I Became the Heroine's Trauma (1)

Ever ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since Silverstar Merchant Group started investing in our county through Yurha, my daily routine could be summed up in one word: "grind." Eat. Train. Train. 'I'm not some ten-year-old prodigy or anything.'

I'm just a gamer who grinded hard in one game. Sure, that experience had seeped into this world, but with my current body, I had neither the leeway nor the means to meddle in the game's past events.

A seven-year-old young master of a count's family. And one who's a heretic with ideas that clash against his house's traditions, no less. I had no experience running a territory, and I wasn't in a position to influence the count's administrative structure.

The one silver lining? The events tied to the "world's destruction" wouldn't kick off until I and Yurha enrolled in the academy at seventeen—ten years from now, the original story's starting point.

'Everything before that is just the ordinary backstories for the main and supporting characters.'

A house falls to ruin. A family lost to bandits. These were everyday tragedies in this era. If I tried to intervene in every single one, I'd have to abandon this environment right now.

So I reached a conclusion. The most efficient and reliable way to prepare for the future—to avert the world's end—was to build my strength before enrolling in the academy.

'Actually, this is even better.' Better than stirring up variables in the past. I could apply the strategy methods I already knew from the original story.

...I felt a bit sorry for those who'd enter the academy bearing unhappy pasts, but my own nose was too cold to go saving them right now. I was busy training.

"Oppa, what're you looking at?"

"A report."

"What kind? Something about the territory?"

"Nah, a personal growth report I specially requested from Yurha."

Seia peeked at the parchment I was reviewing, but puffed out her cheeks the moment she heard it was from Yurha.

"Buu."

"Seia. You need to get along with Miss Yurha, got it?"

"Uuu..."

Even my words couldn't hide her dissatisfaction. She harbored hostility toward Yurha, rooted partly in the Hapsderk environment—

"Gonna spend time with that girl again?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

But right now, my stake was bigger. Ever since Yurha started staying in the territory, I'd been spending more than half the time I used to share with Seia on her instead.

'Just like a kid who had her toy snatched away.'

Seia was five. And there were no peers or playmates her age around. A count's lady at five, and the Hapsderk family despised any contact with outsiders.

It had been the same for me. Luckily, I was starting to slip out of that environment now.

"Mother hasn't been calling for you?"

"Hmm... dunno. She seems busy lately, hasn't summoned me."

"Busy?"

"Yeah. Doing something in the bedroom with Father, I guess."

"........."

Should I be glad I'd fallen out of my parents' favor, or lament their antics in trying to secure another male heir now that the only one was veering off course?

In a way, Yurha getting close to me might stem from her sensing my desire to escape those parents and that environment. Pity. Investment. Or maybe a touch of shared misery, even if the circumstances differed.

'Gotta tough it out as long as I can.' There was no better setup for training.

"Seia."

"Yeah?"

"Close your eyes and lie back in the rocking chair for a sec?"

"Okay!"

At my request, Seia immediately reclined in the rocker, hands neatly folded, eyes shut as always, slowly relaxing her body.

"Gonna cast a spell real quick."

I opened the box on the table. It was packed with mana stones—processed ones from the magic tower Silverstar had set up for spellcasting.

I wouldn't have gotten this much normally, but the hefty fees from lending out the Monster Zone as a hunting ground made it worthwhile.

'Money really is great.'

That was why my parents and the administrators couldn't complain much.

'And thanks to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it, I can grind XP faster with these excess stones.'

Fwoosh.

I ignited gray flames. The illusionary flames for hypnosis—vastly different from basic magic—were now castable without incantation.

'They say growth speed varies by talent, but this is ridiculous.'

According to my growth report, gauged by Yurha's magic tower mages, my attack magic had just escaped beginner level.

But what about my hypnosis and brainwashing—my illusion-series magic?

I hadn't asked Yurha to test my illusion talent specifically, but I could roughly gauge it from the game's settings.

'If basic magic is E-rank now, illusions are already C-rank by adventurer standards.'

The power ranks from F to SS. Levels 1 to 99. My illusions alone were no exaggeration at around level 30. The average adult was level 10.

An overwhelming talent for hypnosis and brainwashing. This hypnosis skill, rapidly awakening and gaining proficiency, worked even on Seia.

"Seia. You'll listen to Oppa, right?"

"Mmm..."

Seia, who'd later gain the unique passive [Mental Immunity], was still susceptible to my hypnosis for now.

"Yurha's not a bad person. You gotta get along with her."

"But I don't wanna..."

