Seven years had passed since the village was attacked by magical beasts.
The scars had faded. Nikaras Village was as peaceful as ever.
It was a quiet country life—sowing seeds in spring, fishing in the river in summer, picking fruits in autumn, and cutting wood in winter. And right now, a small commotion was stirring in the village.
A horse-drawn carriage stood before one of the houses.
The horses were strong and beautiful with shiny coats. The wooden carriage behind them looked even sturdier than the horses. Inside, a bureaucrat dressed in the formal attire of the Lexenil Kingdom—the domain that governed these lands—sat waiting for the person he had come to fetch.
And that person—the one keeping the bureaucrat waiting—was currently wearing an apron and washing dishes.
She was skillfully manipulating basic-tier water magic, rinsing the egg yolk off a wooden plate. Setting the last plate on the drying rack, she simultaneously channeled fire and wind magic to dry it. In an instant, the water was flung away, and the plate sparkled in the morning sunlight.
"Reminia, we should get going soon. It's rude to keep Hashiry-san waiting," Wolf said, rising from his chair.
Reminia, having finished the dishes, untied her apron strings. She flipped back her beautiful red hair and turned around.
"Do I really have to go?" she asked, her face troubled.
Just as he'd expected, Reminia had grown into a stunning young woman. Slender and supple, with fair skin that was the spitting image of her mother's.
Her chest had grown a lot too—she needed new clothes every two weeks. Her mother had also been... well-endowed, though he'd never had time to notice back then.
Sadly, she hadn't grown much taller—and she was sensitive about it. She milked the village cows every day and drank fresh milk without fail. But all that effort seemed to have gone to her chest instead.
Wolf let out a breath at his beautiful daughter.
"We discussed this and decided it already," he said. "You decided you wanted to go to the capital. You were so excited about researching Mom's work, weren't you?"
"I know, but..." Reminia pouted.
She had grown up, but in Wolf's eyes, she was still a child. He had so many worries.
"Papa should come too."
"We talked about that too. Papa's retired. It's not easy to uproot your life at my age and adapt to a new environment."
"Mmm..." This time, she puffed out her cheeks.
Finally resigning herself, Reminia threw her arms around Wolf with her still-damp hands.
"Doesn't Papa worry about me?"
"Of course I do. But I believe you'll overcome it, Reminia."
"I'm worried about you, Papa. Will you be okay when I'm gone?"
"I'll be fine. I lived alone before, you know."
"Don't drink too much."
"I know."
"Don't just eat meat. No greasy food either."
"I'll eat my vegetables too."
"Think about nutritional balance."
"Yeah. I will."
"And keep the house clean. I don't want to come back and find it turned into a junk heap."
"I'll clean up before you come home."
"Change your underwear every day. And do your laundry daily."
"I promise."
"And... and..."
"Reminia. I get it now..." Wolf gave a wry smile.
Lately, Reminia had become just like a little wife. While her father was working in the mountains or around the village, she had protected the home—all while studying magic.
But that ended today.
Reminia was leaving for the capital.
To research magical beasts—and to prove and develop her mother's legacy: the Double World Theory.
Reminia finally pulled away from Wolf.
"And... please don't do anything reckless."
"I know. I won't do anything reckless like back then."
The Beywulf attack had apparently traumatized Reminia. She'd gotten better recently, but she used to fiercely resist whenever Wolf tried to go into the mountains. There were times it took him a full day just to convince her.
Reminia wiped her tears.
She nodded, left the house, and finally boarded the carriage. The messenger from the capital looked very relieved.
"Papa, I'll write when I get to the capital," she called out.
"Got it. I'll look forward to it," Wolf replied.
"I'll definitely come back for the Divine Festival and summer break."
"I'll have your favorite dishes waiting."
Reminia leaned out the carriage window for one last hug. They kissed each other's cheeks, and finally, the carriage began to move.
She kept waving. Wolf and the villagers who'd come to see her off waved back.
The village forest disappeared beyond the hills.
Reminia, who'd been leaning out the window, finally sat back inside and lowered the window.
"I was getting worried you might not come after all," Hashiry said.
She was the messenger from the capital—a woman with short white hair and narrow, pale blue eyes. Tall and thin, with a young face and short hair, she could be mistaken for a man. But she was actually a twenty-four-year-old woman.
