After the Legend

"From that moment on, there was no hope left..." Leichina murmured as he watched the teal-brown snowflakes drifting through the sky.

Those teal-brown snowflakes were the curse left behind after the Demon King Rosa Kevin was slain by the Hero Ocast. Ten years ago, Hero Ocast had led a team of several thousand people to subjugate the Demon King Rosa Kevin, who had been hiding in Elrina Forest. That party, made up of bards, warriors, priests, thieves, paladins, mages, forest druids, herbalists, and archers, had fought through countless hardships and killed the four Demon Kings who had divided the world at the time—yet after the old Demon Kings were slain, new ones emerged.

Like an endless cycle of cause and effect, ten years later, new Heroes had set out to subjugate new Demon Kings. But for Leichina and ordinary people like him, the only thing they received—or rather, the only thing the Heroes left them—was probably a curse...

"Leichina, what are you looking at outside? Black Snow is already falling from the sky. Why aren't you coming in?" The speaker was Leichina's older sister, Fanafuna. Seeing that Leichina was still sitting blankly on the grass, Fanafuna limped out of the house. Large tumors and patches of dead flesh covered her feet. They had been caused when she accidentally came into contact with Rosa Kevin's blood during the battle in which Rosa Kevin was slain.

"I was just... looking at the snowflakes. Sister Fanafuna, do you think white snow will ever fall again?" Leichina looked at Fanafuna with his blind left eye.

"I don't know!" Fanafuna grabbed Leichina's left hand and shouted, "Stop talking about that. Hurry up and wash yourself with clean water, or you'll get sick easily."

"No." Leichina struggled and said stubbornly, "I'm tired of this. I don't want to live like this anymore..."

Smack— Fanafuna slapped Leichina hard across the face. There was no need for any more words between them. This was not the first time Leichina had harmed himself. He had made several dangerous attempts before, but Fanafuna had stopped him every time. She forcibly dragged her younger brother into the house they lived in.

Splash— A basin of clean, clear water was poured over Leichina's head. Some of the brown snow clinging to his hair and body flowed into the ground with the water, while the rest melted and stuck to his skin.

"It hurts!" Leichina clutched his withered body and cried out, "Sister Fanafuna, stop washing me! It hurts so much!" The snowflakes melting against his skin still gave off faint glimmers of green light.

"If it hurts, then don't do something so stupid again! If you don't wash up quickly, your illness will get worse." Fanafuna scooped another basin of clean water from the vat and poured it over Leichina's head and body. As the water in the vat dwindled, the green light on Leichina's body gradually weakened.

"Sister Fanafuna... why... why won't you let me die sooner..." Leichina said weakly as he lay on the floor. Piercing pain from inside his abdomen gnawed at his mind. Crying and wailing were probably the only things he could do now.

"I'm going out to buy some clean water. Rest properly here," Fanafuna said expressionlessly. Every time Leichina hurt himself, there would be a long "recovery period." During that time, he would not harm himself again. Only then could Fanafuna travel to a more distant town to buy clean food and daily necessities.

"Sister Fanafuna... why don't you die?!" As he cursed, Leichina began coughing violently. His weak body was temporarily unable to move. Fanafuna paid him no mind. She took a fairly clean towel from the bedroom and gently wiped Leichina's small, thin body. Afraid of hurting him, she slowly covered him with a heavily patched quilt. Then, she took the few remaining silver coins from a compartment beneath the bed, wrapped them in cloth, and only dared leave the house after the brown snow stopped.

Fanafuna walked across the cursed land. There was not a trace of life along the road. Thick green sludge covered the ground like festering sores. Rosa Kevin's Curse had eroded all of Elrina Forest and the surrounding villages. Her parents had died from the plague caused after Rosa Kevin was slain, while the tumors on Fanafuna's own body had come from accidentally drinking water cursed by Rosa Kevin.

"Hey, Fanafuna, heading out of the village?" Denolan, the village baker, greeted Fanafuna. Like Fanafuna, Denolan had lost family to the plague caused by Rosa Kevin. But he was luckier than Fanafuna in one respect—his mother was still alive.

