A Summoned Hero CANNOT Be a Saint!

The knights soon return from the forest, just to see us going ahead. I hope that ones that were left behind will explain them why they shouldn't follow us. Despite the supposed "unseen traveling", we're going on a big road. From Alaric's words, we will reach a small town soon enough, so no reason to hide now.

Well, "soon" was an exaggeration. My legs hurt, my breath is almost gone and I am about to fall down! It has been a good 3 hours! But finally we reach a... sigh that says that Marithol town starts here? No walls, no gate, not even a fence? And that is... a "town"? It's a village, and on a smaller side... but then again, it is medieval word. Perhaps, it is what would be considered a "small town" back then.

"The Sun is soon to set. We need to find some hotel to sleep."

"Ho-tel? What is it?", asked Elaina.

Ah, right.

"I mean an inn. Or a tavern. Or whatever it's called in this world. A building where we can rent a room or two and sleep in."

"Ah, of course. There should be a tavern that lets traveler sleep on the second floor near the entrance to the town...", said Elaina, seemingly thinking about something.

And where is that "entrance"? It's not like there is some gateway. Also, a tavern with guest rooms on second floor. Very original. I do not think these things existed in real life; I think it was just Inns. But then again, I am a Dungeon & Dragons player, I am used to taverns. So I won't complain this time.

"There!", says Alaric, pointing to a small, two-story building.

As we come close to it, the people of the town start looking at us. Some, with confusion, some, with interest. It seems like they don't exactly recognize the "chosen hero", huh? The tavern itself seems like an old building that barely holds together. Surely it means the rent is cheap, right?

As we come in, I decide to separate from the party and sit somewhere as fast as possible. Not because I want to drink, but because I wanted to sit somewhere after hours of walking. They will probably figure out staying upstairs... I am happy that this tavern looks exactly like one would imagine a fantasy tavern, I don't need to think much – I sit in a corner, hoping to relax for just a minute... but alas, that is not going to happen to me anytime soon, isn't it?

"Oh, blessings of the Mother be upon you! I have not expected to find another priest of Her Benevolence in a place like this!"

A man sat across the table. He was wearing white robes, a bit like mine, but he didn't have the necklace. He seems similar to people in the church where I was summoned. Is he another believer? If so, god spare me from long dialogue... how do I decline the dialogue without being rude here?

"Yeah, uh, blessings, sure...", I say and wave a hand, "Although, I'm not-"

"Ah, of course! That symbol! You must the High Speaker of Grand Basilica! How could I mistake Your Holiness for a lowly priest?!"

He raises his head and suddenly bangs it against a table... jeez, I think he actually got his forehead bleeding. I need to fix it quick enough to not attract more attention.

"Cure Wounds", I say, as his bruise fixes itself, "And please, do not do that again, ok? Not for me, at least. I am not-"

"Your humility knows no bounds!"

Oh my god. Whatever. At this point I can as well go with the flow. Maybe he will leave me alone faster this way. 

"So, what is it you wanted? I am... a bit busy."

"Do not worry, I understand that your task is beyond that of a lowly priest from a province such as myself, but I can't help but wonder... is the news of the schism in Ironheld Union? I heard these... these... blasphemers claim that Her Benevolence's Light cannot reach the Forbidden Lands and vanquish the evil, and seek to turn to the Eternal Flame!"

Is that the reason why Boldwyn's origin was so hated? Would make sense, considering how theocratical Lumina is. If I were to guess, "Forbidden Lands" is the same as "The Sundered Wasteland", where the big bad evil guy lives. But what the hell is Eternal Flame?

"I guess? Eternal Flame, though? I'm not so sure."

"You think... you think instead of Eternal Flame belief, that, while wrong and blasphemous, at least wants to protect the order... do you truly think they want to accept the Hollow King sect as their religion?!"

Ah. Eternal Flame is a religion that people of another country believe in... how do I answer that?

"I do not know, nor do I care. It really sounds like their problem."

"That dismissiveness... of course, how did I not understand! Their heresy is trivial, not worth our time!"

"Uhh... not worth mine, that's for sure."

"Speaking of the Wasteland... I am sure you know, but... some of our brothers and sisters in Drakspine claim that Mother's Chalice of Tears has been discovered in the Sundered Wasteland! What is the opinion of someone as profound as Your Holiness?" 

