The Land of The Dead Hero

(UPDATE 07/13/2025 - This chapter has previously been posted without being edited, and as such contained more mistakes than usual. I came back to it and it should be fine now.)

It has been approximately six years since I was born. Four since Lilia died.

And it has been a day since I have bitten that woman, and started moving forward.

Now, I sit at the same place I have sat for thousands of hours before. Unmoving like a stone, yet I am still pushing forward. My limbs are still chained like those of a wild animal, yet my mind is free. I have a purpose, at long last. I have a chance. I can do something in this world that will matter.

Beanne and Erop. Those two were my assistants. In the Hero's Pact, everyone had a name. It felt the same as the Boy and Girl Scouts back in the old world. I have never joined that sort of organization, yet it has definitely given me a sense of purpose now. And you should see what the fact that I had "friends" over did to my parents.

"I made you three some porridge."

Was my mother really trying to make up for everything? She even gave us cow milk in glasses. Erop was ecstatic about her. The first day he was allowed into our mill, he caught me off my guard by shouting: "Ah, lady Anasa! My mother only speaks the highest of you!" 

He even brought her some sort of soup. I was not expecting that. Was he seriously trying to score my mom at the age of six? This boy was quite the glutton. She merely laughed at his comments, although he seemed influenced by her. Well, how else is a grown woman supposed to react? She even decided she would make us all matching sweaters. Yes, even I. I was shocked. She seemed so...happy about me having friends. I hadn't heard her calling me a curse word for at least a couple of months.

People change.

Of course, this entire situation had rules. Specifically, I had already gathered that there was some conflict between Rumabelle and my mother. However, the nature of it was to avoid me. So we didn't really speak about Ruma at all, which, however, gave it all a layer of secrecy. So, I came up with a creative solution and said that these two are my friends, and I wish to have them over. Preferably more often now. We had a mission. A purpose. It wasn't just a casual conversation.

No, it was to find Lilia. Xert's sister.

I have already heard someone speak about her before, although I don't recall who it was or when it was. She was relatively older than him, already an adult, and apparently was renowned as the town's beauty. This, however, was quite a problem, as she was apparently also "touched by the Witch" in the sense that she was born blind and, as such, couldn't follow her parents on their adventurous journeys.

She was apparently on only one, and then decided it wasn't for her, preferring to stay in the village under Preacher Savas's tutelage. She had hoped for a career as something they call a "Hero's Maiden" in this world, which is basically a nun. I suppose you could say she wanted to be a sort of missionary. From what I was told, she studied many books, using Beanne to help her read.

For some time, this was fine. Until Lilia simply vanished from the face of the Earth, while her parents were away on a journey. Her family has been looking for her since then. The father was abroad, apparently traveling to the capital city of Weria, as the family had received a letter from her stating that she had journeyed there to see the "Heroes Statue." 

Yet all of her belongings were left in place; she didn't have a horse, and as a blind person, she had a lot of problems going around. Still, she could pay a fee and ride a stagecoach. That's why her father decided to follow this lead. However, her mother believed she had never left the vicinity of the village. As a skilled adventurer, she knew the roads were too dangerous and believed "Lilia would never do that." 

After all, there is war in this land. I can understand it must be difficult to imagine a young girl travelling alone just to see a statue.

Luckily, I had listened to way too many true crime podcasts in my previous life to know I could do this. I know I want to help. And so we spread out. The villagers apparently no longer look for Lilia. The case has "gotten cold," so to speak. They have tried in the past, but to no real avail. They appear to be scared of going deeper into the woods. As such, the new search party is composed of "strong" warriors like Aer, Xert, Ruma, and Lady Bluefrog, who go to the woods almost every day. 

We are a sort of logistics and detective bureau, stationed inside the mill.

I was also planning on utilizing Erop and Beanne, as Aer suggested. Beanne was to teach me reading, while Erop was supposed to be my hands and legs. A fair plan on paper, however...

Dealing with people has never been my strong suit.

"Just so you know, you two are weird, so don't get any ideas, being around a decent girl like me."

Beanne was the sort of person who would clash with anyone. She was the same as Canalyse, yet utterly different in mannerism. I could only speculate about her true capabilities. She was apparently a ward of Savas since birth, so she was born here, although no one knew her parents. Yet she was also a witch, tied to their family by her hair. And that hair string was far stronger than Canalyse had.

How was that possible? I thought Witches would...serve families for generations. Yet this one was clearly the same age as us, or she put significant effort into faking it.

"Your mother does make some fine porridge, though, that's why I agreed to tutor you, murder-eyes."

I rolled my eyes as she stuffed her face with the food bowl.

