“W-What are you?” I managed to stammer.

Despite having lived two lives, my brain refused to believe what I was looking at. A monster—for a lack of a better word—easily more than three stories high, was seated cross-legged on a crudely carved throne of jagged stone, one arm lazily supporting its—her, I reminded myself—head. The petrifying red eyes that gazed down at me, though menacing, carried an oddly tranquil quality. Two massive horns protruded from the sides of her head, arching down and around her skull and curving up to a point near the front, almost like a crown. Two fangs peeked out from her lips, and her body was adorned in sleek black armor. Though it had neither decorations nor embellishments, it still glowed like a priceless treasure.

I was once a king. Still, this being sitting before me now made me embarrassed to have ever had the nerve to call myself one. No, the one sitting on that giant throne was a being that would make even the most faithless of heretics bow down in reverence.

Yet here she was, in all her glory, her head resting on one arm, nonchalantly scratching her nose with the other hand.

And what I had failed to notice until now, because of the dim lighting in the cave and the blackness of her body, was that this being had a gaping hole in the side of her chest, from which blood oozed in a slow but steady flow.

“We finally meet,” she repeated with a lazy half-smile that revealed a row of pointed teeth.

I tried to get up, but only made it halfway. I ended up back on my butt, my face still slack with shock at what my eyes were seeing.

“Bugs will fly into your mouth if you keep it open that wide.”

Well, at least she has a sense of humor, I thought.

“As for what I am, I won’t discuss that. You can draw your own conclusions based on what you see,” the horned humanoid monster said. Her eyes seemed to gaze straight through me.

I was speechless, but the creature didn’t seem to notice.

“It will take some time for me to open a dimensional gate to transport you to your house,” she sighed. “Until then, just be patient and wait here. There are special roots that grow here. You will be able to live off those until I finish.”

That’s right. In my shock at the creature’s appearance I had completely forgotten about my family. I managed to regain a bit of my composure and stood, walking a little closer to the being.

Giving a courteous bow, I replied, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and for what you intend to do. If there is any way I can repay you, I will do for you whatever is in my power.”

“Such good manners for a child. Do not worry; I am expecting neither a favor nor your gratitude. I’m doing this simply for my own amusement. Come! Sit here closer to me and keep me company. I haven’t talked to anyone in a while,” the being said with a laugh, and patted an area of her throne for me to sit on.

I climbed up onto the platform rather awkwardly, forgetting I could use mana to just jump up, and propped myself on the throne next to the being.

“Excuse me if I am being rude, but you don’t really look like a lady. How exactly shall I address you?” I said, making eye contact.

“You’re right. I don’t exactly look like a lady, now do I? I wonder why I said that. My name is Sylvia,” she replied, letting out a soft chuckle.

This giant demon god-like monster looked like anything but a ‘Sylvia’ to me, but I chose to keep that to myself.

“Elder Sylvia, do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

“Go ahead, young one, although I may not be able to answer everything.”

I immediately began rattling off questions, overcome by the curious wonderment that her presence cast over me. “Where is this place? Why were you here all alone? Where did you come from? Why do you have that huge wound? Why did you save me?”

She patiently waited for me to finish before replying.

“You must have had a lot on your mind. The first question is easy to answer. This place is in a narrow zone between the Beast Glades and the Forest of Elshire,” she explained easily. “No one knows of it because I’ve been warding off anyone who came close, although there are few instances of that in any case. You, young child, are the first to enter into this domain.”

“Please, call me Art. My name is Arthur Leywin, but everyone calls me Art! You can too,” I blurted, before clapping my hands over my mouth, confused as to why I had spoken like an excited child.

“Very well, child, I will call you Art.” Her red eyes glazed over, gazing into the distance while answering my next questions.

“Continuing on to your second question, I am here alone simply because I have no one left to be with. While I do not think telling you everything would be wise, I will tell you that I have many enemies who desperately wish for something I have. My last battle with my enemies left this wound. As for where I come from, it is very far away.”

Sylvia paused for a moment before continuing. This time her eyes looked straight at me, as if she was studying me.

“Why I saved you… even I do not fully know the answer to that question. Perhaps I have simply been alone for too long and wished to have someone to talk to. I first noticed you when your party was engaged in battle with the bandits. When you fell off the cliff to save your mother, I felt compelled to rescue you. It seemed a waste for such a good child to die. You are very brave. It is rare for even an adult to show such presence of mind under pressure.”

I shook my head. “I was scared, too, but I didn’t have much of an option. I just wanted to save my mother and my baby sibling inside her.” I didn’t know if it was from the gentle way she talked or because of how big and powerful she seemed, but when I was in front of her, I seemed to turn into a child. No, I was a child in her presence.

“Your mother was pregnant? I see… You must miss them dearly. But rest assured, your family and party escaped unscathed. As for where they have gone, my sight cannot reach far enough to tell anymore.”

A wave of relief washed over me, and it took all I had to keep my tears from falling. They’re safe. This new life was exposing me to emotions I had buried deep down in my previous world.

“Thank God. Th-they’re alive… They’re okay.” I let out a sniffle.

Sylvia’s giant hand reached down and she softly patted my head with a finger.

I spent the rest of the day conversing with Sylvia. Toward afternoon, she directed me to some edible roots, which looked and tasted very similar to potatoes but were black in color. We talked about all sorts of things to pass the time as she prepared to open a portal. At one point, she asked me how I was able to use mana so well at my age.

“I was under the impression that, so far, the earliest a human mage had ever awakened was at the age of ten—and even then, because the child couldn’t grasp how to use it, there was very little he could do with it. Yet not only have you already formed your mana core, but, by the way you use your mana, you seem to be more skilled than many full-fledged mages.”

I just shrugged, feeling a twinge of pride at her compliment. “My parents said I was a genius or something. I can read really well, and I understand what the books are saying.”

The twinkle in the being’s piercing eyes seemed to show that whatever I was, she knew that the word ‘genius’ wasn’t sufficient to describe it—but Sylvia remained silent.

The days trickled by as Sylvia continued preparing the portal. One day, in a regretful tone, she explained, “The spell will take some time to be completely safe. I would not like for you to land in a destination you are not familiar with. If there is even one inconsistency, it could lead to you arriving hundreds of feet off the ground. Please be patient. You will be able to see your loved ones soon.”

I nodded. As long as I knew they were alive, I was fine with waiting. It beat trying to climb back up the edge of the mountain.