The purple glow ahead faded as quickly as it had appeared, dissolving into harmless motes of light as the group approached. Whatever presence lingered there had retreated or chosen not to reveal itself yet.
"That was… weird...," Kaito muttered. A staff appeared out of thin air between Sage's fingers. She adjusted her staff as her eyes began scanning the treeline. "A warning, perhaps. Or a test."
"Why is everything here a test?" Kaito sighed. Orchid laughed softly. "Because the gods enjoy watching you struggle, my king." Kaito proceeded to exhale deeply, feeling exhausted when his journey had only just begun.
The forest gradually thinned, opening into a wide clearing drenched in sunlight. At its center stood a shallow spring, crystal-clear water flowing gently over smooth stone. Flowers bloomed thick around it, their petals glowing faintly with magic. River's eyes lit up. "A cleansing spring! How fortunate." Cherry leaned forward eagerly. "We should rest here. Even magic users get tired, you know." Kaito nodded quickly. "Rest sounds great."
The elf girls quickly spread out, some sitting on stones, others dipping their hands into the water. The mood softened, laughter returning as the tension drained away. That's when it happened.
Lily stepped closer to the spring, kneeling gracefully at its edge to wash her hands. The water shimmered as she leaned forward… and the slick moss beneath her shifted. "Ah!" She slipped. Not fully into the water, but just enough. Her balance went and her skirt did not cooperate.
There was a very brief, very dangerous moment where gravity won. Kaito turned at the sound and froze. Lily squeaked, scrambling upright, face instantly turning the brightest shade of red he'd ever seen on an elf. Her skirt had ridden far higher than intended, tangled awkwardly around her waist. "I-! Uh! This isn't!" Cherry stared. Rose gasped. Iris clapped a hand over her mouth. And Kaito...
Kaito snapped his head away so fast his glasses nearly flew off. "I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING," he blurted. "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. JUST WATER. VERY NICE CLEAN WATER." Lily fumbled desperately, tugging her skirt back into place, mortified beyond words. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize the moss was so...so slippery!" Orchid tilted her head, eyes glinting mischievously. "You're sure, my king? You turned away very quickly."
"REFLEXES," Kaito said stiffly. "PURELY HEROIC REFLEXES." River hurried to Lily's side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. Accidents happen." Sage, however, raised a brow. "Your heart rate is elevated, your majesty." Kaito squeaked. "N-not at all! I'm just uh exercising my heart muscles!"
Rose rolled her eyes and Orchid giggled. Before Lily could recover, fate decided it wasn't done. From the edge of the spring, something smooth and green slid out of the water. A snake. A small one. Harmless-looking. Curious. And unfortunately… inquisitive. It slithered across the stones, up Lily's calf. She paused. "…There is something on my leg," she said faintly. The snake continued its slow, innocent climb. Lily's breath hitched. "There is DEFINITELY something on my leg."
"Don't move!" Iris said. "I CAN FEEL IT MOVING," Lily whimpered.
Kaito turned around just in time to see Lily standing perfectly rigid, eyes wide, hands clenched at her sides as the snake explored upward, completely oblivious to social boundaries. His brain short-circuited. "This is inappropriate. This is a test. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!"
"KAITO!" Lily cried. "Please, h-help!" Kaito moved on instinct after hearing her plea. Grabbing a long stick nearby on the ground, he carefully, gently nudged the snake away, guiding it back towards the water. The creature hissed softly, then slipped away without protest. Silence.
Lily collapsed onto a nearby stone, face buried in her hands. "I will never recover from this." Cherry burst out laughing. Rose followed. Even Iris giggled. Orchid stepped closer to Kaito, voice low. "You handled that very… bravely." He swallowed. "I am a professional." Sage smirked. "Your ears are red." Kaito squeaked again and blushed.
River smiled warmly. "Still, you helped her without hesitation." Lily looked up, eyes shining with gratitude and embarrassment. "Thank you… my king." Kaito looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah. No problem. Just… part of the job." But as they rested by the spring, laughter echoing through the clearing, something had shifted again.
The teasing felt softer.
The looks warmer.
The closeness… more natural.
Kaito sat among them, painfully aware of his thoughts and equally aware that he was slowly, awkwardly becoming something more than just a summoned hero. Ahead, the forest waited.
The darkness lingered. And so did temptation.
Kaito sighed quietly. "This world is dangerous," he muttered. Sage leaned in close, smiling. "You're adapting wonderfully."
