Floating Like a Fetus in the Womb
Like a fetus suspended weightlessly in its mother’s womb, Rayna surrendered herself to the current for a long time, drifting as though the river itself were rocking her. It felt as if the water were a child at play, and she let herself enjoy the simple luxury of it.
With her divine power supporting her, she slipped underwater now and then, holding her breath like a natural diver. She swam among the fish for what seemed like ages, as though she had truly become one of them. The fish, drawn to the holy radiance she wore like a second skin, pressed close and moved in perfect harmony with her, a school of tiny silver bodies trailing a great, glowing companion through the open water.
The crushing weight of traveling beside the hero, the fate of the entire continent riding on their shoulders; the things she had been forced to abandon as the years piled up; the endless, tiresome lectures from her fellow mages about dignity and decorum that had buried her true self for decades; the innocent, childlike heart that had once belonged to the man named Rayden—all of it was finally set free the moment she became Rayna.
She darted through the river with pure delight, weaving between the fish like a playful otter, until a sudden shock made her bolt upright.
“Ptui! What is this? Why are these fish charging at me without the slightest fear?! Ack! It tickles!”
The little fish, each no longer than a finger joint, were trying to hide inside her as if her cleavage were a cave. When one slipped between her lips, Rayna shot out of the water in a panic, shaking herself wildly.
She had only wanted to escape the Earth Mother’s insane ramblings, but time had slipped away and she had become nothing more than a mischievous child splashing in the shallows.
“Hey. Is this really okay?”
At Elian’s quiet mutter, Yujin pressed a finger to his lips in a hurry. “Shh. She’ll hear you.”
Rayna, still basking in the gentle embrace of her benevolent divine power, never noticed the six watchful eyes hidden among the bushes.
“You were talking about your friend’s granddaughter earlier. Doesn’t your conscience sting at all about sneaking a peek while she bathes?”
“It’s practice. I need to get used to it.”
Selba stared at Yujin with open contempt for that ridiculous excuse, but curiosity finally got the better of him.
“Just how did someone like you get chosen by the Earth Mother?”
“That’s because—”
After you subjugate the Demon King, I will definitely fulfill your wish in the next life.
Yujin knew the reason perfectly. The Earth Mother had chosen him because he could kill her before the Demon King fully regained his strength—someone capable of driving her to the edge of death itself.
He was a formidable speedrunner who broke records no matter the genre. If he knew the strategy, he used every scrap of information to its fullest. If he didn’t know it, he created one. An outstanding talent.
The Earth Mother, aware that the Demon King—who had been sealed and unsealed for centuries—was now grinding his teeth in earnest, had made that single promise when she selected him.
There has never been a hero party that managed to kill the Demon King.
They were all too late; by the time they reached him, he had already prepared his next vessel.
The previous heroes only thought they had sealed him while his mind transferred to the next body. From the Demon King’s perspective, it was nothing more than repeated near-death experiences.
If that’s the best you can do, then I suppose my judgment was wrong after all. You don’t have the confidence, do you?
Yujin had been a Korean gamer who couldn’t stand being told he was bad at games. The provocative claim that no one else had done it, combined with the taunt that he couldn’t either, made him answer on instinct: This time, he would truly kill the Demon King.
The Gloria Continent was eerily similar to the games he had loved. Most of the information he had gathered for speedruns matched perfectly. Thanks to that, Yujin accomplished what no other hero had—actually subjugating the Demon King. He cleared the game faster than anyone. He felt the superiority of doing what others could not. The thrill of protecting the world. The completely different tension of a hardcore mode where death was final, where every wound hurt and every choice mattered. The immense achievement let him indulge in every pleasure imaginable.
Gourmet feasts satisfied his appetite. Women threw themselves at him, satisfying his lust. Honor on a grand scale gave him a dazzling life. He lived drowning in dopamine until, around the age of sixty, he finally came to his senses.
He realized he had never used his wish. Yet as the final hero who had saved everyone from the Demon King’s eternal threat, he had already tasted nearly everything a human could enjoy. No particular desire came to mind.
‘I wonder how the others are doing.’
