Damn it all! Why did she deceive us? For what purpose, really? Did she lie merely to mock us, or did she revel in creating chaos for its own sake?

  It was infuriating. I thought about declaring that I was eager for us to become overpowered so we could control her like a stray dog, but her strength surpassed all measure. I wanted nothing to do with her.

  If I were in an anime, the ultimate plan was to eliminate her after we acquired divine powers. But, frankly, that idea proved far too brutal. Then again, perhaps that was exactly what she wanted. I wondered if the true reason she summoned us to this world was to make us strong enough to eventually face her as the final boss.

  Maybe that was indeed the case. Still, she would have been astonished to learn that we had no intention of indulging her schemes—at least, I had no such intention.

  The president noticed my troubled expression and asked, “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, yeah… Mr. President,” I replied.

  Every time I reflected on the fact that he was a president rather than a king, it struck me as odd. Since when did people in fantasy worlds have the right to choose their rulers? Perhaps this world simply valued human rights—democracy was a refreshing concept.

  Then I remembered that the guards tried to kill us, and I quickly dismissed my earlier thought.

  The president stepped forward and knelt before us as if he were in the presence of royalty. Vacinay nudged Hessien and remarked, “Look at this—he was about to implore us to save his world.”

  Overhearing us, Ghomas whispered, “That introductory scene took far too long, didn’t it?”

  “Indeed,” Hessien agreed.

  I agreed silently. Perhaps he simply recalled an old habit.

  Then the president cried out, “Please, bestow upon us your great wisdom!”

  “Wait—what?” I thought.

  Vacinay looked startled. “What? Did he go off-script?”

  “It appeared so,” I muttered.

  I considered that maybe I should stop viewing this world as a cliché-ridden fantasy. After all, events unfolded in ways that differed greatly from the manga I read.

  He stared at us with unbridled excitement, and I wondered what I was supposed to say.

  Just then, Ghomas stepped forward, puffing out his chest. There was no way I was going to let him steal the moment. He extended his hand in a flourish, but I swiftly swatted it away and declared, “You wish for wisdom?!”

  The president gasped, and both the guards and the imposing man stared at me in awe. “Yes!” the president exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.

  Resting my hands on my hips, I proclaimed, “The greatest wisdom passed down through the ages in our divine realm was this: reality defenders were to be accorded absolute respect! They were to be served with unwavering obedience! And when they requested money, it was to be given without question!”

  I glared at everyone. They all nodded in agreement—except for one particularly memorable fellow, who looked utterly perplexed. I resolved that I would likely have to deal with him later.

  Then I continued, “Now, accept this blessing as proclaimed by an ancient adage from the days of yore—back in 1765! The wind heralded the thunder, the thunder summoned the sun, and the moon assured the animals of their existence! Thus, existence endured! For the floor was the nexus, or the benus!”

  I knew it was a load of nonsense, but they all nodded with profound reverence, convinced by my words. I even noticed one guard diligently scribbling in his notebook. It seemed that my message was recorded—a prophecy destined to be passed down through the ages.

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  The president then rose and asked, “How old are you all?”

  I wondered silently at his abrupt inquiry. I had expected him to break down in tears of gratitude, but he clearly did not. “I am… seventeen,” I stated.

  I had been tempted to lie and claim an older age, yet I suspected that in this world, adulthood began at fifteen. In truth, I probably should not have relied on my knowledge of fantasy novels. I resolved right then to exercise greater caution.

  I recalled reading Re:Zero and witnessing the downfall of its protagonist, who believed he was the center of the world. I refused to let that happen to me. I hastily amended my response: “I was seventeen yesterday; therefore, I am eighteen today.”

  I offered an anxious laugh. In reality, I still had six weeks to go before my eighteenth birthday. I had considered claiming I was seventeen two years ago, but that would have been an obviously contrived excuse.

  The others answered in turn. “Twenty,” one said. “Twenty,” another echoed. Ghomas shrugged and remarked, “The same as those two.”

  The president nodded and then leaned toward the imposing man. After a brief whisper, the man retrieved a key from his pocket and handed it to me. “This is the key to your home. Please enjoy your stay, noble defenders!”

