Synopsis: After escaping their pursuers, a princess and her knight stumbled upon a wooden cabin within a forest that is known to be extremely dangerous. There they met a peculiar man, who nonchalantly offered them shelter. (AN: Name suggestions for this story is appreciated) Table of Content Chapter 1: Cabin Chapter 2: Identity Chapter 3: Fear Chapter 4: Breakfast Chapter 5: Trip Chapter 6: Sights Spoiler: Prologue: Pursuers Prologue During a hot summer evening, the numerous sounds of metal boots and armor clattering could be heard inside the dark eerie forest. Even though the forest was pitch black, the men that had entered the forest were intensely scouring the surroundings, trying to find something or someone with their torches. A man that wore different armor from the rest, stood supervising the other as he held a blue transparent crystal to his mouth. “Squad 3 to 5! Give me a status report!”, the man shouted. As if responding to his voice, the crystal glowed and a voice could be heard coming from it. "This the leader of Squad 3. There are no signs of the target passing through the western area. We will continue searching" "Squad 4. There are beast corpses in our location but it seems like it is due to conflict with other beasts. We will continue searching on our side" "Squad 5 has just reached the location. We were attacked by some beasts on the way but other than that, there is nothing to report. We will update you if we found anything" “Tsk! Immediately contact me if any of you found anything. We cannot let the targets escape” {{{Sir!}}} Hearing the three voices, the man clicked his tongue in frustration. He then gave the men orders before cutting off the connection and storing the blue crystal into a pouch that hang on his waist. The man grew frustrated as time goes by, his fears of being severely punished by his superior tormented him greatly. “(We are slowly running out of time. If we cannot find them within the next hour…)” “Captain!” Just when he was about to order the men to change locations, a subordinates of his quickly called out to him. The man then quickly ran towards the person that called out to him. When he arrived, the subordinate handed him a torn piece of cloth. The cloth looked like it was made from high quality silk, something a commoner would not be able to obtain and something that shouldn't be found in that forest. “From what direction?”, he quickly asked. “North-east. We can quickly capture them if we call the other squads” “There’s no time. Immediately contact Squad 1 and 2. Tell them to guard the North-east entrance. Do not let anything pass through. We will be pursuing from this side” “Yes, sir!” The subordinate salutes and then runs off somewhere. “...” The man gazed deep within the eerie forest, a flame lit in his eyes and a wicked smile spread across his face. The man’s wicked thoughts ran wild as he imagine the things he will do once he secures his targets. “You will not escape us…princess”
Spoiler: Chapter 1: Cabin Chapter 1: The Forest of Silence “This way, princess! Quickly!” “W-Wait! Italica, slow down!” Some distance away from their pursuers, two girls were running away with all their might. The girl being called princess wore a beautiful dress but it was badly torn and dirtied, her silvery hair was disheveled from her running and her breathing was starting to get rough. Her youthful face was wet from both sweat and tears, blood that has dried up could be seen on the cut on her cheek. The one forcing her to run was a red haired woman, wearing a similarly crimson red armor. Blood could be seen on her face but it was neither hers nor the princess’s. Her rough breathing showed just how tired she was but she could not stop. As if forcefully pulling her towards a random direction, the red haired woman, Italica, tried to be vigilant of her surroundings while also trying not to trip herself or the princess. The signs of fatigue were clearly showing on their faces but she refused to lower their current pace. “!!” Suddenly seeing light at the other side of the forest, she and the princess ran towards it, hoping it to be an exit out of the forest. As they passed through the last line of trees, the both of them were only met with a clearing where a single log cabin stood at its center. It stood few distance from them, surrounded by a small wooden fence. Light could be seen coming from inside and smoke was exiting its chimney. This place clearly had someone living in it but Italica could not be joyful of this sight. She remained vigilant as she continued to examine the cabin. “Stay back, princess! “W-What is it, Italica?” The princess looked at her knight with worry while Italica had unsheathed the sword that hang on her waist. Slowly approaching the cabin, the door suddenly opened, making Italica and the princess tensed up. Having readied her sword, Italica put on a battle-ready stance while the princess carefully watched what exited the cabin. “Maah!… Why are there so many people this late in the night…” From inside, a man had come out with an annoyed expression on his face He disinterestedly looked at them as he scratched his the back of his head. His clothing were made from some kind of material that they have not seen before and his peculiar appearance was clear even when it was only lit by the light coming from inside. He was fairly handsome but his black hair and what appeared to be a single long black horn on the side of his head, made him stand out much more. He seemed to be human but the horn on his head made them think otherwise. “So are you two coming in or what?”, the man nonchalantly offered. Italica couldn’t find any hidden meaning in his words nor did she feel any ill-intent. She stopped to consider the situation and tried to believe that she could trust him for now, as they were desperate to lose their pursuers. “I am the royal knight Italica von Maze and this person is Her Highness Aerith-” “Yeah, yeah, I don’t care about who either of you are. Just get inside already, since the summer nights are uncomfortable as hell” His disrespectful tone made Italica flare up in irritation. This was clear disrespect towards the person that she was protecting making her raise her voice in irritation. “How dare!