Episode 2

“It’s been a long day.”

 

Hestia muttered something meaningless to herself and gently pulled the child down and onto her back. Her legs shook with the exertion.

 

One foot in front of the other, she pushed her way into the hut and almost effortlessly laid her down on the bed.

 

“Whoa, that’s a lot of weight for a little one.”

 

Hestia stretched her stiff back and lit a candle.

 

Slowly removing the old cloth wrapped around the child, Hestia was able to examine him more closely.

 

“A boy.”

 

Hair the color of a dark dawn sky, navy blue, covering his forehead. A thin build, neatly dressed in what at first glance looked like commoner’s clothing but was made of soft materials.

 

And…….

 

“Blood?”

 

Blood stained the cloth that surrounded the child and every inch of her clothes.

 

I gasped in surprise and examined the child’s body, but fortunately, I didn’t see any major wounds other than minor cuts.

 

“I was afraid you were making another grave.”

 

Hestia let out a short breath of relief, calming her racing heart.

 

She pulled an herbal salve from her bedside drawer and applied it to the child’s wounds before leaving the room.

 

The inside of the house was as neat and organized as the outside.

 

The dining table was covered with a green checkered tablecloth, the plates were arranged neatly, and the yellow flowers were in an old vase.

 

It was Hestia’s ‘home‘ with all the signs of life.

 

“Huh, if only I could die in this.”

 

Sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, Hestia leaned over the table and spat out her habitual words.

 

If I say I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die. …….

 

Hestia’s face was exhausted. Whether it was the child, the life she had lived, or the deaths she had seen, she did not know.

 

Her eyelids drooped heavily, and she closed her eyes with a heavy thud.

 

There was so much to do, so much to think about, but time had no meaning to Hestia, and she was in no hurry.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“.…..hmm.”

 

Hestia forced her eyelids open only after a beam of light tapped against them.

 

“.…..Same thing today.”

 

It was a phrase she must have uttered a million times.

 

It’s been…… almost three hundred years since I entered this world.

 

I had long since given up counting days pointlessly, so I couldn’t even guess my age anymore.

 

Hestia sat up. It must have been well past noon, judging by the light streaming into the house. The house was surrounded by dense shade from the trees, so it was not until the middle of the day that the light came into the house.

 

“Perhaps the child is awake.”

 

Hestia cautiously opened the door to the child’s room.

 

The old iron clanked loudly in the silence. It hadn’t been this bad yesterday, but it had gotten damp again in the past few hours.

 

“How long has it been since you oiled it?”

 

Tsk. Hestia clicked her tongue low, then swung the door wide open.

 

“Huh? You’re up.”

 

The child facing her looked like a cat with sharpened fur. His golden eyes were like the sun shining down on her.

 

“Hello, child.”

 

Hestia held up her hands and stopped short, not moving any closer.

 

“I brought you to me after you fell in the woods yesterday, and I wonder if you remember anything at all?”

 

The child didn’t speak, only his golden eyes darkening as he stared at Hestia.

 

“Mmm, yes. Perhaps we should introduce ourselves? I’m Hestia, and I don’t think you’re going to tell me your name right now, but I don’t care, you can do it later if you want.”

 

“.…...”

 

Hestia smiled brightly at the child, who didn’t answer this time.

 

“I‘ll have to take another look at your wounds, but we’re all in this to survive, so let’s get something to eat, talk, whatever.”

 

And with that, Hestia walked out of the room without a second thought.

 

Leaning her back against the closed door, Hestia thought of the child again.

 

Though she had called him a child, he looked more like a boy than a child. His pronounced brow and vaguely shadowy eyes made him seem more mature.

 

But child or boy, he was just a child compared to her, and it would make no difference in what Hestia called him.

 

“Let’s eat.”

 

Hestia made sure she wasn’t afraid of the strange boy and prepared the meal as usual. The only thing that had changed was the amount of food she prepared.

 

The boy was just another blip in her endless life, or so Hestia thought until then.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“You called for me.”

 

A man with neatly swept-back green hair bowed to someone. There was a hint of irritation in his emerald eyes.

 

“Oh. Welcome. Have a seat.”

 

But the gracious gentleman across from him didn’t seem to notice his irritation.

 

“So, you think you’re up to the job of assistant foreman? If you have any problems, just say the word.”

 

As soon as the man called Deputy Leader took his seat, the good man fiddled with the insignia on his red livery.

 

It glinted.

 

The insignia glistened in the sunlight streaming through the window, the golden dragon glowing. It was the very mark of a Templar.

