Celestia. That was the name of the world where Estelon came from.
A typical fantasy world teeming with supernatural creatures... demons, elves, dwarves, spirits, fairies, and more.
In the southern part of the world lay the Sacred Forest, a fantastical land that appeared in children's fairytales.
Yet, what most didn't know was that this place was real.
This was an era before magic was discovered.
Estelon, the Spirit King, patrolled the perimeter when he spotted a young woman lying unconscious at the far edge of the woods.
"A human?"
Estelon narrowed his crystalline eyes.
As he moved closer, he immediately noticed something unusual about her.
"She's huge... at least four meters tall."
"A Titan? No... they've been extinct for ages. She's too small for a full-blooded Titan. It must be a descendant of their kind."
With an outstretched hand, he was about to eject her from his domain.
"H-help... me."
A weak voice escaped her lips.
Estelon hesitated.
His gaze fell upon the deep wounds covering her body.
With a sigh, he flicked his wrist.
A small whirlwind formed beneath her, gently lifting her off the ground as he led the way forward.
"Cameron."
At his call, a fairy knight appeared beside him, her presence barely causing a ripple in the air.
Estelon didn't react... he was used to her silent appearances.
His tone remained steady as he gave his command.
"Be on guard. I sense a group of intruders attempting to breach the barrier. The bloodlust they're emitting... they've come with hostile intent."
"Yes, my liege."
Cameron, the fairy knight bowed.
Sunlight glinted off her armor before she vanished without a trace.
Estelon turned his gaze toward the thick fog that marked the boundary between the forest and the outside world.
His golden eyes gleamed as his vision pierced through the mist, scanning beyond the outer regions of the forest.
A deep frown formed on his face.
Without another word, he continued forward, the unconscious woman still floating behind him.
On his way back, the forest's residents greeted him warmly, their smiles filling the air with joy.
But his gaze remained fixed on the woman.
To others, she would seem ordinary.
Just another wanderer.
But in his eyes...
A translucent white aura surrounded her... not just around her body, but stretching endlessly into the sky.
No, it didn't just envelop her... it covered the entire forest.
'No... it is even larger than that.'
His sight extended beyond, and he realized the truth.
It wasn't just the forest.
It wasn't just this land.
The fate energy surrounding this woman reached beyond the heavens, beyond the world itself, like an unshakable law written into the very fabric of existence.
The weight of destiny bound to her was immeasurable.
'A vast amount of fate energy... No, this is beyond vast. She is not just a chosen one... this woman is a cornerstone of fate itself.'
At that moment, he had no way of knowing.
That the woman he saved on a mere whim would one day be known as Akasha Solmere... the Future Supreme Sage and the First Mage.
The one who would unravel the secrets of the universe, the Founder of Magic.
...
Judas' consciousness wavered between darkness and light.
His body felt strangely weightless, yet every breath he took sent dull aches through his limbs.
'Another dream about my past life.'
Faint voices reached his ears, distant yet familiar.
"...He's stable now, but his Mind depletion was severe. He needs rest."
'That voice... Ryuu?'
His eyelids fluttered open, greeted by the dim glow of a lantern swaying from the ceiling.
The scent of wood and alcohol lingered in the air.
He was in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by familiar people.
"You're awake."
His gaze shifted, meeting Ryuu's piercing blue eyes as she sat beside him.
A small, relieved sigh escaped her lips.
"How long was I out?"
His voice came out hoarse.
"Half a day. You were lucky I found you when I did."
Judas let out a weak chuckle.
"Yeah... lucky."
Suddenly, multiple presences filled the room.
"Is he finally awake?"
Syr came rushing inside, her eyes filled with concern.
"Thank goodness you're alright."
She let out a relieved smile, stepping closer and gently placing her hand over his.
"Looks like you got yourself into trouble once again."
Loki spoke while being seated on a chair on the bedside but her usual carefree grin was nowhere to be found.
Instead, her face was stone-cold serious, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Tell me who the fuckers were that attacked you."
She demanded.
"Every detail. We're going to hunt them down."
Syr flinched at Loki's words but quickly masked her reaction.
"Nyaa, Loki looks pissed nyaa~"
Anya murmured from the doorway.
"Right? nyaa~ I can't believe someone tried to take his life, even with his cute little butt nyaa~"
Chloe huffed, her tail flicking in agitation.
Behind them, the rest of the Hostess of Fertility's waitresses were peeking inside, their expressions a mix of curiosity and worry.
Judas ignored their banter and turned his attention to Loki.
With a nod, he recounted everything he could remember about his attackers, describing them and his encounter in vivid detail.
"Freya. That bitch."
Loki snarled, her eyes darkening.
"Does she want a war between our familias?"
Even though his assailants had worn masks and disguises, Judas had seen through them.
'Their features, their weapons, their magic... they resembled the Freya Familia executives I'd heard about in rumors.'
You would be hard-pressed to find another large group of first-class adventurers in the city.
'Other than Loki and Freya, there's the Ganesha Familia, but I doubt it was them.'
A familia that had long been dedicated to order and public safety attacking another adventurer for no reason at all seemed ridiculous.
'And I doubt Evilus could have nurtured that many Level 5s and above in such a short time after the Dark Age ended.'
The great feud seven years ago, where the forces of Evilus clashed against the adventurers of Orario, had all but crippled their strength.
'Even if remnants of Evilus still remained, raising a first-class combatant in such a short time through conventional means would be nearly impossible.'
In Orario, the number of adventurers ran into the tens of thousands, probably even more.
But despite that, only about half of them could rank up to Level 2.
The rest had no choice but to remain at Level 1 for the rest of their lives.
The number of challenges, difficulties, and life-threatening experiences required just to reach Level 5 was something most people could not fathom.
It took many years... decades, even... just to get that far.
Out of the tens of thousands of adventurers in the city, probably fewer than forty were first-class.
It was a prestigious status reserved only for the best of the best.
Monsters who had faced numerous challenges for many years and survived, as a result, obtained strength beyond mortal limits.
'I got attacked pretty much by every executive of the Freya Familia except for Ottar.'
It was a deduction even a simpleton could see through.
'Freya Familia... you better watch your backs, because this debt... I will pay it back tenfold.'
A sinister light flashed in his purple eyes.
------
+15 chapters at patreon.com/drdedot