Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Childhood (2)
Amyuklia often brought back strange things she had picked up.
“This is…”
“A flower ring! It was all frozen, see! Here, one for you and one for me.”
The underground city had poor ventilation, and with geothermal heat trapped inside, it was always hot and humid.
“Why isn’t it melting?”
“Right? Even in this heat, the ice won’t melt…”
Amyu slipped the frozen flower ring onto his finger and smiled brightly.
“It’s just like us, don’t you think!”
“A flower ring doesn’t really suit me.”
She puffed up her cheeks and stopped Ain from taking it off.
“If you take it off, I won’t forgive you!”
“…Alright.”
Where did she even find things like this?
If it were magic, it would at least make sense.
‘She probably can use magic in the first place…’
Sometimes she would release cold air from both hands to cool herself down.
Of course, magic required mana, so it was only a miracle allowed in their secret place.
“Maybe it fell from above.”
“…Did you go somewhere with starlight again?”
“Mm-hm.”
Amyuklia’s desire to go upward only grew stronger with time.
More and more often, she visited places connected to the surface and stared up at the sky.
It had become part of her daily life.
“Ain, I found somewhere I want to go.”
After some hesitation, she held out a flyer.
“What is this?”
“Herban Academy!”
“Academy?”
Ain tilted his head.
“You’ve never heard of it?”
“No.”
Amyu froze, shocked.
“It’s the greatest educational institution in the world! There’s no way you’ve never heard of it!”
“Educational institution…”
Ain did attend something like a school.
A place where sixty people were grouped together, forced to kill each other for three days, and the last survivor became a hunting dog.
That place was also called a school.
“How do you get in?”
“You go up first, then take an entrance exam!”
“Up…”
Ain stared at the ceiling.
A bottomless abyss filled with pipes and steam.
Artificial lights that felt sickening were the only source of illumination.
“You don’t like it here?”
“Huh? Hate it? No! Not at all! I love anywhere as long as I’m with you!”
Amyu hugged him tightly, then slowly looked upward.
Her gaze went past Ain, toward the endless ceiling above.
“But… I want to go up someday. That’s my small wish.”
“You know Heinkel won’t like that.”
“I-I know… but… can’t we at least ask him once?”
She clung to him with pleading eyes.
Ain looked at her.
That shining color. His real world.
“….”
He decided he would at least ask Heinkel.
“Stay here for a bit.”
“Where are you going?”
“To see Heinkel.”
“Oh, you’re here!”
Heinkel’s office.
It was covered in blood.
“…Kane?”
Ain’s senior hunting dog was lying on the ground, drenched in blood.
“He tried to escape and got caught. Almost made it too. What a shame. Right, Kane?”
“P-please… just… spare me…”
Crunch!
Kane’s skull was crushed.
“Tch. If you aim above your station, you only get a worse fall. So, what do you need?”
“A-about that…”
He couldn’t bring up the surface.
“I was wondering if there was any work.”
“You asking for work first? That’s new.”
Heinkel grinned.
“Hard to feed your daughter, huh?”
That was true.
Amyu loved sweets, but anything she cooked turned into something inedible, so they had to buy food outside.
And sweets in the underground city were extremely expensive.
“Hm, you’re one of the cleaner-looking ones among my dogs.”
Heinkel scratched his chin.
“Get ready. You’re coming with me.”
“Where?”
“A delegation from the Holy Kingdom is coming. I need to show my face and guide them.”
He threw a suit at Ain.
It was too large to properly fit.
“What does the Holy Kingdom want here?”
“I think… I heard something.”
Heinkel adjusted his own ill-fitting suit.
“Oh. Something about a Saint candidate showing up in this trash heap.”
Thud.
Ain’s heart sank.
A Saint candidate in this city—
“…I see.”
There was only one possibility.
Amyu.
“May all your suffering and hardship be absolved.”
“May peace and stability be with you.”
“May an unbreakable shield protect you.”
“That greeting is way too long. Three times too. Hello.”
