Luciena Estel.

The protagonist of the Arrogant Saga, she was a soldier with a bold personality and innate talent for swordsmanship, unbothered by formalities due to her fallen noble lineage. 

It was almost inevitable that she would stand out during the first demon invasion and be chosen by the Holy Sword, Hononima, to become a hero.

Among gamers, Luciena, or Lucy as she was affectionately known, was a standout character.

Her striking appearance—a red ponytail, a well-developed bust and slender waist, and hips that flared dramatically—was complemented by her bold, tomboyish expressions. 

However, it was the texts reflecting players’ inner thoughts that made her exceptionally popular.

“Am I your errand girl? How many quests have there been where I have to go hunt monsters alone? What are your soldiers doing?”

“You’re asking me to buy items from a shop on the other side? I’m a hero, not a delivery person. Do you have a lot of money? Will you give me a good reward?”

“Why are you blaming the villagers when you’ve misunderstood and turned dark? No way. Your childhood friend is still waiting for you. If you two marry, her life will be ruined. I’ll talk to her, so you should just stay here and die.”

“You came along on a joint quest but didn’t even lift a sword. If you’re just going to draw all the aggro and bring enemies over, go home. What? You need to reclaim something yourself? Then I’ll take that heirloom and you can try to get it back from me.”

These were the kinds of frustrations players voiced through Lucy, making her a beautiful protagonist who echoed their hidden feelings. 

However, when the betrayal of Lucy in the DLC happened, players were unsurprised. 

As Linefold had said, she was constantly voicing discontent with the empire’s high-ranking officials, frequently speaking of replacing or removing the emperor and key ministers—actions that could only be seen as treason.

Yet, Lucy’s portrayal throughout the game was not solely as a hardliner. 

Despite her rough exterior, she was a typical tsundere when it came to romance, revealing a considerable gap between her brashness and her warm, caring side. 

She was genuinely affectionate and attentive to her comrades, balancing her directness with a kind heart. 

Even while complaining, she diligently completed quests and cared deeply for her companions.

She confided in Arsil, the rough-tongued saint from a lower-class background, about their mutual struggles, fostering understanding between them. 

Despite initial friction with Naidrian, a high elf burdened with clan responsibilities, Lucy candidly shared her struggles as both herself and the hero she was expected to be, finding common ground with him. 

Tigria, the emotionally distant mage, trusted Lucy enough to remember and provide the items or snacks she had mentioned.

And then there was Linefold. 

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed knight who managed to break through Lucy’s high standards of beauty and won her heart from the start. 

When their hero party formed and they became engaged, Lucy was so overwhelmed with joy that she wept in secret. 

Linefold was her steadfast protector. 

He never held her hand unnecessarily and reassured her about the future, promising that they could progress together when the world was peaceful. 

Their most intimate moment was a fleeting kiss on her forehead, which made Lucy’s face flush red with sleepless nights, yet Linefold remained a reliable fiancé, both in battle and everyday life.

The porter, however, had no significant backstory. 

There were few confrontations in the game, and sometimes he was even forgotten in humorous scenes. 

In this world, where the reincarnated porter’s fate was neglected, there was nothing more to say.

But what was the reality?

Everyone who had once been close to Lucy, led by the deeply loyal Linefold, betrayed her. 

Each of them severed one of her limbs, their faces twisted in greed as they scrambled to secure their own interests. 

Amid this betrayal, the porter, who had always been disregarded and mistreated, came to Lucy’s rescue and fled.

The events unfolded in an instant, yet everything appeared slow to Lucy. 

The moments of falling from the cliff, plunging into the cold water, all seemed to pass in slow motion. 

Her dazed eyes wandered through the void, unsure of what to focus on.

Splash!

The water was dark, not pure darkness but murky filth. 

In this filth, Lucy reflected on the past—days spent laughing, chatting, and fighting with her comrades, and the days with the one she deeply admired. 

Yet, as she traced back through her memories, she arrived at the grim image of her comrades severing her limbs with a cold demeanor. 

It was a nightmarish vision, so vivid that the pain felt real.

She tried to close her eyes, hoping that by sleeping within the dream, she could wake up from it. 

When she awoke, she intended to ask her comrades if she had somehow disappointed them. 

After all, she had defeated the Demon King, and there was plenty of time. 

She truly cared for her comrades. 

If they disliked her, she was willing to think twice before speaking and correct her impulsive behavior.

After just a brief moment of closing her eyes, she felt her body rising to the surface of the water. 

Lucy, with a faint smile, let go of her consciousness. 

