Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 11: Secret Meeting of the King and the First Princess

In a corner of the royal palace, some distance from the formal audience chamber, lay a small reception room reserved only for royalty. The furniture was expensive but lacked the ostentatious flair of the public halls. Simple maps and a few landscape paintings adorned the walls. On the desk, tea sets steamed alongside stacks of documents. It was a room where the atmosphere suggested a place for daughters to visit a "father" rather than a "King."

Currently, the King sat in the central chair, with Regina and her husband, the Holy Knight, seated opposite him.

"—And that concludes the results of the talks with the Demon Country of the West."

Closing the documents with a crisp snap, Regina finished her report.

"The friendship treaty with the Demon Country remains unchanged. We have secured a five-year extension. The trade of western spices will continue as before; in fact, talks are progressing toward increasing the volume."

She paused there and gave a bright smile.

"...So, in short, I did my best! Praise me, praise me, Father~!"

The First Princess leaned forward, her hands resting neatly on her knees. King Fortum placed a hand to his temple, a distant look in his eyes.

(...I feel like I saw a similar sight not too long ago.)

He recalled Aurora having the exact same expression when recounting her interactions with the Sage upon her return from the forest. Dignified princesses in public; two daughters who seemed to regress in age when before their family. As a father, it was heartwarming, yet it was also a source of many headaches. That said—

"It would be impossible not to praise you."

Fortum’s lips naturally curled into a smile.

"A five-year extension of friendship with another nation might be just one line on paper, but diplomats who can pluck such a result away so calmly are few and far between."

Moreover, the opponent was the "Demon Country." Unlike this kingdom to the south, it was a western superpower where a vast variety of demi-humans resided. It was a multi-racial state home to elves, beastmen, dwarves, and even a small number of lizardmen. Their magical technology, particularly regarding military applications, was a step ahead of the Kingdom's. A friendship treaty with such a nation was worth ten thousand pieces of gold.

"Truly my daughter. Well done, Regina."

"Hehe, feel free to say more!"

Regina puffed out her chest happily. Beside her, the Holy Knight—her husband—let out a small chuckle.

"...You're in quite a good mood, Regina."

"Of course I am! The food in the Demon Country was delicious. Their use of spices is truly magnificent—"

"I think it's a bit much for talk of food to precede talk of work," Fortum interjected with a wry smile, causing Regina to shrug.

"But it's important, isn't it? Western spices are definitely elevating our nation's food culture. Even our chefs' eyes were sparkling, saying they had much to learn from the Demon Country's court chefs."

"I won't deny that."

Fortum dropped his gaze to the map on the desk. The Kingdom to the south. In the center, the "Great Demon Forest" drawn as a giant circle. To its west, the Demon Country. Between the sea of trees and the Demon Country, numerous ancient symbols and detailed descriptions of magic circles were inscribed.

"...By the way."

The King's tone sharpened slightly.

"I have heard Aurora's report as well."

"Regarding the forest, I assume?"

"Indeed. North, East, West. It seems there are formidable entities in each direction that even the Sage finds troublesome."

During her stay in the forest, Aurora had heard several stories from the Sage. To the north, a monster the Sage himself described as "annoying." To the east, a creature with a vast territory that was supposedly safe as long as one didn't interfere. And then—

"I hear that on the western side, a 'monster capable of speech' claims the western part of the sea of trees as its territory—"

Fortum lightly tapped the border between the "Demon Realm" and the "Demon Country" on the map with his finger.

"Do you think there is a connection to the Demon Country?"

At the question, Regina’s expression tightened. The playful face of the daughter vanished, replaced by the cool, collected diplomat who had contended with various dignitaries in the Demon Country's court.

"...I believe there likely is," Regina replied instantly. "The King of the Demon Country—the Elven Queen—is certainly a person of great caliber. She possesses both high-level magical prowess and political genius."

The leader of the forest folk, with long, slender ears and silver hair tied at her shoulder. The image of the Queen—calm, soft, yet with a core of iron—flickered in her mind.

"However, I find it very hard to believe that she alone can perfectly control such a diverse range of races."

"I see."