-” “Italica, we shouldn’t focus on that now. It is best that we follow his instructions” The princess cut her off. “B-But princess!” “I’m gonna shut the door if two you don’t enter” the black haired man called out disinterestedly. “Y-Yes! Forgive us for taking so long!” Without waiting for her guard, the princess, Aerith, entered the cabin and soon after Italica follows her while still remaining suspicious of the horned man. *** “W-What is this place!?” When the two entered the cabin, they discovered that it was much larger than what it had looked on the outside. The walls were made out of white marble bricks, the floors lined with a smooth wooden flooring and a long red carpet, leaving only the entrance bare with tiled floors and the way was lit up by shining stones attached on the wall had completely removed the idea of the place being a cabin. It was like the home of a wealthy king rather than the home of someone that lived inside the forest. “Wipe your feet before you enter. I don’t want you tracking in mud on my floor. I’ll go heat up some food for you two. The man then walks towards the far end of the hallway, leaving the two at the entrance. Having left the two behind, text floated in front of them with words saying “Take off your shoes and wipe your feet here” as it pointed on the mat below it, it was written in the Engrisian language, so the two easily understood it. Aerith had been barefoot the whole time so her feet were relatively dirty from all the running. There were also a few cuts a blisters on her feet because of being bare footed, but when she stepped on the soft mat, her wounds and blisters were healed in an instant. “Waa~”, Aerith raised her voice happily. Aerith had checked and patted her feet, quite unladylike if she were seen by anyone other than her personal guard but their current situation was more important than keeping up proper etiquette. After a few more checks, she notices the sign right beside a shoe rack saying, “Take a pair and wear them”, pointing at the slippers that were lined up on the rack. “It’s so soft~” Aerith wasn’t even careful and simply followed the instructions. Her feet got healed, so her wariness of the place lowered because of it. “P-Princess, please don’t easily follows the signs of a suspicious place like this!” Italica had a problem her master’s actions, as the person that she was supposed to be protecting was following suspicious letters that suddenly appeared. Looking at the floating letters once again, its letters suddenly changed and it now read “For the knight just wipe your shoes here then step on that white square”, an arrow pointed at the white square that was at the corner of the entrance, there was also a sign saying “If you can’t remove your shoes then place your feet here”. “Nnn…” “Let’s follow the instructions, Italica”, she urged her. “... As you wish, princess” Though reluctant of this, she had followed the instructions then after stepping on the white square, her iron shoes became covered by a thin transparent substance before it disappeared. “Wha!?” She suddenly panicked because of this but the sign changed saying “Don’t panic, idiot. It’s just so that the floor will remain clean”. She had wanted to hit the letters but held herself back as she was being watched by the Aerith. Walking through the hallway, they both stopped and entered what seemed to be a living room. Sofas and a beautiful wooden table were placed in the middle of the room. A fireplace was lit and the room was almost filled by shelves of books. They decided to take a seat and rest their tired legs but Italica was still vigilant of her surroundings while Aerith massaged the back of her legs as it was sore from all the running they had made. “What is this place exactly”, Aerith asked. “The outside is a simple wooden cabin like any other while the inside is like .. this!” “I do not know, princess, but the strangest thing here is that this cabin is in the middle of the forest of silence. Considering the monstrous beings that live within this forest, I cannot imagine someone taking residence with this territory” “Was that not only a fairy tale made to scare children so they wouldn’t wonder this dangerous woods” “That is partly true but the danger in this forest is very real… There is a legend passed by the people that says that in this forest lives a terrifying monster that even the demon king refuses to fight. Countless champions that had challenged the monster were never seen again. It had received its eerie name because of not a single word about what happened in forest place had ever made it outside” ”Then why is a place like this here?” “That I do not know. Let us not lower our guards just in case” After a short while, the black haired man had entered the room while pushing a serving trolley. In the brightly lit room, his features were more recognizable. The black hair that she saw outside were real, the dark blue horn on his head was genuine and his disinterested expression was apparent. “Eat up” He placed the bowl of soup and a basket filled with soft white bread on the wooden table. Utensils that appeared to be made of silver were also handed to the both of them. After finishing this, he sat on the large chair close to the fireplace, resting his cheek on his knuckle and closing his eyes as if he fell into a slumber. “Aren’t you not going to introduce yourself” Italica annoyingly asked the man. “Finish your food then we’ll talk” He replied while still keeping his eyes closed. “Come on, Italica. We are currently guests and he also helped us out. We should eat first, so we can recover our stamina” Aerith urged her as she starts to grabbed her spoon to start eating. Italica had wanted to stop her so she could check for poison but Aerith had already started before she could do so. “Your highness should have let me check if there was poison, first!” She reprimanded her even when knowing that the person that prepared it was in front of them “But we haven’t eaten since yesterday. I couldn’t help but start immediately” She says as she tears off a piece of her bread and dipping it in the soup. “Delicious~”, she exclaimed. Italica felt her stomach grumbling, so she quickly ate as well. Filling her stomach with the food given to her, gave her a sense of relief. After finishing their meal, the two felt satisfied to have sated their hunger. “That was delicious. Thank you for that wonderful meal” Aerith had thanked the man who still had her eyes closed. Italica did not take this positively but she had kept quiet as she had eaten her fill as well.
Spoiler: Chapter 2: Identity Chapter 2: Identity After a few seconds, the man opened his eyes and looked at the both of them before sitting in a proper manner. “Now that you two are finished. Let me introduce myself. I am… I am called Ethe, and this space that the two of you are in, is my domain. No one can enter without my permission so you can be sure that you are safe here. Those men won’t find you unless I were to give my permission” Italica was surprised by his words, it was enough for her to unconsciously reach out to the sword resting at her side. “No need to be vigilant, knight girl. I have no intention of handing you two over to them nor do I care why you are being hunted by them. This forest is my territory and trespassers trying to spilled blood will not be tolerated” “If you don’t mind me asking…um, Sir Ethe but who exactly are you? Are you perhaps a sage that has made this forest his home?” Aerith had raised a simple question towards him. He flashes a grin at her before answering. “Hmm?.. Has the outside already forgotten my existence?… Well that is to be expected, it has already been what? 200 years?… To answer your question. Follow me… Ah! Before that” He then stood up and walked towards Italica, placing his hand on her shoulder. “[Disinfect][Heal]” And with those words, a soft white light gathered on her body, cleaning the dried blood stuck to her and healing the internal injuries that she had received. The princess’s body was cleaned as well and any wound she had were completely healed. The two were left dumbfounded but Ethe left the room without waiting for them. “Come on, this way” Following behind him, they entered another a large room filled from top to bottom with books. “Where is it?