The glowing text hovering before Baek Ri-hyun's eyes vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. His expression remained unreadable as he scanned his surroundings.
He stood in a grand throne hall—ornate and imposing, carved from marble and inlaid with gold. Towering pillars lined both sides of the room, etched with intricate scenes of forgotten wars and divine interventions. Celestial figures battled demons across the stone, their weapons frozen in the relief of time.
At the far end of the hall, elevated upon a dais of ivory steps, rested an opulent throne. It stood empty—like a promise, or a trap.
Near the center of the chamber, still bathed in the fading glow of the summoning circle, stood four young individuals, visibly shaken and bewildered. Their attire was jarringly out of place: worn T-shirts with faded logos, denim pants, and modern sneakers. Above each of their heads, a translucent status screen flickered with fluctuating text.
"Amazing! It's just like in a manga…" said one of them, a dark-haired boy with a strikingly handsome face. He examined his screen with shining eyes. "Swordsman class? This fits perfectly with my kendo training."
A girl beside him, sporting bright pink hair and an intense gaze, clenched her fists with excitement. "I'm a mage… I actually got magic!" she exclaimed.
Another boy, smaller and bespectacled, adjusted his glasses and took in the surroundings with awed reverence. His screen marked him as an archer. "This... this is straight out of a fantasy novel."
The last youth, taller and quieter than the others, looked up at his flickering screen and frowned. "I'm… classless?"
His voice was tinged with quiet frustration. His status window showed no title, no spells, no talents—just a name.
A voice rang out across the hall, formal yet desperate.
"Oh, great heroes—" began Princess Aurelia Beleville, stepping forward from behind the dais. Her voice echoed through the chamber, graceful and trembling with hope.
"We understand this must be… disorienting. But our kingdom faces ruin. The Demon King rises again, and we—"
"I refuse," Baek Ri-hyun interrupted, his voice as flat and quiet as a blade being sheathed.
He turned on his heel and began walking calmly toward the gilded doors at the entrance of the hall. His worn boots echoed faintly on the pristine marble, the sound at once foreign and final.
Aurelia's silver eyes widened. She stepped forward quickly, her silken robes whispering against the floor.
"Wait! Please… just listen! The goddess herself answered my prayer. You— you're our only hope!"
She hurried toward him, desperation cracking through her royal demeanor. "Please. Our people are suffering. We need you."
Ri-hyun paused, still facing the door. He did not turn.
"My world suffered too," he said, voice low, but clear. "You summoned us here without permission. You ask us to fight and bleed for a kingdom we have no bond with."
He gestured vaguely behind him toward the group of young strangers. "Perhaps these... chosen ones, with their blessings and flashy titles, are more inclined to play the role of savior."
Before Aurelia could respond, a voice rang out from the side of the chamber.
"Princess," said Sir Damian Thorne, her knight commander. He stepped forward, steel in his voice and judgment in his eyes. "These level-one whelps show such blatant disrespect? Especially that man?"
Ri-hyun took another step toward the door.
Sir Damian's jaw clenched. He reached for his greatsword, his boots thudding against the floor as he moved to intercept.
"Hold, stranger!" he barked. "You will not walk away from the goddess's call. Nor insult the plea of our princess!"
His hand gripped the hilt of his blade, ready to draw.
And then, his eyes met Ri-hyun's.
He stopped.
Not because of a threat. Not because of an overt display of power. But because of the gaze.
Ri-hyun's expression was calm, almost indifferent, but his eyes—those eyes held a terrible stillness. The weight of centuries. The look of a being who had seen too many wars, buried too many comrades, and forgotten what fear even felt like.
Sir Damian faltered. His grip on his blade slackened. For the first time in years, he felt… unsure.
It was like staring into the eyes of a wolf older than the forest.
"Sir Damian," Aurelia said gently, stepping beside him.
"But Princess!" he objected. "This man's insolence cannot be ignored! We summoned heroes to save us, not to abandon us!"
Aurelia touched his arm. "True strength cannot be forced. And true help cannot be coerced."
She looked at Ri-hyun again, her voice quieter now. "If you do not wish to fight for us… then you are free to walk away. I will not shackle your will."
Ri-hyun paused at the threshold of the great doors. A flicker of something passed over his features. Something old. Something distant.
He had been commanded, worshipped, and hunted. But rarely had he been... released.
Without a word, he stepped through the doors and vanished from the throne hall.
Sir Damian stood rigidly, fists clenched. The remaining four exchanged glances, suddenly feeling the weight of the moment.
Aurelia turned back to them, her voice regaining its strength.
"Great heroes," she said warmly, "I still have hope that you will lend us your strength."
"We will!" the dark-haired boy declared. "We'll fight for the kingdom!"
The others echoed him eagerly, caught up in the thrill of it all.
Aurelia smiled, her heart buoyed by their resolve. "Then please, tell us your names."
"I'm Hiroki Tanaka," the confident swordsman said. "And this is my little sister, Sakura."
Sakura bowed with grace. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess."
Aurelia immediately helped her up. "No need for such formality. You are honored guests."
The bespectacled youth stepped forward. "Kenji Sato. I'm an archer."
Then came the last one, a bit hesitant. "I'm Takeshi Aoki. It's nice to meet you."
Aurelia nodded. "Hiroki, Sakura, Kenji, and Takeshi… thank you. You may be the light that leads our kingdom from darkness."
She turned to Sir Damian. "Please escort our heroes to their chambers. They need rest before we prepare them."
Damian bowed stiffly. "As you command."
As the new heroes departed with the knight escort, the throne hall slowly emptied, leaving only the Princess and the royal archmage in the fading silence.
"What of the one who left?" Aurelia asked, her voice laced with worry.
The archmage closed his eyes. "He just exited the palace gates, Your Highness. Alone."
"I fear he may not understand our world," Aurelia said, clutching her hands. "What if he walks into danger?"
Meanwhile, Baek Ri-hyun stood just beyond the palace walls, letting the warm wind touch his face. The air was pure—untouched by blood or fire.
He looked back at the palace, ornate and foreign, a gilded cage of duty and expectation.
"It's… peaceful," he whispered.
A soft, unfamiliar smile touched his lips.
And then, with a breath, he turned his back to the palace.
He walked into the unknown, not as a summoned hero, but as a man finally free to choose.