Prologue

In a back alley stood a man: average height, average build, getting on in years.

His hair was white, though there was something oddly young about him. At first glance, he looked fifty, but if someone told you he was a thirty-year-old in an aged disguise, you might be inclined to believe them.

He wore an old brown suit with a snazzy coat. A strange sort of man.

There was an ineffable air to his manner and comportment that seemed downright unreal.

On the one hand, the old clothes suggested he had fallen on hard times, yet he also seemed like the sort of eccentric gentleman who liked his vintage wardrobe.

It was like he was an actor, and this back alley was his stage.

It lay on the East Side.

In the district where the dregs of Azami washed up, the back roads were infamously unsafe for unwary travelers to wander.

How infamous? Ask any guide, and they’ll say, “Don’t go in there! Never go in there! Promise you won’t go in there!” with the intensity of a method actor auditioning for a role.

Folks who’d long since given up on life stared vacantly, sitting in piles of unlawfully dumped trash. What rare boisterous shouts could be heard were almost certainly just another fistfight. The locals avoided this place as diligently as tourists.

Yet, here stood an old man, in the middle of the night.

A trio of unsavory-looking roustabouts approached, eyes gleaming, certain they’d stumbled across some hapless prey.

A ruffian with a particularly grim countenance let out a stream of smoke…and not from the good kind of leaves. The distinctive scent filled the alley.

“Whatcha doing here, old-timer?”

He glanced at his companions, signaling them to surround the man and cut off his escape.

One of his two friends leaned in, peering at the old man’s face.

“You lost? I’m afraid this is a toll road.”

“And it’ll cost you whether you’re passing through or turning back.”

“If you drop all the valuables on you, we’ll even walk you home!”

Unpleasant laughter pealed through the alley.

“Hmm,” the older man grunted, unimpressed.

The three muggers stared at him, confused.

He took a good look at each in turn. “What do I look like to you?”

Their eyes went wide for a moment, then they sneered.

“Huh? A tourist, of course. A loaded one.”

“What? Are you lookin’ to buy some leaf?”

“A-are you a cop?!”

Three very different answers.

The older man just looked bored.

“As expected, I suppose…,” he muttered, making sure they could not hear. “I heard there were treasures buried in the East Side—but clearly not here.”

He reached into his pocket and fished something out.

“Valuables? Yes… Will this ring do?”

He held up a silver ring before one ruffian’s nose.

“Ohhh? Heh-heh-heh, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

He hadn’t expected it to be that easy, but he quickly grinned and reached out to take the ring.

Without batting an eye, the old man grabbed the ruffian’s wrist…with unimaginable force.

He let out a sharp grunt in pain.

The pressure forced his fingers open. They shook. He forced the ring onto one of them.

“This ring is made of mithril, you see. A lovely ore that amplifies the wearer’s magic. But it constantly absorbs your magic, so if you don’t have a considerable amount to begin with, it’ll drain you completely in no time.”

Even as the old man spoke, the mugger turned pale, his faced withering in wrinkles.

His companions let out a shriek of horror.

The elderly man watched until the thief was nothing but a pile of ash and clothing, then he picked up the ring.

“Less than a minute with the pure mithril? Oh, you asked if I wanted your leaf. If you like them that much, perhaps you’d like to grow some.”

He spun around, pressing right up against the second brute.

“If you take this, I can’t guarantee you’ll remain human—but that’s what you want, yes?”

Before the ruffian could even try to run, the older man grabbed his chin, forcing a pill into his mouth.

The ruffian struggled, but there was a gulp, and he swallowed the pill.

Suddenly, the man’s skin thickened like tree bark, rootlike tendrils sprouting all over his body.

“Ah…aughh…”

Covered in pale green roots and leaves, the man let out a sob…and withered away.

The remaining man collapsed to the ground without a word.

“He can’t even control the treant, much less serve as a seedbed… Let’s mark that down as ‘needs improvement.’”

Finally, the elderly stranger turned to the last of the three muggers, proffering a vial.

“You wish to escape the long arm of the law, yes? If you see me as a cop, you must have a guilty conscience. Drink this, and your legs will be as strong as an insect’s, and you’ll grow a sturdy, protective shell.”

