Episode 1: Rejection.

Impossible… Impossible! Check it again, properly this time! There’s no way I wasn’t chosen as the ‘Hero’! No, forget Hero—I’m not even a ‘Class Holder’… Rejected, a ‘Commoner’!?

In a world locked in a long-standing struggle to protect its territories from the invasion of demons emerging from the Demon Realm, many humans threw themselves onto the battlefield. Those with power were revered, and countless heroes were born.

For humanity, there was more than one path to gaining such power and becoming a hero.

Those with physical strength became ‘Warriors.

Those with magical talent became ‘Mages.

Those with aptitude for both became ‘Magic Warriors.

Warriors, Mages—there were many such paths, collectively known as ‘Class Holders.’ At first, no one knew which class they belonged to.

And among these numerous classes, there was one class reserved solely for those chosen by the gods, those with exceptional talent.

That was the one and only supreme class, hailed as the pinnacle of all human classes.

That was the class known as the ‘Hero’.

On the other hand, there were also many who were judged as ‘Rejected,’ lacking the talent or qualifications to belong to any class. These individuals were forced to walk the path of a ‘Commoner.’

The ‘Selection Ceremony’ that determined these fates was conducted under the supervision of the ‘Saintesses,’ dispatched from the ‘Eternal Neutral Holy City.’ This city remained unaffiliated with any human nation, sometimes mediating between countries or acting as a witness. The ceremony was held once a year, a once-in-a-lifetime event for humans over the age of 15, and its results were absolute, registered across the entire world.

The outcome of this selection is absolute, registered across the entire world.

I’m the strongest at the Imperial Magic Knight Academy! My magic, my combat skills—sure, my brains might be a bit lacking, but I dominated this year’s Imperial Magic Sword Tournament with overwhelming strength! I even beat active elite knights of the Empire! So why wasn’t I chosen as the Hero!? Forget that—why was I rejected for Warrior, Mage, Magic Warrior, and every other class!? My conduct’s clean! I’ve lived an ascetic life, steering clear of anything lewd! On top of that, I’ve built up goodwill by volunteering for cleanup and helping out on my days off—!

In a sense, this ceremony determined the entire course of one’s life. As such, there were always those who rejoiced at the results, those who despaired, and those who raised their voices in protest.

“I don’t know your past achievements. Therefore, I speak without prejudice, stating only the facts,” the Saintess declared.

The Selection Ceremony held today took place in the grand cathedral located in the imperial capital of the Great Empire, the continent’s hegemon. Four ceremonial halls were set up in the east, west, south, and north, where four Saintesses dispatched from the Holy City conducted the selection of the youths who would shape the future, one by one.

An incident occurred in one of these ceremonial halls.

The ‘Magic Mirror’ used in this Selection Ceremony discerns not only the visible abilities but also the latent potential of the individual. And you—far from being a Hero—have been deemed unqualified for any class. You are Rejected, a ‘Commoner.’ That is the entirety of the result.

Her long, silvery-white hair gleamed. Clad in pure white holy garments, she possessed a pristine beauty that captivated men and women, young and old alike. Yet her face was expressionless, like a doll devoid of emotion, as she spoke matter-of-factly.

Leaning forward, the youth—hailed as a prodigy, whose future was anticipated by everyone in the Empire, including royalty and nobility—lashed out at the Saintess, refusing to accept her judgement.

“Hey, this is big! In the northern ceremonial hall, they’re saying Damon got a Rejection verdict!”

“What!? Damon, Rejected? Not even a Class Holder, let alone a Hero!?”

“No way, that’s impossible! We’re talking about Damon here!”

“In terms of combat ability, he’s unmatched—not just at the academy but even against our Knight Order! Damon, the one guaranteed to be a Class Holder, Rejected? A Commoner?”

“B-But if the Magic Mirror didn’t react at all during the Saintess’s selection, then…”

Even the imperial knights, present to guard the Saintess and witness the ceremony, were thrown into an uproar.

That’s how monumental it was—the youth known as the prodigy, Damon Gokua, failing to become a Hero, let alone a Class Holder. It was an incident significant enough to shake the entire nation.

“This is nonsense! Even if I somehow didn’t qualify for Hero, there’s no way I’m not a Class Holder! I’ve never lost to a Class Holder! If that’s not it, then you, Saintess, screwed up! Or maybe the mirror’s broken! Do it right, look properly, you fraud of a Saintess!”

Damon, brimming with confidence and even arrogance, believing no one could surpass him, couldn’t hold back. He grabbed the Saintess.

His shining golden hair, his lean yet tempered body with innate athleticism, and the unparalleled magical power within him—since childhood, he had been called a ‘prodigy.’ Everyone saw him as the ‘top candidate for Hero,’ a ‘guaranteed Class Holder.’ Such was his talent.

And yet, a Commoner—a verdict no one could have predicted.

It was only natural for Damon to protest. He roughly seized the Saintess’s sacred white garments, berating her with such ferocity that it seemed he might strike her.

“Wait, Damon! What are you doing to the Saintess!?”

“Wait, Damon! What are you doing to the Saintess!?”

No matter how unjust, this was too far. Ten knights from the imperial capital, present at the ceremony, rushed to restrain Damon.

“It’s a lie, a lie, a lie, a lie! There’s no way I’m Rejected! I’m the man destined to be a Hero! I’m supposed to take to the battlefield, become a great hero, and carve my name into history! It’s a lie, a lie, a lie!”

Even pinned to the floor, Damon continued to shout.

But the Saintess, unmoved, responded…

“You lack both the capacity and the talent. Accept it and live a quiet, ordinary life as a mere Commoner.”

“!?”

In that moment, Damon’s rage reached its peak.