Cast Out by the Kingdom, I Raised Legends

Cast out as worthless, you find power in the forgotten. Forge the bonds that turn outcasts into world-shaking legends

Plot

THE DISCARDEDHERO'S PATH Valdenmoor · Kingdom of Eryndal I  ·  The Discarded Hero Summoned to the world of Aethoria as one of four heroes, your unique skill, “Convergence,” was deemed worthless by the royal court. While your former classmates were celebrated, you were cast out into the grimy lower districts of the capital city, Valdenmoor, armed with little more than a handful of silver and the court's indifference. Unknown and underestimated, you are now free to forge your own path. II  ·  Forge Your Legend Your goal is to survive, grow strong, and build a life in a world that threw you away. The prophesied Demon Waves are coming, regardless of palace politics. Will you seek revenge against the Kingdom of Eryndal? Become a savior for the oppressed beastkin? Or stand as the world's last true defense against the Demon King's army? Your legend is yours to write. III  ·  Hidden Potential The Power of Bonds Your “useless” skill is the key to true power. By forming genuine bonds of trust with others, you unlock a portion of their innate strength, and gain powerful skills for yourself. As your bond deepens, you can awaken a companion's hidden potential, helping them unlock a powerful Class of their own and grow to rival even the chosen Heroes. Power, in this world, is not given—it is shared. IV  ·  A Harsh World The Demon Waves An ever-growing existential threat from the blighted north, marching south to consume the world. The Kingdom of Eryndal The vain king and his cruel daughter who cast you out. They don't want you dead; they just want you to stay forgotten. Becoming notable will turn their indifference into cold, calculated suppression. The Underbelly A world of casual prejudice, where slavers operate with impunity and your beastkin companions are seen as less than people. Protecting them will mark you as an outsider. V  ·  Key Allies  ·  The Founding Companions Elsie Foxkin A cautious survivor of slavery, her trust is hard-won but unshakable. Lily Rabbitkin A quietly defiant potion-maker, indentured but looking for a reason to fight back. Tilly Mousekin An anxious but fiercely loyal heart, her hypervigilance keeps everyone safe. Clara Human A charming and deceptive thief, her loyalty is the one thing she doesn't hide. Power Is Not Given  —  It Is Shared

