SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 3: Four Heroes Walk Into a Throne Room...

One second Hiroshi was tumbling through dimensional chaos and the next he was on his hands and knees on cold marble, vomiting in front of what looked like forty people in fancy robes.

Great. Perfect. Exactly how he wanted to arrive in a fantasy world.

His stomach heaved again. Nothing came up this time except bile and the mortifying awareness that everyone was watching him.

The throne room was massive. Vaulted ceilings that stretched up into shadow. Stained glass windows depicting battles between warriors and monstrous creatures. A golden throne at the far end, elevated on a dais, occupying the room with authority.

And people everywhere. Nobles in silk and velvet, Clergymen in white robes with golden trim. Guards in ceremonial armor lining the walls. All staring at the summoning circle where Hiroshi was currently dying of embarrassment.

Three other figures materialized around him in flashes of golden light.

They didn’t vomit or stumble.

They just stand tall and steady as the magical light faded around them like they’d done this before.

The first was a guy around Hiroshi’s age, maybe twenty-five, with an athletic build and the kind of face that probably got him modeling offers. He immediately struck a confident pose, hand on his hip, surveying the throne room like he owned it. Natural main character energy radiated off him.

The second was a woman with long white hair that definitely wasn’t natural. She looked around with sharp and analytical eyes, taking in every detail of the room with the focus.

The third dropped to one knee, hands clasped together in prayer. "Thank you, divine ones, for this sacred purpose!" His voice sounded clear and maybe earnest.

Hiroshi dry-heaved into the marble floor.

An old man in elaborate robes stepped forward, arms spread wide in greeting. His beard was magnificent, cascading down to his chest in perfectly maintained waves. "Behold! Four heroes answer our call in the kingdom’s darkest hour!"

The crowd gasped. Awed murmurs rippled through the room.

Well. Awed murmurs for the three heroes who looked like they belonged in a fantasy world.

Confused whispers for Hiroshi, who looked like he belonged in a hospital.

"Why does that one look ill?" someone whispered.

"Perhaps the summoning ritual was flawed?"

The old man, Archbishop something, probably, gestured toward the throne with a sweep of his robes. "Heroes! Please, rise and face your king!"

The three others stood gracefully, naturally, like standing after dimensional teleportation was the easiest thing in the world.

Hiroshi pushed himself up on shaking arms. His legs wobbled as his vision spun. He swayed dangerously to one side, and a clergy member in white robes had to physically steady him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Easy," the man murmured. Pity in his voice. Yeah, Definitely pity.

Hiroshi looked down at himself.

Still wearing his FamilyMart uniform. The blue polo with the company logo. The name tag that said "HIROSHI" in bold letters.

Cool. Really cool.

The king rose from his throne. How was Tall, maybe sixty year old, with silver in his beard and a presence that filled the room. He wore a crown that probably cost more than Hiroshi’s entire life back on Earth, maybe two, heavy gold studded with gems that caught the light from the glass windows. He projected authority just by standing there, the kind of authority that came from decades of commanding people.

"Heroes from beyond," the king said."I am King Aldic Lumin III, ruler of this kingdom and protector of these lands. You have been summoned to aid us in our time of great peril."

The athletic guy bowed respectfully, naturally, like he’d practiced this. Really did they practice this before hand.

"Your Majesty, we’re honored to help."

The woman did a formal curtsy, with her perfect posture. "We shall endeavor to meet your expectations."

The religious guy bowed so deeply his forehead nearly touched the floor. "It is our sacred duty and privilege!"

Hiroshi managed an awkward half-bow and stumbled forward. The clergy member caught him again.

"Um," Hiroshi said. "Yes. Thank you for... summoning me?"

Several nobles coughed. One might have even laughed.

The king’s expression remained diplomatically neutral. "Please," he said, gesturing with one hand. "Tell us your names and what skills you possess. The summoning ritual grants knowledge directly to the soul. you should already feel what you are capable of."

