Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 8: Report to the King

Aurora sat not in the formal audience chamber separated by heavy doors, but in a slightly smaller "workroom" where maps and documents lined the walls. Seated across from her was the King of the great southern nation—her father, King Fortum. On the desk lay a map of the continent. At its center was a large, filled-in mass of green: the Great Demon Forest. Aurora traced a corner of it with her fingertip as she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

"...That concludes the survey area for this expedition. We identified three new species of monsters and two types of miasma-laden plants. I will submit a detailed written report on both shortly."

King Fortum watched his daughter intently from behind his interlaced fingers. This was a report she had continued without fail since the very first day she set out for the Great Demon Forest. What monsters were there? What plants existed? The ecosystem, terrain, and climate within the sea of trees. Aurora hid nothing, conveying the facts exactly as they were.

Two years ago—when she had lost her husband and charged into the forest seeking a "place to die" in a fit of raging emotion—her reports were sharper, tinged with a sense of desperation. Now, they were different. Her voice was calm, and her eyes held a clear "will to live."

"And—" Aurora pointed to a spot slightly south of the forest's center. "The area where the Sage of the Forest resides. There has been no change in the range of the barrier. The living space remains largely the same as before, though the guest room has become a bit more... luxurious."

"Oh?" One of the King's eyebrows arched slightly. He was referring to the man the kingdom called the "Sage of the Forest"—Yuu Yotonami. Aurora reported on him in as much detail as possible: the words he spoke, the knowledge he possessed, and the inventions he showed her. The King took it all in.

Once the general reporting was finished, the King leaned back, pressing his fingers to his temple as he asked slowly:

"So... was the recruitment of the Sage a failure this time as well?"

Aurora straightened her back and—

"Yes! It was a failure!"

She answered with remarkable energy and a bright expression. King Fortum placed a hand over his forehead and let out a heavy sigh.

"Do not answer so cheerfully. This is not a favorable situation, you know."

"I am more aware of that than anyone!" Aurora replied instantly. Though her expression was bright, there was no hesitation in her words. "The Sage of the Forest—Yuu—has absolutely no interest in authority, fame, money, or status! I'm at my wit's end! Honestly, Father, I'd prefer if you gave me a better idea!"

Cheerful and vigorous. Full of life. Even though she had turned twenty, she still possessed the same spirited energy she’d had as a girl. King Fortum narrowed his eyes slightly. Though he didn't say it, he felt a small sense of relief.

Three years ago, when she lost her husband and was consumed by hatred and emptiness, her eyes were hollow no matter what he said. No matter what she laughed at, her face remained cold. It had been heart-wrenching just to look at his daughter back then.

Now, the woman before him laughed brightly like she used to and strove to fulfill her duties as a princess. While the failed recruitment of the Sage was indeed a headache...

(...If she is speaking and laughing like that, that alone makes it worth it,) the King mused, inwardly smiling at his own sentiment. However, there were practical matters to consider.

"Be that as it may," King Fortum straightened his posture, his voice returning to a serious tone. "It is unprecedented for someone to refuse, time and again, after the Second Princess herself has traveled there personally to recruit them."

Not a few court nobles were making a fuss, claiming this dragged the royal name through the mud.

"Some of the more vocal critics are calling it 'utterly disrespectful.' If this continues to drag on, the political tide will not be favorable."

"I understand that as well." Aurora’s expression tightened. Her voice turned dead serious, the previous brightness vanishing like a lie. The King stared into her eyes and muttered:

"...Is taking him by force still out of the question?"

It was a question asked not as a father, but as the king of a nation. "I've heard the reports. Your level is now 59. You are already in the realm of legendary heroes. Even so, is it impossible?"

Aurora looked down for a brief moment—then looked back at the King.

"It is impossible." There was no doubt in her voice. "Because my level has risen, I understand it more clearly than before." Her gloved finger tapped lightly against her chest. "Even if I were to throw the full might of the Guard, the Maid Corps—every force at my disposal—against him, the result would not change. We would simply be annihilated."

The King frowned. Aurora continued.

"Yuu is not just a mage with vast magical power. He... his combat experience is on another level. He has crossed the line between life and death dozens, hundreds of times over the years in that forest."

For a second, her eyes reflected a memory from two years ago. The heat ray that pierced a dragon in one shot. The silent, chantless wind magic. Even when she was level 48, she had realized she couldn't win. Now, at 59, she felt that "disconnect" even more accurately.

"And—" Aurora added quietly, "the moment we attempt to take him by force, all the 'trust' I have built up until now will vanish."

