115. The Great Forest (6)
I found out. It had seen not my child, but the me that lay beyond.
From the moment I bore a child, I had known this day would come—but I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
Unlike when I pulled Black Wolf from a parallel world, this was something of an entirely different magnitude. I’d long expected it would occur one day. And even if I were discovered, it would not disrupt my plan.
After all, I had only ever acted as a bystander and a drifter. This star would not disappear. Even if it had developed abnormally due to me, the veil that concealed it remained intact—and that veil was still holding strong.
Even if my true form bordered on omnipotence, it was not without flaws. And since I had once been that true form, I had simply exploited its flaws.
The veil blanketing the surface of the star served to conceal the continent’s abnormal rate of development while simultaneously displaying a fast-progressing civilization that wouldn’t arouse the true body’s suspicion.
Give it a few hundred years, and the veil’s progression speed would catch up to that of the continent it hid. When that time came, the veil would naturally lift. By then, I would no longer be here.
That was fine. The continent could now sustain itself without me. In a few thousand years, humankind would finally part from its nanny god and the cradle of maternal care, setting sail for the vast, cold sea of stars.
I had hoped to bid them farewell with my own hands. But that would likely prove impossible.
Before that, I would either be retrieved or eliminated by the true body. I did not feel sorrow or resentment. Merely regret—that I would no longer be able to see it through.
I severed the line connected to my child and turned my gaze to the many mirrors around me. The conditions were identical to when I had rescued Black Wolf—no remarkable results still.
I had simulated countless times the scenario in which humanity, after being improved beyond its primitive body, reclaimed its free will. So many simulations, in fact, that it became foolish to count.
The result was always the same.
Destruction.
Fragmented into countless nations, repeating conflict; flailing in the face of disaster; advancing weapons instead of science; depleting resources; lacking the technology to deflect asteroid collisions.
Abandoning progress, regressing civilization; swept up in self-destructive religions and ideologies; undone by creations they could no longer control—among countless other reasons.
It was what happened when they were allowed to act freely, without a single powerful unifying force. There were some optimistic projections, but far too few to stake everything on.
Even those didn’t compare to the current status quo.
Even my child seemed unable to find a definitive answer. And after fleeing, Canaan had remained completely silent.
I’d even summoned an outsider, wondering if one might hold the answer—
…but my child had blended far too much to be called an outsider anymore.
Someone from the outside world had written a work of imagination that happened to align with this one, creating a pathway for the summoned—but even that one seemed to have no clear answer.
I couldn’t wait for Canaan’s answer forever. Regrettably, I would have to remove her. Luckily, her partner had finished tidying up the continent, so I could give him the heads-up.
That beyond this world, there were those who would soon raise their swords against us.
***
A mass of soldiers charged through the darkness. Despite carrying gear, they moved with inhuman speed, vaulting over obstacles as they followed a single man’s lead.
“Captain. Wake up. I see the forest ahead. We’re almost there.”
A soldier behind him spoke up, but the man at the front replied irritably.
“…Mm. Huh? Ahem, I know, damn it. I’ve got eyes too.”
“You fell asleep running last time and slammed into a wall. What kind of subordinate would I be if I let you make the same mistake again?”
“Hey, hey, that was ages ago… You think I’m a kid who’d repeat the same mistake? Commander sir, how are the others doing?”
“Don’t change the subject, Captain. You almost tripped on a rock just now.”
“…Okay, that was close. Sheesh, fine. Hey, boys! Can you still keep running?”
The man gave up arguing and turned to check on his troops. Running nonstop for twenty-four hours would be extreme for most beastfolk.
“No problem, sir!”
The booming reply made the man grin. Of course—no one here was “most beastfolk.”
Even his old commander was going strong. That confirmed it.
“Alright, then today—we meet the lady. Crush anything in your way, but don’t kill! Move out, beasts! The lady is waiting!”
With the sound of the wind being torn, the figures vanished into the shadows.
***
When I traced the source of the noise, I found Black Wolf staging a hostage situation with a group of guards in tow.
…You’ve got to be kidding me. I caught a whiff of a familiar scent and ran over in a hurry, only to discover the exact worst-case scenario had already unfolded.
Dogeon had tried to follow me, but I told him to stay behind and strode straight up to Black Wolf. This time, I couldn’t just let it go.
