The Childhood Friend Who Became a Saintess Abandoned Me
There were people who lived together in the rugged mountain range at the eastern end of the continent. The village was called Magia-Bell—one of the four major magic ore production sites on the continent. Every resident made their living mining the ore.
I was born in that village.
Outsiders from the kingdoms and the rest of the continent usually called us “hermit dwellers.” Those born near the mana-rich magic mines possessed levels of power ordinary people could never match. From birth, mana roads formed inside our bodies, granting us special abilities. That was why anyone from Magia-Bell who ventured into the wider world would rise as a hero. The entire village brimmed with future heroes; many had already carved their names into history.
Yet the village never grew larger and clung only to mining because of an old custom handed down through the generations: Never wield power for personal greed. That was how we earned the mysterious label of “hermit dwellers.”
Still, no matter how quietly we tried to live, the hands reaching from outside could not be avoided. People coveting our unique nature had kidnapped villagers to mix bloodlines or sent their own relatives to form mana roads. Every attempt failed. Outsiders who settled here suffered from an unknown mana toxicity and died of illness. Those who intermarried found their sense of belonging to Magia-Bell strangely stronger than any tie to the outside force; in the end they, too, happily spent their lives mining.
In this way, Magia-Bell had endured through its long history.
“Selphy! I brought flowers!”
“Wow—flora blossoms? They’re so pretty!”
Selphy and I had grown up together in Magia-Bell since we were children.
“Thank you, Abel!”
Her smile bloomed like sunlight. Golden hair, lake-blue eyes. I had scaled sheer cliffs more times than I could count to find those flowers, but every bruise and scrape was repaid the moment she smiled.
Selphy was different from me. I had ash-gray hair and a body covered in scars; she was something precious that had to be protected. From the first time I saw her, that was what I believed.
“Selphy, what do you want to play today?”
“Um… Oh! I saw a flower field the other day. Abel?”
I did everything I could to grant whatever she wished. I took her where she wanted to go, brought her what she desired, and spent every possible hour at her side.
“Thank you, Abel. You’re the best friend in the world.”
Her words of gratitude and that bright smile were the only sanctuary I had each day.
BANG—!
“Wake up, Abel.”
“Ugh…”
“If you don’t build your strength, you won’t be able to protect the village.”
My father, the village chief, demanded brutal training from me. In everyday life he was the most dependable father anyone could ask for, but the moment mana-road training began he became a merciless mentor, pushing me past every limit again and again.
It was because I alone, among all the children born in the village, possessed the most abundant mana-road network in my body.
Some called it a blessing that would let me become the village’s guardian.
THUD—!
“Cough… hack…! Haa…!”
“Again.”
I hated it. Unlike the other children, I could never live freely. Every single day I had to endure pain that tore through my whole body.
“Thank you, Abel.”
“No. I’m the one who should be thanking you, Selphy. Without you, I…”
That was why Selphy, who gave me comfort, was more precious to me than anything. At first… I think I was satisfied with that alone.
But as time passed and we neared adulthood, whenever I saw her laughing with other boys my chest would tighten and an unreasonable anger would flare up.
If she was that precious to me, was I precious to her as well? I wanted to become someone precious to Selphy, too.
After long, painful deliberation…
“S-Selphina! I like you!”
I confessed my feelings.
“Um… yeah…! I think I like you too, Abel.”
Cheeks flushed, she accepted my heart.
After that we shared so many stories. Selphy said she loved how I always looked after her because she knew she was frail and willful. I told her that her bright smile and the strength she gave me were what I cherished most.
“You’ll always stay by my side, right…? No matter what happens, Abel.”
She asked with trembling eyes. I took her hand and answered.
“Yeah. From the time we were little until now, I’ve only ever looked at you, Selphy.”
From that moment on, I believed we would be together forever.
We would live as lovers, marry, have children. Someday we would build a house in Magia-Bell, raise a warm family, and even in our final moments with hair turned white, we would remain side by side.
The future I had dreamed of seemed close enough to touch.
That was when the first crisis came.
Selphy said she wanted to see the silverbell flowers that only bloomed at night.
“The forest at night is too dangerous…”
The woods near Magia-Bell, adjacent to the magic mines, were filled with mutated beasts that had devoured magic stones. It was a dungeon-like place that should never be approached, day or night.
“But… I really want to see them. Can’t we just take a quick look?”
Because I had always granted her every request, Selphy—who could be stubborn with me—insisted that day as well.
“You’re strong, Abel… so if you protect me, it’ll be fine, right?”
When those blue eyes shone with such earnest longing, I could never say no.
“All right. But if it gets dangerous, get on my back immediately.”
“Okay!”
We set off together toward the silverbell flowers.
Step… step…
I walked through the dark forest path praying nothing would appear.
Awooo—!
“Ah…!”
“That was a wolf howl! Abel!”
My anxious imagination had become reality.
“Selphy, get on my—”
I tried to tell her to climb on, but beasts rose like shadows from the ground and encircled us. I quickly pushed Selphy behind me.
Growl—! Growl—!
Giant wolves with jet-black fur. No—they were not ordinary wolves. Magic beasts with red magic stones embedded in their foreheads. Monsters that had surpassed all limits by feeding on mana near the mines.
Hummm…
I gripped my twin daggers and poured power into my mana roads. The ability I had awakened was Acceleration—it let me accelerate mana through my circuits to unleash explosive strength and speed.
“Selphy!”
“Y-yes?!”
“Do not move from that spot no matter what!”