Her title: Researcher at the Royal Magical Research Institute. Young as she looked, she was an A-class mage, authorized to lead a company of soldiers in emergencies. And in peacetime, she served as Reminia's secretary.
"Don't worry, I keep my promises," Reminia said. "It would make Papa the most upset if I didn't."
"I don't mean to comment on people's personal inclinations, but Miss Reminia, you've got quite the daddy complex."
"It's not like that! I just love Papa!"
"...(Isn't that exactly what a daddy complex is?)"
Hashiry muffled a laugh.
Meanwhile, Reminia gazed at the distant sky and began to speak.
"Papa is my hero."
"Hero...? I find that hard to believe," Hashiry said. "I heard your father is only a D-class adventurer..."
"Like I said—my hero. That's why I have to protect him."
"?? Sounds like there's a complicated story there."
Hashiry shrugged.
Suddenly, Reminia shouted:
"Stop!"
The sudden shout startled the driver, who yanked the reins. The abrupt deceleration sent Hashiry lurching forward in her seat.
By then, Reminia had already jumped down from the carriage, pressing her ear to the ground.
"What's wrong—?!" Hashiry exclaimed, narrowing her eyes.
She sensed something was wrong. It was impressive that she noticed so quickly. Without Reminia, they would have kept driving. The change was that small.
"Coachman, take cover behind the carriage," Reminia ordered.
"B-but..." The coachman hesitated.
He was a soldier of the kingdom—tasked with protecting Reminia and Hashiry. In times of trouble, his duty was to step forward and guard them.
He was faithful to his post. But then the ground began to rumble—and he couldn't help but cry out.
"Follow Reminia-jou's orders," Hashiry commanded. "Now—"
She stepped out to meet it.
And confirmed it.
"Reminia-jou," Hashiry asked. "Is this a foe that requires my support?"
"I am your superior, aren't I?" Reminia replied.
"Until you're officially commissioned, you're still a civilian."
"Either way, I think you're obligated to help me. But fine."
Reminia flipped back her red hair.
She took one step forward.
At the same time, it emerged from the depths of the earth.
GRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!
What erupted with a deafening roar was a Greed Worm.
A species said to be a subterranean dragon—with a body length capable of swallowing a small hill in an instant. And the one that appeared before Reminia was larger than normal. An A-class equivalent—a colossal magical beast.
"A Greed Worm... in a backwater like this..." Even Hashiry—an A-class mage—was struck speechless for once.
She analyzed the situation in an instant.
The odds were bad.
"Reminia-jou! We need to run!" Hashiry shouted. "Even for you—"
"Stay back, Hashiry," Reminia said calmly.
Reminia's back no longer belonged to a fifteen-year-old girl.
It carried the bearing of a hero—just as she'd said.
The Greed Worm oriented itself toward them.
Creatures that dwell underground, Greed Worms have no eyes. Instead, their massive mouths hung open, dripping corrosive fluid that could melt even stone.
It burrowed through the earth, slithering toward them.
Reminia didn't panic.
She raised her hand and softly chanted.
Shatter the rule of the Flame Crown—
become as blazing hair,
o destroyer bound in crimson oath.
Thou, renamed, here provide proof—
I, granting amnesty to the Seventh Gate,
seek passage through tyranny and heavenly illusion.
Come forth from the gods:
Flame, and (a) thou art the emissary (gu) of destruction (ni)!
Flame erupted from Reminia's hand.
A massive blade of crimson fire descended upon the Greed Worm like a beast unleashed from its chains.
The colossal body—which could have swallowed a fortress whole—was instantly engulfed in flames.
"AAAAAAHHHH!" the Greed Worm shrieked.
The creature writhed.
With every spasm, the earth shook. But it was powerless. Its body, which had endured the crushing weight of the deep earth for so long, could not resist the gods' fire. The only thing that remained was the sickening stench of burning flesh.
"Mythic-tier... 10th-tier magic..." Hashiry whispered, watching the soaring flames.
This was a spell capable of turning the surrounding area into scorched earth if used improperly. It had been observed in Straval just three years ago—a tier of magic that only Reminia could wield. Even an A-class magical beast stood no chance against its fury.
