Kanata Yanagino – illustratör

A man dies alone after living a stagnant and fruitless life—but that''s not where his story ends, as a boy named William is born into a land of fantasy and magic.Raised in a city of the dead by his new family—a mummy, a skeleton, and a ghost—he can remember glimpses of his past life, enough to know his time on Earth was wasted, and he vows not to let that happen again.

In a city of the dead, long since ruined and far from human civilization, lives a single human child. His name is Will, and he''s being raised by three undead: the hearty skeletal warrior, Blood; the graceful mummified priestess, Mary; and the crotchety spectral sorcerer, Gus. The three pour love into the boy, and teach him all they know. But one day, Will starts to wonder: "Who am I?"Will must unravel the mysteries of this faraway dead man''s land, and unearth the secret pasts of the undead. He must learn the love and mercy of the good gods, and the bigotry and madness of the bad. And when he knows it all, the boy will take his first step on the path to becoming a Paladin."I promised you. It''s gonna take a while, but I''ll tell you everything. This is the story of the deaths of many heroes. It''s the story of how we died, and it''s the reason you grew up here."

It’s been some time since Will became the Faraway Paladin. Will and Menel have defeated the demons and chimera who wrought havoc on the lives of the villagers of Beast Woods, and smiles are finally starting to return to everyone’s faces again.But order has not completely been restored to this faraway land; strange things are happening, starting with plants blooming out of season and dying at random. At Duke Ethel’s request, Will and Menel are off to investigate, not knowing that their journey will lead them to an ominous prophecy and the Rust Mountains, the capital of the dwarves.

The direct continuation of the adventure that started in Volume 3: Primus!

After returning from the battle at the Rust Mountains, what awaited Will was not a fairytale ending or another terrifying threat, but the commonplace events of his everyday life.His friendship and a fierce battle with his dependable ally, the swordsman Reystov. An adventure in a snow-filled forest with the troubadour Bee. A battle with an ancient indomitable giant. And prayers and conversation with the god of the flame.Penned by the Paladin, these are the stories of a single winter.

Now on the cusp of adulthood, Will has his first true battle against the man who raised him and taught him how to fight: the skeletal warrior Blood. Afterwards, Will learns the truth his undead family has been keeping from him, and finds that he must summon the courage to exorcise the ghost of his own past before an echo of theirs takes everything he holds dear...

On the verge of death during his battle with the evil god Stagnate, Will must decide what he wants for himself and his future. Filled with a new determination and with his new patron god watching over him, Will springs back to finish what was started centuries ago.

Will is met by the grim reality of life on the edge of civilization. Beasts roam the woods, villages are under attack by demons, and the half-elf Meneldor is not the friend Will hoped he would be. There is light to be found even in this dark place, but Will must carry the torch.

As thanks for killing the wyvern that attacked the city of Whitesails, Will is granted an audience with the Duke of Southmark. This is the perfect opportunity for Will to gain the authority he needs to save the people of Beast Woods from poverty and the scourge of demons. But that will be far from easy...

Under the flame''s protection, thou shalt challenge the dragon...and thou shalt die defeated.""

After an unexpected encounter with an old adversary of two years past, Will is faced with a decision, and the lives of many hang in the balance: should he bide his time, or act swiftly to save everyone and risk total defeat? Confronted with his own mortality, Will realizes that when it comes to knowing the true nature of courage, Al may be wiser than the paladin himself...

Under cover of darkness, Will’s party of five set out on a quest to infiltrate the Rust Mountains and slay the calamitous elder dragon Valacirca, bringer of war and transgressor upon the dwarves’ former home.

Their course takes the Faraway Paladin through the ruined city where he was raised. As his party learns of his surprising connection to great heroes of old, Will hopes to reunite with his grandfather, share his successes, and receive advice on how to deal with the terrifying threat.

Knowing the odds are against them yet emboldened by each other''s bravery, Will, Menel, Reystov, and the dwarves Vindalfr and Ghelreis gear up for the task ahead, tell tales of the heroes who preceded them, and embark on a perilous journey through uncharted land...

As Will and his companions continue their journey to the Rust Mountains, they encounter murky waters. While some of the area’s inhabitants are less than pleased to see them, others are spirits in need of repose - something the Faraway Paladin is more than able to provide.

No sooner has Will sent these souls back to the eternal cycle than Menel dashes off and finds an elf crying for help. Dinelind, barely hanging on to life, has been bitten by a hydra, and before Will can even think about healing their new friend, they''ll have to bring the venomous monster down first.

