In Thorne room
NOBLE #1 (a thin, severe-looking man)
(whispering to a woman beside him)
Summoned from another world? Dressed like that?
Jasmine caught their whispers, her eyes narrowing. "They're underestimating us, huh?"
NOBLE #2 (young and pompous)
They don't even bow. Where's the divine aura? Where's the prophecy glow?
Jasmine felt her irritation rise. "I guess we're supposed to look more... divine," she muttered, her jaw clenching. "We should've been transported into this world in a beam of light, maybe with some angel wings and a halo for good measure."
NOBLE #1
(chuckling)
They look like... commoners.
NOBLE #2
(nodding)
They look like they came from the slums.
KING ALDERON
(rising from the throne, his voice booming)
Welcome, summoned heroes! I am Alderon, King of Eldoria. You stand in the heart of the last bastion against the Demon Lord. We are honored by your presence.
Jasmine exchanged a sidelong glance with Keshav, both of them suppressing the urge to roll their eyes. "Here comes the king," Keshav muttered, a hint of a smirk on his lips.
PRINCESS LYRIA
(taking a breath, addressing the court)
I present to you—Jasmine and Keshav . Chosen by the stars to deliver us from darkness.
The nobles murmur again—half in awe, half in disbelief.
Jasmine braced herself, fixing on a tight smile as she surveyed the room. The nobles' doubt was palpable, their whispers growing louder. "Looks like we have a skeptics' gallery," she murmured, her lips barely moving.
KESHAV
(casual, ignoring everyone)
This place smells like wax and politics.
JASMINE
(steps forward, sharp gaze sweeping the room)
So this is your "royal court." How long are we expected to pretend this is real?
Several nobles gasp. One drops his wine cup.
The throne hall fell silent, all eyes on Jasmine's sharp words. She could feel the nobles bristling, offended by her blatant disregard for their grandiosity. Keshav stifled a smirk, clearly enjoying the tension.
NOBLE #3 (knight commander)
Enough! Insolence! You dare insult His Majesty!?
Jasmine met the knight commander's gaze head on, her eyes cool. "I'm not insulting anyone," she responded calmly. "Just questioning the authenticity of this… charade."
KING ALDERON
(raising a hand to silence the court)
Peace. Let us not judge too swiftly. These are warriors from another reality. Their ways differ from ours.
Jasmine softened her gaze, her expression shifting to respect. "We mean no disrespect," she said, her voice softer but still firm. "But we question the necessity of this... performance."
PRINCESS LYRIA
(quietly to Jasmine and Keshav)
Please… just go along with it. For now. We can't afford to offend the Court. The Demon Lord's army marches even as we speak.
JASMINE
(voice like steel)
We don't follow orders from storybook monarchs.
KESHAV
(smirking)
We'll kill your demon. Then we're out.
The princess's face fell. "Please," she repeated, her voice pleading. "These nobles… they must believe in us. They must believe we're the heroes they've been waiting for. Without their support, all our efforts will be for naught."
SYSTEM PROMPT]
"Affection with Royal Court: -10"
"Quest Updated: Attend the Festival of Light – Optional"
Jasmine could almost feel the collective disapproval from the nobles, the weight of their skepticism tangible. She glanced over at Keshav, his smirk now replaced by a thoughtful expression. They were in deep now.
NOBLE #1 (Sir Varnel, high minister)
(outraged, turning to the king)
Your Majesty, this is unacceptable! These… outsiders speak treason! They insult the sanctity of this hall!
NOBLE #2 (Lady Marienne, head of the noble faction)
(eyes narrow)
They carry no holy aura, no proof of their role in prophecy. For all we know, this summoning was corrupted.
NOBLE #3 (Duke Therion, warlord)
(spits)
Summoned heroes or not, I see no warriors. Only two arrogant vagrants with no sense of discipline. Let them prove themselves in the coliseum—or better yet, the gallows!
Jasmine clenched her jaw, her irritation mounting. She could feel her blood boiling, but Jasmine says nothing. Her cold stare alone silences Therion.
PRINCESS LYRIA
(rushing to intervene, hands raised)
Please—stop! They may not show it, but they were summoned by the sacred ritual. I felt it. The spell chose them.
KING ALDERON
(thoughtful, cautious)
Yet they reject our customs. Our structure. Even the prophecy.
(turns to Jasmine and Keshav)
Why should we entrust the fate of Eldoria to two strangers who scoff at our world?
KESHAV
(shrugs)
Don't.
JASMINE
(flatly)
We're not here to earn trust. We're here because the system wants us to play a story. But we don't play by its rules.
The throne hall falls so silent you could hear a pin drop. The nobles stare in disbelief, aghast at their brazen disregard for prophecies and orders.
DUKE THERION
(drawing his sword)
Enough games. If they won't obey the court, then I say we test their mettle here and now!
PRINCESS LYRIA
(panicked)
No—don't! You'll provoke—!
Therion (level 239) lunges toward Keshav.
SYSTEM PROMPT (to Keshav):
"Duel Triggered: Defend Your Honor – Optional."
KESHAV
(calmly)
Optional?
He uses his skill in a single motion of his 1 finger.
[SFX: A ripping sound—not of metal, but of reality itself.]
*Therion's blade shatters. His armor splits—but not from physical force. The concept of his offense is severed. He collapses, unharmed, but shaken to the core.
[SYSTEM PROMPT GLITCHES]:
> "Narrative Logic Cut. Combat Cancelled."
"Threat Neutralized (???)."
The throne hall falls into shock. The nobles stare with speechless eyes, their minds unable to comprehend what they just witnessed.
JASMINE
(quietly, walking past the frozen nobles)
Let this be a warning. Don't push us into your story. We're not here to read your script—we're here to tear it apart.
KING ALDERON
(voice low, uncertain)
…What are you?
KESHAV
(pausing at the foot of the throne, without turning)
Something your world isn't ready for.
The tension between the throne and the two heroes is palpable. The nobles exchange tense looks, whispering amongst one another. One thing is clear—they can't treat them like ordinary heroes.
Later that evening, in candlelit noble chambers, servant corridors, war rooms. Whispers ripple through the halls of Eldoria like wildfire.
---
SERVANT 1 (whispering in panic)
They say Duke Therion's sword didn't break—it was erased. Like it was never forged to begin with!
SERVANT 2
I heard the girl didn't even flinch. Just looked at him and the system glitched! The system!
The whispers travel like shadows until they reach the king's chambers. King Alderon stands at the balcony, staring at the moon.
KING ALDERON (softly, to himself)
Heroes… or demons?
NOBLE #1 (Sir Varnel, fuming over a wine goblet)
This is blasphemy. That boy... that Keshav—he cut through the system's command. That's not magic. That's something... else.
LADY MARIENNE
(darkly)
They broke a noble's blade in the throne room and the king said nothing. If this continues, who truly rules Eldoria?
GENERAL ELTOR (grizzled and pragmatic)
Forget politics. If even half of it is true… we're dealing with something above summoned heroes.
They might be walking catastrophes.
King Alderon sips another draught of wine, his thoughts swirling.
KING ALDERON
Or we're dealing with the saviors prophesied. The ones who will save us from the Demon Lord.
PRINCESS LYRIA (alone in her room, quietly)
(looking at the summoning diagram, tracing the sigils)
You weren't summoned by chance, were you...?
She traces the diagram, the runes shifting under her touch. The magic tingles her fingertips like static.
In the shadows, factions begin to form—some wishing to appease, others to observe, and a few considering elimination if the duo goes too far.
Servants in the war room whisper in shadows—plots of containment should the heroes grow too dangerous