Side story episode 1
The forests of Duchzan were always bone-chillingly cold. Forest animals were always seen hiding in the leaves, fluffing up their fur to shield themselves from the wind.
I looked down at Silian, who was walking diligently while holding my hand on my right, and asked worriedly.
"Cold?"
But Silian shook his head briskly. I'd cast a spell to create a warm atmosphere between us, so it wouldn't be that cold. But Silian's small hands were trembling slightly, so I asked again.
“Then are you scared?”
Silian shook his head, but it was weaker than before. Then, he lifted his round cheek and looked at me pitifully. I knelt before Silian and spread one arm.
“Come here, Mommy will hug you.”
Then, Silian hesitated and shook his head again.
"No."
"Why?"
“Sillian is all grown up. I'm heavy.”
“Mom can still hold Silian when you grow up to be as big as Dad.”
Silian finally burst out laughing, perhaps because the remark was so funny. Even to me, Julian seemed like a very large man, and to Silian, he must have seemed like a giant.
I tapped Silian's nose with my index finger and laughed along with him before asking again.
“Then should we just go back home?”
Silian shook his head again.
“I want to see what’s in the fairy tale book...”
A scene from a storybook Julian had read to him recently clearly struck a chord with Silian. Silian kept saying he wanted to see it with his own eyes, and I finally promised to show it to him.
If there is one problem...
“Can’t I bring Dad too?”
“Well, that won’t work, right?”
There was no way Julian would allow me and Silian to go out this late at night to see 'that'. So I sneaked out of the bedroom without Julian knowing and took Silian out into the forest alone.
In truth, nothing was dangerous. I was knighted, excelled in swordsmanship, and, having recovered my memories of my past life, even gained access to magic. So, even if someone were to chase me with a sword, or if we encountered a monster, I could be confident they wouldn't touch a single hair on my head or Silian's.
Yet, Julian still worried about me walking alone at night, about going anywhere even slightly dangerous. He justified it by saying I didn't possess the brute strength he possessed. He wouldn't listen to me even if I told him no one in the world was as strong as I was.
I clenched my fist in front of Silian, then slowly opened it. Inside it was a light much smaller than my fist. It circled around us and then took the lead.
“How is it? It’s not scary anymore, is it?”
Only then did Silian look at me with a bright smile. I hugged him tightly, then took his hand and walked forward.
A small light still shone ahead of us. We could clearly see small animals approaching with curious eyes and then scattering away. Silian pointed at them and laughed heartily.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at a lake nestled in the forest. Moonlight filtered through the trees, forming a faint outline. My magic ball advanced toward it. The surface of the lake began to brighten.
“Layla! Silian!”
A deep voice echoed through the forest, and startled birds soared into the sky. The sight of dark shadows blocking the moonlight was terrifying, but what frightened Silian even more was the voice's owner.
Silian held my hand tightly and asked worriedly.
“I think Dad is very angry.”
But I wasn't scared at all. More than scared, I felt sorry. Julian's voice was dark, but not filled with anger. Rather, it was filled with fear.
I quickly picked up Silian to reassure him and turned my light towards the sound.
“Julian! This way!”
Not long after that shout, Julian appeared in a flash of light. He emerged from a gap in the trees, riding a horse as black as his hair. Perhaps because Julian had driven so roughly, the horse was extremely excited.
Just as I was gathering gentle magic in my hands to soothe the horse, Julian dismounted and embraced Silian in one swift embrace. His massive embrace blocked my vision, but the familiar scent of his body hid me from fear. I buried my nose in his chest and whispered.
“Are you surprised?”
Julian's heart fluttered at my natural, sweet voice.
“...I looked for you for a long time.”
“Dad, I feel suffocated.”
Silian whined in a hoarse voice. Julian, in response, jerked back somewhat hastily. However, the distance wasn't too far. He remained close, glancing back and forth between Silian and me.
Julian reached out with both hands and took Silian from me. Silian, too, seemed to find Julian's embrace more spacious and comfortable than mine, and he seemed to move in without any hesitation.
