Prologue
Between the northwestern end of the Yagumo region and the eastmost end of the Wilderness stretched an uninhabited mountainous region. The highest of the peaks towered at over ten thousand meters above sea level. At its summit stood a small cabin that had been home to a young girl for the past thousand years.
It might seem strange to call a woman who had lived for over a millennium a young girl, but certain circumstances had frozen her physical and mental growth. Her appearance was that of a ten-year-old child, and her mind was still childlike despite all her years of knowledge and experience.
She lived alone. She very rarely descended the mountain to seek supplies from human villages, but she never sought any particular human interaction. However, she was comfortable with her isolation.
“I’d like you to watch over the people that live in this land.”
One thousand years ago, someone made this request of her: a person that was like a master to the young girl. He never gave the girl direct orders, but she considered his words to be absolute anyway. She worshiped him and his strength more than anything else.
“I’m going to end this war.”
If her object of worship was saying that, then this war was sure to end soon. That was what she believed. And sure enough, some time after he departed, the war truly ended.
Peace returned to the world, but...
Although the war had ended, that person never returned to the girl. The special connection between them of master and servant had been severed. Thus, the girl knew she had lost the person she considered her god.
“After this war ends, I’d like you to live your life as you wish. Your life belongs to you, Sora. As your master, I release you.”
He had left behind other words before his departure.
“It might be a good idea to make new friends too.”
To the girl, this person was her foster parent—her one and only master, her only family member, and the only person she had a connection to. But the same applied to this person, whose only connection was to the girl.
Thus, the person felt regretful that the girl had no other connections than to him. Like a parent wishing for their child’s growth, he hoped that the girl would interact with others besides himself.
“I don’t need anyone else!” the girl replied reflexively. “You are enough for me. Staying by your side is my happiness. So please, return to me safely,” she pleaded with him.
One thousand years later, the girl could still remember that moment clearly. Everything was all thanks to him, who had contributed the most to ending the war. Even when everyone else in the world had forgotten about him, the girl remembered.
In the days immediately after the end of the war, she had been so annoyed at her master’s lack of acknowledgment, she had gone around the Yagumo region to leave behind a legend of his contributions. But those who lived in those times were now gone.
However, the girl remembered everything even now.
And so, it was fine. Although she had been left alone in this world...
It was fine.
She would live like her master. With that belief, the girl continued living quietly in the corner of the peaceful world her master had helped establish.
However, one day, everything changed.
“Huh...?”
The broken connection of a thousand years suddenly restored itself.
“Dragon King...?”
The girl rushed out of her cabin and stared up at the skies of the Strahl region.
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