The day of the promise is approaching.
It is the time when Dylan has promised to come find him.
It would be a lie to say there is no anxiety or nervousness, but he still has some relief left.
Because she has promised to help him.
“Hey, Third, has nothing happened all day? How’s your shoulder?”
“Ah, Master. You came……”
As he reacted to the voice calling him, he abruptly stiffened upon seeing the woman accompanying him.
“Ah, hello.”
The blonde-haired Forest Keeper smiled shyly and waved her hand.
At that moment, Third thought.
A Forest Keeper? A Forest Keeper, you say? Could it be that Master meant for me to survive by ‘surrendering’ to her……?
It is hard to believe.
Such a development has never happened before.
Regardless, he is a circler, and if the Forest Keeper has figured that out, he would be arrested without a chance to escape.
That wouldn’t be a solution, would it?
If he recited his criminal history, it would likely mean he could never leave prison until he died, which is the same as handing himself over to Dylan.
Third asked with a trembling voice.
“Th-That person is…?”
“Ah, that’s what I wanted to say.”
Luke laughed nonchalantly as he explained.
“Since I am in the body of a young child, I am not exactly suitable to ‘persuade’ someone, am I?”
Luke acknowledged that his body looked young to others, and while appearing like a child is certainly advantageous for making requests or favors, he also knew that it does not help much in logically persuading someone.
“So I brought a trustworthy adult with me.”
“A trustworthy adult…? Is that so?”
“Yes, she is my ‘guardian.’”
Luke nodded confidently.
“…Ah! I see!”
At that, Third had a flash of insight.
He had struggled to understand that the Forest Keeper was her guardian, but if her organization was colluding with ‘Forest Keepers,’ it would make sense.
Could it be that even public authority can be used as her means?
Such collusion was common in the past, but after several major incidents and exposures, the current reality is that such collusions have been almost eradicated due to the public servant oversight system and various legal revisions. Yet she has the Forest Keeper on her side, wielding her like an extension of herself.
Third nodded as if he finally understood.
Given her abilities, it’s not that strange after all.
Seeing Third’s expression brighten, Yerna thought it must be because he was in dire need of help, and she smiled to herself.
It feels good, as if she is doing something fulfilling.
“I will make sure to talk to Third so that he doesn’t get hurt.”
“Talk…? You mean?”
“Yes, talk. Depending on the situation, I may have to persuade him differently.”
“Hm……”
As Yerna raised her fist, ignited with determination, Third, feeling somehow anxious, whispered to Luke.
“Um, does she really understand my situation properly?”
“Of course, I’ve already explained it to her sufficiently.”
Luke nodded with confidence.
They had exchanged expected reactions and logical responses for several hours last night.
She would likely do well.
If she spoke properly, that bright smile and lively demeanor would be a expression of confidence.
However, Third still wore a subtle expression.
“But… can she handle it on her own?”
“Well, of course. I probably won’t even need to step in and say anything. She’s a woman with quite a bit of experience.”
In modern society, Yerna’s life experience is undoubtedly vastly superior to his.
Moreover, when it comes to persuading someone, she might have enough weapons to handle it on her own, and he might not be necessary.
“If that’s the case, I have nothing to say…”
Well, she is still a Forest Keeper able to dig through Proytin’s past and remains unscathed.
Her reference to having ‘lots of experience’ carries significant weight.
Furthermore, she even received the acknowledgement of his master, so…
“So, you can just relax.”
“Understood.”
Third nodded.
———
“No, but if I don’t go…”
Yerna pressed down on Third as he attempted to rise from his seat.
“It’s fine, just rest.”
“Right, she’s right. You don’t need to worry, so just wait calmly.”
“But I’ll be needed!”
“Not necessarily.”
Even with permanent employment, that would be a fundamentally flawed hiring practice and illegal, so there is no need for Third, the party involved, to go, and if it’s proven that he lost his memory from incidents with Circles, it could be resolved with a settlement.
However, it seemed that Third was obsessively convinced he must go himself, so he was reassured that he could call if needed, and told to wait at home.
“…Understood.”
“Good, you made a wise decision. If you get hungry, feel free to grab anything from the fridge.”
“Yes…”
After a persistent debate, Third accepted that ‘he would not be of help’ and lowered his head.
After all, a fool like him, a circler wielding public authority, would only disrupt the site with traces of magic.
He can’t cast precise spells that leave no traces of magic, unlike his master.
At this moment, he could only lament his weakness.
With a click, the door closed, leaving Third alone.
He stared at the door where they had disappeared for a while, then lay flat on the floor.
“It’s all because I’m weak.”
He needs strength.
Overwhelming strength, like his master.
His clenched fist trembled slightly, burning with the drive.
-Growl…
“Ah.”
Now that he thinks about it, when was the last time he had a proper meal?
