Looking at the kneeling army in front of me, my brain froze for a solid minute. It was true that I stood before people waiting for orders but no soldier kneeled in front of me and called me “Majesty”. They also exposed the fact that I was the Champion of Aliera in front of B?rü. I looked at him to see his reaction and he was watching me with a solemn expression on his face.


    “They are waiting for you to allow them to speak.”


    He whispered. Oh, that’s right. I was so caught up with the fact that Aliera literally sent an army that I forgot to give them permission.


    “You can stand up. I am not a king. I am a warrior, just like you.”


    As I spoke, the soldiers rose from their kneeling positions, though their expressions remained respectful and attentive. It was clear that they were disciplined and accustomed to following orders without question, but my declaration seemed to put them at ease. Commander Artemeni nodded in acknowledgment of my words, her gaze unwavering as she addressed me once more.


    "Your humility is commendable, Champion. However, as the chosen representative of Aliera, you hold a position of authority and respect among our ranks. We stand ready to follow your lead and assist you in any way we can."


    Several lightly armored warriors came forward. I noticed that their garments looked similar to what a nun would wear except made more practical for war. A blonde one with fancier clothing came to my side, her hand shining with a warm hue.


    “Excuse me, your majesty. Please sit down, your wounds are great. I am Thalia Sunshard, one of the head priestesses of Aliera.”


    Her voice was as soothing and warm as the hue she cast upon me. Yet, as the warm hue washed over me I winced with pain as the burns around my body healed. I tried to wave my hand and tell them to first take care of Arslan but several of them were already taking care of him.


    “Hmm. Your healing capabilities have nearly reached their limit. You must been fighting since the gates appeared. Healing won’t be able to help you too much, your majesty. Allow us to remove your armor. We have to take care of your wounds old fashioned way.”


    I demanifested my armor, surprising some of the priestesses trying to help me. Most of it the chestplate and right shoulder pad was melted after Bloodbane hit me when I was shadowifed. The skin under was… A little overcooked to say the least. Thalia’s eyes bulged as she examined my wounds. Guess it looked even worse from that angle.


    “Aren’t you in pain, your majesty?”


    Despite the severity of my wounds, I tried to muster a reassuring smile, though the pain still lingered beneath the surface.


    “I’ll complain about it when this battle ends.”


    Thalia nodded, though her expression remained troubled.


    "Your resilience is admirable, Your Majesty. But even the strongest warriors need time to rest and heal. I strongly recommend drinking a sedative and resting after we clean and patch your wounds.”


    I shook my head.


    “I can’t do that. Not when there are demons roaming the str- Argh.”


    Even though the hands of the priestess cleaning my wounds were gentle, even the lightest breeze brought me pain.


    “We have a lot to talk about, Your Majesty. However, seeing the situation here we’ll have to postpone it for the time being. What are your orders to deal with this demon invasion?”


    Artemeni asked, causing me to pause. She was asking me? I was of course thankful but…


    Did I have the right to ask these people to fight for me? To die for my orders? Ever since coming to this world, I avoided taking a role of leadership best to my abilities. Of course, I had to in several situations but it was just the heat of the moment thing.


    But did I have the choice?


    No, I didn’t.


    “Please save the defenseless.”


    I bowed my head down. Raising my head, I met the determined gazes of Commander Artemeni, Head Priestess Thalia, and the assembled warriors of Aliera. They looked to me for guidance, for direction, and I couldn''t let them down. I straightened my back, ignoring the pain.


    "Commander Artemeni, Head Priestess Thalia, esteemed warriors of Aliera," I began, calling upon my years of military experience.


    “Demons are here. They are here for innocent souls. They are here to step on the weak and cause suffering. They will kill, rape, and destroy and return to the hell hole they come from before repeating it all over again.”


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    I took a deep breath.


    “I can’t ask you to fight for me. You don’t know me. But please, help me to stop the suffering from happening again and again.”


    Commander Artemeni was first to react by stomping her right foot to the ground.


    “We hear and obey!”


    Others followed her, shaking the ground.


    “For Aliera!”


    “For glory!”


    Their roars filled the Whifur. Artemeni quickly took the charge and moved most of the troops. As I watched them spread out, another warrior wearing glasses came to my side.


    “Hello, esteemed champion. This humble one in front of you is Aurora Skyweaver, an archmage. I am here to ask you to permission for taking ca- Hmm?”


    She suddenly turned around, stopping her very humble monologue.


    “Interesting. I was about to ask for permission to close these gates but they are closing on their own. Hmm. This is not natural.”


    It felt like she was talking to herself rather than addressing me.


    “Archmage Aurora! You are in the presence of Aliera’s Champion! Show proper respect!”


    Thalia scolded her with a harsh tone I hadn’t expected from her. I waved my hand.


    “It is okay. I knew another mage who behaves the same when she finds something interesting. But can you explain why it is unnatural?”


    Aurora smirked at Thalia. For a second I was sure I saw sparks between them. Oh, so they didn’t get along? Noted.