"Ah, yes." Fanafuna nodded.

"Want to go together?" Denolan said with a slight stammer. "I happen to be going to town to buy some flour too..."

"Sure." There was no extra expression on Fanafuna's face.

Wherever the Black Snow had fallen, face-like marks had been seared into the ground. The rotten trees lining both sides of the road had twisted themselves into all kinds of horrifying shapes. Fanafuna and Denolan walked safely along the road leading to town.

"I..." Only after walking for a while did Denolan look at Fanafuna and ask, "Have you... ever thought about leaving this village, Fanafuna?"

"No. What about you, Denolan?" Fanafuna looked quietly at him as well. After the two stared at each other silently for a while, she finally spoke. "Have you thought about it, Denolan?"

"Me?" Denolan nodded lightly. "I plan to leave this cursed village after my mother dies. This village is so terrifying that even monsters can't survive here. I want to leave... at the very least, move to a nearby town. You..."

"Good. Then I'll see you off on the day you leave." Fanafuna ignored Denolan and continued walking ahead.

"You're not leaving with me, Fanafuna?!" Denolan stopped where he was and shouted after her. "There's no future in staying in this cursed village!"

"Oh." Without looking back, Fanafuna continued toward the town.

"It hurts!" Only several hours after Fanafuna left did Leichina recover a little strength. Rosa Kevin's Curse flared up from within his organs, and waves of agonizing pain wrapped around his liver and appendix. Leichina raised his head. Outside the window, the brown snow was falling harder and harder.

"Looks like Sister Fanafuna won't be back today," Leichina muttered.

Looking at the decaying trees, Leichina unexpectedly felt a trace of envy. If only I were one of those trees. Unable to move, unable to feel pain, without sensation, and without... family... Just as Leichina was thinking that—

Knock, knock, knock! A violent knocking came from outside the door.

"Is anyone in there?!" An aged yet ridiculous voice called from outside. It sounded like an old woman.

"That doesn't sound like Sister Fanafuna..." Leichina shouted, "Someone's inside!"

"Uh... why did you say that like you're squatting over a latrine... Anyway..." The person outside let out a long sigh. "Good grief, there's finally someone here. I've walked all this way, and yours is the only place with any sign of life. The snow outside is unbearable, and the worst part is that I'm barely wearing anything. Kid, can you open the door and let me in? Maybe give me some clothes, and a bowl of hot soup while you're at it... I'm freezing to death!!!"

The person outside was a total chatterbox, but seeing the brown blizzard outside the window, Leichina was suspicious. "Who are you? With such heavy Black Snow outside, how could you possibly..."

Crash— Leichina's front door collapsed with a bang. Countless brown snowflakes flew into the house like scraps of paper. Before long, the snow had blocked the doorway, and a completely naked body appeared before Leichina.

"Uh... I didn't... No, it's your door that was too... old..." the hunched, fat figure stammered. "I used a little force, and it fell over..."

"You..." Leichina felt a sharp pain in his eyes. "There's a wardrobe in the bedroom at the back. There are some clothes my grandmother wore before she died inside it. Hurry up and put something on!... Looking at you really makes me sick!"

"Young man... could you not be so blunt? You're hurting my feelings..." The hunched figure picked up Leichina's front door from the floor, turned her back to him, and forcefully reattached it.

"Could you put on clothes first?! Seeing you like this makes me really uncomfortable, Granny!!"

"What a difficult brat!" The person sat cross-legged before Leichina with her legs curled up, exposing a fathomless black hole directly before his eyes. "Do you know? More than ten years ago, countless people dreamed of seeing my true form. Now that you have the honor of witnessing my noble and perfect body, you should feel privileged."

Pfft— Leichina felt his illness worsen considerably. In a weak voice, he said, "Granny, I never agreed to let you into my house. Breaking in like this means I can sue you for trespassing. I can have soldiers arrest you and throw you into prison... understand?"

"I understand... I understand..." The uninvited guest went into the bedroom, took out two pieces of clothing, put them on simply, then sat cross-legged before Leichina. The rolls of fat on her legs dealt a devastating blow to his mind.