The laughter faded as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows through the forest. Eventually, Sage rose and tapped her staff gently against the ground. "We should move," she said. "The village is close."
"Village?" Kaito asked. Lily nodded, still pink-cheeked but composed again. Orchid glanced at him, expression unreadable. "You will see."
The path narrowed, magic-thick trees giving way to worn dirt trails. The air changed, less enchanted, heavier somehow. Kaito noticed it before he fully understood it. The scent of smoke. Old wood. Earth. Then the forest opened.
The elf village of Eldenroot sat quietly beneath the trees, as if trying not to be noticed. Modest wooden homes leaned slightly with age. Roofs were patched with bark and cloth. Children played barefoot near cracked stone wells. Thin smoke curled from chimneys that hadn't known abundance in a long time. Kaito slowed. This wasn't the shining elf city he'd imagined. "This is…" he hesitated.
"Home," River said softly. "For many." Villagers paused as the group entered. Conversations hushed. Eyes widened, not at the elves, but at him. Whispers followed.
"Human…"
"Is that him?"
"The summoned one…"
A frail elderly elf bowed deeply as Kaito passed. He panicked. "Oh! P-please don't!" He rushed forward, hands waving. "You don't need to!" But more followed. A mother with a child. A wounded hunter with his arm bound in cloth. One by one, they lowered their heads.
Kaito felt something tighten painfully in his chest. "They believe in you," Iris said gently. "Hope has been scarce." As they walked deeper into the village, Kaito noticed more. Empty storage sheds. Thin meals cooking over low fires. A cute wide eyed little elf boy, clutching a broken wooden sword, pretending it was real.
Yet when the elves stopped to offer healing or magic, the villagers refused politely. "We must save it," one said. "Winter is coming." Kaito stopped walking. "…They're rationing," he said quietly.
Sage nodded. "We have not had a true king in generations." His stomach twisted. Back in his world, he'd complained about instant noodles. Here, children shared crusts.
That night, they were offered the village elder's home, a structure barely holding together. The villagers insisted. "You must rest well," the elder said. "A king cannot lead tired."
Kaito looked at the thin bedding. The cracked walls. The single lantern. Then he thought of his suite. The silk sheets. The feasts. The warm baths. He stood suddenly. "No," he said firmly. Seven heads turned. "I don't need special treatment," he continued. "I must learn to live like the people I'm meant to protect." Orchid studied him carefully. "You truly are the chosen one." The other elf girls smiled brightly.
Later that evening, Kaito slept on a straw mattress in a shared home. It was uncomfortable. Cold air slipped through the walls. His back ached. But for the first time since arriving in Valeria… he slept without guilt.
The next morning, the village square was crowded. A carved stone platform stood at its center, ancient runes glowing faintly. Sage stepped forward. "Kaito Takahashi," she announced. "By ancient law, the First Trial of Kingship begins today." His heart skipped. "Another trial?"
Sage explained to Kaito that there are a total of ten trials. He must pass all of them to succeed in becoming a successful leader. "The Trial of Provision," Iris explained. "A king must understand need." The elder placed a wooden bowl in Kaito's hands. Inside was grain. Barely enough for one meal.
"You must choose," the elder said. "Who eats today." Murmurs spread through the crowd. Kaito stared at the bowl. His powers could conjure food. His status could command it. But this wasn't about ability. This was about choice.
He looked at the villagers.
The children.
The wounded.
The proud.
Slowly, he knelt and set the bowl down in the center of the square. "We share," he said. "All of us." Gasps followed. "I don't know how to be a king yet," he admitted, voice steady despite his pounding heart. "But I know what it's like to feel useless. Forgotten. If I eat while someone else goes hungry, then I don't deserve this power."
The elves watched in silence. Then River stepped forward and placed her hand over his. "So be it." The runes flared. Warm light spread through the square. From the stone beneath the bowl, food emerged, simple, nourishing, enough for all. The villagers cried out in awe.
Sage's eyes widened, just slightly. "The trial responds not to command," she murmured. "But to intent." Kaito exhaled shakily. "I guess… I passed?" Cherry smiled slowly, pride unmistakable. "You didn't just pass," she said. "You understood."
As the village ate together, laughter rising where silence once lived, Kaito sat among the elves, heart heavy, but full. Luxury had been easy. Responsibility was harder. But for the first time in his life, he felt like he truly belonged somewhere. And this time… It was something worth sacrificing for.