“I thought you would be fine, sleeping soundly.”
"How could I possibly sleep without my wife? Why on earth would you two go out at this hour of the night? Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I heard this from the butler?"
Julian spoke ten times longer than usual, as if trying to scold me. I was prepared for this, so I just lowered my head and rolled my eyes. But unlike in the past, I had an angelic son.
“Dad, don’t scold Mom.”
Silian spoke earnestly, still held in Julian's arms. Julian looked down at Silian, his face already weakened. Silian placed a hand on his father's shoulder and spoke bluntly.
"I begged to come out. My mom repeatedly told me it was dangerous and that I should wait until I was older, but I couldn't wait until I was older. Turning seven was hard enough."
At the mention that turning seven was difficult, Julian fell silent for a moment, seemingly speechless.
But time seemed to pass terribly slowly for a child. Instead of talking about it, Julian asked about something else.
“What on earth were you trying to get your mom to do?”
It was the moment Julian asked that question. The lakeside where Julian, I, and Silian stood began to slowly brighten. A small ball of light poked its head out from a nearby tree, soaked with moisture.
Silian's eyes widened, and she looked around. Julian, on the other hand, seemed wary of this situation and pulled me by the shoulder. I placed my hand on Julian's and smiled.
“It’s a wood fairy.”
Despite their name, Wood Fairies were fairies made of light. They were given this name because they lived hidden in tree trunks.
They loved trees, soaking up moisture, and at night, they would emerge from the trees and float through the air. Their beauty was so striking that they were a constant presence in fairy tales and romance novels.
The wood fairy had also appeared in a storybook Julian had read to Silian a few months ago. Julian seemed to slowly begin to understand how this had happened. He cocked his eyebrows and sighed.
“Dad, are you mad at Silian?”
“I’m not angry.”
"Actually, Silian wanted to come with Dad, too. But her mom said you would never allow it..."
At those words, Julian's hand on my shoulder tightened slightly. I turned my head with a "yikes" expression.
But Julian, perhaps realizing he was partly at fault for the situation, gently patted my shoulder. Only then did I look at him and smile brightly.
"Even Julian thinks it's pretty, right? It's a sight worth seeing at least once. Wood fairies are a type of monster, but they never harm people."
At my words, Julian gazed at the wood fairy flying through the air. Even for him, who always toiled in his office, this sight must have been beautiful.
Julian, for a rare moment, lost his words and stared at the orb of light above the water. Light and darkness coexisted on Julian's pale face.
Silian was more focused than ever, perhaps fascinated by his father's face. I gazed at the wealthy man with a sense of satisfaction.
"Dad."
Silian called out to Julian in a determined voice, as if he had made up his mind about something. Julian looked at Silian with a kind face.
“Do you like that light?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
“Because it’s bright?”
At the child's brief question, Julian nodded with a smile, showing no sign of annoyance. Silian furrowed his brow, as if pondering the matter, then stretched one hand into the air.
Then, a small light appeared in the center of the lake. It was a bright white light like the sun, different from the soft glow of the Wood Fairy.
“Sili...”
The moment I was about to say something, the light began to swell rapidly, without a moment's pause. In an instant, it became as huge and bright as the sun in the sky.
I stared at the light gradually rising into the sky, unaware that it was dazzling, and then I snapped my knuckles toward the light, making a sound.
Then, in an instant, the light disappeared, and my face darkened as if by magic. It wasn't simply the light that disappeared.
“Layla.”
At the sound of Julian calling me, I quickly cleared my throat. Then I smiled brightly again and gently rubbed Silian's cheeks.
"Oh, Silian. It's so dazzling. I think the fairies got scared and ran away. Should we go home now?"
Silian thought something was off, but he didn't lose his temper because his mother was smiling.
Julian helped Silian and me mount his horses, then he took the reins and began to ride out of the forest. I held Silian tightly on the horse's back, feeling so anxious I couldn't even look up at the sky.