…Ah! Here we are” Taking out a book from one of the shelves, he flips through it before stopping at a certain page. On the page was portrait of the person in front of them, wearing luxurious clothing and holding on to a staff filled with jewels of many color. Italica had read the words on the neighboring page with utter disbelief. His Majesty, the 38th Demon King, Ethereon Maxima; formerly known as the human hero, Christopher Crosse. His Majesty was formerly a hero that was summoned by the Kingdom of [Redacted] for the purpose of slaying the previous demon king, Astaroth Luciano; also known as the “Immortal Tyrant of Fire”. After defeating the previous ruler, he took it upon himself to raise the demon country from ruin and ushered in a an era of prosperity that the country had never seen from any of its predecessors. He had established schools, increased the number of goods coming in and out of the country and many others. His achievement has earned him the title of “Demon King of Blessed Light”… “What is this!?” After reading the entry, Italica had made a stupefied reaction to it while the princes was amazed by the contents. “T-Then this means that you are a demon king that reigned 200 years ago!? But how are you still alive!? It says that you are a human rig-!?” Her shouting was halted by Ethe who suddenly shushed her. “Shh Shh Shh! Use your indoor voice. I hate useless yelling inside my house… But to answer your question, it’s because of this” He pointed to the horn on the side of his head. “When I defeated Astaroth, I originally wanted to seal his soul so that he wouldn’t be resurrected by any of his followers. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the process and ended up with absorbing his soul instead of sealing it. It resulted in me turning into half a demon because of it. Honestly speaking, it would have turned me into a complete demonic being but my power was more stronger than his so it ended up with me turning into a half-demon instead” “T-That doesn’t make any sense!”, Italica shouted “My companions also thought so as well but well…” “Then that means the you are still partly human but why does it look like you are still the same age as I?” The princess was the one who raised this question. She was in her early teens and needless to say she was a beauty amongst those of the same gender and age but Ethe looked like he was the same age as her, even when he is over 200 years older than her. “Your name is Aerith, right? Well, it’s part of his racial trait. He’s was what was known as a ‘Eternal Walker’, a demonic race who can live for hundreds of years while retaining a youthful appearance. Astaroth was a handsome man but inside, he was truly an old man with the mind of a child… well I could say the same thing for me now as well. Ha ha!” “That is amazing, Sir Ethe”, Aerith eye’s twinkled in admiration. “Oh don’t call me with such formality. It makes me feel embarrassed” He was now showing a sociable attitude that was contrary to his earlier behavior but he was still very frank. “So, do you two want me to take care of those men? Or should I let them be? To be honest with you I don’t care, they will die soon anyway” To this words both Aerith and Italica looked at him with paled expressions. “W-Why is that, Ethe?” Aerith asked. “This forest has something like a time limit for those that enter it. Once their time is up, the demon beasts of this forest will turn to focus in attacking them without fear of death. There is also that child who dislikes unwanted guests around my home. She’s an adorable child but a rather short tempered one as well” Ethe showed a wry smile at the girls before continuing. ,“Anyway, what do you want to do about them? Of course, you are safe since I already gave my permission. You can stay for as long as you want. It’s nice having guest after all” “H-How can we trust that you will not betray us” Italica ask while still gripping on to the sword in her hand. “If I didn’t want you as guest then the forest would have already killed you. You’ve been here for two days now, right? Your time limit had already ended when the two of you were sleeping last night” Italica remembered that she felt massive amounts of bloodlust when they were resting yesterday but it had suddenly disappeared before she could act on it. She looked towards Aerith to get her opinion. “I will believe in the decision you think is best for us to follow. I am protected by you after all” “Very well. Until we have made sure that it is safe to leave this forest. Please allow the both of us to be under your care…. for those men… please let the forest handle them” After receiving this reply, Ethe smiled and gestures the both of them to follow him. “Right. This way then… Since you are going to stay over, you will need a room to sleep in and some clothes to change into” “Thank you very much” “Thank you for helping us. How can we ever repay you?” “Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy that I’ve received some guests after so long” They walked though the corridor and up the stairs to the second floor, they stopped in front of two doors placed next to each other. “This will be your rooms, there is a door inside so that you can enter the other person’s room. Both of them have separate baths and for the princess; don’t worry since there will be a golem to help you with your bathing... A acquaintance of my mine grew up while being helped in her bathing by maids, even when we traveled together, so I made that for her. There are some clothes inside the closet, so feel free to wear what you like and there is stand for knight girl to place her armor… I’m saying this now but I have no habit of peeking, so relax” After saying this he turned around and headed down the stairs. “Well, you two should get some rest. If you need me I’ll be in the living room” And just like that he left the both of them standing in the corridor. “...Well, Italica. I will be entering my room now. You should do so as well” “.….Very well, princess. Please call me if you need anything” “Yes” Entering her room, Italica was left alone inside. She was now finally allowed to rest her body. She removed her armor one by one and the smell of sweat that was stuck on her body for 2 days straight attacked her sense of smell. “Ugh… I need a bath”, she told herself. Remembering Ethe’s words, she proceeded to the door that had a sign hanging on it, it read “Bath” with a cute image of a duckling drawn on it. Upon entering, it wasn’t considerably large nor was it small it was just the right size for her. Though there were weird apparatuses that were attached to the wall that attracted her attention, she curiously approached it with caution. There was a sign giving information on what those tools were and how they are used for the bath. After reading it, she was surprised that these tools could bring out hot water without the need of heating it up first. She then followed the instruction and filled the tub at an appropriate level and suitable temperature. After doing the steps she had read; though she was surprised by the sudden gush of water from the shower head, she submerged her body and relaxed herself. “Aah… this feels nice” Remembering the princess, she should also be taking her bath as well and as what Ethe had said, he had readied an assistant to help her bathe. After taking a relaxing bath, she changed into the clothes that she got from the closet and laid herself on top of the soft bed. Her eyes slowly drifted shut as she was finally allowed to rest. Unknown to her, Aerith had slipped into her bed as she had trouble sleeping alone in the unknown house.
