I looked at the six men at the table; there were two on each side, one in the high-backed chair next to me, and another man opposite him.
The two on the right were men who seemed to be brothers due to their similarities. Both had blond hair, blue eyes, and sharp facial features honed by years of battles.
On the left, one had black hair and brown eyes, mundane on the surface but would be considered a great model in my world. His appearance was effeminate; he was strong, had muscles, but they were not bulky; they were more slender and worked for mobility.
Next to him was a beautiful woman, the most gorgeous I had seen in my 17 years of life. She had lovely emerald eyes, brown hair that fell to her waist, sharp eyes, full lips, and a splendid figure.
I stared at her for a few more seconds until I realized she might feel my gaze, and I quickly moved my eyes to the next person.
At the head of the table was a broad-shouldered, tall, muscular man with a serious face, who seemed diligent and strict. His brown hair was cut almost completely short, and his black eyes were fixed on the man at the head of the table.
Next to me was the man in silver plate armor who had faced the grotesque beast head-on. His presence emanated authority. He was handsome, his features exquisite, and I would even say he was the most handsome man in two worlds if I counted mine.
Under his armor, small parts of his muscular body could be seen, perhaps trained in great battles. His face was defined and adorned with a beard that only accentuated his tall, straight figure that said "leader."
They were in the middle of a discussion, which I started to listen to a bit late because I was observing their appearances.
"So, you're telling me you managed to see hundreds of beasts heading toward my fortress? How long until they arrive?"
The one who spoke was the man next to me; I must pay special attention from now on.
"That's right, Lord Gareth. I saw at least two hundred beasts coming this way. We have about two days until they arrive."
As I thought, he is a scout. The one who responded to Gareth, who was next to me, was the guy with defined muscles and brown eyes.
"That's something good. At least we have two days to prepare. Did you manage to learn what kind they are? Or if there's one leading them?"
This... Why did his face turn paler?
"They are, they are just sleeping beasts, not a big problem if it's just them. But I have very bad news, sir."
Gareth kept looking at the guy, who continued after a long sigh.
"The one leading them is... an awakened tyrant."
Everyone in the room suddenly gulped, some were perplexed, and others seemed to waver.
Well, what can I say? Right now, I'm shaking, and my legs are about to give out. It's, damn unlucky to face a damned awakened tyrant in the first trial. Basically, my chances of surviving are less than one percent.
Suddenly, the aura emanating from my side snapped me out of my lamentations. Everyone, including me, looked at Gareth.
"Don't be discouraged. If we can request reinforcements from the kingdom, we can withstand the attack."
Gareth's voice was determined and firm, inspiring everyone in the room.
"Deymos, send an escorted messenger to the kingdom to request them. Magnus, go immediately to reinforce the walls and weapons. Belen, prepare the army for battle."
He paused briefly and looked at the two who apparently were brothers, then continued giving orders:
"Seigar, Sognar, I want you to evacuate all civilians from the fortress immediately. They must evacuate as soon as possible."
Gareth is truly a capable leader. He managed to maintain composure even in the face of such news and gave the appropriate orders to face the horde coming with the tyrant.
"Admirable."
"Yes, sir Gareth," everyone shouted at the same time before leaving the meeting room.
When everyone left, only Gareth and I remained in the room. This is... uncomfortable. I don't know what I should do; should I have left with the rest, or...?
Before I could continue, Gareth pulled me out of my thoughts.
"What do you think of the situation, Norch?"
So my name here is Norch, that's good, at least I know my name now.
"Well, I must say it really is a big problem facing a tyrant with hundreds of minions."
I paused before continuing:
"But if we do things properly, it should be possible if it's 'just' an awakened tyrant."
Gareth looked at me for a second; I didn't know if it was good or bad, so I just stood still.
"Ha ha ha! 'Just an awakened tyrant,' right? That won't be a problem, ha ha ha!"
Well, I have no idea what's up with this guy.
"Alright, I'll call you if I need your help. It would be best if you go and rest. At least you have two days to relax a bit before the damned tyrant arrives."
With that, Gareth turned and stopped looking at me. I said nothing more and just left, not wanting to bother someone I didn't know, especially if they were ascended.
