Ch.3Chapter 3. A Hero with Popularity but No Limbs

Luciena Estelle.

The protagonist of the Arrogant Saga.

Perhaps due to her origins from a fallen noble family of the Empire, she was a mere soldier with considerable swordsmanship, possessing an open-minded personality that disregarded formalities and natural talent.

It was almost inevitable that she would distinguish herself during the first demon invasion and, as if to prove herself, be chosen by the holy sword Hunoni to become a hero.

Among game players, Luci, the protagonist, was overwhelmingly popular.

She had an attractive appearance with a red ponytail and a tomboy-like expression, along with an impressive chest usually hidden by her breastplate, a slender waist, and wide hips. But above all, the dialogue that represented the players’ thoughts contributed greatly to her popularity.

“Am I your errand girl? How many quests have I done where I’m the only one fighting monsters? What are your soldiers doing?”

“You want me to buy items from the shop across the street? I’m a hero, you know? Instead of fighting demons, you want me to just buy items? Are you rich? Will you give me a good reward?”

“Wait, you misunderstood something, turned evil, and now you’re blaming the villagers? This won’t do. Your childhood friend is still waiting for you, but if you two get married, that woman’s life will be ruined. Let me talk to you properly, and you can die right here.”

“You joined this escort quest but haven’t swung your sword once, drawing all the aggro and getting beaten up. If you’re just going to attract enemies and run, go home. What? You need to personally reclaim your family heirloom? Then I’ll take that heirloom from you, and you can try to reclaim it from me directly.”

Questions that every gamer inevitably harbors.

What exactly are these NPCs who give quests capable of doing?

Why do they give such ridiculous quests?

But it’s the fate of all gamers, regardless of genre, to swallow their annoyance and tears to complete the story.

Luci was a beautiful female protagonist who perfectly scratched the itch of players’ inner thoughts through her dialogue.

However, even players honestly felt that her betrayal in the DLC was somewhat inevitable.

As Rainfold said, she constantly complained about the Empire’s upper echelons and repeatedly made statements that could only be seen as treasonous, saying she would replace or eliminate the Emperor and key ministers.

But Luci didn’t always show such a hardline attitude throughout the game.

Though she seemed like she would only be boisterous, when romance was pursued and affection built up, she revealed a classic tsundere side, creating quite a gap moe appeal.

Fundamentally, she was affectionate toward her companions, subtly caring for and looking after them, showing that despite her direct speech and straightforward actions, she had a warm heart.

Above all, despite her grumbling, she diligently completed quests.

She took special care of her companions.

She opened up to Saint Arsil, who was as sharp-tongued as herself, about her own difficult upbringing when she learned of Arsil’s origins from the lower-class alleys, creating mutual understanding.

With Naidrian, a high elf burdened with heavy responsibilities for his clan, there was initial friction, but Luci honestly confided that she too struggled with the difference between her true self and what was expected of her as a hero, creating a bond of empathy between them.

With Tigria, a magician almost devoid of emotion, she remembered and provided items that Tigria had shown interest in or snacks she had enjoyed, earning enough trust to be thanked.

And then there was Rainfold.

The blonde, blue-eyed shield knight who broke through Luci’s major flaw—her high standards of beauty, or so-called “face obsession”—was her first love, making her heart flutter from their first meeting and showing her deredere side first.

She eagerly showed her affection, and when the hero party was formed and they became engaged, she was so happy that she secretly shed tears.

He protected her attentively.

He wouldn’t even hold her hand casually, and when she hinted at wanting to take things further, he reassured her that they should wait until peaceful times came so they could do so without anxiety about the future.

The most intimate skinship they had was a brief kiss on her forehead when she became jealous of him staring too intently at Rinasien during an audience with the Emperor and Crown Princess.

Even that was enough to make Luci lie awake at night with a flushed face, but regardless, Rainfold was a fiancé who reminded her of her mission and steadfastly protected her both on the battlefield and in daily life.

There was little narrative with the porter.

Even in the game, there were few interactions, to the point where there was a comedy scene about forgetting his existence.

In this world where the reincarnated porter faced the reality of being ignored, there was even less to say.

But what was the actual reality?

Led by Rainfold, who had been madly in love with her, all her affectionate companions betrayed her.

Each cutting off one of her limbs, they wore ugly expressions as they rushed to secure their own interests, and in that moment, the porter whom she had ignored and mistreated saved her and fled.

It happened in an instant, but to Luci’s eyes, everything appeared in slow motion.

From falling off the cliff to being submerged in cold water, every moment passed like a slow-motion sequence.

But her dazed eyes wandered aimlessly, unable to decide what to focus on.

Splash!

The water was dark.

Not complete darkness, but a murky filth.

In that filth, Luci projected her past days.

Days of laughing, chatting, and arguing with her companions.

Days with the one she deeply loved.

But as she traced back through the past, she arrived at the hero party with their cold attitudes, cutting off her limbs.

It’s a terrible nightmare.

A vivid nightmare where the pain feels real.

Let me close my eyes.

To wake from a dream, I must fall asleep within the dream.

When I wake up in bed, I’ll ask my companions.