Spoiler: Chapter 3: Fear Chapter 3: Fear “Are there still no sign of them!?”, the man shouted, looking at his men that was still following a trail. “No, sir. There are signs that they went in this direction but it stopped halfway through” He pointed towards the direction where a piece of cloth was snagged on some shrubbery. “Then look harder, damn it!” “U-Understood” He brought out a transparent crystal and went to contact his other squads. “Squads 3 to 5! Report!” {{{……}}} But there was no answer. “I repeat! Squads 3 to 5! Report!” Still no answer. “Squad 2!” The man suddenly had a bad feeling about the situation, he had noticed that the surroundings had become eerily quiet. There were no chirping of the insects nor were there any sounds of the soldiers he had sent out nearby, not even the wind made a sound to calm his nerves. The only thing that he could hear is his own breathing and that of the nearby subordinates. “Be vigilant of your surroundings. There is something wrong about this place” ““Yes”” They drew their swords and focused on their surroundings. Complete silence dominated the place until the sound of a branch snapping caught their attention. Having come out from the shadows, three wolf-like creatures appeared. Their razor sharp teeth snarled at the soldiers, and the long spikes that protruded from the backs stood on end, ready to attack. One seems to be holding on to a severed arm in-between its mouth. “Razor Wolves! Ready yourselves for battle” Before they could even ready themselves, the wolves were the ones to attack first. They leapt at the soldiers with ferocity. A soldier had successfully evaded one of their attacks but he was immediately pounced on by another. It immediately bit right on his jugular and broke his neck in the process. After one of the wolves confirmed its kill, it dropped the soldier like a lifeless doll and turned towards the others. “Tsk! Already one down… You two! Hold them off while I make a run towards the camp” “S-Sir!?” He had suddenly made an order that surprised his subordinates. “Squad 1 is at the entrance, right? Communications seems to be malfunctioning so I need to personally go there to call for backup. As long as you two don’t let these beast surprise you, you can beat them before I can return” He tried to reassure them but in his mind he was saying, “As long as they act as my shields, I can head back to the entrance and contact the castle. Those two couldn’t possibly survive considering the number of demon beasts that are appearing. I’ll just report that the squads I sent out were killed in action. Those old fools still believe the fairy tale about this forest after all” After leaving the two, the captain sprinted towards the entrance. “GUUUAA!” “AAAHH!” It wasn’t that long after when he heard the agonizing voices of the soldiers that he left behind. “Tsk! Useless bunch! Couldn’t even serve as a proper distraction….Spirits lend me your power and allow me to run through the wind. [Agility Boost]!” With a short chant, he had suddenly became faster, distancing himself from the sounds of the two soldiers crying for help. He ran without stopping and when he had seen the light of his base camp, he increased his speed towards it…but. “!?” He had suddenly found himself standing in front of a small cabin. “...How?” The light inside was the one that he thought was of his camp… but he was sure that the direction he ran towards was where their camp was situated in. “What is this place?” He asked himself, but there was no one to answer his question. “That doesn’t matter, right now! I need to get back to the camp” He shook his head and made a turn towards the opposite direction and ran once more. He kept running and running and running but there was no progress of him getting out of the forest. The communication tool in his hands didn’t receive any call nor can he make any towards the camp. The most mysterious thing that was happening was no matter what direction he ran towards, he suddenly finds himself in front of the cabin in the woods. “What the fuck is going on!?” He shouted in frustration but no one was there to answer him… or so he thought. “This is the will of this forest” A voice had suddenly spoken and it came from the direction of the cabin. The man had looked towards it in surprise but no one stood there. “Up here, idiot” It once again spoke. Looking towards the roof of the cabin, he faced a man sitting on a large luxurious chair. His hair and eyes were as black as the shadows of the forest, only the moonlight glow could allow him to notice this features. A horn was adorned on the side of his head but it has seemed to be out of place for him. “W-Who the hell are you!?” The man drew his blade and ordered him to answer. “I am but a humble elderly person, living inside this forest. Why do you want to know?…*yawn*…Don't care either way”, he disinterestedly reply. “Have you seen two women pass through here! One is wearing crimson red armor and the other one is wearing a dress. If you haven’t at least point me towards the exit of this forest” He didn’t stop to think why someone like him was living inside this forest. He wanted to either find the targets or get out of the forest. “I have no reason to answer you” “W-What!? Do you know who you are talking to!? I am a the Imperial Knight Captain Detrix Peruvia, of the Khan Empire! You are to show respect to the man that bears His Highness's will!” “Khan, huh?…. looks like those fools are starting up again”, the man mutters but it was not heard by the man named Detrix. “Well not that I care~” The man suddenly snapped his finger and the man suddenly felt himself being lifted by something. “WHA!?” He looked behind him and saw a giant creature that looked like a rabbit. "Pyu~?", it tilted its head, as if curious of him. "W-What the hell!?", Detrix tried to struggle. Its furry human-like arms were holding him tightly, refusing to let him escape and its red eyes were looking at him like he was a toy. “W-Wait! What the hell do you think you’re doing!? Unhand me you vile creature!” Detrix struggled but he could not escape from the creature’s tight grasp. He had even tried bashing his sword at it but not even a flinch was returned. “Be careful, Magnolia. We don’t want you getting indigestion after eating so many” Hearing the man’s words, Detrix stiffened in fear. “W-Wait!” He was about to plead for his life towards the man but he already disappeared from his spot. Now alone with the rabbit, Detrix could not do anything but struggle for his life. