, counting on his fingers.
"There are seven generally recognized monster threat levels. The order starts from the weakest to the strongest. Minor, Lesser, Feral, Hazard, Disaster, Calamity, and Catastrophe."
Eri looked impatient, but Gregory ignored her and calmly continued his explanation.
"The Minor rank is the weakest monsters. They are usually not dangerous if faced one-on-one by a trained fighter. Examples include small goblins, slimes, or wild apes. And they usually rely on numbers to threaten their enemies."
"Next is the Lesser rank. Monsters at this level are slightly more dangerous and have enough physical strength to injure even experienced fighters if they are careless. Examples include common wolves, giant rats, and some small reptiles fall into this category. They often hunt in small groups and have sharp hunting instincts."
Then Gregory looked at all of us with a serious gaze.
"And after that comes the Feral rank. This is the level where monsters begin to become a real threat. Examples include forest bears, large wild boars, orcs, and alpha wolves. They usually possess extraordinary physical strength, and some can even use basic magic."
"Next is the Hazard rank..." Gregory continued in a more serious tone.
"Monsters at this level are already very dangerous even for experienced knights. Examples include Giant Poison Lizards, Ogres, and young Manticores, they all fall into the Hazard category. Usually, they have special abilities like lethal poison, regeneration, or strong elemental magic."
He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in.
"Next, the Disaster rank... these are monsters that can destroy an entire village or small town by themselves. Examples include Trolls, Wyverns, and ancient golems... even master knights and archmages would struggle against Disaster-rank monsters without proper preparation."
Gregory scanned his gaze around with a very serious expression.
"As for the Calamity and Catastrophe ranks, you don't need to think about them for now. Calamity-rank monsters can destroy entire cities or even small kingdoms. As for the Catastrophe rank..." he paused for a moment,
"The Ancient Dragon you will face one day... that is a Catastrophe-rank monster. Monsters at that level can destroy a Kingdom with ease, and might be powerful enough to alter the shape of a continent itself."