THE COLDEST DEMON GOD
An Unwanted Hero's Ascension
Volume 1 — Summoning & Rejection
Chapter 8 — The Holy Empire of Valentia
“Heroes.”
The word settled across the chamber. No one answered. Thirty students stood inside an enormous magic formation carved into white stone. Their classroom was gone. The desks were gone.
The windows overlooking Tokyo were gone. Everything familiar had disappeared. In their place stood towering pillars, stained-glass windows, unfamiliar soldiers, robed magicians, and a ceiling so high that even their voices seemed too small beneath it. Takahashi Shizuka stood among them. Thirty students.
One teacher. Thirty-one people taken from Japan. Renjiro Kurogane remained near the rear. Silent. His expression revealed nothing.
His eyes moved. Three visible doors. Two large enough for groups. One narrow side entrance. Twenty-four armed soldiers in immediate view.
Eight robed individuals positioned around the summoning formation. Several more personnel near the walls. Crystals embedded into the floor. A large transparent crystal structure near the front of the chamber. Windows—
too high for an easy exit. Unknown magic everywhere. Renjiro stopped counting. Enough for now. His attention shifted toward the walls.
Reliefs had been carved between the pillars. Human knights. Winged figures. Saints surrounded by halos. One enormous carving depicted a Human warrior raising a sword toward the heavens.
A horned humanoid knelt beneath him. Another figure with animal ears was chained beside it. Renjiro stared for half a second. Then looked away. Noted.
A tall, thin man stepped toward the edge of the summoning formation. His face was gaunt. His black robes were embroidered with gold. A dark staff rested in one hand.
“Welcome,” he said.
The language should have been incomprehensible. It wasn't. Renjiro understood every word. So did everyone else, judging by their expressions. Chronies.
Language adaptation. At least that part worked. The robed man continued.
“You stand within the Holy Empire of Valentia.”
Whispers immediately broke out.
“Holy Empire?”
“Where are we?”
“This isn't Japan.”
“No shit.”
“Junpei!”
“What? It isn't!”
Mika glared at him. Renjiro ignored them. He could feel something else. Energy. It existed throughout the chamber.
Inside the crystals. Beneath the floor. Within the robed figures. Within the soldiers, although in much smaller concentrations. Mana.
The realization came naturally. Probably one of the effects of his Divine Body. He didn't test it further. Not here. Instead, Renjiro focused on the robed man.
A subtle sensation gathered behind his eyes. Appraisal Eyes. Information appeared.
MALAKOR
Race: Human
Position: Grand Vizier of the Holy Empire of Valentia
Role: Head of the Dimensional Magic Council
Specialization: Dimensional Magic • Curse Arts
Condition: Severe Mana Exhaustion
Emotional State: Relief • Excitement • Concealed Anxiety
Renjiro stopped there. The information vanished. No one reacted. Useful. But one successful use didn't prove Appraisal was completely undetectable.
He would test that later. A voice came from the group.
“Sensei...”
Shizuka immediately turned. Akari stood close to several students.
“What happened to us?”
Shizuka looked around. For an instant, Renjiro saw the fear she was trying to hide. Then the teacher took over. She stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
Malakor placed one hand against his chest.
“I am Grand Vizier Malakor, chief advisor to His Imperial Majesty and head of the Imperial Dimensional Magic Council.”
“Did you bring us here?”
A pause. Malakor didn't deny it.
“The ritual was conducted by Valentia.”
The room erupted.
“What?!”
“You kidnapped us?!”
“Send us back!”
“What the hell?!”
“My phone doesn't even—”
“Everyone!”
Shizuka's voice cut through the panic. The students gradually quieted. Her gaze returned to Malakor.
“We were taken without consent.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Malakor looked across the students. His expression became solemn.
“Because our world stands upon the edge of catastrophe.”
Renjiro almost sighed. A dramatic answer. Not an informative one.
“What catastrophe?” Shizuka asked.
“War. Monsters. Demonic powers. Nations hostile to humanity. Threats that have grown beyond what Valentia can safely ignore.”
Renjiro's eyes shifted toward him. Hostile to humanity. Not—hostile to Valentia. Interesting.
Daiki stepped forward.
“You summoned us to fight?”
Malakor looked at him.
“We summoned individuals from beyond our world because the knowledge left to us described those beyond Asteria as possessing extraordinary potential.”
Renjiro's attention sharpened. That wording mattered.
“Knowledge left by whom?” Reina asked.
Malakor looked toward her. For the first time, his answer wasn't immediate.
“An ancient dimensional record.”
Renjiro watched his face. Malakor believed that. At least partially. Interesting. Whatever had placed that knowledge within Valentia's reach, Malakor clearly did not understand its true origin.
