"Please, Accessory Hero!" A person on his knees cried out. "Protect our world from the calamities that are befalling it!"
Kurose blinked at that. He took another moment to get his bearings before he pushed himself off the ground slowly.
He looked over to where the voice came from. Before him stood three people, all wearing similar clothing. Each had an insignia over their chest, although one was vaguely distinct from the other from the distance he was looking at.
He surveyed his surroundings once more, blinking before realizing something.
"Wait, I was… I was outside, doing something." He took another look around the room, making sure that he was actually inside.
After confirming that, a single thought came to his head.
Just where was he?
As soon as that line of thought crossed his head, he tensed up. From what he had seen with his short examination of the room, there was only one exit to the room, and that was behind the trio who were standing before him.
Kurose wasn't sure what this was. Some sort of kidnapping? A prank? Or something else?
A small voice at the back of his head thought about the possibility of being isekaid, but he ignored it. There was no way that sort of stuff was real.
"Accessory Hero? Are you with us?" The same voice spoke up, taking him out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean by Accessory Hero?" Kurose felt like taking a step back. "Who are you? Where am I?"
Kurose had more questions he wanted to ask. But he couldn't let himself panic. The last thing he remembered was being with Sheryl. Did they take her as well? Was this even a kidnapping? He wasn't sure anymore.
His breathing became erratic as his eyes darted around, searching desperately for any other exit that he may have missed on his first look around.
"We mean you no harm, Accessory Hero. We wish to explain things to you, but we cannot do so in your current state." He took a step forward, a step too near for Kuroses comfort
"And why wouldn't I?" Kurose spoke, the panic clear in his voice as he took a small step back.
He clenched his fists, bringing them up slowly. He didn't know how to fight, hell, he didn't even know how to throw a punch properly, but it wouldn't stop him trying if it came down to it.
"I'm somewhere I have never seen before, with people I don't know. Of course I'm going to be like this!"
The elderly man took another step forward before stopping for reasons Kurose didn't know
"I understand, truly. This is a strange time for you. If you would take time for things to settle down, it would be of great benefit. For your sake, and ours."
Kurose kept an eye on the man. He took this time to look at the floor surrounding him. He was on a slightly raised, small platform. If he had taken another step, he would have likely slipped off the platform.
Around the aforementioned platform were several wooden and metal discs. Each had something carved onto them and were interconnected by strings of blue light.
Kurose was in an unknown situation, in an unknown place with three strangers. He didn't know any of them, he didn't know what they wanted, but he knew that he wouldn't get any answers like this. After a moment of hesitation, he caved in and took a deep, nervous breath.
His panic with this entire situation wasn't gone by a longshot, but it was a start.
"Thank you, Accessory Hero." The elderly man spoke with a seemingly pleased smile. "Please allow us to collect everything, then we will guide you to where we need to go. I will explain what I can on the way, if you would let me."
Kurose nodded his head slightly. The old man, taking that as confirmation, lowered his hands before stepping forwards. Kurose watched for a moment as he knelt down to pick up the wooden discs.
He let his gaze flicker to the other two people, who went to the left and right of the raised platform. They both got to work, with one of them taking the wooden and metal discs the elderly man had picked up as he slowly began to wrap the blue string around a small wooden pole.
Once it was all picked up and neatly wrapped around the wooden pole, the elderly man put it inside of his cloak before speaking up once again.
"Thank you for your patience, Accessory Hero. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Orith. I am at your service." He bowed towards the end, a small smile on his face as he did
"I-It's nice to meet you, Orith." Kurose spoke nervously, still not fully calmed down.
He still had his concerns on where he was, but his panic at the sudden unknown situation took a back seat to the confusion he felt from how formal Orith was being to him.
"I don't know what any of this Accessory Hero stuff is, or where I am. Could you…" Kurose trailed off, but Orith seemed to pick up on what Kurose wanted.
"Of course. I will start with where you are. You are currently in the country of Ortensca, one of four nations that inhabit our world. As for where in Ortensca you are specifically, that would be the Capital, Ortenburg."
