Lost

“Th…they are very…”

The faint voices of someone talking woke the girl from her slumber…

“Reward… you…”

Arian heard the muffled conversation.

Through the curtain, she could only hear vague voices.

It seemed to be a discussion about herself.

The cage wasn’t large.

She could only curl up, just enough to lie in a comfortable sleeping position.

Although the cage wasn’t wide, it was unusually tall.

It was a birdcage specially made for auction items.

At this moment, Arian had regained consciousness.

Groggily, she began recalling what had happened.

She remembered nothing.

Half a month ago

After being expelled from Demon Castle, she was heartbroken.

She wandered aimlessly in one direction for days and nights without stopping.

She only realized her shoes were broken after she tripped from exhaustion.

The soles had completely separated from the shoes.

She tore a strip of cloth from her tattered coat, which had been shredded by thorns.

The fabric fluttered in the wind like a small flag.

She forcefully tied the soles back to the shoes and continued forward without stopping.

She wanted to return to the mirage-like Demon Castle.

But she could not find it.

It was as if it had never existed, like a dream yet not a dream.

Lilith had used her teleportation to throw her out…

She had eaten all her food along the way, but it was useless.

She still could not find it.

She began to suspect it was a dream.

Maybe Demon Castle was just a dream…

But looking at her small hands, the thought quickly vanished.

Two years… these unbelievable two years… how could they have been a dream?

Demon Castle was her true home.

There, Arian had received care and love, something she had never experienced as a neglected child.

She did not want to delay even for a moment…

If she could not find it, she might as well die.

Hunger made Arian hallucinate…

Before her eyes, Demon Castle appeared.

Long-term familiarity, Lilith’s smile seemed…

But in an instant, the scene changed…

A sky filled with dark clouds, outside the ancient walls of Demon Castle was a black mass of orc troops…

This was behind the castle, beyond the continent.

Demon Castle was a defensive line.

The Demon Lord was its guardian.

Without the defense, orcs would invade the human world and destroy everything.

They were different from ordinary green orcs.

Their skin was dark, and they were not native to this continent…

At that moment, Lilith kicked open Arian’s room door…

“Go! Your contract has long expired! You are already free!”

Lilith had abandoned her classic black gown.

She wore the black armor from the Holy War three years ago.

Her shapely figure was fully covered.

Arian was too shocked to speak.

“Leave!”

Without any reason, Lilith exploded in anger.

This was the first time in three years Arian had seen Lilith so furious…

………………

Shaking her head, Arian forced herself awake.

She could not just fall asleep like this.

Having gone without food for so long, Arian had lost all sensation.

She didn’t want to move, maybe dying here would have been a release…

A complete release from her miserable life.

But she didn’t want to leave the world just yet.

She wanted to return to Demon Castle.

This determination ran through her mind and body.

Even if her strength was weak, it miraculously drove her to crawl slowly on the ground.

By luck, she stumbled into a bush of wild holly plum.

Without hesitation, she dove in, eating the plums with the leaves.

She chewed fiercely and swallowed them whole…

One bite… two bites… three bites…

When a slight sense of fullness appeared, Arian realized… she would not die…

She finally surrendered to the heavy sleepiness and drifted into dreamland…

Her life passed like a carousel… twenty years flashed by like a dream.

Only the gray portions remained, the days at Demon Castle colored faintly, but not vividly.

In an instant, Arian was jolted awake by a chill.

She opened her eyes.

A drop of rain hit her…

Pain…

Covering her eyes, Arian slowly stood and continued her journey.

Days passed in a daze.

Though eating sparse food, it was late summer to early autumn, and wild holly plums were easy to find.

Though not fully satisfying, it was enough to sustain her.

Arian followed her instincts.

“Why did you abandon me… why…”

She walked, wiping her tears, muttering to herself.

“Why only push me away when I became dependent on you…”

Her powerless muttering, as if Lilith could hear.

But no one could answer her.

Arian wandered the unknown forest for sixteen days.

Her clothes were torn.

She cut pieces from a large felt mat in her backpack and fashioned them into clothing.

Though slightly ridiculous, it kept her warm.

Her shoes broke completely on the eighth day.

Fortunately, she wrapped felt scraps around her feet and tied them with strips of cloth.

She did not walk barefoot, though she found it both frustrating and funny.

At night, she finally reached a main road.

The road had obvious traces of carriages and horses.

Clearly, people lived here.

It was a main road.

She pressed her hand against the soft fresh wheel marks on the ground.

Suddenly, her tense nerves collapsed.

Her seemingly inexhaustible spirit was spent.

Her eyelids fluttered.

This was the limit.

She slapped herself.

The sound snapped her out of fatigue.

Though still tired, she had to stay awake until safe.

Walking along the road was better than blindly wandering the forest.

It felt like strolling in a garden, no need to guard against wild beasts or snakes.

And surely, there would be people nearby.

Arian forced herself forward for hours.

The sun gradually set, and darkness fell.

She decided it was time to rest.

She sat by the roadside, made a small fire with the fire crystal in her leather backpack, planning to rest temporarily.

Camping here served two purposes: waiting for a ride and safety.

The roadside was far safer than the forest, at least no constant fear.

She desperately needed a peaceful, quality sleep.

She had survived half a month like a miracle.

Like a machine running endlessly, day and night, following instinct.

Even walking now pushed her body to its limit.

She had almost no experience with hard labor in Demon Castle.

This long trek was nearly fatal, her body ached, bruised, and sprained from the journey.

Sitting down might mean she could never rise again.

Dragging herself, she propped up a wooden stick as a barricade.

Finished, she sat back by the fire.

Arian was confused, staring blankly into the flames.

Previously, she had no strength, bullied by her brothers, powerless to resist.

She hated herself, her weakness, her meaningless existence.

At Grangfendo, her own desires caused trouble.

Driven by revenge, she trained relentlessly, seeking power.

But it backfired.

For a warrior, mad energy is the second weapon.

The goddess did not allow her to wield it.

She had only her martial training.

Perhaps because of her mad energy, she had some understanding.

When her brother went to the Holy War, she mysteriously went in his place.

She didn’t know why, as if some mysterious force was pushing her.

She could not explain it.

This reflected her life philosophy.

She had always been alone.

Able to let go of everything.

She was not afraid of death.

Her past self sought ways to die justifiably, seeking danger.

But instead, it honed her martial skills.

Now was different.

Lilith was her only reason to live.

Without her, she could not survive.

Perhaps she did not realize, but she had completely grown attached to Lilith.

At first, she tried to escape due to her stubborn nature.

She did not want others controlling her fate.

So she left Demon Castle.

But the life outside was not dull.

Luna cared for her.

Lilith often smiled, her poker face set aside.

No need to worry about hunger or others’ eyes.

No need for false politeness.

For the pathological Arian, it was like Eden.

Although unsure why, Arian believed there was a reason Lilith had thrown her out.

Looking at the pocket watch in her hand, she pondered.

She unconsciously touched the black neckband around her neck.

The original collar was too heavy.

Lilith replaced it with a decorative-looking black band.

It was still bound by contract.

Arian remained Lilith’s s*ave, but Lilith had not abandoned her.

This was why Arian had not lost her only evidence of Lilith.

She took a worn felt mat from her trunk.

She laid it on leaves, making a makeshift bed.

Almost immediately, sleepiness hit her like a dam breaking.

Without thinking, she fell into deep sleep.