The Sage of the Forest fundamentally did not trust human society. He was merely granting "permission" to Aurora and those around her. "Father, surely you already understand how much of a threat the Sage's knowledge is?"

The King nodded gravely. There were not many instances where they could bring back actual inventions from the forest. However, fragments of that knowledge were already being utilized within the kingdom. For example, the air conditioner. Compared to Yuu’s handmade version, the performance was worlds apart. It had time limits and a narrow cooling range. Even so—

"I have thought many times how much a cool room can soothe a person's heart," the King said with a faraway look. In several meetings welcoming foreign envoys, the effect was clear. In a meeting room where a cool breeze flowed during the scorching season, tempers cooled as the sweat dried. That alone reduced aggressive exchanges and increased peaceful dialogue. Such a small thing could change the outcome of diplomacy.

"Regarding food as well..." The King looked at the documents beside him. "The... 'Udon,' was it?"

A dish made by kneading wheat into noodles. The ingredients were simple, but it was filling and easy to vary. They hadn't fully replicated the "tsuyu" broth yet, and the soy sauce substitute was still in the trial-and-error stage. Even so, simply adding udon to a Kingdom-made soup turned it into a proper staple meal. Its range of application was wide—from distribution to poor villages to portable rations for soldiers.

"Refrigerators. Low-temperature aged meat. And various other things..." The King recalled the list of "inventions he hadn't seen in person yet" that Aurora had told him about. How much was exaggeration, and how much was fact? If he believed all of his daughter's words, there were still countless "wonders" sleeping in the forest.

They could not afford to lose their friendly relationship with such a sage. Taking him by force was out of the question. As the King sat in deep contemplation, Aurora spoke up energetically.

"That being the case!" She clenched a fist in front of her chest. "I will be heading back to the forest in two weeks!"

The King pressed his temple.

"This next time will be a long-term stay! I'll investigate a lot! I'll listen to many stories! All for the sake of the Kingdom!!"

Aurora declared this with eyes sparkling brightly... but those eyes looked like nothing other than—

(No matter how you look at it, she’s saying 'I'm going to go have fun!')

The father's inner voice echoed hollowly against the ceiling. He sighed once more. He was grateful from the bottom of his heart that his beloved daughter was well again. He was grateful, but—

(She has been quite thoroughly tamed by the Sage's food.)

Likely, udon would be served during the next stay as well. Or perhaps new bread, a mysterious fried dish, or that "kakiage" thing. The bath was comfortable. The bed was fluffy. The reputation of the cosmetics was excellent. It made one wonder if the villa in the forest was more comfortable than a princess's life in the capital.

"...Aurora," King Fortum gave a deliberate cough. "Investigation in the forest is important. A friendly relationship with the Sage is a great asset to the nation."

"Yes!"

"However, do not declare it with such joy. The glares from my aides are painful."

The old Prime Minister waiting in the corner of the room looked away. Aurora’s cheeks flushed slightly. "...I am not 'enjoying' myself. This is strictly work. An investigation. For the sake of the nation."

"Is that so?" King Fortum chuckled. He remembered a day long ago when she was still small, the first time he took her to a festival in the city below. She had looked at the stalls with the same sparkle in her eyes. Now, as she prepared to head to the shut-in sage in the depths of the forest, her eyes shone with that same brilliance.

(...Well, fine.)

It was a headache for a king, but as a father, he felt a bit saved.

"I grant permission for your departure in two weeks. Send the proposed roster for the guards and maids to the Prime Minister later."

"Yes, sir!" Aurora saluted like a soldier. "Then, if you'll excuse me!"

She spun on her heel and swept out of the room with a flourish. The King watched the door for a while after she left.

The sound of the door closing softly fell over the office. The presence of his daughter, who had declared "For the sake of the Kingdom!" with a blinding smile, faded, leaving only the scent of paper and ink. King Fortum leaned back and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"...Phew." He exhaled a long breath. A father's relief and a king's headache mingled together in that single sigh.

"Her Highness is as energetic as ever."

A calm voice came from the side. The old Prime Minister was there. He had been standing a respectful step back until now, seemingly watching Aurora’s exit to the very end. Smoothing his graying hair, he looked at the King with eyes that were gentle yet sharp behind thin spectacles.

"What's with that look?" King Fortum chuckled. "Did I look like someone whose daughter just came home thoroughly tamed by treats?"

"No, I merely thought she had a very good expression on her face," the Prime Minister said without a smile. "I cannot believe she is the same person from two years ago."

