I Was a Loner, but My Class Got Summoned to Another World…

The previous day's ball game had helped the two sides grow a little closer. Now, only one test remained, facing a real battle together.

Roland already had the next campaign planned.

They would march tomorrow at noon, pressing deeper into enemy-held territory and targeting areas where humans were rumored to be kept captive. With any luck, one of those camps might hold Stella's brother or at least a clue to his fate.

He had thought today would begin like any other.

Waking early, Roland kissed Stella, who now stayed with him in his newly assigned room within the fort. He slid from bed and began dressing.

"You'll be late, my dear," Roland murmured, trying to wake the girl who was still lying under the thin sheet. "Just because your father gave us permission to be together, it doesn't mean you should sleep in till noon."

It wasn't even seven yet.

Roland chuckled. He'd long grown used to waking early. Without electricity, staying up late wasted precious candle supplies they could never afford to burn through. And using magic to light the room?

That was something Elios disapproved of. To waste light mana for comfort was considered a sin under his creed of discipline.

Of course, there were other things to do at night. Plenty that didn't require illumination. But even after such nights, Roland never overslept, especially not when battle awaited the next day.

That morning, however, brought something unexpected.

A knock came at his door. He assumed it was Halter and moved quickly to throw on the rest of his gear until a woman's voice rang out.

"Hero. I need a word with you. I don't mind if the princess hears, so let's speak."

Roland tilted his head, trying to place the voice on a face. Then he remembered: Unagi the oracle.

Of course. If anyone could sense the currents of fate, it would be her.

She might even know where he needed to go next to recover his powers.

He opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. Stella had already sat up, her silver hair slightly mussed as she adjusted her dress as fast as she could.

Unagi, the elder priestess, entered without ceremony, eyes calm and knowing.

"We must talk," she said, her tone filled with some anxiety, as if the prophecy vision was still playing through her mind.

"What is it, Oracle? Sorry for making you wait."

Roland pulled out a chair for her, then sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I came after receiving a vision," Unagi said as she settled into the seat. "Your next meeting with a Great Spirit lies westward. The great Land Spirit and Ferra, one of the Guardians, reside near the Nomad villages. They've managed to hold the demons at bay with the help of that powerful Guardian and a newly awakened one. If you aid them, there's a strong chance you'll recover the Land Domain's blessing… before the demons overrun that territory."

Roland nodded. He had been hoping for this. Of all the elemental spirits, the Land Spirit was perhaps the most versatile when it came to both offense and defense.

With its aid, he could summon stone pillars for cover, shape weapons from surrounding minerals, and, his personal favorite, create golems using refined crystals as cores.

That last ability was the real prize.

With golems, he could produce endless support on the battlefield without taxing his own forces.

"When do you see this happening, Oracle?" he asked. "As you know, I've yet to fulfill my promise to the Great Light Spirit and fully cleanse this region."

Unagi gave a soft nod, her expression measured.

"There is still time. If you continue at your current pace, liberating the human camp,s you'll finish this mission within two weeks. Don't worry, child. However…"

She paused, the lines around her eyes tightening.

"There is a shadow in your path. I saw something I can't fully explain, a moment of choice. A difficult one. If you choose correctly, you'll be free to go west immediately. If not… the circumstances will bind you here for another month."

Roland frowned. "And what kind of choice is it?"

"I cannot say," she replied. "To speak it aloud might change the shape of the outcome. Just know this: one path brings delay, the other, another type of danger. Either way, you will head west. But how you reach that point and who follows you will depend on your decisions."

Roland clenched his jaw slightly. He hated vague warnings, but he also understood. If she told him too much, he might act unnaturally and twist the prophecy itself.

He looked to Stella, who sat quietly beside him, her eyes fixed on Unagi. She had known the oracle far longer. Perhaps she would understand better than he did.

"Don't worry," Stella said softly. "I know you'll make the right choice, Roland… Just don't change who you are. Keep being the hero we all see you as."

Roland smiled faintly and stood, fastening the last straps of his armor.

The Oracle, meanwhile, remained seated for a moment longer. She exchanged a few quiet words with Stella, then leaned in and whispered something into her ear before silently rising and leaving the room.

Roland tilted his head, curious. Stella stood frozen in place, her expression unreadable.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Ah, nothing, Roland. Just… girl problems. Don't worry about it," she replied with a fake smile.

Roland didn't buy it, but he didn't push. It was exasperating, but he had grown used to the vague answers of prophets and princesses alike.

He finished preparing and left the room, heading down to grab breakfast.

One of the perks of retaking a fort was having an actual kitchen. Food had started improving, especially with the rediscovery of livestock. It was slow progress, but signs of real, human life were returning.

They were building something again.

And today, he would make sure even more people felt that same peace.

Two hours later, they were back on the battlefield.

This time, the demons were better prepared. They had gathered overwhelming numbers and hoped to win through brute force.

Roland didn't give them that chance.

He deployed only the human soldiers at first, hiding the half-demons in reserve. The battle was staged in a dry, barren region filled with jagged hills and uneven terrain, perfect for masking movement.

The enemy didn't expect the ambush.

The demons crested the main hill expecting resistance, only to find themselves flanked.

From behind, the half-demons surged forward, tails, horns, wings, and all. Their sudden appearance threw the enemy into disarray. At first, the demons mistook them for reinforcements.

But confusion turned to panic the moment the half-demons began casting spells.

They weren't just shocked by their presence but by the fact that these so-called "traitors" wielded magic, and wielded it well.

Caught in a pincer attack, the enemy force collapsed.

Roland stood atop the central ridge, overseeing the battle. His orders had been followed flawlessly. Their side had suffered minimal casualties, and the gains were significant.

He turned toward Stella, who stood beside him, her gaze distant as she scanned the horizon.

He gently reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry. We'll find your brother soon, Stella," he said, voice steady. "I'll clear these lands even faster from now on. What do you say, let's go talk to the prisoners. Maybe someone saw something."

Her eyes wavered for a few seconds. Then she nodded.

Roland had a gnawing feeling that something was about to happen, but he pushed the thought aside and focused on the task at hand. The inspection began, cage by cage, as he moved through the demon encampment.

Many of the prisoners showed early signs of turning into vampires. Those, he had to put down each time with a rising anger that burned in his chest.

Others were simply emaciated, far too weak to walk. They would need several days of food, rest, and healing magic to recover.

Still, they had saved hundreds of humans again today. That was something.

Stella, however, seemed more frantic than usual. She personally checked each captive, asking for names, always searching for her brother.

Roland suspected the Oracle's words had triggered something in her. No matter how well she tried to hide it, he could see it in her eyes.

"No luck, Stella," he said quietly. "There were no signs not yet, at least. But the next camp might be different. We're heading toward a vampire stronghold… it'll be more dangerous. Just promise me, don't inspect every prisoner personally. Let the others handle it."

Stella didn't answer immediately. She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she nodded.

"I will… don't worry," she said softly. "Now help me heal them, so we can move on."

She wiped away a tear and hurried back to her duties, pushing through her emotions.

Roland continued to work on the wounded, checking their vitals and inspecting for hidden threats. He was thorough, making sure none of the prisoners were vampires in disguise or demon spies. He couldn't take any chances, not with the growing population at the fortress.

Once the inspection was complete, he assigned twenty escorts to guide the newly freed captives back to safety. Only then did he turn his eyes toward the horizon.

The ruins of a nearby city waited just beyond the hills.