Kurose stared at the man for a moment. "Four…nations?" Kurose asked slowly, making sure he heard it correctly.
"Indeed, Accessory Hero. I think what I am going to say next will help you understand more, if that is acceptable? But we should probably begin moving soon, so if possible, I would like to explain as we go." Orith spoke softly, still remaining at a distance from Kurose.
Kurose simply nodded his head at that, still caught off guard by what Orith had said. He was no genius, but he was fairly confident there were a lot more countries in the world than four.
Orith began to move, and Kurose moved to catch up to him before falling into step with him.
"To help you understand what is going on, I suppose it would be easier to start from the beginning. There have been stories of calamities that strike our world on occasion. These calamities are tracked by the use of the Dragon Hourglasses, which allow us to keep track of when they will occur."
Kurose listened as Orith spoke, taking it all in. As of now, it was sounding like the plot of some sort of game, but Kurose would let him finish before deciding on anything.
"Based on knowledge from the past, we cannot hope to weather these calamities on our own. It requires the aid of the heroes, which is where you come in, Accessory Hero." Orith continued.
There was that title again. Accessory Hero. What did it mean? Why did they keep calling Kurose that? The same thoughts from earlier came back to him. Was this some sort of long term prank? Some sort of cult perhaps? He just didn't know.
"The other two heroes have already been chosen, with one of them currently residing here, however the weapon you wield is different." Orith explained to Kurose.
"But I don't have a weapon." Kurose spoke, quick to point out that fact.
"So you might believe. Have you checked yourself over, for anything that was not there, prior to your summoning?" Orith questioned him.
That gave Kurose pause. Reluctantly, he tilted his head, looking down at his body and let his eyes wander. He couldn't see anything in his hands, nothing that might signify a weapon at least. He continued to look over, about to speak up to say that he saw nothing, but then he saw something.
A silver chain around his neck that hadn't been there before.
He took hold of it, gently lifting it over his head to hold it in front of him. The chain was a basic cable chain. Nothing fancy like a Byzantine or Palma chain, but Kurose could certainly appreciate the simplicity.
The bail was a simple small circle which hooked onto the centrepiece. The outer piece was made of the same material as the chain, but what caught Kurose's attention the most was the green gem in the center of it. It was unlike anything he had seen before.
"Ah, I see you have found it. Indeed, that is proof that you are the Accessory Hero." Orith spoke with a nod, seemingly satisfied. "But back to what I was saying before. The Accessory is different, in the fact that it can only be wielded by those who have been summoned."
"...Summoned?" Kurose spoke slowly. Surely he didn't mean…
The small thought in the back of his mind from moments before didn't seem so stupid now.
"Indeed, Accessory Hero. We called out to the weapon to summon a worthy wielder for it, and it chose you! You should feel honoured to have been chosen by it." Orith spoke, a wide smile on his face, completely oblivious to the young man's thoughts.
It all came back suddenly for Kurose, who remembered the feeling of numbness spreading throughout his body and the tear stained face of Sheryl. He felt sick. The realization of what had happened was sinking in, but he needed to confirm it himself.
"Is… Is there a window, or anything nearby?" Kurose asked suddenly.
The suddenness of his question seemed to throw Orith for a loop, if his face was anything to go by. Despite that, he recovered quickly
"I… Yes? It should be just ahead. Why-" Orith didn't get to finish his question as Kurose ran off.
"Accessory Hero! Please, wait for us!" He called out to him, but there was no response.
It didn't take long for the window to come into sight, and Kurose almost pressed himself up against it before deciding better of it. He let his eyes wander, taking in everything he could.
"Accessory Hero! Please, don't run off like that!" Orith spoke quickly, before letting his eyes move to where Kurose was looking.
The window held a good view of the city that sprawled out below. Though, from the distance they were at, Kurose could only barely make out the people walking around. There were several carriages moving along the paths, being dragged along by unfamiliar creatures. He could see plumes of smoke coming from the chimneys of several buildings, likely houses, as well as making out sets of stalls spread along the sprawling paths.
