So then—the chosen Hero fought valiantly, but against the Demon Lord's army he couldn't win after all.
In terms of sheer strength, he fell just one step short.
"Ta-daa. Which is why I've prepared a reincarnated Hero."
"A reincarnated Hero, you say."
"Last time was a summoning, so this time it's reincarnation. I had him reborn as a noble's son and granted him a cheat."
"You've already done it?"
"Already done it."
"Then there's nothing for me to say."
"Pretty much."
The house was said to be that of a marquis's third son in the kingdom.
By legend, they carry the blood of the Hero from a thousand years ago.
Several houses descended from that Hero still exist in the kingdom, though the truth of it is unclear by now.
But it's most likely genuine.
The one who reincarnated into it was the third son, Barge.
From an early age he was rumored to be a bright, gifted child.
And yet oddly grown-up for his years, never one to flaunt his abilities.
If anything, he seemed to be hiding what he could do.
"If it gets out that I'm a reincarnator, there'll be trouble."
He was truly cautious—but at the age of ten, he was summoned to the temple.
There'd been advance notice that an oracle would descend, with orders to present himself.
"Ugh. Seriously?"
And so, while he offered prayers alongside the faithful at the Temple of Beginnings, the goddess descended into his mind.
It seemed she appeared the same way to those around him, too.
"Reincarnator Barge. Can you see me? I'm your ever-so-adorable goddess, Aithel."
"Yes. I can see you, Goddess."
"You came to this world as a Hero. Defeat the Demon Lord, I'm counting on you."
"Yes. I'd rather not, but if the Goddess says so, I'll try my best to manage somehow."
"It needn't be right away. Take every precaution, and defeat the Demon Lord together with your companions."
"Understood."
He'd been told as much when he reincarnated, but ten years had passed since then.
He'd thought it might have lapsed by now, but the world doesn't work quite so conveniently.
As a precaution he'd trained his body and never neglected his sword practice.
Having worked hard since he was small, he must be quite skilled.
On the scene, he's kept busy rushing left and right.
Run off his feet, truly—but Barge stayed composed.
"Following precedent, I'll assemble a Saint, a female Mage, and a female Sage."
The Sage was already there.
The one who had accompanied that previous Hero and, after their crushing defeat, been the sole survivor—that was the Sage.
"Please, grant me one more chance. Let me avenge my companions."
"Sure, elf big-sis."
And so the Sage was decided upon with ease.
As for the Saint and female Mage, since the Hero was still ten, beautiful girls were chosen—with an eye to marriageable age—from among the young ones who still had futures ahead of them.
The Hero's taste, naturally.
The elf, too, had a rather youthful appearance, so she must have fallen within the acceptable range.
And so the youngest Hero's party ever seen came to enroll at the kingdom's academy.
This was one thing that set them apart from those before.
Given an elite education and blessed with the gods' growth cheat, they distinguished themselves by leaps and bounds.
"Heh heh. Aren't I great."
"Yes, yes—it's just getting to the good part, 'tis."
"Sorry, go on."
From powerful magic to the mightiest of sword techniques, they voraciously took it all in.
And so, at the very moment they graduated from the kingdom's academy, they set out for the Demon Lord's domain.
"Off you go."
"Give it your all."
The whole kingdom rejoiced at their send-off parade, so it's said.
Defeat the Demon Lord, and the fallen kingdom could get one over on the empire.
The one-sided balance of power, with only the empire strong, had been the kingdom's people's long-standing grievance.
Motivation was in no short supply.
Arriving in the Demon Lord's domain, the heroes tore through their foes and threw them aside, putting on a spectacular show.
There were countless monsters, and higher species they were seeing for the first time, but they struck them down one after another.
And then, at last, they reached the Demon Lord's castle.
"Demon Lord—are you ready?"
"Aye—a thousand years I've waited. For the next Hero."
It seemed the previous Hero hadn't reached the Demon Lord.
That's how strong an enemy he was.
The great event of a lifetime.
"Haaah!"
"Take this!"
"Let's join our strength and bring him down!"
Met with the Hero's party's all-out assault, the Demon Lord is finally defeated.
At last, at last—not sealed away, but defeated utterly.
Bearing that enormous mana crystal, the Hero's party would return to the kingdom.