The athletic guy went first, stepping forward confidently. "Kenji Takahashi, Your Majesty. I was a college athlete back home, track and field, some martial arts training. But here... it’s different. I feel stronger. And there’s this feeling, like muscle memory for techniques I never learned. I know how to fight even though I was never really a fighter."

Murmurs of approval rippled through the crowd. "Remarkable!" "The blessing manifests already!"

The woman went next. "Aria" She held out her hand and created a small ice crystal in her palm, the formation happening instantly. "I was a physics graduate student. I understand the principles behind what’s happening here, magical energy responding to conscious manipulation through what I assume is a mana interface. It’s quite Fascinating."

More excited whispers. "Such control!" "She understands the theory already!"

The religious guy practically glowed with enthusiasm. Literally. His hands had a soft golden light around them, like he was holding sunlight. "Marcus Lightbringer, a name blessed upon me by the god, Hiroshi highly doubted that.

I believe. I was studying theology at seminary back home. Here, I feel divine grace flowing through me. A calling to protect and heal. The light answers when I reach for it." He demonstrated, the golden glow intensifying around his clasped hands.

"Blessed by the gods!" "A true paladin!"

All eyes turned to Hiroshi.

He was still being propped up by the clergy member.

"I’m Hiroshi Tanaka," he said. His voice came out smaller than he wanted, barely carrying across the massive throne room. "I, uh. I worked at a convenience store. Night shift. I don’t feel anything special. Nothing really, I’m honestly not sure why I’m here."

Great choice of words.

The archbishop broke the slience with forced cheer, his smile a bit too wide. "The gods work in mysterious ways! Each hero has their purpose, even if that purpose is not immediately apparent."

The queen was sitting beside the king, she leaned forward."You must be frightened, young man. Pulled from your world without warning, brought to a strange place."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Hiroshi said, "Very much yes."

She smiled. "Honesty is a rare virtue, especially in troubled times."

The archbishop clapped his hands together. The sound echoed through the throne room like a gunshot. "Let us now verify the heroes’ divine blessings through the Sacred System! The gods grant quantified power to those they choose, these measurements will reveal your potential!"

Blue screens appeared in front of each of them. Glowing, semi-transparent, floating in mid-air, covered in text and numbers.

Hiroshi stared at it. "My what now?"

"The Sacred System," the archbishop explained, speaking to all of them now. "It grants quantified blessings to those touched by divine power. These numbers represent your innate capabilities, your strength, your speed, your magical aptitude. Think of it as the gods’ way of showing you your own potential."

Kenji was already reading his screen, eyes widening. "This is insane! My Strength is 22! Agility 20, Vitality 18, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 10, Charisma 25!" He looked up, grinning like he’d won the lottery. "And I have a Unique Skill called [Blade Saint]! It says I can learn any sword technique instantly after seeing it once!"

The crowd erupted in excited murmurs. "Incredible!" "Such high initial statistics!" "A unique skill at summoning!" "The Blade Saint returns!"

Aria read hers next, "Strength 8, Agility 15, Vitality 12, Intelligence 28, Wisdom 24, Charisma 18." She paused, reading further. "My unique skill is [Frost Empress]. It appears to grant exponential scaling to ice magic efficiency and an innate understanding of thermodynamic manipulation."

More gasps. "Magnificent intelligence scores!" "A perfect mage!" "The highest we’ve seen in a generation!"

Marcus was beaming, literally radiating golden light now. "Strength 20, Agility 12, Vitality 22, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 18, Charisma 20. My unique skill is [Divine Aegis], it says I can protect allies from harm and channel divine retribution against evil!"

"Balanced and strong!" "The gods favor him clearly!" "A guardian blessed by light itself!"

Every eye in the room turned to Hiroshi.

He looked at his screen. Really looked at it.