The forests of Duchzan were always bone-chillingly cold. Forest animals were always seen hiding in the leaves, fluffing up their fur to shield themselves from the wind.
I looked down at Silian, who was walking diligently while holding my hand on my right, and asked worriedly.
"Cold?"
But Silian shook his head briskly. I'd cast a spell to create a warm atmosphere between us, so it wouldn't be that cold. But Silian's small hands were trembling slightly, so I asked again.
“Then are you scared?”
Silian shook his head, but it was weaker than before. Then, he lifted his round cheek and looked at me pitifully. I knelt before Silian and spread one arm.
“Come here, Mommy will hug you.”
Then, Silian hesitated and shook his head again.
"No."
"Why?"
“Sillian is all grown up. I'm heavy.”
“Mom can still hold Silian when you grow up to be as big as Dad.”
Silian finally burst out laughing, perhaps because the remark was so funny. Even to me, Julian seemed like a very large man, and to Silian, he must have seemed like a giant.
I tapped Silian's nose with my index finger and laughed along with him before asking again.
“Then should we just go back home?”
Silian shook his head again.
“I want to see what’s in the fairy tale book...”
A scene from a storybook Julian had read to him recently clearly struck a chord with Silian. Silian kept saying he wanted to see it with his own eyes, and I finally promised to show it to him.
If there is one problem...
“Can’t I bring Dad too?”
“Well, that won’t work, right?”
There was no way Julian would allow me and Silian to go out this late at night to see 'that'. So I sneaked out of the bedroom without Julian knowing and took Silian out into the forest alone.
In truth, nothing was dangerous. I was knighted, excelled in swordsmanship, and, having recovered my memories of my past life, even gained access to magic. So, even if someone were to chase me with a sword, or if we encountered a monster, I could be confident they wouldn't touch a single hair on my head or Silian's.
Yet, Julian still worried about me walking alone at night, about going anywhere even slightly dangerous. He justified it by saying I didn't possess the brute strength he possessed. He wouldn't listen to me even if I told him no one in the world was as strong as I was.
I clenched my fist in front of Silian, then slowly opened it. Inside it was a light much smaller than my fist. It circled around us and then took the lead.
“How is it? It’s not scary anymore, is it?”
Only then did Silian look at me with a bright smile. I hugged him tightly, then took his hand and walked forward.
A small light still shone ahead of us. We could clearly see small animals approaching with curious eyes and then scattering away. Silian pointed at them and laughed heartily.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at a lake nestled in the forest. Moonlight filtered through the trees, forming a faint outline. My magic ball advanced toward it. The surface of the lake began to brighten.
“Layla! Silian!”
A deep voice echoed through the forest, and startled birds soared into the sky. The sight of dark shadows blocking the moonlight was terrifying, but what frightened Silian even more was the voice's owner.
Silian held my hand tightly and asked worriedly.
“I think Dad is very angry.”
But I wasn't scared at all. More than scared, I felt sorry. Julian's voice was dark, but not filled with anger. Rather, it was filled with fear.
I quickly picked up Silian to reassure him and turned my light towards the sound.
“Julian! This way!”
Not long after that shout, Julian appeared in a flash of light. He emerged from a gap in the trees, riding a horse as black as his hair. Perhaps because Julian had driven so roughly, the horse was extremely excited.
Just as I was gathering gentle magic in my hands to soothe the horse, Julian dismounted and embraced Silian in one swift embrace. His massive embrace blocked my vision, but the familiar scent of his body hid me from fear. I buried my nose in his chest and whispered.
“Are you surprised?”
Julian's heart fluttered at my natural, sweet voice.
“...I looked for you for a long time.”
“Dad, I feel suffocated.”
Silian whined in a hoarse voice. Julian, in response, jerked back somewhat hastily. However, the distance wasn't too far. He remained close, glancing back and forth between Silian and me.
Julian reached out with both hands and took Silian from me. Silian, too, seemed to find Julian's embrace more spacious and comfortable than mine, and he seemed to move in without any hesitation.
