The north isn't necessarily cool, and neither is the south – even if it normally should.

The far east of the empire was a wasteland of vegetation. In the far east of the alliance are snow-capped mountains covered with ice and snow all year round, making countless creatures retreat.

Its name is Shirakami Mountain. Legend has it that there are gods living in the mountains, who are born with nature and live with heaven and earth. It has witnessed the prosperity of the demon race, the rise of humanity, and the establishment of empires and alliances. No matter how things change, it always watches everything from the sidelines, neither giving advice nor interfering.

- Of course, that's just in the story.

As the "king" of the demon clan, Anya inherited a name and the "power" given to her by the alliance tradition, but also contained some vague memories that she herself could not distinguish between authenticity and falsehood. Some of them came from the original founders of the Alliance, and some came from every past "Demon King".

In the years that had preceded, they had neither interfered with her normal life nor had little value for verification. Anya had thought that the status quo of the alliance and empire would last for many years, enough for her to live peacefully through this life, and then, according to the legend of the Far East, she would return to natural reincarnation, cleanse all memories of the past, and be reborn in a new identity.

Yuffie had explained to her that the so-called "reincarnation" might not be just a false imagination.

In the El Continent, the souls of intelligent beings are most likely guided to the corresponding outer planes according to their beliefs or actions after their bodies decay. However, the magic of this continent is extremely active, and there are no "gods" living outside the main plane, and souls who have lost their support are likely to merge into the natural magic cycle and exist as the "raw materials" of new souls.

And the fact that she was chosen to become the "king" is also likely that she inherited part of the souls of the previous "demon kings". In this way, she retains the fragments of those memories, which makes sense in a sense.

Anya exhaled softly, putting aside the memories of the past. Ever since she was separated from Yuffie and Lynn, she had always been reminded of this—she knew that she was far from mature enough, but that there were things that had to be done by her.

That's what a "memory" told her.

There are living beings on Mt. Shirakami. It's hard to say if it's a "god" or a powerful and unusual youkai. No one knows how long she survived there, or what she usually does. In my memory, the original founder of the alliance once climbed to the top of the snow-capped mountain alone, met this legendary creature, and with the help of the "gods", integrated the originally scattered and endlessly fighting demon clan.

The memory does not contain specific details, and Anya has no way of knowing what kind of means the other party used to obtain the approval of the "gods". The only thing that is clearer is the words left by the "god" when the two are separated-

"If one day, your juniors need help, let them come to me with the same determination as you."

But what exactly does "the same determination" refer to? Are they experiencing the same difficulties and risks, or do they have similar aspirations or goals? The memories had told her the words of the "god", but they did not have the feelings of the Alliance's founders who had experienced all of this.

With her alone, even if she counts the stars, she still wants to compete with the elders of the alliance, she is still too self-conscious. Ms. Luo Zhen and Renee don't plan to meddle in this matter, and another mysterious person she knows, Mr. "Ahsan" of Lily of the Valley Village, probably won't leave the village either. The girl can only put all her hopes on the memories that have been passed down hundreds of years ago, and the kindness of the "god".

The wind and snow in front of her became more and more violent, and Anya tightened her cloak, stopped, and looked at the puppet girl floating effortlessly beside her.

"That's it." She exclaimed, struggling to beat the howling cold wind, "That senior climbed to the top of the mountain alone, and maybe I have to do this to prove it...... I have the same heart as him. ”

Man Tianxing shook his head slightly, not reproaching the girl, nor expressing concern, "I know." Do you need me to wait for you to come back? ”

Anya tilted her head in thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"No need, Sister Manxing." She raised a relaxed smile to hide the uneasiness in her heart, "I believe in that 'god', so please trust me." ”

"Okay." The puppet girl lifted her skirt and bowed her knees in mid-air to say goodbye, "Then I'll go back to the Alliance first and check what is going on there." There's a reason why Mother and Sister Renee don't want to get involved, but as a "friend", I have an obligation to continue to help you. ”

"So." She finally said, "I'm waiting for you to come back safely." ”

Anya replied softly, raised her head, and no longer looked back at the scenery and the puppet girl behind her. She walked along the path buried in the snow, braving the wind and snow in her face, and walked forward with determination and determination.

The sharp cold wind seemed to cut through her skin, and the flying snow flakes covered everything a few feet away, and despite the thick clothing, the cold froze her hands and feet through her gloves and boots. However, the girl's heart remained warm, as if a voice was always with her, guiding her where to go.

That may be the memory of the original "Demon King". However, Anya prefers to believe that it contains the thoughts left by Mantianxing, Yufe, Lynn, Leia, and many people who have cared for and helped her.

Because that's where her current beliefs come from.

The wind and snow continued, but at some point, the girl no longer felt cold and tired. She walked half-mechanically, not knowing how far she had come, and not caring how long she would have to go. As for whether she can return safely, she has been left behind by the girl.

At this moment, a cold and soft voice without any emotion came into her ears.

"Stand down, winter."

The voice is soft, but it seems to be everywhere. The roaring storm lost its momentum in an instant, returning to harmless snowflakes that slowly fell on top of the girl's head. The girl narrowed her eyes and looked around vigorously, but she couldn't find anything that looked like a human figure.

"Lord of the White God Mountain, is that you?" She struggled to move her stiff lips to make the words clearer, "I...... Need your help. ”

"I am a monster, a messenger of nature, the embodiment of snow, an eternal winter, but not a god." Answering the girl's question in a flat voice, "If you want to seek the help of the gods, I'm afraid you're in the wrong place." ”