Chapter 79: Beyond the Edge
"W-What do you mean...? My father couldn’t have killed my mother..."
My head was spinning. Blood boiled in my veins from anger and confusion.
"Lee Yeonho was, in truth, a patriot of his nation. Long ago, when hunters first emerged, a rogue Duke came to the human world. His daughter—his blood heir—appeared before the mightiest among them, offering herself as a weapon to defend humanity from demons. Arinel, the strongest being born from a Duke’s selfish intent to defy his own kin."
Arinel... My beloved mother. Could you and father really have hidden such a truth from me... but why? Why did our family meet such a fate?
"Arinel was a remarkable person, loved by every hunter. When she revealed herself to the world, she was accepted. That only deepened her desire to protect the land. No ordinary person knew of her existence. And the only one who could color her world with hope... was the strongest man in history."
"Lee... Yeonho."
Mujin gave a silent nod, allowing me to process his words.
"What happened next?"
"She fell for your father’s unwavering resolve. Together, they were the most formidable weapon humanity ever had. Demons didn’t dare approach the Orange Zone, let alone the Green. But once they married, and you were born, Arinel stopped fighting. She became a loving mother."
His voice grew calmer, and his tone triggered old memories in me.
Memories from when I was an infant. I always loved when my mother held me. I would never let go of her finger, afraid that the light of such a radiant person would one day fade—and with it, my mother.