The tough guy seemed too stunned to respond, so the elderly man shook his head and forced the vial between his lips.

He twitched once and was covered in an insectoid exoskeleton.

But this cracked like an eggshell and began leaking blood-like fluid. And like the two companions before him, he crumbled to dust.

A guilt-free sigh echoed through the alley.

“Clearly I’ve got my work cut out for me. If an ordinary human can’t survive the conversion, there’s no point.”

He glanced once at the three piles of ash and clothing, then left the alley behind.

“That soldier is the only one who could harbor Abaddon’s power… A sad soul, so overcome with love for his country and despair for its future that he allowed a demon lord to control him. Hmm?”

A blinding light flashed in his eyes.

This was the light of a magic stone in the hands of a policeman. Sharp eyes sized him up.

“What are you doing here?”

“……”

The old man did not respond.

“…Mm? A tourist?” the cop decided, unprovoked.

Without a word from the man, the matter had been settled.

“More or less,” he replied, as if this wasn’t the least bit odd.

The officer nodded and began lecturing him on how dangerous these alleys were.

“You can’t be wandering around the East Side at night. You’re going to get mugged! Didn’t the tour guides warn you?”

“I’m terribly sorry.”

“Word is, there’s some crazed stalker running around lately… Get mistaken for a creep like that, and there’s no telling what could happen to you. Best get back to your lodgings.”

The man bowed his head. Having escaped the law’s attention, he wandered off.

Behind him, he could hear the cop yelling. Perhaps he’d found the piles of clothing. No matter.

“I need new pawns…pawns that can kill Alka and the guardian beast of Kunlun. Then I can free the Last Dungeon from that centuries-old spell…”

Sounding like the chorus in an old play, he vanished into the night.

The next day…

Morning dawned at Marie’s shop on the East Side.

Drifting out of the window, the smell of breakfast reached the nose of a passing cat. It stopped, letting out a plaintive meow.

As if summoned, a gentle-looking boy appeared…seeming almost apologetic.

He wore a linen shirt and a pair of canvas trousers, which were partially covered by an apron. He balanced a saucer in one hand, and there were clearly small fish in it. Was it cat food?

He looked around, making sure no one was watching. Then he put the saucer down, speaking softly. “I’m really not supposed to do this… The neighbors insist I shouldn’t feed any cats.”

Heedless of Lloyd’s concerns, the little creature began gorging itself.

“Ha-ha-ha. Well, I’ve got work to do. See you later.”

The cat meowed back as if it understood. Lloyd managed a half smile and ducked back into the kitchen.

He finished washing his hands just as the pot came to a boil. He began adding grain to the pot—oatmeal, probably. Filling and healthy, a pleasantly plain, ideal breakfast meal. Lloyd melted some cheese in yesterday’s leftover soup and added that to the oatmeal, risotto style. It looked amazing.

“…Morning.”

First, the cat. Now a woman in a black robe. The smell had roused her from her bed. She staggered into the kitchen, eyes bleary with sleep.

She was running her fingers through her bedhead, trying to straighten it out…then she gave up and collapsed on the table. Back to sleep. One step away from having woodgrain wrinkles on her forehead all day.

She wore an unusual brooch pinned to her robes, and… Well, she didn’t exactly wake up with the black pointy hat fixed to her head, but this witch definitely dressed the part. Her name was Marie, the owner of this shop.

She wasn’t exactly a domestic goddess—in fact, she was the princess of this kingdom. Once, she had been forced into hiding here, and this experience seemed to have eliminated all memories of table manners. She was your classic spinster slob, the kind of woman who ate food right from the pot to avoid having to wash another plate.

Lloyd placed a beautifully plated dish in front of her. The mouthwatering scent of this fresh-cooked breakfast got her back up off the table.

He looked at the wrinkles on the robe covering her ample chest and the woodprint on her forehead, mustering the same half smile he’d given the cat.

“Time to wake up, Marie.”

This, too, was the same tone of voice he’d used with the little animal.

Eyes half-open, Marie took advantage of his kindness.