That matched what Renjiro already understood from Chronies and the summoning incident. Shizuka didn't let the subject move.
“You found an old ritual and decided to use it on people from another world?”
Malakor's jaw tightened.
“Our circumstances were desperate.”
“That doesn't answer whether we agreed.”
“No.”
Silence. Malakor's answer was quiet.
“You did not.”
Several students immediately started shouting again. Then—footsteps echoed through the chamber. Every Valentian soldier straightened. Malakor turned.
His posture changed instantly. He bowed.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
The soldiers lowered their heads. A man entered. Dark ceremonial armour covered his torso over crimson imperial clothing. Gold decorated the edges without becoming excessive. A crown rested upon his head. Two knights followed him.
And behind them—a young woman. Golden-blonde hair. Blue eyes. Elegant dress.
Perfect posture. Beautiful. Her expression held exactly the right amount of concern. Renjiro looked at her once. Then returned his attention to the man.
“I am Aldric Aldous von Valentia III.”
His voice carried easily through the chamber.
“Emperor of the Holy Empire of Valentia.”
Emperor. Renjiro stored the correction. Aldric stopped several metres from the students.
“On behalf of Valentia, I welcome you to Asteria.”
Nobody responded. Aldric didn't appear offended.
“You have every right to be confused.”
Shizuka stared at him.
“Did you authorize this?”
A few soldiers stiffened at her tone. Aldric raised one hand. Nobody moved.
“Yes.”
Shizuka's expression hardened.
“You authorized the kidnapping of thirty students?”
“And yourself.”
“That doesn't improve the situation.”
“No.”
Interesting. The Emperor wasn't denying the obvious. Renjiro focused. Appraisal Eyes.
ALDRIC ALDOUS VON VALENTIA III
Race: Human
Position: Emperor of the Holy Empire of Valentia
Emotional State: Controlled Relief • Ambition • Calculation
Intent Toward Summoned Individuals: Evaluation • Acquisition • Strategic Utilization
Renjiro dismissed it. More useful than the speech. Aldric continued.
“Valentia authorized the ritual because our scholars believed it could reach beyond Asteria and bring individuals capable of becoming extraordinary powers.”
Shizuka's voice remained cold.
“Believed?”
Malakor answered.
“The ritual had never been completed before.”
The chamber went quieter. Reina's eyes narrowed.
“You mean you didn't know it would work?”
Malakor's pride visibly disliked the question.
“We had theoretical evidence.”
“That's not what she asked,” Mika muttered.
Junpei nodded.
“Yeah, that's definitely wizard-speak for no.”
Mika looked at him.
“Don't make me agree with you.”
Renjiro ignored them. This was important. The ritual had never succeeded before. Which meant—Valentia had no precedent.
No previous Heroes. No previous otherworlders. No established knowledge of what happened between worlds. Good. That aligned with what Chronies had told them.
Aldric spoke again.
“This is the first successful summoning of people from another world in Valentia's history.”
Shizuka's eyes hardened further.
“And you used us as the test.”
No answer came immediately. That was answer enough.
✦ ✦ ✦
Aldric ordered the soldiers to lower their weapons. Not leave. Lower. Another small distinction. Then he asked them what had happened during the transfer.
Shizuka didn't answer immediately. Neither did most of the students. Eventually Akari spoke.
“We met someone.”
Malakor turned toward her.
“Someone?”
Akari hesitated.
“A Goddess.”
For the first time since Renjiro had seen him—Malakor's composure genuinely cracked.
“What?”
The other magicians reacted too. One whispered a prayer. Another stared at Akari. Aldric's eyes narrowed. Even the soldiers looked confused.
The princess behind him became completely still. Shizuka stepped slightly closer to Akari.
“She called herself Chronies-sama.”
Silence. Malakor's fingers tightened around his staff.
“The Divine Administrator?”
His voice was quieter now. Shizuka noticed.
“You know her?”
“Every educated person in Valentia knows of Chronies-sama.”
Malakor looked around the summoning formation.
“But...”
He stopped. Renjiro watched him. Malakor hadn't expected this. Good.
“What?” Shizuka asked.
Malakor looked directly at her.
“The ritual contained no invocation to Chronies-sama.”
There. That was the correct reaction. Aldric looked toward Malakor.
“You are certain?”
“Absolutely, Your Majesty.”
His exhaustion momentarily disappeared beneath alarm.
“The dimensional formula was designed to establish a path between worlds. Nothing in the structure should have called upon a Goddess.”
Renjiro said nothing. Because it hadn't. Chronies had intercepted them. That was different. Aldric looked back toward Shizuka.
“What did Chronies-sama do?”
Shizuka glanced at her students.
“She stopped us from dying.”
Malakor froze.
