I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

Surprised by his own face in the reflection of the mirror, Victor put his hand to his face, touching the areas where there used to be wrinkles. He was confused and also very curious. The reflection he was seeing in the mirror even looked a bit like him a few months ago.

Victor wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing, but before he could think too much about it, a sharp, sudden pain manifested itself in his head, interrupting his thoughts.

The pain was like a sharp knife, cutting through his brain. Inevitably, Victor fell to his knees on the floor. He pressed his hands against his temples, trying to relieve the torment that seemed to emanate from within his own mind.

Images began to form in his mind, old memories that seemed to bubble up from the depths of his memory.

The memories seemed to want to come as a single torrent, and the details of several of them fought for space in Victor’s mind.

At one point, he saw himself training with his companions, learning the basics, while at another he was alone, walking along a long dirt road.

One image stood out in his mind, the image of a dark and menacing figure he had faced in the past. A powerful demon with eyes as red as burning coals and a sadistic laugh that echoed in Victor’s memory.

Victor also remembered the desperate fight against that demon, the feeling of being on the brink of defeat, but also the fierce determination of a friendly hand touching his shoulder. At that moment, when Victor turned his face to face the person standing next to him, a confident, feminine smile lit up his vision, blurring everything, thus clearing the mind not only of the Victor of the past, but also of the one of the future.

The memories in his mind organized themselves and Victor felt as if he was being dragged back in time, his memories organizing themselves into a fine line at last.

The colors came alive before his eyes and the pain in his head gradually subsided. Suddenly, he was back to the moment when his life changed forever, when he was summoned to this world along with the other heroes.

After everyone in the classroom was abruptly pulled into the interior of a glowing sphere, they woke up simultaneously in the center of a circular room surrounded by pillars. Above them, a glass dome illuminated the room with natural light.

The place looked like a temple, and the marble pillars around the circle in which they all stood contained statues of various mysterious people, none of whom the children recognized.

Victor looked around and saw that all his classmates were there, including their math teacher, Mrs. Ramirez. Most of them looked scared.

Aria, the class representative, with her blue eyes and wavy blonde hair, was hugging a girl with round glasses who was about to shed tears from fear.

A little to the side was Antony, the most popular in the class and her brother. His serious countenance was a reflection of his boldness, but Victor could see a spark of fear in him for the first time.

On the other side of the circle, Max, on the other hand, seemed very excited about what was happening. He was the smartest one in the room, but also a staunch otaku, so he was excited about the possibility of that canonical event in this type of story happening at any moment.

"Brave heroes..." A beautiful yet powerful voice echoed through the chamber, and all of Victor’s classmates turned in his direction.

Victor was confused for a second and looked back, when he saw a large statue of a woman whose beauty was so radiant that she seemed to be the most beautiful woman in the world, even though she was only a statue. The statue’s hair was so long that it wrapped around much of her body, covering some of the bare parts of her body.

Her eyes glowed a thunderous yellow, and the sun coming through the vault gave the impression that the statue was actually alive.

"It’s a pleasure for me to finally meet you. You have been summoned at this time of great need, when the shadows threaten to swallow up the light."

With that statue’s voice echoing in the chamber, Victor felt a mixture of emotions running through him. He was surprised, excited and also very afraid. He only knew that the presence of that being was something he had never felt before - and what exactly did it mean that you had been summoned?

"Who are you?" The question left Antony’s lips, and he took a step forward.

The goddess smiled, her eyes shining with a divine light and looking at Antony, who instinctively stepped back.

"I am Aela, the Guardian Goddess. I am the one who summoned you to this world to serve as heroes in these dark times."

Victor looked around and saw that his colleagues were mostly confused, agitated and as lost as he was.

Goddess Aela continued, her voice filling the chamber with grace. "I understand how strange all this must be for you, but you must understand that you have been chosen for your unique abilities and intertwined destinies to chart a peaceful future for this world. In the coming months, you will be endowed with extraordinary powers, so incredible that they have become incomparable to even the most powerful masters of this world, and you will be trained for combat and whatever else you are willing to learn."

Max’s eyes lit up at the prospect of them gaining magical powers. "That’s incredible! I really am in those stories!" He celebrated, then knelt down and bowed his head to Goddess Aela. "My dear goddess, I look forward to seeing what kind of magic I can use and also to serving you as you wish!"

Aria, on the other hand, seemed more cautious. She crossed her arms and refused to accept the whole idea so easily.

"Come on, Max, how can you accept all this so easily? And what exactly does she expect us to do? Why have we been chosen?"

Goddess Aela laughed briefly, a gentle laugh. "My dear heroes, you have been chosen to put an end once and for all to a threat that has existed in this world for longer than I and the other gods can remember. However, unlike before, when the presence of these beings was tolerable, the shadows are spreading across this world rapidly in this age, bringing famine, war and plagues, and even for me it is impossible to deal with all the evil creatures in this world. My direct influence doesn’t extend much beyond temples, like the ones you’re in, and the holy lands."

"For my own sake, Aela, you should be more direct with these children," said another powerful voice from across the room.

Mrs. Ramirez, the teacher who had been drawn into this world with her students, was the one below the statue who was speaking this time. She was startled and moved away.

The statue was of a man with the most well-defined muscles Victor had ever seen, and the statue’s eyes were glowing orange.

"You, as heroes, will have the mission to protect the innocent, strengthen the kingdoms and defeat evil wherever it manifests itself, and that means defeating monsters, cults of the abyss and demons. By the way, I am Phuthos, God of the Eternal Flame."

Victor felt a weight settle on his shoulders, not because he was in the presence of two gods, but because the responsibility of being a hero seemed too great.

"And how are we going to know what to do? How will we learn to use our powers?" Asked Elban, a dark-skinned boy with straight hair. His serious expression and crossed arms reflected his concern.

"You will be trained by skilled masters, each specialized in different aspects of the mystical and combat arts. In addition, you will receive guidance from oracles, who have the gift of sight beyond the ordinary."