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUUUUCCKK!!” He struggled and struggled but the creature only looked at him with delight. It was enjoying his struggle, like a cat playing with its food or it this case, a rabbit playing with its food. ”Let me go you damn beast!” He shouted at it but it didn’t care for his words at all. "Pyu~ Pyu~ Pyupyu~ pyu~" Some time has passed as Detrix continued to struggle, the bunny on the other-hand watched him while making sounds, as if humming a tune. "Aaarggh!" Detrix used his sword to stab it, punch its face, bit its arm and even kicked it in the stomach but no matter what he did or how much he tried, the creature that held him in a powerful embrace did not let go. "Pyuu~" But it suddenly did. “Huh?” Hitting the ground with an audible thud, Detrix was now face to face with the creature. “You fucking bastard! I’ll kill you!” He didn’t direct those words towards the creature but towards the cabin where the man had entered. Thinking that it was his chance to kill the man that messed with him, he ran towards the cabin with all his might but before he could come close, he was hit with something solid making him tumble forward. “W-What the hell!?” When he looked behind him, he saw a severed leg that had visible bite marks on it. Suddenly remembering the beast that let him go, he turned towards it and readied his sword. “Spirits of flames come and give me warmth and burn my enemies to sunders. [Fireball]!” Spheres of flames attacked shot out of his hands, hitting the creature without stopping. Once he had felt that he had done enough, he stopped his firing and took time to catch his breath. “Haa… Haa… damn beast!” He had waited for the smoke to clear, expecting to see the beast to at least be injured from his attack. “Pyu?” But it stood there like nothing had even happened. The beast was even scratching the back of its ear with its arm as though it forgot his existence. “Tsk! If that doesn’t work then eat this!!” Detrix threw a stone that then exploded upon contact. "YES!" He made a triumphant grin as he watched the creature’s arm become blown off its body. “How’d you like that, you beast! This stone is made to be able to even kill a ground dragon! There’s no-” As celebrated his chance to survive, he was suddenly stopped when he noticed that the bunny didn't even show that it was hurt. “Pyu pyu pyu~”, it seemed to be laughing as it pointed towards the severed arm. "What?..." When Detrix looked at the direction it pointed to, the arm that now laid on the ground started moving towards the creature and it reattached itself like it was normal. It then stood up and walked towards Detrix with lights hops. Its eyes that were looking at him playfully now changed into that which looked at its food. It opened its mouth but instead of a mouth that fit its appearance, the mouth opened up a vertical slit that reached up to its stomach. Razor sharp teeth lined the inside while bits and chunks of armor and meat could be seen left behind. The armor were the same design as the ones that his men were wearing, and at the back most part of its mouth, there were several severed heads that wore faces of despair, looking directly at him. They were dead, yet their eyes moved and smiles crept upon their faces when they saw Detrix before them. “H-Ha-Haaaaa!” Terror overwhelmed his emotions as he could only stare inside the pit of hell that was the bunny’s mouth. His legs refused to move, and a warm sensation flowed down his legs. There was now nothing left for him to do but to wait for his death as he stared at the mocking eyes of the rabbit. “M…Mama…”, he cried. Filled with regret for not heeding the terror of this forest, Detrix was consumed by the monster that wore a bunny’s appearance. *** “Hahaha! It seems like the outside has been getting rather interesting since the last time I went out” From within the cabin, Ethe chuckled as he watched the knight’s useless struggle against his lovely pet. He was started to be interested in the outside world once more, after secluding himself in the forest for a long time. *** Unknown to the Khan Empire, all five squads of knights at the level of elite, led by the king’s Imperial Knight, Detrix Peruvia, disappeared after entering the forest of silence. It was only days after when they concluded that the people the sent out will never return. On the other-hand its was only publicly known that the groups of knights, entered the deadly forest, in the attempts to colonize it. The officials of the empire were harshly criticized by the people for doing uselessly using their tax money for a fruitless attempt to gain territory
Spoiler: Chapter 4: Breakfast Chapter 4: Breakfast Morning dawned and Ethe was preparing breakfast for his guest that have yet to have woken up. “Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~” He was humming a tune while he wore a flower-patterned apron. He took out some fruits from dark mist the floated just beside him and added them on to the batter that he was mixing. “*yawn*… Good Morning”, said Aerith as she walked past the kitchen. “Oh, you’re awake~ Grab a seat and eat some breakfast. I’ll ready some juice in a moment” “Thank you” “So, did you sleep properly?”, he asked her. “Yes. It has been since the day before yesterday when I last slept properly. The bed was comfortable and even the nightwear were a comfortable fit. Thank you for providing us with proper clothing” She was now wearing one of the casual dress that she found inside the closet of her room, her old clothes were being mended by the golem that help her bathe last night. “You can keep those. My companions often visited me in the past, and some of them were very ‘lively’. I needed to always have spare clothes in my house, so that they could change. I’m glad that you found something that fit you… Here you go” He placed a plate of pancakes in front of her. She was fidgeting as she looked at Ethe, she felt uneasy for eating before the owner of the house. “I can notice you, you know?~”, said Ethe as he continued cooking. “Eek!” Startled by him, she almost dropped the boiled egg that she sheepishly held in her hand. “No need to be wary of me, princess. I’m not the type who exploits my guests. Try to relax and eat at your own pace” “Um...It’s Aerith”, she muttered. “Hmm?” “Please just call me Aerith. It is awkward to be called princess by our benefactor and a former king and hero. Please simply call me by that name” Her face was red as she said those words. She was like a child that was embarrassed to be called by her relatives using her pet name. Her actions made Ethe smile in amusement, so he let out a small chuckle. “Very well, ‘Aerith’. Now eat your breakfast. It’s delicious when it’s still hot” She did as she was told and enjoy her breakfast. As she ate, she decided to strike up a conversation with Ethe. “Um… if it is fine to ask. May I ask why you are living inside this forest? You said that you were the hero and the demon king from 200 years ago. So why leave that behind just to live in a place like this?” She didn’t mean to be rude, she was simply curious about it and Ethe knew this. “Hmm… If you were to ask me why then my answer is that I was bored of it” “B-Bored?” She didn’t understand at all. Even if she was royalty herself, she couldn’t understand that nonchalant reason for quitting his duties. “Being a hero and getting your named praised again and again is annoying, while being a king and ruling a country to make sure that it doesn’t fall into ruin is tiresome. Nothing interesting happened after I defeated Astaroth and I grew tired of being in front of the public eye, it was a constant cycle of work and being pestered to rear an heir. So one day, I told Elise and my close aides that I will be abdicating from the throne and living inside this forest. Well, my close aides were in despair when I said that but Elise understood my personality and allowed me to leave… buuut~ not after she fired ten consecutive tier-5 spells at me. Ha ha ha….haaa” Ethe made a reminiscing expression as he talked about his past and Aerith looked at him with warmth. “Well it was suitable that I left. I’ve reigned for 15 years; which was among the shortest among my predecessors, but before I left the throne, I made sure that they could sustain themselves even after I’m gone. I don’t know about the current ruler but from what I was told, she seems to be doing just fine. If she wasn’t, Elise would surely come for my head” “You speak of this Elise person rather fondly. Who was she in your life?” She curiously asked. “.