Living as a Recluse Deep in the Forest - Episode 2: Aurora’s Reminiscence

The guest house outside was a size smaller than the main residence, but it was perfectly comfortable.

Walls built of stacked logs. Through the small windows, one could glimpse the green of the forest and the blue of the distant sky. On the simple bed lay clean sheets and a soft pillow. On the ceiling, a simple wind-sending magical tool installed by Yuu quietly circulated the air.

Aurora collapsed onto the bed, removing only her boots.

A wave of fullness and fatigue spread through her entire body. Though not quite as potent as the air conditioner, the cool breeze filling the guest room made her eyelids grow heavy.

(...I ate that much for lunch, yet I still told him I wanted meat for dinner.)

She recalled this hazily, giving a small, self-deprecating chuckle.

Even that faint spark of consciousness soon began to melt away, turning soft and fluid—

And her mind sank quietly into the past.

Three years ago.

The sky that day had been perfectly clear.

It was a blue so deep it was almost unbelievable.

The plaza in front of the castle gates.

Soldiers stood in formation, the fife and drum corps played a march, and people lined both sides of the road, waving flags.

At the center of it all, there he was.

A young man with black hair tied back, dressed in military regalia.

Despite his youth, the crest of a ducal house sat upon his shoulders. A childhood friend she had played with, studied with, sparred with, and discussed the future with since they were small.

And, the man who had become her husband only a few months prior.

"I’ll be back soon."

On the morning of his departure, he had said so with a laugh.

"The Eastern Empire won't last that long anyway. Those guys haven't the slightest clue how to manage provisions on a battlefield."

"I don't recall marrying a man who judges victory or defeat based on such things."

"No, no, logistics are vital, Aurora. Don't let the people starve, don't let the soldiers starve, and then strike the enemy. That is what you call a 'good war'."

The way he puffed out his chest so proudly was ridiculous, and yet, so dear to her.

"...Even so, it doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous."

Aurora had gripped his sleeve tightly.

"My father said that even a hero can die from a single arrow on the battlefield."

"Yeah, that’s true."

He had nodded seriously.

"That’s exactly why I’ll come back alive. I don't need to be a hero. As long as I can stand normally by your side, that’s enough."

Saying that, he pressed his lips lightly to Aurora’s forehead.

"When I return, just as we promised, let’s build that new school in the port town. One where orphans and poor children can attend."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. You as royalty, and I as a lord—we’ll make it a reality together."

She never imagined at the time that, only a few months later, that promise would turn into a "promise that could never be fulfilled."

Aurora still dreams of the day her husband’s body was returned.

The plaza in front of the castle gates was clear that day, too.

But the flags hung low, there was no music, and in its place was the sound of low prayers and muffled sobbing.

Lying in his coffin, he looked as if he were merely sleeping.

There wasn't a single scratch on his face; his expression was peaceful.

Only—the center of the armor on his chest was hideously gouged out.

It was explained to her that a bullet from the Empire’s new weapon, the "gun," had pierced him there.

"The enemy sniper died at the same time."

The officer who came to report continued flatly.

"It seems the weapon called a gun shattered and exploded the moment it was fired. It must have been an unfinished weapon."

She felt like screaming, So what?

So what.

What difference does that make?

The fact that he is dead remains unchanged.

Aurora clung to the coffin.

She managed to hold back her cries in front of others, but a beast-like groan leaked from deep within her throat.

Tears overflowed without stopping, blurring her vision.

Only when the tears traced down her cheeks and flowed into her mouth did she finally realize she was crying from the saltiness she felt.

(...Ah, so he really... truly died.)

She still remembered how a strangely calm thought intervened only in that moment.

And what filled the space immediately after was—

A burning, searing hatred toward the Eastern Empire.

That night, Aurora stood alone in the chapel.

A space where no one else remained.

The chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling swayed, their flames flickering.

In front of the altar, she drew her sword.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, she plunged it straight into the floor.

"...You took it."

Low and quiet.

A voice meant for no one to hear.

"My... our future. The future of this country."

The Empire’s flag.

The Empire’s Emperor.

The Empire’s nobles.

The Empire’s soldiers.

She directed her hatred toward everything "Empire."

That hatred called forth her magic.

An emotion like a black flame rising from the depths of her chest transformed directly into light and heat.

Her mind was dyed a single color: murderous intent. There was no room for stray thoughts to enter.

Because of that, the magic circle assembled with incredible smoothness.

Superior, and then the level beyond that. A magic circle of a realm that even those who offer prayers to the Goddess rarely touch surfaced on the chapel floor.