"This… This really isn't my world, is it?" Kurose spoke quietly. He could feel tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, but he raised a hand, wiping at them before they could fully form.
If Orith saw his actions, he didn't say anything, to which Kurose was grateful.
He wasn't going to cry, not here at least. He would do it when he was fully alone. When he knew there was nothing else to come. He didn't know when that would be, but it would come soon. At least, that was what he hoped.
"It is not." Orith confirmed. "But maybe, in time you could consider this to be your world?"
Kurose tried not to take it to heart. He knew the elderly man was trying to comfort him, but it didn't feel right. The thought of just forgetting about his world, his home, his friend…
The thought of Sheryl sent a fresh wave of tears to prick at the corners of his eyes. What would she be thinking? She had just seen him get hit by a car. She had watched him die…
I really am the worst, huh? He thought. First I upset her, then I died in front of her...
He pushed those thoughts away. He would bury them in the back of his mind. He would sort through them later, like he always did. It was fine, everything was going to be fine.
Kurose nodded his head, still looking away from Orith. "Yeah, maybe."
Orith accepted that answer easily. "Then I'll get back to what I was saying. Please, follow me and don't run off again. I'm not as young as I once was." He spoke with a small chuckle.
They once again set off, and Orith began to speak once again.
"As I was saying. We summoned you in the hopes that you would protect our world from these calamities."
"You keep mentioning this calamity, but I still have no idea what these calamities actually are." Kurose pointed out, more subdued than he had been before..
"Yes you would be correct. I haven't explained what they are, have I?" Orith agreed.
"However, it is not my place to say much more on the nature of these calamities. As much as I would like to, there will be someone else to answer your questions. Our roles were to simply ensure that you reached your room."
"But why does it need a different person? You seem like you know enough."
"That may be true, but it is still not my place. It would be better for someone you will be interacting with regularly to explain this to you." Orith explained.
"...interacting with regularly? Wait, am I not going to see you again?" Kurose spoke quickly.
He had only spent a bit of time with the elderly man, but he found himself already liking him, if only for how he tried to reassure him, even if it didn't fully help. He couldn't say much for the two trailing behind them, as they had not spoken much, if at all, since he had been summoned.
"I wouldn't say that you won't see me again." Orith spoke with a small smile before pausing in front of a door.
"This is your room, Accessory Hero. As for seeing me again, I wager that we will see each other sooner than expected."
Kurose nodded hesitantly at that before speaking once more. "Thanks for bringing me here."
"It was no problem, Accessory Hero! But please, don't go running off again."
He let out a nervous laugh in response to that. "I'll… I'll try not to." Was all he could say before disappearing into the room that had been provided to him.
Once the door closed behind him, he got to looking around the room. After a quick look around, he decided that it was certainly one of the rooms he had ever been in, but it felt like something was missing. It felt… empty.
He had everything he needed. A bed, a door to what he presumed was a balcony, a desk and chair along with a dresser to put clothes in, which Kurose realized he was lacking. That led to another issue. What was Kurose going to do about clothes?
As much as he loved his shirt and trousers, he didn't exactly want to wear the same set constantly. They would probably get disgusting real quick.
Can I ask for another set of clothes? He thought to himself. I'll ask whoever is coming by later. It's worth a try at least.
That led to another question. Just when were they going to come? He knew it had been only a couple of minutes since he had been left alone, but surely they should have been prepared, right?
Kurose let out a groan. It felt like everything he thought about was going to lead to two more questions. He just wanted to collapse into bed and hope this was some sort of bad dream.
But he knew he couldn't do that. With a small shake of his head, he moved over towards the door which he assumed led outside. He opened it slowly before stepping out onto the balcony. He let out another small sigh, something he found himself doing more and more since he had been summoned, before leaning over the railing.
It was made of metal, but it had small gems embedded into it. Just how much money were these gems worth? How rich were these people to be able to do something like that? And where did all these gems come from?