She felt warmth, heard the crackling of burning logs, and realized she was nestled in soft bedding. 

So it was a terrible nightmare. 

She wanted to sleep a little longer, but a tempting aroma from somewhere interrupted her. 

Thinking it might be mealtime, Lucy opened her eyes and attempted to get up.

“Ugh?!”

Something was wrong. Her arms were short, her legs were short, and the parts touching the floor felt as though they were burning. 

“AAAAAH!!!”

“Hero?!”

Unable to endure the pain, she screamed. 

The burning agony spread from the ends of her limbs to her entire body. 

As she flailed and thrashed with her almost nonexistent limbs, Lin, who had been preparing soup, rushed over in alarm to check on Lucy’s condition.

“It hurts! It hurts so much!!!”

“Hero! Breathe!”

“Ugh! Linefold!!!”

Lin, equally panicked, struggled to respond. 

It was nighttime, the time when creatures that thrived in darkness roamed the forest. 

With the added sound of Lucy’s piercing screams, attention was inevitably drawn to the campfire.

“It hurts so much!!!!!”

“Hero!”

The limbs thrashing about had already been neatly sealed by Tigria’s flames. 

Despite this, she writhed in pain, her body twisting in agony from the phantom limb sensations. 

If it had been up to him, he would have preferred to let the woman scream and exhaust herself until she calmed down, but they were in no position to afford such luxuries. 

They were fugitives, after all. 

Reluctantly, Lin lifted her mangled body into his arms.

“No!”

“Hush now.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m a porter.”

“Linefold? My betrothed?”

“Don’t you remember? The hero party, including the Shield Knight, betrayed you.”

“What…?”

“They severed your limbs, deeming you a threat to the empire.”

The writhing ceased. Lucy stared at the porter with disbelief.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

It wasn’t a dream.

“My arms…”

Though the lengths of her arms differed, they had been severed up to the elbows, a grim commonality.

“My legs…”

Tragically, her legs were severed somewhere between the thighs and the pelvis.

In the end, Hero Lucy had become a limbless cripple, with no joints left.

“Ahh…”

A lamenting cry escaped her, though no tears followed. 

Her eyes, as if drained by the river, were growing even drier.

“Don’t worry, you’re alive.”

“Alive?”

The porter’s whisper filled Lucy with a hollow fury.

“What meaning is there in just being alive?”

“Being alive is important. It means you have a foundation to start anew.”

“And what can I possibly start in this state?”

“That’s up to you. What do you want to do?”

“I want to die.”

“That’s not an option.”

“You said it was up to me.”

“Though it may seem like a boast, I saved your life. So don’t say things like you want to die in front of the person who saved you.”

“Did I ask to be saved?”

“It didn’t seem like you wanted to die.”

“I didn’t know you were so good with words.”

“It seems so. This is the longest conversation we’ve had so far.”

Lin’s composure broke. 

Lucy couldn’t understand why she was calmly conversing with the porter in such a condition. 

Her heart should have ached more, but her mind, to her dismay, was quickly adapting and accepting the situation. 

Yet the emptiness in her chest remained.

“What should I do now?”

“There are many options.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Perhaps revenge.”

“Revenge…?”

With this body? 

The only part of her capable of wielding a weapon now was her mouth. 

Should she bite at the nape of her enemies?

“I will assist you.”

“How can you, a non-combatant, help?”

“By restoring your body.”

Her eyes trembled at the unexpected answer.

“You mean, restoring my already severed and burned limbs?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“There is an elixir, a potion blessed and created by the goddess herself, somewhere in the Northern Frost Peak.”

So-called elixir. 

In the fantasy world, the universal rule was that any status-curing panacea was invariably called an elixir.

“Lies…”

“It’s not a lie.”

“It is a lie!”

Lucy banged her head against his chest, slipping back into panic.

“This is all a dream.”

She denied it.

“It’s a hard-to-wake-from dream!”

She rejected it. 

Despite her denial, Lin affirmed.

“Indeed. It seems you’ve been betrayed in this hard-to-wake-from dream.”

And he brought her back to the reality of the dream.

“Then let’s seek revenge. Since it’s a dream, wouldn’t it be bothersome to end it having suffered?”

Gently, he laid her on the bedding and turned to apply medicine. 

The place where she had been headbutted was now a deep bruise.

“Who are you?”

She was unfamiliar. 

Was this always the expression behind the mask? 

The faint smile on his lips, the tired eyes that seemed to be showing fatigue, all looked so strange to Lucy.

“I’m just a porter. Despite appearances, I am part of the hero party.”

But for a brief moment while answering, his face bore a trace of bitterness.