"The Demon Country is as stable a nation as our Kingdom. While it's unlikely they are without any sparks of internal strife, such things rarely surface... and that has continued since ancient times."

Her words carried weight.

"Elves, beastmen, dwarves. Their lifespans, values, and the things they revere are all different. Each worships their own gods and holds their own unique pride."

Yet, the Demon Country remained united as a single "nation." Which meant—

"It makes one think that something is holding the whole thing down from behind the scenes."

Regina looked up, meeting the King's eyes.

"And I suspect that is not unrelated to the forest."

The Holy Knight beside her spoke up quietly.

"Sire."

"Yes. Let me hear your intuition as well, Holy Knight."

Regina’s husband—the finest Holy Knight in the land and the man regarded as the next candidate for the throne. His golden eyes were gentle, but within them resided the sharpness unique to those who wield the sword.

"There is no mistake that 'something' resides in the forest," the Holy Knight asserted shortly. "Something that even my Holy Sword could not stand against."

"...That much?" Fortum’s eyebrows twitched slightly. "Did you fight it in the forest?"

"No." The Holy Knight shook his head slowly. "The mere thought of a fight was terrifying."

His tone remained calm, but there was no hint of a joke in his words.

"When heading to the Demon Country, we passed near the border of the forest. At that time, I felt it clearly. A presence like a massive will residing in the western part of the sea of trees."

He searched for words for a moment before continuing.

"...It was, how shall I put it... like the sensation of being looked down upon by a gargantuan tree."

"A tree?" The King tilted his head.

"Yes. It wasn't exactly pressure. I didn't feel a single trace of evil waves. It was simply so massive that the moment I realized its existence, my knees almost buckled."

It was a sensation closer to awe than fear.

"It is something that extends across the entirety of the Demon Country. Beyond the western side of the sea of trees, the shadow-like trace of that presence stretched over the Demon Country's forests and its cities."

Regina recalled the streets of the Demon Country. The bustling markets where various races crossed paths. The elven elders offering prayers in the temple district. The black silhouettes of distant mountain ranges seen from the mansion window at night.

(...Now that he mentions it,)

That country had a unique sense of composure. There were small skirmishes between races, to be sure, but they never escalated into major conflict. There wasn't an atmosphere where humans fundamentally hated beastmen, or beastmen hated elves. They were wary and approached each other with caution, but beneath that was an acceptance that resembled resignation.

As if everyone understood that "this is just how things are."

"...The 'monster capable of speech' on the western side of the forest." Fortum tapped the desk with his finger. "According to Aurora, it said 'it won't attack as long as we don't attack first.'"

"Yes. It seems they can communicate," Regina added. "The report stated: 'They seem to have their own reasons for protecting that forest... but they wouldn't tell me more than that.'"

"Protecting, huh."

"Yes," the Holy Knight continued. "I spoke with the Queen of the Demon Country as well, but she did not say much regarding the western forest either. She only said, 'There is simply an ancient agreement.'"

"An agreement?"

"Yes. Not to send the Demon Country's army in large numbers to the western forest. Not to build altars or temples within the depths of the sea of trees without permission. In exchange, they are not to pursue development that ignores the voice of the forest."

The Holy Knight gave a wry smile. "...My apologies. Honestly, it's so abstract that even I do not fully comprehend it."

"No, it's enough." Fortum shook his head. "In short, it's highly likely that the Demon Country has held a contract of coexistence with something in the forest since ancient times."

"I believe so," Regina agreed. "The King of the Demon Country seeks 'forest' protection for her own nation. Conversely, the forest side seems to be using the Demon Country to maintain the balance of the western part of this continent—that's the picture that emerges."

"And for us in the south, it's the 'Sage of the Forest'."

At the King's words, the air in the room shifted slightly. The southern side of the central Demon Realm. That was now the territory of the black-haired Sage—Yuu Yotonami. A single man who supposedly had no education or status. Yet, in reality, he was an existence that was slowly but surely pushing up the Kingdom's standard of living and diplomatic vision.

"A talking monster to the west. A hermit sage to the south. There may be something in the north and east as well."

"...The Sage-dono says he is 'just a shut-in'," the Holy Knight said with a wry chuckle. "I've never heard of a 'just' who lives in the forest for years, recreates civilization single-handedly, and can shoot down dragons."

