My mind was still screaming in pain, but my body had long since regained its normal state. I noticed this once I opened my eyes and looked down onto my non-crushed, non-meat-paste body that was standing at the center of an unknown hall.

My disbelieve was overtaken by excitement as I realized that I was observed by crowds of european-looking people dressed as knights and nobels. It was truly the way the novels portrayed it, this unrealistic, idealistic view of feudal Europe and its period of kings and knights.

I had somehow truly reached another world by jumping in front of a truck.

Though now I couldn’t help but wonder how many world travelers there are if every single person that get’s runover by a truck will be reincarnated into this world or another world like this.

My excitement rose as I briefly observed the noblemen and noblewomen that were nervously observing me while I showed no sign of any reaction. In truth I was doing my uttermost to suppress the laughter of delight that was rising up inside of me.

Finally, it must have been after a few minutes of just standing around at the center of the vast hall, I turned my head towards the front where the king and his two daughters were sitting on their respective thrones. A tiny grin appeared on my lips as I saw the first princess, a beautiful girl in her late teens.

She was the very stereotype of a princess in an isekai novel. Beautiful and seeming somewhat naïve. Only her figure couldn’t keep up with the overexaggerated boob-monsters that were popular in mange and anime.

My grin quickly vanished as I laid eyes on the second princess. Eyes widening and a visible amount of disgust on my face I couldn’t help but quickly avert me gaze.

“My condolences.”, I suddenly said to the king, a wise old man with white hair and a voluminous beard, my eyes surveying the surrounding people and their reactions.

The elderly man’s originally magnanimous and almost saint-like expression stifled as he heard this unexpected and rude first words of their supposed hero. The nobles began to whisper excitedly while the second princess’ ugly face turned even more ugly.

It was obvious that she had to restrain herself from pouncing on me right there.

Only the first princess remained calm, her pretty eyes focused on me.

“Dear king.”, I spoke before the court could calm down again. The plan I had set up before coming here required me to strike the iron while it was hot.

“I assume you are the one responsible for summoning me into this rather strange world? Wouldn’t it be more convenient for both of us if you just explained the situation instead of waiting for a reaction of mine?”, my tone was very respectful, but contained a slight haughtiness.

The kings sharp and slightly angered eyes fell on me and for a moment the entire hall remained silent. Then he harrumphed.

“You are right, Hero from another world. I shall now explain everything to you.

We have summoned you to this world in order to defend us from the threat advancing from the north- a violent race of demons that intends to conquer these lands and turn our human race into mere slaves under their tyrannous rule.

In order to counter this enormous threat, the kingdoms of the humans have decided to each summon heroes that shall lead our troops in defense against the wicked enemies from the north!

You, oh esteemed hero, are the man that our kingdom of Haelia has summoned to our defense, tasked to save our people from the impeding doom that is the demon race.

Of course, every hero that is summoned through the holy rituals will receive a divine ability granted by the almighty gods that protect our human realm. We shall find out what this ability is once the hero is rested.

Now, hero, do you have any other questions?”, his imposing voice rang through the hall and created an imposing atmosphere befitting of a king. At least I was lucky enough to encounter a competent royal house instead of some useless idiots that would create more trouble than do good.

The information accumulated in this single short monologue already gave me a lot of vital information about this world and the relationships between its inhabitants. Furthermore, it seemed like I would receive some sort of overpowered ability that would help me to fight this “wicked demons” in the north.

I smiled gratefully and made a small bow.

“Only one that has to be answered immediately.”, as I replied my eyes flashed and I suppressed the nervousness I felt. On the surface I was calm and unfazed, but in truth I had been panicking all the time since I had arrived in this world.

“Please ask.”, instead of the king it was the beautiful princess who spoke. A faint glimmer of anticipation shone in her eyes and I somehow had the uncomfortable feeling that she was somehow expecting what I was about to ask. I immediately had to reevaluate this harmless looking princess. Compared to her father, she was the one with the sharper mind and the one who was far more dangerous to deal with.

