The Hero Returns
Even this time, he had taken only the Saintess.
My brother had come back alive.
With the Demon King’s head in his hands.
“Hero-nim!”
“Leon-nim!”
“Hero, long live!”
The streets of the capital were in chaos.
Flower petals rained down from every window, and the bell tower had been ringing nonstop for hours, the sound so piercing it hurt the ears.
Normally I would have found the noise unbearable, but today I understood perfectly.
He’s alive.
Through the crowd, I finally spotted him.
His black hair, his massive frame that stood out no matter where he was, the rough lines on his face that hadn’t been there when he left home, and the scar near his jaw that I had never seen before.
Yet his steps were steady, and he still held his sword.
When people waved, he accepted it with a look that said he was tired of the fuss.
That was enough for me.
Half of it was already a success.
Liana beside me turned her head.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because I’m happy.”
“Because my brother came back?”
“That too.”
“That too?”
Liana narrowed her eyes.
I pretended not to notice and looked behind him.
He hadn’t come back alone.
The silver-haired Sword Saint.
The Great Mage in her purple robes.
The First Princess wrapped in the royal cloak.
The tall Dragon race woman who stood out even among the crowd.
The assassin who seemed to appear and disappear at will.
And beside him, the Saintess.
Everyone who had followed him to the Demon King’s castle had returned alive.
Good.
That really was half success.
Liana studied my face.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing much.”
“Every time you get that look, something’s up.”
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“It’s the face of someone who thinks he alone pulled it off according to plan.”
She was right.
Childhood friends were terrifying.
I just smiled it off.
Explaining it would take too long.
After all, it had been a decade-long project.
***
I had known this was a novel the moment I turned ten.
Before that, there had been strange things.
Arden.
The Arsein Kingdom.
Leon.
I had heard the names somewhere, but there were so many similar names in the world that it hadn’t occurred to me I had somehow entered a novel.
The final piece clicked into place with my brother’s aptitude test.
The priestess placed her hand on the crystal ball and read the results one by one.
“Sword aptitude: top.”
The surroundings buzzed.
I just figured it was normal.
After all, he had always been good with a sword since childhood.
“Holy power aptitude: top.”
This time I felt something off.
And.
“Mana aptitude… top.”
The room fell silent.
The priestess checked the crystal ball again, as if she had misread it.
The result was the same.
Spirit affinity was also high.
When blessing resistance lit up last, the priestesses exchanged glances.
Only then did I remember.
Wait.
Leon Arden.
Insane talent.
Modern values.
And the youngest son of a rural noble who would one day become the Hero.
Ah.
So this is it.
It was the classic fantasy novel I had read in my previous life.
The title had been vague.
I didn’t remember the details clearly.
But I remembered the protagonist.
After all, he was my own brother.
Leon Arden.
Born into a rural noble family.
Gathering companions.
Failing.
Dying several times.
Finally defeating the Demon King.
That part was fine.
The problem came at the end.
After killing the Demon King, Leon received a reward from the gods.
A chance to return to the world he originally lived in.
And if he wanted, he could bring any companions he had fought with.
At least the dimensional gate didn’t restrict the number of people.
But in the original story, Leon only chose the Saintess.
The two of them returned to Earth.
End.
When I read it as a child, I hadn’t thought much of it.
I figured he had simply chosen one person, as was the custom for a classic fantasy protagonist.
But living in this world myself, it looked different.
What about the rest?
The Sword Saint returned to the north.
The Great Mage to the tower.
The princess to the palace.
The Dragon race woman to the dragon realm.
The assassin’s fate was never properly revealed.
Of course the novel ended the moment the protagonist left.
But those people weren’t the kind who vanished with the story’s end.
A man who had fought side by side for years.
One day he suddenly disappeared with only one woman to another world.
Is that okay?
A ten-year-old me had worried about it for a long time.
And I reached a very simple conclusion.
If I make everyone happy, it’ll be fine.
Why had Leon only chosen the Saintess even though he could have taken me with him?
Probably because he had no leeway.
His body had been shattered fighting the Demon King.
There was so much responsibility.
His mind had probably been empty too.
There simply hadn’t been enough left in him to take care of anyone else.
So I would create the leeway for him.
First, the body.
