Himril was a world brimming with prosperous magical power. The gods resided high in the celestial realm, silently watching over all the races on the mortal plane while safeguarding the entire world.

  Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, and of course, Humans.

  The peoples of all races basked in the gods’ protection and blessings, offering up their devout faith in return.

  ......

  ......

  Tap, tap, tap......

  Two pairs of footsteps echoed through the solemn interior of a church.

  A white-haired, elderly Priest led a young, still-inexperienced acolyte to stand before the towering statue of the deity enshrined within.

  The two gazed up at the statue, standing rigid and silent.

  Before long, the young acolyte grew restless, his eyes darting furtively around the church.

  “Nechard, you must show reverence in the presence of the divine,” the Priest admonished gently.

  The young acolyte jolted, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he quickly straightened his posture.

  “I-I’m so sorry, Your Eminence...”

  He bowed his head, muttering an apology under his breath.

  The Priest’s expression remained unchanged, his voice warm and patient as he continued, “Recognizing your mistake and correcting it at once is the mark of a good heart. You are a fine lad, Nechard. The Almighty will surely forgive you.”

  “For the Almighty is overflowing with compassion—a compassion that illuminates the entire world, dispels the darkness shrouding our lands, and heals the wounded bodies and souls of all people. We are bathed in this divine light, granted the gift of eternal peace and tranquility......”

  Oh no, here we go again.

  Nechard sighed inwardly, his gaze drifting back to the cracks in the church’s stone walls.

  When will I ever get transferred to the Central Cathedral? If I’m stuck in this backwater town forever, my life is as good as over.

  Watching the Priest—his face crinkling into deeper wrinkles as he droned on—Nechard couldn’t help but grumble silently to himself.

  “......Even the lowliest of mortals such as ourselves are not beneath the Almighty’s care. So long as our hearts remain pure and faithful...... Nechard? Nechard! Nechard!”

  “Huh? Wha—?!”

  Nechard snapped out of his daze, his body jerking upright in alarm.

  “Yes! Yes, Your Eminence! I’m here!”

  “Were you lost in thought just now?” the Priest asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.

  Faced with the Priest’s questioning gaze, Nechard frantically shook his head.

  “N-No! Of course not! I-I was just...... just pondering your wise teachings so deeply that I got carried away! Hahaha!”

  He let out a nervous chuckle, scrambling to come up with a flimsy excuse.

  “Is that so?”

  The Priest sounded far from convinced.

  “Absolutely! Oh, by the way, Your Eminence—I’ve always wondered about something. The Almighty’s compassion may shine upon the world, but...... but hasn’t it been ages since a god last descended to the mortal plane? Can the Almighty truly hear our prayers?”

  Nechard quickly changed the subject, hoping to distract the Priest from his earlier lapse.

  The Priest fell silent for a moment, a hint of nostalgia flickering across his face before it hardened into unshakable piety.

  He slowly closed his eyes, his voice filled with unwavering faith. “Nechard, the greatness of the Almighty is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. Though we have not heard a divine voice in many long years, the protection we enjoy today is real—tangible and true. I firmly believe......”

  “......I firmly believe that the day of the Almighty’s return will come at last.”

  DONG! DONG! DONG......

  Just then, the church bell began to toll, its deep, resonant peals echoing through the town.

  “The time has come. Let us offer our prayers to the Almighty!”

  With that, the Priest clasped his hands together, closed his eyes tightly, and bowed his head deeply before the statue—his expression solemn and reverent. Behind him, Nechard hastily followed suit.

  Inside the spacious church, the two men’s voices soon rose in a long, drawn-out prayer.

  ......

  DONG! DONG! DONG......

  When the church bell’s chimes drifted across Mentor Town and reached the Heyerar Manor, the Heyerar family did not pause their daily chores to pray as they usually did.

  At that moment, Rezelian Heyerar—the head of the Heyerar household—paced anxiously back and forth in the courtyard, his face twisted with worry.

  “Is it over yet? Is it over yet......”

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  Watching his father fussing about, muttering to himself nonstop, Reid shook his head helplessly.

  “Father, could you please stop pacing in front of me? It’s not like this is the first time.”

  Rezelian came to an abrupt halt, grabbing Reid by the shoulders and shaking him violently.

  “I know! I know it’s not the first time! But I can’t help worrying! Lilia—Lilia she......”

  Ugh, here we go again.

  Reid groaned inwardly.

  This father of mine is such a handful!

  “Wah! Wah! Wah......”

  Just then, a loud, clear baby’s cry rang out from inside the manor.

  “She’s born! The baby’s born!”

  Rezelian’s eyes lit up like torches. He wrenched his hands free from Reid’s shoulders and bolted toward the house. Reid jumped to his feet, calling after him in alarm.

  “Wait, Father! You can’t go in yet......”

  “Sir! You can’t enter right now! Please leave at once!” a midwife’s voice shouted from inside.

  “But I have to see my baby! Is it a boy or a girl? How is Lilia?! Tell me!” Rezelian demanded, pounding on the door.

  “OUT! RIGHT NOW!”

  “Aaaaaah......”

  Listening to the chaotic commotion inside the house, Reid rubbed his temples in exasperation.

  Honestly, this father of mine......

  New Divine Era 777, July 7th, Sabbath (Sunday).

  In Mentor Town, Pasara Empire, on the world of Himril—Hulim Heyerar, the seventh daughter of the Heyerar family, hereditary knight-barons, was born into the world.

  ————————

  “Heave-ho, heave-ho......”