I suppressed another wave of fear and steeled myself to ask the question. Even if it was a little dangerous, I had to accurately grasp my situation.

“I wonder… what exactly is my payment for helping you? Of course, you wouldn’t expect me, who was summoned to another world, to help you and your helpless people just because you told me to, right?”

The king’s expression and the faces of the nobles and knights fell. Even the second princess looked like she had swallowed a fly.

I chuckled exaggeratedly.

“Oh come on, a mighty kingdom like yours must have something that you can offer to your savior.”, I chose my words to be as provoking as possible without being downright hostile.

“Y-YOU…!”, the king had finally become truly livid, his face turning red as he was struggling to keep himself under control. The same could be said for the rest of the court that had been incensed by my provocation.

“What do you want?”, once again it was the first princess that remained calm and asked me with a faint shine of recognition in her eyes. I was right, she had understood what I intended with my words.

“Do you want riches? Land? A title? Whatever you want, as long as this kingdom can provide it you can have it.”, as she spoke the other nobles and the king began to calm down. These were all things that a hero would have received anyway once he began his activities. It was just that my deliberately belittling phrasing had incensed them regardless of the content of my words.

Once again, I pretended to be amused by her words.

“Aren’t those things that I as a hero will receive anyway? I am asking for something more… special.”

Of course, this served to ignite the crowd again.

“You are going too far!”, the king suddenly said, and his domineering voice almost made me cover in fear. Despite that, I remained composed on the surface.

“Father, you shouldn’t be angry. The hero is just testing the waters.”, as expected the princess had long since understood my intention. As a person who had just been transported to another world and was now facing a foreign power, I was doing nothing more than trying to find out just how important I was to these people and how far I could go without any sort of retribution.

There were too many stories in fiction and history that had a bad ending because of a lack of awareness for the situation. I didn’t want to end up as a fool who overestimated his worth and was killed as a nuisance. Even though angering these people right of the bat was a little dangerous, I had judged that it was safer to invoke their ire now and back down then, rather than waiting and risking losing my immediate worth that kept me safe.

The king as a rather wise person also understood this logic and restrained his anger. The look in his eyes and he gazed at me had also become more respectful. While my actions had angered him, they also showed that I was rather competent.

The beautiful princess turned away from her father and once again face me.

“Well then, oh hero from another world. I can offer you myself as a down payment.”, her words shocked not only her father and sister next to her but also myself as I had a hard time to control myself. A wry smile forced itself onto my astonished face.

“This is not very fair princess, I was just testing you myself, but now you are testing me…”, my voice slightly cracked as my virgin self didn’t know how to deal with the temptations and fantasies that sprung out of my mind. The princess’ beauty only worsened that effect.

“Can I take this as you proposing to me? I’m not exactly eager to marry yet, even if your beauty does entice me.”, the situation had suddenly turned quite messy as I had to control my own desires, unable to decline without losing my advantage.

She smiled gently, and I could tell that she had reached her goal.

“Oh, whether you want to marry me, keep me as your consort or make me your slave is up to your decision.”, despite her outrageous words her voice remained calm and only a faint and most likely deliberate blush appeared on her cheeks.

Fuck, this woman is even more dangerous than I thought!

With my face slightly twitching and the smile fading from my lips I bowed again.

“Then I will have to accept your generous offer.”, there was really nothing else I could do in this situation. Not to mention that I wasn’t really interested in any alternative outcome…

The king and the officials looked like they had something to say about this matter and I was sure that it was nothing positive, but before they had any chance to do so the princess had already jumped down from her throne and with playful steps appeared by my side. Taking my arm, she turned around to face her father.

“I am going to lead the hero to his accommodations. Also, as I am his payment, I will accompany him from now on. Father can use my current chamber as he wishes.”, with that she gently dragged me out of the hall.

What remained was a flabbergast king and a royal court that was engulfed by an uproar.