ITWOK Chapter 8: A history lesson

"Before I answer your question, please allow me to explain a bit more about our world," she began, her gaze sweeping across the room, "Kladin is a world perpetually at war. Though we summoned you all because of the threat of demons, the truth is that we are surrounded on all sides by the other races of Kladin who wish us harm.

“Other races?” Someone questioned.

The princess nodded. “In Kladin, there are many other races. There are the us, the humans, then there are also the Rakins, the Yxliers, Dwarves, Elves, and the Orcs. A long time ago, we humans were on the bottom rung, made lower than the other races. We were taken advantage of, beaten, abused. We were weak and had no means to protect ourselves against the creatures of this world, and so we had no choice but to go into the arms of the other races who did not treat us well. What choice did we have, for we humans were nothing special. However, It was from the grace of the divine, who saw our plight and sent down gifts from the heavens. From these gifts, we managed to escape and carve out a place of our own. Eventually, when a great enemy arose, it was one of our own, my predecessor, the first king of the Kingdom of Crown Almighty, who cemented our presence as the dominant race by leading us all against the Great Evil.

Emanuel the Great and all of Kladin stood against the Great Evil. He united the races and led the charge against this threat who threatened to plunge the world into darkness. It was through his courage and leadership that we not only survived but emerged as the dominant race, securing our place in this world once and for all.”

Reina eyes lowered as she sighed before continuing, “For a time, there was peace. But it didn’t last. The other races grew resentful, believing that humans didn’t deserve to claim their own space. Tensions boiled over, and soon, war erupted among the races. Out of that conflict, the seven human kingdoms were born: Crown Almighty, Cranch, Thalassa, Canton, Regulus, North Wind, and Lipoe. Each kingdom is unique, with its own customs and strengths, but all stand as bastions of humanity’s resilience. We pleaded with the other races to see reason, to find a way to coexist, but they refused to listen. In the end, we did what we had to do to survive. Our place in this world was earned through the choices we made, no matter how difficult they were.”

She turned back to George, her expression softening. “I apologize for the history lesson, but it’s important to understand the history of our realm. I know this is a lot to take in. I had hoped to spare you these details until you were more accustomed to this world, but it seems the time for that has passed.

Now, to answer your question. As of right now, the only thing stopping the demons from invading our realms is the Saintess, Demetria, and the Great Pontiff of the Holy church of Fos which is situated at the heart of the seven kingdoms, a sanctuary dedicated to our god, who has guided and protected us since the dawn of our rise. It is through his light that we find strength, unity, and protection. The demons dare not cross into our realm easily or risk divine retribution.”

She closed her eyes briefly and gave silent prayer.

So far, from what George could gather, the people of this world were deeply religious and the history was muddy with details of divine intervention and great heroes. However, this only served to garner more questions for him.

“Shouldn't the other races have to deal with the demons as well?” George asked.

Opening her eyes once more, she said, “It isn’t that the demons aren’t a threat to the other races, but that they continue to hold grudges against the human race. We’ve tried to make them see reason but we have been unsuccessful so far. Thus, in addition to the demons, we also must contend with the other races who wish to do us harm. The human realm is also a small section of the entire world. The very land itself is filled with monstrous beasts in the Great Wilderness. As mentioned, we are surrounded by enemies.”

‘She’s good at weaving a story. I can’t tell if she’s being genuine or spinning a tale which means… this is likely a rehearsed story.’

Reina again turned back to George. "I say all of this to highlight that the stakes are higher than you could ever know. Hero George, you are eager to finish this quest as are we for the removal of demons would benefit us all. However, charging head first without a plan will only lead to demise when faced with enemies on all sides. I understand you may believe this banquet might seem a little silly but it is important so everyone can be acquainted better with each other. A hero cannot win by their efforts alone. Even Emanuel the Brave, the first king of Crown Almighty, had his trusted companions with him when he defeated the Great Evil."

Tears seemed to suddenly well from the princess's eyes. “ Please believe me, the last thing we want to do is waste your time. I swear it on my title as the princess of Crown Almighty!"

“Through the princess's passionate speech, the other's seemed even more accepting of their situation here. Even the others who had yet to be truly sold on the idea of helping were now emboldened to do so.

"Don't worry, princess, I will do my best to defeat the demons!"

"We all will!"

There was an uproar and George finally settled back down on his chair.

"Thank you, everyone. I just want to assure everyone here that we will be doing our utmost to train and equip you all with everything we have to assist you in dealing with the demons. Starting tomorrow, we will also be revealing the skills you all came with. However, before then, there is still one last matter to be addressed."

Nuel nodded and the servants next brought out a single piece of parchment paper and presented it to each one of the Summoned.

"What's this?" One of them asked.

"This is what's known as a magic contract which binds the users to the contents of the contract. We will need your blood signature in order before we can continue."

"Contract? Why should we sign one?" another asked, supported by a few other voices. Asking them to defeat the demons was one thing but also forcing them to sign a contract where magic was real was something completely different. A few had already looked over the contract and the worst part of it was that they couldn't even read it. It was in a completely different language!

There were more than a few who worked in the corporate world and signing anything without understanding anything was definitely a cause for concern.

