Her name was Shizu, or Izawa Shizue.
In her youth, she had been praised as a hero among adventurers, known to many as the “Ruler of Scorching Flame.” Now, however, she had retired from the front lines and taken on the role of a mentor, dedicating her time to nurturing the next generation of novice adventurers.
Her teaching methods were so severe that not only the children, but even the adults, would click their tongues in disbelief. This harshness was partly a lingering influence from the black knight who had taught her swordsmanship during her time as a majin under Demon Lord Leon. However, it also stemmed from Shizu's own conviction; she wanted her students to be strong enough to survive in a world governed by the law of the jungle. Because of this uncompromising nature, her students and fellow teachers alike dubbed her “the Devil Warden,” Izawa Shizue.
Outside of her teaching hours, Shizu spent her days wearing an anti-magic mask to keep the Ifrit possessing her under control. But as the years passed, her strength began to wane, and suppressing Ifrit became an increasingly grueling struggle. When she heard from a colleague that there was an exceptional healer in Ingrasia, Shizue decided to grasp at any shred of hope. She took a day off and visited the clinic where this mysterious healer practiced.
“Welcome.”
As she opened the door bearing the clinic's emblem, she was greeted by a maid named Amrita. The maid's appearance and movements were impeccably poised and beautiful, yet her expression remained so vacant and devoid of emotion that she seemed more like a doll than a human. After Shizue explained that she had come for a consultation, Amrita asked her to wait a moment and vanished from sight.
Shizue waited patiently on the sofa as instructed. Five minutes later, guided by the maid, she entered the room where the rumored healer awaited.
“Welcome, Ruler of Scorching Flame, Ms. Izawa Shizue.”
The man spoke in a calm voice, accompanied by a gentle smile. Despite his demeanor, Shizue felt an inexplicable sense of dissonance emanating from him. Regaining her composure, she sat down and prepared to explain her predicament, only to realize that he already knew everything about her condition.
“Hmm... There is a way, but it isn't exactly a pleasant one. Are you truly certain you're alright with that?”
He claimed to know a method to control Ifrit, though he warned her that the process might be unsettling. Still, it was far better than the prospect of losing another precious person by her own hand, so she accepted his proposal.
“Then, please, fall asleep for a moment.”
As he cast a sleep spell upon her, Shizue's consciousness sank into a deep, heavy darkness.
The dream that unfolded was a fragmented vision of her past. The sky was charred black, and everything—the people, the houses—was being consumed by fire. The scene shifted to the domain of Demon Lord Leon. Before her stood a girl, her body engulfed in flames so intense that her form was unrecognizable, with a fox perched upon her shoulder.
The girl reached out with a blackened, burning hand as if cursing her. Overwhelmed by guilt, Shizue clutched her head and screamed.
No! That... that wasn't what I wanted!
Shizue wailed like a frightened child. Suddenly, a wall of fire surged up to envelop her, the flames gradually twisting into the shapes of Demon Lord Leon Cromwell and Ifrit.
Just as she was screaming internally for the nightmare to end, a knight clad in brilliant blue armor appeared before her, wielding a lance. With a single swing of the weapon, a massive wave crashed forward, swallowing everything in its path. The nightmares and the brands of her past were swept away as effortlessly as water flushing down a drain.
Whoosh...
Turning her head, Shizue saw the blue knight extending a hand toward her. The image overlapped with the hero who had saved her long ago. She reached out, took the knight's hand, and awoke from the dream.
“Are you all right? You were drenched in a cold sweat... it looked like you were having a nightmare.”
“I apologize for worrying you. I am fine now.”
As Shizue sat up, she immediately noticed a change within herself. The turbulent presence of Ifrit had grown faint, and in its place, she felt the strong resonance of a new, unfamiliar spirit. It felt as though this new entity was actively suppressing Ifrit. When she questioned him, the healer replied, “I couldn't separate Ifrit from you entirely, so instead, I've made it much easier to control. You likely won't have to worry about going berserk anymore.”
Realizing that the blue knight in her dream had been a manifestation of this man's power, Shizue thanked him sincerely and left the room.
With the fear of losing control gone, she no longer needed the mask. She began to smile more often, feeling as though she had been born anew, and she occasionally sought his counsel whenever she faced a hardship.
However, she eventually learned from Yuuki that there were children on the verge of death due to unstable summonings. Shizue searched desperately for a solution, but she could find no way to remove the magicules deeply entwined with their physical bodies.
Remembering the healer who had saved her, she visited him once more and pleaded with him to save the children just as he had saved her. In response, he said:
“I told you before, didn't I? That I had lost someone precious.”
During one of their previous meetings, alcohol had flowed freely, and in her drunken state, Shizue had confessed a past she had never shared with anyone.
“That was simply an unfortunate accident. There is no denying it left a deep scar on your heart. But claiming that it would be better to just die... that's nothing more than running away because you don't want to think about it anymore. In the first place, the catalyst was you bringing that girl, Pirino, into the castle. If you truly feel sorry, then shouldn't you live even harder to make up for her lost share of life?”
“.....”
Shizue was speechless. It was true that she had been the indirect cause of Pirino's death. If she had been more stubborn in her refusal back then, Pirino would not have died, and she would never have had to lose a friend.
“After causing all that trouble, do you intend to just make a quiet exit? Are you going to be that selfish again? Everyone has a past they wish they could change. But we can't go back and start over, can we? That is why we live vigorously in the present. Even with a sad past, if you keep moving forward, happy days will eventually come. If you truly care for your friend, shouldn't you remember her and live your life to the fullest for both of you?”
He sounded smug, as if he had all the answers in the world, but for some reason, the knot of guilt in her heart finally began to loosen.
“You certainly are full of yourself.”
“I am. And I'm also a meddler. When I see someone in need, I can't help but step in.”
After that, he easily saved the children, and Shizue began spending a great deal of time with him. They did nothing more than talk or walk together—simple, ordinary things—but in those moments, she felt truly happy.
Then, a letter arrived for her. It was from Mr. Heinz.
Mr. Heinz had been the guild master during her days as an adventurer and had helped her many times. Like her, he had since retired, passing the mantle of guild master to his son, Hughes.
The letter explained that Hughes was struggling to manage the surge in monster activity following Veldora's disappearance. He asked if Shizue could step in and help his son just this once.
Shizue decided to help without a moment's hesitation.
Blue Moon was a small nation and lacked a high concentration of elite adventurers. Hughes himself was only around A- rank, and the strongest adventurers there were barely B+, making an investigation of the Great Forest of Jura a perilous task. Beyond her gratitude toward Mr. Heinz and her acquaintance with Hughes, Shizue had her own personal reasons for going.
And so, taking a short leave of absence, she set out for the Kingdom of Blue Moon for the first time in years.
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