Chapter 0: A Dream That Was Laughed At

I still remember that day.

A simple wooden classroom, the sound of chalk against the blackboard, and the morning sunlight pouring through the windows. Back then, the world felt small and safe. There was no war. No heroes. No destiny demanding anything from me.

Our teacher smiled.

“Children, when you grow up, what do you want to be?”

Small hands shot up at once.

“Doctor!”
“Nurse!”
“Royal Army soldier!”
“Adventurer!”

Their answers were filled with enthusiasm. I watched their faces—children who did not yet know that big dreams often demand a price that is anything but small.

Then my name was called.

“Rei.”

I stood up from the back of the classroom. My white hair reflected the light, my blue eyes standing out among everyone else.

“I want to be a farmer,” I said.

Silence fell for a moment.
Then laughter filled the room.

“A farmer?”
“That’s not a dream!”
“Why not become a hero instead?”

I did not lower my head.
I did not feel embarrassed.

Instead, I felt certain.

Being a farmer meant living with the land, not with a sword. Waking up early, working hard, and seeing the results of my own effort. A simple life—and a peaceful one. I did not know why, but I had always felt that those who chased glory would one day face war.

Amid the laughter, I realized one thing.

The girl beside me was not laughing.

She had pink hair and golden-yellow eyes. She was looking at me with a calm expression.

I glanced at her.
“Are you going to laugh at me too?” I asked quietly.

She shook her head.
“No,” she said.
“People who know what they want are rare.”

I did not understand what she meant back then.

Time passed. We graduated and went our separate ways. I kept my choice.

On the first day I tilled an empty field, my hands were stained with dirt and my back ached. Yet there was a simple satisfaction in it. I planted tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, and potatoes.

Days passed. Months went by.
My crops grew, and my life felt peaceful.

Until one afternoon, the atmosphere of the fields changed.

A horse-drawn carriage stopped. A woman stepped down from it.

Long pink hair, golden eyes, clean and elegant clothing—far too striking for a small village like this.

“Isn’t that the chosen Blessed Maiden?”
“Come on, let’s ask for her blessing!”

I recognized her immediately.

She was the girl who used to sit beside me.

People knelt and prayed. She turned her head, and our eyes met. I felt awkward—she looked so different from how I remembered her. She seemed to want to approach me, but the Holy Church’s forces called out to her.

She stopped.

The carriage moved again. From the window, she looked at me with an expression I could not quite understand—as if something had been left unfinished.

A few days later, the news reached Citra Village.

“Blessed Maiden Yuzare has been appointed alongside the Hero to defeat the Demon King!”
“With the Blessed Maiden at his side, the Hero will surely win.”
“The world truly favors them.”

I looked down at my hands.

There was envy.
There was regret.

Even so, I chose my fields. I wanted to build a small house and live a simple life.

The next day, the sky darkened.

The clouds moved unnaturally. Lightning struck—black and red. Fierce winds battered the fields, and a deafening impact knocked me to the ground.

When I got back on my feet, I saw someone.

A face identical to mine.

The Hero beloved by the world—Reinhart Solvane—lay on the ground. A sword was embedded in his chest. I knew it was the Demon King’s blade.

I ran toward him.
“H-Hey… are you okay?”

He grabbed my arm. His gaze was sharp. His eyes glowed.

Pain tore through my head.

I saw a battle. I saw the Hero’s party. I saw betrayal—a black-haired man stabbing Reinhart from behind.

It was not the Demon King who brought him down.

Light spread.
Reinhart smiled… and then vanished.

I staggered home. Collapsed onto my bed. My consciousness faded.

I dreamed of meeting Yuzare. I wanted to approach her, but my body would not move.

Morning came.

I looked into the mirror—and froze.

My body had changed. More muscular. Stronger. No longer the body of a farmer.

“H-HEEH?! That’s impossible…!”

The hands that once held a hoe now felt unfamiliar.

I swallowed.

“How am I supposed to explain all of this… to everyone in the village?”

I did not lose my life.
I lost my choice.

And that was when I realized—

my real troubles had only just begun.