"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting stronger!"

That year in Belrand, everything was blanketed in snow, and winter was exceptionally cold.

Somewhere in the Lower District, in a secluded, desolate little courtyard, a little girl—only about as tall as a windowsill—was working hard, repeating her swings with the wooden sword in her hands.

The wooden sword was rough and crude. It obviously wasn’t something bought from a shop—more like someone had just found a suitable strip of wood, shaved off the bark, and sanded it a little.

But to the little girl, this was an incredible toy, or rather, a weapon. It was her ninth birthday present.

"Hey... ha!"

The thin little girl kept waving the wooden sword, training again and again with moves she’d secretly learned from a martial arts school two blocks away. After long practice, she even looked somewhat proper.

"Why do you want to get stronger, Ariel?"

A frail woman leaning against the windowsill watched her, asking gently.

"Because I want to protect Mom!"

Ariel raised the wooden sword and shouted, "As long as I get strong enough, no bad people will dare bully Mom again!"

"Pff... Ariel is so cute."

The woman laughed happily. The little girl’s words were warmer than any stove in the world, enough to light up the empty pallor inside her heart.

Unfortunately, warmth of the heart couldn’t extend to the body.

The woman coughed weakly, then reached out her bony, clearly-jointed hand and caught a few snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

It was snowing again.

Back when she lived in the count’s estate, people there always liked days like this—because there was hot tea, fireplaces, beautiful scenery, and play in the snow. Noble ladies would hold tea gatherings in the white, snow-covered garden, sharing little poems about snow. Polite men would talk grandly in warm rooms, then invite the ladies back from tea to dance.

But in the Lower District, every snowfall was the Goddess’s trial upon the weakest, the most helpless people in this world.

The trial was cold, ruthless—and not fair at all.

The woman knew her own body well. She had a premonition she might not survive this trial.

Still, she forced herself to perk up, smiling as she scolded and ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) waved outside.

"Alright, it’s snowing. Come inside. If you keep running around like that, you’ll get hungry again so fast..."

"I’m not hungry!"

The little girl bounced in place. "Mom, look—I still have half a piece of black bread the neighbor uncle gave me yesterday!"

"You little thing, always so stubborn. I don’t even know who you take after. Come in—get under the blankets and warm up."

"Okay, I’m coming."

The "hey—ha" outside turned into laughter and playful noise inside. That time was so brief, and so beautiful.

...

But at the end of that winter, the woman still didn’t make it to spring.

The little girl, now ten, was still dressed just as thinly. She stood on a street where patches of snow still remained, silently staring at that courtyard—small and secluded, yet the last place that had belonged to her and her mother—now taken by the neighbor uncle in the name of guardianship.

In her mind, she replayed the last words the woman had spoken as she died.

"Ariel... even though your father... that man is a complete piece of trash, I don’t actually hate him. I knew there would never be a good ending between him and me. I knew it... and I still chose to rush into the flames like a moth. Even now, I still love him. I’m stupid, right?"

"I’m worried, Ariel. You’re stubborn like me—once you set your mind on something, you’ll never turn back... Someone like you will suffer so, so much in the future. But by then, I won’t even be able to hug you."

"I’m sorry... leaving you alone. Mom is a useless mother. I can’t leave you much, so... get stronger the way you want to. Get stronger—stronger than Mom, stronger than that man, stronger than everyone. And then... even if you’re as stubborn as you are, you’ll still be able to live happily."

"You must find your own happiness, Ariel."

...

"So stupid."

The girl pressed her forearm hard over her eyes, refusing to let weak tears fall.

"Mom is so stupid."

Someone who had never gotten much happiness, forcing someone else to be happy—was there anything more foolish, more unreasonable than that?

Still, there was one thing she hadn’t been wrong about.

Even if you get deceived, even if you get abandoned, even if you end up with nothing... only power and strength earned step by step would never betray you.

"Don’t worry, Mom."

Ariel lowered her head and looked at the bloodstained wooden sword in her hands. It was about to break—just like her childhood, cut off abruptly.

"I’ll get stronger, and then I’ll find my own happiness."