Kurose shook his head, instead focusing on the distance. He ignored the city for now, looking beyond it. He could see a wide forest beyond the walls. Something that was rare to see back home. The trees were a vibrant green, and they kept his attention for a moment. Was it summer here? Did they even have seasons in this world?
Before he could think about it any more, an unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind him, startling him.
"Accessory Hero, it is a pleasure to meet you." The voice spoke, causing Kurose to spin around.
He was met with a woman who seemed slightly older than him, wearing a light green dress. The dress was adorned with gems, a majority of which were a deep red, complementing the green dress she wore. On her arms were six bracelets, three on each arm.
After a few moments where Kurose didn't speak, she continued. "My name is Amarita, and I am here to give you information that you may require. I will not be available at every time, as my time is split between you and the Dagger Hero, but I will endeavour to do my best." She spoke softly.
Kurose stood still for a few more moments before nodding his head. He could get his questions answered now, at least that was what he hoped.
"U-Um, Thank you? Feel free to take a seat, I guess." Kurose wasn't sure how to act around these people. All he knew of them was that they summoned him, and expected him to save their world. He could already feel the burden of it and he hadn't even had to do anything yet!
Amarita didn't seem to hesitate, pulling the chair from the desk before the bed, which prompted Kurose to sit on the bed. Amarita spoke first.
"As I mentioned before, it is an honour to meet you, Accessory Hero. I hope I will be able to assist you in any way that is required." She spoke kindly, bowing her head once more.
"You don't have to keep calling me Accessory Hero." Kurose responded quickly. "Just Kurose is fine."
Amarita shook her head at that. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. It would be rude of me to address a Hero so casually"
"R-right…" Kurose wasn't sure where to go from there, so he opted to ask his original question.
"If… If its possible," Kurose began slowly. "Could i get a couple of extra sets of clothes?" He asked.
Amarita looked him over once before nodding her head. "That can be arranged. You will have to have your measurements taken, but I can't see it being an issue."
Kurose let out a sigh of relief, flashing her a smile. Now that his main concern was out of the way, he decided that he might as well ask about what Orith had spoken about.
"Orith said something about calamities? And that I was summoned here to fight them?".
Amarita seemed to understand what he was saying, and nodded her head. "Of course. I can explain what they are, if that is what you wish?" Kurose nodded his head, and Amarita began.
She spoke of the Calamities, and how they struck the world. She told him of what happened during the waves, of the countless monsters that poured down from the cracks in the sky and the boss monster that came along with them. He learned that it was a hero's duty to quell the waves by defeating the boss monster, as well as growing stronger over time to face the waves as they grew in strength.
Kurose sat through it, entranced by the tale she weaved. The ways in which she described it sent shivers through his spine. If she said that she had lived through the waves before he wouldn't be able to find it in himself to reject the idea.
As Amarita finished speaking, silence filled the room, and Kurose found himself silenced. He didn't know where to begin.
"...What am I supposed to do?" He managed to get out, breaking the silence. "I'm… I'm just some guy. I don't even know anything about this world."
"That is fine." Amarita spoke softly. "Every hero starts off as a regular person. The fact that the Holy Accessory saw fit to summon you proves that you have something special. Perhaps it saw a spark of who you could possibly be, but it would not choose you without its reasons."
Kurose put his hands on his legs, taking a shaky breath. It was all too much for him already. The thought that he would have to fight against monsters, the thought of getting injured, of possibly even dying scared him. He had already died once to be summoned, and it hadn't been a good experience. He couldn't possibly recommend it.
If he was summoned by the Accessory, couldn't the damned thing have done it in a less violent way?
Despite that, he steeled himself once more. He couldn't let it show on his face. They were relying on him. They probably didn't want a hero who showed any signs of weakness, right?
"How do these waves end?" He asked her. From what she had said, he hadn't heard of an ending to the waves. Just that they grew stronger over time.