“What?”
“The transfer was unstable.”
Malakor's face lost a fraction of its colour. Shizuka continued.
“She said our bodies and souls weren't adapted to this world.”
Aldric slowly turned toward Malakor. The Grand Vizier looked disturbed. Renjiro couldn't immediately tell whether it was because thirty-one people nearly died—or because his ritual had nearly failed. Probably the latter.
Akari spoke quietly.
“She helped us.”
“How?” Malakor asked.
Too quickly. Shizuka noticed.
“So now you're interested?”
Malakor closed his mouth. Aldric intervened.
“Takahashi-sama.”
His tone remained measured.
“If a Goddess personally intervened in the ritual, we need to understand what happened.”
Shizuka looked at him.
“You need to?”
“Yes.”
“At the moment, I'm more concerned with my students.”
“As you should be.”
Aldric didn't push. Smart. Then Daiki spoke.
“She gave us something called Classes.”
Malakor stared at him.
“Classes?”
There was no recognition. Only confusion. Renjiro watched carefully. Exactly. They didn't know.
Daiki seemed equally surprised by the reaction.
“You don't know what that is?”
Malakor's eyes shifted toward his magicians. One shook his head. Another whispered something. Malakor looked back at Daiki.
“Explain.”
Shizuka frowned.
“Kanzaki-kun, you don't have to tell them anything yet.”
“I know, Sensei.”
Daiki looked toward Malakor.
“But if they really don't know...”
He paused.
“Chronies-sama said the Class would help us survive in this world.”
Malakor stared.
“She altered your abilities?”
“I... think so?”
“Did she alter your soul?”
“I don't know.”
Malakor stepped forward. One of the soldiers followed instinctively. Shizuka immediately moved between him and Daiki.
“Stay there.”
Malakor stopped. The chamber became tense. Aldric raised his hand again.
“Grand Vizier.”
Malakor took one step back.
“My apologies.”
But his eyes remained fixed on Daiki. Not hostility. Fascination. A researcher staring at something impossible. Aldric addressed Daiki instead.
“What Class did Chronies-sama grant you?”
Daiki hesitated. Shizuka didn't stop him this time.
“Holy Hero.”
Nothing happened. For half a second. Because Valentia didn't know what the words meant in System terms. Then—Malakor repeated them.
“Holy... Hero?”
Aldric's expression changed. The soldiers reacted to the title itself. Not the System mechanics. Hero. Holy.
Words that already carried meaning in Valentia's culture. Aurelia's eyes sharpened. Malakor looked almost reverent.
“You were named a Holy Hero... by Chronies-sama?”
Daiki scratched his cheek.
“She said it was my Class.”
“What does that signify?”
“I don't really know yet.”
Renjiro watched the confusion spread. Good. No one asked for his Rank. Because they didn't know there were ranks. Not yet.
Akari spoke next.
“She gave all of us Classes.”
Malakor's head snapped toward her.
“All of you?”
“Yes.”
“And other abilities,” Junpei added.
Mika elbowed him.
“What?”
“Maybe stop giving strangers information for free.”
“Oh.”
Junpei considered that.
“Right.”
Aurelia almost smiled. Almost. Then she stepped forward.
“My father has not yet introduced me.”
Her voice was gentle. Aldric looked toward her.
“My eldest daughter. Imperial Princess Aurelia Celestine von Valentia.”
Aurelia bowed. Not deeply. But enough to appear respectful.
“I won't ask you to trust us.”
Several students looked at her.
“You were taken from your home because of a decision made by this Empire. Any apology I offer now would be inadequate.”
Her expression softened.
“But I am sorry for what has happened to you.”
Good performance. Very good. Renjiro activated Appraisal.
AURELIA CELESTINE VON VALENTIA
Race: Human
Position: Imperial Princess of Valentia
Emotional State: Composed • Alert • Calculating
Current Intent: Trust Acquisition • Psychological Profiling • Strategic Influence
Attention Priority: Group Leaders • High-Value Individuals • Social Cohesion Points
Renjiro dismissed it. Her eyes were moving as she spoke. Shizuka. Daiki. Akari.
Students standing near the center of groups. People others naturally looked toward. She was mapping them. Aurelia's gaze reached Renjiro. It stayed there for less than a second.
Then moved on. Good. He preferred it that way. A student near the front finally asked the question everyone cared about.
“Can we go home?”
The chamber changed. Immediately. Nobody whispered now. Aldric looked toward Malakor. Malakor's expression was grim.
“We don't know.”
The blunt answer struck harder than a lie would have.
“What?”
“You brought us here!”
“Then send us back!”
“You literally opened a portal!”
Malakor raised his voice.
“The ritual does not create a doorway!”
The students quieted slightly. He breathed. Then continued.