"It was found in the Wasteland, so it's probably cursed, right?"

"I have heard that the Lord of Shadows can corrupt even the relics most divine, but to think that the Demonlord managed to taint Her Tears... unbelievable! Their evil truly knows no bounds!"

I hope I didn't prompt this guy to go to the Wasteland himself...

"But then... what about His Benediction's decree on the Chalice? About getting it back?"

"Sigh... an overhyped McGuffin fetch quest..."

He was stunned. He probably realized I am not a High Speaker; I just hopeed he wouldn't call me a heretic or something...

"Oh my god... he called this pilgrimage a quest... this truly it is the goal most divine! I must depart in an instant!"

Well, now I sure did prompt him to go there.

"But... but before I depart!", he leans towards me over the table and starts whispering, "Is it true that... that Mother once walked among us as a mortal?..."

"That would explain why her Church is so bad at its job...", I mutter.

"Such profound humility!"

Oh no. He heard it.

"Can I... can I ask for your blessing on my dangerous journey?"

"Whatever, sure. Bless be upon you or something..."

Bless is yet another level 1 spell in D&D. I tried to cast it, but... not sure it will help him. Not sure how it will even work. Just get this guy away from me already!

"Thank you, Your Holiness! May your way be untainted by True King of All Evils!"

"Just go already!", I yell.

He finally stood up, and, in high spirits, started to walk out of the tavern... bowing to me after every single step. This was... something. Not something I enjoyed, but... something nonetheless. I hope it will never happen again... although, I catch eyes of basically every single person in the tavern on me. Not good. Moreover, Boldwyn, Alaric and Elaina giggle at me. It was supposed to be me laughing at them, not the other way around! 

To hell with them. This conversation left my throat as dry as a desert. I hadn't want to drink originally, but... now I did. I come and sit at the bar table.

"Anything I can offe' to a theocrat?", says the barman.

He probably thinks I'm a church's priest due to my clothes and symbol on my necklace.

"Just some water, please", I respond, "Also, me and my 3 friends would like to rent a room or two... better two, or even three, on the second floor."

"About room, I'll see what I can do. As for yer o'der... tsk, of course a holy father can't have beer, can't 'e?"

The bartender sets down a large glass of water... that doesn't look very clean. Oh well. If I get some disease from it, at least I will be able to test if I can cure illnesses. I also catch a glimpse of how Boldwyn and Elaina are going to burst into tears from laughter, while Alaric facepalms. What did I do wrong now? Whatever. I take the glass and drink the water. Afterward, I reached into my pocket and placed a banknote on the bar. It shall cover a simple glass of water.

"Keep the change", I say.

Barman looks at me. I look at him. He looks at me. I look at him. 

"What?"

He stares at me.

"What is it?"

He still stares at me in silence.

"I gave you the money, no?"

"The hell are ye ta'king 'bout?! That's not bronze!"

Ah. Of course. I... I honestly should have anticipated it. Why did I even consider that my native world's money is valid here...

"I'm sorry, mister barman, sir! Kai is the Harmony Adept summoned from another world, and he does not know about the currency we use. Here, 9 in bronze, for your service.", says Elaina, quickly coming to the table and putting some bleak coins to the table.

She still chuckles. Barmen looks stunned.

"What?"

"I am sorry! I didn't know we 'ad a Saint 'ere!"

Oh no. Not that again.

"This Saint is just too tired, ok? I do not sign autographs."

"Of course! Then you must be..."

He shifts his eyes to Alaric.

"Yes, this is sir Alaric, the hero chosen to slay the Demonlord."

"Holy Mother! I am sorry for what I said! Please, keep the money! I will 'ind rooms for you 4, in an instant!"

Having said this, he rushed away from the bar table and to the second floor. The entire tavern's eyes were locked on me. Someone, save me from this fate...

"So, h-how do you feel, yooour hoooliness?", said Boldwyn, walking up to me.

"Ah, jeez, just forget it, ok?! I tried to tell the guy I'm not whoever he thinks I am!"

"And that money blunder...", Boldwyn looked at Elaina and Alaric.

"And that's exactly why I suggested you learning about the world!", they said in unison.

Someone, just f**king kill me...

