In a land where snowstorms did not stop all year long, there was a small village where the harsh winter settled in.
A girl with her hair wrapped up in a fur coat was running somewhere, wagging her braids.
“Dad!”
The girl shouted at the man who was chopping a tree in the distance. The man turned his head and looked at his daughter, who was running towards him with her small legs.
“Viya?”
Saika tilted his head as his daughter, who never comes to his work, suddenly appeared.
He put down the axe to greet her.
“What are you doing all the way here?”
“I am here to bring you lunch!”
“Ah, I forgot my lunchbox.”
The woodcutter always brought his own lunch, rushed to work, and worked until sundown, but he seemed to have forgotten about it today.
Still, his work wasn’t close to his house, and his daughter came all this way alone.
The place is more dangerous than people think, so even adult men would be nervous when coming here.
“It is dangerous. Did you come here alone?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell your mom?”
“I didn’t.”
Oh my.
Saika touched his forehead.
After all, there was no way her mom would send her alone, and seeing that she left with the lunch box, Viya must have come on her own. It would have been a huge problem if she encountered a beast on her way.
‘I guess she needs to stay here for today.’
Many things made him anxious about having his daughter in his workplace, so Saika took the lunchbox and held her in his arms.
“Dad?”
Viya’s eyes went wide-eyed.
Saika told her,
“Let’s go home.”
“But I just arrived?”
“It is cold. You will catch a cold if you stay here.”
“I can go back alone.”
“It is dangerous. And next time, even if I leave the lunchbox at home, do not come here. What would you do if a wild animal appeared? Mom will scold you when we get home.”
“Eh.”
Hearing that her mother would scold her, little Viya began to hug her father’s neck and tear up.
“Hahaha. Do not worry. Dad will stop Mom.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Dad is the best!”
“Oh my!”
As Viya hugged his neck, Saika let out a groan.
“You child! Hahaha!”
Saika burst out laughing while looking at his daughter. She was a child who made him happy in such lands.
If it hadn’t been for Viya, he would have had a hard life in such a place. And it should be the same for others.
He was lucky enough to have a beautiful child. Saika hugged the sleeping Viya in his arms and looked at the world covered in snow.
“Has it been three years already?”
Just three years ago, this place was full of life. Of course, since it was a village in the northern end, the temperature was lower, but there was still farming around.
And even though it was a small village, the people were all peaceful.
Until the war broke out.
“Phew.”
He sighed as he looked back.
A tall castle existed beyond the snow. It was at an unknown distance, but this black castle that was beyond the clouds could be vaguely seen by the villagers.
The super-large building suddenly appeared on the northern continent, Olvia, three years ago. Since it appeared, the land has become cold.
The Sun God took away the warmth from the sun.
Was it some kind of hope that held the light?
Saika wasn’t sure. It was only certain that the world had changed because of the owner of that castle.
“Demon King Diablo Volfir.”
The great war happened three years ago. The army, led by Pyro, and all kinds of races fought against the Zenith Church.
In the process, several of the 12 Gods lost their lives, and many went into hiding.
Saika had only heard about it, but he could tell how fierce it was without witnessing it himself.
The God of Peace, Zenith, was defeated by the Evil Goddess, Pyro.
The different races that were aiming for the human world trampled on humans, and the great magician Jamie Welton, who was praised, was actually the Demon King.
A being called Diablo Volfir allied with Pyro, and he tried to bring Zenith to his death.
It wouldn’t have been like this if not for Ra, the Sun God, who was the core of the 12 Gods.
“Phew.”
Saika walked through the knee-deep snow. He could see the village where he lived.
“How long will he be here?”
Would the day come when the snow would melt? Nobody knew the answer.
He rarely heard any news from the army of the Sun Church that was stationed around here.
It seemed like small and large battles were happening, and the army of the Demon King had huge troops.
For three years, this land had peace, but one could never know when he would be conscripted.
“Almost there.”
Saika entered the village with no life. In a place where people lived, it was as if everyone was dead.
Three years ago.
Peace vanished.
It had become a world where people like Saika had to live like the dead. And to them, this land was hell.
They longed for life to come back.
“I am back!”
Saika took his thick shoes off and went inside with his daughter. And then he heard the voice of his wife.
“V-Viya! Viya is not here!
He smiled.
“I think she went outside and disappeared… just where could this child…”
Suddenly, his wife, Carly, ran to the door and found her sleeping in her husband’s arms. She stood still, looking lost.
She frowned and was about to shout, but before that, Saika put a finger on her lips.
“Shhh. She will wake up.”
“Sigh.”
Carly sat down as if her legs had gone weak and sighed in relief.
Saika lightly patted her on the shoulder and carried Viya to her bed.
“What happened?”
