A Nostalgic Room and a Bold Request
Several minutes had passed since the brawl in the audience chamber basement. Following the polite yet firm “escort” from the chief chamberlain and the minister of state who had arrived late, Hwian made his way to a small room tucked in one corner of the royal palace.
“Please wait inside for a moment. I will return to guide you once the preparations for the audience are complete.”
The chief chamberlain, her eyes betraying a hint of tension, lowered her gaze with courteous precision. Only after Hwian stepped into the room without protest did she release a quiet breath of relief and bow once more.
“I hope you rest at your leisure.”
The door clicked shut behind her.
Finally alone, Hwian gave the room a light once-over and nodded to himself.
“...How nostalgic.”
A large bed occupied one side of the spacious chamber. His eyes traced the bookshelves packed with volumes of every kind and the paintings hanging along the walls.
This was a VIP suite prepared specifically for the summoned hero.
In his previous life, this exact room was where the bewildered Hwian had stayed immediately after his summoning. From his perspective, nearly five years had passed since he last saw it, and a quiet wave of nostalgia washed over him.
“Nothing has changed... Which makes sense, I suppose.”
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Hwian wiped the blood from his hands onto his clothes, then yanked loose the suffocating tie with a sharp tug.
Sunlight poured through the window. As he drew a deep breath, the warmth that filled his lungs stirred up emotions he couldn’t put into words.
An atmosphere free of poison. Air that doesn’t freeze the lungs….
Things that had once seemed ordinary, before the Demon King’s emergence. The tangible realization that he had truly regressed left his mind swirling with complexity.
Why?
Why had he regressed? Why hadn’t he simply died?
No matter how he turned it over, no answer emerged. He could only cautiously speculate that Carmen must have done something, but he had no way to uncover anything more.
“...Tsk. Better think about something else.”
Hwian shook his head, as if casting off the frustration.
In any case, he had returned. The reason remained unknown, but the single fact that mattered right now was the regression itself.
That being the case, his course of action was already decided.
He rose from the bed and approached the bookshelf. After scanning the varied collection—history books, fairy tales, and everything in between—Hwian spotted the volume he sought and pulled it out.
Interdimensional Summoning Theory. Perhaps in the hope that the summoned hero might better understand his circumstances, this room had been stocked with texts on summoning magic.
Hwian reread the book he had studied multiple times in his previous life, dissecting every line with fresh eyes.
Then and now, his sole desire remained unchanged: to return to his original world.
“Hmm.”
Complex theories and equations filled the pages. As he flipped through them, sections on the fundamental principles of magic appeared as well.
In his immature past, he had read these passages without truly comprehending them. But after six years of accumulated knowledge and hard-won experience, understanding came far more easily.
The principle behind hero summoning was straightforward.
It detected another dimension, selected a qualifying target, and pulled that target into this world.
Fundamentally, it operated like any other summoning spell—bringing a distant subject A to the vicinity of subject B, which served as the magical axis. The difference lay in its immense scale, which demanded an enormous amount of mana to activate, making it an exceptionally demanding piece of magic.
“In Adonia, they burned through a massive quantity of mana stones, if I remember correctly...”
He turned another page, thoughts flowing steadily.
The real issue was that summoning magic and return magic were fundamentally different in nature.
Unlike summoning spells that used the caster as their axis, return magic had no such fixed point to anchor upon.
To use an analogy, it was like setting out on a journey to a distant destination with neither map nor signpost. The difficulty and mana consumption were on an entirely different level from a spell that merely called a target forth.
…At least, that was what the book stated, and Hwian’s own knowledge did not differ greatly.
“What a headache.”
He clicked his tongue.
No matter how much knowledge and experience he possessed, he was no mage. He could read and grasp a few theoretical texts, but he had no means of verifying their accuracy.
It was frustrating, yet he had to admit his understanding fell short compared to a true specialist.
“A specialist, huh… I wonder if grabbing a few by the collar and giving them a good shake would yield anything useful.”
He closed the book with a decisive snap. Several potential candidates had already flickered through his mind.
The bumbling mages of the Magic Division, the librarians in the archives, the relatively approachable researchers in the underground labs.
The decision did not take long. He recalled the woman he had already encountered in this life and gave a small nod.
“Serena… Serena Silvana.”
The youngest daughter of the Adonia royal family. The Fourth Princess.
His summoner and the axis of this particular spell.
She might not be a full expert, but having served as the axis, she should possess a fair amount of knowledge. Asking her a few questions might produce some worthwhile answers, though…
…
The expression he had seen on her face only minutes ago lingered uncomfortably in his thoughts.
