Before the Wishing Blade was forged, a young weapon mage embarks on a journey to protect those he loves…

He serves the goddess of the dead.

Though Nihestan longs to see his family, his duty to his goddess leads him to the far reaches of the kingdom. But once he arrives, she refuses to answer his summons.

Not without an offering—

An offering he can’t afford.

In need of money, he freelances as a bodyguard for a family heading deep into the northern mountains. Given how happy they are together, he wonders if he should have stayed home.

If he should be protecting those closest to his heart.

But his goddess may yet have her own plans for him…

And the families he can save.