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CHAPTER 01
【Prologue】
A steady, drizzling rain soaked the ground. Every time the wheels of the carriage passed over the muddy road, a squelching sound echoed through the air. It was a journey under relentless rain, as if all vitality had been drained from the land.
“Akarna, are you feeling any discomfort?”
At the coachman’s voice, the black-haired woman inside the carriage lifted her head. Even after hearing the question, she stared blankly at the raindrops striking the window. Only after a delay did she nod.
Even after receiving her answer, the coachman still seemed uneasy. He repeatedly lifted the carriage curtain to check on her condition.
“We’ll arrive soon. Please endure a little longer.”
Then he left her alone.
Between the sound of hooves, wheels, and mud splashing, the woman faintly heard the men’s conversation outside.
“Lady Akarna doesn’t look well. Is she going to be alright?”
“Isn’t this her first time going to the frontier? She might just be anxious.”
“Rather than that…”
Their voices lowered slightly.
“I heard His Highness the Crown Prince is engaged… perhaps that’s troubling her.”
Her hands, neatly placed on her lap, tightened. Engagement. A word she had not wanted to hear for a long time.
Despite opposition from the temple and the imperial family, the man she had loved for five years was now engaged to another woman. He was not an ordinary man, but the Crown Prince of the Empire—so a normal marriage was never possible. It was only natural that he would wed a noblewoman of suitable status.
His fiancée was the eldest daughter of the Empire’s most prestigious border marquis family. A lineage that had, for centuries, defended the Empire alongside the royal family, protecting the borders from monsters. Due to their remote territory and the rarity of heirs, opportunities had been scarce, but it seemed that now, finally, a connection had been made.
The ruler of the Empire and the family that protected it. A Crown Prince who had already achieved remarkable military feats despite his youth, and a bright, flawless young lady raised like a princess in a noble house. It was the perfect setup for a romantic story people loved to imagine.
But the woman inside the carriage was different.
Akarna was indeed someone cherished by the temple, but that did not mean the temple provided her with full backing. It merely fulfilled its duty—so long as she faithfully carried out “Akarna’s obligation.”
And that obligation was far from noble.
She was sent to the frontier with only a small number of escorts and a modest carriage.
To purify lands corrupted by miasma and save those who suffered.
This was the temple’s duty for humanity, and also the duty assigned to Akarna as someone who served the divine will.
But she had never once wanted this life.
She only accepted it because she had fallen in love with the Crown Prince and wished to contribute to the empire he would rule. And she had believed—without a doubt—that their love would bear fruit.
After all, they had loved each other so deeply for five years.
But that expectation was shattered the moment the Crown Prince announced his engagement to another woman.
She had once seen that marquis daughter from afar. A girl who laughed brightly, escorted by the Crown Prince, smiling like a blooming flower.
A noble and honorable family. A flawless personality. Vast territory and high status. Wealth beyond measure. And a beauty that made anyone stare in awe.
Everything she had was different from Akarna’s dull and timid self.
“Haah…”
Rattle. Rattle-rattle!
The carriage continued onward. The rain grew heavier, slowing their journey beyond schedule. But since they could not camp outdoors, they continued traveling through the night, climbing the mountain.
Perhaps it had been a mistake to head so far in a moment of frustration. But even that faint regret was quickly scattered by the violently shaking carriage.
No—it wasn’t the carriage.
The ground itself was shaking.
What’s happening?
As the woman inside the carriage tensed, sharp shouts came from outside.
“Turn the horses! It’s a landslide!”
“It’s too late! Abandon the carriage and run—!”
Rattle-rattle! Boom!
Before they could react, a massive mass of earth crashed down onto the carriage. Her vision flipped in an instant. The carriage shook as if an earthquake had struck. The woman, trying to steady herself in a corner, ended up rolling helplessly inside.
When a seat broke loose and struck her waist, she even screamed.
“Gah! Ugh…!”
She barely managed to regain consciousness.
The broken carriage was now precariously hanging off a cliff. Inside the tilting wreck, she struggled to steady herself, but the rain-slick floor made it impossible.
“Aah!”
She slipped and, in desperation, grabbed onto a protruding piece of the carriage. But she didn’t know how long she could hold on.
The carriage tilted further. She was not particularly strong. Worse, the pouring rain made everything more dangerous.
“Akarna, hold on! We’ll come get you immediately!”
Fortunately, her escorts had come back for her.
They had been entrusted with protecting the only “Akarna,” and if anything happened, they would be punished severely by their superiors.
But seeing them panic, the woman felt strangely nothing at all.
If she were saved now… then what?
She would go to her destination, fulfill her duty as Akarna, and return to the empire?
And what awaited her there was nothing but the same repetitive, tedious life.
Helping those who came to the temple, being dispatched to corrupted lands, helping people again and again. Praised as a saint, receiving gratitude from countless people.
And eventually, there would be a grand ceremony.
The engagement ceremony of the man she loved.
“…Ha.”
She didn’t know why she was laughing.
Then, impulsively, she released her grip.
Her escorts screamed her name.
The sensation of falling hit her instantly—terrifying, yet strangely liberating.
She closed her eyes.
The man she had secretly met despite the temple’s opposition. The man who taught her how to read and speak. Even after being betrayed, she still wanted to see him.
The sensation of holding hands and whispering foolish love in an empty place lingered faintly in her mind.
【Akarna】
It took only a single day for the world to turn upside down.
When Seo Ji-woo opened her eyes one day, she was no longer hearing the mechanical beep of her alarm clock. Instead, countless people were staring at her.
Behind them stood a pure white building and towering pillars. She didn’t need to think long to realize—it was a temple.
And at the center of all those people, she was seated on what looked like an altar, still wearing the pajamas she had put on before sleeping.
Before she could process anything, someone approached her.
He looked important. An elderly man in luxurious robes, wearing a large ceremonial crown. As he stepped forward, everyone around him bowed deeply.
Even though the clothing was unfamiliar, it was obvious this was a sacred place. If this was a temple, then he was likely some kind of high-ranking priest.
But when he respectfully bowed to her, Ji-woo only became more confused.
He spoke.
“Welcome, Akarna. It is an honor to meet you.”
Strangely, she could understand him. Even though they weren’t speaking Korean, she could still comprehend the unfamiliar language.
“A…Akarna…?”
“Yes. The Watcher who descended to the mortal world by the will of the Supreme God.”
“…Ah.”
Ji-woo let out a dull sound of understanding—but not because she agreed. She could understand the words, not speak them.
Watcher? Will of the god? What kind of cult nonsense is this?
Seo Ji-woo was an ordinary office worker who already found the next day’s work annoying. She had no religion, and even if she did, she wouldn’t waste her precious time on things like this. If people like this ever approached her on her commute, she would normally find a way to escape—and usually succeed.
But surrounded by this many people, escape was impossible.
Seeing her growing suspicion, the priest-like old man smiled.
Then he took a beautifully decorated dagger from within his robes.
Before Ji-woo could react, he grabbed her arm and swiftly cut her palm.
