Serena just followed the group for now since she didn’t feel any kind of danger and besides being in this kind of position will make the kingdom pay for her daily needs without any complaints.

But for now, what really Serena wanted to know is that…

“Excuse me but can I refuse this Hero thing?”

“Eh?”

Silence immediately enveloped the entire place. Serena felt uncomfortable from the silence but she endured it.

“I’m not really cut out for this Hero thingy and all and besides, I have a family in my original world so can I just go back?”

“I know you really need help in this world but, this wasn’t my problem you know. You have your lives but I also have my own…”

“H, Hey… aren’t you too harsh?” A voice suddenly cut her off. It wasn’t one of the native but from the boy that was summoned together with her.

“Who the heck are you?” Serena said with a cold voice as she looked at the boy in front of her.

“I don’t care if you want to play Hero but that doesn’t mean, I will go along too.”

“Wha-?!” Seeing her eyes, the boy suddenly felt fear. He couldn’t form any words and could only point at her with his finger.

“Grrrr” at this moment, the boy finally noticed the terrifying beast beside the girl. It was glaring at him as if it was ready to attack him.

At this, the boy finally felt cold sweat covering his back as he silently backs off a few steps in fear.

“P, Please wait a moment!” the self-proclaimed princess shouted.

“Enough!” a magnetic and manly voice echoed behind the princess. It was a middle-aged man wearing golden robes and a crown.

It was the king.

As the king opened his mouth, his thunderous voice seemed to have sent a shock wave thru the surrounding people. Everyone upon seeing that they are not the one being called hurriedly bowed their heads.

“F, Father?!”

And, this time, the king’s expression had completely changed from one of grim seriousness to one of unyielding fortitude.

With the return of his kingly face, he started speaking. “Heroes, I am sorry for abruptly summoning you to this kind of place. But for the sake of my people, we don’t have any choice but to do it. I humbly beg for your forgiveness.”

“I didn’t mean to belittle your problem it’s just I really have my own life too. I have a family I needed to take care of in my world, so even if I wanted to help, I needed to settle mine first.” Serena said, apologetic. She doesn’t have a heart of ice but, she was also not so generous to worry about a stranger first rather than her family.

“…I’m sorry…” but what Serena received was a heartfelt apology.

A heavy silence swept over the room. If one were to look at the surroundings, they were all hanging their heads down. Even the Queen and the Princess’ faces were of a poor complexion and were as if they had just eaten a bug.

The source of this was something bad. Serena had just asked to return. Then, their faces had become like this.

Then, a hypothesis had popped into her mind.

“Hey, wait. It couldn’t be…”

“I apologize, but returning you to your old world is impossible. We have not found any way to send you back…yet.”

As expected… It’s not like Serena hadn’t expected this but hearing it directly really made her lose her strength. Serena slumped on the ground.

“I’m sorry, we have already done everything just to understand the Summoning ritual and performed it… returning would be quite impossible… at least for now.” The King’s voice was gentle.

And so, together with the other heroes, Serena has no choice but to stay in this world… as for how long, she didn’t know.

And that was how they had become Heroes of the Louridia Kingdom.

--- ---

Medusa.

Everyone’s heard about them in myths and legends, right?

An upper body that’s the figure of a beautiful woman and the lower half of a long undulating serpent.

Their head is covered in numerous small serpents and they’re able to petrify anyone with their gaze like a snake can with a frog.

So many terrible and frightening legends about them, but in reality those Medusa… they’re real!

At least, in this world… Rain thought as he looked at the figure in front of him.

Beautiful face, hour-glass figure and tantalizing ruby slit eyes similar to that of a snake. Her head, instead a long beautiful flowing hair was full of snakes swaying left and right. Her lower body was a long snake tail, probably around 8 – 10 meters.

Rain gulped and tried to stay at his position, not moving as much as possible to show that he wasn’t an enemy.

“Hello, child of Human… been a long time since I see one…” she smiled. However, her smile was like that of a predator cornering her prey.

--- ---

It began when Rain was fighting a group of Bone Eaters.

Lafetti wasn’t around since she seems to have something to do, so Rain was alone, trying to become stronger.

[ Master, another was coming through the right. ]

Hearing Sylphy’s warning Rain immediately leaped over to the side and rolled. He doesn’t want to get surrounded, that would be dangerous for him.

While somersaulting away, he throws two bone stakes to the monsters. One missed while the other successfully pierced through one of the Bone Eaters eyes. It let out a painful howl.

Now four Bone Eaters was standing in front of him, growling menacingly.

Rain would have run and escaped long ago but this time was completely different. Rain had become a bit stronger than the past. He was a bit confident he can defeat them now.

Pulling the last two bone stakes, which he had personally made by sharpening the bones he had picked up around, Rain exerted force in his right leg, causing him to shot up towards the monsters.

Throwing the bone stakes from his hands, Rain narrowed his eyes, [ Agility EX ]!

At this moment, his speed suddenly doubled and he almost turned into a blur. He slashed out with his sword. He wasn't even thinking as this had already become a natural movement for him.

One of the monsters let out a tragic howl as the sword pierced through its neck.

One of the monsters noticed Rain and pounced at him but Rain had already expected its actions and he kicked a stone with his foot, hitting the monster’s nose, causing the monster to halt its movements for a moment.

But this instance was enough.

[ Bone Spike ]

Two Bone spikes rose up from the ground and pierced the stunned monster.

Before the skill was over, Rain shot himself at the monster and slashed with his sword on its throat. He rotated and once again stabbed his sword on the monster’s neck. Killing it completely.

The one-eyed Bone Eater saw its comrades died and immediately turned around, trying to escape but how could Rain let it be. He raised his sword and throws it towards it, piercing the monster’s abdomen.

It fell while crying out painfully.

Rain picked up a bone stake on the ground and,

“Don’t blame me for doing this, this only for survival. You either kill me or I kill you…” Rain said in a low voice and raised the bone stake in his hand.

"I don't plan to apologize."

The stake stabbed down.

--- ---