….Elise was a human that was part of my party when I still used to be the hero. She and some other companions helped me learn about this world and how to live in it. Elise is just a nickname I gave her…. her full name I believe was Elizabeth von Schwartz…oh right! She was also a court magician of Dhari from what I understood” “Dh-Dhari!? Y-You mean that you are talking about the great sage Elizabeth!?” Aerith raised her voice in surprise from hearing such an unexpected name. “Is that what she’s called now? Well she might have already died though” “Died? But the great sage is still alive! She is working as the headmistress of the magic academy!” “W-What!?” This time it was Ethe who raised his voice in surprise. He did not expect that the person he was reminiscing about was still alive and kicking. Aerith didn’t expect him to react like this as well. “That woman has some guts to not inform me that she was still alive!” His eyes had an tint of irritation, squeezing the citrus fruit in his hand. “E-Ethe! The juice! The juice!”, she had quickly told him. Aerith stopped squeezing the fruit, making sure that it didn’t spill anymore. “S-Sorry about that… you were saying?”, he asked while wiping his juice-soaked hand. “S-So you mean to say that sage Elizabeth was a hero a couple hundred years ago? She still looks like a young woman, so it’s hard to imagine that she’s that old” “Aahh… now I get it!” He hit his palm in realization. “Excuse me?” She titled her head curiously. “When I started living alone, she often visited to test my body and how Astaroth’s soul affected me. She said that she wanted to gain the same ‘immortality’ that I had, so that she could stay and look after my, and I quote, ‘sorry ass’. … Well, she did managed to slow her aging but I can’t believe that she actually managed to rejuvenate herself back into a young woman, Ha ha” “I- I see…” It was early in the morning she felt tired after hearing one unbelievable story after another. “I wonder how she raised our daughter thought. With her eccentric behavior of I hope she didn’t grew up to be a weirdo?”, Ethe mindlessly muttered. “Eh!?”, Aerith was once again caught off-guard. “Ah…. well she wasn’t really planned. Some things happened before, and one thing led to another then after 9 months she was born. We decided to name her Julia” He scratches his cheek in embarrassment. “T-Then you were married to her?” “To Elise? No…She said that she will raise the child herself as she doesn’t want her to live in such a dangerous forest. I did tell her that we should marry and it’s fine for me to move out as I didn’t want the child to grow up without a father but she refused without giving me a valid reason. It was my fault for getting her pregnant, so I had to accept her demands. In the event that she asked why she doesn’t have a father, I told her to tell Julia that I’m an explorer that travels around the whole world to study its past. She also told me I better remember to send her birthday present... Which I do! I still do… I still do…” He had suddenly turned silent with a self-depreciating smile on his face. “I-I am sorry to have asked” “...Ah! No need! No need! I’m not sure if she’s still alive anyway, since its been a hundred years since she was born. It’s good to talk about this once in a while… Here’s some juice by the way” He hands her a glass of yellow juice that had a citrus scent. “T-Thank you…” She gratefully accepts it. “Do you wish to be able to meet with your daughter?” “Meet her?…Hmm… I don’t know. I wasn’t there to see her grow up and I don’t even know what she looked like when she turned into an adult. To be honest, I’m afraid of meeting her” “Afraid?” “...There are a lot of things which adults are afraid of. One of them is in regards to their children…” “?” “...” The two simply looked each other as Ethe refused to continue speaking. “PRINCESS! WHERE ARE YOU!?” And as if the heaven’s planned to break the awkward silence, Italica’s shouting could be heard coming from the hallway. It seems that Italica had woken up not knowing where Aerith had gone to. The sound of her running got closer and closer, until she came running into the kitchen with her sword unsheathed. “Princess!!” Seeing her master, Italica grabbed Aerith’s face while checking to see anything out of place. “Are you okay? Do you feel anything wrong?” “I’m fine, Italica. Stop it already”, she pushed her away. “*sigh* … I was worried since I couldn’t find you in your room” “You shouldn’t worry about me too much” “But it is my duty to worry about you” “Now, now”, having taken Italica’s sword without her noticing, Ethe urged her towards the table and pulled out a sit. “Sit down and have some breakfast. I dislike people being rowdy so early in the morning” “Y-Yes. Pardon my rudeness”, feeling embarrassed, she sat herself and quietly ate her breakfast. After they finished eating, Ethe spoke to the both of them. “So, what do you wish to do now?”
Spoiler: Chapter 5: Trip Chapter 5: Trip “So, what do you wish to do now?” Hearing his question, Italica placed her fork on her plate before speaking. “Once I have made sure that it is safe for us to leave. We will be returning to Dhari to inform His Majesty that Khan broken the treaty. As I don’t know if our pursuers are still alive, it may take some days before we head out” “If you’re talking about your pursuers. They are already dead” “Wh-What!?”, she shouted in surprise. “The forest has taken care of them. I told you, they cannot stay in this forest for long unless I allow it” “T-Then it is fine for us to head out?” “Yes” “V-Very well. Then after we have finished our breakfast, we shall continue our journey and return back to Dhari” “Isn’t that too quickly!?”, Aerith complained. “Please understand, princess. His Majesty has not receive word of your situation because we lost our communication devices, he is surely worrying about you as we speak” “….…I understand. Pardon us for leaving abruptly. Since it is an emergency we will have to continue our journey” “Oh. Then why not join me? I am going to head to the same place after all” ““Eh?