Chapter 375
“Lina. Is something bothering you?”
“Huh?”
The one who asked was Roti, a small cuckoo perched on Lina’s shoulder.
“You always touch the side of your head when you’re worried.”
“Really? I had no idea…”
“Lina, you’ve always been a bit clueless since you were little, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Miki, a wild boar the size of a grown man standing next to Lina, chimed in. He sniffed the air and carefully examined Lina’s face.
“Are you hungry? My mother always said all worries come from hunger. Lina, your face looks full of hunger.”
“No, Miki… I’m not hungry.”
Lina laughed and patted Miki’s chin. In response, Miki wagged his body happily.
Lina had been blessed since birth. Despite being human, she could communicate with animals, and her beauty rivaled that of a fairy. The villagers often said she should have been born a fairy but was mistakenly born human.
“Ah, what should I do…”
Lina lay down on the grass. The clear sky peeked through the lush green branches. This forest, where she had played since childhood, was her sanctuary, and her friends were the animals living there.
All Lina wanted was to spend a long, happy time here with her friends.
‘That’s all I wanted…’
– “I, Michaela, appoint you as the next hero.”
Lina remembered that day.
The day a god descended before her eyes. The day she was chosen as the hero to save the world.
That day, Lina had been running barefoot through the forest to escape her parents’ scolding. They always complained that a grown girl shouldn’t act like a child, and that her behavior was why rumors of fairies living in the forest persisted.
Truthfully, Lina didn’t always want to run away like this. She could handle her parents’ nagging, but the persistent advances of men enchanted by her beauty were hard to endure. That’s why she often fled deep into the forest.
But she never expected to meet a god in the forest.
Michaela, a golden-haired, blue-eyed girl, introduced herself as a god. There was no room for doubt. The overwhelming presence emanating from her small body was undeniable. Lina could only bow her head. Michaela chose her as the hero.
“I really don’t get it…”
“What don’t you get?”
“Me, a hero? It doesn’t suit me at all.”
Honestly, it didn’t feel real.
She had special abilities others didn’t, but she was just an ordinary country girl.
Now, she had to save the world? Fight the evil Demon Lord? What kind of nonsense was this?
“What’s wrong with you, Lina? If the Demon Lord shows up, just slash him!”
“That’s something only the first hero could do! I’ve never even swung a sword before…”
The first hero, Grace.
In a time of chaos, she appeared suddenly and, alongside the magician Wingfield, defeated the Demon Lord. Grace’s swordsmanship was so exceptional that she held her ground against countless minions of the Demon Lord. Stories of her slaying an army of orcs with a single sword became legends. And now, Lina was told she was a descendant of that great hero, Grace.
Even Lina’s parents hadn’t known. Magic couldn’t be learned without proper training. Most ordinary people lived their entire lives without ever casting a single spell.
After being chosen as the hero, a magician was sent from the lord’s estate to confirm Lina’s magical power. The result was clear: she was undoubtedly the hero’s descendant.
So, Lina had no choice but to become the hero.
“This is a dream… right? Roti, this is a dream, isn’t it?”
“Lina, stop escaping reality…”
“Miki…! Please tell me this is a dream…”
“Yes, this is a dream.”
“Really?”
“Of course, I’m lying. Lina, you trust people too easily.”
“Ugh! Miki! You’re not even a person!”
“Lina… how can you say that?”
“Roti?”
“I thought of you as a person… but you don’t even see us as people…”
“W-what? That’s not…”
“It hurts… I thought we were friends… but it was just my delusion. You see us as less than human.”
“N-no! That’s not true!”
“Animal discriminator.”
“No, no! Oh no!”
For a moment, Lina panicked, thinking she had done something wrong. But soon, she noticed Roti and Miki trying to hold back their laughter.
“Ahhh! You guys! Stop messing with me!”
“Your punches are slow.”
“Ticklish.”
Roti dodged Lina’s punch, and Miki took the hit, but his thick hide made it feel like nothing.
Exhausted, Lina flopped back onto the grass.
“Guys… do you think the Demon Lord will really appear…?”
