After Work, I Brought Home a Devilish Beauty - Chapter 36

Ever since Alice was old enough to understand the world around her, one truth had never changed.

The war between humans and demons had never ended.

Across the continent of Anstertandin, the armies of the Demon Clan and the forces of the Church of Assis had fought one another for generations.

To the people of the western continent, war had simply become part of everyday life.

Alice was born in a small, remote farming village.

Her father, Eld, and her mother, Lilith, were ordinary farmers who survived by cultivating a modest wheat field.

Their life was poor…

But it was warm.

As their only daughter, Alice grew up surrounded by love.

Her parents never allowed her to do heavy labor.

They never asked her to hunt monsters, even though children her age were already expected to help defend their villages.

Every so often, distinguished members of the Church of Assis would even travel all the way to their tiny village just to visit Alice.

The other children couldn’t understand why.

“Why does Alice get treated so differently?”

“She’s just another poor village girl.”

Gradually…

The children stopped playing with her.

Whenever Alice asked to join them, they always found another excuse to refuse.

“Hmph!”

“I don’t care anyway!”

She always said those words proudly.

But deep inside…

She desperately wanted friends.

She couldn’t understand why everyone treated her differently.

Whenever she asked her parents, they would simply smile, gently pat her head, and say,

“Because one day…”

“…you’ll have an important mission to fulfill.”

“What mission?”

Young Alice never understood.

The answer finally came…

On the day she came of age.

That year, Eld finally revealed the truth.

From the moment Alice was born…

The Church had declared that she carried the bloodline of a Hero.

One day…

She would inherit that title.

Normally, this wouldn’t have been particularly unusual.

Heroes appeared throughout history.

But Alice was different.

She had been born in an insignificant village to two ordinary parents.

For hundreds of years…

No Hero had ever been born there.

Her birth astonished everyone.

Even the Church itself sent priests to personally oversee her upbringing.

They vowed to protect her until the day she awakened as a Hero.

Looking at his daughter, Eld spoke softly.

“Alice.”

“You are special.”

“We’ve always hoped you would grow up safely.”

Alice lowered her head.

She didn’t look happy.

“…If I become a Hero…”

“…does that mean I’ll have to leave you and Mom?”

Her voice trembled.

“If that’s true…”

“…I’d rather never become a Hero.”

“I just want us to stay together forever.”

Eld smiled sadly.

He gently stroked her hair.

“One day…”

“You’ll understand.”

Alice believed life would continue peacefully.

She was wrong.

That day…

Without warning…

The Demon Army descended upon the village.

Flames devoured everything.

The quiet farming community became an inferno.

Still half-asleep, Alice suddenly felt someone carrying her.

When she opened her eyes…

She found herself in her father’s arms.

“Dad?”

“Where are we going?”

Eld didn’t answer.

He simply ran.

As fast as he possibly could.

Only when Alice looked back did she finally understand.

The village…

Was burning.

“Mom…”

“Where’s Mom?”

“Why isn’t she with us?”

Tears filled her eyes.

Even though she already knew the answer…

She still couldn’t stop herself from asking.

Father and daughter ran all the way to the edge of the village.

Completely exhausted, Eld hid Alice inside a small straw shed beside an old latrine.

It wasn’t a random choice.

Long ago…

A priest from the Church had secretly instructed him.

“If disaster ever comes…”

“Hide Alice here.”

Although he couldn’t understand why…

Eld obeyed.

Outside…

The demons roared through the village.

Yet strangely…

None of them searched the little shed.

Only then did Eld finally allow himself to breathe.

He collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

Looking at Alice’s frightened expression, he forced a smile.

“…Do you remember?”

“You used to play here all the time.”

Alice blinked.

Then…

She remembered.

Back then, because none of the village children would play with her…

She often came here alone.

Using straw scattered across the floor, she’d make tiny dolls and pretend they were her friends.

Wiping away her tears…

She picked up a handful of straw.

After carefully weaving it together…

She handed her father a tiny scarecrow.

Seeing his daughter’s smile return…

Even for a brief moment…

Eld smiled as well.

Not long afterward…

The reinforcements from the Church of Assis finally arrived.

The sounds of battle echoed outside.

Alice’s eyes lit up.

“Dad!”

“We’re saved!”

“Let’s go together!”

But…

Eld remained where he was.

He gently shook his head.

“Go.”

“…Alice.”

“Don’t wait for me.”

She stared at him in disbelief.

“…Dad?”

“What are you saying?”

Eld knelt before her.

He gently kissed her forehead.

This time…

His voice was firmer than ever before.

“Listen carefully.”

“You must survive.”

Alice desperately grabbed his sleeve.

“But…”

“What about you?”

“And Mom?”

Eld smiled softly.

“I’m going back.”

“I’m going to find your mother.”

“One day…”

“We’ll rebuild this village together.”

“So…”

“You have to keep living.”

“Promise me.”

Alice wanted to refuse.

She wanted to hold onto him forever.

But before she realized it…

Her father’s hand slipped from hers.

The image of his back gradually disappeared through her tears.

Behind him…

The village she had always called home…

Had already become a sea of flames.