 

“.…..It’s something I’ve been doing for a while, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

 

“Indeed. I knew you’d say that.”

 

The man across from him smirked, but his expression didn’t change.

 

“May I ask why you called me here?”

 

The man’s tone was formal, but his words held no respect for the other man.

 

“Oh, right. I’ll cut to the chase. I need you to do something for me.”

 

Meanness flashed across the face of the man who was supposed to be a Templar but had none of the swagger of one.

 

“.…...”

 

“I‘m sure you’ve heard of our poor Second Prince, and it breaks my heart to see him suffer so much at such a young age.”

 

Contempt flashed in the emerald eyes that had been so dull.

 

“So let us help the Second Prince rest in peace, which of course means…….”

 

The Templar pointed upward with his index finger.

 

“It also means high places.”

 

He chuckled as if this was no big deal.

 

His smile faded.

 

“I don’t think that’s my job.”

 

What came back was a determined toss, with no wiggle room. As if, no matter what he said, the answer was set in stone.

 

“I am a knight who wields a sword for the Empire, not a tool for personal gain, and if a knight must do such a thing…….”

 

The vice-captain clicked his tongue in a low, uncharacteristically muffled voice.

 

“What’s the difference between that and a municipal job?”

 

And he spoke quietly to him as if he were addressing the Templar.

 

The Templar looked dazed, wondering if he had misheard.

 

“Hehe, even the Empress addresses you as an individual, so you’re just like the Deputy Grandmaster, just like the Deputy Grandmaster!”

 

He then burst out laughing.

 

The man’s previously impassive brow twitched at the unpleasant sound that filled the room.

 

The Templar laughed for a moment, then spoke again.

 

“I knew you would. I wanted to be your deputy so I could see this far ahead.”

 

“If you’ve finished, I’ll leave you to it, for I have much to attend to.”

 

The deputy pretended not to hear him and started to stand up, but the Templar stopped him.

 

“Very well, then.”

 

With a thud, the heavy body fell onto his back. A trace of laughter lingered on his thick-fleshed face.

 

“Find the Second Prince, the future of the Empire, so that he may return safely to the palace. Isn’t that the job of our knights? I command you as First Knight Commander.”

 

The emerald eyes sunk coldly. The man’s fists clenched so tightly that his blood rushed to his knuckles.

 

“Your orders, I will carry them out.”

 

He spoke in his usual sterile tone and turned away.

 

The man grabbed the doorknob and was just about to turn.

 

“Ah. As one who has lived longer than you, I have some advice.”

 

The Templar clicked his tongue at the man and spoke in a patronizing tone.

 

“If you stay straight, you’ll break.”

 

His hand tightened on the doorknob.

 

There was no longer any sign of the man he had once admired. Only an ugly human being, sickened by the taste of power and greed.

 

His pale green eyes were filled with unconcealed irritation and contempt.

 

“.…..Thanks for the advice, sir.”

 

He finished meekly, trying to suppress them.

 

Dulcock.

 

As he pushed open the door to his office, one of the knights waiting outside recognized him.

 

“You don’t look well, sir.”

 

To others, he looked unremarkable, but the knight who had served him for years was quick to recognize his mood.

 

“Ming. I’m looking for the Second Prince …….”

 

“I‘ll be ready.”

 

The deputy’s order was short, and the knight who heard it left without asking any questions.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

With a hiss, the door opened with an old clank, and Hestia reappeared in the room.

 

The boy curled into a tight ball, his hands clutching the covers. He was alert and ready to flee at any moment.

 

Hestia smiled brightly at him.

 

“I specially roasted a sparrow, don’t you think it smells good?”

 

Her tone was girlish and out of place.

 

A small curiosity peeked through the boy’s sharp guard.

 

“Oh, you can leave without eating if you like, though it’s mating season for wild boars, so it’s best to stay away from them…….”

 

Turning to the boy, who still seemed unmoved, Hestia shrugged and took a step away from the doorway.

 

“You’re free to leave, but the exit is that way, and if you do, I want you to go as far as you can. I don’t want to make any more graves. It’s a lot of work.”

 

The boy’s body twitched as he saw Hestia reach out and point to the exit. He seemed to be debating whether to run or not.

 

At that moment.

 

Kaaang!!!

 

The forest shook with the ferocious cry of a beast. The fluttering of birds’ wings as they rushed to feed added to the terror of the unseen presence.

 

The boy’s eyes widened, alert and fearful, and he huddled in the corner of the bed, looking around urgently.

 

“What’s wrong, ……I’m kicking you out of my house.”

 

Hestia mumbled something to no one in particular, her discomfort evident.