In the end, we got 2 rooms for ourselves. Apparently, that's all the rooms upstairs. And barman had to send people who were staying there away for us. I feel bad for them, but... we need to sleep somewhere, right? Alaric and Elaina stayed in one room, while me and Baldie in another. Thank god I am with the sane one.

"Well, good night, Kai. I will pray that you will finally research a thing or two tomorrow! Bahahahaha!"

"Very funny. Good night."

Oh, but I will. Just not in the way you think. We finally go to sleep. Thanks god beds here are separate, I think his barrel-like body would take both sides if they weren't.

Midway through the night, I open my eyes. Nice, exactly as I planned. Boldwyn was sleeping like a log, so I quietly got up, pulled on my boots and left the room. Going downstairs, I saw barman who was standing in the doorframe of one of the rooms on second floor – ah, so there are other rooms – and certainly noticed me leaving, but... he shrugged and closed the door to his room. Good enough. 

I left the tavern, which was still open, even though it was late into the night... by the way, interesting how the owner was still up. Whatever, none of my business. I go to where we entered the town, and then deeper into the forest, until I find a secluded and somewhat open place. Nice, exactly what I wanted. No one will hear or see me... time to check what I am really capable of!

"Fireball!" 

As I expected, nothing happened. After all, it isn't a spell a support shall have, is it? Let me think... I can't exactly test healing or revive spells, as there is no one to use them on... Hm, let's see...

"Darkvision!"

Aaand now I see everything perfectly clear. It worked, but... well, it's just a buff. And a low-level one. Would be strange if it didn't. Although, now, with my night vision, I notice a squirrel running along. Hehehehe...

"Slow!"

It did slow down. Well then...

"Slow! Slow! Slow! Slow! Slow!"

It did slow down a total of... whatever is 2 to the power of 6, I am not a math profi. It is barely moving! Knew it! I will suppose, all buffs and debuffs stack, right? Well, I wonder, what if...

"Darkvision! Darkvision!"

Aah! Damn it! It becomes so bright my eyes hurt.

"Dispel?!"

My eyesight comes to normal... now I need to use Darkvision again. But never multiple times again! Okay, what else can I check... I know! It is a high-level spell, so I probably am not able to use it. Good thing that the squirrel is still in place... poor thing can't move. Oh well, time to restraint it even more.

"Force Cage!"

A bright light engulfed the squirrel. A small pure-white cage appeared around it. I almost feel bad for the little one. It still can barely move though, due to multiple slows... wait! I did make a Force Cage! It is a... level 7 spell, I think! No way it worked! Uhm...

"Sorry for all these horrors, little guy, run along now. Dispel... and Dispel again."

Both Force Cage and Slows fade, letting squirrel run, as if nothing happened. That makes me think. I managed to cast a high-level spell, and then I managed to remove it with a simple Dispel. I didn't feel like I was exhausted, or as if my mana was running out. There are no cooldowns, either, otherwise I wouldn't be able to cast Cure Wounds, Haste or Slow multiple times in a row. I want some fresh air. Freshest air, even.

"Fly."

My legs part with the ground and the invisible force brings me upwards. Above the trees, as I start see the forest as a small mess of dark colors. Above the clouds, as I start... gasping for air, no, no, go back!

With a force of will, I get lower, hanging in the air near the tips of the trees. Ok, I may be able to use a ton of ridiculous spells, but... my body is still that of a human, it seems. Heh. Hehehe. I wonder now... after returning to the ground I pick up a stick. A regular stick. I hit it against a tree. No effect, stick almost breaks. But what if...

"Holy Weapon."

Now, when I swing again... the tree falls down, cut clean. Hehehehehe...

"Enhance Ability. Holy Weapon."

With the next swing... okay, what the hell! The second tree that I used a Holy-Weapon'ed stick on just disappeared. It was gone. Not destroyed, just vanished. As if it was never there. It even left a huge hole in the ground, where the roots were. Where did it go?... well, it just proves that Enhance Ability does, in fact... enhance an ability. Good to know. Well then, time to get to something serious. I throw the stick behind my back... just to turn around and realize that this stick is burrowing down, through the ground, creating an incredibly deep, but narrow hole... well, none of my problems! Okay, time to do it. Something I wanted to do for a long time, even in actual D&D sessions. To test even more things, I take a small stone from the ground and throw it a bit upwards. All preparations complete, let's go. My lips curve as I say the words I am, honestly, a bit afraid to speak out loud.

