Winter in the Karun Mountains.
During the day, it is not a particularly dangerous area.
Since most monsters are nocturnal and do not come out of the magic realms, and mountain beasts are hibernating, the only real threat to humans is the steep slopes.
“We arrived quickly.”
Upon reaching the middle peak and looking down, the Duchy Territory is visible.
Being at such a height, the view is quite beautiful.
“Are we doing it here?”
In response to my question, Epherna draws a spell.
Detection Magic.
Epherna’s mana spreads out in all directions from her, covering approximately 600 meters.
This tedious task, which has been ongoing for three days, finally showed its results today.
“We’ve got it.”
Epherna takes my hand, and immediately, we teleport.
The scenery changes in an instant.
We arrive at the hot spring we had visited a few days ago. There, the young girl we were searching for is soaking.
“Why do you keep looking for me?”
Of course, she is wrapped in a large towel.
The girl expresses her dissatisfaction as she removes her monocle.
“It’s quite bothersome that it doesn’t get picked up by the detection. What exactly do you want?”
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
“What is it? Just to let you know, I can’t answer anything that violates the laws of causality.”
“I understand.”
Through the information Epherna received from Simon, she had been researching the Karun Mountains for several days.
Simultaneously, Epherna developed two curiosities from the stories about the Witch and the Prophet.
One is a curiosity that she must know.
The other is a curiosity she simply wants to satisfy, even if it’s not essential.
“Prophet, were you around since the Mythical Era?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard that during the Mythical Era, the continent was ruled separately by the World Tree, the Divine Beast, the Demon King, and the Spirit King. However, there’s little known about how that came to be. I believe you were involved in it.”
“Oh~ And?”
“What I’m about to ask is purely out of academic curiosity. May I ask?”
“As I said, I can answer as long as it doesn’t violate the laws of causality. I find you particularly interesting.”
“Then first, is everything revealed about the Mythical Era true?”
The Mythical Era.
And the rulers of that era, who were also its protectors, have their stories passed down as both fairy tales and history.
It’s said that these rulers had distinct personalities.
They were extremely opposed to any invasion of their territories, leading to frequent conflicts and an era of darkness.
This process is detailed, and scholars consider it almost canonical in their studies of the Mythical Era.
“It’s mostly true. There are some exaggerated or vague parts.”
“Are those parts the ones you were involved in?”
“Oh~ Sharp.”
“It is said that a certain god forced the four rulers to negotiate and ended the dark age. This part is presented too clearly compared to the rest. Was that god you?”
“Partially true. In the past, people called us the Gods of Time and Space.”
“So it was you.”
“Don’t go around blabbing about it. It’s a bit of a secret.”
“Is it because I’m royalty that you’re telling me?”
“Correct. I also told the little prince Elius about it once.”
The Prophet made an ‘OK’ gesture with her finger.
Having heard a sufficient answer to the first question, Epherna continued.
“I heard that you were the one who gave him his name.”
“Yes, that’s correct. To be precise, it was more of a nickname or term of endearment, but I did give it.”
“Does that mean he still doesn’t have a proper name?”
“Why do you think that?”
“You mentioned it was a nickname. So, he must still not have a proper name.”
“Well… that’s not entirely wrong.”
But.
“Could it be that he never had a name from the beginning? Living beings are born from their parents. If a being can speak, it’s natural for them to give their child a name. It would be inconvenient not to have one.”
“…He was abandoned from a young age, and he doesn’t even remember it.”
“That’s also not entirely accurate, is it? Who knows if he was raised by his parents and then abandoned?”
“So, does that mean he originally had a name?”
“I understand now.”
The Prophet made an ‘OK’ gesture with her remaining hand.
“What was his original name?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“As I said, I can’t do things that violate the laws of causality. Besides, I’m a prophet. I can’t see the past.”
“How can I find out?”
“The past is the domain of witches, but even they can’t do it. Causality applies to them as well.”
Epherna’s face grew troubled.
Finding Ern’s real name was essentially impossible unless one were to find his parents.
*****
I placed a hand on Epherna’s head.
“It’s alright. Even if we can’t find my name.”
I wondered what she was going to ask, but this was it.
After spending sleepless nights researching the Karun Mountains and using teleportation, which is limited to five times a day, to find the Prophet, the question was about my name.
It’s a bit disappointing.
“Thank you for caring.”
But it also makes me happy.
“Let’s think about the name issue later. I haven’t even been thinking about it. My current name is fine.”
