Chapter 3: Princess Aiya
Born of royal blood… yet treated like she never existed.
That was Aiya's story.
When the king's first wife fell pregnant, the entire empire celebrated. Bells rang across cities, nobles gathered, and prayers filled the temples. At last — a successor would be born.
But when the child arrived…
It was a girl.
The king, disappointed, named her Aiya — a name meaning sorrow.
Loved only by her mother, Aiya grew up quietly watching her father from afar. She longed for his attention, even just once. She trained harder than anyone, studied tirelessly, and always ranked at the top of her classes.
She believed… if she became exceptional, her father would finally notice her.
But time passed.
"It's another girl."
Rin was born.
The king took a second wife.
Years later—
"It's another girl."
Enora was born.
But her mother did not survive childbirth.
Aiya slowly became obsessed with proving she could do everything a son could do — and more.
She became a loving older sister to Rin. And although Enora was her half-sister, she still cared deeply for her. She protected them, guided them, and silently carried the weight of being the eldest.
At a very young age, Aiya graduated from Gracknobel High Academy, the most prestigious military school in the empire.
At sixteen… she became a General.
The youngest in the empire's history.
But even that… wasn't enough.
All she wanted was for her father to look at her differently.
What she never knew…
He already did.
The king was proud of her — incredibly proud. But he didn't know how to express it. His cold demeanor, meant to strengthen her, only widened the gap between them.
At seventeen, Aiya left a letter.
In it, she wrote everything.
Her loneliness.
Her longing.
Her desire to be loved as a daughter.
Her pain at never receiving praise.
Despite being a general… she still felt invisible.
And at the end, she wrote:
"If I become something even greater… maybe then Father will acknowledge me."
She vowed to become the first Demi-God.
And so…
She departed alone.
Her destination — Kumandell.
The Land of No Return.
When the letter was found, the palace fell into chaos.
The king read it in silence.
Then tears fell.
For the first time in years.
He realized… his daughter believed she was unloved.
He swore to bring her back.
Search parties were formed. Knights were deployed. Generals entered Kumandell's outer regions.
Days turned to months.
Months turned to years.
Two years passed.
They searched the lower regions of Kumandell but found no trace of her.
Eventually… they concluded the worst.
No one survived Kumandell.
The king mourned silently.
And from that day forward… he vowed to show love openly to Rin and Enora.
But Aiya… was still alive.
Her determination pushed her deeper.
Four years passed.
Her swordsmanship sharpened beyond perfection. Her body adapted to constant battle. Her presence alone scared monsters away.
Finally… she reached it.
The Land of the Fallen Grail Knights.
Threat Level: SSSS
Even demons feared this region.
Weeks passed as she trained alone, preparing to break beyond her limits.
Then—
A scream echoed through the forest.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"
Aiya's eyes opened.
"...A human?"
"What is a human doing here?"
She vanished.
Moments later…
She arrived.
And that's when…
Her path crossed with Kros.