The basement thick with rage. Her voice, on the verge of breaking as she lowered her head and offered an apology that sounded like it might dissolve into tears at any moment.
Now that his fury had been vented and his mind had cooled somewhat, a fresh wave of unease settled over him.
It would have been simpler if she had responded with arrogance. He hadn’t anticipated such a reaction, and the mismatch left him feeling strangely unsettled.
“Royalty or not…”
While Hwian remained lost in thought, a polite knock sounded at the door. The chief chamberlain’s voice followed immediately, prompting him to rise.
“The preparations for the audience are complete, Hero. Please follow me.”
Setting his complicated feelings aside, he stepped out of the room.
The audience. It was time to meet the royal family.
“First, allow me to offer my blessing upon this meeting, Hero.”
A deep, resonant voice filled the vast chamber. In the center of the audience hall, glittering with gold and crimson, Hwian calmly surveyed the numerous figures surrounding him.
Properly trained knights rather than a ragtag bunch. Attendants standing silently at their posts. Ministers watching with keen interest. And, seated with full authority, the king and the royal family.
They’re all here.
Among them, Hwian’s gaze settled on the royals gathered before him. For better or worse, these were people who had all died in his previous life, so seeing them alive and moving felt strangely fresh.
“Regarding the discourtesy shown by my royal guard earlier, I express my regret. They shall bear the full responsibility for their rashness, so please do not take it to heart.”
King Jin Adonia addressed the silent Hwian. The unexpected content of those words made Hwian raise a single eyebrow.
In essence, the message was: The recent disturbance was entirely the royal guard’s fault, and you bear no responsibility.
He had anticipated a stern warning. The direction this was taking left him somewhat deflated.
The royal guard… In other words, he’s pinning the blame on the nobles to curb their power. Or is this simply an attempt to win me over…?
Most likely both. As far as Hwian knew, no one was more politically astute than Jin Adonia.
Either way, as long as it spared him unnecessary trouble, he had no complaints. He gave a light nod and shifted his gaze to the seat beside the king.
Altair Adonia.
Black hair, black eyes. The First Prince sat with a rather gloomy demeanor, a red scabbard fastened at his waist.
Leoser Adonia.
Next to him, the Second Prince flashed a brilliant smile beneath his flowing golden hair, looking thoroughly pleased about something.
The Third Prince was absent. Turning his head a little further, Hwian’s eyes fell on the First Princess, dressed in a captivating red gown.
Elisie Adonia.
The First Princess cast a flirtatious glance in response to his gaze. Ignoring it, he looked further along and finally found the person he sought.
Serena… Silvana.
The Fourth Princess, wearing an uneasy expression beneath her pure white hair.
The youngest daughter of the current royal family, and the only one not permitted to bear the Adonia name. A concubine’s child.
…
The Fourth Princess sat fidgeting with her fingers in her lap, carefully reading the room. When her cautious glances met Hwian’s, she flinched visibly and lowered her head.
This feels awkward.
Come to think of it, he knew comparatively little about the Fourth Princess. Perhaps because of her status as a concubine’s daughter, their paths had rarely crossed during his time in the palace in his previous life.
All he really knew was that she had been his summoner and the public rumors surrounding her birth.
Compared to her siblings—whom he had exchanged both hatred and favors with—his interactions with her had clearly been minimal.
…I’ll need to ask her quite a few questions.
Even as Hwian’s mind wandered, the king’s speech continued without pause.
Tales of the world’s crisis and a prophecy unseen for centuries flowed with grand solemnity, yet Hwian knew they were little more than empty formalities. He let the words wash over him.
“Cultivate your strength and subjugate the Demon King, Hero Hwian.”
And then came the main point.
“Should you do so, I shall grant you one wish in my name.”
The same line he had heard in his previous life. Hwian mulled it over carefully before lifting his head and speaking.
“Please conduct research into return magic. Gather the full power of every kingdom, empire, and holy nation across the continent—every country involved in hero summoning.”
Voices of protest erupted from the ministers’ side. Jin Adonia cut through their cries of How dare he and Who does he think he is with a calm continuation.
“It shall be done.”
The king’s voice was heavy and grave.
Of course, Hwian did not believe the promise. This was merely insurance. He intended to find his own way home.
I wonder how far I can go this time.
The time limit would be four to five years at most. He had to accomplish everything within that window.
Hwian glanced at the white-haired princess and thought to himself.
First came information gathering.