"Where did... those clothes on you come from?" Leichina closed his eyes and recalled what the old woman was wearing. It seemed strangely familiar. "Those clothes are... Sister Fanafuna's..."

"I think they look pretty good... Short sleeves, a short skirt with butterflies and flowers on it... They suit me quite well..."

"You crazy old hag... take them off! Change out of them, now! What if you stretch them until they tear?! Sister Fanafuna definitely won't be happy! Hurry up!!" Leichina was so furious he nearly sprang up from the floor.

"What a stingy little brat..." The uninvited guest rubbed her broad belly and wrinkled thighs, then resentfully returned to the bedroom.

"I think... this outfit suits me quite well... ah." The uninvited guest posed flirtatiously before the mirror. Butterflies and lilies were embroidered on the tight outfit, while the extremely short skirt was specifically designed to draw men's eyes. The clothes were indeed beautiful, but they were only suitable for young women around twenty.

"Beautiful miss, what is your name..." the uninvited guest muttered to the mirror. Then she lightly lifted the short skirt, which she had nearly burst through, exposing large amounts of fat and wrinkles beneath it. She picked up a short-sleeved top from the side, used it to half-cover her face, and imitated the manner of a noble princess. "I am the daughter of an ancient god... Rosa. Don't fall in love with—"

Riiip— Fanafuna's dress split apart completely. Broken threads and glass ornaments scattered all over the floor.

"Granny, what are you doing in there?" Hearing the sound, Leichina called toward the bedroom. "Were you messing with Sister Fanafuna's things again?"

"Uh... no! Absolutely not!" Rosa marched out of the bedroom. This time, Rosa had not put on the wrong clothes. She sat elegantly before Leichina, carrying herself with the air of nobility.

"Foolish mortal, before you stands the strongest Demon King, the youngest daughter of the earth, the Lord of Decay, the Elder Evil God who devoured seven worlds—Rosa Rafipia Ulyes Kevin. Having learned my true name, you should feel honored. Now tell me your lowly name. Since I have descended here, I shall grant you supreme glory."

Leichina said, "Um... Granny, can you speak normally? I can't understand what you're saying..."

"Tch! You uncultured little village brat." Rosa cleared her throat and said, "My name is Rosa Rafipia Ulyes Kevin, the Demon King who devoured seven worlds. I'm short on funds right now and need to stay at your house. When I'm doing better financially, I'll grant you supreme glory and treasure. Of course, if you're willing to give me a little financial assistance, I won't refuse it. Naturally, financial support will also earn you even more wealth in the future. It's only a suggestion, but I'm saying this for your own good."

"I still don't understand!" Leichina sat up from the floor, wrapped in his quilt. "Can you talk normally, you dead old hag?!"

"Uh... well... I'm a Demon King down on her luck. Could you take me in for a while? If I recover my power, I'll repay you. It would be even better if you could spare me some food. I haven't eaten anything for days."

"There's food, but it's cursed." Leichina said irritably, "If you want to eat it, go ahead. But let me warn you first: you can't eat too much of it. If you eat too much in one go, you'll die on the spot." Leichina slowly pulled himself up by holding onto an old table and chair.

Before Rosa Kevin was slain, Leichina's family had run an inn. They had specialized in receiving adventurers who came from all over to hunt monsters in Elrina Forest. Before Rosa Kevin was slain, Elrina Forest had been extraordinarily prosperous. Large numbers of rare magical beasts frequently appeared there, driving the economies of several nearby villages and cities. Jewelry shops, weapon stores, inns, taverns, red-light districts... it had everything. But after nearly two centuries of prosperity, the entire region entered its decline. Once Rosa Kevin was slain, the nearby villages became ghost villages, while Canfor, the large city closest to Elrina Forest, regressed into the small town it had been two hundred years earlier in just ten short years.

But Leichina's village had suffered the most, because it was closest to Elrina Forest. When Rosa Kevin was slain, vast amounts of poisonous blood poured from the sky. The gathering that had been prepared to celebrate Rosa Kevin's defeat instantly turned into a living hell.

