Chapter 10

To be honest, at that moment, I doubted my own eyes.

Countless arrows suddenly rained down from the sky. With the small movement of a hand, they were released from the air, each imbued with the power of lightning.

A blinding flash of light and a deafening roar.

The moment seemed to pass in an instant, yet it felt like an eternity. Afterward, not a single trace of the slime remained. The ground, pierced by the arrows of light, was deeply gouged, a testament to the terrifying power of the magic.

The shock was so great that my skin was still tingling.

Am I afraid...?

Of a mere child...?

The child who called himself Yurii Kujou appeared on a small hill near the Demon Forest. A child alone in such a place was not just suspicious.

We pay meticulous attention to the defense of the fortress.

The Ares Kingdom's fortress exists to hold back the monsters that emerge from the Demon Forest. The walls around the fortress are inscribed with powerful defensive magic arrays, and entry from the air is impossible. While it might not be able to stop a disaster-level monster like a dragon, something on the level of a Blood Eagle would be blocked by the barrier and unable to enter the fortress.

As long as the threat of the Demon Forest exists, we must work together to defeat the King of Monsters, or the country, and even the world, will perish. Therefore, we do not oppose any country other than the Demon Empire, and the risk of invasion by other countries is low.

In particular, the neighboring countries of the Ares Kingdom are the unnamed Elven country and the Ulg Beast Kingdom. Both are friendly with humans, so there is no need to be wary of invasion.

But the problem lies within the Ares Kingdom.

The Izer Fortress has been caught in the crossfire of battles several times. All of these battles have been sparked by conflicts over the succession to the throne.

Currently, the Ares Kingdom is divided into two factions: the King's party and the Prince's party.

The Prince, that is, our Captain Leonhardt, has no intention of usurping the throne.

But those around him try to elevate him as a hero.

The sudden appearance of a child before this hero.

Whether this was a coincidence or not, as the deputy captain of the Izer Fortress, I needed to carefully assess the situation.

But Yurii showed no reaction even when I deliberately sent a killing intent from behind, or when Amanda feigned a hug to target his vital points.

He simply seemed to be an innocent child, looking up to me and Amanda with affection.

Is he really just a child, or someone so well-trained that he doesn't even react to killing intent...?

In any case, there is still a lack of evidence to make a judgment. Since he claims to be lost, we will protect him at the Izer Fortress and monitor him with Amanda. We must also inform the other members of the fortress to minimize contact with him.

But Yurii demonstrated a power that could blow away all my suspicions.

This child is neither a spy nor an assassin.

There's no way they would use someone with such incredible magical power as a spy. With just this child, it would be easy to bring down a country.

To possess such magic at such a young age...

If he continues to grow, how much power will he wield?

Indeed, this child must be the daughter of a powerful figure from a country called Nihon, as he claims. Since he was found sleeping on that hill, he must have been caught in a power struggle, put to sleep, and possibly transported here.

The arrows of light from earlier must have been visible from the fortress. The captain and others will surely arrive soon.

When the captain comes, we need to have a serious discussion about Yurii's future.

We must protect that innocent child from being caught up in the schemes of adults.

But before that, we need to train him in magic, as the power is too great and could destroy the fortress one day.

However, while there are studies to increase the power of magic, I wonder if there are any to reduce it...?

An unexpected surge of monsters, and a girl with astonishing magical power.

The fact that these two things, which would have been dismissed as impossible in the past, are now present here...

—Something is about to happen.

I had a premonition.