“O-okay! Abel!”
Since Selphy had never awakened any ability, I told her to stay still.
Growl—! Bark—!
The wolf beasts attacked all at once. Protecting Selphy at the center was my top priority.
Stab—! Yelp—!! Clang—!! Crunch—!!
A frantic battle exploded. Aware of Selphy trembling behind me, I kept swinging my blades against fangs and claws.
Slash—! Yipe—!!
The fewer wolves there were, the more relief I felt. I can protect her. When we get back I’ll convince her never to do this again.
Maybe that moment of distraction was what cost me.
Swoosh—!
“…!”
I had forgotten they were not ordinary wolves but magic beasts.
“…Selphy!!”
A wolf that had slipped into the shadows appeared right beside her tear-filled eyes.
“Abe…!”
Crack—!!
The beast sank its teeth into her side and lifted her into the air.
“SELPHYYYY—!!!!”
Thud—!!
She crashed to the ground in a fountain of blood.
Stab—!! Yipe—!!
I slaughtered the last wolf in a lightning strike.
“Selphy! Selphy, wake up!”
“…”
She had lost consciousness from the massive blood loss and would not open her eyes.
“No…”
I bound the wound with cloth as fast as I could, thinking I had to carry her back to the village, but her body was already too cold. The temperature of the hand I held was dropping far too quickly. It felt as if her soul would leave before we even reached the village.
“Selphy—! Selphy—!”
Even while pressing mana into her wound, I kept calling her name, praying she would regain consciousness.
Step.
Then someone’s footsteps approached.
“…Abel?”
“Uncle Locke?!”
When I whipped my head around, I recognized the leather coat and long, tail-like beard. It was Locke, the hunter who lived on the village outskirts.
Every adult in Magia-Bell possessed an ability regardless of occupation. Hunter Locke’s ability was Reconstruction. He was both a hunter and a high-ranking alchemist with immense talent and knowledge.
“Uncle…! Selphy! Selphy…!”
My voice cracked from shouting, but I looked at him with desperate eyes, begging him to save her.
“Her heart was torn along with the rest. Any ordinary person would already be dead.”
I was startled to see him suddenly crouch right beside Selphy.
“Dead…? Selphy is… dying?”
The meaning of the word hit me and my blood ran cold.
“For an ordinary person, yes. But this child Seraphina is no ordinary person.”
“What?”
“She has a mana road. Strange… the village examination never found it, yet now that the flesh is torn away, there it is.”
“T-then can she be saved?”
Locke looked up at me.
“A human whose mana road is damaged usually dies within ten minutes. Thirty percent of this child’s mana road has been ripped away. Survival is impossible.”
“But…”
“Sorry. I have a bad habit of not getting to the point. To conclude: if someone donates their mana road, she can be saved. If I could, I would offer my own aged one, but…”
Locke added that he could not perform the procedure himself.
“What about mine?”
“What?”
“Use my mana road! Please!”
His mouth fell open.
“Abel. Removing your mana road means you won’t be able to use your ability properly. In harsh terms, you may lose the power you were meant to wield for the rest of your life.”
He spoke with an extremely grave expression. Perhaps he feared losing the future guardian of the village. Or perhaps he simply worried about a boy willing to throw his future away. None of it mattered.
“A future without Selphy… I can’t even imagine it.”
I had never once pictured a single day without her.
“Understood. Lie down beside her.”
I don’t remember anything after that.
When I woke, I was back in the village. Selphy clung to me, crying tears of gratitude for saving her. I wondered if she knew I had given her half my mana roads, but according to Locke, even as she faded she had heard me mumbling in delirium, begging him not to tell her.
“This… my mana road…”
Naturally, half the mana roads in my upper body were gone. Locke had told everyone the injury came from the battle with the shadow wolves.
“…Stay strong, Abel.”
Father said the words, yet he looked like the one suffering most. I felt only guilt toward the father who had trained me so harshly since childhood.
“Abel! Want to sneak onto the wagon next time we go sell goods?”
Still… I had protected her. I had saved what was most precious to me. Wasn’t that enough?
“Abel. Actually, I think I’ve awakened an ability.”
“Huh?”
“Look.”
Like she was sharing a secret, Selphy cupped her hands and held them out to me.
Hummm…
A warm white light flowed from her palms.
“They say awakening can happen after a huge shock, right? I think not being able to help you that day triggered it.”
“I… I see.”
I had a guess. The adults always said my mana roads were exceptionally strong. Transplanting them into Selphy might have activated the dormant roads she already possessed.
“Congratulations, Selphy.”
“Thank you, Abel!”
I kept my speculation to myself. She simply looked so happy. That was enough.
Yet the ability Selphy awakened was not merely a power that glowed pure white.
Clop, clop— Neigh—!
Carriages drawn by white horses entered the village.
“We come from the Goddess Church’s Alpha Kingdom branch.”
“I am Parish Chief Bel Caster…”
The Demon King has appeared. The Hero and the Saintess shall stand against him.
Priests in pure white robes and knights in white armor poured from the carriages.
“What business does the church have in our village?”
The adults of Magia-Bell watched the newcomers with open wariness.
“We require capable fighters. However, today we have come to escort the Saintess.”
The elderly priest’s words made my heart hammer wildly. Images of Selphy pouring white light from her hands to heal wounded villagers and injured livestock flashed through my mind.
“The Saintess chosen by the Goddess is named Seraphina.”
The words sank in slowly.
“…What?!”
From somewhere nearby, a familiar voice cried out in shock.