Kailolo had never felt so happy. Just today, she had received this month's wages!
It wasn't much—only ten copper coins—but they were all earned through her hard work selling newspapers every day.
Feeling the heavy weight of the copper coins she had saved up over this period tucked into the lining of her clothes, Kailolo felt a profound sense of security and peace of mind.
After all, in the past, she had never dared to dream that one day she would possess so many copper coins!
To achieve so-called “financial freedom!”
After all, just a year ago, Kailolo was nothing more than a vagrant wandering the streets of Laila, a small town in the Eastern Kingdoms.
When she was born, her mother had passed away because of her.
Unable to cope with the shock of his wife's passing, her father chose to drown his sorrows in alcohol all day long, blaming the death of his wife entirely on the young and innocent Kailolo.
He had beaten and verbally abused her since she was a child.
When Kailolo was six, he even kicked her out of the house.
Forcing her to beg.
Every day, she had to hand over the money she begged for to her father so he could buy alcohol.
This situation continued until that winter, when her father, heavily intoxicated, was struck by an “out-of-control” carriage.
By the time Kailolo found him the next day,
his body was already completely frozen stiff.
Just like that, Kailolo lost her only relative.
Not long after, the only “home” she had left that could provide her with some warmth was seized by relatives who appeared out of nowhere.
Left without a home, Kailolo could only live on the streets.
But she was far too weak.
Most of the time, the food she had just begged for would be targeted by stray dogs.
Fortunately, a lame tramp took pity on her. He not only chased away the wild dogs but also kindly took her in.
The tramp was very old. He told Kailolo to call him Old Hunter, but Kailolo preferred to call him Grandpa Hunter.
According to Old Hunter, he had been a powerful adventurer in his youth.
Unfortunately, he was severely injured during an adventure. Not only was he unable to continue as an adventurer, but he had also lost all his belongings in that accident.
Over time, he degenerated into a destitute tramp on the streets.
This deeply piqued Kailolo's curiosity.
Every night, after begging for enough food, she would share some with Old Hunter, who found it difficult to go out and beg. Then, she would huddle inside his tattered, barely warm coat, eating her food while listening to Grandpa Hunter recount the wondrous and interesting stories of his adventuring days.
That period of time was the happiest in Kailolo's life.
Although she never ate her fill and often went hungry,
just thinking about how she would get to hear Grandpa Hunter's adventure stories at night gave her endless energy.
This happy time lasted until the night of Kailolo's eighth birthday.
On that day, she was lucky enough to beg for a few copper coins. She used them to buy a small piece of white bread and a half-burnt candle.
She planned to have a happy birthday with her beloved Grandpa Hunter.
When Kailolo clutched the bread and candle and ran back to the place where Grandpa Hunter usually stayed,
she saw that Grandpa Hunter seemed to have fallen asleep.
Normally, Kailolo would never disturb Grandpa Hunter's sleep.
But that day was different. Kailolo wanted Grandpa Hunter to wake up and share the white bread—a “delicacy” that the two of them might not even get to eat once a year!
So Kailolo gently nudged Old Hunter.
Yet, no matter what, she could not wake him.
Until a terrible premonition slowly rose in Kailolo's heart.
Trembling, she reached out her finger to check Grandpa Hunter's breath.
Only to find...
Grandpa Hunter had already stopped breathing...
That night was the Midwinter Festival.
It was the coldest, yet most bustling night of the year.
Every household huddled in their warm homes, eating delicious food and singing joyful songs.
That night, the snow fell heavily... very heavily...
Kailolo also cried for a long... long time...
Her tears fell onto Grandpa Hunter's face, freezing into sparkling “pearls.”
In the days that followed, Kailolo was alone once more.
She could only wander by herself.
After all,
not every tramp was a good person like Grandpa Hunter.
They couldn't even feed themselves, so why would they take in a useless little girl?
Until yet another Midwinter Festival arrived.
On that night, amidst the howling wind and snow, Kailolo slept on the streets.
The “home” Grandpa Hunter had left her had long since been stolen by other tramps.
That night, the snow was thick.
Thicker than the night Grandpa Hunter passed away.
That night, the wind was fierce.
Fiercer than the night Grandpa Hunter passed away.
That night was probably the coldest night in years.
So cold that no one was willing to step outside.
They all huddled in their warm homes, sitting by their fireplaces, eating hot meals.
Meanwhile, Kailolo could only stand in the wind and snow,
watching those warm scenes unfold through windows adorned with various decorations...
She thought...
If her father and mother were still alive.
If Grandpa Hunter were still alive.
The four of them, as a family, would probably also be sitting in a warm room like this, warming themselves by the fire and eating a hot meal.
She thought...
Had she been a demon who harmed countless people in her past life?
Otherwise, why was her life so incredibly difficult?
Everyone she loved, and everyone who loved her, left her one by one.
She thought...
If she really was guilty...
Death.
Could it...
atone for it?
...
That night, the wind and snow were immense...
Huddled in a corner, Kailolo imagined a beautiful world.
Slowly, she drifted off to sleep.
Under normal circumstances, she would have frozen to death that night.
The next day, early-rising city guards would have found the poor girl.
Then, like the other tramps who froze to death in previous years, she would have been thrown outside the city walls.
Becoming a long-awaited “gift from heaven” for those creatures unable to find food in the cold winter.
However,
when Kailolo woke up again,
what she saw was a warm bonfire and a crowded hall.
One after another, tramps in tattered clothes gathered around the bonfire, eating freshly baked, steaming black bread and drinking hot broth, murmuring strange words.
It was as if they were praying to someone,
or thanking a certain entity.
Kailolo was very dazed at the time.
She thought she had already died,
and had arrived in Baator.
She even wondered why Baator didn't seem as terrifying as the legends made it out to be.
Then, she was startled by a “strange man” clad in black armor who suddenly appeared before her eyes.
He was truly a bizarre individual.
From the gaps in his armor, a terrifyingly cold aura emanated constantly.
His face was completely concealed by a helmet,
with not even his eyes showing.
On his back, he carried an oddly shaped sword that also radiated a bone-chilling cold.
Kailolo was absolutely terrified at that moment.
Yet, the tramps who were already drinking hot soup and warming themselves by the fire didn't seem to fear this strange figure at all.
On the contrary, their faces were filled with reverence and gratitude.
And then,
Kailolo heard this peculiar figure speak his first words to her: “Poor child, do not fear. I shall bring you salvation!”
His voice was raspy and harsh, like fingernails scraping against old, dry bark.
Yet, Kailolo felt an inexplicable sense of closeness.
The last person who had made her feel this way was...
Grandpa Hunter!
And so, Kailolo was no longer afraid.
She accepted the food and the warmth of the bonfire he provided.
As they spent time together, she also learned the name of this “strange man”—Arthas.
But this guy preferred to call himself...
the Lich King!
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