Hundreds of villagers died directly from Rosa Kevin's poisonous blood. The remaining villagers either left the village or died from the plague caused by the poisonous blood. Leichina's parents had died in that plague. Over the following years, even the water and soil became contaminated by the poisonous blood, and every bit of food grown from them carried a curse.

"Hey! Old hag, catch!" Leichina pulled a palm-sized potato from the ruined front desk and tossed it to Rosa. The potato glowed green, and a human face seemed to have grown from its skin.

"The land here is cursed. Even the food grown from it can only barely be eaten after being purified with holy water..."

"Huh?" Rosa bit into the potato in her hand, skin, dirt, and all, then swallowed it.

"You... spit it out, now!! You'll die if you eat the food here directly!" Leichina shouted anxiously.

"Is that so?" Rosa took another bite of the potato in her hand, chewed it, and swallowed. "So eating this can kill you."

"Is something wrong with your brain?! I told you it would kill you, and you still ate it!" Seeing the urgent situation, Leichina hurriedly snatched the potato from Rosa's hand. Looking at the potato, three-quarters of which had been eaten away, Leichina said in distress, "If Sister Fanafuna finds a dead person in the house, she'll definitely scold me to death!"

"Urp—" Rosa acted as if nothing had happened. After letting out a satisfied burp, she wiped her mouth and said, "Raw potatoes taste awful. They'd be much better sliced thin, fried in oil, and sprinkled with salt."

"If they taste awful, why did you eat so much?! And where am I supposed to find clean salt and oil?! Fried potatoes, seriously?!" Leichina felt his head beginning to hurt as well.

"Forget it... I'm hungry too." Wrapped in his quilt, Leichina led Rosa toward the inn's second floor. The second and third floors had originally been guest rooms, but because there had been no guests for so long and the third floor had fallen into disrepair, the second floor had been turned into a storage area for food contaminated by the curse.

He opened the room closest to the stairs on the second floor. Small piles of wheat and potatoes were scattered inside, and the room was filled with ominous evil energy.

"Granny, stay outside. This wheat and these potatoes are cursed. An old person like you could easily run into trouble if you go in." With that, Leichina covered his head with the quilt and crouched as he entered the room.

"It's... it should be this... I think I found it..." With his head covered by the quilt, Leichina pushed his frail hand forward. Because the room stored too much cursed grain, it was now full of poisonous gas. An ordinary person entering without any protection could easily be poisoned to death, but fortunately, the poison gas was light. As long as he stayed crouched, it would not be too much of a problem.

"This should be enough. Granny, help me close the door in a moment..." Leichina crawled backward out of the room with a small bundle of wheat stalks and two potatoes in his arms. But when he poked his head out from beneath the quilt, he discovered that Rosa had already vanished.

"Granny? Where are you?" Leichina looked around, but could not find any sign of Rosa.

"I'm here." Rosa was already standing beside the large pot in front of the inn's first-floor fireplace, stirring the soup inside with an oak ladle. "Want some potato porridge? I just cooked it."

"Um... where did you get the potatoes and wheat?"

"I took them from that room where you keep your food. It was only two or three steps away, so why did you make things so complicated?" Rosa scooped up a sip of broth from the pot and drank it.

"It's so bland... It would be better with salt and pepper... Of course, ham and beef would be even better." Rosa ladled out a small bowl of porridge. "Kid, this one's yours."

"I... can I drink your porridge..." Blue floating matter drifted over Rosa's porridge, while every chunk of potato resembled a human face. If he lowered his head and listened carefully, he could even hear people wailing from within the porridge.

"You... didn't purify this porridge with holy water, did you..."

"What holy water? Wouldn't adding the church's holy water to such a nice pot of porridge be a complete waste?" As she spoke, Rosa lifted the pot hanging over the fireplace.

Gulp, gulp, gulp... An entire pot of potatoes and porridge disappeared into Rosa's mouth.

"Um... what exactly are you?" Leichina asked as he looked at the porridge in his own hands.

"Didn't I already tell you? I am the strongest Demon King—the Evil God Rosa Kevin."