Haru Nakashima sat at the back of the classroom, half-asleep. The teacher's voice floated through the room like a soft lullaby, and the afternoon sunlight warmed his desk just enough to make his eyelids heavy.
He wasn't popular or special. In fact, he was about as average as a person could be—average grades, average looks, and an invisible presence that made him easy to overlook.
"I wonder what it's like to be the main character," he mumbled, staring out the window at the blue sky.
He didn't expect the universe to answer.
Just as the school bell rang, a blinding light filled the room. It was so bright that Haru had to shield his eyes. He stood up, confused, but before he could say anything, the world twisted beneath his feet.
The classroom vanished.
---
A New World
When Haru opened his eyes again, he was no longer in school. He stood in a massive stone chamber lit by floating torches and filled with glowing symbols on the floor. The air smelled like incense and something ancient, like dusty books and forgotten magic.
A group of robed men stood in a half-circle, staring at him as if he were some kind of miracle.
"H-He's the one?" one of them whispered.
"Did we summon the right person?" another murmured, clearly unsure.
Next to Haru, five other students stood just as confused. He recognized them from school: Kenta, the soccer team captain with muscles like a pro; Rika, the smartest girl in class; and three others who all looked like they had their lives perfectly together.
Haru, meanwhile, just had... bad luck.
A tall knight in polished silver armor stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"Welcome, noble Heroes," he said in a booming voice. "You have been summoned to the Kingdom of Elaria to save our world from destruction."
Haru blinked. "What?"
The knight rose to his feet and continued. "You are our last hope. Only heroes from another world can defeat the Demon King threatening our lands."
Another man in golden robes stepped forward, holding a glowing crystal orb in both hands.
"Let us test your powers," he said, and pointed the crystal at the students one by one.
The orb flared with vibrant colors each time.
"Fire Mastery."
"Wind Dance."
"Dragon Eyes."
"Blessed Strength."
"Holy Magic."
Gasps of awe filled the room with each announcement.
Then the man turned to Haru. The crystal touched his chest.
Nothing happened.
In fact, the glow inside the orb flickered... and went dim.
The room fell silent.
---
The Unknown Power
"Well," the man said after an awkward pause, clearing his throat, "this must be... a rare type of magic."
"Very rare," the knight added quickly. "So rare it cannot even be measured by our crystal."
Haru opened his mouth to say something—probably something like "I think there's been a mistake"—but then everything went horribly wrong.
He took one step forward.
And tripped over his own foot.
With a startled yelp, he stumbled forward, arms flailing, and crashed into a stone pillar. The pillar tilted, groaned, and came crashing down behind him.
BOOM!
The massive stone landed directly on an ancient statue of a monstrous golem at the edge of the room, shattering it into pieces. Dust exploded into the air.
When the dust cleared, everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
"He... he destroyed the sealed golem statue," someone whispered. "With a single step?"
"Amazing!"
"Such power!"
Haru sat on the floor, dazed, rubbing his head. "I just... tripped?"
But no one heard him. Or rather—they heard only what they wanted to hear.
---
A Hero's Reputation is Born
Later that day, while the other students were taken to train in swordplay and magic, Haru was escorted to a private room in the royal palace. A luxurious bed awaited him, along with a warm bath and food served by nervous, blushing maids.
Everyone treated him like royalty.
"Surely, he must be hiding his strength," one palace guard whispered. "Only a true hero would stay silent about such abilities."
"He's humble," another agreed. "That makes him even more powerful."
Haru tried to correct them.
"I think you're mistaken," he said.
"He even denies his strength!" one maid said, her eyes sparkling. "How noble!"
Another maid clasped her hands. "A true warrior never brags. Lord Haru is the real deal."
At that moment, a soft chime echoed in Haru's mind.
[World Influence +1: The people believe you are a golem-slaying hero.]
Haru froze.
"What was that?"
No one answered. Not the maids, not the guards—just silence. But the words had definitely appeared in his head. Like a game notification.
Another soft ding followed a few minutes later:
[World Influence +1: Reputation growing. Perception affects reality.]
"…This is gonna be a problem," Haru muttered.
And so, the legend of the Silent Hero began—not with a sword, not with a spell, but with a well-timed stumble and a whole lot of misunderstanding.