HBSHF | CH 01

Chapter 1

Seoul, South Korea.

The ground was torn by an unexpected dungeon break, and skyscrapers had collapsed, creating chaos.

There, former Holy Knight Michael Arcanyde was gasping for breath in front of a monster.

[Snowfield Yeti (Rank S)]

This monster, which used freezing attacks, had now activated a shield and entered its self-healing phase.

‘Damn it. Just when I think I can finish it, it puts up a shield and heals again…’

Michael glanced at the deep wound slashed across his arm and clicked his tongue.

He pulled out a potion and poured it down his throat.

The empty bottle clattered away as he tossed it aside.

‘Potions won’t last me any longer. If I drink more, I’ll get potion poisoning.’

Time was running out.

The Snowfield Yeti had almost finished healing and was readying itself for battle again.

“How am I supposed to kill that thing…?”

“Appa!”

At that moment, a tiny, cheerful voice completely out of place in this apocalyptic scene rang out.

Michael widened his eyes and looked down.

A chubby little child, round like a marshmallow, stood with arms wide open.

“Hug me.”

Michael sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Do you remember what we promised, Eire? You were supposed to stay far behind with Yun.”

He quickly looked back and saw a black-haired boy watching them with a panicked face.

The boy must have been blaming himself for losing sight of the child during the battle.

“Hug. Me. Now.”

But the little girl refused to give up.

Her cheeks puffed up in determination as she stomped the ground with her teddy-bear printed shoes.

Michael looked at both the monster and the child, torn.

‘If I don’t finish that thing soon, Eire won’t make it in time to watch her Dino cartoon…’

After a short hesitation, he sighed deeply and crouched down with his back to the child.

“Hehehe.”

Eire Arcanyde’s delighted giggle rang out.

She jumped and clung onto Michael’s back.

At that moment, a status window appeared with a chime.

[〈Skill〉 Piggyback (S) – Blessing of the Saintess! Your ally’s stats are doubled.]

A holy light surged through Michael’s body.

He stood up slowly with Eire on his back.

“Hold on tight, daughter.”

Eire tightened her arms around his neck and rested her plump cheek against him.

Her face briefly clouded with sadness.

“…Daddy, don’t die.”

Her small, sorrowful voice whispered in his ear.

But Michael simply smiled, as if there was nothing to worry about.

He gripped his greatsword firmly and leapt forward.

“Daddy will never die, even if he dies.”

A blazing light surrounded the sword as it slashed through the air.

A saintess and a holy knight.

They had ended up in a world they never should have been.

To explain why, we need to go back a few months.

***

The Holy Nation of Asteria, devoted to the World Tree.

In its far western outskirts, in a rural place called Selenium.

“Hey, beggar!”

“…”

In the middle of the marketplace, children who never received proper education mocked cruelly.

Like a flock of crows, they circled around and cornered one child in the center.

“They say you live in Devil’s Canyon!”

“My dad said that’s a cursed land!”

The child in a torn robe stood silently, enduring their jeers.

“Maybe you’re cursed too. Ugh, you even smell bad…”

“Not just the smell. I bet your face looks like a monster too. That’s why you’re hiding it!”

“Really? Show us! Take off the robe!”

The nasty boys reached for the child’s robe—

Snap!

The child raised a pudgy finger and pointed at one of them.

“You…”

“Huh?”

The child lifted her head, glaring with pale violet eyes that glowed strangely under her hood.

“You will be bitten by a giant spider tonight.”

“W-what?”

“And you!”

She pointed to another boy.

“You will lose your pants in front of the girl you like, and it will be super embarrassing!”

“Wh-what are you saying?!”

The boy’s face turned bright red.

“And you—!”

Just as she pointed at another boy, a huge shadow loomed over them.

The kids slowly looked up, and their faces went pale.

“Shall I eat you?”

“Uwaaaaah! A werewolf!”

The bullies screamed and scattered in terror.

Only the robed child and the masked man remained.

The man sighed quietly.

“Daughter. You followed me here all alone?”

The child angrily threw back her hood.

Silver hair shone like moonlight, and her cheeks puffed out angrily.

She was the scariest four-year-old in the world—Eire Arcanyde.

“You said not to go to the market alone without me!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go home.”

“You’re doing it again! The world is dangerous!”

“It’s not ‘doing it again,’ it’s ‘brushing it off.’ Okay, let’s return to our safe house, my lady.”

The man picked her up onto his shoulder and walked down a quiet street.

Eire kicked her arms and legs in protest, muttering angrily.

Once they reached an empty alley, the man set her down and removed his mask and hood.

“Phew, finally I can breathe.”

Golden-brown hair spilled down, catching the sunlight.

Michael Arcanyde.

His violet eyes blinked lazily.

“Appa! Did you hear me?”

Eire grabbed his sleeve, still upset.

“I said I’m sorry. I won’t go out alone again, okay?”

Michael pouted exaggeratedly like a child begging for forgiveness.

But seeing no sign of guilt, Eire grew even sterner.

‘He’s not reflecting at all!’

Hands on her hips, she glared at him with her “tiger eyes.”

Her special move when scolding her dad.

“Oh no, are you using the tiger eyes? Was my mistake that bad?”

His voice shrank, though the corners of his mouth twitched with amusement.

“Yes! Daddy is too careless! You deserve scolding!”

“Oh dear. Will you forgive me if I give you a kiss? That’s your favorite.”

“No! Kisses are what you like! I don’t want it now!”

Just as she tried to smack him, she tripped.

“Careful—!”

Thud.

She face-planted before he could stop her.

“Oh dear.”

Michael simply watched, true to his motto of “raising a child strong.”

“You okay, Eire?”

“…”

Her little body trembled on the ground.

But soon she pushed herself up, standing proudly as if nothing had happened.

“You need me to protect you, Daddy. Don’t make trouble.”

“…”

Michael bit the inside of his cheek to hold back laughter.

A big red mark from the fall was stamped on her forehead.

He thought he’d have to put medicine on it later.

“Yes, yes. Daddy is weak, and I can’t live without you.”

“Hmph.”

Eire snorted and turned forward again.

But deep down, the little girl carried a heavy burden.

‘I must protect Daddy.’

Since her fourth birthday, she had been plagued by nightmares.

In them, her father always died.

Killed by a man with golden hair like the sun.

His playful smile, his warm embrace, his gentle violet eyes—all gone in an instant.

Those nightmares continued night after night, endlessly.

‘I don’t want Daddy to die…’

She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back tears.

Then she turned and grabbed his hand tightly.

“Daddy. Let’s live happily together forever, okay?”

Michael looked surprised for a moment.

But then he smiled warmly.

“Of course. I promise.”

He hooked his pinky with hers.

But not long after…

That promise would be cruelly broken.