“It establishes a forced dimensional route using an extremely complex magical structure. The route collapsed after your arrival.”
Renjiro watched him. True enough. Incomplete. Very incomplete. Especially regarding the fuel.
Shizuka stared at him.
“So rebuild it.”
Malakor's jaw tightened.
“We do not yet know whether reversing the dimensional vector is possible.”
“Yet?”
“No one has ever crossed between Earth and Asteria before you.”
There it was again. First. No precedent. No previous summoned Hero conveniently leaving instructions behind. No old Hero legend.
Nothing. Daiki stepped forward.
“If we help you...”
“Kanzaki-kun.”
Daiki looked toward Shizuka.
“Sensei, I'm only asking.”
Then back to Aldric.
“If we help with whatever made you summon us, will Valentia help us find a way back?”
Aldric looked directly at him. Renjiro saw the opportunity register.
“Valentia will devote every reasonable resource available to researching a return.”
Not yes. Daiki heard hope. Different thing.
“I understand.”
Renjiro looked away. No. You don't. Not yet.
✦ ✦ ✦
The discussion about Classes continued because Valentia had no idea what they were. That changed the entire atmosphere. Instead of Malakor explaining the students' abilities—the students were explaining them to Malakor. Or trying to.
“Chronies-sama showed us something like a screen,” Sayaka said.
“A magical projection?” Malakor asked.
“Maybe?”
“Was it an artifact?”
“No.”
“A spell?”
“I don't think so.”
“Could everyone see it?”
“Only our own.”
Malakor's eyes practically burned with curiosity. Renjiro could almost see the research papers forming in his head. Then Akari mentioned Rank. Malakor stopped.
“Rank?”
“Yes.”
“What does it measure?”
“We weren't given a complete explanation.”
Daiki added, “Mine said S.” Malakor stared.
“S?”
Akari nodded.
“Mine too.”
Only now did Valentia learn that a ranking system existed. Aldric's attention sharpened. Aurelia's did too. Malakor looked around.
“And the others?”
Shizuka stepped forward.
“No.”
Malakor frowned.
“No?”
“You've learned enough for now.”
“We need to understand what Chronies-sama did.”
“And they need food, rest and time to understand what happened to them.”
Aldric considered her. Then nodded.
“Agreed.”
Malakor looked dissatisfied. Aurelia looked impressed. Or performed impressed. Hard to tell without Appraisal. Renjiro didn't bother.
Then Malakor's gaze shifted toward the large crystal at the side of the chamber.
“There may be one way to verify whether the transfer damaged them.”
Renjiro's attention followed. The crystal. Reina noticed.
“What is it?”
“A Status Crystal.”
Junpei blinked.
“You have Status too?”
Malakor frowned.
“I don't understand the question.”
Junpei looked at Mika. Mika looked back.
“Oh,” Junpei said.
Right. Different terminology. Malakor approached the crystal.
“These artifacts are used throughout Asteria to examine basic soul resonance.”
He placed his hand against it. Light spread through the crystal. A small projection appeared. Not identical to Chronies's System. Much simpler.
MALAKOR
Race: Human
Job: Dimensional Mage
Several students stared. Sayaka leaned forward.
“So that is your Job?” Sayaka asked.
Malakor looked at the display.
“Job,” Malakor said. “A soul-recognized vocation. Asterian appraisal artifacts use that term.”
Renjiro filed away the distinction. Class was Chronies's term. Job was Asteria's. Whether one could be translated into the other remained unknown. Malakor continued.
“It can identify basic attributes, magical affinities, physical condition and certain soul-bound abilities.”
Daiki frowned.
“So the Class Chronies-sama gave us might appear as a Job?”
Malakor looked at him.
“I don't know.”
Perfect. That was the answer Renjiro wanted to hear. Malakor wasn't pretending expertise he didn't have.
“Your souls have undergone something our magic has never observed.”
He looked at the crystal.
“This may read it.”
“May?” Reina asked.
“Yes.”
“And if it doesn't?”
“Then we learn that it cannot.”
Reina's expression suggested that was the first thing Malakor had said that she respected. Renjiro focused. Appraisal Eyes.
STATUS CRYSTAL
Origin: Asterian Soul-Reading Artifact
Primary Function: Basic Soul Profile Observation
Normal Subjects: Native Asterian Lifeforms
Detection: Mana-Soul Resonance
Readable Data: Name • Job • Level • Attributes • Affinity • Recognizable Skills
Authority: Limited
Limitation: Not designed for Divine System integration
Limitation: Unable to penetrate protected higher-order soul structures without elevated authority
Renjiro's eyes cooled. Good. Much better. The crystal wasn't some conveniently prepared Hero scanner. It was ordinary Asterian technology being used on something unprecedented.
