If someone had asked me back then what I hated most, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second. "Myself," I would have said.
I hated my name because it reminded me of a former Prime Minister. I hated my face, which was neither handsome nor ugly, but utterly unremarkable. Most of all, I hated my own cowardice.
I loathed the person I was to the point that I frequently wished I could simply vanish.
I was born the eldest son of a wealthy family, the heir to a major corporation. From an objective standpoint, I suppose I was a fortunate man. I never wanted for money, and I could have almost anything I asked for. However, if you were to ask if I was happy, I would have to stop and think.
I had a brother just one year younger than me. We were close as children; I remember us doing everything together. I’m not entirely sure when that changed.
My father gave us both the same education, but he frequently reminded us that he would choose one of us to be his successor by the time we reached adulthood. In other words, my brother and I were raised to be rivals for the throne.
To put it bluntly, my brother was the superior candidate. There wasn't a massive gap between us, but he was always one step ahead of me in every field. He was a hard worker, but more importantly, he was ambitious. He carried himself with an intensity that made it clear he intended to win. In terms of sheer spirit alone, I was already losing.
Then, right after I graduated from middle school, my father made his announcement: I was to be the successor.
His reasoning was simple: "Because you are the eldest." To my father, the difference in our abilities was within the margin of error. Since our skills were roughly equal, he chose to follow tradition and designate the firstborn.
I can still see my brother’s eyes from that moment. On the surface, he seemed to accept the decision solemnly, but deep in his pupils, I saw a flicker of pure, unadulterated hatred. It was a look that said, "If only you didn't exist." I’ve never been able to forget it.
Yes, my brother, you were right. You were the excellent one. You were the one who put in the effort. You were the one truly fit to lead. Even if the margin was slim, you surpassed me in every way.
And yet, one single factor—the fact that I happened to be born a year earlier—rendered all your hard work meaningless.
I understood his feelings. I even agreed that he was the better choice. But I was a coward. I didn't have the courage to decline the position, nor did I have the strength to look my brother in the eye. I did nothing.
I simply wished I could disappear. If I weren't there, my brother could have everything he deserved. Of course, I lacked the courage to actually take my own life, too.
It was then that the Hero Summoning pulled me into another world. I was overwhelmed, naturally, but the education I’d received as the heir to a corporation served me well. I managed my duties as the Hero-role without any major blunders.
But the real turning point came after the work was done, when I had to choose between returning to my original world or staying here. I chose to stay.
It would be a lie to say I had no lingering attachments to Earth, but the summoning felt like a godsend. Or perhaps that’s just an excuse. In the end, I was just running away. I didn't have the courage to face my brother’s gaze again.
I knew he wouldn't give up on the succession. I couldn't bear the thought of competing with him further. I was terrified that one day, my own eyes would fill with the same hatred I saw in his, and we would spend the rest of our lives loathing one another.
Once I committed to staying, I politely declined the offer of a noble title and set out on a journey with no destination. I was running from my past, drifting without purpose or goals. I became a rootless weed, wandering wherever the wind took me.
As fate would have it, birds of a feather flock together. Before long, my solitary wandering gained a companion. There was nothing dramatic about it; she was just a woman I happened to sit next to at a tavern. We hit it off, and my aimless journey for one became an aimless journey for two.
Over the years, our group grew and shrank. A pair of eccentric Elves joined us after fleeing the Elven Forest to see the world; an antique dealer traveled with us from town to town in search of a specific treasure. Travelers of all kinds, each with their own story, found their way to us.
At our peak, there were about ten of us. As people joined, others left. Some grew tired of the road and returned home. Some reached their goals and settled down. Others found love in a town we passed through and decided to make a life there.
It was a long journey of meetings and partings. I got married. We had children. I watched those children grow up and leave the nest, and yet, I kept walking.
If you asked me why, I’m not sure I could tell you. Perhaps it was because I hadn't yet found what the others had—that "something" that gave them a reason to stop.
At the end of that very long road, I finally reached a remote corner of the Hydra Kingdom. I stopped and looked back. My first companion—my wife—was still there, smiling at me.
Looking at her, I thought about the forty years we had spent together on the road. It had been a journey without a map or a goal, but as I looked at her, I realized it hadn't been empty. Those decades of walking were filled with vibrant memories. The footprints we left behind were the very things that defined who I was now.
Reflecting on everything I’d seen, I realized I was finally ready to stop. My wife and I chose that quiet countryside in the Hydra Kingdom to be the end of our road.
As I was relaxing on the engawa, sipping tea, I heard footsteps and saw a familiar face.
"Hey, Shigenobu. I came by to visit."
"It's been a long time, Rei."
"Oh? You think so? It's only been about three years, hasn't it?"
"I'll never get used to the way you long-lived species perceive time. For me, three years is a significant stretch."
The Elf with long blond hair was Reijihart, an old friend who had traveled with us for a long time. He was an eccentric fellow who had set out to see the world with his own feet alongside his childhood sweetheart, Sylphia.
"Is Fia with you?"
"Yeah, she's around back."
If I listened closely, I could hear my wife’s cheerful laughter. She was likely catching up with Fia.
"More importantly, listen to this. My daughter finally has a lover. Well, it happened a couple of years ago, but still..."
"Is that so? You seem surprisingly calm about it, considering how much you dote on her."
"He's a very good lad."
I looked at Rei. He had a gentle, settled expression. It struck me then how much that wild, free-spirited youth had matured.
"The boy is actually an Otherworlder, just like you, Shigenobu."
"A Hero-role, you mean?"
"No, not a Hero-role. Did you know there was an accident during the last Hero Summoning?"
"I hadn't heard. An accident?"
I was genuinely shocked. I hadn't realized the summoning process was unstable enough for mistakes to happen. Then again, inter-dimensional travel was so far beyond my comprehension that I wouldn't even know where to start.
"Yeah. Three people were caught up in it and summoned by mistake. One of them is Sieg's lover, Kaito Miyama-kun."
"I see. I'm intrigued. What's he like?"
"He's quite something. You might think I'm joking when you hear the details..."
It had been a long time since I'd heard news of someone from my own country. Intrigued, I settled in to listen as Rei spoke with a happy glint in his eyes.
I used to hate myself. But now... I don't find the man I've become to be so bad. There are plenty of things I failed to do, and I have a mountain of regrets. Even now, I wonder if there might have been a different future if I hadn't run away—if I had stayed and faced my brother.
But the things I've gained are countless. I have a beloved wife, children, grandchildren, and eccentric friends. I have far more happy memories than I do wrinkles on my skin.
In the end, my life wasn't a waste after all. If fate permits, I think I’d like to have a chat with that boy from home who captured Rei’s daughter’s heart.
Shigenobu Okura
Eighty-seven years old. He lives in a remote region of the Hydra Kingdom and currently enjoys a quiet life as a farmer.
In his youth, he traveled the world and spent a significant amount of time journeying with Rei and Fia. When Rei built his own house, he modeled the design after Shigenobu’s home.
He possesses a trait unique to Otherworlders that makes him exceptionally skilled in Preservation Magic. By applying this magic to himself, he has slowed his aging; despite being nearly ninety, he retains the physical appearance of someone in their sixties.
He is currently the oldest human Otherworlder living in Trinia (Noin is excluded as she is a Demon).
As for the other Otherworlders, he has never met Akane, but he is acquainted with the other individual.