"We understand your concerns but there is a good reason we must do this." Nuel tried to calm them down. "As we've said before, you heroes are summoned from a completely different world and so, the way your skills and magic works is a little different from us as well. The cost and process of training you all would be substantial even for our kingdom."

Nuel sighed, his hands clasped behind his back as he paced slowly. "In the past, when all the races united to fight the Great Evil, all the races pooled their resources to train and equip the brave heroes who stood against the darkness. At the time, humanity contributed what we could, though it was meager compared to the wealth of the other races. But times have changed. The races have grown isolated, and we can no longer rely on their support to fund the training of the next generation of heroes. While humanity is no longer as destitute as we once were, the cost of training nearly a hundred Summoned is a burden too great for any single kingdom to bear alone."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group. "Your summoning was no secret. All seven human kingdoms are aware of your presence here, and we have agreed to share the costs of equipping and training you, the future heroes of Kladin. However, there is one condition: each of you must sign this contract of participation. It is a simple agreement, stating that you will do everything in your power to assist the kingdoms in defeating the demons. This is not a request we make lightly. As you witnessed this morning, there are those among you who refuse to contribute to this cause. While we understand their reluctance, we are also grappling with an ongoing famine that plagues all seven kingdoms. The demons’ taint has ravaged our lands, crippling our ability to grow food and feed our people. To fund even a single Summoned who is not fully committed means diverting resources that could have saved tens of thousands from starvation. We cannot afford such waste."

The room hung in heavy silence. When put in that manner, it was reasonable for the kingdom for assurance of their investment. The cheery atmosphere was gone and reality began to sit in. There were real consequences that would happen based on their choices now.

"How do we know what you are saying is the truth?" George again spoke up. "This contract is in a language we can't understand. If you're lying, then we won't know until after we sign. That isn't a risk I would be willing to take." Those who shared similar sentiments nodded.

Nuel retrieved a glass orb and said: "Everything I've said about the contract is the truth." The orb glowed green. He then approached a woman in her seat and asked. "Please tell me an obvious lie."

"M-My hair is white," The girl said. Immediately, the orb glowed red.

Nuel held the orb up for all to see. "As you can see, this artifact is able to differentiate truths from lies. Red means you've told a lie and green will mean you've told the truth. Would anyone like to try?"

A few of the Summoned tried. Some tried to lie about their names, while others tried to trick the orb by giving half truths but the orb was able to detect the lie and glowed red. The truth was always green and the lies were always red. Soon, people grew calmer, now believing that neither Nuel nor the princess had lied to them.

Within moments, Lance returned center stage as he signed and proclaimed loudly, "What's there even to hesitate about? I'm willing to sign whatever I need to protect the people of this land. My name is Lance Flaknir, and I swear to put my life on the line to protect the kingdom of Crown Almighty and its people against the demonic force!" His voice was loud and clear and despite the cheesy line, it managed to inspire others who began to write their names on the contracts as well.

As more and more names were written, those who were still in the middle followed suit. Afterall, if so many people were signing, then surely it meant they were doing the right thing, right?

The princess looked on warmly. "Thank you everyone, thank you for putting your trust into us."

However, Nuel could see there were still a few stragglers.

His eyes landed on George. "Is there still something you are unsure of, Hero George?" he asked.

Staring back, George asked, "What if we don't sign. What happens then?"

"Then… I'm afraid the support you will be given will be minimal compared to your peers. We will still provide the training and upfront the costs to help you fight the demons, but in terms of weapons, armors, and supplies, the kingdom will be limited to what it can give you."

George crossed his arms as he thought about it for a moment. "I was thinking about this morning. That fellow who had left had mentioned about the possibility of you forcing on us contracts we can not break."

Nuel laughed. "That man had likely heard too many stories about heroes travelling to other worlds and thought we had ulterior motives. We don't have any ill intentions like that as we demonstrated with the artifact. The contracts are simply to motivate both sides to do their best."

"And if we don't?" George narrowed his brow and asked.

"Then…"

"Nothing," the princess interjected. "The contract is one simply of commitment that doesn't do anything if you break it. It only influences you to uphold your side of the contact, sort of like a nagging feeling on what you should do. However, in the end, you are in control and you can choose to ignore it."

"I see…" George sighed. "Can I assume there will be other means for me to make my own money before heading out on the expedition?"

"Of course," the princess answered. "We are not here to confine you. After the first months of training, everyone will be welcomed to go and leave as they please. We only ask you to be careful as you're all so very precious to us."

George nodded. "Then I won't be signing. I'll manage on my own."

A few of the others looked at each other, and also placed down their pens.

"I understand. I still thank you for your future contributions for the kingdom." The princess gave a graceful smile.

The majority still signed and only a handful chose not to. Soon, there was only one remaining, a woman with medium length hazelnut brown hair. To her, everything had been happening so fast. They were teleported to a new world and in this world there was magic, monsters, and demons. She didn't know anything about this world or its people and she definitely could not imagine herself being as self-sufficient as those who chose not to sign.

She was just an office worker still making her rounds. In the end, there seemed to be only one reasonable decision. She picked up the pen and signed her name: Emily Brine.