"Quite so." Fortum found himself in total agreement.

For a while, all three fell silent. In the quiet, only the ticking of the magic-tool clock in the corner could be heard.

"...Sire." Regina was the first to speak. "The Sage-sama, who is the 'guardian' of the southern forest. The Demon Country, which is linked to 'something' in the west. And the powers in the north and east." She dropped her gaze to the center of the map. "The day may come when all of this sits upon a single game board."

"...I cannot deny that." Fortum nodded slowly.

"Which is why, for now—"

"—is the time to nurture the relationship without rushing," Regina finished. "Being more careful than ever with the Demon Country. Building trust with the Sage-sama through Aurora. And not meddling unnecessarily with the north and east."

"While never averting our eyes, I suppose?"

"Yes." The Holy Knight nodded quietly. "Neither 'that' in the western sea of trees nor the Sage-dono in the southern forest are beings that would unilaterally bare their fangs as long as we do not act with discourtesy—I have that impression."

"However," he continued, "to put it another way, the moment we do something to betray that trust, an irreparable rift will open."

That was exactly what Aurora had been saying repeatedly until she was blue in the face.

"Which is why I cannot stop Aurora," Fortum let out a breath that was somewhere between a wry smile and a sigh. "Are you also in favor of her continuing her visits to the forest, Regina?"

"Yes." Regina wore a somewhat soft smile. "...That girl makes such a wonderful face when she talks about the Sage-sama."

"I see."

"Yes. A carefree way of laughing, like she used to before she lost her husband." Regina’s voice was tinged with a sister's affection. "So, personally—I want to believe in the Sage-sama as much as possible."

Fortum looked down. The first day Aurora had headed into the forest. And the day she had returned in tatters. The daughter who had supported herself with hatred and emptiness was now slowly regaining her smile as she traveled between the forest and the capital. There was no doubt that the one who supported that change was the Sage of the Forest.

"...You're right." Fortum eventually nodded quietly. "It's the same as the Demon Country."

"Meaning?"

"The Demon Country has exchanged an agreement with something in the western forest since ancient times, correct?"

"Yes. Likely."

"For us in the south—it may be time to slowly weave an agreement with the Sage of the Forest."

"It seems it will be a negotiation with a rather whimsical Sage, though," Regina shrugged. "The fact that Aurora is the point of contact makes it a very unique form of negotiation. Hehe."

"Don't say it. It's a headache for me as a father."

A soft laugh spread among the three. But deep within that laughter—everyone felt, somewhere, the swaying of the "balance of the entire continent" that might one day come.

The Demon Country. The foreign fleet. The Great Demon Forest. The "Something" to the west of the forest. The Sage to the south of the forest. And the unseen powers lurking in the north and east. For now, all of them were barely managing to coexist in silence.

But, at least within this Kingdom—there were certainly those who had no intention of letting it end with them simply watching.

The tense air returned to a gentle state for a moment. Regina, stirring her tea with a teaspoon, began to grumble.

"...But honestly, the timing was truly terrible this time. For a foreign ship to arrive at the port just as I was heading to the Demon Country."

"True enough," Fortum agreed with a wry smile. The Holy Knight also shrugged slightly.

"Both were matters that you could not ignore, Sire. The treaty renewal with the Demon Country, and the foreign envoys who came from across the sea."

"Yes. It's not like we could throw away the talks with the Demon Country and suddenly send me to the port instead." Regina continued, sounding exasperated but somehow amused. "On the other hand, if we told a foreign diplomatic mission to deal only with low-ranking officials, that would be a huge problem in itself. It might wound their pride, making them think the Kingdom looks down on them."

"Aurora did well in that regard." Fortum spoke his daughter's name with honest pride. "She went all the way to the demon forest and brought back advice from the Sage. Without that advice, blood might have been spilled at the banquet table."

"...To be honest," Regina let out a light breath, "even I didn't have the perspective that 'ingredients could become a spark for mutual slaughter.'"

Normally, one would naturally predict things as far as "displeasure due to differences in etiquette." How to hold a knife and fork, the order of raising a cup, the seating arrangements—one could imagine a negotiation collapsing over such misunderstandings.

