Which Key Battles Define The Hero’S Growth In My Younger Brother Is A Hero?

My lazy stepbrother, Derek Lane, suddenly becomes the hardest-working person in the village. He cuts weeds, carries buckets of manure, and works the fields. Nothing seems too difficult for him. But while he works, cuts suddenly appear on my hands. The carrying pole rubs my shoulders raw. Even the soles of my feet split open. I have no idea what kind of dark magic he uses, but every injury he suffers is somehow transferred onto me. After spending an entire day laboring under the blazing sun, he remains full of energy. Meanwhile, I collapse from heatstroke. I tell Dad to stop Derek from working in the fields. Instead of listening to me, Dad drags me to the village square and publicly lambasts me in front of all the villagers. He scolds, "You still think you're some spoiled boy who came from the city? Not only are you too lazy to work, but you're even spreading lies that Derek is using black magic!" From that day on, Derek works even harder. But at the same time, I can no longer work in the fields at all with my body covered in injuries. A week later, he's named the village's "Farmer of the Year". Thanks to that title, he earns the chance to head to the city and attend college. As for me, I collapse from exhaustion and die in the cornfield. Wild dogs feed on my remains. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the first day Derek is trying to steal my work points. There are 15 days left until the fall harvest. I have 15 days until I die in that cornfield. I snatch the carrying pole from Derek's hands and say, "I'll handle my own work."

He was once a simple boy, drifting aimlessly along with the flow of the world. But one day, he awakened to find himself being different from his usual self, finding himself now hosting the body of a newborn. He had been reincarnated, that too as the sole prince and heir of the human empire. Now living in a world of sword and magic, filled with fantastical beasts, demi-humans, divine beasts, Goddesses and so much more. Life finally seemed to take a turn for the better for the reincarnated boy. However, as always, reality had its cruel ways of disappointing him. His parents died shortly after his birth in a war to save humanity, subjecting him to the life of an orphan. All the people vying for the throne turned against him, looking for any and all opportunities to kill him, the last living heir to the throne. Fortunately, he had his aunt, his last living family, who helped protect him by becoming the acting queen but this came with the price of being holed up in his palace till his ‘awakening’ which would enable him to defend himself and survive in this cruel world…

Ever since I was young, I've always been the one made an example of. It's as though I exist solely to teach my older brother, Irwin Blanchard, a lesson. When Irwin spends 50 dollars in an online game, Mom makes me pay off the debt for Irwin so that she can teach him to cherish money. When Irwin gets caught for stealing, Mom forces me to kneel down in front of the store owner and slap myself repeatedly while begging for forgiveness. This is her attempt to teach Irwin to always feel shame and be humble. After Irwin starts junior high, he gets addicted to soft drinks. That's when Mom fills soda bottles with pesticide and places them in the most obvious spots in the living room. When I accidentally drink from a soda bottle, I'm in so much pain and agony that I keep rolling all over the floor. Dad quickly drives me to the hospital that night. On the way there, we are flagged down by a traffic officer, who's there to catch those who drink and drive. Even though Dad has already passed the breathalyzer test, Mom exclaims while laughing, "Your device really is useless! He already had a bottle of beer, and yet it couldn't even detect the alcohol in his breath!" Meanwhile, I feel as though my guts are on fire as I curl up in the backseat. Yet, Mom turns to stare at Irwin. "You see now? This is what you get for drinking!" Too engrossed in nagging Irwin's ear off, Mom fails to notice the fact that my breathing is growing weaker. Mom, are you happy now that your lesson has cost me my life?

* The fourth book in the Love and Other Sorcery Series - Book One, The Mage's Heart, Book Two, The Golden Dragon's Princess, Book Three, Akyran's Folly * Love's Sacrifice Will Make You Stronger Tarragon, the first-born child of Queen Diandreliera of Uyan Taesil and her dragon husband, Aurien, is the child of prophecy in every way. She is beautiful, talented, well-learned, and a master of the sword she was born to wield. She is also as magnificent a golden dragon as her father when in dragon-form. Daethie loves and adores her older sister and envies her for all that Tarragon is and Daethie isn't. Short, small, dark haired, and unable to shift into a dragon, Daethie is fondly known as "the runt of the dragon litter." Whilst her siblings excel at Prince Akyran and Princess Ecaeris' Monster Hunting training, Daethie is a disaster more likely to harm herself than any monster that she encounters. When Prince Akyran brings Aien, the son of a local warlock who is well known for his villainy, to the castle as his hostage, Aien singles out Daethie to befriend, and Daethie falls hard and fast for the enigmatic warlock's son. With the increasing danger of monsters roaming their land, Tarragon leads an expedition to locate the portal that is allowing the creatures to cross from their world, but it is a dangerous, testing journey and one that not all will complete alive. What sacrifice will be made for love and the rescue of their world?

In my previous life, I was sponsored by a wealthy man and even ended up marrying his daughter. My younger brother, however, struggled at the bottom rung of society. He was jealous that I lived a worry-free life and that I even had a beautiful wife by my side. Meanwhile, he was drowning in gambling debts, constantly having to hide and evade detection. With bloodshot eyes, my brother drags me to the rooftop but accidentally falls down with me. We get reborn on the day the wealthy man selects candidates. This time, he rushes forward and kneels at the wealthy man's feet. "Shane, in this life, the family fortune and the heiress are all mine!" What he doesn't know is that despite having all the money in the world, it doesn't guarantee he'll live to spend it.

After my younger brother, Thomas Werther, is born, my family puts a reward and disciplinary system in place. As the older brother, I receive double the punishment whenever Thomas makes a mistake. But whenever he accomplishes something, I am rewarded too. At first, I teach Thomas how to eat and use the toilet. My dad, Ronald Werther, praises me for doing such a great job and buys me stylish new clothes and all the toys I want. But one day, Thomas accidentally breaks a vase. After watching me take the punishment for it, he claps happily, as though he has just discovered something incredible. From that moment on, my life becomes a living nightmare. Thomas starts wreaking havoc around the house without restraint. He deliberately does the opposite of whatever I tell him. Dad's punishments grow harsher and harsher. At first, he only strikes my palms. Then he makes me stand for hours, forbids me from eating, and whips me with a cane. Every time I scream in pain, Thomas bursts into delighted laughter and claps his hands. I try to expose what Thomas is doing, but Dad only looks at me with disgust. "Thomas is just a kid! What could he possibly know? You don't teach him properly, and now you're trying to shirk responsibility? How did I end up raising a son like you?" And just like that, I endure Thomas' schemes until his third birthday. This time, giggling with delight, he smashes the only keepsake Granddad left behind.