Chapter 197
Sharia.
The first thing that comes to mind with this name is the popularity poll in FBO.
A popularity poll, you might wonder? Well, it seems even FBO cares about public opinion to some extent, as an official popularity poll was held at the time.
There were various categories—male and female divisions, combat-focused and crafting-focused roles, and so on—all carefully designed so that characters of all types could shine, considering the differences in popularity among them.
There was also an overall category to determine the number one character among all, but since preferences tended to scatter in this division, it leaned more toward usefulness as a strategic partner rather than pure character appeal. Factors like ease of use, being essential for clearing content, or simply being overpowered were prioritized, making it somewhat lacking in charm.
So, where did Sharia stand out?
In terms of strength, she (?) was a solid Tier 1.5.
In the right conditions, Tier 1. Otherwise, Tier 2.
Judging by that alone, she was a strong character but lacked that decisive edge.
What made Sharia truly memorable was her unique fanbase—her character appeal.
Sharia’s appearance? Simply adorable. You could call her a mischievous little devil-type heroine. Though "mischievous" might suggest a teasing personality, at heart, she was kind and deeply cared for her friends. If you measured her karma, she’d lean toward the good side, always quick to help those in trouble.
Many players were drawn to her cheerful, mood-lifting presence.
Some even fell head over heels for her. This was especially common among beginners or those who didn’t consult strategy guides. But as they progressed through her story, they’d be hit with a shocking revelation:
Sharia wasn’t a "she"—but a "he."
Despite this, Sharia ranked among the top five in the female character popularity polls, surpassing many other heroines. Once, he even placed third in the male character rankings, making him the only character in FBO history to ever rank in the top five of both divisions.
While some villains like Jhakaran or the Mad Jester had little popularity, and characters like my beloved Iris-chan remained highly popular despite not being optimal for gameplay, Sharia stood out as a uniquely captivating character—a "trap" who stole hearts with his striking charm.
---
"Um… is this Sharia person your son?" "Yeah, he just turned sixteen."
His face wasn’t just androgynous—it was outright feminine. Not so much "beautiful" as "mischievously cute."
His voice was high-pitched. His skin was pale, and he wasn’t particularly tall, either.
"Wh-what kind of person is he? I have a fair number of connections in the royal capital, so I might be able to help track him down." "Really? That’d be a huge help."
A glance at his wife’s face made it clear—Sharia’s looks definitely came from her. In contrast, he didn’t resemble his father much.
The one who felt out of place wasn’t the mother—it was the father. From that angle, you might think it was a case of mistaken identity, but Sharia’s usual cheerful demeanor hid a surprisingly dark backstory.
"My son has a rather… cute appearance." "I see." "At first glance, most people mistake him for a girl." "Oh-ho?"
There was a reason he dressed as a woman. Originally, he had tried to present as masculine—learning swordsmanship, training his body, even choosing a more boyish hairstyle—as revealed in his past story.
"But he hated that. And honestly, that just made him even cuter. When my wife lost her voice, he was so worried he insisted on going out to find medicine for her himself. He’s got a heart of gold." "Hah…"
Misfortune lurks everywhere. Sharia’s family was once attacked by a brutal assailant, leaving them in a horrific state.
Sharia had been out shopping in a neighboring village and escaped unharmed—but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Left all alone in the world, he couldn’t simply accept it.
"That’s why I’m worried he’s gone silent. Thankfully, I still had my old adventurer’s license, so I managed to reactivate it and travel here." "Your son is an adventurer too? If he can travel between continents, he must be pretty high-ranked, right?" "Yeah, though he only just made A-rank this year and got his travel permit. He’s never been to other continents before. Still, compared to the North, camping out anywhere else should be survivable." "He sounds impressive."
That incident drove him to seek revenge. And that revenge led him to cross-dressing.
The "brutal assailant" was none other than Jhakaran. A man with no qualms about targeting women, he had set his sights on Sharia’s mother, taken the family hostage, killed the defenseless father, then committed unspeakable atrocities before fleeing.
The culprit’s identity was obvious. He wasn’t smart enough to hide evidence, arrogantly believing he could just fight off anyone who came after him. His actions were driven by impulse, not reason—and information about him was everywhere.
The more Sharia learned about his habits, the clearer his plan became.
If Jhakaran targeted women, then Sharia would use his own looks as bait.
He refined his beauty. He honed his conversational skills. He mastered the art of fighting in women’s clothing.
All for revenge—a past he’d reveal when raising his affection in the game.
But he couldn’t fully dedicate himself to vengeance. He couldn’t erase his innate kindness. If he saw a lost child, he’d smile gently and help them find their parents. If a village was plagued by monsters, he’d use his combat skills to protect them.