…”” The both of the became dumbfounded by his sudden declaration. Ethe was looking at them with a gentle grin. “What did you say?”, Italica asked. “It’s already been some years since I last left this forest. I want to see how much the world has changed since I was gone. From what I’m understanding, it seems like a lot of interesting things were happening while I was gone” “T-Then it is fine for us to join you on your journey?”, Aerith timidly asks. “Princess!?” “Of course! Though I do want to first pass by the demon country’s capital to check how things are running” Aerith had already decided that she wants Ethe to accompany them on their journey, but Italica was still having second-thoughts, so she pulled her aside and whispered to her. “(Listen, Italica. We have a greater chance to return if we were to have Ethe with us. If we are to believe the book we had just read, it means that he is the greatest form of security that we could ever have. Don’t you think we’ll be able to return to Dhari safely with him coming along with us? Our escorts are dead, we don’t have any money for travel and all the clothing I have left is my dress and undergarments, even your clothing is just that armor and the clothes you wear under it)” “(B-But we have nothing to compensate for his service)” “(I will have father give a suitable reward once we return)” “Oh, I don’t need a reward. I’m the one offering to travel together after all… Excuse me~” He suddenly appears behind them, taking the empty plates from their side. “B-But we can’t simple let your service go unrewarded. You helped us in escaping our pursuer after all” Italica was telling him that it was unacceptable to leave things be. No matter how she dislikes his rude behavior, she can’t simply allow their benefactor to go unrewarded. “If you won’t accept my free service then request the current king to allow me to go and get the item that I left inside the castle. I’ve been meaning to get the things that I left there after becoming the new demon king but I never really got around to doing it” “You forgo-” “I’ll leave it a secret for now” Once again, he shows a gentle grin then he places his finger over his lips. “...V-Very well. I will try to persuade father to allow this” “Then it’s a deal” He offers a handshake towards her and she accepts, gesturing that they had made an agreement. “Now that, that is taken care of. Get yourselves ready for the journey. It will take us a couple months to arrive and that includes crossing Hydra Lake. There’s some clothing in your rooms, so take bring what you like. Once the two of you are done, meet me in front of the house” “...Understood” “Thank you for allowing us accompany you” “Just call it as someone trying to relieve boredom” They left the kitchen and returned to their room. *** Italica had put on her armor after she had thoroughly cleaned it inside and out, afterwards she took some clothes that won’t hinder her movement from inside the closet, placing them inside the peculiar bag that she found at the bottom drawer. Once she finished, she went straight to Aerith’s room and helped her chose some clothing that fit her. Making sure that they had not forgotten anything, the two went outside only to be surprised by a large creature standing in front of them. “Princess, stay back!” “Cute~!” Italica had drawn her sword and pointed it at the creature in front of them but Aerith eyes sparkled when she saw it. The creature was a giant rabbit, the same creature that toyed and ate the knight, Detrix, the previous night…but this was unknown to the both of them. Italica was wary of the creature while Aerith had the urge to pet its soft fur. “Magnolia those two are friends” From behind them, Ethe appeared carrying a luggage bag. On his head was a top hat and he was dressed rather formally. Hearing his words, Magnolia laid herself on the ground gesturing that she doesn’t mean harm. “Is this creature your pet?”, Italica asked. “Yep, found her when she was a pup. Now she’s a really big girl” He pats Magnolia on the stomach that she had exposed. “Want to pet her?”, he offered. “Yes, please!” Aerith immediately jumps at his offer, petting Magnolia with utmost affection. Magnolia’s leg kicked every time she was rubbed making Aerith increase the speed of her petting. “So cute~~!”, Aerith was in bliss as she stroked the large rabbit. “P-Princess” Italica worriedly calls out to her “Come on, Italica. Pet her as well” “N-No thank you, princess” “Come on~~” Both Aerith and Magnolia looked at her with pleading eyes while Italica herself tried her best to not fall for their charms. It was an internal struggle. A struggle that she inevitable lost. “AH~ So soft~ so cute~ I’m being healed” Italica exclaims, burying her face on the soft fur of Magnolia. “It’s good that you two got along with Magnolia but it is time for us to head out soon” Ethe had once again appeared but this time, he was leading a carriage pulled by two jet-black horses. “Knight girl. You know how to drive a carriage, right?” “It’s Italica and yes I do know” “Great! Then you’ll be the driver. I can’t do it myself since these children are afraid of me” “Understood” “Magnolia you’re in-charge while I’m gone, okay? Don’t forget to wash yourself and don’t forget to eat” “Myuu~” Magnolia nods, rubbing her head on Ethe’s face. “I’ll be sure to get you some souvenirs and I’ll scold mama for not visiting you”, he added. Climbing aboard the carriage, Italica peeks inside and asks an important question. “So how are we going to exit this place? There are trees all around us and no way for the carriage to move through” “Ah. Sorry, I forgot to fix that… [Move]” Poking his body out of the window, he gestures in front of the carriage while saying a simple line. The trees stood up and immediately moved out of the way. A path outside of the forest could be seen , so Italica prompted the horse to move forward. “You have some pretty unusual spell. Is it because you are a hero? Or is it simple because you came from another world?”, Aerith decided to ask him, as curiosity caught her. “Elise taught me most of the magic that I know but if I were to pick a reason why I can use such strange spells then I would say it’s because the heavens and spirits like me” “Really!? That’s amazing” “Everyone has varying thoughts about spirits. They’re prankster, they’re malevolent, they’re divine, everyone has a label that they use to call spirits” “And your label of them?” “They are lively children”, he laughed. The carriage continued to move through the forest said to be the most dangerous place in the world. It was the start of a long a quiet journey.
Spoiler: Chapter 6: Sights Chapter 6: Sights Once they had finally exited the forest, Ethe looked outside to see the now different landscape of the world. There was a stone-walled city at far distance, he clearly remembered that it was not there when he was last outside. “Oh! That place didn’t exist before? Do you know what that place is?”, he asked Aerith. “That?