"We don't know what causes them to stop." Amarita spoke kindly. If she noticed anything off with him, she didn't mention it, to which Kurose was grateful. "We just simply know that after a long enough period of time, the Dragon hourglasses will simply… stop."
She seemed to fidget slightly at that, but it probably wasn't anything. He would be fidgeting if he was explaining basic information to someone meant to protect his world.
"So… I just need to hold out until the hourglasses stop counting down?" He asked her, earning a nod.
"I suppose that would be one way to go about it." She spoke with a small frown. Had he said something wrong? "You of course will not be alone in this endeavor."
"Not alone?" Kurose asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"Yes, you didn't think you were the only hero, did you?" Amarita responded with a small smile.
"I…" Kurose rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. He remembered that Amarita had said something about another hero, but he had completely blanked it out.
"Kind of? But never mind that, where are the other heroes? Why did you need to summon me if you have other heroes to fight for you?" He spoke quickly.
"There are two other heroes beside you. They would be the Dagger Hero, as I mentioned previously, and the Jewelry tools hero, who currently rules over Palinfa." She explained patiently.
"As for why we still summoned you, Heroes have the ability to grow unimpeded by any limitation. Regular adventurers and soldiers may be able to fend off the first couple of waves, but as they grow stronger, they will be fighting against the natural limit placed upon us. The heroes however, can grow beyond the level limit of 100, and their weapons allow them to fight in a variety of ways."
"I… I see." Kurose spoke simply, lowering his head, catching a glimpse of the amulet once more.
"If there is nothing else, then I would like to request something from you." Amarita asked him.
"If i can, I'll try." He answered immediately. It was the least he could do after she was so patient with him.
"It is nothing major, I simply wish for you to open your status and list your stats off for me." She explained simply.
Kurose opted to stare at her for a moment before speaking. "Huh?"
"Ah, I understand. You may not understand how to open your status. Allow me to amend that. There should be a symbol in the corner of your vision. If you focus on it, that should open your status."
Kurose followed her instructions, flinching back slightly as his status showed up.
Kurose Amiya
Class: Accessory Hero Lv 1
Equipment: Starter Amulet (Legendary Weapon) Otherworldly Clothes
Skills: None
Magic: None
He let his eyes look through it all before finding his stats and listing them off. Whilst Amarita seemed to think about it for a moment, Kurose thought to himself.
Huh, this is a bit like a game, isn't it? Kurose thought to himself.
"And you said you are level one, correct? Amarita spoke, taking Kurose out of his thoughts
"Yeah, I am. Are…" Kurose hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Are my stats bad for level one?"
Amarita stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. "No! If anything, they are much higher than any other level one I have seen!"
"That's good then, right?" Kurose asked with a small smile.
"It certainly is. Now, I would like to tell you some more information, but I'm afraid our time is rather limited." Amarita explained to him.
"What do you mean by that? Is there other stuff you have to do?" Kurose asked her.
"Yes, sort of. As much as I opposed it, the king has gone ahead and hosted a celebration, for the success of the summoning ritual. I would have preferred for you to get more acquainted with your role and begin to prepare you accordingly, namely having you learn magic and gather you some party members." She spoke with a small frown. "But what's done is done. What we have to get done is get you some formal clothing sorted, as well as explaining some things to you."
"Explaining some things?" Kurose was lost from what Amarita was saying, and she seemed to notice it.
"It's fine. I understand this is all a bit much for you. I'll send a servant to fetch the tailor for your measurements, and we will see if we can resize anything to match you. We can take the time whilst this is happening to teach you some basic information about how to greet the nobles who will no doubt want to meet you."
Kurose simply nodded along, which Amarita seemed happy with.
She stood up from the chair before stepping outside for a moment. Kurose tried his best to hear what was being said, but couldn't hear, likely due to Amarita and whoever she was speaking to being quiet. It took only a couple of minutes for Amarita to speak to whoever was outside before she returned to the chair she previously occupied.
"Alright, the tailor should be getting brought here now. I'm not sure how long it will take exactly, but I can answer a few more questions before he turns up, I believe. I'll leave what questions to answer up to you."
