CHAPTER 1

During the winter of the year 5555 NE in the middle of the Neomarica month, the territory of Clan Hawk in Murch was thrown into turmoil due to the circulation of mysterious rumors—although some within the clan had already put their trust in it. Regardless of the number of people who believed in the rumor, what proved more captivating were the diverse expressions and responses from each clan member.

Many responded with hatred, insults, and foul language, while the rest remained indifferent and kept a nonchalant demeanor. After all, those who harbored hatred would be unable to express it when the rumor turned out to be true and the person mentioned in the rumor appeared before them.

H. Morgentaa, a sorceress who had vanished for a decade, was rumored to be returning to Clan Hawk. This action was considered audacious, especially following the tragedy of the riots before her disappearance, which had made her whereabouts untraceable. Her departure had been attributed to silence and irresponsible actions. For the clan, these reasons were enough to label Morgentaa as a repugnant individual.

And why not? A young girl had been adopted by the clan's elders as their beloved granddaughter. Her origins were already unclear, but the clan members still respected their elders' decision. Over time, the girl managed to capture everyone's attention, even those who had previously held negative opinions of her, and shed the label of "adopted child" due to her incredibly impressive magical abilities. Although it took a while, little Morgentaa eventually gained recognition as a remarkable being for Clan Hawk.

However, this recognition suddenly shifted after the clan's elders and clan leader perished in a bloody incident in the Tuli-Tuli Mountains. The reasons and details of the incident remained unknown to everyone, except Morgentaa herself, the sole person who emerged unscathed despite being assigned to the front lines. Her silence became the beginning of a terrifying conspiracy that now clung to her, including her current reappearance.

"Aren't you happy? You shouldn't be hiding your smiles and happiness," someone with sun-darkened skin, grinning, taunted the current Clan Hawk leader, H. Erhillmen, who was both Morgentaa's official sibling and grandchild of the previous leaders.

Erhillmen chose to remain silent. His face appeared ordinary, as he had learned to conceal various emotions, including at this moment. Meanwhile, Eleuther sneered, responding to his leader's discomfort.

However, Erhillmen quietly remembered the sweet memories when Morgentaa arrived wearing shabby clothes and suffering from amnesia. Six years, the age estimated by his grandfather when they found Morgentaa—although Erhillmen was convinced she was younger than that.

At that time, Erhillmen was already fond of Morgentaa because her cheeks resembled the steamed buns made by Clan Hawk's cook. Erhillmen enjoyed eating meat-filled buns every morning with a glass of warm milk.

With Morgentaa's presence, Erhillmen's share of meat buns dwindled, not because it was intentionally reduced by the cook or his grandfather, but because Morgentaa would sneakily take them when they were already laid out on Erhillmen's room table.

Initially, Erhillmen suspected that someone was deliberately reducing his bun portion, but after inquiring, he learned they weren't doing it. Finally, Erhillmen woke up early one morning and, with his squinted eyes, caught Morgentaa in the act of stealing a bun and fleeing.

Erhillmen understood. He had a hunch that perhaps Morgentaa often resorted to stealing food to survive. He wanted to get close to Morgentaa, but it was difficult because she would only converse with his grandfather. He longed to embrace the cute girl, but Morgentaa would often run away when they met. However, gradually—very slowly—Morgentaa began to like him and get closer to him. When Morgentaa began speaking to him, Erhillmen was ecstatic.

Not long after Morgentaa's proficiency was considered sufficient, she was admitted to the academy to study magic because etiquette had already been taught by her grandfather. Morgentaa's ability to learn was impressively swift. She could read ancient languages with twisting, worm-like scripts, complex as untangling a knotted thread.

She could comprehend magical circles and craft them at a young age. She could grasp the speech patterns of adults, discussing complex life issues and motivations, although it should have been challenging for children. Because of this, she became a highly praised student at the academy. Even her grandfather and Erhillmen were proud.

On the other hand, Morgentaa, who had initially been a stranger to the Clan Hawk's territory, transformed into the friendliest young lady there. She had achieved peace with herself through advice from someone.

At that time, Morgentaa had been struggling; her entire body was covered in wounds, and her legs were on the brink of giving out. She was exhausted, so she decided to crawl toward a lake. Death was the choice she had made; she couldn't survive in the current state. Even if she could move away from that place into the terrifying forest, Morgentaa's despair was overwhelming. She had experienced exhaustion many times, but this was the most profound.

She entered the lake, gasping for breath, feeling the water reach her head. Throughout her consciousness, Morgentaa never forgot the pain with each passing second. Then, as she lost consciousness, there were bubbles that surrounded her, taking her to the surface. It was too late when she realized that someone was rescuing her.

Initially, she thought that person had found her and forced her to stay alive, but in her blurry vision, she saw a person with a long, bearded chin and hair adorned with peacock feathers smiling. The smile was captivating, the most beautiful smile Morgentaa had ever seen.

She was carried and they soared. Morgentaa was delighted because she was flying; all she had seen until now were dreams. But she couldn't express her gratitude or smile, or even observe the surroundings, because her body was powerless. She was extremely tired and in pain.

When she woke up, Morgentaa found herself in a small hut. In her view, bamboo walls separated her from a thick wooden floor, and there was a small table with earthenware dishes. There was a long-necked jug with green, pungent-smelling liquid, like the scent of stale and rancid herbal medicine. The jug, small and gourd-shaped, contained something crushed, and Morgentaa was certain it wasn't from a plant, as she knew that all plants were green. Other small jugs contained white powder, a soup with the scent of beef broth, and clear oil.

Morgentaa looked down at the basin filled with water. She fetched water with the small gourd-shaped jug that was lying on the edge of the basin. Her throat swallowed the water twice from the small jug, and she let out a small burp. Thanks to the burp, the same person opened the door to her room and showed relief.

Morgentaa looked at the person. She hadn't expected that the one who had saved her was an elderly person, quite evident from the wrinkles and the drooping eyes. Yet, Morgentaa knew that this person was not ordinary, as in this world, not everyone could fly and float without magical equipment.

"I am Syamanta, the elder of Clan Hawk," he said, initiating the conversation.

Morgentaa nodded. She knew that Grandfather Syamanta was renowned everywhere, but she never thought that the man known as the Purple Legend Sculptor had saved her.

"What must I do to repay your kindness?" Morgentaa asked because she understood that there were no free gifts in this world.

Grandfather Syamanta smiled, moved closer to her, and then put a simple necklace with a beautiful ring pendant around her neck. "Live well and courageously," Grandfather Syamanta advised her during their first encounter.