After falling into the sea, Raphtalia was swept away by the current. Despite her desperate struggles, she could not get back to the cliff where she had fallen. Exhausted, she was washed ashore by the waves.
Perhaps she really was a lucky child.
By then, the sky had returned to its original color, the cracks overhead had vanished, and the waning sun had sunk to the mountaintops.
Some villagers had been lucky enough to survive, just like Raphtalia. They washed ashore alongside the bodies of those who had lost their lives, but Raphtalia had no time to notice the horrors around her. As soon as she recovered a little strength, she got up and hurried toward the cliff where she had parted with her parents.
Along the way, all she saw were shattered white bones scattered across the ground. It seemed the reinforcements and adventurers from the Royal City had joined forces to drive back the army of monsters.
At last, Raphtalia returned to the cliff where it had all begun.
But what she found left her utterly bereft. All that remained there was a shapeless puddle of mangled flesh... The monster's corpse lay on the ground, and a group of people dressed as knights and adventurers were working together to carry it away. There seemed to be nothing else left.
Raphtalia dimly realized what had happened. Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed.
The quiet conversations of the adventurers and soldiers drifted into her ears.
"Whew, good thing that monster was so weak by then. Otherwise, it would've been a real problem."
"Yeah, and it seemed pretty badly wounded, too. Otherwise, we couldn't have scraped by... Hm? Who's this brat? Should we grab her?"
"Wait, this is Demi-Human territory. We'd better not do anything rash."
They had noticed Raphtalia and were discussing whether to capture her and sell her.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't we just get word that the lord was dead?"
"That's what they said, but who knows what the big shots will decide afterward? Let's not do anything rash. We can wait until things settle down."
Fortunately, after some discussion, they left Raphtalia alone and departed with only their trophy-the corpse of the three-headed Demon Hound.
Raphtalia staggered to the top of the cliff and stared with lifeless eyes at the belongings that had once been her father's and mother's. At last, she could no longer hold back her grief. Her whole body shook as she burst into sobs.
"Nooooooooo-!!! Dad-! Mom-!!!" "Waaaaah, waaaaaah..."
She had no idea how much time passed. When Raphtalia came back to her senses, she discovered that she had already built graves for her parents. Her little hands were covered in dirt and blood.
"Always keep smiling, and be good friends with everyone in the village."
"That's right. As long as you keep smiling, you can make everyone else smile, too."
Kneeling numbly before her parents' graves on the cliff, Raphtalia recalled all the years she had spent living with them. Then she remembered their final wishes for her, and her tears spilled out of control once more.
"Waaah, ahahaha... I won't cry anymore... Haha, waaaaaah-I'm leaving now-"
She laughed and cried, forcing her little face into a smile more painful than tears. Then she rose unsteadily and walked toward the village, utterly lost...
All the villagers who had escaped by jumping into the sea had returned to the village. There were few adults; most were children.
"Is that you, Raphtalia?" Someone in the village spotted her.
"Yes..." she answered weakly.
"What about your mom and dad? Are they... both safe?" asked the old man who lived near her house, his voice full of concern.
Raphtalia shook her head, fighting desperately to hold back her tears.
"Ah..."
The old man sighed and let the subject drop without saying anything clear. The creases in his face deepened. So many villagers had died that day, and so many children had lost their loved ones... He did not know what to say or what he could do. He could only sigh.
"It's okay. Dad and Mom told me that times like these are when I need to step up and encourage everyone." Raphtalia tried to rally herself as she spoke.
"I see... You're such a strong child," the old man said softly.
"Haha." Even Raphtalia did not know how she could still laugh.
Suddenly, she raised both hands and shouted at the top of her lungs:
"Everyone!"
Her ringing voice drew the attention of the other children in the village who were still crying. With determination in her eyes, she continued, "I know we're all sad. I am... too, honestly. But would our moms and dads tell us to cry at a time like this?"
Raphtalia's words brought expressions of grief to the faces of the adults and children alike.
"If... I mean, what if our loved ones aren't really dead, but just missing, somewhere far away... When they come back, wouldn't seeing the village in ruins like this make them sad, too...?"
This village belonged to all of them. It was one big family they had built together. They could not leave it in ruins.
"I know we're all terribly sad, but that's exactly why those of us who survived have to work together to rebuild the village-we're all family!"
I'll become friends with everyone in the village. We'll become family.
"So please, everyone! Let's rebuild the village together!" Raphtalia forced a smile with all her strength and pleaded with them.
"Raphtalia..."
"Raphtalia, aren't you sad at all? Your father and mother are dead! How can you still smile?"
Someone who could not bear the pain of losing both parents challenged her. Hearing those words, Raphtalia nearly lost her smile, too.
I can't cry. If I start crying too, everything will spiral even further out of control...
"Yes... I'm not sad... I'm not sad." She no longer knew what she was saying. She simply kept denying it.
It was as though she had forgotten that she had just said she was as sad as everyone else.
Fortunately, someone noticed how hard she was forcing herself and began to cheer her on-
"Even a child this young is trying so hard! Everyone, we adults can't let the children outdo us! Let's find the strength to get through this ordeal!"
"Yeah!"
"All right!"
"That's right! Raphtalia! We'll do our best, too!"
Keel, who had been sobbing loudly only moments before, pulled himself together and encouraged Raphtalia. Fortunately, most of the friends she had been close to, including Keel and Rifana, were still there. Otherwise, Raphtalia truly could not imagine how long she could have kept smiling with no one left to turn to.
Rebuilding the village was undoubtedly a difficult task. Fewer than a quarter of its original inhabitants remained, and the amount of food left in storage was worrying.
But everyone, now back on their feet, believed that as long as they worked together, they could overcome this hardship and restore their village to the way it had been. Each of them worked hard with that conviction.
Raphtalia believed it, too. She would fulfill her parents' wishes and help everyone move on from that disaster-because everything seemed to be taking a turn for the better.
But one night after the Calamity Wave had ended, another disaster silently descended upon the innocent Demi-Human village. Heaven ruthlessly cast aside all their efforts.
"Ah! What are you doing?!"
A group of vicious-looking humans suddenly barged into the village and began swinging their weapons at the adults without a word.
"Eek?!"
"Y-you! Who are you?!"
"Hahahaha! I heard a bunch of Demi-Humans escaped with their lives. Turns out it was true."
"Yeah, this isn't a protected area anymore. It's nothing but a golden opportunity to make money!"
"Exactly!"
They laughed and chatted as they attacked. The village had already suffered terrible casualties at the hands of the monster army, leaving hardly any adults capable of fighting. They could do nothing to stop them.
The old man stepped forward and shouted angrily at them, "The lord would never allow you villains to commit such atrocities! The soldiers sent from the Royal City must still be stationed nearby!"
At those words, the brutish-looking humans all burst out laughing.
"That lord who protected the Demi-Humans is already dead. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Besides-" Their leader laughed and thrust his sword straight through the old man's abdomen. "Don't you know we're those soldiers you're talking about? Hahahahaha!"
"Of course they don't!"
"They still think someone will come help them!"
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Blood spilled from the old man's mouth as he crumpled to the ground... At last, he stopped moving altogether.
A pool of blood spread at Raphtalia's feet...
"Ah, aaaaaaaaaah!"
Her thoughts dissolved into chaos. Before she could even think about what had happened, she tried frantically to flee.
"Grab her! Don't let her escape! Kill all the old people and the men, but the women and brats can be sold. Make sure you take them alive!!!"
Because she was still a child and had value as something to be "sold," Raphtalia was lucky enough to survive.
Lucky enough to survive as a slave...
Before you continue