Opening scene

It's early. The campus is just starting to fill. Footsteps echo on the pavement somewhere behind you, the distant sound of someone's music bleeding through earbuds. You have a lecture in ten minutes you were probably going to be late for anyway. You go to open a door and then suddenly its gone, and you've feel like you've been sucked through a mail tube disoriented and unaware. When you come to you are standing in a marble circle. Around the edges of the circle stand robed figures. Most of them were older, clutching leather-bound books and instruments you don't have words for. So are three other people you recognize from college who seem equally disoriented - Ren, Sara, and Mia. You had gotten to know them a little bit over the past few weeks. The room is enormous with vaulted ceilings, tall narrow windows letting in grey morning light, rows of stone pillars draped in burgundy cloth. At the far end, elevated on a dais, a man in ornate armor and a crown sits watching you with the careful expression of someone who has invested a great deal and is waiting to see if it paid off. Beside him, a young woman in layered silk examines her nails with the particular disinterest of someone who clearly felt like she was the most important in the room. Out of nowhere a display briefly pops up in front of you as though a crisp digital screen had turned on. [SYSTEM INITIALIZING...] [HERO CLASS DETECTED — SUMMONING ORIGIN CONFIRMED] [SCANNING FOR UNIQUE SKILL...] [SKILL IDENTIFIED: CONVERGENCE — SUPPORT / PASSIVE / SOCIAL] [INTERFACE ACTIVE. THIS DISPLAY IS VISIBLE TO YOU ALONE.] [TO RE-OPEN SAY "SHOW STATUS"] Once it finishes initializing it fades again. The king rises from his throne. He is not a tall man but he carries himself like one — the particular posture of someone who has spent a lifetime being listened to. When he speaks, the room goes immediately quiet. "You have been brought to Aethoria by the will of the empire and the power of the old rite," he says. His voice is measured, practiced, the voice of a man who has given speeches before and knows how they should sound. "The northern lands are dying. The Demon Waves grow closer with each passing season, and the kingdoms of men require champions capable of standing against them." He pauses, letting that settle. "You are those champions. You will be given quarters, resources, and stipends befitting your station. You will want for nothing. In return, Eryndal asks that you lend your strength to the defence of this world." A slight incline of his head — not quite a bow, but something adjacent to one. "You have our gratitude. And our full support." He settles back into his seat, satisfied, and nods to the robed figures at the edge of the circle. "Let us see what we are working with." One of the Readers steps forward and raises an instrument toward Ren to your left. A soft chime. A glow. The Reader consults their book and their eyes go wide before they smooth their expression back into professionalism. "Blade Ascendant," they announce, voice carrying easily to the throne. "Blade Knight Class. Offensive. Passive. Combat amplification with all sword-based engagement. Growth potential—" they pause, recalculate, "—exceptional." The room fills with excited whispers at the prospect of such a powerful hero. The reader then continues on down the line to Sara next. "Arcane Surge. Spellweaver Class. Magical amplification and accelerated arcane learning. The subject could exceed a decade of study within months." Then finally Mia. "Unbreakable. Guardian Class. Defensive passive with party aura. Significant damage reduction." Then the Reader steps in front of you. The instrument chimes. The glow is fine. Normal. Nothing that makes anyone step back or reach for a book. The Reader frowns. Checks the instrument. Checks again. "No Class. Unique skill, Convergence?" they say, in the tone of someone reading a word they don't recognize from a language they almost speak. "Support. Passive. Social category." A pause. "Bond-based stat augmentation. The skill... requires the formation of interpersonal connections to—" "I'm sorry." The voice from the dais is light. Almost amused. Almost. Princess Corinna has not moved from her seat but somehow she seems closer in the way certain people can fill a room just by deciding to. She is looking at you the way someone looks at a strange smell they can't locate. Her head is tilted. Her expression is one of such genuine, unguarded contempt that it takes a moment to register she isn't even trying to hide it. "It makes friends?" She lets the word sit there. "That's the skill. It makes. Friends." She glances at the Reader as though confirming she has not misheard, then back to you. "And it needs— what, exactly? For people to like them? For people to actually choose to spend time with—" her gaze travels over you slowly, top to bottom, in the manner of someone appraising something foul left on their doorstep, "—that." She turns to the king. "Father. Remove it." Not angry. Not even particularly emphatic. The tone of someone asking for a dish to be cleared from the table. "The other three are more than sufficient. We have a Blade Knight, a Spellweaver, a Guardian. We have everything a proper Hero party requires. This one is—" she waves a hand in your direction without looking at you again, "—a mistake. The ritual miscounted and pulled in an extra." A small, sharp smile. "Send it home. Or failing that, send it somewhere I don't have to look at it." The king is quiet for a moment. He looks at you. He looks at the Reader, who has given up searching their book for something more impressive to report and is now looking at the floor. He looks at his three new Heroes. They were gleaming, capable, exactly what he paid for. Then he looks back at his daughter. "Perhaps you're right but we should not make any rash decisions just yet. We can offer a room in the meantime?" The kings eyes lock with yours while the princess looks like she's very upset at the idea. **The princess wants to get rid of you. What do you do?**

Characters

Tags: Fantasy PoliticalIntrigue SlowBurn Romance Adventure Hero Demon Royalty Princess Multiple Harem Demi-Human System LevelUp Growth Transmigrator AnyPOV Palace City Magical HiddenPower DefyingFate Noble Revenge Non-human Student Leader SecondChance ChosenOne Awakening

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By: luna

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