Confusion

“I am Aelius, your God, and I-”

The crowd stared, then looked at one another before placing their eyes back on to me, brows simultaneously furrowing.

“Blasphemy!”

“What utter nonsense!”

"Know your place, hero!"

Very well, it seems they need to receive more divine punishment.

The crowd shouted furious words. Some of the robed men struggled to cling onto a few fuming devoted followers of their beloved god as they try to charge at me. I glanced at the spot where the man in the plated armor crashed into. He was no longer there.

“You’re wide open, kid!”

I turned around to see the man standing again, his posture all wobbly and hasty. His hand hovered over the fist-shaped dent on his breastplate, then swiped the sweat off his face before lunging to my direction. It seems this knight of a mighty kingdom is experienced enough to recover and raise his hand in the air for a counterattack. I speedily parried his assault with my left arm and threw my other fist into the same broken spot of armor-!

But nothing happened. The strike had neither magic nor physical power in it.

“Wh-what in tarnation?!”

My feet locked in placed as I exclaimed in disbelief. This second of perturbation during combat lead to me feeling a darting pain on my neck. Before I knew it, my vision dimmed...

---

Smash-!

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of glass shattering. I moved my gaze to the side of the room to see a dainty woman in a maid’s uniform, frantically picking up splinters of broken glass.

“Where am I?” I yawned as I sat up and rubbed my face. Waking up to another place for the second time felt so nasty that it felt like I drank too much with Amaris and had a splitting headache the next day.

The woman looked up surprised to see me awake, “Ah you’re up! S-sorry about that, I tripped on the floor and bumped on a table. A glass cup then fell down the floor as a result of my clumsy mistake.”

“I did not inquire regarding that. Just answer me, where am I?"

“Oh um, y-you’re in one of the guest rooms in the palace,” she placed the last of the shards on her gloved hand and stood back up. The woman did not move from her position and started to fidget on her feet. Her eyes kept darting towards me, then the door, through the window, and then right back to me.

"..."

"..."

"What are you standing there for? My question has been answered. You may leave now."

"Ah, right," her shoulders jolted. She lowered her head and proceeded to go to the doorway before stopping, "Well, um, if you have questions or in need of service, just ring the bell on your bedside table." She then grabbed one of the handles of the huge oak double door and opened it. "Oh, and d-don't worry. I'll bring back a replacement for the cup later. Have a good day, s-sir."

With those words, she finally slipped out of the door.

Thump-clack.

The room is quite large. There are a couple of great wooden furniture around and there was another double door- this one having glass panes through its length- which leads to a balcony. The half poster bed I was lying on was not bad either, with its cushioned mattress covered in blue velvet sheets. Quite luxurious for a guest room, if I may so declare. Perhaps this is the privilege of being the kingdom's summoned hero-

No, I thought as I gathered my bearings and remembered my current predicament.

I must return now. I should have just returned the moment I have arrived here.

I stood up from the bed then pointed at the floor. A summoning circle hazily appeared in the darkness of my closed vision and drew such in the air using my index finger. This time, the circle will have a few adjustments: coordinates back home, to The Heavenly Realm.

“Realm Teleport.”

With a scintillating shade of yellow, the summoning circle appeared. The room shook as the 

spell caused the surrounding furniture to levitate. I opened my eyes.

“It is time to go back.”

Suddenly the light sputtered, and the magic circle started to dissipate.

“What was that?!” Five knights barged into the room, lead by the man who I recognized to be the one who have knocked me out in our little skirmish last time.

Yet I could not care less about them. I looked at the floor where the summoning circle had already dispersed. My hand felt as if there was a gaping hole at the center of it, draining out all of which that was supposed to be inside there.

I have ran out of mana.

“Was that magic? I’m going to warn you, don’t try anything stupid.” The man lowered, shuffling his feet and grabbing the sword on his scabbard.

“It is not possible.”

“What’s not possible?”

“How come I have been depleted of mana?”

At my words, the man tilted his head, eyes squinting. He proceeded to let go of his stance then shook his head.

“Look, we’re going to be comrades soon so I’ll start with the formalities. The name’s Grayson. Head Knight of the Kingdom of Sol and Captain of the First Ray. What’s yours?”

Grayson is at a towering height and has a bulky build. His armor indeed looked different as the Head Knight and one of the captains of the kingdom, in comparison to the armament of his men, who are now surveying the room.

“I have already told you last time. My name is Aelius. And may I also warn you to avoid being nonchalant in front of your God.”

Grayson laughed nervously, “Are you well? Did the summoning ritual give you brain damage? Or was it when I hit you? Enough jokes, it was only funny the first time. Actually, it wasn't that funny since we ended up fighting last time so...”

“I do not jest when it comes to this, Mr. Head Knight," I raised a brow, "There is also nothing wrong with my head. As for a follower who cannot comprehend the situation of his god, surely there must be.”

Grayson pretended to not hear that line.

“Alright, everyone, let’s move out! Everything's clear except for one brain-dead man." The knights started to leave the room. "And you. I’m just going call you 'Al'. Follow me.”

Deadpanning me like that- how preposterous! I very much wanted to place a deep recess on the face of this mortal man. Yet seeing as I am somehow currently not functioning normally as intended, I held back.

You shall have your divine retribution in due course.

The thought appeared in my head and helped me calmly follow him out of the guest room.

“Well? where is our destination then?”

He smiled. “To see his Majesty, the king.”