“Evan.”
Eighteen-year-old Leon glared at me while holding a cup.
“What is this?”
“A recovery potion.”
“Why is the recovery potion brown?”
“Because the ingredients are brown.”
“It smells weird.”
“Hold your nose and drink it.”
Leon brought the cup close to his face, then pulled it away again.
“You try it first.”
“I made this for you. Why would I drink it?”
“It’s not poison, is it?”
“You’re really something.”
“Last time it gave you diarrhea too.”
“That was an early version.”
“That makes it even scarier.”
In the end he drank it.
A good brother.
From then on, I steadily made potions.
Potions that helped with recovery after training.
Potions that eased fatigue when the body seemed about to break.
After surviving poison, I adjusted the formula to withstand it better.
Once I started going to war, I added effects that helped with mana recovery and reduced muscle damage.
It wasn’t a great potion.
No matter how good my ability was, I couldn’t create effects that didn’t exist.
Herbs from the hometown forest had limits.
World tree fruits didn’t roll around everywhere.
Nor did dragon hearts sell for three silver coins a bundle at the market.
But if they piled up steadily, they were terrifying.
A person who trained ten times could train eleven.
The next day they would hurt less.
They could move again half a day earlier.
One time made no difference.
Over years, it did.
Leon had grown a little faster than the version I remembered from the original story.
At some point, I started to get greedy.
At first it was just to make him suffer less.
But eventually it became a long-term project.
And on the day Leon turned eighteen.
“Evan.”
“What?”
Leon held a small red bottle.
His expression was serious.
“What is this?”
“A reinforcement potion.”
“Where are you reinforcing?”
“Overall.”
“Overall where?”
“Overall, overall.”
“Why aren’t you looking at me?”
I looked out the window.
“I wasn’t avoiding you.”
“Look at me.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Evan.”
“It’s good for the body.”
“I heard that line before.”
“It actually worked.”
“I couldn’t sleep all night after drinking it.”
“The effect was good.”
Leon set the bottle down.
“I’m not drinking it.”
“Then you’ll regret it later.”
“Why me?”
“You don’t have to know.”
“What exactly are you planning to turn me into?”
I didn’t answer.
If I spoke, he probably wouldn’t drink it.
Eventually he drank the potion.
It would be troublesome if misunderstood.
It really was good for the body.
It helped the stamina and blood flow.
It just came with some other effects.
Anyway.
His face had always been good.
His personality was unusually well-behaved.
He hated discrimination based on status.
He couldn’t just walk past someone weaker than himself.
And he had built a body that could endure several years of war.
At this point, taking care of one more person was no burden.
Two or three people wouldn’t make much difference.
With this much, he should be able to handle it on his own.
There was nothing more I could do for him.
Leon just needed to live happily with his companions.
And I.
“Evan.”
Liana poked my hand with the back of hers.
I snapped out of it.
It was the victory ceremony again.
“Thinking about something else again?”
“Just a moment.”
“What are you thinking about so long while looking at your brother?”
“You’ve grown well.”
Liana made an odd face.
“That’s not something a little brother should say.”
“I raised you a lot.”
“Your parents would be upset if they heard that.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
I smiled.
And I looked at Liana’s hand.
Whether Leon saved the world or fell in love with someone, I had no intention of getting involved on that side.
I would return home.
With Liana.
Pick herbs.
Make potions.
Marry.
Quietly.
That was my plan.
As long as Leon handled the rest well.
***
I finally met Leon properly after the victory ceremony ended.
It was the new mansion we had received in the capital.
Our parents were still busy dealing with visiting nobles.
I went to Leon’s room.
As soon as the door closed, Leon collapsed onto the sofa.
“I’m dead.”
“The person who killed the Demon King shouldn’t say that.”
“Nobles are harder than the Demon King.”
“I’ll accept that.”
“The Demon King is dead, but nobles?”
“Killing them makes things worse.”
I let out a small laugh.
Leon laughed with me.
Up close, things I hadn’t noticed at the ceremony were visible.
Calluses layered on his hands.
A small scar on his cheek.
An old burn mark on the back of his hand.
Still, compared to what I expected, he was fine.
His aura felt stable despite the fatigue.
He’s been taking the potions.
I held out my hand.
