Another day in Fareday, a small town in Aleria where a certain chaotic trio was known to cause trouble.
In the school training grounds, Kirian trained with a sword alongside other children.
For hours now, Kirian had been repeating the same basic sword swing. While the others had already moved on to more advanced forms, he remained stuck on the fundamentals. Still, his determination never wavered. He refused to let the words of others bring him down.
"Even if the others have more talent than me, none of them have my resilience or my spirit," he thought.
"I'll keep honing myself every day until I become worthy of being a hero. A hero isn't just someone who slays monsters, but someone who brings smiles to people. Just you wait, world… one day, I'll become the hero of heroes!"
He continued swinging his sword, over and over.
Nearby, other students watched him, whispering among themselves before breaking into quiet laughter.
"It's Kirian," one said. "He trains every day, but never gets anywhere."
"Yeah, it's kind of pitiful."
"His parents were heroes, but he has no talent at all."
"I heard even his sister doesn't have any talent either."
"If I were born to heroes and didn't inherit their power, I'd be ashamed."
"No wonder his parents sent him to the academy. That way, they can blame bad teaching when in reality he's just garbage."
Some of the words reached Kirian's ears, but he paid them no mind. What they said now didn't matter. What mattered was what he would show them one day.
That was enough.
The instructor watched him from afar and let out a sigh of disappointment.
"I've been teaching this kid for two years now, and he's barely made any progress," the teacher thought. "Severely talentless. His parents may be heroes, but he doesn't have any of their gifts—no magic, no skill. They probably didn't bother teaching him themselves once they realized he wasn't good enough."
He clicked his tongue.
"I'm tired of teaching him, but I can't refuse. His mother is Lady Dominique—one of the heroes and a town administrator."
His gaze shifted.
"On the other hand, Gaius Roland is a true genius. An orphan from the town's orphanage, yet his talent rivals that of high-class nobility. Far more promising than that waste of time, Kirian Zennon. Hah… I'm glad I'm the one teaching him. When he becomes famous, I'll be known as the man who trained him."
"Alright," the instructor called out, "anyone who's finished their exercise quota may move on to the next phase!"
The students dispersed to different areas of the training grounds. Gaius moved closer to Kirian's area to grab another practice sword—the one he'd been using was worn down from heavy use.
Seeing him approach, Kirian smiled and extended a hand.
"Hi! I'm Kirian Zennon! And I'll be a hero in the future!"
Gaius barely looked at him.
"Focus on your own training instead of wasting time talking to me."
Kirian frowned slightly but kept going.
"What if we trained together from now on? We could even become rivals! Rivals push each other to the limit! A hero always has a rival!"
Gaius turned away.
"Stop wasting time. I don't want to be your rival or your friend—or anyone's. Get lost."
He walked off to another training spot.
Kirian felt a sting of disappointment. This made the twenty-third rejection so far. Still, he forced himself to stay optimistic. Maybe all he needed was one moment—one act of bravery or achievement. Then everyone would acknowledge him. Then he'd be noticed.
"Yeah… I'll just have to give it my all."
Later that day, after training ended, Kirian headed home. Near the academy gate, he spotted two familiar figures: a tall, tomboyish elf and a small girl holding an umbrella.
He waved and jogged over.
"Hey, you two! You don't have to wait for me here every day, you know."
Liliana hugged him tightly.
"Nonsense! I'll wait for big brother forever, so just keep doing your best."
Emilia followed up with a loud slap on his back.
"Quit complaining. You're my best friend—how could I just leave you behind? Someone has to cheer you up after all that intense training."
"Thanks, guys," Kirian said with a smile.
From a distance, Gaius watched them. His expression was indifferent, though a faint hint of sadness lingered beneath it. As he turned to leave, Kirian noticed him and waved.
"Hey, Gaius! Wanna take a stroll together?"
Gaius stopped for a moment, then turned away.
"No," he said flatly. "I don't want to walk with you."
Before Kirian could even react, Liliana's eyes lit up.
"Is that your friend?" she asked enthusiastically.
Kirian opened his mouth to answer—
But it was already too late.
Liliana had hopped over to Gaius, grabbed his hand with both of hers, and immediately started dragging him along.
"H-Hey! What are you doing?!" Gaius protested, trying to pull back.
"It's fine!" Liliana said cheerfully. "You can just walk with us!"
"I said I don't want to—!"
"You'll be okay," she replied without slowing down. "Just accept it!"
Gaius struggled for a few seconds longer before letting out a defeated sigh.
"…Tch."
He gave up and walked with them.
Emilia, of course, took the lead—marching forward with confidence like a commander leading her troops. Kirian followed just behind her, a little confused but smiling anyway.
Liliana, meanwhile, made absolutely sure not to let go of Gaius's hand, just in case he decided to run away.
And so, the group marched off into the sunset.
That sunset, however, was actually a snack stand down the street.
They were not heading home.