The hero’s journey that began from that small worry was simpler than expected. He had refused the escorts powerful people offered, having seen the hunger for fame lurking in their eyes. Finding his own wish came second; he simply didn’t feel he lacked anything. Still, he wondered whether his old companions were living fulfilling lives. It was only natural for an intelligent being to worry about such unusual friends.
The person he met after wandering the continent again was, of course, one of the longtime comrades he had spent years with. He had never had friends on Earth, and becoming a hero hadn’t made it any easier to find true ones. After months of riding across the land, he reached the dwarf village and the moment he saw Selba, a bright smile filled his previously gloomy face.
Selba had been living alone in a quiet village. His children had already left home, and he had been living like a carefree idler. Seeing his old friend, he laughed heartily, as if they had returned to those old days. When Yujin suggested gathering everyone again, Selba gladly joined him.
Selba had complained that traveling at his age made him feel old, but the instant he reunited with Elian it was as if fresh coal had been shoveled into a furnace—his spirit blazed. Elian had become an elder guiding the elves. He too had built a family, but his strong respect for individual independence meant he had sent all his children out into the world and now lived as an old man who occasionally remembered his late wife.
When Selba and Yujin came for him, Elian had said, ‘Are we traveling again?’ and immediately agreed to join. By the time the three of them arrived at the academy to meet Rayden, Yujin had already passed ninety years of age.
Just like this. The way they had always lived. Before he was naturally buried in the earth, the moment he saw his last companion, Yujin was finally able to decide on his wish.
The joy of traveling once more with friends he had met again after so long—the happiness he had forgotten amid daily life. The warmth of family that could never be forgotten, something Rayden, who only missed his one younger sister, had lost. The joy and sorrow born when people connect. ‘I want to feel all of it again.’ That was the wish Yujin organized.
“—She just looked easy to boss around. She seemed moderately okay, so that’s probably why.”
“You?”
“Yeah.”
“So what was that death-defying wish you begged for?”
“Huh?”
“You always glossed over it when Rayna was around. Yujin… don’t think you can fool me too. Selba and Rayna might not have noticed, but I definitely saw it.”
Elian remembered how Yujin had nervously licked his lips and given a vague answer when pressed. He was certain the truth was not the kind of answer Rayna would have imagined. Watching Yujin let out a helpless chuckle as if even he found it absurd, Elian asked carefully.
“Tell us. It might be hard to say to Rayna, but you can tell us, right? …What exactly did you wish for?”
“It’s a secret. I can’t tell even you two.”
As long as the Earth Mother did not speak of his wish first, he had to keep it to himself if he wanted it to come true. And of course the Earth Mother would never reveal it. After all, she knew one of his secrets—
‘I want to marry a beautiful woman who loves me, have lots of children, and live happily. Also, since I’m ready to kill the other half of the Demon King, I want to travel with them again.’
When Yujin, having realized the Demon King they had slain was her other half, spoke those words, the Earth Mother had silently nodded. To others she had appeared as nothing more than a mass of light, but the hero had seen her true form. The moment the hero, who remembered exactly where he had seen her, tried to speak her name, the Earth Mother had hurriedly asked about the details of his wish.
So, what is your definition of a beautiful woman?
Yujin had answered without much thought: a woman with large breasts, a bold woman who didn’t shrink from battle, a woman he could talk with easily, a woman who could enjoy traveling with him.
The Earth Mother had listened carefully, then nodded.
Very well. It would be best if she started close by so the relationship could naturally develop into romance, right? How would a hikikomori like you meet someone naturally? Exactly. Ah, but you’ll have to make an effort to earn her affection little by little. If you can’t, I’ll set the mood for you. How does that sound?
‘You think I can’t do it?!’
Yujin had flared up at the provocation, which was no different from the first time they met. Now, watching Rayna suffer because of his thoughtless answer back then, he let out a small sigh.
“Haa…”
‘I’m sorry, Rayden.’
When he had first seen Rayna’s appearance—carefully crafted to match his tastes—he had felt a momentary thrill. Yet seeing her agonize over her changed body, the human side of Yujin felt clear guilt. Perhaps that was why the Earth Mother had chosen him.
‘But she is pretty… what can I do about that?’
—In the end, perhaps the Earth Mother really had made a mistake.