“I thought you would be fine, sleeping soundly.”
"How could I possibly sleep without my wife? Why on earth would you two go out at this hour of the night? Do you have any idea how shocked I was when I heard this from the butler?"
Julian spoke ten times longer than usual, as if trying to scold me. I was prepared for this, so I just lowered my head and rolled my eyes. But unlike in the past, I had an angelic son.
“Dad, don’t scold Mom.”
Silian spoke earnestly, still held in Julian's arms. Julian looked down at Silian, his face already weakened. Silian placed a hand on his father's shoulder and spoke bluntly.
"I begged to come out. My mom repeatedly told me it was dangerous and that I should wait until I was older, but I couldn't wait until I was older. Turning seven was hard enough."
At the mention that turning seven was difficult, Julian fell silent for a moment, seemingly speechless.
But time seemed to pass terribly slowly for a child. Instead of talking about it, Julian asked about something else.
“What on earth were you trying to get your mom to do?”
It was the moment Julian asked that question. The lakeside where Julian, I, and Silian stood began to slowly brighten. A small ball of light poked its head out from a nearby tree, soaked with moisture.
Silian's eyes widened, and she looked around. Julian, on the other hand, seemed wary of this situation and pulled me by the shoulder. I placed my hand on Julian's and smiled.
“It’s a wood fairy.”
Despite their name, Wood Fairies were fairies made of light. They were given this name because they lived hidden in tree trunks.
They loved trees, soaking up moisture, and at night, they would emerge from the trees and float through the air. Their beauty was so striking that they were a constant presence in fairy tales and romance novels.
The wood fairy had also appeared in a storybook Julian had read to Silian a few months ago. Julian seemed to slowly begin to understand how this had happened. He cocked his eyebrows and sighed.
“Dad, are you mad at Silian?”
“I’m not angry.”
"Actually, Silian wanted to come with Dad, too. But her mom said you would never allow it..."
At those words, Julian's hand on my shoulder tightened slightly. I turned my head with a "yikes" expression.
But Julian, perhaps realizing he was partly at fault for the situation, gently patted my shoulder. Only then did I look at him and smile brightly.
"Even Julian thinks it's pretty, right? It's a sight worth seeing at least once. Wood fairies are a type of monster, but they never harm people."
At my words, Julian gazed at the wood fairy flying through the air. Even for him, who always toiled in his office, this sight must have been beautiful.
Julian, for a rare moment, lost his words and stared at the orb of light above the water. Light and darkness coexisted on Julian's pale face.
Silian was more focused than ever, perhaps fascinated by his father's face. I gazed at the wealthy man with a sense of satisfaction.
"Dad."
Silian called out to Julian in a determined voice, as if he had made up his mind about something. Julian looked at Silian with a kind face.
“Do you like that light?”
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
“Because it’s bright?”
At the child's brief question, Julian nodded with a smile, showing no sign of annoyance. Silian furrowed his brow, as if pondering the matter, then stretched one hand into the air.
Then, a small light appeared in the center of the lake. It was a bright white light like the sun, different from the soft glow of the Wood Fairy.
“Sili...”
The moment I was about to say something, the light began to swell rapidly, without a moment's pause. In an instant, it became as huge and bright as the sun in the sky.
I stared at the light gradually rising into the sky, unaware that it was dazzling, and then I snapped my knuckles toward the light, making a sound.
Then, in an instant, the light disappeared, and my face darkened as if by magic. It wasn't simply the light that disappeared.
“Layla.”
At the sound of Julian calling me, I quickly cleared my throat. Then I smiled brightly again and gently rubbed Silian's cheeks.
"Oh, Silian. It's so dazzling. I think the fairies got scared and ran away. Should we go home now?"
Silian thought something was off, but he didn't lose his temper because his mother was smiling.
Julian helped Silian and me mount his horses, then he took the reins and began to ride out of the forest. I held Silian tightly on the horse's back, feeling so anxious I couldn't even look up at the sky.
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