Henry traveled without contacting anyone, always moving in secret. Once a timid young man, he had become cold and distant. All he wanted now was to defeat the Demon King as soon as possible. Even when he heard others crying for help, he ignored them.
But throughout his journey, Henry never encountered any high-ranking demons—only the weaker ones. He easily defeated them and continuously created new magic spells, each one stronger and more destructive than the last.
He traveled entirely on foot. From his hometown to the Demon King's domain, two and a half years had passed. When he finally arrived, he saw ten people about his age battling the Demon King. Uncertain of the situation, Henry decided to hide and watch.
He noticed something strange—each of their magical attacks was simple and repetitive, easily dodged by the Demon King.
Some wielded swords, spears, and bows; others used magic barehanded.
Yet the Demon King, fighting unarmed, showed overwhelming power. Even facing ten opponents, he didn't falter.
Then Henry realized something important.
Why were they muttering so much before casting? And why was their magic so weak?
Henry didn't understand. He only needed to say the magic's name to activate it, and any of his magics were far stronger than theirs.
He couldn't stand it any longer. The battle had reached a stalemate.
He wanted to return home quickly—to tell his late friend that the wish they shared had been fulfilled.
But after two and a half years of isolation, Henry had forgotten how to interact with others. So he decided to secretly cast a magic that looked identical to theirs, right when they attacked.
His shot hit the Demon King's arm, slowing its movement. The swordsman seized the opportunity, slashing hard and leaving a deep wound.
Then, the rest followed up with a barrage of magic.
Even from his hiding spot, Henry could clearly hear the Demon King's final, agonized scream.
When the Demon King fell motionless, the ten person cheered in victory.
Henry saw that the Demon King was dead. His mission was over. He could finally return home and tell his friend.
He turned and started walking—then running—his feet pounding faster and faster.
He couldn't wait to reach his friend's grave, to tell him about these two and a half years… and that their dream had been fulfilled, even if he wasn't the one who dealt the final blow.
Halfway there, a monster appeared before him—a Throwing Ape. Henry stopped immediately, ready to fight.
It was named for its attack style, throwing stones or other objects with deadly force. One hit could kill.
The Throwing Ape raised a stone, preparing to strike. Henry thought that as long as he killed it before it could attack, he'd be fine. He use his wind magic...
"Karen!"
"Whoa—!"
A sudden voice rang in my ears, I almost threw the book, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.
I turned around—and saw Lina's face right in front of mine, so close that I instinctively leaned back.
"Lina, what happened?"
"I came to tell you it's evening. Time to make dinner."
"Oh, right."
I closed the book and followed Lina out of the study to prepare dinner together.
Lately, her cooking had improved a lot—no more bitter disasters.
Now, even though the food was still tasteless, it was progress. Soon, she'd be making delicious meals.
While we ate, Lina asked about the book I'd been reading earlier.
"Karen, was that book interesting? I called you several times, but you didn't answer."
"I guess I got too absorbed. I can finally start learning magic now."
Actually, I wasn't sure if the book's content was true. I'd have to finish it first—it felt made-up. Ancient languages? Magic without chanting? I'd never heard of such things.
(If it's true, I'll tell Lina later.)
After hearing that, Lina gave me a suspicious look.
"Really…"
Her doubtful eyes were painful to see, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Lina, you've really improved a lot!"
"Really!?"
Her face lit up, good!
"Yeah, especially this soup."
It still tasted like warm water, but compared to before, it was a huge improvement. Lina would definitely get it right soon.
Blushing, she touched her cheeks and said shyly,
"I know you're lying, but I'm still happy to hear it."
"I'm not lying. You've made real progress."
"Oh… that's what you meant…"
The mood felt awkward again.
(Not good—say something nice. Quick!)
"Li—"
Before I could finish, Lina looked down at her hands and whispered something. Her voice wasn't loud, but I could still hear it.
"I've already taken the first step toward success."
When I heard her say that, I understood completely. Lina wasn't the kind of person who stood still. She'd always find her own path forward.
After dinner, we bathed and each took a book to read.
I picked up one on earth magic—mainly to hide the The Eleventh Brave from Lina.
But I couldn't focus. The contents of that earlier book wouldn't leave my mind. It looked like fiction, yet somehow felt real.
If it was made up, the story was strange. Usually, the Brave's best friend doesn't die.
And the Brave would help people in trouble, right?
Plus, if the Brave's goal was to defeat the Demon King, shouldn't he have revealed himself and teamed up with the other ten Braves?
If the story were real, it would upset anyone who loved tales of Brave.
A hero who couldn't protect the one he cared about.
A hero who ignored others in need.
A hero who didn't rush to save the world.
But the more I thought about it, the more believable it seemed.
Brave are often portrayed as perfect—bright, positive, and kind.
But maybe that's just how people want to see them.
When God opens one door, He will closes another. No one is flawless.
(Still… I should finish the book before judging.)
I'd sorted out my own thoughts.
But now I wondered—what did Lina think of the story of the Ten Heroes?
"Lina."
"What?"
She looked up from her book, eyes calm.
"What do you think about the Ten Braves' founding story?"
"It feels fake."
"Why do you say that?"
"They defeated the Demon King, sure. But they had no knowledge—no experience. Ruling a kingdom takes years of learning, yet they succeeded in just one year. That's absurd."
"You're… right."
Her answer startled me. She made a good point.
But I couldn't remember ever discussing topics like this with her. How did she even know that ruling a nation required study?
Maybe it was my bias. Kids in our village shouldn't know much about kings or governance.
Like the Melbusoda language—Lina learned it effortlessly. The only explanation I could think of was that she's a genius.
No matter how I thought about it, it made no sense.
Could she also have memories from a previous life? She didn't seem like it at all.
(Could it be… Lina's actually an actress? Playing the role of a child perfectly? …No, impossible. Since she can read and write, she must be from this world, not mine. Whatever.)
I gave up trying to figure out who Lina really was. It didn't matter.
Seeing that it was getting late, I said,
"It's time for bed."
"Okay."
We closed our books, went to the bedroom, and lay down under the blanket.
"Lina, good night."
"Good night, Karen."
I closed my eyes.
(If she's a reincarnator like me… she probably wouldn't be afraid to sleep alone.)
Still, I couldn't stop wondering.