Lately, he has had too many concerns to manage.
“…The fridge.”
He was told to eat anything he found inside…
He knows how shameful it is, but there is no alternative.
If he doesn’t eat, he will die.
Reluctantly opening the fridge, he discovered a neatly prepared lunchbox with a note saying, ‘Enjoy your meal!’
“…What in the world is this?”
——
Thus, Third was left at Yerna’s house.
He opted to leave it there, fearing that they might come to his place and wanting to speak for a moment in Yerna’s home instead of his own.
That made him realize that she is softer than her first impression suggested.
The initially prickly response seemed almost like an act…
Well, if she has gone through a similar growing process as Luke, it’s normal for her to become passive like that.
Anyone exposed to experiments, losing memories, and the malice of society since childhood would likely end up that way.
It is truly remarkable how Luke managed to overcome it all.
Sigh, how did it come to such a black company…
Yerna sighed deeply and unfolded the paper that Third handed her, which had the ‘meeting place’ written on it.
“Hmm, Rienne Forest.”
“What kind of place is that?”
“It’s an ordinary forest. But thanks to monsters being drawn to Luke Forest nearby, it’s relatively safe. Thus, quite a few research facilities and private residences have been established to utilize the forest’s mana.”
“I see.”
I wonder what shape facilities like that take in a forest instead of a city?
With a sense of anticipation, Luke climbed into the car.
———
Upon arrival, the first sight was the ‘city walls.’
Standing about 10-12 meters tall, it was a traditional architectural style following a cylindrical tower linked by walls.
Luke felt slightly disappointed at the sight, but simultaneously relieved.
It was similar to the walls of the lord’s castle where he once lived.
“This looks pretty sturdy.”
“Indeed.”
Yerna, inspecting the structure and material of the city walls, thought, ‘This might be at least MF grade.’
All facilities built in forests must prepare for monsters, and in modern society, buildings incorporate pest-resistant designs for that preparation.
The units start from the common MA level, progressing up to MB, MC, MD grades, and MF level means it could withstand most monster waves without a flinch.
In specific terms, their performance makes it difficult for even an ogre or cyclops to bring them down with all its strength.
This is a level that wouldn’t be out of place being referred to as a bunker instead of a research facility.
“But this is a bit excessive for a forest.”
Such defense isn’t necessarily needed for a standard research facility.
There’s something off about it…
Is this really just an office for a pharmaceutical facility?
However, Luke approached the city walls, running his hands along the surfaces, looking nostalgic.
He seemed somewhat saddened.
Seeing this, Yerna cautiously walked up to Luke and asked.
“Luke, what’s wrong? Did something bad come to mind?”
Luke nodded.
If it’s a bad memory, it certainly is.
“Seeing such a sturdy wall reminds me of the first time I felt ‘sorrow.’ I used to live behind robust walls like these.”
Luke continued to caress the city walls as he spoke.
“…Really?”
“Maybe it was winter. There was a famine, and everyone was starving—adults, children, slaves, and livestock alike.”
Was it due to the influence of the Demon King and the Demon Realm? There was an unprecedented famine.
The land became a horrifying situation as food dwindled.
With the overall shortage of provisions, animals starved to death, and in the end, cannibalism became rampant as there was nothing to eat.
A mother would eat her child and gnaw on the corpses of those who starved to death right beside her.
It was hell itself.
“I continued my research, aiming to overcome that dire situation… but there was ultimately no solution.”
No matter how much magic was used, it was impossible to materialize non-existent food from thin air.
Moreover, the young Luke had not amassed as much knowledge as he has now.
Ultimately, all experiments had to end in failure.
“In the end, countless lives died like livestock. The young me was so helpless. That was the first sadness I ever felt.”
From that event, Luke learned helplessness and sorrow.
“Haha, I remember. That was probably the first time I cried.”
He felt the bitterness of helplessness and sorrow towards the hellish reality.
Perhaps because it coincided with a sensitive time in his growth, Luke cried that day even with a cold heart.
“So perhaps that’s why I worked so tirelessly.”
If that event hadn’t happened, he might have turned into a third-rate mage who was arrogant and only relied on his talent without any real effort.
Yet, thinking that his current self was forged from that tragedy brings a slight sense of bitterness.
“Well, nowadays, that’s all just a past memory.”
The selfish, arrogant, and cold mage feeling emotion was undoubtedly due to the influences of Renie and Kail.
That memory and those feelings remain nostalgic for Luke.
However, after hearing the sequential stories, Yerna could not think the same way.
Mentioning slaves and livestock while describing hunger, referring to the continuous experiments, and recalling memories so sorrowful that he cried…
It seemed a scene was forming in Yerna’s mind.
‘Did he grow up like a slave, unable to eat properly and suffering from daily experiments?’
“Lu…”
How can Luke smile so calmly while harboring such memories?