It looked like a battlefield.
At the elevator leading to the surface, two groups stood facing each other.
“We are from the Holy Kingdom Trinity—”
“I heard enough.”
Heinkel raised a massive hand, cutting them off.
“Search all you want. Spend as much money as you like.”
“Grand Inquisitor.”
Then a man stepped forward.
“A Saint candidate in this sewer? Are you insane?”
“…Hero.”
He was tall, sharp-eyed, and matched Heinkel in presence.
“Has your so-called Sage lost his mind? Think before you speak. A Saint in a place like this?”
“I’ve told you to shut up, commoner.”
Heinkel’s expression twitched.
“Give us one hour.”
“Yes, understood.”
The priests quickly began searching.
“If I were ten years younger…”
Heinkel muttered, eyes shifting.
He likely imagined charging at the so-called Hero.
But he held himself back.
Time had done its work.
Time passed in tense silence.
“Don’t turn your head even once.”
Heinkel spoke without moving his lips.
“Yes.”
A single mistake could collapse the entire underground city.
They had to avoid conflict with the Holy Kingdom at all costs.
“Sorry. We couldn’t find her.”
The priests returned empty-handed.
Not Amyu?
Or simply not found?
Then—
“Ain!”
A bright voice rang out.
A girl ran through the standoff between both sides.
Instinct took over.
Ain stepped forward instantly, blocking her.
“Why are you here?”
“I saw something amazing! A butterfly! A butterfly in the underground city!”
“I asked why you’re here.”
Her excited expression faded.
“Huh? I… I just followed the butterfly…”
“Go back. Don’t show your face here.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“No.”
Just as he tried to guide her away—
“Wait.”
A hand landed on Ain’s shoulder.
“It seems we found her. The Saint candidate.”
The moment the Hero spoke, Ain drew his sword.
The situation flipped instantly.
Thud!
Holy knights raised their spears in unison.
“Heh. I knew this would happen.”
Heinkel spat on the ground and drew his weapon.
The gang followed suit.
“Don’t go near Amyu.”
“A sword?”
The Hero casually brushed Ain’s blade aside.
A massive pressure erupted.
Mana.
“Priest!”
The Hero called out.
A staff was raised.
“Who… are you?”
Amyu looked between them in fear.
The Hero narrowed his eyes.
“…Forget it. This is a waste of time.”
“But the prophecy said—”
“Do you really think a girl buried in filth like this can be a Saint?”
He turned away.
“We’re leaving.”
Then—
He drew his sword.
A flash faster than thought.
“Ahh!”
“Ain!!”
Ain’s arm was severed.
“Consider that punishment for drawing your sword.”
Heinkel’s expression twisted.
“My merchandise…”
“Merchandise?”
The Hero smiled.
“Is that all you have to say?”
He stabbed Heinkel through the abdomen.
“Ghk…”
“Ain!!”
Ain ran toward him, clutching his bleeding arm.
Then—
“Wait!”
Amyu stepped in front of the Hero.
“I’m the one you’re looking for, right?”
“Amyu, move!”
“I’ll talk to you! Just for a moment!”
“AMYU!!”
His vision blurred.
Darkness spread like paint.
Only Amyu remained, shining in the fading world.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a damp hospital room.
‘My arm…’
It was back.
“Ain, you’re awake!”
“Heinkel?”
Heinkel sat on the opposite bed, bandaged.
“Three days?”
“…Amyuklia—”
“She’s fine. She brought water from the Holy Kingdom.”
“Holy water?”
“One drop heals severed limbs. And she used the whole bottle on you.”
The door opened.
“Ain!”
Amyu rushed in.
“You’re awake! Thank the heavens!”
“My arm…”
“It still hurts.”
But relief filled him.
“Those people were nice! They even gave us holy water!”
Something felt wrong.
“Amyu.”
“Yes?”
“…At what cost?”
She smiled brightly.
“Don’t be surprised, Ain!”
“I’m going to become a Saint!”