Three years ago, Schneider also suggested getting a new name, but if I had made up my mind, I would have already done it.
“…Alright.”
Epherna replied sullenly. She realized that there’s no immediate way to find my name.
“If it helps, I can tell you one thing as a service.”
The Prophet stood up from the hot spring and snapped her fingers. A yellow garment instantly wrapped around her body.
She pointed at me with her index finger.
“You are of the Dragon Clan, aren’t you?”
“Half, yes.”
“Dragons were particularly dear to us. They weren’t greedy, were laid-back, and didn’t have the same obsession with territory like the rulers. They cherished their kin and family greatly, and as long as that part wasn’t touched, they were very forgiving.”
“…”
“You’re wondering what my point is, right?”
I nodded silently.
“Would the dragon kin, who cherished their family so much, really abandon you?”
“…!!”
“Your parents are alive. Ask your cousin if she remembers anything.”
“Are you saying Lea is hiding something from me?”
“That’s for you to find out. Why do you think of her as your cousin in the first place?”
“Well…”
Lea is my family. She’s my cousin.
“As I said before, why do you think you were abandoned as a newborn? How could you have a cousin if that were the case?”
“……”
“Then there’s only one answer. There are forgotten or erased memories.”
…Is that it?
Why didn’t I think of that? How could I not realize it?
“If you’re curious, ask her. You’ll find out something.”
The Prophet clapped her hands, signaling that she had said all she needed to.
With a snap, Epherna and I were teleported back to the duchy.
*****
As soon as they arrived at the Duchy Territory, Ern and Epherna went to find Lea.
They headed to the quarters where the Triaina Special Forces were staying.
After asking a servant to fetch Lea, she soon appeared.
“Commander! What brings you here?”
Lea had her mouth full of something.
On closer inspection, it was well-cooked meat.
“Were you having dinner?”
“No! It’s a snack!”
“You eat meat as a snack?”
“They gave it to me when I asked! Thanks to that, I’ve been enjoying myself! The North has a lot of meat varieties!”
From what Lea said, it seemed the Triaina Special Forces were living in luxury.
They had become friendly with the Duchy’s knights through martial exchanges, and the knights’ hospitality was expressed through protein-rich meat, enough to hold a feast.
“How much meat do they have?”
“The North is famous for its high-quality, abundant meat. It’s nothing new.”
“Is that so.”
Enough about the meat.
Ern swallowed, preparing to shift the topic to the past.
Just as he was about to start, he noticed Epherna fidgeting. Curious, he looked at her and saw she was unusually wary of Lea.
Deciding to figure that out later, Ern asked.
“Lea. You’re my cousin, right?”
“…Yes? Why do you ask suddenly?”
“I have no memory of my parents. So I shouldn’t have known if you were my cousin or not.”
Lea swallowed the meat she had in her mouth.
With a gulp, she looked troubled.
“… You’re finally asking.”
“Do you know about my parents?”
“Yes, I know a little.”
“Do you know what happened when we were children?”
“I’m not entirely sure either. My memory has been erased, just like yours, so there are a lot of unclear parts. What I do remember is calling you my cousin and playing with you, and calling your father ‘uncle’.”
So that’s why she was so certain we were cousins.
“Why didn’t you tell me until now?”
“At first, I thought you already knew. You’ve always treated me as your cousin from the beginning. As time went on, I started to find it odd, but after I transferred to the Triaina Special Forces, we hardly had any time to talk.”
That’s true.
This is the first time I’ve seen Lea in three years.
“So why are you asking about this all of a sudden?”
“While investigating to find my name, I noticed some strange things. That’s why I asked.”
“Oh… I’m sorry, but I don’t know either. From what I remember, I always called you ‘older brother’.”
“It’s alright.”
It’s enough to confirm that something is wrong with my memory and thinking. I don’t need to know exactly what happened in the past right now. I decided to focus on the present.
As I felt a sense of relief and was about to thank her, Epherna stepped forward.
“Commander of the Triaina Special Forces.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lea responded with a respectful tone and bowed.
She quickly changed her demeanor as soon as Epherna took a step forward, displaying her ability to discern the situation as the commander of the special forces.
“Is there anything you need?”
“…Pardon?”
“If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll support you as much as you need.”
“…”
Lea responded, still bewildered.
“Yes… Thank you.”
And then she thought.
‘What is this?’
‘Did I do something wrong?’
‘Or is there something she wants me to do?’
Hopefully, it’s the former.
‘I’d rather be punished and write a report than be given more work!’