The Greed Worm's charred body crumpled.
As it hit the ground, it shattered like a puzzle.
"Well then," Reminia said, flipping back her red hair as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Shall we be on our way?"
Adventurer rank: "SS."
In Straval, only two people bore the title of [Legend]—Great Hero. Reminia Midres was one of them.
But she was not the protagonist of this story.
Even a hero becomes just a supporting character—next to someone who would later become legend, who would claim the new title of "SSS."
In the presence of an ordinary forty-something adventurer named Wolf Midres.
Summary:
Reminia departs Nikaras Village for the capital to research her mother's Double World Theory, leaving behind her retired father Wolf after a tearful farewell. On the road, an A-class Greed Worm attacks their carriage, and Reminia annihilates it with mythic-tier magic, revealing her SS-rank Legend status. Despite her power, the narrative reframes Wolf as the true center of the story, hinting at his future SSS-rank legacy.
Trivia:
Reminia's mother, Remilia, developed the Double World Theory and passed away prior to the story's events.
Wolf was involved in the Beywulf incident seven years ago, an event that traumatized Reminia.
Reminia is one of only two Legend-ranked adventurers in Straval.
The Greed Worm is categorized as an A-class magical beast and is described as a subterranean dragon.
Hashiry serves as both Reminia's secretary and her escort to the capital.
Wolf is a retired D-class adventurer, yet the final lines hint he will later attain the SSS-rank title.
Reminia's incantation uses parenthetical reading guides (a), (gu), (ni) as phonetic rhythm markers.
The Divine Festival is referenced as an event Reminia will return home for.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ The original Japanese "破壊者よ" uses a vocative particle "よ" (yo) that adds archaic ceremonial weight. "O destroyer" captures this by employing Early Modern English vocative "o" to convey the same solemn, ritualistic invocation.
2 ↩ These parenthetical markers in the incantation are phonetic reading guides or pronunciation aids for rhythmic emphasis in the original Japanese. They are preserved as visual markers without direct translation, maintaining the incantation's ritual cadence.
3 ↩ Translates the Japanese loanword "ファザコン" (fazakon). The term is a Japanese abbreviation of "father complex" and carries playful yet mildly teasing connotations in anime/LN culture, reflecting Hashiry's teasing tone.
Notes:
• Nikaras - The village where Wolf settles after retiring from adventuring. A rural community with a protective barrier that typically wards off low-level beasts.
• Hashiry - A twenty-four-year-old researcher at the Royal Magical Research Institute. She has short white hair, narrow pale blue eyes, a tall slender build, and a boyish appearance. She holds A-class mage status and serves as Reminia's secretary and escort to the capital. She is professional yet playful, often teasing Reminia.
• Reminia - A fifteen-year-old girl with beautiful red hair, fair skin, and a slender yet developed figure. She is an SS-rank adventurer bearing the title of Legend, one of only two in Straval. She possesses powerful magic and studies her deceased mother's Double World Theory. She is deeply attached to her father, calling him "Papa." An eight-year-old girl with bright red hair, large amethyst-like eyes, and white skin. She is intelligent, quick to learn magic, and deeply devoted to her father. She displays a thoughtful nature behind her tomboyish behavior and has a strong emotional bond with Wolf.
• Wolf - A D-rank adventurer in his late thirties with a softening gut and fifteen years of experience. He retired from adventuring to raise an abandoned child. He has a practical, humble personality and struggles with parenting but shows deep paternal devotion. A forty-something former adventurer with D-class ranking. He lives a retired pastoral life in Nicalas Village, raising his daughter Reminia alone after his wife's death. He has a gentle, practical personality and maintains a warm but weary paternal demeanor.
• Beywulf - A C-rank beast that attacks Nikaras village. A wolf-like creature with fangs and claws that poses a significant threat to the village.
• Straval - The Fifth World where the story takes place. Beasts appeared suddenly in this world two hundred years ago.
• Midres - The family name carried by Wolf, Reminia, and Remilia. The lineage is associated with ordinary adventurer roots, with Reminia elevating the name to legendary status.
• Remilia - The deceased mother of Reminia and wife of Wolf. She was a researcher who developed the Double World Theory. Her physical features—fair skin and developed figure—are inherited by her daughter.