And his spoofing architecture—should still work. Should. He wanted proof. Reina crossed her arms.
“Do we have to do it?”
Malakor started to answer. Aurelia spoke first.
“No.”
Malakor turned.
“Your Highness—”
“They have just learned that we do not fully understand what happened to them.”
Her expression remained gentle.
“Forcing an unknown magical examination immediately would be foolish.”
Shizuka's posture eased slightly. Aurelia continued.
“But I would ask whether a few of you are willing.”
Reina glanced toward the soldiers still surrounding the chamber.
“If someone volunteers, do their Skills need to be displayed to everyone here?”
Malakor opened his mouth, but Aurelia answered first.
“No.”
She turned toward the attendants. “Prepare privacy screens around the Status Crystal.” Malakor looked surprised. Aurelia did not.
“If this is truly a medical confirmation, there is no reason for every soldier in this chamber to know what each of them can do.”
Aldric studied his daughter for a moment, then gave a small nod. Several attendants moved immediately. Renjiro watched Aurelia. A cheap concession with a high emotional return—and exactly the kind of gesture that made trust easier to earn later. Reina said nothing, but her eyes remained on Aurelia for a second longer.
✦ ✦ ✦
The examination began several minutes later. The privacy was limited: Malakor remained beside the crystal, Shizuka insisted on staying with her students, and Aurelia remained close enough to observe. The soldiers, at least, could no longer see the projected details. There. Not force. Request. Better for trust.
Daiki stepped forward.
“I'll do it.”
Of course. Shizuka sighed.
“Kanzaki-kun.”
“If something's wrong with us, we should know.”
Aurelia smiled softly.
“A reasonable decision.”
Renjiro watched her. Tiny reinforcement. Nothing excessive. Daiki approached the crystal. Malakor positioned himself beside it.
“Place your hand here.”
Daiki did. Nothing happened. Then—golden light exploded through the crystal. Malakor stumbled backward.
Several soldiers reached for their weapons. The projection distorted. Symbols appeared. Disappeared. Reformed.
The crystal was trying to interpret something it had never encountered. Finally—information stabilized.
KANZAKI DAIKI
Race: Human — Otherworld Origin
Job: Unregistered / None
Level: 1
Affinity: Light
Foreign Divine Soul Structure Detected
Foreign Designation: HOLY HERO
Classification: UNKNOWN
Malakor stared. Nobody spoke. Then—
“S...”
Daiki looked confused.
“My Rank isn't there.”
Malakor turned toward him.
“The crystal doesn't possess such a category.”
There. Exactly. Chronies's Rank framework was new to Valentia, and the crystal had not converted Daiki's Class into a native Job. It had only managed to read the name embedded in the foreign structure. Daiki looked at his hand.
“So Holy Hero is not my Job?”
“Not according to the crystal. Your Job field is empty. ‘Holy Hero’ is being detected as a foreign designation attached to a soul structure our artifact does not understand.”
Malakor looked fascinated. Aurelia looked thoughtful. Aldric looked—pleased. Not because he understood the mechanics.
Because one phrase required no technical understanding. Holy Hero. Aldric stepped forward.
“Chronies-sama herself granted you that title?”
“Class,” Daiki corrected.
A pause. Then Aldric smiled.
“Class.”
Fast learner.
“Yes.”
The Emperor looked around the chamber. For the first time, Renjiro saw something dangerously close to triumph beneath his controlled expression. Valentia had gambled on unknown people from another world. And a Goddess had accidentally handed them something called a Holy Hero. Aldric would make use of that.
Of course he would. Akari volunteered next. The crystal reacted differently. White light. Softer.
Warmer.
TACHIBANA AKARI
Race: Human — Otherworld Origin
Job: Unregistered / None
Level: 1
Affinity: Holy • Healing
Foreign Divine Soul Structure Detected
Foreign Designation: SAINTESS
Classification: UNKNOWN
Malakor's breathing changed. A Saintess. Another title Valentia understood culturally even if it didn't understand Chronies's System. Aurelia approached Akari carefully. Not too close.
“May I ask something?”
Akari looked at Shizuka first. Good. Then nodded.
“What?”
“Did Chronies-sama tell you why she chose that Class?”
Akari shook her head.
“No. Only that it suited me.”
Aurelia placed a hand lightly against her chest.
“Then perhaps there is meaning in it that none of us yet understands.”
Akari looked thoughtful. Renjiro almost rolled his eyes. Beautiful line. Meaningless. Effective.
One by one, more students volunteered. Not everyone immediately. Shizuka insisted on that. But curiosity spread quickly once the first tests caused no pain. The crystal struggled with every single one.