“Can you feed me, Lloyd? Ahhh!”

She opened her mouth, waiting. Lloyd’s smile grew strained. Even the cat had more dignity. Marie was more like a baby bird waiting for its mother to drop food in its mouth.

“Um.”

“Ahh!”

“…Ah-ha-ha…well, uh…”

But before Lloyd could reluctantly attempt to feed her, a tiny shadow appeared at his side.

“Okay, Marie! Say ahh!”

“Ahhh… Yow!”

There was a horrible crunch, and Marie let out a grunt like a grizzled old man.

Wincing, she pulled something out of her mouth—a plate. Who had shoved a plate in her mouth?

“Mornin’, Marie! Awfully early to make bizarre requests of my beloved Lloyd! I oughtta put you back to sleep for good. That’ll cure your napping habit! Permanently.”

A tiny little girl was standing in front of Marie, wearing an icy grin.

“Ch-Chief.”

“M-Master… Good morning.”

Marie slid to her knees in front of the child, offering her a very formal greeting. She was wide awake now. And shaking like a leaf.

This child’s name was Alka. She was Marie’s teacher and the chief of Lloyd’s hometown, Kunlun. This village lay on the frontier of human civilization, surrounded by monsters…so it was off all the charts. It was the kind of place where people defeated demon lords with their brooms, harvested wheat on a monthly basis, crossed two mountains to go shopping, donned the hides of legendary creatures to cook, and farmed with legendary weapons.

She had most likely teleported herself here this morning. This petite grandma cast runes—the wisdom of the ancients—like the rest of the world used a bicycle. Now she sat eating Lloyd’s oatmeal and shaking her head.

“Good morning, Chief,” he said.

“Mornin’, Lloyd! Tell me…does this sad person regularly request the ‘ahh’ treatment?”

“No, that was new.” He turned bright red.

Alka assumed the expression of a veteran cop faced with a first-time offender.

Marie had donned her glasses and hat and now was scratching her cheek sheepishly.

“Did I really do that?”

“You totally did! You’re lucky to be alive. I just developed this rune called the spear of light, and I nearly used it on you. Power and accuracy ain’t bad, but the speed of it is bonkers! Nobody will be dodging that successfully for the first time.”

“Do you really need something like that?”

Marie had nearly been run through with a spear of light as thoughtlessly as a prankster playing a trick on their sleeping friend. She turned toward Lloyd.

“…Augh.”

And let out a soft groan. His face was still flushed. Seeing that made her turn red, too.

A wave of guilt washed over her, like when memories of drunken exploits come rushing through the fog of a hangover.

“…Oh god… I’m really falling to pieces, aren’t I? I’ve gotta get a grip…”

“Getting comfortable with each other is no excuse to get carried away!” Alka admonished. “You’re acting like a boy who’s never gone out with a girl before, Marie.”

Alka pulled out a fashion magazine, tapping an article called “101 Types of Shitty Men.”

The illustration was captioned: “If a guy acts like you’re dating at the first hint of kindness, run.”

Marie clutched her head in horror. “That hits way too close to home.”

“You need to work on developing your common sense and intellect. Best you’ve managed so far is developing that rack.”

Taking this trashy magazine as gospel raised questions about Alka’s brain, but Marie failed to realize this and settled for bowing low before her. A peaceful morning genuflection.

As this sun-drenched ritual of remorse came to a finish, Marie admitted, “I have nothing to say.”

Alka was still fuming. “Good! You need to grow up! Okay, then! Lloyd—ahhh!”

“I take it back! I’ve got something to say! Your age is in the triple digits, and you’re the single most childish person alive!”

“We must look after our elders. It’s only proper.”

This was just sexual harassment. A dirty old woman at large. Alka did an impression of a baby bird every bit as alarming as Marie’s, but Lloyd just shook his head.

“Sorry, Chief. I’ve got to get to school.”

“What do you mean, Lloyd?! You usually leave much later! If you go now, not only will there be no classmates, you won’t even find the elderly teacher who’s retiring this year and shows up to greet everyone at the gates! At best, you’ll find Chrome Molybdenum in the staff room!”