If they had any grievances with me.

Now that we’ve defeated the Demon King, there’s more than enough time.

They are companions I genuinely like and care for.

If they say they dislike something, I’m willing to think twice before speaking and fix my hot temper.

Just close my eyes for a moment, and everything will be back when I open them.

Indeed, as if her wish was granted, when she closed her eyes, she felt her body rising to the water’s surface.

Luci let go of her consciousness with a faint smile.

Warmth can be felt.

The crackling sound of burning firewood could be heard.

She also realized that she was deeply buried in soft bedding.

That’s more like it.

It was just a terrible nightmare.

She wanted to sleep more, but a savory smell wafting from somewhere disturbed her.

Thinking it might be mealtime, Luci opened her eyes and tried to get up.

No, she tried to.

“Ugh?!”

Strange.

Her arms are short.

Her legs are short too.

The parts touching the floor burn as if they’re on fire.

“Aaaaargh!!!”

“Hero!”

Unable to bear the pain, she screamed.

Burning pain spread from the ends of her limbs throughout her entire body.

As she flailed with less than half her limbs, Lin, who had been cooking porridge, was greatly startled and hurriedly approached to check on Luci’s condition.

“It hurts! It hurts!!!”

“Hero! Breathe!”

“Kuhuk! Rainfold-!!!”

Lin was just as flustered.

The sun had set, and it was deep into the night.

A time when groups that only move in darkness roam the forest.

In such a situation, with the campfire and Luci’s piercing screams, they were bound to attract attention.

“It hurts!!!”

“Hero!!”

Her flailing limbs had already been cauterized and neatly sealed by Tigria’s fire.

Nevertheless, she twisted in pain from phantom limb sensations.

Lin wanted to leave her until she calmed down naturally, until she cried out as much as she wanted and became exhausted, but they were fugitives.

With no choice, Lin picked up her body and held her in his arms.

“No!”

“Shhh-.”

“Who are you!”

“I’m the porter.”

“Where’s Rainfold? My fiancé!”

“Don’t you remember? The shield knight and the hero party betrayed you.”

“What…?”

“They cut off your limbs, saying you were a threat to imperial authority.”

The struggling stopped.

Luci looked at the porter with an expression of disbelief.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

It wasn’t a dream.

“My arms….”

Both arms were of different lengths but shared the commonality of being cut off above the elbow.

“My legs….”

Tragically, both legs were severed somewhere between the thigh and pelvis.

In the end, Hero Luci had become a cripple without even joints.

“Aah….”

A hoarse lament escaped, but no tears came.

Her eyes, as if drained by the river, only grew drier.

“Don’t worry, you are alive.”

“Alive, you say?”

At the porter’s whisper, Luci filled her empty heart with anger.

“What’s the point of being alive as a cripple?”

“Being alive is important. It means you have a foundation to start anew.”

“How can I start anything in this state!”

“That depends on your choice. What do you want to do?”

“I want to die.”

“That’s not an option.”

“You said it depends on my choice.”

“I’m not trying to take credit, but I saved your life. So please don’t talk about dying in front of the person who saved you.”

“Did I ask you to save me?”

“You didn’t seem like you wanted to die.”

“I didn’t know you could talk this well?”

“Indeed. This seems to be the longest conversation we’ve ever had.”

Her energy drained completely.

Luci couldn’t understand why she was calmly talking with the porter in this condition.

She thought her heart would be more painful and bitter, but her mind was already beginning to adapt and adjust, damn it.

That didn’t mean the emptiness in her chest was gone.

“What should I do now.”

“There are many options.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“For instance, revenge.”

“Revenge… ha….”

With this body?

The only body part she had left that could wield a weapon was her mouth.

Should she bite someone’s neck?

“I’ll help you.”

“How can you help, a non-combatant!”

“By restoring your body.”

Her eyes trembled at the unexpected answer.

“You’re saying you can restore limbs that have been cut off and cauterized?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Somewhere on a peak in the Northern Frost Mountains, there’s an absolute recovery potion created and blessed by the Goddess herself.”

The so-called elixir.

In fantasy game worlds, it was an unwritten rule that anything that cured status ailments and acted as a panacea was called an elixir.

“You’re lying…”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are!”

Banging her head against his chest, Luci fell into panic again.

“This is all a dream.”

She denies it.

“A dream that’s hard to wake up from!”

She denies it again.

And to her,

“Let’s say it is.”

Lin affirmed.

“You were betrayed in a dream that’s hard to wake from.”

And reminded her of the reality within the dream.

“Then let’s get revenge? Since it’s just a dream anyway, wouldn’t it be unsatisfying to end it after being victimized?”

He gently placed her back on the bedding and turned around to apply medicine.

The spot where she had headbutted him was turning blue with bruises.

“Who are you?”

He seems unfamiliar.

Was the expression behind the mask always like this?

That faint smile lingering on his lips, those tired drooping eyes, even as she writhed in pain and wailed before him—it all seemed so unfamiliar to Luci.

“Just a porter. One who carries the title of being part of the hero party, despite appearances.”

But at the moment he gave this answer, his face looked somewhat bitter.