… I think that is the town of Guina, It is known as a commerce town which the merchant’s guild uses as their headquarters. The security of the town high, so it is beneficial to them” “Commerce town, huh? They sure did make some fancy places in the time that I wasn’t around” “There have been a lot of inventions in the past 200 years. Like the airship made by the Grand Pilot, McCree. It’s a flying vehicle that can cross great seas…” “Oh look like Zahad perfected his airships. Good for him” “...Vehicles that were made by the master craftsman Dontata, that run using Ether liquid but they are noisy and create black smoke, they are popular only in military use though…” “Seems like Katrina didn’t cooperate with Zahad to perfect her invention. Those two always disliked working with each other after all” “...Cellphones that allow people to communicate across large distance…” “My old phone seems to have been used as a basis for Elise’s invention. Good thing, since that thing became useless when it ran out of battery” “...And a large ship that is able to submerged itself underwater” “That Hilbrum really followed through and created his own submarine. I expect nothing less from a dwarf that loves the ocean” Every time Aerith mentioned a device or a vehicle, Ethe seems to have known of the people that invented it. He told her the quirks of the people that she thought of greatly, while she told stories of inventors that he hadn’t known. Some hours passed from just the two of them talking about the changes that happened around the world. They both enjoyed it and even made Italica, who drove the carriage, smile for her master who was having fun. “You seemed to have known quite a lot of people” After they had finally slowed down from their talks, Aerith questioned Ethe about the great inventors. “Benefits of being a hero, a demon king and a person with a long lifespan. I’ve met with more people than my fingers, and I enjoyed my time with them, no matter how long or short the time we were together. Meetings, separations and reunions are all fond memories to me”, a smile crept up on Ethe’s face, it was a smile that looked back to his past. *** “Princess, Sir Ethe. We are approaching the town of Sean. Please be ready for an inspection” Italica who was riding at the couch’s seat informs them. “That was quick” “There is a town a few hours away from forest of death by carriage. Your horses didn’t slow down to rest, so we arrived earlier than expected” Aerith answered his query. “I see. Well, Death Stallion don’t really tire and they only need to rest when it’s time to sleep. I guess it’s understandable that we arrived quickly” “D-Death Stallion?” Hearing an ominous sounding name, Aerith’s face pale slightly. “Nn. Horses that are ridden by strong monsters called Dullahans. Magnolia defeated a bunch when she was out playing, the horses were left alone since she wasn’t interested in them” “I-I see” “Ethe, do you have a way to hide your horn? If you do, please do so immediately” Once again from in front of the carriage, Italica cuts in to speak. “Why do I need to hide my horn?” There was no particular need for this as the war against demons was already over from what he remembered. “Ah! Forgive me for forgetting about something important. Even though we do not antagonize the demon race anymore, a lot of people still seem to dislike them being in human towns. It seems that disputes regarding race are more frequent in places that are farther from the demon country and other demi-human countries” Aerith made a wry smile while scratching her cheek. “Don’t worry. I understand racism. No matter where you are there will always be issues regarding that topic” He closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment and a few moments later, the horn retracted inside his head making his appearance only that of a black haired gentleman. “That’s amazing”, said Aerith. “I’m glad you like it because doing that is quite painful…. Could you hand me that box, please” He points to the wooden box that was hanging on the carriage wall by Aerith. “Here you go” She grabs it and hands it over to him. Opening the box, Aerith saw the different beautifully colored ribbons that filled the inside. Some had jewels attached to them and some had gold thread making up its patterns. “Whaa~ they’re so pretty”, she commented. “These are ‘Ribbons of Effect’, each one of them has a certain enchantment attacehd to it. This one can hide the demonic aura that my body releases, a [Suppression Ribbon]”, Ethe holds out a violent ribbon with complex patters adoring it. “Even if they have someone that can detect a demon’s aura, these ribbons can hide it and makes it impossible for them to guess that I’m partly demon” He then ties his long hair with the black jeweled ribbon, showing it to Aerith. “How does it look?” “It suits you” “Thank you. Do you want to have your hair tied as well?” He offers the box towards her. “Is that fine?” “Of course, it’s not like these things are precious to me. Elise and I made them as a hobby back then” Getting his permission, she takes a matching ribbon as Ethe and ties it on her long silver hair. “Oh! It’s good that you picked that one” “Hmm?” “You might not want anyone to know your identity, right? I thought you would need illusion magic cast on you but the one you tied your hair with is a [Disguise Ribbon]. It lets you become unrecognizable towards others, if you want them to see your true appearance then you just have to think of allowing them to see it or just simply remove the ribbon to undo its effects” “This is very useful” “Well, it could still be dispelled by a tier-2 dispel magic, so be careful. I'll give Italica another Disguise Ribbon, later” “I’ll keep that in mind and thank you” They waited for their turn to enter, and when it was their turn, a soldier accompanied by another opened the carriage door with utmost care. “Good afternoon, Mr. Guards” “!?…G-Good afternoon” Ethe greeted them and Aerith smiled, they made a stiff reaction and respectfully bowed towards the both of them before one closed the door. The carriage once again started moving, signaling that there were no problem with their inspection. “We should find an inn to stay in for today. I would like to look around town and buy some things for our travel” “Do you have money with you?” “Of course I do! I may have lived in the forest alone but I still have some cash on me…. The currency hasn’t changed, right?” He nervously asked. “I believe it is still the same type for the last 500 years now. Gils are still the common currency within this continent” “That’s good” A black mist suddenly appears in front of him and he plunges his hand inside of it. After taking out a small pouch, the mist disappears. “Good thing I didn’t surrender the money I made during my time working as an adventurer” He takes out a white coin from inside the pouch but Aerith suddenly made a thudding sound. Looking at her, she suddenly stood up in the carriage and hit her head. “E-Ethe! T-That is a platinum coin, right!?” She says, completely ignoring the pain she was feeling on her head. “Hmm?… Yeah, what’s the problem with it? This bag has 500 platinum coins in it” He shakes the pouch in front of her making Aerith pale as a result. “P-Please don’t pull that bag out in public” “Reason?”, he tilts his head. “A platinum coin is a rare coin nowadays. It may have been a common thing 100 years ago but now it is hardly seen in circulation. A single one of those is equivalent to about ten million Gil. It’s enough to buy a castle, complete with furnishing and staff. Even a commoner family can live in luxury for generations with just one of those” “It became that rare?… Maybe we'll use this for our lodgings for today?”, he shows a mischievous smile as if he had something planned. “W-Wha?-” “Italica, brings us to the most high-class inn in this town. We will be lodging there” “Yes, sir!”, Italica answered with joy. “W-Wait, Italica? This is too much, even for us!” “Sorry, princess, but it is my job to make sure that you are safe and comfortable. I will follow Sir Ethe’s orders when it will benefit you” Without even considering Aerith’s opinion, Italica directs the carriage towards the upper class area of the town.