The first ray of spring sunlight spilled across the street, like the thin gauze decorations at a festival, holding a ceremony for this girl who had nothing—one that, for her, came far too early.

Flames blazed behind her, burying her past along with it—along with that weak, pitiful mother.

...

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

Under the sunset, a cute little girl peeked out from behind a big tree, only half her head showing.

"It’s Liya. Can’t you see? I’m getting stronger!"

"But you’ve been training for hours. Aren’t you going to rest?"

"Just a little more. Just a little more training and I’ll be done. I’m not like you, Liya—favored by the Goddess, with such high Holy Light affinity, even qualified to go study in the Holy City."

Ariel was drenched in sweat. She’d practiced this one slashing motion tens of thousands of times. And thanks to that, she was the best fighter among all the children in the whole convent—also, of course, the most hated by the nun matrons.

"Mm... I actually wanted Ariel to go with me." Liya puffed her cheeks.

"I’m not going. If I go to the Holy City, the convent’s nun matrons will probably glare me to death."

More importantly, a normal person like her with zero Holy Light affinity would only become the most ordinary of nuns in the Holy City anyway. Not only would there be no room to get stronger—she’d be bound up by tedious church rules. Ariel couldn’t stand that.

"If Liya would feel lonely alone..." Ariel stopped, her dark eyes spinning. "Then why don’t you marry me early? If you marry me, even if I get glared to death, I’ll go with you."

"Are we playing house? Okay, okay! I’ll be the mom!" Liya blinked and clapped excitedly.

"Tch... looks like the frog still needs to boil in warm water for a while." Ariel clicked her tongue.

"Frog? Warm water?"

"Nothing. Let’s go back together. By the way—did your bust get bigger again lately? You big milk cow. You’re only twelve!"

"I didn’t! It’s just that you’re too small... heehee. I’m sorry, I won’t say it. Don’t tickle, don’t tickle—ah, it’s so itchy, I give up..."

...

...

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger—wah! What the hell are you, a ghost?"

"I’m the soul of someone who died hundreds of years ago. Now I’m residing in the ring on your finger. It’s because I was nourished by your battle qi that I was able to awaken."

The shadowy figure drifting out of the ring had a graceful outline and a lovely body. She looked like the pretty big sister next door, but the mature—even weathered—air she unintentionally gave off was something not even the weird old man Ariel had met on the street could compare to.

That old man had even given her some martial-arts manual, claiming that as long as she trained seriously, with her once-in-ten-thousand genius talent, she would definitely become a top-tier powerhouse who dominated a region someday.

"A ring... nourishment? Ah—don’t tell me it’s because of you that my training progress lately..."

"Ahem. That kind of thing isn’t important."

"No, it’s obviously important! It’s because my training hasn’t been making progress that black-eating-black has gotten harder and harder lately. I’m about to not even afford black bread anymore. How are you going to compensate me?!"

"I said it’s a small matter."

The beautiful phantom suddenly leaned in, staring into Ariel’s eyes. "I ask you, Ariel Bugaard. I’ve taken a liking to your temperament and talent, and I’m convinced you’ll become someone remarkable. Are you willing to become my disciple?"

"You can make me stronger?"

"Of course."

"How strong?"

"Very strong?"

"Dominate a region?"

"Pff. What’s that? Think bigger. After all, people in this world who still know ancient magic like I do... you probably can’t even count them on one hand anymore." The phantom looked very proud. She even glanced casually at the manual Ariel had just gotten, then tossed it aside in disdain.

"I’ll make you one of the top strongest in this world. But the road you’re about to walk will be countless times harder than swinging a sword ten thousand times a day—and you may even pay with your life. So think carefully."

"The... top strongest."

In that instant, Ariel did the fastest thinking of her entire life—and gave the fastest answer of her entire life.

"No. No need to think. Please help me get stronger, Teacher."

...

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger."

"Saint Maria Academy is one of the top institutions in Belrand. You’ll get a better education there. Do you want to go?"

"Yes."

...

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger."

"The Bugaard family can make you stronger. Do you want to come?"

"Yes."

...

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger."

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger."

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"I..."

...

For ten years, ever since her mother died, Ariel had heard that question countless times—and given the same answer countless times.