“Hand.”
Leon looked at me.
“Is this the greeting you give someone who just met his brother after a long time?”
“I did it earlier.”
“Just waving from a distance?”
“I confirmed you were alive.”
“That’s not enough.”
Even as he said that, he held out his hand.
It felt familiar.
I took his wrist.
Pulse.
Mana flow.
Accumulated injury marks.
I checked roughly.
“Surprisingly good.”
“Your little brother sends you potions.”
“Did you skip any?”
“Two times.”
I watched quietly.
“Three times.”
I kept watching.
Leon avoided my eyes.
“……Four times?”
“Leon.”
“It was during the war.”
“Even if dying to the Demon King is acceptable, if you die without taking the potion, how upset would I be?”
“Why are you upset?”
“I made it for years.”
“It’s not for my body?”
“It’s for the body that drank my potion.”
“You say scary things so casually.”
Still, Leon was smiling.
I smiled too.
He was alive.
That was enough.
Finally, I just needed to confirm one thing.
I released his hand and leaned back against the sofa.
“So.”
Leon immediately furrowed his brow.
“Why again?”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“That’s even scarier.”
I glanced out the window.
In the garden, the Saintess was talking with my mother.
“You don’t like the Saintess?”
Leon’s expression turned strange.
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, no.”
“……I don’t like her.”
Of course.
I nodded to myself.
It was as in the original story.
I had expected that much.
The problem was what came next.
“Then what about the others?”
“The others?”
“Cecilia or Isabella.”
Leon stared at me.
“Why do their names suddenly come up?”
“We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“They’re companions.”
“Is that all?”
“Then what else is there?”
I looked at him for a moment.
Honestly.
He still hasn’t caught on.
Well.
It was possible.
He had fought the Demon King army for years.
Where would he have had time for romance?
Now that the war was over, he would think slowly.
“There’s also Eleanor.”
“Evan.”
“Arseria.”
“Why?”
“And Nadia.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing.”
“When you say that, I get the most anxious.”
I changed the subject.
“Anyway, what about the Saintess?”
Leon looked out the window.
“I haven’t properly talked to her yet.”
“Why?”
“I only got back from killing the Demon King today.”
“That makes sense.”
“And.”
Leon leaned his head against the sofa.
“Human affairs aren’t that simple.”
I took his words in the best possible light.
Oh.
He was thinking.
Good.
I stood up.
“Then rest.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“I’m meeting Liana.”
Leon smiled immediately.
“As expected.”
“What?”
“You’re exactly the same as when you were little.”
“That’s not something you should say.”
“You said you’d get married.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“After I settle in the hometown.”
Leon looked at the ceiling.
“I’m envious.”
I grabbed the door handle and turned back.
“You should do it too.”
Leon was silent for a moment.
And smiled.
“Yeah.”
After hearing that, I was completely relieved.
He was thinking.
Now there was really nothing for me to interfere with.
***
The problem arose three days later.
From morning, the entire mansion was in an uproar.
“Evan!”
My mother burst into the room.
I looked up from arranging potion bottles in surprise.
“What is it?”
My mother’s face was deathly pale.
“Leon is gone.”
“……My brother?”
At first I didn’t understand.
He must have gone to the palace.
Or maybe he went out with the Saintess.
There were many places Leon could have gone in the capital.
But that wasn’t it.
The room was empty.
Some of his luggage was missing.
The Saintess was gone too.
And in the center of the mansion garden, a mark remained that hadn’t been there the day before.
A large circle.
Holy power stuck to the floor.
A trace as if space had twisted and then closed again.
Mages from the palace rushed over.
People also came from the temple.
The investigation took a long time.
I stood quietly beside it.
After the old mage examined the floor several times, he stood up.
His expression was grim.
“It appears to be a dimensional displacement mark.”
My father immediately asked.
“Dimensional displacement?”
“It’s different from ordinary teleportation.”
“Then?”
The mage hesitated as if choosing his words.
“It’s not a spatial issue.”
The surroundings fell silent.
“It seems he crossed over to another world entirely.”
My mother gasped.
My father’s face hardened.
Everyone around was shocked.
Not me.
……He really went.
I remembered.
After defeating the Demon King.