  Inside the Heyerar family’s storeroom, seven-year-old Hulim was whittling away at a thick wooden stick with a small knife.

  Before long,

  “Done!”

  Hulim held the newly carved stick high above her head, her young eyes sparkling with excitement.

  “My magic wand!”

  “Hey, ha! Magic Bullet~!”

  She waved the stick around in a series of dramatic poses, then dropped the knife and darted out of the storeroom.

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  Passing through the courtyard,

  she spotted Rezelian dueling with Reid and Armen with wooden swords.

  “Too slow! Your sword swings are far too slow! Disgraceful! Is this how you two have been training? Pathetic! Do you even deserve to call yourselves Heyerar descendants?!”

  Watching her father once again “pummeling” her elder brothers—their usual way of bonding, as far as she knew—Hulim didn’t bat an eye. She simply walked past them, calling out politely.

  “Good day, Father. Hello, Reid-brother, Armen-brother.”

  “Oh, Hulim! Off out somewhere? Don’t go too far!”

  Rezelian turned around, his stern expression melting into a warm, doting smile the second he saw his youngest daughter.

  “Yes, Father! I’m off!”

  “All right! Be careful on your way!”

  Rezelian stood there, watching his little daughter skip away—humming a tuneless song to herself, waving her wooden wand as she went—long after she had vanished from sight.

  “Hey! Dad! That’s totally unfair! Why are you so nice to Hulim, but you yell at us like we’re dirt?!” Reid complained, gasping for breath.

  “Yeah! It’s not fair!” Armen chimed in, rubbing his sore arm.

  “HA?!”

  Rezelian’s eyes narrowed into slits, his face twisting into a fierce scowl as he rounded on the two boys.

  Clang! Clang!

  Two dull thuds rang out. Reid and Armen collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads and rolling around in pain.

  Rezelian pointed his wooden sword at his sons, roaring at the top of his lungs. “How dare you whine, you two idiots?! Starting today, your daily training regimen is DOUBLED!”

  “Nooooooo——!!!”

  The courtyard echoed with the brothers’ mournful wails.

  ......

  ......

  “Witch~, Witch~, the mightiest witch~! Vanquish all evil far and wide~......”

  Deep inside the Mountain Mine Forest south of Mentor Town, sunlight filtered through the sparse canopy, dappling the forest path with scattered patches of light.

  Hulim hummed her self-made, tuneless song as she ventured deeper into the woods.

  As the youngest daughter of the family, she was doted on by her parents and older siblings alike, who saw her as their precious, innocent little girl. But beneath that sweet exterior, Hulim was a born adventurer—restless and curious, always craving new thrills.

  Take her current destination, for example: her secret playground, a place where even the town’s adults dared not tread lightly.

  If her parents ever found out just how far “not too far” really was, she’d be grounded for the rest of her life. But whether it was because she’d forgotten to mention it, or because some instinct told her she’d get in trouble, Hulim had never told anyone where she went when she snuck out alone.

  “La~! La la~!”

  Hulim reached the heart of the forest, pushing through a thick patch of bushes to find herself standing before a small, serene lake.

  The water was crystal clear, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

  “Heave-ho!”

  Hulim scrambled up onto a large, flat rock by the lakeside.

  She pointed her wooden wand at the water’s surface, her voice ringing out with all the authority of a true witch.

  “The great Witch Hulim has arrived!”

  The forest fell silent...

  She held the pose for a good three seconds, not the least bit embarrassed by the lack of response.

  Slowly lowering her wand, Hulim nodded approvingly.

  “Well hidden, you dark creatures! To remain unmoved in the face of the great Witch Hulim—you earn my praise!”

  Suddenly, she whipped her wand forward in a sharp, decisive motion.

  “Magic Bullet——!”

  A soft breeze rippled across the lake’s surface, stirring up tiny waves. The forest remained quiet as ever.

  Magic Bullet......

  It didn’t work.

  “Oh! Clever beyond my expectations, you fiends! You saw through my feint! I’ll grant you that much—but——”

  Hulim raised her wand high above her head, her eyes blazing with determination.

  “Now, I’m getting serious!”

  “MAGIC BULLET——!!!”

  Splash!

  A shower of water exploded into the air, shattering the lake’s calm surface into ripples and waves.

  “Hmph! That is the power of my Magic Bullet! Tremble before it, dark creatures!”

  Hulim lifted her chin proudly, her small face glowing with triumph—all the while, slipping her right hand behind her back, where she clutched a handful of smooth pebbles.

  The ripples on the lake soon died down, returning to their former stillness.

  “Oh? To stand firm against the great Witch Hulim’s Magic Bullet—you truly are more formidable than I thought! But my power does not end here! Prepare yourselves, fiends!”

  Hulim bent down, snatching up another pebble. She waved her wand dramatically, flinging the stone toward the invisible “dark creatures” lurking beneath the water.

  Splash!

  Splash!

  Splash......

  The lake’s surface erupted in a flurry of ripples.

  After a long while, exhausted from her “epic battle,” Hulim flopped down onto the rock, staring up at the sky.

  “That was a hard-fought victory!”

  She propped herself up on her elbows, sitting cross-legged on the rock and gazing out at the lake.

  “You are worthy foes, dark creatures. We shall settle the score another day.”

  With that, she picked up one last pebble, tossing it lazily into the lake.

  At that moment, Hulim had no idea that this single, casual throw would set in motion an event that would alter the course of her entire life.

  Splash!

  The pebble hit the water, sending up a tiny spray of droplets—just like all the others.

  Then,

  the gears of fate began to turn.