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When Jason came back to his senses, he found himself in a strange room with several men in robes standing in front of him. Beneath his feet, a huge magic circle had been drawn, resembling an altar.
He noticed that his clothing had changed, and in addition, he held a shield that felt very light in his hand, allowing unrestricted movement of his arms despite being unable to remove it.
Nearby, three other individuals held swords, spears, and bows, respectively.
Having read the original book, Jason recognized them immediately.
The spear hero with a yellow ponytail: Motoyasu Kitamura.
A sword hero with short black hair and striking features: Ren Amaki.
The smallest, bow-wielding hero: Itsuki Kawasumi.
Seeing the trio, Jason understood he had undoubtedly crossed over again.
In order not to appear conspicuous, he quickly suppressed his delighted expression and, like everyone else, looked around skeptically.
"Heroes! Please arise and save this world!" At this moment, a man in a black robe holding a longsword spoke first.
"What?!"
Jason feigned surprise, shouting in unison with the other three.
"What do you mean by that? What is this 'saving the world'? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before," Motoyasu Kitamura advanced a step and asked directly, clearly more confused than Jason about the situation now.
"Though it's complicated and difficult to explain in words, to put it simply, you were summoned to this world by an ancient ritual," the robed man with the sword explained.
"Summoning? Sounds like some kind of prank. Where's the camera? You won't fool me that easily," Ren Amaki expressed disbelief, convinced it was a prank typically seen on the street, the type where you laugh at the camera after the 'gotcha' moment.
"This is not a prank. Our world faces a life-and-death crisis, and we implore you brave souls to assist us in protecting it," When the sword-wielding robed speaker said this, all the robed men around him bowed in unison, going ninety degrees deep.
"Sorry, I find this hard to believe."
"Not happening!"
"Why should I help you? There must be a way for us to return to our original world. Let's address that first, then move on to other matters," Motoyasu Kitamura and his companions voiced their objections in succession, each adamantly refusing.
The long-robed men remained eerily composed, as if they had anticipated this reaction from the heroes.
"Even if what you say is true, summoning us without our consent is reprehensible, and I won't tolerate it," Ren Amaki's irritation was visible as he picked up his longsword and pointed it towards them.
"If peaceful times return, we become obsolete. Wouldn't you just discard us back to our original world? Such labor would be wasted," Motoyasu added.
"Indeed, transparency about the benefits of helping you would be best. If we can't come to an agreement, we might as well become enemies of this world. I advise you to prepare yourselves," Itsuki Kawasumi and Motoyasu Kitamura echoed, their intention for securing ample benefits for themselves apparent.
"I hope the four brave men will meet His Royal Highness to discuss rewards with the king," As the robed man concluded, the heavy doors beside the room slowly opened.
"Ah... It seems we have little choice."
"Yes."
"Regardless of whom you're talking to, the outcome remains unchanged," Motoyasu Kitamura and his companions spoke as they walked, following the robed man.
Jason quietly followed at the back. Despite having read the original story, experiencing the scene he couldn't help but think: These three sure are single-minded, their thinking surprisingly simplistic.
The stone corridor gave way to a brighter area.
Upon glimpsing outside through the windows, even if the trio of Motoyasu Kitamura had harbored doubts about being in another world, those suspicions vanished instantly.
Outside lay what appeared to be a European-style town, and the sight of the beautiful blue sky was unlike anything they would see in a bustling metropolis.
Before Motoyasu and his group could marvel further, they had already entered a hall led by the man in the black robe.
Sitting atop was the king of this land, with white hair and a long beard. If not for his luxurious attire and overly serious demeanor, he resembled Santa Claus—apparently kind at first glance.
However, Jason wouldn't be misled by his appearance.
"This king is Aultcray Melromarc the Thirty-Second. Courageous men, raise your heads!" Though none of the four brave men had actually bowed, the king's display of benevolence appeared excessively contrived.
"Um... King, you see we're not bowing, so why tell us to raise our heads? If your vision's failing, perhaps see a doctor first," Jason's words caught the surrounding soldiers off guard—they gasped audibly, not expecting him to be so bold as to call out the king directly, showing no regard for his dignity.
Naturally, King Aultcray's expression turned sour almost immediately upon hearing this. Nonetheless, he chose to disregard Jason's comment and proceeded, "First, allow me to clarify the situation. This country, and indeed this entire world, is on the brink of ruin..."
He recounted the prophecy from the original story, which foretold the impending end of the world. The waves of disaster were about to strike, and if they weren't repelled one after another, complete destruction awaited. Thus, according to ancient customs, they summoned the heroes to save their world.
"Of course, our nation will offer generous rewards to you, brave heroes."
Upon hearing the mention of rewards, Motoyasu Kitamura and the others' eyes lit up with interest.
"Alright... we'll agree to save the world," they decided collectively.
"Very well, let's assist this country!" Motoyasu confirmed, echoed by Ren and Itsuki.
Although Jason remained silent, the king assumed his agreement.
"Thank you, valiant heroes, for your willingness to lend us your strength. Next, please choose companions from among these adventurers to accompany you on your journey. According to our records, the legendary weapons of heroes have exclusive characteristics. Therefore, if the heroes act as a team, it will hinder their individual growth," the king explained.
At his words, the doors of the hall swung open once more, revealing a group of men and women in various attire. A total of twelve adventurers entered.
"Come forth! Future companions, join the hero you wish to serve on this journey."
It was clear the king intended for the adventurers to make the choice.
Motoyasu Kitamura ended up with four followers.
Ren Amaki attracted five companions.
Itsuki Kawasumi gained three adventurers.
And Jason? Well, he had none.
Jason wasn't surprised by this, and in fact, he almost found himself looking forward to whether the superficial princess would soon reveal herself. At that thought, a somewhat mischievous smile played at the corner of his lips as he awaited the unfolding of events.