Some foreign Class designations translated into readable names. Others remained incomplete or unreadable. The native Job field stayed unregistered for the summoned students, while foreign divine structures repeatedly appeared as unknown. Malakor took notes obsessively. Aldric watched.
Aurelia watched the students more than the crystal. Renjiro watched everyone. Eventually Junpei returned from his test with a grin. Mika immediately sighed.
“No.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You're going to.”
Junpei pointed toward himself.
“Spear.”
Mika stared.
“You look way too happy.”
“I've never held a spear.”
“Exactly.”
“That's why it's exciting.”
“You almost stabbed yourself with a broom during the school festival.”
“That incident has been exaggerated.”
“You hit yourself.”
“The broom was defective.”
Mika stared at him. Renjiro looked away. Idiots. Familiar idiots. For some reason, their argument made the alien chamber feel slightly less foreign.
Then—Renjiro heard his name.
“Kurogane Renjiro.”
He stepped forward. Shizuka looked at him.
“Kurogane-kun.”
“Yes, Sensei?”
“You don't have to volunteer.”
Renjiro looked toward the crystal.
“I know.”
“Then why are you?”
Because he needed to know whether his spoof worked against native Asterian soul-reading technology. He obviously wasn't going to say that.
“It's faster.”
Shizuka stared at him.
“That answer somehow sounds exactly like you.”
Renjiro walked forward. Reina watched him. He noticed. Of course she did. He placed his hand against the crystal.
Cold. Mana entered. The artifact searched his outer soul presentation. His protected architecture responded. Not with resistance.
Resistance would attract attention. It gave the crystal exactly what it expected to find. Weak resonance. Simple structure. No divine anomaly.
No visible protected layer. The crystal flickered. Once. Twice. Then stabilized.
RENJIRO KUROGANE
Race: Human — Otherworld Origin
Job: Unskilled Civilian
Secondary Aptitude: Farmer
Level: 1
HP: 50
MP: 10
Skills: None
Evaluation: Trash / Unusable Component
Silence. Malakor blinked. Then looked at the crystal. Then Renjiro. Then the crystal again.
“What?”
Renjiro said nothing. Malakor touched the artifact.
“Again.”
Renjiro removed his hand. Then placed it back. Same result.
JOB: UNSKILLED CIVILIAN
SECONDARY APTITUDE: FARMER
LEVEL 1
HP: 50
MP: 10
SKILLS: NONE
EVALUATION: TRASH / UNUSABLE COMPONENT
Malakor's expression darkened.
“Impossible.”
Shizuka stepped forward.
“What is?”
“Every other subject displayed foreign divine interference.”
“And?”
“He doesn't.”
Malakor stared at Renjiro.
“Aside from his origin marker, his soul reads almost like an exceptionally weak native civilian.”
Renjiro internally approved. Better than expected. Shizuka's expression hardened.
“Is he hurt?”
“No.”
“Is he dying?”
“No.”
“Then why are you looking at him like that?”
Malakor didn't answer. He didn't need to. The disappointment was obvious. Aldric looked toward Renjiro. The strategic calculation Renjiro had seen earlier changed.
Interest—gone. Good. Aurelia's reaction was subtler. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Not because she thought Renjiro powerful. Because his result didn't match the pattern. An anomaly. Renjiro met her gaze. No embarrassment.
No frustration. No fear. Aurelia smiled gently.
“Kurogane-sama.”
“Yes?”
“Are you feeling well?”
“Yes.”
“Did Chronies-sama speak to you?”
“Yes.”
Malakor immediately focused.
“What did she say?”
“That I wasn't suited to a Hero Class.”
Technically—close enough. Malakor exhaled through his nose. Disappointment replaced suspicion. Perfect.
Shizuka looked angry. Not at Renjiro. At them.
“He's still one of my students.”
Aldric looked toward her.
“No one said otherwise.”
“Your faces did.”
Junpei coughed into his fist. Mika looked away to hide a smile. Renjiro removed his hand from the crystal. He had what he needed. The mask worked.
Against Chronies's workflow. Against his own internal Status. And now—against native Asterian soul-reading technology. More importantly, the mask had adapted its output to the artifact's Job-based schema without exposing the Class framework beneath it. Useful.
Very useful. He turned away. Reina was waiting. Her eyes moved from him—to the crystal—
then back.
“Kurogane.”
“Yes?”
“You're a Farmer.”
“Apparently.”
“You don't look disappointed.”
“Would it change the result?”
Reina went silent.
“No.”
“Then there's no reason.”
Renjiro walked past. Reina remained where she was. Watching him. Troublesome.
✦ ✦ ✦
Later, Aldric addressed the group again. Valentia would provide food. Rooms. Clothing. Education about Asteria.
