Chapter 0: Prologue
Chapter 000: The Summoned Hero
[Demon King]
That is an existence that often appears in various myths and legends.
The symbol of evil.
Synonymous with cruelty.
One who endangers the world, endangers humanity, bringing terror and disaster to the masses, and pushing the world into chaos.
That kind of character is the Demon King.
And in many myths and legends, for the sake of defeating the Demon King, gods with generally locate a Hero, grant them various aids, and have them save the world.
What's more, there are gods who summon heroes from other worlds and have them defeat the Demon Lord. That's also a kind of conventional development.
Thus...
"So, I'm the unlucky guy chosen?"
"You can think that way if you like."
Thus, the above conversation happened due to this kind of situation.
This is the center of an unknown temple.
There are no brilliant decorations in the temple. Nor is there a solemn divine atmosphere. It's just a pure while construct.
At this moment, there are two figures inside the temple.
One of them is an eternity-like existence, standing in the center of the temple.
That is a goddess.
Yes, goddess.
Because, there are no other words capable of describing her.
She has a head full of silver hair, extending past the attractive curvature of her back, all the way to the back of her knees. It flows generally even without wind, giving off a light glow.
Her eyes are the purest blue, much like the blue of the planet. She wears a pure and holy white dress, with her pure and unblemished feet unadorned. Just standing there bare feet on the ground, along with that impeccable body line and graceful figure, her beauty seems like it can't possibly exist in the world. She seems more like a completed work of high class art, filled with dreams and fantasy.
That beauty, that purity, that dream and fantasy. Only a word like "Goddess" is capable of describing her.
At least, the other figure in the temple -floating in midair, a bodiless soul-like "person" thinks so.
From the start, "he" could no nothing but stare.
Until the goddess spoke to "him."
"Although this is rather sudden, please allow me to proceed directly to the main subject."
What main subject?
To sum it up, that is...
"You have already died, but I hope that you will come to my world and defeat the Demon King. Thus, I plan to resurrect you, make you that hero, and send you to the world of swords and sorcery - [Omnipotlin]."
That's how it is.
Thus, the conversation at the start happened.
Truth be told, "he" doesn't really want to believe it.
Goddess?
Demon King?
Hero?
Sword and sorcery world?
It's not like "he" doesn't understand those terms.
But, for those term to become reality and happen to "him," then all he can do is react with confusion and non-understanding.
"He" doesn't even know just how long it took for him to finally accept this setting.
However, there is one point that "he: understood very well.
"I don't really have any other choice, do I?"
If things really are as what the goddess said, then "he" should already be dead. If he doesn't accept the goddess's suggestion, then the only result is just disappearing.
In that case, what other choice is there?
As an aside, the use of the term "should" is because "he" doesn't remember if he really died at all.
No, it should instead be said that "he" doesn't remember anything at all relating to himself.
Why is this?
Very simple.
"No matter what you choose, those are all unnecessary."
The goddess stated.
No way around it.
If "he" rejected the goddess's request, the results have already been stated.
If "he" decided to accept, then for the sake of not letting his previous life affect his new life, and for the sake of not letting the technology and knowledge of his previous life affect the other world too deeply, removing those memories is a fairly straightforward method.
In that light, "he" no longer remembers anything about himself. As for the knowledge of his old world, "he" only retains the portion relating to common knowledge. For example, "he" knows about the existence of the internet, and he knows what it's for and how to use it, but "he" doesn't know the base theory behind it or the conditions for creating it, etc.
That isn't something that the goddess did.
"Once a person dies, they will soon vanish without leaving anything behind. That includes memories. However, since I needed you, I summoned the existence that is 'you,' and restored those memories of your common knowledge for you so that you would be able to understand the current situation and what will happen afterwards."
The goddess explained with a smile while gazed at him with those eyes as beautiful and brilliant as stars.
"You are already dead after all. The memories of your previous life has nothing more to do with you. If you do choose to go to the other world, I also would not want your attachment to your previous life affect your second life. Nor would I want for the technology and knowledge of your previous world to cause major upheavals to my world."
In other words, the memories of the previous life won't be coming back either way.
"He" doesn't have any grievances either.
One, since he's already forgotten those memories, "he" would naturally lack any attachment to them.
Two, even if "he: opposes it, it's not like that's going to have any effect.
It all goes back to that sentence. "He" is already dead, and "he" should have disappeared. Since the other side plans to revive "him" and grant "him" a second life, a second lifetime, what more could "he" ask for?
To be able to live on. To be able to get a second life, a second lifetime. That's already a kind of blessing.
"He" should know to count his blessings.
"It looks like you've made your decision."
The goddess nodded nonchalantly as if she could see though "his" thoughts and extended her flawless hands towards him.
"Well then, by the name of god, thus I grant you the otherworlder another life."
Following the solemn voice ringing across the entirety of the temple, the transparent figure in midair bloomed with light.
That light is a brilliant as the sun, as dazzling as the stars.
In that kind of situation, a "sword" just as brilliant and dazzling floated up from the transparent figure.
"From now on, you will be known as [Shien]."
"Don't disappoint me now."
"The hero I've waited a thousand years for."
As the voice fell, the "person" and "sword" floating in midair both disappeared from the temple.
After finishing everything, the goddess finally withdrew her hand.
However, with her eyes are still transfixed on the air as if she could still see that figure, the goddess murmured.
"This is the first time I've seen such a powerful light. I hope he can grant my long awaited wish."
Leaving such a whisper, the goddess closed her eyes and allowed the temple to return to silence.
Thus the story, with this as the opening, announced its start.