Being chosen as the hero meant the Demon Lord’s awakening was near. But the world she saw was too peaceful. Then again, Maritella, where she lived, was a remote countryside village, far from the capital.
“If what the god said is true, then yes.”
“Don’t worry. We’re here for you.”
“Huh?”
“If the Demon Lord appears, we’ll fight alongside you.”
Miki snorted confidently, making Lina laugh.
“Haha… really? You’ll really fight with me?”
“Yes. I am a proud wild boar. I will share your fate, Lina.”
“Uh… I’ll pass. I want to live.”
“Do cuckoos have no pride?!”
“I’m a cuckoo! We’ve been together for years, you should remember that!”
“The only bird I know is a pigeon. So, Roti, you’re now a pigeon.”
“Funny! Would you like it if I called you a pig?!”
“Don’t compare me to those weaklings who rely on humans.”
“Didn’t you rely on Lina’s touch?”
“Anyway, don’t worry. Besides, your guardian spirit will protect you, right?”
“Huh? What guardian spirit?”
Lina began to explain to the puzzled Roti.
“Well… I told Miki before, but our family has a guardian spirit…”
“Huh?”
Long ago, perhaps even before Lina’s great-great-grandmother’s time, when her ancestors were slaves, someone saved their lives and disappeared.
The surprising thing is that this person occasionally appears before Lina’s descendants, saves their lives, and then vanishes.
Apart from knowing he was a man, Lina’s ancestors passed down his existence to their descendants.
Now, Lina’s family revered him as their guardian spirit.
“Then, should I show you?”
“Huh?”
After explaining, Lina led her two friends to the edge of the forest. Soon, they arrived at a place with a pile of palm-sized stones.
“Here is…?”
“This is where we honor our family’s guardian spirit.”
“Wow. Do you pray here or something?”
“Well…”
“Do humans do this? Does it have any effect?”
“W-well… not exactly, but coming here makes me feel a bit more at peace…”
Lina knelt respectfully before the pile of stones. Seeing this, Roti and Miki awkwardly bowed their heads as well.
Lina clasped her hands and prayed.
“Please protect me… Guardian Spirit.”
***
“It’s truly a joyous occasion that a hero has appeared in our territory.”
Lord Strix sipped his wine with a satisfied expression.
Recently, a hero had appeared in his territory. The hero came from Maritella, a rural area where most of the territory was covered by a large forest. If it weren’t for the hero, he might never have known such a place existed.
The appearance of a hero meant the Demon Lord would soon rise. But Lord Strix wasn’t dwelling on that grim future. Instead, he saw the opposite.
The legendary hero appearing in his territory was a great honor worthy of historical records. Moreover, the hero was his subject. He could now boast to other nobles using the hero’s name. It was like a pumpkin rolling into his lap.
“All thanks to your lordship’s virtue. The god was moved by your character and sent the hero.”
“Hahaha. Enough flattery, Serhan.”
“I only spoke the truth.”
“By the way, I heard the hero is quite beautiful. Hehe.”
The one who asked wasn’t Lord Strix but the man sitting across from him. A man who looked like a lump of flesh haphazardly put together—Conwell, Lord Strix’s son.
Serhan, stroking his mustache, smiled politely.
“Yes, Young Master Conwell. She is truly beautiful, like a pure fairy.”
Serhan, Lord Strix’s retainer and a magician, was the only one who had met the hero in person, sent to verify her authenticity.
“Tsk. What a shame. I should have gone with you.”
“Haha… it’s not too late. Besides, if she had been a fake, you would have wasted your time.”
“But if she’s that beautiful, you should have brought her to the castle. Don’t you know that?”
“My apologies. I only followed your lordship’s orders to confirm if she was the hero…”
“Ah, forget it. Why are you so uptight?”
Conwell waved his hand dismissively. The future lord was known as a troublemaker who often harassed the villagers. Serhan disliked this immature young master but held his tongue. After all, he would have to serve him in the future. Showing his displeasure would only bring trouble.
“Serhan.”
Lord Strix spoke up.
“Does anyone else know about the hero’s appearance in our territory?”
“No, my lord. I’ve ensured complete secrecy. I’ve also made sure the villagers don’t spread the news to other regions.”