Aurora didn't mutter a prayer, but words of a curse.

Toward the eastern forts, the Empire’s supply bases, the military strongholds they had built.

Her aim was only there.

Only at points where her own country's soldiers were absent.

That alone, she maintained at the very last second.

Therefore, that magic was not designated as "Taboo."

However, its power was almost equivalent to divine punishment.

Several of the Empire’s forts burned down in a single night.

Towers collapsed, warehouses were blown away, and supply routes were severed.

The reports that arrived by morning depicted the remains of camps scorched by flames.

Seeing that sight, Aurora felt nothing.

No satisfaction, no regret.

Only a dry emptiness spread through her chest.

(...I probably won't be able to use that ever again.)

She realized it the moment she finished using it.

She would likely never be able to fill her body with nothing but emotion again.

Even if she tried now, she would undoubtedly hesitate somewhere.

That single moment of hesitation would be enough to cause magic of that scale to collapse.

So, that was a one-time magic.

She didn't know if that magic was the trigger or not.

But the Empire soon sent an envoy for peace.

"Ceasefire Agreement." "Non-Aggression Treaty."

Both sides likely judged that continuing the war any further would only increase their debts.

The Southern Kingdom also accepted that judgment.

Emotionally, she couldn't accept it at all.

She had only just shed torrents of tears over her husband's murder.

Still, as royalty, Aurora stood at the place of signing.

On that day, the moment she signed the document.

She remembered her hand holding the pen trembling, and the droplets that fell onto the paper tinged with red.

(Ah, so people really... can cry tears of blood.)

On the day peace was concluded and the country breathed a sigh of relief.

Aurora quietly finished one battle—and then fell into another.

For a while after that, Aurora was reckless.

Every time a new marriage proposal was brought to her, she rejected it out of hand.

She didn't refuse politely.

She went as far as tearing the letters to pieces.

The King, while letting out a deep sigh, said this:

"Let her do as she pleases for a while."

They were words considering his daughter’s feelings.

The vassals made sour faces, but no one opposed him head-on.

Aurora herself was aware that she wasn't sane.

The passion that continued to accumulate inside her chest, unable to find a place to go, was becoming scorched.

Even if she swung her sword or trained her magic, it wasn't enough.

She couldn't go to the battlefield.

She couldn't fight the Empire.

(Then—)

She turned her eyes toward one place.

The central part of the continent.

A land untrodden by humanity.

A "Demonic Great Forest" where monsters roamed, and most of the expeditions sent by many countries almost never returned.

"Recruiting for an exploration team?"

The civil official who read the recruitment requirements furrowed his brow involuntarily.

"That is a place where even veteran adventurers and knights are forced to retreat. It is not a place where Your Highness should go—"

"That’s exactly why."

Aurora said simply.

"There, I might find a place for my anger to go."

"Your Highness..."

Naturally, everyone around her tried to stop her.

It wasn't a place for royalty.

What was she thinking?

It was too dangerous.

But all those words—Aurora silenced them with her own strength.

The training grounds.

The general lauded as the strongest in the kingdom had sweat on his brow.

Facing him was Aurora, dressed in light armor.

"Come at me seriously, General."

"I am already serious!"

Sword clashed against sword, sparks flying.

The general’s heavy sword roared, but Aurora didn't retreat a single step; rather, she pushed back.

Her swordplay was sharper and heavier than one could ever imagine from her slender build.

In every single strike, a torrent of emotion was riding along.

In magic training, the top court mage in the country was turning pale.

"Your Highness, that chanting speed has surpassed the human realm...!?"

"It’s still not enough."

She shaved the chants down, simplified the formulas, and yet didn't let the power drop.

Anger and hatred had sharpened her thoughts.

In this world, there is a scale of power called "Level."

It is a simple system that measures individual combat ability and magic as numerical values using dedicated magical tools.

Ordinary people: 1–10.

Those proud of their strength: 10–15.

Soldiers: around 20.

Warriors and mages famous in the kingdom reach 30.

Generals and Magic Marshals exceed 40.

If someone reached 50, they were already an existence called a "Hero."

"Your Highness, just in case, a measurement."

The civil official who brought the magical measuring device spoke up timidly.

Aurora placed her hand on the crystal ball without a word.

A faint light glowed, and a number surfaced.

"48"

The air in the room froze.

Nearly the realm of a Hero.

Moreover, this wasn't just the accumulation of training, but a value that included a temporary increase fueled by the flames of her emotions.

(...At this rate, no one can stop her anymore.)

The court mage who peered into the measuring device sighed in his heart.

In fact, there was no longer anyone who could admonish Aurora head-on.

