18 years ago.
On the barren land where black stones rolled and sandstorms blew, a woman was wiping the blood off her dagger with a handkerchief.
After cleaning the blood from the blade, she took out a communication crystal.
“I chased them down and handled it.”
– Thank you for your hard work.
After reporting, she put the communication crystal back into her pocket and slowly looked around.
It was an empty place. Just black, desolate land and sand floating around.
With a neutral expression, she brushed her silver hair to one side and leisurely began walking.
“Why run all the way out here, making things troublesome?”
While grumbling and heading back to the checkpoint, something caught her eye.
A baby grave.
Countless abandoned babies were lying there. Small bodies, now cold, were scattered beneath an unknown altar. Tiny limbs, still unable to fully extend their fingers, had frozen without having had a chance to bloom.
“…I get it.”
She placed her hand on her waist and gazed at the tragic scene with emotionless eyes.
“The ‘key’ that moves the demon world. They don’t know who the right child is, so they just toss them out to see if they get lucky?”
She chuckled bitterly and turned her head.
She needed to hurry back, or the entrance to her original world would close.
At that moment.
―!
Her mother had said she heard a faint cry.
So weak and insignificant that it seemed like it would be drowned out by the sound of the wind after just one step.
So, she didn’t turn around and walked toward where the cry came from.
Right there.
Waa! Waa!
Her mother said she met ‘me’ then.
A baby, miraculously alive in the tragic grave. A tiny body struggling, unable to even get over the small basket it was in.
But her mother said she didn’t find much interest in it at that time.
She was always the type to say she had no maternal instincts.
As she was about to turn away.
Kiiiing!
A small horn had grown on the forehead of an ordinary human.
Red, glowing, and small, it was either a tiny horn or an acne-like bump on the skin.
When her mother saw that, only then did she find it interesting.
“I found something interesting.”
– What is it, Nephthys?
Her mother had picked me up and cradled me. I, who had been crying loudly, stopped immediately and opened my eyes wide.
“The Cultists’ random strategy worked. ‘The key.’”
– Really?
“If we take the key with us…”
Her mother laughed happily.
“They’ll be furious, won’t they?”
That was the first meeting between my mother and me.
* * *
Hehe he-
When my mother returned to Rock Island, she was sitting with a quill pen in her hand, pressing her forehead against a pile of papers.
I was a baby back then, crying endlessly, and my mother, who was stressed from work, couldn’t take it anymore and shouted angrily.
“Stop crying! I’ve fed you and changed your diaper! What’s the problem?! If you want something, say it! Say it!”
She said it many times, but my mother was the type to say she had no maternal instincts. She would stop her work and argue with a one-year-old baby, even though she was a witch over a hundred years old.
“Here we go again. What are you doing?”
Hearing the commotion, the secretary walked in with a smile.
My mother slumped into her chair and pointed her finger at me.
“She keeps crying! I’ve fed her and done everything!”
“She probably has indigestion, that’s why she’s bloated.”
The secretary took me into his arms, gently patted my back, and soon I burped.
“Babies have trouble digesting food on their own. You have to make them burp.”
“Ugh, I don’t care.”
My mother puffed her cheeks and turned her head sharply.
“When is the person who’s supposed to take the baby coming?”
“They say they’ve run into a sudden problem and will be about two days late.”
“Two days? Two days?!”
My mother thudded her head onto the desk. The secretary approached, smiling gently.
“Why not try to get closer in the meantime?”
“I’m not interested.”
My mother crossed her arms with an uninterested expression, and the secretary came over and handed me to her.
“Ah! What is this?”
“I need to review if the documents have been signed properly. Please hold her until then.”
“Ugh, really.”
My mother grumbled but held me.
Having stopped crying, I looked at my mother.
Gently.
I wiggled my hand and pulled at her cheek, and she screamed, “Aah!”
“This is really—!”
At that moment.
“Hehe.”
My mother said I smiled.
Just like when she first found me in the Demon Realm, I grew small, red horns on my forehead and smiled widely.
“….”
My mother always claimed she didn’t understand maternal love, but…
It was then that she felt something like warmth for the first time.
* * *
I grew up steadily.
– Now it’s time to practice writing! Let’s start with your name! Ro- Le- In- That’s right! A- Cr- Bol- D! Good job!
– Did I do well?
My mother decided to raise me herself.
I grew up without any lack as the daughter of the leader of the Dark Alliance.
That said, I also had my complaints.
The pressure of having to learn more than ordinary people.
The dislike of only wearing black clothes and never the pink ones I liked when going out in public.
Occasionally, I indulged in the privilege of being my mother’s daughter.
And sometimes, I got fed up with only being called ‘Nephthys’s daughter’ and, instead of special admission, took the entrance exam to Kijen myself.
But I always felt proud of the fact that Archbold’s blood ran through my veins. I was sure I would one day succeed my mother.
However, my mother still didn’t trust me enough, and she didn’t send me out to official occasions as frequently as when I was a child. She had kept me hidden from the world.
But by the time I became a third-year student at Kijen, an opportunity came.
“You’ve achieved remarkable success as the commander of the Dark Alliance in the Rune League crisis! Lorraine!”
The secretary, rubbing his hands together, smiled.
“Now, surely Nephthys will acknowledge you! You’ll learn a lot as the future president!”
“Thank you.”
Having successfully completed the Rune League and fended off the Cult’s attack, I was on my way to meet my mother and the elders.
But through the door to the meeting room, I could hear angry shouts.
– We must use the key! Wasn’t it picked up from the Demon Realm for moments like this?
It was the shouts of the Kijen elders.
I wondered what that meant, and as I started to walk forward, the secretary grabbed my hand. She shook her head, sweating profusely.
“It seems like they’re busy right now. Let’s come back later.”
She seemed to know something.
Now that I thought about it, there were always people who gave me that look when they saw me.
What should I say? It was close to ‘pity.’ While I was living such a happy life, some people looked at me with eyes full of sympathy.
Suddenly, that made me shiver, and I shook off her hand, walking quickly.
– No! I won’t let you!
I heard my mother’s frantic shout.
– We can stop the demon realm’s descent! Even if demon creatures come through, I’ll wipe them all out!
– This is not something you should force, Nephthys.
– What if the Cult is after more than just connecting the Demon Realm to the continent? What if there’s more to it?
My head throbbed.
– I’ll take all the responsibility.
My vision spun.
– If we sacrifice just that child, it’ll be over!
– She was never brought here for such things! Are you seriously going to act as a mother now!?
I felt nauseous and dizzy.
– Everything has a purpose, and people do too! Now is the perfect time to use the key, Lorraine!
Boom!
I threw open the door and entered the meeting room.
Startled, my mother’s pupils and the elders, who either looked surprised or avoided my gaze, were visible.
A cold silence fell over the meeting room.
“Ro-Ro… Lorraine? Aha… when did you arrive? We’re a bit busy, should we talk later?”
“Please speak, mother. And everyone.”
I spoke.
“Let me tell you who I am.”