Marie almost gave in to the impulse to ask why Alka was so intimately familiar with the details of the academy staff, but Lloyd spoke up first.

“Chrome asked me to come see him this morning, so I figured I should leave early.”

“He did? But your exam scores were flawless, both written and practical! You’d think he’d be demanding to see Allan, who flunked all his written tests, or Selen, who wrote a long essay about how great you are.”

“How do you know that?” Marie hissed.

Alka just kicked her in the shin. Loose lips earned painful punts.

“I messed up the practical test, so…I bet that’s what this is about.”

Lloyd looked so unconfident that Marie quickly whispered in Alka’s ear, “Master, what did he do wrong?”

“Oh, it was just a minor oversight,” she whispered back. “They told him to deliver some supplies to a military base near the Azami border, but he accidentally went a country too far and delivered them to a base of the Jiou Empire.”

“That’s an international incident!”

Definitely not “minor.” It also meant Lloyd had covered a distance in half a day on foot that would normally take two days by train.

“Don’t scream in my ear! You’re making them ring! And don’t worry. He made it back to complete the practical test in the nick of time, and I wiped the memories of everyone on the Jiou base. I may have gotten a little sloppy and erased, like, a week’s worth of memories, but no biggie.”

This terrifying statement left Marie clutching her forehead.

“A week’s worth of memories from everyone on base? You’ve created a new urban legend…”

Lloyd had heard the part about the international incident and was looking worried.

“Y-yeah…if our military has someone as weak as me messing up every little thing, it’s bound to cause an international incident eventually.” He hung his head.

“Er, no, that’s not what…uh…,” Marie spluttered.

Lloyd was from Kunlun, and his capabilities were far beyond those of your average human.

However, he’d also been the weakest kid in town, and that had left him with a debilitating lack of confidence. He interpreted all events as proof he was a wimpy failure. He’d covered a two-day railway trip on foot in a matter of hours, and yet here he was, drooping.

Marie was itching to do something about that and constantly looking for ways to convince him he was actually strong, but any time she tried telling him the truth, he didn’t believe her. Not “Normal people can’t stay underwater for an hour,” nor “Broken bones take months to heal. It’s downright strange that it takes you an hour.” It was like how your stomach can’t handle rich food when you’re starving.

I need him to understand our standards, but…I’m starting to lose touch with them myself.

The more comfortable Marie got with the status quo, the more she was enjoying her time with Lloyd.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I know how weak I am. The last time I tried to go in a dungeon, I barely got out alive… Oh, sorry, I’ve got to go change.”

Lloyd darted off to his room.

Marie watched him go, then turned to Alka.

“Master, is that true? He went in a dungeon?”

Lloyd conquered most dungeons without a scratch, so she found it hard to believe he’d struggled.

Meanwhile, Alka just took a long sip of tea, then nodded, like she was reminiscing hardcore.

“He hadn’t even turned ten yet! I took him into the dungeon to help carry baggage.”

“At that age?!”

“It proved pretty rough on him. Not even ten, and he ended up facing the secret boss at the back of the hidden passage in the depths.”

“A hidden passage?! The secret boss?! Those things actually exist?!”

Marie’s voice got a bit too loud.

Rumors of adventurers finding hidden rooms in dungeons had been around since the beginning of time.

Only a lucky few of them ever stumbled across such places, and if they did set foot inside, they’d be surrounded by terrifying monsters far more powerful than anything else around.

Such things were usually considered tall tales, but Alka talked about it as though it were a daily routine.

“Out of habit, I accidentally opened up the secret door, and vicious monsters came pouring out. Lloyd probably thinks that was a normal dungeon… Anyway, it was just cute the way he clung to my arm, quivering in fear! That’s why I kept concocting flimsy excuses to make him come with me.”

It seemed a similar tactic to how boys took girls to a haunted house so they could get closer.

“You act like it’s fever time on a slot machine! Like, half Lloyd’s self-esteem problems stem from you, Master.”

Alka took another sip of her tea. “It sure takes me back,” she said. “The monsters in that last dungeon were real tough. Normally I can handle things with a single finger, but those took three!”