“…So, you're telling me you rampaged your way here, destroying everything in your path. That’s what you're saying right now?”
I confronted him sternly, visibly annoyed. But as usual, he responded shamelessly.
“Yes, Milady. I assure you, not a single fatality occurred en route to base.”
He said this while holding an elf in his arms—covered in blood.
Looking around, there were elves watching the guards warily, along with some Amaurus Academy security staff.
But none dared approach. Judging by the sword marks on the ground, Black Wolf had likely given them quite the scare.
“Black Wolf. I told you… it was fine to arrive late, as long as it was peaceful. What in the world is this mess?”
There was no way to see this as “peaceful.” He’d just coughed—and blood came out with his sneeze. This is exactly why I begged him not to…
“Everyone’s still alive. That’s fairly peaceful, wouldn’t you say? Even if Her Highness believes it’s fine to be late, our top priority is your safety. Being late simply wasn’t an option.”
Well, he’s got a way with words.
I get that he rushed when we went to the academy because being late was unacceptable. But this time was different. I wasn’t unguarded.
I knew that to him, my mother and father’s orders came before mine, but if this caused a diplomatic incident, the continent itself could be in serious trouble. That had to be avoided.
I didn’t like it, but that didn’t mean I wanted them all dead. I’d come to realize people here lived just like we did.
“…Release them. I won’t say it twice, Captain of the Guard.”
Now what… Should I bow to him or something? My head was already aching, but first I had to end this ridiculous hostage situation.
Thankfully, Black Wolf let go of the elf he was holding. The poor thing collapsed immediately, unable to stand, but was quickly taken away by other elves.
The hostage incident was over. Now how do we resolve this standoff?
The solution was obvious, but… I didn’t want to say it. Not because I’d be “losing,” but because it went against everything Father had taught me.
Still, our side was in the wrong, so I had to apologize.
“…I deeply apologize for the actions of my guards. I am sorry. You all have shown nothing but respect—I have no excuse.”
Apologizing doesn’t kill anyone. I bowed my head to the academy and the elves. The guards behind me stirred a little, but I shot them a look that said, This is because of you.
I told them they could take their time as long as they didn’t cause trouble.
“…Ah, no, Your Highness. Please raise your head. It’s not you who should be apologizing, it’s them!”
“Your Highness! You need not bow to those people!”
The tense atmosphere that had been on the verge of boiling over dissolved the moment I bowed—everyone started shouting for me to lift my head.
Oh, whatever. You’re the ones who’ll be in trouble—not me.
“Now, now, Lady Hoyeon. Please raise your head. No matter how regretful you are, there are positions in which one simply must not bow.”
In that chaos, Dogeon leapt forward to offer advice.
Looking back, maybe I’d acted too rashly. This was a world where social hierarchy actually existed.
Well, I suppose in a continent that put such weight on pride and rank, that made sense. I did as Dogeon suggested and raised my head again.
The commotion died down a bit, but all eyes were still on me. Dogeon, ever sharp, quickly surveyed the scene and stepped in to mediate.
“Everyone. Before we draw further conclusions, why don’t we hear why they felt the need to come here—even spilling blood?”
No one asked who are you to say that—they all saw me heed his advice.
He skillfully led the conversation, doing his best to find a compromise. Thankfully, neither side was unreasonable, and they managed to talk it out.
After a lengthy debate, it was concluded that the guards were more at fault. The chaos on the way would be overlooked, but their actions here would be held accountable.
As a result, the guards were ordered to act as both security and laborers.
Black Wolf looked a little dissatisfied as he departed, but hey—no one forced you to punch your way in here.
“…Well, it seems things are wrapped up somewhat cleanly. With folks like that standing guard, we won’t have anything to worry about, I suppose.”
“They’re rough around the edges, but their skill is guaranteed. I’ll vouch for them. You’ve done well. Want a reward?”
“No, I didn’t do it expecting anything. But if I had to accept something… Well then, how about we find something fun to do indoors?”
That didn’t sound like something Dogeon would usually say, so I was a little surprised. But I decided to go along with him.
We ended up playing things like “Guess what I drew with paper and pen,” or tracing letters on each other’s backs and guessing the word…
Both games were awkward and clumsy—but it was a fun time.
And the next day… Dogeon was gone.