The warmth from the shared meal lingered long after the bowls were empty. Laughter still echoed softly through Eldenroot, but beneath it, tension stirred. Not everyone was smiling. Kaito felt it as eyes followed him, not with awe this time, but scrutiny. Cold. Measuring. A sharp voice cut through the square. "This is foolishness."
The crowd parted as an elf woman stepped forward. She was tall, sharp-featured, her red hair bound tightly behind her head. Her armor was worn but meticulously maintained, etched with old clan markings.
Her grey eyes locked onto Kaito. "Inviting a mere human into our village," she continued, voice edged with contempt. "Feeding him like one of us. Calling him king."
A murmur rippled outward.
Sage's posture stiffened. "Captain Shara-"
"I did not give you permission to speak!" Shara snapped.
Kaito's chest tightened.
The Captain pointed directly at him. "What a disgrace! Look at him. Round ears. Fragile frame. Strange glass over his eyes like some kind of infirm scholar." Her gaze flicked dismissively over his clothes. "Clothed in silk while our people wear rags."
Cherry stepped forward instantly. "Watch your tone." Rose's hands glowed faintly, a crimson haze around the tips of her fingers. "You don't get to talk about him like that."
Shara laughed sharply. "You'd threaten me for this?" She turned to the villagers. "This useless human appears out of nowhere, eats our food, plays savior for a day, and suddenly we bow?"
A few elves behind her nodded.
"He doesn't even look like a king."
"Those things on his face...can he even see properly?"
"We'll never forget that once upon a time, humans brought ruin to the eastern forests."
Each word hit Kaito like a stone. His throat closed. Useless. The word echoed in his head. Again. Orchid stepped in front of him, eyes blazing. "Enough." Iris raised a barrier subtly. "You are out of line." River's voice shook. "He saved us. He risked his life for us and the Queen of Valeria herself."
"And where was he when this village starved?" Shara shot back. "When children froze to death? When guards died protecting dirt and ash?"
The elf girls erupted. Cherry shouted. Rose snapped back. Orchid's magic flared dangerously.
Kaito barely heard them. He was staring at the dirt. Back home, he'd been invisible. Here, he was also unwanted. Different worlds. Same feeling. His hands trembled. Then...
"Stop." His voice wasn't loud. But it carried. The arguing halted. All eyes turned to him.
Kaito stepped forward slowly. "She's right."
The elf girls froze. "Kaito..." Lily whispered.
"I do deserve it," he said quietly. "I'm a stranger. I appeared out of nowhere. I haven't lived what you've lived through."
Shara narrowed her eyes. "Then you admit it." Kaito nodded. "Yes." He took a breath. Back home, he'd always avoided talking about this. But hiding wouldn't help anyone here.
"In my world," he began, "my parents died suddenly. Crushed inside a metal carriage that moved faster than any horse. Loud. Violent. Final." The villagers listened. "I survived because I wasn't there that day." His jaw tightened. "I had food. A warm bed. Education. Safety. And still… I felt empty. Lost. Angry at myself for surviving when they didn't."
Silence settled heavily. "I know hardship," he continued. "But not like this. Not hunger. Not cold winters. Not watching your people suffer while you stand guard with nothing but hope."
Shara's expression faltered, just slightly. Kaito bowed deeply.
"I'm not asking you to trust me," he said. "I'm asking you to let me earn it." The runes beneath the platform flickered again. Sage stepped forward.
"The Second Trial of Kingship," she announced, "is the Trial of Burden." She turned to Kaito. "A king must choose where to stand when he is unwanted."
Kaito looked up. Shara crossed her arms. "Fine. If you want to help so badly, prove it." She gestured toward the outskirts of the village. "Our southern storage collapsed. Supplies buried. No magic. No shortcuts. Dig with your hands like the rest of us." Kaito nodded. "Yes. I will, ma'am."
Without hesitation, he removed his royal coat and folded it carefully. Then he knelt in the dirt.
The elf girls started to protest. He raised a hand. "Please," he said softly. "Let me do this." And so he dug. Hands blistered. Back aching. Sweat stinging his eyes behind his glasses.
Villagers watched.
Some scoffed.
Some whispered.
Some quietly joined him.
Hours passed...
When the storage was finally cleared, when grain was salvaged and cheers rose, Kaito collapsed onto the dirt, exhausted.
Shara stared at him for a long moment. Then she turned away. "…We will see." It wasn't acceptance. But it wasn't rejection either.
The runes dimmed. Sage exhaled slowly. "The trial continues." Kaito lay staring at the sky, breathing hard.
This one hurt. More than monsters. More than magic. But for the first time…
He didn't feel useless.