Language instruction where necessary, although Chronies's adaptation seemed to have solved spoken communication. Training—if they accepted it. At least, that was how Aldric phrased it tonight. Renjiro noticed every careful word.
No one would be sent into battle immediately. No one would be forced to demonstrate unfamiliar abilities tonight. Valentia would investigate a method of returning them to Earth. All reasonable resources would be provided. Reasonable.
Immediately. Tonight. Words with exits built into them. Aurelia stood beside her father. Warm.
Composed. Attentive. She already remembered several students' names. Daiki. Akari.
Shizuka. Reina. Probably others. Renjiro suspected she would know everyone's name soon. Useful skill.
Dangerous person. Then his attention returned to the summoning circle. Something beneath the floor bothered him. Residue. Faint.
But wrong. Renjiro waited until Malakor's attention moved elsewhere. Then activated Appraisal Eyes. Not on a person. On the ritual.
Information surfaced.
FORBIDDEN INTERDIMENSIONAL SUMMONING FORMATION
Status: Expended
Operator: Holy Empire of Valentia
Purpose: Forced Cross-Dimensional Acquisition
Dimensional Destination: Earth → Asteria
Dimensional Route: Artificial / Foreign Blueprint Influence Detected
Primary Requirement: Extreme Mana Supply
Secondary Requirement: Soul-Based Boundary Stabilization
Consumed Stabilization Fuel:
1,000 HUMAN SOULS
Renjiro stopped.
One thousand.
His eyes remained on the formation. He read it again. Same result. One thousand human souls. Consumed.
Not injured. Not displaced. Consumed. The information continued.
Ritual Knowledge Origin: Obscured
Operator Understanding: Incomplete
External Influence: Present
Something outside Valentia had influenced the ritual. Appraisal did not give Renjiro a name. Chronies had warned them that the transfer had gone wrong, but she had never identified whatever stood behind it. Appraisal confirmed only that an external influence existed. But this—this confirmed the cost.
He dismissed Appraisal. Aldric was still speaking.
“...we ask only that you give yourselves time to understand our world before deciding what path you wish to take.”
Renjiro looked at him. Then Malakor. One thousand dead. Did Aldric know? Likely.
Malakor? Almost certainly knew the operational requirement if he ran the ritual. Aurelia? Unknown. Were the sacrifices citizens?
Prisoners? Slaves? Foreign captives? Volunteers? Unknown.
Renjiro didn't invent answers. Appraisal had told him the cost. Not every detail surrounding it. He could investigate later. If he cared enough.
For now—one fact mattered. Valentia had spent one thousand human souls to drag thirty students and one teacher across dimensions. That made the Empire dangerous. It did not make Renjiro responsible for saving anyone.
He looked toward the nearest exit. What he wanted hadn't changed. Freedom.
✦ ✦ ✦
They were escorted from the summoning chamber. The palace was enormous. White stone. Gold. Religious murals.
Stained glass. Human saints. Human warriors. Human rulers. Again and again—
non-humans appeared beneath them. Defeated. Kneeling. Chained. One mural showed Beastkin prisoners kneeling before a Human knight.
Another depicted horned figures burning beneath golden light. Junpei stared at one.
“That's... kind of messed up.”
Mika looked at it too.
“Yeah.”
A Valentian attendant nearby heard them. His expression became confused.
“Is something wrong?”
Junpei pointed.
“Those people are chained.”
The attendant followed his finger.
“Oh.”
His confusion disappeared.
“Beastkin.”
Junpei waited. The attendant seemed to think that explained everything. Mika's expression changed.
“What does that mean?”
The attendant blinked. Before he could answer—Aurelia spoke.
“They are old depictions of Valentian victories.”
Her tone remained pleasant. Mika looked toward her.
“That wasn't what I asked.”
Aurelia's smile didn't move.
“The relationship between races in Asteria is complicated.”
Renjiro watched her. Translation: Not a conversation she wanted to have yet. Good to know. They continued walking.
Eventually the corridor opened beside enormous windows. Outside—Aureum stretched beneath them. The Imperial capital. Golden rooftops.
White walls. Cathedrals. Military towers. Markets. Roads.
Thousands of people. Crowds had gathered outside the palace barriers. Some knelt. Some waved banners. Some prayed.
The Heroes had arrived. Except—they didn't know what the Heroes actually were. Nobody did. Not even Valentia.
Renjiro found that mildly amusing. They had sacrificed one thousand people—opened a hole between worlds—dragged thirty-one strangers through it—and only afterward discovered that a Goddess had interfered with their experiment.
Malakor walked behind them with another official. Renjiro heard the conversation. His hearing had improved considerably.
“Twenty-nine appear highly abnormal.”
The official whispered.
“And the teacher?”