Kurose nodded his head, trying to think of what he should ask. He ran through a list in his mind, ranging from countries, whether or not he could go back to his world, and how exactly he was supposed to fight
After a few moments deliberating, he decided to focus on what he considered the more important question.
"So… What am I actually supposed to do with this?" He asked, gesturing towards the amulet once more. "It's not like I can actually hit something with it, right?"
"Well, the Holy and Lesser weapons are said to grow stronger alongside their wielders. We aren't exactly aware of every single way they work," Amarita spoke softly. "But thanks to information provided by the Dagger hero, we know that they can absorb materials to unlock different weapons and abilities."
Kurose looked at the Amulet for a moment, thinking about it before speaking. "So… I'm just supposed to absorb stuff to grow stronger?" He asked curiously, earning a nod from Amarita.
"Yes. There is also stuff available to the wielders of these weapons, information that is only known to them. I haven't had the time to ask the Dagger hero about this information, and I haven't gotten around to sending a message to the Jewelry tools hero asking for information from him. I'm afraid it has all been quite a bit hectic recently." She explained with a small frown.
"It's fine! I'm sure you have been trying your best. Where would I…" Kurose trailed off, a small smile appearing on his face as he looked at the new menu he had found.
"Accessory Hero?" Amarita asked with a hint of confusion, likely due to the smile that was on his face.
"Ah, sorry. It's just… I found some information that might help." Kurose explained, causing Amarita to sit up straighter.
"You have? Would you mind sharing what you have found with me?" She asked eagerly.
"S-Sure? Well, like you said, the weapons can absorb materials to grow stronger, but it also has something called weapon copy? It allows the user to copy the form of something that resembles it." Kurose explained, earning another nod from Amarita.
"And how would you go about activating this… 'weapon copy' system?" She asked him.
"It says I just need to be holding it, and it should do it automatically." Kurose responded easily.
Amarita looked at him for a moment before nodding her head, and sliding off her bracelet. "Then I would like you to try and do it with this, if you can." She spoke, holding it before him.
"Are you sure?" Kurose asked quickly as he looked at the bracelet, earning a small laugh from Amarita.
"Of course I am. If it would help you grow stronger, then why should I withhold something that could potentially help you?" She spoke politely.
With that, Kurose nodded his head, taking hold of the bracelet that Amarita offered him.
Weapon Copy System Activated
Iron Bracelet Conditions met
"It worked, it says I copied it '' Kurose confirmed a moment later, handing Amaritas Bracelet back to her. He tried to swap to the iron bracelet, but found that he couldn't. With a slight shake of his head, he left it alone, opting to figure it out later.
"That's good then. I suppose I'll be on the lookout for anything that you can copy. Though, this probably works with the Dagger Hero and Jewelry tools hero as well, though, would he even need to copy stuff? He is strong enough as it is…" Amarita trailed off, speaking to herself whilst Kurose waited patiently.
Eventually, Amarita stopped speaking, seeming to realize that he had been speaking to herself. "Ah, my apologies, Accessory Hero. I didn't mean to do that, it's a habit I never really got rid of. But yes, as I said, I will be on the lookout for anything you can copy, and that people are willing to allow you to copy, of course. Was there anything else you wished to ask?"
Kurose closed the help menu, nodding his head. This, to him, was one of the more important questions. Perhaps the most important question if he had to say. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"Is… Is there any way for me to get home?" He asked softly. Amarita simply stared at him for a moment before averting her gaze.
"I… I am uncertain." She explained hesitantly. "There have been heroes who have simply… disappeared from the history books once their jobs were done, but that could be because they were deemed unimportant beyond that point."
"So, there is no way?" He asked once more.
"I'm not saying that. I also can't confirm that there is a way for you to go back home. All I can offer you is assistance in researching it, if you would like it." Amarita spoke quickly.
"...Please." He spoke quietly. "I'll help save your world, as long as you promise you will help me find a way home."
