Chapter 01
Land of Martyrs.
Ever since the Holy Kingdom of Aslan was founded, this nickname had followed it like a divine punishment.
A land encircled by deep, rugged mountains that acted as natural fortresses, bordered by seas where cold and warm currents mixed to produce rare fish as if from a fountain.
Yet, at the same time, it bordered a cursed land—the Abandoned Desert.
The Abandoned Desert was the site of an ancient magical kingdom that had perished long ago for challenging the authority of the gods.
The people of that kingdom incurred divine wrath and were transformed into monsters, neither human nor beast, which ravaged humanity endlessly.
People called these creatures demons out of fear and terror.
To combat them, countless clergy, led by the temples, sacrificed themselves as martyrs.
Hundreds of years ago, a saint, a high priest, and the grandmaster of the holy knights joined forces to drive the demons away. They established a barrier on the land bordering the Abandoned Desert and laid the foundations of the kingdom.
Thus, Aslan was born.
In this kingdom, divine authority outweighed royal power, and the temples’ influence was renowned across the continent.
Being the only nation capable of suppressing and controlling demons, Aslan maintained strict neutrality and remained untouched by continental wars.
The source sustaining the temples was holy power. But holy power appeared only in about one person in a thousand, and the purity and magnitude of that power varied from individual to individual.
Because of this, priests and priestesses constantly traveled the kingdom to locate children with holy power.
Among them was Skyler, a child from the slums.
Yet Skyler was never discovered by the clergy and never went to the temple.
Her mother, Sarina, a tavern woman, had hidden her completely.
Sarina planned to sell Skyler, who resembled herself, to an elderly wealthy man.
One day, while Sarina was heavily drunk, Skyler overheard her speaking with patrons:
“Holy power? Healing a scratch—what’s so impressive about that? It won’t cure incurable diseases or stop aging.”
“Still, it’s amazing, isn’t it? She’s your daughter.”
“Not at all. It’s a nuisance, honestly. I carried her for ten months and raised her—how could I let the temple take her for free? I’ll sell her for a high price.”
From that day on, Skyler planned her future.
Knowing Sarina’s intentions, she began dressing as a boy every morning while everyone was asleep. She delivered goods for a shop in a neighboring village to earn money.
Once she saved enough, she planned to leave and learn how to brew coffee and tea, hoping one day to open her own café—a stylish outdoor café with a terrace and canopy.
Skyler worked diligently toward her goal. She was a reliable worker, and the shopkeeper trusted her.
But just as she was nearing her savings goal, her hopes were shattered.
Crack.
“How dare you think of running away after I bore and raised you?”
Skyler, slapped, sank to the ground. Sarina, fuming, threw something to the floor—Skyler’s diary, now shredded, and her empty piggy bank.
“Where did you get—”
“Ugh!”
“Something like this, born from me!”
Sarina ruthlessly kicked her crouched daughter.
Skyler endured the assault, vowing that she would escape tonight. Her entire body ached, but there was no other way.
“Haa…”
Finally, exhausted from kicking, Sarina paused. Just as it seemed she would catch her breath, she turned sharply and addressed someone:
“Take her.”
At that moment, a large man appeared and approached Skyler. He looked at her battered face and clicked his tongue.
“Such a mess. The product’s value drops. Is she really sixteen? Not twelve?”
“She’s grown enough. Just touch her up and send her off.”
It felt like a bucket of cold water in her mind. Skyler clung to Sarina’s ankle.
“Mom!”
“….”
“Please, don’t!”
But Sarina showed no mercy. Skyler grabbed the man’s pants:
“She’s twelve! Really!”
“You lie. I’m her mother, I’d know.”
It was Sarina who lied. She didn’t even know Skyler’s birthday.
“Take her quickly.”
Having received money, Sarina nodded toward the door. The man hoisted Skyler onto his shoulder like a sack of goods.
“Please, save me… Mom!”
Skyler struggled, her swollen eyes begging.
If this continued, she’d die. She might as well live a life better ended than endured. Darkness clouded her vision, and her breath caught.
Then—
Thump.
“Uh…?”
The man stopped and looked down at his chest—a sword had pierced it.
“Ugh…?”
His legs gave way, and he collapsed. At the same time, knights in full armor stormed through the open door.
Everything moved in slow motion. As Skyler backed away, brushing past the knights, she looked up at the boy standing before her.
“Sarina Orten. You are under arrest for illegal drug distribution and human trafficking.”
After this death-sentence-like declaration, Sarina’s screams and resistance filled the room.
The knights began seizing evidence.
Amidst the chaos, Skyler stared at the approaching boy. He reached out, touched her cheek, and turned her gently.
“You were beaten badly.”
Skyler met his sapphire-blue eyes.
He looked fourteen or fifteen, with jet-black hair, sharp eyes, and a crooked mouth. His smooth cheeks, like a bisque doll, were streaked with blood.
“Go to the temple and receive treatment.”
The boy withdrew his hand and turned away without hesitation. The mark of his blade was clear on his retreating palm.
I must repay him.
Skyler summoned all her strength to grab his sleeve.
“E-excuse me… wait!”
At that moment, a blinding white light enveloped her.
“What… what is this?”
“So bright!”
Everyone present shielded their eyes.
The intense flash was brief. Holy power wrapped around her like feathers, slowly fading.
When she returned to normal, her body was unharmed.
The boy looked down at his hand, astonished. The deep scars were gone; even the blood on her face had disappeared.
Then…
The boy, shocked, shook Skyler’s shoulders.
“What’s your name?”
“….”
“Children with holy power must be reported to the temple. Why have you been hiding?”
His voice was bone-chillingly cold.
Sarina had already been taken. Any explanation would be futile.
Skyler let tears fall instead of answering.
After a moment, the boy pulled her into his arms. Startled, she shrank like a rabbit.
“Then it’s better to keep hiding. It won’t do you any good to be known.”
“B-but…”
Many had already seen her. Skyler glanced at the surrounding people; the boy calmly shook his head.
“No need to worry about that.”
“I-I’m Skyler.”
Finally introducing herself, she looked up at the boy. Noticing her curiosity, he answered willingly:
“Declan Krauss.”
He raised the corner of his mouth in a smile, like a predator hiding a grin.
Frightening yet intriguing, Skyler couldn’t look away. She buried her face in his broad chest as her consciousness blurred.
When she opened her eyes three days later, she was on a huge bed with a draped canopy.
For the first time, she felt the soft comfort of a proper bed and looked around. The room was large and luxurious.
As she propped herself against the headboard, she noticed a small frame on the bedside table.
Tap… slide…
She reached for it just as the door at her feet opened.
“Nice painting, isn’t it?”
Skyler turned sharply.
“It’s the only painting I ever bought.”
It was the boy who had saved her.