"Didn't I tell you she was always rude to me and hates me, because I have been touched by the Witch?" My tone was annoyed, my eyes piercing Beanne like two arrows. Yet she merely laughed, the porridge disappearing into her lips like she was fasting for hundreds of years. 

"Good. Mother always knows her children. If my son were a murderer, I wouldn't like him either."

I gritted my teeth.

I didn't kill anyone.

I had come up with one thousand explanations, but eventually said none of them. 

No. No matter what I say, she will not believe it. She is basically a ragebaiter...I can't bite the bait. I have to manipulate her so that we can cooperate. I can't escalate.

"Well, Erop, what do you think about the porridge?" I asked the chubby boy, who was seemingly always left out of conversations. I could gather that much. I had so many years to think about what people know. Working them out isn't difficult...if one doesn't lose focus. This boy is fat. He isn't from a family of warriors, yet he carries around a bow. He seems to be traumatized by the fact that Aer beat him, sometimes flinching. And he threw the stone. His father is an innkeeper, so he is a busy man. His mother works as a waitress at the inn. Both of those jobs mean little time for a child. So he was probably neglected. Neglected children want attention.

Is that why he threw the rock? Or is he just that dense?

I was right. When I asked Erop, his eyes lit up.

"Well, it could use a bit of carrots. My mum always adds carrots."

Beanne looked at him with something akin to disbelief, perhaps disagreeing with that opinion. "What? Carrots in a porridge? Are you mental?" she asked directly. "I hate carrots," she shrugged. 

I had them right where I wanted them. It was kids after all. My body was the same age as theirs, but I was an adult.

I could easily guide them where needed.

"Carrots make your eyesight better. Is that why you want to be a huntsman, Erop?"

I asked in a friendly tone. Erop seemed flustered at Beanne's answer, but quickly started nodding, despite disagreeing with me. "Wow, I didn't know that, huh..." he said, chuckling lightly and running fingers through his hair. "But no bruv, I just can't move all that fast since I am fat, so...I gotta hit them from far away so I don't have to run after'em." his face grinned into a long smirk, seemingly trying to look cool. "I can track, tho. I learned that from my cousin ye, from the Foxes. Great lad, ye!"

I'm starting to realize his accent is quite thick. It sounds almost comically British, but I cannot laugh about that.

"Well, I think that running wouldn't do any harm to you!" Beanne said provocatively, turning her head to the side and making a simple: "Hmph!"

She will be challenging to deal with. But I need to break through to them. She has the advantage. She is the most educated of us all. And I need to use her so that she teaches me how to read. And I think she is hiding something. Something more than being a Witch.

Still, I can navigate through this. 

"A Hero always speaks his mind. Arailt did something similar, didn't he? When he spoke to the ten that followed him? I believe it's Preacher Savas's favorite story. Do you remember it? It's about the importance of truth. Only the naked truth can help others. I think you believe that, don't you?"

Erop pouted, clearly somewhat insulted, while Beanne kept her eyes defiantly closed. But then, after mere seconds, she opened them up, seemingly easing up a little. "Well, duh. Obviously. Every adult is going around on their tip toes in every conversation. Why? You break eggs when you make an omelette. He is fat. So he should run. You are psychotic. So you should be away from society. That's it. You don't need Pa to explain it in a fancy tale. It's like saying you have black hair."

Pa? How familiar. Yet her reasoning is rather fascinating for a six-year-old. Definitely some anti-social tendencies. The question is, is she lying to us, or does she genuinely believe this? I'll base my decisions on the outcome of the next question. I have her right where I want her. She took the bait.

I move my chin down slightly, tilting my head.

"Well, Preacher Savas also speaks of forgiving others for their mistakes, doesn't he? After all, merely breaking the egg doesn't make the omelette; it is the chef's skill that determines the outcome. Others can handle the truth...if there is no ill intent behind it. A Hero doesn't have ill intent...the Witch does."

The room went quiet, with her staring straight at me. We glared at each other. 

And then I smirked.

The awkward silence was broken by Erop's words:

"Are you going to finish the porridge so we can move on to the investigation and the lesson, bruv? Xert's sister has been missing for years, and his mum is worried sick. We are discussing fairy tales and what we think about each other. I mean, this is crazy, man. What are we doing?"

Beanne looked at him, keeping her silent smile.

"You can have it. And yes, we can start. I have already compiled everything there is to the case. I will use it to teach both of you to read. Yes, that means even you, since you are on board."

She then looked back at me and continued to stare at me. No, not at me. Behind me. Almost as if she could see my shadow or something. But then her stare moved away.

We got to work.