The King, after a long silence—finally nodded his head.

"...I will set conditions. You must take guards with you. If you die, that would truly be a national crisis."

"Understood."

Aurora said only that.

And so, she stood before the "Demonic Great Forest."

Dense trees.

Thick miasma and invisible murderous intent.

Even before stepping inside, the forest emitted a pressure as if rejecting intruders.

The ones chosen as guards were the most elite in the country.

Every one of them had a stiff expression.

"Your Highness, truly—"

"Have you lost your nerve?"

Aurora tried to laugh in a deliberately light tone.

"If so, you can turn back right now. I’ll go alone."

"...We’re going."

The guards exchanged glances and nodded slightly to each other.

Aurora rested her hand on the sword at her hip and pointed the other toward the depths of the forest.

Inside her chest, something was still boiling.

The pain of her husband being taken from her.

The hatred directed at the Empire.

The battle intent that had lost its destination.

She couldn't move the country.

But she could move her own body.

(Then, at least—)

Aurora stared into the darkness of the forest.

(I want this life to burn out in a place where it can be of use to someone, somewhere.)

She didn't yet know that this step would lead to an encounter that would later change her fate.

Carrying only her passion.

The second princess Aurora Will Mira Australis stepped into the "Demonic Great Forest."

The Demonic Great Forest was—a hell beyond the rumors.

The first thing they encountered was a one-eyed giant.

While weaving through the trees, their vision was suddenly blocked by a shadow.

Looking up, there it stood.

Its skin was a rocky, craggy grey.

From its forehead to its jaw, a single, massive, glowing eyeball sat squarely in the middle.

The moment that pupil rolled down to look at Aurora and the others—white light bolted from the eye.

"Close your eyes!"

Aurora’s shout and the downpour of light were almost simultaneous.

Rocks, the ground, and nearby dead trees turned to stone before their eyes.

One of the guards was a moment too slow to react, stepping forward to protect his arm. The next instant, that arm from the elbow down was turned to stone.

"Damn it...!"

Aurora quickly stepped in, cloaking her sword in magic and kicking off the ground.

As she slashed at the giant's ankle, she slammed in an explosion mixed with fire magic.

Even petrification light wouldn't work as long as her eyelids were closed.

In that case, she just had to make it close its eye.

With a thunderous sound, the ankle shattered, and the massive body wavered.

Taking that opening, the guards leapt out all at once, slashing and carving at the leg tendons.

The one-eyed giant—the Cyclops—collapsed with a ground-shaking thud.

But even so, it reached out its hand, sounding like it was gasping for its last breath.

"Stubborn...!"

Finally, Aurora slammed a lightning spear into that single eye.

At last, the giant's body stopped moving.

Defeating just one of those would require an entire subjugation team for an ordinary adventurer.

But in this forest, monsters of that "disaster class" were everywhere.

On another day, the trees themselves bared their fangs.

Trunks twisted, branches stretched out like arms, and countless yellow eyes peered through the gaps in the thick leaves.

The Evil Treant—trees pregnant with miasma that had begun to move with a will of their own.

The miasma they breathed out rotted the air itself.

If one continued to inhale it, their lungs would be scorched and their internal organs would melt.

"Wind Barrier, deploy!"

At Aurora’s command, the guard mages raised wind shields.

Pushing back the miasma, the front line charged in during that opening and cut through the trunks.

However, the trunks they should have cut down continued to crawl along the ground, and vines tried to entangle their feet.

"Persistent!"

Aurora held her staff toward the sky and drew a ring of fire.

The next moment, a wave of fire ran across the surface of the ground, burning away the trees along with the miasma.

The smell of charring.

Black branches still stretching out from behind the scorched bark.

By the time they finally fell silent, the guards were all breathing heavily.

"Your Highness... this forest is truly..."

"This is supposed to be the very entrance, and yet...?"

No one said it out loud, but everyone thought the same thing in their hearts.

—This was not a place to stay for long.

Furthermore, another hell awaited at night.

In the darkness of the forest, where even the moonlight couldn't reach, what reached their ears was the sound of footsteps in a steady rhythm.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Several of them, approaching from all four directions.

Before they could hold their breath, several crimson eyes surfaced in the darkness.

Grey wolves covered in hair that stood on end.

Their mouths were always covered in bloody foam, and there wasn't a shred of reason in their eyes.

"Relics Wolves..."

Someone whispered with a groan.

Mad wolves that always sought out blood.

They were troublesome monsters that preferred blood that was still warm, never satisfied with carrion.

"Your Highness, get back—"

"If I have time to get back, I’ll step forward!"