"I can understand negotiations not going well due to differences in table manners," Regina said, setting her cup back on the saucer. "But when I heard that in the desert country across the sea, cows are sacred beings that serve the gods... I was honestly at a loss for words."

A country where cows aren't just the main course, but are on the side of the worshipped. A land where slaughtering a cow, roasting the meat, and carving it before guests isn't the "highest form of hospitality," but the "highest form of blasphemy." When you heard the reason, it was a logic you could nod along to. But unless pointed out by someone, it wouldn't be strange to go a lifetime without noticing.

"Our country might be too relaxed regarding food," the Holy Knight added quietly. "Livestock is livestock. Whether it's a hunted beast or raised livestock, we treat it as 'receiving a life,' and we have no concept of viewing a specific animal as extremely sacred."

"Yes. Being relaxed is a virtue, but... at the same time, it makes it hard to see the obvious truth that our common sense is not the world's common sense." Regina laughed somewhat self-deprecatingly. "A mind that doubts common sense. It seems the Sage-sama spoke of that as if it were natural..."

Aurora's report came back to her.

'There's nothing more dangerous than the "obvious" of your own country. Because it's "common sense" precisely because you can't easily doubt it.'

Words that were irritatingly spot on.

"The Sage of the Forest pointed out that danger." Regina stared at the tea in her cup. "...I really would like to meet him once."

"I feel the same way," the Holy Knight said, leaning forward slightly. "There are administrative matters, but—above all, as a knight, I want to see his power with my own eyes."

The light in his eyes wasn't hostility. It was simply that he couldn't leave someone with massive power unchecked. To know their true nature and, if necessary, decide the nation's policy. That was his natural duty as a Marquis and a Holy Knight.

"The power to drop a dragon in one hit, put forest monsters to sleep, and carve out that sea of trees with a barrier..." The Holy Knight clenched his fist. "If that power were to bare its fangs at the Kingdom, what should we do? Conversely, if that power stands as an ally, how much could it change the world?"

It wasn't mere curiosity. It was the cool-headed interest of one who protects the nation.

"I understand how you feel... but don't." Fortum laughed bitterly and waved a hand. "I've left negotiations with the Sage-dono entirely to Aurora. That is likely what will work best."

"...Though many in the court are still grumbling," the Holy Knight shrugged. "Calling him a 'disrespectful person' who keeps refusing direct recruitments from the Second Princess."

"Normally, it would be a beheading matter, wouldn't it?" Regina said airily. "If he were a citizen of the Kingdom, he would certainly be a target for punishment. A commoner talking back to royalty could be made into a bad example."

"That is exactly why I do not place the Sage-dono in the category of a citizen." Fortum’s voice was quiet but clear. "He is an independent within the forest. He is to be treated as a wise man living in seclusion in the frontier, belonging to no nationality."

One could say he had no choice but to treat him that way. If he defined that man as a "subject of the Kingdom," the act of turning away the Second Princess time and again would be a clear challenge to royal authority. But he lived in no capital, town, or fief. He held no relationship of vassalage with any lord. His name was not on any capital registry.

(—In the first place, it isn't even clear where he came from.)

Regina traced the edge of the saucer with her fingertip. "He likely lives in the forest for reasons including that," she murmured. "Likely a nobleman from a distant, foreign land."

A firm conviction seeped into Regina’s tone. "You can ignore his magical skill for a moment. The problem is everything else. The Sage's knowledge and his way of thinking clearly have a foundation of advanced education. You can see it in the fragments of his speech."

When they talked about systems. When he spoke of the merits and demerits of the aristocratic system. When she asked questions about taxation or land systems. His answers were apparently not those of a commoner.

"It's a way of thinking you don't acquire just by reading books. He speaks in a way that wouldn't come out unless one were routinely conscious of the concepts of 'state' and 'class'." Regina chuckled. "'The privileged class isn't great because they have privilege; rather, the mechanism of a privileged class was established precisely because they are excellent'—not many people would state it so clearly."

Ironically, those were words from someone who correctly understood the core of the aristocratic system.

