Fugitives of the Empire
The Deep Forest Sage hadn't stirred once since the Knight King visited decades ago. So who the hell could be coming now? I'd finally gotten a chance to rest easy with nothing going on, and now it felt like some annoying hassle was knocking again... Hmm... Should I just pretend I'm not here?
It had been ages since the Knight King dropped by while wandering the country after stepping down from the throne—the first visitor since then... Hm. Oh, right, I think he mentioned something to the next king at the end. That if they ever needed wisdom, they could seek help from the Deep Forest Sage... Yeah, something like that... Ugh. Bad vibes—trouble's brewing!
"Is something the matter?"
"Nah, nothing much."
"Your mouth says it's nothing, but your face looks dead serious."
"That expression... it's the 'trouble's here' face!"
At Hades' words, Asherat's face grew slightly more solemn. Hm. Even looking a bit serious, it's still my face, after all. Maybe because it's so cute, but it doesn't come off as all that grave. Sounds like self-praise, but objectively speaking, my looks are pretty and adorable. Even if the hair color's different and there are no horns.
"You're saying you'll ignore it even though trouble's already here? I don't remember raising the Goddess of Life to be so irresponsible!"
"I don't remember you raising me at all? Anyway, it's probably not important."
Asherat thrust her face right up to my nose and opened her mouth.
"You've dumped all your Goddess of Life duties on me, and even the underworld stuff on Hades. So the only things you handle yourself are your primordial dragon responsibilities! And even those are just simple tasks you do once or twice a year! What if you end up as a total screw-up of a god?! Even if this sudden non-issue pops up, please take it seriously!"
Hmm... Does Asherat see me as that unreliable? Well, I have been pretty slothful these past few decades. Unless one of the other kids dropped by or it was a lizardman great warrior or grand shaman, there wasn't much to do.
Well, maybe I'll handle this with a light heart for old times' sake.
"Fine, fine. Enough nagging. I'll just do the job, yeah?"
I brushed off Asherat's whining from the side. Seriously, who does she take after to be such a nag? I tuned out the complaints that barely registered in my ears and turned my awareness to the deep forest.
A dark woods where sunlight barely pierced. Protected by special barriers, no intelligent being could enter without a clear purpose: seeking the sage. And the ones who'd slipped inside...
Were a pair of kids in utter rags.
Still too young to be adults. A boy and a girl. No clue how they'd gotten into the forest—barriers should've stopped them... Did one break? What the hell.
Their clothes were caked in dirt and dust, frayed from obvious hardship. Yet the fabric and stitching screamed high quality. In other words, fancy outfits that had somehow ended up filthy and torn.
This... is intriguing.
The boy, who looked like the older brother, led the way, while the girl struggled to keep up. And she seemed sickly too—pale as a ghost.
After a bit, the girl halted, collapsing to her knees, clutching her chest in agony. The boy eyed her with worry, then hoisted her onto his back and pressed on.
Carrying a girl just a bit smaller than himself, trudging forward. It looked desperate. Like they were fleeing something.
Hm... Fleeing, huh.
I flicked my gaze to the forest's edge.
"The trail leads here! They must've come this way!"
"Footprints head deeper in! Start the search!"
"Yes, sir!"
A handful of mounted soldiers lingered at the entrance. No metal armor, no emblems marking allegiance. Lightly equipped mystery troops. Yet even in that getup, the swords at their waists were solid iron blades. A walking contradiction.
They followed the kids' tracks into the woods but soon emerged from the opposite side. Without a clear goal like seeking the sage, the barrier redirected them right out the back door.
Hold up. Barrier's working fine... So does that mean those two kids were looking for the sage?
What? Seriously?
"The trail vanished!"
"What? Impossible! Unless they flew off or sank into the earth—no way it just disappears!"
"But it's gone! We followed the prints into the forest, and now nothing!"
"Damn ghost story... What do we tell him..."
The apparent leader sighed in frustration and addressed the others.
"Take the horses and head back. Go to the nearest village, gather intel on this forest. There has to be a reason they came here."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, the soldiers remounted and rode toward the closest village.
Hmm... What kind of big deal are those two that armed goons are hunting them? Eh, I can just ask them myself.
"Excuse me! We've come seeking the Sage! We beg the Deep Forest Sage for aid!"
A stone house long neglected, nearly in ruins. Moss clung to the walls, adding to the eerie vibe.
Standing at the entrance, the boy called out.
"Please, help us!"
Hmm. Definitely here for the Deep Forest Sage, then.
Alright... Time to let them in.
I began manipulating the sage's body, left idle for so long.
"Come in."
The sage flicked a finger, and the sealed door swung open on its own. The boy startled slightly but cautiously stepped inside.
A dim stone hut with scant light. And the suspicious figure within.
Originally made just to lure Lyclean, this fabricated body somehow kept getting used. Seriously... I planned to ditch it after that one job, but somehow it's lasted years. Life's full of surprises.
"Who are you? Why have you entered this forest?"
The boy didn't answer right away. He just stared—at the sage. Or what used to be.
"I'm... Arthur. And this is my little sister, Vivian."
Arthur and Vivian, huh...
"I'm curious how you knew of me. After all this time, I figured I'd be forgotten."
"From... Grandfather. He said if we came to you, you'd help."
Grandfather... Yeah, looking at that refined face, I can guess.
I hid my realization and continued.
"Help, you say. I don't offer it often..."
"B-But... we had no other choice. Coming to you was our only shot at survival."
Hmm. Survival, eh. Sounds like they've had it rough.
"Well, I can at least hear you out. That's doable."
A faint spark of hope lit Arthur's eyes. He seemed thrilled I'd listen.
But first.
"Before we talk..."
I cut off Arthur mid-breath and eyed the suffering Vivian.
Chest... Heart's weak? No, more like...
Poison? Not super potent, but lingering in her body, refusing to metabolize or flush out.
Like someone had been slowly poisoning her over time.
I grasped Vivian's hand. Arthur flinched at the sudden rocky grip, but whatever—priorities.
First, extract the poison, heal the ravaged body... Hm... Ah. Wait, there's an easier way.
The bloodline from the primordial hero's daughter, sealed magic dormant within her.
In other words, she held the potential to become someone very close to me.
"This child... bears the qualities of the Dragon Maiden."
The power of the bloodline I'd sealed long ago had resurfaced here.
