Although the Hesitant Hero was originally a side project while I tried to figure out some of the plot points of my main story, it quickly developed into the biggest writing project I’ve ever attempted. As of December 2025 there are rough drafts of four volumes written, totalling well over 250.000 words. A lot of that needs to be polished for sure, but there is a lot of good there as well. Leading up to the fourth volume I wanted to take a moment to look back at the earlier volumes and recap them. Both for myself and for those of you who have likely read many other stories in the past three years and don’t remember everything. And to be perfectly honest with you, it also gives me a few more weeks to properly prepare the first few chapters of volume 4. So with that introduction out of the way, let’s have a look at the first volume. There are a few important changes I made to the plot after I posted the story, those will be highlighted throughout this post.
Cobal Blueyerd is the third prince of the Blueyerd Kingdom and has spent his youth training to become a fighter and a diplomat, knowing that his older brothers are the ones who will one day rule the kingdom. Recently he’s gotten a new task; taking care of the new hero. The king ordered his mages to perform an ancient ritual that summons a hero from another world to theirs. With tensions growing in the Feral Wildlands and at the northern border, they need something to strengthen their defense. Unfortunately, the ritual summons what seems to be a helpless young woman. Dubbed “Lady Mana” in the hopes that she might become a powerful mage, she is sent to travel and train, with Cobal guarding her. The duo travelled from the capital city of Saphestan to the Ravadier Peninsula located on the southern tip of the continent of Palaria. This is where they meet Cassandra – the daughter of a local baker and a capable inventor – and travel to the underwater city of Arana, which was only thought to be a myth by Cobal. There they meet Miyara, a fortune teller who tells Mana to find Dionil the woodland sage for further help and she gives her two more names.
After returning from Arana, the duo takes Cassandra with them for the next leg of their journey. They pay a visit to the sickly lord of the region – Guthir Vadier – before traveling north-east towards the elven city of Milinia. On their way there, the group encounters a few obstacles. First, they encounter a strange fiery beast that seems to have been created through magic. They then find a Torii Gate, a monument that originates in Mana’s world and was built by Might – the last hero who disappeared a century ago – before being used as a prison for a spirit by a court mage of the kingdom. After saving the spirit – Kimi’Thania – she joins them on their journey as well. On the edge of the Liriath forest, the group encounters a Wolsar named Kelric, a small creature whose tribe is native to this part of the world. They help Kelric and he teaches them a few things about his people. The party then makes their way to Milinia, the elven city. Lost in the forest for a few days, things look dire but eventually they manage to find their way to their destination and an elven scout – Mirgia – brings them to the head of their council, an elf named Karnisal.
Karnisal talks with Cobal and Mana before sending them off to the clearing just outside of town where Dionil lives. Cobal has been getting more and more agitated with how he’s being treated like an unimportant person instead of a prince. This reaches a boiling point when the woodland sage, Dionil, tells him he’s not welcome here. He loses his composure and attacks the sage, resulting in the sage swiftly knocking him unconscious. Once he comes to again, he learns that Mana stood up for him and the sage then reveals to Cobal why Mana – as well as some of the people they encountered on their travels – was so distrusting of him. The previous hero didn’t just disappear, he was executed in the dungeons of Saphestan by the king of Blueyerd, Cobal’s great-grandfather. This was done due to Might’s rise in popularity and strength, and the king’s worry that he would turn on them eventually.
After all cards are on the table, the relationship between Mana and Cobal improves steadily as they spend months in the elven city, training with Dionil and mingling with the locals. Mana meets all of the council of Milinia and gets offered a spot among them so that she has some diplomatic power when she returns to Blueyerd. They even help prepare for the yearly harvest festival, during which the elves celebrate the nature that surrounds them and thank the god of the wilds, Saresh, for all he brings them. During the harvest festival, the city gets attacked by more of the flaming beasts that Cobal and Mana encountered early in their journey. They also stumble upon a woman casting magic and preparing a strange magical circle. They interrupt the ritual but she gets away with ease. After the dust has settled, the festival continues and the gang ends up staying a little while longer until they receive a letter from the capital. The crown prince – Sapher Blueyerd – has gone missing. As a response to this, the kingdom of Blueyerd has declared war on their northern neighbours – Rilodar – claiming that they’re responsible for the disappearance.
Opal Kaharis 