"Land ownership, tax management, military command. He understands perfectly that the nobility is what bundles those together. And yet, he laughs and shuts himself in the forest, saying 'I don't need privileges.'"

That was what made him both troublesome and attractive.

"It's not just the education of a hermit. Under normal circumstances, he is someone who should be held in high esteem at the heart of some nation."

"...And his age is not much different from Aurora's, is it?" Fortum narrowed his eyes slightly.

"If Aurora's stories are true, yes. Judging by his gestures and way of speaking, they are not those of someone in their old age. A strange sage who possesses a brain that overwhelms others despite being young."

Regina stopped there. The rest was spun from the King's mouth.

"If a nation is deep-pocketed, such a person would be highly valued. One could swallow a bit of disrespect because they are an extraordinary talent."

"However," Fortum continued, "if the opposite were true—"

"—They would be ostracized," Regina finished softly. "There must have been some foolish country out there. I don't know which one, though."

Her tone was joking, but beneath it was a sincere sigh. "Thanks to that, the Sage-sama won't even come near our Kingdom." A wry smile appeared on Regina’s lips. "I wonder how many terrible experiences he had in noble society. Someone who doesn't seek status, hates fame, and shows no interest in wealth. If such a person were tossed around time and again for the convenience of those in power..."

"I can understand the choice to retreat into the depths of the forest," the Holy Knight’s words were filled with a sort of sympathy. Perhaps because, as a knight and a noble, he himself had seen the shadows and light of power.

"Just by hearing Aurora's reports, the abnormality of the Sage-dono comes across whether you want it to or not." The Holy Knight slowly counted on his fingers. "Completely grasping the ecology of monsters, building farmland and a dwelling in the forest, digging a well, preparing a bath, and using air conditioning and heating according to the climate."

"The same goes for the cosmetics," Regina added, leaning forward. "Soap, lotion, emulsion... his knowledge regarding all things beauty is terrifyingly systematic. He explains things not by 'feeling,' but with 'logic'—how the scent's longevity and moisturizing power change just by slightly altering the blend."

Though it was the Kingdom's side that was currently clutching their heads because they couldn't replicate it.

"I cannot imagine such a person being a mere commoner in any country." That was Regina’s conclusion. "That's why seeing him as a nobleman from a distant land feels the most natural."

Fortum also nodded slowly. "Possessing a prominent talent from a young age somewhere we do not know—"

"—And at some point, he became fed up with aristocratic society itself," Regina finished quietly. "Or perhaps his life was targeted. Or his achievements were stolen repeatedly. Or he was toyed with as a tool for power struggles."

None of those were rare stories in noble society. That was why they were easy to imagine.

"That is why the Sage-sama belongs to no country. He lives in no fief. He simply lives in the forest, having created his own 'Kingdom'."

The forest fields. The log house. The well. The steaming bath. A living environment maintained by magic. From Aurora's reports, it wasn't an exaggeration to call it another "small country."

"...From our perspective, he is talent we want so badly it hurts," Fortum leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "But if we get too greedy, he'll likely just run away."

"Yes. For now, the distance of 'a girl who visits the forest' is just barely being permitted." Regina’s voice sounded somewhat amused, yet somewhat lonely. "The wisdom from outside the Sage-sama's common sense is attractive in every way. Be it food or magic tools... but the world at its root is just too different."

Where Yuu actually came from—no one had any way of knowing. However, the fact that he possessed a foreign set of common sense that belonged to no country in this world was slowly coming to light.

"That is why," Regina smiled slowly, "I want Aurora to treasure it. Both the distance from the Sage-sama and the Sage-sama's 'heart'."

"...As a sister?"

"As the First Princess as well." Regina finished her tea and set the cup down quietly. "If he is a treasure that a foolish country let go—" She looked at the center of the map on the desk, near the demon realm. "Then this time, we must protect him properly."

The King looked at his daughter's profile and narrowed his eyes. The Holy Knight also nodded quietly at her words. Outside the window, the bell of the capital's tower slowly marked the time. While no one truly knew the identity of the Sage living in the depths of the sea of trees—

The upper echelons of the Kingdom were beginning to understand, bit by bit, the weight of his existence.

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