  “Thank you,” I replied, though inwardly I wondered: Home? It resembled more an apartment—we were still in the same building into which we had been summoned, merely occupying the upper floor.

  Then he added, “We will assign guards and servants to the house.”

  Hmm, that sounded good.

  Hessien quickly said, “No! There were no guards inside—only outside. And no servants stayed indoors unless they were there for work.”

  “Why would you choose that?!” I demanded.

  I wanted servants—I was on the brink of living the life of the wealthy!

  “I will tell you later,” he replied.

  Vacinay and Ghomas looked confused, yet they soon agreed with him.

  “Yeah, yeah. What he said,” Vacinay remarked, placing one hand on her hip.

  “I agree with him,” another added.

  The large man then looked at me, awaiting my response.

  Vacinay glared sharply at me. Was she trying to intimidate me? I doubted I would be afraid of her.

  Then Hessien walked over and draped his arm across my shoulder. “She agrees with me,” he said.

  “Huh!” I exclaimed.

  He whispered in my ear, “Do you really want to share a house with a bunch of strangers?”

  Oh… he made a good point. Even if they were guards or servants, they were still strangers.

  I wondered just how large this apartment was to accommodate so many people at once.

  The large man and the president complied and walked away with their guards.

  Before departing, the memorable man announced, “My name is Yuen, by the way. Remember it—I might end up fighting alongside you in the future.”

  We ignored him.

  The intricate flow patterns on his face glowed as he growled, “Do not ignore me…”

  He likely wanted to shout at us, but he knew better than to do so.

  I unlocked the door and walked inside. Ghomas closed it while sticking out his tongue at the man. He clearly despised us.

  A moment later, the place illuminated. Light emanated not only from the ceiling but also from the walls. I did not bother to search for its source, though Hessien and Vacinay did.

  Hessien nearly screamed when he saw the ceiling, while Vacinay instantly grabbed a chair, panic in her eyes.

  I wondered, “What was going on? Were there assassins already?”

  Ghomas tapped my shoulder and directed my attention to the roof.

  “Arg… what? Why were there snakes emitting light on the ceiling and walls?!” I cried.

  The guards rushed out as they descended the stairs.

  “Man! They were freaking reality defenders! I knew we had joked about them looking weak, but they probably possessed powerful skill cards!” one guard exclaimed.

  “Yeah, I bet so. And what did you think that blessing Lumine mentioned meant?” another asked.

  One guard tapped his chin in deep thought. He took out his notebook and muttered, “For flooring… wind brought thunder…”

  Another snapped his fingers. “I think I got it. Lumine said it in 1765, and the wind brought thunder, right? So it was like a prophecy: in 1765 years, super strong winds would bring thunder! And as soon as the thunder ceased, the sun would shine!”

  The more he spoke, the more confident he became. His certainty impressed the other guards, who marveled, “No way…”

  “You’re a genius!” someone exclaimed.

  “Damn, we couldn’t live that long, though!”

  The president halted his walk and turned toward them with a blunt expression. “That was nonsense.”

  The guards looked confused.

  “What do you mean?” asked the large man—the Minister of Defense.

  “It was all nonsense! 1765? Thunder brings wind? ‘For flooring is nexus’? She had just started spouting nonsense! Even the other three looked puzzled by her words. Moreover, they were merely children—an eighteen-year-old and two twenty-year-olds—without a single adult among them!”

  The guards slowly nodded and exchanged glances. “Yeah… that was suspicious,” one remarked.

  “Why do you think we got children as reality defenders, unless you believe they were impostors?” another asked.

  The others nodded in agreement. They turned toward the defenders’ location, shouting, “Off with their heads!”

  “A grand beheading would be declared!” someone added.

  The president quickly dismissed their idea. “No, no. I believe they are genuine. They lack flow patterns and bear unusual names.”

  “Oh,” they murmured.

  Yuen asked, “So… what do you want us to do?”

  After a brief pause, he repeated his question. The president replied, “Nothing. It did not matter; all that mattered was that they could be used.”