The nobles exchanged hushed whispers.
One man looked like he was about to pass out. "But the Hero needs to look regal, distinguished!"
"No." Noah said firmly, eyes narrowing. "I need something comfortable. If I have to fight a monster, I don't want a cape flapping in my face. Capes are impractical."
The king smiled a little, though it looked more like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Your wish is granted, Hero. Practicality over flair."
"Thank you." Noah nodded in satisfaction.
"Now, this next one is important, and I'm serious about it," Noah said, straightening up. "I do not want to be forced into any marriage."
The entire room went silent.
"What?" the king asked, almost incredulously. "Do you not wish to join our noble houses?"
"Nope," Noah said, his tone completely deadpan. "I didn't come here to be pawned off to some random princess. I don't even know if she likes coffee!"
The king rubbed his forehead, probably trying to contain his laughter. "I see… You would prefer to choose a partner yourself?"
"Well, yeah." Noah shrugged. "I mean, I'm not getting married on the first date. That's not how it works in my world, and I'm pretty sure it's not how it should work here either."
The king nodded sagely. "Very well, Hero. Your freedom of choice will be respected."
Noah gave a mock salute. "Thank you, Your Majesty. You're a man of reason."
The king cleared his throat. "There is one last matter to discuss, Hero. You asked for no forced marriages, but there is also the matter of your obligations to the kingdom."
Noah held up a hand. "I get it. I'm gonna save the kingdom and kill the Demon Lord. But first, I need a good night's sleep and, honestly, a decent breakfast."
The king nodded, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Very well, Hero. Your demands are… unusual, but acceptable."
Noah smiled, feeling like he was actually starting to get somewhere in this strange world... until he was interrupted.
"Why, father, you didn't tell me the Hero was going to be summoned today."
The voice was smooth, playful — dangerously so.
Like that silky tone that made you instantly suspicious of what was coming next.
Noah turned toward the source, expecting maybe some court noble or another old wizard with half a beard.
What he got… was very much not that.
In walked two women.
No — goddesses disguised as women.
One had radiant golden hair cascading in waves down to her waist, the other a silvery shine that sparkled in the torchlight like moonlight on water.
Both had eyes that could disarm a fortress and curves that immediately reminded Noah why he never kept a poker face.
They were tall, elegant, and clearly used to people gaping at them.
"Holy… mother of thermodynamics," Noah muttered under his breath.
The blond one approached with the confidence of someone who'd just walked off a catwalk and into your soul.
"So this is the Hero?" she asked, turning to her father. "He's a little… plain, isn't he?"
"Wow," Noah said, blinking. "Hi. Yes. Hello. You must be the Royal Department of Confidence and Bust Support."
The silver-haired one giggled. "Oh, he's funny."
Noah stood up instinctively, if only to avoid sinking any deeper into awkwardness. "Yeah, humor is my only defense mechanism."
He always had a thing for hot young women.
The king, who had been sipping ale, stood and gestured between them.
"Hero Noah, allow me to introduce my daughters. This is Princess Lyria," he said, gesturing to the blonde, "and this is Princess Selene," he added, nodding to the silver-haired one.
"They're both… uh, really… princess-y," Noah managed, trying his absolute best not to sound like a dehydrated cartoon character. "Nice to meet you."
Lyria walked around him slowly, like she was inspecting a prize horse. "So, this is the man fate has chosen to save Solmaria? I expected someone taller."
"Oh, come on," Noah said. "I'm a very average height where I'm from!"
"Is your world full of dwarves, then?" Selene asked with a teasing smirk.
Noah's mouth opened, then shut, then opened again. "I… no! What?! No! That's — okay, whatever, I give up."
And then it hit him.
Wait.
Wait a damn minute.
He slowly turned toward the king. "Hold on. You have brown hair. How the hell do your daughters have gold and silver hair?"
The king raised a brow. "It's from their mother."
"Oh, of course," Noah said, nodding dramatically. "Makes perfect sense. Genetics. Totally checks out. Not suspicious at all. Definitely not some magical hair dye industry conspiracy happening here."
Selene tilted her head. "You're very strange, Hero."
"You're very shiny," Noah replied, blinking at her hair. "Do you glow in the dark? Be honest."
"I do, actually," she said, smiling like that wasn't even the weirdest part of her day.
Noah looked at the two women, then at the king.