Throvald Fors
"With that clear..." I turned toward Valka, wiping my tears away as her voice reached us. "What are you?" she asked.
"That is a good question. I go by the name… Ebony."
"That doesn't answer my question. I asked what are you?"
The shadow was still for a few moments. "I am… a Synthetic Bio-Organism Armament."
"A S-synthetic what now?" Valka asked.
My reaction was not much different from hers. I didn't understand a single word he said. The words were foreign to me.
"He means he's an artificially created weapon with an actual soul," Elara explained from next to me, looking at Valka.
"Is that so?" Valka turned to the shadow. "So, who created you?"
"That..." Shadow's voice wavered with something like hesitation, "...is a difficult question to answer. Can we leave this one?"
"That's not happening." Valka didn't back down.
The shadow let out what almost sounded like a sigh, though I couldn't see a mouth. "...I am a being from three hundred years ago, though I have lived far longer than that… I was created by Demon King Zarath."
"WHAT?" The single word left everyone's mouth at once.
"Demon King Zarath…" Ashar let out, his voice a low hum of shock.
What he said was beyond a surprise. A servant of Demon King Zarath, the one who started the Third Mortal-Demon War three hundred years ago.
"…Heroes pushed through endless waves of sharp fangs, never yielding…"
Everyone turned to Aifa, who had said it, her voice a quiet, awe-filled whisper.
"Huh?" Valka blinked at her.
Flustered, the girl straightened. "Ah… I mean, that's what the stories my nanny read me said. It was written that sharp fangs tore through airships, cut men to ribbons… and…" Her eyes narrowed on the shadow. "...he also used tendrils to attack and cut through things in an instant."
Shadow chuckled low. "Is that how stories tell it? My master always said humans have a habit of glorifying their history."
"…Are you saying that's not how things went?" Elara asked.
I heard a scoff from the shadow. "The so-called 'heroes' fell at my master's mercy. They were useless… You might be stronger than the legendary heroes from three hundred years ago."
"Eh? Really?" Valka's voice brightened up. "I knew I was amazing."
"Still, the Demon King lost, right?" Elara said from next to me.
"True," Shadow admitted. "But it was not thanks to the legendary heroes. They were nothing. There was a single man who had the will and power to stand against my master, and he fought and defeated him… ended him."
Valka didn't say anything in response.
"Of course, I am speaking about your son's predecessor," the shadow said, voice deep and calm.
"Young lord's… predecessor…" Ashar muttered under his breath.
"According to the stories, the one who dealt the killing blow to the Demon King was—" Aifa began, but Tavian cut her off.
"Enough! Both of you." he shouted, silencing them.
My mind raced, trying to recall the stories of the Third Mortal-Demon War that my mother used to read to me as a kid. It had been so long, the names and deeds were nothing more than faint scraps of memory.
I turned to Elara. "Who are they talking about?" I whispered.
She didn't look at me. Only pressed a finger to her lips. "Ssshhh." Her eyes were locked on the shadow, sharp with focus, and knowing I wouldn't be getting anything else from her, I turned my attention back to the shadow.
"Looks like you didn't tell everyone about your son," the shadow said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"How did you find out?" Valka's voice was heavy, a threatening undertone woven into her words.
"Now, now. No need for such a glare." The shadow's red eyes pulsed faintly. "His mana is unique. And I once stood before his predecessor. They share the same face. Only a fool would fail to see the truth." He paused, almost thoughtful. "I wondered why someone as strong as you was hiding in these backwoods. I see now. You were protecting your son from the world until he is ready."
Mana shimmered faintly around Valka, her hands curling at her sides. "So you came here for revenge."
"I think you misunderstand me," the shadow replied steadily. "I bear no ill will toward the child."
The glow around Valka flaring with power.
"My master did not have any ill will towards his predecessor, even until his last breath. He brought my lord... Salvation, and I do not intend to ridicule my master's last wishes."
The glow of mana around Valka dimmed slightly, though her eyes never softened.
"So what will you do if I let you leave?" she asked.
The shadow shifted. "I know you are a strong woman. It would be hard to escape if it came to a fight." His voice held a note of caution, a clear respect for her power.
"Just answer the question." Valka's voice was a blade of impatience.
"I wish to see the current state of the world… to know whether your son's predecessor truly fulfilled the promise he made to my lord."