"Of course." Amarita responded quickly. "I'll do my best to find what information i can on this matter, as well as bringing in some other people who may be able to assist. I promise you that i will leave no book unread in my search. On this, you have my word."
Kurose slumped slightly, the tenseness in his shoulders that he hadn't realized was there was now gone. "Thank you…" He spoke with a small, nervous smile back on his face.
Amarita opened her mouth once more to speak, but was cut off by the sound of someone knocking on the door.
"Ah, I presume that is the tailor, here to take your measurements."
She stood up from her seat, turning around before pausing. "Whilst the tailor is doing his work, I will be giving you a quick guide on how to interact with people of higher or lower status than yourself. Please do keep it all in mind, it will be absolutely needed for the feast."
Kurose gulped, but didn't say anything, which seemed to please Amarita, who moved to the door, opening it and letting the tailor in.
The tailor got to work almost immediately, pulling Kurose up from his seat and beginning to take his measurements. Whilst that was happening, Amarita began to speak.
.
Kurose let out a nervous sigh as he tugged on the shirt he wore. The clothes he had been summoned in had been left in his room on his insistence, mainly because he didn't want to run the risk of losing the couple of pieces of clothing that connected him to his home.
"Stop that, Accessory Hero." Amarita spoke quickly, straightening the shirt he had been forced into. "You will be fine, believe in yourself. You remember what I told you, yes?"
"I do. The nobles are supposed to be greeting me first, right?" He asked hesitantly.
"That is correct. They are greeting you first because you are of higher status than them, even if they do not want to admit it. The only one who you greet first is the king and the prince." She reminded him.
Kurose nodded along with that. It was simple enough to understand. He just hoped he would survive through it.
Amarita, seeming to realize Kurose was stressed out, reached out a hand, putting it on his shoulder. "Accessory Hero. It will be alright. If things do end up becoming too much for you, you can always step outside for a time. There are plenty of balconies around, and no one will be paying attention after their initial greetings. They will likely be discussing other things. I can only imagine you being the highlight for the beginning, as they all try to influence you in some way."
"Why would they try to influence me?" Kurose asked her with a frown.
"Well, it's because you are a Hero." Amarita spoke simply, as if that explained everything.
It didn't, and it seemed as if Kurose's confusion was clear on his face, as Amarita continued after a simple look at him. "If they can influence you in any way, whether that be something as small as getting a promise out of you to visit their land, or managing to get you to marry into their house, then they will have the political backing of a hero to push for what they want."
"So, I'm just being thrown head first into all of this?" Kurose spoke blandly, getting a nod from Amarita.
"I suppose you are. As I said before, I did push against this, but no one listens to a servant." She let out a sigh at that, shaking her head. "Regardless. I should be nearby if you desperately need me, though I will be moving between you and the Dagger hero."
Kurose nodded his head at that, taking a deep breath. "I… I think I'm ready."
Amarita looked at him for a moment before accepting it. She flashed him a small smile. "Then let us enter. I hope you enjoy this as much as you can, Accessory Hero."
With that said, Amarita moved forward and opened the door.
Woo, Chapter 2 done. It felt like a whole lot of just talking, mainly because it was. Things should start picking up soon once I'm done with chapter 3, Going to try and include some stuff at the end of chapters that is mainly relevant to both stuff in the story and the world at large.
[Accessory World Info]
As seen by Kurose's short time on the balcony, and his initial introduction to Amarita, the country of Ortensca has plenty of gems available, whether that be used in decorating or attaching them to clothes.
This is mainly due to the gem mines, found in the southernmost part of Ortensca. Over a period of time, the gems will grow, consuming and converting any material that is attached to the main node into gemstones. There are various nodes found in the mines, with each of them having been excavated and cleared out.
They mainly use monster corpses gathered from the surrounding areas, allowing them to become crystallized before separating them from the nodes.
Some have claimed to see the nodes pulsing on occasion, seeming almost alive, but they are usually brushed off as having worked for longer than they should have.