The grateful elf guides them to Lothdor, the Land of Flowers, an elf village that was once neighbors to the dwarves. The people there are suffering, but the pride of an elf is difficult to manage. Is either side prepared to accept the other''s help?

The time has come to avenge the people of the Iron Country!Will and his allies have reached the Rust Mountains at last. Together they make their way to the Rock Hall, meeting those who stayed behind to defend their home while the rest of the dwarves fled to safety. It’s time for Al to step up as the descendant of Aurvangr, king of the dwarves, to see their souls off into the beyond.

When our party reaches the throne room, they’re confronted with a Scarabeus, who’s claimed the dwarf crown for itself. A fierce battle begins between those who have conquered the Rust Mountains and those who have come to reclaim it.

Behold Valacirca, the eldest and mightiest dragon!

Will and his companions finally confront the formidable predator lurking at the heart of the Rust Mountains. The party think themselves ready, yet Valacirca''s attack is unexpected, striking at their resolve.

Faced with the choice between peace and death, Will must see through temptation to the sinister schemes lurking beneath. Only then can the true battle begin.

To battle.

Will is locked in relentless single combat with the foul-dragon Valacirca and finding that he cannot succeed alone. Even the protection of his goddess is quickly shattered.

The tide takes a curious turn as a second deity enters the fray. As Will’s longtime adversary, Stagnate has no intention of granting him blessings; yet the god of undeath has great influence on this bloody battleground, where the foul-dragon decimated the dwarves of the Iron Mountains...

In this time of darkness, our heroes must stoke the fire of courage. One brilliant strike could herald a new dawn!

In einer zerstörten und verlassenen Stadt wird ein Junge namens Will von drei Untoten aufgezogen: dem Skelettritter Blood, der Mumienpriesterin Mary und dem Geisterzauberer Gus. Viele Jahre sind sie eine kleine Familie, bringen Will ihr Wissen bei, bilden ihn aus und sorgen füreinander.Doch eines Tages beginnt Will sich zu fragen, wer er eigentlich ist. Um dies herauszufinden, muss er zunächst die Geheimnisse dieses Landes entschlüsseln und sowohl die Liebe und Güte der guten als auch die Boshaftigkeit und Niedertracht der bösen Götter kennenlernen. Dann kann der Junge seine ersten Schritte auf dem Weg zum Paladin machen.

Will ist nun alt genug, um den Ort, der ihm die letzten Jahre als Heimat diente, zu verlassen und in die weite Welt hinauszugehen. Dabei trotzt er Wind und Wetter und behauptet sich gegen wilde Tiere und Dämonen, die seinen Weg kreuzen.

Doch dann steht er plötzlich einem mysteriösen Halbelfen mit silberfarbenen Haaren und jadegrünen Augen gegenüber. Sein Name ist Meneldor und gemeinsam erlegen sie ein Wildschwein. Als sich ihre Wege trennen, ist Will schon fast ein bisschen wehmütig, denn er hat die Gesellschaft des Halbelfen genossen. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt weiß er noch nicht, dass sich die beiden schon bald wiedersehen werden. Doch dieses Treffen wird alles andere als positiv sein …

Will und Menel sind mittlerweile ein eingespieltes Team. In der Vergangenheit kämpften sie Seite an Seite, um im Land wieder für Recht und Ordnung zu sorgen. Doch nun müssen sie feststellen, dass diese Ordnung noch nicht ganz wiederhergestellt ist, denn neuerdings geschehen seltsame Dinge: Pflanzen, die außerhalb der Saison blühen und dann wieder verdorren, Früchte, die viel zu schnell reifen und dann auch schon faul von den Ästen fallen. Schnell wird klar: Das Gleichgewicht der Natur ist gestört. Doch bei der Lösung dieses Problems stoßen die beiden auf eine Prophezeiung, die nichts Gutes verheißt.

Als sie anfangen, dieser unheilvollen Prophezeiung nachzugehen, ahnen Will und Menel noch nicht, dass sie sie in das Rostgebirge, der Hauptstadt der Zwerge und nun ein Dämonennest, führen wird …

Will und seine neuen Verbündeten machen sich auf den Weg ins Rostgebirge, um sich dem Drachen Valacirca entgegenzustellen. Zuvor jedoch statten sie Gus noch einen Besuch ab, der sie freudig empfängt und auch prompt mit Waffen ausstattet.

Ihre überschwängliche Freude wird allerdings sogleich von einer Warnung gedämpft: Gus ist überzeugt davon, dass Will dem Drachen noch nicht gewachsen ist und aus diesem Kampf nicht lebendig zurückkehren wird ...