When Carly approached and asked what had happened, she asked,
“Really… should we call her a filial daughter or not?”
“She is filial.”
“But we need to be careful. What kind of child just walks out alone? We don’t know what will happen to her out there.”
“Sigh.”
“Haah. Did you come home early because of her?”
“Yes. I felt too anxious to keep her around and chop wood.”
“You did well.”
If it was dangerous for a man to walk alone, a child going out alone was out of the question. And what if something dangerous happened when they were together? That wasn’t a chance he wanted to take.
“I will make sure to bring the lunchbox tomorrow. Wash up.”
“Thank you.”
Saika went to take a bath, and Carly headed to the kitchen.
The sound of the child snoring, the sound of the kitchen, and the sound of the water were harmonious in the small house.
Then a group of people appeared in the snow-covered village.
“It is a village.”
One scout folded his telescope and reported to the man who looked like the leader.
The so-called leader straightened his beard and turned his gaze to the tall black tower.
“Good. By annihilating the villages of the Demon King’s followers, we can increase the number of reasons to seek justice.”
“How long…”
“I want to warm myself up in a warm blanket now.”
“Any women?”
“Dirty bastard! If it is a follower of the Demon King, their soul will be unclean. Do you want to be with someone like that?”
“Which is why I will purify them.”
“Purify what?”
“Enough.”
When the voices of his subordinates started to get louder, the captain named Taika shouted.
“Think about that after the followers are annihilated. We are all tired, and I have to replenish my stamina as well.”
“Captain is right.”
“Kuak. Where did that monster come from? When we’re ready, let us console our comrades’ souls.”
“Sure.”
Taika shook his head with a bitter face. His unit had shrunk from over a hundred to about ten people.
It was because of the being who suddenly appeared, and they couldn’t even figure out its identity.
The monster slaughtered dozens of his soldiers in an instant.
‘Humiliation.’
Taika belonged to the 17th Demon King subjugation troops, which were united by the Sun God after his skills were recognized.
Even on the battlefield, he raised his merit and got promoted, but one monster that appeared a week ago was destroying him.
‘Can one thing be that strong?’
There were swordmasters who could change the flow of battles on the battlefield alone.
He heard that the great war which happened three years ago was full of such monsters, but they never appeared on the battlefield that he roamed in.
He was normally a small-scale war captain and never actually met an Apostle or a swordmaster.
‘Was it a swordmaster?’
There was no sign of an aura, though, so Taika tried to figure out what it was and what to do with the village.
Now he had to get rid of the blood on him.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
“Everyone get up. The captain wants to leave.”
Taika’s troops headed for the snowy village in the distance. A village based in the land of the Demon King.
That place must have his cruel followers who were covered in magi.
“Purify.”
Madness glistened in the eyes of Taika and his men.
Saika soaked himself in hot water and came out. It was just a few hours, but the cold was hard to get used to.
He came to the living room feeling relaxed.
“Come sit down if you are washed up.”
Carly had finished preparing the meals, and a nice smell came from the kitchen.
Saika wrapped the towel around his neck and headed to the kitchen.
There was a warm soup, savory bread, and a salad tossed with his wife’s special dressing.
It was a simple meal, but today he felt grateful for it. Rather, their family was one of those who had enough food.
“I will eat well.”
Saika, who sat down, split the bread in half and dipped it into the soup. And once the bread was moist, he took a bite. The soup warmed his cold mouth.
This made him feel happy.
“When will things be fine?”
Carly, who was sitting across from him, mumbled while looking at the snow. They could barely see the opposite house.
And it started to snow more.
“Well.”
“This won’t harm us, right?”
“Hmm.”
In the past, he would have said something, but now that the world turned like this, he didn’t want to say a careless thing.
“I hope everything works out.”
To normal people like them, this was an unfamiliar world. Even after three years, it was still like that.
Just accept it. His thoughts were filled with resentment. It was then…
“Hm?”
Carly suddenly raised her head and looked out the window, making Saika confused.
“What is it?”
“I heard something outside.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“Like a scream…?”
“Hmm.”
Saika didn’t hear anything besides the blizzard being too much. He couldn’t hear anything outside.
But his wife was different. She could hear the slightest sounds that were difficult for humans to hear.
Carly got up and went to the door.
The moment she turned the doorknob, she hesitated.
“Why…”
When Saika tried to question her behavior, Carly held out her hand.
“You must have the ears of the devil.”
And they heard the voice of a strange man.
Kwakwak!
The door was smashed.
And Carly was thrown back as she fell, and Saika ran for her.
“Viya first!”
Carly shouted.
Saika bit his lip and ran straight to the bed, where Viya was. In the meantime, he saw a man standing near the door with an axe and a snake-like tongue.
“Take down the followers of the Demon King!”
The axe landed on Carly’s head.