Even under hypnosis, her resistance was fierce. Hypnosis was gaslighting—guiding suggestions—not a spell that flipped someone's personality overnight.

"If you don't get along with Yurha, Oppa will be really sad."

"Oppa... sad?"

"Yeah. 'Cause Yurha could be our lifeline."

"Oppa's lifeline..."

Seia's brows furrowed. Not from the tough word, but because talking life-and-death scared a five-year-old.

"Yeah. They say a super scary demon lives in the Monster Zone."

"Demon...?"

Seia's face paled.

"Right. A hell demon the Hapsderk family sealed away long ago."

"But..."

"Some hunters developing the zone say it's just rumors, but deep inside, there's a demon that could plunge the world into ruin."

A secret not easily found in records. It was the boss of a hidden dungeon unlocked only after the second playthrough.

"How do you know that, Oppa...?"

"Saw it in an ancient document in the family vault."

"Mmm... Then shouldn't we tell someone...?"

"I did."

Of course I'd mentioned it. I'd even dug up the document and shown my parents, earnestly warning Yurha and Silverstar folks.

"Touch anything else, fine. Just not this."

"........."

"Why?"

"Well..."

Seia frowned.

"Saying that... makes me think someone's gonna touch it..."

"Yeah, true."

Cliches exist for a reason.

"But it'll be fine. Even if someone breaks the demon's seal..."

If the seal truly broke.

"Oppa will protect you."

"........."

For that demon at least, this seven-year-old body had the "ability" to conqer it.

Not just knowing the method, but actually being able to pull it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off.

'If not for that, I'd have blocked the Monster Zone development somehow.'

Other demons could fall to S-rank adventurers Silverstar hired, but that "post-second-playthrough boss" was beyond even them.

Only the method I alone knew would work. Best case, I'd build power over ten years without needing it.

"So get along with Yurha. If something goes wrong, she'll help. Got it?"

"Okay..."

She still seemed to dislike Yurha, but.

"Seia. It's a favor from Oppa. Will you?"

"...If it's Oppa's favor, okay."

She always listened well, nodding quietly.

"Sleep."

With the sleep spell, Seia started snoring softly. I rocked the chair gently beside her, reviewing my growth report again.

"........."

Abysmal talent for magic. In this world, status windows came via magic towers, so I'd gotten objective metrics through Yurha.

'They phrased it nicely as "up to 99," but the limits are clear.'

Yurha thought I was just learning basic self-defense spells and didn't pry, but once I hit the end of E-rank fire, she'd suggest dark magic.

And after maxing C-rank dark—Regiph's limit—she'd hint at other paths beyond magic.

'Not a body worth investing in magic.'

That was why Regiph made a demon pact in the original.

"........."

The being that'd doom this world: the Demon King. Level 99. Needed at least SS-rank to survive.

Without the "angels' power" from the main plot, you couldn't beat him. And the demon sealed in our Monster Zone? As a second-playthrough boss, even top S-ranks—level 95—couldn't handle it.

'Just wait ten years.' One finger snap, and I'd kill it.

And a few days later.

"...You found a cave leading underground?"

"Yes. They say a terrifying mana beast appeared. Did you not hear? The count and countess are heading out on an expedition too."

Somewhere in the Monster Zone, the dungeon housing that demon at its end had been discovered.

"Sounds like the spot in the ancient document..."

"Hmm... Doesn't seem too dangerous? The mana beasts are manageable."

Despite my concern, Yurha brushed it off.

"With two S-ranks—the count and countess—on board, plus an S-rank swordmaster we hired."

"S-rank swordmaster?"

"Yes. Have you heard of..."

Yurha grinned, pointing outside.

"The White Sword Saint?"

"........."

I knew her.

"You mean the Maiden of Light?"

One of the heroines.

"That adventurer from the East?"

With the academy as the stage, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it drew all sorts.

"...Don't say that to her face. She'd hate it."

Among the academy heroines were not just classmates, seniors, or juniors, but "adult" types too.

"Right. That's her over there."

In the count's manor plaza, a woman with flowing white short hair, dressed in something like a hanbok, gazed at me from afar.

"Seventeen this year, already titled 'Sword Saint.' ...If she were a guy, Mother would've collected her as husband material, probably."

Yurha shook her head with a wry smile.

"...She'll be fine."

Even though.

'She's a heroine who brings misfortune.'

The White Sword Saint. Ten years from now, at twenty-seven, she'd still be called the Maiden of Light—a swordmaster.

'Please take care of us, Teacher.' The protagonist's instructor.