Side Story.5

“……W-what?”

Aeterna flinched and backed away at Maia’s sudden approach, but was soon blocked by the wall.

Tap—

Maia placed her hand on the wall he was leaning against.

Then she pressed the cane into the boy’s hand, now far too close.

“……?”

Aeterna looked down at the white ivory handle in his hand as if he was seeing the strangest thing in the world.

The true owner of this ancient relic was none other than the boy before her.

If the cane touched its real owner, wouldn’t it react differently?

This was Maia’s last straw.

Her final hope before the past could twist further.

“……Hey.”

“…….”

But that hope ignored Maia’s desperate wish.

‘D*mn it.’

“……I’m sorry. Your eyes looked so much like the person who forced this thing on me, so I thought it might react somehow. But I ended up being rude. I sincerely apologize.”

Maia suppressed her boiling anger and apologized in a calm tone.

Aeterna stared at Maia with a look of utter disbelief.

What did he expect her to do?

No one was more upset than her right now.

“Oh? You were together?”

As Maia was putting away the cane, Adelstein came out of the grandfather’s room, looking surprised as he glanced between Aeterna and Maia.

“Brother. Seriously……”

Aeterna rubbed his face with his hand, looking at his brother with a very tired expression.

“……Forget it. You won’t listen to me anyway.”

He muttered as if he had given up.

“Did something happen?”

Adelstein only tilted his head in confusion at his brother’s behavior.

* * *

Two months quickly passed.

“This is insane…….”

Maia, now unconsciously using the ancient imperial accent, muttered a curse as she hung a white piece of cloth outside.

There was no way to return to her original time, and nowhere else to ask for help.

‘I’ll help with the housework. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, whatever. I’ll earn my keep.’

‘You really don’t have to……’

‘What are you saying, Brother! There are more mouths to feed, how can you not make her do anything?’

Maia decided to stay with the Founding Emperor and his brother for the time being.

‘Maria! We had a good haul today. Hmm…… Should we put meat on the table? It’s a good day.’

The “side job” that Adelstein and Aeterna did was beast hunting.

Maia worried at first about fifteen-year-old boys—she now knew their exact age—jumping into such dangerous work, but it was needless concern.

Where would the title of “hero” go?

They already far surpassed their peers, wielding swordsmanship that rivaled even the biggest grown men.

With such talent, it was only natural they could conquer the continent.

“When will destiny begin?”

Maia quietly muttered as she looked up at the midday sky.

There were several other reasons she decided to stay with them.

The Founding Emperor’s victory was destined, so staying by his side meant her life wouldn’t be in danger.

Also, Adelstein seemed to like her more than she expected—personally, as a human being. Anyway, he would not let Maia get hurt.

Since the Founding Emperor’s group would meet many strong and mysterious beings, there was a good chance she could find a way to return to her original time.

Above all, since Hyperion Luar would be by the Founding Emperor’s side, no one would dare lay a finger on Adelstein……

Maybe she should ask to become his exclusive maid so she wouldn’t leave his side.

“Maria…… You work so hard. It’s good to be diligent, but you should rest sometimes.”

“Oh, Sir.”

When Maia turned around at the weak voice, Adelstein and Aeterna’s grandfather had come out of the room and was watching her.

His hair was white and thin, and he was so skinny it was pitiful, but he readily accepted Maia, who had suddenly appeared, as a family member.

“Shall I bring you some water?”

“No, it’s fine……”

Everything seemed close to death, but the red eyes he had passed to Adelstein still shone brightly under his white lashes.

What kind of end would this old man meet?

Maia blankly looked up at the blue sky and wondered.

History books had nothing about the Founding Emperor’s grandfather.

Even when the brothers set out on their journey, the grandfather didn’t appear.

……Why was that?

A dull anxiety began to spread from that fact.

“Maria!”

“……Adelstein.”

A cheerful voice called her false name.

Maia slowly turned her head toward the sound.

Adelstein had come inside the fence and was waving his arm.

He walked briskly toward Maia and showed her a bundle of herbs in his pale hand.

“These are the herbs you asked for. The ones that change hair color.”

“Oh, this is……”

“If you have black hair, it’ll change to gold or red. If you have brown hair, it’ll turn green. If you have blue hair, it’ll become purple…… There are several cases, but for you, it’ll probably be gold or red.”

Maia accepted the bundle of herbs from Adelstein’s hand and smiled faintly.

“Thank you. You must have gone through a lot to get this……”

“No, not at all. Go ahead and try it.”

Maia went into her room, filled a large bowl with water, and untied her hair.

Her reflection in the water was no different from two months ago.

There was only one reason she wanted to dye her hair.

“……Hyperion.”

Unless a miracle happened, meeting Hyperion was now inevitable.

She still wasn’t sure if this was truly the past or some sudden distortion……

But if she couldn’t avoid meeting Hyperion, she had to make sure she left an impression that overlapped as little as possible with the future “Maia” in his memory.

Maia steeled herself and poured the herbal paste, boiled down from the herbs, over her head.

“…….”

After a long time, her jet-black hair was gone without a trace.

“Red……”

Staring blankly at her hair, now the color of burning flames, Maia muttered to herself.

‘I’d gone this far.’

“Please, don’t let him remember me.”

‘Hyperion.’

* * *

Hyperion stared at the pool of red blood with cold golden eyes.

As he grew up, the humans around him made his life troublesome and annoying.

‘Oh, son of God!’

‘He’s the savior sent to us by the gods! At such a young age, he slays beasts without lifting a finger!’

‘Please, grant us glory!’

No, was “annoying” even the right word?

To be exact.

“Disgusting.”

His birth parents were killed by the fangs of the first beast he slew, not long after he was born.

His uncle took him in and raised him, but the man craved honor.

‘My nephew is the savior sent by God! Hyperion! You must grant blessings and grace to the people!’

He forced his five-year-old nephew to act as a savior, making him play the role of “god.”

He also took pride in being the most devoted and faithful first apostle, caring for his nephew, the human god.

So Hyperion left home at seven.

He was sick of it.

Playing god for them, satisfying his greedy uncle’s arrogance.

Leaving home wasn’t difficult at all.

A place to sleep, food to eat, strength to protect himself—all were solved by his endless power.

“……I’m bored.”

But even someone like him couldn’t escape the yoke of loneliness and emptiness that came with being truly alone.

At twelve, Hyperion left his dwelling and began to wander the vast world.

Sometimes he saved people surrounded by beasts, sometimes he watched strong people exploit the weak.

Why didn’t he help more?

Because, until then, Hyperion had no concept of good or evil.

No one taught him such things.

The most important criterion for Hyperion’s choices was not justice or evil, but—

His own interest.

He only sought things that stimulated his own curiosity and interest, so boredom never left his life, and he wandered endlessly.

“…….”

And finally, he encountered it.

Mana thick with the stench of blood.

A chest rising and falling roughly.

A pale face stained with red marks, the owners of those marks and the pool of blood on the floor.

A boy crying over those he’d just killed.