Aurora drew her sword and leapt forward.

A flash cloaked in lightning severed the head of one that had jumped at her.

But even with their comrade killed, the other wolves didn't flinch.

Rather, they were excited by the scent of blood and attacked even faster.

The guards readied their respective weapons and formed a circle back-to-back.

Aurora stood at the very front of the circle, using her sword and magic to cut down the wolves.

—That kind of fighting continued for days.

Cyclops.

Evil Treants.

Relics Wolves.

High-ranking Orcs.

Dragon-kin, albeit small.

They faced monsters like a "hellish showcase," one after another.

Aurora was Hero-class. The guards' levels reached 30, and even the lowest maid was level 25. They were a group of elites with power equivalent to skilled soldiers.

Even so—simply staying alive took everything they had.

As she continued to fight like that, Aurora began to notice a certain strangeness.

(...The terrain is odd.)

It wasn't just "forest."

When they broke through the dense sea of trees, a wide-open valley would suddenly appear, or a mountain-like upheaval would show itself.

From the outside, it looked like just a great forest.

But the more they walked inside, the more she was made to feel that this wasn't just a forest.

At one point, they were resting on a small hill with a rock wall behind them.

Hiding in the shadows of the trees, they ate water and light snacks.

"Your Highness, the terrain ahead is..."

"It seems to become a valley if we descend a bit. There are also cliff-like areas."

Listening to the guards' reports, Aurora stared at the map on her knees... or rather, the parchment that was still nearly blank.

And then, she suddenly whispered in a hoarse voice.

"...Another world, huh."

"Your Highness?"

"This forest—the forest itself is a 'Dungeon'."

The surrounding air grew tight and tense.

Dungeons.

Gathering places for mana scattered throughout the world.

When the magic flowing in there becomes solidified and left without being purified, that place eventually becomes a "Dungeon," changing into caves or spaces where monsters are generated.

For many, dungeons were dangerous, but at the same time, they were mountains of treasure.

There were adventurers in the world who built settlements nearby and amassed fortunes, using them as hunting grounds for monster materials.

But—.

"I’ve never heard of a dungeon of this scale."

Aurora said lowly.

"No wonder there are so many who haven't returned. You can't realize its true nature just by looking from the outside. But once you get deep inside..."

"Return is difficult, is that it?"

One of the guards continued, losing his color.

"On top of that, the number of people who can realize this forest is a dungeon is limited. Unless it’s someone of the master class skilled in magic like Your Highness..."

"That’s likely why it’s been left alone."

Aurora let out a small breath.

This great forest had existed since ancient times.

Looking at it from another perspective, you could say it was already "stable."

But, as long as it was a dungeon—the "limit" would surely come one day.

What would happen then?

Aurora recalled a term she had read in a textbook.

Stampede.

The collapse of a dungeon that occurs when the "capacity" of the monsters is exceeded.

A phenomenon where the accumulated magic and monsters overflow to the outside all at once.

A time of ruin that will inevitably occur unless monsters are hunted periodically to adjust their numbers.

But the monsters in this forest were too strong.

They were not opponents that could be "hunted stably."

National-level measures were necessary.

It wasn't something that could be handled by the efforts of an individual or a single unit.

(...I must bring this information back, no matter what.)

Aurora made up her mind.

It might be a hundred years from now.

It might be two hundred years.

But, one day, this forest will surely reach its limit.

If they weren't prepared then—the Southern Kingdom would be swallowed by disaster.

"...Alright."

She stood up and looked around at everyone.

"I order all guards. Take this information back to the country."

"Your Highness...?"

"The Demonic Great Forest is not a forest, but a dungeon. Inform the castle of that fact and advise them to take long-term measures."

The guards' eyes widened.

"In that case, Your Highness, come with—"

"I am staying here."

The answer was immediate.

The guards gasped.

The maids also looked up at Aurora with expressions of shock.

"Lady Aurora, what do you plan to do...?"

"I—"

Aurora let her gaze wander for a moment, and then looked straight at the guards.

"I will investigate the forest's ecology further."

"Wha..."

"The information is still insufficient. Up to where are the monsters dense, where is the boundary, how is the flow of magic...?"

"Don't say such foolish things!"

One of the guards raised his voice, unable to help himself.

"You're telling us to go back alone, leaving Your Highness behind!? That’s impossible!"

"Not a single one of us can accept such an order!"

Everyone’s gaze focused on Aurora.

Even so, she quietly shook her head.

"Please."

Her voice was trembling slightly.

"Let me go."

She looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Just living is... already painful for me."

The wind blew through the forest.

