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Chapter 1
Aris thought fire had bloomed in the sky.
That was his first impression when he saw her.
Red flames fluttering in the wind.
Of course, it was only her vivid red hair, fluttering violently in the breeze. Her thick, curly hair was tied up high in a single knot, and that alone made her impossible to miss.
She landed lightly with the wind, her hair trailing like flames—then, in the next moment, she surged forward with terrifying force. Her sword severed the leg of the beast that had been chasing Aris. Translucent, neon-green blood splattered through the air. The charging beast couldn’t overcome its own momentum and skidded violently across the ground.
Before it could get up, a pair of swords drove straight into the center of its large skull. The head split apart, revealing a glowing core. Using her swords like levers, she pried the core out, its surface slick with spinal fluid.
The core fell to the ground and began contaminating the earth around it—but the beast itself turned to ash and began to disappear. The woman’s red hair swirled in the wind along with the ash, making her look even more like fire itself.
She slowly turned her body toward Aris, her gaze tracking the rolling core on the ground. Her red hair rose and fell lightly in the wind. Aris, captivated, watched her—until their eyes met through the curls of her hair.
Even behind the goggles he wore, something in his chest thudded. What he had thought was fire… Her eyes looked like glistening olive stones touched by spring sunlight. She had a young, pretty face. Was she about his age? At most, she didn’t seem past her early twenties.
Later, Aris would look back on this moment and say with certainty: he had fallen in love at first sight. Though at the time, his overwhelming thought was more along the lines of, What the hell is this?
“Are you okay?”
Her slightly awkward accent betrayed her as a non-native speaker of Mairenese. The words brought Aris back to his senses.
“Did you get hurt anywhere…?”
Seeing Aris’s wary expression, she hesitated, narrowing her eyes slightly. She had just saved him from a six-legged wolf-like beast, only to be met with suspicion.
Aris averted his gaze from her and looked at the beast’s core that had landed a step ahead of him. He imbued his sword with energy and split it. A sharp, cracking sound like glass breaking echoed, and fragments scattered. The woman let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
She couldn’t understand it. If he knew how to use sword energy, why had he been running from a beast like that? But as she’d guessed, Aris hadn’t really needed help. He was just too lazy to fight—it was less troublesome to run. In a detached tone, he said:
“Thanks for the help. I was in big trouble there.”
His sarcastic tone didn’t go unnoticed. She sheathed her twin swords back at her waist.
“I saw the beasts moving as I passed by and decided to follow. I’m glad I did.”
She looked at the split core, then smiled awkwardly.
“Did I… interfere unnecessarily?”
A beast like that shouldn’t have been a big deal for someone who could wield sword energy. Maybe she had jumped in for nothing.
“No, not at all. I was just avoiding the hassle of fighting it, and you took care of it for me. I appreciate it.”
Still sarcastic. The woman’s expression turned uncomfortable. Aris, a bit rudely, looked her up and down.
“But what’s an outsider doing in a place like this? More importantly, how did you get in?”
It had been nearly six months since he’d seen a non-local. Suspicion tinged his voice. She rolled her eyes, then replied:
“I was delivering relief supplies to the village. I think the beasts were drawn to us during the journey. After we arrived, an alert went off, saying someone was still out there. I figured it was our fault, and I couldn’t ignore it out of guilt.”
Aris’s face twisted in disbelief, no attempt at hiding it.
“Did you just say… relief supplies?”
“Yes.”
“Which organization are you with? I’ve heard nothing about that.”
Before she could answer, a beast’s howl echoed from the distance. They both turned their heads sharply toward the sound. It wasn’t close, but not far enough to be ignored.
Aris, guessing it would take too long to dig into the details, packed his few belongings. Then he spoke to her—not in Mairenese, but in the Eastern dialect of Roamena.
“There don’t seem to be more beasts nearby, but we should head back just in case.”
The woman blinked in surprise, rabbit-eyed at the sudden language switch. Then she responded in the same dialect.
“How did you know I speak Eastern Roamena?”
“It’s obvious from your accent.”
“But I barely said anything. You’re sharp.”
Aris replied indifferently.
“And you’ve got the typical features of someone from that region.”
“Most people wouldn’t make such a detailed deduction from that alone.”
“Aris Kleinsherd.”
He introduced himself as he pulled off his goggles and ran a hand through his messy bangs. She looked at his face and smiled with interest.
“You called me an outsider, but you’re not from this region either. Your name, your looks—and your surname… Kleinsherd?”
“Technically, I’m mixed. One of my parents isn’t from Mairen. That explains the name, the looks… everything. There’s more to the story, but no need to share. No one in this village is without a story.”
“Ah, I see.”
His tone made it clear she shouldn’t pry further, so she didn’t.
Indeed, Aris looked different from the people of Mairen. They typically had dark or brown hair, black to golden-brown eyes, pale skin, and rounder heads. Monolids were more common than double eyelids, and their noses and mouths were small.
Aris, on the other hand, had brown hair and eyes like the locals, but his face was oval and his features more defined. Without knowing his background, anyone could guess he was mixed.
That subtle foreignness made his already handsome face even more striking. At the moment, his long brown hair was loosely braided in the local style, and his clothes were untidy enough to make him look like a vagrant. But if he cleaned up, he’d be easily called a good-looking man.
“Mirea Janester. Is ‘Aris’ short for ‘Aristesse’?”
Mirea introduced herself and extended her hand, expecting to be ignored—but Aris sighed lightly and took it.
“No, just Aris.”
“Ah, my mistake.”
“Everyone assumes it’s a nickname.”
He gave only what was necessary and turned to walk down the mountain path. When he looked back as if to say Are you coming or not?, Mirea quickly followed.
For someone wandering a forest full of beasts, Aris was carrying surprisingly little. A rifle slung over one shoulder, an old sword at his hip—both worn and poorly maintained. Odd for someone capable of using sword energy.
“What were you doing out here alone?”
“Hunting.”
“In this beast-infested forest?”
“There’s nowhere else to hunt around here. This area is the only zone where beasts rarely appear.”
Yet Mirea didn’t see any animal carcasses among his belongings. Aris added quickly:
“Though I often come back empty-handed, like today.”
“Are you always alone?”
“No one else in the village can hunt. It’s easier to care for just myself. Worrying about others is too much of a hassle. What about you? You brought relief supplies, so you couldn’t have come alone. Better start explaining, or I might decide to dump your body in this forest to keep the village safe.”
“Wow, you don’t mince words, do you?”
“This is a place even the Mairen government has abandoned. Who would send relief supplies here? Do you know how many villagers have died in the past year? And now you show up talking about aid? Sounds fishy. So, who are you with?”
Mirea followed Aris easily, not even winded by the harsh terrain. She replied:
“Then isn’t it lucky I came? The sacred power barrier around this village is weaker than I expected. At this rate, you’ll need to relocate, even if it’s dangerous.”
“You want me to lead a village full of children and elderly through a forest crawling with beasts? That’s suicide.”
“Starving to death or dying in a risky escape… Either way, it’s death. Today’s supplies might help for a while, but winter’s coming fast. A decision needs to be made soon.”
“Mirea Janester. I asked where you’re from, and I still haven’t gotten an answer.”
His tone was sharp as he slowed his pace and looked back. Mirea raised her hands slightly to show she meant no harm.
“Since you’re so curious, I’ve got nothing to hide. I’m Agent Mirea Janester of the Combat Division, Special Response Unit, under the Rashuon Association for Intelligent Lifeforms. But no need for formalities—just call me Mirea.”
