Evan POV

  The “Chief” led us into one of the large dark-wood houses. Compared to the others—which already looked like log cabins built for giants—this one was noticeably bigger. Probably the village's main hall.

  Looking at her up close, the Chief definitely gave off a classic elder vibe… but not the frail kind. She was the same height as Zotl, easily towering over me and Aisha, and way more intimidating. Her deep blue skin had a few age lines, but her eyes were sharp, focused—predator-like. Short white hair framed her face, and two small ice horns curved subtly from the back of her head.

  She had the body of a warrior—broad shoulders, muscular frame—like one of those deadly Amazon women you'd only see in stories. And her outfit? A tight leather onesie, sleeveless, cut off above the knees. Pretty sure she could throw me like a dart if she wanted to.

  Once she gave the word, the rest of the Ice Orcs dispersed in an instant, leaving just me, Aisha, the Chief, and the girl named Shani, who had vanished into a nearby room to prepare food.

  We stepped inside.

  The interior of the house was shockingly modern—well, modern for a tribal village in the middle of an icy wasteland. There were actual rooms, doors, even a dining area near the front. The flooring was that familiar dark boreal wood, polished and sturdy underfoot.

  Without meaning to, I let out a small sigh. Warm. Clean. Smelled like home. Or close enough.

  We sat at a long table—me in the middle, Aisha to my side, and the Chief, now properly introduced as Zuri, seated directly across from me.

  From the kitchen, I heard oil sizzling. The aroma of fish and spices filled the air, instantly making my stomach growl.

  That got me thinking… is it safe for them to cook with those limbs? I mean, their hands and legs are basically ice. Is that not a hazard? Or maybe they’re just so used to it that they don’t care. Could also be that melting a limb isn’t a big deal if it just grows back like a plant with plot armor.

  While we waited for the food, Chief Zuri finally broke the silence.

  She started telling me about Reid. The real one.

  Turns out, this tribe doesn’t leave the snowy biome—pretty obvious, given the temperature difference. But Reid? He’d visited them twice in the past. Came up here for missions. One was diplomatic, the other apparently more personal.

  Somehow, he nailed it both times.

  Built trust. Made allies. And left a lasting impression.

  Which explains why they were so eager to welcome me without questioning much.

  And why I now had the awkward job of living up to a guy I barely remembered, in a place where everyone still respected his name.

  Soon enough, the food arrived.

  A sizzling hot tuna was placed in front of both me and Aisha, steam rising, the aroma practically begging me to devour it.

  Zuri, though?

  She was served a whole, raw tuna. Still shiny. Still… staring.

  Shani gave a respectful nod and quietly excused herself, leaving just the three of us at the table.

  Zuri wasted no time.

  “You’re a Hero now, aren’t you?”

  My poker face snapped into place immediately. Acting skills over 9000.

  “What are you talking about?” I said as casually as I could, picking up my fork.

  I glanced at Aisha for backup—big mistake.

  She was too busy shoveling tuna into her mouth like it owed her rent. Completely useless.

  I swear, one day, she’s gonna eat a knuckle sandwich made by me!

  Zuri’s sharp eyes didn’t waver. “No one can use that much mana and remain standing. And the spells you used—those weren’t standard. They were custom, weren’t they?”

  Spider-sense activated.

  Panic. Panic. Panic!

  Evan: HALP ME!!

  If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Walter: Does being exposed as a Hero even matter that much?

  Aisha: DON’T WORRY I GOT YOU.

  Aisha, bless her dumb little heart, tried to speak.

  “Wall, dwash id madder?”

  She raised her finger as she chewed, swallowed and then repeated. “Well, Does it matter?”

  Zuri raised an eyebrow but didn’t seem fazed. “Not really. I’ll still support the Silver Daemons as I always have. Even if there’s only five of you left. I don’t go back on my word.”

  Aisha gave me a thumbs up, cheeks puffed like a chipmunk. Completely proud of herself.

  I sighed in defeat.

  “Yes, I’m a Hero. And so is she. But please… keep this between us.”

  Zuri nodded, as if she expected nothing less. Then, with the grace of a stone-cold barbarian grandma, she grabbed the entire raw tuna with both hands and bit into it—hard.

  One savage chomp later, half the tuna’s stomach was gone. Blood spurted out. Intestines dangled like decorative streamers.

  “Mmm. Juicy.”

  …I quietly turned back to my own fish and began eating. Suddenly, the cooked version looked a lot more appetizing.

  Once we finished the meal, Zuri stood up.

  “There’s something I’d like to show you,” she said. “Wait here.”

  Walter: “Is this okay?”

  Aisha: “Well, as long as she’s not an enemy… right?”

  Evan: “Normally, I’d say it’s risky, but it really does seem like she just wants to help. Plus, she knew Reid. Still, I want to get back home soon—I don’t know how long the doppelganger’s gonna last.”