Everything stemmed from his family.
That much was clear.
"Yeah, he’s a son to be proud of." "It must be worrying not being able to contact him."
The father spoke fondly of his son. His wife, though unable to speak, nodded firmly in agreement.
---
*"Hmm, at first I only did it out of necessity, but now it’s totally a hobby! You know what they say—'cute is justice'? Well, that means cute me is justice!"*
A little joke that came up after defeating Jhakaran, during the follow-up conversation about what to do next.
What had started as revenge-fueled cross-dressing had, over time, become a full-blown obsession—a strange but endearing quirk of his character.
For a moment, I almost felt gloomy thinking it might be another Jhakaran-related event. But on the flip side, helping out here before the game’s main story began might change Sharia’s dark history.
"If you’re looking for someone, I know a few people who could help. Want me to introduce you?" "Really? You’d do that?" "Of course. Meeting you here must’ve been fate."
Sharia was a character I had a personal attachment to. With Lady Esmeralda—Iris-chan’s older sister—already on our side, the original story had long since gone off the rails.
In that case, helping out here and letting my hypocrisy do some good felt like the constructive choice.
Interacting with this family might also create some connection to Jhakaran.
And if it came to that… well, I’d just have to deal with him.
Things might get messy, but as long as I called in a few favors from the Duke, my workload should be manageable.
"Thank you, Liberta. Not just for my wife, but for my son too—I can’t express how grateful I am." "Like I said earlier, you can thank me properly once your wife’s voice is back. And once your son’s safe."
But seriously—why did this man feel so off to me? I knew he was the parent of a named character, but even so, Sharia didn’t resemble him at all.
If I’d felt this way about the mother, I’d understand—but no, the discomfort came from the father, Hyurida.
"Hm?" "What’s wrong?"
The unease remained unresolved, but I couldn’t just leave them in trouble. It wasn’t quite a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don’t," but my feelings were all over the place. I was considering taking them straight to the Duke when I noticed it.
"That’s… quite the cute pendant you’ve got there." "Ah, this? I’m a follower of the Goddess of Love, Lady Paffle. This is a symbol of my faith." "The Goddess of Love…?" "For someone like me, who cherishes family above all, she’s the most worthy of worship."
The heart-shaped pendant seemed too cutesy for a man to wear. At first glance, I thought it might be a woman’s accessory, but maybe it was more like a rosary?
"My wife is a devout follower too—so much so that she’s even received divine revelations from the Goddess." "Divine revelations?"
The atmosphere shifted slightly. Not like I’d touched a nerve—more like I’d flipped an otaku’s "info-dump" switch.
"Yeah, that’s right."
Hyurida’s face lit up like an excited child’s. If I shut him down now, he’d probably deflate like a sad puppy.
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse, so instead, I latched onto the term "divine revelation." If I recalled correctly, this world had heroes chosen by divine will—one for each region: East, West, North, and… wait.
Hold on.
Was this guy the Northern Hero?!
"D-don’t tell me… are you the Northern Hero?"
Why would he be here of all places?! Was this the source of my unease?! Could people chosen by gods sense each other’s wavelengths or something?!
"Nah, that’s not me. Though… I guess you could say I’m something similar." "Something similar?" "Yeah. I’m more of a… proxy, you could say. Like the Northern Hero, I received a divine revelation from Lady Paffle to slay the evil god, and I’ve been granted special powers too. The reason I’m searching for a safe haven is so my wife and son can live in peace while I fulfill the Goddess’s will and confront the evil god." "Huh."
Not quite what I’d expected, but I wasn’t wrong about the divine connection! But wait a second—
I’d assumed there was one hero per region (East, West, North, South), but Hyurida’s existence suggested… was it one hero per god instead?!
Hyurida chuckled awkwardly, as if embarrassed by the "hero" title, but his sincerity in carrying out the Goddess’s mission was undeniable.
If someone like him had been granted special power, there had to be a reason.
The god who reincarnated me seemed to be Lady Kefeli, Goddess of Wisdom—so why were multiple gods appointing heroes?
…Had the evil god gotten some kind of massive buff, making it impossible to defeat normally?!
"If you’ve been chosen by the Goddess, then I’ll have to take helping you seriously." "Ah, no need to go that far. I just want my family to live happily."
At the very least, one thing was clear—I couldn’t just leave this family to wander the city. They absolutely needed to be placed under the Duke’s protection.
If necessary, I might even have to take them in myself.
With that thought, I sighed—my workload had just gotten heavier again.