Reina

Reina was born to a farming family in a nameless remote village on the outskirts of Manafall.

Although her parents appeared to be ordinary farmers, they both shared one remarkable trait: they were unbelievably strong.

The night Reina was born, both of her parents dreamed about holding a bear in their arms. Reina inherited incredible strength and only grew stronger, surpassing even her parents.

As a child, Reina was both strong and lighthearted.

Some of her friends would tease her about her immense strength, but she would dismiss the teasing with a laugh and a playful pat on the shoulder. That pat was enough to make anyone realize that they shouldn't mess with her.

After feeling her overwhelming strength firsthand, no one ever teased Reina again.

Villagers were always kind to Reina's family.

Her parents were gentle souls, despite their incredible strength, and never once harmed or deceived anyone.

Seeing how genuine they were, the villagers were relieved.

They felt blessed that people who could easily take advantage of others were kind and good-natured.

In most farming households, it's common to have at least one horse or ox.

Oxen, in particular, are valued for their strength, making them useful for plowing fields or hauling heavy loads.

But in Reina's house, there were none. While poverty was one factor, the real reason was that oxen were a poor investment for their family.

They're expensive, require a lot of food, and are too weak. To outsiders, that last part might sound strange, but considering that Reina was stronger than most oxen at age five, it was no surprise her family didn't bother with any.

When Reina was seven, an enraged ox broke loose in the village and went on a rampage.

The villagers panicked and, fled in all directions. Reina, who had been playing nearby, casually walked toward the raging beast. Everybody tried to warn her of the danger, but no one could stop her or the ox.

As everyone watched, something remarkable happened.

Reina approached the ox, wrapped her arms around its neck, and patted it gently. The raging ox miraculously calmed down. It rested in her embrace and fell asleep as if nothing had happened.

Awestruck, the villagers broke into applause, praising Reina.

What no one had realized was that Reina had seized the ox with an iron grip at the base of its neck and applied pressure to its windpipe, effectively knocking it out cold.

To the villagers, it was a heartwarming image, a little girl calming a wild ox with a loving hug.

After, though, the sight of Reina casually dragging the unconscious ox by its tail and flinging it into the barn left a more lasting impression.

News of Reina dragging an ox by its tail spread rapidly through the village.

At the time, Reina often pulled her family's plow herself instead of using an ox, shocking any onlookers.

But Reina wasn't the only one, her entire family took turns pulling the plow and cart. But Reina actually enjoyed doing this kind of farmwork.

In fact, because Reina needed to burn off her energy to get a good night's sleep, it was the most practical choice for her family.

When Reina was around ten, she heard a mesmerizing story about knights.

The image of brave knights in heavy armor wielding giant swords to protect the kingdom left a deep impression on her.

From that moment, Reina began to dream of becoming one.

She shared her dream with her parents, who then began asking around about how to join the knightly order.

Having spent their entire lives farming, they wanted Reina to experience a bigger world with opportunities they never had.

Once her parents began their search, the villagers united to help them however they could.

However, the odds were stacked against Reina.

The kingdom's knightly order had rigorous entrance exams requiring both exceptional combat skills and extensive knowledge, favoring children of nobles who received the best education.

Still, Reina was undeterred.

She learned the basics of swordsmanship from the village elders and studied literature and royal customs whenever she found time between farm chores.

She also had all of the villagers' support; they were excited about the prospect of their little town producing its first knight.

After a year of relentless preparation, Reina took the entrance exam for the knightly order.

She failed the written test by a slim margin.

However, her sheer display of strength in the combat trial was so overwhelming that the examiners felt compelled to pass her.

They feared that if someone with her power turned to banditry, she could pose a serious threat to the kingdom.

Thus Reina's incredible strength got her admitted to the knightly order.

Reina was assigned to the 9th Brigade of the knightly order.

There, she met Flare, a mage of noble birth, and Esther, her commanding officer, someone she would come to admire for the rest of her life. These two connections, formed in the hopelessly dysfunctional 9th Brigade, had a tremendous impact on Reina's journey as a knight serving the kingdom.

Reina was often mocked for being a rural commoner, but Flare and Esther treated her with respect and never cared about her status or origin. Deeply moved by their acceptance, Reina vowed her loyalty to them.

Flare and Esther had very different ways of showing that they viewed Reina as an equal, but to Reina, her bonds with both of them were equally precious.

While Reina serves as a knight in the kingdom's order, she isn't particularly interested in protecting the kingdom or gaining honor.

Her greatest wish is to use her strength to protect the people she loves.

After realizing that her revered commander, Esther, had been the victim of a conspiracy designed to orchestrate her downfall, Reina felt immense guilt that she hadn't been able to protect her.

She also dreams about helping her hometown out by using her knight's salary to buy a few oxen for them.

Sure, oxen are weak compared to her, but still.