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The mild sunlight felt like the coming of spring. The fresh greenery peeking through the melting snow and the chirping birds signaled the end of winter.

It was now the second Blue Moon. A time of year when the wind began to carry a gentle breeze, following the extreme cold of the first Red Moon.

Winter in Amukham was unexpectedly harsh. Usually, they had to wait until the second Red Moon for the snow to melt, but this year, most of it had already transformed into flowing streams.

Even in Cope Town, the gateway to the Amukham District, there was no sign of winter’s whiteness, except in the shaded crevices of cobblestones untouched by sunlight.

Cope Town served as both the entrance and terminal town of the Amukham District. Anyone conducting business in the villages of the Amukham District had to pass through it. Likewise, those traveling from the villages to the central parts had to board a carriage to Dekenbel.

Cope Town was a small town with a population of about 3,000. The town was organized around a stagecoach stop, its neatly arranged cobblestone streets laid out in a grid pattern towards the southern main road. Most buildings were timber-framed with white plaster walls, creating a beautifully uniform townscape.

The buildings lining the boulevard housed stores and wholesale dealers dealing in products mostly originating from Amukham. The boulevard bustled not only with stagecoaches but also with store-owned horse-drawn carriages transporting goods. Just off the main road was a street too narrow for carriages that led to a bustling street market lined with countless retail stalls and teeming with people.

Cope Town was a commercial hub with more foot traffic than its population suggested.

With such a crowd, trouble was inevitable—and so was the presence of shady individuals. In this country, law and order were maintained by the knight order. However, small local cities like Cope Town didn’t have stationed knights. Instead, gate guards—private soldiers—were stationed to handle the people’s problems and maintain order.

Thanks to these guards, Cope Town had a remarkably low crime rate. It wasn’t just their presence, but the mutual understanding of Amukham’s strength that kept trouble in check. No one would act foolishly in public. That didn’t mean there were no lawless people. But most of those who stirred up waves were outsiders unfamiliar with Amukham.

Those who had wandered here without knowing anything about Amukham.

These people were originally illegal immigrants. They refused honest work and didn’t hesitate to steal to put food on the table. The town had become a cesspool for such individuals. They formed bandit groups and moved in groups to threaten the people.

Initially, these people, who’d come from the eastern towns, thought a little violence would be enough to exploit the northern townsfolk. But they didn’t understand the strength of the people of the north.

It was still early afternoon, the sun high overhead. When they entered town, their eyes immediately caught sight of a Western goods shop. The storefront was filled with high-quality items rarely seen in their cities. Inside were only two young girls, neither older than twenty.

To them, the girls looked like easy prey.

The store was in a back street with little to no foot traffic. With their numbers, they figured they could overwhelm the place easily. A store with such luxury goods likely had plenty of cash stored away. Enough to satisfy the whole group. If time allowed, they could even enjoy the girls inside. Or better yet—take them, indulge, and then sell them off.

With such twisted thoughts, the group entered the store, grinning wickedly.

The change was sudden. One man pointed a knife at the quiet-looking girl who approached to assist him. That very same moment, he found himself collapsed on the spot.

None of the 8 other men present there knew what had happened. Before they could even react, half of them were already subdued. Those who were merely knocked unconscious were the lucky ones. Some lost the ability to chew forever. Some had their arms twisted beyond repair. Some would never walk again. And this atrocity was all the work of just two young women. One after another, the men were taken down by the girls, unable to grasp the situation. Only those of them who were able to quickly sense the danger managed to flee.

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They didn’t know how far they had run. When they got their acts together, they noticed that there were only two of them left. They found themselves alone, gasping for breath, hiding in an alley.

“What the f̲u̲c̲k̲?! Just what was that?!”
“Hell if I know! What the heck happened? Did you see?”
“I don’t know! Their knees were all bent up!”
“Have you seen an arm bent in several places like that before?!”

Recalling the scene, the men’s faces turned pale beneath the days’ worth of unkempt stubble as chills ran down their spines.

“This is crazy! What’s up with these northern folks?! Even their shopkeepers are freaking insane!”
“Damn it! It’s because of the knight order in Dekenbel. That’s where it all started! That’s where things went haywire! After the boss was taken, we all got separated. How the hell did we wind up coming to this damn countryside? Screw this all!”
“Who was the b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲ that suggested we even go in that store?! What in the world happened?! This place is freaking scary. Let’s get the hell out of here!”
“And where will we go?! F̲u̲c̲k̲! Why did that idiot point his knife without thinking first?!”

They argued aimlessly—blaming this, blaming that, insisting they weren’t at fault, and selfishly going on and on.

Then they suddenly froze. They sensed a figure approaching the narrow street beside the alley. Scared that the guards might be after them, the two men peeked out while holding their breaths. However, what they saw wasn’t the guards they’d been so afraid of.

It was a little girl carrying a large basket in both hands. She looked about twelve or thirteen, cloaked in thick fabric with a hood hiding her head. Even from a distance, it was obvious the cloak was finely made. A clear sign that the girl came from a wealthy family. Her pale skin, the elegant nose and lips—everything about her suggested refinement.

The two men grinned at each other, a vulgar smile plastered on their faces.

“That’s a rich b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲’s brat. What should we do?”
“Hihehe. She looks like a young lady from a nice family. I can handle that on my own. Let’s give it a shot. Hehe.”
“Those clothes should fetch a decent price. She’s gotta have money too! Hell, we could even use her as a hostage when we decide to run!”
“And we can strip her naked and have fun with her until we get away from here! Hihehe!”
“What the… You gonna do a kid?”
“Huh? Of course! If you don’t want her, then I’ll have her all to myself!”
“I didn’t say I don’t want her! Besides, we’ve been through some s̲h̲i̲t̲ today; a little relief won’t hurt.”
“Hihehe! Then it’s settled!”

With self-serving reasoning and sleazy grins, they confirmed their plan. After waiting for the girl to show her back, the men rushed out from the alley.

Their plan was simple. Overpower her, silence her with a knife, tie her up with rags, and carry her off. After drawing up this haphazard and sloppy plan, the men dashed towards the girl. One of them spun his knife in his right hand, a motion he was accustomed to, and readied his left to cover the girl’s mouth from behind.

Just as his hand was about to touch the girl, she vanished from sight. The next moment, the man felt as if he were flying. Then he saw the sky before him. At the same time, he saw something flying towards him. Without losing momentum, it slammed against the man’s stomach. The man then felt the contents of his stomach rising in his throat. Then a brutal blow struck his face, and everything went black.

Two filthy men lay twisted unnaturally against a wall in a snow-dusted alley. They had crashed into a stack of crates, shattering both the crates and the liquor bottles inside. The noise was deafening. People peeked into the alley from nearby streets, opening windows to see what had happened.

Ahead of them stood a girl, still holding her large basket, gazing down at the men.

She shook her head slightly and deftly pulled down her hood. Scarlet hair spilled out, shimmering in the light. After being released from the constraints of the hood, the girl’s hair, tied in a pigtail, swayed with vigor. It gleamed like fire, scattering ruby-colored sparks that seemed to dissolve into the air.

Her cobalt green eyes, reminiscent of a clear sea, sparkled—large and radiant, brimming with light.

In that shadowed alley, a small glimmer of light danced.

The townsfolk who had gathered couldn’t look away. They simply stared, awestruck.

At the corner where the flickering light met shadow, a girl stood alone. She tilted her head, gazing down at the fallen men.

It was Susie Cloud, her fiery red hair glowing like embers in the dark.