Or at least they should be. In the vision, the six had to fight together to stop the tyrant, and even then, they didn't win, so I suppose he shouldn't be a saint. And since he's stronger and his aura seems special, he shouldn't be an awakened one either.
Anyway, I'm already outside the room, but... I have no idea where my room might be. Walking through the fifth corridor of this building, I see a maid walking near me and decide to ask.
"Excuse me, miss, could you guide me to my room?"
I tried to sound polite, but for some reason, the maid bowed her head, and her voice sounded trembling.
"Lord Norch!"
She made an exaggerated bow before continuing:
"Of course, it would be an honor to guide you to your rooms."
With that said, she took a few steps ahead and started walking and turning through the corridors.
'I should ask more about the current situation. I wonder how much this girl knows about all this.'
"Could you tell me more about the awakened ones under Lord Gareth?"
Surprised by the sudden question, she paused for a moment but then set off again while responding.
"Uh, of course, sir. The awakened ones assigned to this fortress are Lord Deymos, Lord Magnus, Lady Belen, and the brothers, Seigar and Sognar."
She paused before continuing:
"They are all very good; sometimes they help the maids with trivial tasks and are polite. Lady Belen is the prettiest and friendliest with everyone."
So they're awakened then. I wonder if the awakened ones already know about their aspect abilities. I don't remember how things worked with the awakening before the spell that made everything easier for humans by displaying status windows, describing things in detail, and more.
In any case, it doesn't hurt to ask this girl.
"By the way, do you know if the awakened ones can use their abilities?"
She asked, in a low and somewhat timid voice:
"Sir, excuse me for asking, but... shouldn't you already know these things? You've been here since the day they joined the fortress."
Eh, I wouldn't know what to tell her. Should I say that I hit my head and lost part of my memory? No, that would cause more problems. Was it too careless to ask these things? I should have known she would say something like that.
But before I could think of an excuse, the maid noticed me staring at her and bowed her head again, turning in my direction.
"I'm sorry, Lord Norch! I have no right to ask anything. Please forgive my insolence!"
Well, this is weird. In my life, no one had ever apologized or behaved so... so fearfully toward me. Anyway, this is a good excuse.
"It's alright, don't worry about it, just keep guiding me to my room."
She started walking again after apologizing and thanking me once more, and we reached my room after a few more minutes of walking.
...
Upon entering the room, the first thing I notice is the stone walls covered with colorful tapestries. There is a huge canopy bed with velvet curtains that look quite comfortable.
The floor is covered with thick rugs, and the carved wooden furniture looks old but elegant. The light from the chandeliers and torches creates a warm atmosphere, and the stone fireplace adds a cozy touch. Everything has an antique but luxurious air.
This room seems like that of a noble from the medieval era; this guy must be important here.
Anyway, that bed is calling my name, so I'll go lie down for a while.
The bed was as comfortable as it looked; it enveloped me with its softness and let me sink in just enough to be cozy and feel warm.
With this time of peace in my room, I think it's time to calmly review everything.
Let's see the description of my attributes.
"Runes"
Attributes: [Lost Soul] [Liar] [Lost] ...
Well, none of them look pretty.
I summon their descriptions and start reading each one carefully.
Lost Soul: [You are a soul wandering in a foreign world, you cannot return to yours, and the new one does not recognize you.]
Liar: [You can lie more easily to people you do not care about.]
Lost: [You have no past, no present, and you are forging a future. The world does not know who you are. Destiny does not know you and will wrap you in its threads.]
Well, as I thought, nothing good. Although [Liar] can help me a lot here, the other Although [Liar] can help me a lot here, the other two...
Anyway, how is this possible? I'm just a 17-year-old boy. The last thing I remember was having a severe headache before falling asleep and then waking up in the spell.
Could that pain have... killed me?
It would be terrible. I don't want my family to walk into my room and see my dead body lying on my bed. I couldn't bear knowing that I made my mother see such a scene.
I'd better not think about that. I'll start feeling bad and get distracted from what I need to do now. If I don't survive here, I really won't be able to return to my family.
Uh, this bed... There shouldn't be a problem... if I sleep a little.