Side Story.4

“This is the place. The entrance is a bit low, so be careful.”

She arrived, following the boy—the Founding Emperor Adelstein—to a shabby, mud-built house.

In this era, there was neither the technology nor the means to make bricks, so this was the only way to build a dwelling.

Even not living in a hut meant they were relatively well off.

Thinking of what she’d read in history books, Maia still felt strange that she was standing in the middle of the ancient era, entering the house where the Founding Emperor and the First Grand Duke grew up.

Once inside, the interior was unexpectedly spacious despite its appearance.

But…… As Maia looked around the house, she parted her lips.

As if guessing her thoughts, Adelstein spoke.

“Our parents aren’t here.”

“……I see.”

As expected.

Maia looked at the still very young boy and thought.

If the parents who gave birth to the children who would become the Empire’s Founding Emperor and Grand Duke were alive, surely history books would mention them.

But they had passed away before their children became heroes.

“Our mother died giving birth to me and my brother, and our father died hunting beasts two years ago. Since then, it’s just been the three of us with our grandfather.”

Grandfather?

Maia focused at the unexpected word.

Only one family member of the Founding Emperor was recorded in history.

The hero who founded the Empire with his twin brother, Grand Duke Aeterna.

Nothing else was known about their family……

‘So there was a grandfather.’

Cough—

“!”

Just then, a loud cough came from a room beyond the narrow corridor.

Maia paused and looked that way.

The coughing continued several times.

It sounded so severe, as if he might cough up blood at any moment.

“Our grandfather’s illness has worsened to the point he can barely move. He used to be so strong…… So these days, my brother and I go out together to gather food and do odd jobs while taking care of him.”

Adelstein spoke with a noticeably depressed tone.

Maia bit her lip and offered words of comfort.

“I’m sure he’ll recover. ……You’re amazing for someone so young.”

Her words were sincere.

This era, called ancient times, was a terrible period when the Twelve Beasts thrived without rivals and slaughtered humans at will.

His mother died the day he was born, his father also passed away when he was young.

He cared for a sick grandfather, supported his brother, lived a difficult life without losing kindness, met his eternal friend and companion, wiped out eight of the Twelve Beast species……

In the end, he became the first great hero and transcendent, founding the Empire.

How could anyone not respect someone so great?

“Thank you. But that’s too much praise for me.”

The young Adelstein blushed faintly and smiled shyly.

Even before knowing the truth that Hyperion Luar’s childhood friend Lihi was always by his side, Maia was not only meeting the person she’d admired with her own eyes, but even talking to him.

For a moment, Maia felt a bit grateful to Grand Duke Aeterna for sending her to this era.

“Come to think of it, I still don’t know your name. May I know it?”

“Ah.”

It would look strange to ask his name without giving hers.

Maia hesitated.

She thought her presence wouldn’t twist the future, but it was safest to block any possibility.

“……Maria.”

She just slightly changed her original name.

“Maria.”

Adelstein softly repeated the false name Maia gave him.

After repeating it a few times, the boy said,

“I’ve never heard it before, but it’s a beautiful name.”

He said it was beautiful and smiled brightly.

* * *

“Meeting the Founding Emperor feels like a dream…….”

She had to go back, to her original time.

She examined the cane for a way, but the ancient relic was completely silent, as if the earlier light had been a hallucination.

If it sent her to the past, shouldn’t it be able to send her back to the future?

“What should I do……?”

Did she need some condition?

While she was lost in thought alone in the empty room—

Knock, knock—

“Maria, may I come in?”

Adelstein’s voice came from outside.

Maia stood up and opened the door.

She thought she was used to it now, but Maia still felt a little dazed whenever she met the boy’s gaze.

The young Founding Emperor smiled with his beautiful face and parted his red lips.

“I thought you might be hungry, so I prepared a meal. I need to check on Grandfather, so please eat alone for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

“No, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m grateful just for the bed and food. Please, don’t rush—take your time.”

Maia, inwardly amazed at how kind the boy was, waved her hands.

She was the one who should be grateful and careful, but the boy was asking her for understanding because he had to care for his sick grandfather!

What……

There was a limit to kindness.

The young Founding Emperor widened his eyes at Maia’s words, then smiled brightly and said okay.

Maia watched the brilliant golden hair disappear beyond the door to what was presumably the grandfather’s room and muttered to herself.

“How did someone like that become friends with Hyperion……?”

The Founding Emperor’s compassion was well recorded in history, but she hadn’t expected him to be this gentle.

‘Hyperion…… even scolded me when I was young.’

‘How did he treat the Emperor, who was even more gentle than I am?’

If she could see it with her own eyes, it would be something to behold……

“This is crazy.”

Lost in thoughts about Hyperion and the Emperor, Maia suddenly remembered something she’d forgotten and her face turned pale.

The Emperor and Hyperion didn’t seem to have met yet.

History said the Emperor met Hyperion Luar when he was deeply angered by the world’s cruelty, and immediately set out to save the world, so it was certain.

In this situation, where returning to her original time seemed impossible, she might be able to return before Hyperion and the Emperor met……

But if she couldn’t go back before then—

“With the past Hyperion…….”

She might end up meeting him.

No, if she couldn’t leave the Emperor’s house until destiny began, she would inevitably meet Hyperion!

“What should I do?”

Would it be okay?

Maia slumped into the round wooden chair at the table, lost in thought.

She’d never felt that Hyperion’s memory was incomplete.

He remembered everything about ancient times, especially the Emperor, and often told Maia about it.

So if she’d met Hyperion in the past—

Shouldn’t Hyperion remember her?

“But he didn’t…….”

But in all the long years she’d spent with him, Maia had never felt that Hyperion already knew her.

Their time together was truly the first.

That was the unchanging truth.

Then, only one hypothesis remained.

“Could it be because of Grand Duke Aeterna…….”

Because she came to the past, did the past get twisted?

“No way.”

Maia was shocked.

She looked down at the cane with the round handle, trying to escape reality, but she couldn’t deny it.

Because of her, the past had changed.

Because of this mysterious cane, this ancient relic’s power.

“Where did Aeterna get something like this…….”

“What did I bring?”

Eek!

Just as Maia was muttering in confusion, a voice suddenly came from nearby and she screamed, jumping up.

The First Grand Duke of the Empire, Aeterna.

The boy with piercing green eyes had appeared, frowning as he stared at her.

Did he hear?

Maia, on the verge of tears, hid the cane in her skirt.

“……I definitely heard you say my name.”

‘No! The past can’t change anymore!’

“N-no, that’s impossible.”

Maia desperately put on a calm face and denied his suspicion.

But Aeterna didn’t take his eyes off Maia and muttered quietly.

“And your way of speaking is weird. You use a strange accent. What dialect is that from?”

……Dialect?

Maia stared at Aeterna, dumbfounded.

“My brother might have let it go because he’s too kind, but I’m not. Do you know how suspicious you are? Weird clothes no one’s ever seen, that weird thing in your hand. That strange accent…… and the bizarre excuse that you picked it up and suddenly ended up in our village.”

“…….”

She had nothing to say.

She was a suspicious stranger by anyone’s standards.

She could barely understand how Adelstein had accepted her with no suspicion and brought her home.

‘Wait a minute.’

Suddenly, Maia felt wronged.

She hadn’t wanted to come here, and it was because his descendant forced the cane on her that she ended up here!

Of course, the boy before her hadn’t taken part in his distant descendant’s crazy act……

But still, she felt it was unfair.

“……I understand why you’re suspicious of me.”

So, as if clutching at straws—

Maia strode toward Aeterna.