Chapter 7

When even the last blacksmith in LaBrana, Braush, had closed his eyes for good, Gehran felt his own time wasn’t far behind.

Gehran lifted up a single ink pen placed atop an old desk. Before him lay a blank sheet of paper.

Through that tiny piece of paper, Gehran began to write his story.

It was the tale of an incredibly ordinary old man’s life, capturing the small dreams of an aging would-be hero, and also a message to the young girl he’d met at the end of his journey.

– To the immortal girl.

Since I was little, I dreamed of being a hero.

I carved wooden swords and made makeshift capes from my neighbor’s stolen yarn.

With sword in hand and cape on my shoulders, I ran around LaBrana Hill.

The feeble slashes through the air felt so cool back then. It was just something to spice up the dull everyday grind.

Until one day, I wanted to see the city.

The village of LaBrana felt too cramped for a young hero like me, so I yearned to experience a wider world.

But when I asked my parents, they refused.

To reach the city, you had to cross the Monster Forest surrounding LaBrana, and there was no way a normal country couple would let me go.

No amount of begging or tantrums changed their minds.

But oh, how stubborn I was! One dark night, I snuck out and headed toward the forest.

I didn’t tremble. I didn’t feel any tension.

Back then, I truly believed I had what it took to be a hero.

What a delusion of grandeur.

I casually hopped over the fence and strolled into the woods, wooden sword in hand and red cape draped over me.

My steps didn’t go far before stopping.

A wolf-like monster blocked my path.

Only when its fierce fangs were inches away did I feel it…

Fear.

My body went limp, and I collapsed.

Shaking uncontrollably, I stared at the beast.

I tried to run, but my legs wouldn’t move.

As the terror approached, I thought:

I’ll never be a hero.

I’m not special. I’m not strong.

I’m just like everyone else.

And I’m going to die here.

As the monster opened its mouth wide, I shut my eyes tightly.

That’s when I heard a voice calling my name from behind—it was my parents.

My father quickly scooped me up and ran back to the village.

Even as the monsters tore at his calves and arms, he kept running—because I was in his arms.

Then he tripped over a rock, and my mother grabbed my hand from his embrace.

Being led by her hand, I saw something I’ll never forget:

My father being torn apart by the monsters.

After that, I never entered the Monster Forest again.

I realized…

That was my fate.

That my world would forever be confined within the fences of LaBrana.

I didn’t feel anger or frustration.

Looking back on those vivid memories, all I ever did was shake with fear.

Dozens of springs came and went.

My daily routine remained unchanged.

Because I understood my place, I decided to follow my predetermined destiny.

Until I met a girl.

One stormy night, I found her collapsed in front of the forest.

At first, I thought she was a monster and almost killed her. Actually, I probably would have if she hadn’t said those words—”hero.”

That one word made me bring her back to the village.

I fed her, taught her how to read and write, and watched her slowly open up.

Seeing her grow made me feel like I was becoming a real hero.

Finally, I understood.

A hero is someone who protects others’ lives.

Like my father, I wanted to protect this girl’s life.

But what could I, an utterly ordinary man, offer her?

She didn’t age or die.

So I often pondered: What could I possibly give her?

Then one day, she asked me what emotions were.

So, I decided to write this letter.

To answer the question I couldn’t fully address back then.

So listen, girl.

Sirius.

Go see the world.

Leave LaBrana, cross the Monster Forest, and head to the city.

It might be tough, maybe even painful.

You might regret leaving LaBrana’s safety.

But those are feelings you’ve yet to experience—so learn them.

Experience the world, meet people, observe nature, and embrace newness.

And shine brightly.

Just like the name I gave you—the brightest star in the sky.

Become that star.

This was Gehran’s final wish and the last birthday present for the girl.

For a while, Sirius moved busily.

She had to restore the broken tombstones and clear away scattered bodies.

Then suddenly, Sirius noticed one particular corpse.

It was Yihan.

Sirius grabbed the small shovel near the graves and began digging next to where Gehran was buried.

In the deep hole, she laid Yihan’s body.

Covering it with dirt, she built another grave and erected a stone marker.

And carved his name.

[Yihan]

Yihan’s name was also engraved in Sirius’ mind.

Knight Yihan.

Sirius picked up Yihan’s sword and draped Gehran’s tattered cloak around her neck.

It resembled the young Gehran from long ago.

As Sirius slowly left the village and approached the forest fence, she gazed at the dense trees.

Old memories of being devoured by monsters surfaced deeply within her bones.

It would surely be difficult.

Cold, hunger, dizziness—it would all come.

Still, Sirius took a quiet step forward.

It wasn’t just because of Gehran’s final wish.

Sirius remembered something Rafina once told her:

When people die, they leave behind a soul.

Though their bodies perish, their essence lingers in the things they cherished most.

Sirius clutched the cloak wrapped around her tightly.

She wanted to show him.

The world Gehran longed to see so much.

Even if marauding monsters tore her apart, she didn’t care.

Because the reckless hero and the talkative knight were right by her side.

Plop—purple ichor oozed from the monster’s pierced throat.

Thud. The monster’s body hit the ground with a loud crash.

The last monster corpse. After confirming no others were nearby, Sirius knelt and cut off one of its legs.

The neatly severed leg. She peeled off the fur-covered skin like peeling a potato.

Two months since entering the forest. Sirius was no longer a survivor.

She was now a hunter, a predator of the monsters.

Of course.

“Ugh…!”

Eating it was another matter entirely. The meat smelled strongly of rotten fish.

Not only the smell, but the taste was the same.

But what could she do?

There was nothing edible in this fruitless forest.

No animals existed here either.

The only thing filling her starving stomach was monster meat.

Leaning against a tree, she vomited repeatedly.

Though her empty stomach ached, it was better than lying sick for days from starvation.

Sirius continued walking through the forest.

Endless though it seemed, her steps never faltered.

Time was meaningless and fleeting to her.

It didn’t matter how long it took.

Whether three months, a year, or even decades—she would endure forever.

So she simply pressed on.

Until she reached the edge of the forest.

“AAAAHHH!”

An unfamiliar scream echoed through the silent woods. Sirius recognized it as human.

“Human.”

Muttering to herself, she followed the sound.

Pushing through thick patches of thorns, she spotted a young girl perched high in a tree. Below her, a monster drooled hungrily.

Sirius gripped her sword and approached the monster.

Sensing her presence, the monster redirected its attention and leapt at her.

Its gaping maw lunged forward, but Sirius twisted her waist and easily dodged, slicing off one of its front legs mid-air.

Chop—

With a somewhat crude sound, the airborne monster landed and lost its balance.

Seizing the moment, Sirius thrust her sword down onto the remaining front leg.

In an instant, both of the monster’s front legs were severed. Naturally, it struggled helplessly.

With its movement restricted, Sirius spread her legs wide and raised her sword as high as possible.

She brought it down hard on the monster’s neck.

Plop!

Though the thick hide resisted cutting through completely, it didn’t matter.

He wasn’t going anywhere anyway.

Plop!

The monster could only keep barking futilely at Sirius.

Plop!

Until finally, its head rolled messily across the blood-soaked ground.

Sirius shook off the monster’s blood from her clothes and approached the girl.

As she neared, the girl instead squeezed her eyes shut in fear.

Misinterpreting this as fear of falling, Sirius hesitated.

Should she chop down the tree? But the risk of injury during its fall was too great.

After some thought, Sirius extended her hand toward the girl and said simply,

“Hand.”