  Aisha: “Oh! That reminds me. Hey, Evan—Luna messaged me earlier saying the doppelganger disappeared. The kids are crying a lot.”

  I froze.

  This was seriously bad. Really bad. The kids had already been through hell… Hope especially. She couldn’t handle more trauma right now.

  Evan: “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME EARLIER!?!”

  Aisha: “Well, you were kinda fighting that giant spear-wielding iceberg at the time… and I forgot.”

  Evan: “WE NEED TO GO BACK. NOW!”

  Walter: “Dude. Chill. Let’s see what Zuri wants to show us, then we go. I also would really like to not be a ghost anymore.”

  I inhaled deeply. Tried not to explode.

  Evan: “...Alright. Let’s just finish this quickly.”

  A few moments later, Zuri returned, holding several old, worn-out pages.

  “Please take a look at these,” she said, offering them carefully.

  I took them in hand. They were... blueprints?

  Walter leaned closer. His eyes widened.

  Walter: “These... These are the blueprints of a modern house!”

  Evan: “You sure?”

  Walter: “Dude. I know blueprints. And this? This is straight out of our world. This layout’s got insulation layers, HVAC vents, a goddamn open kitchen floor plan.”

  Aisha: “Wait... that also means—this house...”

  Evan: “...is modern too.”

  We glanced around the room we were sitting in. The smooth walls. The layout. The furniture.

  This wasn’t ancient tribal architecture. This was built off those plans.

  There were three torn pages. Two blueprints... and a final piece that looked like a diary page.

  The handwriting was messy, but the contents were clear: it belonged to the previous Hero of Skills. He’d met the Ice Orcs along with the Hero of Strength, spent some time bonding with them, and eventually gifted them a house design out of appreciation.

  Zuri looked at me with a serious expression. “Do you know who this belongs to?”

  I nodded. No point hiding it.

  “This belonged to one of the previous Heroes,” I said. “They disappeared about a hundred years ago, so I’m guessing you found these sometime before then.”

  Zuri’s eyes lowered to the page. Her brow furrowed.

  “I… don’t remember meeting them.”

  I blinked. That didn’t make sense.

  “Pardon me asking, but... what’s your age?”

  Aisha: “Evan, that’s super rude—”

  Zuri: “I’m 257 years old.”

  I choked on air.

  Two hundred and fifty-seven!

  And she didn’t remember a pair of literal world-shaping heroes visiting her tribe?

  Evan: “Guys... it looks like my worst fear just came true.”

  Aisha: “What happened?”

  Evan: “I think... when those Heroes left, everyone forgot about them too. Like, poof, memory wiped.”

  Aisha: “......”

  Walter: “Well... we still have the books, right?”

  Evan: “Oh yeah. We definitely do. The problem is—THEY’RE SCATTERED ACROSS THE FLIPPIN' SEVEN SEAS!”

  I let out a long, exhausted sigh.

  I didn’t have time for this. Faith and Hope were probably still crying. I needed to get back. Now.

  Evan: “Alright, we’ll deal with this later.”

  I turned to Zuri.

  “Um, Zuri... can I keep the diary page? I really need it.”

  She nodded. “Sure. It’s useless to us anyway.”

  “Thanks. I hate to leave like this, but there’s an emergency back home.”

  Zuri’s brow creased. “Do you need help?”

  “No, it’s nothing dangerous. Just... a different kind of emergency.”

  “If you ever do need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I owe Nezha quite a bit.”

  Wait—Nezha?

  ...Oh. Right. That’s Luna’s mom.

  I bolted for the door. But outside, I was intercepted by Zotl and Shani.

  “Woah, what’s the rush?” Zotl asked.

  “Emergency. Please move!”

  He stepped aside quickly, startled, and I zipped past him, kicking up snow in my wake.

  Once we were out of sight of the village, I slowed just long enough to lay out the plan.

  “Aisha, take Walter’s body and get him revived. After that, meet up with Lucy and Oswald. Try to meet their grandfather, okay? I’m heading back to take care of my daughters. I’ll catch up soon.”

  Aisha saluted. “Roger that.”

  Walter: “Can’t wait to touch you all again.”

  Aisha: “Why did you have to say it like that?”

  Evan: “Alright, recall potions. Use ’em.”

  Aisha: “About that... I don’t have one.”

  I slowly turned to her like she was that last triangle-shaped patch of water on a windshield that the wiper never reaches. Pure disappointment.

  “You haven’t left the castle since arriving, have you?”

  Aisha: “......Maybe.”

  I downed my recall potion without another word.

  She watched me disappear in sparkles of light.

  Aisha: “O-Onii-chan! BAKA!”

  Evan: “Acting cute won’t get you a recall potion.”

  Walter: “Honestly? You kinda deserved that.”

  Aisha: “FINE!”