Only the sound of rustling leaves reached their ears for a while.

"Your Highness..."

One of the guards let out a hoarse voice.

"My husband is dead."

Aurora added the words slowly.

"He was taken by the Empire. I hated them. I burned them down. ...Still, I became unable to fight the Empire."

The peace treaty.

The non-aggression treaty.

The decision as a country was correct.

She knew it. She understood it.

That was exactly why her emotions had nowhere to go.

"The anger inside me has lost its destination. If I fight, I’ll break the country. If I take revenge, I’ll involve people."

She lowered her gaze and looked at her clenched fist.

"Then at least, in this forest... I wanted to burn out in a way that wouldn't trouble anyone."

"Your Highness, that’s—"

"I was looking for a place to die."

No one had any words to say back to that.

On that day when her husband died.

On that day when she could no longer direct her hatred toward the Empire.

Aurora’s heart was already broken.

It was just that—the guards hadn't noticed.

In that moment.

The air changed suddenly.

The rustling of the forest stopped for an instant, and in its place, a large shadow fell from above.

"Up...!"

Someone shouted.

Looking up, a large shadow crossed the sky peeking through the gaps in the trees.

A massive silhouette with spread wings.

Scales and claws.

A long, stretching tail.

Two wings beat the sky, slamming a cold wind down to the ground.

Albeit small, it was unmistakably a "Dragon-kin."

"The worst timing possible...!"

The guards drew their swords and readied their shields.

The dragon looked down at them, making a rumbling sound in its throat.

The next moment, its mouth opened wide.

"Scatter—!"

At the same time as Aurora’s command flew, a heat ray swept the ground.

Rock faces melted, and trees turned to ash in an instant.

They narrowly avoided a direct hit, but the heat wave alone made their skin feel as if it were burning.

"At this distance, at this altitude...!"

The dragon attacked one-sidedly from the sky.

If they just stayed on the defensive like this, they would be gradually whittled down and eventually wiped out.

If everyone fought together—"they could probably kill it."

But casualties would definitely occur.

(At this rate, someone will surely die.)

Aurora gritted her teeth.

(I can't involve them in my... selfish 'suicide' any further.)

The guards stepped forward to protect Aurora.

But seeing that pierced her chest like a sharp stake.

Aurora gripped her sword again.

"Your Highness!? Where are you—"

"Stay back!"

Shaking off their restraint, she leapt forward.

Concentrating magic in her legs, she kicked the ground hard.

Weaving through the gaps in the dragon's attacks, she dashed up the slope of the cliff all at once.

"Your Highness!"

The shouting voices of the guards grew distant.

Aurora looked up at the dragon.

(Cloak the sword in lightning and fire. Leap up and sever the base of the wing in one strike—)

A one-shot-one-kill, all-or-nothing gamble.

If she missed, it was over.

But if she hit, she could bring the dragon down.

(If I die here, so be it.)

Her husband's face crossed her mind for a moment.

The sleeping-like face in the coffin.

(But at least—I will be the one to cut this thing down.)

Aurora began to spin a spell as if squeezing it from the depths of her throat, concentrating magic in her sword.

In that instant.

A "large hole" suddenly opened in the dragon's torso.

"...Eh?"

Before her eyes, the center of the dragon simply vanished.

It was as if a bundle of heat and light had pierced the sky.

An extremely high-density heat ray where fire and light were mixed.

Tremendous control and magic volume.

An ultra-superior ritual-class spell.

And, a technique of a scale that even Aurora couldn't assemble during combat.

The dragon's body, unable to withstand it, began to crumble without even a scream.

Its wings convulsed, and black smoke leaked from its mouth.

Eventually, the massive shadow lost its strength and fell toward the far side of the forest.

A ground-shaking thud, and a booming sound that arrived late.

Before the afterglow could fade—

"Huh? A person?"

A carefree voice was heard from above.

On top of the rock wall Aurora and the others had been leaning against.

From a high place far above, a man was peering down.

"...What are you doing in a place like this?"

Saying that, the man floated down to the ground.

There was no chant, no light from a magic circle.

Aurora realized a moment late that he had jumped off the rock wall silently while neutralizing the impact with wind magic.

He looked like a young man you could find anywhere.

Black hair.

Pure black hair, rare in this world.

A somewhat sleepy, carefree face.

But—.

(...He looks like him.)

His appearance, that black hair.

He looked, somewhere, just a little bit like her dead husband.

Her chest tightened.

The man looked around at the exploration team standing there with their mouths agape, and tilted his head.

"Uhh... are you guys lost, maybe?"

That was the first encounter between Aurora and Yuu.

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