Selena was intrigued.
After crossing the portal to the other world, she and her friends found themselves inside a spacious hall, so large that hundreds of people could dance back and forth in it.
In the hall, large pillars of white marble and works of art adorned the place; matching the artworks, silver armors and coats of arms of noble families could also be seen on the walls.
It was undoubtedly a place that seemed to have been taken from a fairy tale. A scene worthy of being called a royal chamber.
However, what really intrigued Selena was something else.
"Who are these people?"
They were surrounded by a group of people wearing Victorian-era gala clothes and soldiers in armor, holding spears and swords.
On a small platform above them, a group of three people watched them with warm looks.
One of them was a middle-aged man, with a well-groomed beard, a strong physique, and a golden crown on his head. He was so tall that he seemed like a mountain, and so intimidating that he resembled a gorilla. By all indications, he was the king of that place.
To the right of the king, a young girl in her late teens, with blond hair, sea-green eyes, and plump pink lips, dressed in a plain white dress and some gold jewelry.
And to the left was an individual whose gender could not be identified, as their body was entirely covered by a hooded cloak, and their face by a featureless white mask.
The three individuals along with the men, women, and soldiers watched Selena and her friends in the center of the hall with curiosity, as if they were seeing an exotic animal on stage.
"I don't like this situation."
Selena was uncomfortable with it all. She had seen similar looks before and knew that what they were doing was judging their value as allies.
"We need to take the lead!"
As Selena analyzed the situation, her teacher and friends talked among themselves, seeming much more curious than concerned about their own lives.
— Wow! Is that a real sword? — exclaimed one of her classmates.
— Don't be foolish, obviously my skill is much stronger! — said another, while waving their fingers in the air.
— Do you think I should talk to that man? — the teacher asked, while talking to some of her students.
No one seemed to really understand the seriousness of the situation, not even Selena's best friend, Ciel, who seemed much more interested in taking selfies of the scenery than with their own manners.
"What's gotten into them to be so calm like this?"
As she was about to speak, the last individual to be teleported by the goddess had arrived, appearing from particles of light next to Selena.
— Ugh... I'm feeling a bit dizzy! — said the newcomer.
It was Lucas, who had been left behind while his peers departed.
Now all 20 heroes were there, and there was no reason for either side to remain silent.
"The goddess said we would be sent to her sanctuary. If we are really in the right place, there's no reason for us to fear."
Stepping forward in front of her friends and approaching the man seated on the throne, she took a deep breath and spoke.
— I gr– — Before she could finish, a booming voice like thunder rises.
— I greet you, heroes from another world! — spoke the man seated on the throne, rising to his feet and looking at everyone with seriousness and arrogance.
Silence filled the room. Both the students and the natives remained silent and looked with fear at the man who had just spoken.
Selena knew, her plan to take initiative in the discussions and make initial contact had failed, but on the other hand, the figure before her seemed so powerless and arrogant that no matter what she said, he would not take her seriously.
"He... seems dangerous."
It was the first time she feared for her life since meeting Freya.
Unexpectedly, the man with a crown on his head descended from the small platform and approached Selena and her friends.
Immediately all the natives surrounding them knelt and backed away, as if they dared not look directly at that figure.
— I am Nathanael Ed. Argyros III. The Emperor of the Argyros Empire and also a faithful servant of the goddess — spoke the Emperor, stopping in front of Selena.
— A-And I am Selena Moonkay. Representative of the class — Selena replied, instinctively kneeling.
"Why did I kneel?"
Seeing Selena's act, one by one, the other heroes introduced themselves.
— I'm Elizabeth William. I'm their teacher.
— I'm Sam Dias.
— I'm Kaike.
— I'm Ciel.
.
.
.
— I'm Lucas, the future leader of the heroes.
After they all introduced themselves, the Emperor stared at them while stroking his beard.
— I see. I sense a great amount of divine power surrounding you. Without a doubt, you have been blessed by Freya — said the Emperor, signaling with his hand to those behind him — everyone stand up!
With this command, all those in the hall stood up silently, while the two figures who stood to the right and left of the emperor descended from the platform and stood beside him.
— This is my right, my daughter. She is an expert in the use of Aura and Spiritual Power.
Making a small bow, the princess introduced herself.
— My name is Lumina Ed. Argyros, the first princess of the Argyros Empire. It will be an honor to work with you.
Continuing, the Emperor said:
— This is my left, the archmage and High Priest of the temple of the goddess Freya.
— You can call me Duke Taylor. I am an expert in the use of Divinity and Mana — he introduced himself, with a hoarse and unisex voice.
— These two will be responsible for teaching you how to use your powers and settle in this world.
Understanding that the introductions were over, Selena spoke up.
— As the class representative, I speak on behalf of all of us that it will also be an honor for us to work together with you — she said, raising her arms to shake hands.
Shocked by her gesture, the Emperor stared at her with surprise and a slight disdainful smile on his face. Not only he, but all the nobles present in the room were shocked by that gesture.
— I understand... It seems the goddess has indeed chosen interesting people to face the Demon Lord 'this' time — he said, shaking her hand — let's work together to save the world.
At that moment, a pact was made.
The heroes sent by the goddess and the Argyros Empire would work together to save the world.
On the other hand, this was the beginning of the downfall of 20 young people with bright futures on Earth, but pure recklessness threw them into the lion's den.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
While Selena and her friends were talking to the Emperor, Freya watched everything from the sidelines.
— Wow. She offered him a handshake? Earth customs are really dangerous in this world — said the goddess, watching the scene unfold in a silver mirror.
"Well... This is great for me!"
Freya, the queen of the gods and also the goddess of lust.
She was responsible for kidnapping 20 innocent teenagers and throwing them into another world to use them as pawns in her war.
Her real purpose with all this is unknown, but one thing is certain, she is a selfish goddess.
"I wonder how long this batch will last. The last one lasted only 15 years and didn't even produce any offspring. I wish this one at leasthad some predecessors I could use to defeat the Demon Lord."
For her, the lives of her heroes are disposable and mediocre.
Whenever she wanted, she could replace them, and if she got tired of them, she could simply kill them.
No matter what she did, no one would judge her or question her, as long as she had "Lust" by her side.
"I'm sure some of them must be really strong... But none with the same potency as him!"
However, there was someone who resisted her charms and followed their own will.
"Noah... It's a beautiful name!"
Noah Elísio, a human of Rank E who asked to return home, even after witnessing her appearance.
An achievement that no one had ever done without the support of a high-ranking ability, was done by a mere mortal, who unfortunately was sentenced to death.
"It's a pity his rank was low; otherwise, I could have allowed him a few minutes of fun alone with me."
The one human who resisted her will was immediately sentenced to death for the sin of resisting lust in their heart.
"In my world, beings who don't love me are unnecessary."