Memories of that time flickered in the King's mind. Right after she lost her husband. The daughter who had signed the ceasefire treaty with the Eastern Empire while shedding tears of blood. No matter what she saw or heard, her eyes were hollow, as if she were in some far-off place. When he heard she had volunteered for the expedition to the Great Demon Forest—as a king, he should have stopped her, but as a father, part of him thought, 'Better she go there and burn it all out.'

Compared to the Aurora of those days, the sight of his daughter now, reporting on the forest with sparkling eyes, was nothing short of a miracle.

"...Well, if that miracle was brought about by this 'Sage of the Forest'..." The King dropped his gaze to the desk and tapped the wood grain with his fingertip. "The trouble for me as a king is that I cannot simply leave him be."

"Indeed." The Prime Minister walked slowly to the front of the King's desk. In one corner sat a stack of papers titled "Records Regarding the Sage of the Forest." Technical notes based on Yuu's knowledge. Examples of life in the demon realm. Copies of advice regarding diplomacy and food culture.

The Prime Minister glanced at them and tightened his lips slightly. "...It is a fact that a segment of the court is in an uproar."

"Yes." King Fortum’s expression soured slightly. "'The Second Princess herself has gone multiple times to recruit him, yet he refuses every time—it is the height of disrespect'... right?"

"Almost exactly those words," the Prime Minister said, his shrug serving as a substitute for a deep sigh. "Certainly, by the Kingdom's common sense, this is an impossible situation. A person sought by royalty who still refuses to enter the court—even looking through the Kingdom's history, such a case is non-existent."

"But that doesn't mean their argument is correct." King Fortum flicked the document on his desk. "In the first place, why can't they understand that those rules only apply within the Kingdom's borders?"

The Great Demon Forest. On the Kingdom's maps, it was depicted as the "North," but in reality, it was a "blank space" where no country could draw a clear border. A sea of trees untouched by humanity. A land where powerful monsters roamed and many expeditions never returned. The 'Sage of the Forest' living there was a citizen of no nation.

"The Great Demon Forest is not the Kingdom's territory," the King said lowly. "The Sage living there is not a citizen of the Kingdom. Therefore, there is no reason for him to be bound by our laws."

"Correct." The Prime Minister nodded. "The people in the court are likely confusing borders with the reach of authority." He held up one finger. "As long as one lives within the Kingdom's territory, they must follow the Royal Family and its laws. That is natural. Conversely—to tell someone living outside that territory to 'kneel to royalty' or 'obey the King's command' carries no logic."

"The word disrespect only applies to those under my protection," King Fortum snorted. "A person living in a place belonging to no one, belonging to no nation. To scream that it is 'regrettable' or 'disrespectful' is nothing more than an emotional argument."

"...Though," the Prime Minister shrugged slightly, "the very fact that someone is living in that forest was certainly beyond their imagination."

"I suppose."

"A human living alone in the Great Demon Forest—honestly, even I doubted my ears when I heard Princess Aurora's first report. You won't find a case like that in the Kingdom's history books, let alone the records of the entire continent."

"And so they say, 'Such a ridiculous story cannot be true. There must be a catch,' right?"

"Yes. 'He must be an envoy of the gods,' 'He must be a Demon King,' 'Perhaps he is an ancient dragon in disguise'... their imagination is quite fertile." The Prime Minister allowed a cynical smile for just a moment. "I can understand the sentiment. It is difficult to simply accept an existence that shakes the 'absolutism of royalty.' That feeling is also..."

"Logically, they must understand," King Fortum leaned back slowly. "That the Sage is outside the Kingdom's laws. That he has no obligation to follow royal commands. But—their emotions will not permit it."

The absolutism of royalty. The prestige of a royal family that had lasted for hundreds of years. That common sense held no binding power before a single, mysterious sage living in the depths of the forest. There were not many nobles who could accept that reality.

"...It is because they are nobles," the Prime Minister said quietly. "The longer one sits in a position of status, the more they tend to mistake their own 'normal' for the world's 'normal.'" He continued. "Furthermore, they seem dissatisfied that none of the Sage's inventions have been presented to the court as tribute."

King Fortum couldn't help but chuckle. "How predictable."

"Yes. They claim that the Sage's baths and bedding should be tested by the Royal Family and the nobility first."

"Drowned in their own greed," the King muttered, narrowing his eyes. "But I also understand the logic on the Sage's side." He picked up a memo from the corner of the desk. It contained a simple diagram drawn by the Sage and annotations copied by the Kingdom's engineers.

"Technological development is the nation's job." The King held it up. "He gives the knowledge but not the finished product—that is the correct path."

