Eiyuuou, Bu wo Kiwameru tame Tenseisu (英雄王、武を極めるため転生す) is a fantasy and tensei light novel series written by Hayaken and illustrated by Nagu. It started in 2019 and is still ongoing, with 13 volumes released to date and multiple adaptations. I have read the first 11 volumes so far.
The story follows the Hero-King Inglis, who, thanks to the blessing of the goddess, managed to slay the enemies of humanity and establish the Kingdom. As his last wish to the goddess before dying of old age, he asked to be reincarnated so he could fulfill his dream of becoming the strongest sword master.
He is reborn as a girl named Inglis Eucus while preserving most of his memories. However, the world seems completely foreign to his own. There is no trace of the Kingdom he built, nor of the goddess who reincarnated him. Inglis, now a girl, does not seem to care much about this as long as she gets to fight stronger and stronger opponents.
She becomes a squire to her cousin Rafinha Bilford, who can essentially be considered the main heroine given her continuous presence. Inglis deliberately avoids getting into important positions because that would only force her into political situations, draining time away from the training and battles she really wants to focus on.
The story follows their adventures as they explore the world and learn about the political situation in various countries. These nations are oppressed by a race of humans known as Highlanders who live above the ground, and are terrorized by Magicite Beasts. These beasts can only be defeated using special weapons called Hieral Menace, which, conveniently, only the Highlanders can provide.
There are various factions operating in this world, and you learn more about them slowly over the course of the volumes. We have the Highlanders who oppress humanity (though not all of them are terribly bad), the rebel group Steelblood Front guided by the Black Mask (who seems to be the only individual able to fight Chris using the same type of energy), and the rulers of various countries trying to find a way to survive.
Rani going for the prize after ChrisThe main characters are:
Inglis Eucus
Often nicknamed Chris. She is an energetic girl who loves to fight and eat, and she will do anything to do either. Her strength is unnaturally high due to her ability to use Aether energy, which seems to have been completely forgotten in the present world in favor of Mana. She is extremely protective of her cousin Rafinha and does not want her to get either married or injured.
Rafinha Bilford
Often nicknamed Rani. She is a very cute girl and Inglis’s cousin. She is extremely sweet toward everyone and has a very curious personality. Just like Chris, she has a monstrous appetite, which is something of a recurring joke in the series. She often tries to set Chris up with her brother Raphael, but Chris refuses to budge.
Leone Olfa
The younger sister of the "traitor" Leon. She was often shunned by association. She joins the Knight Academy to redeem her family honor and arrest her brother. She becomes a close friend of Rani and Chris and starts to see things in a different light as she understands more about the world's situation.
Liselotte Arcia
She is somewhat of an ojousama character. Blonde and self-assured, she is a student at the Knight Academy and the daughter of the country's current Prime Minister. She starts out antagonistic toward Chris and the others, but slowly opens up and becomes a close friend.
Obligatory swimsuit scene of the main cast.Eris
A Hieral Menace, modified humans who can transform into artifacts. She was Leon’s partner before the betrayal, and the truth behind her original human history is unknown until much later in the story. She is often annoyed by Chris pestering her to fight or spar together.
My favorite character is, without any doubt, Rani. She is cute and adorable, even when eating enough for 20 people, and I can see why Chris is extremely protective of her at all times. Plus, I can easily wear "yuri glasses" to see the relationship she has with Chris in that way; it is so obvious!
If I had to raise an issue with the series, it is that it adds quite a lot of side characters as the volumes progress. Aside from the main cast, the others are not really developed much. This makes it hard to remember everyone's name and affiliation whenever they pop up in the story.
Overall, though, it is a solid series, and I am looking forward to reading more of the story. Now that the old world is starting to come more and more into view, it brings up lots of questions as I try to understand what caused that rich world to decay into this state.
