Chapter 1
War inevitably brings devastation.
A land that was once filled with lush green grass and dense trees had been swallowed by miasma, its life extinguished.
In the midst of that ruin, there remained a small patch of faint greenery.
“…Ah.”
That was where I lay.
Beneath my weakening senses, the softness of the grass touching my hand felt like the spirits mourning my fading life.
Cough—
Unable to suppress the rising cough from within, I spat out blood.
With no strength left to support my body, my blood spilled all over the one holding me—Isid.
“I’m sorry… I know you hate getting dirty, but I couldn’t help it…”
I smiled awkwardly as I apologized, and through my dim vision I saw Isid grit his teeth.
“…Why would something like that matter right now?”
His trembling hand wiped the blood from my lips.
You shouldn’t do that. I know how much you despise anything filthy. I wanted to remain as a good memory for you.
But I swallowed those words.
I only had a few minutes left—so maybe I was allowed to be a little selfish.
Just moments ago, we had won a war that decided humanity’s fate.
We stopped the revival of an evil god, killed the leader of the dark mages, and destroyed the so-called “Orb of Evil” embedded in his heart.
But as history always proves, there is no such thing as a war without sacrifice. Both victors and losers pay their price.
Broken lives and a devastated land.
I was one of those broken lives.
“Hey, Isid.”
“Stop talking.”
He cut me off and poured his magic into me.
Under normal circumstances, I would have felt comforted by his overwhelming mana—but now it felt like my body had holes in it, unable to accept it.
Ah… there really is a hole.
I barely lifted my arm and placed my hand over his.
But I could no longer feel warmth properly.
“Isid.”
“…Roel, please.”
Just calling his name made him seem to understand what I was about to say.
“Just listen, you idiot.”
Even so, I stubbornly continued.
Dying without saying anything at all would be too awful.
“Don’t keep cursing because I’m gone. Don’t be too harsh on others either. Take care of the kids too… they really like you.”
“…Roel.”
“And say hi to Rani, Celi, Tero, and Kan for me. I want to call them myself, but I can’t anymore…”
“It’s only temporary. You’ll be fine soon, so please—”
Isid pleaded, holding my hand.
His voice was trembling so badly it hurt just to hear.
‘I wish that poison had been a little weaker.’
But the poison in my body could not be removed even by the spirits’ power. That meant it was a type even divine power couldn’t cure.
“Isid… I’m glad I met you. Without you, I would’ve still been stuck alone in those mountains.”
“…Roel.”
“You know, compared to when we first met, you’ve become a lot softer.”
After a long silence, Isid finally replied in a cracked voice.
“You… you’re the one who made me like this.”
I smiled weakly.
“Yeah… I really worked hard, didn’t I? You’re so stubborn and so difficult…”
How many times had I told him to speak more kindly?
Isid carefully adjusted his hold on me and whispered:
“…You don’t know. Just how soft I am toward you.”
Of course I did.
Even now, he still didn’t treat Kyle, Dana, or Jin warmly.
I knew he only joined the alliance and persuaded the dragonkin because of my request.
How could I not know how soft he was toward me?
“Yeah… you’re too soft with me…”
I buried my cheek into his chest, smiling faintly.
My senses were fading, as if sinking into water.
‘…What a shame.’
There were so many things I still wanted to do with you.
I realized it instinctively—this was the end.
With my last strength, I grasped his hand.
“Even though you probably won’t… don’t think bad thoughts. Live happily. Live long.”
“Roel, wait— Roel!”
“…Thank you, Isid.”
Her voice faded into the distance.
I just hope you’ll be happy.
A teardrop slipped from my closed eyes and fell.
I’m sorry… and…
The words I could never finish sank into the abyss as my consciousness broke apart.
The moment Roel’s breath stopped completely—
Rumble—! Splash—!
The earth shook and the sky cried out.
All of nature itself trembled violently, as if mourning Roel’s passing.
Year 481 of the Continental Calendar, June 30.
Roel, the great spirit master loved by nature, returns once more to nature’s embrace.
I thought I had returned to nature’s embrace…
‘…Am I not dead?’
I blinked blankly.
My vision was foggy, as if something covered my eyes, making it hard to see.
Even after blinking several times, nothing became clearer.
Did I lose my sight after being revived?
‘But I clearly felt myself die…’
I remembered everything vividly.
The war we won, the attack I couldn’t fully block, the unbearable pain, Isid, our final conversation, even the moment I tightly grabbed his hand before letting go.
The moment I realized something was wrong was when I tried to lift my arm.
Something felt deeply wrong with my body.
‘…Why does my hand look like this?’
It wasn’t clear, but it was obviously not normal.
A grown adult’s hand had become something else entirely.
What appeared before me looked less like a hand and more like a pale, soft lump of dough.
I took a deep breath and slowly moved it.
And the small chubby limb actually moved.
Left, right, left again.
Soon I stopped, my arm going numb.
Then I tried to speak, half in disbelief.
No way. That can’t be—
“Bwe…”
Whatever hope I had shattered instantly.
It was a sound that even I couldn’t recognize as language.
At that moment, I had no choice but to accept it.
I didn’t know how or why… but I had become a newborn baby.
Just as confusion overwhelmed me, rustling sounds came from above.
‘An enemy?’
Instinctively, I drew on my spirit power.
Four familiar colored lights appeared—and my oldest friends manifested.
Kan, Rani, Celi, Tero.
Four tiny spirits, each the size of my fist, fluttered over and kissed my cheeks.
Spirits have no language, but as their contractor, I could feel their will.
They missed me dearly… and were happy to see me again.
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye… wait? If they missed me, then I didn’t just become younger?’
Before I could process it further—
“Oh my, are you awake already, my daughter?”
A woman suddenly appeared before my vision.
As a spirit master who had trained in self-defense under Isid, I was confident in my awareness—but I hadn’t sensed her at all.
That realization shocked me.
My dulled senses felt like a blunt blade that couldn’t cut anything.
It was probably because I was now a baby.
‘…She doesn’t seem like an enemy.’
Despite the shock, I quickly relaxed.
If she had ill intent, the spirits wouldn’t be calm.
And honestly… a woman looking at me like that didn’t seem dangerous.
“Oh my, who could she take after to be so beautiful? Shall we go into mommy’s arms for a moment?”
…Wait.
“Daughter…? Mommy…?”
Before I could process words I had never heard before, the woman reached out and lifted me.
“Oh, how pretty. Our little princess, should we go greet daddy together?”
W-what is happening…!?