"And if he hasn't?"
"I will prepare the next Demon Ki—"
The ground near the shadow exploded in a geyser of dirt. Valka hadn't even moved, her hand still by her side, yet her silent command had been more than enough.
A darker patch of night reformed a few paces away, rising tall once again. "At least let me finish."
"Why should I?" Valka's voice rang sharp. "I am not the sort to sit and stare at a problem. I dismantle it the moment it shows itself."
"Talk about impatient. Your husband mustn't like you much."
Valka gave a scoff that carried its own kind of weight. "I don't have one," she said, her voice now filled with a cold, casual menace. "And even if I did, I would keep him by the collar."
"Talk about scary…" the shadow muttered, a hint of genuine unease in its voice.
"How about this," the shadow suggested, his voice now a low hum of reason. "I make a vow to never hurt your son in any way."
Valka's aura flared once more. "What about the demon king you raise? He could try to hurt my Sieg."
"If the demon king tries to hurt your son, knowing who he is, then it means his views do not match with my lord's. I will deal with him myself."
"You want me to just trust you?" Valka's voice was full of disbelief. "Your own values could shift one day, and you could stand aside while the Demon King strikes him down, even if it costs you your own life."
"Think carefully, woman." The shadow's red gaze flared faintly. "I met your son and he still breathes. I fought your parents and those warriors behind you. The fact they still live is proof of my conviction."
A heavy silence fell. He wasn't wrong. He could have stabbed through my heart, but he had gone for my arms instead. I looked at the faces of the knights. They had conflicted expressions because they knew the shadow was right.
"So why are you even here?" Valka asked. "And how in Aethelhum's name did you meet Erik?"
"After my master's death, I wandered across the continent of Aethelgia. Eventually, I fell into a Time Dungeon."
Elara's gasp broke the air. "A Time Dungeon… You traveled through time?"
I turned to her, confused. "What is a Time Dungeon?"
Her response was the same as before, only a sharp "shhh," her eyes locked on the shadow.
"So you traveled through time here from three hundred years ago?" Valka asked.
"That's right."
The shadow's tone shifted, quieter, almost thoughtful. "Inside that dungeon, I encountered your son. He was fighting a man dressed in white, wearing a mask. More like losing. After observing, I didn't like the man in white, so I decided to let your brother use me, or more accurately, I used him. Since he went into a coma, I operated his body and killed the man."
Erik was losing? He's at the Epsilon stage of the Soul Crucible. He was far stronger than me, even thirteen years ago.
Valka's eyes remained fixed on the shadow. "And how did Erik even end up in a Time Dungeon?"
"I don't know that, but it's not far from here," he said. A tendril extended from his body, pointing. "It's northwest of here, behind a cave in the waterfall."
"That's dangerous…" Elara muttered, lost in thought, her brows drawn tight.
"How is that dangerous?" I asked, but was met with another hushed response, her eyes glued to the shadow.
Valka's voice cut in. "How did you find your way out?"
"I felt a powerful wave of mana and used it as an anchor to find my way out," the shadow replied.
"How long ago was that?" Valka pressed, a sense of urgency in her voice.
"Not sure… Two times snow came and went since I emerged. So I believe… two years."
"Sieg's awakening…" Valka murmured under her breath.
The thought struck me as well. Sieg awakened two years ago. So it was his mana that drew this being from the dungeon. My grandson's light had pulled out this shadow.
"After seeing your son today, I realized that, too," the shadow said, a hint of awe in his voice.
Valka's tone hardened. "Then why have you been driving beasts toward our barony?"
"I wasn't." His words came low, almost weary. "After leaving the dungeon, I chose to use this human's body to walk the world while he lay comatose. For some reason, beasts fled at the sight of me. I did hunt from time to time, gathering meat to sustain the human within me."
A strange, unwanted gratitude welled in me, but I kept my mouth shut. Elara and Valka would stare daggers into me if I said that.
Valka continued, her voice echoing in the stillness of the night. "You attacked a group of humans defending a cargo. That cargo was a big fat bird."
"Ah, that..." The shadow's body tilted slightly, his gaze drifting toward the stars as if lost in a fond memory. "I have a soft spot for fluffy birds."
"Huh?" Every person in the clearing wore the exact same expression of surprise that I did.
"It's one of the quirks I inherited from my master," he added simply.
