Chapter 2 — The King, the Princess, and the Crimson Test

"Finally, you’re awake. Welcome to the Kingdom of Calvessia, Hero!"
"Who are you?! And what do you mean by 'Hero'?! Also… where even am I?!"
"Watch your tongue in front of His Majesty the King!"
Uwah… The guard pointed something at me. Guess I made him mad.
"I am King Rudolf Reinhardt von Calvessia the Tenth."
"You are currently in a world called Altheria—or more precisely, in the Kingdom of Calvessia. You were summoned here as a Hero."
I didn’t get a single thing he just said. Weren’t I… jumping off my apartment rooftop because my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend?
I was supposed to be dead and in the afterlife, right? Is this the afterlife? No way… not with how this place looks.
"What’s your name, Hero?"
"Haruto… Haruto Kisaragi."
"Alright, Haruto. Come with me, we’ll find a suitable place to talk."
I followed him, though there were guards trailing behind me too.
Is this how celebrities on Earth feel when they get escorted?
I pulled out my smartphone from my pocket to check the time, but… it wouldn’t turn on.
People around me stared at it curiously.
One soldier even asked, "What is that?"
"This? It’s called a smartphone, but I think it’s broken. Guess I’ll just toss it later."
The king stopped walking. Guess we arrived?
"Alright, Hero Haruto, enter here."
I followed him inside.
Looking around the room, I muttered without thinking, "This looks ancient…"
The king burst out laughing.
"Ancient, huh? I guess you could say that."
"It wasn’t like this before… all this is because of defeat."
"Defeat?"
"Yes. Defeat against the demon race during last year’s war, back when the kingdom was ruled by my father, King Albert Reinhardt von Calvessia IX."
"Many humans died—including my father… I mean, the previous king."
"But now, the Demon King has declared that humanity can reclaim this world through team competitions—without bloodshed."
"So, please, he—"
"Wait, what was your name again?"
"King Rudolf Reinhardt von Calvessia the Tenth."
"Alright, Rudolf. So you summoned me here because you want revenge for your father’s death?"
"Correct."
"What do I get if I help?"
"Anything you desire. Wealth, noble title, land… you name it."
He really offered it just like that.
"Alright then. Thanks, I guess."
Knock knock.
Someone entered, holding something that looked like a gadget from a paranormal TV show.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty. I brought the device."
"Finally! Bring it here!"
Why’s the king so excited? What is this, a fortune-telling session?
"Introduce yourself to the Hero."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The person removed her cloak—turns out she was a woman.
"Greetings, Hero. I am Celine Reinhardt von Calvessia."
Wow. She’s… really pretty.
"Uh, hi. I’m Haruto Kisaragi."
"So, Hero Haruto, what do you think? My daughter’s pretty, right?"
"Y-Yeah, I me—wait, no! I mean, she’s just… normal!"
The king roared with laughter.
"Alright then, Hero Haruto, please come here and touch the crystal ball."
I did as told and placed my hand on it.
Soon, it glowed—bright crimson red.
"T-This?!"
"No way…"
I wanted to ask what was going on, but honestly, I couldn’t be bothered.
The king quickly told Celine to step outside, then stayed silent for a while.
Suddenly, the door burst open. A man I didn’t know barged in with Celine following behind him.
"Rudolf! I’m here! Where’s the one you spoke of?"
He’s… really fired up, huh.