“Good. It would be troublesome if it got out too soon.”
“Indeed. If other nobles hear about it, things will get complicated.”
A hero is a coveted figure.
What greater honor is there than having one’s family name etched in history for such a monumental achievement?
“By the way… the hero is still a young maiden, right?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“How pitiful. Such beauty, yet without a partner…”
Lord Strix sipped his wine, waiting for Serhan’s response. With such obvious hints, Serhan couldn’t miss his lord’s intent.
“…Then, how about arranging a marriage between the hero and Young Master Conwell? The young master is of marriageable age… Yes, now that I think about it, they would make a fine match.”
“Hahaha. Is that so? If you say so, it must be true.”
“What? Father, can I really marry the hero?”
“Yes. Serhan said you’d make a good match.”
“Great! Then I’ll go bring her here right now! Hehe.”
“No, Young Master. Please stay in the castle.”
“?!”
A sudden voice interrupted them, startling the three. The voice came from a corner of the room, previously unnoticed.
Lord Strix quickly recognized the man.
“Ah, Isaac? You startled me, appearing out of nowhere.”
Isaac, the butler, stepped forward with a dignified gait.
Conwell, the most startled, shouted at Isaac.
“Hey, you creepy bastard! If you’re here, say something!”
“…Hah.”
“…Hah? Did you just sigh?”
“I breathed.”
“Bullshit! Who breathes like that?!”
“I said I breathed.”
Conwell, meeting Isaac’s gaze, swallowed hard.
‘What… what is this…’
Isaac, tall and imposing, looked down at Conwell. His eyes showed no respect or reverence for his master.
Only contempt.
Isaac’s eyes were filled with nothing but contempt. But Conwell, his master, couldn’t say a word. Somehow, under that gaze, he felt too intimidated to speak. Arguing further felt like it would crush him.
“Haha. Isaac, stop tormenting our boy. He’s too scared to say anything.”
“W-who’s scared?! Father! I’m not scared of this guy at all!”
“Sure, sure.”
Lord Strix, his face flushed from wine, chuckled. He was always too lenient with Isaac.
Isaac was trusted by Lord Strix even more than Serhan. No matter how much Conwell disliked him, he couldn’t touch Isaac.
‘Damn it! Once I become lord…’
Glaring at the back of Isaac’s head was the most Conwell could do in defiance.
“Young Master, there’s no need for you to go. I will personally meet the hero. I will judge if she is suitable for you.”
“Isaac, I already said I think the young master and the hero would make a good match. If you insist…”
“Serhan, how can you judge that after just one meeting?”
“What…?”
Isaac turned his head. Conwell, meeting his gaze, quickly looked away. But Isaac continued without concern.
“There are few women in this world suitable for Young Master Conwell. As the future lord, his partner cannot be an ordinary woman.”
“She’s not ordinary. She’s quite beautiful…”
“Beauty or being a hero doesn’t matter. Until recently, she was just an ignorant country girl. She is far from being a suitable match for Young Master Conwell.”
“But… the young master likes her…”
“Hmm. Isaac is right.”
“My lord?”
Lord Strix nodded, deeply impressed.
“I agree with Isaac. Even if she’s the hero, I can’t let my son marry an uneducated woman.”
“Father?! But I like her!”
“Do you want to marry a woman beneath your station?”
“That’s not it…! But she’s pretty…”
“No need to hear more. Isaac, go and assess her. If there’s potential, train her to be a suitable match for Conwell.”
“As you command.”
Isaac bowed respectfully, accepting Lord Strix’s order.
“Then I shall depart immediately.”
“Good. Do so.”
As Isaac turned to leave, Conwell blocked his path.
“…Do you have something to say?”
“Yeah, I do. Lend me your ear.”
“……”
Isaac sighed and leaned in.
“Don’t get cocky just because Father spoils you, you bastard.”
“……”
“Got it? Now get lost.”
Conwell smirked and brushed past him.
Isaac left the room without changing his expression.
*BANG!*
A thunderous sound followed.
“Gah!”
The door slammed shut with the force of a gale, startling Conwell so much he fell off his chair.
Isaac shot a cold glare at Conwell before turning away.
“My apologies.”