The gods had given Leon a chance to return to his original world.
And anyone he chose to bring could cross the dimensional gate.
He didn’t have to leave anyone behind.
It had been that way in the original story too.
But Leon had only chosen the Saintess.
And now.
Only two people were missing.
Leon and the Saintess.
……Exactly the same.
I looked down at the mark on the floor.
Strange things came to mind one after another.
The day I picked herbs with thorns in my hand.
The day I burned a pot while making potions.
The potion bottles I sent to Leon one by one.
The formula I changed to speed up recovery.
The boxes I sent without stopping even during the war.
And.
That red bottle.
He could have taken it.
His body couldn’t have endured it.
My stamina, which I had worked on for years, was fine.
But.
He drank it anyway.
Only one person.
My decade-long plan had been cleanly destroyed.
“Evan.”
Liana had come over.
I didn’t know when she had arrived.
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Liana stared at my face.
“You’re lying.”
“What?”
“Everyone else has shocked faces, but yours looks upset.”
I looked at Liana.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not upset.”
“Then?”
I thought for a moment.
“Empty.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve had it for over ten years.”
Liana’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“Nothing much.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
“It really is nothing.”
“You didn’t feed him anything, did you?”
She hit the nail on the head.
I avoided her gaze.
Liana grabbed my arm.
“Evan.”
“It was good for the body.”
“What did you feed him?”
“Various things.”
“Various things?”
“I really did it because it was good for the body.”
Liana stared at me for a long time, then sighed.
“It’s fine.”
“You believe me?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“My brother is alive.”
At those words, I fell silent.
Liana took my hand.
It was warm.
“The Saintess went with him too.”
“Yeah.”
“So it’s okay.”
She was right.
The original goal was to save Leon.
If he returned with the Saintess to his original world, at least he hadn’t died.
Leon was a person who had lived in the modern world.
He didn’t need to adapt.
The Saintess would have many things to learn, but with Leon beside her, it should be fine.
Yes.
It was okay.
It was a little sad that my long-term project had failed.
But as long as Leon was happy, it was fine.
Thinking that, the remaining people naturally came to mind.
The Sword Saint Cecilia.
The Great Mage Isabella.
The Princess Eleanor.
The Dragon race Arseria.
The assassin Nadia.
Liana waved her hand lightly.
“Thinking about something else again?”
“Your brother’s companions.”
“Worried?”
I thought for a moment.
And shook my head.
“No.”
“Really?”
“They’re not people I need to worry about.”
They were the heroes who defeated the Demon King.
The Sword Saint was the strongest knight in the north.
Isabella was the Great Mage.
Eleanor was the First Princess.
Arseria was a candidate for Dragon King.
Nadia was the assassin who had entered the Demon King’s castle and come out alive.
Leon’s sudden disappearance might make things difficult for now.
The war had just ended.
Suddenly losing years of work would be empty.
Still, over time, each would return to their place.
They were strong.
They were adults.
Liana asked.
“Then what will you do now?”
“What?”
“You.”
I looked around for a moment.
The grand capital mansion.
Constantly visiting royal people.
Nobles coming to see the hero’s family.
I was already tired.
“Shall we go home?”
Liana blinked.
“Already?”
“Yeah.”
“Your parents?”
“They’ll have to stay here for a while.”
There were so many things to do because we were the hero’s parents.
I wasn’t.
And I didn’t want to be.
“Let’s go down first, just the two of us.”
Liana smiled very slightly.
Her expression brightened immediately.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“What will we do there?”
“Open a pharmacy.”
I thought for a moment.
“Fix the house a bit.”
“Again?”
I looked at Liana.
“And get married.”
Liana was silent for a moment.
“……You say that so casually?”
“Why?”
“We could set the mood a little.”
“We’re already engaged.”
“That’s that.”
“You don’t like it?”
“Who said I didn’t like it?”
Her expression brightened even more.
I laughed for no reason.
“Then it’s settled.”
We could live normally.
Pick herbs near the forest.
Make potions.
Earn enough to live on.
Marry Liana.
Quietly.
This time, really.
The original story had ended too.
The Demon King was dead.
Leon had returned to his own world.
There was no longer any reason for me to worry about the future.
How the remaining women would live—
That was no longer my concern.