STATUS

Name: Hiroshi Tanaka

Level: 1

Class: Hero Candidate (Probationary)

STATISTICS

STR: 5

AGI: 5

VIT: 5

INT: 5

WIS: 5

CHA: 5

UNIQUE SKILL

[Adaptive Evolution]

- Grants slight stat bonuses based on recent combat experience

- Effects are minimal and temporary

- Requires repeated exposure to danger to activate

- Warning: Progression rate significantly below Hero baseline

His brain processed the numbers slowly. Five. Everything was five.

Next to him, Kenji’s Strength was 22. His Charisma was 25.

Hiroshi’s was 5 in everything.

"Young hero," the archbishop said gently, that forced cheerfulness cracking slightly. "Would you share your blessings with us?"

Hiroshi’s mouth become dry. "All my stats are... five."

The silence. Like all the air had been sucked out of the throne room.

A noble in the back spoke too loudly. "Five? But civilian average is seven or eight!"

Another joined in, "Below civilian baseline? How is that possible for a summoned hero?"

"Perhaps the ritual was really flawed."

"The gods wouldn’t send us someone weak unless."

"Is he defective?" someone whispered, not quietly enough.

"Perhaps a mistake in the summoning."

"The weakest hero in recorded history."

The archbishop’s smile was strained now, the corners of his mouth tight. "The gods’ wisdom is... inscrutable. Surely there is a purpose we do not yet see."

The king’s voice cut through the murmurs. "Archbishop Therion. Has a hero ever been summoned with such... modest initial blessings?"

Archbishop Therion hesitated. Just for a moment, but everyone saw it. "Not in recorded history, Your Majesty. The lowest previous record was a hero summoned two centuries ago with baseline statistics of 8 across all attributes. She went on to become a legendary tactician." He paused. "But precedent is not prophecy."

I’m going to die here, Hiroshi thought. They summoned me to fight a war and I’m going to die and everyone knows it except they’re too polite to say it directly.

He thought about the contract. The "contingency protocols." The "minimal viable threshold."

He was below civilian in average state.

What were the odds he met whatever threshold the Bureau had set?

Kenji turned to him with his main character smile. "Hey man, don’t worry! We all start somewhere, right? Stats can grow with training!"

Aria was more blunt, her analytical gaze assessing him like a problem to solve. "Those are... concerningly low. Even civilian averages are higher. But perhaps your unique skill has hidden potential the System isn’t displaying."

Marcus was relentlessly optimistic, golden light still glowing around his hands. "The gods work in mysterious ways! Perhaps you’re meant to support us from the rear! Every party needs someone handling logistics and planning!"

"Right," Hiroshi said with a forced polite smile.

A servant entered through a side door, bowing low. "Your Majesties, the Heroes’ quarters have been prepared as requested."

The archbishop gestured toward the exit with obvious relief. "Rest, heroes. Tomorrow, your training begins. You will need your strength for the trials ahead."

Thanks the gods that this humiliation ritual finally ended.

Hiroshi followed the other three out of the throne room, trailing behind.Kenji and Marcus were already chatting excitedly. Aria was still examining her status window, mumbling calculations about mana efficiency and thermal transfer rates.

Hiroshi remember what someone said in the throne room.

Weakest hero in recorded history.

He’d signed a soul contract for this. He’d agreed to be a "Hero Candidate" and could apparently fail, and if he failed there were "Permanent soul dissolution."and he still didn’t know what "minimal viable threshold" meant except he was pretty sure 5s across the board weren’t going to cut it.

The servant led them down a corridor lined with marble floors and tapestries depicting ancient battles. More wealth in one hallway than Hiroshi had seen in his entire life. Paintings in golden frames. Suits of ornamental armor standing guard at intervals. Chandeliers with actual candles.

"The Heroes’ Wing," the servant explained, gesturing ahead. "Individual rooms, but connected by a common area. His Majesty hopes you’ll find them comfortable and conducive to rest."

Hiroshi was definitely going to be comfortable knowing he was the weakest person in this entire castle and tomorrow he had to start training to fight whatever threat was bad enough that it required summoning four heroes from another world.