“Her foreign designation is defensive in nature. Potentially useful.”
“And Kurogane?”
Malakor paused.
“Nothing.”
Good.
“Not even the foreign structure?”
“Only the minimum otherworld-origin resonance.”
“What does His Majesty intend?”
Another pause.
“He will decide after reviewing the results.”
Renjiro kept walking. Exactly what he wanted. Shizuka turned.
“Kurogane-kun?”
“Yes?”
“You've barely said anything.”
“I usually don't.”
Junpei snorted. Mika elbowed him. Shizuka sighed.
“That isn't what I meant.”
“I know.”
“You're impossible.”
Renjiro almost smiled. Almost. Behind Shizuka—Aurelia was watching him. Only for a moment.
Renjiro ignored her.
✦ ✦ ✦
The residential wing had clearly been prepared before the ritual. Not specifically for thirty students. But for a large group. Guest chambers. Dining halls.
Bathing facilities. Servants. Storage. Valentia had not known who would arrive. It had merely expected someone.
That distinction made more sense now. An attendant bowed.
“Takahashi-sama, your private guest suite has been prepared in the eastern—”
“No.”
The attendant froze. Shizuka pointed toward the student rooms.
“I stay here.”
“Sensei,” Daiki said, “you don't have to—”
“Yes, I do.”
Aurelia approached.
“Prepare a chamber for Takahashi-sama in this wing.”
The attendant bowed immediately.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Shizuka looked toward Aurelia.
“Thank you.”
“It is reasonable.”
Aurelia smiled.
“You are their teacher.”
Again—a cheap concession. High emotional return. Renjiro stored it. His own room was near the end of the corridor.
Good. The attendant opened the door.
“Please rest, Kurogane-sama.”
Renjiro stepped inside.
“Thank you.”
The door closed. Silence. Finally. He remained still for several seconds. Bed.
Desk. Wardrobe. Window. Two chairs. Wash basin.
Decorations. Renjiro activated Appraisal Eyes. Walls. Furniture. Ceiling.
Door. Window. No obvious surveillance artifacts. The window carried magical reinforcement. Nothing more.
He checked again. Still nothing. Good. Renjiro sat on the edge of the bed.
“Status.”
A translucent interface appeared. Not Valentia's crystal. Not the fake layer. His. Protected.
RENJIRO KUROGANE
TRUE PROFILE: PROTECTED
DIVINE BODY
DIVINE CREATION
DIVINE DISGUISE
INFINITE ITEM STORAGE / VOID BOX
SPOOFING & STATUS MASKING
APPRAISAL EYES
More information existed beneath. Far more. Renjiro closed it. Having power was not the same as understanding it. He had manipulated a Goddess-managed integration process during dimensional transfer.
That didn't mean he should start testing Divine Creation inside an Imperial palace. He wasn't stupid. Later. Somewhere private. Somewhere no one could interfere.
Renjiro walked toward the window. Aureum glowed beneath the evening sky. Another world. Magic. Monsters.
Different races. Unknown plants. Unknown metals. Unknown food. Dungeons—
probably. Adventurers—hopefully. Guilds—very hopefully.
For years those things had existed only in games, manga, anime and novels. Now they were real. Renjiro's expression barely changed. But his eyes did. Interest.
Small. Genuine. Unfortunately—Valentia was real too. A Holy Empire that had used a forbidden ritual it had never successfully tested.
An Emperor who viewed the summoned group as strategic assets. A Grand Vizier who had followed dimensional knowledge he did not truly understand. A Princess who could profile frightened strangers while appearing perfectly compassionate. A culture whose palace walls depicted other races in chains. And beneath all of it—
one thousand human souls. Renjiro looked toward the distant city walls. Class 3-B could decide what they wanted to do. Daiki could become a Holy Hero. Akari could decide what being a Saintess meant.
Shizuka could try to protect everyone. Reina could keep watching people until she gave herself a headache. Junpei could find a spear and probably injure himself. Their choices belonged to them. Renjiro had no intention of gathering them.
No intention of becoming their leader. No intention of becoming Valentia's Hero. He wanted freedom. Nothing more complicated than that. For now.
His thoughts shifted toward the world beyond the capital. If this world had magic—then it probably had monsters. If it had monsters—then adventurers were plausible.
If adventurers existed—there might be Guilds. Quests. Dungeons. Labyrinths.
Materials. Crafting. Rare weapons. Renjiro stared out over the unfamiliar world. A question entered his mind.
A genuinely important one.
Does Asteria have an Adventurer Guild?
For approximately two seconds—Renjiro Kurogane was excited. Then his expression returned to its usual cold neutrality. First things first. He needed to leave Valentia.
Everything interesting could begin after that.
End of Chapter 8