They had experienced numerous battles against the Demonic League and were hailed as heroes and respected by other knights. Their reputation preceded them.
Similar to Kazuki's previous world, religion dominated the entire country, with even the royal family providing substantial support. The clergy of the country was responsible for the summoning.
Nerthus was worshipped as the god of the country, and the state church had a significant influence. Approximately 88% of the population worshipped Nerthus, making it the dominant religion in the empire.
The Church had made plans during the war with the Demons centuries ago, regardless of the true source of their feudalistic power.
Despite the Demons being outnumbered and outgunned by the vast numbers and technological advancements of the Humans, they utilised vassals – powerful beasts used as weapons in ancient times. The Demons revived these mighty magical monsters and deployed them against the Humans.
"Go forth, forces of evil shall not prevail. Heroes, be blessed by the Goddess as she guides you on your journey. I send my warmest regards for your success in defeating the Demons. May the Goddess of Nerthus bless you?"
Gnaus appeared lost in thought, perhaps recalling the time he heard about the prophecy. The state Church heavily influenced the Empire through military intervention and commerce, as Theodor had explained.
The continent was divided into five regions. Heisen occupied the West, where Humans and Demi-Humans lived harmoniously. Dronstadt, in the east, was predominantly inhabited by Demi-Humans and had stricter entry regulations.
Nroilan, located to the north, was an Elf-dominated country with small settlements and associated dark elves. Centuries ago, they had collaborated with the Demons to exterminate Humankind, but the front suddenly fell silent.
The Dragonborn race resided in the northeast, in remote and isolated regions. Finding members of their kin was a challenging task. Lastly, the Demonic race occupied the southern part of the continent, an area from which no one ventured returned, making it a restricted and dangerous zone.
Wars between Humans and Demons had been ongoing for centuries. Consequently, the Demons were in a weakened state. Whenever the gods intervened to save humanity from extinction, the Demonic forces retreated to their territory. They had been unable to expand their territory for many years.
As night fell, everyone engaged in casual conversations, discussing their plans on how to return to their world. Some students had lost hope and felt trapped in this new reality. Kazuki looked around and realised that this world had a mediaeval theme, resembling an RPG setting.
"(This feels like a game, but with actual living people. I bet dying here is just like in real life – no respawning.)"
I continued to observe the ballroom, noticing that some of my classmates appeared worried. However, others showed no signs of distress; they were eager to help save this world from extermination.
My thoughts mirrored their determination to fight for this world.
Among them, Ichika-sensei stood up to protest against Gnaus' decision.
"This is outrageous! How can you allow these kids to participate in a war? They are just students; war is no place for them. It's out of the question. Even as their teacher, I won't allow it. Let us return to our world immediately!"
Ichika-sensei panted in anger. At only 22 years old, she was immensely popular with the students. Standing at an average height of approximately 5.5 feet, she possessed a pretty and elegant face, and her hair was of medium length.
The students couldn't help but smile awkwardly. She always wished to protect her students whenever they needed help, but her efforts were futile in the end. She disliked being teased by her students and easily got mad when they embarrassed her in front of others.
"I... I understand your concern, but... you cannot go back."
A complete silence engulfed the hall. The atmosphere was heavy, as everyone's gaze turned toward Gnaus with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
"Impossible... What did you just say? If you can summon us, then you should have the spell to send us back!"
Ichika exclaimed desperately.
"Unfortunately, our high-tier casters used a highly valuable spell to summon all of you here. But the summoning can only occur once in a lifetime. Therefore, whether or not you can return to your old world is up to Nerthus to decide."
"Th-this... can't be..."
Ichika-sensei lost her strength and slumped into her chair, overcome with a cold shiver.
The students, listening intently, began to panic.
"What do you mean we can't return to our world? That's absurd!"
"That's wild speculation! There must be another way to send us back!"
"We're stuck here forever!?"
"Oh god, why now... why..."
The students started to panic. On the other hand, Kazuki remained unaffected. Being an otaku, he had read about many situations like this before. He was much calmer than the other students, and he had always dreamt of a scenario like this.
Kazuki reassured himself, "After all the discussions on this situation, I have already made my decision to stay in this world and explore every part of it."
After a brief conversation, the banquet came to an end, and my classmates and I expressed our gratitude to the palace servants for their kind hospitality.
We were then escorted to our rooms to spend the night. Gnaus mentioned that he would assign knights to begin our training for the upcoming battle. A noble servant led me to a bedroom with two beds, one for each of us. As I entered the room, I quickly settled in.
"Whoa, this bed feels so comfortable. It's warm and cosy, unlike anything I've experienced before."
"Hmm, I wonder who will be using the other bed?"
As I enjoyed the comfort of the bed, a surprising coincidence occurred. Akari opened the door and wore an awkward expression upon realising that we would be roommates. I couldn't believe that the girl who showed interest in me would also be my roommate.
"Huh? What a surprise, Kazuki-kun."
"I didn't know we would be sharing rooms."
Though her presence made me a little uncomfortable, having someone by my side meant I wouldn't be lonely in this confined space. I looked around, trying to break the silence, and Akari greeted me with a warm smile.
Night fell, and Akari and I prepared to sleep. I stared at the wall behind me until sleep overcame me.
A new day awaited us.
Tomorrow would mark the beginning of my adventure.
Morning arrived, and I woke up, preparing myself for the training scheduled later in the day. But... I wasn't sleepy at all. I was too excited to find out about my adventure class.
"Good morning, Kazuki-kun. Still, feeling sleepy? Well, get going. We'll be heading to the barracks later."
Akari said from beside me as she made her way out.