The Prime Minister nodded slowly. "If we were to rely on the Sage's charity, the nation would be finished."

"Indeed." King Fortum’s voice lowered. "The moment the Sage leaves, the nation would collapse. As soon as the external power that provided cool air, warmth, and a fertile table until yesterday vanished, all the people's dissatisfaction would turn toward us."

It was a future he had imagined and dismissed many times as a king. Such immense power. Such convenient wisdom. The temptation to embrace it all was always there. But—

"He likely refuses to hand it over with that in mind. A nation that relies on the power of an individual is no longer a nation." King Fortum muttered quietly. "The Sage of the Forest is thinking about what happens after he is gone. He couldn't draw that line otherwise."

"He carefully balances reality and ideals," the Prime Minister agreed. "I feel something similar to the sense you have developed over years of steering the Kingdom, Sire. He knows well that if one does too much, there will be a backlash."

King Fortum let his gaze wander for a moment. He could imagine the Sage, scratching his messy black hair and saying "That’ll be a pain later" with an annoyed look. He had never met him—likely just because he'd heard too much from his daughter. But King Fortum correctly grasped the Sage's thinking. The air conditioners and udon currently being made in the Kingdom didn't come close to the perfection of the Sage's versions. But they could proudly say they were "completed through the Kingdom's trial and error." They had taken the knowledge and turned it into the nation's strength without clinging to him.

"In conclusion..." the Prime Minister said, summarizing. "We have no choice but to cherish the bond of friendship Her Highness Aurora has forged."

"That's right."

"From the reports alone, it is clear the Sage has no interest in status or honor." The Prime Minister picked up one of the reports—the memo on diplomatic advice. "Foreign religious views. Taboos on food and faith. To have such precise insight yet refuse to step onto the main stage himself. He is truly a 'Sage in the Wings.'"

"If we tried to drag him onto the stage, he might break the stage itself," the King said with a wry smile, making the Prime Minister laugh slightly.

"Therefore—" King Fortum chose his words clearly. "With a difficult person like that... yes. 'Pasturing' is the best approach."

The Prime Minister's eyebrows rose. "Pasturing, Sire?"

"It is best to let him be free," the King continued firmly. "Let him walk as he pleases in a wide meadow. We will not interfere too much, but we will maintain a distance so as never to make him an enemy."

"If we were to make a clumsy move, the Sage's power would turn against us."

"Exactly." A king's sharpness returned to Fortum’s eyes. "The current relationship between Aurora and the Sage is a kind of miracle."

Emotions as a father bled through his words as well. "A miracle thread grasped by a daughter who visited persistently and tirelessly, carrying a smile time and again."

At first, she was rejected and thrown out by the barrier. No matter how many times she came, she was turned away at the gate. On windy days, on rainy days, she still kept going. The current relationship with the Sage was the result.

"I will not let this thread be cut by the mere pressure of the court." King Fortum’s voice dropped. The Prime Minister nodded with a stern gaze.

"I am in complete agreement."

The King was silent for a while, then muttered: "...Perhaps I should tighten the reins a bit."

There was a chill in his words. The Prime Minister's eyes narrowed with a similar ruthlessness. "The court has the right to state an opinion, but they do not have the right to decide."

King Fortum slowly clasped his hands. "They have sat in their unchanging positions for so long that their vision has blurred. They place themselves at the same height as the King and interfere as if it were natural... I must remind them once again."

The Prime Minister nodded quietly. "By your will. Indeed—sparrows that do nothing but chirp are unnecessary at the head of the nation."

A cold, ice-like smile appeared on his lips. It was a smile he never showed in front of Aurora. King Fortum wore a similar smile.

Fangs to protect a beloved daughter. Claws to protect the Kingdom. A difficult person in the forest and difficult people in the capital. He had to manage both while maintaining the right distance.

"Then, Sire," the Prime Minister bowed. "I shall take several measures regarding the 'chirping' in the court. I will also arrange an opportunity for them to reconsider their perception of the Sage."

"I leave it to you."

King Fortum nodded. Outside the window, the setting sun dyed the roofs of the capital red. Somewhere far beyond the city gates lay the Great Demon Forest. In its depths, the Sage was surely—even today—agonizing over whether to start with the dinner menu or an idea for a new magic tool. The King suddenly imagined the scene and smiled secretly.

(...Just stay out at pasture for as long as you can.)

While hiding cold smiles, slight expectations, and a hint of unease in their hearts, the King and his Prime Minister quietly pondered their next move.

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