"Demiplane."

The space around me twists and bends, similar to when I was being transmigrated, but I don't feel any pain now. On the contrary, I am experiencing an incredible clarity. No door was created, but I appear in a square room made of stone. 

"Darkvision."

And, I can see in the dark again. Yep, it's a standard Demiplane indeed. A cube room, roughly 9 meters in each dimension. However, if all my spells behave... a bit differently, if not to say "incredibly more powerful". From what I saw when using Cure Wounds and Haste, spells in this world work literal to their meaning. So, that makes me think. This is my Demiplane. Does it mean I can...

I wave me hand in front of me. Behind it, this small pocket dimension transforms. Behind this hole in a stone wall I see a vast sky. The Stars, the Sun, the Moon. After I blink, the enclosed room made of stone is gone. I stand on a plain under the light of both the Sun and the Moon... well, both of it have the light of Sun, but... to hell with being a nerd! This is not a "Demiplane"! This is not a pocket dimension! It is a whole pocket universe! Mother of Origin?! Forget Mother of Origin! The true God has finally descended upon this world! 

I extend my palm towards the Sun... and make a fist. The star breaks apart, and by next wish, each of its shards become a new star, shining brighter than before. I fingersnap. A castle appears in front of me... wait, a castle? Why stop at this! A skyscraper, as I remember them from my home world! And if we're here, why stop at this! If I can't return to my world at will... I I'll just recreate it here! No, I can make it even better! A perfect world, without wars, poverty, hunger! I can-

I slapped myself in the face. A God complex and megalomania never helped anyone. If I were to continue, my mind might crack, turning myself into a self-proclaimed deity... well, I already did proclaim myself one in my thoughts, but... I would rather not become self-obsessed egotistical person who wants to rule the world. It isn't even what I wanted to try anyways... 

"Plane Shift, uh... one where I was before."

Countless worlds flash before of my eyes. Some are normal, some are akin to hell, some are so weird I couldn't even start to describe them. Finally, I end up in the same forest... and catch the stone I threw upwards. Just as I thought. While I am in the Demiplane, time outside of it doesn't move. That is... useful. Granted, this stupidly broken version of Demiplane is overall useful. Incredibly useful. But... I would probably not overuse it. Otherwise, I may go insane, as I almost did.

Then, it suddenly clicks. If I can use Plane Shift, then...

"Plane Shift, Earth, my home!"

Countless worlds flash in front of my eyes again. Some are similar, like 2 drops of water. Some are so different, that I couldn't even imagine them existing. And finally, I return... to where I was just standing. I punch a tree nearby... only to hurt my hand. Damn it! God damn it! Of course it wouldn't be that simple! Fine then!

"Gate! Earth! My home!"

I try to use a level 9 spell. Pinnacle of what mages can cast. The circular rift in space-time begins to manifest, slicing through the trees and the ground like a saw. But then... it collapses. Well, I have one choice. Normally, this Spell is banned, and causes controversies and discussions, sometimes making players argue with DM. But there is no DM, right?! Every single spell works as it is supposed to in the lore, right?! So, for this once, I am to become its abuser.

"I Wish... to return to my home."

The world around me turns black. No, it disappears. From the horizon in front me, to the horizon behind me, everything becomes void almost instantly. I am floating in a black abyss, without feeling, seeing or hearing anything. What... did just happen? I just made a Wish. You know, like, Wish. A level 9 spell that allows to wish for literally anything... so, I just made a Wish... and something answered.

In that void, where even nothingness is absent, an eyes so big it covered my entire eyesight opened. Inside of its vertical pupil, another eye. Inside of its vertical pupil, which was horizontal to me, another eye. This recursion of infinite eyes was trembling, shaking... and looking directly at me. I felt a mental fatigue unlike I had ever expirienced before. My mind was melting. Countless bits of knowledge was flooded into my head, yet I couldn't comprehend any of it. That... thing didn't talk to me. It didn't say anything. It didn't project any voice into my head. But I could feel it: whatever I called upon... was not here to grant my wish.

Soon, everything returned to normal. The world returned to how it was before, I was still standing in a forest... but something was different. I can't pinpoint what. But nothing felt right. Something was... off. Maybe not even with this world... but with me.