"T-then what about the green bears?" Valka asked, her confusion growing. "Were they also food for my brother? From what I have heard, they aren't even edible."
"They followed me all the way from the northern ranges," the shadow explained, his tone almost apologetic. "When I realized we were nearing human settlements, I had no choice but to put them out to prevent a slaughter."
It's hard to believe this is a servant of the Demon King. He didn't radiate the malice I expected from the legends. Instead, he sounded like a protector, perhaps even a person of great character. Is it possible for a inhuman being to be so... human?
No more words were exchanged after that for a few seconds.
"Is there something else you wish to ask?" the shadow finally broke the silence.
Valka's gaze swept the field, her shoulders tense. A sigh left her lips as she turned. "Does anyone here wish to ask anything?"
No one spoke. I could think of nothing to ask. I was surprised Elara didn't ask anything; I glanced at her to see her deep in thought.
The shadow's voice stirred again. "Then am I allowed to leave?"
"You saved my brother," Valka said at last, her words reluctant but steady. "I won't be ungrateful. You may go, but only after vowing about the future Demon King."
"I understand."
After that the vow was made, green light sealing it beneath Aethelhum's unseen gaze.
"Now I will take my leave."
"Where will you go?" Valka asked.
"To the Demon Continent. Setanas."
Her chin lifted slightly. "I see. Then I hope I never lay eyes on you again."
The shadow chuckled, a sound that made the hairs on my arms bristle.
"Give my regards to your son," he said, and his form began to ripple, shifting like molten blackness. "I wish to see… what kind of Salvation he brings."
Wings of darkness spread wide, and with a rush of air he vanished into the night sky.
Salvation…
The word echoed in my chest, and it wasn't a praise but a burden, a title far too heavy for a child's shoulders. I remember Valka's return, Elara's tears, the years of silence between us, years only broken because of that unborn boy.
Sieg had already mended what grief had torn apart. Without him, the Fors family might still be shattered pieces, scattered to the wind.
If the world had the gall to name him "Salvation," then what awaited him would be trials far crueler than I could ever dare imagine.
I look down at Erik, at my son. It's also thanks to Sieg that Erik has returned to us. As much as I don't want to accept it, Sieg has truly become our… Salvation.
Elara let out a trembling breath, her hand brushing against her chest as if only now she could breathe again. "It's finally over."
The knights lowered their weapons, the fight draining out of them as they sank to the ground, shoulders heaving with exhaustion.
"Let's go back," Valka said, walking toward us with a spring in her step as if she hadn't just fought an ancient being.
Elara's eyes softened, though worry still lingered. "Those three… and Erik don't seem in moving condition."
"N-no, we are capable of managing on our own," Tavian said, pushing himself to stand again.
Valka shook her head, calm but firm. "It's alright, Tavian. Take it easy. I'll carry Erik. Pa, you carry Ma. The three of you can ride on him." She pulled out a small yellow marble with a wing symbol from her bracelet and tossed it into the air, bursting with a soft poof before a heavy thump followed. The familiar yellow feathers settled on the ground, the oversized parrot sprawled out and snoring.
"You bought a M.B. Crystal?" Elara asked, unable to hide her surprise.
"Nah," she said with a grin. "My friend owns a company for these sorts of things, so seeing as how I love the fatty so much, he gave it to me." She lifted her bracelet with a hint of pride. Then, turning to the bird, she gave it a sharp kick. "Get up." And with a loud "SQUAAAAK," it got up, looking around confused.
"Fatty, pick up those three and bring them back to the barony."
The bird raised a wing as though in salute, then lumbered toward the knights.
Valka leaned down, scooping Erik onto her shoulder.
"Be careful," Elara whispered, voice carrying all a mother's fears.
"Don't worry," Valka answered with a smile that softened her face. "Let's go back… and let Sieg meet his uncle."
I turned to Elara, and our eyes met in the quiet that followed. The world around us felt still, even with the weary sounds of men and beast moving about. She gave me the faintest smile, one filled with weariness and love, and I felt the answer rising in my chest.
"Yes," I said, holding her gaze. "Let's go back to Sieg… our Sieg."
As the words left me, I felt their weight. Our Sieg. Not just a grandson, not just the child who had mended the pieces of our broken family. He has been expected to bring salvation, and now, in that moment, I understood why.