There's a story that mentions the following.. One day, a very hungry wolf was wandering through the forest in search of something to eat. Exhausted, he sat on the cold ground and, in that moment, came up with an idea.

He thought, 'If as a wolf I can't catch a single prey, I'll change my appearance and, through deception, I will eat.'

And so he did. The wolf covered himself with a sheep's skin and joined the flock, completely fooling the shepherd...

◇◆◇

At just ten years old, Eídal Granier began his descent into madness, confined within a luxurious room. During those years of confinement and hunger, one question started to echo in his mind:

'What are you willing to sacrifice for your family?'

The answer he arrived at was simple:

'Sentimentalists would say 'Everything!' The reserved ones would hesitate, and those who think they're tough would say it doesn't matter. Ugh... too bad I'm a sentimentalist'.

That revelation, forged by isolation and desperation, led him to make a decision that, to him, made perfect sense. With a low but determined voice, he declared:

"I, Eídal... No. I, Eídal Granier, will strive and kill the heroes".

◇◆◇

By the time Eídal turned eight, he was an ordinary village child: gaunt, with pale skin, brown hair, and brown eyes. Besides being an orphan, he had no talent in any area of combat. In fact, one could say his physical condition was below average.

Still, there was something that set him apart from any other human: an obsessive longing, the desire to have a family. Yes, a family. Many might see it as a need to feel accepted in a group; however, what truly motivated Eídal was… love.

At first, he found it ridiculous and sappy, but over time, his mind involuntarily embraced the idea of the heart. His nightly prayers shifted from "I want to eat meat tomorrow" or "I want to sleep all day!" to "I wish I had someone who loved me. It doesn't matter who!"

Gradually, he wanted to be valuable to someone, to be the number one for someone. Phrases like "I will strive to be loved" or "I need to become useful" started coming out of his mouth almost daily.

Stolen novel; please report.

But this desire for love was distorted by a certain ideology.

In the world, each kingdom practiced a doctrine that determined an individual's worth. In some cases, it was beauty; in others, loyalty or strength. But in the kingdom where Eídal was born, the kingdom of Longer, the doctrine was utility.

In other words, a citizen's value was closely tied to how useful they were or how much they could contribute to society. Everyone, regardless of anything, had to be useful and serve in some way. It was their way of life and mode of thinking.

Thus, his desire for pure love became tainted by the doctrine of utility. Had Eídal been born in other kingdoms with different doctrines, his view of love would have been different too. For example:

"If I want to be loved, I have to be beautiful"

"If I want to be loved, I have to be strong"

"If I want to be loved, I have to be loyal"

But since he was born in the kingdom of Longer, his perception became:

"If I want to be loved, I have to be useful"

With this skewed concept shaped by ideology, Eídal reached a conclusion:

"If I am helpful and useful, I will become valuable to society, right? And once I am accepted by society, I can be loved. Yes, loved! And then, only then, I will be able to have a family!"

You might consider it a naive thought, typical of a child.

"But it doesn't end there. To my family, anyone who becomes my family, I must continue to show my love. That's why I must be useful to the people who become my family. Once I have them, I will serve only my family".

And as this desire continued to root itself in his heart, his life went on without much change over the next two springs.

◇◆◇

Just before Eídal turned ten, the season was relatively cold, and the long hours of rain had turned the sandy paths into genuine swamps. As a result, it was difficult to send soldiers to defend the more distant points of the kingdom of Longer, a minor monarchy on the central continent.

During that same season, in addition to the terrible weather, a much greater problem arose—a catastrophe that would come to be known as "The Great Invasion."

As the name suggests, this event was a devastating attack carried out by the Fallen, demons responsible for all the evil in the world. Without hesitation, they swept through the kingdom's borders, seizing resources and taking prisoners.

Yet, when news of the assault began to rumble through the capital of Longer, no significant effort was made to protect the smaller towns. Instead, priority was given to reinforcing the major cities, safeguarding the places deemed most useful. This was the case for the village where Eídal lived.

Abandoned by the kingdom, the villagers had no choice but to defend themselves as best they could. But despite fighting tooth and nail, everything was destroyed. The sudden events drove the few survivors into despair. Then, hiding in the basement of the largest cabin in the village, they groped for a resource to save themselves.

And just as the kingdom had sacrificed them, they decided to sacrifice the least useful person in the village: Eídal.

Among murmurs of:

"We want to live. That boy will only be a hindrance" and "The rest of us can still be of benefit to the village."

A villager approached with a stern face and said:

"I think we all agree. It's time for you to be useful, boy".

The pain of being called useless pierced Eídal's heart, smothering any attempt at resistance. Caught between fear and disbelief, he couldn't find the words to defy the order.

Thus, the path to his inevitable encounter with the heroes began there… confined in a luxurious room.