Some of the people who asked were those she’d formed bonds with over the years—her closest ones.

Some were just passersby in her life, or people who had given her this kind of help or that kind of help, or people who had set this kind of obstacle or that kind of obstacle in her way.

Of course, whether it was help or obstacles, they all became nourishment for her advance.

But among all those people, there was one person—only one—she hated to the extreme.

"Ariel Bugaard, what are you doing?"

"I’m getting stronger."

"With you? That flat chest? That ironing board? Hahahaha. By the way, what’s the point of you getting stronger? You’d be better off making your chest bigger to please this young master."

It was that yellow-haired bastard. Relying on his family background, he strutted around the academy all day. One day, after he saw the training she’d long since made a habit, he started mocking her.

Of course, someone like her who’d crawled and fought her way up in the Lower District didn’t care about mockery at all.

Only...

This yellow-haired bastard had dared to defile her determination to become stronger—defile the persistence she’d carried all this way—so she didn’t hesitate to send her fist into his annoying face.

Even if that meant provoking the duke’s household—an extremely troublesome enemy for her at the time.

So what? She believed she could solve it completely, just like she’d solved countless troublesome things before.

A strong enemy would also become nourishment for her growth—

"Ariel, what are you doing?"

"Again? Are you done yet, you bastard—haven’t you been hit enough—"

Ariel spun around furiously, wanting to give this clingy guy another punch, but before her fist could fly... she froze.

Because the one standing there was indeed that yellow-haired bastard—

and yet, he was different from the yellow-haired bastard from before.

No arrogance of looking down his nose at people. No stupid contempt in his eyes. No gang of weird-looking lackeys following behind him at all times.

He just stood there—elegant, easygoing, quiet, and... strong.

"I..."

Ariel looked at the greatsword that had somehow ended up clenched in her hand, and blurted out instinctively, "I’m getting stronger."

"Getting stronger... why?"

"Of course it’s..."

Ariel went hazy.

How strange. It seemed like this was the first time she’d ever been asked a question like that.

As if someone were asking her—yet also as if she were asking herself.

Why get stronger?

Of course, it was to do what her mother had said in her final words...

"To obtain happiness."

Whether it was never-relenting hard training, or crawling and fighting in harsh environments, or even starting ten years ago to slowly boil the frog in warm water, building the crystal palace she dreamed of—everything had been for that goal.

For happiness. To satisfy that stubborn, gluttonous, brave, strong Ariel Bugaard—who hated men, who would do anything to get stronger, who would swallow every hardship and obstacle and turn it into nourishment for her growth—and also to fill the blank inside that little girl who lost everything at ten.

"For happiness... what a beautiful wish. But is there really a need to suffer this much?"

"Hah?"

A bad premonition immediately rose in Ariel’s heart. "What do you mean?"

"I mean—there’s a simpler way, isn’t there?"

Suddenly, a bell rang.

White doves flew. Petals scattered. Beneath a sacred church, guests clapped and celebrated.

A solemn priest stood at the front, reciting a set of vows Ariel found strangely familiar.

"Ariel Bugaard—whether in wealth or in poverty, whether in health or in sickness, whether... are you willing to become Muen Campbell’s wife?"

As if he thought he’d recited the vows with great emotion, the priest even nodded in satisfaction.

And on the other side, the yellow-haired bastard flamboyantly undid the buttons on his chest, baring his firm—

"Go to hell! A dream with a sequel, huh—get lost!!!"

The scene shattered instantly.

Ariel opened her eyes. The anger in them still hadn’t faded—she wanted to dive back into the dream and beat those bastards up again.

So gross.

Disgusting once wasn’t enough—so you had to do it a second time, huh?!

She’d finally... finally had a long-overdue dream about those things.

And that damn Muen Campbell had dirtied her determination again!

"Ow, ow, ow—damn it, where is this now?"

Ariel struggled to sit up. An unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar illusion-realm, plus that dream just now—hard to even describe, utterly fucking ridiculous—left her head still dizzy.

Then, as Ariel’s gaze shifted, she saw a familiar scene again.

A campfire flickered, casting a warm orange glow. And past the fire, a flawless beautiful face and long golden wavy hair even brighter than the flames filled her sight together.