Marie just stuck her chin on her hand, glaring at Alka through half-lidded eyes. Like she was just done dealing with her bullshit.

Alka was hardly one to care what her student thought, but she downed the rest of her tea and jumped to her feet.

“That dungeon thing reminds me! I’d better go.”

“Home already? You usually demand refills and snacks.”

“Yeah, but the world’s kinda in danger. I gotta travel around…”

“Th-the world’s in danger?!”

Alka seemed unusually serious. A bead of sweat trickled down Marie’s cheek.

“Someone’s trying to open the lid on the kettle of hell. I dunno what they’re thinking, but they keep unleashing monsters on par with the demon lord! Way worse than that locust one.”

Alka was talking about the demon lord Abaddon, who’d possessed Marie’s father and nearly taken over Azami.

“That’s…not good.”

Alka gave Marie a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Nothing’s gonna happen so long as I’m around. Bye!”

With a reassuring nod, Alka opened the door…

“Eek! Ch-Chief! I’m changing, here!”

…to Lloyd’s room. A Peeping Tom. A pervert.

Lloyd was in front of her, blushing red, his skin so soft she just wanted to suck on it. The underwear of the day were a pair of black boxers—very grown-up!

“Whoopsie! Wrong room! My bad! Heh-heh-heh,” Alka chuckled, fooling nobody.

Marie shot forward like a rocket, slamming the door closed, her eyeballs dutifully poring over every inch of Lloyd’s body as she did.

“Master! Peeping on Lloyd in the middle of a dramatic speech totally ruins it!”

So much for gravitas. Globs of blood were dripping from Alka’s nose like hot sauce.

“My body needed an eyeful! Like seamen needed lime juice to avoid scurvy! I was craving Lloyd juice! Freshly squeezed! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

She cackled like a demon lord. Marie argued like the hero here to slay her.

“Apologize to all seamen! What happened to the world being in danger? I bet you’re just making that up to get out of working the fields!”

“You’re wrong! That’s only, like, forty percent of it!”

“So nearly half.”

“I was just craving city air! I’ve always dreamed of moving to the big city! You’ve gotta keep up with the latest fashion trends or you’ll be left behind!”

Alka emphatically pounded her fashion magazine. Clearly at least 80 percent of her motivation was getting out of farmwork.

“The villagers will be forced to lock you up again… Also, Master, I’ve never seen you wear anything but those white robes.”

“True. I just use the restoration rune every evening, and they’re as good as new!”

“Rune magic shouldn’t be used like an odor eliminator…”

Paying no heed to Marie’s chiding, Alka grabbed her sleeves and did a little twirl…on the table. She might be well over a hundred years old, but she definitely acted like a kid.

“White is the new black! The times have come back around! Live long enough…!”

“If you live for centuries, trends will come and go… Nothing is forever.”

At Marie’s remark, Alka gave a grave look—one traced with a rare hint of forlornness.

“Some things are for life… I know someone who can’t grow out of being desperate for change… Now they’ve grown unrecognizable.”

This sounded significant.

Marie just scoffed. “What? You sound like a failed bard making up nonsense lyrics.”

Brutal.

“I was being serious! And you call me a failed bard?! You’re no student of mine!”

“Serious, my foot! You were raving about fresh-squeezed Lloyd seconds ago, you kid grandma!”

Mornings were always like this.

Grinning at Alka and Marie’s usual squabbling, Lloyd sneaked past them, leaving the shop behind.

Even though everyone knew nothing was forever, it didn’t stop them from wishing that wasn’t the case.

This was Lloyd and Marie’s modus operandi. He went off to the military academy in the morning, came back in the evening, made dinner, and every now and then, the village chief would stop by to raise havoc.

It was a routine no one wanted to alter…until they encountered the one who’d changed too much. That was how this story would unfold.

“You called me a grandma again! Your punishment will be this rune that makes your eyebrows look funny!”

“Eaughhh! Stop that, Master! Argh, they’re all bushy now!”

Marie might have changed too much before things really got started. Her brows were dense enough to balance an entire coin…