    Aurora nodded, fixing her glasses as she began to explain.


    "As a mage of considerable experience and knowledge, I have studied the branch of spatial manipulation and dimensionism. This type of gate work can only be maintained with a large and very complicated spell formation and immense amounts of mana. To close one gate one needs to either destroy or deactivate the formation or allow it to run out of energy. However, this was different.”


    God, why is everything I have been through has to be unusual? Why can’t it be normal for a second?


    “How it is different?”


    Aurora tapped her lip with her index finger as she furrowed her brow.


    “Hmm. How much do you know about magic?”


    “Not much.”


    I admitted.


    “Hmm. Then you won’t be able to understand anything I say. However, if you are interested in learning about magic, I can personally help. I never had a male student but I am sure I can teach- Aww!”


    Aurora tried to hand me some kind of business card but Thalia slapped it out of her hand. Aurora held her hand.


    “What was that you violent woman? Do you know how expensive one of my cards is? Also, shouldn’t priestess be more peaceful?”


    Thalia grabbed me and sat me down to a makeshift bed. I was surprised at how easily she picked me up but the bed was comfy. While the tension between them made me feel awkward, I knew better than getting between two females.


    “I am a priestess of Aliera, Goddess of War. Fighting is one of our tenets. And I won’t let you manipulate our Champion. If he wants to acquire a skill our queen will pick the best teacher possible after we get to our home.”


    Manipulate.


    God, was I going to have to deal with politics once again? Please no. I would rather fight Bloodbane for a thousand times than suffering like that.


    "I appreciate the offer, Aurora," I began, offering her a grateful smile.


    “However for the time being I need you to use your vast knowledge to defend the weak and slay the evil.”


    Aurora nodded in understanding, though a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.


    “I hear and obey.”


    She took off, followed by several more lightly armored mages just like her. Soon, healers were able to finish patching me up. I felt like a mummy with how much of my body was bandaged. I traced the surroundings to see if someone else would come to introduce herself but the only thing I saw was the barrier set up by the priestesses.


    “Can I ask something?”


    I still didn’t know who or why they were there.


    “Of course, your majesty.”


    Thalia’s blue eyes looked at me with adoration. It both made me feel good and weird at the same time.


    “You can call me Poyraz. I am glad for your help but why are you here exactly?”


    The priestess regarded me with a gentle smile, the opposite of how she looked at Aurora, her eyes reflecting a sense of reverence and respect.


    “I can’t dare to call the Champion chosen by our Goddess by his name. For why we are here…”


    She paused and took a deep breath as if she was gathering her strength to answer me.


    “Our Goddess prophesied that a great evil is coming. She instructed us to find her champion and bring him to Quipax. We will grant you a crown and you will unite the Amazons to fight against the evil.”


    I listened to her words with raised eyebrows. Damn it, Aliera. You could have told me you had this kind of plan in mind.


    “Amazons. All female warriors. Like my predecessor Valeria Battleheart?”


    She nodded.


    “She is the founder of our country. The monster butcher who wielded her sword to create a place for women all around the world to live without oppression.”


    I touched the bridge of my nose and sighed.


    “Isn’t your country mostly female?”


    I asked. Thalia nodded.


    “Yes. The majority of Quipax is female.”


    I sighed once again.


    “What about the ruling class? Is it all female?”


    Thalia’s eyes widened as she understood what I was getting to.


    "It is true that our society has long been governed by the principle of female empowerment and autonomy," she acknowledged. "But you are not just any man, Poyraz. You are the chosen champion of Aliera, a living embodiment of her divine will. Your presence among us is a testament to the goddess''s wisdom and foresight."


    I shook my head and sighed. She as a priestess had faith but I doubted that nobles and those with established power would be like her.


    It wasn’t like I wanted to be king or nobility but now most of the ruling class will dislike me from day one since they will see me as an usurper. Damn gods and their inconsiderate assess. How I am supposed to unite Amazons as a man? I was glad that Lily wasn’t here or he would already be making jokes about how I should crossdress.


    Speaking of him, I hoped that he was fine. I shadow-walked close to the safe zone and arrived as quickly as possible, leaving others behind. Elandris and Methild did join me in the safe zone and were there when I left to fight Bloodbane but Lily wasn’t there.


    “Woof.”


    G?kb?rü exited out of my shadow and nuzzled me. I patted his fur.


    “You are tired too, buddy?”


    “Woof.”


    “I guess we can take a short rest.”


    I felt my body slump as the exhaustion started to settle in. My eyelids became heavier and heavier.


    “Poyraz… Morrigan… Out… Control… Demonic…”


    A voice filled with static filled my brain. Even though it was hard to understand I knew that it was Ama. I knew that sending telepathic messages like this was hard or even impossible to send without an anchor which made me believe that Amaterasu was desperate enough to try. At the same time, I felt immense amounts of demonic energy coming from the safe zone.


    “I fucking jinxed it.”