"Miss Muse..."

That beautiful picture instantly washed the filth out of Ariel’s mind, leaving her much more clearheaded.

"Awake?"

This time, Miss Muse wasn’t personally cooking anything. She was fiddling with a silver bracelet on her wrist. When she saw Ariel sit up, she stopped, showing a calm, reassuring smile.

"I was...?"

"You fainted in the battle earlier. Luckily I woke up in time—so for now, you can say I managed to bring you out and escape."

"Ah. I see."

Ariel smacked her forehead.

Right—she had been fighting earlier. But because her body was weak, and because of a small mistake or two, she’d nearly lost her life.

"Then this place is...?"

"A fairly hidden house. After I woke up, while fighting those strange monsters, I discovered they seem to only be able to move within that fog, so I brought you here and sealed the entrance completely. For now, we can say we’ve shaken off the pursuit."

"Is that so?"

Ariel swayed as she stood, looking around. This really was a cramped interior. These stone houses basically didn’t even have windows, so as long as the entrance was sealed, it became nearly fully enclosed.

Her Heavenly Fire greatsword had been set to the side. When it saw Ariel stand, it immediately wobbled over, rubbing against her palm in a fawning way.

"Alright, alright. I’m not blaming you. It was that kind of crisis, after all."

Ariel patted the hilt, soothing the living spirit inside, then gripped it in reverse and started walking around the room, dragging the greatsword behind her.

"Ariel, your wounds are still serious. Doing this..."

"It’s fine, Miss Muse. I just want to confirm whether this place is enclosed enough."

Ariel made a full circuit of the room, tapping the walls now and then. Only after confirming it really was an extremely sealed space did she return to the campfire.

"The wound’s been bandaged again." She touched her thigh, where the earlier tear had been.

"Ah, sorry—this was..."

"It’s okay. I know Miss Muse did it for me. And besides, you saved me again, didn’t you?"

Ariel showed a sweet smile, her gaze passing over the campfire again and landing on Miss Muse’s pretty face.

So beautiful.

No matter how many times she looked, Ariel always had the same thought.

Those defined, perfect features. That pale, delicate skin. That golden wavy hair. That curvy figure... every single part of her hit Ariel’s exact preferences.

She really wanted to pull Miss Muse into her arms and feed her grapes with her own hands.

But...

"Speaking of which, I just had a dream."

"Huh?"

"I dreamed of my mother. It’s been so long since I dreamed of her. In the dream she told me, Ariel, you must find a girl you truly like."

"Wait, wait, wait—"

Miss Muse reacted violently, waving her hands. "Why are we suddenly talking about that?"

"Hm? What’s wrong with it?" Ariel tilted her head in confusion.

"That... I think... between us, talking about that kind of topic isn’t very good."

Miss Muse awkwardly rubbed her upper arm with her palm. There were even beads of cold sweat on her forehead.

That kind of opening—like it was building up to a confession—he really couldn’t handle it.

"Is that so? Then let’s change the topic."

Ariel didn’t seem to insist.

That made Miss Muse let out a long breath. Anything was fine, as long as Ariel’s feelings toward "Miss Muse" didn’t rise to yet another level—thank the heavens.

Otherwise, getting chopped into mince later would probably count as the “light” outcome.

"Then... what should we talk about?" To be safe, Miss Muse quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Talk about what... let me think... right. We’ll talk about this."

Ariel suddenly clapped her hands, and then—

With a metallic ring, she slammed Heavenly Fire down hard, stabbing it into the ground in front of her. She lifted her head and stared straight into the eyes of the breathtaking girl across the fire.

"Miss Muse, you... who are you, really?"

"Hah?"

In an instant, sweat poured from Miss Muse like a spring. Trembling, she said,

"A-Ariel... what are you saying? I’m Muse. Who else would I be..."

"Stop lying, Miss Muse. I admit I’m a bit of a romance-brain, but I’m not stupid. On the contrary—most of the time I’m sharp as hell."

Ariel spoke each word as if she meant to rip the false mask off this "Miss Muse" right in front of her.

"You’ve disguised yourself, haven’t you."